Tuesday, December 28, 2010

A Picture of Prayer

I read this in The Necessity of Prayer by E.M. Bounds. It is a touching picture of one aspect of prayer. To God Alone be The Glory.

"A dear friend of mine who was quite a lover of the chase, told me the following story: 'Rising early one morning,' he said, 'I heard the baying of a score of deerhounds in pursuit of their quarry. Looking away to a broad, open field in front of me, I saw a young fawn making its way across, and giving signs, moreover, that its race was well-nigh run. Reaching the rails of the enclosure, it leaped over and crouched within ten feet from where I stood. A moment later two of the hounds came over, when the fawn ran in my direction and pushed its head between my legs. I lifted the little thing to my breast, and, swinging round and round, fought off the dogs. I felt, just then, that all the dogs in the West could not, and should not capture that fawn after its weakness had appealed to my strength.' So is it, when human helplessness appeals to Almighty God. Well do I remember when the hounds of sin were after my soul, until, at last, I ran into the arms of Almighty God." -- A. C. DIXON.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Day After Christmas

Is it just me, or is there a post-Christmas "let down"? Maybe its because deep down we known the shinny toys and cool gadgets (my new netbook included) won't last. Maybe its because we too quickly realized these things didn't actually satisfy what we were longing for. And our friends and relations? While it was nice to see them, they're either gone or packing and we're left asking "Is this it?"

Maybe, just maybe, God has given us each this "let down" feeling to point us to something more. Maybe, just maybe, Christmas is a true appetizer, a small taste of something good to increase our hunger and anticipation for something even better. Maybe, just maybe, what we need on the day after Christmas is not a new diet or credit councilors, but rather a renewed, refocused relationship with the God who loves us and sent His Son to redeem us.

To God Alone Be the Glory

Friday, December 24, 2010

A Non-Typical Christmas Scripture

Many of us are familiar with the typical Christmas passages (Mt 1, Lk 2, Is 9, etc) But with we take Jesus words in Mt 5:17 seriously, we should strive to see Christ (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter and His soon coming return) throughout the Old Testament.  I picked one of my favorites, but there are so many. Maybe 2011 can be the year we "discover" Christ in the Law and the Prophets.  Have a grace-filled, gospel-centered Christmas!

To God Alone be the Glory.

Isaiah 40 ESV


[1] Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
  [2] Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.

[3] A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
  [4] Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
  [5] And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

  
[6] A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
  [7] The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
  [8] The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

  
[9] Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
  [10] Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
  [11] He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.

[12] Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
  [13] Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD,
or what man shows him his counsel?
  [14] Whom did he consult,
and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
  [15] Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.
  [16] Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
  [17] All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

[18] To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
  [19] An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
  [20] He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.

[21] Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
  [22] It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
  [23] who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

[24] Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

[25] To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
  [26] Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.

[27] Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
  [28] Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
  [29] He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
  [30] Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
  [31] but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

But when he was strong...

And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. (2 Chronicles 26:15-16 ESV)


In reading 2 Chr 26 today I was struck by Uzziah's progression of following hard after God to following hard after himself.  The turning point in his life is stated clearly in verses 15 & 16. Uzziah forgot that who he was and what he accomplished was from God and not from himself. Paul echoes a similar caution: "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV)

I am not picking on Uzziah, because his story is rife throughout the Bible.  Some men turn it around (i.e. David, while others don't (i.e. Gideon). Furthermore, this pattern repeats itself throughout our lives. God turns our life around and after a few years (or months, or weeks) we think that we have accomplished great things for Him. Worse, we somehow delude ourselves into thinking we can do this Christianity thing on our own. Or, if we're really humbly we think we can do it with "God as our co-pilot".

Into this delusion, Paul speaks emphatically: "Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:2-3 ESV). May I make a bold statement? We cannot live the Christian life; We cannot do what Jesus did. We are utterly, completely and eternally dependent on God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for salvation, sanctification and for glorification. The Bible is full of imagery, but look at John 15.  We are branches, but Jesus is the vine. Branches are completely dependent on the vine, both for their sustenance and for the quality of the fruit they produce.

The bottom-line? If God is causing growth in your life, praise and thank Him. But remember that He is our strength. If we leave Him, we will grow proud to our destruction.

To God Alone be the Glory.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Where Were You?

Sometimes Christmas is painful, not joyful. We are constantly told how perfect our lives should be. Yet we know they aren't. We have mistakes. We have regrets. We may even have the word crashing in on us. When I heard the following song by Matt Maher, I heard the eternal cry of the human heart to God: "Where were You?" Matt's answer (and the Bible's answer)?  "You were on the Cross!" 


Lost, everything is lost
And everything I've loved before is gone
Alone like the coming of the frost
And a cold winter's chill in my stony heart

And where were You when all that I've hoped for?
Where You when all that I've dreamed?
Came crashing down in shambles around me
You were on the cross

Pain, could you take away the pain?
If I find someone to blame, would it make my life seem easier?
Alone, all my friends are asleep
And I can't find anyone to stay awake with me

Where were You when sin stole my innocence?
Where were You when I was ashamed?
Hiding in a life, I wish, I never made

You were on the cross, my God, my God, all along, all along
You were on the cross, You died for us, all along, all along
You were on the cross, victorious, all along, all along

You were there in all of my suffering
And You were there in doubt and in fear
I'm waiting on the dawn to reappear



Watch a video of the song


To God Alone Be the Glory.  Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Two thoughts - One theme

First, if I don't write again before the big day, Merry Christmas!

