Put God First

Wishing you..

2011-12-23T23:17:00.000-06:00

A very merry Christmas. Just like theses guys are talking about.

Learning Greek

2011-12-02T13:21:00.000-06:00

Here's a good on-line reverse interlinear bible for...FREE!

http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm

Weight...or not

2011-12-01T06:11:00.001-06:00

Weigh the following statement.

If you're not making much of your justification...your not.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T22:24:00.001-06:00

Oh LORD, sovereign creator of the universe, we now give you thanks. You, you alone are responsible for the blessings that are before us not. You are responsible for all the blessings that followed us this whole year.
In fact all things are given from your hand the obviously good and the apparently bad. You are never not working in our lives. You are ever calling us to find our delight in you. You are the source of everything we have.

You know every heart in this room. I beg you to draw all to you. You have been lifted up and displayed as a payment for our sin. And Sin we have.. If we were to count them they would fill this room and spill out for blocks around. Even in this nation is filled with people who have trampled your name actively or by ignoring it all together. Even we have done this actively by our outright anger, malice and selfishness. And internally, we've done it by our silent pride, covetousness, and discontentedness. Further, we are guilty of ignoring you all together at times.

For these sins and all others, we ask for your grace.
For the time being, you overlook our sins. We thank you for that.
May your kindness bring us to repentance.

And your kindness has been overwhelming to us and for that we thank you.
For these friends and family here today, we thank you.
Not for just one turkey but two, we thank you.
Father, we are here. Our heart is beating, we have oxygen to breath. We thank you.

You have provided our needs. It looks like all these things come from our hands; do we drive the semis to Cub Foods to fill the shelves? Do we plow the interstates so the trucks can travel, Did we lay asphalt and concrete roads? Do we labor in the hot sun to farm vegetables or animals? No, you have worked through all these people.
You have rained blessings down on us. Like Scrooge McDuck we are swimming in prosperity. But we don't even realize it. For this Prosperity I thank, no, WE thank you. MAKE us truly thankful. Not with our lips only but in our hearts. And let us be thankful not in a general sense, but thankful to you, because you are Jehovah Jireh, our provider.

In the name of Jesus, through whom all things come to us. Amen.

Trials and our heart

2011-10-18T19:03:00.000-05:00

Is God so puny as to test us so he could see our heart? No, we are so puny as to need God to reveal our hearts to us. For we cannot see them on our own.

On miracles

2011-10-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

"It is because we live in a universe governed by uniform laws that we are able to detect when God has intervened."

Michael Ramsden - Desiring God 2011 National Conference @32:00 (but listen to the whole message)

There's only to options...

2011-09-15T08:52:00.001-05:00

An impersonal powerful force that made everything come into existence.
-or-
a personal powerful force that made everything come into existence.

So, you want more fruit and a better life?

2011-09-10T17:26:00.000-05:00

The only person that will love people is the person who loves God above all else" -a very hack paraphrase of a Paul Tripp quote

"The secret of the gospel is that we actually do more when we hear less about all we need to do for God and hear more about all that God has already done for us.” -Kevin DeYoung

Results of temptation

2011-09-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

What is our temptation and failure saying to us? "Look to God."
What is Jesus' temptation and success saying? "I am God, look to me."

Every parent knows

2011-06-14T11:08:00.003-05:00

I just talked with Dan about a project he wants me to work on here at the bank. I mentioned that Mariah didn't want to put her clothes away "'cause I'm at a really good part in this book" He said, "at least she's not plugged in and tuning you out."

Why is it that every parent knows that reading is better than being plugged into an iPod?

Which is it with you?

2011-05-15T13:25:00.001-05:00

God's goodness: It doesn't make it so because I sing about it, but since it is so, I sing about it.

Why I like winter

2011-03-29T08:08:00.001-05:00

Winter is on its deathbed

and we are the sole inheritor of his gift of Spring.

What is revival anyway?

2011-03-17T09:35:00.000-05:00

"I recently preached at Three Rivers Baptist Church in Columbia S.C. Prior to the service I met with the elders for prayer. We got down on our knees and I have never heard such prayers from laypersons extolling the majesty of God. They explained to me that their pastor had experienced an awakening to God’s majesty and it had gone through the congregation like wildfire."

