Exposing the Heresies of the Catholic Church: Mary Worship (from Grace to You)

In today's culture of never offending those who believe in false teachings, this is not the sort of post found far and wide. God bless John MacArthur for continuing to stand for what the Bible teaches. False beliefs are not a new idea, but soft-pedaling Christianity sure is, and we're seeing that everywhere. We can't be afraid to speak out and question what we're told...whether it be in our churches, home school groups, or political arenas.

Exposing the Heresies of the Catholic Church: Mary Worship

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

• by John MacArthur

After his prophetic vision of the eternal glories of heaven at the end of the book of Revelation, the apostle John described how he was overwhelmed by what he’d seen.

And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.” (Revelation22:8-9)

The Roman Catholic Church has committed the same error as John, promoting a mere citizen of heaven to an improper place of authority and honor. Despite the overwhelming testimony of Scripture, the Catholic Church has elevated Mary—a self-described servant of the Lord (Luke 1:38)—to the same level as God, if not higher.

In his Ineffabilis Deus in 1854, Pope Pius IX established as dogma the immaculate conception of Mary, which preserved her from inheriting original sin. His concluding statements provide a good summary of the Catholic view of Mary.

Let all the children of the Catholic Church, who are so very dear to us, hear these words of ours. With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love, let them continue to venerate, invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin. Let them fly with utter confidence to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears. Under her guidance, under her patronage, under her kindness and protection, nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless. Because, while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection and having in her care the work of our salvation, she is solicitous about the whole human race. And since she has been appointed by God to be the Queen of heaven and earth, and is exalted above all the choirs of angels and saints, and even stands at the right hand of her only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner. What she asks, she obtains. Her pleas can never be unheard.

Those words are echoed and expanded on throughout Roman Catholic history. Tradition dictates that Mary is part of the monarchy of heaven, soliciting grace and mercy from the Lord on behalf of sinners, and covering sin by distributing from her Treasury of Merit. She became a co-redeemer with Christ in His suffering on the cross, and is now a co-mediator alongside Him in heaven—essentially an alternative avenue of access to God. She replaces the Holy Spirit in bestowing aid and comfort to believers. In effect, she becomes an additional member of the Trinity.

That blasphemy stands in sharp contrast to what Scripture actually says about Mary, and even what she says about herself. Luke 1:46-55 records her humble reaction to the news that she would give birth to the Son of God.

And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”

The God she praised—the God of the Bible—does not need to be coaxed or wooed to distribute His blessings. He’s not harsh, distant, or indifferent—He’s gracious, righteous, and merciful. Rather than glorifying herself, she humbly worshiped the Lord.

Scripture actually has very little to say about Mary. There’s no description of her physical appearance, nothing about her life, her later years after Christ’s death, or her own death and burial. And when she does briefly appear with the disciples and the other believers on the day of Pentecost, she’s not an object of worship or even a leader in the early church—she’s just one among many. There simply are no biblical examples of anyone ever praying to her, honoring her, or venerating her.

Nor does she play a role in any biblical explanation of the gospel. Paul wrote a magnificent treatise on the doctrine of salvation that we know as the book of Romans, and all he said about the mother of Jesus is that she was “a descendent of David” (Romans 1:3). He’s even less specific in Galatians, another lengthy exposition of the pure, true gospel in which he simply said that Christ was “born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4).

Contrast that with the unending Catholic volumes on the life of Mary, the miracles of Mary, the death of Mary, the apparitions of Mary, and on and on it goes. That’s why it’s often a shock for Catholics to read the Bible and see how little is actually said about Mary.

But that’s what happens when you elevate tradition to the level of Scripture and ascribe to men the infallible characteristics that only belong to God. It warps the truth of Scripture and distorts the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

God alone is our Redeemer, our Deliverer, our Benefactor, and our Comforter. He alone is to be worshiped, venerated, adored, and petitioned. The testimony of Scripture is clear.

Gather yourselves and come; draw near together, you fugitives of the nations; they have no knowledge, who carry about their wooden idol and pray to a god who cannot save. Declare and set forth your case; indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. (Isaiah45:20-22)

Related Resources:

• Explaining the Heresy of Catholicism (sermon-series)

Cakes

  

Quick and Tasty Chicken Pot Pie

 

I know there are tons of recipes out there for pot pie. My sister gave me this one over the phone the other night and it was a hit. I mixed it up in minutes and popped it in the oven.The key is starting with a terrific chicken. We get ours from a local farm, organic feed and plenty of grass, plus the breed is high quality. This was meal 2/4 off of that bird...

