the Grace Blog

The Mercy of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:36:00 +0000

"There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us."

Richard Sibbes, Works, I:47.

(HT: Ray Ortlund Jr.)

All I Have Is Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Below are the lyrics and a video of the song "All I Have Is Christ" from the Next Conference. Do yourself a favor: read the lyrics and watch the video.

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will.
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still.

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross.
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me.
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI), by Jordan Kauflin

All I Have Is Christ from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

HT: Justin Taylor

Verse Card Maker

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:33:00 +0000

This is sweet!!! Go here to use a free tool developed by Michael Scott for memorizing Scripture.

Living Your Theology

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:52:00 +0000

When John Chrysostom (ca. 347-407) was brought before the empress Eudoxia, she threatened him with banishment if he insisted on his Christian independence as a preacher.

"You cannot banish me, for this world is my Father's house."

"But I will kill you," said the empress.

"No, you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God," said John.

"I will take away your treasures."

"No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven and my heart is there."

"But I will drive you away from your friends and you will have no one left."

"No, you cannot, for I have a Friend in heaven from whom you cannot separate me.

I defy you, for there is nothing you can do to harm me."

What a testimony Chrysostom displayed in his words to the empress. His is the kind of response that only comes when you spend time with an open Bible. Every response he gave was biblical and would not have been spoken if he did not trust and meditate upon the Scriptures. Do you want faith that is unshakable? Read and believe the Scriptures.

Longing to See Men Forgiven

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:40:00 +0000

We long to see men...forgiven. We pine to bring the prodigal's head to the Father's bosom, the wandering sheep to the good Shepherd's shoulder, the lost piece of money into the Owner's hands. Until this is done, nothing is done. I mean nothing spiritually, nothing eternally, nothing that is worthy of the agony of a Christian's life, nothing that can be looked upon as deserving an immortal spirit's spending all its fires upon it. O Lord, our souls yearn to see Jesus rewarded by the salvation of the blood-bought! Help us lead souls to Him.

- Charles H. Spurgeon, The Soulwinner (pp. 244-245)

Calvin on the Gospel

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:56:00 +0000

Below is a stunning preface John Calvin wrote for Pierre Robert Olivétan’s French translation of the New Testament in 1534. Calvin wrote:

Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; he was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; he died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune. For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation [life] is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorying under vituperation [verbal abuse], abounding in poverty, warmed in our nakedness, patient amongst evils, living in death. This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father. (Italics added)

HT: Tullian

True faith

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:23:00 +0000

"Pseudo faith always arranges a way out to serve in case God fails it. Real faith knows only one way and gladly allows itself to be stripped of any second way or makeshift substitutes. For true faith, it is either God or total collapse. And not since Adam first stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him."

A. W. Tozer, "True Faith Brings Committal," In The Root of the Righteous, pages 49-50.

The Physician

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Sat, 16 May 2009 22:17:00 +0000

"Christ is the most bountiful physician. Other patients do enrich their physicians, but here the physician doth enrich the patient. Christ elevates all his patients: he doth not only cure them but crown them (Rev. 2:10). Christ doth not only raise them from the bed, but to the throne; he gives the sick man not only health but also heaven."
- Thomas Watson

Psalm 103:2-3 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

Big Truths for Young Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Dr. Bruce Ware recently released a wonderful book I recommend to anyone who works with children/youth, parent or not. Below is an interview done by Justin Taylor explaining the contents of the book.

Big Truths for Young Hearts: An Interview with Bruce Ware by Justin Taylor.

Bruce Ware has served as Professor of Christian Theology at Southern Seminary since 1998. His latest book is Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God.

You can read the Contents and the Introduction and Chapter 1 online for free.

I recently had the chance to catch up with Dr. Ware and ask him a few questions about the book.

Can you tell us the origin of this book as you and Jodi were raising your two girls?

