How to encounter death (part 2)

Bunyan realized in order to encounter death properly he had to be prepared. The first step in preparation was to "pass a sentence of death upon everything that can properly be called a thing in this life." Then,

326. The second was, to live upon God that is invisible; as Paul said in another place, the way not to faint: is to look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen, they are eternal (II Cor. 4:18)...if I conclude that banishment is the worst, then if death come, I am surprised; so that I see the best way to go through sufferings, is to trust in God through Christ, as touching the world to come; and as touching this world, to count the grave my house, to make my bed in darkness, and to say to corruption, thou are my father, and to the worm, thou are my mother and sister; that is, to familiarize these things to me.

I wonder what Bunyan would have to say about the "Baptist Mistake" article?

How to encounter death Bunyan style

Yesterday I posted Bunyan's thoughts on how to endure. Now his thoughts on how to encounter death:

325. As to [how to encounter death], that saying, II Cor. 1:9, was of great use unto me, But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we might not trust in ourselves, but in God that raiseth the dead: by this scripture I was made to see that if ever I would suffer rightly, I must first pass a sentence of death upon everything that can properly be called a thing of this life, even to reckon myself, my wife, my children, my health, my enjoyments and all, as dead to me, and myself as dead to them. He that loveth father or mother, son or daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me (Matt. 10:37).

How dead do I count myself to anything? Well, I'm pretty good at counting myself dead to those things I do not enjoy and those people I do not like. I'm pretty horrible at counting myself dead to those things I enjoy and those people I like. Pray my imprisonment does not come soon and my maturation in the faith does!

Paul

Why my Abigail? Why this way?

Here is an email my wife, Angela, received from her sister concerning an unborn little girl named Abigail:

Dear friends,

This week has been filled with joy and sorrow. After a summer in Missouri serving students at our regions summer training program we returned to Denton. Our homecoming brought with it the excitement of a sonogram and finally being able to begin thinking of names for our child. Dr. Cummings who we love and appreciate quickly noticed that something was wrong with our little one.

He informed us that our child had a development disability, anencephalic. Anencephalic babies do not form a brain. They live and grow from their brain stem and spinal chord, as well as the support of their mother. These precious children do not survive once born, the life expectancy estimates vary but it seems that half make it to a live birth. The information available is overwhelming but one note I have found is that 95% of these children are aborted. Please look at the website www.asfhelp.com Please, please, please read the stories of these precious women and their beloved children.

A little bit about our precious daughter Abigail. Her name means "father's joy". We consider her a joy, but not only ours, she is the joy of her heavenly Father. Her name is found in 1 Samuel 25... Several things stand ut to me about Abigail. A few are her humility, her reputation as a person o go to in crisis, her wisdom and tact, she was a foot washer, she was a ood judge of character, she believed in -- recognized -- called on the overeinty of God. But there are two things that mean the most to me. irst, it says that Abigail was "an inteligent & beautiful woman" -- this eans so much to us as our little sweetheart's condition not only leaves her ith out a brain but also the condition prevents the skull from forming ully, leaving her with a disformity. It is so comforting to know that God onsiders our little Abigail as inteligent & beautiful. Second is that it says "Abigail waisted no time" -- again the meaning is so deep to us in that there will be no waisted time in our Abigail's life, she will be a blessing to our family and friends her whole life. She will leave a legacy that will grow. She will quickly go from birth to her heavenly Father's arms, waisting no time...

The name Abigail has been in our minds since before we were married, what a treasure that God has revealed to us it's deep meaning in our little sweetheart. We, like Abigail, trust in/recognize/call on the sovereignty of God our Father. Please keep us in your prayers. These days will be filled with joy and sorrow, probably fluctuating moment by moment.

For all of our dear friends who have ever lost a precious child we are so so sorry...

Some thoughts and Scripture that God had prepared us with this summer are Psalm 18:30-36 in Kara's quiet time, Hebrews 11:6 in my prayers for our campus, "Jesus always stepped into the pain" from the times of training with the students this summer, and 2 Timothy 1:12 which says, "He is able to guard what we have entrusted to Him for that day." He is able!

