Our third reading is from Frank Laubach (1884-1970), one of the most influential figures in the history of the worldwide literacy movement. God used him to teach millions to read and gave him the opportunity to influence world leaders such as President Truman.
Many of his admirers today do not realize that Laubach was a missionary to the Philippines - they think of him in purely humanitarian terms and have a hard time understanding how such practical compassion could be rooted in such a deep faith.
Laubach's most well-known work is Letters From A Modern Mystic (PDF link).
It's only 37 pages, so reading the whole thing in one shot is no stretch. If you have limited time (or patience) focus on January 3, Jan 20, Jan 26, Jan 29, March 1, March 15, March 23, April 19, April 22 and May 24 (all 1930).
These excerpts begin on page 101 of the Devotional Classics book, and on page 4 of the PDF.
If you would like to read more by Laubach, look for a book called Game With Minutes in which he describes a method of praying every minute throughout the day--literally. This book is sometimes found bound together with a book by Brother Lawrence called Practicing the Presence of God. When issued in combined edition, they're called Practicing His Presence.
You can also read a helpful article on Letters From A Modern Mystic at http://www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=43
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Our Second Reading: de Caussade on Yielding to God
Our second reading is from Jean Pierre de Caussade (1675 - 1751). He was a French Jesuit who is best known for his work as what is called a "spiritual director." Today we'd call him a mentor or a guru.
In the Devotional Classics book this reading is on page 200. For those who don't have the book, there is a public-domain translation available.
We're reading from sections 4 through 8, which deal with yielding to God every moment of the day. There are about 3,500 words in this reading.
Section 4: In What Perfection Consists
Section 5: The Divine Influence Alone Can Sanctify Us
Section 6: On The Use of Mental Faculties
Section 7: On The Attainment of Peace
Section 8: To Estimate Degrees of Excellence
If you're reading the public-domain translation, the black numbers off to the side are photographs of the pages covered in the reading (such as this).
If you'd like to read more by Caussade, almost everything that survives of his writings has been combined into the various portions of this book. He gets exceedingly practical, as in this timeless bit of counsel: "For the toilet, do all that is necessary, then think no more about it." (no, really- he says that to a nun!)
In the Devotional Classics book this reading is on page 200. For those who don't have the book, there is a public-domain translation available.
We're reading from sections 4 through 8, which deal with yielding to God every moment of the day. There are about 3,500 words in this reading.
Section 4: In What Perfection Consists
Section 5: The Divine Influence Alone Can Sanctify Us
Section 6: On The Use of Mental Faculties
Section 7: On The Attainment of Peace
Section 8: To Estimate Degrees of Excellence
If you're reading the public-domain translation, the black numbers off to the side are photographs of the pages covered in the reading (such as this).
If you'd like to read more by Caussade, almost everything that survives of his writings has been combined into the various portions of this book. He gets exceedingly practical, as in this timeless bit of counsel: "For the toilet, do all that is necessary, then think no more about it." (no, really- he says that to a nun!)
Monday, June 19, 2006
Men As Trees, Walking
This is a summary and paraphrase of the main points from a sermon given in Westminster Chapel during the 60's. The sermon comes from a series of twenty-one sermons by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, collected in a book called Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure (sounds like a typical self-help book, I know, but it's way better than that and I highly recommend it). I actually have found all the sermons in the book to be really helpful, but this one goes well with the Dallas Willard excerpt in Devotional Classics.
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
Mark 8:22-26 (NIV)
This miracle stands out from the others that Jesus performed, because it happened in two stages. Obviously, Jesus was capable of healing people instantly, and we know that he often did. But he deliberately chose not to do so in this case. He clearly wanted it to be more than just a miracle; he wanted his disciples to learn something from it.
How would we describe the blind man, after Jesus spits on his eyes and puts his hands on them the first time? He's not blind, because he can see; but he can't really see either, because he sees people as if they are "trees walking around."
There are a lot of Christians who are just like the blind man before his sight was fully restored. They know just enough Christianity "to spoil their enjoyment of the world," but not enough to be happy with their position. Nobody should be in that situation. Moreover, nobody needs to be.