Full article here: http://www.reformationtheology.com/2010/10/interview_dr_r_c_sproul_and_th_1.php

Absurd?

2011-03-15T12:54:00.001-05:00

Hell, wrath, salvation, propitiation...absurd?

Unfathomable...yes.

Impossible?

2011-03-14T12:27:00.002-05:00

Him:

"Impossible, God guides each and every electron in a customized path around its nucleus? In all the universe? Come'on!"

Me:

Well, I agree that you or me...impossible, we can't do that. But God? How about if we agree on the term unfathomable instead?

O, redeem us from ourselves.

2010-10-20T09:46:00.005-05:00

Three must reads... Read them in order.

The problem: the amount of time spent on Facebook games here.

Seth talks about people not reading here.

I agree with Seth that we need to stop wasting our lives, but for what purpose?

Though not his intention, Michael Oh answers the question here.

What's revival anyway?

2010-09-28T13:23:00.002-05:00

I've always wondered what revival looked like.

I have a better idea after reading Doug's exhortation (especially the last paragraph)

Just give me the Kingdom

2010-09-16T13:01:00.003-05:00

Why not rob or steal?

Because all the money in the world wouldn't give me what I want to get, 'cause I want the Kingdom of Heaven.

So...

When you do steal, fudge, sin, --or whatever you call it-- what are you trying to get?

2010-09-01T09:46:00.003-05:00

Could it be that God will answer your struggle through a brother? Is his answer always direct to you Lone Ranger?

Insight from the DG blog

Your car is broke

2010-05-07T11:03:00.000-05:00

God, your car is broke. Now what?

2010-05-03T08:41:00.001-05:00

Just had to put this one out there from Doug.

In order to offer someone a financial reward without him working for it, the government must first ensure that somebody else works for a financial reward without getting it. There is no other way.

VB.net fighter verse app part 2.

2010-02-19T13:48:00.003-06:00

VB fighter verse app. enhanced to read from a file. Further enhancements later.

Sub Main()

Dim s As String
Dim y As ConsoleKeyInfo
Dim ary() As String

'Reads stuff from a file
Dim FileA As New System.IO.FileInfo("Verse.txt")
Dim FileReader As New System.IO.StreamReader("verse.txt")

If FileA.Exists Then
s = CStr(FileReader.ReadToEnd)
Console.WriteLine(" Loaded")

Else

Console.WriteLine("File doesn't exist, but I'll create it")
Dim a As System.IO.FileStream = FileA.Create
a.Close()
s = "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets..."

End If

ary = s.Split()

For Each x In ary
Do
y = Console.ReadKey(True)

Select Case y.Key

Case ConsoleKey.Escape
Exit For

Case ConsoleKey.Spacebar
Exit Do

End Select
Loop Until x(0).ToString.ToLower = y.Key.ToString.ToLower

Console.WriteLine(x)
Next

Console.WriteLine()
Console.WriteLine(" Finished, press a key")
Console.ReadKey()

End Sub

Fighter Verses...VB console style.

2010-02-17T14:36:00.002-06:00

Paste the following into a VB.net console module and run. It's quick and dirty, later I'll work on enhancements.

Dim s As String
Dim y As ConsoleKeyInfo
Dim ary() As String

s = "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets..."

ary = s.Split()

For Each x In ary
Do
y = Console.ReadKey(True)

Select y.Key

Case ConsoleKey.Escape
Exit For

Case ConsoleKey.Spacebar
Exit Do

End Select
Loop Until x(0).ToString.ToLower = y.Key.ToString.ToLower

Console.WriteLine(x)
Next

Console.WriteLine()
Console.WriteLine(" Finished, press a key")
Console.ReadKey()

He's looking for these kind of people

2009-12-11T12:45:00.002-06:00

Just a thing for me to remember.

"When we read the Bible, we ought to not only get something meaningful out of it, but we ought to respond to it…and when Christ is centered in the text, then our response becomes worship."

