Fire Breath??
Just for the record, I have no idea what my wifey is talking about. Fire breath. Pshhh... My breath always smells like roses.
Added More Books to Recommended Reading List
It took a long time and a lot of typing, but I have finally updated my Recommended Reading list with all of the books that I would recommend people read. Of course, each recommendation is going to vary from person to person depending on the context. So if you ever have any questions or want me to recommend a book to you, please ask. I would love to help. Also, if you think I have missed a book that should be added to this list, drop me a comment.
Also, please check here in the future for further updates. I will be adding Amazon.com links to each of the books so that if you would like to buy it, you just have to click on the title.
Also, please check here in the future for further updates. I will be adding Amazon.com links to each of the books so that if you would like to buy it, you just have to click on the title.
How Sweet & Awful Is the Place
I recently bought the Together for the Gospel Live 2008 music CD last month and am loving it! I'm preparing myself to go to T4G 2010 and can hardly wait. By the way, if you're going, let me know. I'd love to see you there. Back to the CD...
One hymn in particular has been ministering to me: How Sweet & Awful Is the Place by Isaac Watts. It envisions the bride of Christ gathering around the heavenly table eating the feast of the Lamb and praising God. I keep coming back to this one stanza.
Hope you enjoy the song. The lyrics are below
One hymn in particular has been ministering to me: How Sweet & Awful Is the Place by Isaac Watts. It envisions the bride of Christ gathering around the heavenly table eating the feast of the Lamb and praising God. I keep coming back to this one stanza.
Why was I made to hear thy voiceI will never understand why God has chosen to love a sinner such as me. There is nothing good in me that would cause God to love me. Nothing! I can only rely on Deuteronomy 7:7-8. He loves me because he loves me.
And enter while there's room
When thousands make a wretched choice
And rather starve than come?
Hope you enjoy the song. The lyrics are below
How sweet and awful is the place
With Christ within the doors
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores.
While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast
Each of us cry with thankful tongues,
"Lord, why was I a guest?"
"Why was I made to hear thy voice
and enter while there's room,
When thousands make a wretched choice
And rather starve than come?"
'Twas the same love that spread the feast
that sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste
and perished in our sin
Pity the nations, O our God,
Constrain the earth to come;
Send thy victorious Word abroad
and bring the strangers home.
We long to see thy churches full,
that all the chosen race
may with one voice and heart and soul
sing thy redeeming grace.
Returning Home
I wrote this a long time ago mostly for myself. I hope you find it helpful.
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This paper is written for the battered hearts and broken souls who live in constant war with the Enemy. It is written for the soldiers who are continually fighting for their life and are continually losing each battle. And it is written for those who have been blinded of the victory that is sure to come. You must know victory is imminent.
With rifles in hand, a band of ten soldiers tread slowly through the bitter, ice-cold river desperately trying not to be spotted by the enemy. Suddenly, a barrage of bullets strikes the water around the soldiers. One finds the back of a poor soldier’s head; a couple others quickly penetrate the back of one man and the chest of another. Hell is closing in upon them. Slowly, but surely, enemy fire destroys the band of ten soldiers. No sooner than three hours after these men left on a mission to destroy an enemy bridge, every single soldier in the original band of ten lies in a river saturated with their own blood. Quietly and unnoticed, a creased picture of one soldier’s wife and daughter floats along with the gentle ripple of the waves. A soldier’s time spent in war is a paradigm to our life spent here on earth.
To a soldier, war is not where his home is found. In the back of his mind, he knows he will not be spending all his life in a war. Before the war, he was home, and after the war is over, he will return home once again. Compared to the years of his life, two years spent in a foreign country fighting for his life is but a brief moment in time. Yet, as he fights, it seems like he will never make it back home. Home for a soldier is back with his wife in a house overflowing with love. All that a soldier is on the battleground is overshadowed by what he becomes when he returns home. A soldier is not meant for a life of war. No matter how brute or rugged this soldier may be, his heart is not satisfied killing and striving to survive day after day after bloody day. A soldier hopes in the home that he is soon to return to. However, a soldier has an enemy that would rather see him dead anywhere than home, alive, somewhere. This enemy will stop at nothing to keep him from leaving this war alive. There will be injuries, and the injuries will heal with time. But, unfortunately, there will be death. Many soldiers will die. And the sad part of the story is that once they are dead, there is no coming back, there is no returning home. The soldier will die without ever stepping foot in his beloved home again. This isn’t how it has to end.
