Tuesday, January 31, 2012

An abortion related post

This is an excerpt from a new book by DA Carson that I read on Justin Taylor's blog.  Although the quote is from Lincoln and he is referencing slavery. I could not help but think of today and abortion.
But those who say they hate slavery, and are opposed to it, . . . where are they?
Let us apply a few tests.
You say that you think slavery is wrong, but you denounce all attempts to restrain it. Is there anything else that you think wrong that you are not willing to deal with as wrong? Why are you so careful, so tender, of this one wrong and no other? You will not let us do a single thing as if it was wrong; there is no place where you will even allow it to be called wrong! We must not call it wrong in the free States, because it is not there, and we must not call it wrong in the slave States, because it is there; we must not call it wrong in politics because that is bringing morality into politics, and we must not call it wrong in the pulpit because that is bringing politics into religion . . . and there is no single place, according to you, where this wrong thing can properly be called wrong!
—Abraham Lincoln, “Speech at New Haven, Connecticut [1860],” in Lincoln: Speeches and Writings, 1859-1865 (New York: Library of America, 1989), 140-141.
To  God Alone be the Glory

This is Where We Begin

"I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant. (Gen 32:10)

I am torn between commenting exhaustively on these words of Jacob (soon to become Israel) and simply letting them hang there for the Spirit work them into our hearts and minds.

(built in pause)

To be honest, my mind is on prayer, since that was where Jacob was at. What we see demonstrated for us is the humble approach of a servant to a King. Or and beggar to a generous rich Man, Or a child who has squandered everything to a Father who still posses everything. In other words, it is a worked out example of the true dynamic between us and God.We have nothing and in ourselves, we don't have the grounds to plead with Him for anything.

Yet, God call us to pray. Jesus encourages, models and assumes we will pray. And the Holy Spirit is praying and enabling our praying.

So, how do we take the true self assessment of Jacob and allow it to drive us not into some spiritual black hole, but to our knees before God? I think, perhaps, the true heart behind Jacob's words is that we have nothing of our own. Everything we have and everything we are is a gift. And the sustaining of everything we have and everything we are is a gift. Anything we desire to do whether it is super spiritual or ordinary and trivial is done by God's gracious permission and enabling.

As I think about this, it leaves me with a closer understanding of Paul's admonition to pray without ceasing. Obviously not a "close your eyes, bow your heads" prayer at all times. but a conscious (and sometimes sub conscious) realization that I need God's favor to drive to work, to do my work, run an errand, to write a blog, preach a sermon, to hold my tongue, wash the dishes, to study for a test, to fall in love, to stay in love, to say good by, to hope for Christ. (and we could all add a thousand more)

Father, we really are unworthy servants. We really are prodigal children. We are really sheep who are prone to wander. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for the 10,000 (is that too small?) things you give us each day without us even asking, simply because that is the kind of Father you are. You deserve more praise and glory than this feeble man via this feeble blog can ascribe to you. But what I have, I offer to you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Monday, January 30, 2012

Do We Presume on the Riches of God?

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Rom 2:4)

Take a moment and consider this verse from Romans 2. How do you view God's kindness, his richness and his patience?

If you are anything like me, the honest answer is that I often view God's kindness, richness and patience (not to mention his grace and mercy) are perks of membership in this club called Christianity. Sure, God saved me  by his grace alone. Sure, it was only in the cross of Christ that my sins were forgiven. Sure, it is only by laying a hold of these realities by faith (which itself is a gracious gift) does any of this matter to me personally.

But then what? How do I interact with God today, believing and trusting in all that I just wrote? What is my reaction to the kindness of God when he gives me a warm, dry, safe house this morning? What is my attitude toward God when he endures another routine prayer at breakfast, lunch or dinner? How do I view God when I open my Bible in freedom and read it my own language and can actually begin to grasp what He is trying to say? Gratitude? Humility? Adoration? Worship? Child-like incredulity?

If you are like me, it takes a Spirit-driven reminder to get back to these appropriate responses to the riches of God in my life. As I survey my life, I see many more examples of presumption, of expectation (not the good kind) and of neglect. My heart continues to drift back to a self-focus and so often, when I am not intentionally thinking about God and Christ and the Spirit, my mind, by default returns to a focus on me.

I want to close with an awesome thing for you to consider. Even as our focus moves constantly from God and to ourselves, God is continuing to pour out his riches in kindness and patience. He is always after our good and He is sending us thousands of reminders of his awesome love and power and grace. The question is: will we see them? And will we allow the Spirit to change our presumption to praise?

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Sunday, January 29, 2012

It Is Not Death to Die

It is not death to die
To leave this weary road
And join the saints who dwell on high
Who’ve found their home with God

It is not death to close
The eyes long dimmed by tears
And wake in joy before Your throne
Delivered from our fears

Chorus O Jesus, conquering the graveYour precious blood has power to save
Those who trust in You
Will in Your mercy find
That it is not death to die
It is not death to fling
Aside this earthly dust
And rise with strong and noble wing
To live among the just

It is not death to hear
The key unlock the door
That sets us free from mortal years
To praise You evermore


To God Alone be the Glory

Friday, January 27, 2012

If God...then I...

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, [21] so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. (Gen 28:20-21)

How often do we adopt an approach to God that looks like Jacob's?

Seriously.

