for the love of many

Make Time to Watch Rachel Barkey

2009-05-14T22:31:00.005-04:00

So you may have seen links on some other blogs to this video about a lady dying from cancer named Rachel Barkey. You may have clicked on the link, then seen how long the video was and moved on... Let me strongly encourage you to sit down some evening this week and take the hour to watch the whole thing. You cannot watch Rachel's talk and remain unaffected. She is a beautiful personification of Job 13:15, "Though he slay me, I will hope in him." Taylor and I just finished watching the video and I am praising God for the courageous, Christ-exalting witness of Rachel Barkey.

Rachel's Site: Death is not Dying

MP3 Sermons vs. Your Pastor's Sermons

2009-05-13T15:59:00.002-04:00

Began thinking some about this dilemma after listening to a message on counseling at the Sovereign Grace Pastor's conference. In that message the speaker admonished us to encourage people we are counseling to make the sermons in their local church a higher priority than those of "super-star" preachers. This focus is supported by the truth that God is sovereignly speaking through your pastor to you in ways that miscellaneous preachers aren't. Forget people I'm counseling - that was convicting to me!

Here's a post by Tony Reinke on the same topic: MP3 Sermons vs. Your Pastor's Sermons

Woman @ the Well

2009-04-21T15:35:00.001-04:00

Wish I had found this video prior to preaching on the Woman at the Well a couple of weeks ago...

Courage and Choosing to Suffer

2009-04-21T15:15:00.001-04:00

I praise God for the courage demonstrated by this family.

Hospitality and the Gospel

2009-04-21T15:14:00.001-04:00

Piper connects them here.

Mark Driscoll Debating the Existence of Satan

2009-03-27T17:36:00.003-04:00

Watch the Nightline Face-Off on whether or not Satan exists.

From the ABC News website:

In this third installment, philosopher Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson will face-off against Pastor Mark Driscoll of the Mars Hill Church and Annie Lobert, founder of the Christian ministry "Hookers for Jesus" about the existence of the Devil.

1 Peter 3 Beauty

2009-03-26T13:15:00.004-04:00

Hoping that my Tabitha will resemble this young lady when she's thirteen... I love how she displays an intelligent confidence in the truth of God's word combined with a humble, gentle spirit. It made me think of 1 Peter 3:3-4:

Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear--but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Read more about Deborah Drapper at The Rebelution.

(HT: Josh Harris)

The New Calvinism in TIME

2009-03-21T14:59:00.002-04:00

A recent edition of TIME Magazine featured "10 Ideas Changing the World". Number three on their list was The New Calvinism. Very interesting that they picked this to be on their list. You can read the article here.

I also found that Thabiti Anyabwile offered some wise cautionary advice concerning this article. Why the Time Magazine Trumpeting of New Calvinism Is a Bad Thing

Never Let the Gospel Get Smaller

2009-03-21T14:54:00.002-04:00

John Piper exhorts us to Never Let the Gospel Get Smaller.

Al Jazeera on Iraqi Converts

2009-03-13T11:29:00.000-04:00

I would encourage you to pray for pastor Hazem Gergeis and his church....

Really Good Resources On... Humility (#3)

2009-02-27T11:59:00.003-05:00

While it may not be the easiest thing to read, Jonathan Edwards' writing on pride and humility is well worth the effort. Edwards help in discerning spiritual pride comes in the midst his work on The Great Awakening. These 18 pages will help you to discern your heart at a whole new level and also help you to apply the gospel as a means to grow in humility. Let me encourage you that the work of wading through Edwards writing is always rewarded!

Here's a link to the section on Undiscerned Spiritual Pride.

Really Good Resources On... Humility (#2)

2009-02-27T11:42:00.004-05:00

Not convinced of your need to grow in humility? These three messages on pride by Brent Detwiler will do the trick. I've listened to these messages countless times and have always been freshly convicted of my pride and spurred on in my pursuit of humility. These messages are undoubtedly in my top 10 of all time.

50 Fruits of Pride (1)
50 Fruits of Pride (2)
50 Fruits of Pride (3)
Outline

Really Good Resources On... Humility.

2009-02-22T21:34:00.003-05:00

Perhaps the single most convicting writing on pride that we've read is a chapter from Thomas Watson's The Godly Man's Picture. This is a short (10 page) but hard-hitting section that will not leave unmortified pride untouched.

Here is a taste:

Question: How may a Christian know that he is humble and consequently godly? [He expounds on each of the following answers.]

Answer 1: A humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself.
Answer 2: A humble soul thinks better of others than of himself.
Answer 3: A humble soul has a low esteem of his duties.
Answer 4: A humble man is always preferring bills of indictment against himself.
Answer 5: A humble man will justify God in an afflicted condition.
Answer 6: A humble soul is a Christ magnifier.
Answer 7: A humble soul is willing to take a reproof for sin.
Answer 8: A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God's glory may be increased.
Answer 9: A humble saint likes that condition which God sees best for him.
Answer 10: A humble Christian will stoop to the meanest person and the lowest office; he will visit the poorest member of Christ.

Really Good Resources on...

2009-02-22T21:16:00.005-05:00

Ok, we promised some content would be coming shortly so here's what we're looking at... Over the next several weeks we will be taking a topic each week and doing posts on the three or four most influential books, sermons, articles, etc. that have impacted us. We thought it might serve if we highlight some really good resources that could help you to grow in a particular area. So, here we go...

Productivity and Waiting on the Lord

2009-02-18T12:40:00.003-05:00

I thought these comments by Francis Schaffer were helpful and challenging as we continue to grow in prayer as a church:

"Let us not think that waiting on the Lord will mean getting less done. The truth is that by doing the Lord's work in the Lord's way we will accomplish more, not less. You need not fear that if you wait for God's Spirit you will not get as much done as if you charge ahead in the flesh. After all, who can do the most, you or the God of Heaven and earth?"

Then he goes on to challenge what we think it will look like for the Spirit to come and work in our lives:

"Nor should we think that our role will be passive. The moving of the Holy Spirit should not be contrasted with either proper self-fulfillment or tiredness. To the contrary, both the Scriptures and the history of the church teach that if the Holy Spirit is working, the whole man will be involved and there will be much cost to the Christian. The more the Holy Spirit works, the more Christians will be used in battle, and the more they are used, the more there will be personal cost and tiredness. It is quite the opposite of what we might first think. People often cry out for the work of the Holy Spirit and yet forget that when the Holy Spirit works, there is always tremendous cost to the people of God--weariness and tears and battles. (Francis Schaffer, No Little People, 73).

Ouch! That last sentence stung!

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Busy Seasons

2009-02-18T12:36:00.002-05:00

So there has been a drought of blog postings lately... But hopefully a thunderstorm is coming. We are working on putting together some (hopefully) helpful series regarding a number of topics. Keep checking back.

Piper Responds to Obama on Abortion

2009-01-28T15:20:00.003-05:00

John Piper models how we should respond to our President's stance on abortion:

Between Two Worlds: Piper Responds to Obama on Abortion

Posted using ShareThis

HT: Justin Taylor

Something to Weep Over this Week When You Pray:

2009-01-25T15:47:00.002-05:00

Abortion. Here is a clinic that advertises abortions up to 21.6 weeks.

Here are some helpful points to talk about when you are seeking to persuade someone about how abortion is...wrong.

Be bold in your persuasion. Be fresh out of the prayer closet, nice and broken. Be humble.

My Top 10 Books of 2008

2009-01-02T13:21:00.007-05:00

At a recent gathering with my family, everyone was asked to answer the question, "What was the best book you read this past year?" As I thought about the question, I began to remember several books that had significantly impacted me this year. Since I'm a sucker for lists, I decided to put together a top 10 list. I attempted to rank the books according to the long-term impact I think they will wield on my thinking. So, here's my list:

1. The Gospel Primerby Milton Vincent

2. The Prodigal God by Tim Keller

3. Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Howard & Geraldine Taylor

4. Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley

5. When the Spirit Comes With Power by John White

6. God at Work by Gene Veith

7. The Complete Husband by Lou Priolo

8. In My Place Condemned He Stood by Mark Dever and J.I. Packer

9. The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds by E.M. Bounds

10. The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Jesus Is My Helper, My Example, My Inspiration--but not My SAVIOR!

2009-01-01T18:17:00.004-05:00

"If, like the elder brother (speaking of the Parable of the Two Lost Sons), you believe that God ought to bless you and help you because you have worked so hard to obey him and be a good person, then Jesus may be your helper, your example, even your inspiration, but he is not your Savior. You are serving as your own Savior." Tim Keller, "The Prodigal God."

This is easily one of the best 5 books I have ever read. Buy this and read it immediately.

I don't know that any book I've ever read has so clearly articulated, and re-articulated the Gospel. This book will forever change your understanding of the Gospel, of the Savior, it will redefine sin for you, it will redefine Christianity for you, it will redefine how you think of other people and yourself, it will redefine ministry.

"The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller
(you read the name right! He even renames the famous parable in the Bible...AND he calls God "prodigal"). Whoa.

