supremacy of man vs. supremacy of Christ

Humbling - the theology of suffering

I am humbled each time I hear Joni Eareckson Tada speak, this brief presentation is no different.

Her presentation begins about 5 minutes in.

John Piper on the prosperity gospel

Baxter's advice on reading

Lord willing I will be posting a bit more often this coming week as we will be having about 150 volunteers by Sunday night. But I was reading this article this afternoon written by Puritan Richard Baxter. It was convicting as I thought about the things I read. Honestly most of the books I read are solid Christian books. The convicting part was thinking about all the other things I spend time reading - especially on the internet, blogs in particular. I can think of many wasted hours reading things that don't really matter and crazy news stories that are pretty much just gossip. Consider what Baxter writes when you think about all the things that you read, whether it's books, magazines, news papers, or the internet.

Advice On Reading

by Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

"Make careful choice of the books which you read: let the holy scriptures ever have the pre-eminence, and, next to them, those solid, lively, heavenly treatises which best expound and apply the scriptures, and next, credible histories, especially of the Church . . . but take heed of false teachers who would corrupt your understandings."

1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the holy scripture, than in any other book whatever, so it has more power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by imprinting itself upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer Him, and make the reader more reverent, serious and divine. Let scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands and other books be used as subservient to it. The endeavors of the devil and papists to keep it from you, doth shew that it is most necessary and desirable to you.

2. The writings of divines are nothing else but a preaching of the gospel to the eye, as the voice preaches it to the ear. Vocal preaching has the pre-eminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according to the state of the congregation which attend it: this way the milk comes warmest from the breast. But books have the advantage in many other respects: you may read an able preacher when you have but a average one to hear. Every congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful preachers: but every single person may read the books of the most powerful and judicious; preachers may be silenced or banished, when books may be at hand: books may be kept at a smaller charge than preachers: we may choose books which treat of that, very subject which we desire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the preacher shall treat of. Books we may have at hand every day. and hour; when we can have sermons but seldom, and at set times. If sermons be forgotten, they are gone; but a book we may read over and over, till we remember it: and if we forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So that good books are a very great mercy to the world: the Holy Ghost chose the way of writing, to preserve His doctrine and laws to the 'Church, as knowing how easy and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations, in comparison of mere verbal traditions.

3. You have need of a judicious teacher at hand, to direct you what books to use or to refuse: for among good books there are some very good that are sound and lively; and some good, but mediocre, and weak and somewhat dull; and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or else of incautious, injudicious expressions, fitter to puzzle than edify the weak.

Baxter's Guide To The Value Of A Book

While reading ask oneself:

1. Could I spend this time no better?

2. Are there better books that would edify me more?

3. Are the lovers of such a book as this the greatest lovers of the Book of God and of a holy life?

4. Does this book increase my love to the Word of God, kill my sin, and prepare me for the life to come?

Let there be no wasted days

Starting January 1st I began the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan to guide me in my morning devotions. I have enjoyed my time in the scripture as I begin to read through the OT once and the NT twice this year.

I have been convicted on days that I skip reading or just read to check it off my list by something I read by John MacArthur. In the 1 & 2 Peter study MacArthur writes

"A believer should count it a wasted day when he does not learn something new from or is not more deeply enriched by the truth of God's Word. Scripture is food for the believer's growth and power - and there is not other."

It stuck me hard, "a wasted day"...how many wasted days have I had? But I cannot change those days, but I can change how I will view my time with the Lord each day. We cannot grow closer to God when we ignore his word. The only way we grow close to anyone is to spend time with them. Not just 5 minutes a day. But we talk with them often and spend a good bit of time with them.

Lord - change my heart, I desire to know you. Convict me at times when I skip spending time with you or just read the Bible to check it off my list for the day. I desire to have no more wasted days, but to know you more deeply and personally. Thank you for the desire to know you - be glorified through me. Amen.

The Whole Terrain of Scripture

I was reading last night before I went to bed from Reflections of Jonathan Edwards 300 years later a book I purchased from Desiring God Ministries. As I read I came across a couple of convicting paragraphs written by John Piper:

How many of us have a plan for growing in our grasp of the whole terrain of Scripture? Don't most of us use the Bible as a source for getting sermons and devotionals and personal devotional help? But do we labor over the Scripture in such a way that we can plainly see that today we understand something in it that we did not understand yesterday?