From Jonathan Woodward.

2009-12-03T12:56:00.002-06:00

Just a thought regarding the following...

Fed policy makers said for the first time last month that their decision to cut interest rates to zero may be fueling undue financial-market speculation...
(Link)

If the Fed is charging zero interest, how are they making any money?

Writing tips

2009-12-01T16:14:00.004-06:00

I got these tips from my friend Laurence when we were talking about writing. They were given to him by a teacher in high school.

1) He who casts to write a living line must sweat
2) Make your writing clean as bone
3) Remember the power of suggestion
4) Remember the power of short sentences

Thanks Laurence.

Reverse Engineering (just interesting)

2009-06-17T15:30:00.002-05:00

For the last 3 weeks, I've been writing a lot of computer code. (That's part of my job)

Today I needed to get the computer to do something I had never done before. I downloaded a sample of computer code from the internet that does exactly what I want and then some.

You say "what does this have to do with God?"

I wouldn't use the code the way it was. I needed to understand what it was doing and scale it back.

So I did a bit of reverse engineering. I made connections between IFs and THENs and drawing lines here and there. As I'm picking through the words getting to the core of how this ticks it dawned on me that I'm doing exegesis.

Cool.

A good pair

2009-06-15T10:54:00.001-05:00

Two posts that are greater than the sum of their parts.

Read this first.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/06/you-matter.html

(Be great)

Then this.

http://www.dougwils.com/index.asp?Action=Anchor&CategoryID=1&BlogID=6653

(how do you want to be great)

Frenzied, Shallow Life

2009-05-21T15:04:00.000-05:00

What is the greatest hindrance to cultivating community in the American church?

The first thing that comes to mind is frenetic western-culture busyness...

...We have families that will show up at our church on Sunday morning with the boys dressed in their little league outfits, and I know what's going to happen. They're going to leave the service early. Now what a value message to that little boy! Do I think little league is bad? I don't think it's bad at all. I think it's great. But they're telling him what's important as they do that.

-Paul Tripp

In addition to showing that child what's important, it's saying "You can have it all, without discriminating."
Doesn't this make life more shallow and mediocre?

Any bait being used on you?

2009-05-15T13:23:00.002-05:00

I love the Bible. I see more that I love the Bible when God reveals how it applies to my life.
Behold, the story of Jacob and Leah. (she's the the "Switch" in Bait-and-Switch) Ask yourself: What bait am I after?

"No matter what your hopes for a project, no matter what your hopes for marriage, no matter what your hopes for love, no matter what your hopes for a career, no matter what you have hopes in, in the morning it will always be LeahNo matter what your hopes for a project, no matter what your hopes for marriage, no matter what your hopes for love, no matter what your hopes for a career, no matter what you have hopes in, in the morning it will always be Leah"

Tim Keller,
The Girl nobody wanted

Do we follow?

2009-04-10T09:07:00.001-05:00

My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me

John 10:27

Do we follow like these sheep?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw

Must remember this

2009-03-12T12:09:00.005-05:00

The following two posts I reference bring life and problems into focus and I must not forget the truth in them.

From Nouthetic.org

The word torah (usually translated “law”) means to thrust out the finger (thus pointing the way). Like many Hebrew terms, it is a picturesque word. It has to do with pointing in the direction that God would have you go.

God is not One to allow us sinners to decide which course of life we should pursue. He knows we’d go astray. So, He laid it out in plain terms in His Word and then points us to the way He designated—again, in the Scriptures.

From the beginning to the end, the Scriptures are to be the Christian’s guide to life. How is it that a believer fails to do know the will of God in any given situation? He doesn’t know because he doesn’t know the Scriptures.

How is it that he gets into serious difficulties that he might otherwise have avoided? He failed either to see or to obey the finger of God pointing to peace and safety.

How is it that a Christian girl marries a non-Christian boy and their marriage becomes a near hell on earth? She failed to heed the finger pointing in the opposite direction.

In other words, while God has pointed out the way for us to go, we ignore His gracious directions. It is no wonder, then, that we soon find ourselves in the soup!