PS-For anyone looking for some (not all though!) of the questions the emergent church is asking but different answers, conclusions and direction than the emergent church--this book, and this guy is for you.

4 Areas of Thankfulness, 4 Concerns--Ray Ortlund

2009-01-01T15:05:00.001-05:00

4 areas to be excited about. 4 areas to be concerned about. All from a very wise role-model and personal hero of mine.

End of the Year Evaluation

2008-12-31T13:30:00.003-05:00

Over the years I have found taking time at the end of the year to evaluate my walk with God to be an invaluable practice. During this time I seek to evaluate how the previous year has gone, ascertain what goals were met or left undone, and where changes need to be made for the upcoming year. I also seek God for fresh vision regarding where he wants me to focus my attention for the upcoming year, set new goals, and seek to implement new practices that will hopefully bear fruit in my life, my family and my church.

Here are the questions I have used for the past five or six years in my end of the year evaluation:

PERSONAL

1. Do you sense that you have consistently grown in your love for the Savior over the past year? If so, what have been some of the contributing factors to that growth? If not, what has prevented you from doing so?

2. What were your goals for this past year? (Don’t confine your thinking merely to “New Year’s resolutions” type goals, but also think about things God might have laid on your heart to pursue or grow in.)

3. Did you accomplish or realize evident growth in the practice of these goals?

4. Where do you currently see God’s grace producing growth in your own life?

5. What practices, disciplines or ministry opportunities do you sense God leading you to personally pursue in the coming year?

6. What regular activities or practices have been the biggest “wasters of time” in your daily schedule over the past year?

7. (A.) What steps can be taken to eliminate or reduce the amount of time spent on the above activities and (B.) what is one practice you feel led to focus on with your new found time?

MARRIAGE/FAMILY

1. In what areas have you witnessed consistent or extraordinary growth in the life of your spouse over the past year?

2. Husbands: List one or two areas in which you can purpose to grow in leading your wife over the next year.

3. Wives: List one or two areas in which you can purpose to grow in submission to your husband over the next year.

4. What are a few specific areas where you see room for growth in the life of your spouse?

5. What are some ways in which you may assist or encourage your spouse as they pursue growth in the areas listed above?

6. As a couple, what is one practice you would like to make into a habit during the upcoming year?

7. What are some practices, traditions or events that you would like to see implemented into our family schedule over the next year?

8. What specific ways has God’s sovereignty, goodness, or faithfulness been demonstrated in the life of your family over the past year?

CHURCH/COMMUNITY

1. In what ways have you been able to consistently serve the body during the past year?

2. Do you sense God wanting you to (A) pursue serving in additional/other capacities or (B) pull back from any of the above areas?

3. Has your family grown in or pursued the area of hospitality this past year? What steps can be taken to grow in this area?

4. How have you pursued relationships with or ministry opportunities toward unbelievers this past year? What specific actions can your family take to grow in these areas?

Also, here's the link to another (shorter) list of questions that Donald Whitney created for evaluation at the end of the year or a birthday: 10 Questions for the New Year

Trusting God Knows Best

2008-12-28T20:33:00.002-05:00

I so admire this dear lady's trust in God... I pray that Christ will be enough when God takes a loved one.

Advent - Peace from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

Matthew's Begats

2008-12-26T11:54:00.001-05:00

I found this amusing...

(HT: Justin Taylor)

The Power of the Cross

2008-12-22T14:14:00.002-05:00

I recommend watching this when you get a few minutes without distraction... it should stir fresh affection for Christ and his sacrifice for us.

O to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

O to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

--Keith and Kristyn Getty

(HT: Dane Ortlund)

The First Link Between My Soul and Christ is My Badness

2008-12-22T11:02:00.001-05:00

CH Spurgeon reflecting on Matthew 1:21:

“The first link between my soul and Christ is, not my goodness, but my badness; not my merit, but my misery, not my standing, but my falling; not my riches, but my need. He comes to visit his people, yet not to admire their beauties, but to remove their deformities; not to reward their virtues, but to forgive their sins. O ye sinners, I mean real sinners, not you that call yourselves so because you are told you are such, but you who feel yourself to be guilty before God, here is good news for you. O you self-condemned sinners, who feel that if you ever get salvation Jesus must bring it to you and be the beginning and the end of it, I pray you rejoice in this dear, this precious, this blessed name, for Jesus has come to save you, even you. Go to him as sinners, call him “Jesus,” and cry, “O Lord Jesus, be Jesus to me, for I need thy salvation.” Doubt not that he will fulfill his own name and exhibit his power in you. Only confess to him your sin, and he will save you from it. Only believe in him, and he will be your salvation.”

(HT: Justin Childers)

Strategies for Cultivating Self-Forgetfulness (#2)

2008-12-12T07:58:00.003-05:00

(This is the third in a series of posts on self-forgetfulness.)

Here is Piper's second strategy to cultivate self-forgetfulness:

"Familiarize yourself with greatness. Getting to know something great that draws you outside of yourself. Could be nature - clouds, Grand Canyon. Could be God and the Bible. This is why study is so valuable. I have often asked depressed people, “Have you ever read a book on systematic theology? That might be good therapy.” That might be really weird, but the whole point is to be drawn out of yourself into something really great out there. So familiarize yourself with greatness."

I think this strategy is so important because if I'm not familiar with true greatness, I begin to assign greatness to things that aren't really that great (namely myself). I recommend surveying the cross of Christ as the pinnacle of greatness... it is sure to draw you outside of yourself into something really great.

Strategies for Cultivating Self-Forgetfulness (#1)

2008-12-09T07:40:00.001-05:00

(You will want to read the previous post on self-forgetfulness in order for this to make sense.

Here is Piper's first strategy for cultivating self-forgetfulness:

"The way you move toward it is to ask for it. I pray that way regularly before I preach and before others speak. It’s a horrible thing to stand in front of a group outside of yourself and thinking about how good you’re doing. If you are doing well you’ll be really arrogant and if you’re doing poorly then you’ll panic. “They’re going to leave any minute and I’m losing everybody!” There are few experiences more glorious in my life than waking up after thirty minutes after preaching because I have been so taken with the substance of the text and the person of Christ."

You might be tempted (like me) to think, "Ok, nothing too profound there." However, I have realized that I often neglect to ask God to do the work of changing me in areas where I need change. I gravitate toward lists, convicting quotes, sermons, books, and succinct Bible verses containing commands rather than asking the Spirit of God to work a miracle of change. Ask the Lord to help you forget about yourself today and to make you freshly aware of the glory of Christ and the joy of serving others.

The Joy and Miracle of Self-Forgetfulness

2008-12-08T09:17:00.003-05:00

I was recently listening to a series of messages from a Desiring God conference and during a panel discussion Justin Taylor asked John Piper about a comment he had made concerning the "joy and miracle of self-forgetfulness". Justin asked why he referred to self-forgetfulness as a "miracle" and even though it might be a miracle, if there might still be strategies to cultivate it. The following is a transcription of Piper's response:

"There are things you can do [to cultivate self-forgetfulness], mostly before the moment. First of all, what it is and where it came from. Humility is an essential reality in the Christian life. Calvin said that Christianity is first humility , second humility and third humility. The more I have thought about it the more I realized how impossible it is to intentionally be humble. Because if you succeed in the intention, you are not. In other words, you are aware you are and being aware that you are ruins it. Therefore, it is a catch-22 at that moment if it’s a command to clothe yourself in humility. If I succeed at obeying the command then I’ve done a pretty good thing. I should feel good about how I succeeded at that command.... That’s why it’s a miracle. The way you experience humility is by not experiencing it.

"The really humble person is not thinking about himself. There are two other things he should be thinking about: (1.) How glorious God is and (2.) how he can help another person. He should be involved as a servant and really happy. It is more blessed to give than receive. As I start thinking about that I start messing that up. As soon as I start thinking about how vibrant my worship is, it’s gone. So the miracle of authenticity in a moment of service or worship is self-forgetfulness."

That last paragraph is wonderfully clarifying for me. When I am worshiping and serving (whether on Sundays or this evening in my own home) I don't want to be focused on myself in those moments ("I'm being a godly husband by washing the dishes..."). Rather I want to be focused on the glory of God in Christ and the opportunity to love Him and enjoy Him made available in, say, washing those dishes.

I will post Pastor John's recommended strategies to cultivate this self-forgetfulness in the next couple of days.

Spiritual Questions to Ask Your Children

2008-12-06T14:23:00.004-05:00

In our care group the other night someone mentioned a list of questions created by a Sovereign Grace pastor to care for his kids. The pastor's name is Rick Gamache and he serves Sovereign Grace Fellowship church in Bloomington, MN. These are the questions that Rick asks his kids on a weekly basis.

(After reading these questions you may wonder about their "age-appropriateness"... I tried most of them with my 5-year-old daughter after making a few modifications and she seemed to respond to them very well. I will probably begin trying a couple of them with my three-year-old son as well.)