Second, thanks to God and Mike Bullmore of Crossway Community Church in Bristol WI. In his sermon dated 12/12 he compares the rich young ruler to the three wise men. The main focus is on the rich young ruler and his sense of need yet his tenacious clutching of his real god. In the conclusion though, the sermon moves to three rich men who gave much of their selves to honor and worship the new born Messiah. The full sermon is here: matthew-series

Third, thanks to God and Jon Bloom at Desiring God. His blog today (12/21) touched on a similar theme as the sermon and one that keeps pressing on my own heart: Modern day idolatry.  Here's an excerpt:

In fighting idolatry we must remember that we are not so reasonable as we might wish. This battle is often not waged on the field of truth, but rather on the field of cravings and fears. The desires of the flesh and the eyes (1 John 2:16) are battles of appetite not reason. And what of your last battle with doubt? Was it really based on a rational, fair comparison of truth claims? Or was it triggered by the fear-laden discouragement of circumstance, cultural consensus, or someone else’s confident contrary assertion?


Full blog entry is here: we-are-not-so-reasonable

So, the theme is idolatry; our personal, 21st century idolatry. Think about the rich young ruler the next time you say "No" to God or choose to sin despite what God's Word says.

But thanks to God! He has given us His Son to not only pay the penalty for our idolatry, Jesus can (and will) deliver us from it as well.

To God Alone Be the Glory!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The John 8 Conundrum

In John 8:31, Jesus addresses those who have believed in Him. By the end of the chapter, these same folks are ready to kill Him. What happened between verse 31 and verse 59? More to the point, how can someone who believes in Christ want to kill Him?. It seems totally irrational.

Maybe part of the problem is in the wide, expansive use of the word "believe". In Greek, as well as in English, the phrase can range from the merely factual (I believe the sky is blue) to the philosophical (I believe time heals all wounds) to the theological (I believe that Jesus died for my sins to placate a holy, righteously-wrathful God and present me as a faultless, adopted son). 

Since the term "believe" runs the gamut, perhaps John's goal was not to confound us with a belief to heresy free-fall.  Perhaps instead he was revealing to us at least one variety of inauthentic faith. The followers in v31 claimed faith. Yet as Jesus presses on their religious system(s), what emerges? The system(s) are more important and are to be defended more passionately than Jesus is. And, as with all idolatry, in the end only one can win. In John 8 the Jews' dependence on their Abrahamic heritage as their means of salvation wins over their belief in Christ.

So the question for us is this: What kind of belief in Jesus do we have? If none, then the place to start is with your standing before God. How can you face a perfectly holy and righteous and just God who can't even look on sin? How can you possibly make yourself right with God when every act, even the good ones, just dig yourself deeper in the hole? Read the book of John. Read the book of Ephesians. And as the Holy Spirit presses on you with all the weight and guilt and shame, take all of that and lay it on Jesus and trust, really trust, life dependingly trust that Jesus died so that you could live.

But, what if your belief is more like what is found in John 8 (or John 6, or the book of Galatians)? In one sense, the answer is the same. You need to see first how bad your offense before God really is. He is not just a grandpa who's upset because you forgot to mow his lawn. The depth of our treason and rebellion and humiliation is beyond what we could conceive. And simply acknowledging a few Biblical truths will not appease Him. Only a complete payment for the crimes you have committed will satisfy Him. An earthly judge cannot wink at a crime and be viewed as a good and fair judge. How much more a perfect, heavenly judge? So, if your faith is simply in a person named Jesus who lets you do whatever you want and in the end is bound to forgive you because you "believe", plead for mercy and trust, really trust, life dependingly trust that His death will cover your sins and that His life will become yours. Ask God to send His Spirit so that you may know who Jesus really is (read Hebrews) and how to grow to be more like Him.

And, if your faith encompasses all of these things? Praise God! He has given you a very precious gift! Do not take it for granted and do not assume that everyone who says they believe has a deep and abiding faith. Rest fully and completely in the promises of Romans 8 and ask God, seriously ask God, how He wants to you to spend the new life that He has given you for the glory and exaltation of His Son.

To God Alone be the Glory!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Christmas Is For Those Who Hate It The Most

The following is from a Gospel Coalition blog entry by Matt Redmond. I think he nails some of what we can miss about the true realities of Christ and Christmas.  SDG

Christmas is really about the gospel of grace for sinners. Because of all that Christ has done on the cross, the manger becomes the most hopeful place in a universe darkened with hopelessness. In the irony of all ironies, Christmas is for those who will find it the hardest to enjoy. It really is for those who hate it most.

christmas-is-for-those-who-hate-it-most

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The Theology of Uncomfortable Grace

I heard a profound sermon earlier in the week by Paul David Tripp. In my mind there are categories of sermons.  There are poor sermons. There are average / mediocre sermons. There are good, Christ-exalting sermons, but their impact is limited for a myriad of reasons. And there are good, Christ-exalting sermons that are formative and profoundly life-affecting. I have heard too many average sermons. Thankfully, I have heard many good, Christ-exalting sermons. But rarely have these sermons risen to the level of being formative and life-affecting. Admittedly, this categorization is subjective and Holy Spirit driven. But this should not restrict us from sharing those sermons that rise to such a profound level.

Here is a link to the sermon: TheDifferenceBetweenAmazementandFaith

An excerpt:

God will take us where we have not intended to go to produce in us what we could not achieve on our own. Listen, we had better begin to encourage and comfort and teach one another with the theology of uncomfortable grace. Because often on this side of eternity, God's grace comes to us in uncomfortable ways. Oh I long for the grace of relief and I long for the grace of release. But right now what I actually need is the grace of refinement. I need to be changed. I need to be transformed. I need to become a person of faith. That means everything I do is based on a deep and abiding belief that God is and that He's loving and He's glorious and He's kind and He's powerful and I find hope and rest in Him and Him alone. That's what I need to become.


So in love, He will take me beyond my wisdom, beyond my strength, beyond the bounds of my character. That's not God forgetting me. That's not God beating me up. That's not God being unfaithful or inattentive. The Bible calls that grace. I'm being rescued. I'm being restored. I'm being loved. I'm being changed. He loves me and He will not turn from His work and He will continue and continue and continue until that work is complete. That's grace.


