Modern American Christianity by Paul Washer

Take time to listen to this sermon.  It is an hour in length but it will be well worth you time.  Keep an open heart and mind.  Be ready to have good challenge you and work in your life.

A Photmosaic Life - Ruth by Ron Jones

I find so much excellent material out there that stimulates and encourages me.  I love sharing that information here.  Here is one such blog that I was encouraged by.

A Photomosaic Life

by Ron Jones

Popout

Robert Silvers is the artist who combined digital technology with photography to create what he calls Photomosaic art. What exactly is a Photomosaic? I’m glad you asked.

A Photomosaic is a big photograph that is actually made up of thousands of little photographs. From a distance you see the big picture, but it takes a closer examination to see the smaller pictures used to create art image.

Silvers invented his unique technology while he was a student at the MIT Media Lab. He dazzled the art world, has won numerous awards, and includes Mastercard, Disney and LIFE magazine among his corporate clients.

The National Gallery in London selected Silvers’ portrait of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates for their “Painting of the Year” exhibit, highlighting influential art in the 21st century.

What does this have to do with a Moabite named Ruth and her story found in the Bible? Like a Photomosaic, the Book of Ruth is a little picture in a much bigger picture.

My friend Dr. Tom Builick taught me to always look for the upper and lower story in God’s word. By the upper story he meant the big picture of God’s redemptive plan. By the lower story he meant the more immediate tale in the text. The Bible is full of little stories that make up the much bigger story that is actually God’s story.

The upper story or big picture in Ruth shows how God’s redemptive plan unfolds through one more family, one more generation. The lower story or little picture is about a young Moabite woman named Ruth who marries Boaz, her kinsman redeemer. They give birth to a child who becomes the grandfather of King David, the line from which Messiah came.

It’s easy to get lost in the big picture and to conclude that our puny lives really don’t matter. But Ruth dispels that myth. Yes, God has grand plans and grand purposes that he will fulfill in the grandness of time and eternity. But Ruth helps me see how the little picture of my life fits into God’s big mosaic.

The Bible’s Ruth is part history book, romance novel, and theology of God’s grace. It starts with a famine and ends with the birth of a baby. It shows us how God works out his plan of redemption in spite of Israel’s spiritual anarchy. It’s a story within His Story. It reminds us that no life is insignificant. Even a poor peasant girl from Moab has a place in God’s story.

The Book of Ruth also reads like a romance novel. Everybody enjoys a good love story. This one doesn’t disappoint. A beautiful girl from Moab becomes a young widow when her husband dies unexpectedly. She moves to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi, who is also a widow, albeit bitter because of her hard life. They are poor, so Ruth begins gleaning in the fields to put food on the table.

In those days, gleaning behind the harvesters was like standing in line for food stamps. Boaz, the owner of the field, notices Ruth. He is also her near kinsman, a relative. They fall in love and get married despite a complicated legal battle. Ruth and Naomi are redeemed from a life of poverty. Boaz and Ruth have a baby named Obed who becomes the grandfather of King David from whom the Messiah came. Ah, that’s what this story is all about.

Ruth is better than a Harlequin Romance and an important link to the lineage that leads to Messiah. She is one of four women to appear in the genealogy of Jesus Christ found in Matthew 1. The book also teaches us something about God. The providence of God and the grace of God are powerful themes that emerge from this beautiful story.

So, the next time you’re tempted to think your little life doesn’t matter, remember Ruth. Yours is a Photomosaic life too.

A Prayer for those who Want to Want God

A Prayer for Those Who Want to Want God

from Between Two Worlds by JT

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.

Desiring God Blog

A Crucial Word from Machen's Mother Posted: 22 Feb 2009 11:54 PM PST (Author: John Piper) J. Gresham Machen, one of the great proclaimers and defenders of the Christian faith in the early 20th century, went through a season of fearful doubt on his way to solid confidence. Remarkably, it was his mother who spoke one of the decisive words of rescue. He tells the story: The question is not merely whether we can rest in our faith, but whether we can rest in the doubt that is the necessary alternative of faith. We pass sometimes through periods of very low spiritual vitality. The wonderful gospel which formerly seemed to be so glorious comes to seem almost like an idle tale. Hosts of objections arise in our minds; the whole unseen world recedes in the dim distance, and we think for the moment that we have relinquished the Christian hope.... My mother [spoke to me] in those dark hours when the lamp burned dim, when I thought that faith was gone and shipwreck had been made of my soul. "Christ," she used to say, "keeps firmer hold on us than we keep on him." My mother's word meant...that salvation by faith does not mean that we are saved because we keep ourselves at every moment in an ideally perfect attitude of confidence in Christ. No, we are saved because having once been united to Christ by faith, we are his forever. Calvinism is a very comforting doctrine indeed. Without its comfort, I think I should have perished long ago in the castle of Giant Despair. (J. Gresham Machen: Selected Shorter Writings,561)

Grace Gems

I have recently subscribed, upon the recommendation of a friend, to Grace Gems.  They are short devotionals that I receive to my e-mail account daily.  I have been challenged and encouraged by many of these.  One that came today that was particularly challenging is copied below.  If you are looking for a simple, daily devotional, this is one option for you to consider.  Or if you are simply looking for some good Christian literature, this is a good place to go.  Check them out. Read and be challenged in your walk with God.

