By Rob Flood

 

Has your car even been out of alignment?  You know what I mean…when your car naturally drifts left…or drifts right.  What’s missing?  Why does it do this?  It’s lacking adjustments that stop the natural drift.

 

Christians, too, can automatically drift to one side or the other when it comes to the mission. 

 

Some drift to disengagement.  They consider their involvement in the mission to be restricted to church attendance, family time, and fellowshipping with friends.  They’re solid Christians but not aggressive on mission.

 

Some others engage mission with unbridled fervor.  They throw themselves into ministry of compassion: helping the poor, tending to the sick, encouraging and befriending the outcast.

 

And, perhaps the most difficult thing of all, is that each drifting faction attempts to proselytize the other.  The disengaged attempt to pull back to super-engaged.  And the super-engaged attempt to motivate and enlist the disengaged.

 

In the process of making cases and prosecuting perspectives, the alignment of the church can get out of whack.  Each group, though well-intended and well-motivated, needs adjustment.  Because of their intense focus on the trees, they’ve missed the forest.

 

The fix for both groups, and the key to alignment, can be found in the facts and implications of the work of Christ.  The song, Rock of Ages by Augustus Toplady, captures the message of adjustment well.

 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

 

Regardless of which group we’re a part of…regardless of our perspectives and passions…we all need to be hidden in the cleft of Christ.  This is the beginning of the adjustment each drifting group needs.  Without this, we will necessarily miss the forest for the trees.

 

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

 

Our efforts in compassion, in mission, or even in fellowship are not the basis of our spiritual health.  The labor or our hands, which we are called to do, cannot be used to judge the mission…nor is it to be used in judging others.

 

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

 

Regardless of our gifting or passions, we truly come to God with nothing in our hands.  1 Corinthians 4:7 makes it clear that whatever we have, we have been given.  Our need for grace brings the forest into clarity.

 

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

 

It is the end of our story, our union and eternal fellowship with Christ, that fuels our hope and our engagement in the mission.  The end of the story pulls us out of our own perspective on mission and helps us see the rest of the forest.

 

So, how should we engage the mission of the church?  …the call of the gospel on our lives?  Keeping our eyes on the cross and our hearts the coming of Christ, we engage the mission.  We encourage one another in the work of the mission.  And we first identify our own tendency to drift prior to concerning ourselves with the drifting of others.  This will help us avoid missing the forest for the trees.

By Al Everett

 

I have never really liked winter.  As a young man I suffered from what doctors might call Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD for short.  Basically it meant I would be SAD in the winter because of the decreased amount of daylight.  Each year, as Day Light Savings Time ended, the dread would begin to build and soon become debilitating depression that would last until the first real harbinger of spring – the Phillies’ spring training games.

 

Over time I began to wonder if what the doctors diagnosed as a disorder might not actually be ordinary bitterness – a simple anger at God for allowing me to suffer the cold.  The proof of this theory came along when I decided confession was a better treatment for my bitter spirit than the doctor-recommended light treatments.  As a result, the Lord led me into what would truly be my first winter without being SAD for as long as I could remember.

 

Don’t get me wrong though.  In spite of that grace, I still hate being cold.  So when I get out there like most guys and start chipping away at the ice on my driveway on those below freezing days, you can bet I am struggling to find joy.  The old bitterness may be gone but man, I still do not like the cold. 

 

One winter’s day, as I was chipping away at said ice on my driveway, feeling a little joy-challenged, I began to daydream about my garden.  (Yes, real men do garden, but that is a post for another day.)  As I struggled with that ice, I started looking around and seeing a plant here and another there.  I felt joy building as I thought,

 

"Yes...that plant will soon be green again, and that one there, it’ll soon be covered with pink and purple fragrant buds, and that row of sticks, those skinny, dead twigs, they will be filled with flowers that will bring the hummingbirds and the butterflies." 

 

I remembered the warmth of summer and the joy of splashing with my daughter in our pool.  For a few minutes the ice and gloom were gone and I was in my swim trunks, smelling burgers on the grill and hearing the crack of a baseball against a bat.

 

C.S. Lewis wrote that Narnia was a place where it was "always winter but never Christmas," a sad metaphor for a world separated from God.  You know, our present struggles in this world are winters of a sort, but because of the cross, with every winter comes a spring, with every death comes a resurrection.  If we look only at the cold and darkness of this present winter, we will be joy-challenged.  But if we can focus our sluggish souls on the spring to come, as God works all our trials together for our good, imagine the joy that His Spring will bring.  Believing is seeing and you can see it and rejoice in it now, even while living in the throws of today's cold and ice.  God's grace brings the hope of spring into our present day reality.  Though we now endure circumstances of winter, we have hope for the spring as the power of Christ's resurrection builds in the darkness of our lives, anticipating the day it will explode in joyous, glorious, fragrant spring. 

By Rob Flood

 

By the grace of God, we are well-taught people.  We know that the gospel is central.  And not just central to the message of salvation.  We know the gospel is central to the Christian life.  We never outgrow our need for it.  We just grow deeper in our awareness of it and dependence upon it.

 

But sometimes…in some specific areas…we can desire something more.  Sure, we like the gospel, but couldn’t you give me the gospel and five things to do?  Couldn’t you preach the gospel clearly and tell me 3 steps to marital bliss?  …or 5 keys to holiness?  …or the most important thing to do in dealing with marital conflict?

 

Here’s what we have planned for you:  Fight Night: Round 3!

 

This Tuesday evening, February 2nd at 7:30 p.m., the married and engaged couples of Covenant Fellowship Church are going to gather for the final installment of Fight Night. 

 

If you recall, we met for Rounds 1 & 2 in the fall.  We learned quite a bit about conflict, enmity with God, and even some very useful steps in addressing and resolving conflict.

 

We are prepared to make you a commitment.  This Tuesday evening, we will address the issue of marital conflict head on.  There will be practical help for you to take home.  However, we commit to never go beyond the gospel.  We do not have to labor to make the gospel relevant…it is relevant by its very nature.

 

This is why we never have to deliver the gospel…and.  We simply need to go further into the gospel and mine its riches.  And our hope is to do that together on February 2^nd.

 

If you didn’t attend Rounds 1 & 2, don’t let that keep you from coming.  You can even listen to the messages here.  And if you don’t get a chance to listen to these audio messages, come anyway.  Bring your marriage…just as it is.  And expect God to meet you.

 

We’ll start at 7:30 sharp.  We hope to see you there.

