“No amount of activity in the King’s service will

make up for neglect of the King Himself.”

–R.M. M’Cheyne

unite the Gospel with faith | Hebrews 4:2

“Being able to articulate the gospel with accuracy is one thing; having its truth captivate your soul is quite another. The gospel is not just supposed to be our ticket into heaven; it is to be an entirely new basis for how we relate to God, ourselves, and others. It is to be the source from which everything else flows.”

— J. D. GreearGospel: Rediscovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary
(Nashville, Tn.: B & H Publishing, 2011), 9

Jesus My Glory

O LORD GOD,
Thou hast commanded me to believe in Jesus;
and I would flee to no other refuge,
wash in no other fountain,
build on no other foundation,
receive from no other fullness,
rest in no other relief.
His water and blood were not severed in their flow at the cross,
may they never be separated in my creed and experiences;
May I be equally convinced of the guilt and pollution of sin,
feel my need of a prince and saviour,
implore of him repentance as well as forgiveness,
love holiness, and be pure in heart,
have the mind of Jesus, and tread in his steps.
Let me not be at my own disposal,
but rejoice that I am under the care of one
who is too wise to err,
too kind to injure,
too tender to crush.
May I scandalize none by my temper and conduct, but
recommend and endear Christ to all around,
bestow good on every one as circumstances permit,
and decline no opportunity of usefulness.
Grant that I may value my substance,
not as the medium of pride and luxury,
but as the means of my support and stewardship.
Help me to guide my affections with discretion,
to owe no man anything,
to be able to give to him that needeth,
to feel it my duty and pleasure to be merciful and forgiving,
to show to the world the likeness of Jesus.

(Taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions)

Jesus read his Bible

This post was particularly helpful in seeing that Jesus treasured his Bible... interesting concept to consider at first seeing as Jesus was God in the flesh.  Here's a small excerpt detailing the effects of Jesus' treasuring of the Word on our life:

"We start off thinking about needing to be more faithful in reading the Word, but we finish off by seeing (in the Word) that Jesus was faithful in all of his living, to include his love for the Bible. It is this soul-stirring, pride-crushing obedience of Jesus that convicts and compels my obedience. It drives me to the Bible, not to curry favor, but in response to the favor he has earned.  Small group conviction and accountability relationships may work in the short-term to produce more Bible reading. However, it is this sight, grasp and appreciation of Jesus’ doing and dying for us that truly changes people in the long-term."

Read the entire post here.

the difference between a christian and non-christian

This post is not orginial to me but rather was just posted on the DG blog (found here).  I simply found it good enough to repost...

What is a distinguishing mark of a believer? At our 2009 Pastors Conference Mark Dever gave us a helpful and memorable word:

"The difference between a Christian and non-Christian: When a non-Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with his sin. When a Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with God, against himself."

on reading books by old dead guys...

CS Lewis said, "The only safety is to have a standard of plain, central Christianity ("mere Christianity" as Baxter called it) which puts the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective.  Such a standard can be acquired only from the old books.  It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.  If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones."

It is impossible to conceive a Savior more suited to the wants of man's heart than our Lord Jesus Christ--suited not only by His power, but by His sympathy--suited not only by His divinity, but His humanity...[He] is the most loving and sympathizing of friends, as well as the mightiest and most powerful of Saviors....you want no comfort...so long as you can repose your weary soul on the Man Christ Jesus."
-J.C. Ryle, Holiness, pp.240-242

standing on shoulders

It is no secret in my little corner of the internet that I am indeed a great fan of Hudson Taylor but before Taylor (and still near and dear to my heart) is Samuel Rutherford.  You can find glimpses into his sweet walk the the Father in The Letters of Samuel Rutherford or even shorter glimpses in a small pocket sized book, with BIG truth called The Loveliness of Christ.  In recent weeks, these words of Rutherford below have supplemented my time in the word quite well.  So thankful to have men and women who gazed at Christ from days long past that we can indeed stand on their shoulders and behold Him as he is and seeing Him, be transformed in His image...   

"There is no sweeter fellowship with Christ than to bring our wounds and our sores to him." -S. Rutherford

"Whether God come to his children with a rod or a crown, if he come himself with it, it is well.  Welcome, welcome Jesus, what may soever thou come, if we can get a sight of thee: and sure I am, it is better to be sick, providing Christ come to the bedside and draw the curtains, and say, Courage, I am thy salvation, than to enjoy health, being lust and strong and never need to be visited of God."  -S. Rutherford 

 

Isaac Ambrose: Looking Unto Jesus

So I've had this book for a while and the goal is to finish it at some point before I kick the bucket.  Seriously, it is 694 pages of text in size 9 font!  I pick it up and read small portions periodically.  Half of one page is often enough to chew on for days.  Since I think it will be ages before I finish this treasure I decided to skip to the end and read the 1.5 page conclusion.  The last two paragraphs alone have enough to make your heart rejoice... Here's a small sample for your day:

Click to enlarge if necessary.

May your heart rejoice in Christ this day!

another gem from Hudson Taylor

I've had multiple posts of late (check out this, this and this if you happened to miss them) with tiny samplings of the gems that can be found in Hudson Taylor's two volume biograpy and here's yet another that I absolutely love:

"God owns all the gold and silver in the world, and the cattle on a thousand hills.  We need not be vegetarians." -Hudson Taylor

wondering

I'm wondering if all true believers adopted Hudson Taylor's view of missions how many unreached people groups would still be out there today?