1. How are your devotions?

2. What is God teaching you?

3. In your own words, what is the gospel?

4. Is there a specific sin you’re aware of that you need my help defeating?

5. Are you more aware of my encouragement or my criticism?

6. What’s daddy most passionate about?

7. Do I act the same at church as I do when I’m at home?

8. Are you aware of my love for you?

9. Is there any way I’ve sinned against you that I’ve not repented of?

10. Do you have any observations for me?

11. How am I doing as a dad?

12. How have Sunday’s sermons impacted you?

13. Does my relationship with mom make you excited to be married?

14. On top of these things, with my older kids, I’m always inquiring about their relationship with their friends and making sure God and his gospel are the center of those relationship. And I look for every opportunity to praise their mother and increase their appreciation and love for her.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Don't insulate yourself from human suffering...

2008-12-02T11:31:00.005-05:00

Some time ago, I started keeping a collection of photos documenting human suffering. I find that such photos help to wake me up from my daily America-as-Disneyland type lifestyle and think and pray about things that really matter. Viewing images illustrating the effects of sin helps me to long for God's kingdom and Christ's power over sin to be advanced through the gospel.

Moshe Holtzberg, the 2-year-old orphan of the rabbi and his wife slain in the Mumbai Jewish center, cries during a memorial service at a synagogue in Mumbai, India, Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. Holtzberg will fly to Israel Monday on an Israeli Air Force jet with his parents' remains and the Indian woman who rescued him, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said. (AP Photo)

Things We're Thankful For...

2008-11-30T15:36:00.005-05:00

Every year we take time as a family to write down things that we're thankful for and this year we tried to come up with 108 things for 2008. When it was just Taylor and myself the list was pretty straight forward. With help from the kids the list has certainly become a little more entertaining... I attempted to keep a general priority level in place near the beginning of the list, but "Horses" (#10) still ended up ahead of "Jesus" (#12) and "Candy" (#37) came in quite a bit ahead of "Our Pastor" (#65).

1. Jesus dying on the cross
2. Salvation
3. God's Love
4. God making this world
5. That we're not sick anymore
6. Our family
7. Mommy and Daddy
8. Brothers
9. Sisters
10. Horses
11. Grandmas and Grandpas
12. Jesus
13. David beating Goliath
14. Necklaces
15. Bottles
16. Our house
17. School
18. Good books
19. The Bible
20. Doctors
21. Warm clothes
22. Our church
23. Coats
24. Toys
25. Cotton
26. Good food
27. Water
28. Hearts on Valentines
29. Babysitters
30. Jewelry
31. Romance
32. Our cars
33. Vegetables
34. Electric appliances
35. Movies
36. The rock pitt
37. Candy
38. Friends who care for us
39. Computers
40. Games
41. Music
42. Our guitars and keyboard
43. Brutus the Webkin
44. Date nights
45. Medicine
46. Deer that we can eat
47. Warm baths
48. The trashman
49. Firemen
50. Knitting
51. Police officers
52. Candles
53. Toothbrushes
54. Freedom
55. Gardens
56. Cats
57. Christ's righteousness
58. Good sermons
59. Peaches
60. iPhones
61. Sanctification
62. Emma
63. Our pastor
64. Trampolines
65. Our shed
66. Potties
67. John Piper
68. God's faithfulness
69. Beer
70. Electricity
71. Cake
72. Pancakes
73. Sleep
74. Starbucks
75. Eyes that see
76. God taking burdens off backs
77. Christians
78. Ice cream
79. Classes at church
80. Mommy being a good teacher
81. Work for Daddy
82. Giants not living anymore
83. Money to buy food
84. Kleenexes and toilet paper
85. Babies
86. Spanking spoons
87. Chocolate milk
88. C.J. Mahaney
89. The armed forces
90. Our TV
91. Kisses
92. Marriage
93. Chuck-E-Cheeses
94. Birthdays
95. Flowers
96. Mother's Day
97. George (rabbit) and our chickens
98. Disposable diapers
99. The transforming power of the gospel
100. Family traditions
101. Guns
102. Colors in nature
103. Jesus beating Satan
104. People that pray for us
105. Chips and salsa
106. Sovereign Grace Music
107. Bananas
108. That we get to go to heaven

For My Buds That Love to Hunt

2008-11-24T22:40:00.002-05:00

Never know when a hunting opportunity might present itself, fellas....

Deer Runs into a Target Store

(FOR MEN): A Possible Solution for an Ailing Prayer Life (and something for all of us compartmentalizers out there, too)

2008-11-21T14:43:00.006-05:00

Do guys even read this blog?????

Time to read this post and link: 5 minutes.

Sometimes I want to compartmentalize my life. And I do, often. But I can't really--every single piece of our lives are connected. Everything matters. Here's something that I came across today that will blow the doors off of compartmentalizing our lives: the way I live with my wife (how I treat her) directly effects my spiritual growth.

"No Christian husband should presume to think that any spiritual good will be accomplished by his life without an effective ministry of prayer. And no husband may expect an effective prayer life unless he lives with his wife “in an understanding way, bestowing honour” on her." -Wayne Grudem

Thats convicting! And its also odd logic...or it seems to be:

Spiritual good happens in my life when I pray effectively.
Effective prayer happens when...
I live with my wife "in an understanding way."

Or:
If I live with my wife "in an understanding way" (at home, behind closed doors when no one is watching).
Then I can pray effectively.
If I pray effectively, spiritual good happens (because of what God does).

Gospel Disclaimer: and this doesn't mean that living right at home earns an answered prayer. See the link below for how it relates:

Love Your Wife!

Let Fog Lead to Clear Dark Pillars. Then Get out the Gospel-Bazooka

2008-11-17T18:02:00.002-05:00

John Piper wrote a short and excellent article today entitled "How I Approach God When Feeling Rotten." He's asking and answering the question: is it good (or godly) to feel a vague sense of unworthiness? Is it good (or godly) to just feel like a crummy person before God?

He gives some very helpful direction. Its God-Centered. It ends with grace and the hope of the Gospel. I think its liberating.

Here is an excerpt to whet your appetite:

"Crummy feelings can be useful if they lead to conviction for sins. Vague feelings of being a bad person are not very helpful. The fog of unworthiness needs to take shape into clear dark pillars of disobedience. Then you can point to them and repent and ask for forgiveness and take aim to blow them up."

Here is a link to read the full thing (probably take 5 minutes).

Shall I Call the "Whambulence" For You?

2008-11-17T17:51:00.004-05:00

If you're like me...there are times you can complain. Or whine. My Pastor, Paul Cooke, asked his complaining children one afternoon, "Should I call the "Wham-Bu-Lence" for you?" Quietly, I laughed hysterically. I suppose he was referring to something resembling an ambulance (Emergency Services) which comes to take away whiners.

Anyway. Here is a piece you can print off called "12 Point Cure for Complaining" from Eternal Perspective Ministries. We are currently doing one "point" per evening after dinner as part of our devotional time.

Good thing there isn't an actual "Whambulence." I'd take up all their time and they probably wouldn't have time to rescue any of the other whiners out there.

Lord, make us a grateful people who never complain but always remember, "I always deserve much worse than what I am suffering now--in fact, I deserve hell."

From One Dummie to the Next

2008-11-14T14:31:00.003-05:00

Praise God for people who excel at organization.

Here is a new blog that will instantly be in my top 5 as long as I can remember where I keep my top 5....

http://www.whatsbestnext.com/

Blog by Matt Perman. Director of Strategy at Desiring God Ministries.

http://www.whatsbestnext.com/about/

Still Hungry?

2008-11-05T21:30:00.003-05:00

In light of the wonderful visitation of the Holy Spirit in our midst over the past several weeks, I thought I would post a link to my favorite messages concerning the gifts and working of the Spirit. I recognize in my own heart the tendency to quickly become satisfied when God does a work, rather than continuing to ask for more. Every time I listen to this message I end up so hungry for the active presence of God. Todd Twining preached this message at Metro Life Church a couple of months ago.

Our Values: Charisma

P.S. Listening to this message is a great way to prepare your heart for Sunday morning... you'll be so expectant for God to work!

True Woman Conference

2008-11-03T17:11:00.002-05:00

I have benefited from listening to some of the messages from the recent True Woman conference. Especially helpful were the messages by John Piper (the premise of his message was: "Wimpy Theology Makes Wimpy Women") and Mary Kassian, who provided an insightful historical overview of feminism and its impact on the modern woman.

You can listen/watch the messages here.

Mark Richt Adoption

2008-10-30T19:12:00.001-04:00

This might make you cry... (in a good way.)

Changing Diapers with Christian Faith

2008-10-28T08:57:00.004-04:00

These comments from Martin Luther on the sacrifice (and pleasure of God) involved in parenting are always so convicting every time I read them.

"Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason (which the pagans followed in trying to be most clever), takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says, "Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores, and on top of that care for my wife, provide for her, labour at my trade, take care of this and take care of that, do this and do that, endure this and endure that, and whatever else of bitterness and drudgery married life involves? What, should I make such a prisoner of myself? 0 you poor, wretched fellow, have you taken a wife? Fie, fie upon such wretchedness and bitterness! It is better to remain free and lead a peaceful. carefree life; I will become a priest or a nun and compel my children to do likewise."

