C. S. Lewis - A Collection of Thoughts

Greetings All!

     Today you get another post of many different "thoughts" rather than one longer continuous thought.  Yet, unlike my last mailing sent out two weeks ago, these all come from one author - C. S. Lewis.  I've been going through three of his books lately and found them all very rewarding. This is just a sampling of short thoughts from him.  I trust you might find a few of these to be helpful as you mull them over, and that one or two might be used of God to encourage, challenge, or comfort you.

     At our men's group this morning we discussed our favorites from my previous mailing two weeks ago, and why each person found particular ones the most helpful. If you get a chance today, and would want to share with me what your particular favorites are from the list below, I'd be interested in receiving your feedback!  Enjoy.

"If everything comes simply by signing checks, you may forget that you are at every moment dependent upon God." 

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but God will make us good because He loves us."

"It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they will see God, for only the pure in heart want to."

"I didn't go to religion to make me happy. I knew that a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity." 

"We are not necessarily doubting God will do the best for us, we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." 

"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine, so that through you, others can see Him."

"Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did."

"If God had granted all the silly prayers I've asked in my life, where would I be now?" 

"If you're thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you, you are embarking on something that will take the whole of you."

"Everyone thinks forgiveness is a wonderful idea until he has something to forgive."  

"A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is... No one knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good. A man who gives into temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later.  That is why bad people know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in." 

"If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."

"God cannot give us happiness apart from Himself, because there is no such thing."

"It is not your business to succeed, but to do right. When you have done so the rest lies with God." 

"Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties."

"We must lay before God what is in us, not what ought to be in us."

With prayers for your continued growth in godliness, and your service in Jesus name, Pastor Jeff

The History of the King James Version of the Bible

Greetings All!

Today's "thought" comes to you from a helpful little book entitled, "The 5 Minute Church Historian," by Dr. Rick Cornish.  I have loaned to many people the first in the series -- the companion volume, "The 5 Minute Theologian."  He has also written "The 5 Minute Apologist."

   The two books are his attempt to capture the attention of a generation which tends to frown on lengthy and in-depth coverage of topics, and prefers instead short little five minute summaries -- none of which take more than that to read.  For people in a rush it is a helpful way to learn the basics of theology or church history (although I would imagine that as an instructor his hope is that people will go deeper into these topics and find those pertinent details he had to omit to keep it short).
     Depending on who you are, today's selection may be like "fighting words," for he covers the history of the King James Version of the Bible.  Some may not fully agree with everything he says, but he does make some points worthy of earnest consideration.  And after all, if you do disagree, maybe you should take some time to research it a little bit further!  Enjoy! 

Good Enough for Paul?

        "You may have heard someone say, "If the King James Version was good enough for Paul, it's good enough for me."  Unfortunately, that view is more than a joke.  A few people actually believe the great apostle used the King James Version.  Yet we need to ask, who was King James, and why does one Bible bear his name? 

     James, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, was King James VI of Scotland.  But in 1603 he succeeded Queen Elisabeth of England as James the 1st, uniting the two kingdoms for the first time. He ascended the throne when the Puritans were trying to "purify" the church from all remnants of Catholicism.  When Puritan leaders met with him at Hampton Court in 1604 to ask his help in reforming the church, he declined. But he did agree to one request: a new translation of the Bible. They all agreed that the current versions were not accurate to the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament).

Hebrew Manuscript of Genesis 1

          The most popular Bible was the Geneva Bible (published in 1560).  But James didn't like it because he thought it sounded too Calvinistic. Another popular Bible was the Bishops Bible (published in 1568), but most of the common people didn't care for it.  England needed a new, more accurate translation that would satisfy as many people as possible.

        King James didn't write, translate, or do any work on the King James Version. He merely appointed fifty scholars and divided them into groups to do the work. The text was doled out in six sections corresponding to the six teams of translators. They were directed to modify previous English versions and make changes only when the Greek and Hebrew demanded it. Therefore, the KJV is a reworking of existing versions more than a new translation.