If only we were always to observe, rather than turn away from the Bible finger that gives such clear directions, we would live in inner peace and joy.

But, sadly, we often wake up too soon. Yet, think a moment, even when you find yourself swimming in the soup—doesn’t the finger continue to point?

Of course it does. It points to confession repentance and forgiveness.

Takeaway: 1) Trust with all your power in Grace. 2) Cling tenaciously to the scriptures for guidance.

From DesiringGod.org

Be joyfully, brokenheartedly, shaped by the death of Christ for you.

Do you both feel the fearfulness of how the death of Christ witnesses to your unspeakable unworthiness to be loved—that it took this much suffering and indignity to the Son of God for you to be saved. And do you both feel the wonder of being forgiven owing to nothing in you?

If you do, it will profoundly shape your patience with each other's shortcomings (which you will find to be more than you ever dreamed).

Get really clear the meaning of headship and submission.

Husband, tremble at the implications of Ephesians 5:25-30.

Wife, tremble at the implications of Ephesians 5:21-24.

Understand this and glory in the greatness of the calling to be married for the sake of showing the world the covenant faithfulness between Christ and his church.

Takeaway: Seeing the breathtaking sacrifice and love of Christ for me will revolutionize my marriage.

Please God may it be, may it be so.

Mercy, Contempt and Pity

2009-03-04T12:52:00.002-06:00

Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me O God...

In small group we discussed contempt vs. pity. Pity came out to be feeling sorry for another. Contempt came out to be a feeling superiority. True enough.

In the telling of the parables in Luke 15 you can feel the contempt of the pharisees contrasted with the pity of the father in parable of the lost son. The father's mercy points out God's immense mercy (pity) toward us.

But consider, shouldn't God feel contempt toward us. He, after all, IS superior to us.

Oppressed? Me too.

2009-02-11T13:37:00.005-06:00

Have you ever been oppressed? I have been or even now am. I'm weighed down by my uncherishing, critical and sin-finding attitude toward my wife. Each time I find myself thinking on those things I stop myself and wonder how I got down that road. I'm distraught that I keep going down that rutted road.

Here's something that might help

Listen carefully, you who are oppressed by the devil - or some day may be. That is, everyone. Get blunt and courageous and tough with the devil. Did you hear what Stott said? You can challenge the demonic hosts of the universe: "Satan! Whom do you put forward to condemn me?" Get in Satan’s face and state your case with authority. Tell him four things and bid him go. "Christ died for me. Christ was raised from the dead for me. And Christ is at the all-seeing, all-powerful, all-ruling right hand of God for me, and Christ is interceding for me with almighty God. Be gone little, created, dependent, defeated, ruled devil! And hear this little devil! If you kill me - which almighty God may let you do - in that moment, my soul is freed (I win), your misery is multiplied (you lose), and thousands follow behind me blessed with my blood."
Piper, on the all conquering love of Christ.

Be gone little devil. Christ Died for me. He was raised from the dead for me. He is at the is at the all-seeing, all-powerful, all-ruling right hand of God for me. He is interceding for me with almighty God.

Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you.

Trust in his goodness

2009-01-21T13:14:00.002-06:00

I’ve been a real doubter. I know. Why is it that I doubt God? I was thinking petty yesterday. “God, I want to go to that TBI seminar on Friday. It would be really good for the family too. I know we have something planned….” I struggled in my mind on ways I could manipulate the situation. I was spinning and grasping. I stopped, thought and gave up all in one second. “Doesn’t God know about the benefits of that seminar, he’s more interested in my good than I am.” I was doubting Him. I had great confidence in MY view of the situation. In the quote following, he’s talking about doubting your faith, but doesn’t it apply?

“Doubt your despairing thoughts. Whence this great confidence you have in your damnation? A little skepticism is in order here. Who do you think you are making final declarations about your soul that lie hidden in the secrets of the Almighty? No. No. Renounce such confidence. If you have no ability for faith in the love of God for you, make no more such great pretenses to have such certainty of faith in your damnation. This is not yours to know. Rather, yours is to listen to Jesus.”
William Cowper though it’s been attributed to John Piper.