 

Fight Night: 3 Rounds to Conflict  Resolution

Round 3

Tuesday, February 2^nd, 2010

7:30 p.m.

 

Coffee and fellowship to follow

 

 

 

Editor’s Note:  This is a blog from Janis Shank, wife of Sovereign Grace pastor Steve Shank.  It’s a wonderful introduction to an unsung hero of the faith. 

 

By Janis Shank

I love biographies!  There is something powerful about reading the entirety of a person’s life journey that inspires faith toward God while I am still living mine.  Most recently, I have been deeply affected by the life of John Calvin, who was born 500 years ago July 10.  Many worldwide tributes devoted to his remembrance and the impact he made on church history are occurring this year.  John Piper explains how we honor God through appreciating Calvin in particular:

"I am eager for people to know Calvin...because he took the Bible so seriously, and because what he saw on every page was the majesty of God and the glory of Christ.  Calvin continues to inspire me because of his relentless focus on the greatness of God....

In the end, Calvin’s manifold ways of inspiring us have the effect they do century after century because he saw the gospel so clearly and made Christ so central....

If Jesus Christ, in all his majesty and excellence, is kept in clear view, the church will be kept from many errors.  Therefore, Calvin continues to inspire and serve the church five hundred years after his birth....  " (Taken from Desiring God blog)

We thought we would honor John Calvin indirectly by taking a peek at his dear wife, Idelette.  She, like us, was married to a pastor, called to be a helper to a man devoted to the service of God and His people.  What can we learn from this “older woman” of the faith?

Idelette lived from 1510 to 1549.  We are introduced to her when she and her first husband converted to the Reformed faith from being Anabaptist, and along with their two children joined John Calvin’s church in Strasbourg, Germany.  In the spring of 1540 Idelette’s husband died of the plague.  Surprisingly, by August 6 of the same year, she married John Calvin, the pastor who conducted her husband’s funeral.  Calvin’s ideal in a wife is revealed in his words to a friend: “But always keep in mind what I seek to find in her; for I am none of those insane lovers who embrace also the vices of those with whom they are in love, where they are smitten at first sight with a fine figure.  This only is the beauty which allures me, if she is chaste, if not too fussy or fastidious, if economical, if patient, if there is hope that she will be interested about my health.”  John found this ideal in Idelette as their brief and devoted union proved.

After six months of marriage, John and Idelette moved to Geneva, Switzerland where her husband assumed his new duties serving the Savior whom he so deeply loved.  They kept a lively home, offering hospitality to many and it was said of Idelette, “Your hospitality in the name of Christ is not unknown to anybody in Europe.”  She certainly assisted her husband’s ministry by keeping an open heart and an open home, often helping the poor and devoting herself to deeds of charity.

During the next few years Idelette had two miscarriages and gave birth to precious son, Jacques, who lived only two weeks.  Deeply weakened and ill from his birth, she took comfort in God and in the words of her husband, “The Lord has certainly inflicted a severe and bitter wound in the death of our infant son.  But He is Himself a father, and knows what is good for his children.”

Their marriage didn’t last long by today’s standards, and in 1549, after only nine years, Idelette finally succumbed to the illness that plagued her most of her life.  John was at her bedside when she died and heard her triumphantly exclaim, "O glorious resurrection!  O God of Abraham and of all our fathers, the believers of all the ages have trusted on Thee and none of them have hoped in vain.  And now I fix my hope on Thee.”  She certainly was a true companion to her husband and shared his deep conviction in the sovereign love and grace of God.  Her very last words proclaim God’s greatness and her trust in Him!

John Calvin’s grief was profound, and his words reveal the depth of his love for his wife, “I have been bereaved of the best companion of my life, who, if our lot had been harsher, would have been not only the willing sharer of exile and poverty, but even of death.  While she lived she was the faithful helper of my ministry.  From her I never experienced the slightest hindrance.”

What can we learn from Idelette’s brief journey while we are still living ours?  Here are a few take-a-ways for our encouragement.

1. She loved the Savior and served Him by loving her husband, children and God’s people entrusted to their care, often through hospitality and deeds of love.  She devoted herself to the advancement of the gospel in her lifetime.  We have the same calling and privilege.

2. She endured loss and physical suffering by trusting in the sovereignty of God.  Though we live in an age of modern medicine and many modern conveniences, we too suffer in various ways and can find our comfort in the same Sovereign Love.

3. She was a “faithful helper” of her husband’s ministry and “the best companion” of his life.  There is something so inspiring about this simple yet profound commendation by her husband.  By God’s grace, I can do this day by day; faithfully helping and seeking to be my husband’s best companion. 

4. She maintained a robust hope in God, even at her death.  By God’s grace, may we be ever growing stronger in this hope, now in life and all the way to our dying breath.

As you enter a new week, I pray you are inspired and encouraged by this ancient pastor’s wife to trust and serve our Savior.  May God give us grace to live in such a gospel advancing way as to leave a legacy for those who will follow after us, just like our friend Idelette.

By Jared Mellinger

 

Marty is currently in Uganda serving our sister church in Nagongera.  He sent this report from the field that I thought folks would appreciate.  Somehow you get the sense that there are parts of Marty’s diverse gifting and skills that come out in his trips to Africa that don’t get displayed the same way here. 

 

Here’s his report.

 

Things are going well here in Nagongera.  I am feeling well and have adjusted to the time change.  They have me scheduled for a lot of speaking this time.  Things are going well and I am enjoying my time here.  I did three messages to the pastors of the six churches they have now.  I spoke on biblical roles in ministry that stirred up a lot of discussion.  They used to have women pastors but they have changed that.  I used material I developed after our time with CJ at the pastor’s conference for the other two messages.  We are exposed to so much great teaching they just would not get here in Africa.

 

Today I finished speaking the first day of our leader’s conference, which will last three days.  Each day I will get to speak three times with a session in between for questions and answers.  Today I spoke on pleasing man, tomorrow I speak on pleasing God and then Wednesday I am going to speak on finding our pleasure in God.  I didn’t know I was going to do three days so I am working on those messages here.  I finished my first one last night on psalm 73.

 

Things are going well.  I ate guinea fowl for the first time for lunch today.  The church I am speaking at is a half hour drive from Nagongera into the bush of Africa.  They have no electricity, no running water, and the church building was constructed by members who carried water for two miles to mix the cement.  They recently planted a church in a nearby town.  They held a fast with no food or water that lasted for 100 hours.  At the conclusion of that fast they went into the town to preach the gospel and start the church.  A man who was mad (out of his mind for some time) came in and they prayed for him.  He was healed and went back to his family.  He, his wife and his daughter all were converted and joined the church.  So now, a few weeks later they have 20 or so members and sent 4 leaders to the conference. 