Chicken Pot Pie

Cover 9 x 13 pan generously with chicken and if you have leftover potatoes or carrots, add them (from previous roasted chicken dinner)

1 bag mixed vegetables (I know, always included, but this is to be fast and easy!)

Take 1 cup of the broth (I always make home made and it adds a lot of flavor this dish, so if you must use bought broth, heavily season with things like pepper, garlic, parsley, and onion) and mix it with 2 cans of creamed soup. I used mushroom and chicken, could do any combo you like. Mix this with the aforementioned ingredients.

Sprinkle top thoroughly with chia seed, minced onion, pepper, parsley and if you want more garlic than the broth already has, add that, too (minced or grated).

Mix 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and 1 stick of melted butter. Pour over top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until top is nicely browned. This won't puff up like a dumplin', but it is really good. The butter is key :).

Is Contemplative Prayer OK?

When you hear the phrase 'contemplative prayer', do you realize what that means?

With contemplative prayer:

1. One purposefully allows or puts oneself into an altered state of consciousness.  They are opening themselves up to spiritual deception and evil spirits.  It is the practice of Zen Buddhism or Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation.  It is not Christianity. It is not meditating on the word of God to better understand it.  It is something else.  It is not Biblical prayer.

2. It denies the sufficiency of the Bible.  We need something else to hear from God.  The Bible is not sufficient by itself.

3. Underlying is the presumption that people have divinity within themselves inherently and not only through being born again.

4. People end up taking their own thoughts and calling them the Word of God. Everybody is having revelations, so-called.

5. It is an embrace of the pietism and monasticism historically found in the Roman Catholic Church.

6. It is fully entangled with pop-culture, positive psychology, self-esteem, and eastern mysticism which are completely devoid of the gospel and the things of God.

7. In the name of religion it doesn't lead people to Christ.

More thorough information on the dangers of Contemplative Prayer and what that actually means can be found on this site.

http://solasisters.blogspot.com/2012/05/dangers-of-contemplative-prayer.html#

Christians promoting unbiblical, mystical activities like Labyrinth walking and contemplative prayer are not far away...here is a 'Christian' retreat that encourages this in Lexington, VA:
http://www.strengthforthejourneyretreats.com/uploads/1/2/9/8/12989240/retreat_brochure_bellfry_dec__2012.pdf

More information regarding the Emergent Church:
[http://www.ericbarger.com/errors.emergent.htm] http://www.ericbarger.com/errors.emergent.htm

Foreign Languages for Homeschoolers

It's no surprise Spanish is out; it's so common. But Arabic, Japanese and Chinese are in.  :)

http://career-services.monster.com/yahooarticle/4-job-skills-that-no-longer-impress-recruiters#WT.mc_n=yta_fpt_article_4_job_skills_that_no_longer_impress_recruiters

**article no longer shows at this link

Reading "When Happily Ever After Shatters"

My friend's book arrived the other day, and tonight I read the first 7 chapters. 

If you are a child of divorce, have a close friend whose gone through divorce, are someone whose ever contemplated leaving your spouse, are someone whose dealt with adoption-abandonment issues, are someone who was victimized in a way that left you with anger difficulties, have had a friend or other loved one betray you...please consider reading Sue Birdseye's book, When Happily Ever After Shatters. 

Her situation is one of the worst imaginable, and yet the way God held her, and continues to, is an incredibly powerful testimony of His grace and ability. I know my perspective is a little different from someone who doesn't know her, but let me just tell you that she is who she portrays herself to be in her book. It isn't a façade. Since it is a book about abandonment of a spouse and how to get through it, being married will certainly help those other issues I mentioned because anyone who has a close friendship with their spouse will be able to understand the utter devastation Sue faced. She and her husband were friends-not strangers sharing a living space.

I hope that whether you are hurting personally or not, you'll consider getting this book as a resource for your 'counseling' library. It is sure to help someone before long.

 

2/15/13

True Grit

....men who cultivate their hair like lettuce

....hold it, wing those guns into the crik, I'm borrowing this wagon offa ya

John Wayne has some stuff I like.

No One Seeks After God

My husband and I were having a discussion on our walk today about a topic we haven't agreed on theologically. He has contended that the Bible teaches no one truly searches for God. I have said that I think people do, and used my life as an example. I don't believe it is correct to emotionalize our theology, but I do think God uses our personal lives as the framework whereby we come to faith. Ultimately, we cannot come to God outside of the Holy Spirit's drawing us. I get that. But until today what I'd been saying was my 'searching' for God, was actually just my searching for a cure to my misery. I knew something was missing and was looking in churches, but that still doesn't mean I was searching for God.

