Christians in danger in Iraq. The Iraqi government has increased security for Christian places of worship after the latest string of bombings killed four people and wounded another 35. The Christian Post reports Maj. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf, Iraq�s Interior Ministry spokesman, said the ministry issued directives to raise security at churches across the country. Meanwhile, Iraq�s vice president Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni Muslim, �strongly condemned� the attacks on churches in a statement posted on his website. The top United Nations envoy to Iraq also called on all parties, including the government, to redouble their efforts to protect the country�s Christians, as well as its other minority communities.
Father, please protect our brothers and sisters in that hostile environment. And keep them spiritually strong in the face of this persecution.
5 Ignorant judges! Head-in-the-sand judges!
They haven't a clue to what's going on.
And now everything's falling apart,
the world's coming unglued.
6-7 "I commissioned you judges, each one of you,
deputies of the High God,
But you've betrayed your commission
and now you're stripped of your rank, busted."
8 O God, give them their just deserts!
You've got the whole world in your hands! (The Message)
"...although the whole world is shaken to its foundations, [the judges], notwithstanding, continue thoughtless and secure in the neglect of their duty. What chiefly deprives them of understanding is, that, being dazzled with their own splendour, and perversely shaking off every yoke, no religious considerations have the effect of inclining them to moderation. All sound knowledge and wisdom must commence with yielding to God the honour which is his due, and submitting to be restrained and governed by his word."
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
"The Public Reading"
Weekend Reading
It's very clear that at least one thing Paul wants done in the church assemblies is for Scripture to be read. The practice in the synagogue was to unroll the scrolls of Scripture, read a portion, mark where they stopped, and pick up there the next week. It was a practice known as lectio continua, or consecutive, sequential readings. It was not, as our modern practice, lectio selecta, "readings selected from here or there."
Jesus, Paul, and others gave us examples of this practice in the New Testament, and James spoke of it in Acts 15:21.
The practice of lectio continua continued in the early church until the time of Gregory the Great (540-604 AD). After this time period, the church began adopting the lectio selecta approach. This practice, however, was unsatisfactory to the Reformers, who once again began requiring lectio continua readings in their churches. This practice continued to be the norm well into the nineteenth century.
The author of the article speaks of being a member of churches all his life that held high views of Scripture, yet not one of them seemed to pay attention to 1 Timothy 4:13, Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. (ESV)
"What is a proper sermon? It is an explanation of the reading." If you read the passage in Luke 4:16-21, Jesus read the passage for the day (he didn't use lectio selecta), and then expounded on it.
"The sermons of Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD), Origen (185-254), Chrysostom (347-407), and Augustine (354-430) provide abundant testimony to the practice of sequential expository or lectio continua preaching in the early centuries of the church."
Medieval preachers abandoned that practice, but Reformers brought it back. Modern preaching has, once again, abandoned it. "Topical sermons, only slightly related to a text of Scripture and addressing felt needs, have become the norm."
I agree with this author and feel strongly that we need to return to substantial Scripture readings in our churches. There is a published lectionary that goes through the Scriptures in sequential order. I believe all Catholic churches follow this exclusively, and some "mainline" Protestant churches as well. I'm not saying that all churches should read the same Scripture passages each Sunday, but, on the other hand, can you imagine the power of God that could be brought forth if every gathering of his Church read the same Scriptures and had teaching from it that was "God-breathed," rather than "man-made?" As Mercy Me said, "I can only imagine..."
"Dependent Discipline"
1 Timothy 4:7
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; (ESV)
An airplane cannot fly with only one wing. Neither can we get by by depending on only God or discipline in our pursuit of holiness. We must have both.
"Discipline," in this context, "refers to activities designed to train a person in a particular skill." When Paul used the word "train," he was borrowing a term typically used for athletes. Later, it came to mean also mental and moral training. Paul, however, is using it to refer to spiritual training.
We must, however, not rely on these disciplines alone. What are these "disciplines?" There are a variety of lists, but the basic ones are prayer, Bible reading/study, meditation, fasting, the list goes on. But we must also rely on the Holy Spirit to enable us.
Neither must we rely on God alone. We have a responsibility, not to help God, for he certainly needs no help. But he enables us to do the work, and we must do the work. He will not "grow" us without us working to achieve growth.
Yes, we are to have total dependence on God, and yes, we are to do the work. Can't have one without the other...
I pray again for our government leaders, that they would uphold the responsibilities that they have to "we the people." It is obvious that a large number of them have, indeed, become "dazzled with their own splendour." I pray that you shake them to their very foundations, and cause them to be reliant on you for direction and wisdom.
I pray, once again, for the state of preaching in our churches. Place in our hearts the desire to hear more Scripture read from the pulpit. Inspire our preachers to want to read more Scripture, and keep their "sermons" to the explanation of what has been read.
I pray, also, Lord, for myself, that I might be fully relying on you, as well as practicing the disciplines that can aid my pursuit of holiness. I can say, truthfully, that my pursuit has stagnated somewhat in recent days. Let me get back on the right path and stay with it.
Grace and peace, friends.