Development Economics to Believe In --- Private Schooling in Less Developed Economies

I'm copying Dr. Pete Boettke's post from Coordination Problem below.  I'm currently reading a good book related to this, "The Beautiful Tree", by James Tooley, on how the world's poor are educating themselves (that is to say, even in the depths of utter poverty parents are finding it more worthwhile to pay to send their kids to local private schools than send them (for free) to government schools.).  None of this is new information for me but it's nice to read a book which gives a lot of hard data and many different examples.

Prof. Pauline Dixon is one of the great spokespersons for private schooling throughout the world.  Her work has taken her into the field all over the world, and she has found her voice as a scholar/intellectual through telling these real stories of bottom up life affirming development.  Recently she gave a Ted talk on this topic.

When in Rome...

A friend recently asked for tips on what to do/see in Rome. Below is what I wrote:

With four full days you have scheduled enough time to really see everything there is to see and not feel like you've missed out. My first piece of advice on what to say and do is to look for the things on the map or in guidebook that interest you and do them.  And then do those things that may not really ring a bell or strike an interest with you because you'll either be in the area and/or you might as simply because you've flown half way around the world. And even if you don't know what Trajan's column is, you'll be glad to have seen it in person and learned about it once you visit it.  Bring comfortable walking shoes. The ancient streets aren't exactly smooth. Bring a good camera if you want decent photos. Avoid talking politics with the Italians (yeah, I made that mistake).

There are some sites where I highly recommend paying the money to go on a good tour:
-The Vatican (my tour was 50$ maybe?). Plan on this taking at least half a day.
-The Forum. Plan on a couple hours.
-The Coliseum
Even those well versed in ancient Rome have a bit to learn from these tours.

Probably not on your list but should be:
The Corsini Gallery - This will be hard to find (you know how it is navigating ancient cities and streets named in language you don't know!), but well, well worth it.  The area has some decent restaurants, which leads me to my next point and general applies to any city... 
Look for those restaurants that aren't touristy. Best way is to find a place that doesn't have an English menu. Sometimes that's pretty hard though.  You must get some Italian pizza. (This is the only team I condone eating pizza....) You will think much less of the way we do pizza here in the States after you've had it in Rome.  Are you traveling with others? If so, that will make the pizza ordering easier and more fun. I enjoyed sitting in a couple different parks and simply people watching. These are clearly labeled on your map and easily accessible from the tourist areas. 

There are three major catacombs in the area. I wish I remembered which one I visited. All I remember is it was one long walk down the Appian Way.  But anyway, visit some catacombs.

Visit the Circus Maximus. Not much is left there, but that's actually where most of the Christian persecution happened (not the Coliseum). 

There is a circular castle-like structure across the river which I forgot the name of that you should visit. It's not terribly remarkable, but I'm personally a big fan of the massive statue of Michael the Archangel who stands at the top of it. For those of us who grew up with Kincaid and Precious Moments art like this is a needed reminder I think.

You'll find that a lot of stuff is all in the same area: Trajan's marketplace, the Forum, the old palaces, the coliseum,  and so forth.  I remember there being a museum or two I couldn't squeeze in but given I can't remember them must have not been that big of a deal. I don't remember classical music performance being a big to do in Rome. Walk your miles during the day then get back to your room at night and rest up.

I know you would enjoy cathedrals but I honestly don't remember much in the way of cathedrals in Rome. There were a couple and picturesque on the outside, but I don't remember seeing many and not sure of ability to go inside. I'm sure asking a tour guide (on a different tour) could maybe help you though. 

If you have the time, I strongly recommend making a day trip to near by Tivoli (by train). Many aristocrats and senators lived out that way and there are some mighty nice remains in good condition of estates.

Venice - Please, go to classical music concerts and see Vivaldi attractions. I have no idea what's there in the way of Vivaldi but there's got to be something given that he lived and composed there.  Venice stinks. Bring some vaseline - or whatever works for your nose - to block out bad smell.

3 questions to remember -

According to Tom Sowell, there are three arguments that destroy most arguments on the left (or, most arguments in favor of government intervention):

1.) Compared to what?

2.) At what cost?

3.) What hard evidence do you have?

There are very few ideas (if any?) ideas for government intervention that can pass all three of those.  I personally, think Sowell has too high a view of conservatism. But hey, lets not argue over minutia.