Today's Puritan Audio Devotional:

"Our thorn"
 by J. R. Miller (very helpful)

 ~  ~  ~  ~

My malady, my monster, my foe, my viper

(A Puritan Prayer)

Blessed Lord Jesus, 
Before Your cross I kneel and see . . .
  the heinousness of my sin,
  my iniquity that caused You to be made a curse,
  the evil that excites the severity of divine wrath. 

Show me the enormity of my guilt by . . .
  Your crown of thorns,
  Your pierced hands and feet,
  Your bruised body,
  Your dying cries.

Infinite must be the evil and guilt--
which demands such a price! Sin is . .  .
 my malady, my monster, my foe, my viper,
 born in my birth,
 alive in my life,
 strong in my character,
 dominating my faculties, 
 following me as a shadow, 
 intermingling with my every thought,
 the chain which holds my soul captive. 

Sinner that I am, why should . . .
  the sun give me light,
  the air supply breath,
  the earth bear my tread,
  its fruits nourish me,
  its creatures serve my needs?

Yet Your compassion yearns over me,
Your heart hastens to my rescue,
Your love endured my curse,
Your mercy bore my deserved stripes.

Let me walk humbly . . .
  in the lowest depths of humiliation,
  bathed in Your blood,
  tender of conscience,
  triumphing gloriously, as an heir of salvation.

Grace Gems (choice ELECTRONIC books, sermons & quotes)

Grace Audio Treasures (choice AUDIO sermons)

Sovereign Grace Treasures (choice PRINTED books)

Unconditional Love

Is God's Love Unconditional? Posted: 20 Feb 2009 08:30 AM PST (Author: John Piper) There is such a thing as unconditional love in God, but it's not what most people mean by it. It's not a saving love that he has for everybody. Else everybody would be saved, since they would not have to meet any conditions, not even faith. But Jesus said everybody is not saved (Matthew 25:46). It's not the love that justifies sinners since the Bible says we are justified by faith, and faith is a condition (Romans 5:1). It's not the love of working all things together for our good because Paul says that happens "to those who love God" (Romans 8:28). It's not the love of the most intimate fellowship with the Father because Jesus said, "He who loves me will be loved by my Father" (John 14:21). And James said, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" (James 4:8). It's not the love that will admit us into heaven when we die because John says, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). And faithfulness is a condition. How then does God love unconditionally? Two ways (at least): He loves us with electing love unconditionally. "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world . . . for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4-5).  He does not base this election on foreseeing our faith. On the contrary, our faith is the result of being chosen and appointed to believe, as Acts 13:48 says, "As many as were appointed to eternal life believed." He loves us with regenerating love before we meet any condition. The new birth is not God's response to our meeting the condition of faith. On the contrary, the new birth enables us to believe.  "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been [already!] born of God," (1John 5:1). "[We] were born, not . . . of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13). Let us pray that thousands of people who speak of the unconditional love of God would discover the biblical meaning of what they say. If that happened many would find their feet on solid ground.

Desiring God Bog Post - Life or Limbs?

Desiring God Blog

Choose! Life or Limbs? Posted: 16 Feb 2009 11:54 PM PST (Author: Noel Piper) If you have two functional legs, imagine life without them.... Imagine life without them.... Imagine that your legs are gone so that you can have life. That's the story of my cousin, Mal. He was in a coma, almost dead, and his sons and daughter agreed to the one medication that might save his life, knowing that the loss of fingers or feet was a likely side effect. Despite weeks of therapy, he did lose both legs below the knee. He says, "You would think that I would be angry and bitter. I can only say, God gave me two months [of therapy] to be prepared for this." Yes. Losing one's legs is desperately difficult. But how might it change our perspective if losing legs meant keeping life? Maybe we'd say something like Mal does: Why had God saved my life? The only reason that came to my mind was, He had additional purposes for my life. I promised God that whenever a door opened, I would trust that He wanted me to step through. When Mal, on his two prostheses, steps through the door that stands open now, he will be part of the second Harvest Project team delivering wheelchairs to people in Cameroon. His work will be as a wheelchair mechanic, helping to fit chairs to the particular needs of particular people. I am privileged to be part of that team with Mal. His greater mission, though, will be fulfilled just by living. His presence and ability and faith in his Sovereign God will be a testimony to families, communities, and churches who may have assumed that a disability means worthlessness—maybe even that it would be better to be dead than disabled. God is using Mal's life to prove otherwise—"that the works of God might be displayed in him" (John 9:3). I hope you will visit and subscribe to "Let The Nations Be Glad" where I and others from our team will post updates on the Harvest Project, so you'll be reminded to pray for the team and the people we'll meet there. You can also read more of Mal's story and see something of the challenges for a Cameroonian with disabilities.

