Hope in God

In our lives the need for encouragement is constant. I preached yesterday from Colossians 2:1-5 outlining Paul's struggle for the church and his desire for them to be encouraged. He wanted them to be encouraged precisely because they were on the verge of discouragement. There are many things we try to use to encourage each other. We may encourage children with extra play time, a later bed time, or candy. We may encourage an employee with a bonus, a raise or extra play time (like a day off). But what happens to all those things? They run out. They do not replenish themselves. They are insufficient over the long run. The reminder is repeated in Psalm 42&43, "Hope in God." Why? He is sufficient over the long run. He is perfect and complete therefore he does not run out. Hope in God this morning because he is the only sufficient ground for our hope.

My hope and my future, my Lord and my God, lead me in your light to everything I need and all that you would have me to do. Forgive me for my desire for the insufficient. Forgive me for binging on the world and then wondering why I feel empty. I am a fool in need of a teacher. I am a sinner in need of a savior. That is why I hope in you. That is why I hope in Christ. In him is the fullness of wisdom and knowledge. In Christ, the wonderful Mystery, is what I need to be saved and satisfied. Show me today how to hunger for Christ. Allow me today to be used to help others see the glories of Jesus.

You are my hope
Amen

The Holy Muzzle

The weapon we need is not a holy hand gernade because we do not battle a terroristic bunny. All too often our battle is one of words and we do need a muzzle. David committed in Psalm 39 to guard his ways so that he would not sin with his tongue. He promised to guard his mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in his presence. We all know the temptation around particular people to speak particularly venomous words. Certain coworkers, family members, church members, and neighbors get no grace and only wrath from us. We have abundant patience with some people and zero patience with others. David saw this in himself and he saw the root- I will guard my ways. Our words in the presence of difficult people are the product of what we have been doing before we face that person. The problem is not them the problem is 'our ways.' We are selfish with our friends and we are ruthless with our families but often they do not challenge us. Then, when we get around the 'difficult' person and get challenged the venom comes out. Out of the overflow of the heart our mouths speak.

Lord, at your call to confess we confess. You have told us that when we become aware of our wrong we are to come to you openly admitting our guilt instead of covering it with fig leaves. Please do not leave me where I am. My days are short. My life is like a breath. But you give me life. By the blood of Christ do I live and by his life do I find life worth living. Show me how to live my God. Teach me about Jesus so that I won't waste what is so short. Help me Father.

Teach me to number my days so that none will be wasted
Amen

The Ministry of Carrying Stuff

Clans from the tribe of Levi existed to protect the Tabernacle when it was set up. We saw yesterday that they were like Old Testament assassins: if anyone comes near kill them (Num 3:10,38). Today we see that 3 tribes in particular are chosen to carry the tabernacle and it's elements. They aren't allowed to see the elements only carry them. Aaron and his sons would break down the tent and then in would come the Kohathites to carry the elements. If they looked at the elements they would die but they sure could carry them. Would I sign up for that task? Would I be jealous of the sons of Aaron? Would I moan to my wife about being a pack mule will Aaron's sons get all the God time?

Lord, give me a heart that loves to serve. Give me the heart of Jesus. If You should call me to be a Kohathite, Gershonite, or Merarite may I serve with gladness. Keep me from comparing myself to others and keep me from putting spiritual value on tasks. I do not want to be prideful and I do not want to be jealous. I know that's how I want to act. I want to be jealous. I want to be prideful. Lord, please do not rebuke me in your anger and do not discipline me in your wrath. My pride stinks and my jealousy is like a wound that festers. All of this is because I am a fool. I confess my iniquity and I am sorry for my sin. Please do not leave me, do not forsake me. My God do not be far from me. Make haste to help me. Come to me quickly to forgive and to heal. O Lord, my salvation be my refuge from my sin.

In Jesus' name
Amen

Something to chew on

"Apathy toward God is the result of being passionate toward something or someone else."

-Jim Berg, Change Into His Image, page 123

Speak to my soul

In Psalm 35 David cries out for vindication, release from false accusation, and safety in persecution. Throughout the Psalm David affirms his trust in God. Repeatedly David calls on God to act instead of praying God will put the sword in David's hand. When you are innocent and attacked for no reason (how many times does that happen?) remember this psalm.

Lord, take up my cause. When I try to do good I receive evil. Fight for me my God as I fight for your glory. Arm yourself and do your work. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." Lord, please speak to me. While other's speak venomous words I pray God speak the words of life. Affirm in me that I am your son. Strengthen my faith so that I will trust in you when I am wronged. Give me eyes to see that faithfulness that brings persecution is better than disobedience that brings friends.

Christ is my example. He was faithful to you in everything when opposed and abandoned by everyone. Make me like your Son. Give me a heart that wants to be like your Son. Change me my God.

Amen

Into Your Hand

If you missed the Scripture quoted by Christ on the cross in Psalm 31 please read it again. When verse 5 is seen on the lips of Christ as he suffered under the weight of my sin it enhances the meaning of the psalm even more.

My gracious Father, as Christ trusted in you may I trust in you. Deliver me according to Christ's righteousness. Show me your strength and stability. Show me that there is no better refuge in this life or the next than you. As the weekend approaches may I be faithful. Do not let me use rest as an excuse to neglect you. Do not let all the projects be a stumbling block that keeps me from your word and faithful prayer.

I trust in you, O Lord, my times are in your hand. You are my God. May your face shine upon me.
Amen

Sing Praises

It is truly a blessing that our God commands us to be joyful. It's not a bad thing or a wrong thing to shout because of joy. In fact, it honors God when we shout for joy. Leviticus 23 details numerous feasts the Israelites would partake in every year. Several of those feasts were parties; celebrations of God and his work. The downtroden, stoic, unresponsive, and morbid "Christian" needs to hear God's call to take joy in Him.

Lord, give us joy in you. Give us strength in our trials and endurance in our pain. But please, Lord, do not give just enough strength or just enough endurance. Give an abundance that we may shout for joy even in difficulty. Remind us of your word. Show us that all your work is done in faithfulness. You do indeed love righteousness and justice. Give us eyes to see that the earth is full of your steadfast love. And Lord we confess these blessings are our's only because of Jesus. Your anger is only for a moment because Jesus took it all. Your wrath on your children has been completely consumed. Your anger is for a moment but your joy is for a lifetime. Joy is for right now and joy is for eternity because Christ is for right now and Christ is for eternity. We sing your praises. We sing Christ's praises.

Amen

How to Pray for Virginia Tech

Tim Challies is gathering information and posting prayer requests from ministers in Blacksburg. It is worth your time to read what he has written and pray for the families involved.

http://www.challies.com/

Be Holy Because God is Holy

Those words ring out again and again throughout the book of Leviticus, "You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy."

In my honest moments I hear those words and my response is 'How?' How can I be holy like God? God you know I'm not holy like you how can you demand such a thing? Then God speaks to me through His Word:

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness O Lord! Psalm 25:7

For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Psalm 25:11

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek." Psalm 27:7&8

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14

Father, my only hope of holiness, my only ground for righteousness is Jesus Christ my Lord. May I rest today in His holiness that makes me holy. May I rejoice today in his righteousness that makes me righteous. Show me your goodness. Give to me the satisfaction that only you can provide. May I walk with you and know you so that David's words will truly become my own:

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple (Psalm 27:4)

Show me Christ and fill me up with Him
Amen

Monday's Prayer

It appears that every believer experiences 'dry spells' in their times of worship and prayer. I am learning to detect those warning signs within myself in an attempt by God's grace to avoid the pain and struggle of fruitless days. To do this I have begun reading a book given to me by a fellow minister for the very reason of avoiding uselessness in ministry.

The book is A Minister's Obstacles by Ralph Turnbull. In what I read today he offers this helpful prayer:

Give me neither poverty nor riches,
But a heart at leisure from itself (30).

I pray that we all will follow after God pursuing holiness. May God grant us a freedom from concern for wealth and fear of poverty. With King David let us pray, "Make known to me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long."

Let's not wait on wealth but on the Lord. Let's not be concerned with getting more but be concerned with knowing God and his ways. May God free us from the ordinary.

Amen

Thursday's Prayer

My Father, you have done amazing things! When I look to the heavens I see your wisdom and your might. You are intelligent and creative. Your strength and size are beyond my comprehension. You are a great big God.

You have given your people good things. You have given me good things. You revive, make wise, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and give me what is better than fine gold. What you give is sweeter than honey. Your word is good and when I seek it you even give rewards.

I praise you God for the atonement you have made for me. I thank you for Jesus Christ. I thank you Jesus for being my sacrifice. Do not let me grow used to the idea or cold toward the truth of your atoning work for my condemning sin. My Christ you are great and you have done great things. You went into the holy of holies as the perfect priest and you offered up your body and blood as the perfect sacrifice. And all this for me!