Romans 3:11 explains the state of depravity we are in when we are not Christians, as well as Ephesians 4:17-18. We have hard hearts, we do not seek to be told we are sinners. Yes, we want to feel better and yes we see something is wrong, but according to Scripture, we are so sinful we do not seek the One with the answers. The Holy Spirit draws us and in a way that no man can concretely explain (though many try to make it black or white) we go from not having faith and being unregenerate, to having faith and being reconciled to Christ. We'll all always differ on the exact order of events...I do not believe regeneration precedes faith or that faith precedes regeneration, but more that faith and regeneration are simultaneous. It doesn't really matter in the big scheme of things. What does matter is that we aren't walking about, outside of Christ, believing there is something good in us, because that does change the whole story of why Christ came for us.

If we were depraved, unable to be reconciled to God, Christ's sacrifice wouldn't have been needed.

I'm no theologian, I just wanted to explain something I'd never really realized. 

My previous thinking that I'd searched for God, when carried out, had some faulty ramifications. It's important to have the correct words to our testimony.

The reality is that I was hurting, sinful, and looking for relief in many places. At the end of my journey, I landed in various churches. I even heard the Truth and was then aware of my sin, and for 2 years after that, was miserable--knowing I was sinning, unable to stop, because the head knowledge I had, did nothing for my unrepentant state. It wasn't until I went back to college (it was a summer job when I attended a Pentecostal church where I first heard the gospel) and landed in a Bible believing church that not only preached truth, but discipled us, that I saw I wasn't just a sinner, but that I needed a Savior. I was lead to understand repentance and dying to self. It was then I submitted to God's authority in my life, admitted I needed Jesus' blood to wash me, and He then gave me the power to turn from my sin.

Within 6 months, from August 1996-January 1997, shortly after I'd turned 21, my life radically changed. After trying to stop cursing for years, it happened in a short time. After unsuccessfully trying to stop other habits for years, He set me free. He gave me a new place to live that was far more pleasing in His sight...my taste in music changed, the way I dressed changed, and it was all for the better. My pastor, during a conversation where I was sharing with him how I just didn't want to listen the music I was accustomed to listening to, told me I was becoming His disciple. It was incredible.

I wouldn't change what I lost for what I've gained. 

When we come to Christ we need to do so personally--sometimes very alone, and afterward, be willing to take the journey alone as long as He wills. The changes that happened to me, well, many were the desires of my heart for years...and looking back I think God honored those desires once my heart belonged to Him because they weren't selfish anymore, I wanted to please Him.

Friend, don't be afraid to leave the religion of your family, the comfort of your friends, or the lifestyle of those around you if it means casting off what will condemn you to Hell and putting on the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is some good information in this long explanation of Romans 3:10-11.

Doing Our Best

I was at our local Patient First today with a friend, who then needed to go on to a hospital. There are several in my area, and she wanted to go to a newer one I've never been to. The day involved calling her regular doctor before we even went to Patient First...and thus, the title of my post, "Doing Our Best".

The receptionist at the doctor's office was definitely not revealing she is in the right job for her personality. Thankfully I wasn't free to stop over there after hanging up the phone. Were her boss standing there, she would have been better. At Patient First they tried to ask the right questions and I was happy with how things went, but sometimes the elderly don't remember things, and they are doing their best...so it's OK. Moving on to the hospital. Nothing I saw today would  make me want to head south on 95 to go there over the 2 options up my way...until this beautiful nicely dressed woman happened by to help us...and it turned out she is the COO of the entire hospital. She probably noticed the blood all over the blanket from a sloppy IV situation and vials left sitting on the counter, and she definitely noticed I didn't know the doctor's name since some info on the white board (dated 2 days ago) was incorrect....it was interesting to see the nurse's personality improve with the COO in the room. The COO was doing HER best, but the nurse wasn't until she was watched. And the sloppy phlebotomist? If she was doing her best, maybe she needed a nap.

I know we can't all be on our best all day, each day, but when you are in the medical field, there is a measure of kindness and competence that is expected. People who are being tested, especially the very old, need gentleness and heated blankets for crying out loud. It doesn't make you feel good when you are the person pointing out what the problem seems to be with the patient, either...especially when the first location ignores you and the 2nd one agrees but takes forever addressing it.

