The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 72

As he comes toward the end of his book, Watson gives three warnings. This is the third of these:
3d. The third caution is, though in every condition we must be content, yet we are not to content ourselves with a little grace. Grace is the best blessing. Though we should be contented with a competency of estate, yet not with a competency of grace. It was the end of Christ’s ascension to heaven, to give gifts; and the end of those gifts, “that we may grow up into him in all things who is the head, even Christ. (Ep. 4. 15) Where the apostle distinguisheth between our being in Christ, and our growing in him; our ingratifying, and our flourishing; be not content with a modicum in religion.

It is not enough that there be life, but there must be fruit. Barrenness in the law was accounted a curse: the farther we are from the fruit, the nearer we are to cursing. (He. 6. 8) It is a sad thing when men are fruitful only in the unfruitful works of darkness. Be not content with a drachm or two of grace; next to a still-born, a starveling in Christ is worse. O covet more grace! never think thou hast enough. We are bid to covet the best things. (1 Cor. 12. 31) It is an heavenly ambition when we desire to be high in God’s favour, a blessed contentation when all the strife is who shall be most holy. St Paul, though he was content with a little of the world, yet not with a little grace: “he reached forward, and pressed towards the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Ph. 3. 13,14)

A true Christian is a wonder; he is the most contented, and yet the least satisfied; he is contented with a morsel of bread, and a little water in the cruise, yet never satisfied with grace; he doth pant and breathe after more; this is his prayer, “Lord, more conformity to Christ, more communion with Christ; he would fain have Christ’s image more lively pictured upon his soul. True grace is always progressive; as the saints are called lamps and stars, in regard of their light, so trees of righteousness, (Is. 61. 3) for their growth: they are indeed like the tree of life, bringing forth several sorts of fruit.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays.

My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
  
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)  

Sunspots 721

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Computing: PC Magazine tells us about some ways to use Google Calendar that you probably don't know about. (Anyone with a Google account and an internet connection can use Google Calendar.)

Gizmodo reports on the sophistication of various methods of phishing. Scary.

Your Android device may have anti-virus software that is not as good as it should be.

Gizmodo reports that t he CEO of AT&T apparently got a robocall while he was giving a presentation.

Education: (and Finance, and Politics) The Associated Press reports that some Republican state legislators, and governors, have suddenly become supporters of public schools.

Humor: (or something) Listverse tells us 10 interesting things about horses.


Politics: S. E. Cupp examines the field of Democratic candidates for President. She concludes that only Oprah Winfrey (who isn't running) can beat the President.

Catherine Rampell discusses socialism, and analyzes the President's warnings about it.

Science: There is no Nobel Prize in mathematics, but Gizmodo reports that a woman has won the equivalent Abel prize, and discusses her contributions.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain.
Thanks for looking!

Christians are expected to grow

1 Thessalonians 3:12a and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.

Mark 4:8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

Part of John 15:4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (Implies growth!)

2 Corinthians 10:15b having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

Ephesians 4:11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds;

Hebrews 5:13 For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. 14 But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

1 Peter 2:1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,

2 Peter 3:18a But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The scripture above is quoted from the World English Bible, public domain. There are probably other passages that encourage and expect growth in the Christian life.

Thanks for reading. I mistakenly posted part of my series on Divine Contentment on the 20th. God willing, that series will resume on March 31.

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 71

Watson closes his book with three final warnings. Here is the second part of the second of these:
By living in an evil family, we are liable to incur their punishment: “pour out thy wrath upon the families that call not upon thy name. (Jer. 10. 25) For want of pouring out of prayer, the wrath of God was ready to be poured out. It is dangerous living in the tents of Kedar. When God sends his flying roll, written within and without with curses, it enters into the house of the thief and the perjurer, “and consumes the timber and the stones thereof.” (Ze. 5. 4) Is it not of sad consequence to live in a profane perjured family, when the sin of the governor pulls his house about his ears? If the stones and timber be destroyed, how shall the servant escape? And suppose God send not a temporal roll of curses in the family, there is a “spiritual roll, and that is worse.” (Pr. 3. 33) Be not content to live where religion dies. “Salute the brethren, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.” (Col. 4. 15) The house of the godly is a little church, the house of the wicked a little hell. (Pr.7. 27) Oh, incorporate yourselves into a religious family; the house of a good man is perfumed with a blessing. (Pr. 3. 33) When the holy oil of grace is poured on the head, the savour of this ointment sweetly diffuseth itself, and the virtue of it runs down upon the skirts of the family. Pious examples are very magnetical and forcible. Seneca said to his sister, though I leave you not wealth, yet I leave you a good example. Let us ingraft ourselves among the saints; by being often among the spices, we come to smell of them.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays.