Keep me from sin and make me useful. Make me walk in manner worthy of your calling. May I bring you glory and praise today.

In Christ my sacrifice
Amen

Wednesday's Prayer

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

My God, this morning I join David in saying, "I love you, O Lord, my strength." You are my rock, fortress, and refuge. You are worthy to be praised and you have saved me from my enemies.

God please give me victory against my enemies. I know they are not flesh and blood human enemies but spiritual enemies. The god of this age is strong but no match for You. Satan has his strength but it is weakness compared to Your power. Train my hand for war. Give me strength that I might bend a bow of bronze. Use me this day and all my days to advance your kingdom. Christ promised the gates of hell will not prevail against your kingdom. Use me in the advance. Show me where to fight the battle of sacrifice. Make me merciful, blameless, pure, and humble. You light my lamp and lighten my darkness. I trust you my King. Guide me steps.

Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

My Lord, cleanse me that I may be able to pray like David with the assurance of purity. Please increase my trust in you that I may be able to give all vindication to you. So often I want to be the judge but I am not righteous. So often I want to be the executioner but I am without mercy. Satisfy me with who you are so that I will not look for satisfaction in revenge. Strengthen my faith in Christ so that I will not have to cling to the false hope of getting even. Be my refuge and my strong tower.

Give me Christ
Amen

Monday's Prayer

Save me God because only you are my refuge. You are my God and I have nothing that is good apart from you. You are my strong delight and my lasting joy. Fill up my times of celebration in you because the time of mourning over sin and loss is not far away. Bless the godly; give me delight in their company and correction. Grow men and women to be more like you. Change me to be more like you.

Lord, you are my chosen portion. Lord, you are my cup and you hold my life. I thank you that the life you have given me is pleasant. My wife, daughter, and church are such blessings that are from you and based only on grace. When I look to Christ I understand that I have a beautiful inheritance. You are so good to me!

Give me counsel my Lord, please instruct my heart from your word. Forgive me for setting myself before me and seeking my own way. Replace me with you. May I set you always before me and my I stand firm in your will because you are beside me. Show me who you would have me to reach out to. Show me the lost with whom I can share the glories of salvation. Show me the weak whom I can encourage with Christ's fullness, joy, and pleasure.

My Christ, you have made my soul glad. My whole being rejoices and my flesh rests in you. Though I will one day die there will be the resurrection. You will not abandon me to hell or to the grave. I will be with you in Spirit and one day my body will be raised. All of this through Christ and all of this is from Christ. He is and has shown me the path of life. God he is the fullness of joy in your presence. He is the lasting pleasure at your right hand. Show me Christ today and guide me how best to show others.

In Christ
Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Father, your words are pure words; they are like the finest silver purified over and over again. You have given us words of life that guard us from death. And you have shown us plainly that you are righteous, you love righteous deeds, and the upright shall see your face. You have also shown us what happens to the unrighteous; men like Nadab and Abihu.

Lord, be sanctified in my life. May my eyes see you as holy, may my ears hear your holy words, and may my life be lived for your glory. Father, do not let me waste my life on what I think is best for you when I'm wrong. Correct me before my well intentioned mistake becomes fatal. Send men into my life who love you and have sanctified you in their lives. Send men who will encourage me, challenge me, and correct me.

Do not let me waste my life like Nadab and Abihu. Show me how to live that I might encourage others not to waste their lives. There are so many vain and empty pleasures that threaten to shipwreck my faith. Set Christ squarely in my center that all of life may be purposeful and ordered. Give me strong affections for Christ that I may sanctify you and glorify you in my life.

Give me Christ
Amen

Challies Dot Com :: Putting The Fun In Fundamentalism

Challies Dot Com :: Putting The Fun In Fundamentalism

Check out the blog entry "Astonished At My Own Ignorance" from April 05

Thursday's Prayer

I give thanks to you my GOd with all my heart; today and all my days I will tell others of all your wonders. I am glad in you and I joy in you; I sing praises to your name, O Most High. You are all I need and all this world needs. You are my joy and my gladness. You order my life with strength and purpose. I give thanks to you my God.

As I read what will happen to your enemies I tremble. You will judge righteously and I am unrighteous. Each day seems to bring either a new struggle or renew an old struggle. My unrighteousness is plain to my eyes so it must be that much clearer to you.

You are a stronghold for the oppressed. I know you and I put my trust in you. I trust in you because you will not forsake those who trust you. I trust you and I trust in Christ whose blood you require for my forgiveness. I trust in Christ my strong king. You have made yourself and your Son known. Thank you Father for showing me Christ who is my righteousness.

Christ is the Alpha and the Omega; he is the beginning and the end. Jesus is my beginning and my end. He is a lion and a lamb. He is full of power and full of humility. He is the epitome of all that is good and gracious. He makes me good and pours out his grace on me. I praise Jesus Christ. I give thanks to you my Lord with all my heart; I rejoice in all your wonders. You have made me glad and filled me with joy. I sing praise to you for you are worthy.

Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

My God, today you have put the spotlight on my sin. If I will come to your house, if you will hear my prayer, it will only be because of your great mercy. I come only by the blood of Christ who is the guilt offering for all my sin. I speak now though heavy with sin only because of Christ who is my perfect sacrifice.

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. This morning I you hear my voice, I lay my requests before you, and I wait in expectation.

Guide my every step. Light my path with your Word that I might bring you praise and that I might bear fruit for your glory. You do not take pleasure in evil so Lord may I bring you pleasure with the good. The wicked cannot dwell with you so cleanse me that I might dwell in your house forever. The arrogant cannot even stand in your presence so humbly I knell before you with only Christ as my plea. You hate those who do wrong, destroy those who tell lies, and abhor bloodthirsty and deceitful men. Lord, make me slow to sin and quick to repent. Lead me in your righteousness God. Lead me by Christ who makes and keeps me righteous.

I trust that only through Christ you have heard my cry for mercy and accepted my prayer. I rest in my Savior. I trust in my God.

Amen

Monday's Prayer

There is a companion book that follows our through the bible reading titled, For the Love of God, written by DA Carson. If you are interested, we are following volume 1. In the book for today's reading Carson wrote, "Here the people of God are to learn that God prescribes what is right and wrong, and that he has a right to do so; that holiness embraces all of life; that there is a distinction between the conduct of the people fo God and the conduct of the surrounding pagans, not merely a difference in abstract beliefs" (April 2).

My merciful God, you expect me to be different; holy as you are holy. You know the abundance of my sins. Even in Old Testament times you knew how quick humans are to run into intentional and unintentional sins and you provided the way of forgiveness. During Passion Week, looking to Easter Sunday, my mind cannot help but think of Christ and his perfect sacrifice. He doesn't offer himself offer and offer but once.

Along with David I pray to you because you are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. You are the one who sustains me when I am awake and when I asleep. Though my city and country cry out telling me there is no salvation for me in you I know they are wrong. I know Jesus is my salvation. Salvation belongs to you and you give it to whom ever you desire. I praise you and thank you with weak words. I wish I had better words to praise you with. You have done great things. You have atoned perfectly for my great sins. You are a great God. You are the God of righteousness.

Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Our great Father we thank You for the much needed rain and for the abundance of it! Lord we trust in You in the drought and in the time of plenty. We gling to You as the source of all life and the only sure ground for our hope. You are so much bigger than we realize. Jesus, You did so much more than we know. The world is not big enough to contain the books if all Your great works were recorded and this only while you walked this earth. You have done so much more, thank you my great King.

As we look to Your day for corporate worship tomorrow we lift up our pastors. We pray for those men who teach us every week. We pray for those men who teach our youth, our older members, and all ages in between. Feed them today Lord so that they would be full and able to feed us tomorrow. Guard them from laziness today. Guard them from distractions, sins, and frustrations that sap them and make them empty vessels in the pulpit on Sunday. Bless our pastors today with hearts that are right with You and hungry to be with You. May they be like Peter who dove into the lake and swam to shore to be with Jesus. Feed them Jesus that they may feed us.

For You my Christ
Amen

A few changes

If you've been here before you'll notice some changes. I'm trying to figure this all out so please bear with me. What matters is the link to the daily reading. I put it on the right so if you're used to following it in every post you can click "Through the Bible" every day and go to the same place.

Thanks
Paul

Friday's Prayer

Lord, Your grace abounds. You did not come to save one generation or one people but people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. You sent Your Son and the Spirit recorded the facts so that I would believe and have life in His name.

Thank You Spirit for the glorious day You recorded for me; the resurrection day. Christ is not dead. Christ is not wrapped in linen and lying in another man's tomb. He isn't behind a stone. He is risen no longer subject to my sin and death, no longer under God's wrath, and living as Lord of all the universe.

By faith I say with Mary Magdalene, "I have seen the Lord." By the Spirit's quickening I say with Thomas, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus, I ask in Your name that You would give me wisdom. Give me wisdom from the Spirit who guides about giving forgiveness and withholding forgiveness. We, Your church, can't do that on our own or in our pride. Give us humility and hearts relying completely on You. Use us my King.

