The Last Day

Today is the last day of the Zechariah study. I so enjoyed studying this. I loved this summary John MacArthur gave of how we see Christ in Zechariah:

Chapter
1 - The Riding One
2 - Measuring One
3 - Cleansing One
4 - Empowering One
5 - Judging One
6 - Crowned One
7 - Rebuking One
8 - Restoring One
9 - Kingly One
10 - Blessing One
11 - Shepherding One
12 - Returning One
13 - Smitten One
14 - Reigning One

So, what is next?

Daniel, Part 1! So excited to do this. Our Pastor, Tommy Green, is leading a study on Revelation on Wednesday nights for an hour, going verse by verse through Revelation. So, I am going to sit in on his teaching along with my husband and bestie, Betsy and her hubby, Ralph. So we as couples decided to do Daniel, Part 1 (Precept Upon Precept) during the second hour while our kids are doing Team Kid Club. That way, me and Betsy can begin to prepare for a opportunity to teach Daniel - hopefully to the ladies at First Baptist Brandon :)

Walking In Obedience

Jerry Bridges' book - "Pursuit of Holiness" has this phrase in it:

God wants us to walk in obedience - not victory.

Read my take on this here....as it is my turn to post over at Laced With Grace. Hope you'll join me over there.

God wanted the temple gone.....

Just had to share this great post over at Desiring God. I loved this post because it is an awesome reminder of God's sovereignty over the world, his people and Israel.

What a glorious day it will be when Jesus returns and the people of Israel are saved. Zechariah 12:10 says:

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." (NASB)

More from the post:

Jesus became the one final sacrifice and the one final undying high priest
(Hebrews 7:24). He opened a “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:19-20) into the
most holy place in heaven for “all who would draw near to God through him”
(Hebrews 7:25). He became the mediator of the new covenant God had promised
(Jeremiah 31:31-34).

At this point the presence of God moved out of the
temple’s holy place into his people, whom Messiah had made holy. And he began to
move his people to take the gospel of the new covenant to all the peoples of the
world. The Presence was moving to the peoples.

The age of the temple was
over. The “copy and shadow” (Hebrews 8:5) was obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). Therefore
Jesus prophesied: “Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone
upon another that will not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2). This was fulfilled in
AD 70.

For the past 13 centuries a mosque has occupied the temple’s
former site. It is not a sign of God’s endorsement on Islam. Rather, it is an
unwitting guardian of the new covenant reality. God wants the temple gone, not
because Judaism is destroyed, but because in Jesus it is fulfilled.

So when you see the Al Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock, pray for both Jews and
Muslims, that they will hear and believe the new covenant. For “the hour [has
come] when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will [they] worship the
Father” (John 4:21).

Zechariah 9

I am up early, getting ready for my 10am Bible Study. We have been working hard through the book of Zechariah - using the new Precept Upon Precept study.

Chapter 9 has been one of my favorites. I love this one because we see that God has his hand on history and the future and what he says will happen - it will happen!

I don't want to give too much away here because I want you to discover the meaning of Chapter 9, who it refers to. It just amazes me to see something so prophetic come to pass years later in exactly the way the Bible said it would. This gives us such an assurance that what prophecy hasn't been fulfilled yet - will! God is so true to His word, none of it will return void and everything that HE said would happen is going to happen. And what a time we have to look forward too.

The Bible is packed with History. I feel like when we studied ancient history about 3 years ago, we missed so much in relying more on the curriculum than that Bible. When we cycle back around here in another couple of years, the Bible will be our main text. I think it is so important for the kids to study History that way because they get the absolute truth...not the skewed truth written in textbooks.

Anyway, one more thing no that...if your ever interested in listening to some incredible teaching on Zechariah, jump over to Grace to You and listen to John MacArthur's teaching on it. I listened to every one of them in preparation to teach this PUP course. The funny thing, they were recorded in 1977 - over 30 years ago - and I was struck at just how timely they are even for today. You won't be disappointed!