My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
  
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)  

Sunspots 720

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: Listverse describes stories that probably influenced J. R. R. Tolkien's writing.

Christianity: Not a surprise. Relevant reports on a study that shows that larger Protestant churches are more likely to be growing than small ones.


Computing: NPR reports that electronic medical record-keeping hasn't lived up to its promise, and explains why.

Finance: Catherine Rampell reacts to the Trump administration's budget.

Health: NPR reports that Alzheimer's is not the only form of dementia. There are other common forms, all bad, but treatment for some of the effects may be possible, provided the actual form of dementia is known.

Politics: A USA Today columnist is not happy with the President, but explains why he might win in 2020.

Michael Gerson explains why Trump's base is loyal. It isn't pretty.

FiveThirtyEight analyzes the various lawsuits against the President, and his businesses, especially a suit involving the emoluments clause of the Constitution. The Supreme Court is going to be busy, apparently.


Science: Listverse tells us a lot of interesting facts about ice.

Gizmodo reports on calculations that say that Mercury is closer to the earth than Venus is.

Gizmodo also reports on an enormous geological event that we didn't feel, but was detected by seismographs all over the world.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain.
Thanks for looking!

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 70

Watson closes his book with three final warnings. Here is the first part of the second of these:

2d. Though, in regard of externals, a man should be in every estate content, yet he must not be content in such a condition wherein God is apparently dishonoured. If a man’s trade be such that he can hardly use it, but he must trespass upon a command, and so make a trade of sin, he must not content himself in such a condition; God never called any man to such a calling as is sinful; a man in this case, had better knock off and divert, better lose some of his gain, so he may lessen some of his guilt. So, for servants that live in a profane family, the suburbs of hell, where the name of God is not called upon, unless when it is taken in vain, they are not to content themselves in such a place, they are to come out of the tents of these sinners; there is a double danger in living among the profane.

1. Lest we come to be infected with the poison of their ill example. Joseph, living in Pharaoh’s court, had learned to swear “by the life of Pharaoh.” (Ge. 42. 15) We are prone to suck in example: men take in deeper impressions by the eye than the ear. Dives was a bad pattern, and he had many brethren that seeing him sin, trode just in his steps, therefore saith he, “I pray thee send him to my father’s house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” (Lu. 16. 27,28) Dives knew which way they went; it is easy to catch a disease from another, but not to catch health. The bad will sooner corrupt the good, than the good will convert the bad. Take an equal quantity and proportion, so much sweet wine with so much sour vinegar; the vinegar will sooner sour the wine than the wine will sweeten the vinegar. Sin is compared to the plague, (1 Ki. 8. 37) and to leaven, (1 Cor. 5. 7) to show of what a spreading nature it is. A bad master makes a bad servant.  We do as we see others do before us, especially those that are above us. If the head be sick, the other parts of the body are distempered. If the sun shines not upon the mountains, it must needs set in the valleys. We pray, “lead us not into temptation:” Lot was the world’s miracle, who kept himself fresh in Sodom’s salt water.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays.

My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
  
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.) 

A call for a moratorium on creating gene-edited babies

National Public Radio and other news sources have reported on a call to put a "moratorium on heritable genome editing" in place.

The call for a moratorium was published on October 13, 2019, in Nature, the same journal that originally published the Watson-Crick paper, which explained how the structure of DNA was responsible for its use as a heredity-carrying molecule. Here is that call. It was made by 18 scientists and ethicists from 7 countries, namely Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United States. Paul Berg, who was prominent in calling for a similar moratorium on developing recombinant DNA, in the 70s, was one of the authors. Jennifer Doudna, perhaps more responsible than anyone else for the development of current genetic engineering methods, using the CRISPR-cas9 system, was not among the authors. She believes that the CRISPR system should be used to change genes in early embryos.

The earlier moratorium was most likely the reason that scientists working on genetic engineering, in the 70s and after, became quite cautious about the possible dangers of such work. I am not aware that any disaster, caused by recombinant DNA, has ever occurred. Without the moratorium, and the publicity that resulted, some disaster might have occurred.

