Victory in Christ!

So I gotta share something. Tonight my wife and I were fighting in the car. It was stupid, as most of them are, but my back really hurt tonight (a chronic problem for a while now), but it was on fire tonight ... like an ice pick in my back. Well, I was getting pretty frustrated because of this combination of things, and we were stuck in traffic, going somewhere I didn't really want to go. Well, I tried suppressing it. And it just got stronger. And the harder I resisted, the harder it became to control. I started snapping at my wife, then raising my voice in anger ... then we were both arguing pretty fiercely. Suffice it to say that I didn't act as a husband should.
Then I remembered some of the lyrics from the song "The Temptation" from Timothy Brindle's Killing Sin album (get it!). He was battling temptation and he used prayer and the Word. Well, duh.

But it motivated me to fight against this, even though my pride had arrived to the point of not caring anymore (anyone who's ever struggled with anger knows what this is). But I prayed and read the Word of God ... specifically Romans 6, which that song also referenced. And something changed .. I received the Word into my life this time. I read it as if GOD (not Paul) were speaking to ME (not "the church") and I believed it!

Romans 6.4-7
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.

I focused on the newness of life we have received. The unity we have with Christ because of His death and resurrection. My SIN WAS CRUCIFIED which means it is ALREADY defeated! I believe I am not a slave to sin because since I died with Christ, I've been set free from that sin. What wonderful news! How liberating this was!

Then down further:

Romans 6.13-14
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

We're told to DO something with this knowledge. Not only are we to NOT present our members to sin to be used for unrighteousness, but we are TO present them to God to be used for righteousness. I focused on the FACT that sin does not dominate me because of Christ and His death, so it did not dominate me! I presented myself to God for HIM to use me for righteousness. I went into the house and humbly apologized to her, prayed with her, and we went on to have a pretty good night with some friends and a couple people I'd never met before.

Praise God for our victory over sin in Christ! I learned something new tonight. I pray this may be an encouragement to someone else too. Read the word and personalize it. Let everything be about Christ. Listen to this song and then realize what God actually did to save us:



Amen

John Owen on the Mortification of Sin

This is what John Owen suggests as a practical application to mortify sin in one's life. It stopped me in my tracks. Especially the second paragraph.

(1.) Charge thy conscience with the guilt which appears in it from the rectitude and holiness of the law. Bring the holy law of God into thy conscience, lay thy corruption to it, pray that thou mayst be affected with it. Consider the holiness, spirituality, fiery severity, inwardness, absoluteness of the law, and see how thou canst stand before it. Be much, I say, in affecting thy conscience with the terror of the Lord in the law, and how righteous it is that every one of thy transgressions should receive a recompense of reward. Perhaps thy conscience will invent shifts and evasions to keep off the power of this consideration; -- as, that the condemning power of the law doth not belong to thee, thou are set free from it, and the like; and so, though thou be not conformable to it, yet thou needest not to be so much troubled at it. But, --

[1.] Tell thy conscience that it cannot manage any evidence to the purpose that thou art free from the condemning power of sin, whilst thy unmortified lust lies in thy heart; so that, perhaps, the law may make good its plea against thee for a full dominion, and then thou art a lost creature. Wherefore it is best to ponder to the utmost what it hath to say.

Assuredly, he that pleads in the most secret reserve of his heart that he is freed from the condemning power of the law, thereby secretly to countenance himself in giving the least allowance unto any sin or lust, is not able, on gospel grounds, to manage any evidence, unto any tolerable spiritual security, that indeed he is in a due manner freed from what he so pretends himself to be delivered.

-The Mortification of Sin; Ch XI Sec. 1

I've finally done it!

I've learned how to fly! Isn't this sweet?


Yer jealous, aren't ya?

lol!

Reclaiming the Mind ministries

An excellent theology resource. Got questions? They've answered 263 of 'em!

And here's the full length course, where the above questions were clipped from, that is a comprehensive and in-depth theological training program for lay people. Available in both streaming video and mp3 download.

Some fantastic material at this site! The webmaster, Michael Patton, also hosts a blog: Parchment and Pen. And if my children's pastor, Joel, ever reads this blog ... he's a Sooner. :)

Have a look!

Blessings

Holy Hip Hop

Alright, I have a confession to make. I like rap. I used to listen to Eminem religiously before becoming a Christian. Was a step away from bleaching my hair ...

Well, I've found some tight rap that is an awesome substitute. Check this out:

Let's Kill Sin!
The Humility of Christ
My New Life
A Letter to My Friends

There's more at lampmode.com, but Timothy Brindle is my pick so far.

Update: I was going through the site looking for a place to buy his stuff and I found his grassroots album available for a free download! Click here to go to the download page and see some other cool stuff.

