Bob Rakestraw
“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
Greetings to each of you dear readers! I trust that your celebrations of the birth of Jesus included some awareness of and experiencing of the gentle yet powerful grace of God unleashed by the miracle of the Incarnation.
In this posting I will offer five more categories of “What I most love doing.” You may wish to read the post of November 30, 2011 before reading these thoughts.
Spending Time with Family and Friends
While actually an introvert by nature, I am still a “people-person.” It is a privilege and pleasure to talk with, eat with and play with my dear family members, and to interact with good friends. Substantial, stimulating conversation is a special treat. In the interest of full disclosure, however, I should add that time with family and friends, while priceless, is becoming more and more difficult for me due to my failing heart and difficult breathing.
Spending Time with God
This activity and the one following are my favorites of the ten items in these two blog postings. Which of these has priority? Well, they intertwine quite a bit, but I have to say that spending time with God is what I love doing most.
I find that sitting in bed, stretching out on a recliner, and sitting at my home office desk are three postures/places that are most conducive to listening to God, confessing to God, offering praises to God, and discussing with God the needs of others and myself. Sometimes I am reading the Bible during this time, sometimes I am reading stimulating literature, and sometimes I am just floating along weaving in and out of the above practices and subject matter.
Resting and Thinking Good Thoughts
As indicated above, this activity overlaps significantly with the previous one. One way I distinguish these two is my posture. In resting I am more horizontal, while in spending time with God I am somewhat more vertical (from my waist up, that is—I rarely stand or kneel, and I walk only enough to transport my anatomy from point A to point B).
I call this category “resting and thinking good thoughts.” Some of the time I fall asleep, but often I lie on the bed with no need for sleep—just rest and restoration. I love these times, not because I can simply “do nothing,” but because I can do everything—in my mind. I might close my eyes and recite a list of things very important to me (such as my top twelve scripture texts) or place myself (in my thoughts) in the middle of an adventure story that I make up as I go along. Or I teach a class or preach a sermon. I am in my glory (actually God’s glory) during these times.
Entertaining Myself
Lest some of you doubt that I am normal, I do enjoy good entertainment and things that are just plain fun. Because I seldom leave the house, however, my fun activities are now much more limited than ever: listening to music, listening to talk radio, playing computer games, romancing, playing table games, enjoying food and drink, doing crossword puzzles, reading, and watching television about thirty to sixty minutes a day. I also enjoy sitting or lying in the yard, as long as I am totally in the shade. Because I am immunosuppressed I must be diligent about avoiding sunlight, which may cause—and already has in my case—skin cancer.
Participating in the Work of God Around the World
My final activity—the last category of things I most love doing—is being actively involved in the work of the Holy Spirit advancing Christ’s kingdom ministry through love, justice and mercy.
I deliberately used the word “actively” even though I cannot pack groceries for local and global folks in need, work a telephone crisis hotline, or help caulk a drafty house in Uzbekistan or Minneapolis. I no longer preach or teach in formal settings, nor do I attend planning meetings for wholistic ministry strategy or participate in group prayer meetings.
I try, however, to be alert to and active in the great advancement of God’s kingdom around the world. I write both for national and international audiences. I follow closely several excellent publications that document the exciting developments in my country and many others. I pray for specific missionaries and ministries, including my own church, and find great delight in being able to give financially so that others may continue to do the works of Jesus in this terribly needy world.
Well, these are a few of my favorite things. As I said in the previous posting, I am not presenting these items as some ideal list. Your list may look different, but as long as you try to put down on paper what you most enjoy doing and actually do, I believe you will be helped greatly as you set the direction for the rest of your life. A truly blessed New Year to each of you!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
What I Most Love Doing – Part One
Bob Rakestraw
“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
For this posting and the next I decided to take a break from the series “Books that Have Shaped Me.” There is no particular reason for this other than that I have been thinking recently about what I really love most to participate in, and actually do, and what other people might really love to do, and actually do.
This seems important to me because, out of a 168-hour week, we devote (broadly speaking) about one-third to work (including travel), one-third to sleep, and one-third to everything else. It is in this third category where we may find out, if we wish, who we really are. Our true self—who we are at our core—is not necessarily revealed at our paid job. We may do a good job at work but have a not-so-good life outside of work.
During the third of our lives when we are not asleep or at work, most of us do some necessary things to keep ourselves and our households going, and some things that may be called relaxation, entertainment or pleasant diversion. In this two-part posting I am presenting the top ten things I most love to do during the relaxation-entertainment-pleasant diversion category of my time.
I am not presenting this list in any particular order of importance, nor am I suggesting that my top ten should be your top ten. But I am writing to encourage you to consider carefully what your top ten might be and whether you should add or delete any practices while trying to limit your total to ten activities. Don’t compose a list of ideal favorite things, but an honest list of your real favorite things—how you actually spend your diversionary time. Just as Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” so I believe he is saying to us, “What activities occupy your time, there you can find the real you.” Here is my list which I recently composed for the first time in my life.
Observing Beauty. I am so very thankful that God gave me eyes, a mind and a set of emotions to enjoy the beauties of the natural world and the beautiful creations made by people. I love the shapes of trees, shrubs, flowers, pine cones, grasses, bark, rocks, sunrises and sunsets, any body of water, the deserts, animals, the faces and forms of human beings, lightning, the northern lights, and gazing into the starry night away from city brightness.
Only twice in my life have I literally had my breath taken away by something I saw. Once was when I caught sight of the Grand Canyon for the first time. Its depth and immensity struck me with an overpowering emotional force as it suddenly came into view, moments after I had been hurrying toward the rim but without having seen any of the canyon. Seemingly out of nowhere it burst upon my senses as nothing before.
The second time I had such an experience was when viewing Michelangelo’s “Pieta” – the famous sculpture in St. Peter’s Basilica. Mary is holding in her arms the lifeless body of Jesus after he was taken from the cross. I remember most the exquisite curvature and balance of the human forms, and the look of serene compassion and sorrow as Mary gazed down at the body of her son.
Reading. I have always loved to read anything stimulating. I enjoy good fiction, non-fiction, poetry, autobiography, and biography. The latter two categories, along with the Bible, constitute the most profitable block of reading materials for me. The Bible, more than any other book, repays slow and careful reading of specific portions, over and over, after a quicker first-read. I also read a major daily newspaper and several valuable magazines and journals.
There have been many times throughout my life when the advice, “Read for your life,” was literally what I did, especially in the years of serious suffering before and after my heart transplant. Sometimes it was a major escape mechanism for me, as when I read many Louis L’Amour novels of the old west – sometimes several a month. Sometimes my reading was for comfort and gentle advice, as when I gave a full year to the Psalms or spent many hours lingering in two sensitive and powerful works by Amy Carmichael (Rose from Briar) and Claire Weekes (Hope and Help for Your Nerves). High quality writers and their high quality writings are some of God’s greatest gifs to men, women and children of all ages.
Learning. I love learning about almost everything. I love to grow in head knowledge, practical skills, experience and wisdom. I also enjoy growing in people skills – the most important of all categories of learning after the knowledge of God. I love learning history, the sciences, human cultures, languages (I have studied seven, but speak only one), biblical teachings and backgrounds, and the lives and thoughts of wise men and women, especially those who have known and served God well. I hope to be a lifelong learner, and one who is always grateful for the privilege.
