No Reason to Pretend

We come around

A circle meets

At last I feel I'm closer to beginning

A gentle word

A quiet heart

A soul that stirs another one to start

You'll never know dear how much you breathe

Strength and courage into me

And as the day comes closer to an end

I find no reason to pretend

When morning comes

You'll doubtless be

Awake without a worry I can see

You open up

Clearness comes

A look divides the clouds I see the sun

You'll never know dear how much you breathe

Strength and courage into me

And as the day comes closer to the end

I find no reason to pretend

By Aaron Sprinkle

I just love these lyrics.

We love because He first loved us - Six weeks in Haiti

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.  (1 John 3:16-18)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  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.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:7-11) 

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.  God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because he is so also are we in this world.
(1 John 4:15-17)

Prayers as I leave for Haiti

I'm about to leave the country to spend 6 weeks in Haiti!!!!  My game-plan is: I board a flight to Miami, FL in less than 6 hours to meet my teammates and start planning, praying, and casting vision for our time together in Haiti.  We'll fly together to Haiti with 45 students & staff. I'll be in-country June 22-July 11 with Team 2, then I'll return to Miami, FL to debrief with my team while simultaneously meeting my new team (Team 3, comprised of 65 students & staff) who I will return to Haiti with July 13-August 1.

Let's vote how out-of-my-comfort-zone (can't do this in my own strength) this trip is.
1) I've never been out of the country for this long before
2) I've never been to a third world country before
3) I only know one other person going on the trip with me
4) I've never lived in a tent on a roof before
These & soooo many other reasons are why I'm pumped to trust God in HUGE ways and why I'm posting prayer requests to ask for your partnership in prayer!

Please join me in praying... 

Team 1 is returning from Haiti tomorrow morning, and we will overlap during debriefing/briefing in Miami, FL for about 36 hours. Pray that we can gain wisdom and insight from the little time we spend with them. Pray that we will faithfully continue what Team 1 has started in so-much as their work glorified the Lord, and pray that we will correct and avoid any faithlessness or sin that tainted their work. Also, thank God that 45 students & staff have gone before us, serving the Lord and preparing the way for us!

Pray for Team 2 to come-together as one body and one family. We are comprised of 10 staff and 35 students from college campuses all around the country. Almost no one has met prior to this trip, so pray that our unity will be instant and strong. Pray against lies, isolation and loneliness as we spend three weeks in Haiti together.

Join me in my urgent prayers for wisdom within our team members, and especially for our team leaders. We do not have all the answers and plans formulated. We are going to serve, to rebuild the nation of Haiti with the Haitians. Pray that God will give us wisdom in assessing problems, pain and needs so that we can correctly seek progress and solutions. Pray that He will grant us wisdom in how/where to spend our days. Pray that we will seek God's direction and truth. Pray that we will be humble enough to admit every day that our worldly wisdom will not suffice in helping the nation of Haiti -- we are in desperate need of God's wisdom.

And for me personally, please pray that I will abide in Christ, walking in step with the Spirit and bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Pray that God will instantly convict me of walking in my flesh and empower me to walk in His Spirit.  Pray that God will be glorified through me; that He will get all the glory. Pray that I will not make this trip about me, but that every moment of it will be about loving God and loving others. Lastly, pray that I will encounter God in a powerful and transformational way.

Up-to-date prayer requests, stories, pictures, and videos from our team will be posted on the Hope for Haiti blog.

Enjoy following-us and thank you for your prayers.

Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Forgotten God
Reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit

Francis Chan's books, Crazy Love and Forgotten God, are both powerfully convicting books due to Chan's ability to understand, reveal, and rebuke his readers for their sin - even their sin towards reading his books!  Reading develops knowledge and understanding of truth.  And as Scripture tells us, if we know what we should do, but do not do it, that is sin.  Therefore, as readers we must actively apply the truth we learn, or else we will find ourselves in sin (all the while, boasting in our wisdom).  Through reading Chan's words I have been personally convicted that I often respond to a book by saying “what a good message, sooo convicting….” yet, I won't APPLY those “good messages” and therefore my life is only changed by a fraction of what I read, despite the teaching of faithful pastors and authors. Chan demands more from his readers, and I'm thankful for that.

Chan's book, Forgotten God, did not only teach me about the Holy Spirit, but how the Holy Spirit affects (or rather, should affect) my life.  His aim is to reveal WHY we want the Holy Spirit in our lives. We may have our own purposes for desiring the Spirit’s presence and power in our lives, but so does God and His desires have everything to do with the church’s growth and God’s glory. We are meant to follow, not be followed-by, the Holy Spirit. Chan asks, “Did God lead you to where you are? ...If you say you are called to be in the place you are, a few questions need to be considered…” The Spirit may lead you anywhere, to a different city, to a different state, to a different country, to stay where you are and spend your time in very different ways than you are now, He could lead you toward actions like in 2 Samuel 6, where David danced before the Lord “with all his might” (v 14). Others were shamed by his undignified display of worship to God, yet David said that he didn’t care and that he would become even more undignified for the sake of the Lord. All he cared about was worshiping his God. Chan reminds you that the Holy Spirit is about getting more of worshiping God, not about answers, power, miracles, or self-glorification. His book makes you worship God – love the Holy Spirit – and evaluate what it looks like to follow Him today, tomorrow, and the next day.

I was surprisingly refreshed by Forgotten God, and only wish I had read it sooner!

I know the God I follow is bigger than disaster

Praying for Haiti every day.



I'll be on my way there in 24 days...

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Crazy Love
Overwhelmed By A Relentless God

For some reason this book became wildly popular on Miami's campus this past year, despite it's 2008 publication.  I bought it, but before I even read it, other students borrowed it, and read it first!  Once I finally opened Crazy Love for myself, it took more highlighters than days to read it.