 

Before I began speaking the group gathered was praying.  It was loud.  Everyone was praying individual prayers but it was as though each person wanted to be heard publicly.  The resulting volume was intense. 

 

I am blessed to be here but will be glad to get back home.

 

Marty

 

I thank God for Marty’s ministry serving churches in Africa, and for reports like this that remind us that God is at work in powerful ways throughout the world.

By Doug Hayes

The year was 1963.  Outraged by a story he’d read in the newspaper, a young Bob Dylan sat down in an all-night café and penned the words to one of his most moving and brilliant songs.  A well-connected white man had killed a poor black barmaid in a fit of anger over a drink, and the ensuing trial had resulted in a slap on the wrist.  The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll is not only an exceptional piece of songwriting, but also a surprisingly insightful treatise on biblical justice.    

Verse one sketches the grievous incident in no uncertain terms: 

William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled ‘round his diamond ring finger…

The words depict a tragic event that surely must have evoked many tears.  But the chorus concludes begging the listener to refrain, for there’s an even greater tragedy yet to come: 

Take the rag away from your face
Now ain’t the time for your tears.

Verses two and three juxtapose the high position of the scornful perpetrator with the lowly social status of his innocent victim.  After hearing of a killer who “reacted to his deed with a shrug of the shoulders, and swear words and sneering, and his tongue it was snarling,” we are certain that our tears should flow when we’re told of Carroll, who…

Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane
That flew threw the air and came down through the room
Doomed and determined to destroy all the gentle
And she never done nothing to William Zanzinger. 

But again, in the chorus following each verse, the songwriter bids us wait.  Now ain’t the time for your tears.  The events depicted are heartbreaking indeed, but the tragedy of tragedies is still to come. 

In the fourth and final verse, we enter “the courtroom of honor,” where the judge pounds his gavel “to show that all’s equal and that the courts are on the level.”  A white man may be able to kill a black woman in the barroom.  But in the courtroom, black and white are irrelevant; justice is the one and only concern.  There, the judge…   

Stared at the person who killed for no reason
Who just happened to be feeling that way without warning
And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished
And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance
William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence.

Now, finally, we are granted permission to grieve.  The fourth and final chorus concludes differently from its prior three renderings:   

Bury the rag deep in your face
Now is the time for your tears. 

The point?  Injustices will happen in a fallen world.  Because of the sinfulness of man, it’s a virtual guarantee.  There is little we can do to prevent it from happening.  But God has ordained government to restrain evil and entrusted it with the sword of justice to answer when the blood of an innocent victim cries out from the ground.  In the case of Hattie Carroll, the “courtroom of honor” did not answer.  Her death in itself was tragic, but the greater tragedy was the fact that there was no justice for her. 

Today is the 37^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a decision rendered by America’s highest “courtroom of honor” denying justice to its smallest citizens. 

Now is the time for your tears.

As we grieve the loss of 50 million lives to legal abortion since 1973, let us renew our commitment to work tirelessly for the protection of the unborn.  And let us pray that one day, though a world without abortion is not possible until Christ returns, the laws of our land will again reflect justice for the weakest, most vulnerable among us. 

By Andy Farmer

One thing that happens in the blog world is the emergence of certain blog trails, where an issue gets picked up and added to through several sources.  I came across one of these trails a couple of days ago involving television journalist Britt Hume. 

I picked up the scent on Josh Harris’ blog, where he focused on some amazing comments made by Hume on his Christian Faith.

Here’s Hume on being a Christian,

Christianity is uniquely and especially about redemption and forgiveness.  That is what the cornerstone of what the faith is about.  Now other faiths aren't hostile to the idea, but think of what the message of Christ and Christianity is.  It is that the God of the universe sent His only begotten Son, who died a hideous death on the cross, to atone for all of our sins.  And we are thereby offered through that act a new covenant in which we are offered forgiveness and redemption on a continuing basis in return for our faith in God and our continuing efforts to live the Christian life.  That is a unique doctrine.

Pretty amazing stuff.  But Josh’s blog also led me to Justin Taylor’s site where he comments on an interview Britt did with Bill O’Reilly where he comments on things he said regarding Tiger Woods and his need for Christ.  You can check that out here.

Taylor’s blog gives more background on this well known figure who retired from the top of his profession so that he could better serve the Lord in his family and in community. 

Let’s pray for men like Britt Hume who, though he is no longer reporting from the White House, are seeking to make good use of the public platform God has given them in our culture. 

By Andy Farmer

 

This past Saturday Jared spoke at our Cross Culture youth meeting on ‘Making Much of the Fifth.’ (Listen here) It was a great message exhorting the teens to see the grace contained in the Fifth commandment to honor parents found in Deut. 5:16.  He derives his message title from a quote by Thomas Watson,

 

“He in whose heart godliness lives makes as much conscience of the fifth commandment as of the first.”  (Thomas Watson) 

 

In our Extra Point for parent’s application, we looked at a parent’s responsibility in helping children “make much of the Fifth.” Extra point here. In his letter to the Colossians (mirroring his instructions to the Ephesians), Paul calls children to honor their parents followed by this call to fathers (and mothers):

 

Do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged (Col. 3:21). 

 

We recognized that there is an operating assumption that our kids want to honor us.  Nothing shames a kid more than a parent whom he or she doesn’t think is honorable.  Your kids want to obey the Fifth because they love you.  And they want to obey the Fifth because they are learning to love God. 

 

In response to Jared’s message to the teens, here are Five Ways to Fuel a Fruitful Fifth in your Family

 

1.      Be united in your parenting approach.  In a home where parents are at odds over how to raise kids, things tend to break down into a debate over which parent is more right.  In a united home, the issue is not which parent is right.  It is whether the parents’ position aligns with God’s position.  Where this happens, there is clarity of care and leadership.  If the teen is struggling with parental decisions, he or she can make appeals, knowing that neither parent’s strong opinion will necessarily rule the matter. 

 

Being united may be more important in the long term than being right in every situation.  It’s easy to feel right and argue for it.  It’s hard to be united.  To be united takes listening; it takes humility.  It takes self-assessment.  It takes realizing that we’re wrong sometimes.  Believe it or not, you don’t always have to be right to earn your teen’s honor. 