How do people become like those Christians? Usually they start out realizing that their lives are empty, and that everything is wrong as it is. Sometimes such people don't become Christian at all; they fall into cynicism or despair. But otherwise, they may compare their lives to the Christian life as depicted in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29), or in 1 Corinthians 13. They may admire the Christian life and wish that everyone in the world lived like that. Even further, they may assent that Jesus Christ is "somehow the Savior." In some obscure way, they believe, Jesus can help them. And finally, they may know that they cannot save themselves--that justification is by faith, not by works.
Nonetheless, these Christians are still confused. They may be missing many things in the Christian life, but here are the three primary areas:
1. They do not understand key principles clearly. For example, they may not see how Christ's death was necessary, or why one needs to be "reborn." If you talk to such a Christian, you will find that they cannot give clear answers to anything.
2. They do not find their happiness in Christianity. They know that they should be moved by the message of Christianity, and may even try to remind themselves of why they should be moved, but their hearts are not fully engaged.
3. They are rebellious. Even though they criticize the old life and admire the Christian life, they do not understand why Christians must do some things and refrain from others. They constantly argue about whether it is okay for them to do this or that.
Sometimes Christians are like this because of an evangelist who converted them without addressing those concerns. But just as often, it is the fault of the Christians themselves. Some of the main reasons for their condition are:
1. They dislike clear-cut definitions, preferring a vague, comfortable religion instead. They will say, "'You are being too precise, you are being too legalistic.... I believe in Christianity, but you are being too rigid and too narrow in your conceptions.'" If you want a vague religion, don't object if you see people like "trees walking around"!
2. They don't take the Bible as the ultimate authority, but change it to fit their own views from their previous life. They claim that they believe in "moderation," or that some Scriptural doctrines are obsolete in our modern day and age. In effect, they forget that this is God's timeless Word we're talking about.
3. They make a distinction between a "spiritual reading" of the Bible and "doctrine," in which they have no interest. But the whole purpose of the Bible is to provide us with doctrine! Doctrine is truth that helps us to see clearly.
4. They take Biblical doctrines in the wrong order--for instance, they learn about being reborn without understanding how they stand with God in the first place. Or else they think about sanctification--producing good works--before they think about justification--being saved apart from efforts. They fail to think things through carefully.
So finally, how do we solve this condition?
1. Be honest about where you stand with God. Be like the blind man, who answered Jesus honestly when Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" Don't claim that you see everything perfectly--which misleads others--but on the other hand, don't give up the situation as hopeless.
2. Submit yourself to God's treatment. He will not leave you in this condition if you let him do his work. Read the Bible, pray, make it your first priority to learn the truth; then your sight will be restored.
Hope this inspires someone else as well.
Clare
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
Mark 8:22-26 (NIV)
This miracle stands out from the others that Jesus performed, because it happened in two stages. Obviously, Jesus was capable of healing people instantly, and we know that he often did. But he deliberately chose not to do so in this case. He clearly wanted it to be more than just a miracle; he wanted his disciples to learn something from it.
How would we describe the blind man, after Jesus spits on his eyes and puts his hands on them the first time? He's not blind, because he can see; but he can't really see either, because he sees people as if they are "trees walking around."
There are a lot of Christians who are just like the blind man before his sight was fully restored. They know just enough Christianity "to spoil their enjoyment of the world," but not enough to be happy with their position. Nobody should be in that situation. Moreover, nobody needs to be.
How do people become like those Christians? Usually they start out realizing that their lives are empty, and that everything is wrong as it is. Sometimes such people don't become Christian at all; they fall into cynicism or despair. But otherwise, they may compare their lives to the Christian life as depicted in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29), or in 1 Corinthians 13. They may admire the Christian life and wish that everyone in the world lived like that. Even further, they may assent that Jesus Christ is "somehow the Savior." In some obscure way, they believe, Jesus can help them. And finally, they may know that they cannot save themselves--that justification is by faith, not by works.
Nonetheless, these Christians are still confused. They may be missing many things in the Christian life, but here are the three primary areas:
1. They do not understand key principles clearly. For example, they may not see how Christ's death was necessary, or why one needs to be "reborn." If you talk to such a Christian, you will find that they cannot give clear answers to anything.