Chan's clearest desire is for his life, preaching, and writing is to ignite a response, not just in word, but in deed.  Referencing the early church, Chan reminds us "After the apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, people 'were cut to the heart and said... 'Brothers, what shall we do?' (Acts 2:37).  The first church responded with immediate action: repentance, baptism, selling possessions, sharing the Gospel."  Why is this relevant to us today?  Because the church today has a frighteningly different response!  "We respond with words like Amen, Convicting sermons, Great book... and then we are paralyzed as we try to decipher what God wants of our lives."  This was never the response that God desired for us!  In Chan's final chapter, 'The Crux of the Matter', he writes:

I wrote this book because much of our talk doesn't match our lives.  We say things like, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," and "Trust in the Lord with all your heart."  Then we live and plan like we don't believe God even exists.  We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine if God doesn't come through.  But true faith means holding nothing back.  It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises.

Sooo-ooh many people would agree that Christian's talk-the-talk, but don't walk-the-walk, but their only response is embitterment and complaining.  This is why Chan's response is so true and refreshing.  Honesty and passion emanate from the pages of this book.  When Chan is asked "Do you think God calls you to live a radical, crazy life?" his response is simple, honest, and powerful:

It's not that this lifestyle should be crazy to us.  It should be the only thing that makes sense.  Giving up everything and sacrificing everything we can for the afterlife is logical.  "Crazy" is living a safe life and storing up things while trying to enjoy our time on earth, knowing that any millisecond God could take your life.  To me that is crazy, and that is radical.  The crazy ones are the ones who live like there is no God.  To me that is insanity.

Chan's writing overflows with passionate love for God and for others, with an exciting, deeply convicting, vision of what it looks like to really live it out.  This book inspires a new, and Biblical, way of life while enticing it's reader to wholeheartedly worship God.  I highly recommend grabbing a copy of Crazy Love and reading it from front-to-back.

Have you read it?  Post your comments!

Click here more book reviews from my library.

New Books for the month of May

Books I'm reading this May

Perfecting Ourselves to Death
The Pursuit of Excellence and the Perils of Perfectionism
by Richard Winter

Crazy Love
Overwhelmed by a Relentless God 
by Francis Chan

Forgotten God
Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
by Francis Chan

What is a Healthy Church Member
by Thabiti Anyabwile

Titus by the Apostle Paul
Paul's brief letter to Titus teaching the inseparable link between faith and practice, belief and behavior. This truth is the basis for Paul's critique of false teaching as well as his instruction in Christian living and qualifications for church leaders.

1 and 2 Timothy by the Apostle Paul
First Timothy is a warning against false teachers as well as clear call for the church to live out in tangible ways the ethical implications of the gospel.
Second Timothy is a bold call for perseverance in the gospel in spite of suffering. Paul calls on his young coworker to continue the fight of faith, even as Paul approaches the end of his own life.


Have any comments about any of these books?  Please share them!  I'll post mine soon...

Entering the Dating World

For my senior capstone as a psychology major at Miami University I co-authored a book From Clash to Complement An Analysis of Gender Roles and Marriage with my friend, Austin.  We humorously and scientifically claimed that complementary gender roles within dating and marriage will foster the most happiness.  Our aim was to write a book that explained a radical alternative to the dating and marriage life that most people know today.  "A culture that has suffered the causalities of traditional marriages and explored the battle grounds of egalitarian relationships must turn toward a complementary understanding for refuge."  Our viewpoint was strong, and it led to quite a book... I was reading portions of it last night and thought it would be fun to share some of the more humorous aspects. 

Table of Contents
Section I Dating
Chapter 1: Playing House
                Traditional Stereotypes & Dating
Chapter 2: Romantically Challenged
                The Egalitarian Attempt to Dating
Chapter 3: The Best Date Yet
                Complementary Dating
Section II Marriage 
Chapter 4: Unpleasantville
                The Life of Traditional Marriage
Chapter 5: Two Left Feet
                The Dance of Egalitarian Marriage
Chapter 6: Peanut Butter & Jelly
                The Delight of Complementary Marriage

As introductions for each chapter Austin and I shared personal stories either from our own lives or from the lives of our friends or family members.  The most entertaining stories we included were those that recalled each of our entries into the dating world...

Romantically Challenged
The Egalitarian Attempt to Dating
Entering the Dating World
    In kindergarten I remember having pigtails, purple stretch pants, and a love for macaroni and cheese.  My mom once showed me pictures of myself wearing a cardboard cut-out of macaroni and cheese for a class performance.  I thank the Lord that aside from those pictures I have no real recollection of why I was wearing 'mararoni' and dancing around on stage.  However, one memory I unabashedly recall is my kindergarten Valentine's Day.
     We can all remember the Valentine's cards with cartoon characters or pretty princesses on the front.  The whole class swaps "Your Sweet" valentines and candy hearts to ensure that kid in the back row isn't left-out.  But that's not the memory I'm talking about.  I did the whole class valentine swap alright, but it was after I got home from that busy kindergarten day that my doorbell rang.  I skidded through the kitchen to see who was at the door, and Raymond, the cutest boy from my class, was standing at the door with a single rose!  As he handed me my first real red rose he stammered, "W-would you like to go see B-Beauty and the Beast on ice with me... and my dad?"  Dad, or no dad, I was going on my first date!  Pigtails, purple stretch pants and all - that's when I entered the dating world.  And had I see all the jerks, heartbreaks, and break-downs coming, I might have waited... at least until first grade!
    Now, eighteen years later, I still find myself in the 'dating world'.  Although, I do believe I've learned a thing or two along the way.  I have gained knowledge from the preps and skaters, the short-term and long-distance, and cheaters and the clingers.  I've been there as my friends have hooked-up, shacked-up, and broken-up.  I've spent many late night learning from 'expert' Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City's New York Times sex columnist.  I've journaled, researched, and studied; and prayerfully this journey will end with a book worth your reading and a man worth my loving.