From this video, which is superb:

The Wisdom of Thomas Sowell pt 2

“Time and again, over the centuries, price controls have produced three things: shortages, quality deterioration, and black markets. Why would anyone want any of those things with pharmaceutical drugs?”

“Some ideas sound so plausible that they can fail nine times in a row and still be believed the tenth time. Other ideas sound so implausible that they can succeed nine times in a row and still not be believed the tenth time. Government controls in the economy are among the first kinds of ideas and the operations of a free market are among the second kind.”

“Imagine that a genie magically appeared and offered to grant you one wish – and, being a decent sort, you wished that everyone’s income would be doubled. That could bring down on you the wrath of the political left, because it would mean that the gap between the rich and the poor widened.”

To know and be known pt. 2

Perhaps you've had the experience of taking a personality test of some sort and experiencing shock at reading the results.  The shock likely wasn't because you learned something new but at how well it nailed you.  I mean, if I were to walk up to you (assume I don't' know you well) and tell you how you operate. You'd say, "Whoa! How'd you know?!"  So it's even more shocking when a computer can accurately tell us about ourselves. 

On a recent test the computerized report also told me about my sense of humor. Whoa Mr. Computadora. It's one thing to tell me I'm driven and analytical but now you're telling me I also have dry humor? We like these tests, especially when they turn out accurate. We like saying, "yes, yes, that's me alright."  I think this is for a couple reasons:
1) It satisfies a need when we are known (even by a computer).
2) It is hard to know or own up to ourselves accurately, so when someone can systematically lay out who we are, the strengths and weaknesses it is helpful to have that. 

But how much more to be known by another human and to know someone else like that?  I think this is one thing to consciously strive for in friendships.  Where does someone thrive, where are they weak, what do they enjoy, etc.  It is that deepness of knowing that strengthens the bonds.  For instance, there are some things about me, like my political views, that only a few people accurately know.  Not only that, they accept that about me, or don't judge - heck some even agree, which is an added bonus. 

How well do others truly know you and how well do you truly know yourself?

The Wisdom of Thomas Sowell

“If the battle for civilization comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win.”

“Sometimes life seems like Italian opera music -- beautiful but heart breaking.”

“Too many in the media act as if decency is a violation of the First Amendment.”

“I m so old that I can remember when other people’s achievements were considered an inspiration, rather than a grievance.”

“We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did we all are responsible for what somebody else did.”

 

Doing vs. Being

This thought is still in embryo so bear with me if it at all seems unclear or vague-

It seems we live in an age when being busy is the standard to measure up to. We must always be doing something. And not only that, but make sure to broadcast it to the world and our "friends" on Facebook.  If we don't have our schedule filled from dawn to dusk we must be missing something or are lazy.  If our kids aren't involved in activities to the point we're always scrambling to get them places and working out complex plans for vehicle use and scheduling we have too much time on our hands. 

Whatever happened to simply being? Why must we always do, do, do?  Of course, we tell ourselves "It won't always be like this. Things will slow down eventually." And of course, they don't, because a conscious decision is never made to make it happen.  That was my problem in college and in recent years.  Do this, do that, accomplish this, accomplish that.

But God didn't say

Do things, and know that I am God.

He said

Be still and know that I am God.

Yet, even in trying to know God, we try to do. We put in hours of study, we think, we reason, we read, we debate, discuss, always doing.  But what about simply being? Now, all these things have their place: we ought to study, and do hard thinking, and reason from the Word.  But God is not interested in simply being analyzed. He wants to be known, truly known, by you and by me. 

The titles of two songs I am listening to right now just struck me: Bist du bei mir (Be thou with me; J. S. Bach), and Abide with me (Henry Lyte). Incidentally, both the titles mean the same thing.  Note that the titles do not say, "study me" or "do things for me". Simply, "be with me". 

Perhaps we ought to value that hour of simply being - praying, meditating, listening, contemplating - even more than the one day full of doing. 

Does God fall in Love?

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."

‎God does not 'fall in love' with the elect; he does not 'fall in love' with us; he sets his affection on us. He does not predestine us out of some stern whimsy; rather, in love he predestines us to be adopted as his sons. The texts themselves tie the love of God to other perfections in God. - Don Carson

To know and be known

These are our two deepest desires.

In an ultimate sense, we were designed to know God and be known by Him.  There is no knowing richer than that.  Without God, we will look for others to know us in the way only God can.

