Candles of Advent

*Link to Baptist Theological Seminary publication*

Bethlehem (House of Bread), what a quiet little town, located a few kilometres away from the bustling city of Jerusalem, yet a census brought the holy family to Bethlehem so that the Saviour may be born there. In the Bible, Bethlehem began to take on significance in the book of Ruth. The book begins with Bethlehem, the house of bread, having no bread. This is a literary device signalling that something was amiss in the city. Yet when the book ends, there is a promise of restoration and a sense of hope. Ruth, a Moabitess, is revealed as the great grandmother of King David of Bethlehem.

- Isaac Teng, The Gift of Bethlehem

Several years ago, I was waiting to board a flight at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, which in the days before COVID-19, was the busiest airport in the world. The boarding area was chaotic. People were talking loudly to be heard over the din. In addition to constant boarding and security announcements, there was construction going on. And sitting directly opposite to me was a young mother with her small child. There was a sudden crash from a piece of falling scaffolding, startling the child who then immediately burst into tears. The mother quickly scooped up her child and held him close. Within minutes that child was fast asleep, softly breathing to the rhythm of his mother's heartbeat. Nothing else had changed in that chaotic hall, except the position of that child. He was secure in the calm embrace of his mother.

In the day when Advent calm is fully realised, all nations will know how to walk in the light of life and will find deep rest in Him. But today - even amidst the ever-encroaching darkness - believers are called to bear testimony of our confidence in the coming calm by walking each day secure in the embrace of our loving Father. Let us all, as we wait for the coming calm, respond to the call of Isaiah and "walk in the light of the LORD!"

- Ian Buntain, The Coming Calm

Peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27 (ESV)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

Lost and Found

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

"Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

- Luke 15:4-10 (ESV)

Adjectives

It has been wisely said that the adjective is the enemy of the noun. If we make a habit of saying 'The true facts are these', we shall come under suspicion when we profess to tell merely 'the facts'. If a crisis is always acute and an emergency always grave, what is left for those words to do by themselves? If active constantly accompanies consideration, we shall think we are being fobbed off when we are promised bare consideration. If a decision is always qualified by definite, a decision by itself becomes a poor filleted thing. If conditions are customarily described as prerequisite or essential, we shall doubt whether a condition without an adjective is really a condition at all. If a part is always an integral part there is nothing left for a mere part except to be a spare part.

Cultivate the habit of reserving adjectives and adverbs to make your meaning more precise, and suspect those that you find yourself using to make it more emphatic. Use adjectives to denote kind rather than degree. By all means say an economic crisis or a military disaster, but think well before saying an acute crisis or a terrible disaster. Say, if you like, 'The proposal met with noisy opposition and is in obvious danger of defeat'. But do not say, 'The proposal met with considerable opposition and is in real danger of defeat'. If that is all, it is better to leave out the adjectives: 'The proposal met with opposition and is in danger of defeat'.

- Sir Ernest Gowers, Plain Words

Good and Evil

Good and evil both increase at compound interest.

That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance.

The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of.

An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible.

- C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

When you delay something, you are not just delaying that thing, but what could result from that thing (both good and bad).

Balancing Literary Nature and Historicity

"Literary" just means there's a style to it, there's an artistry to it, it has a literary form to it. It does not at all need to be contrary to a robust sense of biblical history. For me, it's like a lot of things in the Christian life and in theology - it's a both-and. If you try to force a dichotomy - it's got [to] be this or it's got [to] be that, it's like the two natures of Christ, or it's like human freedom and divine sovereignty - when you pit them against one another where one gets to win and the other has to absolutely lose, you're not going to be a good theologian.

I think we ought to approach all of the Scriptures in the same way and that is to recognise it's a very human book full of human failings, in terms of the characters that are presented, human in terms of the personalities of the authors that come through very strongly, and the experiences of the authors that come through very strongly all the way through the Bible. But at the same time, the Scripture itself says these men who were authors of Scripture were carried along by the Holy Spirit. There's an impetus and a divine agency so that this truly is not merely human words about God, but this is God's word to humanity. There is no reason in the world that we can't fully appreciate both of those aspects. I think if we take one at the expense of the other, we're not going to understand Scripture in all of its richness.

- Phil Ryken, How to Become a Better Bible Reader

Legalism vs Discipline

Underlying much of the conscious rejection of spiritual discipline is the fear of legalism. For many, spiritual discipline means putting oneself back under the law with a series of draconian rules that no one can live up to - and which spawn frustration and spiritual death.

But nothing could be further from the truth if you understand what discipline and legalism are. The difference is one of motivation: legalism is self-centred; discipline is God-centred. The legalistic heart says, "I will do this thing to gain merit with God." The disciplined heart says, "I will do this thing because I love God and want to please Him."

There is an infinite difference between the motivation of legalism and discipline! Paul knew this implicitly and fought the legalists bare-knuckled all the way across Asia Minor, never giving an inch. Now he shouts to us, "Train [discipline] yourself for godliness!" If we confuse legalism and discipline, we do so to our soul's peril.

- R Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man

Life Lessons from Bridge

1. You can only play the hand you are dealt.

2. Count the cost before bidding.

3. Partners must be on the same page.

4. Having a good fit is as important as having many points.

5. Know when to take control and when to transfer control or exit.

Best Practices

It is not just WHAT or HOW you do things that matters; what matters more is that WHAT and HOW you do things is consistent with your WHY. Only then will your practices indeed be best. There is nothing inherently wrong with looking to others to learn what they do, the challenge is knowing what practices or advice to follow.

- Simon Sinek, Start With Why

Start With Why

If the people inside a company are told to come to work and just do their job, that's all they will do. If they are constantly reminded WHY the company was founded and told to always look for ways to bring that cause to life while performing their job, however, then they will do more than their job.

- Simon Sinek, Start With Why

Prayer

"The primary purpose of prayer is not to get something, but to know Someone." - David Platt