Don't think about your kids. Don't think about your spouse. Don't think about your less spiritually mature friends. Think about yourself. Think about your prayers. Think about your confidence in the day or week or year ahead. How contingent is your faith? How conditional is your obedience?

As I read Gen 28 this morning, I was struck first by Jacob's apparent self-serving approach to God. And, knowing the rest of the story, realizing that God actually fulfills His end of the bargain and in the process brings Jacob to a true faith in Him. This is another awesome reminder that God seeks us and saves us before we ever would (or could) seek Him.

Yet after those thoughts settled in my mind it dawned on me that I often approach God like Jacob did. Not in public (I too "religiously correct") for that. Not necessarily even in private prayer as was the case with Jacob. But down in my heart, at the core of who I am, there's the lingering thought: "God, if you do this, I will do that" or "God, if I do this, I expect you to do that"

Do you see the idolatry in that? Do you see the sin in that? Who do I think I am?

I ask these questions and probe these depths for a couple of reasons.  First, I think it is very healthy to look in the mirror as see that we are still sinners in need of a savior. I have not reached sinless perfection. You have not reached sinless perfection. Sin may be principally defeated and its priced paid for by Christ, but the battle rages. And we need that reminder. Daily. It raises the value of Christ in our eyes. And it lowers our estimation of our ability to do anything on our own to the glory of God.

Second, I think this serves as a healthy self-diagnosis. Like a cholesterol test, we need to see where in our spiritual lives we need the Spirit to do His work. And where we need to work in Him and through Him to the glory of God.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Where you are heading, trouble will be no more.

The following is the conclusion from a blog post by Paul Tripp that I read yesterday.  The full post is here. What strikes me most is that what makes life in this fallen world bearable is not that somehow it will get better or that I am somehow earning "misery points". No what makes life worth it is that we are working toward the prize of Christ and His promise of a New Heaven and a New Earth. May it be so, even today!

You could argue that the biblical story is about three locations. The Garden in Genesis was a location of perfection and beauty but became a place of sin and trouble. The hill of Calvary was a place of both horrible suffering and also transforming grace. And the New Jerusalem, that place of peace and refuge lit by the brightness of the Son, will be our final refuge forever. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, your story will not end with daily trouble and temporary refuge. No, your final location will be utterly unlike anything you have ever experienced, even on your best and brightest ministry day. You are headed for the New Jerusalem, where the final tear will be dried and trouble will be no more.
Today, in life and ministry, you will face trouble of some kind. Today you will run somewhere for refuge. Today there is hope and help to be found. May God be your refuge, and as you run to him, may you remember that he has promised you that there will be a day when your trouble is no more.
I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

What are we doing? (updated, again)

Update 2: A couple more links at the end. One that is worth your time is 180movie.com. It is a 33 minute YouTube video that is part apologetic and part person on the street interview. As you watch, pretend the questions are being asked of you. Or better yet, imagine you really had to face the issues the video raises. SDG.

Update: I have added several more links to the end of this post. Piper said it best. Citing Acts 4, he said "all Christians should stand up and tell it like they see it. Let the chips fall where they will. Don't worry if the public doesn't even agree with your most basic assumptions. Your job is not to win. Your job is not to control this society. Your job is to say what God wants said."  SDG

I write this with fear and trepidation. In part, unfortunately, my fear and trepidation rises from what some readers might think of me after reading this post. I could list the potential responses, but that will only fuel a false, man-centered fear. The other part of my fear and trepidation is that I am not saying nor doing enough. I am not praying enough. I am preaching or teaching enough. I am not honoring God and extolling Christ enough to help remove the cultural scourge that has ravaged our nation for 39 years.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am not an extremely political person. I care about elections and I care about how my representatives and governor and president enact public policy. But, if the leader at the moment (whether I voted for them or not) goes against what I think is correct, I don't get too worked up about it. After all, that is the nature of governance in the United States. However, there is a growing exception to this "live and let live" political philosophy of mine. That is in regard to abortion.

There, I've said it. Any nay-sayers can start their naying. But I am becoming more and more convinced that from my side of the room, saying nothing to avoid a rebuke is no longer an option. Besides, if I am resting in Christ's perfect love for me, what are man's angry words anyway? And, if Jesus was annointed by the Spirit "to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,” shouldn't I have a similar vision?

All of that is an introduction to say that I have been personally negligent in my responsibility before God to defend the defenseless. I know this is ultimately in God's hands, but He uses us as his instruments in this world. So by His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, I want to pray a risky prayer. God use me, whatever it takes, to put a dent or maybe even an end to abortion in this country. And Father, do it not primarily through political means, but through gospel-driven means. May we all stand amazed as you work in our midst to turn the tide some of think can never be changed. Let life (all of life) matter to us as much as it matters to you.

I have one last risky thing to say. I do not think my apathy is unique. I know there are mature, devoted Christians who have had the cause of life on their hearts for years or even decades. But I'm grieved to consider how many of us who name the name of Christ have allowed abortion to flourish unimpeded even in our prayers.

