When My Mind Wanders

Posted on Friday, October 26, 2012 by Becky Pliego

You know how it goes, one day -almost without noticing- you entertain one thought, one worry, one doubt, one fear, one question, one… and then two days later, and then three days later, and the next week, and the week after that you have a wandering mind, with no limits whatsoever, your spirit is troubled, and of course, you feel heavy burdened.

What to do now?

Go back to the Word of God.

Go back to the Scriptures and mediate on them day and night. Memorize God’s Word, pray it, recite it, mutter it. The Word of God will dissipate all doubts, all fears, it will strengthen your heart. It will help you fight those vain thoughts.

James Smith said,

“We must mix faith with the Word; seek to hold fellowship with God through every portion; and realize the presence of the Holy Spirit, who alone can render the Word profitable”

How true this is! Let us come, to the Word. Let us abide in it, let us persevere with all diligence to keep it in our heart and mind.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” How do we come to Him? We come to Him in prayer and we find Him in the Word. It is there where we hear Him speak to our need, to our troubled soul.

Is your heart troubled and your mind wandering today?

Go back to the Word of God.

Under His sun and by His grace,

Becky

Recommended article:

Profiting from the Scriptures by J.C. Ryle

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The Doctrine of Love: Our Identity as Christians

Posted on Friday, September 21, 2012 by Becky Pliego

©Annie Pliego Photography

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus

Having a strong, biblical foundation based on solid doctrine is essential in the life of all Christians. It keeps us humble to know, for example, that we have been saved by God’s grace and that we did not choose Him, but that He chose us. It help us not despair in our daily battle against sin the wonderful doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints. He will not let us go. He who has called us will never leave us nor forsake us. He who began a good work in us is able to complete it. Our salvation, from A-Z depends only in the work of Christ Jesus, and that is strong, comforting doctrine. The doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is what gives us hope when all seems to be falling apart, when there are many questions and a few answers. That He is ruling this world and that he knows the number of the hairs on my head, makes a whole world of a difference. The way we approach God in prayer, the way we live our lives, the way we respond to sin, the way we deal with the desires of our hearts, all we do depends on the doctrines on which we stand.

There is one doctrine, however, that we sometimes leave on the side. We know it is there and we pretend to know it well until differences arise and conflict comes our way, I am talking about the doctrine of love.

Maybe because it has been abused in so many Christian traditions in which love has been preached without a biblical backbone, with no doctrinal frame, we tend to minimize its importance. We know we must love, but in reality we care more about being zealous for truth than in laying down our lives for others.

We pass by the wounded and do nothing because we are too busy defending our doctrinal righteousness. Jesus, our model to follow, did both: He touched the unclean, and sat and ate with the sinners while preaching Truth, while preaching repentance of sins. Paul and Silas helped the sick and the widows while defending Truth.

The first Christians were persecuted for preaching the Truth without compromise, while at the same time they were known by the love amongst themselves. Tertullian (c. A.D. 200) wrote,

“It is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us. “See,” they say, “how they love one another,” for they themselves are animated by mutual hatred. “How they are ready even to die for one another!” For they themselves will sooner put to death… . No tragedy causes trouble in our brotherhood, [and] the family possessions, which generally destroy brotherhood among you, create fraternal bonds among us. One in mind and soul, we do not hesitate to share our earthly goods with one another. All things are common among us but our wives. (Apology 39)”

We should pay more attention and study with more zeal the doctrine of love; while praying earnestly that the Lord will lead us into repentance for the many times we have not shown true love for Him (and His Word) because of our lack of love for those around us. Our identity as Christians, the way we should be known even today, must be the way we deeply love and care for one another. It is not an option; just as it is not an option to believe in the importance of salvation by faith and not by works.

In the past few months I have been digging deep into this, searching the Scriptures and my heart. And it is not easy to find the balance needed to live this out. It is not easy because we love Truth, and because we want to defend it. It is not easy because we know that false teachers do destroy families, and churches, and lead many astray, and we do not want to compromise the Truth of God, we want to stand firm on the Word of God and reach out to those whom we see in danger. But Jesus (and his disciples) taught us that it is possible to do both. We can love our neighbors and our enemies without compromising the Truth of God. And it is possible to do so, because that is exactly what we have been commanded to do.

My husband and my children are witnesses of the struggle of my heart as I have been learning these lessons, as I seek answers to these questions. I love Jesus and I want to love my neighbors as well as my enemies. I want to be known as a Christian.

If you want to dig deeper into this doctrine I would suggest that you study in depth (get an expository commentary) 1st John, the Sermon of the Mount, and the epistle to the Galatians. Two other books that have helped me to understand all this (and have made me cry more than once) are: Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Ryken, and If You Bite and Devour One Another: Biblical Principles for Handling Conflict by Alexander Strauch.

