Behind the Dim Unknown

Taste and See (2-19-12)

2012-02-19T21:07:00.002-05:00

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

This has been the way of Man since Adam decided to eat the forbidden fruit. We each pursue our own interests, follow our own plans, and seek to gratify our own selfish desires. We give little though about the outcome of our decisions; even less thought to what is good for all or even best for us.

Yes, this is our way. If it were only our confession as well…

Taste and See (2-18-12)

2012-02-18T18:25:00.002-05:00

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

As born again believers in Christ, all that we have is a gift from God, and none of it deserved. Gratitude ought to be the single characteristic that marks our lives. And yet…

Taste and See (2-17-12)

2012-02-18T18:19:00.000-05:00

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life inChrist Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:20-23)

In Christ, though we have newness of life, we remain slaves. Our salvation does not make use freed men in the sense that we become our own master. No, it makes us slaves to a new Master. Likewise, salvation does not provide for us freedom to do as we please, but rather freedom to follow Him – to do as He pleases; to do as He does. In our former life we could not be holy – we couldn’t even recognize holiness! As we now enjoy life in Christ, we are bound to Holiness, slaves to righteousness.

“O to grace how great a debtor / Daily I’m constrained to be! /  Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, / Bind my wandering heart to Thee.”

C.H. Spurgeon, commenting on 2 Kings 25:30

2012-02-18T15:47:00.000-05:00

“Beloved Christian…in matters of grace you need a daily supply. You have no store of strength. Day by day must you seek help from above. It is a very sweet assurance that a daily portion is provided for you. In the word, through the ministry, by meditation, in prayer, and waiting upon God you shall receive renewed strength. In Jesus all needful things are laid up for you. Then enjoy your continual allowance. Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on the table of mercy.”

Taste and See (2-16-12)

2012-02-16T17:02:00.002-05:00

Jesus replied, “…a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21, 23-24)

A holy life, in a man’s mind, may consist of devotion to the Word, to doctrinal creeds, and to the gathering of the saints; benevolence towards the poor and kindness and sympathy for the downtrodden; a certain nobility of action and austerity regarding temporal belongings; or any other number of outwardly noticeable actions.

In God’s sight, however, a holy life must be founded upon truth – Truth in the person of Christ and truth as revealed by Christ. The mark of a true believer is measured by the standard of Truth. The follower of Christ will be Christ-like and will constantly grow in Christ-likeness. This growth is made possible and maintained only by fellowship with God, in Christ Jesus, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Apart from Truth there is no holiness.

Taylor Berrett - Whole Heart

2012-02-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

...and then there's this one too.

Taylor Berrett - Whole Heart: Anchor Chasing

Taylor Swift - Safe & Sound

2012-02-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

Google the phrase "hauntingly beautiful" and you get this video...

Taylor Swift - Safe & Sound: The Hunger Games Soundtrack: Songs from District 12 and Beyond

Taste and See (2-15-12)

2012-02-15T18:53:00.002-05:00

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

We cannot help but declare with our mouths that which we believe in our hearts. We may be able to suppress the truth momentarily, hiding our true hearts behind half-truths and feigned behaviors, but eventually our true heart will be revealed. If our words and action do not declare and magnify the risen Christ, we are exposed as false disciples and we do harm to the testimony of those who are true.

I cannot here improve upon the eloquence of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, recorded in a lecture to seminary students entitled “The Minister’s Self-Watch”:

We do not trust those persons who have two faces, nor will men believe in those whose verbal and practical testimonies are contradictory. As actions, according to the proverb, speak louder than words, so an ill life will effectually drown the voice of the most eloquent ministry. After all, our truest building must be performed with our hands; our characters must be more persuasive than our speech.

Holiness in a minister is at once his chief necessity and his goodliest ornament. Mere moral excellence is not enough, there must be the higher virtue; a consistent character there must be, but this must be anointed with the sacred consecrating oil, or that which makes us most fragrant to God and man will be wanting.

Even in little things the minister should take care that his life is consistent with his ministry. He should be especially careful never to fall short of his word. This should be pushed even to scrupulosity; We cannot be too careful; truth must not only be in us, but shine from us.

Taste and See (2-14-12)

2012-02-14T20:44:00.002-05:00

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)

Our Lord gives us a simple and precise test for evaluating whether or not we are walking in His presence, following Him in reverent fear and truth. He asks, “Do you really know me and my Father?”

What is your answer today? If you cannot provide proof to your soul that your answer is, “Yes” then you are not following the Way.

That Lonesome Valley

2012-02-13T20:33:00.000-05:00

That Lonesome Valley

Taste and See (2-13-12)

2012-02-13T20:19:00.000-05:00

The LORD is near to all who call on him,

  to all who call on him in truth.  

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

  he hears their cry and saves them. (Psalm 145:18-19)

There is here – as so often – both a promise and a condition for Believers regarding the presence of our Lord. According to Jesus, if we want to follow Him, we must daily crucify our sinful desires (Luke 9:23). Likewise, here seen, if we want Him to be near us we must fulfill two conditions.

First, we must call on Him “in truth” – that is, we must seek His company without guile; not looking for any benefit from His presence that is self-serving. When we call to Him, we must be painfully honest with ourselves regarding our motives.

Second, we must seek Him in “fear”, having proper and genuine reverence for Him as King of kings and Lord of lords, as master and creator of all. We dare not approach Him as equals, thinking that we can command or cajole Him to perform on our behalf.

RIP Whitney

2012-02-12T21:48:00.000-05:00

Why Do So Many Great Talents Die Young?

“That would be me. It’s my deciding. It’s my heart. It’s what I want and what I don’t want. Nobody makes me do anything I don’t want to do. It’smy decision. The biggest devil is me.”

Faith and Basketball: The Sudden Rise of Jeremy Lin

2012-02-12T21:30:00.000-05:00

Faith and Basketball: The Sudden Rise of Jeremy Lin

Taste and See (2-12-12)

2012-02-12T10:45:00.002-05:00

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

In order to follow, we must be willing to let go. The temptation to serve self rather than deny it will be with us always. We are daily given the power to overcome temptation at the Cross. We can take it or leave it.

Taste and See (2-11-12)

2012-02-11T16:26:00.000-05:00

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:40)

It is the will of Father God that we follow in faith, our eyes forever fixed on the Son of God. He has made us alive and given us the ability to walk in newness of life; to walk simultaneously with Him and toward Him, free from the power of besetting and beguiling sin which once held us enthralled. The only thing that keeps us from following Him is lack of faith. We must learn to truly believe.

Alone is OK

2012-02-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

Taste and See (2-10-12)

2012-02-10T19:23:00.000-05:00

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:3-5)

God has made us alive (because his love for us is great) and we are conscious (fully aware) of both our former condition (dead in sin) and our present one (alive by grace). We have done nothing to merit or effect this new life – it simply came upon us at his command. Now that we are alive, however, we have a choice to make: to remain in the tomb or to step forth into the light. We can once again follow “our flesh and…its desires and thoughts” (which remain, despite our spiritual rebirth), or we can choose to obey the command of our LORD who beckons, “Follow Me”.

B.Dylan - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right.

2012-02-09T20:12:00.000-05:00

Taste and See (2-9-12)

2012-02-09T19:34:00.002-05:00

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. (Romans 3:20)

This is the first step from death to life – consciousness. Imagine Lazarus in his tomb as Jesus calls to him. Lazarus’ ears receive Jesus’ call, but it is his mind – and then his heart – that register the Word. He first hears, then becomes aware, then responds. His heart begins to beat, his eyes quickly open, and he thinks to himself, “My Lord is calling.” Only then does he respond, rising from the dead and making his way out of the tomb.

So it is with us who are spiritually dead. We hear the word of the Law and our eyes are opened to our sin. We hear the call of our Lord – “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at end” – and we rise from the dead.

