I don’t really want to write a review or summary of this book. However, I
would like to share a little of what I took away from it, now that I finished it.
In short, it was a really good book. Kevin DeYoung’s style of writing is easy
to follow, being spiritually meaty, while at the same time, not too deep for the average person.
Bottom line, now that I’ve finished the book, I’ve been challenged in the
area of growing in holiness in “the little things:” obedience and holiness begins
there. We all know that if we get enough small things together, they become
big.
Very related to holiness is the matter of abiding in Christ and having communion
with Him. I know…I’ve heard all the facts and passed all the theology exams in
school, but the dots are only now slowly connecting on how exactly I am to
abide in Him.
For starters, the statement “We obey as we abide and abide as we obey”
(pg. 127) is simplistic yet profound. And it helped me to understand a
little better the truth that sometimes abiding means simply doing what we
know we are supposed to be doing! (In other words, obeying!) Obedience is
what God desires of His children. And in doing so, we not only show our love for Him, but we also abide in Christ, the
Vine. If I'm not obeying those things that I already know I am supposed to be doing, I don't know how I can be, in turn, be growing to become more like Him.
Another aspect of abiding in Christ is to pursue communion with Him through prayer and the Word. (page 129, 131) There's no doubt that prayer should be an integral part of the believer's spiritual walk and growth. About being in the Word, Jesus said that “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye
will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7) Christ and His words are
one and the same. Furthermore, in Christ’s prayer, He says “Sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) As DeYoung says,
“We take hold of Christ as his words take hold of us.” (page
131)
Applying these truths becomes incredibly practical: learn to take captive idle thoughts and moments and spend it instead in communion through prayer! Also, spending time actually
reading and studying the Bible is the #1 place to start in making the Word more a part of my daily life, and memorizing scripture could be
listed as #2!
And that is why I say I’ve been convicted and challenged to grow in holiness in the area of
“the little things”:
It starts with choosing to spend an idle moment praying for a friend in need
or praising God for what He’s done. In other words, learning to “pray without
ceasing.”
Becoming more holy is about being faithful in studying the Word for myself.
Finally, striving towards holiness should be the goal for every believer, for holiness is ultimately about becoming more Christ-like. Oh what a day that will be when
the work that He has begun in us is completed!
Monday, March 30, 2015
EVOO Anyone???
I just wanted to try some recipes with quinoa, a protein-rich food that seems
to be becoming quite popular.
But I didn’t have any recipes for it.
So I started searching online.
And then I ran into “EVOO.”
It appeared as an ingredient in more than one recipe.
Never before had I heard of such a thing until then. And then, in a simple search for recipes using quinoa, almost every single recipe called for EVOO.
“What in the world is EVOO?!?” I thought as I scanned through the recipes.
“Oh well, it’s probably some kind of exotic seasoning that you have to get at the health-food store and I don’t want to spend big bucks on it anyway, so I’ll just omit it… After all, one little ingredient can’t make that much difference in a recipe, can it?”
Finally, after coming across probably five or six recipes that called for EVOO, I committed the deed that confirmed my absolute ignorance to the existence of the ingredient.
I googled it.
Yes, I actually typed in “What is EVOO?”
My search revealed a lot about me: Just when I was beginning to feel like I was at last going to join the group of healthy people and eat this stuff that is supposed to be so good for you, I found out that I’m really not as healthy as I thought I was. I’m just a wanna-be. I mean, in today’s world, there is healthy, and then there is healthy. It’s like a whole new genre. And it is the second group that uses EVOO.
And guess what?
I’m definitely not in that group. Seriously. I’m not. If I were, I would have known what EVOO was!
But, I didn’t… (Well, now I do, but only because I googled it.)
Anyway, I probably won’t need EVOO much anymore though, since Isaac didn’t really like the dish of quinoa that I tried.
Oh well…more power to those who use EVOO and eat quinoa.
Ok, maybe I am still kind of bitter about just being a wanna-be...but I guess I had it coming to me. I mean, I don’t even call EVOO it by it’s full name of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Guess I’ll go back to using my olive oil like normal.
But I didn’t have any recipes for it.
So I started searching online.
And then I ran into “EVOO.”
It appeared as an ingredient in more than one recipe.
Never before had I heard of such a thing until then. And then, in a simple search for recipes using quinoa, almost every single recipe called for EVOO.
“What in the world is EVOO?!?” I thought as I scanned through the recipes.