Lord we entrust our little sweetheart to you until the day you make all things new!!! Now I know what it is to long for His appearing, no longer is it an abstract thought... Please pray for
1. Comfort & Peace in mourning
2. Wisdom in the decisions that lay ahead
3. That these few days we have with Abigail would be so so sweet!!!!

thanks for your love, prayers & support of our family,
steve shank

From Paul- check out the comments for a few thoughts

How to endure Bunyan style

324. Before I came to prison, I saw what was a coming, and had especially two considerations warm upon my heart; the first was, how to be able to endure, should my imprisonment be long and tedious; the second was, how to be able to encounter death (more on this tomorrow), should that be here my portion. For the first of these, that scripture, Col. 1:11, was great information to me, namely, to pray to God to be strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness: I could seldom go to prayer before I was imprisoned, but for not so little as a year together, this sentence or sweet petition, would as it were thrust itself into my mind, and persuade me that if ever I would go through long-suffering, I must have all patience, especially if I would endure it joyfully.

Bunyan recognized God was preparing him for a task requiring patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. In the less difficult times Bunyan was preparing for the difficult. He knew that if he were to endure with joy he had to have patience.

I think the church in American, as a whole, today lacks patience and joy. To be more specific, I think this pastor lacks patience and joy. In the midst of short-suffering I possess an attitude of self-righteous bitterness. How will I ever endure 12 years of long-suffering imprisonment with all patience and joy if I can't make it joyfully through 3 months of short-suffering freedom?

To prayer, memorization, and meditation!
Paul

JOHN BUNYAN'S MINISTRY

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR’S CALL TO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY

          Starting with paragraph 265 Bunyan begins to tell of His experience as a minister of the gospel. He recognizes his ability to express God’s Word to the benefit of others and says that it was never intended for men who have gifts and abilities should bury them (270). He records that his gift of preaching was not long exercised until men became aware of their sin and need of Jesus Christ (272).
          His method was begun with where God’s Word begins, that is with sinners and to condemn all flesh by the curse of God’s law due to their sin (276).  Bunyan recognized the gravity of sin and how God viewed sinners. His own struggles were vivid as he showed others how the Word was effectual to the salvation of the soul (280).
     He relates how the religious took offense to his preaching when he would “go abroad”, and rather than argue with them he would present the gospel to see how many of their carnal professors he could convince of their miserable state by the law (283).
     Bunyan was deeply concerned about those false conversions as he says, “those who were awakened by my ministry did after fall back (as sometimes too many did),” likens as his own flesh and blood children going to the grave. But, he counts those who truly converted under his teaching of the word the pinnacle of his own existence (286).

Bunyan found joy in the words

At the highest points in his life it appears Bunyan cared more for each individual word of Scripture than an overarching theme.

249. Now also I should labour to take the word as God had laid it down, without restraining the natural force of one syllable thereof: O what did I now see in the blessed sixth of John, And him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37). Now I began to consider myself, that God had a bigger mouth to speak with, than I had a heart to conceive with; I thought also with myself, that he spake not his words in haste, or in an unadvised heat, but with infinite wisdom and judgment, and in very truth and faithfulness (II Samuel 7:28).

264. through this blessed sentence the Lord led me over and over, first to this word, and then to that, and showed me wonderful glory in every one of them. These words also have oft since this time been great refreshment to my spirit. Blessed be God for having mercy on me.

Obviously he understood words make up themes but he tried to let each syllable speak. I wonder how much more healthy dissonance there would be in our own spirits if we let each syllable speak instead of instantly filing it in a category or theme we've concockted. A great deal of his struggle resided with the warnings of Hebrews. How many of us have quickly brushed aside those biting words with "once saved always saved?" I wonder at times if that is the lullaby Satan whispers as he rocks people to sleep.

Let the syllables speak
Paul

From The God Who is There

Whenever the evangelist preached the reality of Hell, men who did not believe were more miserable after hearing his preaching than if they had never heard him. We are in the same position. We confront men with reality; we remove their protection and their escapes; we allow the avalanches to fall. If they do not become Christians, then indeed they are in a worse state than before we spoke to them. ____ Francis Schaeffer

Where was that?

Here is the link to a search engine for Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. You can search a word or a phrase and it will take you to the paragraph in the work. It's a pretty cool resource if you are trying to remember something Bunyan wrote but just can't find it by flipping pages.

Getting to the heart of conflict

Here is an excellent article concerning conflict. You have been warned! It does not give you better techniques to win arguments; it deals with the heart where the problem really begins.