God will take you where you did not intend to go to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own. Those times of difficulty in the life of a believer are sure signs of redemptive love. - Paul David Tripp

True Worship - part 2

A devotional probably shouldn't start with a disclaimer, but I want to do that, since my title could be misleading. My goal is not to write about any kind of "worship wars" or even probe whether certain songs are better suited as worship songs than others. No, my objective is different, although maybe these meager thoughts can be used by the Holy Spirit to set our minds straight about some of the other worship questions that come before us.

Revelation 5 is soul mate to Revelation 4. One pastor described Rev 4 as the scene, the setting and the stage to Rev 5 action, performance and unveiling. Those descriptions are helpful to me in order to fit the two chapters together. Yet I think there is something in the emotion and enormity of Rev 4 which combines with different emotions and intimacy of Rev 5 to drive us to the very heart of God. And the very heart of worship.

If these two chapters do anything, they drive us away from ourselves and to the glory and grandeur of God. They drive us away from our own salvation, as great as that is, and toward Christ's greater, more glorious plan to redeem for himself a kingdom of priests for God. They drive us away from our light and momentary afflictions and toward a savior who was slaughtered, but is infinitely worthy of our praise, worship and unflinching allegiance.

One last observation: what do you do with the word new in Rev 5:9? Just close your eyes for a moment and ponder how often something new occurs in heaven. To top that, it is a new worship song to a new being at the center of the throne that no other creature could even approach. If words and thoughts escape you, I think that's the point. SDG

[8] And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song, saying, 

   “Worthy are you to take the scroll
      and to open its seals,
   for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
      from every tribe and language and people and nation,
    [10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
      and they shall reign on the earth.”

 [11] Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, [12] saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” [13] And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”  (Revelation 5:8-13 ESV)

Monday, December 13, 2010

True Worship - part 1

A devotional probably shouldn't start with a disclaimer, but I want to do that, since my title could be misleading. My goal is not to write about any kind of "worship wars" or even probe whether certain songs are better suited as worship songs than others. No, my objective is different, although maybe these meager thoughts can be used by the Holy Spirit to set our minds straight about some of the other worship questions that come before us.

Revelation 4 never fails to blow me away. I have to admit, much of my perspective on Rev 4 comes from Francis Chan. Yet, whenever I read it, I'm drawn to the sad reality that this is not my typical view of God. Whatever the images in my mind may be, they are rarely so grand, majestic, holy or awesome. When I pray, I often give creedal assent to what is true about the Father, the Son and the Spirit. I try to acknowledge my immense gratitude for what God has given me in Christ. And, my goal is usually to submit my intercessions to the sovereign, glorious will of God.

But, in saying all that, as I simply, thoughtfully read Revelation 4, I can't help but think I'm missing something.  Call it "true worship" or call it something else, I see in these 11 power-packed verses an image and a reality that often escapes me. God is not just holy, He is a sea of glass beyond us holy. God is not just awesome, He is all the creative and destructive power in the universe at one point awesome. God is not just worthy of worship, He is worshiped by those who have already been redeemed and those who stand in his presence day and night.

I could probably go on, but I will close with this: part 2 (i.e. Rev 5) is tomorrow.  God is holy, awesome and worthy beyond description. We (or at least I) have no business in His presence. But praise be to God that He sent His Son! If you will, please spend a moment or two and simply reflect on the greatness of our God. Maybe see Him for who He is will lead us to true worship.  SDG

Saturday, December 11, 2010

The Impartial Power of God

We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us.

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “. . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood . . .” (Ephesians 1:7).  -- My Utmost (12/8)

A Christmas Comparison

I want to thank John Starke for the insightful blog that spurred me to think more about the wonderful exchange that Christmas represents.  Read his blog here: The Most High God Who Became Like Us

Here's my thought: all that's broken in my life and in the world has its roots in this one thing: I (we) want to be God. Not just "like" God because, as Starke points out Adam and Eve were already like God. In fact, they were co-regents in God's newly created, very good. So, the prize they sought was not God-likeness, but Godness, divinity, complete autonomy. No wonder God sees and treats us as traitors and rebels!

However, the majestic, grace-filled irony of Christmas is that the salvation of divinity seeking rebels comes though a humanity-seeking God!  We wanted (and often still want) to be God. God of our lives, God of our marriages, God of our jobs, God of our churches. But while we were striving to usurp God, God was condescending to become human. And that is the mystery of the Christ's incarnation, isn't it? "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"

So, this Christmas maybe in addition to reading the Christmas story, we can ponder the great exchange. Our pursuit of Godness, the root of our sin and rebellion has been replaced by God's achievement of humanness. And because of this we will be restored to the God-likeness we were originally created to have.  SDG

Friday, December 10, 2010

What Excites Us?


D. A. Carson:
I have been teaching more decades now that I can count and if I have learned anything from all of this teaching, its this: my students . . . learn what I’m excited about. So within the church of the living God, we must become excited about the gospel. That’s how we pass on our heritage. If, instead, the gospel increasingly becomes for us that which we assume, then we will, of course, assent to the correct creedal statement. But, at this point, the gospel is not what really captures us. Rather, is a particular form of worship or a particular style of counseling, or a particular view on culture, or a particular technique in preaching, or—fill in the blank.  Then, ultimately, our students make that their center and the generation after us loses the gospel. As soon as you get to the place where the gospel is that which is nearly assumed, you are only a generation and a half from death.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Is Jesus Too Safe?

The following is a excerpt from a blog by Jared Wilson. You can find the full entry here Jesus and Imago Homo and a link to his book here Your Jesus Too Safe. SDG

'It was G.K. Chesterton who, in his defense of Christian orthodoxy, said, "I did not make it. It is making me."

Can we say that of Jesus? Can we say the Jesus we believe in, rest in, trust in is the Jesus who is making us? Or is He the one we'd prefer, the one who's most like us, who's safer and nicer, who reflects all of our personal or political values and idiosyncrasies? Is Jesus making us, or is he the Jesus of our own making?