In the name of Jesus the risen Lord
Amen

Thursday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, in Exodus we see the beginning of a new season with the tabernacle complete and Your glory filling it. In John we see the beginning of a new age with the death of Your Son. Both are about sacrifice. One temporal and the other eternal. Both were Your responses to sin. One dealt with outward cleanliness the other dealt with the whole person. I thank You today my Father that Jesus' sacrifice was a sacrifice for me. I thank You that the words, "it is finished," are known to me as both awful and beautiful. Awful because they refer to the life of Jesus being over in that body. Awful because He didn't do anything to deserve death. Beautiful because Christ's finished work buys my forgiveness and gives me His righteousness. It is finished.

Thank You my King
Amen

Wednesday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

As I did the reading this morning the event that stood out to me was the striking of Jesus by the officer in John 18.22. The officer was defending the honor Annas against this no-good rebelrouser. He hit the SON of GOD because this 'man' was lesser than Annas.

Father, forgive me of my sin. Forgive me for every sin that was laid on Jesus. I think I know better than You. I think doing things my way will give me more joy than doing things Your way and Christ suffered and died for my foolish demands. God, forgive me for lashing out at Christ with my sin. In the days ahead show me the horror and glory of the cross. May I not hide from the gruesome nature of what is to come. God it is my nature that made the cross so gruesome. Show me the horror that I might rightly feel the wonder of Christ's full work of atonement. Teach me God to no longer strike but to worship the SON of GOD.

Amen

Tuesday's prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Jesus, thank You for praying for me; may my knoweldge of You forever increase!

Sanctify me with truth my God. Wash me with Your word. For my sake Jesus consecrated himself; that I may be consecrated. You have made me holy for a purpose. Show me that purpose today that I might fulfill it and bring You glory. Father, You glorified Christ. You poured out great glory and restored His glory that was there even before the world existed. Keep me in Your name and use me in Your name that I may also glorify Jesus.

Father, sanctify me that I might love Your people and that Your people would be unified. Unless I am set aside by You for Your use I will not be able to do Your will. Please Father, use Your word to sanctify us and unite us. Glorify Your name in all the earth!

Amen

Monday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, how I thank You that in Your perfect wisdom You have given me the perfect Helper. Thank You that You did not leave me alone. Just as Jesus always had You and was never left alone though all the disciples deserted him so too I will never be left alone because I will always have the Spirit though everyone desert me. Teach me to draw my joy most powerfully from all that You are in the holy Trinity. Jesus, You promised that whatever I asked in Your name I will receive so that my joy may be full. Give me Christ centered joy. Focus me on Jesus. Deepen my understanding of Your holiness and Your subsitutionary death. Stretch my mind that I may grow. Stretch my affections that my joy may abound in You. Mature me that I may endure tribulation knowing that You have overcome the world. You have said these thing to keep me from falling away. Thank You Father, Son, and Spirit that You love me enough to keep me from falling away.

In Christ
Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, Son, and Spirit You all have truly done great things. You all are truly great Things! This morning I give You all praise. I offer up to You all worship and joy in Your name. I exalt You! I praise You! I am Your's and by the great work of grace You are mine! Glorify Yourself in my life. Glorify Yourself in my praise.

May the truths of Your Scripture bring encouragement and focus to Your church. May we believe in You, know You, see You, and dwell today and always in You. Raise up the skilled to lead us. Raise up men and women, young and old, who are gifted to serve and skilled to work in so many ways. Lord, You will not leave us as orphans. Father, you will not abandon us but will come to us.

Stir our hearts. Spirit move us. Make us willing and generous; ready and prepared for every good work. You are good. Jesus You are amazing. You are the way to life. You are the truth. You are my Savior and today 'if ever I loved you my Jesus 'tis now!'

Amen

Friday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

God, I thank Your for Scripture. I thank You that You have recorded for me Your wonders, Your faithfulness, and Your history. You truly are merciful and gracious. I do not deserve Christ, I deserve death, and yet You give me life. I deserve to immediately be punished for my sin out of Your righteous anger and yet You are slow to anger and forgiving. Being full of steadfast love and faithfulness You sent Your Son to die for me at the perfect time and in accordance with Your perfect plan. Thank you Father for sending Your Son. Thank You Jesus for fulfilling all God's commands of love for me. Thank You Spirit for giving me eyes to see Your truth and a new heart to beleive Your truth.

Your Scripture is surely full of glorious truth. Jesus loves. Jesus knew everything on this earth belongs to him and that he was returning to You and yet he washed the disciples feet. The pride of place belongs to Him and He knew it yet Jesus you served!?! Forgive me for picking and choosing who I think is worthy to be loved and worthy to be served. Give me a heart ready to die everyday to self and ready to serve anyone at a moment's notice. May I always give You the best in response to Your giving me the best, Your Son Jesus Christ.

In Him and for Him
Amen

Thursday's bonus

I'm working through the Design for Discipleship material from IVP and this week's focus is on prayer. One question points to Ephesians 3:14-21 and asks us to compile a list of some requests we can prayer for others as well as ourselves. Here's my basic list

1. Inner strength (from the Spirit not from self-esteem)
2. Christ to dwell in your heart
3. To be rooted and grounded in love
4. To comprehend the love of Christ
5. To be filled with the fullness of God

Then this prayer is given:

"Lord, I pray that the depth of my intimacy with You will increase beyond my wildest imagination over the next twelve months!"

May God answer that prayer in us and for all those we are praying.

Thursday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, I want to know You the way Moses knew You. I want to talk, pray, and be led with clarity and purpose. I want to know You that I might find favor in Your sight. I know You will be gracious to whom You will be gracious and show mercy on whom You will show mercy. You blind eyes and harden hearts. I cannot control You. I can only ask of You that you be gracious to me, my wife, and my child. Show mercy to me, mercy undeserved to me, my wife, and my child. Holy God, pour out grace and mercy on this church that we may know You and be useful to You.

Forgive me Father for loving the glory of man more than the glory that comes from You. Christ did not glorify himself but trusted himself to You and dedicated himself to seeking Your glory. I am so foolish. Mankind is so foolish. I would rather be political and coniving than God-centered and patient. Wash me. May I die so that You might bear much fruit through me. May I stop loving this life. God I want to serve You. I want to follow You. I want to serve Jesus.

You are the one worthy of praise. Worthy of all the "Hosannas!" we can offer. Mary annointed You. The Father spoke over You. I believe in You; remove my darkness. I hear You; give me a new heart and the Spirit so I might keep Your words.

Help me my great King
Amen


As I read and prayed God spoke to me through His word. I hope you find encouragement in it just as I have:

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. "

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Jn 15:15&16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Wednesday's Prayer

Reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My Lord, please do not visit my sin upon me when You visit. Thank You that the removal of my sin does not rely on me but Christ is the Moses of Exodus 32. Just as Moses interceded for the people so Jesus interceded for me. But Christ is better! Where Moses only delayed Your wrath Jesus drank Your wrath removing it completely for me. Christ is truly a better Moses, a better prophet, may I listen to His voice.

Jesus, You are the light of the world. Shine on me that I might walk in the light and not stumble.

Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life. I believe; help my unbelief that I may never die.

Jesus, You are the glory of God. Do Your work through me and throughout the world so that everyone will believe.

You truly are a better Moses. When death was foretold Moses prayed. When death was near Jesus, You died. One man died for the people. Thank You for dying for me.

Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Good Shepherd, lead me today. Lead me to eternal life. Teach me to hear Your voice. Change me so that I want to follow You instead of following my own way.

You laid down Your life for me so that I might live. You opened the door for me to have fellowship with God. You lead me that I might know and worship You. Jesus, there is nothing that I need that You have not provided. As with Oholiab and Bezalel, You equip those You call. You give the gifts and strength needed to fulfil Your commands. Truly, nothing is impossible with You.

Guard me from the hirelings. Do not let me hear their voices or follow their leadership. My Savior, do not let me be a hireling who runs when difficulties arise. Give me Christ's strength to stand against the wolves instead of fleeing at their appearance. I want You to be glorified. I want You to lead. To You who give eternal life and keep those You call I give grateful praise.

In the good Shepherd's name
Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, I praise You this day for Your beauty, honor, majesty, and glory. The wonder of fine stones point to the wonder of Your divinity. The beauty of handmade fabrics are a display of Your glory. Thank You God for being God. Thank You for being my God, my Savior, my Redeemer, and my King.

My Lord I believe in Christ Your eternal Son. I do not know Him as I should. Jesus, show Yourself to me. Teach me like You taught Your disciples. Teach me to pray. Teach me to serve. May today be a day of evident growth. May I sleep tonight with a marked decrease in works that are evil and a noticable increase in the out pour of living water. May my wife see more of Christ in me today. Lord, work in me so that Spirit would lead me. I want to lead my family for Your glory not like a dictator claiming my own authority. Do a mighty work in me and Lord please use me to do a mighty work in others.