The current proposed moratorium, by Eric Lander and the others, will probably not be made into law, or perhaps even into research regulations, by the US and other countries. But, again, it most likely will cause scientists to be very careful in what research is carried out, and how it is carried out.

This is probably the most important statement in the call for a moratium: "clinical germline editing should not proceed for any application without broad societal consensus on the appropriateness of altering a fundamental aspect of humanity for a particular purpose. Unless a wide range of voices are equitably engaged from the outset, efforts will lack legitimacy and might backfire." 

Some Christians (and others) are concerned about any manipulation of human embryos. (See here for discussion of abortion.) Many people are wary of the possibility of somehow enhancing humans, for example by manipulating genes so that people with better vision, or stronger muscles, result. And, also, many are concerned that genetic manipulation techniques would be available only to the wealthy. There are also safety concerns. Have we demonstrated, in animals, that the use of the CRISPR system won't result in unintended changes in genes, whether the gene under consideration, or some other gene? There are possible negatives, perhaps so serious that the technique should not be used on human embryos, ever, buty, on the other hand, manipulating genes might make it possible for some embryos, which would otherwise never have had a chance to survive, to live normal lives.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 719

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: A Relevant article suggests that Christian couples (and others) should argue more.

Computing: Lifehacker reports on using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). You are using one, aren't you?

Gizmodo discusses whether or not it's OK to touch your computer screen or monitor.

Gizmodo on what happens to Facebook accounts when the owner dies.

Gizmo's Freeware recommends https://pinetools.com/ for many kinds of free on-line tools.

Finance: The trade deficit has gotten wider, including with China, in spite of President Trump's campaign to reduce it. One reason for the increase is that Americans are more prosperous now than a few years ago, and, thus, buy more stuff. Here's another article about that subject.

Health: Gizmodo reports on a child who wasn't vaccinated. His treatment cost over half a million dollars, and was excruciating.

Michael Gerson on confusing political freedom with science (he is arguing that Senator Rand Paul should not be questioning the value of vaccination).

Humor: (or something) NPR reports on some interesting items in those fine print agreements that most of us click on (or sign) without reading. (Including, in one case, getting a $10,000 check.)


Politics: Catherine Rampell on how rolling back regulations hurts consumers, especially when enforcement is also rolled back.

FiveThirtyEight discusses the six wings of the Democratic party. Interesting. Two questions, though. Was the author aware that there are supernatural creatures with six wings in the Bible? (Isaiah 6:2) What on earth does "performative wokeness" mean? (That phrase was in the article.)

A USA Today editorial is sorry to see the FDA chief resign. According to the column, he actually wanted to protect consumers. The columnist also points out that the Trump administration has increased red tape requirements on some of the poorest of us, and wants to add more of such burdens.

Science: Gizmodo and other outlets report that a new species of killer whale may have been discovered.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain.
Thanks for looking!

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 69

Watson closes his book with three final warnings. Here is the first of these:

1st. He must not be contented in a natural estate: here we must learn not to be content.
 
A sinner in his pure naturals is under the wrath of God, (Jno. 3. 16) and shall he be content when that dreadful vial is going to be poured out? Is it nothing to be under the scorchings of divine fury? “who can dwell with everlasting burnings?” A sinner, as a sinner, is under the power of Satan, (Ac. 26. 18) and shall he in his estate be contented? Who would be contented to stay in the enemies’ quarters? While we sleep in the lap of sin, the devil doth to us as the Philistines did to Samson, cut out the lock of our strength, and put out our eyes.

Be not content, O sinner, in this estate! For a man to be in debt, body and soul; in fear every hour to be arrested and carried prisoner to hell, shall he now be content? Here I preach against contentation. Oh get out of this condition! I would hasten you out of it as the angel hastened lot out of Sodom; (Gen. 19. 15) there is the smell of the fire and brimstone upon you. The longer a man stays in his sin, the more sin doth strengthen. It is hard to get out of sin, when the heart as a garrison is victualled and fortified. A young plant is easily removed, but when the tree is once rooted, there is no stirring of it: thou who art rooted in thy pride, unbelief, impenitency, it will cost thee many a sad pull ere thou art plucked out of thy natural estate. (Jer. 6. 16) It is an hard thing to have a brazen face and a broken heart; “he travaileth with iniquity;” (Ps. 7. 14) be assured, the longer you travail with your sins, the more and the sharper pangs you must expect in the new birth. O be not contented with your natural estate! David saith, “why art thou cast down, O my soul?” (Ps. 43. 5) But a sinner should say to himself, why art thou not disquieted, O my soul? Why is it that thou layest afflictions so to heart, and canst not lay sin to heart? It is a mercy when we are disquieted about sin. A man had better be at the trouble of setting a bone, than to be lame, and in pain all his life; blessed is that trouble that brings the soul to Christ. It is one of the worst sights to see a bad conscience quiet; of the two, better is a fever than a lethargy. I wonder to see a man in his natural estate content. What! content to go to hell?