Gathering With the People of God. I cannot imagine where I would be today if I had not been welcomed as a new Christian into a group of Christ-followers who gathered regularly (twice on Sundays and two other times during the work week) for collective worship, learning, giving testimony, hearing the Word of God preached, discussion, prayer, evangelism, proportionate giving, and the benefit of one another’s company.
Over the years, many strong churches (including two I was privileged to serve as pastor) have welcomed me and built me up spiritually, socially, intellectually and in the practice of shared ministry. Even though, because of poor health, I have not been able to gather with large groups of God’s people for several years, I love to follow and pray about the activities of my local church and welcome individuals and small groups from the fellowship into my home. Sometimes we sing, read scripture, share the truths of God, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. These times are very special, and for them I am grateful.
Working. I actually enjoy work, even as a diversionary activity. For this reason I am including work in this list. I can’t say, however, that I loved every kind of work I have ever done. Slashing with a machete through tangles of weeds, brush and vines on a hot, humid day while fighting off mosquitos is only “enjoyable” (if such a word is even appropriate) in the sense that one may watch the overgrown briar patch begin to fall away and leave the ground exposed for its intended use. There is a sense of satisfaction that is quite pleasant when the work is done, and in the midst of work itself.
Most people have to work for a living. This is a good and noble thing. It is significant how often the Bible denounces idleness and laziness, and even states that those who do not work should not eat. I have great respect for workers, whether they work in the home, outside the home, for pay or for some good purpose without pay.
While my work in recent years has been limited—almost totally—to writing on a small scale, I enjoy very much thinking back on the kinds of jobs I have had since the age of eight or nine: landscaping, tree trimming and removal, chain sawing, splitting wood, selling ice cream on a daily route, building construction and demolition, directing traffic for “the world’s largest automobile dealer” (their advertisements), cleaning to perfection every day (as required by law) the huge circular vat in a milk pasteurizing plant, being a grader and teaching assistant, a high school counselor, an accountant’s assistant, a filler of sheet-music orders, a newspaper columnist, an all-night clerk at a convenience store, a high school custodian, a scholar earning several professional degrees, a youth pastor, a senior pastor, a writer of both popular and scholarly materials, and a teacher of preaching, biblical studies, theology and ethics in three different schools of higher learning for twenty-five years. I am exceedingly thankful for being able to learn (and give, I trust) something in the midst of each of these forms of work.
In the next posting I hope to present five more of my favorite things. Until then, may the good Lord who made us guide our thoughts and actions toward enjoyable, fruitful and grateful lives.
“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
For this posting and the next I decided to take a break from the series “Books that Have Shaped Me.” There is no particular reason for this other than that I have been thinking recently about what I really love most to participate in, and actually do, and what other people might really love to do, and actually do.
This seems important to me because, out of a 168-hour week, we devote (broadly speaking) about one-third to work (including travel), one-third to sleep, and one-third to everything else. It is in this third category where we may find out, if we wish, who we really are. Our true self—who we are at our core—is not necessarily revealed at our paid job. We may do a good job at work but have a not-so-good life outside of work.
During the third of our lives when we are not asleep or at work, most of us do some necessary things to keep ourselves and our households going, and some things that may be called relaxation, entertainment or pleasant diversion. In this two-part posting I am presenting the top ten things I most love to do during the relaxation-entertainment-pleasant diversion category of my time.
I am not presenting this list in any particular order of importance, nor am I suggesting that my top ten should be your top ten. But I am writing to encourage you to consider carefully what your top ten might be and whether you should add or delete any practices while trying to limit your total to ten activities. Don’t compose a list of ideal favorite things, but an honest list of your real favorite things—how you actually spend your diversionary time. Just as Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” so I believe he is saying to us, “What activities occupy your time, there you can find the real you.” Here is my list which I recently composed for the first time in my life.
Observing Beauty. I am so very thankful that God gave me eyes, a mind and a set of emotions to enjoy the beauties of the natural world and the beautiful creations made by people. I love the shapes of trees, shrubs, flowers, pine cones, grasses, bark, rocks, sunrises and sunsets, any body of water, the deserts, animals, the faces and forms of human beings, lightning, the northern lights, and gazing into the starry night away from city brightness.
Only twice in my life have I literally had my breath taken away by something I saw. Once was when I caught sight of the Grand Canyon for the first time. Its depth and immensity struck me with an overpowering emotional force as it suddenly came into view, moments after I had been hurrying toward the rim but without having seen any of the canyon. Seemingly out of nowhere it burst upon my senses as nothing before.
The second time I had such an experience was when viewing Michelangelo’s “Pieta” – the famous sculpture in St. Peter’s Basilica. Mary is holding in her arms the lifeless body of Jesus after he was taken from the cross. I remember most the exquisite curvature and balance of the human forms, and the look of serene compassion and sorrow as Mary gazed down at the body of her son.
Reading. I have always loved to read anything stimulating. I enjoy good fiction, non-fiction, poetry, autobiography, and biography. The latter two categories, along with the Bible, constitute the most profitable block of reading materials for me. The Bible, more than any other book, repays slow and careful reading of specific portions, over and over, after a quicker first-read. I also read a major daily newspaper and several valuable magazines and journals.
There have been many times throughout my life when the advice, “Read for your life,” was literally what I did, especially in the years of serious suffering before and after my heart transplant. Sometimes it was a major escape mechanism for me, as when I read many Louis L’Amour novels of the old west – sometimes several a month. Sometimes my reading was for comfort and gentle advice, as when I gave a full year to the Psalms or spent many hours lingering in two sensitive and powerful works by Amy Carmichael (Rose from Briar) and Claire Weekes (Hope and Help for Your Nerves). High quality writers and their high quality writings are some of God’s greatest gifs to men, women and children of all ages.
Learning. I love learning about almost everything. I love to grow in head knowledge, practical skills, experience and wisdom. I also enjoy growing in people skills – the most important of all categories of learning after the knowledge of God. I love learning history, the sciences, human cultures, languages (I have studied seven, but speak only one), biblical teachings and backgrounds, and the lives and thoughts of wise men and women, especially those who have known and served God well. I hope to be a lifelong learner, and one who is always grateful for the privilege.
Gathering With the People of God. I cannot imagine where I would be today if I had not been welcomed as a new Christian into a group of Christ-followers who gathered regularly (twice on Sundays and two other times during the work week) for collective worship, learning, giving testimony, hearing the Word of God preached, discussion, prayer, evangelism, proportionate giving, and the benefit of one another’s company.
Over the years, many strong churches (including two I was privileged to serve as pastor) have welcomed me and built me up spiritually, socially, intellectually and in the practice of shared ministry. Even though, because of poor health, I have not been able to gather with large groups of God’s people for several years, I love to follow and pray about the activities of my local church and welcome individuals and small groups from the fellowship into my home. Sometimes we sing, read scripture, share the truths of God, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. These times are very special, and for them I am grateful.