After this, we were designed to know others and be known by them. Man was not made to be alone (nor even to simply be known by other men for that matter).  It is only in community of fellowship that we grow (as iron sharpens iron).  And while it is the bonds of this community that can bring out our deepest sorrows they also bring incredible joys. A person cannot have near the same kind of intricate and intimate relationship with a dog as they can with another person.  Why is this? There is not much about me  a dog can know (and empathize, sympathize with, etc.), nor is there much about a dog for me to know.  But of another person - well, why else could a friendship last a lifetime than that the knowing of one another never ceased and always grew. There was and always is more.

This is probably why we are really attracted to things like Facebook.  It allows us (on a superficial level) to make ourselves known (inasmuch as we are honest about ourselves) and know others (inasmuch as they are honest).

But whatever happened to real knowing, to truly being with someone?  I learned a good practice recently when with friends I hope to spread and practice more on my own now.  When out to eat (or I suppose this could apply to when simply hanging out without food), everyone stacks their phones on the table and is not allowed to get their phone til the meeting disperses.  Of course, we've all been out with others and either been on our phone ourselves for some reason (check facebook perhaps, since our current friend isn't enough?) and our friend has been on their phone.  This puts an end to all that. We can get on our phones anytime. But during this time of fellowship with with others, why should we act as if a text or app is more important than they are at that present time?   Like most rules, this probably shouldn't be stuck to religiously (a friend of mine does on occasion get urgent calls or emails), but sticking to it even for a few minutes could make a world of difference in your ability to truly be with someone and their ability to truly be and listen to you. 

What Undergirds God's Love for you?

"Certainly there is endless ground for wonder in the Father's love for us, in Jesus' love for us. But undergirding them, more basic than they are, is the Father's love for the Son." -D.A. Carson

"True, 'God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son' - there the object of God's love is the world. But the standard has already been set. What is its measure? God so loved the world *that he gave his Son*."

(The difficult doctrine of the love of God)

 

Musings on St. Paul's Letters

I wonder (and suspect) if Paul ever wrote his letters over prolonged periods of time.

    If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain..."

So he apparently went from indecision to decision in just a few seconds?  Or there are the more lengthy letters like Romans. I can imagine him dictating one thought at a time to his secretary then perhaps coming back to the letter later.  The letter may be quick (relatively) to read but think about something you yourself write, be it a letter, document, paper, magnum opus, etc.  You don't just sit down at one sitting and pump it out (or maybe you do!).  It's written over days and reworked and rewritten.  Of course, we don't exactly how the inspiration of the Spirit played out either.

I can imagine Paul and Tychicus reaching the end of Romans 11

    Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
    “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
        or who has been his counselor?”
    “Or who has given a gift to him
        that he might be repaid?”
    For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

And Paul saying, "Alright, Tychicus, what else should we do but walk around the lake and sing?"  Or imagine the original letters themselves.  Tychicus probably had handwriting I don't have, thus it was legible, but more than that I suspect, he wrote with a style appropriate to the words. I mean, what kind of depth and elegance must he have used with the above words?! 

Pray big

Don't underestimate the power and joy of God in providing for his children like you. Incidentally, with such a generous King as our father we have the privilege of asking for and receiving unthought resources from his never-ending stores.

If this doesn't ring true for you you may be resting your faith in yourself or some other earthly king for  finite and ill-gotten provision.

North Carolina pictures

I recently spent a weekend in North Carolina for a time of solitude. This little video documents some of the sights from the time there. 

God sets and keeps the agenda

In a recent post I wrote: "There are definitely upsides to [being a planner by nature] but the temptation to think of myself as captain of my own destiny, my protector, and my safe-keeper is not one of them."

On rereading it today, I thought of Psalm 121 and Derek Kidner's comments on it.  Clearly the emphasis of this Psalm is on God's keeping of his people. So of course, it would be idolatrous for me to think of myself as my own safe-keeper.