For those of you who are keeping score at home, I am now reading Hudson Taylor: The Growth of a Work of God, which is Volume II.  These books now officially have to be at the top of my "Favorite Books of all Time" list; again I urge you to run get these two books!   **Update: Just so you know, the two volume set is on sale here now!!**

"For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts."   -Malachi 1:11

"My Hope is Built"

On their latest album, Everything is Different, Shane and Shane redid the timeless hymn, "The Solid Rock" retitling it "My Hope is Built."  The words are the same but the tune has been slightly modified.  Though the hymn has been around for ages and Shane and Shane's latest album out since last November, the truth found in the following words have arrested my heart yet again this week...  

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

but wholly lean in Jesus' Name

When darkness seems

to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

On Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood

When all around my soul gives way

He then is all my Hope and Stay

When He shall come

with trumpet sound

Oh may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone

Faultless to stand before the throne

I stand on the Rock Of Ages

more lessons from Hudson Taylor...

Due to a combination of things that the Lord has been working in my heart over the last 6 months this quote from Volume I of Hudson Taylor's biography is having a profound effect in my life in regards to being intentional about having Gospel conversations with folks in MEMPHIS. Most immediately, I'm praying for and talking with my neighbor.  You just can get closer to home than that! 

blast from the past

Last year I posted this quote (find it from previous posts here and here) and as yet another year is upon us I thought it might be beneficial to put it out there again.

If God doesn’t rule your mundane,

then he doesn’t rule you, because

that’s where you live.

-Paul Tripp

Happy New Year!

ONE of my favorite Lewis quotes

The quote below has long been one of my favorite CS Lewis quotes. I re-read it this weekend in a book I was reading by another author (seeing as I couldn't work in my garden because of the monsoon we are currently in the midst of here in Memphis). I believe Lewis was spot on... we are indeed far to easily pleased with the finite pleasures of the world.

"Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." -C.S. Lewis from 'The Weight of Glory'

It's been a while since I really blogged. So here's a random update of sorts... Enjoy!
-My aunt recently got her hands on the recipes for a couple of Sprinkles Cupcakes and made them for Easter lunch. They were fabulous and I think I’m going to make them for this Sunday’s Grace Lunch. Get excited!
-This coming Tuesday, April 21st is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s… again, get excited!! Who doesn’t love free Ben & Jerry’s?!?!
-About a month ago I woke up on a Sunday morning and the thought of coffee was enough to make me sick. Consequently, I didn't have any and I had a headache to pay for it later. Ever since then I've been doing something I never thought I'd do... drink decaf coffee in the morning! Weird I know! At the very minimum I've been having ½ decaf, ½ regular coffee in the morning hours.
-I went to the Death Cab for Cutie concert on Saturday night and had a BLAST! What a fun concert. I highly recommend catching their show if you have the opportunity in the future.
-I haven't blogged about Tiger basketball since that fatefull day that Calapari officially decided to leave but I am really excited about out new coach Josh Pastner. Additionally, I'm really saddened by this response that so many have had towards Calapari lately. He did a great job at Memphis and he's a likeable person. Hopefully as time passes and the sting of his departure lessens, Memphians will look back on his tenure here at the university with great fondness. It was a fun ride, which hopefully will continue...
-Completely unrelated to the Memphis basketball: I'm a BIG fan of little government. Enough said.
-I’ve still been plugging away at Isaac Ambrose’s Looking Unto Jesus and here is a quick quote/ sampling for you: “Only Christ is the whole of man’s happiness.” Great stuff.
-Since Ambrose’s book will likely take me 10 years to finish, due to it’s length, I’ve been reading a few other things simultaneously. Recently I finished a book that was lent to me by a precious little girl at my church who LOVES to read! It was a super book about a missionary who I was previously unfamiliar with, Mary Slessor. She spent her entire life serving numerous tribes in Calabar (in Southern Nigeria, Africa). This book has really piqued my interest and I’m dying to know more about Mary.
-In other book related news, I got my copy of Hungry Girl's latest cookbook in the mail yesterday and most all the recipes look yummy! I highly recommend these easy and healthy remakes of your favorite recipes.
-In other recipe related news, I got a great new recipe from last week’s Viking Cooking School class for a homemade vinaigrette. You should give it a try. It’s fabulous! The great thing I learned is that the mustard, in addition to adding extra flavor, holds the oil and vinegar together so they don’t separate quite as easily. Such a fabulous and easy recipe!

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch granulated sugar
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (or whatever vinegar you happen to have handy)
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

-For the first time since I started running in 2004, I am not signed up for a race furthermore, I do not even have one in mind. Any good suggestions?
-I bought some Roundup at Home Depot last weekend (yea! It was on sale!) and am ready to rid my flower beds of pesky weeds so I can plant my spring/summer flowers (impatients, which I also got on sale at Home Depot!). Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain this weekend so that might put a damper on my gardening plans... I'm sure you'll see pictures of my gardening right here, so stay tuned! :)

"Never did creature turn his affections towards God, if the heart of God were not first set upon Him.” - John Owen, Communion with God

valley of vision

" Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley." -Valley of Vision

WHATEVER 2009 brings your way....

Remember:

If God doesn’t rule your mundane,
then he doesn’t rule you, because
that’s where you live.
-Paul Tripp

Initially, I'd beg to differ with anyone that says that my 2008 was mundane. As a whole, it was not. With that said, I will admit that I did also have my fair share of mundane days mixed in among the rest. Through every day, I'm so very thankful God rules in every detail of the mundane exactly as he does in the mist of everything else (excitement, chaos, tragedy, sadness, change, etc). So whether your (or my) 2009 turns out to be eventful or mundane... or most likely both... be ruled by Christ each day in this new year. Happy New Year!

lead me to the Rock

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day. -Psalm 61