Friday, December 31, 2010

Rejoicing...Always!

"Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:4-7

Monday, December 27, 2010

Need a Job?

I hope that you and your family had a blessed Christmas. As we transition our thoughts to the new year, let me share this excerpt from the book The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. I am praying that my perspectives on ministry/mission will be radically changed. And I am praying the same for you.

"Imagine a reasonably solid Christian said to you after church one Sunday morning, 'Look, I'd like to get more involved here and make a contribution, but I feel like there's nothing for me to do. I'm not on the inside; I don't get asked to be on committees or lead Bible studies. What can I do?' What would you immediately think or say? Would you start thinking of some event or program about to start that they could help with? Some job that needed doing? Some ministry that they could join or support? This is how we are used to thinking about the involvement of church members in congregational life-in terms of jobs and roles: usher, Bible study leader, Sunday School teacher, treasurer, elder, musician, song leader, money counter, and so on. The implication of this way of thinking is clear: if all the jobs are taken, then there's really nothing for me to do in this church. I'm reduced to being a passenger. I'll just wait until I'm asked to 'do something'. The implication for the pastoral staff is similar: getting people involved and active means finding a job for them to do. In fact, the church growth gurus say that giving someone a job to do within the first six months of their joining your church is vital for them to feel like they belong. However, if the real work of God is people work-the prayerful speaking of his word by one person to another-then the jobs are never all taken. The opportunities for Christians to minister personally to others are limitless."

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Christmas Thoughts from Spurgeon

"They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Matthew 1:23


"Do you know what 'God with us' means? Has it been God with you in your tribulations by the Holy Ghost's comforting influence? Has it been God with you in searching the scriptures? Has the Holy Spirit shone on the word? Has it been God with you in conviction, bringing you to Sinai? Has it been God with you in comforting you, bringing you to Calvary? Do you know the full meaning of the name, Emmanuel, 'God with us'? No, he who knows it best knows little of it. He who knows it not at all is so ignorant that his ignorance is not bliss, but will be his damnation. 'God with us'-it is eternity's sonnet, heaven's hallelujah, the shout of the glorified, the song of the redeemed, the chorus of angels, the everlasting oratorio of the great orchestra of the sky."

Charles Spurgeon

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Christmas Truth with Charles Wesley

I have always said that Christmas songs contain some of the most beautiful and theologically profound lyrics found in our worship music. Consider these two compositions from the pen of Charles Wesley:

Come, Desire of Nations, come! Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's con-q'ring seed, Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Adam's likeness now efface, Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love.
Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us forever-Now Thy gracious Kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit, Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Monday, December 13, 2010

Celebrating Salvation!

"And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him..."

Colossians 1:21,22


We must remember that the birth of Christ is but one chapter in the story of redemption. It is a single frame in the panorama of scripture. Jesus came in "his body of flesh" so that we, as sinners, could be reconciled to God. The promise concerning a Savior initially appears in Genesis 3, some 4000 years prior to the birth of Christ. Specific details are revealed around 700 B.C. by the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 7:14 reads, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Concerning the birth of Jesus, Matthew writes in 1:22, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet." But the birth of Christ did not come to pass to bring us a Norman Rockwell moment to be captured on a Christmas card. Jesus came in the flesh because "he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become the merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17). As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember that we are not rejoicing over a single moment of biblical history. We rejoice in the entire story of God's love, grace, and mercy! As we often sing in December:

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Sin of Self

"This is what sin is all about. Sin is all about promising us satisfaction, but it never keeps its promises. It can't, because we weren't made to satisfy ourselves. No, all sin does is blind us to the truth..We were made to find our satisfaction in a loving relationship with God, but sin convinces us to spend our lives in a self-loving relationship with ourselves. The tragedy is that in the end it doesn't even work. Sin leaves us bitter, empty, and filled with regret. Worst of all, it leaves us outside the love of God, the one thing that could have satisfied us. It leaves us exposed to his righteous anger that was provoked by our decision to love anything and everything except him, the one and only who was worthy of our love. Christian, I wonder what self-interested lies you are tempted to believe today? Is it the lie of lust, the lie that says satisfying your cravings-whether for sex, food, power, recognition, or whatever it is-will make you happy? Is it the lie of circumstances, that if only you were married, if only you were married to someone else, if only you had kids, if only you had different kids, if only you had a better job, a better house, a different career path, then you'd be fulfilled? Is it the satanic lie of doubt, that if you weren't a Christian, life would be better, or that if God really loved you, life would be better? Christian, stop measuring your life, stop ordering your life by this cramped and distorted ruler of self-interest. You were created to find your joy and meaning in something much bigger than yourself. Recognize your sin and confess it. Then set your eyes on Jesus, who alone will satisfy you."

Michael Lawrence, It is Well

Friday, December 3, 2010

Whitefield on Imputed Righteousness III

"Learn hence the great mistake of those writers and clergy, who, notwithstanding they talk of sanctification and inward holiness, as indeed sometimes they do, though in a very loose and superficial manner, yet they generally make it the cause, whereas they should consider it as the effect, of our justification...For Christ's righteousness, or that which Christ has done in our stead without us, is the sole cause of our acceptance in the sight of God, and of all holiness wrought in us: to this, and not to the light within, should poor sinners seek for justification in the sight of God: for the sake of Christ alone, and not anything wrought in us, does God look favourably upon us; our sanctification at best, in this life, is not complete: though we be delivered from the power, we are not freed from the in-being of sin; but not only the dominion, but the in-being of sin is forbidden: for it is not said, thou shalt not give way to lust, but 'thou shalt not lust'. So that whilst the principle of lust remains in the least degree in our hearts, though we are otherwise never so holy, yet we cannot, on account of that, hope for acceptance with God. We must first, therefore, look for a righteousness without us, even the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ...And whosoever teacheth any other doctrine, doth not preach the truth as it is in Jesus."