I fear that many of us work at reading books on theology and church life with a view to growing, but have no plan and no sustained efforts to move steadily and constantly forward in our understanding of the Bible. Edwards's second exhortation is, this ought not be so. Study the Bible so steadily and constantly and frequently that you can clearly perceive yourself to grow in them.

How to Spend the Day with God pt. 2

How to spend the day with God - part 2

Temptations and Things That Corrupt

Be thoroughly acquainted with your temptations and the things that may corrupt you - and watch against them all day long. You should watch especially the most dangerous of the things that corrupt, and those temptations that either your company or business will unavoidably lay before you.

Watch against the master sins of unbelief: hypocrisy, selfishness, pride, flesh pleasing and the excessive love of earthly things. Take care against being drawn into earthly mindedness and excessive cares, or covetous designs for rising in the world, under the pretence of diligence in your calling.

If you are to trade or deal with others, be vigilant against selfishness and all that smacks of injustice or uncharitableness. In all your dealings with others, watch against the temptation of empty and idle talking. Watch also against those persons who would tempt you to anger. Maintain that modesty and cleanness of speech that the laws of purity require. If you converse with flatterers, be on your guard against swelling pride.

If you converse with those that despise and injure you, strengthen yourself against impatient, revengeful pride.

At first these things will be very difficult, while sin has any strength in you, but once you have grasped a continual awareness of the poisonous danger of any one of these sins, your heart will readily and easily avoid them.

Meditation

When alone in your occupations, improve the time in practical and beneficial meditations. Meditate upon the infinite goodness and perfections of God; Christ and redemption; Heaven and how unworthy you are of going there and how you deserve eternal misery in Hell.

The Only Motive

Whatever you are doing, in company or alone, do it all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Otherwise, it is unacceptable to God.

Redeeming The Time

Place a high value upon your time, be more careful of not losing it than you would of losing your money. Do not let worthless recreations, television, idle talk, unprofitable company, or sleep rob you of your precious time.

Be more careful to escape that person, action or course of life that would rob you of your time than you would be to escape thieves and robbers.

Make sure that you are not merely never idle, but rather that you are using your time in the most profitable way that you can and do not prefer a less profitable way before one of greater profit.

Eating and Drinking

Eat and drink with moderation and thankfulness for health, not for unprofitable pleasure. Never please your appetite in food or drink when it is prone to be detrimental to your health.

Remember the sin of Sodom: "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food and abundance of idleness" - Ezekiel 16:49.

The Apostle Paul wept when he mentioned those "whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame -- who set their minds on earthly things, being enemies to the cross of Christ" - Philippians 3:18-19. O then do not live according to the flesh lest you die (Romans 8:13).

Prevailing Sins

If any temptation prevails against you and you fall into any sins in addition to habitual failures, immediately lament it and confess it to God; repent quickly whatever the cost. It will certainly cost you more if you continue in sin and remain unrepentant.

Do not make light of your habitual failures, but confess them and daily strive against them, taking care not to aggravate them by unrepentance and contempt.

Relationships

Remember every day the special duties of various relationships: whether as husbands, wives, children, masters, servants, pastors, people, magistrates, subjects.

Remember every relationship has its special duty and its advantage for the doing of some good. God requires your faithfulness in this matter as well as in any other duty.

Closing the Day

Before returning to sleep, it is wise and necessary to review the actions and mercies of the day past, so that you may be thankful for all the special mercies and humbled for all your sins.

This is necessary in order that you might renew your repentance as well as your resolve for obedience, and in order that you may examine yourself to see whether your soul grew better or worse, whether sin goes down and grace goes up and whether you are better prepared for suffering, death and eternity.

May these directions be engraven upon your mind and be made the daily practice of your life.

If sincerely adhered to, these will be conducive to the holiness, fruitfulness and quietness of your life and add to you a comfortable and peaceful death.

How to Spend the Day with God

I came across this while I was reading tonight. I thought it was great advice. I plan to split the points between two days so it won't be a very long post.

How to Spend the Day with God

adapted and updated from
RICHARD BAXTER (1615-1691)

by Matthew Vogan

A holy life is inclined to be made easier when we know the usual sequence and method of our duties - with everything falling into its proper place. Therefore, I shall give some brief directions for spending the day in a holy manner.

