Baseball, Drugs, Homeruns and Jesus: “I sometimes get nervous when I listen to Christian athletes talk about their faith on the big stage. While I appreciate their desire explicitly to give glory to Jesus during interviews, they can come off as glib, token, or perfunctory…This is why Josh Hamilton’s appearance last night on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption made such an impression on me.”

Mother’s Day for the Infertile: This coming mother’s day, “remember the infertile as the world around us celebrates motherhood. The Proverbs 31 woman needs our attention, but the 1 Samuel 1 woman does too.”

Gay Marriage and Christians: “The temptation is for Christians go silent and give up the marriage fight: ‘It’s no use staying in this battle,’ we think to ourselves…I understand that temptation. It is an easier way. But I do not think it is the right way, the God glorifying way, or the way of love.”

Which Is Better? “I remember walking into an adult bookstore for the first time…” You won’t be sorry you read this.

Theology Bloopers: “Mike Wittmer has been posting some hilarious bloopers he’s come across in papers from his students. What follows are some of my favorites.”

What is Church Membership? “It’s true that a Christian must choose to join a church, but that does not make it a voluntary organization. Having chosen Christ, a Christian has no choice but to choose to join a church.”

A Conversation with John MacArthur and John Piper: “This was one of the most interesting conversations I’ve been a part of—an interview of John Piper and John MacArthur together (September 28, 2007). On the surface there are many similarities between these two preachers. But on another level you couldn’t find two men more different.”

At Core we have been speaking about relationships, dating and marriage. This video caps everything off well. Have your eyes refocused to His beautiful purposes for marriage.

“Always estimate men in proportion as they estimate this Book.” Henry Alford, The Greek Testament, I:v.

When I was pastor of a church in Vancouver, a number of our Bible studies were evangelistic, and people came in from the outside and got converted in them. And a particular chap got converted. He was in his late 30s, and he spent half his life in jail. He had a low IQ, flunked out of school, was on the wrong side of the tracks, and a social misfit. He had really been a scuzzball for all his life.

Then God genuinely converted him. And when he got converted, on the other hand, he had this background. He’d sit in the back of the church, and if I got anywhere near judgment or sin, he’d sit there and weep. He had such a tender conscience at this point. All of us sort of regular reprobates were looking at this guy crying, and saying, “Boy, the pastor is really powerful this morning. Give it to him!” And if I got anywhere near grace, and the spectacular freedom of it all, he’d look at me and could scarcely believe it was true for somebody as bad as he was.

Meanwhile, I was wanting some of the regular people who had settled into lethargy to hear the threats and so on, and become convicted of their sin, and be a little less confident of the grace applicable to them, because it wasn’t working out in their lives very powerfully.

May we not be a people who are unmoved by sin or untouched by grace. Always fear sin and its consequences. Always treasure grace and its blessings. If we fail to do either, destruction is near.

The Mandate is closing in on us! I am extremely excited to share the weekend with my brothers in Jesus and to search the Scriptures together and have the Lord teach us who He has made us to be and what we are to strive for, both now and in the future. I hope you feel the same.

But, before Friday comes, there is some need for a little more basic information which I have provided below.

NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS/FORMS

1) Sign-up by tonight to reserve you spot.

2) Pay $80 (If money is an issue, talk to me before you decide not to go).

2) Fill out the South Shores medical release form (you can sign it upon arrival tomorrow). If you went to winter camp then this is not necessary.

WHEN TO SHOW UP/WHEN WE WILL RETURN:

MEET – We will meet at church at 3:00pm on Friday, May 4th.

LEAVE – We will leave church promptly at 3:45pm

RETURN – We will return to church at approximately 1pm on Sunday

WHAT TO BRING:

1- Bible/journal/pen (if your a journaler)
2- Trunks (Speedos are weird, but acceptable)
3- Sandals/aqua shoes (there are some stickers on the way to the lakeshore)
4- A Towel
5- Two extra shirts
6- Toiletries
7- A sweatshirt (night times can be chilly)
8- Sleeping bag/pillow
9- Sun screen (mandatory for Tim Aney and Jeff Sholar)
10- $20 spending money for snacks (optional)

On the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood blog there is a fantastic post about wives doing prayer journals for their husbands and their children. Kim Campbell offers six (very simple) steps to doing this well.

