Bronnert: the pursuit of social justice

Saturday, March 18, 2023
Meditation:
    Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.
    —Galatians 6:15 (NIV)
Quotation:
    There are many formidable obstacles in the pursuit of social justice. The challenge for the Christian is to put into concrete terms the revolutionary style of life lived by Christ; to translate into economics, education, politics, and human relationships that he is a “new creation”, who looks at no one and no situation from simply a human point of view of self-interest and self-concern. [Continued tomorrow]
    ... David Bronnert, “The Gospel and Culture”, in The Changing World, Bruce Kaye, ed., vol. 3 of Obeying Christ in a Changing World, John Stott, gen. ed., 3 vol., London: Fountain, 1977, p. 120 (see the book)
    See also Gal. 6:15; Pr. 21:3; Matt. 7:13-14; 24:14; Mark 16:15; John 3:16-17; Rom. 5:19; 1 Cor. 9:19; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 1:3-6; Jas. 2:15-16
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, am I taking someone near me for granted? CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth

Muggeridge: deal with the Devil

Friday, March 17, 2023
    Feast of Patrick, Bishop of Armagh, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c.460
Meditation:
    Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
    Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
    —Matthew 4:8-10 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Finally, the Devil showed Christ all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said: All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. All Christ had to do in return was to worship the donor instead of God—which, of course, he could not do. How interesting, though, that power should be at the Devil’s disposal, and only attainable through an understanding with him! Many have thought otherwise, and sought power in the belief that by its exercise they could lead men to brotherhood and happiness and peace, invariably with disastrous consequences. Always in the end the bargain with the Devil has to be fulfilled—as any Stalin or Napoleon or Cromwell must testify. I am the light of the world, Christ said; power belongs to darkness.
    ... Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990), Jesus Rediscovered, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1969, p. 9 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 4:8-10; Deut. 6:13-14; Matt. 16:26; John 7:7; 13:3; 1 John 2:15-16
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, shield me from evil deceits. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth

Owen: the philosophers vs. the Gospel

Thursday, March 16, 2023
Meditation:
There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but in the end it leads to death.
    —Proverbs 16:25 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Some go to the light of nature and the use of right reason (that is, their own) as their guides; and some add the additional documents of the philosophers. They think a saying of Epictetus, or Seneca, or Arrianus, being wittily suited to their fancies and affections, to have more life and power in it than any precept of the Gospel. The reason why these things are more pleasing unto them than the commands and instructions of Christ is because, proceeding from the spring of natural light, they are suited to the workings of natural fancy and understanding; but those of Christ, proceeding from the fountain of eternal spiritual light, are not comprehended in their beauty and excellency without a principle of the same light in us, guiding our understanding and influencing our affections. Hence, take any precept, general or particular, about moral duties, that is materially the same in the writings of philosophers and in the doctrine of the Gospel, not a few prefer it as delivered in the first way before the latter.
    ... John Owen (1616-1683), V.5 in A Discourse Concerning Holy Spirit, bk. I-V [1674], in Works of John Owen, v. III, London: Johnson & Hunter, 1852, p. 633 (see the book)
    See also Prov. 16:25; 3:5-6; 12:15; Jer. 9:23-24; Mark 7:6-8; Luke 13:24; 1 Cor. 1:18-25; 2 Cor. 10:5; Gal. 6:3; Eph. 5:6; Col. 2:8; 1 Tim. 6:20-21; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, am I prepared to hear Your word alone? CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth

Colson: the danger of success

Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
    —John 12:26 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Knowing how susceptible we are to success’s siren call, God does not allow us to see, and therefore glory in, what is done through us. The very nature of the obedience He demands is that it be given without regard to circumstances or results.
    ... Charles W. Colson (1931-2012), Loving God, Zondervan, 2011 reprint, p. 23 (see the book)
    See also John 12:26; Eccl. 11:1-2; Jer. 26:13; Hab. 2:4; Matt. 6:34; Acts 15:28; John 3:8; 6:27; 13:16-17; 14:15,21; Rom. 8:28; Eph. 4:17; Heb. 13:16; Jas. 1:22
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, am I trusting you with the outcome of my actions? CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth

Peterson: pastors or ...

Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Meditation:
    [An elder] must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
    —Titus 1:9 (NIV)
Quotation:
    I am having the depressing experience of reading congregational descriptions of what these churches want in a pastor. With hardly an exception they don’t want pastors at all—they want managers of their religious company. They want a pastor they can follow so they won’t have to bother with following Jesus anymore.
    ... Eugene H. Peterson (1932-2018), in “On Being Unnecessary”, The Unnecessary Pastor, Marva J. Dawn, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000, p. 4 (see the book)
    See also Tit. 1:9; Matt. 4:19; 8:22; 16:24; Luke 5:27; 9:59-60; John 12:25-26; 1 Cor. 9:16-18; 2 Thess. 2:15; 1 Tim. 6:3-6; 2 Tim. 1:13; 4:2-3; Tit. 1:5-8; Rev. 2:25; 3:11
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, am I helping my church to embrace worldly goals? CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth

Jones: relativism in the churches

Monday, March 13, 2023
Meditation:
    For [Apollos] vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
    —Acts 18:28 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Men despise the Church when it doesn’t stand for the Christian viewpoint. Not beginning with the absolute, the Kingdom, it becomes a part of the relativisms of kingdoms of this world.
    ... E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973), The Christ of the American Road, Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1944, p. 217 (see the book)
    See also Acts 18:28; Matt. 13:44-48; Luke 17:20-21; Rom. 14:17-18; 2 Cor. 5:16-17; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thess. 5:21; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Tim. 1:13; Jude 1:3; Rev. 12:10-11
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, am I reflecting the world’s relativism in my life and speech? CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth

Allen: sharing the experience

Sunday, March 12, 2023
Meditation:
    After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
    —Acts 18:1-3 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Among our own people also the church sorely needs clergy in close touch with the ordinary life of the laity, living the life of ordinary men, sharing their difficulties and understanding their trials by close personal experience. Stipendiary clergy cut off by training and life from that common experience are constantly struggling to get close to the laity by wearing lay clothing, sharing in lay amusements, and organizing lay clubs; but they never quite succeed. To get close to men, it is necessary really to share their experience, and to share their experience is to share it by being in it, not merely to come as near to it as possible without being in it.
    ... Roland Allen (1869-1947), The Case for Voluntary Clergy, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1930, included in The Ministry of the Spirit, David M. Paton, ed., London: World Dominion Press, 1960, p. 150 (see the book)
    See also Acts 18:1-3; Isa. 53:2-5; Luke 22:27-28; Eph. 4:28; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Thess. 4:11-12; Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15; 5:2
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, am I being a minister to my colleagues? CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt    inst    Jonah    ; Ruth