It is quite possible to make an idol of Jesus. Which is not to say that Jesus is not to be worshiped. He is the only Man worthy of worship. What I mean is, it is possible to project a self-idolatry onto Jesus, to mistake our own satisfaction with ourselves for authentic discipleship, instead of worshiping the real, living God in the real, resurrected person of Jesus Christ.

Here's one personal test I subject my own reading of the Gospels to (which actually works quite well when reading any Scripture): Is it freaking me out? Am I convicted, challenged, impressed, scared, or inspired? Am I moved?

The Word of God -- both the living Word and the written word -- is transformational revelation. If we are not being transformed by the Christ of Scripture and the Scripture of Christ, we are not reading either correctly.' - Jared Wilson

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Prayer of Encouragement

I ran across this prayer by a pastor who recently lost his dad.  It is an encouragement to me to see not just a Christian perspective toward death, but also toward Alzheimer's and broken relationships between believers. Please take a look and bring a Kleenex.  SDG

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2010/11/29/a-prayer-about-burying-my-dad/

Monday, November 29, 2010

A Reminder

It has been several years since 2 Pt 1:12-15 struck me, but today these verses hit me again.  How much of what we do, especially in regard to spiritual things, is simply a reminder of things we have known and embraced for a long time?  Sure, we gain new insights and grow in our knowledge of Jesus, but there seems to be this spiritual forgetfulness that robs us of truths that we need as anchors for our souls.

Because of this, I thank God for 2 Pt 1:12-15.  First, it shows us that God understands our propensity to forget and that He wants us to remember.  He doesn't want us to drift downstream, away from our knowledge of Christ, but instead He graciously provides for us men who are committed to God's Word who can serve, by the power of the Spirit, to give us reminders of the grace and mercy of Christ.  Secondly, these verses  are a personal challenge to me.  Not just that I need the reminders (which I do!), but rather that part of the call of anyone who teaches God's Word is that we must remind people. We must remind them of God's love and grace. We must remind them of our inability to please Him apart from Christ. We must remind them to proclaim the gospel.  We must remind them to hold on to their faith to the very end. We must remind them that what is seen is transient, but what is unseen is eternal.  And, we must remind them to remind others of all of this and so much more.

As I write this, I appreciate Peter's perspective.  He knows his time is short, but he isn't worried about how to spend his last days.  He knows!  He wants to so pour into his friends and loved ones so that after his departure they may be able to recall these things at any time.  Oh, to have a love and a passion like that!  SDG

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

What's in a translation?

Here's a link to a blog post regarding the 2011 edition of the NIV.  The blog is concerned about 1 Tim 2:12 and states "One can’t judge a translation based on a single verse. Nevertheless, the mistranslation of this text is noteworthy."  Because of this and the wide spread use of the NIV among my friends, I thought folks ought to know what they might be getting if they buy a new Bible for Christmas.

http://www.dennyburk.com/the-niv-on-1-timothy-212/

SDG

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Why Do We Overlook the Gospel?

The following is an excerpt from What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert. I highly recommend the book and this concluding challenge says it all.  SDG

How long has it been since you looked up from the earthly details of life and came face to face with the Grand Canyon of what God has done for us in the gospel--his unfathomable grace in forgiving people who have rebelled against him, his breathtaking plan to send his Son to suffer and die their place, to establish the throne of the resurrected Jesus over a kingdom of perfect righteousness, and to bring those who are saved and redeemed by his blood into a new heavens and new earth where sin and evil will be forever conquered!

How is it that I let the beauty and power and vastness of that gospel be crowded out of my mind so often and for so long? Why is it that my thoughts and emotions are often dominated by silly things like whether my car is clean, or what's happening on CNN right now, or whether I was happy with my lunch today, rather than by these glorious truths? Why do I so often organize and think about my life as if I were wearing  blinders, rather than in light of eternity? Why does this gospel not permeate, all the time and all the way to the bottom, my relationships with my wife and children, my coworkers and friends and fellow church members?

I know exactly why. It's because I'm a sinner, and worldliness will continue to linger in my heart and war against me until the day Jesus comes back. But until then, I want to fight against that. I want to fight against spiritual laziness--against the drugged stupor this world constantly threatens to put me in--and I want to embrace this gospel hard and let it affect everything--my actions, my affections, my emotions, desires, thoughts, and will.

Monday, November 8, 2010

God's Greatest Adversary

The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but the endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20). The greatest adversary to the love of God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appetite for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely recognizable and almost incurable.  --  John Piper

Friday, November 5, 2010

Prayer Answered by Crosses

By John Newton

I asked the Lord that I might grow 

In faith and love and every grace, 

Might more of his salvation know, 

And seek more earnestly his face.

‘Twas he who taught me thus to pray; 

And he, I trust, has answered prayer; 

But it has been in such a way 

As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that, in some favoured hour, 

At once he’d answer my request, 

And by his love’s constraining power 

Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, he made me feel 

The hidden evils of my heart, 

And let the angry powers of hell 

Assault my soul in every part.

Yea, more, with his own had he seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe, 

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed, 

Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this? I trembling cried; 

Wilt thou pursue this worm to death? 

This is the way, the Lord replied
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I now employ 

From self and pride to set thee free,
And break they schemes of earthly joy, 

That thou may’st seek thy all in me.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Cross: Evil, Lordship, and Goodness

In the light of the cross, how could there be any doubt about the three propositions at the heart of the Christian position?

The sheer and utter evilness of evil is demonstrated there: as hatred in the mockery of the criminals who also hung there; as hateful in the weight of guilt which could be removed only by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God . . .

The complete sovereignty of God is demonstrated there: all this happened ‘by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge’ (Acts 2:23), for it was necessary that the Scriptures be fulfilled, those which bore witness to the destiny that the Lord had assigned to his Servant . . .