It all serves as a reminder to me as a Christian, am I doing my best, realizing God is continually aware of my thoughts and actions?

I'd Like to Be Sleeping, You?

I've got a cold, so instead of sleeping, am wide awake in my long-sleeved pink polka dot flannel nightgown and colonial era mop cap. It's true. I was freezing...and was dozing, until hubby brought me a drink of much-needed and requested, water. Since then, the mind has raced. Today is the 16th anniversary of my mom's passing...my oldest sister's birthday, and a night my oldest daughter achieved a great feat in gymnastics. Today, at midnight exactly 24 hrs ago,  I registered for 80% of our classes for next year...and then today CC and Essentials were busy and fun. My class is adorable and in Essentials I saw my girls read their lengthiest papers in a class together for the first and last time... it was a milestone day in some ways.

So, I'm up, taking NyQuil and checking the Inbox. My husband sent this to me, while I was dozing earlier (those were fun times, I might add)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Does It Mean to Make Disciples?

Thursday, February 07, 2013

by John MacArthur

In describing the purpose statement of the church, many people point to Christ’s instruction in the Great Commission to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).

But depending on whom you ask, you might find a wide variety of interpretations regarding what it actually means to “make disciples.” Most churches today understand it as a command to evangelize the world—to lead people to faith and repentance in every corner of the world and spread the gospel as far as possible.

And while there is certainly an evangelistic aspect to Christ’s command, His instructions go beyond just spreading the gospel. The verb translated as “make disciples”—mathēteuō—is beautifully complex, carrying more meaning than simply accumulating converts. It communicates the idea of a learning believer—someone who is growing in his faith and his love for the Lord.

Jesus’ words emphasize not the moment of salvation but the lifetime of sanctification that follows. He made the same point in John 8:31 when He said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” It’s the difference between a one-time profession of faith and a lifetime of spiritual growth and increasing godliness—between counterfeit and genuine conversion.

But if the mission of the church is to make growing, learning believers in all nations, why do many congregations limit their efforts to filling seats—often by meeting felt needs with worldly gimmicks? That strategy might attract non-believers, but how does it promote the spiritual growth of the believers already in their midst? How can you stress the vital importance of sanctification when you’re aggressively chasing the trends and interests of a spiritually bankrupt world?

Too many popular preachers and churches today claim they’re not interested in reaching believers—that their sermons and services are intended solely for unsaved seekers. They even actively discourage believers who want to dig deeper into the riches of Scripture—who hunger for more than just the most basic elements of the gospel, if they’re even getting that much.

But those churches have little hope of ever prompting people past the moment of salvation into a life of sanctification. In fact, they’re far more likely to lead men and women to shallow faith, stunted spiritual growth, and, sadly, false conversion.

As defined by Christ’s command to His disciples, the purpose of the church is to make learning believers—men and women whose lives reflect a deep commitment to and love for the Lord, His Word, and His people. Are you actively helping your congregation grow in this clear and critical purpose for the church?

Cajun Wednesday Night Dinner

With 2 sick daughters, our school day was atypical. Really this week, each child has had one day off due to this nasty cold going around. I've cleaned the air purifier, changed the furnace filter, and have vacuumed out the vents. The pets have been to the groomer and are amazingly soft and clean. Tons of paint samples are splattered in my dining room and the house is generally in order...so what's a Mom with a little free time to do? Go to the store so she can cook for a couple of hours!

This post originally had pictures and commentary of the meal found here: https://unorthodoxepicure.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/confession-no-79-loaded-questions-still-get-the-best-of-me/. Just realized in 2025 that I never updated this without the pics! Time flies!

Letting Go, A Little At A Time

2/5/13

I love home schooling. When the journey began, I envisioned long skirts, long hair, all of us around the table working together in a harmonious unity. Thoughts of co-ops or online schools never entered my mind. We were going to grow and learn on this journey together. I felt Mom could surely teach everything effectively. That was about 9 years ago.

Now that we're looking at a rising 7th grader, 5th grader, and 3rd grader, my perspective has changed quite significantly. While I think it is possible for Mom to teach and do far better than the hedonistic public school curriculum, balancing all the variables we believe are important while doing so, is a tall order for this Mom. We strive to classically educate, which brings in aspects of learning that we didn't know existed as we worked with our budding 3 year old so long ago.

