Moved.

I have moved.

Find me at The Hand to the Plow.

Smoking?

In a recent post, Stafford Carson notes

In its commentary on the Sixth Commandment, the Heidelberg Catechism says this:

Q. What does God require in the sixth commandment?

A. That I am not to abuse, hate, injure or kill my neighbour, either with thought, word or gesture, much less by deed, whether by myself or through another, but to lay aside all desire for revenge; and that I do not harm myself or willfully expose myself to danger.

His application is in regards to motorcycle racing, but surely this applies to whether or not the Christian has liberty to smoke.

Keep Calm and Carry On.

The Greentree Gazette has an interview with Wilfred McClay, who Professor of history and Chair of Excellence in the Humanities at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, in which he makes this interesting statement:

"History often unsettles our assumptions. It makes us realize that things haven't always been the way they are now. It also makes us realize that things will not always be the way they are now. The student of history learns that the notion that life is a steady state is an illusion. "

History helps us to, in the words of the iconic poster, "Keep Calm and Carry On."

In our 21st Century American context we sit as the heirs of an extraordinary, unprecedented time of peace and prosperity. I think it would be safe to say that never in the history of the world has there been a civilization which has been so free from war on its own territory, from famine, from dramatic regime change. This can lead to us thinking that this status quo must continue forever; it can lead to an expectation that the Lord will continue to (has to?) bless us in this manner.

However, the student of history realizes that "the notion that life is a steady state is an illusion."

What this means for the Church is that we need not panic as America is no longer proclaimed to be a "Christian nation." America is not the first nation in the history of the Church to consider itself a "Christian nation", nor will it be the last. The reason why the Lord has blessed nations with a strong Church, and He has removed his blessing is something that is really not for us to know, but the challenge is how do we respond to this providence with faithfulness?

My point is this: even though our culture may change, and may become more secular, this is not a disaster, and we can learn from Church History that throughout it all the Lord remains the same. Our fortunes will ebb and flow, but we have to keep our eyes fixed on Chris and see that throughout it all God remains true and faithful, even if that means we end our lives like Paul, imprisoned and abandoned.

We must give thanks to the Lord for the way things have been, and are now, but we must also not be surprised by change. Lets keep calm, resting in the goodness of God, and carry on doing His work, declaring with the Psalmist:

Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

(Ps. 73: 23-28)

Active Recall

An article in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education states that the old study method of "Active Recall" may actually be the best method of getting information to stick in a student's mind.

After years of neglect, this method is being touted by two significant Psychology journals, namely Psychological Science and Contemporary Educational Psychology, and it seems that "Put the book aside and hide your notes. Then recall everything you can. Write it down, or, if you're uninhibited, say it out loud" may be the best way to effectively remember the information being studied.

The more popular method of "Read carefully, Write down unfamiliar terms and look up their meanings. Make an outline. Reread each chapter" is criticised as creating a false confidence about the amount of information retained.

For those involved in ministry this poses the challenge of how do we get our people to retain the information that we teach them, or encourage them to study on their own? If we seek to be effective teachers, then we cannot ignore this question - if people do not remember what we are teaching them, then what use is our teaching them?

There are those in our congregations who have never experienced much formal education and, it seems to me, there is a duty to teach them how to learn and how to study. There are those who have had many years of education and we must be careful to continue to help them learn and study in the most effective manner. If we want our congregations to be truly Berean, then we must give them the tools, or sharpen the tools, to get to grips with the Scriptures, mine them and hold fast on to the great treasure which is contained within them.

Knowing how to study for our University classes is important, but studying the great truths of Scripture is vastly greater - let us use all means possible to encourage our congregations to use their minds and get to grips with the Word, and treasure that Word in their hearts.