Is marriage what you think?

2008-12-12T15:51:00.005-06:00

What's you reason for marriage? For Love; to fulfill your dreams? What's your reason for having children? I know a lot of disillusioned parents struggling with wayward children. This applies to those situations too.

Why would God put the most significant, demanding, and difficult human relationship (marriage) smack dab in the middle of the worlds most important process (sanctification)? If he did it so that people would realize their individual dreams, it would have made sense to get them fully sanctified before facing the trials of marriage. But God hasn't made a mistake. He's working on a greater dream, so he tries and troubles us. He lets our dreams slip through our fingers so that as we learn to love each other, we grow more deeply in love with him.
Pg 185 Instruments in the redeemers hands

If I can re-phrase... Why are we always hassled in relationships? We never get what we want. It shows us it's not about getting our own way. It's about something much bigger, namely, loving each other and pursuing His glory.

Response of testing

2008-12-02T10:21:00.001-06:00

Dave Harvey tells of Lalani in Sri Lanka. Her church's thatched roof was burned in an act of percecution. In other words, a test from a soverign God. What do you suppose her response is and what does it reveal?

Let me tell you of another test. God gives me one of those "musts"...

What do you suppose my response is? Get all mopey and depressed. That's my faithful response to an all knowing compassionate God.

Lalani's response "Well God must want to give us a metal roof"

Knowing God through the creation

2008-11-26T13:01:00.001-06:00

In response to the people who say "I know God because I see him in creation."

If God is seen in his creation, (yes, his works are seen) does everyone that sees his creation know him? They may know that there's a God, but do they really know him? No.

How then can people see him?

Assuming we know God through the revelation of the Word, we have to use their native language to declare what he requires and what he has done. We've seen he exists, now we declare the Word.

The high price of sin

2008-11-21T08:00:00.002-06:00

In the words of Tim Cain, "The price paid for forgiveness shows us how bad our sin really is"

The old Testament guides us in the payment for a sin against another person.

Exodus 21:24,25 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Are both of those things true? Then, for a disparaging word against something infinitely valuable, how bad is that "sin" and what is the cost of forgiveness?

Tips or Truth

2008-11-10T12:46:00.004-06:00

I've been reading a number of books lately. Tale of Two Sons, Instruments in the redeemer's hands and In search of Sacred Places. Along the way, I've been keeping a notebook of new insights prompted by those.

One thought just struck me. "In my notes, do I write down tips and techniques for life, or objective facts of what Christ did and how beautiful he is?" Can I overflow grace to people around me by having a quiver of techniques to use?

I look back over the last few pages. "people don't force us to be angry"; "desires preceed, determine and characterize everything we do." Hmm.

How is it with you? Are you filling yourself with tips and techniques to cope with life? Are you focusing on the Glory of God. Letting what you see there change your heart?

As Tim Cain puts it. Let's let the Glory of God so enamor us that changes us and overflows in our words to our Brothers. Then it will come out naturally to everyone around us.

"Warrior King, do not rest until

we are captive only to you.

Fight for the thoughts and desires of our hearts"

A test

2008-09-17T12:26:00.002-05:00

God tests us not for his benefit --doesn't he already know how we will respond? His test is to reveal in us and to us. In regards to the "musts" that happen in our life --the hard things that he ordains. How do we respond when we run up against a hard thing? Do we trust him?

For further thoughts...

Innocent

2008-08-07T13:10:00.003-05:00

A quote worth considering from The White Horse Inn broadcast of July 6th, 2008

"[Little] children only look innocent because they are physically unable to sin." 7m:30s

2008-06-12T13:33:00.002-05:00

The ransom of a man's life is his wealth,
but a poor man hears no threat.
Proverbs 13.8

Jesus is this man's ransom, therefore also his wealth.

Jesus be my treasure and my ransom both.

Threats will surely come...
I was just interrupted as I was writing this. I found out one of my co-workers has cancer. This is a threat. Where's her ransom?
O God, that I would have a chance to share my treasure with her so it can become her ransom.

