A Boomer in the Pew

Was Jonah Literally in the Belly of a Great Fish for 3 Days and Nights?

"Jonah" by animator Hennie Blaauw.

The journey, through my ESV Study Bible, today brings me to the account of Jonah, living in the belly of a great fish.

Jonah 1:17 - And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

I don't get the controversy here with many Christians. 

There are those who can believe that God spoke creation into being, but can not believe the account of Jonah spending three days, and three nights, in the belly of a great fish.

Well, I am not schooled enough to address these concerns, so I will simply turn to the scholars in my ESV Study Bible:

Death - Something We All Get to Experience

Jamie Rasmussen, Sr. Pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church, is currently leading us on an 8 week journey through the Book of II Peter.

Today's message was on a particularly sensitive subject, to our post-modern culture:  death.

For the Christian, Peter wants us to understand that our physical bodies are analogous to a tent, which houses our immortal soul.  When our lives are over, on this earth, then the tent is shed, but the soul continues on for eternity.

Again, for the Christian, this now means a great many things, but most of all, eternity with Christ.

Armed with this knowledge, Jamie challenges us to rethink our perceptions of death, and learn to face death head-on.

The congregation found this to be a particularly informative, challenging, yet comforting message from God's word.

I would strongly encourage you to give this video, of Jamie's message, a view. 

Furthermore, why not also forward it to a friend, or family member.  It just might be a significant source of strength when death makes its inevitable visit.

Scottsdale Bible Church on Twitter - @ScottsdaleBible

God kicks the stool out from under me, the Prophet Joel explains why!

"Joel", woodcut published in 1695, byJohann Christoph Weigel, at Pitts Theological Library.

Joel 2:27 - "...I am the LORD your God, and there is none else..."

This morning, in my journey through my ESV Study Bible, I come upon the Minor Prophet Joel.

He may be considered a minor prophet, but what a message he brings.  Here are four key points, brought out by a 1982 message, from Dr. John Piper:

• God speaks through his prophet, and does these things, "So that you may know that I am God."
• If we wander from God, he will fight against us.  He does this in this age to bring us back, and in the final age, he does this fighting to bring judgment against his foes.
• God desires that we rend our hearts, and not our garments.  God desires our full attention, and devotion.
• Pray that God might turn his attention, and bring about the full outpouring, which was tasted at Pentecost.

A major calamity had just occurred where locusts had destroyed the land.  The prophet Joel brings words directly from the lips of God.  Furthermore, God desires that these words be taught to our children's, children. 

The central theme of Joel's prophecy is this:  The Day of the Lord is coming.

In many ways, locusts have devoured my fields.  The plans that I had laid out, were clearly apart from a total devotion to God.  My plans, frankly, were to enjoy the fruits of my labors, and recreate the rest of my days.

I am so thankful that I have a God who will oppose me, and fight against me, when I have moved my own way.  Even though I ignored him, and put myself on the throne of my life, God love me enough to kick the stool out from under me.

I am still flat on my back, but at least I now know why I am on my back, and I am most pleased.

Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God" (Day #18) - To Reveal Himself

This post is part of my 31 day journey through Andrew Murray's devotional treatise, "Waiting on God".  You can find my reasons for this journey at this link.

Isaiah 25:9 - It will be said on that day,  “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

In this chapter, Andrew Murray is teaching that the church needs to learn of the same waiting upon God, as we do individually.

Think about it.  If you have been tracking with me during these last 17 meditations, it is clear what this waiting is to be.  Furthermore, if we truly do wait upon God, and empty ourselves of our foolish pride, then we are capable of bringing glory to God in our quiet waiting.

Now, imagine a whole church doing the same, waiting, expecting, empty of themselves, and corporately hundreds waiting on God together.

I wonder if church, many times isn't more about what we can get.  We enjoy the music, we enjoy the messages, it all makes us feel good.  But, as the Bible tells us over, and over, and over, God desires that we trust him.  God is glorified when we acknowledge who we are, who he is, and what he has done for us.

Perhaps, if the church in America would humble itself, and wait upon God, then God might bring about a new awakening. 

Is this not the key?  Corporately waiting upon God, rather than seeking our selfish ways?

Oh church, wait only upon God!

Boomer's Archives - Best of May 2008

Each month, we dig back into our archives to find articles that might be of interest to our readers today.

A Message of Love and Forgiveness - a family, very close to us, was struggling with divorce, the husband was in jail, and the family was hanging on by a thread.  Here is my blog post to them.

The Fourth Word from A.W. Pink's "The Seven Sayings of the Savior on the Cross - this book was a very moving one for me.  In particular this chapter.  I never really understood what my Christ meant, when he was forsaken by God.  Once understood, I was crushed in my soul.

The Mind Warping Doctrine of Predestination (Election & Reprobation) - this understanding involved a great deal of mental wrestling on my part.  I had been guilty of deciding what was true, or untrue, based on my own desires, and understandings.  I learned, however, that God didn't involve me in determining what is true truth.  Just because I may not understand, or even agree with something, does not make it less so.  Only God possess true truth, and some of these truths have been revealed in his Word.  It is our job to believe them, even though this believe may not also possess understanding.  Some things are mystery.

Does God Literally, Personally, and Individually Call us to Himself? - one of the greatest blessings to understand, from God's word, is that he draws us to himself.  When you begin to understand this, then your heart can't help but be melted by the love of our Father.  Here is a video I included, with this post, that clearly demonstrates great love of a father:

What must it have felt like to stand at the Jordan, about to cross into the Promised Land?

I am continuing my journey through my ESV Study Bible, and today we witness God defining the Promised Land.

First of all, God makes it clear that he wants every single Canaanite driven from the land.  Every single one, not one left behind.