Update 2: I bought Brindle's Killing Sin album from Amazon.com and the songs I got from amazon are awesome! I think the lyrics are righteous, Christ-centered and call me to be wholly devoted to my Lord. Thanks Tim!

... but I will never buy mp3's from that site again. What a hassle, and I still haven't downloaded all the songs, because the first attempt failed (my computer crashed) and I have to contact them and wait for them to reinstate another attempt. I'll choose another method, next time.

Update 3: Thanks Andre for the heads up about Tre the Third. I'll be checking it out soon enough. And I like your phrase "holy hip hop" lol! I changed the title of this entry to show it, too!

Fruit flies!

Ugg .. we've got fruit flies this season. Lots of em! You ever notice how these guys dive bomb your face? Like an inch away all the time, and you can't catch them! Man, that's annoying! So here's the practical way to get rid of them.

The soda bottle trap:

• Remove the lid and label from a clean, empty plastic two-liter soda bottle.
• Carefully remove the upper third of the bottle by cutting along its circumference at approximately where the top of the label used to be.
• Put an attractive liquid such as orange juice or cider vinegar in the cup-shaped part of the now-severed bottle.
• Turn the cone upside-down and insert it into the cup-shaped bottom part of the bottle. Seal the seam at the top of the bottle with duct tape.
• Fruit flies find their way into the bottle, but they can't get back out. After most flies are trapped inside, simply seal the bottle in a plastic shopping bag and throw out.

I know ... a very Christ centered post, huh? I'm practical, too. Sue me :)

How do you talk about death to unbelievers?

I just read an article in Christian News Northwest this morning about Preston, and it rekindled the mourning I've felt for him. It's also sparked some new conversations. And I find myself leaning on the "it's sad" excuse everytime I speak to unbelievers about Preston's death. Is this wrong? Should I be a beacon of hope to them? What about this causes me to fall on their sympathies rather than my own faith? Is that a sin?

I'm gonna try to examine these questions here.

First of all, I don't think it's wrong. Not really. At least not in the sense of being unexpected. I think it's natural to sympathize with the loss. Secondly, I can use it as a springboard to witness the gospel to them. I did this with my brother, and sorta used the respect that many unbelievers have given to me (isn't that funny?) who would normally tune me out or outright tell me they're not interested in "my religion". This tragedy has amazingly softened people's hearts. I've seen many people who would normally avoid any talk about religion being more open to hearing about my faith. It reminds me of Paul when he says "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. " (Romans 1.19-20)

And this ended up working out pretty well, actually. I spoke to my brother about death in general, and told him about the funeral, where there were so many people who were, while greiving, rejoicing at the same time because we KNOW that Preston is at home with our Lord. He asked me how I could know such a thing, and I was able to tell him about the resurrection of Christ. I spoke to him for quite a long time about 1Corinthians 15, and the actual witnesses (500 people saw Christ AFTER His crucifixion), and how that was a verifiable experience. Something more than just "blind faith" which he, and many others, think Christians have. It's not blind. It's based on facts and witnesses -- something I was able to share with him in depth. That's an amazing ice breaker!

As for whether or not it is sin to sympathize with the unbelievers who say "that's so tragic ... I'm sorry for your loss", and for me to reply with "ya it is .. he was a good guy, and we're gonna miss him" or some other trite reply like that. Yes. I believe it is. While I may not have directly denied my Lord, I said that the death of one of His saints was a bad thing. This denies the truths of Scripture when it speaks on this very topic:

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

1 Corinthians 15:55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

Isn't this good news! Isn't this encouraging news? You bet it is. So why did I miss an opportunity to tell people this? Because I believed the sad news of death being a conquering victor over humanity rather than the fact of Christ's victory over death for all who believe. Death is the ultimate gospel message primer. To deny that is to deny the gospel itself. That is why it is sin to get on the mourning bandwagon with unbelievers. It is to BE an unbeliever at that moment in time. Thank God it is by the faith of Christ that I am saved. For if it were my own faulty faith, I would lose it to be sure. This is a concept relatively new to me, so I'm not dogmatic about it (perhaps I'll do a post on it in the future), but the kjv, a translation I normally don't find useful, translates Galatians 2.16 in a very interesting way:

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

So how are we saved? By our own faith? Or by the faith of the perfect One? I put my trust in HIS faith rather than my own, for my own is flawed and inconsistent. Does not God command us to believe, anyway? Does this not make it a Law? I believe it does. However, now we're getting off topic a bit and I think I've found my next topic to explore. I will say, however, that I cannot find another translation which translates it this way. Every other one translates it faith IN Christ. I'll leave you with this article to consider.

By the Faith of Christ, or our faith in Christ?
by Tony Warren

A good read, supported with an abundance of Scripture.

Having said all that, the death of Preston is glorifying God day by day. It is making an uncomfortable and un "PC" topic (religion) acceptable and is an excellent opportunity to share my faith. Now I need to act. For the glory of God.