1) Get paper
2) Get a pen/pencil/crayon
3) Get a Bible
4) Pray
5) Save
6) Gift

I would like to share an excerpt from step number three, “Get a Bible.”

Get a Bible: One of the MUSTS for this type of praying is that you pray Scripture over your spouse/children. What Phyllis taught me is that I don’t need books or even to be really creative, I just need God’s Word. She trusts in its sufficiency, and so do I. You don’t have to start a new reading plan – just read. If you want to, start with the Psalms, or one of Paul’s epistles or (gasp!) even the book of Deuteronomy. Pray these Scriptures for your husband/children. Here is an example from Psalm 112:

Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
Psalm 112:1-8

“Father, I praise you and thank you that you have given me a Psalm 112 husband. Thank you for answering that prayer. I thank you that E fears you more than he fears man and that he takes great delight in your word each morning, even as we are going through James this year as a couple. I pray that our children, even this little one in my tummy right now, will be blessed to follow and know you and dwell richly and mightily in the land as they seek you wholeheartedly because of your grace and the display of faithfulness of their earthly Father (all because of grace). Thank you for allowing my E to show me grace and mercy when I fail, and fail miserably at times. Thank you also that he pursues you and righteousness. Continue to weigh in his heart and his actions so that they might please you. I praise YOU that E is a generous man who does not hoard the money that you have blessed us with but wants our giving and our home to be a place of blessing for others. May we continue to live in that way. I pray Lord, that even in difficult times, that you would make his heart strong and firm in you – knowing that you never change and that you will lead him in righteousness (Psalm 23). Do not let him coward and be afraid, but be bold and know that you are God until the day that you make him triumph over his enemies for the glory of God in the world.”

You can read the whole post here.

How about another round of Songs From the Dead?

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken has been a hymn that has been precious to my in the past 5 years. When I was at BIOLA I printed out the lyrics of this song and put them in the cover slip of my school folder. Every class I had began with me reading the lyrics of this song and praying the things found within it. I gained much (and still do) from this song and I hope it blesses you as well.

I first heard the song from Indelible Grace Music and once I heard it, it immediately became a favorite of mine. However, I recently came upon a version of the song by Andy Zipf that has become my new favorite version.

Here’s Andy Zipf’s version:
Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

As you listen, follow along with the Lyrics below. Note: Andy’s version only sings verses 1, 3, 6.

JESUS, I MY CROSS HAVE TAKEN| HENRY F. LYTE | 1833

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and Heaven are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
What a Savior died to win thee, child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

LESSONS LEARNED

1) A SOBER VIEW OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: This hymn explains the Christian life as it is in this world: a life filled with hardship, persecution and struggle. As Christians we are often found, “Destitute, despised, forsaken…” and “storms may howl and clouds may gather.” Songs like this are precious to Christians because they give voice to the hardship that we are bound to experience in this fallen world and then helps to guide us beyond the pain to the One who has promised that, “all must work for good to me.” This song punches the health and wealth gospel straight in the teeth and offers no apologies. Nor should it.

2) A VIEW TO HEAVEN: As believers, our hope is not in this world and looks to the unseen reality that is and is to come (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). It is important for us believers to be reminded where to look. Often times we forget that this is not our home and that heaven awaits us. We are deceived into thinking the pleasures of earth are greater than the eternal joys of heaven. This hymn speaks clearly to that temptation and prays, “Perish (or kill) every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known. Yet how rich is my condition! God and Heaven are still mine own.” Heaven is our home. This life is a pilgrimage of hardship to the celestial city of final peace. “Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days; Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.”