He then commands Moses to destroy all of the Canaanite idols in the land, and instructs them how the land is to be divided. 

Not all 12 tribes will be crossing the Jordan, as Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh have asked God to let them occupy the lands this side of the Jordan.

It will be interesting to see how well Israel obeys God's command to boot out the Canaanites, and their idols.

This has been quite a journey, this wandering in the wilderness.  Can you feel the expectation?

This is the Promised Land!  I suppose this is no different than us longing for our Promised Land:  heaven.

My mind thinks of a young child about to go to Disneyland, for the first time.  Anticipation for weeks, and then the night before, no sleep.  Getting up at 4:00.  "Is it time yet, dad?"

All the songs, about crossing Jordan, have new meaning to me.  I want to peek ahead, and see what happens next!  But, I will saver the anticipation.

Another thought that comes to mind, has to do with the Deists.  How can someone believe that God created the world, and then stood back and watched?  Look at the detail in how God described this land?  Clear, absolute, precise.  Am I missing something?  Have the Deists never read the Bible?

Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God" (Day #17) - In Times of Darkness

This post is part of my 31 day journey through Andrew Murray's devotional treatise, "Waiting on God".  You can find my reasons for this journey at this link.

Isaiah 8:17 - I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.

Andrew Murray:  "Here we have a servant of God, waiting upon Him, not on behalf of himself, but of his people, from whom God was hiding his face.  It suggests to us how our waiting upon God, though it commences with our personal needs, with the desire for the revelation of Himself, or of the answer to personal petitions, need not, may not, stop there.  We may be walking in the full light of God's countenance, and God yet be hiding His face from His people around us; far from our being content to think that this is nothing but the just punishment of their sin, or the consequence of their indifference, we are called with tender hearts to think of their sad estate, and to wait on God on their behalf.  The privilege of waiting upon God is one that brings great responsibility.  Even as Christ, when He entered God's presence, at once used His place of privilege and honor as intercessor, so we, no less, if we know what it is really to enter in and wait upon God, must use our access for our less favored brethren."

Two things:

• Boy, am I selfish.  I might be the only bulb glowing, at a particular point in time, but I am focused on myself, and others who might be in my sphere.  For example, I pray continually for my pastor, but I must confess, I don't think I have ever uttered a prayer for the person in the pew next to me.
• God hiding his face is an interesting thing to consider.  When I was walking in full fledged money worship, did God hide his face from me, or did I simply walk away from him?  Can I walk away from him?  When I turned the corner, was that me coming back to God, or was that God shining his face back on me?  Is the answer to all these questions:  yes?

What do you think?  Are you as selfish as me?  What does it mean to have God hide his face from you?

Launching a Business to Glorify God

May I share something with you?  Do you promise to take this in the spirit it is intended?

I can't believe how my heart, and worldview has changed.

As we have recently launched our business,  Blog Consulting, LLC,  it occurs to me that my predominant thought is that God might make himself known, and find glory, lots of glory in, and through, his business.

When we started our Michigan company, 18 years ago, we "dedicated" it to God, but I never had the mindset that God desired that I glorify him through the business, and with my behavior.  Although, we certainly acted that way, it wasn't a conscious prayer.

As I contemplate where this business might go, my prayer is, "God please make Yourself known, instead of bless me with success."

Do you see the difference?  Business for the glory of God!

City of Scottsdale proclaims Scott MacIntyre Day for American Idol Finalist

From ScottsdaleAZ.gov:

American Idol’s Scott MacIntyre is special guest
  at Mayor/Council event May 28

Scottsdale’s own Scott MacIntyre, who finished in the top 10 in the just-completed season of American Idol, will be the featured speaker at a special Mayor and City Council coffee beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 28, on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall. The program begins at 8:30.

The musician appeared with the other top-10 contestants on Wednesday’s season finale and will be on tour with them this summer. While he will not be able to perform music from his repertoire, he will talk about his experiences on the popular television series and his personal and professional journey to reach national recognition.

MacIntyre, a classically trained pianist who has a visual impairment, is a graduate of Arizona State University and the Royal College of Music and Royal Holloway University of London. He is a recipient of both the Marshall and Fulbright scholarships, and has won numerous awards in piano and music competitions, performed as a guest soloist with symphony orchestras and been profiled in national and international media. MacIntyre is a singer/songwriter who has released six CDs and written music in genres as varied as punk, rock, jazz and classical. More information on his background is available at his Web site, www.ScottMacIntyre.com.

Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane will proclaim May 28 “Scott MacIntyre Day,” and recognize MacIntyre as an inspiring example to young people in Scottsdale.

The event is free and open to the public. The mall’s Fountain Stage is located just north of the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St.

Seating on the mall will be limited to about 250 with plenty of room on the lawn for overflow. Coffee and other beverages will be available.

Dr. Wayne Grudem - 50 Factors Within Nations that Determine Their Wealth or Poverty

Dr. Wayne Grudem presents ESV Study Bibles to Janos, President of the Christian Business Association of Hungary.

Politics, economies, rich nations, poor nations.

These are the things that God has pressed upon the heart of Dr. Wayne Grudem these days.

Are there laws contained in the Bible, that if observed, would separate nations, rich from poor?

"Yes!" says Dr. Wane Grudem.

In our Christian Essentials Sunday School Class, at Scottsdale Bible Church, Dr. Wayne Grudem just completed a four week journey through his "50 Factors Within Nations that Determine Their Wealth or Poverty."

I high recommend that you listen to these four lessons on God's economics.  There is much to observe, and thank God for.

Furthermore, these would be outstanding lectures to forward to those representatives who are making critically important financial decisions, on behalf of our nation.

Why not forward these to your congressional representatives?  It would be good for them to hear God's opinion on financial concepts.