Happy Birthday Ashley!

I love you, honey. I know I don't write it down every time I think of you ... I find it easier sometimes to distract myself so it doesn't hurt as bad. Besides, I wouldn't have time to do much else if I did :)

You're eleven today. Wow! Eleven ... you had just turned three when I last saw you.

It still hurts that you're gone .. all the time. I trust that our Lord knows what He is doing (do you know Him?)

I hope you had a good time on your Day! I remember your first one. Right after you were born the doctors put you on mommy's chest. After she loved on you for a minute, it was my turn .. and when I held you and looked down, you looked up at me and smiled. The nurse had never seen a newborn smile before. Neither had I! You were so beautiful. I think there is (was) a picture of me holding you at that moment somewhere. Maybe your mom has it. I have a few pictures, but not enough. They're all 8 years old, anyway. I'd sure love to see how you look now.

I sure hope to see you soon. Everyone tells me that kids want to know who their real parents are and start asking questions. Do you ever wonder? Have you started asking questions? I pray for you all the time, sweetie. I pray for your Mom, too. Don't think I have any hard feelings against her. She did what she thought was best at the time. Some things are hard to let go of.

I can't wait for the day I get a letter or a call or a face to face from you (oh, how I wait for that day .. is it tomorrow?)

I love you with all the love a father can have for a child.
Love,
your Dad

AW Pink on 1 John 2:2

And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world - I John 2.2

I just love how Arthur Pink has addressed this verse! I think he makes it so obvious. He has several solid points. Each of which validate the limited scope of the atonement in and of themselves, but this has got to be BY FAR the most convincing (I'd say compelling, but it's more than compelling) argument he raises. He does the unthinkable - he interprets Scripture with Scripture. And not only that, but he lets John interpret John. Have a look:

...

In the fourth place, when John added, "And not for ours only, but also for the whole world", he signified that Christ was the propitiation for the sins of Gentile believers too, for, as previously shown, "the world" is a term contrasted from Israel. This interpretation is unequivocally established by a careful comparison of 1 John 2:2 with John 11:51,52, which is a strictly parallel passage: "And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad". Here Caiaphas, under inspiration, made known for whom Jesus should "die". Notice now the correspondency of his prophecy with this declaration of John’s

1 John 2:2	John 11:51, 52
"He is the propitiation for our (believing Israelites) sins".	"He prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation".
"And not for ours only".	"And not for that nation only".
"But also for the whole world"— That is, Gentile believers scattered throughout the earth.	"He should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad".

Is that beautiful or what! Side by side we've got the precise interpretation right there! It is not the "whole world of every single individual ever" as if Christ's blood is some sort of magic potion you just apply as needed. John himself tells us that Christ is the propitiation for not only the Jewish children of God, but for the children of God in EVERY nation!

I urge you to read the entire article. It's perfect and pithy.

http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Sovereignty/appendix_04.htm

And if you like that, you'll LOVE the rest of that book -- The Sovereignty of God. It's a top read on my list.

This, for me, is the absolute end of the argument. What a comfort I take in the definite atonement our Lord has made for those who believe. It's such a surety that there is NOTHING that I can do to lose it, and on the flip side of that coin, there is nothing I can do to KEEP it. Think on that one for a second. It is solely because of the propitiation and advocation of Jesus Christ that I am accepted before a just and holy God.

Amen!

Great quote

Ye have enemies? Good, good- that means ye've stood up for something, sometime in thy life....

--Elminster of Shadowdale

As we move on ...

It's been a couple weeks since our brother, Preston, went to be with our Lord. I was reading a devotional from one of his favorite pastors, John Piper (I've been spending a lot of time there lately). He wrote something when their congregation lost a member to a sudden heart attack. The thing that caught my eye first was the sermon that Pastor John was recently speaking on the night he heard of that saints death. It was Preston's life verse -- Philippians 1:21.

I continued to read, and the more I read, the more comfort I received from the Scripture references, so I decided to share:

Get Ready, O Please, Get Ready

Download:

---

By John Piper June 2, 1999

I got home on Tuesday, June 1, from speaking to a conference in Pennsylvania. One of my messages there was based on Philippians 1:21, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." The first news I heard after I got off the plane was that our much-loved choir member and former deacon, and husband and father and friend, Carl Fredericks, had suddenly died today of a heart attack.

As soon as I got home and had devotions with my family, I spoke with Yvonne, Carl's wife. She was, of course, overwhelmed by the utter unexpectedness of it all. There is no minimizing the pain. But there is the unwavering Lover of her soul. And he is a tender Rock.

Now I sit here numbed by the back-to-back departures of two of our great older saints, Muriel Sundberg and Carl Fredericks. For me, they framed the congregation visually. Bert and Muriel sat on the west side of the main floor on Sunday morning. Carl and Yvonne sat on the corresponding east side (when the choir wasn't singing). They were both of the hardy, solid, faithful stock that brings stability and strength. They both loved great music. And they both loved the people of Bethlehem. And now their places are empty. O, so empty.