When was the last time...

As I sat down today to spend time with God for the first time in a week and half, I was struck by my position before God.  I was struck by my heart.  I started journaling and what you see below is a portion of what resulted.  God convicted my heart by Galatians 5:22-23.  I am beginning to focus on allowing the Spirit to make these things evident in my life.

When was the last time I came to You?

When was the last time I spoke to You?

When was the last time I listened to You?

When was the last time I simply came to be held in Your arms?

When was the last time I knelt in repentance for my adultery and idolatry?

When was the last time I found You more precious than me?

When was the last time I saw Your true Glory and my true depravity?

When was the last time I loved like You?

When was the last time I was as patient as You?

When was the last time I stopped to consider how my actions affected You?

Oh God, when was the last time I truly sought after you with a heart unadultered to this world? When was the last time I TRULY cared about what matters to You? 

When was the last time I sought to please Your heart and thrill Your whole being?

When was the last time I gave thought to what You gave in order to obtain my soul?

Lambragini

Sound absurd?  Sadly it rings too true too much of the time.

Lenses of the Gospel

How much of my life do I view through the lenses of the Gospel of Christ?  How much of my life and ministry do I view through a Biblical World Perspective?  How much is filtered through the eyes of my Lord?

If I am honest with myself...

Over the past several months I have been attempting to take a few extra pounds of weight off that I have managed to accumulate again.  I have met with failure after failure.  It has struck me time and time again that this is a matter of self-control.  I love food.  I am the cook of the house.  I get to make whatever I want.  This is such a problem.  I make foods I like and do not want to say no.  Notice that I did not say "can not say no."  The problem is not in ability but in desire.  I have been convicted that my lack of saying no to food, I am revealing a lack of self-control.  Galatians 5 reveals to me that self-control is one mark of a Spirit filled, Spirit controlled life.  By not exercising self-control, I am refusing the control of the Holy Spirit in my life.  

So, now I am approaching my diet differently.  I still see the need to lose weight and better care for my body, but I see it differently and approach it differently now. I am using it as a exercise in self-control. I am using this experience to help me give control of my will and desires to the Spirit.  More important than just losing weight, I am seeking to give total and complete control of my life to the Spirit.

Pray with me.  Pray that I will see the world, in every aspect through the lenses of the Gospel of Christ.  Pray that I will give complete and total control of my life to the Holy Spirit, including that of my desire for food.

When God Ran

This has always been one of my favorite songs.  Perhaps it is because I relate to it too much.  I am guilty of running from God at times.  I am reminded each time I listen to this song, how forgiving and loving my God and Savior is.

Are you a church or are you a club?

One of the things that I have struggled with over the years is the unfriendliness of God's church.  During the past years, my wife and I have had to look for a home church after each of our moves.  We have visited many.  The problem we found with many of them is their lack of reaching out to others, especially new people.  It is one of the biggest reasons why we have personally made a commitment to go out of our way to welcome others and make them feel like they are loved.  After all, are they not loved by God and should they not be loved by God's people in God's house?

God of this City

God of this City

Mark Driscoll

Commands in Context

Commands in Context

from Fighter Verses by Phil

What is the motivation for obeying the commands of 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22? Do we just need to crank out obedience?

Graeme Goldsworthy would remind us not to view commands in isolation, but to recognize their gospel context. Obedience must flow from trust that all our legal requirements are fulfilled in Jesus. Otherwise, commands are used for moralizing, that is, legalism.

Besides the context of the whole letter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul has just said above in chapter five that wrath is soon coming on the world’s people. While they frivolously dwindle away their time, we can be sober (and must be) because “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him” (5:9-10). Only then does he infer, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (5:11).

So, what is Paul’s recent assumption as to why we can rejoice always? Because God has not destined us believers for wrath. How can we pray without ceasing? Because we now have constant access to God through Jesus. What motivates thanks in hard circumstances? We are one for all saved. With what words might we admonish the idle? Wrath is coming on the disobedient, but recognizing this and the salvation that is in Jesus enables sobriety about eternal matters and urgency about living productively for future joy (5:8). With what hope do we encourage the fainthearted? “Whether dead or alive, we will live with him” (5:10). Etc.