To a man, earth is not where his home is found. Somewhere in the depths of his heart, he knows that he won’t be spending eternity in this evil place. In the beginning, he was home, and after his war on earth is over, he will be going back home again. Compared to eternity, life on earth is but a breath, a swooshing of the wind. Yet, while he is here, it seems like eternity. Home for man is up with his Heavenly Father in a place full of love, glory, celebration, and goodness, a place that his Lord has been preparing for him in anticipation of his return. All that a man is is overshadowed by what he will become and where he will be going. Man is not meant for life on this earth. No matter how sinful he might be, eternity has been set in his heart (Ecc. 3:11). Man hopes for a heaven that is soon to come. But just like a war, man has an enemy that does not want him to return home. He will stop at nothing to keep us from an eternity spent in Heaven. The Enemy will try everything – arrows of fury, bullets containing lies, bombs encompassing temptations. And believe me, there will be injuries, there will be death. He will slay thousands upon thousands of men burying them in deceptions of worthlessness. Fortunately, this is not where this story ends. As much as the Enemy wants to see men dead and not in Heaven, there is a Savior who longs to see man alive, restored and renewed, and ready to come Home. This Savior has conquered death, and He wants to do the same for all mankind. The Resurrection was not just a proof that Christ was fully God but also a statement that the Enemy and death had no power over Him. This Savior offers man the same power. He offers man full restoration of his wounds, renewal of his spiritually dead life, power to destroy the Enemy, and a free ticket home. We, as men and women in Christ, are not burdened with a life that is impossible to live but are given the opportunity to live a life holy and separated from the destructive possibilities of the Enemy. We will be going home soon. I’m ready for a home where I am free to look my Savior in the eyes, bow at His feet, and give Him praise without having to check my back to make sure the Enemy isn’t plotting to stab me there.
Just when the enemy thought they had annihilated the entire band of soldiers, a hand rises from the bloody water and grabs the picture of his wife and daughter. Slowly, the soldier emerges from the river with rifle in hand and picture tucked away. The fatal wounds he received from enemy fire only moments earlier have been completely healed and restored. In all of their triumph, the other nine soldiers surface from the blood-stained water. The soldier who had his face all but destroyed from an enemy bullet smirks and then smiles with his freshly restored face. All of their wounds have disappeared. No scars, only perfect, new flesh. As the band of ten soldiers quietly walks from their supposed grave, they leave restored and renewed on a mission to destroy the enemy bridge. After it is all over, and they have fought the good fight, each man will be returning home where he can embrace his wife and love his children for the rest of his glorious life.
My dearest soldiers, you must know that this victory is available to you. Micah 7:8 says, “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” Listen to what the prophet Micah says. You will rise! Your wounds will be no more, and your scars will vanish. You will rise from the bloody river with new, redemptive life given to you from Jesus Christ through the power of His Resurrection. Hear Romans 6:9, 11. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Satan thought he could destroy Jesus by death on a cross. He was wrong. And Satan thinks that he can destroy you by killing your soul. He is wrong. Jesus Christ has a hold on your soul, and he won’t let go. By God’s mercy, love, sacrifice, and resurrection, spiritual death holds no power over you. So put on your armor, pick up your weapon, and rise. You are going home soon.
-----------------------------------------------
This paper is written for the battered hearts and broken souls who live in constant war with the Enemy. It is written for the soldiers who are continually fighting for their life and are continually losing each battle. And it is written for those who have been blinded of the victory that is sure to come. You must know victory is imminent.
With rifles in hand, a band of ten soldiers tread slowly through the bitter, ice-cold river desperately trying not to be spotted by the enemy. Suddenly, a barrage of bullets strikes the water around the soldiers. One finds the back of a poor soldier’s head; a couple others quickly penetrate the back of one man and the chest of another. Hell is closing in upon them. Slowly, but surely, enemy fire destroys the band of ten soldiers. No sooner than three hours after these men left on a mission to destroy an enemy bridge, every single soldier in the original band of ten lies in a river saturated with their own blood. Quietly and unnoticed, a creased picture of one soldier’s wife and daughter floats along with the gentle ripple of the waves. A soldier’s time spent in war is a paradigm to our life spent here on earth.
