Why Memorize God’s Word?
From Jean Williams, here are several reasons to memorize God’s word:
Memorization won’t let us skim the surface of God’s word. The Hebrew words for “meditate” literally mean to “mutter”,1 and that’s what happens when you memorize: whether you write, sing or speak, you tell God’s word over and over to yourself. When I read silently, or even study a passage, it’s easy to skip words and phrases, and see only what I expect to see. Memorization forces me to stop and say every word, so that passages I thought I knew well surprise me. Even when I forget what I learned, the act of memorization forces me deeper into the Bible and the Bible deeper into me.
Memorization fuels meditation and prayer. One of the signs we belong to God is that we delight to meditate on God’s word “day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2; 119:97, 148; Josh 1:8). But how can we do this if God’s word isn’t available, right there in our minds, in the odd moments between activities and during the empty hours of the night? JI Packer says,
Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God…It is a matter of talking to oneself about God and oneself; it is, indeed, often a matter of arguing with oneself, reasoning oneself out of moods of doubt and unbelief into a clear apprehension of God’s power and grace.2
More than any other practice, Bible memorization fuels my meditation, helping me to preach God’s word to myself and turn it into prayer and praise.
Memorization transforms our minds, emotions and choices by turning our thoughts to Christ. How does true change come? By the renewing of our minds, as we look to Jesus and set our thoughts on him (Rom 12:1-2; Col 3:1-17; Heb 12:1-2). Our thoughts and desires are, of all things, most difficult to master; yet discipline them we must. Memorizing God’s word lays a new set of thought patterns over those that come naturally to us. It transforms our hopes, desires and choices as God’s truth cajoles and pummels them into a more Christ-centred form. Most amazingly for me, it even shapes my emotions, slowly but surely changing despair into hope, fear into trust, and self-pity into joy.
Memorization is a help in times of struggle. Some of us face suffering when we are younger, some when we grow older; but suffering comes to all of us, bringing sorrow, doubt and fear. Grief over a child’s sickness, the struggle with depression, the temptation to grow weary and give up: in times like this, passages like Romans 8:18-30 and 1 Peter 1:3-9 have become my solid stepping-stones in the dark. They give words and purpose to my pain, affirm the faith I don’t feel, reassure me that God hasn’t let me go, give me courage to endure, and remind me that Jesus trod the path of suffering and is now in glory.
Memorization puts the Spirit’s weapon in our hands. The word of God is a sword in the Spirit’s hands, uncovering sin and equipping us for the fight (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12).3 But a sword isn’t much use if we leave it in its scabbard. In a battle with envy, despair, lust or anger, I don’t need my only offensive weapon in a book on my shelf or on my iDevice. I want the words of God inside me, ready to be picked up and used by God’s Spirit. “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 cf. Matt 4:1-11; Josh 1:8).
Memorization is for others. It’s tempting to turn memorization into just another pious practice, another means to personal change; but the Bible is not just for me, but for others. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom” (Col 3:16). Like a glass so full that it overflows, the words of God poured into our minds will spill out through our lips, encouraging our brothers and sisters and equipping them for service (2 Tim 3:16-17) and helping others to come to know Jesus through his powerful word (Isa 55:10-11).
Memorization is an expression of love. What we choose (and don’t choose) to remember shows what matters to us: the words of a song; a child’s birthday; a friend’s phone number. A miser counts his gold. A collector pores over her treasures. And we leave our Bibles on the shelf! Perhaps, in the end, the best reason for memorizing the Bible is simply because we love it and want to make it our own (Psalm 119:72, 103, 127, 131): the wisdom in our thoughts, the music of our hearts, the power in our words.
Commissioning
We were very excited on Sunday to commission our first missionary to an unreached people group! Pictures from the event are below. (Click for larger images)
On Paradox
Posted in full from The Beginning of Wisdom:
The language of the Christian faith does not shy away from paradox. A paradox is a statement that on its surface is a contradiction, but for which a reconciling answer is possible. Christianity is full of such statements. Much of the language of Christian paradox is lyrical: we must be poor to be rich, we must lose our lives to save our lives, we must be last to be first.
