Q: 59. But what does it profit you now that you believe all this?
A: That I am righteous in Christ, before God, and an heir of eternal life.
Q: 60. How are you righteous before God?
A: Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; so that, though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil; notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, but only of mere grace, grants and imputes to me, the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ; even so, as if I never had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart.
Q: 61. Why do you say, that you are righteous by faith only?
A: Not that I am acceptable to God, on account of the worthiness of my faith; but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, is my righteousness before God; and that I cannot receive and apply the same to myself any other way than by faith only.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 22
Q: 57. What comfort does the "resurrection of the body" afford you?
A: That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head; but also, that this my body, being raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul, and made like unto the glorious body of Christ.
Q: 58. What comfort do you take from the article of "life everlasting"?
A: That since I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, after this life, I shall inherit perfect salvation, which "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man" to conceive, and that to praise God therein forever.
A: That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head; but also, that this my body, being raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul, and made like unto the glorious body of Christ.
Q: 58. What comfort do you take from the article of "life everlasting"?
A: That since I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, after this life, I shall inherit perfect salvation, which "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man" to conceive, and that to praise God therein forever.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Go to the Man in Charge
"In For the Time Being, Annie Dillard attempts to keep God around and keep Him nice (if weepy). And so she (like many others) scraps omnipotence, 'The very least likely things for which God might be responsible are what insurers call acts of God.'
Go that route. Katrina wasn't Him. Nothing involving fault lines is Him. Stop looking at Him like that--He's never so much as touched a tornado. He exists, and He's friendly, but if you're in some kind of trouble, you might just want to make a deal with the devil. Go to the man in charge, I always say. You can renege later, and you might get really good at the guitar in the meantime." (Nate Wilson, Notes from a Tilt-a-Whirl, p. 64)
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 21
Q: 54. What do you believe concerning the "holy catholic church" of Christ?
A: That the Son of God from the beginning to the end of the world, gathers, defends, and preserves to himself by his Spirit and word, out of the whole human race, a church chosen to everlasting life, agreeing in true faith; and that I am and forever shall remain, a living member thereof.
Q: 55. What do you understand by "the communion of saints"?
A: First, that all and every one, who believes, being members of Christ, are in common, partakers of him, and of all his riches and gifts; secondly, that every one must know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other members.
Q: 56. What do you believe concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?
A: That God, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, neither my corrupt nature, against which I have to struggle all my life long; but will graciously impute to me the righteousness of Christ, that I may never be condemned before the tribunal of God.
A: That the Son of God from the beginning to the end of the world, gathers, defends, and preserves to himself by his Spirit and word, out of the whole human race, a church chosen to everlasting life, agreeing in true faith; and that I am and forever shall remain, a living member thereof.
Q: 55. What do you understand by "the communion of saints"?
A: First, that all and every one, who believes, being members of Christ, are in common, partakers of him, and of all his riches and gifts; secondly, that every one must know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other members.
Q: 56. What do you believe concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?
A: That God, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, neither my corrupt nature, against which I have to struggle all my life long; but will graciously impute to me the righteousness of Christ, that I may never be condemned before the tribunal of God.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
God Speaks the Tree
"Tree I say and you know what I mean. You see one in your mind, or glance out your window and remember much needed pruning. Tree, God says, and there is one. But He doesn't say the word tree, He says the tree itself. He needs no shortcut. He's not merely calling one into existence, as though His voice creates. His voice is its existence. That thing in your yard, that mangy apple or towering spruce, that thing is not the referent of His word. It is His word and its referent. If He were to stop talking, it wouldn't be there. Or do you think that its molecules and atoms and quarks are made of some mysterious self-sustaining matter that has always been and will always be, some infinite Play Doh or hydrogen, holy be its name?...Place your faith in the infinitude of matter if you like, and Chance will write the story. He'll shuffle together the pages, words, scribbles from different languages, other people's noses, and small bits of string, run it all through the mulcher, and spray it into your yard. Enjoy your novel." (Nate Wilson, Notes from a Tilt-a-Whirl, p. 43-44)
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 20
Q: 53. What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit?
A: First, that he is true and coeternal God with the Father and the Son; secondly, that he is also given me, to make me by a true faith, partaker of Christ and all his benefits, that he may comfort me and abide with me for ever.
A: First, that he is true and coeternal God with the Father and the Son; secondly, that he is also given me, to make me by a true faith, partaker of Christ and all his benefits, that he may comfort me and abide with me for ever.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 19
Q: 50. Why is it added, "and sits at the right hand of God"?
