Self-forgetfulness

After a long absence, I've decided to return to blogging.

Between Two Worlds posted a link to a recent article on humility by Tim Keller. It's definitely worth reading. Here's a part I particularly liked:

"Christian humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less, as C. S. Lewis so memorably said. It is to be no longer always noticing yourself and how you are doing and how you are being treated. It is "blessed self-forgetfulness."

Humility is a byproduct of belief in the gospel of Christ. In the gospel, we have a confidence not based in our performance but in the love of God in Christ (Rom. 3:22-24). This frees us from having to always be looking at ourselves. Our sin was so great, nothing less than the death of Jesus could save us. He had to die for us. But his love for us was so great, Jesus was glad to die for us."

The more I grow in the Lord the more I notice that I think of myself less. I still think about myself quite a lot but there is wonderful freedom in NOT thinking about myself. And it's true. It's only God in the Gospel that can free us from noticing and focusing on ourselves.

The article also goes on to talk about the problems with moralism and the subtlety of performance-based acceptance. It's about 'grace, not goodness'!

The Hope of all the Ends of the Earth

O God of Our Salvation

Psalm 65

1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!

5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

9 You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.

ESV Study Bible

ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) on the 'best way to use a study Bible':

“The best way to use a study Bible, therefore, is always to begin and end with the words of the Bible. We should always begin by reading the Bible’s actual words, seeking with our hearts and our minds to understand these words and apply them to our lives. Then, after starting with the words of the Bible itself, we can turn to the study notes and many other study Bible resources for information about the background to the text, for the meaning of puzzling words or phrases, and for connections to other parts of the Bible. Finally, we should return again to the Bible itself, reading it with a new and deeper understanding, asking God to speak through his Word to the situation of our life and to draw us near to himself.”

Discerning Reader on Theological Perspectives & the ESVSB

"The ESV Study Bible, on the other hand, offers a wider or less-defined perspective. Where the doctrine is clear and undisputed among Evangelicals, so too are the notes. But where doctrines are controversial and within the area of Christian freedom or disputable matters, the notes tend not to take a firm position, even when the author or editor is firmly in one camp or the other.... In many cases a person from one perspective wrote the notes while a person from the other perspective screened them. This ensures the notes maintain both charity and some degree of objectivity in those areas of dispute".

I'm going to try to get a discounted ESV Study Bible at the CBD Warehouse Sale. That is if the BBC crowd doesn't snag them all before me for their book store. : )

HT: Discerning Reader

DG Conference 'Job: When the Righteous Suffer'

Desiring God is holding a conference this weekend called "Job: When the Righteous Suffer". I have been enjoying the blogging going on during the conference at the Desiring God Blog. If you have time you should definitely check them out.

Here's some of the blog postings available:

• Why a Conference on Job? Dealing with Absurd Suffering
• 10 Reasons to Ponder Job's Story
• 7 Implications of the Book of Job
  
• Lessons to Learn From Job's Friends
• 5 Reasons to Accept Elihu's Speech

Here's a few quotes from the blog that I liked:

From 7 Implications of the Book of Job:

Let your tears flow freely when your calamity comes.

"Job arose, rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon his face" (1:20).

The sobs of grief and pain are not the sign of unbelief. Job knows nothing of a flippant, insensitive, superficial "Praise God anyhow" response to suffering. The magnificence of his worship is because it was in grief, not because it replaced grief.

And let the rest of us weep with those who weep.

From Lessons We Can Learn From Job's Friends (probably my favorite post):

True theological statements can be false.

If you take many of the statements of Job's friends separately, they sound like good theology. But their application is shallow and insensitive....(Proverbs 26:9)...We put a high premium on good theology. But let us be warned: it can be made false by the way it is applied, and can even be destructive in the mouth of fools. Drink deep at the fountain of God's truth. And let love stand as a watchman at the gate of your mouth. (my emphasis)

Suffering and prosperity are not distributed in proportion to the evil or good that a person does.

Job is right: the wicked are spared in the day of calamity (21:30). But the just and blameless man is a laughing stock (12:4). Therefore let us not judge one another too quickly, or at all. Those who suffer most may be the best. And those who prosper most may be the worst among us.

(...)

There is wisdom behind the apparent arbitrariness of the world, but it is hidden from man.

Where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know the way to it,
and it is not found in the land of the living . . .
God understands the way to it,
and he knows its place. (28:12–13, 23)

We see through a glass darkly, even from our New Testament perspective (1 Corinthians 13:12). But faith always affirms that no matter how chaotic and absurd things may seem to our limited view they are in fact the tactics of infinite wisdom.

The complete sermon notes, audio, and video from the conference can be found here as they become available.

Hope you get a chance to look over some of the conference materials. And can I just say that I love live blogging!

John Owen: Part Two

So, all two of the people that read my blog will be glad to know that Steven Altrogge has posted part two of his 'interview' with John Owen. (You can read part one here).

I liked this part. So true!

SA: What’s the second reason I should fight my sin?

JO: So you can be happy! Your spiritual happiness is directly related to your holiness. You want spiritual strength, comfort, power, and peace, right?

SA: That would be a “yes”.

JO: Sin and Satan are in the business of stealing these things from you. Sin will entangle your affections and cloud your communion with God. It will drive out your love for God and suck the life out of your spirit. If you want to be happy you need to be holy.

Read the whole post here.

Perfection (Maturity): A Joyful, Hopeful Pursuit

For many years, I never realized that becoming more like Christ could be a joyful pursuit. I guess I never understood biblical sanctification, but over the past year or so, I have come to a greater understanding of freedom in Christ. Not the freedom to do what I want, but rather the freedom to obey God joyfully and without fear or condemnation!

I just read the first chapter of How Can I Change? by C.J. Mahaney & Robin Boisvert and I understand more that perfection and maturity is our goal (Matthew 5:48). We cannot attain it in this life, but nonetheless it MUST be our pursuit--a joyful, hopeful pursuit (1 John 3:2-3)!

Help me Lord to make perfection and maturity a joyful and hopeful pursuit!

