Category Archives: Thoughts From Scripture

Oprah’s beliefs

Posted on by

I came across this video recently on a friend’s Facebook page that shows clips of different things Oprah has said about her beliefs.

I haven’t read the book mentioned at the end, and I am not sharing this clip to promote it: I am sharing it because is shows Oprah saying things I had only heard second-hand about her beliefs.

I just wanted to comment on a few of the things said.

1. It bothered Oprah when she heard a preacher say that God is a jealous God. I am not sure why that bothered her. I guess jealousy has negative connotations, but unless it is taken to harmful extremes, it is a perfectly natural trait. What husband or wife wouldn’t be jealous of their spouse to a certain degree? God has even more reason to be jealous: if we’re drawn away from Him to false doctrine, we’re drawn into darkness.

2. Oprah emphasizes determining truth by feeling rather than by believing. That’s dangerous on two grounds. One is that “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 and say, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” We can’t trust our feelings. They fluctuate and can be affected by many things. The other danger with this thought is that “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). God does want us to believe, not just feel, and not to just believe anything about Him, but to believe what He has revealed.

Peter had one of the most profound experiences of anyone: he saw the Lord glorified, talking with Moses and Elijah. Yet he says in II Peter 1:

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

He is saying there that Scripture is more sure than any experience, even one like he had.

3. She says there are many paths to God, but Jesus said, ” am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). I Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

4. It is interesting that one of her favorite quotes from the book she mentions has to do with humans making God in our own image, but that is the very thing she is doing (as is Eckhart Tolle, the author of the book she promotes and follows) when she goes by what she thinks and feels more than what the revealed Word of God says about Him.

5. God is more than a “force” or a “consciousness.” He is a Being; He has personality.

6. Oprah said she was searching for “something more than doctrine.” It is true that we need to have a relationship with Him rather than just a list of beliefs: but our relationship with Him needs to be based on those beliefs or else we are worshiping Him falsely. Doctrine is vitally important.

In light of these things it really disturbs me when Christian women quote her, especially when they quote her as some kind of spiritual authority. She may be a nice person, have a winning personally, and do a lot of good and charitable deeds, and those are all good things as far as they go, but they don’t get a person to heaven and they don’t qualify anyone as a spiritual authority. Personally I wouldn’t quote her even on anything “neutral” without some qualifier lest someone think I was giving tacit approval to what she says in general.

Some will be miffed at the thought of saying what might seem to be unkind toward her. I am not at all meaning to be unkind, but I want to warn people that that she is advocating is a false gospel.

II John 1:9-11: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Imperfect families

Posted on by

Someone said something the other day that got me to thinking. She mentioned the number of kids from broken homes in our school, and I think she was just lamenting the fact that so many families were broken, but something in what she said made it seem like having kids from broken homes was an undesirable element. That may not be what she meant — that part of the conversation was fleeting and I couldn’t get my thoughts together in time to ask about it before the tide of conversation turned to something else.

But it got me to thinking. I am from a broken home and an unsaved home. The Lord miraculously provided for me to go to a Christian school in my junior year of high school. I don’t really remember anybody treating me differently or seeming to look down on me or not wanting their children to associate too closely with me because I was from a broken family or wasn’t from a church family. Thank God! What was the starting point of my spiritual life might have had a vastly different outcome.

I’ve noticed in some Christian schools or churches that have bus ministries and such that there can be a disparity between the “church kids” and the others. Some of that is just the natural consequence that the church kids have known each other longer and spend more time together and therefore are closer than those who have not been coming long or who only come sporadically. But I would hope that the difference is not because the church families think their kids are somehow better and that they feel they need to be wary of spiritual contamination from the others.

I think many of us would have a hard time accepting the woman at the well (who had had five husbands), Rahab the harlot, Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah into our church membership.

I don’t mean that we don’t need to be careful of our children’s associates. I have known kids from unsaved homes who have been an unstable element or who have tried to introduce unsavory elements. And I have also known church kids who walk the edge, who act one way around parents and teachers and another way among friends. I have been in Christian homes where the members act much differently than they do at church.

But I have also known some wonderful kids who come from horrible backgrounds for whom the grace of God has made a profound difference who have become wonderful, godly Christians.

The truth is we are all from imperfect families, and it’s God’s grace, not our church standing or family situation, that makes us acceptable in His eyes. Accepting His salvation and then obedience to His Word and being filled with His Holy Spirit are what make for Christian character, and that’s available to anyone. Though ideally we’d love for every child to come from a loving, godly, unfragmented Christian home, it just doesn’t happen that way. And if our Lord took special care to reach out to someone like a woman who had had five husbands and was currently living with a man who was not her husband, are we right to keep our distance from such people?