Working. I actually enjoy work, even as a diversionary activity. For this reason I am including work in this list. I can’t say, however, that I loved every kind of work I have ever done. Slashing with a machete through tangles of weeds, brush and vines on a hot, humid day while fighting off mosquitos is only “enjoyable” (if such a word is even appropriate) in the sense that one may watch the overgrown briar patch begin to fall away and leave the ground exposed for its intended use. There is a sense of satisfaction that is quite pleasant when the work is done, and in the midst of work itself.
Most people have to work for a living. This is a good and noble thing. It is significant how often the Bible denounces idleness and laziness, and even states that those who do not work should not eat. I have great respect for workers, whether they work in the home, outside the home, for pay or for some good purpose without pay.
While my work in recent years has been limited—almost totally—to writing on a small scale, I enjoy very much thinking back on the kinds of jobs I have had since the age of eight or nine: landscaping, tree trimming and removal, chain sawing, splitting wood, selling ice cream on a daily route, building construction and demolition, directing traffic for “the world’s largest automobile dealer” (their advertisements), cleaning to perfection every day (as required by law) the huge circular vat in a milk pasteurizing plant, being a grader and teaching assistant, a high school counselor, an accountant’s assistant, a filler of sheet-music orders, a newspaper columnist, an all-night clerk at a convenience store, a high school custodian, a scholar earning several professional degrees, a youth pastor, a senior pastor, a writer of both popular and scholarly materials, and a teacher of preaching, biblical studies, theology and ethics in three different schools of higher learning for twenty-five years. I am exceedingly thankful for being able to learn (and give, I trust) something in the midst of each of these forms of work.
In the next posting I hope to present five more of my favorite things. Until then, may the good Lord who made us guide our thoughts and actions toward enjoyable, fruitful and grateful lives.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Body Life
Books That Have Shaped Me – Part Five
Bob Rakestraw
“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
8. "Body Life", by Ray C. Stedman (Regal, 1972, second ed.) 149 pp. Softcover.
This was my first book on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. During my schooling I had read materials on spiritual gifts, but these were fairly brief sections on the topic found in larger books, short articles, or polemical tracts and booklets warning the reader against erroneous teachings and practices concerning the gifts.
One chapter I had read (in The Holy Spirit by Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Moody, 1965) presents the different gifts briefly, and then concludes that seven of the gifts were quite likely limited to the life of the apostles and the early church: apostleship, prophecy, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation of tongues, and discerning of spirits. According to this view, these spiritual gifts had been given by God to help the infant church get established but were then withdrawn by the Spirit from the life of the church by the end of the first century. Anyone who claims to have one or more of these gifts today is probably mistaken, led astray by emotion or false teachings. While I appreciated Ryrie’s clear and devout manner of writing, and while I (in the late 1960’s) accepted his explanation, I became increasingly uncomfortable with his biblically questionable (in my view) division of the gifts into temporary gifts and permanent gifts.
The other spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible, in addition to those mentioned above, are evangelism, pastor-teaching, teaching, ministry, exhortation, giving, leadership, showing mercy, wisdom, knowledge and faith. While the complete number of eighteen gifts is not found together in any one biblical list, two or more of the gifts are mentioned in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; 13:1-3; 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Peter 4:11.
Ray Stedman’s book led me on a quest to discover the biblical perspective on the gifts of the Holy Spirit for myself. Even after many years of study and teaching on the topic, and after writing a small book on the gifts, now in its third edition (Serving by the Spirit: Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Preaching, Christian Growth Ministries, 2004), I am still on this quest.
By 1973 I had moved away from the view of Ryrie and other dispensationalists on the subject of spiritual gifts (as well as some other distinctives of this theological system, known for its emphasis on the different ways God has worked throughout the different eras of human history). In order to be consistent with my new approach to the gifts, I had to resign (reluctantly) from a ministerial association that held to the early-church-only view of the more controversial gifts.
One of the main reasons, it seemed to me, why some (not all) scholars and pastors preferred this view is because it appears to solve a whole host of problems that can arise in a local church setting where such gifts as healing, tongues, prophecy and discerning of spirits are accepted as part of the life of the Spirit in the church body. After all, it can get messy if such practices are allowed to take place. If we do not permit such practices, then we will, according to this viewpoint, avoid offending our regular members (and givers) and be following the biblical command that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” Paul states, however, just before these words, “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:39-40).
Such exhortations at the very end of Paul’s long chapter comparing prophecy and tongues should prompt us to be more open to the mysterious ways of the Spirit, especially since there are no clear biblical texts that say that the more “controversial” gifts of the Spirit were only for the early church. I was excited that Stedman had a more “open” view on these gifts than the dispensational perspective (even though Stedman is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, a center of dispensationalism and the school where Charles Ryrie taught).
Stedman is not pushing a charismatic agenda as commonly understood, however, but he is urging all of God’s people to believe that, according to the Bible, ¬¬¬¬¬¬every Christian has one (possibly more) of the “spiritual gifts” (Greek charismata). This is taught in 1 Peter 4:10 and 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11, and clearly implied in Romans 12:6-8. And this is the truth that excited me most: I am gifted by the Holy Spirit with at least one of his marvelous gifts. In my case I understood that to be teaching. My gift was no more or less important than any other gift, however. And you, if you are a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, have a spiritual gift also. We all need one another working together in the unity of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12).
Most of Stedman’s book is not about the individual spiritual gifts, but about the body life of the Spirit-filled church, how God intended it to be. According to the author, “the purpose of this book is to search out from the Scripture the nature and function of true Christianity and thus to recover the dynamic quality of early Christianity…. There is no reason why the church in the twentieth century [or the 21st century – my addition] should not be what it was in the first century. True Christianity operates now on exactly the same basis as it did then. The same dynamic impact described in the book of Acts is possible today” (p. 5).
These words, along with the first-person accounts of the Body Life services of the author’s church excited me 40 years ago and do so every bit as much now. I close with this powerful statement from Ray Stedman: “The supreme task of every Christian’s life is to discover his [or her] gift and put it to work” (p. 131).
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Power of Godliness
Books That Have Shaped Me – Part Four
Bob Rakestraw
September 30, 2011
“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
The book I am writing about in this posting has been, after the Bible, the most important and influential book in my life and service for God. I bought it on September 25, 1965, for 75 cents, in a bookstore in western Canada. I have read it several times, especially in my early years as a Christian.
7. “The Life of Robert Murray McCheyne,” by Andrew A. Bonar (The Banner of Truth Trust, 1960. First published 1844). 192 pp.
Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and entered university at the age of 14. He had an early aptitude for the arts, especially music and poetry, and enjoyed sports, especially gymnastics. At 18 he was accepted to study divinity at the University of Edinburgh, where he met his mentor, Thomas Chalmers, Professor of Divinity. Chalmers became the pattern for his thought, life and ministry. Upon completion of his studies he became a Scottish Presbyterian minister. After a short assistantship in one parish, he became the pastor of St. Peter’s, Dundee, at the age of 23. Here he served with excellence until his death seven-and-a half years later.