What follows are several links to posts I have read over the weekend. These men can express themselves on this issue better than I can. Please read some (or all) and allow the Spirit to do His work in your heart.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/five-things-we-can-do-for-the-unborn

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-day-john-piper-was-arrested

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/01/19/moving-pro-life-legislation-forward-the-need-for-prudence-and-civility/

http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/2012/01/gospel-shaped-pro-life-passion.html

http://www.abort73.com/blog/factories_of_death_lessons_from_auschwitz/

http://www.abort73.com/blog/eulogy_for_the_martyred_children_what_mlk_has_to_teach_us_about_abortion/

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/01/18/an-actual-pro-life-conversation

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/racial-slavery-and-abortion-in-america-how-history-repeats-itself

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/01/20/one-month-for-life/

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/01/23/roe-v-wade-radical-legally-untenable-and-immoral

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/its-the-christians-duty-to-speak-the-truth

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/eight-ways-to-live-as-pro-life-christians-under-a-pro-choice-president

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203718504577176641699224320.html

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/five-ways-to-fight-abortion-and-serve-the-unborn-and-their-moms

http://180movie.com/

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/01/23/healing-after-an-abortion

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/gospeldrivenchurch/2012/01/23/what-does-job-3113-15-tell-us-about-abortion/

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible - JC Ryle

(Note When I read the JC Ryle excerpt below, it struck me as aspects of my own approach to Bible reading that God has graciously assembled in my mind over the years. Please prayerfully and thoughtfully read it and consider it. Perhaps you could even print it out a stick it in your Bible as a periodic reminder of how we should be approaching God's Word SDG)


8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible

1. Begin reading your Bible this very day. The way to do a thing — is to do it; and the way to read the Bible — is actually to read it! It is not merely meaning, or wishing, or resolving, or intending, or thinking about it — which will advance you one step. You must positively read. There is no royal road in this matter, any more than in the matter of prayer. If you cannot read yourself, you must persuade somebody else to read it to you. But one way or another, through eyes or ears — the words of Scripture must actually pass before your mind.

2. Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it. Do not think for a moment, that the great object is to turn over a certain quantity of printed paper, and that it matters nothing whether you understand it or not. Some ignorant people seem to imagine, that all is done if they advance so many chapters every day, though they may not have a notion what they are all about, and only know that they have pushed on their bookmark ahead so many pages. This is turning Bible reading into a mere ritual form. Settle it down in your mind as a general principle, that a Bible not understood — is a Bible that does no good! Say to yourself often as you read, “What is this all about?” Dig for the meaning like a man digging for gold.

3. Read the Bible with child-like faith and humility. Open your heart — as you open God’s book, and say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!” Resolve to believe implicitly whatever you find there, however much it may run counter to your own desires and prejudices. Resolve to receive heartily every statement of truth — whether you like it or not. Beware of that miserable habit into which some readers of the Bible fall — they receive some doctrines because they like them; and they reject others because they are condemning to themselves, or to some relation, or friend. At this rate, the Bible is useless! Are we to be judges of what ought to be in God’s Word? Do we know better than God? Settle it down in your mind — that you will receive all and believe all, and that what you cannot understand — you will take on trust. Remember, when you pray — that you are speaking to God, and God hears you. But, remember, when you read Scripture — that God is speaking to you, and you are not to “dictate,” but to listen!

4. Read the Bible in a spirit of obedience and self-application. Sit down to the study of it with a daily determination that you will live by its rules, rest on its statements, and act on its commands. Consider, as you travel through every chapter, “How does this affect my thinking and daily conduct? What does this teach me?” It is poor work to read the Bible from mere curiosity, and for speculative purposes — in order to fill your head and store your mind with mere opinions; while you do not allow the book to influence your heart and life. That Bible is read best — which is practiced most!

5. Read the Bible daily. Make it a part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion of God’s Word. Private means of grace are just as needful every day for our souls — as food and clothing are for our bodies. Yesterday’s food will not feed the laborer today; and today’s food will not feed the laborer tomorrow. Do as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Gather your manna fresh every morning. Choose your own seasons and hours. Do not scramble over and hurry your reading. Give your Bible the best, and not the worst part of your time! But whatever plan you pursue, let it be a rule of your life to visit the throne of grace and God’s Word every day.

6. Read all of the Bible — and read it in an orderly way. I fear there are many parts of the Word which some people never read at all. This is to say at the least, a very presumptuous habit. “All Scripture is profitable.” [2 Timothy 3:16]. To this habit may be traced that lack of well-proportioned views of truth, which is so common in this day. Some people’s Bible-reading is a system of perpetual ‘dipping and picking’. They do not seem to have an idea of regularly going through the whole book.

7. Read the Bible fairly and honestly. Determine to take everything in its plain, obvious meaning — and regard all forced interpretations with great suspicion. As a general rule, whatever a verse of the Bible seems to mean — it does mean! Cecil’s rule is a very valuable one, “The right way of interpreting Scripture is to take it as we find it, without any attempt to force it into any particular theological system.”

8. Read the Bible with Christ continually in view. The grand primary object of all Scripture, is to testify of Jesus! Old Testament ceremonies are shadows of Christ. Old Testament judges are types of Christ. Old Testament prophecies are full of Christ’s sufferings, and of Christ’s glory yet to come. The first coming and the second; the Lord’s humiliation and His glorious kingdom; His cross and the crown shine forth everywhere in the Bible. Keep fast hold on this clue, if you would read the Bible aright!

I might easily add to these hints, if space permitted. Few and short as they are — you will find them most profitable when implemented.

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

How long, O Lord?