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays.

My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
  
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.) 

Sunspots 718

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: He Lives argues that Matthew 18 should not be used for general church discipline.


Computing: Gizmo's Freeware identifies the 27 best web sites for wasting your time.

Gizmodo also reports that there are data hoarders -- people who collect lots and lots of files.

Environment: Earther describes some of the really bad things that global climate change may cause.


Health: NPR reports that changing patient's attitudes helps them to take the medicine, and for it to help them. Attitude changes included having patients interpret bothersome side effects as a signal that the medicine is working.

Gizmodo, and other sources, report on research that indicates that sleeping late on weekends doesn't make up for too little sleep on other nights.

Humor: (and Health) NPR reports on how using Car Talk's diagnostic methods helps doctors diagnose illness.


Politics: Michael Gerson says "The current investigations targeting the Trump administration are not partisan witch-hunts. They are the natural result when a leader surrounds himself with crooks, cronies and conmen."

Joel Anderson has a proposal which should end most or all of the controversy over abortion. But, he says, politicians don't want to solve the abortion issue -- it energizes voters too much.

NPR reports that flood disaster money is distributed in ways that favor the rich. Surprise!

Science: FiveThirtyEight explains why it's hard to show that global climate change really exist -- a politician throwing a snowball is more dramatic, and usually presented with more confidence.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

Help me to pray as I ought to

I've attended quite a few churches. One thing that most of them have in common is that their prayer emphasis is on sick people.

That's not what the early church did. A search for occurrences of "prayer," "pray," and the like, in the New Testament, not including the Gospels, was done. That is, the search was in the Bible's record of the early church. I found about sixty such occurrences. Of these, only three were for a sick person, and only one was for the salvation of others, and that was for Jews in general (Romans 10:1), not for any particular Jew.

The first mass conversion in the early church was at Pentecost, where about three thousand people were converted. There's no indication that the believers had been praying for the salvation of any of these people, as individuals. Apparently, they were praying for their own group, for the Holy Spirit to empower them. And Spirit-filled believers were able to influence others to become believers.

Almost all of the New Testament church’s prayers or prayer requests were for believer’s growth and/or for their ministry. And besides that, of course, there's the most important prayer in the Gospels, that of Jesus, for believers, in John 17.

It’s not wrong to pray for the sick or for the salvation of others. But it is wrong to spend little or no effort in praying for believers to grow, to stay pure, to be guided by the Spirit, to absorb the Bible, and to have effective ministry. Am I a good example of this? No. I wish I were a better one.

Thanks for reading! Pray for other believers, and their ministry.

The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 68

Watson continues his argument for a Christian being contented:

Sect. XIII. The thirteenth argument to contentation is this;
To have competency, and to want contentment, is a great judgement. For a man to have a huge stomach, that whatever meat you give him he is still craving and never satisfied, you use to say, this is a great judgement upon the man: thou who art a devourer of money, and yet never hast enough, but still criest, give, give, this is a sad judgement: “They shall eat, and not have enough.” (Ho. 4. 10) The throat of a malicious man is an open sepulchre, (Ro. 3. 13) so is the heart of a covetous man. Covetousness is not only a sin, but the punishment of a sin. It is a secret curse upon a covetous person; he shall thirst, and thirst, and never be satisfied: “he that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver. (Ec. 5. 10) And is not this a curse? What was it but a severe judgement upon the people of Judah? “Ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink. (Ha. 1. 6) O let us take heed of this plague! Did not Esau say to his brother, “I have abundance, my brother,” (Go. 37. 9) or, as we translate it, I have enough; and shall not a Christian say so much more. It is sad that our hearts should be dead to heavenly things, and a sponge to suck in earthly. Yet all that hath been said, will not work our minds to heavenly contentation.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays.

My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
  
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)