His presence matters...

2012-02-08T18:55:00.002-05:00

Catalyst Atlanta 2011 | Francis Chan from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Taste and See (2-8-12)

2012-02-08T18:04:00.000-05:00

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (Ephesians 2:1-2)

We all start at the same point in this life – we are spiritually dead, slaves to the ruler of this world, the Devil. We follow his ways because we know of no other way! We are disobedient to God not simply because we lack the power – or even the will – to obey, but also because we are oblivious, we don’t even know that there is someone other than the Devil to obey. Dead men aren’t aware that breathing is an option, so they continue not to breathe. Dead men aren’t aware that there is anything outside the tomb, so they never experience the desire to arise. Had Christ not called Lazarus forth, Lazarus would have remained exactly as he was and exactly where he was – obedient to Death and unaware of Life.

Great-heart

2012-02-08T17:59:00.002-05:00

"Our work is only well done when it is well with ourselves. As is the workman, such will the work be. To face the enemies of truth, to defend the bulwarks of the faith, to rule well in the house of God, to comfort all that mourn, to edify the saints, to guide the perplexed, to bear with the froward, to win and nurse souls — all these and a thousand other works beside are not for a Feeble-mind or a Ready-to-halt, but are reserved for Great-heart whom the Lord has made strong for himself. Seek then strength from the Strong One, wisdom from the Wise One, in fact, all from the God of all."

(C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, Volume 1)

Taste and See (2-7-12)

2012-02-07T19:21:00.000-05:00

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

We have often heard, “Things are not always as they appear” and the words are meant to encourage us. But similar words, used in this proverb, offer no encouragement at all. Instead we are faced with a dire warning: Many things that appear good and right in the minds of men are, in reality, deadly traps.

What we believe – even if it is untrue – determines how we act. It is imperative that we not only believe aright, but teach aright as well. What we think is a matter of life and death; likewise what we say. Adam believed the lies Satan spoke, and the consequences were devastating.

Taste and See (2-6-12)

2012-02-06T18:49:00.002-05:00

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. (Psalm 130:3-4)

True satisfaction and true gratitude are inextricably linked. When we come to realize what Christ has done for us – what He saved us from and what He alone has made possible – there is little more to be desired. Without selfish desire, satisfaction is guaranteed. We are free to focus on worship of Him and service to others in His name.

Taste and See (2-5-12)

2012-02-05T15:48:00.002-05:00

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11)

True satisfaction – the knowing (not just feeling) that all your needs are met, that you need nothing and lack nothing – is found only in the presence of the Lord. In His presence there is unspeakable, unending joy. No fear. No condemnation. No anxiety. N doubt. In short, nothing that dissatisfies. Find Him…then stay.

Our deepest fear...

2012-02-05T15:45:00.002-05:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

— Marianne Williamson

Taste and See (2-4-12)

2012-02-05T15:35:00.000-05:00

“The LORD your God is with you,
   the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
   in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
   but will rejoice over you with singing.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)

This verse provides a beautiful picture of the love our Lord has for us. It is both fierce and tender; protective, yet gentle. Some translations replace “he will no longer rebuke you” with “He will quiet you with his love” or “His love will calm your fears”. The sentiment is the same though – because He is our Lord we can have confidence that He watches over us, that He has our best interest in mind; that He will guard us and guide us even when we may be unaware of His presence; that He will fight for us and deliver us because He takes delight in us. As unworthy as we are, He bragsabout us, singing praises over us like a loving parent exalts their newborn babe! To hear His song is our deepest delight…the ultimate satisfaction.

Taste and See (2-3-12)

2012-02-05T15:34:00.000-05:00

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35)

The satisfaction found in Christ Jesus – experienced by those who respond to His invitation – is everlasting, never fading, the same now and forevermore. He does not change and He does not fail. He is not a fickle or unfaithful lover.

Come and see…

Come and believe…

You will be satisfied; once satisfied you will never want another and you will never want again – you will lack no good thing, for He is the One who is truly good. All you need is Jesus. What you really desire is Jesus, whether you realize it or not. In Him, and only in Him, is there life, and life abundant. Therein lies endless satisfaction.

Taste and See (2-2-12)

2012-02-02T06:29:00.002-05:00

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.” (Isaiah 55:1-2)

The call of Christ requires but one thing – response – a pause to hear, a turning aside to see. He is more than eager to reveal Himself to you. He longs for you. You are the desire of His heart. He has already paid the price for your refreshing and your sustenance. All you have to do is turn and come to where He stands. In His presence, you will find satisfaction like you’ve never known it before, for He is all you need. In His presence, you will come to understand true delight, for He alone is good.

Taste and See (2-1-12)

2012-02-01T18:49:00.000-05:00

…Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me. And let anyone drink who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)

Jesus Christ invites us to enter into a unique, intimate, and lasting relationship with Him. Unless we are first called, we cannot come. Honestly, we won’t see any need to come! Until our attention is drawn to Christ – until we hear His loud voice saying “Come forth” – we know nothing of Him, for we are dead in our sins. Dead men don’t know they’re dead nor do they know anything of an abundant life. They are what they are – hopeless and helpless. When He calls, we begin to wake; and waking, we realize our great thirst for fullness of life. As we come to Him, enter His presence and take our first sip of His goodness – sparks fly! Our hearts are suddenly fully alive; our eyes are instantly open wide. We drink…and everything changes! Not only do we come alive, we carry life wherever we go.

When beautiful, amazing things fall out of the sky...

2012-01-29T17:28:00.002-05:00

Clear and Precise

2012-01-17T19:15:00.002-05:00

“It behooves those in positions of ministerial leadership in the church to make sure that the way they write and express themselves on any given topic is not only clear enough for the audience to understand but also precise enough that the audience does not misunderstand. That is one reason why there must be a difference between evangelism and discipleship. We should expect those who come to church to grow in their ability to understand the deep things of the faith. Church teaching needs to stretch believers. Evangelistic preaching and teaching cannot be the sole diet of a church, even though believers as much as anyone need to hear the simple gospel on a regular basis.”

- Carl Trueman, "On Media and Messages"

There was a time... (MLK)

2012-01-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of Rio shall lengthen.

In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? l am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great- grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.

There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators"' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests.

Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.

- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, April 16, 1963

Why I Love Religion

2012-01-13T19:40:00.003-05:00

I love religion because…well, because Jesus loved religion!

There is a very popular video making the social networking rounds these days…a nice young man reciting a nice little poem titled “Why I hate religion, but love Jesus”. And frankly, this video really bothers me. The fact that it has gone viral, largely supported by Christians across the globe, bothers me even more…

Now don’t get me wrong. It’s a good poem. It’s a well produced video. The young man featured is both talented and, I do not doubt, sincere. But this whole idea that “religion” is bad…that Jesus is somehow opposed to religion…it just rubs me the wrong way. Quite frankly, it just isn’t a biblically sound idea.

Jesus was religious. He was the only perfectly religious person who ever lived! The Disciples and the Apostles and all the “heroes” of the Bible and all the early Church Fathers, rightly revered…they were ALL religious.

You see, “religion” means nothing more than a specific set of beliefs regarding the origin, nature and purpose of the universe and our place in it. Everyone has these beliefs, although not everything everyone believes is true. Jesus had religion. He had ideas about God, and Man, and Creation, and Redemption, and the meaning of it all. Everything HE believed was (and is) absolute Truth. Jesus is religion personified.

Depending on which translation you read, the Bible uses the word “believe” (or a variant) anywhere between 250 and 300 times! That’s a lot of talk about “religion”! In the KJV the word is used 280 times – 237 times in the New Testament; 160 times in just the Gospels and Acts. Belief is mentioned 60 times in Paul’s letters and 85 times in John’s Gospel. Here are some of the things John writes – his “specific set of beliefs”:

John the Baptist bore witness to Jesus that all men might believe He was God’s Son.
Those that believe in Jesus “become the sons of God”, will never perish, but will enjoy eternal life.
Those that believe are not condemned.
Those that believe receive the Holy Spirit.