     The final product was an improvement, but not what we today would expect from a fresh translation working straight from the original languages. Furthermore, the available Greek and Hebrew manuscripts were limited and the translators' expertise was marginal [the best Hebrew scholar of the day was not asked to join the translation team]. 

     The common identification of the KJV as the "Authorized Version" does not mean that it is superior to other translations. That title, in fact, is not accurate, because no evidence has been found that King James formally authorized the final product.

              Nearly a half-century passed before the KJV overcame the Geneva Bible in popularity, but in time it was accepted by the masses. It remained the most-used version among English Protestants until the Revised Version came out in the 1880's.  By the 1960's the increased availability of Greek and Hebrew manuscripts revealed the KJV's errors, opening the door for numerous better translations.  Also, by then its archaic language rendered it nearly obsolete except among people who grew up with it or just preferred the style of the language.

     The language of the KJV is not and never was "more godly" than any other.  It was simply the English of the early seventeenth century.  The mystique some people find in its phrasing is a matter of preference and familiarity. God has used the KJV to change millions of lives over three and a half centuries, and today He uses more accurate and more readable translations to change millions more.  We can thank God for both."

Some other interesting facts are:

1.)  The language of the KJV -- though beautiful and poetic, especially in the Psalms -- was not (as he points out) "religious or spiritual language."   It was simply the common everyday language used in England in 1611.

 2.)  It took 47 men seven years to complete the translation (54 were asked, 47 saw it through to completion).  Some dropped out because of the time commitment required, not to mention the translators were not paid for their linguistic services.

 3.)  The earliest references to the KJV as an "authorized version" date to 1783 and 1792, and the first time it was published with the title "Authorized Version" does not occur until the years 1814 and 1823. The "Great Bible" (heavily influenced by Tyndale)  was the first "Authorized Version" issued by the Church of England under the reign of Henry VIII in 1539.

 4.) To the disappointment of many King James gave the translators instructions designed to guarantee that the new version would conform to the organizational structure (ecclesiology) of the Church of England. That is, the translation would not conflict but conform to the ideas of Episcopalianism/Anglicanism.  This is why some Independent, Congregational, Presbyterian and Baptist groups initially rejected it -- including the likes of the Pilgrims and many other Puritans.

 5.)  In 1631 one printing of 1500 copies of the KJV Bible left out the word "not" in the command "Thou shalt not commit adultery," reading instead, "Thou shalt commit adultery."  Many copies were destroyed as people called it,"The Adulterous Bible," "The Sinners' Bible," or "The Wicked Bible." 

6.) By the late-1800's, and well into the 1900's, the version had become so cherished by many that to even question the accuracy of "The Authorized Version" was seen as an heretical assault on Holy Scriptures themselves, or the writings of the prophets and apostles. This has often been called "AVolatry" or the idolatry of the Authorized Version. 

 7.) Unlike the Geneva Bible (which had helpful footnotes and acted somewhat like a Study Bible) the KJV was purposely devoid of any notes. It was simply the text of the Bible. 

 8.) Some of the most fully preserved of the ancient Greek and Hebrew manuscripts were not available to the translators of the KJV, discovered only after it had been completed (some not until the 1850's). This is why Cornish (and others) point out that some newer translations are more accurate and less dependent on previous versions.

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     I hope this post has helped you understand a little better the background of a deeply loved version of the Bible which had a tremendous effect upon the church's culture in years past. For the Psalms, I love the KJV, though Cornish is right -- newer versions (such as the ESV) are more accurate translations.

Just a little tidbit of church history to get you interested in digging deeper!  In Christ, Pastor Jeff 

The Wrath of God

Greetings All,

     This week's 'thought' comes to you from J. I Packer, and is found in his superb book, "Knowing God."
     It deals with a topic many people (believer and non-believer) struggle with -- the concept, or better yet, the reality of God's wrath. Packer, knowing the confusion people have in regard to this common biblical subject seeks to explain, clarify and clear up some of the common misconceptions with regard to it.