Spirit-Filled Cartographers

I couldn't agree more with the post, Why "Just Me and My Bible" Is Insufficient, from Between Two Worlds:

Michael Horton: "The best way to guard a true interpretation of Scripture, the Reformers insisted, was neither to naively embrace the infallibility of tradition, or the infallibility of the individual, but to recognize the communal interpretation of Scripture. The best way to ensure faithfulness to the text is to read it together, not only with the churches of our own time and place, but with the wider 'communion of saints' down through the age."

Larry Woiwode: "There is rugged terrain ahead for those who are constitutionally incapable of referring to the paths marked out by wise and spirit-filled cartographers over the centuries."

While I do think it's important to read and meditate on the word and try to figure out what it's trying to say on my own (as in not depending on my Bible study notes to tell me what the Bible is saying), I also find it so important for me to 'read it together' with Sproul or Calvin or Luther or Spurgeon. Otherwise I find myself interpreting Scripture in a way that is incorrect or incomplete. I'm so grateful for the work and diligence of these 'saints down through the age' that guide me and keep me on the right path. I want to follow 'the paths marked out by wise and spirit-filled cartographers over the centuries'.

If you aren't subscribed to Between Two Worlds I definitely recommend doing so. The blog cranks out some serious 'theological linkage'. : )

All Does Not Yet Gleam

This life, therefore, is
not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing,
not being but becoming,
not rest but exercise.

We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it;
the process is not yet finished but it is going on;
this is not the end but it is the road.
all does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified.

-Martin Luther

HT: How Can I Change? CJ Mahaney & Robin Boisvert

An Interview With John Owen

In case you didn't know, John Owen has been dead since 1683 so he isn't really 'interviewable' (as my title might suggest). But Stephen Altrogge, "thanks to modern technology (books), ...recently had the privilege of hanging in Starbuck’s with that great puritan, John Owen.... (Note: All of this was paraphrased from the John Owen book Temptation and Sin)". Read the full 'interview' here--it's part one so there's more to follow.

Also, I recently subscribed to the RSS Feed at The Blazing Center (the blog where this article is found) and would definitely recommend doing so!

Gospel Driven Sanctification

I would recommend the article Gospel-Driven Sanctification by Jerry Bridges to anyone who has struggled with performance-based Christian living. I'm posting a very brief overview. Hope you read the whole article!

"Early in my Christian life I heard someone say, "The Bible was not given to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct." Later I came to realize that this statement was simplistic at best and erroneous at worst....

There is an element of truth in this statement.... It is, indeed, to be obeyed and practically applied in our daily lives. As James says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).

With my new insight... I began diligently to seek to obey [the Bible]. "[T]he pursuit of holiness"... became my primary goal in life. Unfortunately, I made two mistakes. First, I assumed the Bible was something of a rulebook and that all I needed to do was to learn what it says and go do it. I knew nothing of the necessity of depending on the Holy Spirit for his guidance and enablement...

...Evangelicals commonly think today that the gospel is only for unbelievers.... ...[A]s believers, we need to hear the message of discipleship. We need to learn how to live the Christian life and be challenged to go do it. That's what I believed and practiced in my life and ministry for some time. It is what most Christians seem to believe.

As I see it, the Christian community is largely a performance-based culture today. And the more deeply committed we are to following Jesus, the more deeply ingrained the performance mindset is. We think we earn God's blessing or forfeit it by how well we live the Christian life.

Gradually over time.... I learned that Christians need to hear the gospel all of their lives because it is the gospel that continues to remind us that our day-to-day acceptance with the Father is not based on what we do for God but upon what Christ did for us in his sinless life and sin-bearing death. I began to see that we stand before God today as righteous as we ever will be, even in heaven, because he has clothed us with the righteousness of his Son. Therefore, I don't have to perform to be accepted by God. Now I am free to obey him and serve him because I am already accepted in Christ (see Rom. 8:1). My driving motivation now is not guilt but gratitude.

Yet even when we understand that our acceptance with God is based on Christ's work, we still naturally tend to drift back into a performance mindset. Consequently, we must continually return to the gospel. To use an expression of the late Jack Miller, we must "preach the gospel to ourselves every day." For me that means I keep going back to Scriptures such as Isaiah 53:6, Galatians 2:20, and Romans 8:1. It means I frequently repeat the words from an old hymn, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.""

I was referenced to this article by Carolyn McCulley's blog Radical Womanhood. She is doing a single women's discipleship group at her church and posting an overview of each session with related articles. This article was listed in Session Four.

And Therefore I Have Hope

21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29 let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.

31 For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve the children of men.

Lamentations 3:21-33 (ESV)

Dependent Responsibility

"We are responsible before God to obey His Word, to put to death the sins in our lives.... At the same time, we do not have the ability within ourselves to carry out this responsibility. We are in fact totally dependent upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit... we are both responsible and dependent." ~Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate

Freedom in the Gospel of Grace

In the past, I have been a huge supporter of Bill Gothard but in the last year or so, I have had increasing concerns with his teachings. I do believe there is some truth in his teachings. It is good to be reminded to honor authority and seek to make restitution with those you have offended. But when people revolve their lives around his teachings (as is encouraged by Gothard), I think many harms come to them and to those around them.The following quote from Robin's Readings & Reflections has also, in many ways, been my experience with Gothard's teachings.

"...[W]hile [Bill] Gothard may appear to achieve tremendous response through brandishing on his listeners fear and guilt, the result is that, while our outward lives may become perfected through resolution and strength of will, inwardly we become self-absorbed, proud and over-conscientious. Though Gothard gives lip service to the gospel of grace, the extreme focus on ourselves leads people to become imprisoned to the letter of the law, forgetting completely the freedom in the gospel of grace.

One person who attended Gothard's seminar observed how "There seemed to be a lack of teaching on God's acceptance, or on the spontaneous growth that comes from a loving, accepting relationship. Instead, consequences of principle violations are given as the sole motivation for growth. Personal moral failure is the prime motiv[ation] for living a godly life. The system cannot stand unless the students are convinced that all pathology can be traced to moral guilt." This leads to a concept of God who is always ready to zap His followers as soon as they step out of line. The Christian life becomes like walking a tight rope, for unless you follow the right procedures, God will see to it that you are punished....

