Top Retellings of Classic Tales

Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 21

May 20, 2024

Joy is Strength

We tend to think of joy as a passive result of pleasurable things; something that just happens in us and to us when circumstances are pleasant, which means that joy comes and goes as circumstances change.

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” My strength. If this is the case, how can joy be just a feeling? That would be like saying, “the joy of the Lord is my Red Bull” or “the joy of the Lord is my coffee”–it gives me a shot of strength and then wears off.

But that’s not what strength is. Strength, through joy in the Lord, is our spiritual power to persevere, to lift our heads, to walk by faith no matter our circumstances. It is not a high or a shot or a boost. It is the state of a soul that rests fully in the good news of a real, ruling, rescuing Jesus.

That’s what the “joy of the Lord” means–clinging to what He says and living like it is true. It gives us peace and solid footing and, yes, strength. Joy is something we can attain and have at all times, no matter the circumstances, because God is always God and the good news of Jesus is always good. Circumstances change. Our hearts are fickle. But the joy of the Lord is our strength because He is unchanging, unfailing, and always inviting us into it.

I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe! 

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

View more on Barnabas Piper's website »
1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 20, 2024 03:04

May 17, 2024

The Lord Tests Israel – He Reads Truth

Judges 3:1-31, Deuteronomy 8:1-2, Ephesians 5:6-14

Sometimes we encounter stories in the Bible that leave us wondering, “What is the point of that?” If we typically read Bible stories for moral lessons and life application takeaways, these stories—and Judges is full of them—will leave us bewildered. The stories of Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar are great examples. Taken individually, each of these stories is difficult to interpret or find particular value in. However, looking at them together shows us some big truths about God, humanity, and salvation.

Moses told the people in Deuteronomy 8:1–2, as they prepared to enter the promised land, to keep all God’s commands so that they may live long and be well. He also said that God had tested their faithfulness and obedience, indicating God would continue to do so. And that’s what we find in Judges 3: the people failing the tests of obedience and faithfulness and turning to other gods. And so begins a pattern: rebellion by Israel, God handing them over to be ruled by a pagan power, the people crying out to God, and God raising up a judge to rescue them. The first three of these judges are Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar.      

Each of their stories is told quite differently. Othniel gets an overview, Ehud gets a fantastically detailed account (and, if I might say so, a rollickingly exciting and humorous one at that), and Shamgar gets barely a mention. But each judge represents something significant. They are God’s appointed rescuers. They are embodiments of God’s mercy on His undeserving people. They are answers to Israel’s desperate prayers. And they are temporary; each brought peace to Israel with God’s help, but the peace would not last. So this means that each of these judges foreshadows a better rescue. 

The pattern of sin-judgment-outcry-rescue is not just the story of Israel. It’s one each of us ought to recognize in our own hearts. We, too, readily turn to anything or anyone but God with our worship and affection. But that better rescue has come, and we have access to it—or rather, to Him. Ephesians 5:8 says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” We were in darkness—we were like Israel chasing after other gods. But Christ rescued us and brought us from darkness to light. 

What Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar could only do incompletely and temporarily, Jesus has done perfectly and eternally. What they did with swords, stealth, and cattle prods, He did by laying down his life. So now we can step out of the rebellious pattern we were in and walk as children of light.

I have the privilege of contributing to He Reads Truth, a website of whose purpose is “To help men become who we were made to be, by doing what we were made to do, by the power and provision that God has given us to do it, for the glory of Jesus Christ.” They do this by providing scripture reading plans accompanied by reflections that can be accessed for free online or purchased as print books. This is one of the pieces I wrote for the Encounters with Christ plan.

View more on Barnabas Piper's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 17, 2024 02:25

May 16, 2024

Curious Curmudgeons Episode 3: The Ever-Evolving Nature of Friendship

Join us as we explore the evolution of friendship through the various stages of life, starting with childhood, reminiscing about the companionship of siblings and the “golden days” of high school. We discuss the social minefield of middle school and the burgeoning connections in high school and then the unique environment of college, where friendships deepened and yet we were free from the weight of adult responsibilities.

This conversation address the hurdles of cultivating friendships in adulthood, especially in the aftermath of 2020. We discuss the challenges and the necessity of intentional effort to maintain and build friendships that truly matter.

We wrap up the episode with a couple of light-hearted segments that bring humor and introspection to our discussion on friendships. And of course we conclude with our Curmudgeon Moment, ranting about the self-checkout experience and its place in our modern world.

Listen to Episode 3

Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Amazon

View more on Barnabas Piper's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 16, 2024 05:30

May 15, 2024

Six Ways to Raise Up People of the Book

As I have talked with pastor friends of mine from around the United States, I’ve found many of us share a common concern. Our people are not very biblically literate. Where once a preacher could make a passing reference to an Old Testament character or story in an illustration or could sprinkle in quotations from Paul’s epistles, we must now explain these references in great detail. People don’t know what the Bible says like they used to.

So when we read of the Bereans in Acts 17:11, and it says, “. . .they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so,” we find ourselves wishing. If only our congregations approached the Bible with that sort of respect, eagerness, willingness, and familiarity. We want our people to approach the Bible as God’s very words. (2 Timothy 3:16) We want our people to approach life with the Bible as their moral authority and source of confidence (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). We want our people to see scripture as accessible and open to them (John 14:26).