 

2.      Leave room for emerging personality in your teen

 

One of the hard things to discern in parenting is whether a teen is fighting your authority or expressing personality.  Often it’s a mixture, but if we always treat our kids’ tendency to be independent as rebellion we’ll miss opportunities to help guide them into healthy individuality.  To cultivate honor in our teens we need to learn the art of wise guidance of who they are becoming and not seek to mold them into a pre-determined idea of what they should be.

 

3.      Be watchful of fear and frustration in your parenting

 

We portray in our words and actions the size of God and the character of God.  If we are parenting in fear we teach them that God isn’t really able to take care of his children.  If we parent in frustration we teach our kids that God is doesn’t have any room in his plan for our failure.  Besides prayer, the most important thing parents of teens can do is help each other guard their hearts.  If we see spouse falling into anger or fear patterns in relating to our teens we can help them retain an apprehension of the Gospel for themselves, so that grace is imparted to our teens. 

 

4.      Learn to be a voice in your teen’s life

 

Are we a mouth or a voice to our teens?  A mouth is always jabbering, always commenting, always opining.  A mouth always assumes the best way to handle things is through words – and the more the better.   

 

A voice is concerned with what it says and how it is heard.  A voice doesn’t want to just say things; it wants to make a difference.  Voices love to ask questions, help make sense, fill in meaning.  A voice realizes that sometimes direct confrontational words are necessary for the situation and that stating something to arrest behavior or address attitudes is the right approach.  But the voice never wants to be turned into a mouth.  Teens filter out mouths.  They open up to voices.  Let’s be a voice.

 

5.      Parent as if the teen years are transformation, not trial.

 

As we move through the teen years, it can be tempting to think that the ‘best years’ of parenting are behind us.  We can look back to those first steps, the first words, the adorable adulation that our kids showered upon us, and think that raising teens is the beginning of the end of family.  They seem to need us less, even want us less.  Home becomes the base of operations; the greatest need our teens seem to have is for food, transport, and communication with the outside world.  At times, parenting teens can seem like a trial. 

 

But it’s good to remind ourselves that the teen years are not about family ending, but about family maturing.  We’re all maturing – together.  For me as a parent, I realize that I can’t become what I’m meant to be without the process of my teen becoming what he or she is meant to be.  Our lives are forever linked in God’s plan.  I need the teenage years as much as my teen does.  As he or she matures, so will I; that’s how our amazing God works in families.  And we are all meant to look back at these years and see how they were truly formative for future generations of our family together.    

By Trish Donohue

Happy Tuesday morning ladies!  We’re virtually together here on the blog each week, but how fun to be together in spirit and body this past Saturday morning at the women’s meeting.  We got to spill our coffee on real people instead of just on our keyboards! 

The meeting was great for a variety of reasons: a lobby full of happy conversations and pastry munching, the honoring of two inspirational lives, biblical teaching, and a time of Q and A.  And notably, no sports illustrations!

As a confirmed couch potato, I’m rarely grieving the lack of sports analogies, and yet one came to mind on Saturday: I’ve been on the sidelines a lot, waiting for games to start or just cheering people on.  I’m comfortable there, and yet I’m aware that the action and excitement and victory and progress happen on the field.  How I wish I was gifted to be down there!

Many of us feel like we have been sitting on the bleachers eating our concessions, waiting for the action of women’s ministry to begin.  Once in a while a meeting is planned, and we look forward to the energy and excitement it brings, but there really doesn’t seem to be much action on the field.  What can we do though?  We’re not leading the church or setting the strategy.  We’ll just try to wait patiently.

But on Saturday morning I realized I’m not on the bleachers.  My popcorn got knocked out of my hand and I found that I’m actually, shockingly, down on the field.  The Bible says that women’s ministry is not a spectator sport where we wait for a gifted woman to rise up and lead the charge or a program to be presented.  It’s a lifestyle where we’re all seeking to disciple and encourage and minister to one another.  As we move forward, we look for older women to learn from and younger women to encourage along the way.  The field is alive with action, conversation, service, encouragement, help, and love.

Jared’s message not only got us off the bleachers, but outlined the rules for play.  The “Six Biblical Essentials of a Women's Ministry from Titus 2” are simple, clear, and solidly scriptural:

• Our women's ministry must be rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Our women's ministry must be the responsibility of the elders of the church.
• Our women's ministry must mobilize older women to train younger women.
• Our women's ministry must be a lifestyle.
• Our women's ministry must focus on biblical womanhood.
• Our women's ministry must be a part of our plan to advance the gospel.

The practical and simple nature of the “discipleship mandate” that scripture presents ensures that no one is sitting on the sidelines; and if they are, we should pull them down to the field quick—we need them!  Elizabeth Elliot shows us just how practical these opportunities for women’s ministry are:

“It is doubtful that the Apostle Paul had in mind Bible classes or seminars or books when he spoke of teaching younger women.  He meant the simple things, the everyday example, the willingness to take time from one’s own concerns to pray with the anxious mother, to walk with her the way of the cross—with its tremendous demands of patience, selflessness, loving-kindness—and to show her, in the ordinariness of Monday through Saturday, how to keep a quiet heart. 

These lessons will come perhaps most convincingly through rocking a baby, doing some mending, cooking a supper, or cleaning a refrigerator.  Through such an example, one young woman—single or married, Christian or not—may glimpse the mystery of charity and the glory of womanhood.”

Elizabeth chose the example of the anxious mother, but there are countless other discipleship opportunities around us as well.  As we clean someone’s house, care for an elderly aunt, encourage a struggling friend, pray for a community group member, or invite a younger woman over for lunch, we are following God’s direction for us as women, and we can be sure that He will produce lasting fruit as a result.

At the close of some meetings, we are looking down at a list of things we need to do.  At the close of this meeting, we were looking around at a room full of women who’ve already been organizing and participating in some powerful women’s ministry, without even planning it!  It ended up that the message wasn’t a redirection at all, but a cheer from the sidelines encouraging us to keep going with renewed purpose and zeal for the sake of the gospel itself. 

And though we’ll always enjoy meetings, nothing can top the opportunity to play the game everyday!

By Jared Mellinger

This is part two of a list of some of the books we recently added to the Book Shoppe.  (For part 1, go here.)