We turned-in our book and graduated college the next week... I doubt we changed many people's minds about gender roles, but a year later I still think it's a book worth reading.

Love the Father has given to us

Everything is really all about the Gospel, and I love when I'm freshly reminded of that simple and beautiful truth.  This is an animation built on 1 John 3:1 and a song by Sovereign Grace Music entitled Prodigal. 

The Riches of His Grace

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight" Ephesians 1:7-8

God created Adam and Eve in a condition of sinless freedom, yet, they subjected themselves to slavery through disobediently eating from the tree of knowledge.  Their rebellion sold the entire human race into bondage under sin and death.  A just God ought to leave us there, entangled in sin, fully deserving of His judgment and wrath.  However, our God, both just and merciful, repurchased a people to Himself through Jesus Christ.  Through His blood we have redemption, the forgiveness of our trespasses.  Such beautiful news - we are ransomed from our previous captivity and slavery, according to the riches of his grace!  Our every action earns us guilt and wrath, but God richly poured out his grace upon us through the sacrifice of his Son.  We are unreservedly offered freedom from slavery to sin and guilt through Christ's blood, an atoning sacrifice.  However, God's grace did not stop there, for he lavishes grace upon us in all wisdom and insight.  It is extended in great amounts, without limit, openhanded, extravagant grace upon grace!  We, who are so undeserving, are generously offered grace and mercy by our Creator and Savior.  This is not a God who begrudgingly allows us into His presence.  Far from that, He is a God who loves deeply and powerfully in both word and deed.  This is a God worth worshiping. 

My Theme Song

If I had to pick a theme song for my year it would be

If You Say Go

If You say go, we will go

If You say wait, we will wait

If You say step out on the water

And they say it can't be done

We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come

Your ways are higher than our ways

And the plans that You have laid

Are good and true

If You call us to the fire

You will not withdraw Your hand

We'll gaze into the flames and look for You

The Top 10 Truths that Changed my Life 2010

1. Growing in godliness is predominantly about desiring God above everything else.
Blaise Pascal one said, “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end.” By nature we live for what we value. Therefore, the battle ground of the Christian life is about what we desire. We are called to fight, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to value Jesus above all other things – then we’ll choose Him. As Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
DESIRING GOD BY JOHN PIPER, PSALM 16:11; PSALM 43:4; PSALM 119:103-104, 1 SAMUEL 12:21

2. Believers MUST memorize chapters and books of Scripture!
God’s Word says, “Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:2-3). You cannot meditate on Scripture day and night without having it committed to memory! Paul wrote “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (3:16) which requires reading and memorizing God’s word!
A CALL TO SCRIPTURE MEMORY BY SUSAN HECK, DEUT 6:6; DEUT 11:18, PSALM 119, ROMANS 12:2, AND SO MANY MORE!

3. You respond to the Gospel through repentance and faith for both justification and sanctification.
You will grow in Christ the same way that you came to Christ: Repentance and Faith. You must continually see and confess that you are a more wretched sinner than you thought, yet through faith in Jesus, you are more loved and accepted than you could have ever imagined! This is the Gospel – never move past it! The Gospel both immediately justifies and continually sanctifies you. This is why you need to preach the Gospel to yourself every day.
THE SLOPE OF REPENTANCE & FAITH FROM THE OAKS, THE CROSS CENTERED LIFE BY C.J. MAHANEY

4. You must constantly repent to yourself, to God, and when necessary to others.
Pervasive, all-of-life repentance is the best sign that you are growing deeply and rapidly into the character of Jesus. You must be resolved, as Jonathan Edwards was, to confess frankly to yourself, all which you find in yourself, either sickness or sin; and also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help [the Holy Spirit and the accountability of brothers and sisters in Christ].” You must ask yourself every night and every week: What sin have I repented of? Is there anyone I need to repent to or any sin that remains unconfessed?
ALL OF LIFE IS REPENTANCE BY TIM KELLER, THE RESOLUTIONS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS, ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS

5. Do not give authority to your feelings; they often arise from your flesh, which is totally depraved.
Martin Luther wisely said, "All natural inclinations are either without God or against him; therefore none are good.” The desires of your flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, so you must choose to walk by the Spirit. You cannot blindly trust your feelings. They often arise from the flesh and are therefore sinful. Always take your thoughts captive, question their aim (God or self), and reinterpret them through Scripture.
SEEING WITH NEW EYES BY DAVID POWLISON, FLESH CARTOON BY JOSHUA HARRIS, ROMANS 7, GALATIANS 5:16-24

6. You will live most freely when you believe that dying is gain.
Christ came to set you free, so that sin and death no longer have power over you (Galatians 5:1). “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:54-57). Christ bought your freedom, but you must now live in it. Look to Paul’s words in Philippians 1:20-26 as an example, primarily “For to me to live in Christ, and to die is gain” (v. 21). Do not allow yourself to be content with the level of your surrender to Christ until you learn to cry out as Esther did, “If I perish, I perish!” (v. 4:16).
DOING MISSIONS WHEN DYING IS GAIN BY JOHN PIPER, GALATIANS 5:1, 1 CORINTHIANS 15:54-57, PHILIPPIANS 1:20-26

7. Discipleship is a Biblical command so that our lives do not bring shame to God’s word.
Live as a Titus 2 Woman: “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women … that the word of God may not be reviled.” Scripture commands that women be discipled by qualified older women and disciple younger women, so that the word of God may not be despised.
TITUS 2:3-5, FEMININE APPEAL BY CAROLYN MAHANEY

