Being Pure With our Eyes

Recently i've been introduced to a program called x3watch.

I has been created by a group called XXXChurch who work at finding ways to help christians fight against pornography addictions/temptations. I have no personal experience to draw on here but the x3watch program is certainly a good, free, safeguard to help people search the net with integrity. Once it's loaded onto your computer you select an accountability partner who receives fortnightly emails containing the names and date they were visited of any suspect looking sites.

The XXXChurch also has a blog with interesting information and stories related to sexual purity (helpful for some, not so much for others i would think). I thought i would share it all with you as a resource.

1:8-19

⁸ Listen, my son, to your father's instruction

and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

⁹ They will be a garland to grace your head

and a chain to adorn your neck.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you,

do not give in to them.

¹¹ If they say, "Come along with us;

let's lie in wait for someone's blood,

let's waylay some harmless soul;

¹² let's swallow them alive, like the grave,

and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

¹³ we will get all sorts of valuable things

and fill our houses with plunder;

¹⁴ throw in your lot with us,

and we will share a common purse"-

¹⁵ my son, do not go along with them,

do not set foot on their paths;

¹⁶ for their feet rush into sin,

they are swift to shed blood.

¹⁷ How useless to spread a net

in full view of all the birds!

¹⁸ These men lie in wait for their own blood;

they waylay only themselves!

¹⁹ Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;

it takes away the lives of those who get it.

I have been struck recently (again) of how the suffering of this world validates God's word and truth. The bible speaks of how the earth will groan, falling apart under the grips of sin, and we see it, don't we? As christians we feel as though we need to sell the bible in tricky ways, knowing it's power, but doubting its relevance or appeal to those who are not yet saved. As non believers we assume the bible has nothing for us, it is old and big, relevant only to years gone by. But when we look at the big picture of the bible we can see it's all happening...now. We do seek valuable things (forsaking others if need be) and our feet rush to sin. We see lives swallowed by ill-gotten gain. The bible speaks of the creator, the world he created, and the creation who turned away. We are that creation, in that world, there could be no book more relevant than the bible.

Hilarity

She draws funny pictures. Her name is Natalie Dee. I do not endorse all of her work so i shant be linking to her page...but i like these.

Loving Jesus. Loving Food

I was not born with a healthy appetite. Don't get me wrong, it's not as though i'm the type to buy a chocolate bar while i'm out and i know that chips and nuggets isn't a meal. It's more that i'm the type of girl who likes to put butter on my potatoes and mix cheese through my pasta you know? My diet choices will probably lead to extra weight, hurting joints and internal health problems. I eat the food i like, when i'm hungry. But what does loving Jesus have to do with this?

From the beginning food is something God has created for his people to eat and enjoy. There are 293 references to "food" in the bible. These include sacrifical offerings to God, provision from God, metaphors and analogies about God, commandments from God about looking after others and a couple of instructions about the consumption of food. It would be safe to say that what and how much I eat has something to do with God and his plan for his people.

The issue is food means something different everyone. We all have bodies and the need to refuel, but what it takes to do that and the affect food has on our bodies (and our mental state) varies. There are some who don’t eat enough, some who can’t afford to exercise their understanding of a healthy balanced diet, some who eat too much, some who have an air of snobbery in their eating choices, some who love fruit and vegetables and some who loathe them. There are some who eat what their parents give them, some who enjoy a long walk/run, some who are too busy to exercise, some who eat specifically for ethical reasons and some who eat very little in order to keep their appearance in check with social standards. Each of these people need to eat (and exercise?) for the glory of Jesus. For each of these people doing this will look different.

I know that I want to make Jesus look good but there are blockages in my thinking – questions and thoughts that I know apply but that I am yet to understand the answer/conclusion to.