Providential, see also DG blog for today.

I'm...very...icky

2008-05-15T13:56:00.005-05:00

Pastor John brought to my mind today the thief on the cross. Intersect that with a sermon I was listening to on the parable of the angry vineyard workers.

The following situation has no real basis in scripture, but God has revealed my heart through it.

I saw in my mind The Last Day. God says to the thief who was on the cross "Come sit at my right hand." Not just "I suppose you can be included into Heaven." but, "Sit here at the highest place of honor." He's a death bed conversion going right to the front of the line. Why not Peter, or Paul or someone like that? What an injustice!

My heart says it's not fair. He didn't DO anything to deserve it. It shows how deeply rooted my love for works righteousness really is. Even further, my hate for God's grace to others. Ick! How can I say I resent his grace?

In comes the parable of the vineyard workers. Matthew 20:15 "Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?"

Yes God, Yes you are allowed to do what you want. God, forgive my begrudging attitude. Here I am falling on that grace that I despise.

-Mark

Can you say?

2008-04-25T23:06:00.007-05:00

...how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Corinthians 15.12)

Apparently some people within years of Jesus' life didn't believe he rose from the dead. Even more, they think that after this life comes...nothing. Paul argues there IS a life after death. He uses physical witnesses. "If you don't believe me, here's nearly 500 people that will attest to the resurrection."

I'm better than those Corinthians. I DO believe in the resurrection. My words say so. BUT does my life?
I'm pointed back to Matthew 6.33 "seek first the kingdom of God..." Oh, that I would PURSUE believing the resurrection with life and death seriousness so my life would be transformed. I can't do that. God, would you?

Grace through the bible

2008-04-07T12:42:00.003-05:00

I was naked, He clothed me. (Adam and Eve, Genesis 3)
I was about to be drowned, He rescued me (Noah, Genesis 7)
I was about to be consumed, He interceded for me (Lot, Genesis 19)
I had no offspring, He made it happen. (Abraham, Genesis 21)
I was about to starve, He preserved me (Israel, Genesis 50)
I was in slavery, He rescued me (Israel, Exodus)

I was to face Wrath, You propitiated for me.

Modern Day Sacramentalism

2008-03-31T12:44:00.005-05:00

Prompted by Paul Washer, I've been thinking about his comments on "easy believeism"
In the old days and even while I was growing up the attitude was "I was baptized, I was confirmed, of course I'm saved" How does that differ from today's attitude of "Yeah, when I was 5 my Mom sat down with me and I followed her words and asked Jesus in to my heart. Of course I'm saved. This is a modern day sacramentalism.

Somehow the WORDS I speak save me?

Who does 1 John say is saved?

Whoever abides in Christ
Non brother hater
Non world lover
Listener (presumably to the scriptures)
Commandments not burdensome
Not keep on sinning

Where's the talker in this list?

The True Gospel

2008-02-27T10:21:00.004-06:00

Prompted from reading Seth's blog. He's talking about friends, true friends.

"... I'm not much inclined to do a heroic favor for a friend of a friend of a friend. As a result, because it feels icky to say 'no', I don't hang out in the networking sites.

On the other hand, that guy who saved my life once, he can ask for just about anything and not only will I oblige, it will delight me to do so."

This is the Gospel.

Who's "that guy" in your life?

Seth Godin's Blog

Priorities

2008-01-15T08:44:00.000-06:00

"Chances are good that as the date for your departure nears, you will become more purposeful about your time. You will say NO to things you'd normally say yes to."

Time Traps
Page 6

Response to Heart Disease?

2007-12-13T13:31:00.000-06:00

Ezekiel 16:20 And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

If you discovered you you had heart disease, what would your immediate response be. "I have to change my life style...I'll do it gradually, over a number of years?"

If you discovered your children were being devoured, what would be your response be?

2007-09-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

What's the difference between preaching Righteousness and preaching Morality?