"What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, 'O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labour, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.'

"A wife too should regard her duties in the same light, as she suckles the child, rocks and bathes it, and cares for it in other ways; and as she busies herself with other duties and renders help and obedience to her husband. These are truly golden and noble works. . . .

"Now you tell me, when a father goes ahead and washes diapers or performs some other mean task for his child, and someone ridicules him as an effeminate fool, though that father is acting in the spirit just described and in Christian faith, my dear fellow you tell me, which of the two is most keenly ridiculing the other? God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling, not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. Those who sneer at him and see only the task but not the faith are ridiculing God with all his creatures, as the biggest fool on earth. Indeed, they are only ridiculing themselves; with all their cleverness they are nothing but devil's fools."

- Martin Luther (The Estate of Marriage, 1522)

I would encourage you to go back and take a few minutes to meditate on the part I put in bold... it is so helpful in motivating my heart to rightly approach insignificant, distasteful and despised duties within the home.

Questions that Help Bring Conviction

2008-10-24T13:28:00.002-04:00

"Stop that right now!" Unfortunately, that phrase can easily begin to summarize my approach to parenting. Because of my self-centeredness, laziness and desire to have children who parent themselves, I can easily fall back into focusing on behavior modification ("Stop doing that!") rather than heart transformation. My ultimate goal in parenting is to help my children realize their need for a Savior, to love Him and live for Him. Working toward that goal takes more effort than barking abrupt commands - it often requires asking questions that help my child to see what is in his or her heart. Here are some questions that I found in Lou Priolo's Teach Them Diligently that help in that process:

Questions that Help Bring Conviction

1. Do you know what God calls what you just did/said?
2. Do you realize that what you did is a sin? The Bible calls it ________.
3. Can you think of a more gracious way to say that?
4. What exactly did you do? (Instead of "Did you do that?")
5. What went through your mind when you did/said that?
6. What did you want (long for, crave) when you did/said that?
7. Are you more concerned about pleasing yourself or pleasing God?
8. How exactly was God glorified by what you said/did?
9. How did those words build up or give grace to that person?

Fat with the love of Jesus!

2008-10-02T07:49:00.002-04:00

I've already done a couple of posts from A Gospel Primer and if you haven't obtained a copy yet, then pawn something and buy it ASAP! This next reason to daily rehearse the gospel is a little lengthy, but worth the read:

Mortifying the Flesh with Fulness

Though saved, I am daily beset by a sinful flesh that always craves those things that are contrary to the Spirit. These fleshly lusts are vicious enemies, constantly waging ware against hte good of my soul. Yet they promise me fullness, and their promises are so deliciously sweet that I often find myself giving in to them as if they were friends that have my interests at heart.

On the the most basic of levels, I desire fullness, and fleshly lusts seduce me by attaching themselves to this basic desire. They exploit the empty spaces in me, and they promise that fullness will be min if I give in to their demands. When my soul sits empty and is aching for something to fill it, such deceptive promises are extremely difficult to resist. [I think this concept of our souls desiring fullness is worth some extra thought... i.e., when I sin in this way, what type of "fullness" was I desiring?]

Consequently the key to mortifying fleshly lusts is to eliminate the emptiness within me and replace it with fullness; and I accomplish this by feasting on the gospel. Indeed, it is in the gospel that I experience a God who glorifies Himself by filling me with His fullness. He is the One, Paul says, "who fills all in all." He is the One who "fills all things" with the gifts He gives (Eph. 4:7-10). And He lavishes gospel blessings upon me with the goal that I "be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:14-19). This is the God of the gospel, a God who is satisfied with nothing less than my experience of fullness in Him! The first command God spoke in the Garden was, "eat freely."

What happens to my appetites for sin when I am filled with the fullness of God in Christ? Jesus provides this answer: "He who continually comes to me will never hunger or thirst again" (John 6:35). Indeed, as I perpetually feast on Christ and all of His blessings found in the gospel, I find that my hunger for sin diminishes and the lies of lust simply lose their appeal. Hence, to the degree that I am full, I am free. Eyes do not rove, nor do fleshly lusts rule, when the heart is fat with the love of Jesus.

Preaching the gospel to myself each day keeps before me the startling advocacy of God for my fullness, and it serves as a means by which I feast anew on the fullness of provision that God has given to me in Christ. Eating freely of such provision keeps me occupied with God's blessings and also leaves me with a profoundly enjoyable sense of satisfaction in Jesus. And nothing so mortifies fleshly lusts like satisfaction in Him. (Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer. 46-47.)

Meditating on Christ to Stir Passion for Christ

2008-09-27T07:07:00.002-04:00

In the message last Sunday we talked about engaging our minds in worship. Remember how it was mentioned that passion doesn't just happen, it is cultivated - often through study and meditation. I have found it helpful to intentionally meditate on the person and work of Jesus on Saturdays in preparation for Sunday. Here is how that looked for the Puritan Cotton Mather:

"The thoughts of Christ have become exceedingly frequent with me; I meditate on His glorious Person, as the eternal and incarnate Son of God: and I behold the infinite God as coming to me, and meeting with me in this blessed meditation. I fly to Him on multitudes of occasions every day, and am impatient if many minutes have passed without some recourse to Him. Every now and then I rebuke myself for having been so long without any thoughts of my Savior; how can I bear to keep at such a distance from Him? I then look up to Him, and say--Oh my Savior, draw near to me! Oh, come to dwell in my soul, and help me to cherish some thoughts wherein I shall enjoy You; and upon this I set myself to think of what He has done, is doing, and what He will do for me: I find the subject inexhaustible..." - Cotton Mather

Yes indeed, the subject is inexhaustible! Praise Jesus!

Leading worship = Opportunities for humility

2008-09-22T21:16:00.003-04:00

Here is a quote that Sam and I have gotten a kick out of:

"On the one hand, corporate worship may be made ineffectual by church members who never pray at home, who come to church waiting to be entertained, who are inwardly marking a scorecard instead of participating in worship, who love mere tradition (or mere innovation!) more than truth, who are so busy that their minds are cluttered with the press of the urgent, who are nurturing secret bitterness and resentments in the dark recesses of their minds. On the other hand, corporate worship may be poor primarily because of those who are leading." - D.A. Carson

The reason I find that so amusing is because this is pretty much how I usually feel when attempting to lead music:

Revelation Song

2008-09-22T21:00:00.002-04:00

Here is a song that Taylor and I have recently been affected by... especially the line, "Jesus your name is power, breathe and living water..." Lots of expressive worship modeled in the video as well!

Another reason to daily rehearse the gospel...

2008-09-22T20:51:00.002-04:00

I read this to our care group last week, and I thought I would post it here as well. This is one of the 32 reasons to daily rehearse the gospel found in Milton Vincent's A Gospel Primer.

Loving My Brothers and Sisters

"The more I experience the gospel, the more there develops within me a yearning affection for my fellow-Christians who are also participating in the glories of the gospel. This affection for them comes loaded with confidence in their continued spiritual growth and ultimate glorification, and it becomes my pleasure to express to them this loving confidence regarding the ongoing work of God in their lives.

"Additionally, with the gospel proving itself to be such a boon in my own life, I realize that the greatest gift I can give to my fellow-Christians is the gospel itself. Indeed, I love my fellow-Christians not simply because of the gospel, but I love them best when I am loving them with the gospel! And I do this no merely by speaking gospel words to them, but also by living before them and generously relating to them in a gospel manner. Imparting my life to them in this way, I thereby contribute to their experience of the power, the Spirit, and the full assurance of the gospel.

"By preaching the gospel to myself each day, I nurture the bond that unites me with my brothers and sisters for whom Christ died, and I also keep myself well-versed in the raw materials with which I may actively love them in Christ."

Creativite "Worship" Gone Bad

2008-09-13T12:31:00.002-04:00

As I have prepared to lead music the past two weeks at church, I have been trying to come up with creative ideas that might help the body engage with the truth we are singing. (Unfortunately, no breakthrough ideas came my way...) Then I saw this and realized that creativity in worship isn't always the best idea.

Preparation for Heaven Part 5 of 5: Do You Want to Be Useful Here on Earth (And In Your Everyday Life?) THEN GET READY FOR HEAVEN.

2008-09-09T16:46:00.003-04:00

So the question now for us is this: how does being "fit" and prepared for heaven make us of any use on our earthly mission? How does wanting to be in heaven more than being on earth (like the Apostle Paul) help us carry out the Great Commission and live for the glory of God? How does being consumed with heaven help us build up our local churches, care for our spouses and train our children? And does this world (and our nation) even need a bunch of folks who are prepared for heaven? What good will heavenly minded people be here on earth?

Here is the conclusion to our series:

"Nothing fits a person to be more useful on earth than to be more ready for heaven. This is because readiness for heaven means taking pleasure in beholding the Lord Jesus, and beholding the glory of the Lord means being changed into his likeness (2 Cor 3:18). Nothing would bless this world more than more people who are more like Christ. For in likeness to Christ the world might see Christ.