George Whitefield

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Billy Graham on Evangelism

"I used to think that in evangelism I had to do it all, but now I approach evangelism with a totally different attitude. I approach it with complete relaxation. First of all, I don't believe that any man can come to Christ unless the Holy Spirit has prepared his heart. Secondly, I don't believe that any man can come to Christ unless God drives him. My job is to proclaim the message. It's the Spirit's job to do the work. Period."

Billy Graham, Harvard Divinity School, 1964

Monday, November 29, 2010

Moore for a Monday

The following excerpt and prayers are taken from Praying God's Word by Beth Moore. I pray that you will be reminded that God loves you with an unfailing love! Enjoy.

"A precious friend of mine, Danice Berger, helped me compile many of the scriptures I rewrote into prayer...She was experiencing a very difficult season in which the issues of feeling unloved, insecure, and rejected were almost overwhelming. She knew the answers were right there in God's Word, but sometimes our hearts are in such pain that we are resistant to risk exposure long enough to receive them. Not only is Danice a school teacher, she is a serious student of God's Word. The Holy Spirit prompted me to call her and ask her to research scripture on the topics of feeling unloved and rejected by others...I basically dared her to do it. She took the dare...The results? Danice did her homework...and in the midst of it, she discovered the same unfailing love that had been there all along. This time she lifted the empty cup and let Him pour."

"Lord God, help me to trust in Your unfailing love; cause my heart to rejoice in Your salvation. Help me to sing to You, Lord, for You have been good to me!" (Psalm 13:5,6)

"How I thank You God, that You will heal my waywardness. You love me freely." (Hosea 14:4)

"My Savior, Jesus Christ, Your Word says that greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You have demonstrated the greatest act of friendship in my behalf that exists. I thank You, Lord." (John 15:13)

"You, the Lord my God, are with me, You are mighty to save. You will take great delight in me, You will quiet me with your love, You will rejoice over me with singing!" (Zephaniah 3:17)

"O Lord, because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:7,8)

"I call to You, God, and You save me. Even if I cry out in distress evening, morning, and noon, You will never fail to hear my voice." (Psalm 55:16,17)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever."

Psalm 136:1-3


For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the warmth of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the Beauty of the Earth, Folliott S. Pierpoint

Monday, November 22, 2010

Dead is Dead!

When John G. Paton (1824-1907) announced his plans to be a missionary in the South Sea Islands, an elderly gentleman named Mr. Dickson voiced his objection, "The cannibals! You'll be eaten by cannibals!" Paton's response? "Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer."

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Keller on Generosity

"The apostle Peter says, 'To you who believe...[he] is precious' (1 Peter 2:7). The grace of God makes Christ precious to us, so that our possessions, our money, our time have all become eternally and utterly expendable. They used to be crucial to our happiness. They are not so now."

Tim Keller, Gospel in Life

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Considering Necessity

"And he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."

Luke 24:25-27


It was not necessary for Christ to save us. God owes us nothing. But in choosing to save us, the cross became a necessity! Think about it. God was not obligated to provide the sinner with a means of salvation. It was not a necessity. But in choosing to offer Christ as the atonement for sin, the cross became absolutely necessary. Understanding this makes grace even more amazing and the mercies of God even more breathtaking. May we love him who "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Monday, November 8, 2010

Think About It!

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Jim Elliot, missionary to Ecuador, martyred in 1956

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Reformation Sunday: Luther on Law & Gospel

"This is the difference between the law and the gospel. The law never brings the Holy Spirit but only teaches what we ought to do; therefore it does not justify us. But the gospel brings the Holy Spirit because it teaches us what we ought to receive. Therefore, the law and the gospel are two opposite doctrines. To put righteousness in the law, then, is nothing but fighting against the gospel. Moses with his law requires us to work and give. The gospel, on the other hand, gives freely and requires of us nothing but to take what is offered. Now to exact and to give, to take and to offer, are complete opposites and cannot coexist. So if the gospel is a gift, it does not require anything. On the other hand , the law gives nothing but requires and strictly exacts impossible things from us."

Martin Luther

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Fearing God

"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."

Luke 12:4-7


Think for a moment. The only one that can really kill you...is the only one that can really save you! And yet in fear we run from him when we should be running to him!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Lloyd-Jones on Preaching

"Any true definition of preaching must say that that man is there to deliver the message of God, a message from God to those people. If you prefer the language of Paul, he is 'an ambassador for Christ'. That is what he is. He has been sent, he is a commissioned person, and he is standing as the mouthpiece of God and of Christ to address these people. In other words, he is not there merely to talk to them, he is not there to entertain them. He is there-and I want to emphasize this-to do something to those people; he is there to produce results of various kinds, he is there to influence people. He is not merely to influence a part of them; he is not only to influence their minds, or only their emotions, or merely to bring pressure to bear upon their wills and to induce them to some kind of activity. He is there to deal with the whole person; and his preaching is meant to affect the whole person at the very center of life. Preaching should make a difference to a man who is listening that he is never the same again...It does something for the soul of man, for the whole of the person, the entire man; it deals with him in a vital and radical manner."

