Monday
The Staggering, Unbelievable Truth of Christmas.
One reason we are thankful that Christmas comes every year is that we find ourselves thinking more deeply about the things of God during this season. To really consider "God with us" -- that the Eternal, Infinite Creator of all became a baby; and then a boy; and then a man; and then a Savior -- is incomprehensible and at the same time fully true.
More importantly, it was an absolute necessity.
J.I. Packer puts it honestly:
The divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needed to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets.
It is unbelievable. But, what is mysterious to us, is no challenge for God. Christmas is a product of His sovereignty. His word explains why Christmas had to happen.
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." -- Hebrews 2:17
Christ became like us and then he replaced us. Staggering indeed.
Glory to God in the Highest.
Sunday
The Modern Self Problem
The modern problem is the same problem we’ve always had. We don’t need more self esteem. We have plenty of that. We are totally selfish and self consumed.
Our problem is our self — self esteem, self-righteousness, selfishness. Pursuing “who we are down deep inside” doesn’t solve our problem, that IS our problem. Pursuing our desires IS our problem.
“Just be you” is our slogan and it leads us to disaster for we are the problem.
The ultra-focus on self is 100% about each of us getting whatever we want in place of “love God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.” None of us do this - and that is our real problem - and it is life or death.
The modern problem is the same problem we’ve always had.
#Christ
Wednesday
Friday
The Staggering, Unbelievable Truth of Christmas
One reason we are thankful that Christmas comes every year is that we find ourselves thinking more deeply about the things of God during this season. To really consider "God with us" -- that the Eternal, Infinite Creator of all became a baby; and then a boy; and then a man; and then a Savior -- is incomprehensible and at the same time fully true.
More importantly, it was an absolute necessity.
J.I. Packer puts it honestly:
The divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needed to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets.
It is unbelievable. But, what is mysterious to us, is no challenge for God. Christmas is a product of His sovereignty. His word explains why Christmas had to happen.
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." -- Hebrews 2:17
Christ became like us and then he replaced us. Staggering indeed.
Glory to God in the Highest.
Saturday
Does Christian Education Work?
From Christianity Today:
If you’ve grown up in evangelicalism, you’re familiar with what it means to cultivate a Christian worldview—the idea that all of life and life’s interactions with the world have a distinctly Christian approach to them. As an ethics professor at a Protestant seminary, my career is devoted to developing a framework with which to understand and live out authentically Christian lives. My children attend a classical Christian school, and my wife is a classical Christian schoolteacher. Our entire family invests in an educational pursuit intended to produce lives “worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10). Does it work? ....
Read the rest of the Article: Christian Education Praise
The research: Click for the Research Report
Thursday
Spurgeon - "He who walked the hospitals"
He who on earth walked the hospitals still dispenses His grace and works wonders among the sons of men: Let me go to Him immediately and earnestly. Let me praise Him this morning as I remember how He worked His spiritual cures, which brings Him the most renown.
Spurgeon, Charles H.. Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, (Kindle Locations 4978-4980). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
Spurgeon, Charles H.. Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, (Kindle Locations 4978-4980). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
Tuesday
Shane & Shane -- Psalm 130
Psalm 130(NASB)
Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love.
A Song of Ascents.
1Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.
3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,
And in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is lovingkindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
8 And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.
And in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is lovingkindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
8 And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.
Out of the depths I cry to You
In darkest places I will call
Incline Your ear to me anew
And hear my cry for mercy, Lord
Were You to count my sinful ways
How could I come before Your throne
Yet full forgiveness meets my gaze
I stand redeemed by grace alone
CHORUSI will wait for YouI will wait for YouOn Your word, I will relyI will wait for YouSurely wait for YouTill my soul is satisfied
So put your hope in God alone
Take courage in His power to save
Completely and forever won
By Christ emerging from the grave
CHORUS
Now He has come to make a way
And God Himself has paid the price
That all who trust in Him today
Find healing in His sacrifice
CHORUS
I will wait for YouI will wait for YouThrough the storm and through the nightI will wait for YouSurely wait for YouFor Your love is my delight
Sunday
Was It a Morning Like this?
Was it a morning like this?
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem,
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord She thought was dead?
What is a morning like this,
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem,
And two angels stood at the tomb,
Bearers of news she would hear soon?
Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice
To feel you again?
Over and over like a
Trumpet underground
Did the earth seem to pound:
“He is risen?”
Over and over
in a never ending round
“He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Was it a morning like this,
When Peter and John ran from Jerusalem?
And as they raced for the tomb,
Beneath their feet was there a tune?
Was it a morning like this,
When my Lord looked down
On Jerusalem?
He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The Empty Tomb Sequence -- How It Took Place
Easter morning, just before daylight, it begins:
5:00am -- Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of Jesus and Salome leave for the tomb. Mary Magdalene hurried on ahead, found the tomb empty and ran to tell Peter & John.
5:30am -- Mary mother of Jesus and Salome arrive at daylight (Mark 16:2). They saw an angel who sent a message to the disciples (Matthew 28:5 & Mark 1:5).
6:00am -- Another group of women including Joanna arrive (Luke 24:1 & Mark 16:1). Two young men gave them comfort and instruction (Luke 24:4).
6:30am -- Peter, John and Mary Magdalene arrive. Peter and John leave and Mary Magdalene stays. Mary Magdalene saw two angels about the same time the other women were telling the other disciples (Luke 24:10).
7:00am -- Jesus revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-18 & Mark 16:9). Then the other women returned and Jesus met them. He gave them instruction to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee (Matthew 28:9).
Timeline compiled by John Phillips from the Gospels.