I want to thank God publicly for these two gifts to Bethlehem. Who can calculate the price of a soul? Just last week the staff was away for two days of praying and fasting and seeking the Lord for the future of Bethlehem. One of the texts we lingered over was Psalm 116:15, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Another meaning of the Hebrew word behind "precious" is "costly." Both are true. To us, so costly. To God, so precious.

Why so precious? One reason is that God gave his own Son to die for Muriel and Carl. When Christ died, their death was defeated. "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy 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 Corinthians 15:55, KJV). In other words, because of Christ's suffering and the Father's sacrifice, the death of Muriel and Carl was robbed of its victory.

This means that the death of every saint is a demonstration to all creation that Christ's atoning death was gloriously successful. It was not in vain. Therefore, the arrival of every saved saint in heaven is another trumpet-tribute to the preciousness of Christ's life and death on this earth. He must (it seems to me) take each one by the hand, as it were, and lead the saint to the Father, and say, "Look! Another trophy! Another 'fruit of my travail.' Another sinner saved and soul made perfect. O Father, look what we have wrought! Is this not precious!"

And costly. O the tears of loss! No, not as those who have no hope, but tears nonetheless. I remember weeping until the heaves continued, but the eyes had no more fluid. Such is the overflowing effect of love, when it is robbed of the beloved.

Dear friends, God is speaking to us all in these sudden, unexpected and painful departures. Are you listening? I said to my family tonight during devotions: it could as easily have been me. Or you. Are we ready? O Bethlehem, are we ready? Do we trust him? Do we love him? Do we live for him? Is he our Love above all loves? Pursue him and know him. Live with him as if tomorrow you might meet him face to face.

Thank you, Lord, for the lives of Muriel and Carl. And thank for the heart-wrenching message of their precious and costly departures. O grant that we might say concerning ourselves - and because of them - "To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

Grieving with hope,

Pastor John

© Desiring God

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Billy: The Early Years

So apparently there's a movie out about the life of Billy Graham. Here's a clip:



And here's the official trailer:



I'm gonna see it!

http://www.billytheearlyyears.com/

RefTagger

This is so cool! I just found this awesome script add on that takes any bible reference and not only links it to bible.logos.com, but brings a pop up window right above the verse when you hover over it! This is awesome! Check it out:

Romans 8:28

I didn't add a bit of html code to that reference. Not bad, eh?

Here's the link to add it to your blog:
http://blog.logos.com/archives/2008/06/adding_reftagger_to_a_blogger_blog.html

Here's the original location to add it to any website generally:
http://www.logos.com/reftagger

Scroll down to about the middle of the page for the instructions on how to put it into your webpage/blog.

Blessings

The I.O.U.S. of prayer

This is an acronym from John Piper. While this is posted in his article How to Pray for the Pastoral Staff, (as well as mentioned in his series When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy, taken from the 2005 Regional Conference), I find that this is an excellent prayer to lift to the Lord before your own bible reading as well:

1. Ask God to give us an inclination to his Word and not to money or fame or power (Psalm 119:36), and to open our eyes to see wonderful things when we read his Word (Psalm 119:18), and to have hearts united in the fear of God rather than fragmented over a dozen concerns (Psalm 86:11), and to be satisfied in his steadfast love (Psalm 90:14). (This is the IOUS acronym I use almost every day in praying for those I love.)

Here they are for you to pray through:

Psalm 119:36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to selfish gain!

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Grace to you

Romans 8 by Reformation Day

I've resolved to memorize Romans 8 by Oct 31. I started on the third, so that gives me 4 weeks to do it. I've thought of some tips for anyone who wants to do this type of thing:

1. Use the same bible. You'll not only keep to the same version, you'll actually see the text in your head and remember the words based on the location of the text in your mind's eye.
2. Get an audio bible in the same version. I've got Max McLean's ESV bible, so it's really helpful. Listen to it as often as you can.
3. Get a buddy. Someone who can coach you through. You'd be surprised how much a prompt will trigger your recollection of the verse.
4. Read the chapter twice each time you sit to read it. First time read it through and don't pause to ponder or anything. The second time, slow down a bit and consider what is being said.
5. Trudge through the dry periods. There is bound to be a few days where it gets boring. Keep truckin' . Pray harder and pray for a deeper love of His Word.
6. Pray. Pray before every reading and pray after every reading. The enemy will fill your mind and life with distractions and doubts. Pray the armor of God. Pray for a love of His Word and an understanding of His Word.

I plan on doing this a lot more now. It's been so rewarding to have it stored in my mind and my heart. I recall it and it strengthens me.

May you be blessed!