A: Because Christ is ascended into heaven for this end, that he might appear as head of his church, by whom the Father governs all things.
Q: 51. What profit is this glory of Christ, our head, unto us?
A: First, that by his Holy Spirit he pours out heavenly graces upon us his members; and then that by his power he defends and preserves us against all enemies.
Q: 62. What comfort is it to you that "Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead"?
A: That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person, who before offered himself for my sake, to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as judge from heaven: who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joys and glory.
A: Because Christ is ascended into heaven for this end, that he might appear as head of his church, by whom the Father governs all things.
Q: 51. What profit is this glory of Christ, our head, unto us?
A: First, that by his Holy Spirit he pours out heavenly graces upon us his members; and then that by his power he defends and preserves us against all enemies.
Q: 62. What comfort is it to you that "Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead"?
A: That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person, who before offered himself for my sake, to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as judge from heaven: who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joys and glory.
Give Me Witch Doctors
Nate Wilson's Book Notes from a Tilt-a-Whirl is one of the best books I have recently read. It stirred up gratitude within me for the world God has made. He affirms God's sovereignty over all of creation, but not with a grim countenance. Rather he rejoices in all that God has done, is doing and will do. I am not going to comment much on the book, but I thought I would post some of my favorite quotes.
After discussing various philosophers and their failure to explain the world Wilson says this:
Give me priests. Give me men with feathers in their hair or tall domed hats, female oracles in caves, servants of the python, smoking weed and reading palms. A gypsy fortune teller with a foot-pedal Ouija board and a gold fishbowl for a crystal ball knows more about the world than many of the great thinkers of the West. Mumbling priests swinging stinking cans on their chains and even witch doctors conjuring up curses with a well buried elephant tooth have a better sense of their places in the world. They know this universe is brimming with magic, with life and riddles and ironies. They know the world might eat them, and no encyclopedia could stop it...Marx called religion an opiate, and all too often it is. But philosophy is an anesthetic, a shot to keep the wonder away.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Words, Body, Tone
Lou Priolo has an excellent chapter on biblical communication being the key to dealing with anger. Here is a quote, " I don't believe you will ever solve your anger problems without making it your goal to become proficient in biblical communication." (p. 54) But what struck me most about the chapter was the way he addressed all three ways we communicate. He noted that we communicate by words, tone of voice and with our body (non-verbal communication). Here is another quote. "It is not enough to choose the right words. We must say the right words in a tone that is appropriate." (p. 56) His point throughout the chapter is that we must train our children to respond appropriately using all three modes of communication.
I am often happy if my child voices the words, "I'm sorry." Or "Yes Sir." But I am not nearly as diligent to make sure their tone and non-verbal communication is respectful and godly. As I have begun to work on those two other areas I have noticed that it is much more difficult for a child to fake all three modes of communication. Usually, their words are fine, but their tone is not. When I ask them to fix their tone it can take a while. They may need to sit down and think about how to respond. All in all I feel that by addressing all three areas of communication I am getting deeper into their heart.
I am often happy if my child voices the words, "I'm sorry." Or "Yes Sir." But I am not nearly as diligent to make sure their tone and non-verbal communication is respectful and godly. As I have begun to work on those two other areas I have noticed that it is much more difficult for a child to fake all three modes of communication. Usually, their words are fine, but their tone is not. When I ask them to fix their tone it can take a while. They may need to sit down and think about how to respond. All in all I feel that by addressing all three areas of communication I am getting deeper into their heart.
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 18
Q. 46. How do you understand these words, "he ascended into heaven"?
A: That Christ, in sight of his disciples, was taken up from earth into heaven; and that he continues there for our interest, until he comes again to judge the quick and the dead.
Q: 47. Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as he has promised?
A: Christ is very man and very God; with respect to his human nature, he is no more on earth; but with respect to his Godhead, majesty, grace and spirit, he is at no time absent from us.
Q: 48. But if his human nature is not present, wherever his Godhead is, are not then these two natures in Christ separated from one another?
A: Not as all, for since the Godhead is illimitable and omnipresent, it must necessarily follow that the same is beyond the limits of the human nature he assumed, and yet is nevertheless in this human nature, and remains personally united to it.
Q: 49. Of what advantage to us is Christ's ascension into heaven?
A: First, that he is our advocate in the presence of his Father in heaven; secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that he, as the head, will also take up to himself, us, his members; thirdly, that he sends us his Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we "seek the things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, and not things on earth."