3) A GUTSY PRAYER: This song does not offer wimpy, self-interested prayers. It isn’t interested in asking for anything but a heart that faithfully follows Jesus and for God to do whatever is necessary to that end. “Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!” Did you see that? This song renounces the treasures of this world and invites the things people want to avoid most! How is that possible? Because “In Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.” We are taught by these words to not avoid hardship and pain, but to welcome it gladly to our doorstep because we know that our Lord will turn our pain into pleasure and that all of our lost will become for us gain (Matthew 19:29).

4) AN EXAMPLE OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF: Though this song is filled with gutsy prayers and clearly see that hardship is normative in the Christian life, it does not tell us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and get through it with all our might. Instead of summoning our will power to accomplish these great tasks, it reminds us to find strength in the gospel. Look closely at the next verse:

Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
What a Savior died to win thee, child of heaven, shouldst thou repine (feel discontent)?

Did you see that? This verse has us speaking to our own souls to rise above sin and fear and care, but instead of stopping there it brings us to the place where we find the needed strength to do so; the gospel. We are commanded to think about the Spirit who lives in us and the Father who smiles over us and the Son who died to win us to himself! Our doing is fully based on what Christ has done! Amen! Thank God for songs that first point to what Christ has done for us instead of what we must do for Christ!

Now your turn, what do you like about this song?

In a previous post, I laid down my love for theologically rich and pastoral wise songs; especially for teaching God’s people God’s Word and God’s Heart. Songs have the ability to take God’s Word and dress it beautifully and teach it powerfully.

Not only can songs speak about the spiritual realities given to us through the blood of Christ, but they also can speak about practical things we experience everyday. Take for example the song below.

A CHRISTIAN HOME | BY BARBARA HART

O give us homes built firm upon the Savior,
Where Christ is Head, and Counselor and Guide;
Where ev’ry child is taught His love and favor
And gives his heart to Christ, the crucified:
How sweet to know that tho’ his footsteps waver
His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!
We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care;
Their bonds of love no enemy can sever
If Thou art always Lord and Master there:
Be Thou the center of our least endeavor:
Be Thou our Guest, our hearts and homes to share.

Beautiful isn’t it? Don’t miss out on the content there is packed within.

FOUR LESSONS

From this song we learn four valuable principles for family worship and welfare.

1) Every home is to be centered on Jesus: There are endless things a home can be centered on. Things like academic performance, good behavior, family togetherness or sports could be the center by which everything else (conversations, decisions, calendars) revolves around. This song, from the start, offers up a prayer I pray is prayed by every family at South Shores, “O give us homes built firm upon the Savior, Where Christ is Head, and Counselor and Guide.” Make sure your kids know that Jesus is the ultimate head of your home. Teach them that He is your counselor and guide through His Word. Make it obvious that Jesus is the source of all good things so your child may know who to thank and praise for all they have. Engrave in their hearts an understanding that mommy and daddy are sinners saved by grace and that it is only through the bloody cross that we receive the white robe. Although there are many things a home could be built upon, there is only one rock they should be built on, Jesus Christ. Strive to make Jesus central in your conversations, prayers, decision-making and calendars. Avoid centering your home on anything else but Jesus so your child may understand who He is and what He has done and why the good news is so darn good.

2) A child learns by what is caught: Much of what kids learn is caught and not taught. ”O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers, Who always place their hope and trust in Him; Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers, Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim” Your children will know what you believe most clearly through how you live. Be reminded that your life demonstrates your beliefs. How do your decisions, conversations, pursuits and pleasures demonstrate the gospel? What are your actions teaching your children? If there is one thing I have seen clearly from youth ministry is that parents cannot make their kids believe something they say if their actions don’t say it too.

3) A child learns by what is taught: Sometimes actions are elevated so much, that words get neglected. This is wrong and must be rejected. Your words are necessary in order to shepherd your child’s heart toward Jesus. Although actions are indispensible in shepherding your child’s heart to the gospel, your teaching cannot be abandoned. “O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master, The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung.” Make your home a small church. Read the Bible together, pray together, sing together. How this looks will vary from home to home, but the foundational principle remains the same: do not neglect regular, focused times of family worship.