Elisabeth Elliot wrote in Keep a Quiet Heart:

While visiting [a] Bible College in South Carolina, I found in the library a little book called Father and Son, written by my grandfather, Philip E. Howard. He writes:

“Do you remember that encouraging word of Thomas Fuller’s, a chaplain of Oliver Cromwell’s time? It’s a good passage for a father in all humility and gratitude to tuck away in his memory treasures:

“’Lord, I find the genealogy of my Savior strangely checkered with four remarkable changes in four immediate generations.

Rehoboam begat Abijah; that is, a bad father begat a bad son.
Abijah begat Asa; that is, a bad father begat a good son.
Asa begat Jehoshaphat; that is, a good father begat a good son.
Jehoshaphat begat Joram; that is, a good father begat a bad son.

I see, Lord, from hence that my father’s piety cannot be entailed; that is bad news for me. But I see also that actual impiety is not always hereditary; that is good news for my son.’”

I Corinthians 6:9-11 says: “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” I am so thankful for God’s washing, sancifying, and justifying!

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:6-7.

During my freshman year in a Christian college one of my upperclassmen roommates was from a very similar background to mine. One of the best things that ever happened to me was the realization that if she could live for the Lord, then so could I. I used to think of my family as somewhat holding me back from being and doing all I could for the Lord. Instead I needed to see them as in need of the same grace I had received, and God placed me in that family to love them and tell them about Him. What a child from a broken and/or unsaved home needs most is grace and hope. II Peter 1:3-4 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” They need to know that in Christ and His Word they have everything they need to live for Him and to be and do all He wants them to.

Children of the Heavenly Father

Posted on by

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. I John 3:1a.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12.

Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.

God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.

Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.

Lo, their very hairs He numbers,
And no daily care encumbers
Them that share His ev’ry blessing
And His help in woes distressing.

Praise the Lord in joyful numbers:
Your Protector never slumbers.
At the will of your Defender
Ev’ry foeman must surrender.

~ Kar­oli­na W. San­dell-Berg

I confess: I don’t really like to cook

Posted on by

That may sound strange coming from a SAHM who strongly believes the Bible teaches that married women are to be “keepers at home.” But many times I have chafed against this part of my job description.

Oh, I love to eat and I like good food prepared well. I just don’t particularly enjoy the process of doing it myself. There are any number of things I enjoy more, and I sometimes resent that I have to lay aside those things in order to go make dinner.

Yet, even if we were in a situation where I could hire a cook, I can’t foresee that I ever would, unless I wasn’t physically able to cook. It just wouldn’t seem right, and I don’t know if I could ever show someone else how to make things the way I like them (and I am particular about how my food tastes!) It would be easier and less stressful to do it myself.

On one Christian message board I was on, one of my most-commented on posts was something along the lines of “What do you cook when you don’t feel like cooking?” A lot of ladies said something like, “I am so glad to know someone else shares these feelings!”

Yet, cooking is part of my job and one my family probably appreciates and depends on the most. (By the way, I do know that in the Bible men cooked sometimes, but in our household division of duties, cooking is my lot. My husband works 50+ hours a week and I wouldn’t ask him to take this on, too [though he does grill the main dish on Sundays frequently.] I would rather stay home and make dinner than have to work outside the home.)

It does help if I remember everyone has to do things they don’t feel like doing. My husband probably doesn’t feel like going to work every weekday or having to cut the grass and make repairs on weekends.

It also helps if I actually do plan ahead for it: though I enjoy planning and shopping probably even less than cooking, if I do have some basic menu plans in mind it makes meal preparation much smoother and therefore less frustrating and time-consuming.

It also helps if I “get into it” more. When I am thumbing through recipe magazines I can get excited about trying new things.

But it helps most of all to remember that it is an act of service. There are many examples of preparing and serving food in the Bible. The virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 “riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens” (verse 15). Sarah prepared food for Abraham’s unusual visitors (Gen. 18). Even the Lord Jesus prepared food for some of His disciples (at least, fish were being cooked when they came to Him in John 22:9). There is a larger sense in which He prepares and provides for us spiritually, calling Himself the bread of life (John 6:35, 48). Food provides strength; it is part of hospitality, which we’re commanded to; serving in His name brings promise of reward; giving food and drink to His brethren is as serving Him.

Lord of all pots and pans and things
Since I’ve no time to be
A saint by doing lovely things
Or watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in the sweet dawn light
Or storming Heaven’s gates,
Make me a saint by getting meals
And washing up the plates.

Although I must have Martha’s hands,
I have a Mary mind,
And when I black the boots and shoes,
Thy sandals, Lord, I find.
I think of how they trod the earth,
What time I scrub the floor:
Accept this meditation, Lord.
I haven’t time for more.

Warm all the kitchen with Thy love
And light it with Thy peace;
Forgive me all my worrying,
And make all grumbling cease.
Thou who didst love to give men food,
In room or by the sea,
Accept this service that I do–
I do it unto Thee.