Sick Kids Getting Better

It started the day of the shuttle launch, almost 2 weeks ago. Taya had a fever. Which, in the end meant - no 2 hour drive to see the final shuttle launch. Major bummer.

After an OK weekend, Delena comes down with whatever was ailing Taya just a few days before. But, she comes down hard. I have never had a kid this sick before (well, with a non-stomach virus sickness). This started last Monday and yesterday (a week and 1 day later) was the first day she ventured outside to play.

After 2 doctor visits last week, the conclusion was it was probably strep, even though the test came back negative.

Then, Caleb comes down with it. Fun! But, today - they are doing MUCH better. Even spent 3 hours in the pool!

Thoughts On Prayer

It is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man’s true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life … Ultimately, therefore, a man discovers the real condition of his spiritual life when he examines himself in private, when he is alone with God … And have we not all known what it is to find that, somehow, we have less to say to God when we are alone than when we are in the presence of others? It should not be so; but it often is. So that it is when we have left the realm of activities and outward dealings with other people, and are alone with God, that we really know where we stand in a spiritual sense (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 2 vols. [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979], 2:45).

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). Alone with God (8). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

For Christians prayer is like breathing. You don’t have to think to breathe because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and forces you to breathe. That’s why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when you’re born into the family of God, you enter into a spiritual atmosphere wherein God’s presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on your life. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer. Only then can we survive in the darkness of the world.
Unfortunately many believers hold their spiritual breaths for long periods, thinking brief moments with God are sufficient to allow them to survive. But such restricting of their spiritual intake is caused by sinful desires. The fact is, every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in His truths to be fully functional.
Because ours is such a free and prosperous society, it is easier for Christians to feel secure by presuming on instead of depending on God’s grace. Too many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual blessings. Having become so dependent on their physical resources, they feel little need for spiritual resources. When programs, methods, and money produce impressive results, there is an inclination to confuse human success with divine blessing. Christians can actually behave like practical humanists, living as if God were not necessary. When that happens, passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing—along with His empowerment. Because of this great and common danger, Paul urged believers to “pray at all times” (Eph. 6:18) and to “devote yourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2). Continual, persistent, incessant prayer is an essential part of Christian living and flows out of dependence on God.

MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1995). Alone with God (13–14). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

Another Really Bad Book

They just keep coming!

I have seen the devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young being floated around as a a wonderful devotional book.

Tim Challies offered a GREAT review of it. You can read the entire review here.

Here are a few excerpts from his post I found very interesting.

A quote from Young:

The following year, I began to wonder if I, too, could receive messages during my times of communing with God. I had been writing in prayer journals for years, but that was one-way communication: I did all the talking. I knew that God communicated with me through the Bible, but I yearned for more. Increasingly, I wanted to hear what God had to say to me personally on a given day. I decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I believe He was saying. I felt awkward the first time I tried this, but I received a message. It was short, biblical, and appropriate. It addressed topics that were current in my life: trust, fear, and closeness to God. I responded by writing in my prayer journal.

(emphasis mine)

Another quote from Young:

“This practice of listening to God has increased my intimacy with Him more than any other spiritual discipline, so I want to share some of the messages I have received. In many parts of the world, Christians seem to be searching for a deeper experience of Jesus’ Presence and Peace. The messages that follow address that felt need.”

(Did you catch that? The practice of listening to God increased her intimacy with Him for than ANY OTHER spiritual discipline??? I would be safe to assume that means the study of HIS word which is alive and active and sharper than any two edged sword? REALLY---better than the Bible???)

Tim Challies adds:

James Montgomery Boice once said that the real battle in our times would not be the inerrancy or infallibility of Scripture, but its sufficiency—are we going to rely on the Bible or will we continually long for other revelation? In Jesus Calling we see this so clearly. Young teaches that though the Bible is inerrant and infallible, it is insufficient. It was not enough for her and, implicitly, she teaches that it cannot be enough for us. After all, it was not reading Scripture that proved her most important spiritual discipline, but this listening, this receiving of messages from the Lord. It is not Scripture she brings to us, not primarily anyway, but these messages from Jesus.

