The Supremecy of the Written Word in Joshua

Talks of what we as Christians should have as our “authority” (ex. tradition, scripture or some other combination) are always quite charged and it seems everyone has their opinions about the matter. This week, as I was studying for a survey study on the first few chapters of Joshua, I noticed something that I had never really seen before. It has to do with the supremacy of the written Word over and above direct revelation.

“…be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (Joshua 1:7b-8)

There is something new in the book of Joshua, something that hadn’t been completed until right before (or after, it doesn’t really matter, since it is God’s Word and not primarily Moses’) the death of Moses.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas!

May the Lord bless you and keep you, and give you a wonderful holiday season this year. It is amazing how quickly time has gone by, but how amazing the Lord is, in His faithfulness and goodness to all of us in sending us His Son to live, to die, and to rise again from the grave on our behalf, that we might be saved through faith in Him.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Because He lives,
Nathan

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous and devout, looking for the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So Simeon, directed by the Spirit, came into the temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, Simeon took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, ‘Now, according to your word, Sovereign Lord, permit your servant to depart in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’” (Luke 2:25-32)

“How People Change” – Book Review

A while back I started reading a book called “How People Change” written by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp. To be honest, I think the beginning of the book has some of the greatest insight I have seen into the American church today – they call it the “Gospel Gap.” It’s actually something my friend blogged about a while back (“The Disconnect”) and something I blogged about a long time ago, when I first read the book. Even after reading the book, I still think it was really insightful.

The author takes a look at 2 Peter 1:3-9 as describing this “Gap”:

Some New Christmas Music – “Savior”

Well, I just got my “Savior” cd in the mail today – and this will be the first official review of any cd on this blog (one perk of having a blog – free stuff!)! The cd is from Sovereign Grace Ministries, and so one would expect some solid words, and every so often a good tune. This cd does not disappoint, and to be honest, is a great fresh sound for the Christmas season.

Random Thoughts from Reading Joel

“‘Now, therefore,’ says the LORD,
‘Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’
So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.”
(Joel 2:12-13)

Truly the Lord is gracious, He is merciful.  It is amazing to consider how gracious these words are that the Lord spoke to Israel, that He would take time to plead with them to return to Him, that they would have a change of heart and repent from their sins.  The God who is holy and just, a consuming fire has held back his wrath, to call upon rebels, that they might repent.

How I must never forget the Lord’s mercy to me, in sending Jesus to die, for one as worthless and pitiful as I am.  His grace is infinite!  How I long to praise Him, to lift up His name among the nations – that they too might see that the Lord is good, that He is the one and true God – there is no other!

The Lord is good to me – may I ever seek to please Him and rejoice in His salvation.

Finals Week

Well, finals are here. It’s hard to believe! After this week I will be halfway done with seminary…time has gone by so quickly.  I completed my Hebrew Exegesis final this morning, and I have Theology I and Theology of Music tomorrow.

But as I ramp up for my next final I wanted to post something from “The Valley of Vision.” For me, it’s hard to keep my eyes focused on Christ when I’m cramming for tests – I am tired, and it all just feels like a lot of information in my head without any change in my heart. But I bring to mind what the Lord has done this past semester, in bringing me closer to Him, and I praise Him – He is truly worthy.

But finals are not my end, rather they are a means.

Random Thoughts from Reading (Psalm 138:6)

“For though the Lord is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar.” (Psalm 138:6)

This is an amazing truth. It is truth that I cannot fully comprehend. When I think myself great, I do not regard the lowly, I scoff at them, make fun of them. But God, who KNOWS He is exalted, He regards the lowly, He takes note of them, He is concerned for them, He has a relationship with them.

How much more do I, who am nothing, need to consider the LORD, and humble myself – to praise His name for His salvation, and to renew my mind with His truth, and His ways, that I might follow after Him, and be pleasing in His sight. My the Lord grant me humility as I live and cause me to regard the lowly, to care for them as He cares for me.

The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom – Critique – Part 2

“By the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us”

I believe Orthodox people believe that the intercession of Mary on behalf of believers is not the same as Christ’s (you can correct me on this), so I will not go to all the Scripture that speaks of Christ as the intercessor and only mediator between God and man. But from what I understand Orthodox belief is that just as we pray for each other, and ask each other to pray for each other, so we can ask Mary, as well as any other Saint who is now past from this life into the next. I have a problem with this.

“I would have perished”

This is my final paper for Hebrew Exegisis. Basically, it is a sermon (exposition) on the passage I have been studying all semester long – Psalm 119:89-92. It is a bit long, but I thought I would post it. The psalm has a lot of personal significance for me – if you want to know why, you can read the end of the sermon.

A Critical Look at the Openness View of God’s Repentance

This was a paper I did last week for my Theology I class. To be perfectly honest, it is quite unorganized, disheveled, etc. and still has some things that need to be worked out (if you for some reason read it, please point out those errors so that I can improve the paper as well as grow in my ability to articulate the truth of the Bible). But I thought I would post it, in case some of the information would be useful to someone. And maybe it will even provoke some good discussion.