8. Learn to treat the church like Jesus Christ’s beloved bride.
The local church is not meant to be treated with a critical, me-centered, non-committal, two-timer attitude. The Church is Christ’s bride and we must treat it as such - love it, speak well of it, serve it, give to it, and become a part of it. Joshua Harris writes, "The greatest motivation we could ever find for being passionately committed to the Church is that Jesus is passionately committed to the Church." As Christians we are called to be imitators of God (Eph 5:1) and to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). Therefore we must love the Church and put that passion into action by thinking globally and loving locally. Briefly put, stop dating the church and commit!
STOP DATING THE CHURCH BY JOSHUA HARRIS, WHAT IS A HEALTHY CHURCH MEMBER BY THABITI ANABWILE 

9. When committing to a local church, you cannot afford to unwisely asses its healthiness!
Therefore, we cannot afford to unwisely asses the health of a church! We need to Biblically consider the crucial, deal-breaking, qualities of a church. Mark Dever writes that the 9 marks of a healthy church are: 1) Expositional Preaching 2) Biblical Theology 3) The Gospel 4) A Biblical Understanding of Conversion 5) Evangelism 6) Church Membership 7) Biblical Church Discipline 8) A Concern for Discipleship and Growth 9) Biblical Church Leadership.
9 MARKS OF A HEALTHY CHURCH AND WHAT IS A HEALTHY CHURCH BY MARK DEVER

10. Please, read wisely.
A. Invest in a study Bible and learn how to use it. Don’t settle for a diet of predigested truth (Christian books). Read your Bible more than you read anything else. 2 TIMOTHY 3:16, HEBREWS 4:12
B. The New Testament is written to an audience well versed in the Old Testament; therefore you cannot compromise your time reading and understanding the Old Testament.
C. Know the authors of the Christian books you read. Find-out their beliefs, publishings, reputation and legacy. If their life isn’t worth emulating, read a different book. HEBREWS 13:7, 3 JOHN 1:11

BIG Bibles Humor

There are sooo many LOL lyrics in this song!!!

Do you desire God?

Austin shared a video clip of Paul Washer's preaching that is well worth passing-on.  Washer's message is super refreshing and convicting. He poses so many soul-searching questions that we all need to be answering.  Take 7 minutes and listen to it...



How would you answer Washer's question, Do you desire God?

For Austin's (Voice Among Scoffers) full post about Paul Washer click here.

A wonderful Hymn

Take Time to Be Holy

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
    Abide in him always, and feed on his Word.
Make friends of God's children; help those who are weak;
    Forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
    Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like him thou shalt be;
    Thy friends in thy conduct his likeness shall see.

Take time to be holy, let him by thy guide,
    And run not before him, whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow, still follow thy Lord,
    And, looking to Jesus, still trust in his Word.

Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;
    Each thought and each motive beneath his control;
Thus led by his Spirit to fountains of love,
    Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

Author: William D. Longstaff, 1887

T4G 2010 Sermons!

Together for the Gospel, T4G 2010 sermons about are now posted!

Click here to download messages from: 
Mark Dever The Church is the Gospel Made Visible (A-mazing!!!) 
RC Sproul The Defense and Confirmation of the Gospel — What I Have Learned in 50 years
Albert Mohler How Does it Happen? Trajectories Toward an Adjusted Gospel
Thabiti Anyabwile ‘Fine-Sounding Arguments’ — How Wrongly ‘Engaging the Culture’ Adjusts the Gospel
John MacArthur The Theology of Sleep! 

John Piper Did Jesus Preach Paul’s Gospel?

Where You Lead Me - I Will Follow

In God's perfect timing a door was opened for me to serve in Haiti this summer.  I'm very thankful that God's sovereignty steered me towards this door... a door which I never anticipated to find myself at.  However, as I was on the phone earlier (being told for the first time, 'we want to send you overseas') a song came to mind.  I absent-mindedly doodled the lyrics across a pink sheet of scrap paper, and then I looked down and realized what I had written....

Here's the song that ran through my head:

Where You Lead Me

What is life?

A thousand roads, a thousand ways

Why am I so afraid to move

I crossed the line

I'm stepping out so come what may

I give it all cause I'm drawn to You

As long as my heart is beating...

Where You lead me I will follow

Where You lead me I give my life away

Where You lead me I will follow

Forever and a day

Forever and a day

God closed every other door along my path, because He wanted to bring me to this one.  With my heart racing and soul singing I will follow Jesus to Haiti this summer.

Oh, and my heart has not changed for India and the 10/40 window, but that's what prayer and patience are for :)

Chandler on Sanctification

Yesterday I listened to Matt Chandler's sermon about Sanctification in Marriage.  It's the 7th sermon in Chandler's Path series.  Chandler's main text is 1 Peter 3, which can easily make women shut-down, walk out, and grumble in defiance.  However, Chandler's purpose in preaching through this passage is beautiful, if we'll just give him a chance:

I want to talk this morning about the relationship between husbands and wives and how, in Jesus Christ, we get back to Genesis 2, which says of the man and woman, “They were naked and unashamed.” And don’t think “naked” in regards to physical nakedness (although that’s great), but rather think in terms of them having nothing to hide. So how do we get a man and a woman in the confines of marriage back to the place where they have nothing to hide from one another and they don’t walk or operate in any shame? So Jesus is going to purchase that for us in His cross, and then He’s going to lead us that way by giving us commands that we are to obey and, in obedience to those commands, we line ourselves up with how He designed things to work for our joy and His glory. Now I don’t know this year that I will get into a more controversial text than the one that I’m about to be in. It flies in the face of almost everything our culture believes and tries to operate in. So here’s what I need you to promise me. I’m fine with you getting offended, and I’m fine with you getting angry. What I’m saying is don’t turn me off until we’re done unpacking it. Don’t just hear certain words and go, “Oh no, he didn’t!” Just give me my 45-50 minutes, let me unpack this thing and then if you want to leave and never come back, I really am okay with that. But don’t turn me off until we’re done here. Because God’s appeal to you as wives and God’s appeal to you as husbands is not about your begrudging submission, it’s about your joy. So what’s at stake here is your joy. So my prayer is that you would be hedonistic enough to listen and here.