Although the Lord may use Gothard to help people, we must be careful not to assume that all who appear to be helped by Gothard were helped through the working of the Holy Spirit. The question is again not so much what are the results, but what is the source of those results? A teacher may produce many results through the energies of the flesh, by exhorting listeners to try harder and provoking people to action through psychological motivation. It is even possible, working in the energies of the flesh, to cause people to weep, make resolutions for the Lord, and become zealous, though this is worth nothing if the source of these results is not God's spirit. As Hudson Taylor used to say, “God's work must be done in God's way.”

I am convinced that the harms from Gothard's teachings outweigh the benefits and that the helpful concepts found in Gothard's materials can easily be found in other less harmful sources. Here is a short list of gospel and grace-filled alternatives to Gothard's materials.

Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges
Wordliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World by C.J. Mahaney
Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing by C.J. Mahaney
Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone by Elyse Fitzpatrick
Battling Unbelief: Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure by John Piper
How Can I Change? by C.J. Mahaney & Robin Boisvert

Beset With Weakness

I was reading through Hebrews a couple weeks ago and Hebrews 5:2 stuck out to me. I put it in context so you could see, well, its context. : )

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. ~Hebrews 5:1-3

I want to be someone who deals gently with the ignorant and the wayward because I'm also beset with weakness myself. Anyone who finds themselves in a place of leadership or influence would do well to remember this verse in dealing with those who are ignorant and wayward.

Pray For Your Pastor

I do not pray for my pastors as I should and I thought the following sermon notes taken by Johnathon Bowers on Mark Driscoll's sermon at the Desiring God Conference were very helpful guidants. I bolded the parts I especially liked.

Pray for the shepherds. Pray for them more than you criticize, e-mail, gossip, or blog about them. Pray that they would have a discerning mind to know who is a sheep.

Pray that they would have a thick skin. Pray that they would have a humorous outlook. That they would laugh at themselves, that they would have a tender heart toward Jesus and the sheep. That they wouldn’t be hammered, that they would keep a tender heart, that they would have a humble disposition, that when criticisms are true, they would repent. That they would look at a criticism for a kernel of truth to be sanctified by.

Pray that shepherds would have encouraging families, that their wife would endure all the criticism, backbiting, people who would use her to get influence, that she would remain close to Jesus and be a place of refreshment for her husband, that she would know her job is to keep her husband from despair—not by always agreeing with him but agreeing that she will always be for him.

Pray for his children as people take shots at his family. That his children would not go astray because critics love that.

Pray that one of the elders in the church is a good sniper. That he could spot people who are trying to take down the pastor. If the pastor tries to do it, it’s a lose-lose situation. Some of you elders here need to get in the middle.

Pray that the shepherds would have evangelistic devotion, that they would not just feed the sheep, but that they would love the lost. That they would not waste their time checking their ratings and overlook Paul’s admonition to do the work of an evangelist. That they wouldn’t be so buried in firefights that they can’t see more people become sheep.

Pray for the shepherds, that they would learn selective hearing, that they would listen to their elders, that they would invite into their lives good counsel. Not everything that is said is worth a hearing. Shepherds can become so hard-hearted that their ears are closed and they spend time justifying themselves when they shouldn’t. They need to know who to listen to, who to heed, and who to not to.

Pray for the young shepherds, that older shepherds would not shoot them like wolves and wouldn’t criticize them like dogs, but would encourage them like dads.

HT: DesiringGod.org

Mental Health

I found this little gem of a quote by John Piper: “Periodic self-examination is needed and wise and biblical. But for the most part, mental health is the use of the mind to focus on worthy reality outside ourselves.”

I am very much an introvert. I could spend hours occupied just by my own thoughts. I can become quite depressing. That is why discovering reformed theology and reading authors like Piper, Mahaney and many others has given me so much joy. It is such a freeing thing and very good for my mental health to focus on God's all-satisfying sovereignty, greatness, and beauty.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalm 43:5

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

So I was sitting in service today listening to yet another message about how Christians are just like the world in many ways and how we need to follow Jesus' commands and that the law is still applicable and we need to follow it and how if we love Him we will obey His commands, etc., and all those things are true. But, I just think that it leads to so much guilt when they are isolated and emphasized without teaching about the all-surpassing beauty and satisfaction found in Christ. I read God is the Gospel by John Piper last week and I loved so many of his points. I wonder if people are failing in their Christian walk, not because they are neglecting the law, but because they don't know Him. I mean, they know Him, but they don't REALLY know Him in all His glory and all His beauty. During service today as I was a contemplating all this, an old chorus we used to sing at church popped into my head:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

I wonder if the reason we struggle with sin so much is because we don't 'look full' into the wonderful face of Jesus. I know in my own life that as I know Christ more the things of earth actually do 'grow strangely dim'.

So maybe the message shouldn't be on how we need to follow the law and obey His commands and stop sinning. Maybe we should have more messages about the beauty, glory, and grace of Jesus. Maybe we need to hear more messages about who HE is rather than about what we should be or shouldn't be doing. Just a thought.

"[W]e bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them". Acts 14:15b

Evil

"Evil is when we believe that God will not satisfy us and therefore pursue happiness in transient things. That’s the essence of sin." ~Jon Bloom, (Jesus and Buddha on Happiness)

Learn Success From Failure

I like this quote. : ) I snagged it off of Hope Road who I believe snagged it off of Girl Talk which, by the way, are both great blogs that you should check out.

“What is the use of regret unless we can rise by it to a better future? Sighs, which do not raise us higher, are an ill use of vital breath. Chasten yourselves, but be not discouraged. Gather up the arrows which aforetime fell wide of the mark, not to break them in passionate despair, but to send them to the target with direct aim, and a more concentrated force. Weave victories out of defeats. Learn success from failure, wisdom from blundering.” (Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership by Steve Miller, p. 93)

It used to be a very great weakness of mine to dwell on my failures. I still don't like to fail very much AT ALL but at least I don't ALWAYS beat myself up for it. I'm so thankful that God is able to mature me and grow me!