I recall one evening when Jodi and I were trying to get our two giggly girls -- who were about 8 and 4 at the time -- to settle down and go to sleep, thinking to myself, "Since they don't want to go to sleep, why not co-opt the time and teach them some theology at their bedside?" So, I started then a pattern that we followed most nights that I was home, of my spending about 15 minutes with each daughter at their bedsides going through the major doctrines of the Christian faith. Of course, since Jodi eventually home schooled both our girls, they got much additional rich teaching from her. But I relish those "bedside theology" conversations, coupled with many other such discussions at family devotions or in the car, cultivating in our children a big view of God, a clearer understanding of the magnitude of their sin and the glory of the cross, and why it mattered to know and trust in God for all of our lives.

So how did it come about to do this as a book?

Bethany and Rachel -- Rachel in particular -- had the vision for this book. For the past several years, Rachel would periodically come to me and ask, "Dad, are you going to write Bedside Theology? -- her name for what is now Big Truths for Young Hearts. I put her off a number of times, feeling badly about doing this. It was clear that Bethany and Rachel really wanted me to do this. They saw the potential help this book could be to parents, and dads in particular, to have a simple and clear way of helping their children grow in understanding the broad range of the glorious truths of the Christian faith. And God used their vision for this book to give me a vision for it also. Kindly, Crossway was willing to take this on, and so I went to work writing.

What was the writing process like?

What a joy this writing was! It brought back to mind our own family times together, and gave me the opportunity to share rich biblical and theological truths that have meant so much to me in my own life, truths meant by God to shape and re-shape who we are.

How central is the gospel in your book?

The gospel is clear throughout the book, since I know how much this means to all of us Christian parents. If children and their parents grow to understand better how great and gracious God is, what a glory is the Christ and the cross of our salvation, and learn more reason why their hope and joy should be in Him alone -- then this book will accomplish what it is meant to do.

How do you envision the book being used?

The main purpose, clearly, is for use by Christian parents in the instruction of their own children at home. As I was writing, though, I often thought of those parents themselves, many of whom have not had the privilege I've had to study and teach theology. Perhaps parents will benefit first, as they then teach these glorious truths to their children.

Besides this, the book is also quite appropriate for use in home school settings, Christian school classes in Bible and theology, and for any new believer (hence the name "young hearts" in the title, including those young in the faith) who wants an overview of the whole of the major teachings of the Christian faith.

One friend who kindly read some early chapters to his own children commented that he would love to use this with new believers in China, where he serves as a missionary. So, I think that those who could benefit from a clear and simple treatment of Christian doctrine -- children as well as others young in the faith -- may find this book helpful.

I suspect that most parents are more comfortable teaching their kids Christian ethics (love God, don’t love the world, tell the truth, don’t cheat or steal, etc.) than they are teaching them Christian theology (how can God be three and one? How is Jesus God and man?). Why is it important for parents to learn good theology and pass it on to their kids?

The Christian faith is not moralism. Yet, we can (wrongly and dangerously!) pervert the Christian faith into this, in our homes and our churches. Our lists of "do's" and "don't's" can become the sum and substance of our understanding of the Christian faith, and in this self-esteem saturated culture, this ends up redounding to the glory of the "self," not the glory of God. So, we need (all of us, Christian parents and children alike) to understand glorious theological truths --

who God is in his eternal fullness as the triune God,

who God is as Creator of all that is,

who we are as created in his image,

what sin is and has done to us,

why Christ came, who Christ is,

what he accomplished,

how we receive the benefits of his work on the cross,

what God provides for us to grow as his people,

what these communities of faith called "churches" are and what they contribute,

and what hope we have for life now and forever
-- to provide the substance for what the Christian faith is, the faith that then is to be lived out in ways that reflect the character of God and his claims on our lives.

Only when moral teachings flow out of a correct understanding of the character and purposes of God and a relationship with him by faith in Christ can we see how our lives are meant to be transformed by God's work within us, reflecting his character and redounding to his glory above all else.