Father,

How long? You know this is the question throbbing in my heart. You know my earnest ache is that Jesus will return and make all things new. You know that from my perspective things are continuing to get worse, to unwind and to drift away from you and your Word.

How long will passages like Mt 24 be future promises? How long will the groaning of Rom 8 resonate in the depth of our souls? How long will hope of 1 Cor 15 seem just beyond our grasp?

O Father I thank you for the grace that you have given me in Christ. There is nothing in me the deserved salvation and there is nothing I can or could do to pay you back. I thank you that your grace is freely available to all and that your delay, while not full understandable to me, opens the door to more to hear the gospel.

Father, I also thank you for the gift of your Spirit. Without him, neither I nor any of your saints could stand for a single hour against our own sin or against the whiles of your enemy and ours, Satan. Without the Spirit, we could not even begin to grasp your Word or begin to see you for who you really are. He shows us the height and the length and breadth and the depth of your love. He encourages us to remember that you care for us better than any human father or mother. He convicts us when our thoughts and actions lead us away from you. And He challenges us to hold on to the faith we have received from you by grace. The road is long. The path is narrow. But our companion is faithful and true.

Father, most of all, if I dare say it that way, I am grateful for your Son. My whole life hangs on him. Without his birth, life, death, and resurrection, my life would be an empty shell. So I praise you! I thank you. I adore you for your majestic plan of redemption. Christ was born. Oh are wonder and splendor of the Creator in a cattle trough! The sovereign one needing care and protection! Eternity entering time! Jesus lived some 30 odd years. Oh that the one that fashioned the universe made tables and chairs! The amazingness that the sinless one would have to face sin everyday. The reality that the King of kings would walk among his subjects and not be recognized, respected, honored or worshiped. And he died. There are books that can't even capture the magnitude of those words. Allow them to wash over me again today. He died for me. He didn't just die generically. He didn't just die symbolically. He died specifically for me. To pay my sin debt. To redeem me from the curse I inherited from Adam. To adopt me into your family. And now he is risen and ascended. He is reigning and ruling with you. He is interceding for me. He preparing a place for his bride. And so much more.

Father, dare I ask that Jesus return today? You know that is what is on my heart. Yet, I want your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. So, Father by your grace, in your mercy, do what you will. And help me, by the power of your Spirit to see it as your perfect gift and plan.

I pray this in the name of your Son, my only Savior, Redeemer and King.

Amen

Sunday, January 22, 2012

How Deep The Father's Love For Us

How Deep The Father's Love For Us

Stuart Townend

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To 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 a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left 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


To God Alone be the Glory

Saturday, January 21, 2012

God will provide for himself the lamb

[Isaac] said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” (Gen 22:7-8)

We have all heard plenty of sermons on the great faith of Abraham shown in Gen 22. There is no doubt that he displayed tremendous faith and that there is an intrinsic connection between faith and obedience. However, if this is all we see in Gen 22, I think we've missed the diamond God, by His grace has left for us to find.

Perhaps we have heard or read about the great picture that Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac is of the sacrifice of Christ. This is very true and shows us the amazing depth of God's love for us. Christ's willing sacrifice. Christ's substitutionary sacrifice and Christ's costly sacrifice are just three that pop into my head. This chapter in Genesis helps make sense of both Isa 53 and the crucifixion accounts in God's plan to redeem a people for himself.

But what captured me this morning was the statement: God will provide for himself the lamb. This statement does speak to the costliness of the sacrifice and the willingness of Jesus, but the thought that is rolling around in my mind is that God was intentional regarding the cross. He did not just foresee it, as any good omniscient being would. No, He orchestrated it. He planned and purposed it. Given the state of the fallen world, He wanted it to happen.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
What do we do with a God like this? How do we respond to a love like this? Let's start with sincere, humble adoration. No requests, no complaints, no pleadings. Just amazed adoration. And let's look to him in Abraham-like faith. This man had no evidence to make the statement he made in Gen 22:8. No evidence, except that he knew the God who sent him to Moriah and he knew the One who promised him a son and an inheritance and a legacy. Maybe that's the point. Abraham had a tremendous faith because he knew a tremendous God.


I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Communion: What's the point? - update

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:26)

Note: I ran across a comment from D.A, Carson that fit great with the theme of this post. I've appended it to the end, for those who may have read this post already. SDG)

I know broaching the topic of Communion is a risky proposition. However, my goal is not to address the various perspectives on its grace imparting aspects or even seriously engage in the sacrament vs. ordinance differential. My question is this: whatever your viewpoint on Communion, why do it at all?

I having presented the question, I realize some of the varied opinions on Communion could tend to color our answers. With that being said, I think Scripture, as always, is the best place to seek the answer. I will grant that traditions can have an important role in affirming our faith (see Heb 11), but even traditions must submit to the Word of God. So the question remains, why do we have Communion at all?

I would submit that there are two Scriptural answers to this question. The first and probably most obvious is that it is a command.  Jesus, during the Last Supper and Paul later to the Corinthian church state emphatically that we are to continue to break bread and share wine together. Jesus says do this. Paul says do this. So we must do it. Paul even provides the end date when we will no longer need to celebrate Communion. It is when Christ returns.