    He will not let your foot be moved;
        he who keeps you will not slumber.
    Behold, he who keeps Israel
        will neither slumber nor sleep.
    The LORD is your keeper;
        the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
    The sun shall not strike you by day,
        nor the moon by night.
    The LORD will keep you from all evil;
        he will keep your life.
    The LORD will keep
        your going out and your coming in
        from this time forth and forevermore.
(Psalm 121:3-8 ESV)

On verses 7 & 8 Kidner says:

     The promise moves on from the pilgrim's immediate preoccupations to cover the whole of existence.  In the light of other scriptures, to be kept from all evil does not imply a cushioned life, but a well-armed one.  Cf. Psalm 23:4, which expects the dark valley but can face it.  The two halves of verse 7 can be compared with Luke 21:18f., where God's minutest care ('not a hair of your head will perish') and His servants' deepest fulfillment ('you will win true life') are promised in the same breath as the prospect of hounding and martyrdom (Lk. 21:16f.). Your life, in the present passage (7), is as many-sided a word as in Luke; it means the whole living person. Our Lord enriched the concept of keeping or losing this by His teaching on self-giving and self-love (e.g. Jn. 12:24f).
     The Psalm ends with a pledge which could hardly be stronger or more sweeping.  Your going out and your coming in is not only a way of saying 'everything': in closer detail it draws attention to one's ventures and enterprises (cf. Ps 126:6), and to the home which remains one's base; again, to pilgrimage and return; perhaps even (by another association of this pair of verbs) to the dawn and sunset of one's days. But the last line takes good care of this journey; and it would be hard to decide which half of it is the more encouraging: the fact that it starts 'from now', or that it runs on, not to the end of time but without end; like God Himself who is (cf. Ps 73:26) 'my portion for ever'.

God sets the agenda; not you

I'm a planner by nature. To-dos, projects, goals, ideas to look into, and appointments are on my calendar months from now. Sometimes I plan so much I plan beyond preparing for the known and desired to planning for the unknown and undesired. 

There are definitely upsides to this but the temptation to think of myself as captain of my own destiny, my protector, and my safe-keeper is not one of them. 

The wisdom of Proverbs warns many times against this kind of arrogance. Today I was struck by four unsuspecting words in the first verse of Exodus 17.

    "All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD…"

Or Alter's translation:

"And all the community of Israelites moved onward from the Wilderness of Sin on their journeyings by the Lord's direction…"

Either way, the point is the same: God sets the itinerary, not Moses.

So it is with us. No matter how much of a planner we are, how much of a spontaneous person we are, or how much we live passively according another's agenda, ultimately, God sets the itinerary.  Whose itinerary are you living by? Your own? God's?  Do you, like David, earnestly seek and yearn for the Lord's commandments to know his will for you? 

Salvation and Suffering for those who Cry

There is a pattern of affliction, crying out to God, suffering, and salvation in the Bible. Not the following texts that show this with the Israelites, then Jesus, then the believer:

     Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey...
(Exodus 3:7-8)

God has seen their affliction, heard their cry, knows their sufferings and will save them. Now notice this pattern with Jesus:

     Surely he has borne our griefs
          and carried our sorrows;
     yet we esteemed him stricken,
          smitten by God, and afflicted.
(Isaiah 53:4)

     But I am a worm and not a man,
          scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
(Psalm 22:6)

He was no stranger to affliction. I think we often gloss over the emotional hardship he endured throughout his life (loneliness, rejection), though obviously crucifixion was the pinnacle of all suffering and affliction for any man and Jesus bore it.

     And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.
(Mark 15:37)
     And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
(Matthew 27:46 ESV)

The break in the pattern is that God the Father did allow Jesus to die though he cried out to him. He did not save him then.  To save us and conquer death he had to kill Jesus and then raise him from the dead.

After the suffering, the Father gave his Son life and sovereignty over all things.

 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
          or let your holy one see corruption.
     You make known to me the path of life;
          in your presence there is fullness of joy;
          at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalm 16:10-11)


The believer, like the Israelites in Egypt and like Jesus, will go through suffering and like them, God promises great bounty and grace at the conclusion of it. 

 The LORD your God is in your midst,
          a mighty one who will save;
     he will rejoice over you with gladness;
          he will quiet you by his love;
     he will exult over you with loud singing.
     I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
          so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
     Behold, at that time I will deal
          with all your oppressors.
     And I will save the lame
          and gather the outcast,
     and I will change their shame into praise
          and renown in all the earth.
(Zephaniah 3:17-19 ESV)

     The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
     For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
(Romans 8:16-18)


     Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
(Revelation 2:10)


These passages speak for themselves. May you be encouraged by them. 