A: That Christ, in sight of his disciples, was taken up from earth into heaven; and that he continues there for our interest, until he comes again to judge the quick and the dead.
Q: 47. Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as he has promised?
A: Christ is very man and very God; with respect to his human nature, he is no more on earth; but with respect to his Godhead, majesty, grace and spirit, he is at no time absent from us.
Q: 48. But if his human nature is not present, wherever his Godhead is, are not then these two natures in Christ separated from one another?
A: Not as all, for since the Godhead is illimitable and omnipresent, it must necessarily follow that the same is beyond the limits of the human nature he assumed, and yet is nevertheless in this human nature, and remains personally united to it.
Q: 49. Of what advantage to us is Christ's ascension into heaven?
A: First, that he is our advocate in the presence of his Father in heaven; secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that he, as the head, will also take up to himself, us, his members; thirdly, that he sends us his Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we "seek the things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, and not things on earth."
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Provocative Parenting II
I am working through Lou Priolo's book The Heart of Anger. Yesterday I posted the first ten ways we as parents provoke our children to anger. Here are the last fifteen.
1. Parents Reversing God-Given Roles
2. Not Listening to Your Child's Opinion or Taking Their Side of the Story Seriously
3. Comparing Them to Others
4. Not Making Time Just to Talk
5. Not Praising or Encouraging Your Child
6. Failing to Keep Your Promises
7. Chastening in Front of Others
8. Not Allowing Enough Freedom: His point here is that when a child demonstrates faithfulness they should be rewarded with more freedom. If a parent refuses to reward faithfulness they could provoke the child.
9. Allowing Too Much Freedom: His point here is that when a child demonstrates sinful behavior and it is not dealt with or the child continues to enjoy all privileges then the parents are provoking the child to anger.
10. Mocking Your Child
11. Abusing Them Physically
12. Ridiculing or Name Calling
13. Unrealistic Expectations
14. Practicing Favoritism
15. Child Training with Worldly Methodologies Inconsistent with God's Word
1. Parents Reversing God-Given Roles
2. Not Listening to Your Child's Opinion or Taking Their Side of the Story Seriously
3. Comparing Them to Others
4. Not Making Time Just to Talk
5. Not Praising or Encouraging Your Child
6. Failing to Keep Your Promises
7. Chastening in Front of Others
8. Not Allowing Enough Freedom: His point here is that when a child demonstrates faithfulness they should be rewarded with more freedom. If a parent refuses to reward faithfulness they could provoke the child.
9. Allowing Too Much Freedom: His point here is that when a child demonstrates sinful behavior and it is not dealt with or the child continues to enjoy all privileges then the parents are provoking the child to anger.
10. Mocking Your Child
11. Abusing Them Physically
12. Ridiculing or Name Calling
13. Unrealistic Expectations
14. Practicing Favoritism
15. Child Training with Worldly Methodologies Inconsistent with God's Word
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 17
Q: 45. What does the "resurrection" of Christ profit us?
A: First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, that he might make us partakers of that righteousness which he had purchased for us by his death; secondly, we are also by his power raised up to a new life; and lastly, the resurrection of Christ is a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection.
A: First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, that he might make us partakers of that righteousness which he had purchased for us by his death; secondly, we are also by his power raised up to a new life; and lastly, the resurrection of Christ is a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 16
Q: 40. Why was it necessary for Christ to humble himself even "unto death"?
A: Because with respect to the justice and truth of God, satisfaction for our sins could be made no otherwise, than by the death of the Son of God.
Q: 41. Why was he also "buried"?
A: Thereby to prove that he was really dead.
Q: 42. Since then Christ died for us, why must we also die?
A: Our death is not a satisfaction for our sins, but only an abolishing of sin, and a passage into eternal life.
Q: 43. What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?
A: That by virtue thereof, our old man is crucified, dead and buried with him; that so the corrupt inclinations of the flesh may no more reign in us; but that we may offer ourselves unto him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Q: 44. Why is there added, "he descended into hell"?
A: That in my greatest temptations, I may be assured, and wholly comfort myself in this, that my Lord Jesus Christ, by his inexpressible anguish, pains, terrors, and hellish agonies, in which he was plunged during all his sufferings, but especially on the cross, has delivered me from the anguish and torments of hell.
A: Because with respect to the justice and truth of God, satisfaction for our sins could be made no otherwise, than by the death of the Son of God.
Q: 41. Why was he also "buried"?