The world needs nothing more than to see the worth of Christ in the work and words of his God-besotted people. This will come to pass when the church awakens to the truth that the saving love of God is the gift of himself, and that God himself is the gospel."

--J. Piper, God is the Gospel, p. 16-17

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. -2 Corinthians 3:18

Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily

2008-09-07T16:57:00.003-04:00

If I can recommend one book that I have read so far this year, it would be Milton Vincent's Gospel Primer. In this short, easy to read volume the author provides thirty-one reasons to rehearse the gospel daily. This is one of my favorites:

My Daily Need

The gospel is so foolish (according to my natural wisdom),
so scandalous (according to my conscience),
and so incredible (according to my timid heart),
that it is a daily battle to believe the full scope of it as I should.
There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemnings of my heart, and the lies of the world and Devil than to overwhelm such things with a daily rehearsing of the gospel.

I would say that is definitely a good reason to daily rehearse the gospel!

Preparation for Heaven Part 4 of 5: How Then Do We Need to Pray and Seek God?

2008-09-03T19:30:00.003-04:00

I pray you have been particularly affected and challenged by the previous posts and the quotes with thoughts on heaven. I found myself crying out, "I want to be the kind of person who treasures You above all things, Lord! I want to say 'I don't want to go to heaven if YOU'RE not there Jesus!' Be my all in all!"

Today a quote helps us see what Scriptures we can set our minds on to make us this kind of people. Scriptures we can meditate on and fill our minds and hearts with that we might become the kind of people who long for heaven because we long for Jesus.

"May the church of Jesus Christ [say, pray, set their minds on] with increasing intensity, 'The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup' (Ps. 16:5). 'As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God' (Ps. 42:1). 'We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord' (2 Cor. 5:8). 'My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better' (Phil 1:23)."

Sometimes when I read places like this in Scripture, I'll try to write them out and make them into prayers. When David didn't have the joy of salvation, he didn't pretend he did, he asked God to give it to him: "restore unto me the joy of thy salvation!" (Ps. 52). I encourage you to take time and pray through the above Scriptures, and example would be: "Lord, I ask that you would help me to make you my chosen portion and cup! Above any and all things let YOU oh Christ be my chief delight and joy. Increase my affection and love for you that I might cry this with the Psalmist!"

Tomorrow one more post in this series...

--J. Piper, God is the Gospel pgs. 16-17

You the preacher...

2008-09-02T07:33:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday Paul preached on the importance of preaching. Specifically, he delved into why preaching is necessary and central in building a house of God. Certainly we cannot overestimate the importance of the public preaching of the gospel. As mentioned on Sunday, such preaching is essential in establishing absolute truth, discerning false gospels, destroying Satanic strongholds, promoting repentance & humility and strengthening us to face opposition, persecution and trials.

What comes to mind when you hear the words, "preaching the gospel"? Is that something that primarily takes place on Sunday mornings in church? Do you take a passive approach to preaching? (I just show up on Sundays and listen while someone else preaches...) Do you realize that you are called to be a preacher? Yes, little old you. Male, female, young, old, high-school-drop-out or PhD in theology - you are called to be a preacher of the gospel. You are called to preach the gospel to your unsaved friends, to your saved friends, to your children, to your spouse, and perhaps most importantly, to yourself!

Jerry Bridge's book, The Discipline of Grace, contains one of the most helpful chapter(s) on preaching the gospel to oneself. Here he provides a helpful definition of what we mean by "preaching the gospel to yourself":

"To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life. It means that you appropriate, again by faith, the fact that Jesus fully satisfied the law of God, that He is your propitiation, and that God's holy wrath is no longer directed toward you."

Do you preach to yourself like that through out the day? If not, then you run two risks. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin you will either fall into condemnation (trying to bear the penalty for your own sin) or licentiousness (blow-off the conviction, ignore it and continue on). As we grow in "continually facing up to our own sinfulness and then fleeing to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life" then we can expect to grow in love for the Savior, holiness, joy and freedom from sin. So, ready to preach today?

Preparation for Heaven Part 3 of 5: Is Heaven for You?

2008-09-01T21:03:00.005-04:00

Part 3 addresses whether heaven will really be a place for us...

"Can we really say that our [family, spouse, children, friends, church, co-workers] are being prepared for heaven where Christ himself, not his gifts, will be the supreme pleasure? And if our [family, spouse, children, friends, church, co-workers] are unfit for that, will they even go there? Is not the faith that takes us to heaven the foretaste of the feast of Christ? J.C. Ryle once preached a sermon called 'Christ is All' based on Colossians 3:11. In it he said:

'But alas, how little fit for heaven are many who talk of 'going to heaven' when they die, while they manifestly have no saving faith, and no real acquaintance with Christ. You give Christ no honor here. You have no communion with Him. You do not love Him. Alas! what could you do in heaven? It would be no place for you. Its joys would be no joys for you. Its happiness would be a happiness into which you could not enter. Its employments would be a weariness and burden to your heart. Oh, repent and change before it be too late!'"

--J. Piper, God is the Gospel pg. 11

Preparation for Heaven Part 2 of 5: What is God's Love? Himself? Or a Mirror for You to Look at You?

2008-08-30T22:41:00.004-04:00

We posed a cutting question two days ago in "Preparation for Heaven" Part 1 of 5. Look at the above post and read the question in its entirety again real quick before you read on. For all you too strapped for the 30 seconds to read the above, the question essentially went something like this:

"...could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there?"

Today here is some additional comments on the above question...

"...the question for Christian [spouses, parents, friends, leaders] is: do we...teach and lead in such a way [in our various roles] that [our spouse, our kids, our friends, the people we witness to] are prepared to hear that question and answer with a resounding No? How do we understand the Gospel and the love of God? Have we shifted with the world from God's love as the gift of himself to God's love as the gift of a mirror in which we like what we see? Have we presented the gospel in such a way that the gift of the glory of God in the face of Christ is marginal rather than central and ultimate?"

--J. Piper, God is the Gospel p. 15

Preparation for Heaven Part 1 of 5: Does Jesus Need to Be in Heaven?

2008-08-27T17:50:00.004-04:00

This will begin a 5 part series of posts with quotes from authors on the topic of heaven. The goal is to spark a love for and desire for The Treasure of Heaven itself (a person): Jesus Christ. Hopefully, you will be challenged in this series in a number of ways, especially in asking infinitely important questions like: 1) Am I Jesus-Centered in my thoughts about heaven? 2) How do I understand the Gospel? 3) How do I relate the Gospel to my husband or wife, kids, family members, college roommates, friends at school or coworkers? 4) How does my view of heaven affect my current situation here on earth (can anyone be of any earthly good if they care about heaven?)? 5) Am I going to heaven?

Here is the first quote, and its in the form of a question from its author:

"The critical question for our generation--and for every generation--is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

--J. Piper, God is the Gospel pg. 15.

Can you picture this in America?

2008-08-25T08:35:00.003-04:00

Many of us have probably heard of how the Lord presently seems to be drawing multitudes of people to Himself in Africa. This clip gives us an idea of the magnitude of this movement. I pray that these people all indeed are trusting in Jesus and that we'll see them in heaven one day.

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! (Psalm 47:1)

(HT: Ray Ortlund)

Nothing greater in the entire world's history...

2008-08-25T08:19:00.005-04:00

A good reminder from Jerry Bridge's The Great Exchange:

"For those... in [Christ], there is nothing greater in the entire world's history than the substitutionary obedience in the life and death of Christ on behalf of his people. To them, the life and death of Jesus Christ is the central event of all time to which previous ages looked forward and subsequent ages look back. It is the only hope for all humanity in all times and places."

Well put indeed! There certainly is nothing greater in the entire world's history than the good news about the life and death of Jesus.

To Make Jesus All...

2008-08-24T08:14:00.003-04:00

This morning I was reading in The Valley of Vision about the desire for Jesus to be my all...

Thou God of all grace,
Thou hast given me a savior,
produce in me a faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire, all my hope, all my glory.

May I enter him as my refuge,
building on him as my foundation,
walk in him as my way,
follow him as my guide,
conform to him as my example,
receive his instructions as my prophet,
rely on his intercession as my high priest,
obey him as my king.

Oh, if only to make him "all my desire, all my hope, all my glory"... how radical, how sweet, how joyful, how holy would our daily lives become! Father, won't you produce this faith in us?

My weakness, His strength...

2008-08-23T14:10:00.004-04:00

This video provides one of the most vivid pictures of my own inability and the sufficiency Christ. He does all the work for my salvation - I must rely completely on Him to finish the race. (Make sure to turn off the music player in the lower right-hand menu so you don't end up with multiple audio streams.)

Compare Him With Other Beloveds...