Classical education is a terrific fit for our family. The memory work has proven invaluable for teaching them how to retain information. All three of our children have excelled in this department while we've been in a Classical Conversations community. CC has brought to light how much children can memorize, and through the years as our confidence has grown (each of ours!), we've seen the fruit of what they have accomplished in other areas of life.

All of this said, what Classical Ed. brings to the table are classes beyond our ability. In theory, we could take the time to learn every subject well enough to teach it, but the time and energy that would take is more than we're willing to spend. Many other things we're not willing to sacrifice like an organized sanctuary to dwell in, would have to fall off the table. Some subjects take a lot of preparation and learning...Logic and Latin, for example. Rudimentary levels can be learned with Mom or even DVD's, but neither of these is a substitute for a master instructor. Logic is so important in today's world~so few people know how to think rightly (of course without God, that won't happen no matter how much educating one has). There is so much more to a thorough classical education now than when classical ed. was predominate (look at all the advances with mathematics and science, for example).

Throughout history, master instructors or tutors have been tasked with bringing along the next generation. As our children age, the areas we feel a master teacher is needed, grow. Since we are selective about a teacher's worldview, online schools have been a good route. The teacher has some influence, but not too much, and there are schools whose beliefs are spelled out pretty well. I feel with this approach, the teacher has opportunity for input beyond the class material, but not more than I'm comfortable handing over to a grown-up I don't truly know.

Let the reader please realize, a public school teacher and many private teachers are not masters of their field. The useful idiots of Communism were people who really believed in the cause and that they were making a helpful difference, yet they were just pawns in a much larger, far more sinister game...I think the same goes for many public school educators today. They go along with what they are told, doing a poor job of educating, yet believing it is superior to what a parent could do or what teachers have done in the past. Student's aren't taught at a high level, nor are they taught to think. In the USA most teachers are from the lower percentages grade-wise (I've heard they are in the lower 40% to the lower 10%). Bottom line, teachers and society 'think' they are the brightest of the bright, but the statistics and results we see across the board in this nation tell a different story.

In sum, choosing online classes with teachers who have a Biblical worldview, as best we can, is what I consider a terrific solution to many of the challenges home educators face. Learning to manage a schedule, having deadlines, taking real quizzes  and tests, and answering to someone other than Mom for assignments, helps students mature and take ownership of their education.

In today's world of mysticism infiltrating the church, we have to be careful who we'll entrust with our children for long lengths of time. One rule of thumb I try to employ is to look at the church a person attends, and their own family and children to see if I like what I see. This goes for if I'm interested in modeling what someone else is doing as well, which usually, I'm not.

For the record, just because a parent has realized they should have done some things differently with their children, they aren't automatically  qualified to 'do it a different way' with your children. How can you know the root of their mistaken path before has now landed in the right place? Do you want to take the risk now with your kids to see if their 'great awakening' is on the  money?

Keep doing what you think is best as you home educate, with the resources God has provided. If online classes are out of reach, seek the Lord on what His best option is for your family. Pretty much anything will be better than public school, and probably many private. If you are convinced online classes are impersonal, sit in on one sometime. We've found them to be very helpful for educating, while still sheltering to a degree. Be confident in how you are raising your family. If you aren't, make changes!

~Ann

Superbowl Commercial-God Made A Farmer

http://youtu.be/sillEgUHGC4

I wish this could be embedded so you could just watch it here; I'm sure many of you already saw it! We viewed the game via Internet, so the commercials people get so excited about weren't viewed by me until now. I don't know how you can't get choked up watching this, but maybe it's because of my worldview.

I'll tell ya, the commercial that really got me going was the Clydesdale one. It doesn't make me want to start drinking beer, but the farmer one makes me wish I'd buy a Dodge!

Command Hooks

I really should get up and take a few pictures of all the glorious uses for Command hooks in our home which have helped me get organized and feel less stress!

When you walk in our house there is a closet for coats, which could easily be bigger, but it is adequate. My younger children can't reach the bar, and putting in a lower one hasn't been an option because of how we use the lower space....solution: Command hooks on the back of the door. It's also where I stow the dog's harness and leash, and I hang a few canvas bags for piano lesson day. The kids can quickly pack up what they need to take, using those easy-to-locate bags.

Another key location for the very small hooks--one of my kitchen cabinets under the sink. I hang the travel sized Norwex cloths there. Along a wall in my kitchen that is hidden to the majority of people, I have a few larger hooks for the wet Norwex mop pad and full-sized Norwex antibac cloths and polishing cloths.

In the kid's bathroom I have one hook on the back of the door, lower than the permanent nice one, and my next move is to put a few on the shower door so I can hang their Norwex face cloths there. The curtain can be pulled to hide them once they are dry.