Jesus Calling is, in its own way, a very dangerous book. Though the theology is largely sound enough, my great concern is that it teaches that hearing words directly from Jesus and then sharing these words with others is the normal Christian experience. In fact, it elevates this experience over all others. And this is a dangerous precedent to set. I see no reason that I would ever recommend this book.


As always, Tim does a great job. I write devotions and really try to make the focus on a theological point, pointing directly to scripture. There is always room for improvement and as I see more and more of this stuff floating around and enticing women, I want to be more aware of what my words are. I need to be sure they are God's words, directly from Scripture and not focused on experience.

As I posted yesterday, my experience is subjective. My hearing from God is Subjective to my falling mind. I can never be sure I heard a direct word from God, and to put it to paper as fact is really bad.

Again, God's Word is SUFFICIENT. It is all we need and has God's direct spoken words for us. I think if you spend time actually studying it, really really studying it...you will see this is true and there will no longer be a longing for extra biblical revelation.

Does God Speak to Me?

This is something I continue to struggle with. Well, not really. But, it is something that I see all the time with friends..."God told me....." "God said......"

Just the other day, I was reading a blog talking about the same thing - discerning God's voice from the voice of the enemy.

But if God does speak, in a small voice or through our journaling or to us in prayer time...he doesn't speak to me. Because if he does, I can't trust my own heart to not deceive me because I want to hear His voice so badly. Make sense? And it isn't just in God speaking, but even goes back to books like "Heaven is For Real" and "Heaven is Real" and "Hell is Real." It is all subjective to our fallen minds.

So I was reading online and came across this blog post with a lengthy quote from John MacArthur. I am going to quote all MacArthur's comments but wanted to be sure to give props to the blog I found it on.

MacArthur says:

God told me…

There’s a phrase that has taken hold in Christian conversation — one you’re probably familiar with. Whether you heard it from a preacher on television, from your own pastor, a believing friend, or during a religious radio broadcast, I’m sure you’ve heard someone, somewhere say the words, “God told me ______.”

Hearing the voice of the Lord is not a new idea. I’m sure you could cite several biblical examples of God’s speaking to His chosen people to communicate to them His will. On a few extraordinary occasions in Scripture, whether through His Spirit or in an audible voice, God provided specific, practical instructions directly to individuals.

Many believers today want to have that same kind of experience. They want personal, spiritual direction from the Lord. Attempting to receive guidance from God, they listen longingly for His audible voice or wait for some intuitive, emotional prompting or impression that will unveil His will for their lives.

But that kind of communication, whether it’s audible or intuitive, is not trustworthy. In fact, it’s useless — and can even be dangerous.

Why isn’t it trustworthy?

To begin with, there’s no valid way to discern divine truth in what a person hears or feels. Experience is unreliable because it’s always subjective. There are no means set forth in the Bible to test or prove or discern the meaning of some inner voice or prompting you may think you heard or felt. In fact, Scripture never gives believers even the slightest encouragement to listen for private revelations from God.

Danger within and without

To put it in practical terms, how could we objectively know the difference between the moving of God’s Spirit within us and a bad case of indigestion? If you’re earnestly looking for a personal, unique word from the Lord, what’s to keep you from misinterpreting your common, everyday aches and pains — or thrills and euphoria — as direct revelation? Using your own experiences to determine divine truth gives too much weight to your own perspective and interpretation.

Scripture says, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26). The church does not receive new or private revelation, either corporately or individually. Scripture clearly warns against adding to the completed revelation given in the Bible (Revelation 22:18).