And what are some of the most important things they need to keep in mind when learning and teaching theology?

The core of the Christian faith is the God of the Christian faith -- the one and only true and living God, who as Father, Son, and Spirit, is the eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient Creator of heaven and earth, the Provider of every good and perfect gift, and the Redeemer of sinners from deserved wrath and condemnation. Without question, getting "God right" is the single most important area to understand rightly. To go wrong here is to go wrong on everything! How we understand ourselves, our value, our purpose in being and living, the nature of our sin, the need for redemption, our resource and goal in sanctification, and our ultimate ends as God's redeemed people -- all of this depends on understanding rightly who God is.

But then, all these other areas matter also so very much. Getting "ourselves right" -- as those created in God's image but terribly marred and deformed due to our fall, with Adam, into sin -- is so very crucial for understanding the glory and grace of our salvation in Christ.

Seeing Christ for who he is, and understanding the nature of his atoning death, are crucial for knowing our new identities as his redeemed people, who have come to him by faith alone, through God's grace alone.

And then catching a vision for what kingdom living is meant to be, for all of us, regardless of the specific vocation each of us has, is crucial for seeing the significance of each day lived to the glory of God.

And understanding the certainty of God's victory over Satan, sin and death, in Christ, is crucial if we are to have hope that sustains through trials and persecution, as God's people.

In short, every doctrine of the faith plays a crucial place in forming our minds and hearts, to become and live in ways that fulfill God's purposes for us and bring glory to his name.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

New Documentary Film on the First Martyrs of the Turkish Church DVD

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:45:00 +0000

From a press release:

April 18, 2007, two Turkish Christians and a German missionary were tortured and killed inside a Bible Publishing house in Malatya, Turkey.

Summer 2008, two young filmmakers from Texas set out to create Malatya, a documentary exploring how three Christian martyrs have shaken the nation’s roots.

Necati Aydin, Uğur Yuksel and Tilmann Geske were tied to their chairs, tortured with butcher knives and killed for worshiping Christ. Semse Aydin and Susanne Geske, the wives of Necati and Tilmann, both contributed to the film. Echoing Christ’s words from the cross, they’ve publicly forgiven those guilty of their husbands’ deaths. Resources for Christian counseling are scarce in Turkey, a country of nearly 72 million, 99.8 percent of which is Muslim. This has left their surviving families and friends with little human support to lean on in a nationwide church of around 3,000 believers. The joy they find is purely in the hope of their sovereign God working through this time of trial for His glory and their good.

Testimony from leaders of the Turkish church shows even before the martyrdom, Turkish Christians faced persecution. They were unlawfully jailed, interrogated about their activities and even tortured. The deaths of these men have crossed a new line. Attacks and attempted murders have increased since the Malatya martyrdom. The current leader of the Turkish Protestant Alliance, Zekai Tanyar, told the filmmakers, "Before this, I would have said that we do suffer, but I wouldn't call the Turkish Church 'the Persecuted Church,' but all of a sudden, we are the persecuted church."

Turkish pastors revealed to the filmmakers the rise in persecution following the martyrdom has led many in the church to quit attending their fellowships or fall away from their faith all together. Others however have grown bolder in ministry, both in the sharing of their faith and serving in their churches, fully aware any church could be the next victim of violence.

Malatya also covers how the ongoing trial against the murder suspects has gained nationwide coverage in Turkey, where religious freedom is established by law. While some Turks think any Christian in Turkey must be a foreigner, and likely a subversive, thus championing the martyrdom in the name of patriotism, others despise the martyrdom as a hate crime. Turks now face a cultural dilemma: for the first since the founding of their republic, Turkish Christians were martyred.

Malatya is scheduled for DVD release across the globe April 18, 2009, the two-year anniversary of the martyrdom. Screenings are scheduled from Austin to Brazil, the UK, Germany, South Africa, Australia and more.