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching & Preachers

Friday, October 22, 2010

Making A Difference/Christmas 2010

Looking for a way to make a difference in a child's life this Christmas? Look no further than Compassion International or Samaritan's Purse. While child sponsorship would certainly be a great gift (see my Monday, June 4 entry for details concerning Compassion International), you can donate, without sponsorship, to Compassion's Christmas present fund. Your donation will help to send Christmas presents to impoverished children, those that would never receive one otherwise. The deadline for Christmas donating is rapidly approaching: October 31. Donate online @ www.compassion.com/christmas or by calling 1-800-336-7676. Another option for helping children this Christmas lies with Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child. Simply pack an empty shoebox with age appropriate presents and drop-off at your local Lifeway bookstore on Saturday, November 13. Detailed instructions can be found online @ http://www.samaritanspurse.org or by visiting a Lifeway near you. You may contact Samaritan's Purse @ 1-800-353-5949 for other drop-off locations or for the address to mail your box directly to them. Please prayerfully consider utilizing one of these wonderful organizations to brighten a child's Christmas. Thank you in advance for your concern and involvement.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Faith On Parade

"One year I was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television with my oldest son. The event's theme was 'Believe!' and the focal point, suspended above the reviewing stand, was what the anchors were calling a Believe-O-Meter. Every time a new float came by, or a band played, or dancers danced in their elf costumes, the needle on the Believe-O-Meter bounced a little higher. Of course, the highlight of the parade was when Santa Claus himself rode in-his sleigh fashioned inexplicably in the shape of a majestic goose-and the Believe-O-Meter went wild! What with the music, the dancing, the confetti, and the screaming kids-and screaming adults for that matter-an alien visitor would surely have concluded that yes, Virginia, these people really do believe this. My six-year-old, God bless him, thought the whole thing was uproariously silly. But that's what the world thinks now about faith. It's a charade, a fun and comforting game that people are free to engage in if they wish, but with no real connection to the actual world. Children believe in Santa Claus and the Easter bunny. Mystics believe in the power of stones and crystals. Crazy people believe in fairies. And Christians, well, they believe in Jesus. Read the Bible, though, and you'll find that faith is nothing like that caricature...It is, biblically speaking, reliance. A rock-solid, truth-grounded, promise-founded trust in the risen Jesus to save you from your sin."

Greg Gilbert, What Is The Gospel?

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Lyrics of Faith: Old & New

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll-
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Horatio Spafford, It Is Well With My Soul



Blessed be your name when the sun's shining down on me
When the world's "all as it should be"
Blessed be your name
And blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Matt & Beth Redman, Blessed Be Your Name

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Piper on Missions

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory...But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can't commend what you don't cherish...Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Even outsiders feel the disparity between the boldness of our claim upon the nations and the blandness of our engagement with God."

John Piper, Let The Nations Be Glad


The above quote from John Piper turns several questions in my mind. Have we made it possible for some churches to worship in "blandness" because the missing zeal is hidden by aggressive missionary endeavors? Are those endeavors really Christ-honoring if they are not driven by our passionate desire for God himself? Why have we allowed our churches, those particularly here in America, to often distance missions, both foreign and domestic, from the Gospel? If we tire of missions, do we realize that we are in essence tiring of worship? How are we motivating people to participate in missions? By guilt or grace? Can we honestly say that we are participants in genuine worship if we are not driven to show the glory of Jesus to all people, in all places?

Friday, October 1, 2010

Cheeseburgers in Paradise

I woke up this morning thinking about my maternal grandmother. Mama Daisy, as she was affectionately called, would have celebrated her 100th birthday today. We still miss her. And her killer cheeseburgers. As I was reading today's edition of the USA Today, the life section featured an article spotlighting America's top burger joints. My grandma should have had a posthumous mention; her cheeseburgers were a thing of culinary beauty. Before I describe her cooking process, please be warned! If you are under the care of a cardiologist, or if you have questionable cholesterol, please don't read this. First, my grandma always fried her burgers in an iron skillet, one heavy enough to kill a mule or a stray cat. But that's a story for another day. She would fill the bottom of the skillet with Crisco, then she would begin frying the burger patties. As they approached being done, she would cover each with several pieces of cheese. Note the use of the plural: pieces. What followed was pure genius. She would take a spatula and fling grease on top of the burgers! After the cheese had sufficiently melted, usually at the point the burgers could no longer be seen, she would remove them from the skillet and drain most of the grease. Notice I said most. She would then take the buns and place them flat side down in the skillet, allowing the edges to be blackened, the middles to be browned, and the whole thing to serve as a type of bread sponge for grease. They would then be removed, the burgers placed onto the buns, and mustard, ketchup, and mayo would be applied along with a slab of onion. Not a slice. A slab. As in a 1 inch thick slab. Add a side of fries and a Pepsi and wow! A meal for any occasion. I have never been able to quite duplicate the taste in my own kitchen. I miss those burgers. And her. I hope she's making them in Heaven. I know it's a silly thought. But at least there you could eat one without having to schedule bypass surgery. Happy 100th, Mama Daisy.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Dever on Justification

"Christ's giving of himself satisfied the demands of the Father's justice against us. He did it alone; we played no part in it whatsoever. Justification, however, includes us and our faith in a way propitiation did not. We must believe in order to be justified...Justification is something God does for us, and yet he does it through the instrumentality of our faith-not in any way because of our faith, but it is by faith that we take hold of and appropriate the gift of justification. The great application of this study, therefore, is that you believe. Believe that Jesus was so raised, and believe that he was so raised so that you would be justified before God. Friend, if you would be saved, you must believe this message to be the truth, and you must trust God...you are only justified when you believe. The nature of this saving, justifying faith is not merely a historical faith-'Oh yes, I think that happened.' No, justifying faith is trust in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, reliance on him as your only substitutionary Savior."