I thank You for prayer in Jesus' name
Amen

Thursday's Prayer

Father, as I search Your Scripture show me Jesus. In Your Word is eternal life because it points to Your Son. I know that life is found with You just like the religious people of the 1st century. I pray that my knowledge would go past theirs. I pray I wouldn't get caught up with rules and regulations for holiness but would be consumed with Christ who provides holiness. I receive Jesus and affirm again my profession of faith.

Moses wrote of Jesus. Moses wrought of the tabernacle and articles used to offer sacrifices. Moses wrote of curtains, poles, and bases that would form the walls of the tabernacle. Everywhere the people went the tabernacle went with them. It was their meeting place. It was their way to sacrifice and be right with You. I thank You that Jesus is a better tabernacle. Greater works are done in Him than in the tabernacle.

I thank you God for salvation. Jesus came and spoke so that I could be saved. He healed, he displayed the glory of God the Son, so that I would marvel at Him. Help me to marvel at Jesus. Help me to show other people Jesus so that they would marvel at Him. I want to know You. I want others to know You. Help me God to glorify Your Son.

Believing in Christ's name
Amen

Wednesday's Prayer

Father, make me a man whose heart moves me to serve You. May I not be moved by tradition or a sense of guilt. May I be moved by the wonder and glory of Your salvation given freely in Your Son. Give me living water to quence my thirst. Don't let me try to quench it with activities, work, or leisure. Don't let me drownout your words with TV, music, or even sermons. Give me food to eat that will satisfy. May I say with Jesus, "my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." Reorient my appetites.

Jesus, you are the savior of the world! All around the world children, teenagers, and adults of all ages are coming to know the satisfaction of You to cover our sins and fill our hunger for God. The field is white for harvest! There are so many more ready to hear and respond in faith. Give me an appetite to work in Your fields. May the joy of my salvation and my hope in my Savior fuel me. Show me more of Jesus that I may show others more of Jesus.

In His name
Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, I thank You for showing the world Jesus. From a sapphire foundation and devouring fire to the Son of Man; You have shown us great things about who you are. You give the law and You give life. You are full of light and opposed to the darkness. Whoever believes will be given life but whoever does not obedy will be given wrath instead of life. May I receive Your truth. I know that I cannot receive one thing from You if it is not given to me from heaven; life and understanding depend on You.

Lord, it is easy to say with John, "I must decrease and you must increase." You have life and I have death. You have understanding and I have foolishness. You have light and I have darkness. You have CHrist and I deserve wrath. Give me Jesus!

Amen

Friday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, it is depressing to see the progress of Your people in these two passages. In Exodus they are afraid to hear from You and draw near to You on your mountain. In Luke they do not hesitate to grab, torture, and crucify Your Son. Guard Your church from following in their steps. Make us like the multitude of people and women who were mourning and lamenting. Make us like the centurion who realized who the man really was on the cross. Make us like Joseph of Arimathea who was looking for the kingdom of God. Make us faithful.

In Christ's name
Amen

Thursday's Prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My Lord and my Sacrifice, there is so much to pray in respone to Your Word give me wisdom and perseverence in prayer.

You are God strong and mighty, pure and holy. The Exodus teaches us so much about You and about Christ. We cannot approach you on our own. We cannot force our way into your presence. And there is the haunting phrase, "if you obey fully and keep my covenant then you'll be my treasured possession" (Ex 19.5).

I thank you for Jesus. I cannot fully obey. I cannot keep your covenant but He did. With the Passover meal Jesus provided for me a way onto your holy mountain. WIth the new covenant You made the way to you no longer dependent on the individual but dependent on Christ. Christ's body was broken and blood spilt for me the one who did not obey fully nor keep your commandments. God, You provided a way for me to climb your holy mountain and be a part of your kingdom. Thank you for Jesus.

Help me to live like Jesus. Help me to serve like Jesus. Help me to be humble like Jesus. Help me to pray like Jesus. May I never sale Jesus out. May I never deny Jesus. Lord wash me from my past and give me strength for Your future.

I long for the day when I will eat the passover meal with Jesus. The joys of seeing my Savior face to face are beyond my comprehension. Give me a taste of that joy today. Give me a hunger of that meal and a strong desire to see all those around me join in the feast.

Make me more like Jesus.
Amen

Wednesday's Prayer

Wednesday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, one of the hardest things for me to admit is that I can't do something on my own. Like Moses I think I should handle everything; that's what pastor's do! Father, I am so wrong. I want to give like the widow with her two copper coins. I want to love You and trust You to the extent that I give my all to You in everything. Show me how to give everything I have and teach me that doesn't mean I have to do everything. Raise up workers. Raise up pastors who want to train others and share the burden with them.

Lord, give us the endurance of Jesus Christ so that we may endure the difficulties that lie ahead. Wean my heart, wean our hearts, from feeding off the love of others instead of joying in your love for us. Others will hate us for the name of Jesus Christ. Prepare us today to endure tomorrow.

To see Christ coming with glory and great power is an exciting thing. It brings me joy to think of my faith becoming sight and all the world seeing what I know by faith. Do not let me joy wane. Guard me from the worries of this temporal life. Give me strength to escape, give me Your power to endure, and help me to stand before Jesus Christ. Cloth me today with His righteousness, power, love, and heart for the lost.

Glorify Your name
Amen

Tuesday's prayer

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, may Your church never become like Israel was; they hated Your prophets and killed Your Son. They cared only for themselves and cared nothing for bearing Your fruit in their midst. Lord open our eyes to the pain around our churches. Open our ears to hear the cries of our neighbors only a few feet away. Give us faith in the gospel and give us hearts that care. Shut our mouths and quiet our attempts to undermine each other.

Lord, by the blood of Christ build the body of Christ. Create pastors and members who are not concerned with seats of honors but are passionate to pursue Christ in opportunities for service. Raise up a people who are far more concerned with living their theology than they are with proving their theology. Your people, Your creation, are hurting. Lord, I see it help me to take Christ to it.

Amen

Monday's Prayer

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, I am an ungrateful grumbler like the Hebrews and the Pharisees. I see the wrong before I see the right. I see the small door ding and overlook the fine automobile. I see the one bad and ignore the 100 good. I focus on myself and lose sight of You. Thank you for refocusing me today; for teaching a lesson I needed to learn a second time.

Saturday's prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord of salvation and Lord of creation please build Your church. Raise up men and women who master temptation and are quick to forgive. Create a people hungry to grow in faith and faithful to serve. Call out a generation who instead of rejecting You return to You and give thanks. Your kingdom is amoung us and expanding. Guard us from being like the Pharisees, the days of Noah, and the days of Lot. Lord, do not let me go about with business as usual wasting the life You have given me on myself. I want an attitude of sacrifice. I want to be ready to lose my life and willing to lose my life in every circumstance from raising Abigail to standing in line at Wal-Mart. I don't want regrets. I want to be faithful.

Jesus, just as You cleansed the 10 lepers please my God, cleanse me. Wash the stains of a wasted life off of me. Focus me on You. Christ, stir Your church. May today be a day of repentance and faithfulness. May You grant us repentance. Lord, please stir Your church to serve and love with all joy.

I believe You will build Your church
Amen

Wednesday's prayer

Wednesday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My God do not excuse me. My Father do not let me offer any reason why I should not join You today and for all eternity. The cost will be higher, greater than I can imagine. The people of Egypt paid a terrible price for not following You. I do not want to follow their example. I want to follow Christ's example. He counted the cost. He paid the price. He bore His cross. He loved You more than his family. He humbled himself. He is the bridegroom of the wedding feast. He never lost his flavor for changing the world.

Lord I praise You that You have given me Jesus Christ; undeserved but given freely. I thank You that by grace You give me Christ's righteousness. I thank You that by the power of the Spirit You make me more like Christ every day. Every day Your Spirit through Your Word makes me more eager to join the feast, more willing to pay the price, more willing to bear my cross, more willing to love You so much it makes my love for family look like hate, more willing to humble myself, and more willing to influence this world.

God you make me willing and able only because Christ was willing, able, and faithful. I worship You Almighty God, there is none like You!

AMEN!

Monday's Prayer

Monday's Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, I thank You for Your church. I praise You for gathering a people, for calling a people, and for creating Your possession. Keep us focused on Christ. Keep us dependant on Christ. Fuel in us a hunger for Christ.

Lord, there are so many things that you call all of your children to be every day. Lord I am to be on guard against hypocrisy. I must be on guard against greed. I must be reconciled with those I have wronged. I must be ready for service. I must not worry about food or clothes. I must not fear men but must fear you.