The second reason we continue to share in Communion is because it proclaims Jesus' death. Yes Jesus (and Paul via quotation) say to do it in remembrance of Christ, which of course would include all of who He is. But consider what Communion symbolizes. Jesus' body broken for us. Jesus blood shed for us. Consider when Communion was instituted. It was during the Passover celebration. And Passover is a remembrance of the death of a lamb for the salvation of the first born son.

The bottom-line, at least for me, is that if our Communion time doesn't bring us back to the Cross, it is a wasted time. We are going through symbolic motions, but we've lost the track of what the symbols mean. What is wrong with taking a few minutes (or several minutes) and explicitly stating what we are actually celebrating? Isn't worth our time and effort to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes"?

Subsequent to the original posting of this entry, I ran across the following thoughts from D.A. Carson:
"No less than the ancient Israelites, Christians are called to covenant renewal. That is one of the large purposes of the Lord’s Supper. It is a time for self-examination, confession of sin, remembering what the Lord Jesus endured to secure our redemption, and, together with the people of God in local assembly, a time to remember and proclaim his death until he comes. Thereby we renew our pledge of allegiance. If we permit the Lord’s Supper to descend to the level of meaningless rite, all the while hardening our hearts against the living God, we face grave danger. It will do us good, in solemn assembly, to review our sins and confess them, to grasp anew the Lord’s faithfulness, and to pledge fresh loyalty to the new covenant."
I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Thursday, January 19, 2012

But with God...

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26)

The more I read the Bible, the more astounded I am that I can be as dense as the disciples. In Mt 19, Jesus explains that people cannot save themselves. It doesn't matter how blessed we may be in whatever our culture sees as the best (money, looks, intelligence, power). All of these are broken cisterns. In the face of this reality, the disciples exclaim, "Who then can be saved?!" Who indeed? And for all my theological conviction over the sovereignty of God and the power of the gospel, when I look at the narrowness of the gate, I too ask "Who then can be saved?"

Fortunately, my salvation, anyone's salvation, is not contingent on the magnitude of my faith. Instead it is contingent on the sufficiency of the sacrifice. The question I need to ask myself is this: "Was Jesus' death sufficient for all my sins?" If yes, then it is done, salvation has been accomplished. If no, then our faith is vain and we are still in our sins.

There is a corollary to this reality. If God has given us this great gift of salvation, will he not also give us everything we need? I think we live as beggars because we lose track of this reality. James puts it most bluntly: "You do not have, because you do not ask". Speaking for myself, I do not ask because I do not see God as He paints Himself, a loving Father, longing to care for his children.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)


To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Is anything too hard for the LORD?

Is anything too hard for the LORD? (Gen 18:14)

This is a simple yet personally challenging post. Do we really believe the statement that God makes in Gen 18:14?  Do I really believe it?

Is anything too hard for the LORD?

At one level, this is the sort of thing that seems intuitively obvious. If you're reading through Genesis, God as done some amazing stuff. How can anyone doubt His abilities, especially if you're Abraham and you are living it out. Yet Abraham and Sarah had to be confronted by this rebuking question:

Is anything too hard for the LORD?

And here we are, with the testimony of the entire Bible, the evidence of grace through the centuries of church history and the fingerprints of God's power and action in our own lives. And yet, this question lingers like the smell of a distant brush fire.

Is anything too hard for the LORD?

So, where do we go? What do we do with this? Personally, I think I need to take God seriously, as if He is asking this question directly to me? Think about your praying (as an example) or your serving or 100 different aspects of your life. What is our first (or 31st) response when things don't go the way we think they should? God, what are you doing? God, I thought I understood? God, should I go another direction? If you are like me, you are too pious to actually say: God, can you really do what you promised? But sometimes, deep in our not-yet-glorified hearts, that's what's sitting there. And, isn't that the lighter fluid that Satan loves to pour all over us?

But, with one simple rhetorical question, God slams everything back into alignment, if we have the ears to hear. Think hard. Pray hard. Confess as necessary and seriously ask yourself, whatever your situation:

Is anything too hard for the LORD?

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)


To God Alone be the Glory

Monday, January 16, 2012

Get behind me Satan!

Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man. (Mt 16:23)

How often does Jesus say these words to me (or to you)? If we're honest, it is more often than we care to admit.

Let me be clear. I am not talking about demon possession nor I am I talking about occult or similar practices. I am not even thinking about demonology or a study of Satan and his minions as described in the Bible. What I am asking is this: how often to we think thoughts, offer prayers, speak truths that are in opposition to the plans of God and think we are doing the right thing?

Isn't that where Peter was at? Since he didn't grasp Isa 53, since he didn't understant the Passover's significance and since he didn't realize the depth of his own sin, the concept of a dying Messiah was foreign to him. So, when Jesus announces this reality, Peter understandably responds with a "No way!"

Yet Jesus' rebuke is swift a firm. Peter, by standing in the way of Jesus' path to the cross was expressing a satanic thought. He was, as Paul would say later, an enemy to the cross of Christ. Jesus' mission was clear. His vision was singular. His heart was steadfast. Yet even in that moment, he taught Peter (and us) a significant lesson. We must see things through God's eyes, not man's eyes.

So, I'm back to my original question. How often does God thwart your prayers or divert your plans or confuse your thoughts and in essence say "Get behind me Satan!" Here's a better question? How often does He say it and we are too busy, distracted or just plain apathetic to hear or care?