A: Thereby to prove that he was really dead.
Q: 42. Since then Christ died for us, why must we also die?
A: Our death is not a satisfaction for our sins, but only an abolishing of sin, and a passage into eternal life.
Q: 43. What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?
A: That by virtue thereof, our old man is crucified, dead and buried with him; that so the corrupt inclinations of the flesh may no more reign in us; but that we may offer ourselves unto him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Q: 44. Why is there added, "he descended into hell"?
A: That in my greatest temptations, I may be assured, and wholly comfort myself in this, that my Lord Jesus Christ, by his inexpressible anguish, pains, terrors, and hellish agonies, in which he was plunged during all his sufferings, but especially on the cross, has delivered me from the anguish and torments of hell.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Provocative Parenting
In the next chapter Lou Priolo lists twenty-five ways parents provoke their children to anger. Here are the first 10 on the list.
1. Lack of Marital Harmony
2. Establishing and Maintaining a Child-Center Home
3. Modeling Sinful Anger
4. Habitually Disciplining While Angry
5. Scolding
6. Being Inconsistent with Discipline
7. Having Double Standards
8. Being Legalistic
9. Not Admitting Your Wrong and Asking for Forgiveness
10. Constantly Finding Fault
1. Lack of Marital Harmony
2. Establishing and Maintaining a Child-Center Home
3. Modeling Sinful Anger
4. Habitually Disciplining While Angry
5. Scolding
6. Being Inconsistent with Discipline
7. Having Double Standards
8. Being Legalistic
9. Not Admitting Your Wrong and Asking for Forgiveness
10. Constantly Finding Fault
1st Sermon on Joel
Here is an outline of my first sermon on Joel.
Sermon: A Repentant People
Joel 1:1-20
I. Explication/Exegesis
Introduction to Joel
Joel never mentions any specific sin. He only mentions God’s judgment upon Israel for their sins. We also have no idea when Joel was written. There have been various guesses from 700 to 300 B.C. But John Calvin rightly says that we have no idea. Joel is generic. God in his providence has given us a book that walks us through repentance and the fruits that come from that repentance. It is as if God said, “Give my people something to use anytime I bring my judgment upon them, anytime my wrath rains down upon them.”
Joel is structured into two main sections with those two sections each divided into two sub-sections.
Joel 1:1-2:17 Israel is being judged by God and needs to repent.
Joel 1:1-20 A locust plague has come as judgment from God. Israel needs to repent.
Joel 2:1-17 The army of the Lord is coming. Israel needs to repent.
Joel 2:18-3:21 When Israel repents God will pour out his blessing upon her.
Joel 2:18-32 When Israel repents God will restore the land and pour out His Spirit.
Joel 3:1-21 When Israel repents God will judge the nations and restore Israel to her former glory.
II. Joel is telling us what a repentant people look like. This is a corporate repentance, not a private one.
a. A Repentant People have woken up to God’s judgment.
i. God wakes us up by His Word. (vs. 1)
ii. God wakes us up by taking away his blessings. (vs.
iii. God wakes us up by taking away true worship (vs. 9 & 16)
b. A Repentant People grieve over their sin.
i. Shame is key sign of a grieving over sin. Understanding we are exposed before God, that all our thoughts and desires are laid bare before his eyes.
ii. Lamentation is another sign of true grief. Here we have weeping like a young bride whose husband has died. A young bride who looked forward to long life and many years with her spouse, but in a blink the spouse is gone. The future forever changed.
iii. Wailing is the final picture Joel gives us of grieving over our sins.
iv. Emotion not a requirement. Too often those things which are commanded in Scripture are things we think should show up spontaneously. Rejoice Paul says. But we say I do not feel like rejoicing so if I rejoices I am being untrue. One of the great lies of romanticism is that we only do what we feel like doing. If we do what we don’t feel like doing we are being untrue to ourselves.
c. A Repentant People cry out to God.
i. The people are called upon to cry out. (vs. 14)
ii. Joel cries out to God. (vs.19)
iii. Even the beasts cry out to God (vs. 20)One of the primary places we cry out to God is in the worship service
Sermon: A Repentant People
Joel 1:1-20
I. Explication/Exegesis
Introduction to Joel
Joel never mentions any specific sin. He only mentions God’s judgment upon Israel for their sins. We also have no idea when Joel was written. There have been various guesses from 700 to 300 B.C. But John Calvin rightly says that we have no idea. Joel is generic. God in his providence has given us a book that walks us through repentance and the fruits that come from that repentance. It is as if God said, “Give my people something to use anytime I bring my judgment upon them, anytime my wrath rains down upon them.”
