Wednesday Morning Prayer
April 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
The fellowship of Your people is a great blessing, Father, and one that brings You great glory. This is what Jesus prayed for before His death, that we would be one, in order that you might be known for who You are. Yet unity among Your people is a rare blessing. Factions, quarrels, unforgiveness corrupt the bond that Your people ought to share. Grant us peace, Father, and unity that bears witness to the unsearchable love of Christ.
His Forever
April 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Not much to write at this moment, and several things on my plate to take care of over the next couple of days, so here are some song lyrics that I’ve been pondering. They’re from a song called His Forever, put out by Sovereign Grace Ministries:
Jesus, friend of sinners
Loved me ’ere I knew Him
Drew me with His cords of love
Tightly bound me to Him
’Round my heart still closely twined
The ties that none can sever
For I am His and He is mine
Forever and forever
Jesus, friend of sinners
A crown of thorns You wore for me
Bruised for my transgressions
Pierced for my iniquities
The wrath of God that I deserved
Was poured out on the Innocent
He took my place, my soul to save
Now I am His forever
Jesus, friend of sinners
I love to tell the story
Redeeming love has been my theme
And will be when in glory
Not death nor life nor anything
Can ever separate me
O love that will not let me go
Yes, I am His forever
End of the Ordinary
April 24, 2007 | 2 Comments
Joe,
I think you will be blessed by this short article from the World Magazine website.
“The comfort of the ordinary lulls us to a mañana state of mind,” writes Andree Seu. “Then comes Columbine and we are shaken out of it for a week. Then comes Virginia Tech eight years later like the delayed aftershock of an earthquake. The Maker is breaking the beguilement of the ordinary and calling our attention upward.”
Our lives are a vapor, and we ought not to presume that we have another day. It is a sad commentary on my indwelling corruption that it takes the murder of 32 people on a college campus to realize that I ought to send my wife off to work each morning with a hug and a kiss that lets her know how deeply I love her, just in case it’s the last time I ever see her in this life.
May God help us to number our days rightly, that we might make the most of our ever-so-short time on this earth.
Larry
Tuesday Morning Prayer
April 24, 2007 | Leave a Comment
“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24)
What frightening words these ought to be, Father. You are a consuming fire, and will destroy all adversaries who have not ascribed to You the glory that You are worthy of. You are a jealous God, eager to get glory from all Your creatures, and warning us that eternal judgment is coming to all who love other things more than You. Help us to feel the weight of our sin, Lord. Open our eyes, that we might see how badly we have desecrated Your Law, and experience true brokenness over our sin. And when we have seen how Your anger is aroused against us, help us to marvel afresh at the glorious cross of our Lord Jesus, where Your wrath was absorbed by Him who had no sin, so that in Him we might be clothed in His righteousness. We praise You, that Your jealousy for Your glory is also accompanied by mercy toward those who have belittled Your glory.
New Stuff from DG
April 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I am often thankful to God for the generosity of Desiring God in their commitment to not allow money to be an obstacle to accomplishing their mission of spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.
A couple of new ways in which DG has made that generosity evident:
The audio from the regional conference in Portland is now available for free at the DG site. The theme was Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ.
The audio of every message from all twenty years of the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors is also available for free, a total of 137 messages by a variety of speakers on a variety of topics. What a wealth of spiritual food for pastors and leaders is to be found here!
Many thanks to DG for their sacrificial way of spreading their passion around the world.
Larry
Clay Pots in God’s Service
April 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Thanks for your short reflections on the quote from Wesley that I shared yesterday. I do think it was a record for you in terms of shortest post!
I was especially struck by your comments on the wonder of God’s using weak and fallible people like us to accomplish His sovereign purposes. That is something I was especially struck by over the weekend, especially on Saturday night. As I wrote yesterday, I cannot recall a time when I has as much joy in preaching as I did on Saturday night from 2 Corinthians 4:4-6. After the message we had a sweet time in worship through song for about an hour. I know that the impression that the Word of God made on people was a big catalyst in the passion and joy that we experienced in singing.
As the night ended and I went to sleep, I couldn’t help but think how the Lord had used me in stirring His people to a wonderful time of worship. And therein lies a great threat to pride. For if I had begun to think that it was because of my preaching that the night was blessed, I would be making a profound and arrogant mistake.
So when I got home yesterday, I was very refreshed to read this quote on Josh Harris’ blog. It is a quote from J.I. Packer in his book, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God:
“…the Christian must never for one moment imagine himself to be indispensable to God, or allow himself to behave as if he were. The God who sent him, and is pleased to work with him, can do without him.”
Harris adds his thoughts:
“Let’s work as unto the Lord. But let’s not believe, even for a nanosecond, that the success and accomplishment of God’s agenda depends on us. He’s pleased to use us, and that is more than amazing. But…God’s plan is going to march forward even if you and I drop dead later today.”