John closes out his Gospel account by stating that Jesus did so many wonderful things here on earth that all the books in the world could never contain the accounts. But John wrote some of these things down “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name”.

John also quotes Jesus on a number of occasions. Listen to what the Master had to say about belief – about religion:

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
If you do not believe that I am [the Son of God], you will die in your sins.
He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do…
[The] Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

Apparently, religion was supremely important to Jesus. When a curious crowd cornered Him and asked Him, “What shall we do, to ensure we work the works of God?”, Jesus answered, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Nothing more is required…just belief…just religion.

What did Paul believe and what did he want others to believe? What was his religion?

“I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen…”

For more from Paul on the subject turn to the Epistle to the Romans, particularly Chapter 4…time and space won’t allow for much more discussion, but there is this to consider: “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

And what of the Church Fathers? This is the religion they wrote down for the ages:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, and descended into hell.

I believe on the third day He arose again from the dead, and He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

I believe He shall come on again from heaven to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
I believe in the holy catholic church;
I believe in the communion of saints;
I believe in the forgiveness of sins;
I believe in the resurrection of the body;
And I believe in the life everlasting.

Amen.

And I again I say, “Amen”. Let it be so, that we might all have religion as they. These things are True and must be believed.

But there are things that people believe – sincerely, purely, whole-heartedly believe – that simply aren’t true. These beliefs are also “religion” and, I believe, it is these beliefs – this religion – to which our poet (and others who use “religion” as a derisive term) objects. He, and they, are right to do so. But what I object to is that he (and most often they) don’t make clear the difference between true and false religion – between beliefs that agree with the heart of God and beliefs that stand opposed to that heart.

Poets and preachers alike are right to warn against – even rail against – false religion. They are especially right to call out the hypocrite who swears to one set of beliefs but lives according to another; who ascribe with their lips to correct doctrine but fail to live a life consistent with that doctrine. This is exactly the type of “religious” person opposed by Jesus – the one who followed true religion outwardly while following false religion in their hearts. For example, in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18,both men are religious – both are following their beliefs – yet Jesus condemns one and uplifts the other.

It is self-righteousness and self-justification Jesus condemns, it is not true religion. On the contrary, Jesus praises those who believe correctly – the more religious they are, the better! Doubt this? See His reaction to Peter’s confession in Matthew 16, His words to the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8, and His interaction with Marhta and Mary in Luke 10.

I love religion…true religion. You should too.

What'll YOU do now?

2012-01-12T21:02:00.003-05:00

I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty...

And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'...

Some 50 years later, and there's STILL a need for people willing to walk to the depths of the deepest black forest.

What'll YOU do now?

"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" - Bob Dylan

2012-01-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

from "The Drum Major Instinct"

2012-01-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator — that something we call death. We all think about it. And every now and then I think about my own death, and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think of it in a morbid sense. Every now and then I ask myself, "What is it that I would want said?" And I leave the word to you this morning.

If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell them not to talk too long. Every now and then I wonder what I want them to say. Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize, that isn't important. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred other awards, that's not important. Tell him not to mention where I went to school.

I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.

We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. ... And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity.

- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2-4-1968

Only one way to know...

2012-01-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

“You will never make yourself feel that you are a sinner, because there is a mechanism in you as a result of sin that will always be defending you against every accusation. We are all on very good terms with ourselves, and we can always put up a good case for ourselves. Even if we try to make ourselves feel that we are sinners, we will never do it. There is only one way to know that we are sinners, and that is to have some dim, glimmering conception of God.”

- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Do SOMETHING now...

2012-01-11T17:24:00.002-05:00

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Watch the video. Check out other resources from the A21 Campaign.

Do SOMETHING now...then do something more tomorrow.

Ignorance is not an excuse. Indifference is not an option.

In Her Shoes

2012-01-11T17:23:00.000-05:00

People of conviction, not conformity

2012-01-08T20:54:00.002-05:00

“Do not conform” is difficult advice in a generation when crowd pressures have unconsciously conditioned our minds and feet to move to the rhythmic drumbeat of the status quo. Many voices and forces urge us to choose the path of least resistance, and bid us never to fight for an unpopular cause and never to be found in a pathetic minority of two or three.

In spite of this prevailing tendency to conform, we as Christians have a mandate to be nonconformists. The Apostle Paul, who new the inner realities of the Christian faith, counseled, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We are called to be people of conviction, not conformity; of moral nobility, not social respectability. We are commanded to live differently and according to a higher loyalty.

Longfellow sais, “In this world a man must either be anvil or hammer,” meaning that he is either a molder of society or is molded by society. Who doubts that today most men are anvils and are shaped by the patterns of the majority? Or to change the figure, most people, and Christians in particular, are thermometers that record or register the temperature of majority opinion, not thermostats that transform and regulate the temperature of society.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Transformed Nonconformist”

Truth

2012-01-08T09:38:00.002-05:00

If we will be new, then we must go down into death. If we will be new, then God must raise us up.

The cross we bear precedes the crown we wear

2012-01-08T09:24:00.000-05:00

“[True transformation], which is always costly and never altogether comfortable, may mean walking through the valley of the shadow of suffering, losing a job, or having a six-year-old daughter ask, ‘Daddy, why do you have to go to jail so much?’ But we are gravely mistaken to think that Christianity protects us from the pain and agony of mortal existence. Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear. To be a Christian, one must take up his cross, with all it’s difficulties and agonizing and tragedy-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its marks upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way that comes only through suffering.”

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Transformed Nonconformist”

Word

2012-01-07T09:12:00.002-05:00

"Sin and child of God are incompatible. They may occasionally meet; they cannot live together in harmony."

- John Stott

Hero

2012-01-06T19:32:00.002-05:00

Hallelujah...

2011-12-25T06:46:00.000-05:00

He has come for us  

This Jesus  

He's the hope for all Mankind  

He has come for us

 The Messiah  

Born to give us life  

He is born to give us life   

All the angels sing "Hallelujah!  

Jesus Christ is born!"  

All the children sing "Hallelujah!  

"He is Christ the Lord!"

Meredith Andrews

Advent, Day 27

2011-12-24T08:28:00.003-05:00

LAST DAY OF ADVENT

Take a moment now of reflective silence and ponder all that you have experienced on your Advent journey as it draws to its conclusion. Rejoice, for tomorrow the angels will announce the birth of our Lord, all our hopes and fears will come together and be laid at the feet of the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.

May the Lord bless you in this time of silence before God's silence is broken forevermore. Fill it with your anticipation and prayers deep within your heart, knowing that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with intercessions too deep even for our own words.

Scripture

Luke 1:67-79

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember His holy covenant, the oath He swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."

Meditation

What Child is This, William Chatterton Dix, 1865

(Stanzas 1-3)

What Child is this who, laid to rest

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;

Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you.

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,

Come peasant, king to own Him;

The King of kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Prayer

Father, You have brought us this far in hopeful expectation. We are confident that Your mighty hand and great power are sufficient to lead us all the way home. Awaken our hearts as we open them to You. Live in us, Christ with us, for Your glory. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 26

2011-12-23T08:54:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Luke 1:57-66

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of Your relatives is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him.

Meditation

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Latin, c. 12th cent,; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, Köln, 1710; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818-66, alt.