And then as I was pondering quotes and scriptures, I had this thought--I like that sometimes quotes (and scripture) affirm the truth that I know, kind of like, 'Yes, see, you are on the right path!' or 'Don't you see and agree that God is good in that?!' Whereas other quotes (and scriptures) convict, in that they say, 'That path that you're walking? It's the wrong one'. : )

In Earnest

This quote at Of First Importance just filled my heart up with so much love and gratitude for the Holy Spirit. I want to see Him as 'in earnest' regarding His dealings me. I want to believe in the riches of His grace and the abundance of His loving-kindness. : )

“Perhaps much of our slow progress in the walk of faith is to be traced to our overlooking the love of the Spirit.

We do not deal with Him, for strength and advancement, as one who really loves us, and longs to bless us, and delights to help our infirmities (Rom 8:26). We regard Him as cold, or distant, or austere; we do not trust Him for His grace, nor realize how much He is in earnest in His dealings with us.

More childlike confidence in Him and in His love would help us on mightily. Let us not grieve Him, nor vex Him, nor quench Him by our untrustfulness, by disbelieving or doubting the riches of His grace, the abundance of His loving-kindness.”

—Horatius Bonar, “The Holy Spirit”

(HT: Of First Importance)

Dancing and Smuggling

Two great (recent) posts at Josh Harris' blog....

Dancing. So fun! You must check this out. Remember to turn off the HD when watching.

Smuggling Character. Worthy of more investigation and possibly purchase of the recommended book.

God-centered or Self-centered

"It's very easy for all of us if we're not careful to give lip service to the fact that God in his glory is first in our lives and for that not to be true at all."

This clip offers a nine question self-test to help determine whether you are really God-centered or man-centered.



Question #8 is my favorite: "Do you feel most loved by God because He makes much of you OR because He frees you to make much of Him (so that you can enjoy Him forever!)."

If we are God-centered, "we will have the ability to see that the problems of life are opportunities and blessings that give us a chance to do what we were created to do. To glorify God in the midst of our problems."

"So the key question here to day is: Do I feel most loved by God because he is making much of me or because he's doing whatever must be done in my life including bringing problems and trials into my life in order to change me so that I can make much of Him."

Praise to David's Rock: BBC Sermon

I went to Bethlehem Bible Church (BBC) last evening with my brother. I love this church for the expository preaching and the hymns. : ) If I could blend this church with the church I attend I think it would be a perfect church!! But that's just wishful thinking because no church will ever be perfect. The message at BBC was entitled Praise to David's Rock and it was an exposition of Psalm 18. I'll just highlight some of the main ideas.

A Rock. There really is something special, comforting, and powerful in thinking about God as my rock. I love the Shane & Shane song Psalm 62. I love the chorus: "On God I rest, my salvation, my fortress shall not be shaken, my mighty rock and my glorious, I lay my head upon His chest". The preacher spoke about a rock being a shelter and a shade from the heat and sun in the desert. He spoke about how David was well aware of the power and protection of a rock. A rock is also foundational. It is strong and cannot be moved.

Thanksgiving. The preacher comments about David's thankful heart and dependence on God for protection. He mentioned that one of Paul's criticisms of the world is that they are unthankful. Being thankful admits that we lack something. It admits that we have received something we couldn't have obtained on our own.

Righteousness. Psalm 18:20-24 was interesting because David speaks of being blameless and clean. The preacher said it was a possibility that David understood imputed righteousness and that someday, sin will be completely taken away. David also said that he had not 'wickedly departed' from God and the preacher emphasized that stumbling is not departure. "[T]hough he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand". What a comfort for those who've stumbled!

Equipping. One of the last points the preacher made was that God will not send you to a place for which you are not equipped. Psalm 18:30-36 speaks about God equipping David. I like the end of verse 35: "[Y]our gentleness made me great". I find it so comforting that God trains in gentleness and it is His gentleness that makes us great. We would do well to copy the Lord in this when we are training and equipping others.

A Rock. How fitting that David would end a begin this Psalm with praising God His Rock. We are 'hemmed in, behind and before' and sheltered by God our Rock.

The thing I like most about expository preaching is that it is multi-topical. Some preachers will speak on a topic and it seems to have one main point and application but often expository preaching has multiple sub-points and topics and many applications. Like for instance, in this message, I got to rejoice in God as my rock, be reminded to give thanks, be comforted that God puts 100% of his attention on each of his children, be amazed that David may have possibly had a revelation of imputed righteousness, be encouraged that God will equip you for the place He is going to send you, and rejoice once more that God is my rock, a fortress and my great Savior.

I'll leave you with a couple of funny quotes I liked:

God is not our cosmic bellhop. Picturing that just made me laugh. But isn't it true? We get in a bind or we need some help and we ring our little bell and expect God to jump to our aide.

God doesn't need a Plan B because He's always on Plan A. Nothing surprises Him.

The Gospel Transforms Absolutely Everything.

"...Every kind of character flaw comes from this natural impulse to be our own savior through our performance and achievement. On the one hand, proud and disdainful personalities come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are succeeding. But on the other hand, discouraged and self-loathing personalities also come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are failing....

The gospel is the way that anything is renewed and transformed by Christ — whether a heart, a relationship, a church, or a community. All our problems come from a lack of orientation to the gospel. Put positively, the gospel transforms our hearts, our thinking and our approach to absolutely everything." ~Timothy Keller, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: Living in Line with the Truth of the Gospel (Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2003), 2.

(HT: Of First Importance)

Promised Book Reviews

A while back I had promised to give book reviews on both Doing Things Right In Matters of the Heart & Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be). Well, I'm probably not going to ever get to write a full review on either but I thought I'd just share a few thoughts on each.

To let you know, I have not read either book from cover to cover, but I have skimmed Doing Things Right In Matters of the Heart and have read several chapter from Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be). Well, here goes...