In addition to Thomas Chalmers, another strong influence on McCheyne was Andrew A. Bonar, the author of the book discussed here and the brother of the hymn-writer Horatius Bonar. When McCheyne died in 1843, it was inevitable that his associates turned to Bonar for a memoir of the one whose brief ministry had “stamped an indelible impress on Scotland.” Bonar was also born in Edinburgh, three years earlier than McCheyne, and from the time they entered the Divinity Hall together in 1831 they were the closest friends.
The two distinguishing features of McCheyne’s brief life were his deep concern for evangelism and missionary work (with a special burden for the conversion of the Jewish people) and his quest for personal holiness. The strong evangelistic/missionary zeal emerged under the influence of Professor Chalmers and his desire for holiness was deepened and cultivated during his years in the Divinity Hall through his close personal friendship with Bonar, one who thirsted for intimacy with God as much as did McCheyne.
According to the superb article on McCheyne by D.A. Robertson (the present pastor of St. Peter’s) in “Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals” (ed. Timothy Larson), St. Peter’s church was situated in a rapidly expanding industrial area of Dundee, and McCheyne’s ministry here was innovative and radical. He saw the prime need of the area as evangelism and acted accordingly. He sought to make the church services as attractive as possible and did his utmost to ensure that the singing was melodious and enthusiastic. He sometimes led the singing itself. His preaching was simple. He sought deliberately to keep his speech plain and to use plenty of word pictures. He preached with authority, diligence and wholesomeness. His sermons varied in length from 20 minutes to one-and-a-half hours.
In addition to the Sunday services there was a Bible study on Thursday evenings. This was a less formal meeting for which the building (able to seat 1,100 people) was often full. “McCheyne’s pastorate in working class Dundee was characterized by evangelistic preaching, local mission, diligent home visitation, and compassion for the sick and poor” (Todd Stratham, in “Dictionary of Christian Spirituality,” ed. Glen G. Scorgie).
More than any pastoral accomplishments, however, McCheyne’s lasting legacy has to do with his pursuit of God. From his life we see the reality of the truth, “it is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Christ.” In their introduction, the publishers write that “it may be doubted whether any Christian can seriously read these pages without having an example of the power of godliness stamped upon his conscience in a manner that will abide with him all his days.” According to Bonar, “holiness in him was manifested, not by efforts to perform duty, but in a way so natural that you recognized therein the easy outflowing of the indwelling Spirit.”
McCheyne had a strong interest in the land and people of Palestine. He devoted one hour every morning to prayer for the Jews, in addition to the hour he spent in other prayer and scripture meditation. In 1839, McCheyne, Andrew Bonar and two other ministers were appointed by the Church of Scotland to travel to Israel and locations in Europe to investigate the condition of the Jewish people, to see how they might be ministered to. They were gone six months. While they were away, revival broke out in St. Peter’s under the interim ministry of William Chalmers Burns. The revival continued until 1843. McCheyne thus returned to a church that was packed nightly and had become the object of national press attention. He estimated (very conservatively) that over 700 people had been “savingly influenced” in St. Peter’s during this period.
McCheyne’s yearning for godliness and his high level of scholarship blended together in his personal formation. He pursued diligently the study of the Bible in Hebrew and Greek, as well as the Greek Septuagint. He could work with the Hebrew Old Testament as easily as most ministers of his day could work with the Greek New Testament. He met often with friends to study the scriptures closely, but even more often for prayer and serious conversation. They “watched each other’s steps in the narrow way.”
McCheyne was continually on guard for temptation, and knew well the subtleties of sin in his life. While in the Bible lands, for example, he wrote the following to a fellow minister in Scotland. “Use your health while you have it, my dear friend and brother. Do not cast away peculiar opportunities that may never come again. You know not when your last Sabbath with your people may come. Speak for eternity. Above all things, cultivate your own spirit. A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear, and your heart full of God’s Spirit, is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin. This was my great fault in the ministry. Remember it is God, and not man, that must have the glory.”
Many of the entries in McCheyne’s diary are striking. “Clear conviction of sin is the only true origin of dependence on another’s righteousness, and, therefore, (strange to say!) of the Christian’s peace of mind and cheerfulness.” He did not experience good health and was particularly subject to attacks of fever. “If nothing else will do to sever me from my sins, Lord send me such sore and trying calamities as shall awaken me from earthly slumbers.” “Bodily weakness, too, depresses me.”
McCheyne suffered much throughout his life, and that not only in the physical realm. Bonar writes that “he had been taught a minister’s heart; he had been tried in the furnace; he had tasted deep personal sorrow, little of which has been recorded….” “His voice, and his very eye, spoke tenderness; for personal affliction had taught him to feel sympathy with the sorrowing.” “From personal experience of deep temptation he could lay open the secrets of the heart….” “It was his own persuasion that few had more to struggle with in the inner man. Who can tell what wars go on within?” McCheyne wrote on one occasion, “Paul’s thorn, 2 Cor. 12, is the experience of the greater part of my life.”
Through it all, however, he prayed, “Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be made.” “Often, often I would like to depart and be with Christ.” “I do not expect to live long. I expect a sudden call some day—perhaps soon—and therefore I speak very plainly.” He had long been persuaded that his course would be brief, and he must have said to himself as he often said to others, “Live so as to be missed.”
His “sudden call” came on March 25, 1843, at the age of 29. While visiting in the Hawkhill area of his parish he contracted typhus. When the fever came, he lay down upon the bed from which he was never to rise. For over two weeks he suffered from high fever, extreme weakness and delirium. The church was full of people every night, praying for his recovery. During this time on his sickbed he was often heard speaking to or praying for his people. On one occasion he was heard praying, “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me.” As his condition worsened, his medical attendants prohibited visitors.
Andrew Bonar describes the end. “Thus he continued most generally engaged, while the delirium lasted, either in prayer or in preaching to his people, and always apparently in happy frame, till the morning of Saturday the 25th. On that morning, while his kind medical attendant, Dr. Gibson, stood by, he lifted up his hands as if in the attitude of pronouncing the blessing, and then sank down. Not a groan or a sigh, but only a quiver of the lip, and his soul was at rest.”
His people gathered in the church that evening, and “such a scene of sorrow has not often been witnessed in Scotland. It was like the weeping for King Josiah…. Every heart seemed bursting with grief, so that the weeping and the cries could be heard afar off.” Over 6000 people attended his funeral. “The streets and every window, from the house to the grave, were crowded with those who felt that a Prince in Israel had fallen.” His work was finished—to the glory of God. His tomb may be seen today on the pathway at the northwest corner of St. Peter’s burying ground.
Bob Rakestraw
September 30, 2011
“The Benediction Project”
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
The book I am writing about in this posting has been, after the Bible, the most important and influential book in my life and service for God. I bought it on September 25, 1965, for 75 cents, in a bookstore in western Canada. I have read it several times, especially in my early years as a Christian.
7. “The Life of Robert Murray McCheyne,” by Andrew A. Bonar (The Banner of Truth Trust, 1960. First published 1844). 192 pp.
Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and entered university at the age of 14. He had an early aptitude for the arts, especially music and poetry, and enjoyed sports, especially gymnastics. At 18 he was accepted to study divinity at the University of Edinburgh, where he met his mentor, Thomas Chalmers, Professor of Divinity. Chalmers became the pattern for his thought, life and ministry. Upon completion of his studies he became a Scottish Presbyterian minister. After a short assistantship in one parish, he became the pastor of St. Peter’s, Dundee, at the age of 23. Here he served with excellence until his death seven-and-a half years later.
In addition to Thomas Chalmers, another strong influence on McCheyne was Andrew A. Bonar, the author of the book discussed here and the brother of the hymn-writer Horatius Bonar. When McCheyne died in 1843, it was inevitable that his associates turned to Bonar for a memoir of the one whose brief ministry had “stamped an indelible impress on Scotland.” Bonar was also born in Edinburgh, three years earlier than McCheyne, and from the time they entered the Divinity Hall together in 1831 they were the closest friends.
The two distinguishing features of McCheyne’s brief life were his deep concern for evangelism and missionary work (with a special burden for the conversion of the Jewish people) and his quest for personal holiness. The strong evangelistic/missionary zeal emerged under the influence of Professor Chalmers and his desire for holiness was deepened and cultivated during his years in the Divinity Hall through his close personal friendship with Bonar, one who thirsted for intimacy with God as much as did McCheyne.
According to the superb article on McCheyne by D.A. Robertson (the present pastor of St. Peter’s) in “Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals” (ed. Timothy Larson), St. Peter’s church was situated in a rapidly expanding industrial area of Dundee, and McCheyne’s ministry here was innovative and radical. He saw the prime need of the area as evangelism and acted accordingly. He sought to make the church services as attractive as possible and did his utmost to ensure that the singing was melodious and enthusiastic. He sometimes led the singing itself. His preaching was simple. He sought deliberately to keep his speech plain and to use plenty of word pictures. He preached with authority, diligence and wholesomeness. His sermons varied in length from 20 minutes to one-and-a-half hours.
In addition to the Sunday services there was a Bible study on Thursday evenings. This was a less formal meeting for which the building (able to seat 1,100 people) was often full. “McCheyne’s pastorate in working class Dundee was characterized by evangelistic preaching, local mission, diligent home visitation, and compassion for the sick and poor” (Todd Stratham, in “Dictionary of Christian Spirituality,” ed. Glen G. Scorgie).
More than any pastoral accomplishments, however, McCheyne’s lasting legacy has to do with his pursuit of God. From his life we see the reality of the truth, “it is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Christ.” In their introduction, the publishers write that “it may be doubted whether any Christian can seriously read these pages without having an example of the power of godliness stamped upon his conscience in a manner that will abide with him all his days.” According to Bonar, “holiness in him was manifested, not by efforts to perform duty, but in a way so natural that you recognized therein the easy outflowing of the indwelling Spirit.”
McCheyne had a strong interest in the land and people of Palestine. He devoted one hour every morning to prayer for the Jews, in addition to the hour he spent in other prayer and scripture meditation. In 1839, McCheyne, Andrew Bonar and two other ministers were appointed by the Church of Scotland to travel to Israel and locations in Europe to investigate the condition of the Jewish people, to see how they might be ministered to. They were gone six months. While they were away, revival broke out in St. Peter’s under the interim ministry of William Chalmers Burns. The revival continued until 1843. McCheyne thus returned to a church that was packed nightly and had become the object of national press attention. He estimated (very conservatively) that over 700 people had been “savingly influenced” in St. Peter’s during this period.
McCheyne’s yearning for godliness and his high level of scholarship blended together in his personal formation. He pursued diligently the study of the Bible in Hebrew and Greek, as well as the Greek Septuagint. He could work with the Hebrew Old Testament as easily as most ministers of his day could work with the Greek New Testament. He met often with friends to study the scriptures closely, but even more often for prayer and serious conversation. They “watched each other’s steps in the narrow way.”
McCheyne was continually on guard for temptation, and knew well the subtleties of sin in his life. While in the Bible lands, for example, he wrote the following to a fellow minister in Scotland. “Use your health while you have it, my dear friend and brother. Do not cast away peculiar opportunities that may never come again. You know not when your last Sabbath with your people may come. Speak for eternity. Above all things, cultivate your own spirit. A word spoken by you when your conscience is clear, and your heart full of God’s Spirit, is worth ten thousand words spoken in unbelief and sin. This was my great fault in the ministry. Remember it is God, and not man, that must have the glory.”
Many of the entries in McCheyne’s diary are striking. “Clear conviction of sin is the only true origin of dependence on another’s righteousness, and, therefore, (strange to say!) of the Christian’s peace of mind and cheerfulness.” He did not experience good health and was particularly subject to attacks of fever. “If nothing else will do to sever me from my sins, Lord send me such sore and trying calamities as shall awaken me from earthly slumbers.” “Bodily weakness, too, depresses me.”
McCheyne suffered much throughout his life, and that not only in the physical realm. Bonar writes that “he had been taught a minister’s heart; he had been tried in the furnace; he had tasted deep personal sorrow, little of which has been recorded….” “His voice, and his very eye, spoke tenderness; for personal affliction had taught him to feel sympathy with the sorrowing.” “From personal experience of deep temptation he could lay open the secrets of the heart….” “It was his own persuasion that few had more to struggle with in the inner man. Who can tell what wars go on within?” McCheyne wrote on one occasion, “Paul’s thorn, 2 Cor. 12, is the experience of the greater part of my life.”
Through it all, however, he prayed, “Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be made.” “Often, often I would like to depart and be with Christ.” “I do not expect to live long. I expect a sudden call some day—perhaps soon—and therefore I speak very plainly.” He had long been persuaded that his course would be brief, and he must have said to himself as he often said to others, “Live so as to be missed.”
His “sudden call” came on March 25, 1843, at the age of 29. While visiting in the Hawkhill area of his parish he contracted typhus. When the fever came, he lay down upon the bed from which he was never to rise. For over two weeks he suffered from high fever, extreme weakness and delirium. The church was full of people every night, praying for his recovery. During this time on his sickbed he was often heard speaking to or praying for his people. On one occasion he was heard praying, “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me.” As his condition worsened, his medical attendants prohibited visitors.
Andrew Bonar describes the end. “Thus he continued most generally engaged, while the delirium lasted, either in prayer or in preaching to his people, and always apparently in happy frame, till the morning of Saturday the 25th. On that morning, while his kind medical attendant, Dr. Gibson, stood by, he lifted up his hands as if in the attitude of pronouncing the blessing, and then sank down. Not a groan or a sigh, but only a quiver of the lip, and his soul was at rest.”
His people gathered in the church that evening, and “such a scene of sorrow has not often been witnessed in Scotland. It was like the weeping for King Josiah…. Every heart seemed bursting with grief, so that the weeping and the cries could be heard afar off.” Over 6000 people attended his funeral. “The streets and every window, from the house to the grave, were crowded with those who felt that a Prince in Israel had fallen.” His work was finished—to the glory of God. His tomb may be seen today on the pathway at the northwest corner of St. Peter’s burying ground.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Melancholic, Choleric, or Something Else? Books That Have Shaped Me – Part Three
Bob Rakestraw
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
“Temperament and the Christian Faith,” by O. Hallesby (Augsburg).