5:00am -- Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of Jesus and Salome leave for the tomb. Mary Magdalene hurried on ahead, found the tomb empty and ran to tell Peter & John.
5:30am -- Mary mother of Jesus and Salome arrive at daylight (Mark 16:2). They saw an angel who sent a message to the disciples (Matthew 28:5 & Mark 1:5).
6:00am -- Another group of women including Joanna arrive (Luke 24:1 & Mark 16:1). Two young men gave them comfort and instruction (Luke 24:4).
6:30am -- Peter, John and Mary Magdalene arrive. Peter and John leave and Mary Magdalene stays. Mary Magdalene saw two angels about the same time the other women were telling the other disciples (Luke 24:10).
7:00am -- Jesus revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-18 & Mark 16:9). Then the other women returned and Jesus met them. He gave them instruction to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee (Matthew 28:9).
Timeline compiled by John Phillips from the Gospels.
Wednesday
Forget None of HIs Benefits
I heard someone say:
Pardon, healing, redemption, lovingkindness, compassion, satisfaction, renewal, justice, grace, patience, longsuffering, forgiveness. He does not deal with us according to our sins. Don't forget His benefits. His blessings. For they are many and they are supremely important.
Psalm 103:1-13
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
We bless the Lord when we look up at Him, see how great He is and give Him what He deserves. He blesses us when He looks down on us, sees how poor we are and gives us what we need.I am struck by God's benefits. He blesses us with His benefits. We need His benefits.
Pardon, healing, redemption, lovingkindness, compassion, satisfaction, renewal, justice, grace, patience, longsuffering, forgiveness. He does not deal with us according to our sins. Don't forget His benefits. His blessings. For they are many and they are supremely important.
Psalm 103:1-13
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Therefore, We Will Not Fear....though the earth gives way
God is Our Fortress
Psalm 46
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
the burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Psalm 46
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
the burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Saturday
Charles Spurgeon during the Cholera Outbreak of 1854
In times of trouble, it is almost always safe to see what Spurgeon thought and did under similar circumstances. In London, in 1854, Spurgeon struggled with his own thinking and emotions. Here's what the Lord showed him and what he wrote:
I was returning mournfully home from a funeral, when, as God would have it, my curiosity led me to read a paper which was wafered up in a shoemaker’s window in the Great Dover Road. It did not look like a trade announcement, nor was it, for it bore, in a good bold handwriting, these words:
“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.”
The effect upon my heart was immediate. Faith appropriated the passage as her own. I felt secure, refreshed, girt with immortality. I went on with my visitation of the dying, in a calm and peaceful spirit; I felt no fear of evil, and I suffered no harm. The Providence which moved the tradesman to place those verses in his window, I gratefully acknowledge; and in the remembrance of its marvelous power, I adore the Lord my God.Those who belong to God have the troubles of this world, but we go forth in boldness and peace. Our burdens, though they seem significant now, are light and momentary in comparison to eternity. Others need to know about the redeeming glories of Christ and the peace that only He brings in this life and forevermore. The worries about Coronavirus and the economy are no match for the assurances of God.
Sunday
It is You #2
Light unto my path
It is You
Jesus, it is You
This treasure that I hold
More than finest gold
It is You
Jesus, it is You
Chorus
With all my heart, with all my soul
I live to worship you and praise forevermore, forevermore
Lord everyday I need you more
On wings of heaven I will sour
With you
This treasure that I hold
More than finest gold
It is You
Jesus, it is You
Chorus
You take my brokenness
And call me to Yourself
There You stand
With healing in your hands
You take my brokenness
You call me to Yourself
There You stand
He comes with healing in His hands
Chorus
Jesus It Is You
Who makes the sun to rise and bring the earth new life in every beam
Jesus it is you
Who turns the day to night and watches me as i begin to dream
Jesus it is you
Who brings me food for my table, who cares for all of my needs
Who walks the road with me
Has grown with me through all that i have been
Jesus it is you, Jesus it is you
So I lift my hands and I bring my song
All of my days, all of my rights, all of my wrongs
I offer my life, here and beyond
To the one thing true, Jesus it is you
Who sees my brokenness and carries me when i am frail and weak
Jesus it is you
Who tells the storm to rest when i am overwhelmed and cannot speak
Jesus it is you
Who wears my guilt on his shoulders, who holds my heart in his hands
Who takes my thoughts and fears and hangs them on the arms of calvary
Jesus it is you, Jesus it is you
The True Story of Christmas is Staggering
One reason we are thankful that Christmas comes every year is that we find ourselves thinking more deeply about the things of God during this season. Â To really consider "God with us" -- that the Eternal, Infinite Creator of all became a baby; and then a boy; and then a man; and then a Savior -- is incomprehensible and at the same time fully true. Â More importantly, it was an absolute necessity.
Here's an interesting quote from J.I. Packer on the subject. "The divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needed to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets."
What is mysterious to us, is no challenge for God. Christmas is a product of His sovereignty. His word explains why Christmas had to happen.
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. -- Hebrews 2:17
Christ became like us and then he replaced us. Staggering indeed.
Glory to God in the Highest.
Thursday
Sunday
Remembering the Suffering Church on International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted | Persecution
Remembering the Suffering Church on International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted | Persecution: Every year, on the first Sunday in November, the Church comes together for the International Day of Pray for the Persecuted.
Saturday
Rachel Denhollander stares down her abuser -- and tells THE truth of the Gospel. Amazing!
Unbelievable! Have you ever heard anyone articulate the grace of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ better than Rachel Denhollander? Share this with everyone you know.
Sunday
Saturday
Monday
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