Joel is structured into two main sections with those two sections each divided into two sub-sections.
Joel 1:1-2:17 Israel is being judged by God and needs to repent.
Joel 1:1-20 A locust plague has come as judgment from God. Israel needs to repent.
Joel 2:1-17 The army of the Lord is coming. Israel needs to repent.
Joel 2:18-3:21 When Israel repents God will pour out his blessing upon her.
Joel 2:18-32 When Israel repents God will restore the land and pour out His Spirit.
Joel 3:1-21 When Israel repents God will judge the nations and restore Israel to her former glory.
II. Joel is telling us what a repentant people look like. This is a corporate repentance, not a private one.
a. A Repentant People have woken up to God’s judgment.
i. God wakes us up by His Word. (vs. 1)
ii. God wakes us up by taking away his blessings. (vs.
iii. God wakes us up by taking away true worship (vs. 9 & 16)
b. A Repentant People grieve over their sin.
i. Shame is key sign of a grieving over sin. Understanding we are exposed before God, that all our thoughts and desires are laid bare before his eyes.
ii. Lamentation is another sign of true grief. Here we have weeping like a young bride whose husband has died. A young bride who looked forward to long life and many years with her spouse, but in a blink the spouse is gone. The future forever changed.
iii. Wailing is the final picture Joel gives us of grieving over our sins.
iv. Emotion not a requirement. Too often those things which are commanded in Scripture are things we think should show up spontaneously. Rejoice Paul says. But we say I do not feel like rejoicing so if I rejoices I am being untrue. One of the great lies of romanticism is that we only do what we feel like doing. If we do what we don’t feel like doing we are being untrue to ourselves.
c. A Repentant People cry out to God.
i. The people are called upon to cry out. (vs. 14)
ii. Joel cries out to God. (vs.19)
iii. Even the beasts cry out to God (vs. 20)One of the primary places we cry out to God is in the worship service
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 15
Q: 37. What do you understand by the words, "He suffered"?
A: That he, all the time that he lived on earth, but especially at the end of his life, sustained in body and soul, the wrath of God against the sins of all mankind: that so by his passion, as the only propitiatory sacrifice, he might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the favor of God, righteousness and eternal life.
Q: 38. Why did he suffer "under Pontius Pilate, as judge"?
A: That he, being innocent, and yet condemned by a temporal judge, might thereby free us from the severe judgment of God to which we were exposed.
Q: 39. Is there anything more in his being "crucified", than if he had died some other death?
A: Yes there is; for thereby I am assured, that he took on him the curse which lay upon me; for the death of the cross was accursed of God.
A: That he, all the time that he lived on earth, but especially at the end of his life, sustained in body and soul, the wrath of God against the sins of all mankind: that so by his passion, as the only propitiatory sacrifice, he might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the favor of God, righteousness and eternal life.
Q: 38. Why did he suffer "under Pontius Pilate, as judge"?
A: That he, being innocent, and yet condemned by a temporal judge, might thereby free us from the severe judgment of God to which we were exposed.
Q: 39. Is there anything more in his being "crucified", than if he had died some other death?
A: Yes there is; for thereby I am assured, that he took on him the curse which lay upon me; for the death of the cross was accursed of God.
Monday, July 5, 2010
The Child-Centered Home
I just finished Lou Priolo's book, The Heart of Anger. I found it very helpful. It was filled with practical suggestions for getting to the problems that are causing anger in the home and in children. The book is filled with charts and lists, which the reader can easily refer back to when they need a refresher. Many of the suggestions he makes would apply just as easily to other sins, such as jealousy, laziness, or lust.
One of the first things he does is address the sins of the parents. He states that anger often resides in children because they live in a child-centered home. "A child-centered home is one in which a child believes and is allowed to behave as though the entire household, parents, siblings, and even pets exist for one purpose--to please him." (p. 24) You can see how this would create an angry environment. What is going to happen in a home like this when a child does not get his way? Anger. When I read this I immediately assumed my home was not a child centered home. But then Priolo lists several characteristics of child-centered home. Once I read the list I realized that a lot of these things do happen in my home.