The unadulterated goodness of God is demonstrated there. At the cross, who would dare entertain the blasphemy of imagining that God would, even to the slightest degree, comply with evil? It brought him death, in the person of his Son. Holiness stands revealed. Love stands revealed, a pure love; there is no love greater. Because of the cross we shall praise his goodness, the goodness of his justice, the goodness of his grace, through all eternity.

--  Henri Blocher

Friday, October 29, 2010

Another "wow" from the Old Testament

Why am I surprised by the gospel in the Old Testament? Isn't it one story, one plan and one Author? I guess I just get caught up in thinking the Old Testament was for the Old Testament folks and the New Testament is for us.  That's wrong and the Holy Spirit set me straight today via Hosea 2.  Take a look and praise God, as I did for His incredible Old and New Testament mercy and grace. SDG


[14] “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
  [15] And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.

  [16] “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ [17] For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. [18] And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety. [19] And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. [20] I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.

[21] “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD,
I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth,
  [22] and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and they shall answer Jezreel,
  [23] and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”
 (Hosea 2:14-23 ESV)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Save by Faith or by Christ?

From My Utmost for His Highest - Oct 28 (This was and is a landmark devotional in my life. SDG)

I am not saved by believing— I simply realize I am saved by believing. And it is not repentance that saves me— repentance is only the sign that I realize what God has done through Christ Jesus. The danger here is putting the emphasis on the effect, instead of on the cause. Is it my obedience, consecration, and dedication that make me right with God? It is never that! I am made right with God because, prior to all of that, Christ died. When I turn to God and by belief accept what God reveals, the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ instantly places me into a right relationship with God. And as a result of the supernatural miracle of God’s grace I stand justified, not because I am sorry for my sin, or because I have repented, but because of what Jesus has done. The Spirit of God brings justification with a shattering, radiant light, and I know that I am saved, even though I don’t know how it was accomplished.
The salvation that comes from God is not based on human logic, but on the sacrificial death of Jesus. We can be born again solely because of the atonement of our Lord. Sinful men and women can be changed into new creations, not through their repentance or their belief, but through the wonderful work of God in Christ Jesus which preceded all of our experience (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-19). The unconquerable safety of justification and sanctification is God Himself. We do not have to accomplish these things ourselves— they have been accomplished through the atonement of the Cross of Christ. The supernatural becomes natural to us through the miracle of God, and there is the realization of what Jesus Christ has already done— “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

What's the Problem?

The following is an excerpt from the book What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert:

The Bible tells us that it is not just Adam and Eve who are guilty of sin. We all are. Paul says in Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory God." And just a few paragraphs earlier he says, "None is righteous, no, not one" (3:10).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is full of stumbling stones, and this is one of the largest. To human hearts the stubbornly think of themselves as basically good and self-sufficient, this idea that human beings are fundamentally sinful and rebellious is not merely scandalous. It is revolting.

That's why it is so absolutely crucial that we understand both the nature and the depth of our sin. If we approach the gospel thinking that sin is something else or something less than what it really is, we will badly misunderstand the good news of Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that humanity's fundamental problem--the thing from which we need to be saved--is not meaninglessness or disintegration in our lives, or even a debilitating sense of guilt. Those are merely symptoms of a deeper and much more profound problem: our sin. What we must understand is that the predicament we're in is a predicament of our own making. We have disobeyed God's word. We have ignored his commands. We have sinned against him.

The Bible also teaches that sin is a breaking of our relationship with God, but that broken relationship consists in rejection of his kingly majesty. It's not just adultery (though it is that); it is rebellion. Not just betrayal, but also treason. If we reduce sin to a mere breaking of relationship, rather than understanding it as the traitorous rebellion of a beloved subject against his good and righteous King, we will never understand why the death of God's Son was required to address it.

Another misunderstanding about sin is Jesus died to save us from negative thoughts about ourselves. This is reprehensibly unbiblical. In fact, the Bible teaches that a big part of our problem is that we think too highly of ourselves, not too lowly. Stop and think about it for a minute. How did the Serpent tempt Adam and Eve? He told them they were thinking too negatively about themselves. He told them to they needed to think more positively, to extend their grasp, to reach toward their full potential, to be like God! In a word, he told them to think bigger. Now how'd that work out for them?

Individual sins don't shock us much. We know they are there, we see them in ourselves and others every day, and we've gotten pretty used to them. What is shocking to us is when God shows us that sin runs to the very depths of our hearts, the deep-running deposits of filth and corruption that we never knew existed in us and that we ourselves could never expunge. That's how the Bible talks about sin--it is in us and of us, not just on us.

Every part of our human existence is corrupted by sin and is under its power. Our understanding, our personality, our feelings, our emotions, and even our will are all enslaved to sin. So Paul says in Romans 8:7, "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannot." What a shocking and frightening statement! So thorough is sin's rule over us--our minds, understanding and will--that we God's glory and goodness, and we inevitably turn away from it in disgust.

This is the Bible's sobering verdict on us. There is not one of us who is righteous, not one. And because of that, one day every mouth will be silenced every wagging tongue stopped, and the whole earth will be held accountable to God.

But, there is hope...

Friday, October 22, 2010

Oh!

To be articulate at certain times we are compelled to fall back upon "Oh!"--a primitive exclamatory sound that is hardly a word at all...

In theology there is no "Oh!" and this is a significant if not an ominous thing.  Theology seeks to reduce what may be known of God to intellectual terms, and as long as the intellect can comprehend, it can find words to express itself. When God Himself appears before the mind, awesome, vast and incomprehensible, then the mind sinks into silence and the heart cries out "O Lord God!"  There is a vast difference between theological knowledge and  spiritual experience, the difference between knowing God by hearsay and knowing Him by acquaintance. And the difference is not merely verbal; it is real and serious and vital.