To a soldier, war is not where his home is found. In the back of his mind, he knows he will not be spending all his life in a war. Before the war, he was home, and after the war is over, he will return home once again. Compared to the years of his life, two years spent in a foreign country fighting for his life is but a brief moment in time. Yet, as he fights, it seems like he will never make it back home. Home for a soldier is back with his wife in a house overflowing with love. All that a soldier is on the battleground is overshadowed by what he becomes when he returns home. A soldier is not meant for a life of war. No matter how brute or rugged this soldier may be, his heart is not satisfied killing and striving to survive day after day after bloody day. A soldier hopes in the home that he is soon to return to. However, a soldier has an enemy that would rather see him dead anywhere than home, alive, somewhere. This enemy will stop at nothing to keep him from leaving this war alive. There will be injuries, and the injuries will heal with time. But, unfortunately, there will be death. Many soldiers will die. And the sad part of the story is that once they are dead, there is no coming back, there is no returning home. The soldier will die without ever stepping foot in his beloved home again. This isn’t how it has to end.
To a man, earth is not where his home is found. Somewhere in the depths of his heart, he knows that he won’t be spending eternity in this evil place. In the beginning, he was home, and after his war on earth is over, he will be going back home again. Compared to eternity, life on earth is but a breath, a swooshing of the wind. Yet, while he is here, it seems like eternity. Home for man is up with his Heavenly Father in a place full of love, glory, celebration, and goodness, a place that his Lord has been preparing for him in anticipation of his return. All that a man is is overshadowed by what he will become and where he will be going. Man is not meant for life on this earth. No matter how sinful he might be, eternity has been set in his heart (Ecc. 3:11). Man hopes for a heaven that is soon to come. But just like a war, man has an enemy that does not want him to return home. He will stop at nothing to keep us from an eternity spent in Heaven. The Enemy will try everything – arrows of fury, bullets containing lies, bombs encompassing temptations. And believe me, there will be injuries, there will be death. He will slay thousands upon thousands of men burying them in deceptions of worthlessness. Fortunately, this is not where this story ends. As much as the Enemy wants to see men dead and not in Heaven, there is a Savior who longs to see man alive, restored and renewed, and ready to come Home. This Savior has conquered death, and He wants to do the same for all mankind. The Resurrection was not just a proof that Christ was fully God but also a statement that the Enemy and death had no power over Him. This Savior offers man the same power. He offers man full restoration of his wounds, renewal of his spiritually dead life, power to destroy the Enemy, and a free ticket home. We, as men and women in Christ, are not burdened with a life that is impossible to live but are given the opportunity to live a life holy and separated from the destructive possibilities of the Enemy. We will be going home soon. I’m ready for a home where I am free to look my Savior in the eyes, bow at His feet, and give Him praise without having to check my back to make sure the Enemy isn’t plotting to stab me there.
Just when the enemy thought they had annihilated the entire band of soldiers, a hand rises from the bloody water and grabs the picture of his wife and daughter. Slowly, the soldier emerges from the river with rifle in hand and picture tucked away. The fatal wounds he received from enemy fire only moments earlier have been completely healed and restored. In all of their triumph, the other nine soldiers surface from the blood-stained water. The soldier who had his face all but destroyed from an enemy bullet smirks and then smiles with his freshly restored face. All of their wounds have disappeared. No scars, only perfect, new flesh. As the band of ten soldiers quietly walks from their supposed grave, they leave restored and renewed on a mission to destroy the enemy bridge. After it is all over, and they have fought the good fight, each man will be returning home where he can embrace his wife and love his children for the rest of his glorious life.
My dearest soldiers, you must know that this victory is available to you. Micah 7:8 says, “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.” Listen to what the prophet Micah says. You will rise! Your wounds will be no more, and your scars will vanish. You will rise from the bloody river with new, redemptive life given to you from Jesus Christ through the power of His Resurrection. Hear Romans 6:9, 11. “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Satan thought he could destroy Jesus by death on a cross. He was wrong. And Satan thinks that he can destroy you by killing your soul. He is wrong. Jesus Christ has a hold on your soul, and he won’t let go. By God’s mercy, love, sacrifice, and resurrection, spiritual death holds no power over you. So put on your armor, pick up your weapon, and rise. You are going home soon.