But some of the language of Christian paradox is disconcerting: How do we reconcile the teaching that God is both three and one, that God is both infinitely just and infinitely merciful, that God’s will is sovereign yet man’s will is still free? And the list grows, and our faith begins to feel fragile, and the question presents itself: Can Christianity be trusted? Are these paradoxes foundational truths or fault lines in the bedrock of our faith? One man looks at the dual nature of Christ and says “impossible”. Another man looks at the dual nature of Christ and says “mystery”. One is certainly a fool, and one is wise. But which is which?
It is here that I must acknowledge my great debt, not to a theologian, but to a kindergarten teacher. Though she does not know it, Mrs. Greak, who taught four Wilkin children to write their names neatly and raise their hands politely, taught their mother a vital lesson on paradox.
She explained at meet-the-teacher night how difficult it was to teach the concept of time to a five-year-old. Each Monday she instructed the class to take out their journals and write at the top of the page: “Today is Monday. Yesterday was Sunday. Tomorrow is Tuesday.” The class followed her instructions and harmony reigned.
Her difficulty began on Tuesday when the process was repeated. As soon as she gave the instruction to write “Today is Tuesday”, looks of concern would flood her students’ faces. With the instruction to write “Yesterday was Monday” a hand would go up.
“Mrs. Greak, you told us today was Monday.”
“No, Monday was yesterday. Today is Tuesday.”
More worried looks. Another raised hand.
“Mrs. Greak, you told us tomorrow is Tuesday.”
“No, today is Tuesday. Tomorrow is Wednesday.”
Following this pronouncement, the children would get upset. From their perspective Mrs. Greak had stated a complete contradiction: She had told them first that today was Monday and then that today was Tuesday. Which was it? Could this woman be trusted to teach them addition if she couldn’t even keep track of what day today was?
Of course, both statements were perfectly true. Mrs. Greak’s class was grappling with a paradox: two seemingly contradictory statements that could be reconciled. But because five-year-olds do not yet grasp the concept of yesterday, today and tomorrow, they questioned her grasp on logic. The problem was not with the message. The problem was with the limited ability of the hearer to understand it.
We are like this. We encounter what we believe to be a contradiction in the Bible: How could Jesus be fully God and fully man at the same time? And we begin to worry that the Bible cannot be trusted. And we forget that we are receiving instruction from One whose understanding is not incrementally greater than ours, but infinitely greater. On a spiritual-insight scale from zero to God, we would be pathologically prideful to rate ourselves at kindergarten level. We must be neither surprised nor discouraged to find that we, who are of yesterday and know nothing, are at a loss to reconcile the words of He who transcends yesterday, today and tomorrow.
But our questions are safe with Him. Surely the Lord looks on us with at least the same compassion and patience that a kindergarten teacher looks on her students. Surely His word to us is much the same as hers: “I know you don’t yet understand, but you will. Take me at my word until you do.” There is no contradiction in the Word of God. We cannot expect to resolve all paradox this side of Glory, but we can try. And where our trying falls short, we can learn to marvel at the mystery of it, joyfully exchanging the wisdom of man for the foolishness of God - trusting our yesterday, today and tomorrow to the One who was, and is, and is to come.
Looking at Jesus in the Face of Boaz
In the face of Boaz we see a pointer to Christ, the greater Redeemer. Here is what we see of Boaz in Ruth 2:
- Vs. 4 &12: The Redeemer is one of Blessing to the unworthy servant
- Vs. 9, 22: The Redeemer is one of Protection to the unworthy servant
- Vs. 14, 18: The Redeemer is one who has abundance & satisfies the unworthy servant
- Vs. 13: The Redeemer gives comfort & kindness to his unworthy servant
- Vs. 10-11: The Redeemer even rewards his unworthy servant
How more clear a picture do you need of Christ!? Are we not Ruth, in that we are from outside the clan of His people? Yes, enemies of the Living God & His people. Did we not “happen” upon His field of harvest as unworthy, needy servants?
Did He not give us blessing, reward, protection, abundance, satisfaction, comfort, kindness, yes even the greatest of Rewards?