Matt Chandler is the lead pastor at The Village Church, in Dallas, TX.  The Village is part of the Acts 29 Network, directed by Scott Thomas.

To download other sermons by Matt Chandler (who, by God's grace, is an amazingly gifted pastor), click here.

Prayer and going to Haiti

A few weeks ago I read Wayne Grudem's chapter on Prayer from Sytematic Theology.  Since then I have meditated upon the power and importance of praying according to God's will.  Upon this topic Grudem points us to Jesus' example, "Jesus teaches us to pray, "Your will be done" (Matt 6:10), and he himself gives us an example, by praying in the garden of Gethsemane, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matt 26:39)" (p 382).  Jesus' soul was troubled and sorrowful, even to death, driving him to fall on his face in prayer!  This is a posture of abject humility, from which Jesus lays his life before his Father in complete honesty and surrender - solidifying the earnestness of his words "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."  Even in Jesus' most earnest and sorrowful prayers, he surrenders entirely to God's will as his ultimate request.

How should Jesus' example translate into my life?  Prayer is not just about getting what I want, but about making my requests known to God (my loving Father) while seeking that my desires align with His will.  We are told to delight ourselves in the Lord, and He will gives us the desires of our heart.  When our hearts desire what is godly and pure, He is able to bless us by fulling our requests, if that is His sovereign will.  Concerning God's response to our prayers Grudem writes:

Sometimes God will grant what we have asked.  Sometimes he will give us deeper understanding or change our hearts so that we are led to ask something differently.  Sometimes he will not grant our request at all but will simply indicate to us that we must submit to his will (see 2 Cor 12:9-10).

Concerning Grudem's last point, God, in His wisdom, at times will not grant our requests, teaching us to submit to his will.  In 2 Corinthians Paul repetitively pleaded with the Lord to remove a thorn from his flesh.  God's response was one of fatherly authority, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  To this, Paul responds, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong" (8-10).  Paul grew in a more accurate view of both himself and God as he learned submission and humility in light of God's supremacy.

For months I have prayed for an opportunity to go to Mumbai, India this summer.  I asked, and I kept on asking.  I followed God's word when He said, "And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Luke 11:9).  I knocked, and I kept on knocking.  But God did not answer my requests by granting me what I had asked.  He did not grant my request at all.  Rather, He indicated that I must submit to His sovereignty and be willing to go anywhere.  So, now I'm left following Paul's example - being content with God's response, although it is not what I had hoped for.

It seems that God is leading me, not towards Mumbai, but towards Haiti this summer.  I feel ill-prepared, uncertain, and confused.   Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  The redemption of the world, and of a people to Himself, are God's plans and desires.  He cares and knows far more about His redemption than I'm capable of.  Thus, I can trust that His plans are far better than my own.  As Jesus exemplified, I also now say, "not as I will, but as you will."

An Intolerable Inequity

I was struck by John Piper's words in his article: A Passion for Missions in the Men Who Stay.  On November 14, 1983, Piper wrote:

I cannot get over the fact that there are more churches in the Twin Cities than there are Protestant North American missionaries to 1,930,000,000 Muslim, Hindu, Han Chinese and Buddhist people who have not been reached by the gospel. “To whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Surely this implies that churches and denominations with many members and many ministers should be giving many of these people to cultures which have virtually no gospel witness. I cannot see how we can go on with business as usual while this intolerable inequity exists: 650 Protestant North American missionaries minister to 1,930 million unreached people, while 1,000,000 Christian workers in America minister to 200 million people, most of whom are already reached. How will the church give an account of itself to the Lord?!

For the rest of John Piper's article click here.

That means that within America the ratio of Christian laborers to nonbelievers is 1:200.  Simultaneous, the ratio of laborers to unreached overseas is 1:2,969,230.  Do we not see the injustice we impose on the world through our selfishness?!  Our comforts and blessings have made us lazy and indifferent, yet Luke 12:48 is still true.  "To who much is given, from him much will be required."  And, really, why wouldn't we want to?  Do we not truly love others?  We are commanded to love God and love others... but true love is shown through deed and in truth.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)

Our nation is growing obese with not only fast food, but also with Christianity.  We have more churches and Bibles than we know what to do with, yet we become complacent when we should be compelled forward in deed and truth.   Will we dare pray that God will send laborers into the harvest, and that we might be part of God's answer to that very prayer???

Theological Humor that makes me LOL

Two videos that make me LOL. Don't take them too seriously... just enjoy!

GREAT NEWS!

Covenant Theological Seminary accepted me to the Masters of Counseling Program for the fall of 2010!!!  How sweet and true are the words of Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

It's been sooo-ooh sweet trusting and waiting on the Lord's timing. And, Lord willing, in 5 months I'll start counseling classes at Covenant in St. Louis!! I'm so thrilled!!!

Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions

My roommate and I recently designed a prayer & scripture memorization board in our apartment so that we can better spur one another on towards the Lord.  However, it wasn't complete until we added a Theologian(s) of the week section so that can continually learn from and emulate the great saints from church history.  This week we chose to study, discuss, and thank God for the lives and ministries of Sarah and Jonathan Edwards.  Therefore, this weeks posts will include writing by, or inspired by, this godly puritan couple.  (I write this all with dead earnestness, although I'm sure this is amusing to many, and therefore I do simultaneously humor myself through it, and am always the better off for laughing.)