May God draw us to Him, so that we may be drawn to love those around us.

Still learning,

Becky

Because of His Grace…

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 by Becky Pliego

©Katie Lloyd Photography

Because of His Grace I live.
Because of His death on the cross.
Because of His conquering of death.
Because He lives,
I live.

I live in a battle
Against the sin
That still wants to reign.
I depend on Grace,
Because without Grace
I could never win.

But I have to be reminded
That Grace never,
Never,
Denies,
Ignores,
Condescends,
Overlooks
Sin.
Never.

Grace confronts sin.
Grace battles sin.
God’s Grace for His own
Brought His Son
To the Cross.
Sin bears a curse
And the Son of Man
Wore the crown of guilt,
Because of Grace,
And Grace confronts sin.

God does not,
never,
Deny,
Ignore,
Condescend,
Overlook
Sin.
Never.

Grace has eyes to see
What others would rather deny.
Grace sees the sin,
And also sees hope in Him
Who is able to forgive.

Grace does not ignore sin,
Grace grieves and
Brings us to our knees
In intercessory prayer
For us,
For them.

Grace does not condescend
With Sin.
Grace speaks the Truth,
Unmasks the evil deeds.
It brings God’s Light
Into the darkest room.

Grace does not overlook sin,
It begs for forgiveness,
It restores,
It changes.
Grace,
Once it meets us,
Doesn’t leave us
unchanged.

Because of His Grace I live.
Because of His death on the cross.
Because of His conquering of death.
Because He lives,
I live.

Becky

Repentance Should be Noticed -Notes from my Reading Corner-

Posted on Friday, April 6, 2012 by Becky Pliego

Buy at Monergism Books

I have been reading these past few days Dan Phillip’s book, The World-Tilting Gospel, and I have certainly enjoyed it very much. This is a book that I recommend to anyone who professes to be a Christian but cannot explain the basics of his faith: what is the Gospel for example, and what does it mean -and why it matters so much- to have a Biblical worldview. On the other hand, it is a book that I recommend to those who already know the answers to those questions, but love the Gospel so much that reading about the wonderful truths in it is always a joy, a refreshment. It is like taking the time to sit back on a lovely day and be reminded of all its beauty, and once more, fall in love with it.

Yesterday I read what Phillips writes about repentance; and it made me think about the beauty of it. O what a wonderful gift it is to us! Yet, just like we do with many other of the gifts we receive from God, at times we despise it. How many times have we used this word only as an excuse to hide the sin we love? We say “I repent, forgive me,” only to keep on doing exactly the same thing, over and over again; making no effort to kill that sin; making no attempt to mortify the sin that wants to rule our conduct and destroy our relationships.

Phillips says,

“Sticking with just the words translated “repent/ repentance” in the Greek NT, we start with the term’s fundamental idea: ‘Change your mind.’ However, I must issue an immediate warning: Beware mistaking ‘change your mind’ as meaning simply ‘shift an opinion or two.’ The ‘change’ is a radical, top-to-bottom change; and it is the ‘mind’ that must change, not merely some individual notion.”

“Maybe a better explanation of repentance would be a transformed mind, or a transformed way of thinking that issues in a transformed life.

We are exposed to the Word of God; and as a result, the way we look at and think about everything is transformed.”

“Everything is transformed,” this just hits hard. If we are still in this body, we are still struggling with our sinful nature, that is true. But, if we are true believers, repentance should be part of our daily walk with the Lord, which in turns means that we should be transformed every day in all things, in our attitudes, in the way we see things, in the way we look at the world. Always walking forward toward the goal: our sanctification.

Change and transformation must be part of our daily life. I don’t want to be the same person that I am today in ten years, or two months, or three weeks from now; not even when I go to bed tonight.

Phillips explains, taking the example of the Churches at Ephesus and Thessalonica, how when they repented, “their fundamental beliefs changed, and their loves changed -in costly, practical ways.” “They turned from the dead false idols they served, and to the living and true God, to a life centered around their hope in the Lord.”

“One cannot seek God or turn to Him without by that act turning away from sin. it is impossible to lie in the arms of sin as lover, or serve sin as master, and at the same time love and serve God. One cannot turn to God without turning away from sin.”

And this truth not only refers to the first time we are called out of darkness into His admirable light. This is true for today, in our Christian walk. Today I cannot turn to God without turning away from sin.

Today as we look at the Cross and take time to examine our heart, I pray we will truly grasp by the Spirit of God, what true repentance means so that, in turn, we may be changed into his likeness.

Under His grace,

Becky

If you are interested, you can read a more thorough review of this book at Douglas Wilson’s Blog.