A thought prompted by Blog and Mablog 9/14/07

True worship

2007-07-10T14:00:00.001-05:00

We were created and saved for the sole purpose of bringing glory to God. True worship recognizes that I am for Him. I breathe for Him. I live for Him. I spend my life for Him. The essence of worship is proclaiming God’s rightful worth and position. It’s one of the reasons why we go to church: to sweep out the peripherals that have crowded God out of His central place in our lives.

So much of what passes for worship these days misses that mark. Worship is not about me-what God does for me and how He benefits me. Worship is not singing, “Hold me close, let Your love surround me, bring me near . . .” An element of testimony is fine, but worship is singing to God.

Quoted directly from Walk in the Word 7/10/07

Attack

2007-03-01T16:14:00.000-06:00

Ever get the feeling this life is about contending

Things are contending for your dollars.
Activities are contending for your time.
Food is contending for your calorie quota.
Needs are contending for your prayer time.

Remember This

2006-10-26T13:01:00.000-05:00

In adversity: Jesus is better than what I lose
In prosperity: Jesus is better than what I gain
Christ as treasure.

From John Piper

Notice: God searches our heart

2006-06-23T13:47:00.000-05:00

There’s not a single thought that you have thought ever during the course of your life that wasn’t intimately scrutinized by him…Oh, my goodness this is serious.

Don Green GraceLife

Which is it?

2006-05-11T11:59:00.000-05:00

Thoughts on an article in Journal of Biblical Counseling Spring 2005
5/11/06

Concerning desires…

Desires are most often unruly, disorderly, inordinate affections for XYZ, a good thing that I insanely need. Sometimes they are natural affections for xyz, made sane and orderly by subordination to passionate love for God that claims my heart, soul, mind and might.

Look at your passion today. Which is it: an insane need or a subordinated natural affection?

Grudem Sermon

2006-03-20T12:27:00.000-06:00

Notes on Wayne Grudem
3/19/06

Ephesians  5:18
  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

The context is shown in 1.4  which is: Not only have our sins been forgiven, but our life should be changed.  We should be imitators of Christ.

Eph 5.15-17  Paul wants us to be wise

On being filled:  this is a present imperative.  Be filled continually.  If you were drunk (filled with wine) yesterday, today you’d be sober.

Filled is the immediate presence of God.  You are going to desire what he desires,  Know what he knows,  Pray…speak...do…feel…  what he Prays, speaks, does, feels

Was there ever a time when you were filled?   Things like:  You just ran into the right people?
Seemingly chance circumstances?  An example of being filled.  Then what happened?  You just started living your life.  You got busy with life things.

How can we change?

Like with wine,  we have to do something.  It’s a command “be filled” If it’s a command, we must be able to do something.  It’s not automatic.  The Spirit is a person.

Six things you can “do”

- ASK
See Luke 11.13

Continued….

Put Right in God's Sight.

2006-01-01T13:54:00.000-06:00

Romans 3:20
For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.

“People say to me isn’t it a great mystery that people will end up in hell.
While it is a great sadness and a cause for great intellectual examination but let me give you a harder one isn’t it a great mystery that anyone would end up in heaven?
“Anybody good enough to go?
Anybody met all the demands?
Kept all the laws?
Filled all the obligations?”

Alistar Begg Truth for Life Broadcast 12/22/05

Our destiny.

2005-12-31T13:48:00.000-06:00

“When a monk dies, we bury him in our courtyard cemetery. Because space is limited, we dig up the body three months later and put the bones in here.”
“But why?” Someone asked.
“It is our tradition.  The bones are a constant symbol of our temporal existence, reminding us of our insignificance here at the foot of Mt Sinai. We know our bones will be thrown on that pile with the others.  It helps us keep our eyes off ourselves and on God.”

Comments of a Monk referring to the skulls kept at the chapel St.Triphone near Mt. Sinai
Robert Cornuke Relic Quest Page 26

Take off your shoes and socks.  Look at that big toe.
One day soon, it will have a tag on it with your name.
Your spirit will be gone from your body.
What then?  http://www.wayofthemaster.com

Regrets

2005-12-19T09:54:00.000-06:00

When Judgment Day comes, we will regret the waste of a single moment not used for the glory of Christ. We will, however, not regret one moment spent diligently studying God’s word and hiding it in our heart. We will only wish we’d spent more moments doing this.