As I have read about Jonathan Edwards, the wisdom and discipline of his Resolutions has most greatly impressed me.  Edwards wrote a lengthy list of resolutions in his early 20's, and then disciplined himself to read through them once a week as a practice of closely examining his soul before the Lord.  We could all take a good lesson from Edwards about discipline, self-examination, and godliness.

His Resolutions have been recorded in volume one of The Works of Jonathan Edwards.  (I especially enjoy #5, #6, #18, #25, #28, #56, #60, #65, and #70)  They read as follows:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved, so to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, To be continually endeavouring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the forementioned things.

3. Resolved, If ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God, nor be, nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it.

5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, To act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings, as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. Vid. July 30.

9. Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, When I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder. xxi

12. Resolved, If I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, To be endeavouring to find out fit objects of liberality and charity.

14. Resolved, Never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, To live so, at all times, as I think is best in my most devout frames, and when I have the clearest notions of the things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, To endeavour to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigour, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, Frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs, and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the fourth Resolution.

24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavour to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, To examine carefully and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and so direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, To cast away such things as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, Never wilfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

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 every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, Never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of christian honour, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said any thing against any one, to bring it to, and try it strictly by, the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, To be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Prov. xx. 6. ‘A faithful man, who can find?’ may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, To do always what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without an overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, In narrations, never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, Whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call to it. Dec. 19, 1722.

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. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, Never to utter any thing that is sportive, or matter of laughter, on a Lord’s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, Never to do any thing, of which I so much question the lawfulness, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

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. Jan. 7, 1723.

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. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism, which I solemnly renewed when I was received into the communion of the church, and which I have solemnly re-made this 12th day of January, 1723.

43. Resolved, Never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeably to what is to be found in Saturday, Jan. 12th. Jan. 12, 1723.

44. Resolved, That no other end but religion shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan. 12, 1723.

45. Resolved, Never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, Never to allow the least measure of any fretting or uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved, to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye; and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, To endeavour, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving, and sincere, temper; and to do, at all times, what such a temper would xxii lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have so done. Sabbath morning, May 5, 1723.

48. Resolved, Constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, That this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, That I will act so, as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, That I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, That I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, To improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Resolved, Whenever I hear anything spoken in commendation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, that I will endeavour to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, To endeavour, to my utmost, so to act, as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, When I fear misfortunes and adversity, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it and let the event be just as Providence orders it. I will, as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13, 1723.

58. Resolved, Not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness, and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, When I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, Whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4 and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, That I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it—that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, &c. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, Never to do any thing but my duty, and then, according to Eph. vi. 6-8. to do it willingly and cheerfully, as unto the Lord, and not to man: knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall be receive of the Lord. June 25, and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true lustre, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, To act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan. 14, and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, When I find those ”groanings which cannot be uttered,“ of which the apostle speaks, and those ”breathings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the psalmist speaks, Psalm cxix. 20. that I will promote them to the utmost of my power; and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavouring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and Aug. 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, Very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness of which I am capable, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him, all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance, according to Dr. Manton’s Sermon on the 119th Psalm,. July 26, and Aug. 10, 1723.

66. Resolved, That I will endeavour always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking, in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them; what good I have got by them; and, what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, To confess frankly to myself, all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, Always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak. Aug. 17, 1723.

Music I'm Enjoying & Sharing

Living When Dying is Gain

Nearly 6 months ago I was asked if I would be willing to go anywhere for the sake of the Gospel.  To my shame, my thoughts silently echoed a cold and fearful no.  I lived in my hope of the perfect life of seminary, marriage, comfort, leisure, success, vacation, and throw pillows.  My joy was shifting ever closer as my dreams seemed to be evolving into reality on earth.  I prayed for the things I wanted just as often as I prayed against the inconveniences I detested.

In the short months since then, God mercifully tore away my hope and joy; replacing it with His truth, His hope, and His joy.  Through out this season, I have much more deeply resonated with the words of the forefathers and saints through-out Scripture.  I am particularly thankful for Paul's words to the saints in Philippi as he expresses:

It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.  Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.  I am hard pressed between the two.  My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.  But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.  Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again (1:20-26).

Because of the power of Jesus' death and resurrection Paul did not allow himself to be handicapped or enslaved by anything, even the thought of his own death.  Paul pursued an eternal desire that Christ would be honored in his body, whether by life or by death.  Therefore, his life was devoted to a labor of love for God and for others which abounded in fruitful service.  The influence and ministry Paul claimed has been outweighed by few through-out history.  Nevertheless, Paul valued his life as rubbish in comparison to the presence of Jesus Christ after death.  This is not to say that Paul was disgusted by his life.  Rather, the opposite.  Paul found great joy in life, but it simply could not compare to the immeasurable riches in Christ Jesus.  As a result, he lived in more freedom than most men or women will ever fathom.

Paul's words guide me as I consider the true and joyful meaning of Easter.  Just as Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ conquering death, his children also no longer need to fear the sting of death.  In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians he writes:

Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (15:54b-57).

This morning at The Oaks Community Church, Pastor Kevin taught from this passage.  As Kevin preached I was refreshed by the freedom that God has provided us in Christ.  Through Jesus' resurrection from the grave, death was swallowed up in victory and it can no longer poison our lives.  We have true, eternal life in Christ that cannot be stolen by the venom of death.  "For I am sure that neither death nor life... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38,39).  Nothing can prevent God from being glorified in my body, not even death.  Therefore, I need not fear man, pain, or death.  Only God is worthy of our fear as well as our eternal praise.