Mark Dever, It Is Well

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Carson on Penal Substitution

"The way that Jesus propitiates his Father is in the Father's wise plan. All of God's justice is worked out in Christ, who takes our curse and penalty in his own body on the tree. That is why Christians speak of satisfying the wrath of God. This expression does not mean that God is up in heaven smirking, 'This really satisfies me.' It means that the demands of his holiness are met in the sacrifice of his own Son. His justice is satisfied in Jesus' propitiatory sacrifice so that all may see that sin deserves the punishment he himself imposed, and the punishment has been meted out. This vindicates God so that he himself is seen to be just, as well as the one who justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5). Justification is first and foremost about the vindication of God. God simultaneously preserves his justice while justifying the ungodly. That is the heart of the gospel...Do you want to see the greatest evidence of the love of God? Go to the cross. Do you want to see the greatest evidence of the justice of God? Go to the cross."

D.A. Carson, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus

Friday, September 3, 2010

Thoughts on Worship

"Although there are several Greek words in the New Testament that we translate 'worship', none of them mean 'singing'. Kind of odd, don't you think? Even in the Old Testament, God never intended that his people confine worship to sacrifices at the temple. Worship that pleased God couldn't be restricted to certain actions, forms, or rituals...In the New Testament there's an even stronger move away from identifying meetings and rituals as essential to our worship. Jesus made it possible for all of life to be experienced as worship in spirit and truth...Evangelism is worship...Serving others is worship...Giving is worship. Romans 12:1 is one of the most familiar passages that connect worship to all of life...So what does it look like to worship God all the time? It's doing everything to draw attention to his greatness and goodness...Biblically speaking, there's no sacred/secular distinction in our lives."

Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Whitefield on Imputed Righteousness II

"This is a golden chain indeed! and, what is best of all, not one link can ever be broken asunder from another. Was there no other text in the book of God, this single one sufficiently proves the final perseverance of true believers: for never did God yet justify a man, whom he did not completely sanctify; nor sanctify one, whom he did not completely redeem and glorify: no! as for God, his way, his work, is perfect; he always carried on and finished the work he begun; thus it was in the first, so it is in the new creation; when God says, 'Let there be light', there is light...Those whom God has justified, he has in effect glorified: for as a man's worthiness was not the cause of God's giving him Christ's righteousness; so neither shall his unworthiness be a cause of his taking it away; God's gifts and callings are without repentance: and I cannot think they are clear in the notion of Christ's righteousness, who deny the final perseverance of the saints; I fear they understand justification in that low sense, which I understood it in a few years ago, as implying no more than remission of sins: but it not only signifies remission of sins past, but also a federal right to all good things to come...As the obedience of Christ is imputed to believers, so his perseverance in that obedience is to be imputed to them also; and it argues great ignorance of the covenant of grace and redemption, to object against it."

George Whitfield


This sermon quote is in reference to I Corinthians 1:30. See the Thursday, May 27 entry for the first Whitefield quote on imputed righteousness.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Clean Nose + Closed Mouth = Poor Witness

"Millions of Christians live with a low-grade feeling of guilt for not openly commending Christ by their words. They try to persuade themselves that keeping their noses morally clean is a witness to Christ. The problem with this notion is that millions of unbelievers keep their noses morally clean. Christians will-and should-continue to feel bad for not sharing their faith. Christ is the most glorious person in the world. His salvation is infinitely valuable. Everyone in the world needs it. Horrific consequences await those who do not believe on Jesus. By grace alone we have seen him, believed on him, and now love him. Therefore, not to speak of Christ to unbelievers, and not to care about our city or the unreached peoples of the world is so contradictory to Christ's worth, people's plight, and our joy that it sends the quiet message to our souls day after day: This Savior and this salvation do not mean to you what you say they do. To maintain great joy in Christ in the face of that persistent message is impossible."

John Piper, When the Darkness Will Not Lift

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Facing Failure

"Failure. It's an equal opportunity affliction visiting rich and poor alike. Failure defies and levels and confounds even the best laid plans. Failure is as old as history itself. Just flip through your Bible...Like death, taxes, and really bad haircuts, failure finds us all. I hear you: 'What grand news, Dave! As long as we're discussing my inevitable failure, why not just tell me I'm overweight and odoriferous?' First, I'm not really sure what odoriferous means, so I would never call you that. Second, if God is truly sovereign, there must be a place for failure in his plan. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible declares God's supreme control over events. If he can't work through our screw -ups, he's guilty of false advertising. Like it or not, the sovereign God is Lord over our failures. In fact, he works through them. Failure isn't simply God's nightstick to whack us back into submission. It's an experience where we can discover God's love, his irresistible grace, and the true potency of the gospel. But to get to those discoveries, we must see failure as the place where some ambitions go to die so other things might come alive."

Dave Harvey, Rescuing Ambition

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Supporting the Local Church

I ran across these suggestions from Kevin DeYoung on "How to be a difference maker in the local church." These are from his presentation at the Next 2010 conference. I am convinced that we all need to take these things to heart. Here are a few:

*Find a good local church
*Get involved
*Become a member
*Stay there as long as you can
*Be patient with your leaders
*Rejoice when the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed
*Bear with those who hurt you
*Give people the benefit of the doubt
*Be thankful someone vacuumed the carpet
*Enjoy the Sundays that "click"
*Pray extra hard for the Sundays that don't

Saturday, July 31, 2010

A Solid Foundation

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock."