May God give us healthy relationships
Paul

THE POINT OF GRACE

Bunyan now has his theology accurate but yet still struggles with his faith. (200) the tempter again laid at me very sore, suggesting, that neither the mercy of God, nor yet the blood of Christ, did at all concern me, nor could they help me, for my sin; therefore it was but in vain to pray. Yet, thought I, I will pray. In the next paragraph (201) he reflects that this was his point of salvation although it took six more months before he had confidence in that, his faith.
          Through this time he would continue to saturate his mind with
God’s Word to find, and focus upon, My grace is sufficient for thee (206) and also For the scriptures cannot be broken (209). (215) But Satan would greatly labour to pull this promise from me. These internal struggles he calls diverse frames of spirit (212).
          Bunyan’s point of grace comes as he describes: (215) I saw that to come aright, was to come as I was, a vile and ungodly sinner, and to cast myself at the feet of mercy, condemning myself for sin. He then, by the command of God to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, asks a very rational question as to: “Whether it be possible for any soul that hath indeed sinned the unpardonable sin, yet after that to receive, though but the least true spiritual comfort from God through Christ? He reasons that this could not be and that he had not committed such a heinous crime (220). (222)When I had with much deliberation considered of this matter, and could not but conclude that the Lord had comforted me…I began to take some measure of encouragement.
          It is from this point our friend, Mr. Bunyan’s faith begins to blossom by his continuing study of the Holy Writ.  
         

How to love God

What is worship? How do I as a man who wants to be viewed as a manly man express greatefulness to God for who God is and what he has done? Here are Bunyan's thoughts on the issue (except for the manly man part):

193. And as I was thus in musing, and in my studies how to love the Lord, and to express my love to him, that saying came in upon me, If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquity, O Lord, who should stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared (Pss. 130:3,4).

A sermon worth reading

Here is a sermon I was pointed to by John Piper on understanding justification; pretty good stuff.

Paul

Godly Mentors

     The fruits of a godly mentor play out in John Bunyan’s life as he relates of his instruction: (117) He [Mr. Gifford] pressed us to take heed, that we took not up any truth upon trust, as from this or that or another man or men, but to cry mightily to God, that he would convince us of the reality thereof, and set us down therein by his own Spirit in the holy Word.
     This is the beginning of discernment. There were at his time, and even more in our day, those cults that paraded as true religion. I often tell my students that we recognize a counterfeit not by studying the counterfeit but by studying the truth. The only way one will be able to discern the truth from error is by being grounded in the absolute truth of God’s holy Word.
     Godly mentors teach their students truth so that they may discern the “fly in the ointment”. Bunyan’s first published book was one where he took on the errors that the Quakers were teaching as truth. The list of these errors may be found in paragraph 124.
     Another of Bunyan’s mentors was none other than Martin Luther. We view this acknowledgement in these words (130): I do prefer this book of Mr. Luther upon the Galatians, (excepting the Holy Bible) before all the books that ever I have seen, as most fit for a wounded conscience. At this point I could easily rant on how men have failed in their command to take their role as men, but I will spare you.
     Godly mentors pass on that love of God in His truth so that when error is dispensed as fact, a righteous indignation will be ignited in those students of truth. Error is fire in their bones and cannot be unattended without confrontation. God’s word must not be misquoted or “spoof-texted” as we see many of the Emergent and Mega Church leaders do to their own liking.

Emotions, confusion, or something else

I agree with Aaron, Bunyan at times took too much license with Scripture, but when we chastise him for his misuse we must be careful not to miss what he gets right. Page 31, paragraphs 113-116, are great examples. It appears from his writings that the majority of these were in his memory or came through his dedicated study. Though he did get it wrong sometimes he was in the practice of trying to preach the truth to himself. His emotions and confusion clouded the truth.

I try to be quick to point out the dangers in “touchy feely” religion that preys on passions and captivates (2 Tim 3:6). Yet it is not the theologically ignorant who fall prey to emotions as Bunyan proves. We could argue from previous mishandlings that Bunyan wasn’t equipped to fight properly but I think we should be careful to pass quick judgments. Is it a simple fix such as straightening out his soteriology (doctrine of salvation) and all would be emotionally well?

Bunyan has me confused.
Paul