Sleep

Measure the time of your sleep appropriately so that you do not waste your precious morning hours sluggishly in your bed. Let the time of your sleep be matched to your health and labour, and not to slothful pleasure.

First Thoughts

Let God have your first awaking thoughts; lift up your hearts to Him reverently and thankfully for the rest enjoyed the night before and cast yourself upon Him for the day which follows.

Familiarise yourself so consistently to this that your conscience may check you when common thoughts shall first intrude. Think of the mercy of a night's rest and of how many that have spent that night in Hell; how many in prison; how many in cold, hard lodgings; how many suffering from agonising pains and sickness, weary of their beds and of their lives.

Think of how many souls were that night called from their bodies terrifyingly to appear before God and think how quickly days and nights are rolling on! How speedily your last night and day will come! Observe that which is lacking in the preparedness of your soul for such a time and seek it without delay.

Prayer

Let prayer by yourself alone (or with your partner) take place before the collective prayer of the family. If possible let it be first, before any work of the day.

Family Worship

Let family worship be performed consistently and at a time when it is most likely for the family to be free of interruptions.

Ultimate Purpose

Remember your ultimate purpose, and when you set yourself to your day's work or approach any activity in the world, let HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon your hearts in all that you do.

Do no activity which you cannot entitle God to, and truly say that he set you about it, and do nothing in the world for any other ultimate purpose than to please, glorify and enjoy Him. "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Diligence in Your Calling

Follow the tasks of your calling carefully and diligently. Thus:

(a) You will show that you are not sluggish and servants to your flesh (as those that cannot deny it ease), and you will further the putting to death of all the fleshly lusts and desires that are fed by ease and idleness.
(b) You will keep out idle thoughts from your mind, that swarm in the minds of idle persons.
(c) You will not lose precious time, something that idle persons are daily guilty of.
(d) You will be in a way of obedience to God when the slothful are in constant sins of omission.
(e) You may have more time to spend in holy duties if you follow your occupation diligently. Idle persons have no time for praying and reading because they lose time by loitering at their work.
(f) You may expect God's blessing and comfortable provision for both yourself and your families.
(g) it may also encourage the health of your body which will increase its competence for the service of your soul.

Luther's conversion

As I ponder the saving grace of God, I am made grateful that God has revealed himself to us through nature and our surroundings and even more grateful he has given us His Word. It is only through the preaching, reading, and/or hearing his word that man is saved.

As I was reading online I came across Martin Luther's account of his own conversion, an awesome example of God revealing the meaning of scripture and regenerating and justifying a man - as Martin Luther, who said he hated the righteous God, as he struggled with the scriptures.

Here's the excerpt from the Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther's Latin Writings found online at ReformationInk

Meanwhile, I had already during that year returned to interpret the Psalter anew. I had confidence in the fact that I was more skillful, after I had lectured in the university on St. Paul's epistles to the Romans, to the Galatians, and the one to the Hebrews. I had indeed been captivated with an extraordinary ardor for understanding Paul in the Epistle to the Romans. But up till then it was not the cold blood ab out the heart, but a single word in Chapter 1, "In it the righteousness of God is revealed," that had stood in my way. For I hated that word "righteousness of God," which, according to the use and custom of all the teachers, I had been taught to understand philosophically regarding the formal or active righteousness, as they call it, with which God is righteous and punishes the unrighteous sinner.

Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt that I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience. I could not believe that he was placated by my satisfaction. I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners, and secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God, and said, "As if, indeed, it is not enough, that miserable sinners, eternally lost through original sin, are crushed by every kind of calamity by the law of the Decalogue, without having God add pain to pain by the gospel and also by the gospel threatening us with his righteousness and wrath!" Thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience. Nevertheless, I beat importunately upon Paul at that place, most ardently desiring to know what St. Paul wanted.

At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, "In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, 'He who through faith is righteous shall live.'" There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live." Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me. Thereupon I ran through the Scripture from memory. I also fount in other terms an analogy, as, the work of God, that is what God does in us, the power of God, with which he makes us wise, the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God.