I don’t want to be enslaved to eating the easiest, tastiest, least nutritionally helpful food I can because I know that Jesus says we are to follow him, not our own natural desires

I don’t want to be enslaved to a strict healthy eating diet because I worship Jesus, not my health or appearance

I don’t want to negatively affect community – much of community happens around food (this is not only trend but in many ways biblical)

I don’t want to be exclusive – As I said above many people I know respond to food in different ways, I don’t want my own strict (or not strict) habbits to be a stumbling block for them

I don’t want to make an Idol for myself – If we can tell what we worship by what we spend the most time, money and energy on I wonder how consuming (in all three ways) a strict healthy eating diet would be?

I don’t want to be a glutton – (Proverbs 28:7, Proverbs 23:21) The bible puts them in the same category as drunkards, thief’s and idolaters…But what does this even look like?

I don’t want to steward my money badly – How much eating out is ok? Is spending extra money (out or at home) good for the sake of health? Should I be cutting costs and doing things cheaply for the sake of using left over money generously if it means compromising health?

I don’t want to be ridiculous – It seems silly to eat things I don’t like, pretend im excited about ordering salad instead of chips and say no when someone offers me ice cream without justification…just because maybe I should isn’t a good enough reason.

I don’t want to be lazy – It takes more effort to cook healthily and to exercise regularly (or at all). Is saying no to these things lazy?

I don’t want to steward my time badly – While I don’t want to be lazy, there are a thousand other, biblically good, things I could be doing in that time.

I don’t want to mess with Gods temple/creation – our bodies are described as Gods temple where his spirit dwells (if we are believers) and as we see in Genesis, we are his creation. Therefore my body is a possession of Christs. In the same way I don’t want to cover my neighbours well kept lawn in rubbish, I don’t want to fill Gods creation/temple with it either.

BUT

I do want to say no to things that won’t help me bring glory to the name of Jesus

I do want to set a good example, of putting off my old self and putting on my new identity in Christ, for those I love and are yet to love.

I do want to have convictions. I want to know when I need to say sorry to God. I don’t want to hide behind my ignorance.

Hopefully I can deal with some of these questions over the next little while. Your thoughts would be great!

1:1-7

¹ The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

² for attaining wisdom and discipline;

for understanding words of insight;

³ for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,

doing what is right and just and fair;

⁴ for giving prudence to the simple,

knowledge and discretion to the young-

⁵ let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance-

⁶ for understanding proverbs and parables,

the sayings and riddles of the wise.

⁷ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

If you are simple or young or wise or discerning, If you want to attain wisdom and discipline, if you want to be fair and just and right...This is for you! May God be using his spirit through his word to transform our hearts to fear him and long to do things his way.

The more we look at scripture the clearer it becomes that God’s word has incomparable value. Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16, Matthew 13 (:23), 2 Timothy 3:15, James 1:18 and 2 Timothy 2:15 all point us towards the importance of Gods word. In Gods sovereignty, I am pleased to tell you, the quality of commentary surrounding God’s word has no power on its value. The incredible saving power of the bible lives on wether I demonstrate some crazy super-knowledge and understanding of it or not. Here at The Black Crow it is not my intention to examine the “ins” and “outs” of scripture (I can point you in the direction of great bible exploration in blog or sermon form here, here, here and here are some to start with) but instead to look at the way Gods world was designed to bring him glory. While there is less of a theological focus here I’m hoping we will be spending some regular time in Gods word, because as we have seen above, well it’s beyond rad. Perhaps we will ramble through Romans or explore Ephesians at some point. Maybe we will ponder the Peters or have a collision with Corinthians. We may take a hike through Hebrews or see the sights of 1 Samuel…but for now we are going to spend some time…

Poking at Proverbs!

We’ll have a look at some Proverbs…One day I might have something super wise to say…most days I won’t but we can rest assured knowing that God’s word is living and active despite our insufficiencies. I’d love to hear your thoughts as we go about our prodding!

For Real Men.

Ben Wilson introduced me to this set of ad's last night. i must admit i did a little more than giggle. Enjoy!