As a young man in my early twenties, only a few years into the Christian life, I was becoming increasingly aware of who and what I was. I had a healthy degree of self-confidence, I think, but was aware that I was different from many—perhaps most—of my fellow college students. This book by Hallesby, a well-known and highly respected theologian from Norway, made a great impact on me for good.
Hallesby’s very simple (but not simplistic) definition of “temperament” is “the soul’s essential response to its surroundings.” He examines four basic temperaments: sanguine, melancholic, choleric, and phlegmatic, and believes that each of us fits—for the most part—into one of these four temperament types.
Hallesby cautions, however, that “the temperaments are imaginary quantities. They are certainly never found in life just as we describe them here. Every person constitutes some sort of mixture of temperaments…. When we say that a person has a sanguine temperament, we do not mean that he lacks the other traits, but merely that the sanguine predominates in his blending of traits.”
Hallesby treats each of the temperaments under five headings: characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, hints for pastors and spiritual counselors, and self-discipline of the temperament being considered. As for the difference between temperament and personality, he states that the temperament “is just one of the elements in the life of the soul responsible for developing variations in personality.” He adds that “the temperament is reflected in the appearance and actions of the physical form, especially in one’s features and facial expressions.” I am able to mention only a couple of thoughts on each temperament type. The whole book deserves careful study.
The Sanguine may be summarized by the word emotional. The Apostle Peter is the biblical example. The sanguine lives in the present, enters into the feelings of others, is tender and sympathetic, and lives an abundant life. Some weaknesses are that he or she may be inconsistent, superficial and unreliable.
The Melancholic may be spoken of as deep. The apostle John is an example. The melancholic has a rich, sensitive nature, is deep and thorough, faithful and dependable. Some weaknesses are that he or she tends to be self-centered, too sensitive, uncompromising, pessimistic, passive, proud, impractical and hard to get along with.
The Choleric can be thought of as willful. The apostle Paul is an example. The choleric has strong will power, has natural qualifications for building character, is practical, has a keen mind, is quick and bold in emergencies, and is not dismayed by adversities. Some weaknesses are that he or she may be hard, impetuous, violent, too self-confident, haughty and domineering. The choleric is likely to be crafty, revengeful and dangerous as a criminal.
Finally, the Phlegmatic, who may be described as calm. James, the brother of Jesus, seems to have been a phlegmatic. This person is good-natured, calm, dependable, and has a practical mind. However, he or she tends to be slow, lazy, opportunistic, indifferent about others and supercilious.
Hallesby reminds his readers that there is no one “preferred” temperament. He states that each type is valuable and necessary in the work of God’s kingdom. He emphasizes that no one should think of himself or herself as “purely” one type, and he encourages us to discipline, modify and sanctify our basic temperament, without trying to obliterate who we are fundamentally.
Each one of us possesses potentialities for the other temperaments, and, as stated above, has some of the qualities of the other temperaments. While our temperament will change somewhat during each of the periods of life (childhood, youth, maturity, and old age), our basic inborn temperament will be an essential part of who we are throughout life. We are to thank God for how he has made us, and ask him to change those tendencies in us which are harmful to others or ourselves.
I was a very grateful young man when I learned that I was a melancholic. I understood myself much more fully after reading Hallesby than I ever had before. I praise God abundantly for this life-changing little book. Thank you, Lord, for informed and wise writers, with a strong love for you and a sensitive, compassionate heart for seekers of truth and godliness.
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
“Temperament and the Christian Faith,” by O. Hallesby (Augsburg).
As a young man in my early twenties, only a few years into the Christian life, I was becoming increasingly aware of who and what I was. I had a healthy degree of self-confidence, I think, but was aware that I was different from many—perhaps most—of my fellow college students. This book by Hallesby, a well-known and highly respected theologian from Norway, made a great impact on me for good.
Hallesby’s very simple (but not simplistic) definition of “temperament” is “the soul’s essential response to its surroundings.” He examines four basic temperaments: sanguine, melancholic, choleric, and phlegmatic, and believes that each of us fits—for the most part—into one of these four temperament types.
Hallesby cautions, however, that “the temperaments are imaginary quantities. They are certainly never found in life just as we describe them here. Every person constitutes some sort of mixture of temperaments…. When we say that a person has a sanguine temperament, we do not mean that he lacks the other traits, but merely that the sanguine predominates in his blending of traits.”
Hallesby treats each of the temperaments under five headings: characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, hints for pastors and spiritual counselors, and self-discipline of the temperament being considered. As for the difference between temperament and personality, he states that the temperament “is just one of the elements in the life of the soul responsible for developing variations in personality.” He adds that “the temperament is reflected in the appearance and actions of the physical form, especially in one’s features and facial expressions.” I am able to mention only a couple of thoughts on each temperament type. The whole book deserves careful study.
The Sanguine may be summarized by the word emotional. The Apostle Peter is the biblical example. The sanguine lives in the present, enters into the feelings of others, is tender and sympathetic, and lives an abundant life. Some weaknesses are that he or she may be inconsistent, superficial and unreliable.
The Melancholic may be spoken of as deep. The apostle John is an example. The melancholic has a rich, sensitive nature, is deep and thorough, faithful and dependable. Some weaknesses are that he or she tends to be self-centered, too sensitive, uncompromising, pessimistic, passive, proud, impractical and hard to get along with.
The Choleric can be thought of as willful. The apostle Paul is an example. The choleric has strong will power, has natural qualifications for building character, is practical, has a keen mind, is quick and bold in emergencies, and is not dismayed by adversities. Some weaknesses are that he or she may be hard, impetuous, violent, too self-confident, haughty and domineering. The choleric is likely to be crafty, revengeful and dangerous as a criminal.
Finally, the Phlegmatic, who may be described as calm. James, the brother of Jesus, seems to have been a phlegmatic. This person is good-natured, calm, dependable, and has a practical mind. However, he or she tends to be slow, lazy, opportunistic, indifferent about others and supercilious.
Hallesby reminds his readers that there is no one “preferred” temperament. He states that each type is valuable and necessary in the work of God’s kingdom. He emphasizes that no one should think of himself or herself as “purely” one type, and he encourages us to discipline, modify and sanctify our basic temperament, without trying to obliterate who we are fundamentally.
Each one of us possesses potentialities for the other temperaments, and, as stated above, has some of the qualities of the other temperaments. While our temperament will change somewhat during each of the periods of life (childhood, youth, maturity, and old age), our basic inborn temperament will be an essential part of who we are throughout life. We are to thank God for how he has made us, and ask him to change those tendencies in us which are harmful to others or ourselves.
I was a very grateful young man when I learned that I was a melancholic. I understood myself much more fully after reading Hallesby than I ever had before. I praise God abundantly for this life-changing little book. Thank you, Lord, for informed and wise writers, with a strong love for you and a sensitive, compassionate heart for seekers of truth and godliness.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Why the Bible? Books That Have Shaped Me – Part Two
Bob Rakestraw
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
In the June posting I listed and briefly considered four books that God has used to make me into the person I have been becoming—from my teenage years to today. I am writing a number of posts on this theme of influential books because I believe strongly in the life-changing and life-shaping power of reading, especially of books with substance and pertinence to daily life in this world.