Those who fear the word of the Lord will obey it. Even the Egyptian officials that feared your word obeyed. Give me a righteous fear of your truth. Life is about more than possessions. Life is about Jesus Christ. Direct my heart away from earthly treasures as I work. May I work for heavenly treasures. Stir my heart with Christ. Give me opportunity to acknowledge Christ before men. May I display the magnificence of Christ in all I do today and all my days.

For your glory
Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Saturday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My God I praise You for another day to make Your glory known to my family and my neighbors. Help me to be CHristlike and not me-like! Lord as I hold my child I thank You for your many good gifts. Her hands are tiny and perfect. I know Your hands are big and perfect. She brings me joy simply by looking at her. May I find greater joy in looking into Your word and finding Christ there. Help me to slow down and choose what is important. Don't let me be distracted like Martha. Do not let me be hard toward you like Pharaoh. Make me a laborer who knows You and shares Your wonders with others. You have to reveal Yourself so Lord I pray You will reveal yourself through me. Show Yourself those those around me through my love for You. Show Yourself to others around me through my love for them. I know you do this as I sacrifice like the Samaritan. I know what to do please God help me to do it.

Give me Christ my greatest treasure so that I may show Him to others,
Amen

Friday's prayer

Friday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, Your way is always costly. The Hebrew people didn't want it. They'd rather make bricks. The idea of taking up my cross, not having a home, and leaving family is not a pleasant road. I want the light burden and the easy yoke not a cross that calls me to die and forsake all that I am and all that I have. I am self-centered like the Hebrews were. I want You to do everything and I want everything to be easy and like a party that I don't have to plan, work for, or clean up after. I want the cake but not the vegetables and that's why I'm spiritually fat; that's why I don't see Your glory. That's why I don't see You doing amazing things like feeding the 5,000 and casting out demons. In my spiritual apathy I act like the village of the Samaritans. I don't like the talk of sin. I don't like the talk of death. I don't like the talk of the cross. I just want some loaves and fish and I'll pass on the cross.

Lord, I thank You that Christ is totally different than I am. He is God-centered. He is ready to bear the cross. He is ready to die. He's ready for the painful struggle as well as the joyous victory. Christ truly does for me what I cannot do and he is for me what I cannot be. He is holy, I am not. He is obedient, I am not. He is pure, I am not. THANK YOU GOD for Jesus Christ my great high priest. Lord may my love for You increase as my knowledge of my own sin increases. As You magnify my sin may it magnify the glories of Your mercy. Cleanse me and change me in Your power.

Believing
Amen

Thursday's Prayer

Thursday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, I feel today like the Hebrew people, I want Your blessings but I don't want to struggle. I want You to give me my heart's desire but I don't want You to change my heart's desire. I'm content making bricks for someone else even though You want to give me much greater things. Give me new eyes to pierce through the junk of my heart and the trash of this world. Give me new desires that cannot be fulfilled by stuff and acclaim. Help me see greater things. Help me see Jesus Christ who calms the storms, heals the sick, and raises the dead. Help me believe sowing the Gospel in all the world is the best calling a man can recieve. You taught Pharaoh, You caused the seed to sprout and bear fruit, and You healed a deep long standing problem so I know you can do great things through Your Son. Lord do great things in my life. Lord do great things in those around me. Lord, bear fruit in me.

For Christ
Amen

Wednesday's Prayer

Wednesday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, thank you that you do not hide your love for me. You have shown me your love by sending Christ, thank you. And you also have shown me how to increase my love for you. The more I am aware of my debt the more my love for you will grow. Show me how much I have been forgiven of so that I might love you more.

I confess God that I am hesitent like Moses thinking what will the people do and what will the people say? I make excuses. Father, by the work of Christ forgive me. By the blood of Christ wash me of my sins and strengthen me to follow. May I always respond like the Hebrews who worshiped in response to all that Aaron had to say.

You are the maker of mouths and the hardener of hearts. You raise the dead and heal the sick. Lord, you are worthy to be praised may I follow you all my days.

In Christ's name
Amen

Tuesday's prayer

Tuesday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, what is obvious from Your Word is that I am not like You but I want to be. I want to be merciful and I want to be kind to the ungrateful and to the evil. I want to be like You. God You have made it crystal clear that what You want from me are things unnatural to me. I read and I feel how far away I am from Your standards. But that makes me praise Your Son because I know that were it not for Him I would be lost forever. Were it not for the gospel that removes my sins and gives me power to live righteously I would never be forgiven or righteous. Jesus Christ is my strong foundation. His gospel is my hope. Work in me Father. Show me who You are and where I need to be. I thank you for my Savior.

In Christ's name
Amen

Monday's Prayer

Monday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord of life, Protector of Moses, You are in control and I praise You for Your power. You guided a helpless baby on the Nile and brought him to a home to protect him. You filled Peter's net with fish when he had caught nothing on his own. You healed the paralytic and forgave his sins. You are truly God of this life and the next.

Lord may I hear your call for sinners to repent. Please use me to call my family, friends, and neighbors to repentance. Make me a fisher of men and bless me with a great catch. May the net of Mambrino Baptist Church be used to catch many people. It is Your power, the power of the Lord, that enables healing both phyically and spiritually. Lord may I and Your church walk in Your power and complete Your will.

Use me to glorify Your name
Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Saturday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, by Your strength alone can wondrous things be accomplished. The forgiveness of Joseph and genuine care for his brothers, the humility of John the Baptist, the line of Christ, and so much more are a testimony to Your faithfulness and power. You who demand amazing things also give amazing things. Lord give us repentance. Lord give us the Holy Spirit. Give us all we need to fulfill all You require and we will give You all the praise.

In Christ
Amen

Thursday's Prayer

Thursday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My Lord, as those who hold their child for the first time or stand before the expanse of the Grand Canyon or see the stars over Yellowstone are silent in amazement so that is a glimpse of how I stand before Your Word this morning.

Where do I begin to praise You? How do I put into words something so magnificent as the birth of Your Son; something so wonderful as the entrance of my Savior? I will use the words of those who lived it.

My soul magnifies You and my spirit rejoices in You my Savior. I am so unworthy of any gift from Your hand. I am especially unworthy of Your Son. You, God are mighty and you have done great things for me. You have given me mercy. You have shown Your strength. You scatter the proud and bring down the mighty. You exalt the humble and fill the hungry. You send away the rich but help Your servant Israel out of Your great mercy.

I feel like one of Elizabeth's neighbors; rejoicing with her. I join myself with Zechariah and lift up his prayer. Blessed are You my God because You have visted us and redeemed us. You have raised up a way of salvation just as You promised. You will save us from our enemies, show us mercy, and remember Your covenant and oath.

What does all this mean? It means I am saved! It means Your mercy sent Christ who covers my sin and gives me His righteousness so that I might serve You without fear. You give me Christ so that I might serve in holiness and righteousness all my days. What wonderous love is this!?! John proclaimed forgiveness of sins and I proclaim forgiveness of sins. I proclaim Jesus Christ.

How am I forgiven? Lord, You are tender in mercy and You have sent Your Light. When I sat in the darkness of my sins You sent Christ to guide my feet into the way of peace. You sent Christ to guide me to You. Praise You for the marvelous Light!

Praise You for Jesus!
Amen

A Must Read

This little booklet should be required reading for every Christian. Please spend time reading it. Since yesterday afternoon I've read all of it once and the first section twice. May we be consumed by and with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

http://www.cornerstonebible.org/Resources/gospelprimer7.6.pdf


Paul

Wednesday's Prayer

Wednesday's reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, You have done great things! A woman advanced in years conceives. A virgin conceives. My Savior enters the world! Clearly nothing is impossible with You. Lord, turn my heart to the children. Turn my disobedience to the wisdom of the just. Your Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, does just that. In the Gospel You show me that the unlovable are greatly loved; I am greatly loved. Lord, by Your strength I can love the unlovable. In the Gospel You show me that the unchangeable are changed; I am changed. Lord, by Your strength others can change.

God You own me. Pharaoh owned all the people and Pharaoh owned all the land but his ownership was temporary. His ownership was for his advantage. Your ownership of me is for my advantage. By being a member of Your house I am given access to You. The people of Egypt didn't have that. Pharaoh didn't want that. You are infinitely greater than Pharaoh. You do great things. You do impossible things: You love me, You forgive me, and You fellowship with me. Praise God! Praise You!

In Christ alone
Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

Tuesday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My Lord and my Provider, You are the one who resurrects the dead and gives us all that we need. The glorious work of Jesus Christ for me does all that I cannot do. It opens the way to You. He tore the curtain into the Holy of Holies. He was not held by the grave. He is what I must have. Lord, give me Jesus Christ. May I rejoice in Him more than Jacob rejoiced in seeing Joseph alive though once thought dead. May I trust in Christ's provisions like Jacob trusted in the provisions stored up by Joseph. Jacob did nothing to warrant a place to pasture his animals but it was given to him. Jacob did nothing to deserve grain for food but it was given to him. Lord I trust in Your generosity poured out through Jesus Christ. He is and gives all that I need. Help me to understand that every minute of every day.