Related to Families and Children

• Pilgrims Progress, by John Bunyan (from Crossway).  This is now my favorite version of this classic.  Beautiful illustrations and updated language.  This book is one that should be in every home!     
• Gospel-Powered Parenting, by William Farley.  There are many parenting books out there, but this is probably the best one I’ve ever read.  The author leads the Sovereign Grace church in Spokane, WA.   
• Adopted for Life, by Russell Moore.  A book on adoption.  Moore has a passion to see Christian families adopting children, and this is a subject we have always cared about as a church. 
• Instructing your Childs Heart, by Tedd Tripp.  Chapter 3 on “formal instruction” is the one to read.  It’s worth getting the book to read that chapter alone! 
• Start Your Family, by Steve and Candice Watters.  This book aims to encourage young couples to be strategic and intentional about the early years of marriage, by making babies sooner rather than later.   
• Big Truths for Young Hearts, by Bruce Ware.  A good book to assist parents in the theological instruction of their children.  This is essentially a Systematic Theology for families and children.

Theology

• Finally Alive, by John Piper.  Piper writes about what it means to be born again.  The last 2 chapters on “How can we help others become born again?” give helpful suggestions for reaching out to the lost.    
• Christian Beliefs, by Wayne Grudem.  A good book for beginning readers.  Grudem’s massive Systematic Theology has been edited even further.  20 short sections that answer questions like “What is the Bible?” and “What is God like?”  
• Consider the Lilies, by T.M. Moore.  This is a book on creational theology, great for poets and artists and all who love the gift of life.     
• Heidelberg Catechism.  Also known as “The Book of Comfort” because of its heart-warming and pastoral tone.   
• The All-Sufficient God, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  Sermons from Isaiah 40 by one of my historical heroes.  Lloyd-Jones says Isaiah 40 is one of the greatest chapters in all of Scripture.     

By Stefan Bomberger

“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” Matthew 9:35-38

Three things emerge from this text regarding our mission together. Three prerequisites, if you will, for joining Jesus in the harvest.

Compassion for the Crowds
Verse 36 says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” We’re not speaking of false teachers or religious hypocrites. We’re speaking of everyday sinners: our unbelieving coworkers, neighbors, friends and family. What does Jesus see when he looks at them? Is he angry at them? Does he feel threatened by them? No. He doesn’t view them as ferocious wolves. Rather he sees them as helpless sheep. He has compassion for them.

A few years ago, Doug Hayes did an extensive study on the theme of “compassion” in the New Testament. He found that when it’s said that someone “has compassion” on another, it causes them to act benevolently towards them. That’s the story of the Good Samaritan, for example. Others felt bad about the beat up man. But the Samaritan felt compassion and therefore was moved to help him. Biblical compassion starts with a feeling, but it doesn’t end there. Compassion moves us to action. That’s why compassion is a necessary pre-requisite for joining Jesus in the harvest. Because we won’t be moved towards the crowd until we feel compassion for the crowd.

Help for the Hurting
Verse 35 tells us that everywhere Jesus was proclaiming the gospel, he was also “healing every disease and every affliction.” It’s important to remember that Jesus’ primary goal was always to bring us spiritual life through his death and resurrection. No question there. Even so, he never turned a blind eye towards peoples’ physical diseases, pains or afflictions. Rather, he healed them. 

Of course, this supernatural work of Christ demonstrates his authority as God. But if we stop there and simply use these texts to support the divinity of Christ, we miss something simple yet profound. Jesus cares about our pain. And wherever the gospel of Christ is preached, the care of Christ ought to be expressed as well.  God may use you to heal the sick in the name of Jesus Christ. Or he may use you to give out a cup of cold water in his name to the thirsty. Either way, our gospel proclamation ought to be coupled with help for the hurting. 

Prayer for the Laborers
In verses 37-38 Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” When Jesus looks at the crowds, he’s not discouraged one bit. Rather, he sees a great harvest of souls. A plentiful harvest. He sees men and women ready to be reaped for the kingdom of heaven. But there’s one problem; there’s not enough laborers to reap this plentiful harvest. 

You know, as an evangelist, my impulse is to think the next part would say: “therefore… equip and train more people to proclaim the gospel!” But Jesus doesn’t say that. Rather, he says: “the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” The prerequisite here for joining Jesus in the harvest is not first to go. It’s to pray. To pray earnestly for more laborers. 

Now of course this doesn’t mean that we’re simply to pray and not go. In fact the very next chapter, in verse 5, Jesus sends out his twelve into the harvest.  And in Luke 10, Jesus says these same words right before he sends out the seventy-two. So it’s clear from both accounts that those who pray are also those who go. Before we go though, we must ask the Lord of the harvest for more laborers. We must pray for the laborers.

I hope these three prerequisites challenge and inspire you the way they have me. The field is white for harvest.  So, have compassion for the crowds, offer help for the hurting, and pray for the laborers.

By Andy Farmer

 

Over the past year I’ve had the privilege of developing a relationship with a number of men from around the country who are building models of biblical counseling in the local church.  These fellow pastors are from a variety of churches – Baptists, Presbyterians, Bible Churches, Acts 29, etc,.  What links us together is a passion to see the Scriptures as the basis for the care of souls, and the care of souls taking place in the church. 

 

Last Friday we all engaged in a conference call where we were seeking to hammer out a common understanding of what we mean when we say ‘biblical counseling’.  You see, for someone to say they do Christian counseling doesn’t always mean the Bible is the ultimate authority in how they diagnose and treat the problems people face.  Often Christian counseling is based in a secular understanding of the human condition - and therefore treatment.  In much Christian counseling the Bible is used mostly as illustration material.

 

But even to say ‘Biblical counseling’ is something that needs thought.  Does biblical counseling mean that we only deal with problems that are explicitly talked about in the Bible?  Does it mean we can solve all problems simply by finding the right chapter and verse to apply?  What are we thinking when we think about Biblical counseling?

 

So, we were all thinking out loud.  To cut to the chase, we didn’t somehow come up with that one twitter-length definition that summed it all up.  But we did realize in our thinking out loud session what an amazing thing true Biblical counseling is – and how radical it is in our day and age.

 

For example,

 

When we say Biblical counseling we are saying that every person is made in the image of God, and therefore all people in their problems have some connection to the purposes of the God who made them. 

 

When we say Biblical counseling we are saying that God has invaded the world in the person of Jesus Christ.  Every problem we face will find its present meaning and ultimate resolution in personal relationship to Jesus Christ on the basis of his life, death, and resurrection for us and our eternal salvation.  The Gospel is the key to Biblical counseling.

 

When we say Biblical counseling we are saying that the agenda for counseling is not set by the counselor or counselee.  It has been pre-set by God himself, who is at work transforming people into his likeness by His Holy Spirit through their experiences, weaknesses, choices, relationships – every facet of their lives.   