And I extolled my sweetest word with a love as great as the hatred with which I had before hated the word "righteousness of God." Thus that place in Paul was for me truly the gate to paradise. Later I read Augustine's The Spirit and the Letter, where contrary to hope I found that he, too, interpreted God's righteousness in a similar way, as the righteousness with which God clothes us when he justifies us (Augustine passage included below). Although this was heretofore said imperfectly and he did not explain all things concerning imputation clearly, it nevertheless was pleasing that God's righteousness with which we are justified was taught.

Fountain of never-ceasing grace,

I was reading some articles and poems at ReformationInk and came across this poem by Augustus Toplady. It's an amazing poetic articulation of the grace, imputation, justification, Christ's suffering, man's sin, and forgiveness.

Thanksgiving for the Righteousness of Christ

Fountain of never-ceasing grace,

Thy saints' eexhaustless theme,

Great object of immortal praise,

Essentially supreme;

We bless the for the glorious fruits

Thy incarnation gives;

The righteousness which grace imputes,

And faith alone receives.

Whom heaven's angelic host adores,

Was slaughter'd for our sin;

The guilt, O Lord was wholly ours,

The punishment was thine:

Our God in the flesh, to set us free,

Was manifested here;

And meekly bare are sins, that we

His righteousness might wear.

Imputatively guitly then

Our substitute was made,

That we the blessings might obtain

For which his blood was shed:

Himself he offer'd on the cross,

Our sorrows to remove;

And all he suffer'd was for us,

And all he did was love.

In him we have a righteousness,

By God himself approv'd

Our rock, our sure foundation this,

Which never can be mov'd.

Our ransom by his death he paid,

For all his people giv'n,

The law he perfectly obey'd,

That they might enter heav'n.

As all, when Adam sinn'd alone,

In his transgression died,

So by the righteousness of one,

Are sinners justify'd,

We to thy merit, gracious Lord,

With humblest joy submit,

Again to Paradise restor'd,

In thee alone complete

Our souls his watchful love retrieves,

Nor lets them go astray,

His righteousness to us he gives,

And takes our sins away:

We claim salvation in his right,

Adopted and forgiv'n,

His merit is our robe of light,

His death the gate of heav'n.

sin - an opportunity for praise

I was speaking with a friend a few days ago on the topic of sin. It is not a surprise, I'm a sinner - saved by grace. But as I struggle with sin, the thing I struggle with the most is forgiveness. I know in my mind that as a believer if I sin and then repent, I am forgiven. I think the best way to describe what I am thinking and feeling is that I don't always fully believe that I am forgiven. The advice I was given was to turn to the scriptures. Expanding on this I was to focus on the forgiveness, focus on praising God that He would forgive even that sin.

The past few days I've been considering the opportunity to praise God after I sin and turn to him in repentance. How can I praise him and what specifically should I praise him for. Here's a few of those things, I'm sure I could list all his divine attributes and reasons why I am thankful he is divine and possesses those attributes, I could list all he's done for me and times I've been forgiven – his attributes and times I've experience his forgiveness are great and important to praise and be thankful for. But as a part of the advice I was given to turn to the scriptures, I've done just that. Here several reasons (though not an exhaustive list) that I am thankful and praise God that are specifically noted in scripture. I figure this gives me a great place to start giving God the glory.

Praise him for the fact that God even grants us forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Praise God for sending His Son as a propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Praise Christ who left his place in heaven to come to earth to die for sinners who would believe, for the only way one is saved is by the shedding of blood and a sacrifice.
Heb 9:22 - Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Praise God for He canceled out debt against him that we could never repay, through the death of Christ.
Col 2:13-15 - And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him

Praise Him that we can come to him when we fail.
Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Praise Him that he continues to sanctify us.
1 Thess 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise Him that when we are tempted it is not beyond what we can bear and that he provides a way out.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Praise Him that He is sovereign. He knows what we will do, the choices we will make and yet he grants us forgiveness, grace, mercy.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

So as the ladies and I have been going through Pursuing God by Jim Elliff we came to the third chapter, which, honestly, I had a hard time understanding and teaching. The title of the chapter is "Is God Angry Anymore?" basically having to do with the wrath of God, a topic I confess that I have many questions on. So in doing a little more studying I listened to Jonathan Edwards sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". Edwards, in this sermon, was as straightfoward with the wrath of God and God's anger towards those out of Christ as one can get. I can see how this would be hard to hear by the "hard-hearted congregation" it was preached to in July of 1741.