“Oh well, it’s probably some kind of exotic seasoning that you have to get at the health-food store and I don’t want to spend big bucks on it anyway, so I’ll just omit it… After all, one little ingredient can’t make that much difference in a recipe, can it?”
Finally, after coming across probably five or six recipes that called for EVOO, I committed the deed that confirmed my absolute ignorance to the existence of the ingredient.
I googled it.
Yes, I actually typed in “What is EVOO?”
My search revealed a lot about me: Just when I was beginning to feel like I was at last going to join the group of healthy people and eat this stuff that is supposed to be so good for you, I found out that I’m really not as healthy as I thought I was. I’m just a wanna-be. I mean, in today’s world, there is healthy, and then there is healthy. It’s like a whole new genre. And it is the second group that uses EVOO.
And guess what?
I’m definitely not in that group. Seriously. I’m not. If I were, I would have known what EVOO was!
But, I didn’t… (Well, now I do, but only because I googled it.)
Anyway, I probably won’t need EVOO much anymore though, since Isaac didn’t really like the dish of quinoa that I tried.
Oh well…more power to those who use EVOO and eat quinoa.
Ok, maybe I am still kind of bitter about just being a wanna-be...but I guess I had it coming to me. I mean, I don’t even call EVOO it by it’s full name of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Guess I’ll go back to using my olive oil like normal.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Not just for seminary students!
Ok, this article on why women need theology reminds me of a good friend of ours who is always saying that "girls should care about theology too--it's not just for guys!" And it is true! We need to be studying God's Word for ourselves... I like the statement the author makes about the study of God's Word being directly tied to our relationship with God:
"If we don’t study him, we won’t desire him, we won’t become like him, and we will not enjoy him."
Thoughts on Current Reading
Unlike my husband, I am a slow and very un-dedicated reader. However, I have
started reading “The Hole in Our Holiness” by Kevin DeYoung(Wheaton,
Illinois:Crossway, 2012) and already it has been a challenging read!
I don’t know about you, but for me, when I think about being holy, it always seems like something that is far beyond my spiritual grasp. Something that I’ll never quite reach. Maybe it is because I like to have things detailed and concrete; I like to know exactly what holiness is supposed to look like in my life (but obviously [and thankfully!], the Bible doesn’t list it off as if it were a checklist to complete.)
The last chapter that I read from DeYoung’s book, however, was particularly encouraging and challenging. He made several points that brought home to me the necessity and the “grasp-ability” of holiness in the believer’s life.
1. The Bible is full of examples of believers being declared upright and godly, walking blamelessly before the Lord. DeYoung lists examples such as Zechariah and Elizabeth who were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). Job was also called “blameless and upright” (Job 1:8) And Paul multiple times talks about various New Testament churches who are known for their “obedience and godly example.” As DeYoung so simply states, “It sure seems like holiness is a possibility for God’s people.” (DeYoung, 65.)
It is important to note too, that none of the people in these examples had some kind of extra-spiritual gifting: they were human just as we are. In fact, to make the case even stronger in our favor, get this: WE are the ones who have the advantage over them because WE are the ones have the indwelling Holy Spirit that enables us to do what is right!
2. It is possible to please God. I grew up being quite familiar with the verse talking about our works being as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6) and that nothing we ever did was acceptable before Him. To a certain extent this is true, for we cannot earn our own righteousness by our works. However, as a Christian, God sees Christ’s righteousness in us, and it is because of His righteousness and grace that we have through Him that, in turn, we can do that which pleases God! Yes, on our own, all of our measly, human efforts are as filthy rags, but when they are done through God’s incredible grace, they become pleasurable to God!
DeYoung proceeds to give examples where the Bible states specific actions as pleasing to God:
- Bearing fruit in good works and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10)
- Presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)
- Being sensitive to the weaker brother (Romans 14:18)
- Being obedient to parents (Colossians 3:20)
- Teaching the Word in truth (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
- Praying for governing authorities (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
- Caring for family members in need (1 Timothy 5:4)
- Keeping His commandments (1 John 3:22)
(DeYoung, 69/These are originally from Wayne Grudem’s “Pleasing God by Our Obedience” (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010) 277.)
In all of these references, the Bible specifically mentions that they are “pleasing and acceptable to God.” So “basically, whenever you trust and obey, God is pleased.” (DeYoung, 69.)
This new perspective on how God views the works of the believer that are done through His strength has been quite encouraging to me!