 

When we say Biblical counseling we are saying that nobody’s problem can be understood in purely individual terms.  We are created, and saved, as people in relationship with others.  So Biblical counseling always has in view the person in community, not just the isolated soul.

 

We can say a lot of other things about Biblical counseling, but we can at least say what I just said.  And I’ll guarantee you won’t find those things said in most places people go for counseling. 

By Rob Flood

As a parent, I find myself praying for providential moments to have meaningful spiritual discussions with my children.  Sure, there are planned discussions.  These look like conversations around the table either in the morning over breakfast or in the evening over dinner.  But, to be honest, while I’m full of faith that God uses those times, I’m not getting jubilant “Amens!” from around the table at those times.

Then, of course, there are the spontaneous spiritual discussions that happen in the close quarters of an automobile or the losing side of a competition.  Those are sweet, but hard to measure.

Recently, the Floods have encountered Viral Spiritual Conversations.  I can’t say I recommend them…but they certainly qualify as providential moments.

This week, we are all taking turns dancing around the floor doing a hoe down with a stomach virus.  While this has happened before, something is different this time.  There is a tangible spiritual element to this visit of our pesky GI friend.

• The children have cried out for prayer, literally, as they have been overtaken.
• Questions of “why would God allow this” came from a few of them.
• Talks of distaste for the Fall were had.
• And, at least on one occasion, I can say the most significant spiritual conversation to date was had with one of my children as we waited for the virus to round 3^rd and slide into home.

So why blog on a stomach virus.  Surely, I’m not recommending one for your home…am I?  No…I’m not.  

I’m blogging on a stomach virus because it was just a couple weeks ago when my wife and I were talking about whether the children were actually understanding the gospel or the things we teach them relating to the gospel.  We felt a bit like inquirers with nowhere to go for a clear answer.  Then…WHAM!  Like a punch to the gut…or many guts, as is the case here…we see application in our children’s lives.  God, in his good providence, has revealed that at least some of the infirm in our home are connecting dots.

In your home, it may not be a stomach virus.  Maybe it’s the loss of a family fish, or the breaking of a favorite Christmas toy, or a sprained ankle just before the basketball game.  If God is sovereign, as we know him to be, he is using all our circumstances for our good.  As parents eagerly looking for signs of spiritual life in our children, we need to be looking for connected dots and spiritually informed questions…even during stomach bugs.

There are many kinds of spiritual conversations that ought to be happening in our homes as we rise up and when we lie down.  God uses them all…even the spiritual conversations that go viral!

By Ramona Doyle

 

Ever notice how easily the definition of “Mom, we’re out of food!” can change from person to person in your family?  Seemingly for each one, if a certain grocery item is absent then the pantry must be bare and starvation must be just around the corner.  For one child it’s OJ (it’s just not breakfast without OJ!) and for another it’s E. L. Fudge cookies.  I’ve even got one for which it is fresh broccoli—a rare breed, but don’t you love it!  My husband and I often chuckle at the comments we get over the “food thing” in our home, and balancing the wants, desires, needs, and grocery budget for our family can pose some interesting challenges.

 

But differences in personal grocery lists point to something more significant.  All of our children are different.  Their personalities differ.  Their strengths and weaknesses differ.  Their hopes and aspirations differ.  They each attach differing meanings to the situations of their lives.  Parenting in the midst of these differences can be daunting.  Competing desires and interests in our children can easily tempt us to parent on the fly—to satisfy the urgent needs of the moment and forget about the important.

 

Bill and I have seen the need for great caution as we seek to guide and direct our children’s hearts.  We want their lives—every part of them—to be informed and transformed by the power of the Gospel.  And so we need to visit and revisit our parenting standards often.  Without guiding principles in our parenting, we could easily miss instilling some of the most important and basic lessons and values our children need.

 

These are some of the considerations my husband and I hold foremost.  No matter what differing goals we have for each child in a given season, these standards inform them all:

 

1. Keep the Gospel first:  Every day affords new opportunities to highlight the wonder of God’s saving love for us in Christ.  Only in the Gospel will our children find salvation and power for true change.  Our kids need to hear it daily if they are to grow to define their lives by it.

 

2. Emphasize character:  Our children can easily be distracted by the latest cultural fads—things like clothing styles, music preferences, past-times, and patterns of communication.  They must know that character is ALWAYS more important than being cool.  And Godly character will inform and define their choices in this area as they grow in their love for the Lord and knowledge of his word.

 

3. Never let them doubt our love:  How easily we can be tempted to anger when dealing with our children’s hearts.  We want our children to be more aware of our love for them than our dissatisfaction over the state of their hearts.  Their first introduction to the Lord’s extravagant love for us is through our expression of love for them.  If our children are not aware of our affection, we may be missing something big!

God’s word is powerful (2 Timothy 3:16), and as we allow it to define our parenting, we can trust in his faithful work in the hearts of our children.

By Jared Mellinger

 

We recently added quite a few books to our Book Shoppe.  As you know, we don’t make any money off of the sale of books – this is just part of our effort to get the best resources we can recommend into your hands. 

 

I’ve put the new additions under different headings below.  I’ve also made a brief comment on each book, and I apologize in advance for all the superlatives.  These are some really good books! 

 

If it’s been a while since your been to the Book Shoppe, make your way there and pick up a few books to feed your soul.  Consider making it a goal as a Christian to read at least one soul-edifying book a month.     

 

Christian Living

• The Praying Life, by Paul Miller.  A really good, grace-motivated book on prayer.  The first section on praying like children is outstanding.
• Bookends for the Christian Life, by Jerry Bridges.  This is a great introduction to the Christian life, very easy to read.  Probably my favorite book by Bridges.
• Children of the Living God, Sinclair Ferguson.  A great little book on what it means to have God as our Father.
• Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes.  A bit more challenging because it is written by a 17^th century Puritan, but full of rich and comforting reflections on the compassion of Christ.
• Why We Love the Church, by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Cluck.  An engaging and enjoyable defense of the church, from the same guys who wrote “Why We’re Not Emergent”.     
• Counterfeit Gods, by Tim Keller.  An insightful book on idolatry and, as always, Keller is excellent at speaking to both believers and unbelievers in a winsome and helpful way.   

Devotional

• In Christ Alone, by Sinclair Ferguson.  Short readings on a broad range of subjects.  If you enjoy Ferguson, you will like this book.  
• The Loveliness of Christ, by Samuel Rutherford.  A collection of brief quotes drawn from Rutherford’s letters.   