In our fallen state, we simply lack any mechanism to discern divine thought. We can sometimes look back on events and see how the Lord orchestrated circumstances to accomplish his will, but we cannot reliably discern His thoughts in the midst of a situation. We don’t have the capacity to comprehend how He’s moving in our lives until He’s already moved — and even then, we can’t appreciate the full magnitude of His supernatural work.

Furthermore, hearing a voice doesn’t necessarily mean what you heard is correct, or that it’s even from God. To hear a voice and assume it’s the Lord is a huge leap — especially when there is no definitive way to know whose voice it really is. Televangelists, in particular, are prone to jump to that conclusion. But just because you hear something doesn’t mean it was the Lord.
Is there a reliable way to distinguish between the sound of God’s voice and that of a demon? Even if what a person hears or feels seems to match up with Scripture, how can he be sure he’s not being manipulated by demonic forces? Listening for ambiguous, mystical messages provides Satan with all sorts of opportunities to tempt, confuse, pervert, and deceive. Earnestly hoping to hear from the Lord doesn’t mean you’ll only hear from Him.

Does God communicate with us?

So if we can’t clearly or objectively determine whether what we’re hearing and feeling is truly coming from the Lord, how do we legitimately receive communication from Him? What reliable source can you turn to for God’s instruction in your life?

The only trustworthy source of divine truth, guidance for your own spiritual growth, and instruction for the church is the written Word of God. No emotional urging or mystical experience can trump the concrete, fundamental truth God has given us in Scripture. Does God still speak? Yes, but not in an audible voice. He speaks through the pages of Scripture.

The Bible alone has survived the test of time, and countless attacks from doubters, liars, and heretics. Its objective truth is proved every day in the transforming work the Lord accomplishes through it. Even the apostle Peter, who witnessed Christ’s transfiguration firsthand, heard the voice of the Lord numerous times, and performed miracles himself, counted Scripture as “a more sure word” — the final word regarding God’s revelation (2 Peter 1:19).

What drives the quest for hearing God’s voice?

If all that’s true, why do some believers still look beyond the Bible for a special, personal word from the Lord? At the heart of their desire for fresh revelation is a fundamental lack of faith in the absolute sufficiency of God’s Word. They simply don’t believe the Bible gives enough answers for the problems and struggles in their lives; or they don’t grasp the degree to which Scripture is living and active — that it is God speaking to us clearly and distinctly.

I trust that you’re not entertaining that kind of thinking. If you reject the sufficiency of Scripture — or even if you simply look to supplement it with fresh, personal revelation from God — you cut yourself off from the only reliable source of God’s truth. The Bible isn’t a book of static, lifeless words. It’s alive and active in the hearts of God’s people. It’s the vessel through which the Lord performs His transforming work, sanctifying and shaping us into His likeness. It’s not simply the record of what God has said in the past — it’s what He’s saying to you and me every day. His Word remains perpetually applicable and relevant.

Because God does speak to His people through His Word, there’s no more serious undertaking than studying the Bible. Understanding biblical doctrine isn’t an academic pursuit for believers — it’s knowing His mind. By studying Scripture, we’re able to grasp His instructions for all matters of life and godliness.

I think Pastor MacArthur lays it out very well here. This is exactly why I cannot hear God's voice and I am glad to read Biblical confirmation of it.

False Conversions

I found this powerful video over at Sola Sisters. Click here to watch. Speaks volumes, huh?

A Fond Farewell......

July 8, 2011. Just one day away. We will see the end of an amazing era - the shuttle program.

Growing up only 2 hours from the Kennedy Space Center, the shuttle program has been a part of life. I have tried to watch almost every launch, some of those visible in my own backyard.

I was in the 6th grade when Challenger exploded. I still recall standing outside at recess and seeing the smoke formation in the sky thinking it was a very odd look shape for a cloud. Only moments later did I learn it wasn't a cloud, but the remains of Challenger.

I was in High School when the next series of shuttle launches began. I can still remember standing in the school common area watching on television the first launch since the Challenger accident. My heart raced as it lifted from the ground, relieved to see it go without a hitch.