God's grace can not be contained any more than joy in Christ can be killed.  Christ rose from the grave, which is why all of His children rejoice together on this sweet Easter Sunday.

Never was living beauty so enchanting as a dying Savior. - C.H. Spurgeon

I thank God that my answer today is much different.  YES - I would joyfully, humbly, and willing go anywhere for the sake of the Gospel.  Where the Lord leads is the best place for me to be.  I would fear going any other direction.

God's Sovereignty in the Fullness of Time

I have so frequently been blessed by C.H. Spurgeon's words as I have been reading Morning and Evening.  In particular, yesterday was a continual battle for me to trust the Lord's faithfulness as my (lack of) summer plans frustrated and upset me.  I curled into bed, and read Spurgeon's words reflecting upon Song of Solomon 5:6 "I called him, but he gave me no answer.”  Spurgeon writes:

Prayer sometimes tarrieth, like a petitioner at the gate, until the King cometh forth to fill her bosom with the blessings which she seeketh. The Lord, when he hath given great faith, has been known to try it by long delayings. He has suffered his servants’ voices to echo in their ears as from a brazen sky. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained immovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, “Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.” Thus have true saints continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because their prayers were not vehement, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased him who is a Sovereign, and who gives according to his own pleasure. If it pleases him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall he not do as he wills with his own! Beggars must not be choosers either as to time, place, or form. But we must be careful not to take delays in prayer for denials: God’s long-dated bills will be punctually honoured; we must not suffer Satan to shake our confidence in the God of truth by pointing to our unanswered prayers. Unanswered petitions are not unheard. God keeps a file for our prayers—they are not blown away by the wind, they are treasured in the King’s archives. This is a registry in the court of heaven wherein every prayer is recorded. Tried believer, thy Lord hath a tear-bottle in which the costly drops of sacred grief are put away, and a book in which thy holy groanings are numbered. By and by, thy suit shall prevail. Canst thou not be content to wait a little? Will not thy Lord’s time be better than thy time? By and by he will comfortably appear, to thy soul’s joy, and make thee put away the sackcloth and ashes of long waiting, and put on the scarlet and fine linen of full fruition.

How imprudent of me to not patiently wait on the Lord's timing!  His timing is surely better than my own, yet through-out the day I function as if I always know best.  In the fullness of time, God sent his Son to die, and in that same proven wisdom God's timing will always display perfection in every detail of my life.

A Prayer for Muslim Lands

This morning Kevin DeYoung posted A Prayer for Muslim Lands taken from Samuel M. Zwemer (1867-1952).  I was deeply moved by Zwemer's words because they still earnestly apply today, so I wanted to pass them on.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ

This past weekend I was extremely blessed to hear Susan Heck teach at a church in Mansfield, OH.  Through-out the weekend Susan exposited from 1 Peter 3:1-6 the six characteristics of a godly wife, and from Titus 2 the call to discipleship.  Her teaching was powerful in that it came straight from God's Word, and even after a long week of little sleep it was rejuvenating to be there.  I was especially thankful for her clarity in defining discipleship, which I will share with you here.

In Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth he writes:

For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers.  For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.  I urge you, then, be imitators of me.  That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. (15-17)

Later, Paul reiterates, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (11:1).  This clear message of "Follow me, as I follow Christ" is pervasive through-out Paul's letters (Phil 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thess 1:6; 2 Thess 3:9).  Therefore, living a life worth emulating is essential in Gospel ministry.  Paul teaches, not only through proclamation, but also through the example of his life.  That is the essence of discipleship!  Discipleship involves teaching Gospel truth and Christ-likeness through your entire life.

Being taught about discipleship refreshed me so greatly because Susan not only explained it, but she also lives it.  Even during a short weekend God allowed me to learn from Susan's life; specifically from her example in Scripture memorization.  Susan has personally memorized 23 books of the New Testament word for word.  Her speech is rich evidence of her knowledge of the Scriptures, and it blessed me to spend time with her.  Never before had I spent time with someone in whom the Word dwelled so richly.  Her discipline of storing away God's Word in her heart and mind is a beautiful example, worthy of emulation.

Thanks to Susan's godly example I have begun memorizing Ephesians 1-2.  I have chosen these two chapters in light of Susan's wise advice to memorize chapters or books instead of the random verse method.  However, I have historically struggled to stick with memorizing longer passages of Scripture.  So, as a form of accountability, and prayerfully an encouragement to others, I will post the Scripture I am memorizing along the right column of my blog.

My only last thoughts are these...

This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:9)

His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.  In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:2-3)

Adorn Yourselves -- Women

My brother and co-laborer Austin started a series on his blog Voice Among Scoffers teaching about self-adornment from 1 Timothy 2.  I earnestly agree with Austin when he writes, "The theme of this passage is how men and women wear their faith--as though it were clothing."  Paul's initial focus is on men, as he commands that they "lead a peaceful and quiet life" (2), and "pray, lifting holy hands, without anger or quarreling" (8).  Expounding upon 1 Timothy 2:1-8, Austin writes:

[Paul] speaks to men to adorn themselves not with anger and quarreling but with prayer and worship to God. We need to disrobe our bodies, strip them of the pride and arrogance that leads to vain discussion and quarreling. Instead, we should put on or adorn ourselves with Worship and Prayer!

As Paul continues in 1 Timothy 2:9-12 he shifts his focus to addressing women.

Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

As we see in Paul's letter there there are specific ways that women should adorn themselves: with respectable apparel, good works, and a quiet submissive role. Clearly this is not an exhaustive list, but as Paul focuses on Adam and Eve's sin and consequent curse in the fall (Gen 3), he wisely choose to address these three issues.  Therefore, as women and daughters of Eve we must seek to understand what Paul is teaching!