Increase my capacity to worship You through Christ
Amen

Monday's prayer

Monday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, I praise you because what men do for evil You use for good. You did it with Joseph's brothers and You did it with Christ's crucifixion. Out of hatred we act trying to destroy life. I do heinous things and yet You are able to work them for good. Your wisdom is higher than my own! Your power is so much greater than my own; so much greater that man's greatest act of hatred is shaped into Your greatest act of love. Teach me to trust.

Teach me to forgive. Give me the heart of Christ displayed in the life of Joseph. Change me through Your gospel to the extent that I can weep with joy when reconciled with my enemies instead of striking back in anger. Change me so I look like Christ and therefore give You reason to delight in me.

Through my Savior, Your pleasure
Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Saturday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My great Father, I praise You for Christ Your Son who is my righteousness. Thank You for being God and for the promise that I will one day see Christ in all his power and glory. Lord, I want to see it today. I want to no longer look upon my sin. I want to look upon Christ my righteousness. I want to no longer sleep and slumber. I want to stay awake. I want to be on guard.

Lord, the tribulation is coming. The signs seem to be increasing. The end of this age is closer today than when I first believed. I don't know when it's going to happen but You know. Though it will be terrible beyond my imagination I thank You that there will be grace even then. Grace that will guard Your chosen ones keeping the elect from being lead astray.

Father, teach me the Gospel. Teach me to love Jesus Christ. Teach me to put all pleasures in their right place and under the supremacy of Your Son. I want to love only what makes You more lovely. I want to desire only what makes my desire for You to grow. Teach Your church the gospel. Teach us Jesus Christ.

In His name
Amen

Wednesday's Prayer

Wednesday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

God, make me like blind Bartimaeus because before his eyes worked he could see what was important. My eyes work and I spend more time missing what is important than seeing what is important. He cried out to you. Bartimaeus would not be silent. He knew he had nothing to lose and everything to gain by meeting with You. Lord, may I live like Bartimaeus. May I show my wife and daughter what it is to live like Bartimaeus. Lord come near! Lord have mercy on me! Son of David, I want to recover my sight. I want to see Your glory. I want to walk with you. I want to spring up when you call.

Help me Father; help my unbelief
Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

Tuesday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/?date=2007-02-06

Father, our reading today teaches us plainly we are to be different than the world. We are to be different in the area of sexual purity. Lord help us to flee like Joseph and refuse to bow to what is easy and feels good right now. Help us to be so passionate for purity that we are willing to go to extreme measures. And God we desperately need your help, I desperately need your help because I want Your steadfast love and presence and blessings without labor or sacrifice. I want to do Your will and help others but paying the price doesn't sound all that appetizing. I want to be great in Your kingdom but I don't want to be last and like a child. I thank you so much for Christ who purchased grace for me and pour out His Spirit so I can change. Lord, I can be like Joseph. I can be like Christ. Guide my thoughts today. Guide my steps today. May I be pleasing to you today.

I thank you for my Savior Jesus Christ
Amen

Monday's prayer

Monday's reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord of Holiness and God of heaven and earth, help me to pray. I know what Christ has said about being a disciple. I must pick up my cross and follow Him. I must lose my life and then I will find it. Lord I know the words. But I feel there is to much of Er, Onan, and Judah within me. Lord you cared for Tamar, the 4,000, and the blind man at Bethsaida please give me the faith and hope that you will care for me. You can do so much with so little. That gives me hope. Give me strength to bear my cross and if it be your will do much with my little.

In Christ
Amen

Friday's prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My Lord, forgive me because I am more like the sons of Jacob than I am like Jairus and the bleeding woman. I take matters in my hands and I do things my way. I fear and my fear leads me to disbelief. Father say to my soul, 'arise' and I will. Tell me not to fear and to believe and I will because I know You will give me the strength to obey Your commands. Your strength is not feeble but abundant. Father, say to my soul, 'arise' so that I would not shrink from the opportunities you give me. Give me boldness that I might not be like the people who begged You to leave and instead give me. Rather make me like the demon possessed man who went home and told his friends how much You had done for him and that You had mercy on Him. You have done so much for me. You have given me so much mercy. Give me, give your church, a passion for telling our friends how much you have done for us. Give us boldness to tell our families how valuable Christ our righteousness truly is. Through Him we pray.

Amen

Tuesday's prayer

Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My God who is the very Fear of Isaac and Lord of the Sabbath, call me out of the darkness. Like Levi, may I hear you say, "follow me" and may I have the heart to follow. My priorities are confused and so much of my day seems wasted working for another man's selfish gains; working for the old man's selfish desires. Forgive me. You have the power to forgive sins; Lord forgive me. Make me a friend to those in need. Give me faith to sustain not just my self but those around me who cannot carry their own weight. Give me friends who whose faith will sustain me when I cannot carry my own weight. Lord the discontent within my soul longs for your return.

Come Lord Jesus
Amen

Monday's Prayer, January 29

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/ (Daily reading)

My Lord, show me Your glory. John the Baptist saw the Lamb and realized he was unworthy to even untie Christ's sandal. Simon and Andrew saw Christ and realized in Him there was something better than what was in the boat. God may I see that You are worth the wilderness, the preaching, and the leaving of this world's things. I pray also for the flock, Your Church. Grant us not just an outward showing of repentance but an inward change as Your Spirit takes up residence within. Baptize us with Your Spirit that we may be bold and humble; broken for sins yet whole in Christ. Amaze us with You.

Through Christ
Amen

Friday's prayer

Follow this link to the daily reading http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Lord, as I read Your word today I was saddened by the overwhelming amount of self-centered sin. Jacob lied to his father to get the blessing. Esau comforted himself with thoughts of murder. The Pharisees planned a strategy to kill Jesus. Judas betrayed Christ for money. The disciples ran scared leaving their Savior alone. Peter cursed and denied evening knowing Christ. Father we are desperately in need of grace. I am in need of your mercy because I feel the temptation to lie, comfort myself with thoughts of other's destruction, and abandon You and Your will for my own confort and security. My Lord and my God please wash me. As I came to Your word this morning and reasoned with You what is clear is that my sin is like scarlett and crimson before You. As I saw sin upon sin in Your Scripture I was reminded of my own cleansing. I thank You Father that Christ did not run scared, sucumb to the temptation of the easy way, return death threats for death threats, or curse instead of serve. I thank you that in Christ's life, death, and faithfulness I find forgiveness and power to overcome sin. Thank You Father. Thank You.

Amen

Wednesday January 24

Daily Bible Reading- http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My God, You are Lord over nations, life, death, families, descendents, tribulation, and Christ's coming. There are things You know that no one else knows. Your knowledge is too great for us. Your ways are beyond our comprehension. Show me more of who You are. I join in with the prayer of John the Baptist, "You must increase and I must decrease." I pray it knowing that all that is good within me is because of You and Your work. All that is evil and damaging to the Kingdom within me is because of me and my work. Lord, please increase.

Increase so much in me and in my life that I do not fear struggles and difficulties. May wars and famines and earthquakes focus me on You and being a faithful servant of Your Kingdom. Forgive me for losing my focus. Forgive me for worrying more about how the war in Iraq effects me and my family's future more than how You can work this for the good.

The fig tree of the times points to the nearness of Your coming. May I and your church not be like those in the days of Noah who were unaware and careless. May I and your church not be like the wicked servant who wasted life on luxuries that lead only to death. Lord, You are speaking to us through Your Word. Give us ears to hear and strength to be found faithful. Give us Christ our blessed Lord and only Savior.

Through Him
Amen

Monday January 22 Daily Reading & Prayer

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My Lord and My God, what an amazing day you gave us yesterday to gather as your people. You have done so much for us. You have done everything for us. The young and old, the rich and poor, they are all one people because of Christ. You truly do great things!

Ephron was like you, generous and ready to give. Teach us to be like You as we follow the example of Ephron the giver. Teach us Lord to be like You as we follow the example of Christ. He invited everyone to come to the wedding feast. He invited everyone to enter the kingdom of heaven but some are not worthy and do not want to come. God make me worthy. God put in me the desire to feast with You and Your people in the kingdom. Lord, you tell us 'Many are called but few are chosen' (Matt 22:14). Number me among the chosen.

Do not number me among those who desire to trick others. Do not number me among those who do not know the Scripture nor the power of God. Lord I want to know You. Lord I want to know Your power but there is so much sin in my life. There is little faith where there should be great faith. I get caught up on opinions and appearances. Wash me from the sin that clings so closely to my heart that I may know Your Scripture and Your power. Do in me and do in this church what only You can do- bring restoration, unity, and usefulness. Bring Your power through Your Word to convict me of my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Thank you for Christ who is the pure sacrifice for my sins and the pure righteousness that you require of me. Lead me.