Doing Things Right In Matters of the Heart. This book presents a complementarian view of men and women as it relates to pre-marriage and marriage relationships. The book is split into two sections: Matters of the Heart (Theory) & Doing Things Right (Practice). If you've done any study at all into biblical manhood and womanhood and relationships then Matters of the Heart will be an excellent review. I mostly enjoyed the 'Doing Things Right' section of the book. I loved the short chapters and the chapter titles in this section are actually really helpful in themselves. A few examples of chapter titles: 'He Leads...She Guides', 'His Unmet Desire Drives Him toward Marriage...Hers Is Rewarded With Marriage', and 'He Loves By Sacrificing...She, by Submitting'. You could learn a lot just contemplating those short chapter titles! I think it is definitely a 'must own' book as it is an excellent resource on it's subject matter.

Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be). This review is going to be very short, but what I liked most about this book was it's simple, matter-of-fact language. These guys aren't trying to start a fight or prove that their way is better. They give credit to the movement where credit is due and yet definitely maintain their separation from the movement. I enjoyed the footnotes and I think they present a lot of useful research and information for their readers. I'll definitely keep this on my shelf to read or reread a chapter here and there and use it as reference as needed.

If you're looking for full reviews, I'd recommend checking out Discerning Reader's reviews on both books, Doing Things Right In Matters of the Heart & Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be).

More Wordles

These Wordles are really addicting! Here's a few I made from Heart Cry Missionary Society's Statement of Faith. The first is the doctrinal statement and the second is their essential convitions.

Good Enough?

I wasn't too sure about the following because I don't think that Judgement Day is a laughing matter. But the end was so good, it made me cry. I'm so grateful that I won't be judged by my deeds. I'm humbled too because I really don't deserve the grace God has given me!



(HT: Way of the Master Radio)

Theology Rapped

Watch Out! As Todd Friel puts it: 'You're about to get ripped through a catechism' rap style. Definitely worth a listen and I like Todd's commentary throughout. : ) The song is written Shai Linne.



Please go to Symphony of Scripture for the lyrics. The lyrics under the heading adoption are kind of neat--Romans 8:15 in the Paraphrased Rap Version. : )

Phil Found The Lettuce Garden

Well, the inevitable has happened. The ground hog (affectionately named 'Phil' or if it's a girl, 'Phyllis') living underneath our shed has found the lettuce and helped himself to a tasty bunch of romaine. We're not sure what we're going to do but we do have a very helpful cat who was perched on top of the shed today in lookout position. Phil, though he is a bit larger than my cat, seems a bit skittish and my cat a terrific death stare. Hopefully they can make some arrangements. We're fine with Phil eating the grass weeds, but if he continues to help himself to the lettuce we may have to take more serious measures to control his behavior.

Honor Marriage

My pastor gave a great message this past week called Honor Marriage. He had his wife come up and speak for the parts that pertained to women. I especially liked the following part where he talks of the responsibilities of wives and husbands according to the Word and God's design for men and women. I thought it seemed to express a complementarian view nicely.

Wives are responsible to:

Respect Him. Ephesians 5:33b says, “and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” It was also suggested that you respect your husband by asking him your spiritual questions and by realizing that God will use him (saved or unsaved) to give you guidance. (1 Cor. 14:35)

Accept Him. Have confidence that God is working through him (Romans 8:28).

Be Grateful for Him. 1 Thess. 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”) Wives should try to give their expectations to God and take them off your husband. It will also be helpful for the wife to grow in 'godliness with contentment' (Colossians 3:1).

Influence Him (for good). Wives can gain influence by not rehearsing past failures but by demonstrating present faithfulness in showing genuine love, loyalty, a servant’s heart and by asking forgiveness.

Husbands are responsible to:

Look to Christ. Husbands need to understand that they are not on the top of the chain of command. As the wife is under the husband, so is the husband under Christ. Husbands need to spend more time looking up for our direction & answers, rather than down on their wives shortcomings.

Be a Spiritual Leader. Wives need to experience us actually leading spiritually. This means leading in such ways as regular times in God’s Word, faithfulness in prayer, regular church attendance, and discussion of spiritual matters, followed by searching the scriptures for God’s answer.

Share Vital Needs. Wives need to know that they are meeting vital needs in our lives that no one else can meet. This means the husband must share his fears, goals, and heart with his wife.

Understand their Wife. Our wives need to know that we will listen to hear their heart. They need to know that we are making efforts to understand them.

They also shared a funny personal story at the end to illustrate their message called The Beach Story. The audio is not yet available for this message but I'll add it when it is. Here's the audio--The Beach Story is at the end.

Complementarianism

"Complementarianism is the theological view that although men and women are created equal in their being and personhood, yet they are created to complement each other via different roles in life and in the church. It is rooted in a literal interpretation of the creation account and the roles of men and women presented in Scripture....

The opposing view to Complementarianism is Egalitarianism which maintains that the patriarchal patterns in the Bible are culturally bound and that there no inherent distinction in roles between men and women to be maintained today. Egalitarianism sees no acceptable equality in a hierarchy of roles between men and women." (Theopedia.com)

Groundhog!

There is a ground hog living underneath our shed confirmed by several extended sightings. So far he's just eating up the leafy grass weeds and he's pretty cute! Of course, he's not going to be so cute if he finds way to the lettuce garden and decides to have himself a salad.


(This picture is not the actual ground hog but it looks just like him. I'm still in the dark ages and do not actually own (gasp!) a digital camera.)

Wordles!? Warning: ADDICTING!!

Wordles: "“[W]ord clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. "

What you do is you go this site and paste a large block of text into the program and it generates a word picture. It's really neat!!

(You can click on the images to make the pictures larger)

I put in the text of Psalm 145 and came out with this:

Someone put in Sinner's in the Hands of an Angry God and got this:

Yipeng 'wordled' the book of Matthew and each separate book of the entire New Testament. It's so neat to pick out the main themes of each book! Here's the book of Matthew:



And, lastly, a wordle of my all-time favorite scripture passage, Psalm 103:

HT: Justin Taylor & Wordle

Giving Wisdom: Alabaster Box

OK. So this is the third time I've quoted from the blog Alabaster Box. But this entry on receiving wisdom from God and sharing wisdom with others is so SO good!!

