Friday, April 25, 2008

Christ Knows


I've always taken comfort in this verse: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are..." (Hebrews 4:15). Hebrews 5:2 says, "He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness". We have such a kind Mediator! Jesus knows how the struggles we face and the burdens we bear. He knows how it feels to be human. It is with this knowledge that we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" Hebrews 4:16). What a great comfort!

I found the following quote at a blog called Of First Importance where each day they post a quote to help their readers "remember what's 'of first importance': the Gospel".

"Christ knows what it is by experience, having felt the anguish of inward troubles, the weight of God’s wrath, and the terrors of a forsaking God, more than any or all the sons of men: this makes him tender over distressed souls." (John Flavel, The Method of Grace)

This part--'Christ knows what it is by experience... the weight of God's wrath, and the terrors of forsaking God'--was especially significant to me because I've never thought of Christ understanding these things as I do. As a sinner, I know what it is to think of God's wrath and to fear the terrors of forsaking God. BUT SO DID JESUS. Because He became sin for me. This makes me feel comforted and yet so humbled. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to earth and struggled in the flesh as I struggle and though He never sinned, He became sin for me and experienced the weight of God's wrath and the terrors of forsaking God for me.

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

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren". Hebrews 2:10-11


It's not about you

Jesus set the standard as total self-denial. In Luke 14:26, a great multitude was following Him and He turned and spoke to them: “If anyone comes to Me” – meaning those who wanted to be His true followers—“and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Self-hate? What a powerful truth! . . . Following Jesus is not about you and me. Being a Christian is not about us; it’s not about our self-esteem. It’s about our being sick of our sin and our desperation for forgiveness. (Hard To Believe, John MacArthur)

(HT: Critical Issues Commentary)

To Be Happy With Him Forever

I posted Question #1 from the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC) recently. You know what I just discovered? An abridged version of the already shortened Shorter Catechism: The Primary Catechism!!

So... rather than (WSC)...
What is the chief end of man?
Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

Westminster Shorter Catechism
...try this from the Primary Catechism!

For what purpose was man made?
Man was made to love and serve God, and to be happy with Him forever.

Primary Catechism
No explanation needed there!!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Neither Swaggering Nor Sniveling

“The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to died for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”

- Timothy Keller, The Reason For God (New York, NY: Dutton, 2008), 181.

(HT: Of First Importance)


Sunday, April 20, 2008

So, I'm pretty proud...

So, I'm definitely proud based on the following signs of pride...

1. Insecurity.
.... Insecurity is the root of many unhealthy and ungodly behaviors. It provokes us to want the lavish praise and attention of others too much. Much of pride is motivated out of one’s unmet need for self-worth. Finding one’s identity and security in Christ is a must to avoid pride.

2. The need to be right. Ever encounter someone who has a hard time being wrong? This is a symptom of pride. The need to be right prevents one from appropriately evaluating issues as well as themselves (Galatians 6:3). A person who needs to be right has an exalted investment in himself or herself and thinks that he/she knows better than others....

3. Being argumentative. Individuals, who argue their point of view, especially to those in authority over them, are allowing pride to get the best of them.... It is appropriate to advocate for a point of view or position but not to do so in such a manner that you are more invested in your opinion than in arriving at a mutual understanding.

4. More invested in being heard than in hearing.
When someone develops a pattern of needing others to listen to them rather than first hearing others, pride is motivating the need.... Oftentimes, the individual does not feel loved or valued unless people "hear them out." In truth, this is often just an expression of insecurity and pride.

5. Anger. Anger is a self-justifying emotion. This means that the nature of anger is to prompt us to justify our position and blame another for the wrongdoing. Justification of self leads to denial of our own complicity or wrongdoing. The scripture warns that the "anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God." (James 1:20). An individual who is angry a lot is suffering from pride.

6. Irritability and impatience.
.... When we are unable to be patient with another and are irritated, it demonstrates a haughty view of self.... This again is more an indication of our pride than someone else’s slow movement or imperfection.

7. Lack of submissive attitude.
Submission is the voluntary placement of oneself under the influence, control or authority of another.... The test of humility and submission is being able to say ‘yes’, maintain a positive attitude and trust God, especially when the decision of your authority goes against your grain or better judgment.

8. Not easily corrected.
Ever work or live with someone who won’t receive any negative or corrective feedback? This too is pride....

9. Receiving correction but not changing. I worked with a man who often would receive my correction and say thank you for the feedback, but would never change. This too is a form of pride. The individual was placating me and people-pleasing me, telling me what I wanted to hear but not really taking the feedback to heart....

10. Needing others to take your advice. .... Advice should always be offered without strings attached. If you find yourself resenting the fact that your advice is not followed, look deeper at the motivating issues in your life.

11. Needing to proclaim your title or degrees.
.... Demanding that others call you ‘doctor’ or ‘pastor’ or ‘bishop’ is usually a way of making you ‘one up’ and them ‘one down’. Once again, pride is fueling the requirement.

12. Being stubborn. Webster’s dictionary defines stubbornness as "unduly determined to exert one’s own will, not easily persuaded and difficult to handle or work, resistant." The root issue of stubbornness is willfulness, which is ‘I want what I want when I want it’. Another name for pride.

13. Comparisons and competition. 2 Corinthians 10:12 makes it clear that comparing oneself with others is unwise. Comparison is a form of competition. It is often overt.... However, it can also be the subtle sin of heart that inwardly grieves when another is more successful or rejoices when another pastor’s ministry enters hard times. The motive of heart is pride. (Unmasking Hidden Pride, Alfred H. Ells)


(HT: Bible.org)

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Human Gospels

I thought these were interesting. The list sort of reminds me of a sermon jam by John Macarthur.

