The home is filled with dangers, and I want to take some time this Friday afternoon to warn you about a ticking missile in your home (if you live in a home). I would recommend not sleeping or working or blogging directly above your hot water heater. Our Mythbusting friends will show you why. A reminder from TSS.
PS – Your heater probably has a pressure valve to prevent this (a tube that runs down to the concrete).
Some people (really smart people) blog because they are a wealth of wisdom and insight. To be sure, that does not describe me. I blog because the self-imposed daily demand stretches me to learn new things.
Today, Tim Challies writes on this topic. In part he says:
I have found blogging a wonderful way of ensuring that I continue to grow and mature as a Christian. It has forced me to dedicate myself to learning and has really become one of my spiritual disciplines, as strange as that may sound. It has caused me to have to grow up. I know of many bloggers who would say the same.
Yes, I would say the same thing. I frequently realize I have nothing more to say, so I pick up another book and learn something new. If you’re kicking around the idea of a blog I would advise you (1) don’t make that decision limited upon what you already know but upon your level of discipline, and (2) read carefully all of Tim’s advice here.
In light of the tragedy in Omaha, Erik Raymond (AKA “The Irish Calvinist” and pastor at Omaha Bible Church), offers some eternal perspective:
It is my prayer that through a tragedy like this Christians would cling harder to the grace that they are given to behold and believe in Christ, and in this clinging we might ever increase in our savoring of his sufficiency.
And if you are not a Christian, I pray that God would use such a tragedy to cause you to look away from yourself for hope, see your sin, and find Christ to be infinitely precious and beautiful to your sin-ladened conscience. It is in this looking away from yourself and looking unto Christ that you find hope; hope in his sufficiency and in his glorious defeat of death through his death and resurrection.
Read Erik’s entire post here.
book announcement
Interpreting the Psalms: An Exegetical Handbook (Kregel: 2007)
by Mark D. Futato
“Futato takes his student by the hand through the complexities of Hebrew poetry, soars high to get a bird’s eye view of the book and its themes, returns to earth and deftly guides through the thorny patch of textual criticism, gives ‘Aha’ moments in explaining form criticism and how the Psalter’s categories refer to Christ, and ends with practical pointers on how to preach the book. Next time I teach the Book of Psalms this will be my text.”’
— Bruce Waltke, Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary
Notes: A background in Hebrew will help the reader grasp the details of this book. However, preachers with little or no Hebrew background will also benefit from most of the discussion. … The section comparing the old/new perspectives on Hebrew parallelism is especially helpful (see pp. 37-41). In the past, interpreters like C.S. Lewis have concluded that parallels in the Psalms were redundant. Futato argues these parallels display “the art of saying something similar in both cola but with a difference added in the second colon” (p. 38). With this new understanding of Hebrew parallelism the interpreter is less likely to “flatten the text” and will glean “a richer reading” from these parallels (p. 40). … The book also excels in explaining the overarching themes of the Psalter. It may have been better titled, An Exegetical and Theological Handbook. A very helpful new volume.
Today I have the honor of pointing you to Mary Beeke’s new book, The Law of Kindness: Serving with Heart and Hands (Reformation Heritage: 2007).
My wife and I have enjoyed brief but precious time with the Beeke family and have benefited from Mary’s display of kindness. As the mother of three kids and the wife of a busy seminary president, author, and pastor — Mary’s many duties are fulfilled in a display of selflessness and kindness. She is, in the words of Sinclair Ferguson, “Mrs. Kindness personified.”
Her new book was written to help the reader cultivate kindness. The book covers topics such as understanding kindness and its root (chs. 1-3), learning kindness as a wife, parent, or teacher (Mary was a teacher), and helping children and teens learn kindness (chs. 4-9). Finally, she concludes with chapters on the display of kindness: kind thoughts, kind words, and kindness displayed toward the needy (chs. 10-13).
It’s a book intended for a broad audience, not limited to wives and mothers.
The Kind Husband
The Law of Kindness features a very helpful chapter (ch. 5: “The Kind Husband”) written by Mary’s husband, Dr. Joel Beeke (also an example of kindness). His chapter sets out to help husbands understand and apply Ephesians 5:25-29. Dr. Beeke begins his chapter with a proper awareness of the Cross.