It is becoming clearer to me that too many of my thoughts and plans are the thoughts of man and not of God. When those thoughts and plans get superimposed on my expectations of God, His response to me will continue to be "Get behind me Satan!"

My prayer then is this. "Father, replace my thoughts with your thoughts. Transform my mind from the perspectives of man to the perspectives of Christ. Give me a heart that aches and breaks not for what seems right and fair and just in this world, but for what is right and fair and just in your kingdom. And let my affections always be growing in anticipation of what you have planned both for this age and for the age to come."

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Edwards' Resolutions - week 3


My I intention, by God's grace, to post one grouping of Jonathan Edwards' resolutions each Sunday afternoon. I am convinced that I can only handle them in small doses, while Edwards reviewed the whole list each week. The entire list of Edward's resolutions can be found here: the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

To God Alone be the Glory

Preamble:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.



Time Management

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec.22 and 26, 1722.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

50.Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51.Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.



I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Jesus Saves

Travis Cottrell

Hear the heart of heaven beating
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
And the hush of mercy breathing
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
Hear the host of angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King"
And the sounding joy repeating
Jesus saves

See the humblest hearts adore Him
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
And the wisest bow before Him
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
See the sky alive with praise
Melting darkness in its blaze
There is light forevermore
Jesus saves

He will live, our sorrow sharing
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
He will die our burden bearing
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
"It is done!" will shout the cross
Christ has paid redemption's cost
While the empty tomb declaring
Jesus saves

Freedom's calling
Chains are falling
Hope is dawning
Bright and true
Day is breaking
Night is quaking
God is making all things new
Jesus saves

Oh, to Christ, how great a debtor
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
Are the saints who shouts together
Jesus saves, Jesus saves
Rising up so fast and strong
Lifting up salvation's song
The redeemed will sing forever
Jesus saves



To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Happy Birthday, my love.

(Note: I'm not often (o.k. ever) personal on the blog, so this is a bit of change up. But its worth it because my wife Sally is worth it. God only knows where my life would have been without her. BTW, at this point I wish I could conjure up some of Piper's poetic skills.)

My dear Sally,

I want to take a moment in as public of a forum as I have, (short of a sermon illustration) to tell you the depth and breadth and height and the width of my love for you. Except for Jesus and all that God has poured out on me (and us) by His grace, you are the best thing that has ever happened in my life. You have made your mark on who I am and God has used you over the years to help me grow up in Christ. I thank Him for that. And I thank you for that. I don't know where I would be without your love and support.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you for raising 3 awesome kids. Thank you for listening when things get tough (which thankfully is rare). Thank you for the freedom to follow God. Thank you for making our house a home, despite our hectic schedule. Thank you, in a very real sense, for leading me to Christ. And thank you for saying Yes 25 years ago. There a thousand more thank yous, big and little.

As you enter this landmark birthday, I pray and trust and expectantly hope that God is not done with you yet. You are growing deeper in love with Christ in so many ways, but we both know there is so much more of Him to know and to love and to obey (joyfully, of course). If God, by His grace gives you one more day or several more decades, let us commit to each other, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to follow hard after Him. Can we wake up each day and say "Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last"?

Praise our Father for all that He has done in your life and the love He has lavished on you. Praise Christ for His redeeming work on your behalf. Praise the Holy Spirit as He enables you to love and serve Christ and His body in ways you wouldn't have dreamed of 10 or 15 years ago. Praise the God of all glory for who He is and that one day soon you will get to worship in His presence with exceedingly great joy.

On last thing. the Steven Curtis Chapman song I Will Be Here that we fell in love with when Christ redeemed both of us, means more to me today than ever before.

When the mirror tells us we're older
I will hold you
And I will be here
To watch you grow in beauty
And tell you all the things you are to me
I will be here
And I will be here, by the grace of God, for all the days He has planned for us.

I Love You!!!!!

John

My Earnest Prayer

(Note: Any earnestness you may read or feel in the prayer that follows is the work of the Holy Spirit. The reason I'm recording this prayer is because I acutely feel the lack of earnestness in my own praying. So today, I  am trying to heed the advice of the Puritans and pray until I pray.  SDG)

Father, what do I do when I read your Son's command in Mt 9 to pray earnestly for harvesters and when I close my eyes and bow my head there is nothing? Oh, you know the words are there. The thoughts, the ideas and even maybe the local and global needs flow through my mind. But where is my heart? Where is the ache? Why is there not even a drop in bucket of Jesus' passion and concern for the sheep who are without a shepherd?

O God, if I can, let me add to those questions the example of from Ezra 9. Why is my vision of my generation so myopic? Is it perhaps because I am in the same muck and mire? Is it because I've lost sight of how ugly sin is? Let me rephrase that. Is it because I've lost sight of how ugly my sin is? Have I forgotten the enormity of the salvation you have freely given me in Christ? You know I can say the words. You know I know and believe he truth. But maybe dear Father, I've forgotten its value and how desperately lost I was (and would be without your sustaining grace).

Dear God, I cannot pray earnestly without your Spirit breathing this earnestness into me. And my fear Lord, as you know, is that this kind of earnestness is not a common mark in the Church today. So, even as I pray for an earnestness like Ezra's and heart like Jesus expected of his disciples I'm scared. Not scared of persecution from outside the Church but rather I'm scared of ridicule from inside the Church. Father, help me to lay these fears at the foot of the Cross. Allow me to lean on Jesus, to draw from his power.and to trust his promise that he will never leave me nor forsake me.