... James says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (1:5)

In those moments when we ourselves need wisdom for life, or wisdom to share with others, we must first go before God who is Wise and also gives wisdom to the asking. Believe the character of God in that verse: He is generous with His wisdom and is not disappointed because we don’t know it all. He gives without reproach. The promise at the end of the verse is amazing. Wisdom will be given. (Bold added, Italics original)

James goes even further: “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” (3:17)

This is a test for all wisdom. Is the wisdom we receive and give pure? Peaceable? Full of mercy? Shared without hypocrisy? Gentle? All of these are the character of Godly wisdom....

Now, I've read James many, many times but have never put James 1:5 with James 3:17. But the two together are truly a beautiful insight into wisdom from God. I want the wisdom I give out to be given generously without reproach and to be pure, peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits, gentle, and without hypocrisy!

By the way, I check Alabaster Box daily and it is DEFINITELY worth it and you should definitely subscribe to the RSS feed. : )

Jesus and Buddha on Happiness: DesiringGod.org

I enjoyed this article comparing Jesus' and Buddha's views on lasting happiness at Desiring God. I'd definitely recommend reading the whole article, but here are a few of my favorite comparisons.

"The Buddha taught that nothing lasts, so be attached to nothing. Jesus taught that One Thing lasts, so at all cost, be attached to that!"

"Jesus knows that our desire for happiness is designed by God and so is our desire for permanence.... We are designed to be satisfied with the one eternal, permanent God."

"Jesus and the Buddha agree that pursuing happiness in transient things is futile, but they direct us to opposite solutions. The Buddha says satisfaction is treasuring nothing. Jesus says it is treasuring God...."

"Evil is when we believe that God will not satisfy us and therefore pursue happiness in transient things. That’s the essence of sin."

Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:12-13)

I want to pursue happiness in God. I don't want to 'hew out' my own 'cisterns' to try to satisfy my desires. I want to be entirely satisfied and find my treasure in Him, 'the fountain of living waters'.

Tips for Self-Discipline: Truth Matters, Inc.

I thought this was very helpful and practical!

1. Start Small. Start with your room. Clean it, then keep it clean. When something is out of place, train yourself to put it where it belongs. Then extend the discipline of neatness to the rest of your home.
2. Be on time. That may not seem very spiritual, but it’s important. If you’re supposed to be somewhere at a specific time, be there on time. Develop the ability to discipline your desires, activities, and demands so that you can arrive on time.
3. Do the hardest job first. When you do that, you will find it easier to do the simpler tasks.
4. Organize your life. Plan the use of your time; don’t just react to circumstances. Use a calendar and make a daily list of things you need to accomplish. If you don’t control your time, everything else will.
5. Accept correction. Correction helps make you more disciplined because it shows you what you need to avoid. Don’t avoid criticism; accept it gladly.
6. Practice self-denial. Learn to say no to your feelings. Learn to do what you know to be right even if you don’t feel like doing it. Sometimes it’s even beneficial to deny yourself things that are acceptable to have, like a doughnut in the morning or dessert after dinner. Exercising such self-restraint helps you develop the habit of keeping other things under control. Cultivating discipline in the physical realm will help you become disciplined in your spiritual life.
7. Welcome responsibility. When you have an opportunity to do something that needs to be done, volunteer for it if you have talent in that area. Accepting responsibility can force you to organize yourself.

(HT: Truth Matter, Inc.)

Blessed Are The Merciful

I need to be more merciful. God has been so merciful to me and because of His great love and mercy towards me, I should, in turn, be merciful and loving to others.

Mercy is: kindness, compassion, charity, leniency. Mercy is not: cruelty, intolerance, meanness, ruthlessness, uncompassion. (Answers.com)

John Piper on Blessed Are The Merciful (this was so helpful!):

... [T]he first three beatitudes in verses 3–5 describ[e] the emptiness of the blessed person: verse 3: poverty-stricken in spirit, verse 4: grieving over the sin and misery of his condition, and verse 5: accepting the hardships and accusations of life in meekness without defensiveness.

This condition of blessed emptiness is followed in verse 6 by a hunger and thirst for the fullness of righteousness. Then come three descriptions of how righteousness abounds in the heart of the hungry. Mercy in verse 7, purity in verse 8, and peacemaking in verse 9.

So the answer to the first question is that mercy comes from a heart that has first felt its spiritual bankruptcy, and has come to grief over its sin, and has learned to wait meekly for the timing of the Lord, and to cry out in hunger for the work of his mercy to satisfy us with the righteousness we need.

The mercy that God blesses is itself the blessing of God. It grows up like fruit in a broken heart and a meek spirit and a soul that hungers and thirsts for God to be merciful. Mercy comes from mercy. Our mercy to each other comes from God's mercy to us.

The key to becoming a merciful person is to become a broken person. You get the power to show mercy from the real feeling in your heart that you owe everything you are and have to sheer divine mercy. Therefore, if we want to become merciful people, it is imperative that we cultivate a view of God and ourselves that helps us to say with all our heart that every joy and virtue and distress of our lives is owing to the free and undeserved mercy of God....

This part rung true with me. Often I am impatient with imperfection in the church. Oh, how prideful I am!

....And a biblical Deacon will call public sin in the church to account and exercise discipline and even exclusion from the fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:1–13), but will also remember the parable of the wheat and the tares that teaches patience with the imperfection of the church till the end of the age (Matthew 13:24–30).

The message also comments on the question: Should a merciful person always show mercy? Here is only a part of the response.

"The beatitude says, "Blessed are the merciful," not, "Blessed are those who know exactly when and how to show mercy in all circumstances." We must be merciful people even when we act with severity in the service of justice. That is, we must be

• poor in spirit,
• sorrowful for our own sin,
• meekly free from defensiveness and self-exaltation,
• hungering and thirsting for all that is right to be done,
• perceptive of a person's distress and misery,
• feeling pity for his pain,
• and making every effort to see the greatest good done for the greatest number.

So the answer to our third question (Should a merciful person always show mercy?) is a qualified "no." No, you will often support the claims of justice and recompense a person the way he deserves, in order to bear witness to the truth of God's justice and to accomplish a greater good for greater numbers of people."

I think I will read and meditate on the Beatitudes. I want to become a person who understands my spiritual bankruptcy. I am far too often prideful and self righteous.