(Stanzas 1 & 7)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Desire of nations bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid thou are sad divisions cease,

And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Prayer

O King of the nations, the Ruler they long for, the Cornerstone uniting all people: build our faith on Your firm foundation. Make the kingdoms of humanity reflect Your heavenly kingdom that peace and equity may abound. Govern our hearts with Your love that the works of our hands may glorify You as we live out the vocations You have assigned each of us. Fill us with a longing for Your Kingdom that is to come on that Great Last Day so that the home and anticipation of it become tangible as we offer our prayers on behalf of all peoples. King of the nations come and save us all, whom You formed out of clay. This we pray by the mighty Name of Jesus Christ, our Potter. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 25

2011-12-22T06:48:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Luke 1:46-56

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as He said to our fathers." Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Meditation

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Latin, c. 12th cent,; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, Köln, 1710; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818-66, alt.

(Stanzas 1 & 6)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Prayer

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy,

Lord have mercy.

O Lord hear my prayer.

And let my cry come to You.

O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting; You are Lord of lords and a light for the nations. Arise, shine for this night grows long. Arise, shine lest Your people stumble and grow weary in the final watches before the break of day. Grant us patience Lord, and strength, to be faithful watchmen through this age until the sunrise of Your Kingdom come. Lord God by Your grace and according to Your mercy for us come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. This we pray by the mighty Name of Jesus Christ, everlasting Dawn. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 24

2011-12-21T21:20:00.002-05:00

Today we pause once again to embrace the spirit of Christmas:

Compassion over Consumption

In the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

A Preacher's Primary Task

2011-12-21T21:09:00.002-05:00

Humans create with hands, shovels, and bulldozers. Not God. God creates with words. He says, “Be,” and it is. He says “Peace” to the riotous wind and waves, and they obey. He says “Come forth” to dead people and their eyes pop open. Just as astonishing, God tells the light to shine in dark hearts, giving them the ability to see the glory of his Son (2 Cor. 4:6). His Word of power saves (Rom. 10:17). It fundamentally changes people (1 Thess. 1:5-7). It gives the new birth (1 Peter 1:23).

Now get this: God gives his faithful servants the ability to do the same things. “If anyone speaks, she should do it as one speaking the very words of God.” (1 Peter 4:11). This is why Don Carson calls preaching “re-revelation.” A preacher’s primary task is to say again what God has already said. Did you think life comes to the dead through the power of our intelligence or humor or charisma?

(Jonathan Leeman, http://www.9marks.org/blog/what-you-reeeally-want-pastor)

Who are you afraid of?

2011-12-20T21:55:00.002-05:00

"I, I'm the One comforting you.
   What are you afraid of—or who?
Some man or woman who'll soon be dead?
   Some poor wretch destined for dust?
You've forgotten me, God, who made you,
   who unfurled the skies, who founded the earth.
And here you are, quaking like an aspen
   before the tantrums of a tyrant
   who thinks he can kick down the world.
But what will come of the tantrums?
   The victims will be released before you know it.
They're not going to die.
   They're not even going to go hungry.
For I am God, your very own God,
   who stirs up the sea and whips up the waves,
   named God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
I teach you how to talk, word by word,
   and personally watch over you,
Even while I'm unfurling the skies,
   setting earth on solid foundations,
   and greeting Zion: 'Welcome, my people!'"

Isaiah 51:12-16 (MSG)

Advent, Day 23

2011-12-20T06:34:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Philippians 2:5-11

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Meditation

O, Come All Ye Faithful

Written by John Francis Wade, Translated by Frederick Oakeley

O Come All ye faithful,

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye,

O come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him,

Born the King of Angels;

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Sing choirs of angels,

Sing in exultation,

O Sing all ye citizens of Heaven above,

Glory to God oh, Glory in the highest,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Yea Lord we greet Thee,

Born this happy morning,

Jesus to Thee be all glory given,

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

We'll praise your name forever,

Christ the Lord.

Prayer

Jesus, we'll praise Your name forever. We'll praise Your name forever. You are the Lord.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 22

2011-12-19T06:51:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Proverbs 3:33-35

The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but fools He holds up to shame.

James 4:6

But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

1 Peter 5:5-7

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Meditation and Prayer

A PRIVATE LITANY OF HUMILITY

Adapted from a prayer by Rafael, Cardinal Merry Del Val

From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of comfort and ease, deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being criticized, deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being passed over, deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being lonely, deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of being hurt, deliver me, Jesus. From the fear of suffering, deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours. O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, strengthen me with Your Spirit. O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, teach me Your ways.

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, help me put my self-importance aside to learn the kind of cooperation with others that makes possible the presence of Your Abba's household. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

The Gift

2011-12-18T20:53:00.003-05:00

Consider this as you celebrate this season:

“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:15-17)

Advent, Day 21

2011-12-18T08:55:00.001-05:00

Scripture

John 14:1-7

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we don't know where You are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him."

Meditation

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Latin, c. 12th cent,; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, Köln, 1710; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818-66, alt.

(Stanzas 1 & 5)

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Prayer

Father, You are our God and we are Your people. We confess that we are helpless without You, and we know it's only by the power of Jesus that we could ever know You, and He is our only hope for salvation. The world we are in now is not our home, but we desire the better country, the one You have prepared for us. Please convict us and give us the grace to adjust our lives, our thoughts, and our choices to reflect our longing for the city You have prepared.

*some text adapted from ihabitus.com

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 20

2011-12-17T08:35:00.002-05:00

Scripture

John 6:35-40

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

Meditation

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Latin, c. 12th cent,; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, Köln, 1710; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818-66, alt.

Stanzas 1 & 4

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse,

free Thine own from Satan's tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory over the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Prayer

Jesus, the long awaited Savior, You hold the keys to victory, and in You we place all of our trust. Your words are true and we cling to Your promises, believing that You came down from heaven to give only what You can give, everlasting life and joy forevermore. And Holy Spirit, we ask for a miracle today. We want to break free from the sins that are entangling us and run to You, the bread of life!

*some text adapted from ihabitus.com

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

God our Savior appeared...

2011-12-16T21:19:00.002-05:00

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3–7, ESV)

Advent, Day 19

2011-12-16T08:59:00.002-05:00

Scripture

2 Peter 3:8-15

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward You, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought You to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.

Meditation

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

Who orderest all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Prayer

Father, You have fixed the times and seasons according to Your will. You order, create and sustain all things through the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. All of Your purposes will prevail. Awaken our hearts to Your voice, that we might rejoice in the coming of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 18

2011-12-15T20:30:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Romans 10:14-15

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Meditation

Of the Father's Love Begotten

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, 348-c. 413; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818-66

Of the Father's love begotten

Ere the worlds began to be,

He is Alpha and Omega,

He the source, the ending He,

Of the things that are,

that have been,

And that future years shall see

Evermore and evermore.

Oh, that birth forever blessed,

When the virgin full of grace,

By the Holy Ghost conceiving,

Bore the Savior of our race,

And the babe,

the world's redeemer,

First revealed His sacred face

Evermore and evermore.

This is He whom seers in old time

Chanted of with one accord,

Whom the voices of the prophets

Promised in their faithful word.

New He shines,

The long expected;

Let creation praise its Lord

Evermore and evermore.

Prayer

Father, as we wait for the finished work of our salvation, open our hearts to be the voice of hope and redemption to those around us. Open our eyes to just one person today who needs a smile, a hug, a word or a lift. For Jesus' sake, may our feet carry Your heart of love to the world today. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 17

2011-12-14T20:47:00.002-05:00

Scripture

John 1:9-14

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Meditation

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Charles Wesley, 1739

Verse 3

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all He brings

Ris'n with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Prayer

Father, thank You for stepping down into the darkness of a broken world and shining the true light of life through Jesus for all to see. We are stunned, grateful and amazed to have the privilege of seeing His glory, the glory of the One and Only! Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus today, knowing that just as He was born from above, so too, are we born again in Him.

Jesus, precious Son of Righteousness, thank You for healing us and raising us up today as sons and daughters of the Eternal Father. By Your miraculous work in us we are fully alive...and we are Yours. Help us to see and know that we are the children of God as we wait in hope for all You have promised. Use us as agents of healing today as we move throughout a hurting world with the message life that never ends. Amen!