Matthew 7:24


People like options. A shopping trip to Wal-Mart or the local grocery store will quickly prove this point. Take toilet paper for instance. Small rolls. Medium rolls. Big rolls. Giant rolls. "I-accidentally-drank-some-water-on-my-foreign-mission-trip" rolls. Options are everywhere, with every item and every brand. We don't like either-or decisions. Perhaps that is why we struggle so much with the teachings of Jesus. He doesn't hesitate to tell us that life's options are limited; we are either sheep or goats, wheat or tares, light or darkness, seeing or blind, hearing or deaf, trusting or worrying, selfless or selfish, wise or foolish. In this passage, found in its entirety in Matthew 7:24-27, the distinction between wisdom and foolishness is differentiated in Jesus' lesson by way of rock and sand. We are all building on a foundation. Jesus clearly states that we build wisely on rock by acting on his words, or we build foolishly on sand by ignoring them. No other options exist. Ask yourself a simple, either-or question: Where am I building? Rock or sand?

Friday, July 23, 2010

Junkyard Theology with Fred Sanford

Just in case you could use an end-of-the-week laugh, here's one courtesy of Fred Sanford. Fred was instructing his son Lamont in the finer points of the junk trade when he fired off this zinger:
"Remember what the Bible says. He that liveth by the sword...shall be stucketh!"

Monday, July 19, 2010

Spinning Plates with C.J.

"They probably don't have this on TV anymore, but when I was a kid I remember watching variety shows that sometimes included a popular act known as the Plate Spinner-a guy who balanced several plates atop long flexible rods and kept them all spinning. One by one he would carefully position each plate on a rod and give it a furious spin, until the stage was transformed into a small forest of plates, wiggling and swaying on their sticks. By the time eight or ten plates were in motion, the first plate was slowing down and wobbling dangerously. The spinner would rush over and, with remarkably skilled hands, instantly return the plate to top-speed rotation. Then on to rescue another wobbling plate, then another and another...That's a helpful picture of how legalism can hijack a Christian life. The life of a legalist can become as frenetic as the plate spinner's performance. The plates we spin are various spiritual activities-such as Bible reading, prayer, or sharing the gospel-that are good and vital in themselves when pursued for the right reasons. But often without realizing it, we allow a dangerous shift to take place in our mind and heart. We change what God intends as a means of experiencing grace into a means of earning grace."

C.J. Mahaney, Living the Cross Centered Life

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Church Camp Prayer Request

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us."

Psalm 62:8


I will be preaching and teaching this coming week at the Union Grove Church Camp in Wayne County, Il. Please pray that God will be exalted in all things and that hearts will be changed by the all-sufficient grace of Jesus! Conducting a camp is not an easy task; there are countless people involved in the process. And while we are grateful for these willing hearts, the week will be a futile effort apart from the blessing of God. As you pray this week, please remember this ministry in your personal prayers and please share this petition with others that will intercede on our behalf. Thank you so much.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Rethinking Race via the Gospel

"If we abandon race and emphasize our unity in Adam, even at a pre-Christian level, it changes all of our behavior...We don't know how to live without race, so it scares us to think about it, like a child who will not sleep without a security blanket. Picture yourself walking into a lunchroom. You enter alone. There are two tables in the lunchroom. The table on your left includes a group of people unlike you, some ethnic other. The table on your right includes a group of people ethnically like you. What would you instinctively do? We gravitate toward those we perceive to be like us. What is the mental calculus behind that gravitation? What are the mental mathematics that take place that lead to that impulse? We enter the room; we look at the two tables with the two groups, and at the speed of thought we calculate 'not like me' or 'like me.' Then we think, Like me; therefore safe...Not like me; not safe; no benefit to be gained; no joy to share...When we walk into the lunchroom with differing groups, we want to replace that calculus with this: Descended from Adam-like me. Made in the image of God-like me. Fallen sinners-like me. It's the emphasis on like me-the heritage we share in Adam-that begins to lay for our feet a bridge to cross over 'otherness'...If we find that any of those persons in the lunchroom are Christians, we are able to say, United to Christ-like me. Sharing his Spirit-like me. Received the promises of eternal life and everlasting joy-like me. The scriptures tell us that in Christ we are given everything that pertains to life and godliness. I don't think escaping the problems of race is an exception."

Thabiti Anyabwile


The above excerpt is from the book Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology, which contains a chapter written by Thabiti Anyabwile entitled Bearing the Image. Thabiti is a former Muslim and Black Nationalist whose heart was wonderfully changed by the grace of Jesus. He now serves as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Fourth of July!

As we celebrate the blessing of freedom, let us remember that our "independence" is completely dependent on God! Consider the words of Psalm 33:16,17: "The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue." May we as a nation be grateful for the hope we have in Him.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Help for Bible Study

Here are five questions proposed by Tim Keller that are designed to assist us in understanding and applying the truth of biblical texts. They are proving to be helpful to me; I hope they will serve you in the same way. As we read the Bible, we should ask:

1.)How can I praise him on the basis of this text?

2.)How can I confess my sins on the basis of this text?

3.)If this is really true, what wrong behavior, what harmful emotions, what false attitudes will result when I forget this?

4.)What should I be aspiring to on the basis of this text?

5.)Why is God telling me this today?

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Lewis on...Self

"Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favorite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in."

C.S. Lewis

Monday, June 28, 2010

Think About It!

"Someone asked me recently why I don't save money for emergencies or retirement. My answer was how can I justify saving for myself 'just in case' something happens to me when something is
happening to so many already. Twenty-nine thousand kids will die today of preventable causes. If I'm going to love my neighbor as myself, why spend so much time worrying about me?"

Francis Chan

Friday, June 25, 2010

Social Justice?