On Disagreeing with Spurgeon

Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 by Becky Pliego

I have been thinking and praying for weeks (maybe months now?), trying to find an easy way to write what is in my heart. This is a sensitive post, I know. I know many will agree and many will not, but it is burning deep within me, and I have decided to click the “publish button”.

I will use a few examples of one of the men who has been a very important and strong influence not only in my life, but in the lives of many of us, to try to explain what is in my heart, the man is Charles Spurgeon.

What would you think of a preacher today whose chief project at a certain time in his ministry would be raising money for a new church building? Well, Spurgeon did this. The estimated cost to build the new Tabernacle was very high, so he started to accept more invitations to preach in many different places to receive more offerings.(1)

“Just before the building was ready to be opened, since the entire costs had not yet been met, a great bazaar was held to raise the remaining amount. This action caused questioning in many evangelical minds then, and it will do the same today.” (2)

I am sure, that if this were happening today, the next day we would see many, many bloggers pointing harshly at him.

The Tabernacle was a huge building with seating for about 3,600 people.(3) Yes, that is the number; a big one, right? Please, just imagine what many of us (and me too, probably) would be thinking of this today. We love the local church and most of us do not believe in mega-churches. Spurgeon, the man we all love to quote, however, pastored one.

OK, if by now you are surprised, read the next:

“People who wished to attend regularly paid for a seat on a three-months’ basis and were admitted by ticket. Others remained outside till five minutes before the beginning of the service, at which time the restriction was removed and the crowd rushed in and filled the rest of the building.” (4)

I dare to say I don’t agree at all with Spurgeon on these practices. However, I must also admit that he has been a man that through his written word has influenced my life tremendously. I have learned so much from him, his teachings have been, without a doubt, a blessing to the Church of Christ.

So what is it that is in my heart?

I want to be free in this space to say, for example, that John Piper’s teachings have been (and still are) a strong pillar in my faith. Do I agree with everything he does and with all the friends he has? No. But I would never dare to say that he is not a godly man. God forbid.

Mac Arthur, Carson, Horton, Tim Challies, The Pyro-Team, The Gospel Coalition, The Resurgence, my beautiful friends on the blogsphere, the Puritans, my dearest friends in another country, my sister, all of them have taught me something, and no, I don’t always agree with every one of their words; but I am willing to learn from them, and even change my points of view when Truth demands so.

My family has been blessed greatly by Douglas and Nancy Wilson, by their ministry, their books, and the Church he pastors. We have not seen, anywhere, a church that practices the gospel in such a vivid way as theirs. They are an example to us on how to live the Christian life in obedience to the Word, with joy, practicing hospitality and living in community. Do we agree then with every single word we have read in their books/blogs? No, not necessarily; but we count it as a wonderful gift of the Divine Providence that our son is a member of their church.

I love Ann Voskamp, she is my friend, and has been a blessing to me many times; I always give thanks to God for her. I don’t agree with some of the things she has written, but again, I cannot, no matter what, dare to say that she is not a child of God. Each one of us is still short-sighted; each one of us is still in the process of Sanctification, and each one of us will give account of our own words before the Lord.

I have a few friends who are passionate about contending for the truth, and I love them and respect them very much. I too was in the wrong church under false teaching for many years, but I do not always agree with their tone of voice. Does that mean that I love them less? Not at all; I need them as part of the body of Christ in which we belong together.

Let me come back to our dear Spurgeon again. He knew that none of us in infallible, and he dared to say,

“I am a great lover of John Bunyan, but I do not believe him infallible…” (you may read the rest here)

Note please, that I am NOT, NOT, NOT (yes, I want to make this clear) advocating for pluralism or relativism. Certainly not. I love doctrine very much and I believe in contending for the faith. At the same time, I pray I will grow in discernment every day, because the Bible says that the days in which we are living are evil. I read the Word, study it, memorize it in order to have the Truth well planted in my heart; I long to live by it and be obedient to it. Borrowing the words of Erik Raymond I say: “While I believe that in some cases controversy is not only helpful but essential (see the recent Rob Bell firestorm), I don’t believe a steady diet of it is.” (emphasis mine)

Friends, I, too, once read the wrong books. I, too, listened wrong teachings for many years, but God had mercy on me when I did not expect it. His grace reached my stubborn and prideful heart and granted me the gift of repentance. It is my prayer that God will reach deep into my heart even now, and change me more and more. I pray I will always have a teachable heart, humble enough to say, “I am still learning, I do not have it all right.”

We are still of this fallen world, and that is one of the reasons I long for Jesus to come. I long for the New Creation, because on that day, the children of God will be sharing one table. We will be able to see clearly, and we will feast and rejoice in the One who is the Author of our Faith. And those wolves who have deceived many while hiding among the sheep will be judged by the Only One worthy to open the seal of the Book, and He will cast them out into the eternal fire.