Here's a exerpt from the sermon that expresses "the awful weight of sin, the wrath of an infinitely holy God, and the unexpectedness of the moment when God will execute justice" (http://edwards.yale.edu)

"The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep. And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God's hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell, since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell."

"O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment."

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God can be read here
It can also be downloaded and heard here

Edwards Resolutions

I've been reading through John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life" and have been challenged and encouraged. In one of the first chapters Piper makes reference to Jonathan Edwards Resolutions by listing just a couple. These resolutions were written by Edwards in his early twenties to "intensify his life for the glory of God." I found for myself what his other resolutions were and as I was reading I was blown away. There are 70 resolutions listed and each one leaves me with something to think about, but then I am challenged to consider, What am I doing to "intensify my life for the glory of God"?. Here's a few of the resolutions to ponder.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking.
41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.

Random thoughts...Sin, confession

“if I am not confessing sin I am confessing sinlessness. And we know that does not happen.” Mark Lauterbach

Lately I have been giving some thought to the topics of sin and confession. I am trying to remind myself that the “little” sins (sins we as humans might not deem as bad as murder, stealing, adultery, etc) are just as terrible in the sight of God and that there is no reason for me to take these “little” sins, or any sin, lightly. Jesus death on the cross for sins that he had not done, but that we may be saved should show the vileness of all sin.

Confession, I must remind myself, is not to be taken lightly either. “Confession to God is not merely admitting our sin as real but also rejecting our sin as repulsive.” (John Piper). If I find myself refraining from confession I need to ask myself what is going on. Is it because I am without sin? That’s foolishness! 1 John 1:8 "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Or is it because I fail to see the vileness of sin? Or some other reason?

Am I being stupid?

I was reading Bob Kauflin's blog "Worship Matters" and for Monday's devotional he asks the question "am I being stupid?". It was a great entry (in my opinion) on obeying Proverbs 12:1 "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid."

Here are a couple of exerpts from his entry, but read I encourage you to read the whole thing for yourself.

"I’ve been aware of my desire to love the encouragement and avoid hearing anything critical. I tend to have the same attitude after I preach a sermon. But God tells me that if that’s my attitude, I’m stupid. He wants me to LOVE reproof and discipline, not run from it.

Why? I can think of a few reasons. Loving reproof makes me more aware of my need for God’s grace in my life. Loving reproof helps me fight my inherent craving for self-exaltation. Loving reproof is a sign that I need others in the process of sanctification. Loving proof is a way of acknowledging I have blind spots and that I don’t know EVERYTHING.

Here are a few ways I try to cultivate the love of discipline and reproof (and I still have a long way to go):

1. Pray for reproof. That’s right. Ask God to bring people into your life who will point out where you’re making mistakes, sinning, or could do things better.
2. Expect reproof. Be on the lookout for it. I find that when I’m surprised by critical feedback from others, it’s usually because I'm looking for their praise.
3. Ask others for input. That’s why we hand out evaluation forms at the conferences. We read every one of them. They have been invaluable each year for making the next conference better. It’s best to ask people for input when they have time enough to think about it, and are convinced that you really want to hear it.
4. Thank people for reproof. It’s rarely easy to reprove someone else. When a friend approaches me and says they want to share something with me (and I don’t get the feeling it’s encouragement), I want to make sure I thank them for caring enough to give me input, whether I agree with them at the moment or not.
5. Ask questions about reproof. Oftentimes, people don't say everything they're thinking. Ask them to elaborate, expand upon, or fill out what they're saying. It will help you hear it more clearly and respond more humbly.
6. Thank God for reproof. Every critic is a gift from God. God is the one who enables others to overcome their fears and tell us what we need to hear. What an evidence of God’s kindness!"

Total Depravity...and biking...

"It is a sad, harmful, and evil characteristic of sin not to recognize how serious it is and to excuse it by treating it lightly." - Dr. James Montgomery Boice

I am excited I finally finished the "Amazing Grace - The History & Theology of Calvinism" DVD. It was very helpful in helping me to understand even more about the doctrines of grace. I warned ya'll that I'd be writing more about calvinism. There is a lot concerning total depravity that I could touch on (many sermons and chapters of books are devoted to this).

Total depravity meaning we are completely unable to do any good in the eyes of God including believing the gospel. Each person is sinful and not right with God, this is all caused by the fall. There was one part that really hit me though and it is the difference between the words can and may.