Amen, Josh. It is a profound blessing to be used of God to stir His people into a greater enjoyment of His manifold perfections. But God forbid that we should ever think that we are indispensable in the fulfillment of God’s purposes. Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3). And if I never preach a sermon again, God’s glory will be hindered in absolutely no way.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7
Short Commentary
April 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
I am definitely glad to hear that the Lord granted much grace this weekend. I knew He would in answer to prayer! He was also granted much grace on my end as well.
As for the quote on Wesley, I did read that post by Tim Challies. After reading that quote again, I couldn’t help but think to myself what discipline it takes not to become overly angry with that sermon. And I do say overly angry because I do think a degree of righteous anger is warranted by that work. If you have read it, you can clearly see the divisive and arrogant spirit with which it was said. It was glib and shallow–certainly unbecoming of a man of Wesley’s stature. In all honesty, that sermon in and of itself made me lose an incredible amount of respect for the man. Iain Murray’s biographical work did to some degree restore respect, but I have to tell you, anyone who could preach that sermon in their prime (particularly against a man like Whitefield–who was very gracious), definitely was struggling with some serious arrogance.
Saying all that, however, this is yet another lesson for us, yet another example of the way in which the Lord uses fallible men to build His indestructible kingdom. All of us are weak. We all have our blindspots. For this reason, Christ Jesus is indeed our only hope. And for that we will be eternally grateful!
I have a quote to share sometime later, but that is enough for now. It is always good to end on thoughts concerning the Savior.
Thankful for His mercy,
Joe
Monday Morning Prayer
April 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment
“This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)
The gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and few find it (Matthew 7:14). Help us, Father, to walk through that narrow gate down the Calvary Road of affliction. Hardship is something we simply cannot escape in this life. ‘Through many afflictions we must enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). But even in the midst of pain, there is hope. The illness of Jesus’ friend Lazarus was not to end in death. He was afflicted for Your glory, so that Jesus would be glorified through the pain. Help us, Father, to cling closely to the hope that You can use our present sufferings to work a weight of glory in our lives that far surpasses all the pain. We may not always understand the bitter providences of life, but by grace, fill us with hope that You are good and that You always do good to Your people. Place in our hearts such a deep love for Christ, that we would be willing to embrace the pain, if that is what would lead to the hallowing of Your precious name.
Sunday Quote
April 22, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
I trust the Lord showed Himself powerful through you this morning in your preaching. Thanks for praying for us. I’ve got to say that last night’s message on the light of the Gospel shining in our hearts was one of the sweetest times of worship I have ever experienced. I can’t pinpoint exactly why this time was so special, but I finished my message last night with the distinct feeling of God’s pleasure. May the Lord give us many more such times!
Anyway, here is a quote that I read on Challies’ website the other day, from a biographer of John Wesley. I thought it connected well with what we had written about earlier in the week with regard to understanding those who disagree with us and treating their viewpoints charitably. The biographer is commenting on a sermon Wesley preached called Free Grace, in which he spoke in opposition to the doctrine of unconditional election. Here’s the quote:
There is in it something of that provoking glibness with which young or half-cultivated people settle in a few sentences questions that have exercised the deepest minds ever since the dawn of speculation. Wesley was neither young nor uncultivated, but that incapacity for seeing difficulties which is characteristic of an early stage of culture, was a part of his nature.
In this sermon he does not once confront the difficulties which must be accepted by any one who, from his point of view, should reject predestination. He does not see that, if the design of Christ was to save all and the result is that He only saves some, His work was a failure. Indeed, it is evident on reading this sermon, that, of all the deep works which had been written on the subject, Wesley had never read one; he had taken it for granted that the opinion he set himself to confute could be held by none but fools, and his confutation was condemned to that futility by which all such arrogance is punished.
No doubt the sermon produced an effect, for it was preached with all his heart; but that effect, we may confidently assert, was not to shake one mind which had laid hold of the doctrine of election.
I know that you have read that sermon and did not exactly think highly of it, brother. But let us strive, to treat opposing viewpoints from ours with more integrity than it appears Wesley did in this sermon.
Catch you tomorrow, Lord willing,
Larry
Quick Quote
April 21, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
Today has actually been a busy day for us here, but lest we miss a day, I figured I would post this quote from Sam Storms.
“The measure of our satisfaction is the degree to which we can both trust and rejoice when all we have left is God.”
It’s a good one to think about. I’m actually preaching tomorrow as well brother (through an interpreter of course!). I’m praying for both you and Jeff (and everyone else there!).
