Not What My Hands Have Done

My blog has now become VERY sporadic. In my desire to become more excellent at other things in my life, this has not been a priority (and may not be anytime soon). Anyway, I was reading today while seeking an explanation of the difference between grace and works for our Inquirer's Class this weekend. There can't be many better than this one! This is one of my favorite hymns and Horatius Bonar is becoming more and more a favorite of mine!

Not what my hands have done
Can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers,
And sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin
Thy blood alone O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
Thy love to me O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee
Can rid me of
This dark unrest,
And set my spirit free!

Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy power alone O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
No other work, save Thine,
No other blood will do,
No strength save that,
Which is divine,
Can bear me safely through.

I praise the God of grace,
I trust His truth and might
He calls me His, I call Him mine,
My God, my joy, my light
’Tis He Who saveth me,
And freely pardon gives
I love because
He loveth me,
I live because He lives!

Great Stuff!

What are you?

On the Together for the Gospel Blog, C. J. Mahaney answers the question "C. J., What are you?" Here is his incredibly truthful & cross-centered answer:

What am I? Well, here is what I am. I am the worst sinner I know. And by the grace of God I am doing better than I deserve. For I deserve the righteous wrath of God because of my sin. I deserve to be punished eternally. But in the mystery of His mercy, God sacrificed and crushed His Son on the Cross--as my substitute--so that I might be forgiven of my sin and know God as my Father rather than my Judge. What am I? I am truly amazed by the grace of God. That'’s what I am.

Me too.

Valley of Vision MUSIC!!!!

You might know that one of my favorite books of all time is the collection of puritan prayers entitled "The Valley of Vision." If you do not own a copy you should get one, now! (It's available in paperback AND leather bound editions.) In my pursuit of treasuring Christ and hating sin, this book has helped me as much as anything outside of Scripture.

Sovereign Grace Ministries has written songs based on some of the prayers in this book! You can click HERE to order the CD and to hear song samples, read lyrics, etc.

Great stuff!

Here's my favorite one (so far).

Click and Read!

If you are not reading the Together for the Gospel blog, you should be!

When you know you are dying soon

We all know that we are going to die some day. At Harry Treude's funeral on Friday I talked about how the realities of cancer and death should cause us all to think deeply about our deaths and whether we are prepared for eternity.
Seth Griep told me about a blog a few days ago that I think we should all be reading...
Al Groves is a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and found out earlier this year that he is dying from Melanoma. He and his family are keeping journal of his health and their thoughts and emotions during this difficult time.
You can read the journal by clicking HERE.

World Magazine on The Da Vinci Code

I have not been teaching in depth regarding the Da Vinci Code controversy, but the conversations that we have been having about Gnosticism and the authority of Scripture have been fascinating. Some of you wanted some resources, so I have linked to the recent articles that World Magazine has published on the book/movie. Here are the articles:
Onward Gnostic Soldier by Marvin Olasky
The Da Vinci Phenomenon by Gene Edward Veith
The Da Vinci Code by Andrew Coffin
Busted Blockbuster by Gene Edward Veith
The Puzzle of Life by Gene Edward Veith

There is another article that is related to this controversy that you should also check out, especially if you are interested in learning more about Gnosticism:
Return of the Cainites by Gene Edward Veith

The Slippery Slope re:Abortion

You should read this column by Kathleen Parker. I do not agree with every thing that she says - but she is correct in that abortions around the world are becoming less restrictive and being used more for convenience sake than ever before.
May God change our hearts to value life and honor Him above all things.

Comfort

comfort(Merriam-Webster): Function: noun
1 a: strengthening aid : ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT b: consolation in time of trouble or worry : SOLACE
2 a: a feeling of relief or encouragement b: contented well-being
3 : a satisfying or enjoyable experience
4 : one that gives or brings comfort
------------------
After thinking more about the article on adoption (see previous post) I am aware of the amazing fact that God knows me (all of me - good, bad, and ugly), still hears my prayers and evens answers them. I am amazed that He cares enough to have a plan for my future and that He is in control of that plan. I am amazed that He is committed to His glory - and that is good for me (more than anything else in the world).
So often I am like Russell Moore (see the article on adoption - especially the 4th paragraph) - I am frustrated because nothing seems to be "working," while all the time God has a plan that He is working out for me that is greater than I could ever ask for or imagine. That is comfort.

Adoption - Don't Miss This

I talk about adoption alot... in a theological sense. I have never been adopted in an earthly sense, nor have I adopted, but my spiritual adoption is very real. The Father, who was my enemy because of my sin, has made me His child - adopted me into His family - and made me His own.
Read this -- you'll see what I mean.

[HatTip: Justin Taylor]

Longing for THIS to be the cry of my heart!

Gracious Lord, incline thy ear;
My requests vouchsafe to hear;
Hear my never-ceasing cry;
Give me Christ, or else I die.