     I have also added a second helpful thought from A. W. Tozer.  Years ago I found them very helpful. I trust some of you might find them helpful as well. Enjoy.

The Wrath of God

     "The modern habit throughout the Christian church is to downplay this subject. Those who still believe in the wrath of God (and not all do) say little about it. To an age that has unashamedly sold itself to the god's of greed and pride and sex and self-will, the church mumbles on about God's kindness but says virtually nothing about His judgment.

     How often during the past year did you hear (or if you are a minister did you preach) on the wrath of God? How long is it, I wonder, since a Christian spoke straight about this topic on the radio, or television, or in one of those half-column sermonettes that appear in the national dailies or magazines.  And if they did so, how long would it be before they were asked to speak or write again. The fact is that the subject of divine wrath has become taboo, and modern society, and Christians by and large, have accepted the taboo and agreed never to even bring the subject up....

       [Yet] the theme of God's wrath is one about which the biblical writers felt no inhibitions whatever. Why then, should we?  Why, when the Bible is vocal about it, should we feel obliged to be silent?  What is it that makes us awkward and embarrassed when the subject comes up; that prompts us to soft-pedal it and hedge when asked about it? The root cause of our unhappiness seems to be a disquieting suspicion that idea of wrath is, in one way or another, unworthy of God.

     To some, for instance, wrath suggests a loss of self-control, an outburst of "seeing red" which is partly, if not wholly, irrational. To others it suggests the rage of conscious impotence, or wounded pride, or plain bad temper. Surely, it is said, it would be wrong to ascribe to God such attitudes as these.

     The reply is: Indeed it would.  But the Bible does not ask us to do this.  There seems to be here a misunderstanding of the anthropomorphic language of Scripture - that is, the biblical habit of describing God's attitudes and affections in terms ordinarily used for talking about human beings. But when Scripture speaks of God anthropomorphically, it does not imply that the limitations and imperfections which belong to the personal characteristics of us sinful creatures belong also to the corresponding qualities in our holy Creator. Rather it takes for granted that they do not.

     Thus, God's love, as the Bible views it, never leads Him to foolish, impulsive, immoral actions in the way that its human counterpart too often leads us.  And in the same way, God's wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is.  It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil.  God is only angry where anger is called for.  Even among humans, there is such a thing as righteous indignation, though it is, perhaps, rarely found.  But all God's indignation is righteous.

     Would a God who took as much pleasure in evil as he did in good be a good God? Would a God who did not react adversely to evil in His world be morally perfect?  Surely not.  Yet it is precisely this adverse reaction to evil, which is a necessary part of moral perfection, that the Bible has in view when it speaks of God's wrath."

It might also help to know that God's "wrath" is often devoid of "anger" altogether. It is, rather, a very intentional and "calm" determination to "give people over" (let them have) the sin they want (along with the consequences of that sin). Paul speaks of this when he tells us that "the wrath of God is being poured out" -- not in fire from heaven, or cataclysmic disasters -- but in simply letting people have the sinful things they want (see Romans 1:18-32, and especially verses 24, 26, and 28). In this sense His wrath is a "calm" form of judgment upon people who stubbornly persist in their sin and rebellion.

     A. W. Tozer's words from his book "The Knowledge of the Holy," are also helpful here.  There he states:

     "Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard. He is absolutely holy with an infinite, incomprehensible fullness of purity that is incapable of being other than it is. Because He is holy, His attributes are holy. That is, whatever we think of as belonging to God must be thought of as holy.

     God is holy and He has made holiness the moral condition necessary to the health of His universe. Sin's temporary presence in the world only serves to accent this. Whatever is holy is healthy; evil is a moral sickness that must end ultimately in death. The formation of the language itself suggests this, the English word holy deriving from the Anglo-Saxon halig, or hal, meaning "well, whole."