Using the Thoughts of Other Men's Brains

So... most of my posts are not my own words. At first I felt kind of stupid for not being able to say what I want to say in my own words. For now, though, it's easier for me to communicate through other men's words. I will learn (hopefully) someday, through Bible reading and the reading of other men's thoughts, to communicate well on my own.

I was encouraged by this quote: "The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own."(Charles Spurgeon, Sermon: Paul, His Cloak And His Books)

(HT: Buzzard Blog)

The 57-to-1 Ratio

As an application point in his sermon from Sunday Justin Buzzard (Buzzard Blog) asked everyone in the congregation to think about one area of their walk with Christ where they're presently experiencing failure/guilt/shame/lack of progress. He asked the questions:

• In that area of life, are you more aware of your failure/guilt than you are of God's love and grace for you?

• Do you know that God wants you to be more aware of the work he's already accomplished on your behalf than of the work you have yet to do for him?

..."1 Corinthians 15 is made up of 58 verses. The final verse, verse 58, is a verse that deals with our work as Christians, a big umbrella command to "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord..." ... this verse about our work only comes after 57 verses about Christ's work--57 verses that explore in rich detail the life, death, and resurrection work that Christ accomplished on our behalf. It's as if the message the apostle Paul is trying to get across is that for every hour of our day we ought to spend 57 minutes aware of the gospel-work Jesus has accomplished and spend only 1 minute or so thinking about our work. Unfortunately, most of us have this ratio backwards. If we were to adopt this 57-to-1 ratio in our thought life/our pursuit of sanctification, I think we'd observe and experience some wonderful changes." Read the full post here.

Source: Buzzard Blog

No Autonomy in the Fallen World

“The ultimate question is not who you are but whose you are. Of course, many people think they are nobody’s slave. They dream of total independence. Like a jellyfish carried by the tides feels free because it isn’t fastened down with the bondage of barnacles. . . . The Bible gives no reality to fallen humans who are ultimately self-determining. There is no autonomy in the fallen world. We are governed by sin or governed by God.” ~John Piper

Source: Defending. Contending. & Symphony of Scripture

Rejoice, Soul!

I posted here and here on the idea of talking to yourself, like the Psalmist did in Psalm 42 and in Psalm 103. Well, I think I just completely failed the test these past few days! On Tuesday, I started feeling somewhat sad and 'low' (it happens to me here and there and is generally unexpected and not really related to anything) but instead of telling my soul to rejoice and to be glad, I just sort of agreed with my soul and listened to my feelings of sadness. May God help me! I want to tell my spirit to tell my soul the good news. I want my spirit to be boss over my soul!

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:11

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5

My spirit will now attempt to give my soul a good talking to. : ) Soul, rejoice! Put your hope in God and remember all the good things that He is and has done. He is good and His love endures forever. He is merciful and gracious and abounding in steadfast love. He is good. Hope in Him.

Preaching the Good News to Yourself

"...The end of Psalm 42 isn't happy, but it is hopeful. The psalmist is in duress. There are tears and turmoil. His soul is downcast, and he asks God Why?

He's fighting for hope. He thirsts for God and affirms God's love and preaches good news to himself. And even in the midst of his great discouragement, he has the wherewithal to sing."

(HT:Desiring God)

The Most Important "Ology"

I found this article 'Living Theology' at the New Attitude blog. Check out the whole article here. It's good stuff. Here are a few parts I liked:

"I have read about and heard of people who cringe at the idea of ‘studying’ God, as if learning theology is clinical, like some kind of divine autopsy. But Scripture consistently calls us to grow in our study and knowledge of God and says there is an important connection between what we know about God and how we should live.

....God is the most important thing we can study, the most important “ology”. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul presents this as he talks about the importance of “being trained” in “good doctrine.” He directly connects theology to growing in godliness. Theology is not just book knowledge or head knowledge, it is heart and life knowledge. It is not just about what you know about God, but living in a way that is dictated by what you know. In their book, Let the Reader Understand, Dan McCartney and Charles Clayton say, “Doctrine has not been known properly until it has been lived out.” Wayne Grudem agrees in his definition of Systematic Theology when he says, “Defining Systematic Theology to include ‘what the whole Bible teaches us today’ implies that application to life is a necessary part of the proper pursuit of systematic theology (emphasis mine).” For Paul, having “good doctrine” is important because it causes us to grow in godliness – it affects the way we live....

The same needs to be true in every area of our lives: the way we run after godliness, the way we choose entertainment, the way we serve a friend, the things we say or don’t say, the way we give money or time to help those who are hungry, or sick or in need. How we live must be rooted in what we know about God. Knowing God will affect the way we live. Getting to know God is not about performing a divine autopsy; rather, it is the Living God making Himself known to us and then changing us by his grace to live out what we know. Study hard."

Are We Interpreting God Correctly?

I recently discovered Alabaster Box and Cross-Eyed (both blogs by the same author) and really find the content to be helpful and insightful. I enjoyed this recent post on Alabaster Box, Sending the Correct Message:

I was recently listening to a man who was preaching overseas to a large crowd using an interpreter. While he was speaking, the thought crossed his mind that the interpreter could (at any time) interpret his sermon incorrectly or misrepresent what he was trying to say. Although this thought was uncomfortable he continued on in faith and the crowd was blessed by his sermon.

Just like this preacher, God is speaking a message to the lost world through us. “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God was making an appeal through us.” (2 Cor. 5:20) But are we interpreting God’s message correctly? Are we accurately representing His truth, grace, and character to others? Are our lives an appeal from God to a desperate world?

Read the rest of the article here; it includes some really helpful practical applications.

All Of Life Is Repentance

I enjoyed reading this essay by Rev. Tim Keller. I especially liked the 'practical application' section, The Disciplines of Gospel-Repentance.