Andrew M. Davis

Doctrine

2005-12-15T13:21:00.000-06:00

…doctrine is practical. In fact, nothing is more practical than sound doctrine, because there's ultimately no basis for godly behavior apart from the truth of God's Word.

John MacArthur

Grace!

2005-11-28T06:11:00.000-06:00

If you should perish in hell, blame yourself, as it is entirely your fault,
But if you should make it to heaven, credit God for that is entirely his work. To him alone belong all praise and glory for salvation is all of grace from start to finish.

C.J. Mahaney on Sovereign Grace 10/9/05

How wonderful?

2005-11-19T14:11:00.000-06:00

How often do you linger over the promises of Christ? Does he seem more wonderful than winning the power ball jackpot..?

11/17/05 Desiring God broadcast.

Deadly Calamity.

2005-10-22T08:12:00.000-05:00

It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin."
Jeremiah 36.3

The point of every deadly calamity is this: Repent. Let our hearts be broken that God means so little to us. Grieve that he is a whipping boy to be blamed for pain, but not praised for pleasure. Lament that he makes headlines only when man mocks his power, but no headlines for ten thousand days of wrath withheld. Let us rend our hearts that we love life more than we love Jesus Christ. Let us cast ourselves on the mercy of our Maker. He offers it through the death and resurrection of his Son.

John Piper January 5, 2005

What if?

2005-10-18T14:46:00.000-05:00

What if the life that we pursue came from a hunger for the truth?
What if the family turned to Jesus, stopped asking Oprah what to do?

Casting Crowns What if his People Prayed

Sin Blame Game

2005-10-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

How do people become so reprobate? Ephesians 4:19 says they "have given themselves over" to it. They made a constant, willful choice. And a choice made often becomes a habit. One's habits reap one's personality, one's personality reaps one's character, and one's character reaps one's destiny. It all begins with a series of choices. Sin is something you can't blame on anyone but yourself.

http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sg1929.htm

Hymn picky

2005-10-01T09:11:00.000-05:00

I didn’t like those hymns.
Sorry I didn’t pick them for you.
I picked them for the Lord Jesus Christ because they exalt his name.

Mike Abendroth 10/29/05

Treasuring something above your savior?

2005-09-30T13:37:00.000-05:00

Christ did not die for sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people, who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It’s a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we do not want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel.
-John Piper from God is the Gospel

Aching saints

2005-09-28T15:12:00.000-05:00

…I have received a steady stream of testimonies from aching saints who say in so many words, “Our pastor doesn’t proclaim to us what the Bible says and means. The messages are not revelations of the glory of Christ. They are advice-talks with a religious twist.”

John Piper 9/28/05

Savior of all

2005-09-22T12:39:00.000-05:00

…God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
God saves all men from the death they constantly deserve.  Just as rain falls on the just and unjust.  [But] He does a special saving work in those who believe.

  John Macarthur message from Bethlehem Bible Church 1999

Key to your first love

2005-09-15T10:19:00.000-05:00

The key to returning to your first love of Christ:
Realize that God is no longer our chief desire and confessing that. We’re no longer consumed with him. Our pursuit of God has just gotten pedestrian.
-- Message from Rock Valley Bible Church 7/3/05

Katrina: Wake up! Sin is like this!

2005-09-14T08:35:00.000-05:00

Something to think about.

Oh, that we could all see and feel how repugnant, how offensive, how abominable it is to blackball our Maker, to ignore him and distrust him and demean him and give him less attention in our hearts than we do the carpet on our living room floor. We must see this, or we will not turn to Christ for salvation from sin. Therefore, God mercifully shouts to us in our sicknesses and pain and calamities: Wake up! Sin is like this! Sin leads to things like this. (See Revelation 9:20; 16:9, 11.) The natural world is shot through with horrors to wake us from the dreamworld of thinking sin is no big deal.

It is a horrifically big deal.

John Piper 9/11/05

What glory?

2005-09-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

What glory would it bring God, if we could be saved other than thorough him?