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 16

2011-12-13T20:30:00.002-05:00

Today we pause once again to embrace the spirit of Christmas:

Compassion over Consumption

In the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

One Thing?

2011-12-13T06:47:00.002-05:00

One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD… (Psalm 27:4)

Is this our greatest desire, to simply gaze upon the beauty of the LORD? Is this the message we carry to the world: that Jesus Christ is beautiful, lovely, glorious; and to see Him so is all we require?

Advent, Day 15

2011-12-12T21:09:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Revelation 21:1-7

Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then He said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be My children.

Meditation

All Things New

Brett Younker, 2009

You can make all things new

Only Your power can raise us

You can make all things new

Only Your love can save us

All hope is not lost

Cause You make all things new

You give beauty for our ashes

And a hope that's everlasting

The past has been redeemed

Now forever we will sing

You give beauty for our ashes

And a hope that's everlasting

The past has been redeemed

Now forever we will sing

Prayer

Jesus, You are before all things, the head of all things, and You hold everything together. We long for Your return, when you come in all Your glory, with victory in Your hand. Today, we want to carry Your glory as we move through our daily routine, showing those around us the fountain of living water that we have found in You alone. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 14

2011-12-11T08:24:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Romans 8:1-4

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Meditation

The Day is Surely Drawing Near

Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, 1532-99; tr. Philip A. Peter, 1832-1919, alt.

My Savior paid the debt I owe

And for my sin was smitten;

Within the Book of Life I know

My name has now been written.

I will not doubt, for I am free,

And Satan cannot threaten me;

There is no condemnation!

May Christ our intercessor be

And through His blood and merit

Read from His book that we are free

With all who life inherit.

Then we shall see Him face to face,

With all His saints in that blest place

Which He has purchased for us.

Prayer

Jesus, you paid it all, and all to you I owe. My life is my thanks to you! Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 13

2011-12-10T09:06:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Luke 1:26-35

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; His kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

Meditation

Savior of the Nations, Come

Attr. Ambrose of Milan, 340-397

Savior of the nations, come,

Virgin's Son, make here Your home!

Marvel now, O heav'n and earth,

That the Lord chose such a birth.

Not by human flesh and blood,

By the Spirit of our God,

Was the Word of God made flesh

Woman's offspring pure and fresh.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, we need You. You are our helper, our comforter, our guide. We confess today that we have often overlooked You, determined to get through life on our own instead of depending on Your power at work in us. Just like You were working when the Son of God was conceived on earth, we know You are alive and at work in us. And we pray for Your help today, wanting to surrender to You so the powerful life of Jesus can be seen in and through our lives. For His glory, Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 12

2011-12-10T08:53:00.002-05:00

A time of stillness as we wait in hope on the Lord.

Scripture

Psalm 46:10-11

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Isaiah 30:15

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.

Meditation

Take a few minutes today to just quietly consider the Lord. Stillness is hard for us and quiet moments are rare. Try not to read, or study. Just be still and meditate on the Cross of Jesus...on the exchange God made for you and me. And think about His resurrection, His beautiful demolition of both death and the grave. Without words, just drink in His presence. And in the stillness, seek His face.

After a few minutes of reflection, write down one thought or idea God has impressed on your heart and share that with someone else today.

Prayer

Father, I am here for You. Meet me now. In Jesus' name. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 11

2011-12-08T06:35:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Ephesians 3:20-21 (The Message)

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Psalm 135:13

Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your renown, O LORD, through all generations.

Meditation

Glory In The Highest

Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves, Daniel Carson, Ed Cash

You are the first

You go before

You are the last

Lord, You're the encore

Your name's in lights for all to see

The starry host declare Your glory

Glory in the highest

Apart from You there is no god

Light of the world

The Bright and Morning Star

Your name will shine for all to see

You are the One

You are my glory

And no one else could ever compare

To You, Lord

All the earth together declares ...

Glory in the highest ... to You, Lord

All the earth will sing Your praise

The moon and stars, the sun and rain

Every nation will proclaim

That You are God and You will reign

Glory, glory hallelujah

Glory, glory to You, Lord

Glory, glory hallelujah

Hallelujah

Prayer

Father, You are greater than everything, more beautiful and glorious than anything we can imagine. So what shall we say to You? Our words and our thoughts—our dreams and our greatest prayers—are so small when compared to You. Yet, we have seen the starry night and the face of Your radiant Son. Expand our faith and boost our vocabulary as we seek to join the anthem of Your praise.

Extinguish any infatuation with tiny little names and fleeting fame. All praise is Yours, now and forever. I will walk in that today. I will believe it. And act like it. And pray like it. And give like it. And praise like there is none like You. All glory to You, Jesus. Amen!

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 10

2011-12-07T21:55:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Isaiah 43

"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from Me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed — I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?"

"I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King." This is what the LORD says— He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters...

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland...I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to My people, My chosen, the people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise."

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

Meditation

Once He Came in Blessing

Johann Horn, c. 1490-1547; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, sts. 1, 4, alt.

Once He came in blessing,

All our sins redressing;

Came in likeness lowly,

Son of God most holy;

Bore the cross to save us;

Hope and freedom gave us.

Come, then, O Lord Jesus,

From our sins release us.

Keep our hearts believing,

That we, grace receiving,

Ever may confess You

Till in heav'n we bless You.

Prayer

Father, we are Your people, those formed for Your praise. For Your name You have erased our record of sin. Glorify Your name in us today as we wait for Your hands to make a way where there is no way. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

...according to the word of God.

2011-12-06T21:41:00.002-05:00

Calvin’s charge to Pastors from his sermon number 61 on Deuteronomy:

Let the pastors boldly dare all things by the word of God. . . .

Let them constrain all the power, glory, and excellence of the world to give place to and to obey the divine majesty of this word.

Let them enjoin everyone by it, from the highest to the lowest.

Let them edify the body of Christ.

Let them devastate Satan’s reign.

Let them pasture the sheep, kill the wolves, instruct and exhort the rebellious.

Let them bind and loose thunder and lightning, if necessary, but let them do all according to the word of God.

(Cited in John Piper, John Calvin and His Passion for the Majesty of God)

Advent, Day 9

2011-12-06T18:51:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Isaiah 43:1-7

But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made."

Meditation

Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord

Heinrich Held, 1620-59; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, alt.

Let the earth now praise the Lord,

Who has truly kept His word

And at last to us did send Christ,

The sinner's help and friend.

Bruise for me the serpent's head

That, set free from doubt and dread,

I may cling to You in faith,

Safely kept through life and death.

Then when You will come again

As the glorious king to reign,

I with joy will see Your face,

Freely ransomed by Your grace.

Prayer

O Lord, our hope and friend, bring us through the fire and rising tide as we place our trust in You. You have given the Holy Christ in exchange for our lives. Will you not also, with Him, freely give us all things? Waiting in expectation, Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 8

2011-12-05T21:29:00.002-05:00

Today we pause once again to embrace the spirit of Christmas:

Compassion over Consumption

In the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

"Let us not dictate to God."

2011-12-05T21:27:00.002-05:00

“Let us not dictate to God. Many a blessing has been lost by Christians not believing it to be a blessing, because it did not come in the particular shape which they had conceived to be proper and right. To some the divine work is nothing, unless it assumes the form which their prejudice has selected.”

Jeremiah Lanphier, Alone With Jesus (London, 1872)

On July 1, 1857, a quiet and zealous businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier took up an appointment as a City Missionary in down-town New York. Lanphier was appointed by the North Church of the Dutch Reformed denomination. This church was suffering from depletion of membership due to the removal of the population from the down-town to the better residential quarters, and the new City Missionary was engaged to make diligent visitation in the immediate neighborhood with a view to enlisting church attendance among the floating population of the lower city. The Dutch Consistory felt that it had appointed an ideal layman for the task in hand, and so it was.