2008-08-16T10:43:00.003-04:00

So why keep posting quote after quote about the nature of Christ? Primarily because I feel my need to be reminded of how great a savior He is every day. I frequently feel my heart begin to wander after "other beloveds," yet I need only to compare them to the sufficiency, supremacy and sweetness of my Beloved Savior and their appeal immediately wanes. In order to be mastered by Christ (re: Sam's message last week) it is necessary to spend time admiring His person and His excellencies. Perhaps no one has admired Christ with as much eloquence and emotion as the Puritans. (Even a cursory reading of puritan writings will quickly demonstrate how they fail to live up to the stodgy, kill-joy persona that has been projected on them by our contemporary culture.) The following is from my favorite puritan writer, John Owen, in his Communion With God:

"Many poor creatures are aware of their needs, but do not know where to find the remedy. Indeed, whether it be life or light, power or joy, all is wrapped up in Christ.

"Christ is a fit Saviour, having pity and ability, gentleness and power, to carry on the work of salvation to the uttermost.

Christ is a full and complete Saviour, for he is made to us redemption, sanctification and righteousness, and he gives us his Spirit. Christ is also sufficient for all the needs of our souls. So he becomes exceedingly desirable and altogether lovely. It is in this that the saints have distinct fellowship with the Lord Christ.

"Only Christ can satisfy the soul. All other ways and things will only end in disappointment... We are too needy to be satisfied by a mere creature.

"Frequently think of him by faith, comparing him with other beloveds, such as sin, the world and legal righteousness. Then you will more and more prefer him above them all, and you will count them all as rubbish in comparison to him. And let your soul be persuaded of Christ's sincerity and willingness to give himself to you, in all that he is, to be yours for ever. And let us give up ourselves wholeheartedly to him."

Christian Life: NOT about List Consulation but instead About Intuition Transformation (....Matters of Mastery?)

2008-08-13T15:08:00.009-04:00

August 13, 2008 question to Pastor John Piper : "how should I spend my time."

Here is part of his answer:

"...as I face all the decisions of today, how will I have a spiritual taste bud so that I can taste what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect? And the answer that the Bible gives is, 'Get a transformed mind.'

So we labor in the word and in prayer not just to figure out lists of deeds that are more or less acceptable, but we labor to get a mind that thinks and feels about things the way Christ does. So that when a phone call comes in, or an opportunity to go somewhere arises, or we have to chose this or that, there is something about our minds that discerns where Christ would be magnified, where faith would be built, and where people would be loved. ""

Read the whole answer here.

My need - His fullness!

2008-08-12T07:41:00.006-04:00

No matter what frame of mind you find yourself in today, I trust the following will be particularly helpful in focusing your attention back to the all-sufficiency of Christ.

"All plenitude is in Christ, to answer all the needs of His people. In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, that out of His fullness I may receive all spiritual blessings!

Have I destroyed myself by sin?
I have deliverance from Him who is mighty to save from sin and wrath!

Is my foolish mind darkened? Am I a guilty, polluted, and ruined wretch?
Jesus is my wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption!

Is my life fleeting--and passing away like a shadow?
Jesus is the Ancient of days, and endures for evermore!

Are my days short-lived and full of trouble?
Jesus is my life, the length of my days, and the joy of my heart!

Am I exposed to contempt?
Jesus shall be my crown of glory, and diadem of beauty!

Am I traveling through the wilderness?
Jesus is my staff, and on Him I lean all the way!

Am I a sheep?
Jesus is my pasture, and my green pasture too!

Am I hungry and thirsty?
Jesus is my heavenly manna, and gives me to drink of the water of life!

Am I weary?
Jesus is my rest and refreshing!

Am I weak?
Jesus is my strength!

Am I oppressed and wronged?
Jesus is my judge, and my avenger!

Am I reproached?
The reproach of His people, Jesus will wipe away!

Am I a soldier?
Jesus is my Captain and shield!

Do I sit in darkness?
Jesus is my light!

Do I have doubts?
Jesus is my counselor!

Am I ignorant?
Jesus is my wisdom!

Am I guilty?
Jesus is my justification!

Am I filthy?
Jesus is my sanctification!

Am I dead in sin?
Jesus is my life, and quickens those who are dead in trespasses and sins!

Am I poor?
Jesus is the pearl of great price, and has immeasurable riches!

Am I blind?
Jesus, and none but He can open the eyes of one born blind!

Am I naked?
Jesus has white clothing to cover the shame of my nakedness!

Am I in the very utmost necessity?
Jesus is a very present help in time of trouble!

Am I exposed to the hurricanes of adversity?
Jesus is . . .
a refuge from the storm;
a shelter from the blast;
rivers of water in a desert;
the shadow of a great rock in a weary land!

Am I afraid of being left alone?
Jesus will never leave me, nor forsake me!

Do friends and brethren prove false?
Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother!

Do I offend the Father?
Jesus is my Intercessor!

Do I suffer in my body, and am I grieved in my mind?
Jesus bore my infirmities, and carried my griefs!

Is my mind disquieted, and my soul debarred from peace?
Jesus is my sympathetic High Priest! He was tempted in all points, and knows how to support
those who are tempted!

Am I poor in my circumstances?
Jesus, the heir of all things! Though He was rich, yet for my sake He became poor, that I through His poverty might be made rich!

Do I suffer in my character?
Jesus was numbered with transgressors, called a Samaritan, a glutton, a drunkard,
and a devil!

Am I bereaved or alone?
Well, Jesus in the fatal night was left alone; all the disciples forsook Him and fled!
Jesus, my only friend, can never die!

Must I undergo death and be laid in the grave?
Jesus has taken away the sting of death, and robbed the grave of its victory!

Must I rot in the grave?
Jesus shall be my resurrection, and raise me to immortality and bliss!

Would I go to God and to glory?
Jesus is my way,and must admit me into the palace of the great King, where I shall abide forever!

In summary, Jesus is . . .
my brother,
my physician,
my prophet,
my priest,
my king,
my father,
my head,
my husband!

My needs are many, but His fullness is infinitely more!"

(James Meikle, May 24, 1757)

Be Sure to Care for Your Eardrums

2008-08-11T10:13:00.003-04:00

Good Music:

I am thankful for a music group called "Sojourn." They are based out of Louisville, KY and play really diverse genres of music (things that sound like classic rock, jazz, folk, and contemporary) but all with wonderful words. They came out with a recent album called "Before the Throne." I HIGHLY recommend this CD if you're looking for something worshipful but a little bit different. Check it out:

Sojourn: Before the Throne

Here is their "MySpace" page with some songs you can listen to:

Sojourn Myspace

Good Music #2:

Brooke Fraser. She is one of the primary singers for the well-known worship group "Hillsong." She also records music (more "art"...storytelling, etc.) herself and is excellent. She has possibly one of the best voices I've ever heard, and her new album, "Albertine" is really something. Listen to some tunes off this on Brooke Fraser's Myspace page.

Chuck, Terrorizing, What Hangs Over Our Heads and Small Books

2008-07-30T18:10:00.005-04:00

Galations is an important book. It holds truth that frees us from being enslaved to sin and the law. It helps us not live in constant condemnation. We posted an entry a few days with some helpful insight from Martin Luther regarding our sin problem. Mainly, Luther encouraged us to not to be too surprised THAT we struggle with sin. See that link HERE.

Are our eyes focused inwardly on our sin only instead of inward and the immediately outward to the finished work of Christ? Do you live each day with a sense of the displeasure of God because you don't obey His law? Listen to what Charles Spurgeon said about the law of God in our lives NOW (for believers):

"What is God's law now? It is not above a Christian--it is under a Christian. Some men hold God's law like a rod, in terror, over Christians, and say, 'If you sin you will be punished with it.' It is not so. The law is under a Christian; it is for him to walk on, to be his guide, his rule, his pattern: 'we are not under the law, but under grace.' Law is the road which guides us, not the rod which drives us, nor the spirit which actuates us. The law is good and excellent, if it keep its place." --Spurgeon

How do you hold God's law? Does the law terrorize you? Does the LAW hang over your head each day as you walk around and live for the glory of God, or does grace?

---------------------->on this note, have you ever considered reading a small book? Oftentimes we will say "I'm thinking of taking on this real large book here..." and then we never get through it. Sometimes it can be helpful to read a small book. Especially a good one. When I have struggled with understanding my state before God, I have been so encouraged by The Cross Centered Life (by CJ Mahaney). Its small. But because its saturated with Gospel-truths from Scripture...its powerful.

Never think of him as an incomplete Redeemer...

2008-07-28T21:24:00.003-04:00

Another passage that has freshly renewed my appreciation for the work of Christ. This is from a collection of sermons by Hugh Martin entitled, Christ for Us:

"Never think of him as an incomplete Redeemer. His redemption work is perfect. And his resurrection proves it. He died for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. He finished the work given him to do. He left none of it for his weak and weary people.

"Say not anything in thine heart which it would be right and reasonable to say only on the supposition that Jesus was still the prisoner of death. He is risen. He is ascended. He is within the veil of glory - able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him. Let not thine heart ever for a moment be in a state or frame that would be reasonable only on the supposition that Christ were not raised from the dead."

Is that last sentence convicting or what?!?