He writes:
We are to show our wives loving-kindness because we are to treat our wives the way Christ treats His bride, the church. This is what Paul is saying in Ephesians 5:25-29. Here are three ways we are to show our wives loving-kindness:
1. Absolutely. Christ gives “Himself” for His bride — His total self (v. 25). He holds nothing back. That is obvious from what He has done (think of Calvary), is doing (think of His constant intercession at the Father’s right hand), and what He will do (think of His Second Coming). We, of course, do not merit salvation for ourselves. But in terms of the consistent, absolute giving of loving-kindness, Christ is our mentor. We, too, are to give ourselves to our wives. That is a call to consistent, absolute loving-kindness.
2. Realistically and purposely. Christ shows kindness to His bride to sanctify her so that He might present her without spot or wrinkle to His Father (vv. 26-27). Christ realizes that His church is far from perfect; she has many spots and wrinkles. She has numerous shortcomings. So we as husbands are to love our wives as if they were perfect, even when we know they are not. Our call and challenge is not to show consistent loving-kindness to a perfect woman but to model Christ in showing consistent loving-kindness to an imperfect wife who has numerous shortcomings. Our purposeful goal must be to influence our wife to good, hoping that our kind love may remove some of the shortcomings, so that our partners may receive freedom to flourish, basking in our kindness.
3. Sacrificially. Christ nourishes and cherishes His bride at His own expense (vv. 28-29). So ought we husbands treat our wives at our own expense with the care that we treat our own bodies. If you have something in your eye, you don’t say to yourself, “I think I’ll take care of that tomorrow.” You give it immediate, tender care. So we ought to treat our wives, sacrificing, at times, our own time and desires. We must care for, protect, nurture, and respect our wives as we would our own bodies.
Are you showing your wife the exemplary loving-kindness of Christ absolutely, realistically, purposely, and sacrificially? “No,” you confess, “that is impossible.” You are wrong, my friend. Yes, you will always fall short of the mark of perfection since you are not Christ, but by Christ’s grace and His Spirit, you can learn to treat your wife with Christlike loving-kindness (pp. 72-73).
The majority of the chapter explains very practical ways that husbands can display loving-kindness towards their wives.
Conclusion
I believe The Law of Kindness is Mary Beeke’s first official book project. Her writing style is very energetic and engaging. She is unafraid to discuss personal issues and offers much practical advice for wives to display kindness towards their husbands and children. Her words in chapter nine challenge children and teens to display kindness, too. And her expressed appreciation for her husband is itself a model of kindness. For example, she concludes the introduction with these words:
“Words fail to express my gratitude to my dear husband, Joe, for his steadfast love and tenacious support of me. He has encouraged me to continue writing about this subject that I love so much, in spite of times when I felt completely unworthy to do so. He has overlooked dust and clutter and has offered to take the family out to eat more times than he probably should have, so I could have time to write. I am deeply grateful to God for this man who lives by the law of kindness” (p. 7).
Whether in wise counsel, practical illustrations, or even in the way they talk about one another in the book, the Beeke family displays the law of kindness. It’s a rich blessing for the church to now have their influence in book form.
Title: The Law of Kindness: Serving with Heart and Hands
Author: Mary Beeke with one chapter by Joel Beeke
Reading level: 2.0/5.0 > readable and engaging
Boards: paperback
Pages: 247
Volumes: 1
Dust jacket: no
Binding: glue
Paper: white and clean
Topical index: no
Scriptural index: yes
Features: 17-pages of study questions
Text: perfect type
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Year: 2007
Price USD: $ 9.00 from RBH
ISBNs: 9781601780294
Only a few men have the joy and privilege of being part of Jon Bloom’s care group. I am one of them. The wisdom of this one man has made a deep impact in my life and I am grateful for his humility, wisdom, and counsel.
Jon is also the Executive Director of Desiring God and has written a very helpful article titled, What I Learned in a Spiritual Storm.
After months of darkness, light pierced the clouds. My storm didn’t stop suddenly, but it gradually lost power and dissipated and I flew into clear skies. God’s promises again proved reliable instruments. I didn’t crash. In fact, the storm served me very well. I learned more than ever before how to “walk (or fly) by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). I thank God for every minute of that frightening storm.
I would encourage you to read the entire post.
Tony Reinke 