Burdened so by the need, Jeremiah Lanphier decided to invite others to join him in a noonday prayer-meeting, to be held on Wednesdays once a week. He therefore distributed a handbill:

HOW OFTEN SHALL I PRAY?

As often as the language of prayer is in my heart; as often as I see my need of help; as often as I feel the power of temptation; as often as I am made sensible of any spiritual declension or feel the aggression of a worldly spirit.

In prayer we leave the business of time for that of eternity, and intercourse with men for intercourse with God.

A day Prayer Meeting is held every Wednesday, from 12 to 1 o'clock, in the Consistory building in the rear of the North Dutch Church, corner of Fulton and William Streets (entrance from Fulton and Ann Streets).

This meeting is intended to give merchants, mechanics, clerks, strangers, and business men generally an opportunity to stop and call upon God amid the perplexities incident to their respective avocations. It will continue for one hour; but it is also designed for those who may find it inconvenient to remain more than five or ten minutes, as well as for those who can spare the whole hour.

Accordingly at twelve noon, September 23, 1857, the door was opened and the faithful Lanphier took his seat to await the response to his invitation. Five minutes went by. No one appeared. The missionary paced the room in a conflict of fear and faith. Ten minutes elapsed. Still no one came. Fifteen minutes passed. Lanphier was yet alone. Twenty minutes; twenty-five; thirty; and then at 12.30 p.m., a step was heard on the stairs, and the first person appeared, then another, and another, and another, until six people were present, and the prayer meeting began. On the following Wednesday, October 7th, there were forty intercessors.

Thus, in the first week of October 1857, it was decided to hold a meeting daily instead of weekly.

Within six months, ten thousand business men were gathering daily for prayer in New York, and within two years, a million converts were added to the American churches.

Undoubtedly the greatest revival in New York's colorful history was sweeping the city, and it was of such an order to make the whole nation curious. There was no fanaticism, no hysteria, simply an incredible movement of the people to pray.

Is there a Jeremiah Lanphier among you?

(John Piper, from Desiring God)

Advent, Day 7

2011-12-04T17:40:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Psalm 40:1-5

I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in Him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, the things You planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

Meditation

Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure, 1847

Music by Adolphe Charles Adams

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another,

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains He shall break, for the slave is our brother.

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord!

Then ever, ever praise we,

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for hearing our cry from the depths of our sin and shame. We receive Your grace to now stand on the solid ground of Your righteousness and sign of the one who rescues and restores. Amen!

Advent, Day 6

2011-12-03T09:45:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Psalm 27:1-6

The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Meditation

Hark the Glad Sound

Philip Doddridge, 1702-51

Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,

The Savior promised long;

Let ev'ry heart prepare a throne,

And ev'ry voice a song.

He comes the pris'ners to release,

In Satan's bondage held.

The gates of brass before Him burst,

The iron fetters yield.

He comes the broken heart to bind,

The bleeding soul to cure,

And with the treasures of His grace

To enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,

Thy welcome shall proclaim,

And heav'ns eternal arches ring

With Thy beloved name.

Prayer

Jesus, we are here for You. Our hearts and hands are open to Your presence and Your purposes in this day. Your eyes are filled with grace and truth…Your face, O Lord, we will seek. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 5

2011-12-02T19:19:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Psalm 27:7-14

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of You, "Seek His face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me Your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Meditation

The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns

John Brownlie, 1859-1925, alt.

(Stanzas 1-5)

The King shall come when morning dawns

And light triumphant breaks,

When beauty gilds the eastern hills

And life to joy awakes

Not as of old a little child,

To bear and fight and die,

But crowned in glory like the sun

That lights the morning sky.

Oh, brighter than the rising morn

When Christ, victorious, rose

And left the lone-some place of death

Despite the rage of foes.

Oh, brighter than that glorious morn

Shall dawn upon our race

The day when Christ in splendor comes

And we shall see His face.

The King shall come when morning dawns

And light and beauty brings.

Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray:

Come quickly, King of kings!

Prayer

Father, You have been our help in days past, and You are our only hope for the days ahead. Yet, today is all we have. So this day we place our trust in You alone, knowing soon we will be with You. Until the day we see You face to face, make sure our faith and allow us to live with confidence in Your unshakable character and certain Word. For Jesus, Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

This is the way to live.

2011-12-02T19:05:00.000-05:00

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. (Psalm 16:8)

This is the way to live. With God always before us, we shall have the noblest companionship, the holiest example, the sweetest consolation, and the mightiest influence. This must be a resolute act of the mind. "I have set," and it must be maintained as a set and settled thing. Always to have an eye to the Lord's eye and an ear for the Lord's voice—this is the right state for the godly man. His God is near him, filling the horizon of his vision, leading the way of his life, and furnishing the theme of his meditation. What vanities we should avoid, what sins we should overcome, what virtues we should exhibit, what joys we should experience if we did indeed set the Lord always before us!

(C.H. Spurgeon)

Advent, Day 4

2011-12-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

Prayer

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy,

O Lord hear my prayer.

And let my cry come to You.

Amen

Scripture

Isaiah 53:1-8

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Meditation

From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee

Martin Luther, 1483-1546, tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, alt.

(Stanzas 1-3)

From depths of woe I cry to Thee,

In trial and tribulation;

Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,

Lord, hear my supplication.

If Thou rememb'rest ev'ry sin,

Who then could heaven ever win

Or stand before thy presence?

Thy love and grace alone avail

To blot out my transgression;

The best and holiest deeds must fail

To break sin’s dread oppression.

Before Thee none can boasting stand,

But all must fear Thy strict demand

And live alone by mercy.

Therefore my hope is in the Lord

And not in mine own merit;

It rests upon His faithful Word

To them of contrite spirit

That He is merciful and just;

This is my comfort and my trust.

His help I wait with patience.

Prayer (repeat)

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy,

O Lord hear my prayer.

And let my cry come to You.

Amen

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 3

2011-11-30T18:42:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

Meditation

O Lord, How Shall I Meet You, Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76

(Stanzas 1 & 3)

O Lord, how shall I meet You,

How welcome You aright?

Your people long to greet You,

My hope, my heart’s delight!

O kindle, Lord most holy,

Your lamp within my breast

to do in spirit lowly all that may please You best.

I lay in fetters, groaning;

You came to set me free.

I stood, my shame bemoaning;

You came to honor me.

A glorious crown You give me,

A treasure safe on high that will not fail or leave me

As earthly riches fly.

Prayer

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy,

O Lord hear my prayer.

And let my cry come to You.

Amen

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 2

2011-11-29T19:39:00.002-05:00

Scripture

Isaiah 1: 2-4, 6-20

The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear Me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger, but Israel does not know, My people do not understand." Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege. Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! "The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of My courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide My eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Meditation

Creator of the Stars of Night

Text: Latin, 5th-10th cent.: tr. John Mason Neale, 1818-66, alt. Public Domain.

Stanzas 1, 2 & 5

Creator of the stars of night,

Thy people's everlasting Light:

O Christ, Redeemer, save us all

And hear Thy servants when they call.

Thou grieving that the Ancient curse

Should doom to death a universe,

Hast found the healing, full of grace,

To cure and save our ruined race.

O Thou, whose coming is with dread

To judge the living and the dead,

Preserve us from the ancient foe

While still we dwell on earth below.

Prayer

Father, You came to us and found us when we were lost and unable to find You. As we continue our Advent journey strengthen our hearts so that we may persevere as we hear Your righteous judgment spoken against Your wayward and rebellious children. We are all those who sin and we have no hope apart from You. Jesus, thank You for Your willing sacrifice and the gift of righteousness which only comes from You. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Advent, Day 1

2011-11-28T20:13:00.002-05:00

If you stop and think about it, it's safe to say that nothing that has ever happened on earth is as staggering as the miraculous arrival of the Son of God. Heaven come down. Jesus, in human flesh. Emmanuel, God with us!