Can is a word of ability. May is a word of permission.

This is important to take into consideration when looking at John 6:44-45

John 6:44-45 (ESV) 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—

See in verse 44 Christ says that no one can come... Knowing that can is a word of ability, this verse is saying man cannot choose whenever he is ready. If it were left up to us on our own to follow Christ or not, we would never choose him because our hearts are full of sin. God draws people to himself, and that is the reason people are able to come.

Another installment of "When interns get bored" (still which almost never happens)....
Before the "M" here in Lakeshore and before I had gotten my car back from the shop my co-worker Greg gave me a gift. A gift that once the bosses left site I had a great deal of fun on. If only ya'll could come watch me make a fool of myself on my rusty old child's bike...

What the gospel is not...

I came across this as I was reading the other day and thought Mark Dever made some good points about what the gospel is not. The article can be found at http://marks.9marks.org/overview.php?mark=3

1. I’m Ok, you’re OK

Sin is humanity's biggest problem, not self-esteem.

• Sin does not just make my heart desperately sick. It kills me as a person apart from the gracious and saving influence of God's Spirit. I was DEAD in my trespasses and sins, and I was earning death as a paycheck for my diligent disobedience.
• Humanity's biggest problem is that our own sin has shut us up to spiritual death - eternal separation from the God whose fellowship we were created to enjoy, and servile slavery to the power and penalty of sin.
• If we consistently or deliberately omit sin from our preaching or from our evangelism, we are preaching a different gospel, and need to repent of this sin and preach God's truth with bold, counter-cultural clarity. The gospel is NOT that we are all OK with God.

2. God is love

• "God is love" is commonly misinterpreted and therefore misused. It is increasingly popular today to trot out 1 John 4:8, "God is love," and then assume that God's love is the only divine attribute that has any functional significance in the way He relates to people.
• Simplistically equating God with love leads to error.
• Mathematically, if God = love, then love = God. If God becomes equated with love, then love has become God.
• Theologically, we know that many other things characterize God besides love - the Bible presents God as holy, sovereign, and a whole host of other things.
• So to reduce God or His gospel to just love is crass idolatry that caricatures the King of Kings.
• It would not actually be good news for sinners to learn that the only attribute out of which God acts towards His created people is love. If God were so singularly amiable, from whom would we seek retributive justice for wrongs suffered? Is it really good news to learn that Judge of all the universe is willing to forgive sin without punishing it? The gospel is NOT simply that God is love.

3. Jesus Wants to be my friend

"Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship."

Ever heard that? It's true enough, isn't it? God has taken us in as His adopted sons and daughters (Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:4-7). Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brothers (Heb 2:11-12). And whoever does the will of the Father is considered by Jesus as family (Mark 3:31-35).

But have you noticed that some people attach the implication that Christianity is simply Jesus wanting to be my friend or brother, along with a subtle appreciation for the irony of casual familiarity with the divine.

• Yet Christianity is not simply a casual friendship with Jesus, because the gospel is not simply the cultivation of a friendship or even the following of another's example. The gospel involves God's holiness, our sin, the payment of a ransom, the conferring of an acquittal, the winning of a war, and ultimately the glory of God and the spread of His fame.
• The gospel is referred to in the Bible not only in relational, but in economic, military, and legal language. Thus to pigeonhole Christianity as merely a relationship is reductionistic. The gospel certainly does enable us to have a relationship with God through Christ Jesus, but it is also more than that.
• To say that Christianity can be summed up by the idea that Jesus wants to be my friend is a man-centered way to view the gospel. It assumes that the gospel is only or primarily about bringing man into a personally fulfilling relationship with God, rather than about bringing glory to God for His grace, mercy, kindness, faithfulness, justice, and love. The gospel is not simply that Jesus wants to be my friend.

4. We should straighten up and fly right

Some say that the gospel is simply the message that I need to change my behavior. The good news is seen as consisting in a set of virtues, biblical and otherwise. If I am busily enough engaged in these virtues, I will be pleasing to God and helpful to others.

If the gospel is just a change of outward behavior accomplished on my own, regardless of the state of my inner self - then the gospel is reduced to mere moralism. In other words, we've begun to think that the gospel penetrates no deeper than the level of outward moral renovation, when in reality the gospel penetrates to the level of inward spiritual transformation.