4) Our homes are his: Lastly, we must always remember that our homes are not our homes, they are the Lord’s and we are stewards. “O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever! We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care; Their bonds of love no enemy can sever If Thou art always Lord and Master there.” Since our homes are not ultimately ours then how they are managed and raised is not a decision ultimately up to us. We must labor to know how our Master desires His household to be managed and raised and then we must obey. Your home is not your home, so do not trust in your methods and goals, but His.

Parents, Tell Your Children What Hitler Did: “Tell these stories to your children. Tell them with passion. Tell them with tears. Send your children into the world with their eyes sharpened with the bright light of history. Send them ready to name the academic Nietzsches for what they are. Send them with an unflinching Nie wieder! (Never again!) in their hearts.”

What Words Should A Pastor Long to Hear After Preaching a Funeral? “Although my pride is always tempted to be fed in these moments of encouragement whenever they come, I can honestly say, by far the most meaningful words I heard came in the form of a really hairy servant of Christ who reminded me what really matters in those moments when the sting of death is so real and Christ is all we have.”

11 Info-Graphs on Why Your Wrong: “The folks at Your Logical Fallacy Is have compiled a list of 24 common ways that you and I are often mistaken in the way we think. I have to say that looking through their site is perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had being told how wrong I am. And not just wrong in a certain instance, but consistently and fundamentally flawed in the very way I think.”

Promising New Book on Proverbs Written Specifically for Women: “The book of Proverbs is a gold mine of divine wisdom, and Lydia Brownback applies that wisdom in very practical ways to the issues women face. This is one of those books that should be studied more than simply read, and I can see it as a valuable resource for women’s Bible studies.”

What’s Wrong With Theistic Evolution? “Why can’t we say Adam was a real person and the first person to know God, but not the only human on the planet? Aren’t we still in the realm of historic orthodoxy even if Adam evolved from other beings and may not have been the physical father of all living persons? ”

Why We Shouldn’t Really Care That Ghandi Doesn’t Like Us: You’ve most likely heard the Ghandi quote, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.,” but is it helpful to use in order to get Christians moving? “This Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible, would have rebuked Gandhi as he rebuked the Jewish leaders of his day, the people who led people walking behind them on the road to hell. Like them, he was convinced of his own goodness, his own worthiness.” Some good thoughts to think through.

Wayne Grudem Speaks About His Wife and Him: “In this talk Wayne Grudem gives some practical counsel on what decision-making looks like in the life of a complementarian couple, and some of the key distortions that need to be avoided…”

“Nothing hardens like the gospel when it is long trifled with.” C.H. Spurgeon

I was eating from Proverbs this morning and came across Proverbs 19:14, “House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” I immediately thought of my own wonderful wife as I read this (ladies, would your husband do the same?) and rejoiced in God’s generosity towards me.

I thought Matthew Henry’s thoughts on this proverbs were worth sharing in full.

A discreet and virtuous wife is a choice gift of God’s providence to a man—a wife that is prudent (wise), in opposition to one that is contentious, v. 13. For, though a wife that is continually finding fault may think it is her wit and wisdom to be so, it is really her folly; a prudent wife is meek and quiet, and makes the best of every thing. If a man has such a wife, let him not ascribe it to the wisdom of his own choice or his own management (for the wisest have been deceived both in and by a woman), but let him ascribe it to the goodness of God, who made him a help meet for him, and perhaps by some hits and turns of providence that seemed casual brought her to him. Every creature is what he makes it. Happy marriages, we are sure, are made in heaven… It is a more valuable gift than house and riches, it gives more to the comfort and credit of a man’s life and the welfare of his family, it is a greater token of God’s favour, and about which the divine providence is in a more especial manner conversant. A good estate may be the inheritance of fathers, which, by the common direction of Providence, comes in course to a man; but no man has a good wife by descent or entail. Parents that are worldly, in arranging for their children, look no further than to give them a house and riches, but, if it be a prudent wife, let God have the glory. (Henry, M. (1996). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Pr 19:14). Peabody: Hendrickson.)