You live in a child-centered home when children:
1. Interrupt adults when they are talking.
2. Use manipulation and rebellion to get their way.
3. Dictate family schedule, including meal times and bed times.
4. Take precedence over the needs of the spouse.
5. Have an equal or overriding vote in all decision making matters.
6. Demand excessive time and attention from parents to the detriment of the other biblical requirements of the parents.
7. Escape the consequences of their sinful and irresponsible behavior.
8. Speak to parents as though they were peers.
9. Are dominant influence in the home.
10. Are entertained and coddled, rather than disciplined, out of a bad mood.
One of the first things he does is address the sins of the parents. He states that anger often resides in children because they live in a child-centered home. "A child-centered home is one in which a child believes and is allowed to behave as though the entire household, parents, siblings, and even pets exist for one purpose--to please him." (p. 24) You can see how this would create an angry environment. What is going to happen in a home like this when a child does not get his way? Anger. When I read this I immediately assumed my home was not a child centered home. But then Priolo lists several characteristics of child-centered home. Once I read the list I realized that a lot of these things do happen in my home.
You live in a child-centered home when children:
1. Interrupt adults when they are talking.
2. Use manipulation and rebellion to get their way.
3. Dictate family schedule, including meal times and bed times.
4. Take precedence over the needs of the spouse.
5. Have an equal or overriding vote in all decision making matters.
6. Demand excessive time and attention from parents to the detriment of the other biblical requirements of the parents.
7. Escape the consequences of their sinful and irresponsible behavior.
8. Speak to parents as though they were peers.
9. Are dominant influence in the home.
10. Are entertained and coddled, rather than disciplined, out of a bad mood.
Daughters are Dangerous
Toby Sumpter is the pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, ID. Everything he writes is worth reading. He is a good, clear thinker who holds the faith without apology, but also holds it with love. I sat in on his ordination exam several years ago and was very impressed. Besides all of this he has a great red beard! Here is a link to one of his short posts on Exodus 1-2 where he explains that Pharaoh feared the males in Israel, but he should have feared the daughters. In accord with his post I have posted a picture of my daughters below. May they be like corner pillars in the palace of God.
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 14
Q 35. What is the meaning of these words "He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary"?
A: That God's eternal Son, who is, and continues true and eternal God, took upon him the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Spirit; that he might also be the true seed of David, like unto his brethren in all things, sin excepted.
Q: 36. What profit do you receive by Christ's holy conception and nativity?
A: That he is our Mediator; and with His innocence and perfect holiness, covers in the sight of God, my sins, wherein I was conceived and brought forth.
A: That God's eternal Son, who is, and continues true and eternal God, took upon him the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Spirit; that he might also be the true seed of David, like unto his brethren in all things, sin excepted.
Q: 36. What profit do you receive by Christ's holy conception and nativity?
A: That he is our Mediator; and with His innocence and perfect holiness, covers in the sight of God, my sins, wherein I was conceived and brought forth.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 13
Q: 33. Why is Christ called the "only begotten Son" of God, since we are also the children of God?
A: Because Christ alone is the eternal and natural Son of God; but we are children adopted of God, by grace, for his sake.
Q: 34. Why do you call him "our Lord"?
A: Because he hath redeemed us, both soul and body, from all our sins, not with silver or gold, but with his precious blood, and has delivered us from all the power of the devil; and thus has made us his own property.
A: Because Christ alone is the eternal and natural Son of God; but we are children adopted of God, by grace, for his sake.
Q: 34. Why do you call him "our Lord"?
A: Because he hath redeemed us, both soul and body, from all our sins, not with silver or gold, but with his precious blood, and has delivered us from all the power of the devil; and thus has made us his own property.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 12
Q: 31. Why is he called "Christ", that is anointed?
A: Because he is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and to be our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of his body, has redeemed us, and makes continual intercession with the Father for us; and also to be our eternal King, who governs us by his word and Spirit, and who defends and preserves us in that salvation, he has purchased for us.
Q: 32. But why are you called a Christian?
A: Because I am a member of Christ by faith, and thus am partaker of his anointing; that so I may confess his name, and present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him: and also that with a free and good conscience I may fight against sin and Satan in this life and afterwards I reign with him eternally, over all creatures.
A: Because he is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and to be our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of his body, has redeemed us, and makes continual intercession with the Father for us; and also to be our eternal King, who governs us by his word and Spirit, and who defends and preserves us in that salvation, he has purchased for us.
Q: 32. But why are you called a Christian?
A: Because I am a member of Christ by faith, and thus am partaker of his anointing; that so I may confess his name, and present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him: and also that with a free and good conscience I may fight against sin and Satan in this life and afterwards I reign with him eternally, over all creatures.
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