What Happens When We Refuse the Bounty of God

If we are in Christ, we never have reason to fear, disbelieve, or doubt.  God is always for us and He is always with us.  Unfortunately, our lives consistently echo a pattern of fear, unbelief, or doubt, as if to say, "No, God, you are not enough for me." 

Moses had this attitude and was bold enough to express it to God directly:

     Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
(Exodus 4:12-14 ESV)

Here is what is so incredible, not that Moses refused God's direction (please send someone else), but that in his anger God did not smite Moses but instead kept working with him and provided for him (even though Moses was wrong about his speaking abilities). 

After the miracles God just showed Moses, as well as answering his arguments, Moses still says in so many words, "you are not enough."  Rightfully so, God became angry. And amazingly so, God gave grace.

A Call to Spiritual Reformation; Book Review

A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers


This was my first book by D. A. Carson and he did not disappoint in the least.  There are some books that when I read it I come away thinking, "That was a tour de force" meaning, the author thoroughly, systematically, and convincingly made a rock solid case.  Another book like that is Thomas Sowell's Knowledge and Decisions.  This book was one of those books.  Carson makes the case for modeling our prayers from after biblical and spiritual priorities (as opposed to the physical, and temporal priorities that so often fill our prayers).

This will probably be a top 5 book for the year for me and perhaps a top ten or twenty of all time.  Yes, it was that good.  That and it was also probably especially enlightening. For awhile I've been wanting to work on my praying.  But my oh my, where to begin? There's dozens of dozens of books out there.  An uncle had recommended this book years ago and I've finally got around to reading it.  When looking how to pray, seeing how the Apostle Paul did so is a good place to start and here Carson does just that, looking at eight of his prayers in particular.

Carson starts the book off with some practical thoughts advice such as: "Much praying is not done because we do not plan to pray", and "develop a system for your prayer lists."  That chapter alone is worth it's weight in gold.  Then Carson dives straight into the prayers of Paul.  I am amazed at how deep he digs.  I mean, these prayers aren't more than a few verses, yet he expounds on their meaning for twenty pages and sometimes prefaces an expository chapter with a chapter alone introducing the subject matter!

The book is heavy sledding, definitely not beach reading but well worth the time and thought you put into it.  If you're looking to work on your prayer life, and are especially interested in learning about the prayers in the New Testament, I heartily recommend this book to you.  You will be challenged and by God's grace, the priorities in your prayers will change.

In the next few weeks I'll be giving you a taste of it by posting some quotes from it here on the blog.

A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers

A pillar of cloud...a pillar of fire

     And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
(Exodus 13:21-22 ESV)

Robert Alter:

This spectacular panoramic picture of the Israelite throngs following these miraculous guides through the wilderness nicely counterpoints the plagues that preceded.  Several of the plagues involved destruction descending from the sky.  Here a great mass of cloud descends from the sky to lead Israel.  the penultimate plague plunged Egypt into terrifying darkness, and now a column of divine fire services as a huge beacon to show Israel the way through the dark of the wilderness.

The same power that crushes His enemies, gives life and guidance to His people.  As a believer, God has given you Life, and the old man has been put to death, by his glorious and infinite power.  Yet it's use is not over. This same power, if you will look to it, will guide you daily toward the promised land that awaits you. 

It doesn't matter who you are

     But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
(Exodus 3:11-12 ESV)

It doesn't matter who you are, only simply that God is with you.  "And if God is for us, who can be against us?..."

God will never give you a challenge too great for you to bear with his grace and guidance.  (Though you will likely have innumerable challenge too great for you alone.) And when such challenges come, be they temptations, trials, opportunities, etc. our response is not to be "I cannot do this" or "How am I supposed to do this?"  But rather, "God, since you are with me, I look to you for guidance and rely on your grace."

"What is this?"

     And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
(Exodus 13:14 ESV)

Robert Alter on this text:

     Again and again, these texts emphasize the educational and commemorative function of the Exodus story and of the Passover ritual embedded in it.  The story encodes the very matrix and rationale of Israelite national existence, and it becomes a sustained exercise in collective remembering.  The educational formulas here reiterate the verbal motif of "a strong hand" or "strength of hand" that punctuates the Exodus narrative proper.