Yet, lost amidst the frenzy of western consumerism and a Christmas season gone wild is the beauty of that message and the powerful hope Christ's appearing brings to a broken, weary world.

The Advent season is simply an effort to embrace the Christ of Christmas by creating space and a posture of expectation as we celebrate His supernatural birth and the promise of all that lies ahead.

Our hope is that this daily Advent guide will help you prepare ample room in our hearts for faith and hope to bloom again, with the prayer that this year Christmas will actually fuel our lives with endurance for today and fresh vision for tomorrow.

Scripture

Isaiah 64:1-10

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be angry beyond measure, LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people. Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation.

Meditation

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

Charles Wesley, 1774

Come, Thou long expected Jesus 

Born to set Thy people free; 

From our fears and sins release us, 

Let us find our rest in Thee. 

Israel's Strength and Consolation, 

Hope of all the earth Thou art; 

Dear Desire of every nation, 

Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver, 

Born a child and yet a King, 

Born to reign in us forever, 

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring. 

By Thine own eternal Spirit 

Rule in all our hearts alone; 

By Thine all sufficient merit, 

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Prayer

Father, meet us, Your children, as we begin our Advent journey. Give us eyes to examine ourselves, and ears to hear Your Word so that we may rejoice anew at the birth of Your Son. Jesus is our all in all. He is our hope and a sure foundation both now and forever. Be glorified in these days and shine Your light upon us all. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

http://www.passioncitychurch.com

Now went I home rejoicing...

2011-11-22T21:00:00.002-05:00

One morning as I was again at prayer and trembling under the fear that no word of God could help me, that piece of a sentence darted in upon me, “My grace is sufficient.”

By these words I was sustained, yet not without exceeding conflicts. Therefore, I did still pray to God, that He would come in with His Scripture more fully on my heart.

One day, as I was passing into the field, fearing lest all was not right, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, “Thy righteousness is in heaven,” and I saw with the eyes of my soul Jesus Christ at God’s right hand; there, I say, as my righteousness. It was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, “the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Now went I also home rejoicing.

(John Bunyan, 1628-1688)

The Light of Full Certainty

2011-11-20T19:42:00.002-05:00

The tempest in my breast hurried me out into the garden, where no one might interrupt the fiery struggle in which I was engaged with myself, knowing what evil thing I was, but but not knowing what good thing I was so shortly to become.

I flung myself down under a fig tree and gave free course to my tears. I cried to Thee: “And Thou, O Lord, how long? Wilt though be angry forever? Oh, remember not against us our former iniquities.”

Suddenly I heard the voice of a boy or girl coming from the neighboring house, chanting over and over again, “Pick it up, read it; pick it up, read it.” Damming the torment of my tears, I got to my feet, for I could not but think that this was a divine command to open the Bible and read the first passage I should light upon.

So I snatched it up, opened it, and in silence read the paragraph on which my eyes fell: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof.”

Instantly, as the sentence ended, there was infused in my heart something like the light of full certainty and all the gloom of doubt vanished away.

(St. Augustine (354-430), describing his conversion experience)

Obedience matters. Period.

2011-11-16T19:20:00.003-05:00

Obedience matters. Not because it determines our salvation. But because it shapes us. Biblical injunctions against fornication and drunkenness are numerous and clear. If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, or even a witness to the Word, then you have to take those injunctions seriously. God has good reasons for the things he calls us to do or warns us not to do. Over time, they shape our character, our sensibilities, our relationship with God. We’ll be tempted to believe, but we ought not to believe, that we can do whatever we please with our bodies, that we can ignore the things that God tells us to value and honor and serve, and then we can get a few minutes with God and enjoy a “healthy spiritual life.” The discipline of daily obedience, of moment-to-moment obedience, brings us constantly into God’s presence and constantly under God’s lordship. Through obedience we learn more about the cares and the character of God. So obedience is not a tool of our redemption, but it is a way by which the redeemed express their gratitude to God and come to know God better.

- Dr. Timothy Dalrymple, writing at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/philosophicalfragments/2011/10/31/does-obedience-matter-responses-to-readers-of-sex-at-seminary/

Maybe we should all try it...

2011-11-14T20:15:00.002-05:00

The U.S. memorial service of John Stott took place at College Church in Wheaton, IL, last Friday. The following is John Stott’s daily prayer, as found on the memorial service program:

Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence and please you more and more.

Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control

Holy, blessed and glorious trinity, three persons in one God, have mercy upon me.

Almighty God, Creator and sustainer of the universe, I worship you.

Lord Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord of the World, I worship you.

Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the people of God, I worship you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever, Amen.

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

2011-11-09T20:56:00.001-05:00

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the sotrm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

- William Cowper, "God Moves in a Mysterious Way"

The Dangers of Dispensing with Religion

2011-11-06T14:38:00.002-05:00

People who object to, denigrate, and seek, in many cases, to vilify “religion” are likely throwing the baby out with the bathwater in an attempt to shock or, sadly, to impress their audience. If you are a part of that audience, don’t be taken in. There is nothing inherently wrong with religion. In fact, religion is an inescapable part of the human experience—everyone has religion whether they know it (or admit to it) or not.

It is quite likely that these vociferous and often eloquent “objectioneers” are actually (and rightly) opposed to is the religious practices of people that seek to establish a righteousness of their own through the works of the law (Rom. 9:31; 10:3) rather than by faith in Christ. However, Jesus’ call was, “Repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15), a call that can only be answered by action based on belief, which is religion defined.

The next time you hear someone proclaim the Christianity isn’t about religion, or insinuate that one can be a follower of Christ and not be religious, ask him or her to carefully define their terms and to fully explain their argument. You may be surprised how few can or will actually do so.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

2011-10-25T19:35:00.002-04:00

We are called to wait because everything in life and ministry exists not for our comfort and ease but for God's glory. The whole redemptive story is written for one purpose and one purpose alone: the glory of the king.

Waiting is hard for us because we tie our hearts to other glories. We so often are tempted to live and minister for the glory of human acceptance, of personal achievement, of power and position, of possessions and places, and of comfort and pleasure. So when God's glory requires that these things be withheld from us---things we look to for identity, meaning, and purpose---we find waiting a grueling, burdensome experience.

Waiting means surrendering your glory. Waiting means submitting to his glory. Waiting means understanding that you were given life and breath for the glory of another. Waiting gives you opportunity to forsake the delusion of your own glory and rest in the God of awesome glory. Only when you do that will you find what you seek, and what you were meant to have: lasting identity, meaning, purpose, and peace in Christ. In this way waiting is much more than a burden for you to bear; it is a precious gift for you to receive with joy.

Paul Tripp, “5 Reasons Why God Calls Us to Wait” (http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/24/5-reasons-why-god-calls-us-to-wait/)

...and make them sing!

2011-10-23T17:45:00.002-04:00

Goldsmiths make exquisite forms from precious material. They fashion the bracelet and the ring from gold. God makes His precious things out of base material – from the black pebbles of the defiling brooks He has taken up stones which He has set in the golden ring of His Immutable Love, to make them gems to sparkle on His finger forever! He has not selected the best, but, apparently, the worst of men to be the monuments of His Grace!

And when He would have a choir in heaven that should with tongues harmoniously sing His praise – when He would have a chorus that should forever chant the hallelujahs louder than the sound of many waters and like great thunders – He did not send Mercy down to seek earth’s songsters and cull from us those who have the sweetest voices. No! He said, “Go, Mercy, and find the dumb and touch their lips and make them sing! The virgin tongues that never sang My praise before, that have been silent up till now, shall break forth in sublime rhapsodies and they shall lead the song – even angels shall but attend behind and catch the notes from the lips of those who once were dumb!”