As I said last month, these are not anyone’s “best books,” nor necessarily my “favorite books,” nor are they taken from any list of classics. They are simply those books that I came across—one here and one there—that made a major impact for good on my life, character, behavior and usefulness to God. Today, there are “better books” on some of the topics covered but I am writing about those works (only one this time) that entered my life at a specific period of questioning or need, and affected me significantly.
“The Divine Inspiration of the Bible,” by Arthur W. Pink (Distributed by Baker Book House). On 9-11-65 I bought this book in Canada for $1.50. By that time I was a Christian for nearly three years, with a firm belief that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. But I really wasn’t sure why I believed that. The doctrine had been handed down to me from church teachers, even though they emphasized that when the Bible and church tradition come into conflict, official church teaching overrides anyone’s personal interpretation of the scriptures. After reading Pink’s book I had a more solid understanding of why I believed what I said I believed, including the conviction that God’s Holy Spirit illumines the scriptures for individuals as well as for religious bodies, and that the devout, informed Christian believer facing two or more opinions is free to follow his or her own understanding of a given biblical passage.
Pink gives 14 arguments for the divine inspiration of the Bible—“inspiration” meaning that the human authors of the scripture books were guided by God in a supernatural way (whether the writers were aware of this or not). The resulting documents are not only trustworthy records of God’s activity in the course of human history, but infallibly explain the nature of God and the grand design of God’s gracious program for humanity through all eternity. These documents are not only unique and “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) but are divinely authoritative—above all other writings—in matters of theological teachings and ethics. Belief in and submission to their doctrinal and moral instructions is thus mandatory, not optional. Because of space I am able to mention only a few of Pink’s reasons for this view.
First, the Bible has a remarkable unity in theological and ethical matters, even though some 40 different authors (mostly unknown to one another) wrote in widely different genres of literature over a period of 1600 years without any human supervisor or governing body. There is a strikingly unified message about the kindness and severity of God, the sinful condition of humanity, and the salvation offered to all by grace through Christ. Such a work could hardly have come about by coincidence, or even by careful human planning alone.
Second, there is an amazing correspondence between prophecy and fulfillment, as in the cases of Jesus’ birthplace (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6) and his sufferings and death (Isaiah 53 and the gospel accounts). There are dozens of prophecies that were written sometimes centuries before their fulfillment. To read Ezekiel’s detailed prophecy of the destruction of Tyre (chapter 26), and then read the historical accounts of Tyre’s downfall in the secular records of later years, is to be confirmed in my belief in divine inspiration. To then stand, as I did years ago, on the ruins of ancient Tyre jutting out from the Lebanese coast into the Mediterranean, is to be in awe of the detailed, prophesied workings of God and nations in history. Such prophetic accuracy, over and over in the Bible, is not explainable in human terms.
Third, there is an inward confirmation by the indwelling Holy Spirit, deep within God’s people, of the divine inspiration, trustworthiness and authority of the Bible. God’s people who seek him in truth know, from the burning in their hearts and the continual experiencing of the reality of the Bible’s teachings in their everyday lives, that this book is indeed the written Word of God.
Fourth, a final reason (not covered by Pink but one that I cannot possibly leave out) concerns the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as seen in the four gospels primarily: Jesus affirmed the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament and the yet-to-be developed body of New Testament materials. While this may appear to be circular reasoning (using the Bible itself to argue for its own inspiration), it is not if we, for example, simply study the gospels as the generally accepted historical records of this first-century man named Jesus.
An examination of this highly unusual religious teacher—his life, teachings, death and resurrection—reveals without doubt that he believed and taught that the biblical books were indeed the Word of God. Such a teacher—backed by a remarkable life of signs, wonders, sterling character and deep compassion for the poor and the suffering—should be taken very seriously regarding his attitude toward the Bible’s divine origin.
Some of the preceding reasons—perhaps all of them—will carry no weight in the minds of atheists and confirmed skeptics. Even some good thinkers within Christian circles tend to minimize the argumentative force of one or more of these reasons, as well as the additional reasons Pink offers. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Some devout Christian thinkers prefer not to consider arguments for the Bible’s inspiration, or even the existence of God, as very important in contending for the faith, especially in our postmodern cultures. Their focus tends to be on living the life, which of course we should all do.
There is no infallible “proof” that the Bible is the Word of God written. God does not need logical proofs to accomplish his work in the world. But for me and millions of others there is great encouragement in contemplating the solid reasoning behind our centuries-old beliefs. No one argument proves, nor can prove, the doctrine of biblical inspiration, but when these and other reasons are offered, taken together, they have a strong, persuasive force in assuring you and me (and our children) that we indeed follow, proclaim, and base our eternal salvation on the unique, infallible, and supremely authoritative written Word of God.
Thanks to you, Mr. Pink, for writing this book many years ago. And you, dear readers who regard yourselves to be committed Christians, ponder from time to time why you believe that the Bible is the unique Word of God. Everything you claim to believe and practice is based on this book. We all do well to answer carefully, “Why the Bible?”
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Books That Have Shaped Me – Part One
Bob Rakestraw
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
To begin the fifth year of “The Benediction Project” I’d like to write about the fifteen books that have been most used by God to shape me into the person I am today. Perhaps one or more of these works will be helpful to you at some time or another. These are not necessarily the books that I turn to frequently in my life now. Most of them sit on my bookshelves as quiet knowing friends—powerful reminders of their service to me in years past.
Nor are these the books that I would put on this list if I wanted to impress you. In that case I would designate books that are classics, such as Augustine’s “Confessions,” Calvin’s “Institutes” and Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Discipleship.” But the books I include in my list have actually changed or reinforced something major in me, sometimes because they were the first books to introduce me to an important truth or way of thinking. They are thus “life-changing” in this sense, not because they are necessarily the “best books” or are famous works that have greatly influenced large numbers of men and women.
I will cover the first four books in this posting and the others in subsequent postings. In these pieces I will omit works on the Hebrew and Greek languages. While my study of these languages has shaped my life and thought in major ways, I am omitting these biblical language materials because of the non-specialized nature of this blog.
1. “30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary,” by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis (Pocket Books). When I was a junior or senior in high school I bought this paperback for 25 cents. It introduced me to the romance of words and confirmed my love of the English language, and all languages. Through the daily exercises I learned such terms as parvenu, megalomaniac, and esprit de corps that have stayed with me all my life, and enriched my reading, writing and imagination immensely.
2. “Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.” When I began my freshman year of college, this was one of the required textbooks I had to buy. I have learned that a good dictionary is one of the most valuable tools one will ever have. I especially appreciate the attention to pronunciations, derivations and categories and subcategories based on the use of words. A dictionary that includes synonyms and expressions containing the given word are especially helpful. Though I now use dictionaries different from the one named above, it strengthened my life and ministry immeasurably. I still love to read a good dictionary, and I have never (well, almost never) considered it a waste of time to check on the spelling or usage of a word when I am not sure. I used to tell my theology students that theology is all about words (sometimes “just” about prepositions), so understand clearly what you mean by the word, and what the other person means by the word, before you get into a discussion in which the term plays a major role. There might be more light and less heat in the discussion.