~ Author unknown

(Graphic from Creative Ladies Ministries)

He who would valiant be

Posted on by

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13

He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound—his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.

~ John Bunyan

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. I Peter 2:11-12.

Book Review: Sisterchicks Go Brit!

Posted on by

Sisterchicks Go Brit! is the seventh in the Sisterchicks series by Robin Jones Gunn. A “sisterchick” is defined as “A friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat.”

This series is a lot of fun and very easy to get into, yet it is hard to call it a “light” read because of the lessons, spiritual and otherwise, that the friends learn. Each book has a different pair of friends in different stages of life going off on an adventure, deepening their friendship, learning about themselves, each other, another country, and their relationship with the Lord.

The friends/sisterchicks in this book are mid-life moms Liz and Kellie who end up in England, where Liz has been wanting to visit since she was a teen-ager. In one sense the landmarks and customs were a little more familiar to me: I have never been in England, but of course I have heard and read more about it than other countries.

In a sense this book didn’t seem quite as “fun” to me as compared to the others, but it has been a long time since I read the last one, so I am not sure whether my memory is faulty. But perhaps it is just that I struggle with some of the same things Liz does and would have had a much harder time when things didn’t go according to plan or when glitches came up than she did. I “know” on one level that God is in control and in charge of all such things, but when I seek Him in the planning stages I tend to think that everything will go according to plan…and, of course, it doesn’t, then I get tense and nervous. I appreciated the reminder and the example to learn to just entrust the Lord with the schedule and the events and everything that happens in connection with them, knowing that He is in control and can handle everything that comes up — and that He might have an interesting detour I never would have thought of.

I appreciated the emphasis, too, that “midlife” doesn’t mean your dreams and your work are ready for the shelf, but it can be a time of exploring and expanding on them.

I do recommend the Sisterchicks series. Let me know if you have read this one or any of them and what you think.

OK, I’ve had about enough

Posted on by

No, make that more than enough.

Enough what, you ask?

Enough of hearing the phrase, “Oh my God.” You hear it everywhere, but especially all over TV. The other day I heard the “oh my” in a high voice with God’s name in a low, guttural, drawn-out voice. On blogs and Internet forums it has been reduced to OMG. And then there are those who say “Jesus Christ” or shorten it to “Jeez.”

Why does this bother me?

Because I worship God and regard His name as high and holy.

He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. Psalm 111:9.

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. Psalm 115:1.

Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. Psalm 135:3.

Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148:143

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Proverbs 18:10.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6.

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:31.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13.

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. I John 3:23.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 5:12-13.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11.

That’s only a small smattering of what the Bible says about the name of God. One of the ten commandments is “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7).

What does it mean to take God’s Name in vain? Well, according to Dictionary.com “in vain” means:

a. without effect or avail; to no purpose: to apologize in vain.
b. in an improper or irreverent manner: to take God’s name in vain.

Using God’s name as a lower purpose for which it was intended is using it in vain. That certainly includes using it as an expression of surprise or disgust or anger or silliness or as just a filler in the blank spaces of conversation.

By the way, I believe this also applies to euphemisms of God’s name: gosh, golly, gee and the like. If you look up the definitions, all of these have their origins as an alteration of God or Jesus. But even though people might quibble about that, I think we can agree that using His actual name as an interjection is using it in vain.

Yes, I know this is not a Christian nation and not everyone believes in that name. But it seems that there could at least be a modicum of respect for it. I would never say, “Oh my Allah” or “Oh my Buddha” even though I do not believe in the Islamic religion or Buddhism. Think of the outcry there would be if people started doing that! Why should not the Christian God have at least that much regard?

Shepherd of Love

Posted on by

shepherd.jpg

Jesus and the Lamb by Katherine Brown

Shepherd of love, You knew I had lost my way:
Shepherd of love, You cared that I’d gone astray.
You sought and found me, placed around me
Strong arms that carried me home;
No foe can harm me or alarm me,
Never again will I roam!
Shepherd of love, Savior and Lord and guide,
Shepherd of love, Forever I’ll stay by Your side.

Shepherd of love, Contentment at last is mine;
Deep in my heart, There’s peace and a joy divine.
The future’s brighter, burdens lighter,
My cup runs over each day;
Your grace supplied me, now provides me,
All that I need for the way.
Shepherd of love, Savior and Lord and guide,
Shepherd of love, Forever I’ll stay by your side.

(I don’t know the author and couldn’t find it online. Does anyone else know?)

Book Review: How To Say No to a Stubborn Habit

Posted on by

How To Say No To a Stubborn Habit (subtitled Even When You Feel Like Saying Yes) by Erwin Lutzer has been republished under the title Winning the Inner War: How To Say No to a Stubborn Habit. My copy was published in 1994: I don’t know if anything has changed other than the name.