We Christians should watch lest we lose the "Oh!" from our hearts... When we become too glib in prayer we are most surely talking to ourselves.  When the calm listing of requests and the courteous giving of proper thanks take the place of the burdened prayer that finds utterance difficult we should beware the next step, for our direction is surely downward whether we know it or not  -- A.W. Tozer

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Babes in Christ

The following is from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening devotional.  I've posted this because it seems we all live on this roller coaster of evaluating our faith in Christ be what we do.  When we do well, our faith seems strong.  When we do poorly, our faith seems weak.  Spurgeon's words are an encouragement and exhortation that our faith is steady and secure because of Jesus and what He has accomplished specifically for us.  SDG

Are you mourning, believer, because you are so weak in the divine life: because your faith is so little, your love so feeble? Cheer up, for you have cause for gratitude. Remember that in some things you are equal to the greatest and most full-grown Christian. You are as much bought with blood as he is. You are as much an adopted child of God as any other believer. An infant is as truly a child of its parents as is the full-grown man. You are as completely justified, for your justification is not a thing of degrees: your little faith has made you clean every whit. You have as much right to the precious things of the covenant as the most advanced believers, for your right to covenant mercies lies not in your growth, but in the covenant itself; and your faith in Jesus is not the measure, but the token of your inheritance in him. You are as rich as the richest, if not in enjoyment, yet in real possession. The smallest star that gleams is set in heaven; the faintest ray of light has affinity with the great orb of day. In the family register of glory the small and the great are written with the same pen. You are as dear to your Father’s heart as the greatest in the family. Jesus is very tender over you. You are like the smoking flax; a rougher spirit would say, “put out that smoking flax, it fills the room with an offensive odour!” but the smoking flax he will not quench. You are like a bruised reed; and any less tender hand than that of the Chief Musician would tread upon you or throw you away, but he will never break the bruised reed. Instead of being downcast by reason of what you are, you should triumph in Christ. Am I but little in Israel? Yet in Christ I am made to sit in heavenly places. Am I poor in faith? Still in Jesus I am heir of all things. Though “less than nothing I can boast, and vanity confess.” Yet, if the root of the matter be in me I will rejoice in the Lord, and glory in the God of my salvation.  --  C.H. Spurgeon

Monday, October 18, 2010

Justification by Faith Alone

Here is the crucial issue: whether God is the author, not merely of justification, but also of faith; whether, in the last analysis, Christianity is a religion of utter reliance on God for salvation and all things necessary to it, or of self-reliance and self-effort. 'Justification by faith only' is a truth that needs interpretation. The principle of sola fide is not rightly understood until it is anchored in the broader principle of sola gratia. What is the source and status of faith? Is it the God-given means whereby the God-given justification is received, or is it a condition of justification which is left to man to fulfill? Is it part of God's gift of salvation or is it man's own contribution to salvation? Is our salvation wholly of God or does it ultimately depend on something that we do oursleves?  -- J.I. Packer

Friday, October 15, 2010

God is so Majestic

I began to see a God so majestic and so free and so absolutely sovereign that my analysis merged into worship and the Lord said, in effect, "I will not simply be analyzed, I will be adored. I will not simply be pondered, I will be proclaimed. My sovereignty is not simply to be scrutinized, it is to be heralded. It is not grist for the mill of controversy, it is gospel for sinners who know that their only hope is the sovereign triumph of God’s grace over their rebellious will."  -  John Piper

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Be Thou My Vision

   Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
   Naught be all else to me, save what Thou art:
   Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
   Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

   Be Thou my Wisdom and Thou my true Word;
   I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
   Thou my great Father, I Thy true son,
   Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

   Riches I need not, nor man’s empty praise;
   Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
   Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
   High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

   High King of Heaven, my victory won,
   May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun!
   Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
   Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all!
       ... Anonymous medieval Irish hymn

Monday, October 11, 2010

Something Worse than Death?

One cool thing about reading (and re-reading) through the whole Bible every year is that one can always find new ways that God underscores His eternal truths. I've known for a while that the opening verses of Luke 12 (vv 4-5) teach that there is something worse than death.  But, does God pick up that theme elsewhere?  Well... Take a look sometime at 1 King 14.  King Jeroboam's son is dying and his wife goes to the prophet.  He tells her that not only will the son die, but Jeroboam will lose the kingship.  Then in verse13 he says "And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the LORD, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam."

What!? "for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the LORD"? Jeroboam's son died because he was pleasing to the LORD. Would God really do that?  Maybe a God who is truly loving knows that sometimes death is not evil, but rather a gift and a protection from worse things to come. SDG

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Assuming the Gospel

It is vital to realise that the temptations we face are often exceedingly subtle. Some evangelical biographies and histories give the impression that difficult decisions only need to be made when we reach a watershed moment, a clear-cut choice between truth and error. In reality, such crisis points come about because of daily decisions, made on a minute scale and over a period of time, to either assume evangelical distinctives or actively articulate them. Individually, every day, we face the choice whether to sit under the Bible alone, to run to the cross alone and look to Christ alone or to begin to shift our gaze on to other things. Once we begin simply to assume these truths, then we are already beginning to stop “acting in line with the truth of the gospel” (Gal. 2:14). The potential consequences for ourselves are harmful; for the generation following us they are disastrous. -- David Gibson

To the One who is able to keep you from falling

In some sense the path to heaven is very safe, but in other respects there is no road so dangerous. It is beset with difficulties. One false step (and how easy it is to take that if grace be absent), and down we go. What a slippery path is that which some of us have to tread! How many times have we to exclaim with the Psalmist, “My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped.” If we were strong, sure-footed mountaineers, this would not matter so much; but in ourselves, how weak we are! In the best roads we soon falter, in the smoothest paths we quickly stumble. These feeble knees of ours can scarcely support our tottering weight. A straw may throw us, and a pebble can wound us; we are mere children tremblingly taking our first steps in the walk of faith, our heavenly Father holds us by the arms or we should soon be down. Oh, if we are kept from falling, how must we bless the patient power which watches over us day by day! Think, how prone we are to sin, how apt to choose danger, how strong our tendency to cast ourselves down, and these reflections will make us sing more sweetly than we have ever done, “Glory be to him, who is able to keep us from falling.” We have many foes who try to push us down. The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and labour to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice. Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is faithful that hath promised, and he is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say, with joyful confidence,
“Against me earth and hell combine,
But on my side is power divine;
Jesus is all, and he is mine!”
-- C.H. Spurgeon

Friday, October 8, 2010

Vote!