And Father, I do ask and plead that you send harvesters into the field. Because you know the harvest is plentiful,


I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Edwards' resolutions - week 2


My I intention, by God's grace, to post one grouping of Jonathan Edwards' resolutions each Sunday afternoon. I am convinced that I can only handle them in small doses, while Edwards reviewed the whole list each week. The entire list of Edward's resolutions can be found here: the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

To God Alone be the Glory

Preamble:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.



Good Works
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don’t hinder.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

All To Us

Precious cornerstone, sure foundation
You are faithful to the end
We are waiting, on You, Jesus
We believe You're all to us

Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the Church
Let the righteousness of God be a holy flame that burns
Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives
We believe You're all to us

Only Son of God sent from Heaven
Hope and mercy at the cross
You are everything, You're the Promise
Jesus, You are all to us

You're all to us
You're all to us
You're all to us
Yes, You are

When this passing world is over
We will see You face to face
And forever we will worship
Jesus, You are all to us

- Chris Tomlin




I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Religious knowledge or faith?

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Mt 7:13-14)

A week or so ago I had a blog post about the faith of the wisemen (read here) Today I read a blog post by David Mathis at Desiring God which highlights the lack of faith of the religious leaders. And, as a good teacher should, Mathis brings his point to us.
Is the warning here not obvious for those of us who have taken class after class and read Christian book after Christian book? Many of us are all too familiar with the church jargon. We can say all the right things to appear pious. We’ve memorized Scripture. We know how to sound very churchy in our repeated use of precious theological terms and concepts. But biblical training does not guarantee that our hearts are inclined toward worshiping the true king. Religious language and learning can cloak the kingdom of self.
Note the contrast between the pagan astrologers and the religious establishment. The magi don’t know much, but they rejoice exceedingly with great joy (verse 10) at the true revelation from God they have received, while the religious leaders with all the answers and books about books about books are disturbed along with Herod and refuse to bow the knee in their hearts.
Later on in the blog, he wraps it up like this:
A word to the modern-day chief priests and scribes, the religious establishment, the well churched: Bible knowledge from all the classes and all the books can be precious fuel for worshiping the true Jesus or a scary excuse for keeping Jesus at arm’s length. Increased knowledge doesn’t necessarily translate into increased worship.
And for those more like the magi, the non-churched “pagan” and de-churched disenfranchised: You may not have any Christian background (or you did and rejected it, maybe because of the religious). You may not know the Christian jargon. You don’t fit nicely into the church-goer box, and yet you’re being drawn to Jesus. And this whole church scene may feel really foreign, but we want you with us. We want the magi. Please don’t let imperfect Christians scare you away from the perfect Christ. Let the astrologers come to Jesus, and do not forbid them, for such is the kingdom of heaven.
What can I add, except to say Amen! (Read the whole post  here)

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Friday, January 6, 2012

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

How easy is it to assume the truth of the gospel? It becomes like the foundation of a house or the footings of bridge. Maybe in the 21st century it can even be compared to the working of the Internet. The gospel is something that exists, largely unseen that supports everything that we do.  And yet, when was the last time you checked the foundations of your house when you woke up? When was the last time you praised God for the footings of the bridge you just drove over? When was the last time you rejoiced and were glad that the Internet allowed you to update your Facebook status or check your e-mail?

Can I be bold? We must never leave the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ! As I push through Acts here in January it is very clear that what drove the early church from the apostles to the little known saint is the truth that Jesus died and rose again. And, that he did this in fulfillment of Scripture. And that he did it according the purpose and foreknowledge of God. And he did it redeem a people for himself from every tribe and language and people and nation. That means he did it for me and he did it for you.

Know this: Jesus died so that you might live and he rose that you may spend eternity with God. If you believe this, anchor it in your heart and soul. Never let go off it. Let everything you do from changing your oil and washing the dishes to serving in church or proclaiming the gospel to praying for Christ's return, be centered on this truth. Christ's death and resurrection must drive everything. As John Piper is fond of saying, "Only that which is done for Christ will last.

However, if you do not believe that Jesus died and rose again, or you do not see how that historical event applies to you, I want to ask you one simple question: what do plan to do after you die? You may not believe that there is a real hell, you may not believe there is even a God. But in a small way, our deaths are like April 15. Whether you like it or not, whether you know intricacies of the tax code or not, whether you believe in the government or not, your taxes must be paid. The Federal government takes this very seriously. And so it is with God. Here is my invitation to you. Test Jesus at his word. He invites us to come to him. He wants us to leave our burdens and our sins and pursue him. To replace lies with truth, to replace anger with love, to replace selfishness with concern and most of all to replace death with life. And the best thing. He does all the heavy lifting. Trust in Jesus. Believe that he died for you and give your life to the one who owns it anyway.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Thursday, January 5, 2012

But I say to you...

Six times in Matthew 5, Jesus uses the phrase "But I say to you". He touches on anger, lust, divorce, promises, personal justice and relational strife. It is interesting that each time Jesus uses this phrase he prefaces it with a statement of a Jewish law or rule that the people would have known and presumably been trying to obey. So, in one broad sweep, Jesus strikes at the heart (not just the letter) of the law, establishes His authority to "ratchet up" God's holy requirements, and lays down a gauntlet that reveals we are all really just spiritual beggars (Mt 5:3).