Biography

• CH Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership, by Steve Miller.  A great introduction to Spurgeon that examines various aspects of his leadership: includes chapters on prayer, faith, Scripture, suffering, evangelism, and more.   
• The Suffering Letters of CH Spurgeon, by CH Spurgeon.  Spurgeon was a man who suffered much, and these letters written primarily to his congregation will encourage us in our suffering.     
• Robert Murray M’Cheyne, by Andrew Bonar.  One of my all-time favorite books.  An excellent biography that touches on themes of studying God’s word, the call to pastoral ministry, and revival. 

This is about half of the list of books we recently added, so I better save the rest for another post.  Part 2 will include books for families and children, and theology books. 

By David Mayinja

Editor’s Note: As many of us have put our Christmas decorations away, thoughts of Christmas can begin to seem like distant memories.  But before the boxes get stored for good, let’s take a look at Christmas in rural Africa.

My daughters believe that the Christmas season is their best time of the year. When I asked them why, they readily gave their reasons: they look forward to the Christmas Concert and Christmas Eve Service, singing Christmas Carols, decorating the Christmas tree, enjoying Christmas music played around the house, reading the Christmas story in the Bible, spending time with visiting relatives, the sumptuous meals, baking cookies and of course the gift giving.  They enjoy the traditions we have as a family and as a church.  These traditions make the season special for them.

The other day they overheard me mention that Covenant Mercies was sending funds from sponsors to our program locations in Africa so the children can have Christmas parties. They were intrigued and wanted to know how Christmas is celebrated by families in Africa.  As I explained, their eyes were filled with amazement…and, perhaps, yours will be, too.

• The Christmas holiday in Africa is not commercialized as it is in America. The holiday is more centered on the religious aspect of celebrating the birth of Jesus and singing Christmas carols and hymns than on giving gifts. On Christmas Day, most churches are full of worshippers and many churches hold additional services to accommodate the larger attendance. If anything is bought at Christmas for the children, it is a new set of clothes to be worn to the church.

• Just like in other cultures, celebrating Christmas dinner with family and friends follows the worship of our Savior. This day, most families will provide a full meal!  They save up for goat meat or beef, which are considered luxuries in Africa.  Much of the day is filled with food preparation over an outdoor open flame (just like camping for us).  And in families that are able to afford it, sodas will accompany the meal. Sodas (that we enjoy often without much thought) are a wonderful treat for the children.

• After the meal is done, the children entertain the adults with lively plays and songs.   So many are gifted in music, dance, and creativity.  The dramas and music are great and bring a lot of joy and laughter to everybody!

Covenant Mercies works hard to ensure that Christmas Day is meaningful for sponsored children in each program location. Sponsors are able to participate in making this celebration possible by contributing $15 per child. These funds are all sent to our field offices, where the staff organizes the Christmas parties and purchases new clothes for each child. This day is one that the children look forward to with great anticipation.

During the gathering, the children enjoy food, games, singing, drama, and also receive their Christmas gifts with much joy.  However, before they are dismissed, they are reminded about the purpose for Christmas. As one of our African pastors put it, “We tell them this celebration is to remind us that Jesus Christ so loved us that he came to die on the cross for our sins. And now by his grace we see this love demonstrated through our brothers and sisters in the USA.”

What a privilege that we get to participate in bringing Christmas joy to fatherless children in Africa.  And what a blessing to have so many of you joining us in that endeavor.

By Andy Farmer

In my devotions these days one of the books that is feeding me is J. C. Ryle’s classic book “Holiness.”  Ryle is writing in the 1800’s to address tendencies in his Christian culture for people to go to extremes.  One extreme is to see holiness is something we ‘get’ through some powerful spiritual experience – what was then called a ‘higher life’.  The other is to view holiness as a comparative thing – it’s OK as long as long as you don’t get too carried away with it.  In other words, Ryle was writing to people like you and me.  

In his third chapter he attempts to unpack the practical reality of holiness.  Reading his description has become a great test of my own desires for holiness.  Men, as we head into the new year let’s put ourselves under the Ryle’s practical holiness test.  Where is God putting his attention for our holiness in the coming year?  What clear deficiencies need to be addressed if we are to grow in practical holiness?

The following list is a summary of Ryle’s description of practical holiness with an application question to consider following each item.  Perhaps there are one or two items on Ryle’s list that the Lord has put on your list for 2010.  If you’re searching for some good sound reading for life change – get the book.  It is a true classic.

Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture.

• What role is the Bible currently playing in the way you make decisions?  

A holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin and to keep every known commandment.

• Are there any areas where you know you are failing to obey God, and not doing anything about it?  

A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ.

• When was the last time you soaked in one of the Gospels – and learned about the way to follow Jesus?  

A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, and government of his tongue.

• How do you do in situations where you are wronged?  

A holy man will follow after temperance and self–denial.

• Are there any areas of excessive self-indulgence that you are falling into on a regular basis?

A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness.

• Are you battling the tendency of self protection or self promotion with love toward others? 

A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others.

• Are you looking for opportunities to do good to others?  

A holy man will follow after purity of heart.

• Is there anything you regularly watch or listen to that would defile your heart?

A holy man will follow after the fear of God.

• Is there anything you regularly do simply because it pleases the Lord for you to do it?

A holy man will follow after humility.

• Are you looking for opportunities to promote the interests of others over your own?

A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life.

• Do you see faithfulness to your responsibilities as a blessing?

Last, but not least, a holy man will follow after spiritual–mindedness.

• Are you looking to order your life around the things that stir your thirst for Christ?

By Rob Flood

 

Have you noticed that there are many places where humility just doesn’t seem all that difficult?  We can have seemingly endless patience with some people in our Community Groups or other friends at church.  We can be out at a Target and have compassion on the person behind the counter.  We can be sitting in traffic and embrace the sovereignty of God.

 

But then we go home.

 

The endless patience evaporates for your spouse.  The compassion evaporates for your children.  Embracing the sovereignty of God feels much more like a wrestling match. 

 

Now, I’m open to the possibility that this difference is merely in my own life and that y’all are doing a great job.  However, if you’re even a bit like me, a question gets raised that needs an answer. 

 

Why is humility so much harder in our homes than it is nearly everywhere else?

 

We can, at this point, begin to analyze the causes and effects of our pride.  We might suggest that we’re home more than anywhere else so naturally we’ll fall into sin there more than anywhere else.  We might suggest that we have an expectation of serving self in our home and, when it gets invaded or threatened, we break out in pride.