Wealth and honor I disdain,
Earthly comforts, Lord are vain;
These can never satisfy:
Give me Christ, or else I die.

refrain:
All unholy and unclean,
I am nothing else but sin;
On thy mercy I rely;
Give me Christ, or else I die.

Thou dost freely save the lost;
In thy grace alone I trust.
With my earnest suit comply;
Give me Christ, or else I die.

Thou dost promise to forgive
All who in thy Son believe;
Lord, I know thou canst not lie;
Give me Christ, or else I die.

-- "Christ, Or Else I Die"
Taken from the Gadsby Hymnal # 737
Words - William Hammond, 1719-1783

You can listen to a sample of the Red Mountain folks singing these lyrics at this link.

God's Book of Grace

Sorry that I have been gone from the blog for a while. I'm trying to get back into it. Here are some profound and encouraging words from John Bunyan regarding the Holy Scripture:

God’s book of “grace” is just like his book of nature; it is his thoughts written out. This great book, the Bible, this most precious volume is the heart of God made legible; it is the gold of God’s love, beaten out into gold leaf, so that therewith our thoughts might be plated, and we also might have golden, good, and holy thoughts concerning him.

Have you ever been accused of being too "Atonement-centered"?

HERE is a link to an article by Mark Dever, a pastor in Washington, D.C. In this article he addresses the fact that our only hope in this life and for all eternity is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins - thereby rescuing us from eternal death.

There is nothing more important to the Christian that the cross of Jesus Christ. I am writing this on Good Friday. The past two weeks have been very busy for me (as you can tell by the fact that I have ignored this blog completely) - but the fact that we are celebrating Easter this weekend and focusing on the death of Christ TODAY reminds me that all the busyness of life is worth it. I have the privilege of being employed to inform & remind people that they need a Savior and that THERE IS ONE! That is why Good Friday is so GREAT! God became flesh and died in my place simply because He loved me. The agony that He suffered on the cross and the brutality of crucifixion tempt us into thinking that this day should be full of mourning, but Sunday reminds us that His death was not fatal! It is only because of the fact that He died and rose again that we have any hope. He did those things - and that's what makes Good Friday so great.

Mark Dever finishes his article with these words (and I encourage you to follow the link above and read the entire article):

In C. J. Mahaney's new book, Living the Cross Centered Life (Multnomah, 2006), he shares with us his advice to his young son, Chad. "This is what I hold out to my young son as the hope of his life: that Jesus, God's perfect, righteous Son, died in his place for his sins. Jesus took all the punishment; Jesus received all the wrath as he hung on the Cross, so people like Chad and his sinful daddy could be completely forgiven." Like Chad, we would do well to accept our guilt and admire God's grace, to let the Holy Spirit encourage us by the Savior's self-denying love to follow his example, and to savor God's love to us in this almost incredible sacrifice.

Have a Great Friday - and Happy Easter!

[HatTip: Justin Taylor]

Learning From History...

Click HERE to read the article that we talked about in SS this morning. [HatTip: WorldMagBlog]

Remember that while we are thankful that God has seen to keep our church faithful to Him and to the Bible, we must continue to depend on Him and constantly remind ourselves of the Gospel which teaches us that we are ALL sinful and in need of a Savior - and that we have One, Jesus Christ.

If you are interested in Presbyterian church history, here are a few items to check out:

• I Am Reminded by Kennedy Smartt - This is a first-hand account of the beginnings of the PCA by one of the men that was there from the beginning. (This book is in our church library.)
• A BRIEF HISTORY of the PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA -- from the PCA Website.
• The Wikipedia page on the PCA -- has some good links about the PCUS and other history.
• Living History of the Presbyterian Church in America, by Jerry Kornegay - this item is available from the PCA Historical Center.
• On Being Presbyterian by Sean Michael Lewis -- This is a new book that is still on my "need-to-read" list, but the author is a church history professor at Covenant Theological Seminary.

Good News On A Monday Morning!

“When God is your Father, He never stops being your Father. To put it in theological language, not only is your justification (being saved) by grace, your sanctification (becoming more like Christ) is by grace too. The trouble is that most Christians think they’re saved by grace but grow by sweat. Many of us believe that when we were saved, God took our slate filled with sin and rebellion and wiped it clean. That’s a lie…Listen! God took our slate and He broke it in pieces and threw it away. He does not deal with His family by keeping track on a slate of how we are doing. The slate is irrelevant because of the blood of Christ.” Steve Brown, When Being Good Isn’t Good Enough

This quote came to me this morning via Graced Again. You can sign up for regular words of encouragement at their website.

Resources

The sermon from Sunday on adultery and lust may have you looking for resources for yourself or someone else. Here are some ideas:

Setting Captives Free - free online courses on a myriad of addictive issues such as sexual purity, food issues, substance abuse, and gambling from a God-centered perspective.

Books I recommend:
Sex is Not the Problem (Lust Is) by Joshua Harris - a great, Christ-centered, easy-to-read resource for anyone wanting to understand the problems that sexual sin pose.