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

Matthew 25:37-40



Much has been written recently concerning the place of social justice in the church. While I cannot answer all of the complex questions involving this subject, I would like to offer two considerations that might serve as a foundation for thought and reflection. First, social justice is not a replacement for the Gospel, nor is it an equal with the Gospel. We preach the finished work of Jesus as the remedy for man's sin. Not feeding the poor. Not giving money to the destitute. Not walking little old ladies across the street. It is the gift of Christ's grace that saves. Nothing, even the noblest of intentions and deeds, can redeem a man's soul. That is why we must, at every opportunity, preach the good news of Jesus. I am, however, leery of the church that treats social justice as an optional activity. We are saved for good works in Christ Jesus! That means we are to champion the rights of the oppressed; we are to tend to those less fortunate materially; we are to constantly give ourselves to the stricken and too often forgotten. The Bible connects our salvation with such things. To claim different is to act in ignorance or rebellion. Either reason leads us to be wrong. Please understand! We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by fighting against social ills and world-wide epidemics. But once saved, we are called away from the pursuit of comfort and personal gain that we might show others the tender affections of Jesus our King. Still don't understand? Look at the above passage of scripture. Read it in its entirety in Matthew 25:31-46. Jesus tells of two groups, differentiated by certain distinctions. Sheep and goats. Those who did and those who didn't. Those who hear "come" and those who hear "depart". Blessed and cursed. Are the sheep, representing the saved, sheep because of their works? No. Jesus identifies them as righteous in vs. 46. How did they obtain this righteousness? By way of Jesus himself. Paul declares in II Corinthians 5:21 that, "He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him." The saved are declared righteous not by doing good things, but by believing in Jesus. But be careful. Don't miss the point of Jesus' declaration. The saved are to do good deeds, works that we often identify as social justice endeavors. Read the list. It's enough to make Glen Beck nervous. Giving food and drink to the hungry and thirsty. Offering hospitality to strangers. Clothing the naked. Taking care of those who are sick. Carrying hope into prisons by way of visitation. That's the Christian's responsibility. And these things are done not that we may become Christians, but because we already are Christians. Simply said, churches need to stop elevating social justice to the place of prominence reserved only for the Gospel. And churches need to preach that as followers of Jesus, our lives are to be marked by a biblically informed, tender-hearted involvement in the world around us.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A National Prayer

"Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we might use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen."

The Book of Common Prayer

Friday, June 18, 2010

Haiti Prayer Request

Randolph World Mission, a Christ-centered medical ministry that extends spiritual and physical hope to the people of Haiti, is embarking on its summer trip to that country. Leading the teams of doctors, nurses, laboratory specialists, and other volunteers is my friend Tim Randolph. Tim is a medical professor at St. Louis University and has a heart for the Haitian people. Best of all, Tim has a heart for Jesus! Some of the teams will be staying only a few days; Tim will be in Haiti for nearly four weeks. Please pray for Tim and each team member, their families at home, and the task at hand: fulfilling the Great Commission among the people of Haiti. I will update everyone concerning the trip as information becomes available. Thank you for praying.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

What's the Problem?

"As a rule, unless people agree on what the problem is, they cannot agree on what the solution is. Unless we can agree on what we believe we are being saved from, we cannot agree on what salvation itself is. For example, if we decide that the fundamental human problem is simply our location, our sense of loneliness in the universe, our sense of inadequacy, or our pathetic levels of self esteem, we will tilt the gospel to meet this perceived need...I hasten to add that the Bible does dare to address the matter of how we are to think of ourselves-matters that bear on self esteem-and it is concerned with justice. Yet on the face of it Paul is convinced that the root problem is our rebellion against God, our fascination with idolatry, our grotesque de-godding of God...We are at the center of the universe. Thus, we end up de-godding God in order to be able to sing with Frank Sinatra, 'I did it my way.' This is the very heart of all idolatry."

D.A. Carson

Monday, June 14, 2010

Compassion International

Established in 1952, Compassion International extends the love of Jesus Christ to hurting and needy children worldwide. Presently, Compassion International (CI) operates in 26 countries, aiding over a million children. CI assists each child with education, health care, safe recreation, and Christian development. Their mission statement is simple:

"In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults."

You may sponsor a child for only $38.00/month. Please prayerfully consider offering sponsorship to a child living in the grip of destructive poverty. This would be a great mission outreach for a Sunday school class, small group, or youth ministry. More information can be obtained at the CI website http://www.compassion.com/ or by calling 1-800-336-7676. Thanks for your time and concern. Blessings!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Yes! It's a Mayberry Monday!

FLOYD LAWSON: "You know, everyone complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it. Calvin Coolidge said that."

ANDY TAYLOR: "No Floyd. It wasn't Calvin Coolidge who said that. It was Mark Twain."

FLOYD LAWSON: "Then what did Calvin Coolidge say?"

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Revival!

"Revival means the work of God restoring to a moribund church, in a manner out of the ordinary, those standards of Christian life and experience that the New Testament sets forth as being entirely ordinary. This includes a longing that the Spirit may shed God's love abroad in our hearts with greater power. It is with this (to which deep exercise of the soul about sin is often preliminary) that personal revival begins, and it is by this that revival in the church, once begun, is sustained."

J.I. Packer

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Think About It!

"I fear that there are many evangelicals today who believe that God spoke but doubt whether God speaks."

Al Mohler, He Is Not Silent

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Whitefield on Imputed Righteousness

"And first, if we deny this doctrine, we turn the truth, I mean the word of God, as much as we can, into a lie, and utterly subvert all those places of scripture which say that we are saved by grace; that it is not of works, lest any man should boast; that salvation is God's free gift; and that he who glorieth must glory only in the Lord. For, if the whole personal righteousness of Jesus Christ be not the sole cause of my acceptance with God, if any work done by or foreseen in me, was in the least to be joined with it, or looked upon by God as an inducing, impulsive cause of acquitting my soul from guilt, then I have somewhat whereof I may glory in myself. Now, boasting is excluded in the great work of our redemption; but that cannot be, if we are enemies to the doctrine of imputed righteousness."