Oh, what a fountain of consolation this opens for you and for me! Yes, Beloved, if God did not choose the base things of this world, He would never have chosen us! If He had respect unto the countenance of men – if God were a respecter of persons – where had you and I been this day? We would never have been instances of His love and Mercy!

…Grace is always grace, but it never seems so gracious as when we see it brought to our unworthy selves.

(C.H. Spurgeon, “The Dumb Become Singers”, December 12, 1912)

“Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing, for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.” (Isaiah 35:6)

The Same Strong Christ

2011-10-18T20:54:00.002-04:00

“True faith takes its character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”

- Sinclair Ferguson

Our God is Able

2011-10-16T22:31:00.002-04:00

Admitting the weighty problems and staggering disappointments, Christianity affirms that God is able to give us the power to meet them. He is able to give us the inner equilibrium to stand tall amid the trials and burdens of life. He is able to provide inner peace amid outer storms. This inner stability of the man of faith is Christ’s chief legacy to his disciples. He offers neither material resources nor a magical formula that exempts us from suffering and persecution, but he brings an imperishable gift: “Peace I leave with you.” This is that peace which passeth all understanding.

At times we may feel that we do not need God, but on the day when the storms of disappointment rage, the winds of disaster blow, and the tidal waves of grief beat against our lives, if we do not have a deep and patient faith our emotional lives will be ripped to shreds. There is so much frustration in the world because we have relied on gods rather than God…These transitory gods are not able to save us or bring happiness to the human heart.

Only God is able. It is faith in him that we must rediscover. With this faith we can transform bleak and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of joy and bring new light into the dark caverns of pessimism. Is someone here moving toward the twilight of life and fearful of that which we call death.? Why be afraid? God is able. Is someone here on the brink of despair because of the death of a loved one, the breaking of a marriage, or the waywardness of a child? Why despair? God is able to give you the power to endure that which cannot be changed…Come what may, God is able.

- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Our God is Able”

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 24, 25)

"...always do the best you can...'

2011-10-15T08:38:00.000-04:00

Recapture the Spirit

2011-10-06T21:41:00.000-04:00

“There was a time when the church was very powerful—in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society…But the judgement of God is upon the church [today] as never before. If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose it’s authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning…”

— Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (April 16, 1963)

Happy Birthday, Jonathan Edwards

2011-10-06T19:28:00.004-04:00

http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/2011/10/happy-birthday-to-jonathan-edwards.html

Consider what Christ has done for you...

2011-10-03T21:08:00.003-04:00

Consider what Christ has done for you. He died for you. O what did he bear for you. If you knew the pains, the distress, and the agonies the glorious Son of God underwent for you, how would the thoughts of his kindness and love to you overcome you. . . .

God in Christ allows such little, poor creatures as you are to come to him, to love communion with him, and to maintain a communication of love with him. You may go to God and tell him how you love him and open your heart and he will accept of it. You may be familiar in your expressions of your love to Christ, as little or unworthy as you are, for he is near to you. He is come down from heaven and has taken upon him the human nature on purpose, that he might be near to you and might be, as it were, your companion. . . . You may place yourself in his divine embraces.

Therefore don’t let your unworthiness discourage you. Let it heighten your surprise and cause you to express your love in the most humble manner possible. But let it not keep you at a distance or change the expressions of your love. You may want humility in your love, but you never can be guilty of any excess in the joys of divine love. . . .

Let these considerations influence you to the love of God and Jesus Christ, to love them with a superlative love and love nothing contrary to them, and love nothing above them, and love nothing equal to them, and love nothing along with them with any parallel love. And express your love by doing for them by being willing all your days to labor and suffer for the glory of God. Can you think of living so as to dishonor God and to be a stumbling block to others and a disadvantage to religion without the utmost dread of it and being sick at the thought of it?

– Jonathan Edwards, “The Spirit of the True Saints Is a Spirit of Divine Love”

Gathered by Him and to Him

2011-10-01T21:56:00.001-04:00

“The way to be gathered together is to be gathered by him and to him. If all press to the center, they all press to one another. If each man’s aim be personal fellowship with Christ, personal knowledge of Christ, personal trust in Christ, personal adoration of Christ, personal service to Christ, and the getting of a personal likeness to Christ, then we are all coming together. While our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ, we also have fellowship with all the saints. This should be the great object of all our gatherings, to be brought more fully into Christ; and all of us must meanwhile believe that Jesus is in the midst and we must come together unto him. . . .

You do well to come where you have found Christ before, and you do well to stay away from any gathering wherein you have not found Christ. Some, as they go out of the place where they usually worship, are sadly compelled to cry, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.’ Do not go where Jesus is not present; and if distinctly you are obliged to say, ‘I have heard sermon after sermon almost without mention of his name; I have gone for months together, and I have not had a sweet thought of heavenly fellowship arising out of the service,’ then do not go there again. Do not go to any church or meeting-house merely because you have been in the habit of going. If your father used to live in Islington, but has now removed, you do not think it needful to go and call at his empty house, do you? Go where the Lord has met with you, and where you may expect that he will meet with you again. Sabbaths are too precious to be thrown away by sitting still to be starved. Even a cow does not care to be tied up in an empty stall, and a horse does not run to an empty manger. Seek the Lord Jesus, and do not rest till you find him. We must gather into his name and get closer and closer to it, or else the Lord’s day will run to waste, and barrenness will devour our souls.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Lord with Two or Three.”

Not a Dirty Word

2011-09-28T20:57:00.001-04:00

Religion is not a 4-letter word…although many pastors, youth workers, and other church leaders these days seem to think it is and it has become "hip" to use "religion" s a derogatory term. Prhaps some are well meaning, but they are teaching an entire generation of otherwise Christ-like believers to despise the term and reject anyone who would claim to be “religious”. My experience has been that people decrying “religion” or “religious people” usually have something very specific in mind--either “legalism” or “self-righteousness”. Neither of these is true religion and a truly “religious” person would have nothing to do with them…

Pastor Jared Wilson had this to say on the subject at his blogspot (http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/) recently:

Pastors who invoke the "religious people" boogeyman are really just trying to offend people outside their church. This might be good for laughs and applause, good red meat for the congregation, good for camaraderie, but it is also profoundly stupid. If you make decisions at your church out of a desire to thumb your nose at people at other churches, you need to get a life.

[OR]

Pastors who invoke the "religious people" boogeyman are really just bullying and dismissing sincere people in their churches who have concerns or questions about the goings-on. It's a fantastic way to deflect all criticism, whether it's legitimate or not. It's a great way to insulate oneself from reflection and accountability by drowning it out with the fan club's laughter and chest-thumping.

"Pharisee," "legalist," "religious person" is the church version of racist or Nazi. It is the rhetorical nuclear option specifically designed to shut up anyone with questions and paint them among their brothers and sisters as graceless jerks. But I think it actually works the other way around:

Employing the "religious people" boogeyman ironically indulges in what it professes to decry. It is a great way to pray along with the self-justified pharisee, "I thank you God that I'm not like those religious people."

If you've got real legalists in your church -- and you do -- the only way to intentionally offend them is by preaching the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ. Everything else is just vain posturing and prideful provocation.

I cannot pray but sin...

2011-09-23T20:52:00.002-04:00

“I cannot pray but I sin. I cannot hear or preach a sermon but I sin. I cannot give an alms or receive the sacrament but I sin. Nay, I cannot so much as confess my sins, but my very confessions are still aggravations of them. My repentance needs to be repented of, my tears need washing, and the very washing of my tears needs still to be washed over again with the blood of my Redeemer.”

William Beveridge, Private Thoughts (London, 1720)