Meanwhile, let us be ready, abiding in the Word, spending more time in the Word than anywhere else; the only book that is infallible is God’s Word.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” I Timothy 3:16- 17

God help us,

Becky

(1) Spurgeon, A New Biography by Arnold Dallimore, Banner of Truth p.94
(2) ibid. p.97
(3) ibid. p.98
(4) ibid p.98

>On Total Depravity: The Place to Start

Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 by Becky Pliego

We all have heard the altar call “Come to Jesus, come, just like you are. He loves you and accepts you. You are special to Him. Come, come to Him. He is waiting for you to come into His arms.”

This is what I heard every Sunday for 15 years. But is it real? Really, Jesus loves people just the way they are? If so, why then did He have to come and die on the cross and bear the guilt of many and bear the wrath of God on Himself?

This powerful doctrine of The Total Depravity of men, is really the place to start in our relationship with God. This the place where we come before a Holy, Holy, Holy God and take off our shoes and fall to the ground. This is the doctrine that humbles me the most and draws me close to Jesus, my Mediator; because it was because of my total depravity, my total inability that I had no hope except that He called my name and gave me life.

What is Total Depravity?

It means that my whole being is corrupted by sin, and that “corruption extends to every part of man, his body and soul; sin has affected all (the totality) of man’s faculties -his mind, will, etc.” [1]

“None is righteous, no, not one;

no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

“Their throat is an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.”

“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

in their paths are ruin and misery,

and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

(Romans 3:10-18 ESV)

As a result of this corruption, all men and women are incapable of drawing close to God They simply don’t want to come, they are, instead, fugitives. They are desperately running away from Him. No man, no woman, no child seeks God. But you might say, I have seen people, lost people seeking after God. The reality is that people do not seek God, they seek only the benefits, the blessings that come from God: health, prosperity, peace, joy, a healthy marriage, a way out of debts, hope, etc.

“The unregenerate man is dead, and his will is enslaved to his evil nature” [2] How true! This is where we see that God cannot accept men as they are. They need to be dragged by God into the light, they need to be born again.

Don Fortner says,

You will never seek the mercy and grace of God in Christ

until you are convinced of your sin, convinced that you

are without excuse, and convinced that you are personally

guilty before the holy Lord God.

We are, everyone of us, and every one of our children,

sinners, corrupt at heart, corrupt by nature, corrupt by

choice, and corrupt by practice. So vile, so corrupt

are we, that the thoughts of the human heart are only evil

continually (Gen. 6:5; Matt. 15:19-20).

So evil are we that we cannot and will not do good. If you

die without Christ, this is what you shall be forever in hell.

There will be no changes on the other side of the grave.

Whatever else hell may be, it is a place of ever-increasing

torment, blackness, darkness, corruption, and burning lusts,

without satisfaction. This is called “Total Depravity.”

We are depraved, spiritually dead sinners by nature, incapable

of changing our condition, or even wishing to change it.

Man is so depraved that it is utterly impossible for him ever

to escape the wrath of God, if left to himself.

But, blessed be God, that which is impossible with men is

possible with God! By the work of his sovereign, free,

distinguishing, effectual grace, some men and women are

made new creatures in Christ. May God be pleased to do

for you and me what we cannot do for ourselves.

Oh, may God be pleased to save us from ourselves,

for Christ’s sake!

When I see this, when I see that before regeneration I was dead (yes, dead, 100% dead) and God came and gave me life, when the only thing I deserved was hell, His grace grows and I am left undone.

When our relationship with God starts here, then we are always in awe of His grace; every single minute we remember that we did not deserve His saving grace yet, He came and gave us life, eternal life.

John Newton reminds us “that no doctrines or means can change the heart, or produce a gracious conversation, without the efficacious power of Almighty grace.” [3]

So, it is my prayer that through Grace, through the efficacious power of the Almighty grace, you may be called to repentance and fall to your knees before the Cross where your sins can be washed away and your nakedness will be covered with a robe of Righteousness.

Soli Deo Gloria

_______________

[1] The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, and Documented by Steele, Thomas and Quinn p. 19
[2] ibid. p. 19
[3] Via Grace Gems

An excellent article which expands on this matter is one entitled A Jealous Love by Tim Challies. I highly recommend it to you.

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Daily On My Way to Heaven

Under His Sun and by His Grace

Category Archives: Sanctification

When My Mind Wanders

The Doctrine of Love: Our Identity as Christians

Because of His Grace…

Repentance Should be Noticed -Notes from my Reading Corner-

On Disagreeing with Spurgeon

>On Total Depravity: The Place to Start