But wishing and yearning won’t make it so. To raise up people of the Book is an act of the Holy Spirit through faithful pastoring. Here are a few steps we can take to lead our congregations in this way.

1. Preach and teach the whole Bible

The Apostle Paul declared in Acts 20 that he preached “the whole counsel of God,” and we are to do the same. This doesn’t mean giving the same emphasis to every passage and every book. I once heard Ray Ortlund Jr. say, “Every verse in the Bible is equally true, but not every verse is equally profound,” so we teach it all and give more time and focus to certain portions. If we fail to do this, our people learn to downplay or overlook parts of the Bible altogether. One common way this happens is that the Old Testament (aside from the Psalms we like and the Christmas passages in Isaiah) is treated as irrelevant, confusing, alien, or even dangerous. We must teach it with the same dignity, honor, and salvific power that Jesus did (Luke 24:27).

2. Preach and teach expositionally and topically

Let me be frank: the debate about whether to preach expositionally (walking through books of the Bible) or topically (focusing on themes or aspects of life) is stupid. People need both, and the Bible equips us to preach both ways well. If Jesus could preach about money, hell, lust, and many more topics, then we can follow his lead. Just remember, he wrote the Bible, so following his lead means forming all our positions on any given topic according to what he said rather than using the Bible to back an opinion we already have. And, of course, we must teach and preach through books of the Bible so that people learn the whole counsel of God and see how it fits together. This will bring up specific topics to be addressed from the Bible. (eg. You can’t preach Ephesians faithfully without addressing ethnic disunity, marriage, parenting, work, sexual immorality, etc.) Sometimes people need to have the Bible aimed at specific topics like a spotlight, and sometimes they need to have it unpacked like a suitcase. In each case, what they hear is the mind and heart of God.

3. Be clear where the Bible is clear and cautious where it isn’t

If we want our people to rightly respect the Word of God, then we need to model that respect. One way we can do this is to be explicit about where the Bible is. “Do not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14). “You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24). “Love your enemies.” (Matthew 5:44). “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) If God has made no exceptions, then we have no right to do so either. On the other hand – and this is a greater temptation for many of us – we must be extremely cautious about being explicit where the Bible is not. When we are clear about things the Bible leaves opaque, we tend toward legalism or very weird doctrines. Often the Bible leaves things mysterious because they are not for us to know (e.g., the specifics of the end times). Often the Bible leaves blank spaces to fill with wisdom, which we learn from Scripture elsewhere (e.g., “Fathers, do not provoke your children”-Ephesians 6:4) rather than giving specific applications. If we approach scripture this way, it will help us prioritize things “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3) and “avoid foolish controversies” (Titus 3:9). It will guide our people in wisdom, obedience, and a willingness to recognize and respect the mystery of God’s infinity and holiness.

4. Don’t create barriers to understanding

After our deep study of the Bible, it is easy for us to present it to our congregations in a manner unattainable to them. We can reference the original languages too often, describe what “this word really means,” mention many scholars and commentators, and otherwise make studying the Bible sound like something reserved for experts. The real aim is to study deeply so that we can preach and teach simply. We want to make the deep things of God accessible to our people so that they are drawn to the Bible instead of scared away from it.

5. Reflect on scripture in every meeting

Whether it is a staff meeting, elders meeting, prayer meeting, small group leader’s meeting, or any other kind of meeting, spend time reflecting on a passage of scripture. This can be 5 minutes of reflection, 30 minutes of rigorous discussion, or a time of teaching. The point is that God’s Word must underpin and guide all your gatherings. This will shape the culture of the church and whet people’s appetite for Scripture.

6. Create small contexts to study the Word

Up to this point, everything I have written depends on the pastor/leader bringing the Word to the people. But they cannot rightly be Berean until they begin exploring it themselves. And they cannot rightly be Berean until they start exploring it together. So whether you call them small groups, discipleship groups, Bible Studies, equip gatherings, or whatever other clever name you can come up with, give your people opportunities to study the Word together. Give frameworks, study questions, resources, and guides –just set them on a course to get into the Word alongside other men and women who want to know God’s Word.

This was originally posted at The Focused Pastor

View more on Barnabas Piper's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 15, 2024 02:45

May 14, 2024

Kindle Deals for May 14

A few Kindle deals worth your mind and money today:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 

$1.99

Is God anti-gay? by Sam Allberry

$5.99

Tending Soul, Mind, and Body: The Art and Science of Spiritual Formation edited by Gerald Hiestand & Todd Wilson

$2.99

The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus by Dallas Willard

$1.99

The Vertical Self: How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are in an Age of Self Obsession by Mark Sayers

$2.99

On the Incarnation: In Modern, Updated English by St. Athanasius

$.99

The Church History ABCs: Augustine and 25 Other Heroes of the Faith by Stephen Nichols & Ned Bustard (illustrator)

$2.99

View more on Barnabas Piper's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on May 14, 2024 04:48

May 13, 2024