  1. Formalism. “I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do not have the same commitment as I do.”
  1. Legalism. “I live by the rules—rules I create for myself and rules I create for others. I feel good if I can keep my own rules, and I become arrogant and full of contempt when others don’t meet the standards I set for them. There is no joy in my life because there is no grace to be celebrated.”
  1. Mysticism. “I am engaged in the incessant pursuit of an emotional experience with God. I live for the moments when I feel close to him, and I often struggle with discouragement when I don’t feel that way. I may change churches often, too, looking for one that will give me what I’m looking for.”
  1. Activism. “I recognize the missional nature of Christianity and am passionately involved in fixing this broken world. But at the end of the day, my life is more of a defense of what’s right than a joyful pursuit of Christ.”
  1. Biblicism. “I know my Bible inside and out, but I do not let it master me. I have reduced the gospel to a mastery of biblical content and theology, so I am intolerant and critical of those with lesser knowledge.”
  1. Therapism. “I talk a lot about the hurting people in our congregation, and how Christ is the only answer for their hurt. Yet even without realizing it, I have made Christ more Therapist than Savior. I view hurt as a greater problem than sin—and I subtly shift my greatest need from my moral failure to my unmet needs."
  1. “Social-ism.” “The deep fellowship and friendships I find at church have become their own idol. The body of Christ has replaced Christ himself, and the gospel is reduced to a network of fulfilling Christian relationships.” (How People Change, Tim Lane & Paul David Tripp)
(HT: Church Matters, the 9marks blog)

Just for Fun

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) - Alice Nissan

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)- Mint Choco Chip

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)- J Def

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) - Green Koala

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) - Def Je

6. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) - The Blue Ginger Ale

7. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) - Joseph George

8. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) - DeFilippo Dallas

9. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, favorite flower)- Christmas Wildflower

10. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Watermelon Flipfloppy

11. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)- Bagel Oak

12. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) - The Sleeping Rain Tour

Thursday, April 17, 2008

God: A Cosmic Mr. Rogers?

"While falling all over ourselves trying to conceal this 'embarrassing' feature of God's character (the wrath of God), we've sent this signal to our culture: God is infinitely understanding, sympathetic, patient, and sentimental. God is nice! God is a kind of cosmic Mr. Rogers, always ready to greet you with a warm smile and a pleasant word.

Because we have difficulty reconciling wrath with our perception of a loving God, the Church and this culture have sought to create God in their own image. But Scripture makes no apologies concerning the wrath of God. In fact, A.W. Pink notes that there are more references to God's wrath in the Bible than to his love. We probably don't have any of these passages underlined, but perhaps we should. We need to give serious study to the wrath of God."
~C.J. Mahaney
I found this quote at Reformed Voices. It think it is so important to "[n]otice how God is both kind and severe (Romans 11:22, NLT). The author of the quote is C.J. Mahaney. He is the president of Sovereign Grace Ministries and has also authored many books. I highly recommend his book Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing. It's a short book too, so you could probably finish it an afternoon.

Gospel Quotes

I love these quotes on the Gospel. A common theme that ties them all together is this: "[G]ood news cannot be properly understood unless the bad news is fully realized." I found them at Reformed Voices.

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"Men are not turning to Christ because they have no sense of sinning against the Lord. They are not convicted of sin because they don't know what sin is. They have no concept of sin because the law of God is not being preached. You cannot improvise a hasty sop, 'All men have sinned.' You must dwell on the subject at length. Exposit the ten commandments until men are slain thereby [Romans 7:11]. When you see that men have been wounded by the law, then it is time to pour in the balm of Gospel oil. It is the sharp needle of the law that makes way for the scarlet thread of the Gospel." ~Walter Chantry, Today's Gospel Authentic or Synthetic

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"The New Testament continues the testimony to the radical depravity of man. In fact, when Paul seeks to present a systematic argument for the gospel to the Romans, he does not begin with 'Jesus loves you' or 'God has a wonderful plan for your life.' Showing that he would fail almost every evangelism class currently offered in seminaries in our land, Paul begins with a dreadfully long discussion of the universal sinfulness of man. Without a single poem, no funny illustrations or multimedia aids, the inspired Apostle drags on about the sinfulness of men, Jew and Gentile alike. It is no wonder this section is so little preached in our day. But might it just be that good news cannot be properly understood unless the bad news is fully realized? Such would seem to be the case."~James R. White, The Potter's Freedom

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"The cross is not a sign of our great worth, but of our great depravity... that we were so evil that the only way we could be saved is by God's Son being crushed under the full force of the wrath that was due us." ~Paul Washer

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"That's one of the ways in which the self-esteem movement works against the message of the gospel. The prevailing emphasis of our culture is to tell people that what's wrong with them is that they feel bad about themselves. If they will just feel better about themselves, they can be cured of anything.

But the Bible says you'll never feel good about yourself until you learn first to feel bad about yourself. When you realize how bad things really are, then you are in a position to learn how to feel truly good. Then it won't be about you, but about the One who died to forgive your great debt so that you, in turn, can be a debt forgiver to others around you.

Anytime I harbor animosity toward anyone, it is because I have diminished my sense of the debt I owe to the living God."~Alistair Begg

Friday, April 11, 2008

So cute!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Most Glorified

“God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him in the midst of loss, not prosperity.” ~John Piper

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Speaking to Fit the Occasion

I found an excellent article at girl talk on words. Here's a snippet...

First Thessalonians 5:14 is the "dress code" for our words. It tells us what words are appropriate for what occasion. "And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all."

So let's ask ourselves: Does our child need to be admonished or forgiven? Does our friend need to be warned or comforted? Does our husband need to be counseled or encouraged?

...and now that you're interested, you can read the rest of the article here.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness...

11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (NLT)