It could just as easily be titled How To Overcome Sin and Resist Temptation, because that is basically what it is about. One of the most compelling chapters is the first one: “Why So Much Temptation?” Lutzer discusses that troubling question reasonably and plausibly. Other chapters include “The Freedom of Living at the Cross,” “The Power of the Holy Spirit,” “The Renewing of Your Mind,” “Living With Your Feelings,” “The Taming Your Will.”

I have read this book through at least once before: I think I probably have more than that. I have been making a few notes from it for myself at my other blog, I Corinthians 10:31, which was originally started to chronicle my weight loss (I wanted that separate from this one because I had seen other bloggers’ blogs start talking about dieting and weight loss and having that end up the only thing they blogged about. I don’t kniw, maybe you need to be that obsessive to be successful. But I just wanted to keep that journey separate from this blog, though I do mention it from time to time). After the first seven pounds, though, I got off track and never got back on. That is one reason I wanted to go through this book again.

One of my biggest problems is dealing with feelings. Though I know we live by faith, not by feelings, a part of me still felt that, when I prayed for grace in dealing with this or any other “besetting sin,” a part of the answer would come by way of changing my feelings and desires. But often we must obey in spite of our feelings, and they will catch up later.

I enjoy Lutzer’s style. He is very reasonable, logical, and readable, with very clear and compelling illustrations. For instance, in illustrating the concept of reckoning ourselves “dead to sin” (confusing because we don’t feel very dead to it), he likens it to living in an apartment under new management. The old landlord may come around and demand payment, but we don’t owe him anything any more. Or, in illustrating how, when we decide we are going to get rid of a bad habit or resist a certain temptation and then can’t think about anything else, he writes to try not to think about the number 8. All of a sudden that’s all you can think about! But if you think of the number 1,000, divide it by 5, multiply it by 10, etc., then your mind is off of 8. So also it is not enough for  us just to try to remove this one habit or sin in our lives: we have to replace it, preferably with Scripture, prayer, praise, singing a hymn, etc.

And though Lutzer is very firm in instructing about what must be done, he doesn’t rant and rave and wag a finger in your face. He gives simple and clear (though not easy) instructions based on God’s Word and derives hope from the same Source.

Erwin Lutzer is the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago and has a radio program called Running to Win. I hear part of his program if I have the radio on after I drop my youngest off at school, and this is the only book of his I have ever read, so I don’t know if I might have any disagreements with his stand on anything, but I agree with everything in this particular book. It is quite edifying and I would recommend it highly.

Book Review: Dawn’s Light

Posted on by

Dawn’s Light is the fourth and, I believe, final installment of the Restoration series by Terri Blackstock which focuses on the effects of a global blackout on one community and particularly one family.

The subject matter of this series normally would not have drawn me to it, because I am afraid I like my creature comforts all too well, and I know how I am after even a few hours of no electricity. But, this is Terri Blackstock. And I love Terri Blackstock. I think I have read every novel she has written. So I knew it would be good, suspenseful, and convicting. And it was.

I am not going to say much about the plot beyond what you would find on the first few pages so as not to spoil it, but I can’t say the same for the comments. If you’ve read the book, let me know what you think — I’d love to discuss it.

In the previous books we’ve seen the struggle and growth of various members of the Branning family. Thirteen year old Beth has witnessed a lot of trauma which has caused her to be fearful of “The Next Big Thing.” So when she begins to exhibit even more fearful behavior, her family thinks she is just having further trouble handling everything that has happened emotionally. She won’t open up to them or to a counselor. What no one knows is that she has witnessed a double murder: she got away from the scene, but the killer saw her and threatened her and her family.

Meanwhile the pulses from a dying star which caused the blackout have finally stopped, and the massive effort to get electricity flowing again begins. Terri did a lot of research into the technology behind what this would mean and does a good job giving enough information to make it plausible yet not so much that the book gets bogged down.

Oldest daughter Deni had left her high-powered Washington career and fiance behind and fallen in love with a friend she had known for years, but her fiance comes back into town, not only to help with the electrical situation but to win Deni back.

One of the things I love best about Terri is that her characters are so real, so genuine, you feel like they are your personal friends, and they struggle with exactly the same issues I would in their place. When a family tragedy occurs, they wrestle with all the questions and issues almost any Christian would in the face of seemingly unanswered prayer.

A blurb on the front page says, “Terri Blackstock weaves a masterful what-if series in which global catastrophe reveals the darkness in human hearts — and lights the way to restoration for a self-centered world.” I am embarrassed to say that it wasn’t until I read that sentence that I “got” the symbolism of the darkness and the restoration — not just of electricity, but more importantly, in hearts. Though perhaps much of what I have said about it focuses on the “darkness,” the series ends with restoration and hope.