3. “The Holy Bible.” The Christian Bible, especially in the language one is most familiar with, is without the slightest doubt in my mind the most important and therefore most valuable book one can ever own. But, as one of my teachers often said, “The Bible is burglar–proof against unsanctified learning.” The Bible will make little or no spiritual sense to those who attempt to understand it without a desire to know the truth (I Corinthians 2:14).
In high school I heard that everyone who wishes to be well-read and successful in life should read the Bible. I started at Genesis 1:1 and found myself bored almost to tears. It was only by sheer determination that I read to the end of Genesis. But, years later, after God had awakened my heart to seek him, I devoured the Bible over and over. I love every book of the Bible, but the book of Acts and the New Testament epistles (Romans to Jude), being totally new to me, were especially a fountain of truth and light about how to know God and live a meaningful life. I suggest the NIV (New International Version) and the NIV Study Bible. Try to get a Bible with cross-references in the margins, possible alternative translations and study materials in the footnotes.
4. “When the Spirit Came,” by James Alexander Stewart (Revival Literature). This little book (87 pp.) was given to me as a new Christian, at the age of nineteen, by the church I started attending after my conversion and in which I was later ordained. The wording on the front cover summarizes the book well: “The Story of Evan Roberts and The Welsh Revival.” Perhaps it should say, “and the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905,” since there was also a great revival in Wales in 1859.
God used this book to create in me a lifelong interest in revival and revivals. I simply cannot express here how the book stirred me and gave me a deep thirst, to this day, to see the power and glory of God revealed in diverse meetings and whole communities as these were in 1904-1905. The author frequently distinguishes between a spontaneous work of God in revival and a planned and prepared evangelistic campaign or series of “deeper-life” meetings. This book has to do with spontaneous revival. Evan Roberts was only one—though the most prominent—of the young men and women God used in this unplanned, unpredictable and unadvertised series of gatherings. According to the author, this was a revival for young people (Roberts was only 26), a revival of singing, a revival of prayer (mingled largely with praise), a revival of soul-winning, and a revival of personal experience. Tens of thousands came to know Christ as Savior, and great numbers of believers were drawn closer to him. Communities were transformed. The prison population decreased remarkably. Even in the universities revival scenes were commonplace day after day for months. “Longstanding debts were paid, stolen goods returned, drinking taverns forsaken, oaths ceased to be heard so that it was said in the mines the horses could not understand the language of their drivers.” O Lord, let the fire fall! Come, Holy Spirit, come!
http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com
To begin the fifth year of “The Benediction Project” I’d like to write about the fifteen books that have been most used by God to shape me into the person I am today. Perhaps one or more of these works will be helpful to you at some time or another. These are not necessarily the books that I turn to frequently in my life now. Most of them sit on my bookshelves as quiet knowing friends—powerful reminders of their service to me in years past.
Nor are these the books that I would put on this list if I wanted to impress you. In that case I would designate books that are classics, such as Augustine’s “Confessions,” Calvin’s “Institutes” and Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Discipleship.” But the books I include in my list have actually changed or reinforced something major in me, sometimes because they were the first books to introduce me to an important truth or way of thinking. They are thus “life-changing” in this sense, not because they are necessarily the “best books” or are famous works that have greatly influenced large numbers of men and women.
I will cover the first four books in this posting and the others in subsequent postings. In these pieces I will omit works on the Hebrew and Greek languages. While my study of these languages has shaped my life and thought in major ways, I am omitting these biblical language materials because of the non-specialized nature of this blog.
1. “30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary,” by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis (Pocket Books). When I was a junior or senior in high school I bought this paperback for 25 cents. It introduced me to the romance of words and confirmed my love of the English language, and all languages. Through the daily exercises I learned such terms as parvenu, megalomaniac, and esprit de corps that have stayed with me all my life, and enriched my reading, writing and imagination immensely.
2. “Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.” When I began my freshman year of college, this was one of the required textbooks I had to buy. I have learned that a good dictionary is one of the most valuable tools one will ever have. I especially appreciate the attention to pronunciations, derivations and categories and subcategories based on the use of words. A dictionary that includes synonyms and expressions containing the given word are especially helpful. Though I now use dictionaries different from the one named above, it strengthened my life and ministry immeasurably. I still love to read a good dictionary, and I have never (well, almost never) considered it a waste of time to check on the spelling or usage of a word when I am not sure. I used to tell my theology students that theology is all about words (sometimes “just” about prepositions), so understand clearly what you mean by the word, and what the other person means by the word, before you get into a discussion in which the term plays a major role. There might be more light and less heat in the discussion.
3. “The Holy Bible.” The Christian Bible, especially in the language one is most familiar with, is without the slightest doubt in my mind the most important and therefore most valuable book one can ever own. But, as one of my teachers often said, “The Bible is burglar–proof against unsanctified learning.” The Bible will make little or no spiritual sense to those who attempt to understand it without a desire to know the truth (I Corinthians 2:14).
In high school I heard that everyone who wishes to be well-read and successful in life should read the Bible. I started at Genesis 1:1 and found myself bored almost to tears. It was only by sheer determination that I read to the end of Genesis. But, years later, after God had awakened my heart to seek him, I devoured the Bible over and over. I love every book of the Bible, but the book of Acts and the New Testament epistles (Romans to Jude), being totally new to me, were especially a fountain of truth and light about how to know God and live a meaningful life. I suggest the NIV (New International Version) and the NIV Study Bible. Try to get a Bible with cross-references in the margins, possible alternative translations and study materials in the footnotes.
4. “When the Spirit Came,” by James Alexander Stewart (Revival Literature). This little book (87 pp.) was given to me as a new Christian, at the age of nineteen, by the church I started attending after my conversion and in which I was later ordained. The wording on the front cover summarizes the book well: “The Story of Evan Roberts and The Welsh Revival.” Perhaps it should say, “and the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905,” since there was also a great revival in Wales in 1859.
God used this book to create in me a lifelong interest in revival and revivals. I simply cannot express here how the book stirred me and gave me a deep thirst, to this day, to see the power and glory of God revealed in diverse meetings and whole communities as these were in 1904-1905. The author frequently distinguishes between a spontaneous work of God in revival and a planned and prepared evangelistic campaign or series of “deeper-life” meetings. This book has to do with spontaneous revival. Evan Roberts was only one—though the most prominent—of the young men and women God used in this unplanned, unpredictable and unadvertised series of gatherings. According to the author, this was a revival for young people (Roberts was only 26), a revival of singing, a revival of prayer (mingled largely with praise), a revival of soul-winning, and a revival of personal experience. Tens of thousands came to know Christ as Savior, and great numbers of believers were drawn closer to him. Communities were transformed. The prison population decreased remarkably. Even in the universities revival scenes were commonplace day after day for months. “Longstanding debts were paid, stolen goods returned, drinking taverns forsaken, oaths ceased to be heard so that it was said in the mines the horses could not understand the language of their drivers.” O Lord, let the fire fall! Come, Holy Spirit, come!
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