2. They do not find their happiness in Christianity. They know that they should be moved by the message of Christianity, and may even try to remind themselves of why they should be moved, but their hearts are not fully engaged.
3. They are rebellious. Even though they criticize the old life and admire the Christian life, they do not understand why Christians must do some things and refrain from others. They constantly argue about whether it is okay for them to do this or that.
Sometimes Christians are like this because of an evangelist who converted them without addressing those concerns. But just as often, it is the fault of the Christians themselves. Some of the main reasons for their condition are:
1. They dislike clear-cut definitions, preferring a vague, comfortable religion instead. They will say, "'You are being too precise, you are being too legalistic.... I believe in Christianity, but you are being too rigid and too narrow in your conceptions.'" If you want a vague religion, don't object if you see people like "trees walking around"!
2. They don't take the Bible as the ultimate authority, but change it to fit their own views from their previous life. They claim that they believe in "moderation," or that some Scriptural doctrines are obsolete in our modern day and age. In effect, they forget that this is God's timeless Word we're talking about.
3. They make a distinction between a "spiritual reading" of the Bible and "doctrine," in which they have no interest. But the whole purpose of the Bible is to provide us with doctrine! Doctrine is truth that helps us to see clearly.
4. They take Biblical doctrines in the wrong order--for instance, they learn about being reborn without understanding how they stand with God in the first place. Or else they think about sanctification--producing good works--before they think about justification--being saved apart from efforts. They fail to think things through carefully.
So finally, how do we solve this condition?
1. Be honest about where you stand with God. Be like the blind man, who answered Jesus honestly when Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" Don't claim that you see everything perfectly--which misleads others--but on the other hand, don't give up the situation as hopeless.
2. Submit yourself to God's treatment. He will not leave you in this condition if you let him do his work. Read the Bible, pray, make it your first priority to learn the truth; then your sight will be restored.
Hope this inspires someone else as well.
Clare
Revival article
Hey everyone,
I happened upon an article that Glen had posted a long time ago on one
of the Chi Alpha sermon web pages. It's about revivals on college campuses
in the US between 1800-1880.
http://www.gl-sicm.org/docs/preconference/Campus_Revivals.pdf
Let us pray for revival also!
-Alan
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Our First Reading: C. S. Lewis On Old Books
Our first reading is C. S. Lewis's introduction to Athanasius' On The Incarnation: http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/ath-inc.htm#ch_0
This is one of Lewis' most famous essays. In it, he explains why the reading of classic Christian works is essential for those who want to be truly grounded in the faith. It's a must read if you're not sure why we're reading enduring spiritual texts rather than the latest by Max Lucado or John Eldredge or Joyce Meyer.
Unlike most of our readings, this one isn't from the Devotional Classics book. We'll begin our selections from that book in our next reading.
This is one of Lewis' most famous essays. In it, he explains why the reading of classic Christian works is essential for those who want to be truly grounded in the faith. It's a must read if you're not sure why we're reading enduring spiritual texts rather than the latest by Max Lucado or John Eldredge or Joyce Meyer.
Unlike most of our readings, this one isn't from the Devotional Classics book. We'll begin our selections from that book in our next reading.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Ideas for what to post
Here are some ideas for what you can post to the blog:
- Commentary or thoughts on the book we'll be reading
- Write a devotional
- Pass on a link to a sermon or something you read that you thought was
really good -- like Glen sent us an email about the Revival Hymn video.
- Write a summary of a sermon you heard recently, or at least put some of
it in your own words, particularly stuff you really liked
- Put a passage from the Bible in your own words!
- Do an audio devotional--if you don't like writing, just record yourself
speaking it!
- Tell us stuff you've been thinking or praying about--I often find it is
helpful hearing what other people are thinking/praying about because it's
encouraging and breaks me out of my little box of stuff I usually pray
for--there's a lot of good stuff to pray for.
- Prayer requests
- Share a testimony with us, just something God has done in your life or
God taught you or something
- Pursue a hard question to death like Dr. Craig suggested, and then write
about it so we can know too and benefit from your research
- Anything that is encouraging!
-Alan
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