George Whitefield



Concerning imputed righteousness, ol' George nails it! George Whitefield (1714-1770) has always been one of my favorite figures of the past. He was a contemporary of John Wesley, and the two enjoyed a friendship, though very strained at times due to theological differences. Whitefield was first and foremost a preacher. In writing about Whitefield, biographer J.C. Ryle observes, "He wrote no book for the million, of world-wide fame...He headed no crusade against an apostate church...He founded no religious denomination, which pinned its faith on his writings and carefully embalmed his best acts and words...No! The great evangelist..was a simple, guileless man, who lived for one thing only, and that was to preach Christ." While grateful for men like Whitefield, I pray that God will raise up others of this generation with the same single mindedness and the boldness to express that mind! Be watching for more from our friend George.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Mayberry Monday with ETB

The wisdom of Solomon? No. Earnest T. Bass? Yes.

EARNEST T. BASS: "If a duck stood still, you could catch him by the bill."

Friday, May 21, 2010

Praying for Sunday!

Sunday is coming soon to a church near you! Have you remembered to pray for your pastor and church staff? Have you asked God to give your pastor insight and understanding concerning the scriptures? Have you asked Him to give your pastor the right thoughts and words as he preaches the truth of the Bible? Have you asked for the miraculous, praying that the Word would penetrate the hardened hearts of sinners to bring them to salvation? Have you prayed for those in Christ, that they would be hungry for the Word and anxious to receive it into their lives? Have you prayed that God would be glorified by His people exercising faith in Him? Have you prayed about yourself, asking God to prepare your ears and heart for worship? Have you prayed that worship would be sacrificial and spiritual, rather than self-centered and fake? Have you prayed for obedience to the Word in the lives of people long after they leave the building? Simply said, please pray!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A Thought from Sir Isaac

"Sometimes I come into my study and in my absentmindedness I attempt to light my candle when my extinguisher is over it. And I fumble about trying to light it but cannot. But when I remove the extinguisher, then I am able to light the candle. I am afraid the extinguisher in your case is your love of your sins. It is deliberate unbelief that is in you. Turn to God in repentance, be prepared to let the Spirit of God reveal His truth to you, and it will be His joy to show the glory of the grace of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ."

Sir Isaac Newton

Monday, May 17, 2010

Mayberry Monday with Barney

BARNEY FIFE: "Nip it in the bud! First sign of youngsters going wrong, you've got to nip it in the bud...Nip it. You go read any book you want on the subject of child discipline and you'll find every one of them is in favor of bud-nipping."

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Our Future!

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' "

Revelation 21:1-4


Our response? We join with John in saying, "Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Power of the Word

"There is a divine agreement within the Godhead-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are working together in and through the Word. The Spirit does not divorce himself from the Word. Many want to be led by the Spirit without the Word, but they cannot distinguish between the leading of God and indigestion, because they have nothing concrete against which to check their inclinations and hunches. The Holy Spirit leads and teaches in the Word and through the Word, but never against the Word. 'So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God' (Romans 10:17). Have you heard God through his Word? When the Bible is expounded, does it tickle your ears or inflame your soul? Does the Spirit of God take this Word and bother you with it? Does he pierce, comfort, strengthen, and encourage you with it?...Revival would come to our country if every church member in America would say, 'I am never again going to ask the minister to administrate the church or be responsible for its finances. I want somebody to feed me the Word of God.' If every church member in America would ask that the Word of God be preached in an expository manner every Sunday, it would blow the lid off this country, because that is where the power is. It is not in our programs, buildings, or parking lots. It is in the Word."


R.C. Sproul

Monday, May 3, 2010

Another Mayberry Monday

ANDY TAYLOR: "Floyd!"

FLOYD LAWSON: "What's the matter?"

ANDY TAYLOR: "My sideburns!"

FLOYD LAWSON: "Your sideburns? What's the matter with your sideburns?"

ANDY TAYLOR: "Why, they're both even."

FLOYD LAWSON: "Well, I'll be dogged. How'd that happen?"

ANDY TAYLOR: "I declare Floyd, I believe you're getting the hang of it. And look there-they're the right length and everything."

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Looking for a book? Try these.

Looking for some great Summer reads? Please allow me to make a few suggestions. My recommendations by category:


Daily Devotions- Morning & Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Male/Female Relationships- For Men Only & For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn

Discipleship- Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
So, You Want to Be Like Christ? by Charles Swindoll
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller

Prayer- Praying God's Word by Beth Moore

Pastors/Preaching- Why Johnny Can't Preach by T. David Gordon


These should keep you busy for at least a part of the Summer. Please remember that Christian books are not to be a substitute for the Bible. They are to function as extended sermons and should not be a replacement for personal study of the scriptures. That being said, let us be thankful for faithful men and women who take pen in hand in order to instruct the people of God. If you read any of the above books, please let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. Happy reading!

Friday, April 23, 2010

God and Gators

For those familiar with the world of sports, in particular college and professional football, you know that last evening marked the opening of the 2010 NFL draft. As many of you also know, or will come to know if you continue to frequent this blog, I am a Volunteer. As in Tennessee Volunteers. I bleed orange and white. It's been that way since the coaching days of Johnny Majors. That's my college allegiance. In the pro game, I am a die-hard Denver Broncos fan. It's been that way since the early days of the greatest QB ever, John Elway. During the first round of the draft, the Broncos picked Tim Tebow...of the Florida Gators! In case you don't know, Tennessee hates Florida. It's been that way since...well, I don't know. The only good gator should be seen as a ladies' purse or a nice pair of cowboy boots or at the local zoo. And yet I am praying that Tebow succeeds. Why? Because he is a Christian and shares the Gospel unashamedly. In Christ, we have unified purposes and minimized differences. Even to the point that Jesus can cause a Volunteer to love a Gator! Go Vols! Go Gators! Go Broncos! All for the glory of Jesus!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Excelling in...Giving?