The summer between my Freshman and Sophomore years in college, I drove over to Titusville with my family to see a shuttle launch live. We simply pulled over on the side of the road along the river and watched it go up. Amazing!

My husband (who was then a boyfriend) and I drove over in the middle of the night once to see a pre-dawn launch. It was scrubbed about 10 minutes before launch.

It would be several years later before we try again. This time, October 1998 to see John Glenn take off in Space Shuttle Discovery. This launch went off on a beautiful sunny day. Again....amazing.

Years would pass before I experienced the thrill again. But before another thrill came another disaster. Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart on re-entry on February 1, 2003. The same emotions flooded me as they did when I learned about Challenger. And years of a hiatus would follow.

Again, I watched with a racing heart as the first shuttle launch after the Columbia accident took off without a hitch. The shuttle program was back in business!

May 2009 would be the next time we see a shuttle launch. This was a totally unplanned trip where I texted a girlfriend early in the morning for a "homeschool fieldtrip" and we were off around 10am. By the time we had lunch, bathroom breaks and parked - we had little wait time before the launch. It was again....amazing!!!

Easter Sunday, 2010. The family traveled in our Suburban to Titusville to "camp" out. We stayed the night at a small county park in our truck to witness a pre-dawn launch. That launch was gorgeous!!! It was so worth every bit of aggravation we went through sleeping in our truck.

My latest attempt was April 2011. Another friend and I headed over at 6am to camp out for the day. We knew the day would be long and hot but it would be worth it. A 7.5 hour wait for a 4:30 launch. But this launch wouldn't happen. Scrubbed at 11:30. All was not lost....nothing a few hours at Disney can't fix!!

Which leads to tomorrow. The final launch. The last opportunity to ever see a shuttle take off live. I have seen 4 in person. That is probably more than most people in the US. I am so blessed to live so close and to have experienced first hand the awe and amazement of something. I am so sad to see it go.

Right now, there is a 70% no go for tomorrow due to rain. As it stands now, I will make a decision in early in the morning about trying to go over. With the cloud cover, it most likely won't be one I can see from the backyard. As neat as that is, nothing compares to seeing it up close....seeing the smoke rise around the pad, hearing the roar....certainly something to see.

I will post pictures if I go, but for now....its a fond farewell to something I have enjoyed from my childhood. I am so glad that I was able to share it with my own children.

STS-125 Space Shuttle Atlantis May 11, 2009, 2:01pm launch time

STS 131 - Space Shuttle Discovery April 5, 2010, 6:21 am launch time

My other Space Shuttle views in Titusville:

STS-95, October 29, 1998, Space Shuttle Discovery 2:19pm launch time

STS-65, July 8, 1994, Space Shuttle Columbia, 12:43pm launch time

The 2011 NIV

Most everyone has heard that the SBC at its 2011 annual convention rejected the 2011 NIV because of the gender neutral issues. You can read an article here.

I used to love the NIV. It was my favorite version to study from. However, in recent years, I shifted to the ESV and NASB because of their accuracy and word for word translation rather than the NIVs phrase by phrase (or thought by thought) translation. For deeper study, the ESV and NASB have served well.

I still don't see anything "wrong" with the older NIV. But now that the new 2011 NIV will be replacing the original NIV and Today's NIV (which I did take issue with), we won't be using the new one. I agree with my denominations rejection of the the new NIV.

I am very sad to see the publishers take such a stand by removing gender specific references. I believe the original NIV was trustworthy and still a good translation, especially for those just beginning Bible study. I will still keep my old NIV for reference and use occasionally. But, we won't be making the jump to the 2011 NIV.

Happy 4th of July

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

What are your plans? We are heading out today to camp! Looking forward to a couple of days away with the family. Then no more camping for 8 weeks....that has to be some sort of record for us :)

Happy 4th!!!