On Nov 2, all Americans 18 years old and older will have the privilege to vote.  I typically avoid discussing political issues because I think such discussions can quickly slide from a pure Biblical perspective to a very humanistic one.  However, I feel compelled to share the thoughts of two of my heroes in the faith: John Piper and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I will let their words speak for themselves, but my prayer is that for true Christians, we would approach our privilege to vote prayerfully, seriously, humbly and very, very gratefully.  SDG

Piper:

No endorsment of a single issue qualifies a person to hold public office. Being pro-life does not make a person a good governor, mayor or president, but there are numerous single issues that disqualify a person from oublic office. For example, any candidate who endorsed bribery as a form of government efficiency would be disqualified, regardless of his party or platform. Or a person who endorsed corperate fraud would be disqualified no matter what else he endorsed. Or a person who said no black person could hold office--on that single issue alone he would be unfit for office. Or a person who said rape is only a misdemeanor--that single issue would end his political career. These examples could go on and on. Everybody knows a single issue that for them would disqualify a candidate for office.

You have to decide what those issues are for you. What do you think disqualifies a person from public office? I believe that the endorsement of the right to kill unborn children disqualifies a person from any position of public office. It's simply the same as saying the endorsement of racism, fraud or bribery would disqualify him--except that killing a child is much worse. -- The Godward Life, vol 1

Bonhoeffer:

"Destruction of the embryo in the mother's womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon this nascent life. To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue. The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent human being has been deliberately deprived of his life. And this is nothing but murder." -- Ethics pg 206

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Nothing like God

In all our meditations upon the qualities of the attributes and content of God, we pass beyond our powers of fit conception, nor can human eloquence put forth a power commensurate with His greatness. At the contemplation and utterance of His majesty, all eloquence is rightly dumb, all mental effort is feeble. For God is greater than mind itself. His greatness cannot be conceived. Nay, if we could conceive of His greatness, He would be less than the human mind which could form the conception. He is greater than all language, and no statement can express Him. Indeed, if any statement could express Him, He would be less than human speech, which could by such statement comprehend and gather up all that He is. Up to a certain point, of course, we can have experience of Him, without language, but no man can express in words all that He is in Himself. Suppose, for instance, one speaks of Him as light; this is an account of part of His creation, not of Himself. It does not express what He is. Or suppose one speaks of Him as power. This too sets forth in words His attribute of might, rather than His being. Or suppose one speaks of Him as majesty. Once again, we have a declaration of the honor which is His Own, rather than of Him in Himself. . . . To sum up the matter in a single sentence, every possible statement that can be made about God expresses some possession or virtue of God, rather than God Himself. What words or thoughts are worthy of Him, Who is above all language and all thought? The conception of God as He is can only be grasped in one way, and even that is impossible for us, beyond our grasp and understanding; by thinking of Him as a Being Whose attributes and greatness are beyond our powers of understanding, or even of thought. -- A.W. Tozer

http://christcenteredquotes.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Rejoice That Your Names are Written in Heaven

If you have all the comfort and prosperity in the world, do not rejoice in this. You may yet die comfortless. If you possess all the comforts in this world, do not rejoice in this, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Joy in these mercies is not absolutely prohibited, but a higher joy is preferred. All of our spiritual blessings come because our names are written in heaven. We have an interest in the electing love of God, and are partakers of the redeeming love of Christ. The Spirit of grace has changed and sanctified us and given us a right to eternal life. We are certainly and distinctly known by God: "You only have I known of all the families of the earth" (Amos 3:2). We are decreed to this by the eternal love of God before the foundation of the world. We are called to it by the preaching of the gospel, and actually enter into it when we are renewed and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The greatest ground of joy imaginable is to have our names written in heaven (Luke 10:20).

-- Matthew Mead

http://christcenteredquotes.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 4, 2010

New blog?

Well yes and no. This blog will continue to be where I share thoughts that God, through the Spirit, has used to encourage or exhort me.  The new blog is simply going to be my storehouse of quotes from Christian men and women through the ages that have inspired or provoked me.  I may not agree with every nuance of theology of the people I quote.  My goal is to share the specific, God-given, Christ-exalting insights they have provided in the quoted material.  Enjoy, to the glory of God!

Oh yeah the blog's link: http://christcenteredquotes.blogspot.com/

Prophecy to the Breath

Have you ever read Ezk 37? The first 14 verses are especially compelling. Ezekiel finds himself alone in a valley of filled with dried up bones and God asks "Can these bones live?"  What would your honest answer be?  No way!  A pile of corpses can't live, how much less a pile of dried up bones.  Yet God tells Ezekiel to tell the bones that He (God) will cause breath to enter them and they will live.  And what happens? Ezekiel prophecies to bones and they recovered their bodies. If we pause for a moment and forget that we know the end of the story, what would our assessment be? Yeah for God! Our job is done. Let's go conquer some enemy.  But we know the job wasn't done and that God had another step in His life giving process.  Why two steps why not flesh and tendons and all that, along with life itself?  I think its for two reasons: 1) It is to show us that there is a clear distinction between physical life and spiritual life.  Is either one less of a miracle than the other? No, but one is clearly dependent on the other.  The other and probably more significant reason for separating the two steps is to highlight the giver of each of the gifts. If spiritual life came with the physical life, things could get blurry, watered down and perhaps a little muddled.  So, God makes it clear.  As Ezekiel prophecies to the breath, the breath came to them and they lived.