Marvel at the abundant “hesed” kindness of our great God and Redeemer!!
Six Ways of Minimizing Sin
These six ways of minimizing sin are very instructive regarding gospel-centered sanctification/mortification of sin. Take a moment and examine your fight against sin, the ways you are prone to minimize sin, and develop an intentional strategy to renounce them.
Defending
I find it difficult to receive feedback about weaknesses or sin. When confronted, my tendency is to explain things away, talk about my successes, or to justify my decisions. As a result, I rarely have conversations about difficult things in my life.
Pretending
I strive to keep up appearances, maintain a respectable image. My behavior, to some degree, is driven by what I think others think of me. I also do not like to think reflectively about my life. As a result, not very many people know the real me (I may not even know the real me).
Hiding
I tend to conceal as much as I can about my life, especially the “bad stuff”. This is different than pretending in that pretending is about impressing. Hiding is more about shame. I don’t think people will accept the real me.
Blaming
I am quick to blame others for sin or circumstances. I have a difficult time “owning” my contributions to sin or conflict. There is an element of pride that assumes it’s not my fault AND/OR an element of fear of rejection if it is my fault.
Minimizing
I tend to downplay sin or circumstances in my life, as if they are “normal” or “not that bad. As a result, things often don’t get the attention they deserve, and have a way of mounting up to the point of being overwhelming.
Exaggerating
I tend to think (and talk) more highly of myself than I ought to. I make things (good and bad) out to be much bigger than they are (usually to get attention). As a result, things often get more attention than they deserve, and have a way of making me stressed or anxious.
**These are taken from TheGospel-CenteredLife study**
How to Backslide in 9 Easy Steps
Listed below are 9 ‘easy’ steps to backslide that pastor, author, and blogger, Tim Challies gleaned from John Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress. In each case he gives his short summary followed by Bunyan’s own words. So, here is how to backslide in nine easy steps:
1. Stop meditating on the gospel. “They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come.”
2. Neglect your spiritual disciplines and stop battling sin. “Then they cast off by degrees private duties, as closet prayer, curbing their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, and the like.”
3. Isolate yourself from Christian fellowship. “Then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians.”
4. Stop going to church. “After that, they grow cold to public duty, as hearing, reading, godly conference, and the like.”
5. Determine that Christians are hypocrites because they continue to sin. “They then begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly, and that devilishly, that they may have a seeming color to throw religion (for the sake of some infirmities they have espied in them) behind their backs.”
6. Trade Christian community for distinctly unChristian company. “Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and wanton men.”
7. Pursue rebellious conversation and fellowship. “Then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret; and glad are they if they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more boldly do it through their example.”
8. Allow yourself to enjoy some small, sinful pleasures. “After this they begin to play with little sins openly.”
9. Admit what you are and prepare yourself for everlasting torment. “And then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus, being launched again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.”
Kingdom Centered Prayer
From Tim Keller:
People are used to thinking about prayer as a means to get their personal needs met. However we should understand prayer as a means to praise and adore God, to know Him, to come into his presence and be changed by Him. We need to better learn how to pray, repent and petition God as a people.
Biblically and historically, the one non-negotiable, universal ingredient in times of spiritual renewal is corporate, prevailing, intensive and kingdom-centered prayer. What is that?
- It is focused on God's presence and kingdom.
Jack Miller talks about the difference between "maintenance prayer" and "frontline" prayer meetings. Maintenance prayer meetings are short, mechanical, and totally focused on physical needs inside the church. But frontline prayer has three basic traits:- a request for grace to confess sins and humble ourselves
- a compassion and zeal for the flourishing of the church
- a yearning to know God, to see his face, to see his glory.
It is most interesting to study Biblical prayer for revival, such as in Acts 4 or Exodus 33 or Nehemiah 1, where these three elements are easy to see. Notice in Acts 4, for example, that the disciples, whose lives had been threatened, did not ask for protection for themselves and their families, but only boldness to keep preaching!
- It is bold and specific.