If you want to watch the trailer, schedule a screening, buy the DVD, etc, go to www.malatyafilm.org.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Newsweek - The End of Christian America

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Recently, Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. published a blog post discussing a current Newsweek article titled The End of Christian America. I highly recommend Mohler's review of the article for you to read.

Bearing One Another's Burdens

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:06:00 +0000

It isn't easy to bear the burdens of another - especially when that burden is a sinful habit or tendency. Confronting a brother or sister in sin can be difficult; however, the Scriptures clearly command us to do so (See Gal. 6:1-6). If we are ever going to truly be like our Master, we have to start loving one another enough to address sin.

Here's a link to a great article written ten years ago by Alfred Poirier (PCA pastor and Board Chairman for Peacemakers) addressing this issue and how to do it in a godly way.

An excerpt:

How to give criticism in a godly way:

* I see my brother/sister as one for whom Christ died (1 Cor. 8:11; Heb. 13:1)
* I come as an equal, who also is a sinner (Rom. 3:9, 23).
* I prepare my heart lest I speak out of wrong motives (Prov. 16:2; 15:28; 16:23).
* I examine my own life and confess my sin first (Matt. 7:3-5).
* I am always patient, in it for the long haul (Eph. 4:2; 1 Cor. 13:4).
* My goal is not to condemn by debating points, but to build up through constructive criticism (Eph. 4:29).
* I correct and rebuke my brother gently, in the hope that God will grant him the grace of repentance even as I myself repent only through His grace (2 Tim. 2:24-25).

HT: Justin Taylor

FREE Spiritual Disciplines Audio Book!

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Each month, ChristianAudio.com offers a free audio book. This month, the book is Don Whitney's book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life It is the BEST book I have read on the subject and I highly recommend it to all of you. Click here to get the book! The coupon to receive the book for free is MAR2009.

A Prayer for Those Who Want to Want God

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:19:00 +0000

From A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God:

O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God,
I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray,
so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…
Give me grace to rise and follow You up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

HT: Justin Taylor

Peace Since 1789

noreply@blogger.com (John-Mark) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:36:00 +0000

Since 1789 America has been blessed with a peaceful transition of power. Surely a blessing from God in His providence. Tomorrow one President will leave voluntarily and another will step in with change on his mind. Not only will one President leave but there will be an exchange of political parties without a national disruption. Dr. Mohler today on his radio show talked about the transition of power in the Ottoman Empire and the chaos and political disruption that followed such change in political power. Although many of us probably did not vote for President Obama tomorrow should be something we give thanks to God for. "I thought that America just talked about this kind of Democracy," said a citizen of another country surprised at the election of an African American. Although I still urge everyone to pray that God will change President Obama's heart regarding the sanctity of human life tomorrow let us thank God for a Democratic society in which someone whose race 100 years ago had no rights whatsoever and is now able to hold such a high office in our country. This may be the start of persecution in America for us as Christians but I hold to hope in my current memory verse.

Romans 8:35-37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or PERSECUTION or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long:
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquers through him who loved us.

Swords are for Killing

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:17:00 +0000

The following is a wonderful reminder by John Piper concerning the battle against sin:

In New Testament times swords were not for digging, shaving, or whittling. They were for killing. The only reason Peter cut off Malchus’s ear was that he missed (John 18:10).

But Herod didn’t miss: “He killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:2).

Many saints have felt the full force of the sword: “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword” (Hebrews 11:37). So it was and will be: “If anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain” (Revelation 13:10).

That’s what swords are for. So when Paul calls the word of God the “sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17, he is serious—something must be put to death. And it is not people. Christians don’t kill people to spread our faith; we die to spread our faith.

The link in Paul’s mind is given in Romans 8:13.

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. The Sword is for putting to death. And by the Spirit we put to death our sinful deeds. So I conclude that the way we kill our sins is with the Spirit’s sword, the word of God.