     Since God's first concern for His universe is its moral health, that is, its holiness, whatever is contrary to this is necessarily under His eternal displeasure.  To preserve His creation God must destroy whatever would destroy it. When He arises to put down iniquity and save the world from irreparable moral collapse, He is said to be angry. Every wrathful judgment in the history of the world has been a holy act of preservation.  The holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of the creation are inseparably united. God's wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys. He hates iniquity as a mother hates the polio that takes the life of her child."

     I hope -- if nothing else -- you may have gained insight into what God's wrath is; why it is a necessary aspect of His being as God, and thus be less hesitant to affirm it, speak of it, or explain it to others.

To the end that we might worship God as He is and must ever be, Pastor Jeff

Our Wonder at the Miracle of the Incarnation of Jesus -- who is Emmanuel, God with us

Greetings All!

     At this special time of the year I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a blessed Christmas observance.  I know it gets busy, and a million other things compete for our attention, but one thing should remain preeminent amidst all the others -- our wonder at the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus -- who is Emmanuel, God with us
     Donald M. Fairbairn, Jr., professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, puts it so well:

"In Hebrews 1:3 the writer describes who the Son is—the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.  God is often pleased to work through beings he has created—through people and angels.

But for his greatest works—creating us, sustaining us, and making purification for our sins, God works not beings who reflect his glory, or are created in his image, but through the one who gives off that glory, who exactly matches his own being—his very own Son.  For the task of redeeming us, no one less would.  For the task of redeeming us, no one less would have sufficed. Let us worship the Son this Christmas!"

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!   Pastor Jeff 

Faith In Future Grace vs. Lust

Greetings All,

     This week's 'thought' has to do with a struggle most all men wrestle with (every one I've ever known anyway) -- lust.  And in particular, sexual lust. It comes to you from John Piper in his book, "Future Grace."  If you (or someone you know) is looking for help in the fight for purity, this excerpt offers some solid, relevant, helpful truth on how to gain victory over lust.
     So, if that's what you want (and if you struggle with it you should!), I encourage you to read on.  Enjoy. 

Faith In Future Grace vs. Lust

     "Suppose I am tempted to lust. Some sexual image comes into my mind and beckons me to pursue it. The way this temptation gets its power is by persuading me to believe that I will be happier if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier. No one sins out of a sense of duty. We embrace sin because it promises, at least in the short run, things will be more pleasant. 

     So what should I do?  Some people would say, 'Remember God's command to be holy (I Peter 1:16), and exercise your will to obey because he is God!' But something crucial is missing from this advice, namely, faith in future grace. A lot of people who strive for moral improvement cannot say, 'The life I live I live by faith' (Gal. 2:20). They strive for the purity of love, but don't realize that such love is the fruit of faith in future grace...

     When faith has the upper hand in my heart, I am satisfied with Christ and his promises. This is what Jesus meant when he said, 'Whoever believes in me shall never thirst' (John 6:35). When my thirst for joy and meaning and passion are satisfied by the presence and promises of Christ, the power of sin is broken. We do not yield to the offer of sandwich meat when we can smell the steak sizzling on the grill.

     The fight of faith is to stay satisfied with God. 'By faith Moses... [forsook] the fleeting pleasures of sin...for he was looking to the reward' (Heb. 11:24-26). Faith is not content with 'fleeting pleasures.'  It is ravenous for joy. And the Word of God says, 'In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more.' (Ps. 16:11). So faith will not be sidetracked into sin. It will not give up so easily in its quest for maximum joy.