The Cross as the all-encompassing foundation for Christian growth

2008-07-26T12:06:00.004-04:00

Here is something that has elevated my appreciation of the Cross in preparation for our worship service tomorrow. This is from Jerry Bridge's The Great Exchange:

"The cross is not a mere first step toward spiritual development: it is the all-encompassing foundation for Christian growth. The cross does not mystically infuse spiritual life or experiential sinlessness. Instead, it first provides complete forgiveness of past, present, and future sins, and then it becomes a means of the deliverance by which we are freed from bondage to sin. As Paul affirms, "[Christ] gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age" (Gal 1:4a).

"By tying the transformation of the believer to the cross, Paul makes his point abundantly clear: everything we need for life and eternity is provided by virtue of Christ's great atonement. Furthermore, in everything God is for us; he is for us in Christ the wisdom instead of ignorance, justification instead of condemnation, sanctification instead of sinfulness, and redemption instead of slavery... In view of this, it is no wonder Paul is adamant and unwavering regarding the centrality of the cross of Christ. The fulfillment of every hope we have is blood bought by the atoning work of Christ on the cross. And the work of Christ on the cross must remain our only hope." (p. 45)

Reading that helps to me become freshly amazed at the awesome power of the Cross. I can't wait to sing about it tomorrow morning with the rest of the body.

Are YOU Struggling With Sin? Luther Says "Don't Be Surprised!"

2008-07-25T09:02:00.000-04:00

Relevant to Crossway's current study of Galatians 5 on walking in the Spirit, Martin Luther gives some very encouraging words regarding this battle we face in reference to Galatians 5:17-18,

"For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."

Luther comments:

"Do not be surprised, then, when you feel this battle of this sinful nature against the Spirit. Pluck up your courage, and comfort yourself with these words of Paul, which tell you that it is impossible to follow the guiding of the Spirit without any hindrance by the sinful nature. The sinful nature will resist you so that you cannot do what you would gladly do. It will be enough, then, if you follow the Spirit and not your sinful nature, which is easily overthrown by impatience, seeks revenge, holds grudges, hates God, is angry with him, despairs, and so on. Therefore, when you feel this battle, do not be discouraged, but resist in the Spirit and say, 'I am a sinner, and I feel sin in me, for I have not yet put off the sinful nature. But I will obey the Spirit and not my sinful nature. I will by faith and hope lay hold upon Christ, and by his Word I will raise myself up and will not do what my sinful nature desires' . . . . . therefore, it is very good for us sometimes to feel the wickedness and corruption of our sinful nature, so that we may be wakened and stirred up to faith and call upon Christ."
-Martin Luther

If you are struggling with sin today, praise God for it may mean you are trying to follow the Spirit and are being opposed!Galatians encourages us that it is quite normal to struggle with sin every day. Luther says don't be surprised. Fight hard to live by the Spirit and most of all..."call upon Christ." Be "wakened and stirred" today.

Mercies which daily emerge out of the ocean of Christ's blood

2008-07-23T20:05:00.000-04:00

Here are some more wonderful meditations on Christ as Mediator from puritan John Flavel's The Fountain of Life:

"Christ's being a Mediator of reconciliation, implies the ardent love and large pity that filled his heart towards poor sinners. For he does not only mediate by way of entreaty, going between both, and persuading and begging peace; but he mediates, in the capacity of a surety, by putting himself under an obligation to satisfy our debts. O how compassionately did his heart work towards us, that when he saw the arm of justice lifted up to destroy us, would interpose himself, and receive the stroke, though he knew it would smite him dead! Our Mediator, like Jonah his type, seeing the stormy sea of God's wrath working tempestuously, and ready to swallow us up, cast in himself to appease the storm.

"It is a dangerous thing to reject Jesus Christ the only Mediator between God and man. Alas! there is no other to interpose and screen you from the devouring fire, the everlasting burnings! O it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! And into his hands you must needs fall, without an interest in the only Mediator. Which of us can dwell with devouring fire? Who can endure the everlasting burnings? (Isa. 33:14) Indeed, if there were another plank to save after the shipwreck; any other way to be reconciled to God, besides Jesus the Mediator, something might be said to excuse this folly; but you are shut up to the faith of Christ, as to your last remedy, (Gal. 3:23). You are like starving beggars, that are come to the last door. O take heed of despising, or neglecting Christ! If so, there's none to intercede with God for you; the breach between him and you can never be composed.

"If Jesus Christ be the only Mediator of reconciliation between God and men; then reconciled souls should thankfully ascribe all the peace, favors, and comforts they have from God, to their Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever you have had free admission, and sweet entertainment with God in the more public ordinances, or private duties of his worship; when you have had his smiles, his seals, and with hearts warmed with comfort, are returning from those duties, say, O my soul, you may thank your good Lord Jesus Christ for all this! Had not he interposed as a Mediator of reconciliation, I could never have had access to, or friendly communion with God to all eternity."

"Immediately upon Adam's sin, the door of communion with God was locked, yes, chained up, and no more coming near the Lord: not a soul could have any access to him, either in a way of communion in this world, or of enjoyment in that to come. It was Jesus the Mediator that opened that door again, and in him it is that we have boldness, and access with confidence, (Eph. 3:12). O thank your dear Lord Jesus for your present and future heaven! These are mercies which daily emerge out of the ocean of Christ's blood, and come swimming in it to our doors. Blessed be God for Jesus Christ!"

The practical value of admiring the excellencies of Christ

2008-07-20T21:30:00.000-04:00

I found a quote today in Sam Storm's Signs of the Spirit that helped me realize why it is good to spend so much time focusing on the glories of Christ. The following quote helped me to realize why purposefully admiring the excellency of Christ should be a higher priority than the "more practical stuff" that often attracts my attention:

"By the sight of the transcendent glory of Christ, true Christians see him worthy to be followed, and are so powerfully drawn after him. They see him worthy that they should forsake all for him. By the sight of that superlative amiableness [unmatched goodness], they are thoroughly disposed to be subject to him, and engaged to labor with earnestness and activity in his service and made willing to go through all difficulties for his sake. And 'tis the discovery of this divine excellency of Christ that makes them constant to him, for it makes a deep impression upon their minds that they cannot forget him, and they will follow him whithersoever he goes, and it is in vain for any to endeavor to draw them away from him." (Jonathan Edwards)

I take this to mean that clear views of Christ's glory are what makes our hearts want to obey and apply His Word on a practical level.

Turning Our Eyes Away From Self to Jesus

2008-07-18T16:51:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful encouragement from C.H. Spurgeon on where our attention should be directed:

"It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, 'Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you'll never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold on Jesus.' All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all."

"Remember, therefore, it is not your hold on Christ that saves you - it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you - it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument - it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to your hand with which you are grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope - look not to your faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.”

"We will never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by 'looking unto Jesus.' Keep your eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh on your mind; when you wake in the morning look to Him; when you lie down at night look to Him. He will never fail you."

Ray Ortlund on Reformed.....Sociology?

2008-07-17T18:56:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Ray Ortlund for some wise and humbling words...and probably much needed in most reformed circles.

Hey and hows the timing since Crossway Fellowship Church is doing a series on "Life in the Spirit" from Galatians, too!

"I believe in the sovereignty of God, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Solas of the Reformation, I believe that grace precedes faith in regeneration. Theologically, I am Reformed. Sociologically, I am simply a Christian – or at least I want to be. The tricky thing about our hearts is that they can turn even a good thing into an engine of oppression. It happens when our theological distinctives make us aloof from other Christians. That’s when, functionally, we relocate ourselves outside the gospel and inside Galatianism. The Judaizers in Galatia did not see their distinctive – the rite of circumcision – as problematic. They could claim biblical authority for it in Genesis 17 and the Abrahamic covenant. But their distinctive functioned as an addition to the all-sufficiency of Jesus himself. Today the flash point is not circumcision. It can be Reformed theology. But no matter how well argued our position is biblically, if it functions in our hearts as an addition to Jesus, it ends up as a form of legalistic divisiveness.

My Reformed friend, can you move among other Christian groups and really enjoy them? Do you admire them? Even if you disagree with them in some ways, do you learn from them? What is the emotional tilt of your heart – toward them or away from them? If your Reformed theology has morphed functionally into Galatian sociology, the remedy is not to abandon your Reformed theology. The remedy is to take your Reformed theology to a deeper level. Let it reduce you to Jesus only. Let it humble you. Let this gracious doctrine make you a fun person to be around. The proof that we are Reformed will be all the wonderful Christians we discover around us who are not Reformed. Amazing people. Heroic people. Blood-bought people. People with whom we are eternally one – in Christ alone"

Click here for the full piece by Dr. Ray Ortlund Jr.

Charismata with a Great Purpose

2008-07-15T13:37:00.000-04:00

"Our focus should not be on prophecy itself. Prophetic revelation is just a means to an end. The end is the proclamation of the Gospel. It is the Gospel, not the gift, that should be the focus of our attention.

Revelatory phenomena have a power to fascinate people for their own sake. When that happens, prophecy can so easily become the focus of a Christian's or a church's mission. But gifts like prophecy should never be the centre of our priorities. The Gospel is the central priority. Gifts like prophecy revolve around that one fixed centre. They exist to serve the proclamation of the Good News that Jesus died for our sins on the Cross."