"But as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you-see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love is also genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich."

II Corinthians 8:7-9


What is this "act of grace" to which Paul is referring? Giving. Giving what? Money. Some may think it is shameful of Paul to incorporate the Gospel into a discussion of financial stewardship. Those same people would feel likewise about Jesus. The truth of the matter is this: scripture does marry the Gospel to the principles that drive our giving. Try as we might, they cannot be divorced! We will attempt to convince ourselves that our love of Jesus and the fulfillment of his kingdom work cannot or should not be related to our money, but we soon find that this effort to soothe our guilty conscience fails. Paul deliberately interjects the Gospel into his teaching on giving. All things for the believer, including giving, are to be shaped by the Gospel. Read II Corinthians 8-9. While doing so, ask yourself if what you are reading can be confirmed in the realities of your personal life, your family, and your church. Is your heart tender toward the biblical principles of giving? Let us pray for one another that this grace would excel both personally and corporately, at home and in our churches.

Monday, April 12, 2010

T4G Prayer Request

As the T4G (Together for the Gospel) conference begins tomorrow in Louisville, KY, please be in prayer for this event. May God be honored and his people blessed!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Switch to Decaf!

"Every church is filled with imperfect people like you who are led by imperfect leaders like me and governed by imperfect systems...The goal for yourself, your church, and its leaders must be faithfulness and not perfection, so it behooves you to start drinking decaf and to lighten up a bit in Jesus' name."

Pastor Mark Driscoll


This reminds me of the old line about the search for the perfect church; even if you find one, it won't be perfect after you join! May we be faithful to our Master, the One who knows our imperfections and yet loves us with a perfect love. And may we learn to labor with those, like ourselves, who are not perfect but love and worship Jesus.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Mayberry Monday

BARNEY FIFE: "Andy, I've got this one dead to rights! Otis was drunk. I even gave him a test. I drew a line on the sidewalk and told him to walk it. You know what he said? "

ANDY TAYLOR: "What?"

BARNEY FIFE: "He asked me what line. I got this one right Andy. Otis was drunk."

ANDY TAYLOR: "That right, Otis? Did you ask Deputy Fife what line?"

OTIS CAMBELL: "Yeah, but I didn't have my specs on and drunk or sober I can't see much without my specs."

ANDY TAYLOR: "Otis, three hours ago when Deputy Fife arrested you, were you drunk?"

OTIS CAMBELL: "I don't know. I wasn't wearing my glasses."

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter Sunday...He is Risen!

"They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus."

Luke 24:3


"May I ask you, directly, what is going to get you beyond death into your eternal home? The answer is Christ. Only Christ. It is He alone who holds the promise of resurrection and life eternal. He conquered death for you and me...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!"

Charles Swindoll

Saturday, April 3, 2010

More Good Friday Thoughts...on Saturday

"It is the blood of Christ alone, whereby any sinner can be reconciled to God; there is no other propitiation for our sins, no other fountain for sin and uncleanness. Every believer in Christ is deeply convinced that there is no merit but in Him...Indeed, nothing in the Christian system is of greater consequence than the doctrine of the Atonement. It is properly the distinguishing point between Deism and Christianity."

John Wesley


"We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate, but our attempt will be futile, as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands."

John Stott

Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

Galatians 3:13


"The most terrible warning to impenitent men in all the world is the death of Christ. For if God spared not his own Son, on whom was laid imputed sin, will he spare sinners whose sins are their own?"

Charles Spurgeon


The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away:
Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away;
And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.

There is a Fountain, William Cowper

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Think About It!

"Most people spend their lives trying to make their heart's fondest dreams come true. Isn't that what life is all about, 'the pursuit of happiness'? We search endlessly for ways to acquire the things we desire, and we are willing to sacrifice much to achieve them. We never imagine that getting our heart's deepest desires might be the worst thing that can ever happen to us."

Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Blessed!

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.'"

Matthew 16:13-17 (ESV)


According to the chapter notes of the Crossway ESV Study Bible, Caesarea Philippi, located some 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, had been a center of the worship of Baal, the Greek god Pan, and eventually Caesar. The name of the city, formerly Paneas, had been changed by Philip the Tetarch to honor himself and Augustus Caesar. Why is this information important? It is in the presence of such idolatry and rebellion that Peter confesses Jesus to be the Messiah. May this serve to remind us that salvation is entirely the work of God. Salvation does not come to us by way of the proper environment. It does not require a particular mood or some heightened sense of spirituality. And while man does have a responsibility toward God, salvation is in no way dependent on man! Christians will often say that evangelism would be easier if only our nation were different, or if our communities were different, or if people were different. God reveals himself according to his will for his glory, not because of favorable circumstances. Keep praying! Keep sharing the Good News! Keep being faithful! Your little corner of the world may seem like a Caesarea Philippi, but remember, "flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." It is his work. Rest in his power.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Great Exchange

"He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
II Corinthians 5:21

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Beginning the Journey

"Wir sein Bettler. Hoc est verum." "We are beggars. This is true." These are the last recorded words of Martin Luther. They are words that remind us of the essence of God's grace in Christ and the complete inability of man apart from that grace to be reconciled to Him. It is my prayer that this endeavor honor Jesus and will somehow serve the reader by pointing him/her to the cross as the only and necessary hope. Thank you for joining me on this exciting adventure. I look forward to meeting with other "true beggars" as we love and learn while following Jesus!