As DeYoung concludes this particular chapter, he summarizes the general idea of holiness: It is not about absolute perfection (for no could could ever do that—we are all sinners and that is the very reason why Christ had to die for our sins!) but rather it is that
**Note: All of the thoughts/summaries/ideas/paraphrases/quotes in this post are all taken from chapter 5: The Pleasure of God and the Possibility of Godlinss.
I don’t know about you, but for me, when I think about being holy, it always seems like something that is far beyond my spiritual grasp. Something that I’ll never quite reach. Maybe it is because I like to have things detailed and concrete; I like to know exactly what holiness is supposed to look like in my life (but obviously [and thankfully!], the Bible doesn’t list it off as if it were a checklist to complete.)
The last chapter that I read from DeYoung’s book, however, was particularly encouraging and challenging. He made several points that brought home to me the necessity and the “grasp-ability” of holiness in the believer’s life.
1. The Bible is full of examples of believers being declared upright and godly, walking blamelessly before the Lord. DeYoung lists examples such as Zechariah and Elizabeth who were “righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). Job was also called “blameless and upright” (Job 1:8) And Paul multiple times talks about various New Testament churches who are known for their “obedience and godly example.” As DeYoung so simply states, “It sure seems like holiness is a possibility for God’s people.” (DeYoung, 65.)
It is important to note too, that none of the people in these examples had some kind of extra-spiritual gifting: they were human just as we are. In fact, to make the case even stronger in our favor, get this: WE are the ones who have the advantage over them because WE are the ones have the indwelling Holy Spirit that enables us to do what is right!
2. It is possible to please God. I grew up being quite familiar with the verse talking about our works being as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6) and that nothing we ever did was acceptable before Him. To a certain extent this is true, for we cannot earn our own righteousness by our works. However, as a Christian, God sees Christ’s righteousness in us, and it is because of His righteousness and grace that we have through Him that, in turn, we can do that which pleases God! Yes, on our own, all of our measly, human efforts are as filthy rags, but when they are done through God’s incredible grace, they become pleasurable to God!
DeYoung proceeds to give examples where the Bible states specific actions as pleasing to God:
- Bearing fruit in good works and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10)
- Presenting one’s body as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)
- Being sensitive to the weaker brother (Romans 14:18)
- Being obedient to parents (Colossians 3:20)
- Teaching the Word in truth (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
- Praying for governing authorities (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
- Caring for family members in need (1 Timothy 5:4)
- Keeping His commandments (1 John 3:22)
(DeYoung, 69/These are originally from Wayne Grudem’s “Pleasing God by Our Obedience” (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010) 277.)
In all of these references, the Bible specifically mentions that they are “pleasing and acceptable to God.” So “basically, whenever you trust and obey, God is pleased.” (DeYoung, 69.)
This new perspective on how God views the works of the believer that are done through His strength has been quite encouraging to me!
As DeYoung concludes this particular chapter, he summarizes the general idea of holiness: It is not about absolute perfection (for no could could ever do that—we are all sinners and that is the very reason why Christ had to die for our sins!) but rather it is that
“Christians should display a consistent pattern of obedience, along with a quick habit of going to God for cleansing when they are disobedient. This is how we can be established ‘blameless in holiness’ and have the same confidence Paul enjoyed in 1 Corinthians 4.” (DeYoung, 76.)
**Note: All of the thoughts/summaries/ideas/paraphrases/quotes in this post are all taken from chapter 5: The Pleasure of God and the Possibility of Godlinss.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
For Pinterest Fans
I like Pinterest. I do find though, that if I spend too much time on it, Pinterest, um, well, to put it bluntly, has a negative affect on me. Maybe you can identify. Thankfully, who I am isn't determined by how many things I actually use from Pinterest. The Gospel According to Pinterest was a nice reminder that I'm not an utter failure in the things that really matter in life.
Monday, March 09, 2015
The pain I never wanted to know
A week ago today it was confirmed that we would never hold our twins in our
arms…one was already gone and the other hadn’t grown any since the last
ultrasound, three weeks before.
I never dreamed that we’d be wearing these shoes—shoes that were one minute full of joy and anticipation at the thought of having twins running around the house and the next minute full of sadness and emptiness--but we are…and it is not just a bad dream that we’ll soon wake up from.