-Mark Stibbe, "Prophetic Evangelism."

When the Lord gives you an impression for someone you meet in public today, use it as a bridge to take them to the Cross!

Signing on the Dotted Line?!?!?!

2008-07-15T07:53:00.000-04:00

Church membership is an interesting thing isn't it? Most all of us have had a very vast and broad church experience--lots of good experiences and often lots of bad experiences, too.

Many who profess to be Christians in America aren't members of a local church cause they don't see a need to be ("who needs to be a part of a local church? I'm a part of the universal body of Christ...besides, that local church stuff is outdated and out of style"). Lots of people who are members may not be able to give good biblical reason for why they are a member of a local church ("its just what I'm supposed to do..."). Some think that being a member of a church automatically means your a Christian ("I've always been a Christian...I've gone to church ever since I can remember"). Some have been burned by the church so bad and have become disillusioned that they refuse to go back and be a part of one ("join the church? That bunch of hypocrites?! Not after what I experienced...its just me and Jesus now...no way I'm going to join a church ever again").

No matter what your experience has been, church membership is a serious topic. What does Scripture say about it? And is it possible for us to lay down our past experiences (or current experiences) and see if or why its important. Maybe you've been a faithful member for years, maybe you're on the fence about joining somewhere right now, or maybe you've vowed to never go back.

Here are some resources to help think through the issue:

How important is church membership? --Part 1 by John Piper. (this is part of a coming 3 week series. I'll post the other two as they come).

Also an article by Donald Whitney on Church Membership. This is very helpful and informative.

Greater Knowledge of Christ: Let it powerfully melt, sweeten, and ravish our hearts!

2008-07-15T07:26:00.000-04:00

Here are a few excerpts from John Flavel's, The Fountain of Life Opened Up where he comments on 1 Cor. 2:2: "For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." Let this spur us on in our pursuit to know Christ as the highest goal of our lives.

"Poor Christian, be not dejected, because you see yourself out-stripped and excelled by so many in other parts of knowledge; if you know Jesus Christ, you know enough to comfort and save your soul. Many learned philosophers are now in hell, and many illiterate Christians in heaven."

"Let all that mind the honor of religion, or the peace and comfort of their own souls, wholly sequester and apply themselves to the study of Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Therefore spend we ourselves upon other studies, when all excellency, sweetness, and desirableness is concentered in this one? Jesus Christ is fairer than the children of men, the chief among ten thousands, "as the apple-tree among the trees of the woods." These things which singly ravish and delight the souls of men, are all found conjunctly in Christ. O what a blessed Christ is this! whom to know is eternal life. From the knowledge of Jesus Christ do bud forth all the fruits of comfort, and that for all seasons and conditions."

"Study to know Christ more intensively, to get the experimental taste and lively power of his knowledge upon your hearts and affections: This is the knowledge that carries all the sweetness and comfort in it. O then separate, devote, and wholly give yourself, your time, your strength to this most sweet transcendent study."

"Let us see that our knowledge of Christ be not a powerless, barren, unpractical knowledge: O that, in its passage from our understanding to our lips, it might powerfully melt, sweeten, and ravish our hearts!"

"Take heed that you rest not satisfied with that knowledge of Christ you have attained, but grow on towards perfection. It is the pride and ignorance of many professors, when they have got a few raw and undigested notions, to swell with self-conceit of their excellent attainments. And it is the sin, even of the best of saints, when they see how deep the knowledge of Christ lies, and what pains they must take to dig for it, to throw by the shovel of duty, and cry, 'Dig we cannot.' To your work, Christians, to your work; let not your candle go out: sequester yourselves to this study, look what fellowship, and correspondence are between the two worlds; count all, therefore, but dross in comparison of that excellency which is in the knowledge of Jesus Christ."

Why the Name for This Blog?

2008-07-13T21:00:00.000-04:00

The name for this blog was birthed out of a passage of Scripture in Matthew 24:12. In speaking to the disciples about the close of the age, Jesus says that in the last days..."the love of many will grow cold." We know our own propensity to grow cold primarily due to the effects of the indwelling sin that wages war in our own hearts. The world also daily presents us with trivial pursuits that shrink the capacities of our hearts so we're unable to enjoy Christ and our love for Christ diminishes. We hate this and don't want it to happen. We are fighting each and every day to love Christ more.

God has graciously brought many into our lives whose writing, songs, sermons and lives have served as a "blowtorch" to melt the glaciers and frost that form around our hearts on a day to day and sometimes hour by hour basis. These people and resources increase our capacities to enjoy God and are like gasoline poured onto the fire of our love for King Jesus! We are so thankful for them! So everyday the goal is "sow to the spirit" (Gal. 6:8) by pouring these resources into our souls in hopes that our love for Christ will grow. We want to pass them along to others, and especially to those in the local church. For its in the local church where believers grow in the their love for Christ and the Gospel is put on display for the unbelieving world to see.

Oh how much we need each other on a daily basis to be blowtorches to melt the freeze off each others smoldering hearts! We need to be pointing each other to the Gospel every day in hopes that we might "light each other up" with love for Jesus Christ. We need to fight hard for each other and be constantly "working" for each others joy (2 Cor 1:24)! Jesus rebukes the Laodicean Church for their lukewarmness (Rev. 3:15). We want so bad to be a local church who isn't lukewarm but is instead aflame with white-hot love for the Savior. We love Christ because He first loved us and gave his life for us (1 John 4:19).

Lets go for it! Go light someone up!

His death, the center of all relief...

2008-07-13T08:12:00.000-04:00

My affection for Christ was stirred this morning by the following lines from one of my all-time favorite books, The Valley of Vision:

"May I, a convinced and self-despairing sinner
find Jesus as the power unto salvation,
his death the center of all relief,
the source of all gospel-blessings.

"Help me to repair to that cross,
be crucified to the world by it,
and in it find deepest humiliation,
motives to patience and self-denial,
grace for active benevolence,
faith to grasp eternal life,
hope to lift up my head,
love to bind me for ever to him who died and rose for me."

Valley of Vision, ed. Arthur Bennet, 46.

Drawing some new blessing every day and hour...

2008-07-12T10:27:00.000-04:00

Here is a helpful reminder to never leave the cross behind from Horatius Bonar, a man who always inflames my love for Christ whenever I read anything he has written:

"Some in our day speak as if we soon get beyond the cross, and might leave it behind; that the cross having done all it could do for us when first we came under its shadow, we may quit it and go forward; that to remain always at the cross is to be babes, not men.

"But what is the cross? It is not the mere wooden pole, or some imitation of it, such as Romanists use. These we may safely leave behind us. We need not pitch our tent upon the literal Golgotha, or in Joseph’s garden. But the great truth which the cross embodies we can no more part with than we can part with life eternal. In this sense, to turn our back upon the cross is to turn our back upon Christ crucified, — to give up our connection with the Lamb that was slain. The truth is, that all that Christ did and suffered, from the manger to the tomb, forms one glorious whole, no part of which shall ever become needless or obsolete; no part of which can ever leave without forsaking the whole. I am always at the manger, and yet I know that mere incarnation cannot save; always at Gethsemane, and yet I believe that its agony was not the finished work; always at the cross, with my face toward it, and my eye on the crucified One, and yet I am persuaded that the sacrifice there was completed once for all; always looking into the grave, though I rejoice that it is empty, and that "He is not here, but is risen"; always resting (with the angel) on the stone that was rolled away, and handling the grave-clothes, and realizing a risen Christ, nay, an ascended and interceding Lord, yet on no pretext whatever leaving any part of my Lord’s life or death behind me, but unceasingly keeping up my connection with Him, as born, living, dying, buried, and rising again, and drawing out from each part some new blessing every day and hour."

How often do I find myself "quitting the cross and moving forward" through out my day. Let us constantly run back to Christ, seeking to draw some new blessing every hour.

Why another blog?

2008-07-09T14:24:00.000-04:00

It is our opinion that the first post of any blog should seek to justify its existence. After all, aren't there already enough blogs already? Do we not suppose that there is someone out there already doing what we intend to do with greater excellence than we'll every achieve? And who has time to read all of the current excellent blogs as it is? Is one more blog really necessary?

Well, those were just some of the questions considered prior to embarking upon this endeavor. However, it is our hope that this blog will justify its existence in the specificity of its intent. Our goal is not for this blog to achieve international readership. This will not be a "here-is-what-I-did-today" type blog. It will not be a showcase to feature our opinions and commentary. (To be honest, we don't feel that in and of ourselves we have to much to offer). On the other hand, however, we find that we are frequently made aware of many helpful resources (including: books, quotes, songs, articles, other blogs, e-mails, etc.) that could potentially serve the members of our local church and perhaps others as well. So we have decided to begin this blog with the goal of simply highlighting resources and materials that have deepened our love for Christ and increased our passion for the local church. If we successfully carry out this goal and it serves to benefit others, then we will rejoice that Christ is being exalted as our brothers and sisters find greater joy in Him.