So brothers and sisters, do we "prophecy to the breath"? To update the lingo, do we invite the Holy Spirit to our devotions, to our bible studies, to our conversations? Do we ask Him to join us at church, at work, at home?  Or, as AW Tozer asks, "Are we just turning the crank?"  SDG

Sunday, October 3, 2010

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

With a title like that one might expect a very long (or very short) entry.  This one will be short since my goal here is not to itemize (that may come later), but rather to challenge us all to self-itemize. What comes to mind when you hear Paul say "this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8 ESV)? Make a list in your mind and / or in your Bible. Jesus is so much more than we grasp at any one moment.  And, fallen, forgetful, self-absorbed humans that we are, we tend to focus on the gifts He brings rather than the person that He is. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 ESV) SDG

Friday, October 1, 2010

Is Jesus Really the Center?

About a month a ago, I started an entry with this same title.  It was based on 1 Cor 1:18-31.  While my thoughts were o.k. I think God has brought me to a point of asking the same question in a different light.  The bottom-line question we must prayerfully and frequently ask ourselves is this: "Is Jesus really the center of everything we say and do?"

If you're like me, the quick answer is either "sure" or are "you kidding"?  Either side betrays my arrogance.  On the sure side, I don't want to admit that keeping Christ at the center of everything requires effort.  No downtime while driving.  No little things that we can do on our own.  No secret hideout where I can be alone.  Quite frankly we cannot keep Christ at the center continuously, unless the Spirit makes it happen.  But, I'm also arrogant on the are you kidding side.  Why?  Because even though I see the impossibility of me doing something like this on my own, I am too full of myself to that I need the Holy Spirit to reign and rule in my heart and mind.

So what's point? I think there is a real tendency, even among Christians, to divide things into sacred and secular categories.  And while we may not be crass enough to admit it to each other, we tend to only give Christ the proverbial nod when entering our "secular" activities while inviting and focusing and honoring Him greatly in our sacred activities.  But if Jesus is Lord, He is Lord of all.  Would it change how I drive to work, how I mow the lawn how I do my job and interact with others at work, would it change my relationships at church, would it change my relationships at home, would it change how I view the ministries God has placed me in?  The answer is Yes! and Amen (2 Cor 1:20).

I invite you all to hold me accountable to this.  SDG

Thursday, September 30, 2010

How deep the Father's love for us -- Phillips, Craig and Dean

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory 

Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished 

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Heart of Ministry

This is an excerpt from my personal correspondence.  SDG


So, what is the heart of ministry?  First and foremost, it must be service to Christ that brings Him glory and proclaims the greatness, power and availability of the grace of God.  We are encouraged by the fact that the gospel is the power of God for salvation.  Not our perfectly crafted words nor our wonderfully furnished buildings, but the simple articulation of the gospel: Christ died so that we might live.  We are also challenged by the fact that God’s economy is different than ours.  Our wisdom is not the same as His. Our strength is not the same as His. Our goals are not the same as His. Unless, of course, we have the mind of Christ.  But then, it is not God’s wisdom or strength or goals that change; it is ours.  And this is a difficult and daily task because everything in us and around us is trying to pull us back the other way.  In fact we are exhorted to pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.  While this all may seem daunting, it is actually the opposite.  Jesus promised to build His church.  Jesus prayed for those who remained after His death that they might be sanctified and that people would believe in Him through our service to Him. And Jesus has assured us that He will be with us to the very end of the age.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

All the way my Savior leads me


All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide

All the way my Savior leads me
Cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial
Feeds me with the living Bread

[Chorus:]
You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me

All the way my Savior leads me
O, the fullness of His love
O, the sureness of His promise
In the triumph of His blood
And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages
Jesus led me all the way

All the way my Savior leads me
-- Chris Tomlin

Friday, September 24, 2010

Examine Yourself

Its interesting that one rarely hears a sermon or devotional on 2 Cor 13:5 " Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" Is it because we don't want to offend anyone or is because we don't want to ask the hard question(s)?  The reality is that this verse is meant to be an encouragement to us.  It is a reassurance that we are in the faith.  Since everything is built on our relationship with Christ, shouldn't we desire to be sure of it?  And to continue to be sure of it?
But what if, in examining ourselves, we find that we need are continually in need of growing, of learning, of depending, of surrendering to Jesus?  Then we're faced with the reality painted throughout Scripture.  We are either moving toward Christ or away from Him.  And, if we're comfortable with where were at?  Maybe its easier to just skip to some other verse...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Christ Crucified

An excerpt from a sermon by Spurgeon.  The entire text is found here: Christ Crucified #1

Before I enter upon our text, let me very briefly tell you what I believe preaching Christ and him crucified is. My friends, I do not believe it is preaching Christ and him crucified, to give people a batch of philosophy every Sunday morning and evening, and neglect the truths of this Holy Book. I do not believe it is preaching Christ and him crucified, to leave out the main cardinal doctrines of the Word of God, and preach a religion which is all a mist and a haze, without any definite truths whatever. I take it that man does not preach Christ and him crucified, who can get through a sermon without mentioning Christ's name once; nor does that man preach Christ and him crucified, who leaves out the Holy Spirit's work, who never says a word about the Holy Ghost, so that indeed the hearers might say, "We do not so much as know whether there be a Holy Ghost." And I have my own private opinion, that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and him crucified, unless you preach what now-a-days is called Calvinism. I have my own ideas, and those I always state boldly. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism. Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith without works; not unless we preach the sovereignty of God in his dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor, I think, can we preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the peculiar redemption which Christ made for his elect and chosen people; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation, after having believed. Such a gospel I abhor. The gospel of the Bible is not such a gospel as that. We preach Christ and him crucified in a different fashion, and to all gainsayers we reply, "We have not so learned Christ."


-- C.H. Spurgeon