     The role of God's Word is to feed faith's appetite. And, in doing this, it weans my heart away from the deceptive taste of lust. At first, lust begins to trick me into feeling that I would really miss out on some great satisfaction if I followed the path of purity.  But then I take up the sword of the Spirit and begin to fight. I read that it is better to gouge out my eye than to lust. I read that if I think about things that are pure and lovely and excellent, the peace of God will be with me (Phil. 4:8). I read that setting the mind on the flesh brings death, but setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace (Rom. 8:6). I read that lust wages war against my soul (I Pet. 2:11), and that the pleasures of this life choke out the life of the Spirit (Luke 8:14). But best of all, I read that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Ps. 84:11), and that the pure in heart will see God (Matt. 5:8).

     As I pray for my faith to be satisfied with God's life and peace, the sword of the Spirit carves the sugar coating off the poison of lust. I see it for what it is. And by the grace of God, its alluring power is broken. I wield the sword of the Spirit against the sin of lust by believing the promise of God more than I believe the promise of lust. My faith is not only a backward-looking belief in the death of Jesus, but a forward-looking belief in the promises of Jesus. It's not only being sure of what he did do, but also being satisfied with what he will do -- indeed, it is being satisfied with what he will do precisely because of what he did do (Rom. 8:32). 

     It is this Spirit-given superior satisfaction in future grace that breaks the power of lust. With all eternity hanging in the balance, we fight the fight of faith. Our chief enemy is the lie that says sin will make our future happier. Our chief weapon is the truth that says God will make our future happier. And faith is the victory that overcomes the lie, because faith is satisfied with God."

     As one can see from this selection the Bible's way of fighting sin is with faith, not with more willpower or legalistic restrictions. It is victory found in a return to believing. Believing God's promise rather than Satan's lie.

     In a fascinating little book I just read yesterday, it asks (regarding Hitler's attempted extermination of the Jews in the death camps across Europe): "How Do You Kill 11 Million People?"  (That's also the book's title.)  And what's the answer: "You lie to them."  As he shows in a fairly convincing way, you can get anybody to do almost anything if you can get them to believe a lie.  Tell them that what they do believe (have believed) is wrong, what they need to believe is what you are selling, and then make the lie you are selling as convincing as possible.  Say it with as much earnestness and charisma as you can (the non-biblical kind). That's Satan's ploy.

     Yet faith holds on to the truth -- refusing to believe the lie while also clinging to the firm promises of God. Faith exposes the lie to the soul before we are led in temptation to comply with it.

     The lie: Giving in to lust will fulfill your immediate bodily/fleshly craving for pleasure and therefore make you happy.  The truth: The pleasures of sin last only for a short time and result in death, but Christ offers joy, hope, inner peace, rest of soul, an undefiled conscience, fulfillment, delight, satisfaction, and in the future -- eternal pleasures at God's right hand. And the means of overcoming: Faith -- but especially faith in God's promise of future grace.

Blessings in the battle to believe, Pastor Jeff

Prayer

Greetings to all and a Happy New Year as well!  

 

     As we begin the new year, I wanted to share a prayer I came across in my reading for today. It's by William Barclay and is found in "A Barclay Prayer Book."  Though it was not written with the New Year in mind, it struck me as the one I wanted to pray for myself as this year begins. I thought I might offer it to you as well, since he so beautifully expresses many of the ongoing desires of a Christian's heart.  Enjoy.

 

      "Give us this night, O God, as we worship you:

                Your truth to tell us what we ought to believe and what we ought to do, Your strength to make us able to face the things which by ourselves we cannot do; Your love that we may love you as you have first loved us, and may love our fellow men and women as you love them.  

                Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

        Lord Jesus, you were tempted; help us when we are tempted. 

       When we are tempted, help us:

              Always to remember those who love us and trust us and believe in us, and whose hearts would be broken if we brought disgrace upon ourselves; Never to do anything which would bring us regret, remorse and shame to follow it; Never to do anything which we would have to hide, and about which we should be ashamed if others should know; Never to do anything which would injure anyone else; Always to remember that whatever we say or do, you hear and see it.