The Cheering Presence of Thy Spirit

...."I thank Thee for the temporal blessings of this world—the refreshing air, the light of the sun, the food that renews strength, the raiment that clothes, the dwelling that shelters, the sleep that gives rest, the starry canopy of night, the summer breeze, the flowers' sweetness, the music of flowing streams, the happy endearments of family, kindred, friends. Things animate, things inanimate, minister to my comfort. My cup runs over. Suffer me not to be insensible to these daily mercies. Thy hand bestows blessings: Thy power averts evil. I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces, the full warmth of faith, the cheering presence of Thy Spirit, the strength of Thy restraining will, Thy spiking of hell's artillery. Blessed be my sovereign Lord!"

Puritan Prayers-Evening Praise

Jeremiah, The Intercessor

I've been reading through the book of Jeremiah lately. This is the first time that I will have (hopefully) read through an entire major prophet. I'm doing my reading in The Reformation Study Bible. I've always found the major prophets to be really confusing, but I've found that it is really helpful to reference an outline to understand the themes of each section of reading. I'm really hoping the themes and meanings will be alive and real (or at least make sense) to me.

One particular thing that sticks out to me in Jeremiah is that he is always pleading for the people and begging God to turn away His wrath. He acted as an intercessor for the people, but at the same time he had to bring them really harsh and serious messages. Nobody wanted to hear him--his life was often threatened. In spite of all this and in light of people's obvious wickedness, Jeremiah still pleaded for God to turn away his wrath.

I want to be like that. I want speak God's truth--the whole truth, but at the same time have such a heart for people that I cry for them for God to save them. I find it's so difficult to attain balance in life. In my impatience and imbalance, I often want to speak the truth just one time to a person and then if they don't change, I often get angry or just give up--if I have the courage to say anything in the first place.

I want to speak the truth with a compassionate, 'slow to anger' heart. I want to fear God and not fear man. Thank God that He was (and is) compassionate and slow to anger to me!

Paul Washer: You Are Loved

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-26

The Law

"[W]e are saved from the punishment of breaking the law and the burden of the law, but not necessarily the law itself."(Comment by Longing for a Holiday at Sea)

I like this because I'm always trying to explain (mostly to myself, for the purposes of explaining to others) how the law is still applicable to us. I guess it means that we are not saved from the law (as in, it still applies and we still need to obey it), but that we are saved from the punishment of breaking the law and the burden of having to follow the law. The law is no longer a burden, yet we still have a responsibility to follow it.

Hmm. I wonder if that makes any sense at all.

Check out Longing for a Holiday at Sea's Blog--it looks really good!

Beautiful Puritan Prayer of Refuge

This is such an articulate, beautiful prayer! I've highlighted some of my favorite parts!

"O Lord, Whose power is infinite and wisdom infallible, order things that they may neither hinder, nor discourage me, nor prove obstacles to the progress of Thy cause. Stand between me and all strife, that no evil befall, no sin corrupt my gifts, zeal, attainments. May I follow duty and not any foolish device of my own. Permit me not to labour at work which Thou wilt not bless, that I may serve thee without disgrace or debt. Let me dwell in Thy most secret place under thy shadow, where is safe impenetrable protection from the arrow that flieth by day, the pestilence that walketh in darkness, the strife of tongues, the malice of ill-will, the hurt of unkind talk, the snares of company, the perils of youth, the temptations of middle life, the moumings of old age, the fear of death. I am entirely dependent upon Thee for support, counsel, consolation. Uphold me by Thy free Spirit, and may I not think it enough to be preserved from falling, but may I always go forward, always abounding in the work Thou givest me to do. Strengthen me by Thy Spirit in my inner self for every purpose of my Christian life. All my jewels I give to the shadow of the safety that is in Thee—my name anew in Christ, my body, soul, talents, character, my success, wife, children, friends, work, my present, my future, my end. Take them, they are Thine, and I am thine, now and for ever."

Puritan Prayer of Refuge

Talk to Yourself

Check out this liveblog synopsis of a message called The Troubled Soul: God’s Word and Our Feelings by CJ Mahaney. Here's a brief synopsis of the synopsis. : )

"C.J. highlighted that Psalm 42 is an opportunity to listen in on the internal conversation of the psalmist and to evaluate the content of the ongoing conversation we have with ourselves. This is critical to do, for, “You are more influenced by your internal conversation than anything else” and, “There is a direct relationship between this unending internal conversation and the state of your soul every day.”"

I actually do this when my soul is 'troubled' and it really helps! It really helps for me to talk to myself and remind myself of the promises and comfort of God. A lot of times, though, I let my 'troubled' soul take over. I have to make it a discipline to tell my 'troubled' soul to "hope in God" like the psalmist did.

FYI: There is a link on the liveblog to listen to the entire message.

O God of love, I approach thee

Tim at Challies.com posted the following prayer from The Valley of Vision. I thought it was so beautiful expression of God's greatness and truthful expression of man's inadequacy.

O God of love,
I approach thee with encouragements derived from thy character,
for I am not left to feel after thee in the darkness of my nature,
nor to worship thee as the unknown God.
I cannot find out thy perfections,
but I know thou art good,
ready to forgive, plenteous in mercy.
Thou hast displayed thy wisdom, power, and goodness in all thy works,
and hast revealed thy will in the Scripture of truth.
Thou hast caused it to be preserved, translated, published, multiplied,
so that all men may possess it and find thee in it.
Here I see thy greatness and thy grace,
thy pity and thy rectitude,
thy mercy and thy truth,
thy being and men’s hearts;
Through it thou hast magnified thy name,
and favoured mankind with the gospel.
Have mercy on me,
for I have ungratefully received thy benefits,
little improved my privileges,
made light of spiritual things,
disregarded thy messages,
contended with examples of the good,
rebukes of conscience, admonitions of friends, leadings of providence.
I deserve that thy kingdom be taken away from me.
Lord, I confess my sin with feeling, lamentation, a broken heart,
a contrite spirit, self-abhorrence, self-condemnation, self-despair.
Give me relief by Jesus my hope,
faith in his name of Saviour,
forgiveness by his blood,
strength by his presence,
holiness by his Spirit:
And let me love thee with all my heart.

If you don't know, The Valley of Vision is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. Sovereign Grace Ministries makes a worship CD based on the prayers and I really enjoy the rich lyrics. I also found some Puritan prayers here and really liked the prayer of purification.