In Christ
Amen

Friday Daily Reading

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

My God, when I think of the grace you have given me through Christ that covers my sin I am grateful. When I think of the grace you have given me through Christ that kept me from sins I never saw I am amazed. You do things for me that I am not aware of. You keep me from pain and punishment.

God, you do the impossible; you save me. Lord, fill my thoughts today with gratitude. Fill my words today with thanksgiving. Fill my day with obedience. You have shown me again and again the futility of living for myself. You have shown me the reward of living for you. You have shown me Christ. He is the first and he made himself last. Humility like that of a child guided him. Wonder and joy like that of a kid marked his days. May it mark mine. Do in me the impossible.

With wonder in Christ
Amen

Daily Reading January 18

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, you have rescued me and you have forgiven me! And there is so much to be forgiven. If I only think of this morning and yesterday there is a mountain of laziness instead of obedience that needs to be moved. Give me faith to trust in Your promises instead of my works. Give me faith to trust in You and not in my repentence. Show me my forgiveness in You that I may be ready to forgive others. Lord you truly are amazing. If anyone should hold a grudge it's You and not me but I do it and you don't! Repentence based on the work of Christ brings reconciliation with You. Teach me to do the good work of forgiveness and grace giving that those around me may see You in me and glorify You and not me. Lord, there is so much for You to do in me. Remind me constantly that Christ is my only hope for now and for the future. Ground me constantly in His work that I may be faithful to do Your work. Draw near to me.

In Christ
Amen

January 16th Daily Bible Reading

What a blessing it is to read Scripture and what a joy it is to pray in response. I have a plan (let's see if it works) to post a brief prayer for each weekday, and some weekends, in connection with the daily reading.

www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/one.year.tract/

Father, teach me to set my mind on Your interests so that Your interests shape and replace my interests. Abraham laughed at your promises and offered his better way. Peter grew angry at your plan and wanted to oppose the thought of it. God I do the same. I don't want to deny myself I want to embrace and strengthen my self. I don't want to pick up my cross I want to pick up the remote while I read blogs. I don't want to follow you I want to stay where I am.

God give me a vision of you. God awaken a dry soil to the satisfying joys of Christ, His cross, and His way. Lord you are good and so merciful to me. Do not let me miss the point of your teaching. You are the Almighty. You reveal truth. Reveal the truth of Christ to me that I and your church may grow. Reveal the truth of Christ to me and your church that we may make progress against the kingdom of Satan. May we be gate crashers instead of pew warmers by your strength and for your glory.

We praise you for Christ our all sufficient Savior
Amen

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HEAVEN BY RANDY ALCORN

A BRIEF OVERVIEW
By Mark Zimmermann

For those of you who take the plunge into Heaven by Dr. Alcorn I would highly recommend that you read his Appendix A before reading the beginning. This will explain his motive behind writing this work.
I believe his doctrine of “Christoplatonism” is dead right and we all have bought into this doctrine in some manner. What he defines as Christoplatonism is a false philosophy that gives the spiritual realm a higher ground than the material and physical world that we live in and view as common. In this philosophical system we end up with a Gnostic idea that Heaven and Earth are opposites.
Gnosticism taught that anything spiritual was good and anything material, or had matter, was evil. This is where many early heresies began to enter into the first stages of Christianity. These heresies attempted to dismantle Trinitarian doctrine. (Any doctrine that tampers with the Trinitarian framework described in scripture will inevitably result into idolatry.)  By this worldview we tend to see heaven as non-physical and surreal and thus are basically disinterested in it when we compare it with our here and now.
Dr. Alcorn has placed literal biblical references before us in this book so we may know the reality of the physical heaven described by the Bible. By doing so he has attempted to place a true Christian worldview back on track within us so we can find the joy of anticipation of where we as Christians are going to spend eternity.

Between Two Worlds: All of Grace

Between Two Worlds: All of Grace

Here is the link to a free audio book. It is Charles Spurgeon's book All of Grace. Every month www.Christianaudio.com does a free book. Check it out.

Getting Confession Right

From Joshua Harris, Not Even a Hint:

Often, when a person is confessing sin, they're more aware of their sinfulness than they are of God's grace and mercy. It's a mistake to think that emphasizing guilt will lead to change. The opposite is true. It's only when we remember that God has forgiven our sin because of Jesus Christ that we can find the resolve to keep battling sin (145).

My Rant

From chapter 2:

Believing the true Gospel, and responding to it in repentance and belief, is the only way to be saved. The Gospel and its required response, therefore, are the very last things we want to assume that people know – even if some of them insist otherwise. The human heart is astoundingly deceptive (Jer. 17:9), nominalism (being a Christian in name only) has spread in our churches like gangrene, and misunderstandings about the Gospel abound among professing evangelicals, especially regarding its relationship to other religions and its implications for our everyday lives. People need to hear the Gospel – whether they’re professing Christians or not.  

2Cor. 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. The implication is that once you try to turn the corner from technique, program, or entertainment to the Gospel, it’s likely that you’ll either lose them, or they will be converted to you, not Christ. The Gospel of Christ has never needed the gimmicks of man to effect conversion in the soul. (p44)

It has been my conviction that one who attends a “real” church should get a “real” Christian education. If I am to attend “every time the doors are open” then why should one attending seminary for only a short duration have any better education than me who spends a lifetime in corporate study? Acts 2:42. And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. How serious are we about knowing our great God? I know of only one place where He has given to us His own self-revelation. Should not we be adamant about knowing what He has said? This is the only manner that we will be His light to the world that He desires the salvation thereof. 1Tim2:3-4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4. who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Coincidence? I think not

I'm reading Joshua Harris' book Not Even a Hint and by the grace of God Josh has returned us this morning to our theme of accountibility.

From page 133:
Alone, isolated, and without accountability, [we become] the perfect target for temptation. Our enemy goes after people who have isolated themselves from other Christians. Stragglers make easy victims. Without other people to encourage them, watch out for them, and confront small compromise in their lives, they often end up drifting into serious sin.

From Paul:
Think of a herd of wildebeasts on the African plains. They are constantly being followed by lions and hyennas. Who are those predators looking for? The weak; be they young, old, or sick. Those predators do not waste their energies on the others. So, the herd is there to protect. Did you know that a giraff can actually kick your head off? Think about what a herd of giraffs can do. But when you seperate that one young, old, or sick giraff from the herd then it becomes dinner.

I believe we who make up the church should always find ourselves in one of two positions: either seeking the protection of the church in our weaknesses through accountibility and confession or seeking to protect those in the church through accountibility and confession. Again, this is impossible without relationships.

Go out there, gather the herd around you, and kick the head off of the sin that so easily entangles.

The Preventative Function of Accountability Relationships

From page 69:
Sin needs darkness to grow--it needs isolation disguised as "privacy," and prideful self-sufficiency disguished as "strength." Once these conditions prevail, sin is watered with the acid of shame, which then makes darkness appear more attractive to the sinner than the light. But when we walk in the light by confessing our sins, we realize that we are not alone in our struggles, and we open ourselves to the protective rebukes and loving corrections that function as pesticidies to curb the destructive and enslaving potential of habitual sin.

From Paul (the pastor not the hurricane):
I appreciate so much the emphasis in the chapter on relationships which make correction possible as well as profitable. I am always prone, like the rest of us, to want to correct someone else's theology, attitude, or behavior while honestly belieiving there is nothing in need of correction in my own theology, attitude, and behavior. But in a real relationship my theology, attitudes, and actions will come out and call for correction.

Here's my question: How do we cultivate those relationships while being so busy?

Between Two Worlds: America's God

Between Two Worlds: America's God

I thought this was pretty interesting about how the denominations break down at a glance and also the precentages of how those people view God. Check it out.

Paul

Reading Dever's synopsis of the Gospel, which I thought was incredibly simplistic but accurate, my first thought was how many of our people would feel that they were being put on the spot and offended. Do we have the relationships even within the church to be able to ask such bold, but simple questions?

Another thing that is not spelled out but is implied is Dever's view of the role of the pastor. It's a view that the pastor's role is much more than what many in Baptist circles would care to enjoy. I would personally like to see that these kinds of questions come from deacons, even Sunday School teachers.

How many of our Sunday School teachers could answer let alone ask their students to explain the Gospel in 60 seconds. Encourage it in your class next Sunday. Take somebody out to lunch that you haven't gotten to know very well; maybe a new member.

We have got to raise the bar in Sunday Schools. Many of us may say, "Amen," but if we don't set the standard and then tell them that there is a standard, they will not live up to it!

Start there building the relationships. It's not enough that the pastor holds us to it, we must, we must hold each other to the standard of being able to explain the Glorious Gospel in 60 seconds, and understand how to live it a lifetime.