Seeking Him with you,
Joe
Weekend Prayer Request
April 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Joe,
Glad you liked the photo. In all honesty, I’m pretty sure that CJ and I were talking about the 2004 Sex and the Supremacy of Christ conference when I heard him speak for the first time. But when I saw the picture and I saw his two fingers raised, it made me think of those 1 &1 foul shooting situations. Maybe nobody picked up on that from my comment with the photo, but now maybe it makes more sense!
Anyway, I am headed out to Burlington for our church’s annual men’s retreat. Jeff and I could use your prayers. Of course many (if not most) readers of this blog will be there with us, but for those who aren’t, we would value your prayers. Jeff will be preaching tonight at 8:30 and Sunday morning at 9. I’m scheduled to preach tomorrow morning at 9 and tomorrow night at 7. I am looking forward to my two messages…tomorrow morning on the roots of the Gospel in the Old Testament, and tomorrow night on the light of the Gospel shining in our hearts from 2 Corinthians 4.
Thanks for praying with us for a refreshing time of worship and fellowship. Please pray also for Gerry, who will be leading us in song for the weekend.
Catch you, Lord willing, on Sunday afternoon or evening,
Larry
Good Post
April 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
That’s a great picture. I was thinking that C.J. was just telling you that you were completely out of your mind for disagreeing with a few words in his book last week! Is that why you ‘forgot’ what he was saying to you? I’m totally messing around of course! (Side note: if anyone would like to leave their own ‘caption’ for that picture in the comments section, I think it could be fun!)
Anyhow, today is game day and I need to be getting a short nap here, so I thought I would link to this post. I found it over at Justin Taylor’s blog and I am sure you will like it a lot!
Catch you soon my brother. I’ll try to be like you tonight on the free-throw line. If I get there, I will think of you sinking 5 out of 5!
Peace,
Joe
C.J. and Me
April 20, 2007 | 4 Comments
Joe,
No, that title is not the name of a new sit-com on NBC or anything. But here is another highlight from the Sovereign Grace Leadership Conference. I can’t remember exactly what CJ was saying to me here, but he looks a little animated. Maybe this was taken when he was begging me to be a part of the Covenant Life basketball team for those important ‘1 & 1′ situations!
Friday Morning Prayer
April 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
“1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”” (Isaiah 6:1-5)
Free us, Father, from low and ignoble visions of You. Ours is a day in which Your holiness and majesty are so often exchanged for cheap grace and a God whose sole purpose is to advance our feeling of self-worth. But we were created to be so consumed with the greatness of Your character that we forget ourselves entirely. Grant us, O God, to see You the way Isaiah saw You; high and lifted up, exalted on Your throne above all the kings of the earth. Even the foundations of the temple quakes in the presence of Your holiness. Yet too often, our hearts do not quake. Move us, Father, to joyfully tremble before Your matchless glory.
Larry
Quick Thoughts
April 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Lar,
I’ve been a bit MIA today and it’s getting late, but I wanted to offer a few short reflections. First, I appreciated your posts today. You were right about the first. It really made the entire incident real. These were real people on a real campus. I also saw that one of them graduated from Penn State and was on campus at the same time we were. It makes you wonder. As for the second, I also do not know who ‘you-know-who’ is. I think I might be very proud of that though! Surely I must be careful, but it speaks volumes about our need for entertainment in order to dull our consciences to what ultimately matters.
Related to that, I suppose, is a thought I had earlier today about the tragedy at Virginia Tech. I am certain almost everyone is aware of the killer’s taped confession or whatever you want to call it. Anyhow, I was struck by a few articles I read that focused upon the killer’s mental and emotional state. Apparently he was checked out by a psychologist a few years back, but because he did not have suicidal tendencies at that point, there was nothing they could do for him. He was realized back into mainstream society.
Anyway, my point in saying all this is simply that without a biblical worldview, all explanations for his actions will be severely lacking. Think of it. Was he insane? Maybe. Mentally unstable? Sure. But why? What lies behind such things? He wasn’t mentally slow. He was mentally unstable. But again, why? Apart from the biblical worldview–which involves angels and demons–all you are left with is a bunch of psychological mumbo-jumbo (that is a technical term mind you). All sorts of psychologists will be out there trying their finest to find the one thing that set him off, some past incident or something.
Yet they fail to see the big-picture. They fail to see root causes, b/c they fail to call sin, sin and Satan, Satan. There is an enemy brother. He is real and he is not alone. He is also not stupid (at least in one sense). He is a good deceiver and I can’t help but think that he rejoices in much of the psychological, unspiritual mumbo-jumbo (again, a technical term) that imbibes American culture today. Seriously, we are desperate for revival brother. We are desperate for the Spirit of God to come and wake up millions from their spiritual, watching-way-too-much American Idol slumber.
May the Lord haver mercy on us soon, brother, so that we might see with true spiritual clarity.
Seeking Him with you,
Joe
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