The facts of Who God is has been an incredible source of comfort. I have to keep reminding myself of these things when the smile threatens to crumble under a wave of tears. People around us showing that they care and are praying for us is also a huge encouragement. The Psalms of Ascent or Degrees (Psalm 120-134) have been encouraging and a reminder of where our help comes from and I appreciate Courtney Reissig's testimony on finding her strength in the Lord. And I know that the facts of God's Word do not change, even when the pain is still there and the struggle of emotions and what I know to be true continues...
I never dreamed that we’d be wearing these shoes—shoes that were one minute full of joy and anticipation at the thought of having twins running around the house and the next minute full of sadness and emptiness--but we are…and it is not just a bad dream that we’ll soon wake up from.
The facts of Who God is has been an incredible source of comfort. I have to keep reminding myself of these things when the smile threatens to crumble under a wave of tears. People around us showing that they care and are praying for us is also a huge encouragement. The Psalms of Ascent or Degrees (Psalm 120-134) have been encouraging and a reminder of where our help comes from and I appreciate Courtney Reissig's testimony on finding her strength in the Lord. And I know that the facts of God's Word do not change, even when the pain is still there and the struggle of emotions and what I know to be true continues...
The Ultimate Honeymoon
Or not.
Laughter is good for the soul and I had to laugh as I read this account of “the worst honeymoon ever”! The poor couple…I don’t think it could have gotten much worse for them!
(and don’t worry, there is nothing questionable in this article.)
Laughter is good for the soul and I had to laugh as I read this account of “the worst honeymoon ever”! The poor couple…I don’t think it could have gotten much worse for them!
(and don’t worry, there is nothing questionable in this article.)
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Blessed be the Name of the Lord
In a time of sadness and grief, God gave comfort and encouragement through His Word the other day. God is good.
God has taken away our precious little ones.
Blessed be His name.
God has allowed pain, but He is the God of all comfort.
Blessed be His Name.
He is the One Who gave us our little ones in the first place.
Blessed be His name.
He has made us to be as Mt Zion, unmovable and surrounded by the Lord.(Ps. 125:1-2)
Blessed be His name.
The Lord has done great things for us. (Ps. 126:3)
Blessed be His name.
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope. (Ps. 130:5)
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
He is good and His mercy endureth forever. (Ps. 136:1)
Blessed be His name.
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. (Ps. 138:3)
Blessed be Your name.
I cannot flee from Your presence—You are ever with me. (Ps. 139)
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
We groan, yet await the glorious redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:23)
Blessed be the Lord.
Nothing can separate us from His love for us in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:38-39)
Blessed be His name.
The sufferings of Christ abound in us; our comfort also abounds through Christ. (2 Cor. 1:5)
May the Lord be blessed.
Christ is risen; thus we have hope beyond this present life. (1 Cor. 15)
Blessed be the Lord.
God’s grace is sufficient for me. (2 Cor. 12:9)
Blessed be the Lord.
Christ is our Great High Priest who can identify with our infirmities. (Heb. 4:14-16)
Blessed be His name.
By faith we walk with Him and worship Him, knowing He is God.
Blessed be the Lord forever!
“The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of
the Lord.” Job 1:21
Blessed be His name.
God has allowed pain, but He is the God of all comfort.
Blessed be His Name.
He is the One Who gave us our little ones in the first place.
Blessed be His name.
He has made us to be as Mt Zion, unmovable and surrounded by the Lord.(Ps. 125:1-2)
Blessed be His name.
The Lord has done great things for us. (Ps. 126:3)
Blessed be His name.
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope. (Ps. 130:5)
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
He is good and His mercy endureth forever. (Ps. 136:1)
Blessed be His name.
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. (Ps. 138:3)
Blessed be Your name.
I cannot flee from Your presence—You are ever with me. (Ps. 139)
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
We groan, yet await the glorious redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:23)
Blessed be the Lord.
Nothing can separate us from His love for us in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:38-39)
Blessed be His name.
The sufferings of Christ abound in us; our comfort also abounds through Christ. (2 Cor. 1:5)
May the Lord be blessed.
Christ is risen; thus we have hope beyond this present life. (1 Cor. 15)
Blessed be the Lord.
God’s grace is sufficient for me. (2 Cor. 12:9)
Blessed be the Lord.
Christ is our Great High Priest who can identify with our infirmities. (Heb. 4:14-16)
Blessed be His name.
By faith we walk with Him and worship Him, knowing He is God.
Blessed be the Lord forever!
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