On a technical note, when posting make sure that your font is set to "normal size"(12 pic). It seems to cause the template to force everything down below the lowest link. Mark your the culprit.lol.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

The introduction of this book states that the church of God is the only institution entrusted by God with the message of repentance of sins and belief in Jesus Christ for forgiveness. This single task ultimately displays His glory to His creation. This solitary message is what is known as the gospel – euangelion – the good news or as the Old English says, “Glad tidings.”
The gospel is what grows the church in both the vertical (spiritual) and horizontal (numerical) realm. It does so by protecting the assembly from doctrinal error and moral wickedness. The church must be faithful to this gospel message and trust that Christ will build His church by this very method that He has set forth before us. We, as a church, do not measure success by the count on our membership role but by our faithfulness to remain steadfast to the whole of scripture.
So what is the gospel? The authors of this book have outlined the gospel as:

God is our holy Creator and righteous Judge. He created us to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever, but we have all sinned, both in Adam as our representative head, and in our own individual actions. Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, We therefore deserve death – spiritual separation from God in hell. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Eph. 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. We, in fact, are spiritually stillborn, helpless in our sins. Ps. 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Rom. 5:6-8 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Eph. 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins. We are in need of God to impart spiritual life to us. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." So God sent His Son Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, to die the death that we deserved, and He raised Him up for our justification, proving that He was God’s Son. Rom. 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 1:4 declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. If we would have Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to us, and the penalty for out sins accounted to Him, we must repent of our sins and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. 2Cor. 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The Old Testament showed us the Law and how helpless that we were in our own efforts to keep it; this is not good news. The New Testament contains this good news that even though we are all sinners we have Jesus Christ as our substitute. He alone paid our sin debt in full making us alive to righteousness and an access to God’s peace. He is Jacob’s ladder.

THE DELIBERATE CHURCH

The following will serve as our scheduled reading assignment:

Week of Oct 1 Intro and chapters 1&2
Week of Oct 8 Chapters 3-5
Week of Oct 15 Chapters 6-8
Week of Oct 22 Chapters 9-11
Week of Oct 29 Chapters 12-14
Week of Nov 5 Chapters 15-17
Week of Nov 12 Chapters 18-20
Week of Nov 19 Chapter 21

Christianity Today's top 50 books

You've probably seen the list by now but if you haven't check it out and be surprised. I want to thank Denny Burk at www.dennyburk.com for pointing me to the list.

Baptism and the Lord's Supper

When I went to Shepherd's Conference a couple of years ago it unearthed a question long since buried in my mind from my Baptist History, or was it Systematic Theology, class: Who should I invited to the Lord's table? Should the sprinkled, the immersed, the covenant, or just plain ole everyone come and partake?

I have given you a link to a paper dealing with that very issue. It's a Southwestern publication written by a PhD student at Southeastern who earned his MDiv at Southern. How about that for getting a taste of Baptist higher education?

Arthur Pink on using "trump texts"

But the Word of God does not contradict itself, and it is an evil practice which cannot be too strongly condemned to pit one passage against another: any attempt to neutralize one text by another is handling the Truth deceitfully (Arthur Pink, An Exposition of Hebrews, 1011).

Sam's third movie of the year

I have found now the third movie Sam will have to see this year; my what a busy year the Long's will have. It's the documentary titled Jesus Camp.

The sad thing is that this is how the liberal media views evangelicals. They do not see this as an aberrant group who has missed the point at several points. I bet they assume this is what is happening at Mambrino VBS every summer.

Jacob's Ladder

One of the hardest things about being a preacher is getting ahold of something interesting and not being able to use it in a sermon. Well you guessed it, I came back across some information that I'm not going to be able to use this Sunday so you get it today.

What in the world is Jacob's ladder all about in Genesis 28:10-15?

10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (NKJV)

Is this simply the product of poor pillow selection or something more?

The something more is Jesus Christ. Did you know Jacob's Ladder is Jesus Christ?

See John 1:51 and tell me what you think

51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (NKJV)

The results are in

The next book has been placed on order and it is

Mark Dever's book The Deliberate Church

For those Mambrino folks out there the cost will be 10.00 to get in on the action. If you want to go ahead and take a peak than look at the amazon.com site here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1581347383/ref=pd_rvi_gw_1/002-4210980-7344013?ie=UTF8

And check out Mark Dever's site here:

www.9marks.com

Teens and Media

I'll confess up front that the incompassing use of media in todays teens surprises me (and I'm 27)! Web cams, My Space, camera phones, text messages, blogs, mp3 players, and whatever is coming tomorrow is consuming our teen culture. And when I say 'consuming' I am using a negative reference.

Last night Angela and I watched the end of the ABC Primetime special on Mean Teens. Here is a snipet video from the show. YOU ARE WARNED the language used is not your Sunday morning straighten up you're in church language. I normally would not link to this but a daughter in the house has called me to action.


Primetime Webcast: The Teenage Girl
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2436321

Please, Please, Please follow the link connected to "Teens and Media" above and listen to the biblical response by Al Mohler president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Besides, if you tithe to a SBC church you're helping to pay his salary.

Paul

Books I'm reading for the present

Mark is the only post on what to read next. There was mention previously, undocumented of course, between Paul and Sam to the ends of reading God is the Gospel by John Piper. Since Mark is so adament and I have two copies let's read Deliberate Church next. Until those all come in and we get started here's what I'm digging into and where you can get a taste.

1. The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance & Assurance, Thomas R. Schreiner & Ardel B. Caneday

If someone disagreeing with John MacArthur is just like someone talking bad about your momma I would stay away. No, I would encourage. They are very graceful and biblical (aka I think they're right).


Check out Tom Schreiner (sermons and writings) here: http://www.theopedia.com/Thomas_Schreiner

2. Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor

I'm not too far in but if you want a better explanation for biblical sexuality than what masquarades for an explanation in most of our churches than check this one out.


3. War of Words, Paul David Tripp

If you want to learn to talk to your wife, kids, friends, pastors, deacons, in a way that glorifies God then you need to check this one out. Angela and I are reading it together and moaning about how often it nails us right in the heart of our communication struggles.


4. Genesis Commentaries
5. Hebrews Commentaries

I would list those but dinner is on the table!
Paul

Arthur Pink on using "trump texts"

But the Word of God does not contradict itself, and it is an evil practice which cannot be too strongly condemned to pit one passage against another: any attempt to neutralize one text by another is handling the Truth deceitfully (Arthur Pink, An Exposition of Hebrews, 1011).

Lessons learned from Grace Abounding

1. Grace abounded for me to finish the book.

It is so easy to get involved and complete what is easy is it not? Reading Grace Abounding was on a small scale like getting involved in someone's life who constantly takes a great deal of our emotional effort. I found myself wanting to at times scream at Bunyan but that's because I lack compassion, gentleness, patience, and the like. Uh oh, sounds a little bit like the fruit of the Spirit doesn't it? Reading Bunyan is prep work for dealing with people. Grace abounds for us to get involved and persevere in a way that glorifies God and builds His kingdom.

2. The unexamined life is not worth living

Socrates said it consumed with himself but Bunyan lived it consumed with God. The deeper Bunyan dug into his desires the greater he discovered his need for grace. The more sin he discovered the more concerned he became over the state of his own eternal soul. The roller coaster ride took him to places I dare say our own 'secure' faith will not take us. How many of us could endure 12 years of prison, the death of a child because of the stress, placing our family in poverty, and the like all so we can preach the gospel? Bunyan struggled greatly and he was used mightily. I wonder if there is any connection with struggling a little and being used a little?

3. Scripture must be used constantly and rightly

We mentioned the inadequacies of Bunyan's interprative methods previously. He botched some things and this caused him difficulties. His proper use of Scripture, however, brought him greater strength, endurance, and joy than his improper use. This does not excuse him or us but it should show us the value of constantly using Scripture in the battle of life (as Bunyan did) and it should encourage us to think of the even greater advantage of using it rightly (as Bunyan at times did not do).

Paul

Where to next?

I looked back over the schedule and we are supposed to have finished Grace Abounding this week. Well, I'm a week behind. Hopefully I'll finish it this weekend.

What matters is what we are going to read next. Where do ya'll want to go?

Tom wants to get together and talk face to face about Grace Abounding. I think it's a good idea and I need to know when and where is best for everyone.

Paul

A Relation of the Imprisonment of John Bunyan

What impresses me about Bunyan's imprisonment is his persistent kindness. From his account there is no trace of anger or bitterness over the trial. Instead there is the aire of trust in God.

I wonder in my disputes and trials how often there is an overpowering aire of trust in God? Better yet; how often do I trust God enough to be patient in trails? My anger, bitterness, and sulking days afterwards display everything but trust in God.

But Bunyan wasn't all smiles while in prison. His agony over separation from his wife and family were great. He clearly did not enjoy his imprisonment but clearly handled it with his eyes fixed on the author and perfector of his faith. I wonder how many John Bunyans there are today?

Paul