All temptations to sin have power by lying. The are “deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22). They tell us that the pleasure of the sin is worth it. The killing blow against these lies is the power of God’s truth. Hence the sword of the Spirit, God’s word, is the weapon to use.

As John Owen said, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.” That is what swords are for, especially the Bible.

Bible Memorization for 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Wes) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:16:00 +0000

Check out this great post from Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds:

Here's a handy printout with a good collection of suggested Bible passages to memorize -one a week for 2009.

Here's one of the more convicting things I've heard about the topic:

You may doubt that you can do this, especially if you are older. But ask yourself this question, If I offered you $1,000 for every verse you memorized in the next week, how many do you think you could memorize? Yet God says of his word in Psalm 19:10-11, "They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward." The real value of the word is far greater than $1,000 a verse. The question is, Do you believe this? Believing this will be the crucial motivation you need.

noreply@blogger.com (Wes) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:10:00 +0000

"The Church which has lost sight of the biblical doctrine of holiness tries to market the gospel as a solution for life's difficulties, a source for personal fulfillment, a means of achieving one's desires for significance and status and power. In other words, it is not a means of escaping the rule of desire, it is a means for fulfilling that rule. It suggests to people that they need not forsake their favorite sins, that indeed they cannot, but that they can find continuing forgiveness from a God who knows nothing of justice but everything of a sentimental feeling misnamed "love". It is a Church that expects to go down the aisle to meet its Bridegroom in a dress as filthy as the one in which He first found her... a Church that will not survive the fires of the coming Tribulation.
Will there be a Church that survives those fires? Oh yes! God guarantees it. But it will be one that believes its Lord for grace to forgive and grace to purify. It will love its Lord in spite of deprivation, loss, and lack of fulfillment. It will, in the words of Paul, gladly lose all things in order to gain Christ."

John Oswalt, Called To Be Holy

7 Ways to give your child a big view of God

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:59:00 +0000

1) Pray and plead with God to open their eyes to see his glory.

2) Live sacrificially. When your child sees Daddy or Mommy making costly sacrifices to the Lord, it makes Him look very valuable.

3) Delight yourself in God and talk about Him with your kids. That which delights and amazes you will likely delight and amaze them too.

4) Teach the Word to them. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. Your children will never see Jesus (with the eyes of their hearts) without the Word.

5) Submit to and honor God’s Word yourself. Your children understand that people honor those who are most worthy of honor.

6) Discipline them. Disciplining children reminds them that there is a higher authority you must make sure they honor and obey. “Daddy has to discipline you because you dishonored God who is worthy of your obedience.”

7) Love them with all your might. Sometimes the greatest picture of God's love for us comes in the form of a father's love for his child. It will be much easier for your child to comprehend the height, depth and breadth of the Father's love for them if you love them as you ought.

The Spiritual Danger of Unchurched Spirituality

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:01:00 +0000

Here is a link to a wonderful article by Russell Moore on the dangers of unchurched spirituality.

Pleading with God

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:38:00 +0000

The following is an excerpt from a wonderful book called Meet the Puritans by Joel Beeke. The book gives a concise overview of the Puritans followed by short biographical sketches. One of the Puritans covered in the book is Christopher Love. Here is an section of his biography:

Christopher Love was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1618. At the age of fourteen, he went to hear William Erbury [preach]...His wife later wrote how Love reacted to that sermon: “God met with him and gave him such a sight of his sins and his undone condition that he returned home with a hell in his conscience.” His father noticed his son’s depression and locked him in a room on the second floor of the house to prevent him from attending church the next Sabbath. Love tied a cord to the window, slid down it, and went to church. His earlier convictions deepened and he was soon converted.

The primary purpose for the writing of this post is not to introduce you to Christopher Love. He was a great, godly pastor and I would love for you to read some of his work, but his testimony is what I want you to hear. Oh how I long for God to bring this kind of repentance to our church and community! This kind of repentance only comes, however, to those who pray for it.

