Stupified

I've been reading Jonathan Edwards on Knowing Christ, a collection of sermons by Jonathan Edwards, and came across this passage from the sermon "God Makes Men Sensible of Their Misery":

There is much in your own heart, which tends to stupify you. It is the natural tendency of sin and lust, to stupify the conscience. And as corruption is reigning as yet in your heart, it will ever be ready to exert itself in such acts, as will have a great tendency to drive away your convictions. And Satan is doubtless diligently watching over you, striving in all ways to abate, and to take off, your convictions. He joins in with the sloth and lusts of your heart to persuade to negligence, and to turn your mind to other things. And the world is full of objects, which tend to take off your mind from the soul’s concern, and are constantly, as it were, endeavouring to take possession of your mind, and to drive out the concerns of another world.

Now the context of this passage deals with unbelievers coming to Christ and how they are distracted and pulled away by various things, but it struck me how applicable it is to Christians too. Two points I see worth dwelling on:

1. Sin deadens your spiritual senses, leaving you to walk blind and deaf in the world. The Spirit is unlikely to be heard when you've stopped up your ears because of sin.

2. There are lots of good (or not bad) things in this world that can distract us from the important matter of spiritual growth. I've found this many times myself lately when I feel I should be studying or reading something, but choose to watch TV instead. We can turn a "good" thing into a "bad" thing if we choose it instead of the things we know God want us to do.

Sightings

On Sunday, pastor Bob asked if anyone would like to share how God has been in control when you thought there was no other way. I don't have the wording right, but you get the idea. He was looking for people to share some recent events where God was working behind the scenes or provided in unexpected ways. It didn't even have to be recent. Just SHARE darn it! So he passed the mic around. I was actually trying really hard to think of something, because I knew there had been, but it wasn't coming to me. And, I didn't want to go with some stupid baseball story, even thought sports analogies can be easy slam dunks. Oops, I just used a sports analogy.

Unfortunately, what I wanted to share didn't pop into my head until halfway through his sermon. At that point, I was really hoping I could get a second shot but figured that opportunity was over, until next time. So, that got me to thinking. I really need to keep some type of God Sightings log to help remember better. So, here goes:

Sometime in February or March I started to hear a loud noise coming from the hood of my car when I'd be driving down the road, especailly above 55 mph. It kind of concerned me, but it had been going on for some time and nothing had happened. Finally one night I decided to have my car buddy who has done some work in the past on my car take a look, more like a listen, while the car was running. I knew Mandy and my family were going to be using my car for the weekend to drive up to Boyne for some skiing. It was going to be at least a 3 hour drive. This was a Thursday night and I asked him, "What if, hypothetically speaking, we were to drive this car for the weekend...oh, I don't know, 3 hours and then back, what would happen?" To me, the sound of "things" in the engine made me nervous to travel a long distance, let alone 3 hours to the middle of nowhere up north, so I wanted his opinion. He thought it was the alternator going bad.

Nathan: "John, do you think the alternator will make it, or should we keep the car home?
He said what many mechanics probably say: "Sure." In other words, who knows!

Well, we made the trip back on Sunday and didn't have a single problem. And yes, the engine didn't sound any better. What a miracle. (Maybe because it was Easter weekend?!?!)

Fast forward to Wednesday morning of that week (three days later). Fritz, Barrigar, Ross and I were all doing our usual men's breakfast at McDonalds at 7am. It was getting time to go so I started my car and wanted Ross and Fritz to take a look at the engine. The engine was not sounding very good that morning and I wanted their thoughts on what the problem could be. They were convinced it was the alternator.

I got in the car and started to pull away. All of a sudden my car started smoking. White smoke was coming out of the hood! I pulled back into my parking space and Matt emphatically suggested I shut off the car. We popped the hood and the alternator had gotten so hot, it burned the fan belt next to it and snapped it like a rubberband.

My car died. At McDonalds. (This is the second time I've had a car die on me at the McDonald's in Cass City.)

Certainly I was frustrated at first. But then it hit me: This is exactly what I expected to happen, but definately didn't want to happen while we were 3 hours away from home in the middle of nowhere. God was absolutely watching and it was all in His timing. I've got nothing to complain about because it would be a much worse situation stranded up north. Whew!

Age of Reptiles

I am made of parts that freeze and ligaments that atrophy
Though they look they'll never see
They don't know something's wrong with me
And just as well, I'll never tell what's underneath the scales
I've worn too thin to honor you, my every effort fails
Bury me with Israel and cover up my tracks
Leave not a trace of what I was, I'm never coming back
And if your mercy falls upon he whose blood is cold
Unearth me with your hands of love and never break your hold

The world is full of ones like me
Who need to see the truth
But the truth is never truth indeed
The truth is only You

Jesus bless the crocodiles, forgive the cobras and all the snakes
Open up your arms to carry all of our mistakes
Suck the venom from every bite and vomit every drop
Some of us may bite your hand but some of us will not
And every knee will bow before you, each forked tongue confess
My selfishness will rot in me and I will seek your rest
Still some lizards flee from you, ashamed of all they've been
So Jesus take myself from me, never bring it back again

The world is full of ones like me, who need to see the truth
But the truth is never truth indeed, the truth is only You
The world will soon become extinct, the age will pass away
And all will know that you are God, hallowed be your name

Jesus bless the crocodiles, forgive the cobras and all the snakes
Open up your arms to carry all of our mistakes
Forgive the basilisk, forgive the moccasins and adders too
Have mercy on each alligator that never lived for you
I myself hatched from an egg, no white light from above
Just another ancient serpent that never earned your love
But still you find me underneath the rocks and in the ground
I cowered there just short of air and never made a sound
It's true that I'm in love with you, and even in my shame
You wipe away the imperfections and take away the pain
You wrap your loving arms around this wretched thing called me
Your love is all I'll ever need, your love has set me free

The truth is only You.

Quote of the Day

It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick.
-C.S. Lewis

Quote of the Day

"I've wasted so much time
coming up with questions.
Asking 'Why?' has never answered much for me.
And really who am I,
to never feel the weight of burden?
When was I promised simplicity?"
-Stavesacre, "Reason to Believe"

Quote of the Day

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done."
-C.S. Lewis

The Crimson Fountain Is Open Still

Another thought from Morning and Evening:

"Reader, is your heart heavy this evening? God knew it would be; the comfort which your heart wants is treasured in the sweet assurance of the text. You are poor and needy, but he has thought upon you, and has the exact blessing which you require in store for you. Plead the promise, believe it and obtain its fulfilment. Do you feel that you never were so consciously vile as you are now? Behold, the crimson fountain is open still, with all its former efficacy, to wash your sin away. Never shall you come into such a position that Christ cannot aid you. No pinch shall ever arrive in your spiritual affairs in which Jesus Christ shall not be equal to the emergency, for your history has all been foreknown and provided for in Jesus."