Sex and the Supremacy of Christ edited by John Piper & Justin Taylor - broader in scope than Josh Harris' book. The chapters are based on lectures given at the Desiring God Conference in 2004. It also comes with a DVD of John Piper giving his two lectures - good stuff!

Thoughts for Young Men by J.C. Ryle - general advice for young men, including how to keep your hearts pure from pride and the love of pleasure. Good for men of all ages.

The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard - a re-writing of John Owen's Indwelling Sin for modern readers. It's great concerning the power of our sinful nature and how sin is defeated in our hearts. Highly recommended.

The Room

I am preparing to preach on Matthew 5:27-30 this Sunday. This is the passage on Adultery and Lust. As I was reading, I came across this short story by Josh Harris. We all have need for repentance and forgiveness regarding our lustful hearts -- as well as sins of an infinite variety. This story reminds us of our hope.

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index-card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.... (Continue reading by clicking HERE.)

A Baptism Prayer

When we baptized Amelia and Luke a few weeks ago Anna sang this hymn during the offertory. It is a baptism hymn which serves as a prayer for our children. It's beautiful and I encourage you to use it as you pray for our covenant children – no matter their age!

Gracious Savior, gentle Shepherd,
Our little ones are dear to Thee;
Gathered with Thine arms and carried
In Thy bosom may they be
Sweetly, gently, safely tended,
From all want and danger free.

Tender Shepherd, never leave them
From Thy fold to go astray;
By Thy look of love directed,
May they walk the narrow way;
Thus direct them, and protect them,
Lest they fall an easy prey.

Let Thy holy Word instruct them:
Fill their minds with heav'nly light;
Let Thy love and grace constrain them,
To approve whate'’er is right,
Take Thine easy yoke and wear it,
And to prove Thy burden light.

Cleanse their hearts from sinful folly
In the stream Thy love supplied;
Mingled streams of blood and water
Flowing from Thy wounded side;
And to heav'’nly pastures lead them,
Where Thine own still waters glide.

by Jane Leeson, 1842

The God of Grace

I was reading, praying and preparing for my sermon this morning and came across the following prayer in "“The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions."” If you have not gotten your hands on this collection of prayers I encourage you to do so --– it'’s incredible. We are using part of the following prayer as our preparation for worship this Sunday, but I thought you would benefit from reading the entire prayer.

O God of grace,
Teach me to know that grace precedes, accompanies,
and follows my salvation; that it sustains the redeemed soul,
that not one link of its chain can ever break!

From Calvary's cross, wave upon wave of grace . . .
reaches me,
deals with my sin,
washes me clean,
renews my heart,
strengthens my will,
draws out my affection,
kindles a flame in my soul,
rules throughout my inner man,
consecrates my every thought, word, work,
teaches me Your immeasurable love.

How great are my privileges in Christ Jesus!
Without Him I stand far off, a stranger, an outcast.
In Him I draw near and touch His kingly scepter!
Without Him I dare not lift up my guilty eyes.
In Him I gaze upon my Father-God and friend!
Without Him I hide my lips in trembling shame.
In Him I open my mouth in petition and praise!
Without Him all is wrath and consuming fire.
In Him is all love, and the repose of my soul!
Without Him is gaping hell below me, and eternal anguish.
In Him its gates are barred to me by His precious blood!
Without Him darkness spreads its horrors before me.
In Him an eternity of glory is my boundless horizon!
Without Him all within me is terror and dismay.
In Him every accusation is charmed into joy and peace!
Praise be to You for grace, and for the unspeakable gift of Jesus!
"The Valley of Vision" is published by The Banner of Truth.

The Epitome of Sad

Justin Taylor posted the following yesterday on his blog:

This has to be one of the saddest stories I've read in a while. The BBC reports that a woman in Scotland sought to abort her twins. Unbeknownst to the mother or to the doctors, one of the babies survived the attempted murder. So now the mother is suing the hospital for compensation, seeking damages for the "financial burden" of raising the child.

"I have got a child now that I wasn't planning to have and I believe the hospital should take some responsibility for that," she said.

"They should have known, or at least warned me, that I might still be pregnant when I left. It has totally changed my life and my parents' lives.

(My emphasis.)

"I still don't know if, or what, I am going to tell Jayde when the time comes. Maybe when she is nine or 10 I will sit her down and explain it to her."

Try to imagine that conversation. Then weep at the depravity. Then realize that we would act in such a murderous, self-centered way but for the grace of God. May we cling to the cross, and cry out to God for both mercy and justice. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

I agree.

Piper on Not Wasting Your Cancer

"Cancer is meant to waken us to the reality of God. It is meant to put feeling and force behind the command, 'Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord'(Hosea 6:3). "
-- John Piper

This quote is from an article that Piper wrote on the eve of his cancer surgery. You can read the entire article here.