I've got the hooks in my bathroom as well, for Norwex and a basket that holds some items I want easy access to monthly. Command hooks aren't beautiful, but I'm continually repurposing space in our home, and the versatility of them is priceless. I use nails to hang laundry baskets up above my head in our laundry room, but you could use the heavy-duty hooks for that even!

Voter Registration at Church

What do I think of this practice? Having someone at church set up to register folks to vote...is it OK? I think it is really best to register people to vote somewhere besides church. Have pamphlets available so people know where else to go to register, but Sunday should be about God and worshiping Him. I don't think taking the focus off of God for political activism is worthwhile. Politics and doing the 'right thing' aren't going to strengthen the body for the labors to be done that week, nor will it transform a life. What of people visiting the church for the first time...is there a chance voter registration would hinder them really understanding the purpose of the church? Regardless of what you think of that, to me it's just not something that really needs to be brought in to church. I continue to believe that if a pastor is teaching rightly in a Christian church, the members will be moved by God to do what they ought to do, which is vote and vote pro-life.

I've heard it said that politics turns the mission field into the enemy. This always gives me pause.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones--A Thought Provoking Man of God

From pg. 44, "I have no hesitation again in asserting that the failure of the Church to have a greater impact upon the life of men and women in the world today is due entirely to the fact that her own life is not in order." D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

I've recently begun to read Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, which is a book of 30 profound sermons given by what is appearing to be one of the greatest theological minds I've encountered. Granted, my husband poured over this for 6 months, and he is an incredible thinker whose spiritual giftings include wisdom and discernment. His accolades regarding Mr. Jones play in to my opinion, but on my own I'm amazed at the light he is bringing to the Sermon on the Mount. I've been a follower of Christ for nearly 20 years, and I find myself realizing I don't understand what it is all about nearly as much as I could or should. In 1959, Martyn Lloyd-Jones was saying what we are seeing even now in the churches. Somehow it is timeless.

I wish I had the ability to execute a thoughtful explanation of why this is the case after just 4 chapters, but it is really above my abilities. I just  know that it is taking my breath away, and making me want to keep learning and reading. I want so much to be like Jesus...and not some idea gained from church goers that other people admire (did that one already). I'm starting to look more at the idea that the narrow gate we're to enter through is very, very narrow indeed, and that for a long time I've just been content to be better than 'so and so', so to speak.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm so far from where I'm seeing and learning holiness lies. It isn't in giving up everything and serving in some remote part of the world as many would have us believe...it isn't in working for the church as a volunteer or a paid employee...it isn't in home educating, not drinking alcohol, exercising and eating organic, shunning modern medicine or any other cause celeb floating about right now amongst certain niches. It is much more than caring for the elderly or doing a church service in a nursing home...it's more than serving others, especially those of the household of faith.It's more than submitting to my husband, giving the best of my time and energy to my children and others who need me...it is more than all of the doing my life is defined by.

There is something more to living for Christ, and more importantly, dying to myself, that I don't think I've done, and I'm seeing that in the opening words of the Sermon on the Mount. A beautiful piece that we can mistakenly gloss over while we hurriedly imitate Martha.

God help me grow more empty of myself. Help me love you more and have more faith...help me bless others with absolutely no thought of myself.  Right living is sure part of it, but it has to be an outflow of personal conviction in order to please You...and while I am living how I want to and believe it is right, I know my heart is often wicked and ugly. For the first time in many years I see there is so much more to you, and it's not a change of theology like so many seem to do at this stage of the game, it's studying Your Word more and delving deep in to what it means to be a disciple of Yours that I'm seeking.

Don't you ever just want more of the Lord? Do you ever get tired of the difficult cycles you run through month in and month out--emotionally, psychologically...? I'm convinced that we are more than conquerors because of Christ in us (if we're His own), and I'm also convinced no person can advise or counsel into what I'm seeking. I've spent so much time since becoming a Christian doing things other than deep study. I've wanted friends, to be comfortable, to be organized, to have a successful home school, to have well-behaved children that love the Lord, to serve in various ministries as a family, to raise chickens, learn to make good cakes, can fresh fruits, be in shape...the list goes on.

Now I just want to be more like Christ, and sadly, some of the reasons are still selfish--because I want to ultimately have total contentment and because I believe that right thinking will be a natural outflow of drawing closer and closer to God, through Christ. Lord, help it be because I love You and only because I love you.