       Save us from ever being carried away by the heat, or the impulse, or the passion of the moment, and so forgetting the consequences of the things we do. 

       Help us never to disobey our conscience and never to do anything which would take away our self-respect. 

       Help us to make:

               Our pleasure such that we would never wish to hide it; Our work such that we never need to be ashamed of it; Our conduct to others such that we will never regret it.

      At all times keep:

              Our thoughts pure and our words true; Our actions honorable and our bodies clean.

      Help us so to live that we can take everything in life and show it to you.

      O heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being, we humbly pray Thee so to govern and guide us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our daily life we may never forget you, but remember that we are ever walking in your sight:  through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

      From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, of Your goodness give us your love to inspire us, your Spirit to guide us, and your power to protect us.  And in Your mercy receive us, now and ever.  Amen." 

 

      May His richest blessings be upon you as you enter this new year. And may all the above be true of you. 

                         In His Service, Pastor Jeff

Mud Pies

Greetings All,

This week's 'thought' comes from a flyer I received in the mail a few hours ago. The flyer is announcing a conference soon to be hosted in our area dealing with the issue of 'Sexual Wholeness.' It was good enough (I thought) to be passed along as a thought for your consideration - or the possible consideration of someone you may know. What it states is true, and brought to mind another quote by C. S. Lewis. Both say a lot in a small amount of space. Enjoy.

"We live in a sex-saturated world. Sexual gratification has become the god of many as they seek to fill the empty void in their hearts. Even among Christians who know and love God, sexual idolatry is a major problem. The answer to this epidemic is not just sexual purity that abstains physically from sexual sin. The answer, rather, is finding satisfaction in Jesus Christ alone that allows people to live whole lives, so that, "sex and its little thrills become as small as they really are, and Christ becomes to us as great as He really is.'"*

(*parenthetical quote by John Piper)

C. S. Lewis put it this way in his book, The Weight of Glory.

"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit this notion crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblemishing promises of reward promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not to strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

The choice before every person is NOT a life of drudgery and joyless duties and religious demands on the one hand (as a Christian), or a life of fun and pleasure by living in sin on the other. God is not opposed to pleasure or the enjoyment of life! Nearly all of the most joyful, memorable, delight-filled times in my life came after my conversion to Christ and not before that, when I lived a life of sin. They came through experiencing Him, and growing in Him, in intimate times of prayer spent with Him, and seeing Him in the beauty of His creation, and living out life as He sets it forth in His word, and enjoying the undeserved blessings which He lavished on me through my interaction with my spouse and children and friends and church family.

Lewis is right -- God offers us pleasures in Christ which eclipse and far outweigh any that can be found in a life of sin, rebellion and unbelief. He offers us "eternal pleasures at His right hand" (Psalm 16:11). He offers us "abundance of life" and "fullness of joy" (John 10:10/15:11). He gives us the kingdom, which, according to Paul, "is a matter of righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17). God desires that we experience the joy and peace that comes from trusting in Him (Rom. 15:13).

God does not forbid pleasure; He merely forbids crass, sinful, cheap pleasure that leads to nothing but disillusionment, indifference, emotional turmoil and in the end, self-destruction. The choice presented to us is NOT the pleasures of sin for a season OR a life with God and no pleasures. It is instead the eternal, joy-nurturing, life-affirming, soul-transforming and incomparable pleasures of God and His grace (which we get to taste in this life and be immersed in throughout all eternity) OR the crass, empty, fleeting, small, regrettable, life-deadening pleasures of sin that are only enjoyable for a fleeting moment.

Why, as Lewis suggests, do we prefer making mud pies in the slums, with our eyes burning from the smog and putrid smell, when God offers us a seaside cottage on the cliffs overlooking the beach - with air so fresh we can taste it, as we listen to the gulls calling and the waves breaking in upon the shore?

With prayers that you may experience the joy and peace that comes from trusting in Him,

Pastor Jeff