I hope to someday have holy traditions in my own family that lead the kids to ask, "Why?", or "What is This?"  Perhaps it will be how we spend the first day of the week differently than others, perhaps it will be family devotions, or other traditions and mores that find their roots in our Salvation.  Along with hearing a child ask, "Daddy, why is the sky blue?", or "Why does water flow downhill?" I would love to hear "Why don't you work on Sundays", or "Why do we go to church on Sundays", or "Why do you teach us the Bible?"

For such questions one can give the greatest answer and news in the universe.

From Slavery to Servitude

Recently, I spent the weekend in the Asheville area. Had been planning this trip for months, mainly to get off the grid and simply spend time reading Scripture, meditating on it, praying for my future and planning the priorities I want to focus on.

Due to my hippy tendencies I feel very at home in a place like Asheville…shoulda known the first shop I'd stop in would be a rare and used book store.  I decided not to purchase the 1,200 dollar copy of the Book of Common Prayer that's a couple hundred years old (maybe next year) and opted for "The Five Books of Moses" By Robert Alter, a translation and commentary on the Torah.  I have wanted for awhile to purchase one of his translations/commentaries and got quite deal on this hefty book.   Someday I hope to acquire his "The David Story".

All this to say, I decided to jump right into Exodus as I've been studying in there lately. Below is Exodus 13:4-5 followed by his commentary. 

"Today you are going out, in the month of the New Grain. And so when the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Emorite and the Hivite and the Jebusite which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall perform this service in this month."

"this service.  The reference is to the Passover ritual.  As has often been noted, the Hebrew 'avodah, the term for service or worship, is also the word repeatedly used for the labor or slavery in Egypt; so the narrative traces a move from coerced manual service to service of the deity."

In other words, the Lord set the Israelites free from the Egyptians so they could serve him instead. The same happens for the Christian. Before God saves someone, a Christian a slave to sin, and short of divine miracle, there is no escape.  But then God saves us and we are slaves of Christ.  And what a blessing that is. 

Singing with the Saints; Come all ye Pining

One of the treasures of being a Christian is to travel the world and all over join with other Saints in worship.  One may tend to think that their particular local congregation is simply irreplaceable.  What a blessing to belong to a local church with the kind of qualities that makes such possible.  But then one travels a bit and visits other congregations and sees that Christianity and "the tie that binds" is quite beyond their local church. It is global, and awe-inspiring.

Over the past few years it's been a joy of mine to worship in many different congregations in Michigan, in Pennsylvania, DC, NYC, Alaska, Oregon, Georgia, Ohio, and Pakistan.  I remember each instance distinctly.   It was my most recent experience of worshipping with a different congregation that led me to write on this and quote the hymn below. 

Last week I spoke at East Point Presbyterian Church in south Atlanta on "Global Theological Famine" and how TLI addresses this opportunity. Before I started teaching, the group of believers joined in song.  I figured like most other groups they'd sing a couple standard choruses that are but a few years old then get on with things.  Wrong I was.  This group was different.  We started by singing "Thy Mercy My God" and then sang "Come all ye Pining." I don't know when the last time I sang that hymn was…it must be years.  But it was one of this things where I instinctively knew the tune from somewhere and sometime.  (Thank God for parents that brought me up in a parents that valued rich theology and equally rich songs of worship!)

Below is the hymn. You can download it for 99 cents from Red Mountain Church on iTunes. The tune is sweet and comforting. Simply meditation on the words though, is about all your soul may need for joy to fuel you through today.

Lord we adore thy boundless grace
the heights and depths unknown
of pardoned life and joy and peace
in they beloved Son

Chorus: Come all ye pining, hungry, poor,
The saviors bounty taste;
behold a never-failing store
for every willing guest.

O wondrous gifts of love divine,
dear source of every good;
Jesus in thee what glory shine!
how rich thy flowing blood!

Come all ye pining, hungry, poor
The saviors bounty taste
behold a never failing store
for every willing guest

Here shall your numerous wants receive
A free, full supply;
He has unmeasured bliss to give,
And joys that never die.

(Anne Steele)

After teaching the group took prayer requests then prayed for a good while. In my memory, these individuals prayed as I have never heard others pray before.  They were passionate, emotional, and Biblical, praising God for who he is and what he has done, and pleading with him based on what He has promised and done.  What an honor, privilege, and blessing to visit the fellow saints at East Point Presbyterian Church. May God continue to bless them and others through them.