Quiet Time Performance
So, as you probably already know, I've been pretty busy as of late. Having a 1 month old boy requires much more of my time and energy than I previously thought. However, there's nothing else I'd rather spend my time on than with my family. Therefore, these next few blog entries will be reposts of old favorites. Be back soon!
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If you are like me, you base much of your walk with God on how good you are doing with your quiet times. You might even take it a step further and base your acceptance before our holy God on how often and how good your quiet times have been recently. Thankfully, God has been destroying this dangerous notion.
Tim Challies recently wrote a post entitled The Quiet Time Performance. It is particularly helpful for those of us who base our walk with God on our quiet times, of which we so often fall short. In the post, Tim notes how we have turned quiet times into a measure of our relationship with God.
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If you are like me, you base much of your walk with God on how good you are doing with your quiet times. You might even take it a step further and base your acceptance before our holy God on how often and how good your quiet times have been recently. Thankfully, God has been destroying this dangerous notion.
Tim Challies recently wrote a post entitled The Quiet Time Performance. It is particularly helpful for those of us who base our walk with God on our quiet times, of which we so often fall short. In the post, Tim notes how we have turned quiet times into a measure of our relationship with God.
"Perhaps you, like me, have too often turned quiet time into a performance. If you perform well for God, you enter your day filled with confidence that God will bless you, and that He will have to bless you. You feel that your performance has earned you the right to have a day filled with His presence, filled with blessings, and filled with confidence. And, of course, when you turn in a poor performance, you feel that God is in heaven booing you and heaving proverbial rotten vegetables in the form of removing His presence and, in the words of a friend, 'dishing out bummers.'"Whether you have had 200 quiet times in a row or are struggling do one a week, know that God does not look at you based upon your merit. No. When Christ died on the cross for you, he completed the Great Exchange - your sin for his righteousness. Christ took upon himself all of your sins and, in exchange, gave you his perfect righteousness. So that, now, when God looks at you, he does not see the person who struggles with his quiet times, and he doesn't see the person who thinks that his continuous quiet time streak merits his relationship with God. No, when God looks at you, he sees the righteousness of Christ. And that, alone, allows you to draw near to the throne of grace. Your relationship with God is "all of grace from beginning to end."
"Quiet time becomes tyrannical when you understand it as a performance. [Jerry] Bridges provides a pearl of wisdom. "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." Whether you are having a good day or a bad day, the basis of your relationship with is not your performance, for even your best efforts are but filthy rags. Instead, your relationship is based on grace. Grace does not just save you and then leave you alone. No, grace saves you and then sustains you and equips you and motivates you. You are saved by grace and you then live by grace. Whether in the midst of a good day or bad, God does not base His relationship with you on performance, but on whether or not you are trusting in His Son."
A Few Videos of Davin
I haven't posted any videos of our little guy yet, so I thought I would treat you all. If you want to see all of them, feel free to check out our YouTube page here.
Updates to the Recommended Reading List
In my down time, I'm working on updating my Recommended Reading list. I have a list in my phone that I'll constantly update when I find a good book to read. However, I really haven't taken the time to add that list on here. You can always access the Recommended Reading list by clicking on it in the menu bar at the top of my blog. Check out the updates, and let me know what you think. I'll eventually have all of the books linked to Amazon for easy access.
Also, anything you'd like to see added to the list? Leave a comment.
Also, anything you'd like to see added to the list? Leave a comment.
Good Advice for Husbands & Wives
Ray Ortlund has some great advice for husbands & wives on how they can live out Ephesians 5:33. For all of you married couples out there, here's how you can speak to one another's heart.
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“Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:33
God made Adam first and put him in the Garden with a job to do, a mission to fulfill. In the heart of every fallen man is the self-doubt that wonders, “Am I man enough to climb this mountain God has called me to? Can I fulfill my destiny?” A wise wife will understand that question at the center of her husband’s heart. And she will spend her life answering it, communicating to him in various ways, “Honey, I believe in your call. I know you can do this, by God’s power. Go for it.” In this way, she will breathe life into her man.
God made Eve from Adam, for Adam, to help him follow the call. In the heart of every fallen woman is the self-doubt that wonders, “Do I please you? Am I what you wanted?” A wise husband will understand that question at the center of his wife’s heart. And he will spend his life answering it, communicating to her in various ways, “Darling, you are the one I need. I cherish you. Let me hold you close.” In this way, he will breathe life into his wife.
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