Eve's Original Beauty 
When God created Eve he caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept he took one of his ribs and closed up the place with flesh.  And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.  Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.  (Genesis 2:21-25).  In God's original creation Eve was naked and beautiful - needing nothing of creation to additionally adorn her to create a sense of beauty.  Her radiance, which pleased both God and Adam, came from her created purpose to be an image bearer of God's glory.  Eve, in her nakedness, was the most beautiful woman to walk the earth because of her pure and untainted resemblance to God.  No braids, jewels, or gowns could ever compare to her beauty! 

The Vileness of Sin 
When Eve rebelliously chose to eat the apple of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil she sinfully sought to be like God (Gen 3:5-6).  Although she was created to reflect God's image, she desired to be like God in wisdom and dominion, becoming a rebellious glory thief.  In light of this new wisdom the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened, and they knew that they were naked.  And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths (Gen 3:7).  Adam and Eve covered the natural beauty that God created, because it was tainted with sin, and they were ashamed!

Women today continue to seek external adornment while ignoring that internally we are rotting away with sin!  Our beauty is not meant to be crafted externally; God created Eve beautifully as His own image bearer.  The more we look like God, the more beautiful we will be.  However, in our blindness as women we inappropriately reveal our bodies, using them to sexually entice men, making wrong use of our beauty by attempting to glorify ourselves rather than God.  Women, we must know that when we lure a man into lusting after us, we have stolen God's rightful place in their lives.  A man turns his back on God when he chooses lust or sexual sin.  This is exactly why Paul commands that godly women should adorn themselves "with modesty and self-control" (9).  Modesty and self-control keep us from stealing God's glory.

Respectable apparel
Paul further specifies that women should not adorn themselves "with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire" (9).  Paul is not prohibiting the wearing of jewelry; the principle is that women should not dress ostentatiously or seductively, but in a way that is proper.  We can also learn from Peter when he addresses women, saying, "Do not let your adorning be external - the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear - but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious" (1 Peter 3:3-4).  Both Peter and Paul refer specially to braided hair, extravagant jewelry, and enticing clothing.  However, they are clearly not claiming that braids, jewels, and clothes are evil!  They are concerned with these external adornments because they reveal a heart that finds significance in worldly beauty. In contrast to this, the Christian woman should focus on inner (hidden) beauty of the heart.  What matters to God is the godly character of a woman, characterized by a quiet and gentile spirit.  And what matters to God needs to be what matters to us!  There is an important difference between external and internal beauty!  Our internal beauty comes from being transformed into the image of Christ which is eternal and worthy of praise!

The Message puts it this way: "And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it."

Adorn Yourselves -- Women to be continued...
Subsequent posts will cover what good works are proper for women who profess godliness, and how a woman can learn quietly with all submissiveness.

The Criminals - Death by Crucifixation

If I'm going to be honest, my driving habits probably aren't the best.  I love driving with the windows down, blasting my music, and singing along to my favorite songs.  I wrongly view driving as a great chance to catch-up on phone calls or text messages (which I'm convicted I should probably change in the immediate future).  And I have a tendency to rebel against the 25mph speed limits that make driving through Oxford painfully slow. Despite my lack of attentiveness, my roommate lovingly commented that she feels safe with me driving - unlike her feelings towards most of her other friends when they are behind the wheel.  Ironically, no less than 15 minutes after her comment, a cop handed me a hefty speeding ticket in my favorite - 25 mph speed limit. 

I must mention that I have witnessed several friends receive much more costly speedy tickets in the past few months - and they handled the situations with amazing grace and humility.  As they truthfully said, they were guilty of speeding and therefore they justly deserved the given ticket.  As I recalled their grace and poise while being handed my own speeding ticket I greatly struggled against resentment and self-righteousness.  Why should I pay a speeding ticket when hundreds of college students are drinking under-age AND driving, smoking illegal drugs, abusing prescriptions... doing things way worse than speeding in a 25!  I am so innocent compared to their destructive and idiotic life decisions!

Yet, I did breach the law that leaders have set in place for the good of America.  I broke the law.  Regardless of my view of the moral importance of the speed limit I was guilty and I justly deserve the ticket that I received.  I had no right to be angry at the police officer - all he did was catch me in my sin and deliver the predetermined fine.  Not only did I deserve that ticket, but I deserve hundreds more that I have never received.  How many tickets would you receive if a cop watched your every "stop" and speed?  I have actually received way more grace than justice as a driver!

In a similar way we all stand guilty before a holy and righteous God.  God correctly sees every man and woman as a criminal in both nature, since we are born in Adam, and in action since we actively seek and choose sin.  When God sent his Son he did it knowing that we are utterly depraved and guilty of sin.  As we read about Jesus' crucifixion in Luke 23, we must see ourselves within the criminals being crucified on either side of Jesus.

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left... 39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:32-33, 39-43

We are those criminals.  There is no choice in the matter of our guilt - we are guilty before God. 

However, there is a difference, ONE great difference.  Which criminal will we be?  We are either the first who railed against Jesus, mocking and denying him, or the one who feared God, seeing Jesus as holy and blameless, Lord and Savior, and trusting in Him alone for eternal life.

The first criminal ridiculed the name of Jesus saying "Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us!" (39).  He had no faith in Jesus as the Son of God, no shred of belief that Jesus could be his savior.

However, the second criminal, equally foul in deed and guilty in sin saw Jesus differently.  “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (40-41).  This man identified the weight of his own condemnation in light of Jesus' innocence.  By faith, he identified Jesus as God and cried out to Him as savior, begging “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (42).  And Jesus' response is the best news in the history of the world!

That's why what we believe about Jesus is the most significant decision we will ever make.  Which criminal will you be?