The Refractory Nature of People

     Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”
     On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.”
(Exodus 16:25-29 ESV)


On this passage Robert Alter says:

The refractory nature of the people - or perhaps one should say their anxiety and their greed - is manifested even in their response to this bounty from God that has come to answer their complaints.  In this case, it turns out that the prohibition announced by Moses is actuated by a perfectly practical consideration: the manna will not keep overnight (except, miraculously, on the Sabbath).

Or, to put it another way, God gives us a bounty and we blow it off.  God gave Adam and Eve the entire world, a lush garden, animals, each other, himself and they decided that that wasn't enough. They just had eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as well.  God gave the Israelites manna and quail every day for six days with the promise that the amount gathered on the sixth day would be enough for the Sabbath. They just had to doubt, which also played out in greed and hoarding.

This happens in my own life. God has given me wonderful friends, good books, a fit body to play around outside, His Word, and what do I do?  You guessed it, I'm selfish; I hoard; I have anxiety; I trade in the inestimable blessings God has given me at times for much lesser things or ways of spending my time and thoughts.

But what a good reminder from Exodus - just as God would miraculously keep the Manna over night for the Israelites will he not keep us in his favor?!  Will he not protect us if we are faithful?  Sure, things may temporarily, or physically look glum, but in terms of what really matters, will God not keep us and be faithful to us, always providing?  Will not our minds be renewed if we spend time with Him in the Word? 

How sad that while God gives us a bounty we stick our nose up and say that it is not enough. But how wonderful that He truly is enough and his atonement on the cross will always be enough for the worst  in us and of us.

Which reward do you look to?

    "[Moses] considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward."
(Hebrews 11:26)

The attitudes of Moses and of David are worth following.  In the end the world can't offer us much at all, especially if compared to the deep joys found in knowing God and the glory that is to be revealed to us.

    If your law had not been my delight,
        I would have perished in my affliction.
(Psalm 119:92)

     Trouble and anguish have found me out,
        but your commandments are my delight.
(Psalm 119:143)

    Therefore I love your commandments
        above gold, above fine gold.
(Psalm 119:127)

    In the way of your testimonies I delight
        as much as in all riches.
(Psalm 119:14)

Here's how to know and do God's will for your life:

In the "Call of Husbands" class, John Batts wrote two lessons on "God's will for our lives".

He concludes the second with this great insight:

Most often, getting more information is not the solution to finding out God's will. He has provided us with so much information from His Word about His will and given us His tremendous promises.  The key question is not, "What is God's will?" but "Am I willing to do it?" Jesus said, "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching." (John 7:17)

Two Ingredients for the Church to Grow

    "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied."
(Acts 9:31)

Do you as an individual have these? How bout your church?

Whom or what do you fear?  Where do you go or what do you use for comfort? There is only one good and ultimate answer to these questions, the eternal, triune God.  And there are a million wrong answers - the government, poor health, a natural disaster, the future, the weather, lack of income, to name a few popular things to fear these days.  Where do you go for comfort? Facebook, tv shows or movies, nature? All are empty. Only true and lasting comfort can be found in God.

    "But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families."
(Exodus 1:17-21 )

I suppose decent arguments could have been made for obeying the king of Egypt. Just as in our day decent sounding arguments will likely be made for obeying the increasingly unjust laws of our government in the States.

At the end of the day though, one must put away arguments that keep him allegedly physically safe and simply fear God.  Only there is peace and only there is true comfort.

History Repeats Itself; or rather, God Repeats Himself

    Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.
(Exodus 1:11-12)

 ----
    And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles...Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
(Acts 8:1, 4)

    So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
(Acts 9:31)
----

Individuals and the church at large tend to grow through hard times - oppression and persecution - hard as this is to stomach. 

This reminds me of a recent post by Jon Bloom at Desiring God where he says:

I think this paradox in nature — stressed vines produce good wines — is also a parable for how God produces rich, complex, intense faith in his children. Because when it comes to faith, God loves good wine.

All you have to do is read Hebrews 11 to see that the great wine of faith often “comes from. . . vineyards planted in marginal climates on the poorest soils.” And James 1:2 tells us plainly that “tough conditions (“various trials”) are good for the wine” of faith. Because faith-vines “must work harder to produce fruit” leading to “more concentrated and flavorful” wines.

God draws straight with crooked lines

    And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(Genesis 1:28)

    Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.
But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
(Exodus 1:6-7)

In even the darkest times and strangest ways, God is sure to bring about his design and good purposes