Would you join us on Thursday nights at Reaching the Valley as we plead with God to work in the hearts of our people and those in the community?

"We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work (John 9:4)."

Choosing Our Entertainment "Coram Deo"

noreply@blogger.com (Wes) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:53:00 +0000

"Coram Deo is a short Latin phrase packing a potent punch: "before the face of God". All aspects of our existence- from private thoughts to public words and actions- are lived out before his face. Properly regarded, living coram Deo arouses our fear of God. And that's good, for 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge' (Prov 1:7).

What does this have to do with our media use? Put bluntly, it means we surf the internet, listen to the radio, watch television, or rent a DVD in God's presence. We make our choices- all of our choices- with God's holy face in view. It's not the gaze of our pastor, parent, fellow small group member, or unbelieveing neighbor that matters most. We're accountable to God in all things, including our entertainment." - Craig Cabaniss

"The apostle Paul has a vision for our minds: 'Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things' (Phil 4:8)

May the Lord of all beauty purify our minds so that these are the greatest delights. In the end, the sum of all beauty is Christ, and the sin of all worldliness is to diminish our capacity to see him, be satisfied in him, and show him compellingly to a perishing world." - John Piper

The Offensive, Attractive Cross

noreply@blogger.com (Wes) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:42:00 +0000

"The curious paradox of the atoning death of a bloody Jesus rising above the plane of human history with a mocking crown of thorns is that he is offensive in an attractive way.

It is the utter horror of the cross that cuts through the chatter, noise, and nonsense of our day to rivet our attention, shut our mouths, and compel us to listen to an impassioned dying man who is crying out for the forgiveness of our sins and to ask why he suffered.

Tragically, if we lose the offense of the cross, we also lose the attraction of the cross so that no one is compelled to look at Jesus. Therefore, Jesus does not need a marketing firm or a makeover as much as a prophet to preach the horror of the cross unashamedly.” - Mark Driscoll, Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." - 1 Co 2:1-2

Highly Recommended Study Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:01:00 +0000

If you do not yet have a good study Bible, I have the Bible for you. Better yet, if you have a good study Bible, I have another one you need to consider. It is called The ESV Study Bible and it will be released in October. I have already pre-ordered a copy for myself on amazon.com. I highly recommend purchasing a copy of it for yourself. They would also make great Christmas presents for family members.

The ESV (English Standard Version) is the translation we preach from at Grace Crossing, therefore, if you want to follow along with in the same version, now is the perfect time to buy yourself (or get someone to buy you) a copy of the new ESV Study Bible.

Below is a recommendation for the Bible by Eugene Merrill and I have linked to a video explaining the contents and features of the Bible.

"The past quarter century has witnessed a plethora of study Bibles based on a corresponding array of new versions and translations. As excellent as many of them are, the ESV Study Bible is certain to take its place as the premiere work of its kind. Produced by a galaxy of evangelical scholars representing a broad geographical and ecclesiastical horizon, this tour de force of its genre is replete not only with clear and cogent notes on the biblical text but it provides in addition scores of articles on topics such as theology of the Old Testament, introduction to the Pentateuch, reading the Gospels and Acts, and reading the Epistles. The icing on the cake is the inclusion of dozens of beautifully colored maps, photos, and graphs and charts, all placed at strategically located places throughout. Crossway has raised high the bar by publishing a study Bible that is likely to become the standard for generations to come."

Eugene H. Merrill, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies
Dallas Theological Seminary

Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Interpretation
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Louisville, Kentucky

You can see the video here.

God bless and happy reading!

- Pastor Jeremy

of Infinite Importance

noreply@blogger.com (Wes) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:36:00 +0000

"The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it; The Lord sees and judges the heart; he has no regard to outward forms of worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heart engaged steadfastly for God." - Isaac Watts

Is having your whole heart engaged steadfastly for God a matter of infinite importance to you?

"Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart..." - Psalm 119:2