The characteristics of this kind of prayer include:- Pacesetters in prayer spend time in self-examination. Without a strong understanding of grace, this can be morbid and depressing. But in the context of the gospel, it is purifying and strengthening. They "take off their ornaments" (Exod. 33:1-6). They examine selves for idols and set them aside.
- They then begin to make the big request–a sight of the glory of God. That includes asking: 1) for a personal experience of the glory/presence of God ("that I may know you" – Exod. 33:13); 2) for the people's experience of the glory of God (v. 15); and 3) that the world might see the glory of God through his people (v. 16). Moses asks that God's presence would be obvious to all: "What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" This is a prayer that the world be awed and amazed by a show of God's power and radiance in the church, that it would become truly the new humanity that is a sign of the future kingdom.
- It is prevailing, corporate.
By this we mean simply that prayer should be constant, not sporadic and brief. Why? Are we to think that God wants to see us grovel? Why do we not simply put our request in and wait? But sporadic, brief prayer shows a lack of dependence, a self-sufficiency, and thus we have not built an altar that God can honor with his fire. We must pray without ceasing, pray long, pray hard, and we will find that the very process is bringing about that which we are asking for – to have our hard hearts melted, to tear down barriers, to have the glory of God break through.
Prayer for your prayer life
Tim Challies has a helpful post on seven ways we can pray for our prayer lives. His seven points, each drawn from a particular Bible passage, are as follows:
1) Pray that your prayers would be the expressions of a humble heart (Mt. 6:5-6).
2) Pray that God would remind you that he doesn’t want or need your eloquent prayers (Rm. 8:26).
3) Pray that you would remember what the really important requests are (Mt. 6:9-13).
4) Pray that you would remember biblical examples of answered prayer (Js. 5:13-14).
5) Pray that God would give you confidence in his sovereign power (Eph. 3:20-21).
6) Pray that God would help you to persevere in your praying (Lk 18:1-8).
7) Pray that God would encourage you that he is your loving Father and will give you only what is good (Mt. 7:9-11).
Isn't sin more enjoyable?
After some help from wise men & reflection it seems to me that it would be helpful for me to provide some more clarity on the question I posed in the introduction on Sunday: “Why should the non-Christian repent if they are enjoying their sin?”
Sin is death (Romans 6.23a, etc.) therein, what the unregenerate perceive to be joy is in fact death (2 Cor. 4.4). The unregenerate says “well, then, if this is death, then I will take eternal separation from God! Party up!”
Jesus responds very sharply to this exact scenario in Luke 12.16-21 by telling a parable of a man of abundance who concludes that he shall store up all his abundance and “eat, drink, and be merry.” Jesus responds to this man by telling him: “’Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
In other words, delighting in self (sin) is the delighting in the finite at the cost of the infinite. Or, to say it differently, living for self is living for that which will die, whereas living for Christ is living for that which has Life eternal (Romans 6.13). This is why sin cannot ultimately satisfy, because it cannot impart true life…its promises cannot fulfill.
Consequently, the return of a life lived for Christ is just that…life. This is because Christ defeated death on the cross and gives us life through the resurrection (Col. 2.13-15).
Based off this understanding of life, we then understand that a life that is NOT Dull is a life that is being lived for true life (Christ), not true death (Sin). The non-believing movie star or world traveler, then, is not nearly as exciting as the house mom or janitor whose life is devoted to Christ and His Kingdom.
Let me conclude by offering an illustration that makes the point. Most fine restaurants offer you bread before your meal and that bread is typically wonderful. We are most tempted to fill up on the bread (and often we do), however the bread is never intended to be the meal, it is only intended to lead you into a more pleasurable meal. No one comes to a fine restaurant only to feast on bread, they want the whole course, and yet that is what those who delight in living for sin & self do…they feast upon bread when they were intended to enjoy a more delectable meal (Christ Himself…the Author of Life).
So the next time you are confronted with someone who thinks there is more joy to be had in sin than there is in a life for Christ, you should pity them, look them in the eye and use the words of the great CS Lewis…”You are far too easily pleased.”
Confess This
Martin Luther:
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won [delivered] me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, in order that I may be [wholly] His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.