Some Questions to Ponder

1) Guys: Is wisdom something I value in the woman I am looking to marry?
2) Guys: Are you intentionally seeking to become a wise man in order to bring joy to a wise wife?
3) Gals: Is growing in wisdom one of your top priorities right now so you will become a “gift” from God to your husband?
4) Gals: What are things you can do in order to make sure your a blessing to your future husband and not a curse?

This is a number three of a continuing series of some student reflections from the T4G conference they were able to attend in April. Click on the following numbers to access the previous posts. Post 1, Post 2, Post 3.

If you want to read all you can click here and enjoy.

Tim Aney’s Reflections on T4G:

Reflection 1: Jack Handey is not as funny as Dana makes him out to be (Dana: This is the only lie Tim offers in his reflections).

Reflection 2: One of the most experientially amazing and encouraging times at the conference was the 8,000 men choir. What I mean by this is through the leadership of Bob Kauflin, 8,000 people lifted up praises to God with the singing of hymns. These hymns were theologically sound and Gospel-centered. The very first song we sung was “Come Thou Fount.” The moment we began to sing, it was as if I was standing amidst all the saints in Heaven singing praises before the throne of God. It was a truly remarkable and unforgettable experience. This time of musical worship enabled me to focus my attention on the words being sung, and to listen to my fellow brothers and sisters singing to the same God. Our voices, the hymns, and the unity were truly gifts from God.

Reflection 3: Albert Mohler was one of the nine general session speakers at the conference. His sermon revolved around the necessity to wield words in order to effectively proclaim the Gospel. The title of his message was, “The Power of the Articulated Gospel.” The gist of this homily was that without words, the Gospel itself could not be communicated- gestures or unspoken deeds of service will not suffice. These works are instead the evidence of the power of the Gospel. Mohler’s address encouraged me to be confident in the power of the Gospel that I speak. It also prompted me to proclaim the Gospel more frequently and more persuasively. However, I need not worry if I convert the unbeliever’s heart because as Martin Luther said, “Our responsibility is to get the words from our lips to their ears. The Spirit gets it from their ears to their hearts.”

Reflection 4: The breakout session that Jeff, Nick, and I attended involved the historical trustworthiness of the Gospels. The speakers at this event were Dr. Peter Williams and Dr. Simon Gathercole, who are professors at the University of Cambridge. It was incredible to see that the Gospels could be proven reliable simply by diving into the text itself. The names, geographic locations, and botany were just three ways in which one could prove the validity of the Gospels. Also, compared to the apocryphal Gospels of Judas, Thomas, Peter, and Mary, the contradictions between the names and geographic location and the current time it was written are replete within the texts. This session equipped me with more apologetic information in order to help prove the reliability of the Gospels.

Reflection 5: A time in which the conference blessed and encouraged me took place on the morning of the first day. Mark Dever came up to the podium and conducted a consensus of who was at the conference. At the end of this age count, he called for all the eighty year olds to stand where they were. As soon as he said this, a fair portion of the audience stood up. This encouraged me because it showed the persistence, dedication, and love they had toward God. Being that old, I cannot imagine how many trials and blessings they must have received throughout their lives as Christians. Those old men invigorated me to remain strong and diligent in my faith, and to trust in God’s preservation throughout my life.

Reflection 6: By simply adding extra vowels, you can easily create the hill billy version of your name. Example: Jeff = Jayuff.

Reflection 7: My favorite sermon was spoken by David Platt who is the senior pastor at The Church of Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. His topic concerned the necessity of global missions. He articulated it in such a way that the audience did not feel guilt driven to preach the Gospel, but glory driven- and that for our King. Even though God is sovereign over all, He involves us in this mission, not because He needs us, but because he loves us. David Platt encouraged me to pray for missionaries, give sacrificially to missionaries, possibly become a missionary, and to die willingly as a missionary- whether here or across the world. He closed with this paraphrased line: “Since Christ has not returned, the task is not yet done. So let’s get busy!” This is just one of the mottos that I will live by from here on out.

This is the sermon by David Platt Tim spoke about in Reflection 6.