However, as these six manifestos are reflected on, I think they can expose, through the work of the Spirit, some unfinished heart renovations within each one of us. For example, look at Mt 5:43-48.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love  your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
How often have I read this passage and thought of enemies and persecutors as people who are openly opposed to my faith or outwardly seeking my harm (slander, lawsuit, etc) ? While this category exists for some folks and these verses apply to those situations, I am not currently faced with anything remotely like it. So, do these verses get shoved in the mental vault until such opposition arises? Or is there something more?

Here is where the Spirit has pressed on me in the last few days: "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" Where is my care and concern for those outside of my circle? In my prayers for revival, why do I focus on churches where I have friends and acquaintances? Shouldn't I ache for my city, my state, my country in a similar manner as Jesus ached for Jerusalem?

I think the bottom-line for me is the dawning realization that my perception of Jesus is way too small. Is Jesus for me? Absolutely! Is Jesus for those I know who are believers? Without a doubt! Is Jesus looking to minister to and possibly redeem the person who cuts me off in traffic or the person who empties my trash at work or the person I've never met to blindly attends a nominal mainline church that has no gospel preaching? Yes! Is Jesus seeking and saving the lost, even if those lost people are simply passing me on the street? Yes!

The question becomes, what does God want me to do about it?



I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

How is your praying?

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Rom 8:26)

Have you ever been slapped in the face? The shock and the sting command your attention And, if the one doing the slapping is God. we had better be alert to what he is trying to say to us.

Such is often the case with me and prayer. I often strive to grapple with and get my arms around prayer, but I usually fall woefully short. Additionally, I am keenly aware of the prayerlessness of my heart and life. Even when the quantity and frequency of praying grows, the depth and the urgency often don't. So when I read the following quote by Spurgeon, the slap of God was severe.
A prayerless soul is a Christless soul.
Let those words sink in before you explain them away or self-congratulate on your awesome prayer life. What if everything we did without prayer was something we did without Christ? What if the depth and frequency of our praying was a barometer of our true devotion to Christ? What if the Bible's admonition to pray without ceasing was actually meant to be taken seriously?

I'm sharing these thoughts as my own self-examination. I am continually grateful for the promise of Rom 8:26. So even as my anemic prayers are offered to God, the Spirit is interceding for me. And above all, there is grace. We are not saved by our praying. We are saved by the shed blood of Christ graciously applied to our to sins.

Here is a closing thought from Spurgeon:
Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honour of a Christian.
I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Monday, January 2, 2012

Hope for the New Year

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (Jn 15:15-16)

Yesterday I had a conversation with a few friends about the difficulty of moving from the knowing to the doing. The sad truth is I am pretty good at knowing things, especially biblical things, but not so good about executing on those things. And while the point of the conversation was for us to see that there is a difference between knowing and doing and that doing doesn't necessarily following knowing, I left feeling burdened and convicted.

Later, by God's grace, I ran across a quote from John Newton (read it here). Through these words of Newton, God set forth a couple of things that I trust will make a difference as I personally grapple with the knowing vs. doing gap in my own life. The first thing is this. I am not alone. We all are like Newton's example of someone who reads about sailing, but has never been on a ship. This is not a excuse, but it can provide us with humility, honesty and safety as we work together (as the church should) to move from knowing to doing.

The second thing Newton is quick to point out is that left to ourselves, when we see this gap in our own lives we will make "either a tame surrender or a shameful flight.". When I read these words, I could not have agreed more fully. I am ashamed to admit how many times the Holy Spirit's conviction does not prompt me to return to God but instead I cower in fear or I run in a vain attempt to hide from Him (Ps 139:7).

Thankfully, Newton did not leave the remedy to this situation in doubt. While our natural response will always be to crumble or to try to escape, we have someone who is on our side and he is interceding for us. As Newton says it:
But if He [Jesus] is the Captain of our salvation, if his eye is upon us, his arm stretched out around us, and his ear open to our cry, and if He has engaged to teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight, and to cover our heads in the day of battle, then we need not fear, though a host rise up against us; but, lifting up our banner in his name, let us go forth conquering and to conquer; Rom. 16:20.
So, our hope for the New Year is not in our resolutions, as good and sincere as they may be. And our hope is not in our ability to bridge the gap between knowing and doing, as great and beneficial as that would be. No, our hope for 2012, as it is in any year, is found in the One who laid down his life for his friends, the One who ransomed us and cleansed us and adopted us and is now empowering us to serve and glorify Him. Our hope always and forever is in Jesus.

I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Edwards' Resolutions - week 1


My I intention, by God's grace, to post one grouping of Jonathan Edwards' resolutions each Sunday afternoon. I am convinced that I can only handle them in small doses, while Edwards reviewed the whole list each week. The entire list of Edward's resolutions can be found here: the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

To God Alone be the Glory

Preamble:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.


Overall Life Mission:


1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; “knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”


O Great God

Based on The Valley of Vision prayer “Regeneration”

Words and Music by Bob Kauflin

Verse 1
O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

Verse 2
I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Verse 3
Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me



I now send forth this post with a deep sense of its many defects; but with an earnest prayer that it may do some good. (JC Ryle)

To God Alone be the Glory