This tendency to moralism is often the danger of preaching that treats Scriptural texts and characters as mere examples to emulate or avoid instead of as integrated scenes and characters in the grand story of redemption writ large on the canvas of human history.

The gospel is not merely an additive that can make our already good lives better. Nor is it a commandment to live rightly that we can obey by digging down deep within ourselves. The gospel is not simply that we should live right.

The Gospel

I am convinced that many of today’s churches are lacking an essential component. They got the fancy music, a program/class for any age group/gender/problem/etc., comfortable pews/chairs, large/attractive facilities, among other things. Do not hear me say that these things are altogether bad, I enjoy beautiful churches and comfortable pews, too. But these things alone without the gospel are dangerous. I know there are many churches today that rarely if ever preach the gospel, giving their folks a false sense of eternal security by not preaching the Bible, but just getting the folks into the church on a Sunday morning to tell them some nice happy story, never sharing truth with them about Christ, his death on the cross, and the death he died so those who believe would not see the terrors of hell. Sorry folks but just coming to church on Sunday morning does not make you a Christian. No one will get into heaven by just attending one church service or attending church every weekend for their whole life.

There is only way to heaven and that is through a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Any good work we do will not get us there, we could try forever to do good, yet fall so short. Romans 3:10-12 says “as it is written “None is righteous; no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks God, All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” There is no one who does good, we are all born dead in sin. Romans 3:23 say all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are born into sin, but sin results in death. Not just a physical death but also a spiritual death. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” But hear the second part of the verse, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Before receiving this free gift we must recognize that we sinners and that we are separated from God because of sin and we are in need of a mediator. "Your iniquities have separated you from your God" (Isa. 59:2).

Jesus Christ is that mediator and came to this earth to be a ransom for many.
"There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men" (I Tim. 2:5-6).

God sent his only Son to show his love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). Christ died upon a cross for the sins of men, though he had never sinned himself. He died that we may have life
"He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (I Peter 2:24).

A person must believe that Christ alone died, that he was buried and raised from the dead on the third day for the sins of many. Acknowledge that there is no other way to be saved from the depths of hell, but through believing in and trusting Christ.
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

To this good news we are called to respond in repentance and belief, meaning turning away from our sin and self-sufficiency, and turn toward God and trust that Christ’s bleeding and dying on the cross was the only substitute for the penalty we truly deserve for our sin.
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).

Why does God save anybody?

As I watch "Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism" I am pondering more and more the grace of God and how undeserved it is. Here are a quote from Charles Spurgeon and an article from the Canons of Dort that relates to grace. Give these things some thought. Expect to be reading more about grace and calvinism as I begin to get some of my thoughts together.

"Why did God love Jacob and hate Esau? I can tell you why God loved Jacob; it is soverein grace! There was nothing in Jacob that could make God love him; there was everything about him that might have made God hate him as much as He did Esau, and a great deal more. But it was because God is infinitely gracious that He loved Jacob and because He is sovereign in His dispensation of His grace that He chose Jacob as an object of that love. Jacob was loved by God simply on the footing of FREE GRACE.
Why did God hate Esau? Why does God hate any man? I defy anyone to give any answer but this... because that man DESERVES to be hated. No reply but that can be true. If God deals severely with any person, it is because that person deserves all that he gets."
- C.H. Spurgeon

Article 15: Responses to God's GraceGod does not owe this grace to anyone. For what could God owe to one who has nothing to give that can be paid back? Indeed, what could God owe to one who has nothing of one's own to give but sin and falsehood? Therefore the person who receives this grace owes and gives eternal thanks to God alone; the person who does not receive it either does not care at all about these spiritual things and is self-satisfied in this condition, or else in self-assurance foolishly boasts about having something which is lacking. Furthermore, following the example of the Apostles, we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way about those who outwardly profess their faith and better their lives, for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us. But for others who have not yet been called, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did. In no way, however, are we to pride ourselves as better than they, as though we had distinguished ourselves from them.
- The Canons of Dort

Spurgeon quote relevant to recent conversations

"I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite sure that if God had not chosen me I should never have chosen him; and I am sure he chose me before I was born, or else he never would have chosen me afterwards; and he must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why he should have looked upon me with special love. So I am forced to accept that doctrine," (Lectures, book 2, page 47).