 

As true as these circumstances may or may not be, there is an answer to this question that applies in all circumstances.  In moments where we lack humility, even in the home, we’re forgetting to apply a simple and well-known truth: the gospel.

 

I know…it can get to be a bit mind-numbingly redundant to keep saying, “the gospel.”  But don’t let the frequency of the word wear off the edges of its meaning.  In his book, Momentary Marriage, John Piper addresses the topic of humility and how it works in marriage.  He says:

 

The gospel of Christ’s painful death on our behalf has a way of breaking our pride and our sense of rightful demands and our frustration at not getting our way.  It works lowliness into our souls. (p. 56)

 

True and lasting humility only grows in the soil that rests in the shadow of Calvary.  And if we are going to manifest true and lasting humility in our lives, we must go to that soil, bend our knees and rest them on the turf there, and allow Calvary’s shadow to do it’s work on us…in us. 

 

True and lasting humility expresses itself wherever we are.  At church, in Community Group, in traffic, and at home.  When you truly possess this type of humility, it shows up in your marriage.  It shows up in your relationships with your children.  It shows up as you relate to your parents.

 

We’ve been told on any number of occasions that “home is where the heart is.”  If your heart has been humbled by the reality of Christ’s painful death on your behalf, then home is joyful because that is where the humble heart is.  If your home is the greatest stage for your pride and self-centeredness to shine in the spotlight, then perhaps you should plan a trip to Calvary.  There’s a shadow waiting for you there.

By Ramona Doyle

Editor’s Note:  As we turn our attention to the new year the temptation is to focus on fresh starts, immediate change, new goals, great plans.  But this vision, if done simply because the calendar has turned, won’t produce sustainable change, and can become a great burden in a short amount of time.  Ramona’s blog below is a great reminder where to place our focus when we face the new seasons of life.    

I don’t like to wait. Recently, while in a crowded office waiting for a doctor’s appointment, I began to half-heartedly read to my children. As I read, my thoughts drifted to everything I wasn’t getting done because I had to wait. But one of my children, noting the back-up in appointments, commented, “Gee, Mom, isn’t it great we get all this extra time to read together?”

What a different perspective! In reflecting on my attitude I realized how much time I can spend waiting impatiently for a different set of circumstances. I can do it in the day to day moments of my life, like in that crowded doctor’s office, or in the seasons of my life. I remember being a student longing for the day there were no more studies and exams. “Everything will be better then,” I reasoned. Sound familiar? We can do this in so many ways—we long for a trial to end, or for a husband, or for the time we can quit work and stay home with children, or for the day our tots are no longer in diapers, or for an end to the difficult teen years.

There is nothing wrong with God-soaked, faith-filled anticipation for what the Lord will do in the various seasons of our lives, but how often do we respond impatiently to a season of waiting and, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, run off chasing rainbows. We long for a different set of circumstances instead of appropriating what the Lord has for us here and now. And we can so easily miss out on the wonderful blessings, the lessons, and good works that the Lord has prepared for this day or season of our lives. The psalmist declared with confidence, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:5-6) He was content in his season and circumstances because of his abiding trust in the Lord’s care and purposes in the midst. He trusted in the Lord’s unfailing mercies, unchanging goodness, and ever-sustaining grace and found contentment where the Lord had placed him.

It helps me to remember that contentment is both a matter of faith and a posturing of my heart. We can grow in contentment: We can daily feed our hearts and minds with the Word of God and allow his precious promises to fuel our faith with truth—that He is with us and active in every season and circumstance of our lives. We can pray for eyes to recognize the Lord’s activity in our daily circumstances. And we can practice thankfulness for the many blessings the Lord has provided in the midst of our circumstances; a thankful heart seldom grumbles.

The psalmist said it so well, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

By Jared Mellinger

I recently read and enjoyed Paul Miller’s book on prayer, called A Praying Life.  Books on prayer can easily leave the reader feeling discouraged, but not this one. 

Miller talks about how strong Christians pray more and then uncovers this paradox of prayer: Strong Christians pray more because they see more clearly how weak and sinful and helpless they are.  This should come as a great encouragement to those of us who feel weak in our practice of prayer and our pursuit of God.  The pathway to a stronger prayer life is to become more aware of our weakness, and better acquainted with the enemy within.    

The author explains:    

“We tell ourselves, ‘Strong Christians pray a lot. If I were a stronger Christian, I’d pray more.’ Strong Christians do pray more, but they pray more because they realize how weak they are. They don’t try to hide it from themselves. Weakness is the channel that allows them to access grace.

I’m not referring to well-known Christians. An interviewer once asked Edith Schaeffer, author and wife of evangelist and philosopher Francis Schaeffer, ‘Who is the greatest Christian woman alive today?’ She replied, ‘We don’t know her name. She is dying of cancer somewhere in a hospital in India.’ I’m talking about that woman. Underneath her obedient life is a sense of helplessness. It has become part of her very nature…almost like breathing. Why? Because she is weak. She can feel her restless heart, her tendency to compare herself with others. She is shocked at how jealousy can well up in her. She notices how easily the world gets its hooks into her. In short, she distrusts herself. When she looks at other people, she sees the same struggles. The world, the flesh, and the Devil are too much for her. The result? Her heart cries out to God in prayer. She needs Jesus.

As we mature as Christians, we see more and more of our sinful natures, but at the same time we see more and more of Jesus. As we see our weaknesses more clearly, we begin to grasp our need for more grace.”  (A Praying Life, 56)

The greatest prayer warriors will always be those who are most aware of their weakness in battle.  Take heart as you seek to grow in grace and in prayer this year: the weakness you are now discouraged by is in fact the channel that allows you to receive the fullness of God’s mighty grace.   

By Rob Flood 

Jonathan Edwards is a well-known name in these parts.  He has a reputation for being a prolific writer, a dynamic preacher, a wonderful theologian, a passionate disciple.  What you may not know is that he is also an all-star resolution maker. 

When Edwards was a young man, he set out to determine the way he would live his life.  Without infringing upon the providence or sovereignty of God, Edwards determines how he wanted to live and then resolved to do it.  He even wrote them down.  His record of resolutions began: 

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake. 

He was fully aware that not a single one of these resolutions was possible without the help of God.  Yet, his dependence upon God’s help did not stop him from making these resolutions.  In fact, it was this very dependence upon God’s help that motivated him to be so bold in his resolutions.  Bold enough to make 70 of them, which he read weekly for the rest of his life. 

Here is just a sampling of his resolutions: 

#5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

#6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

#7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

#16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good. 

#25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it. 

#43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's. 

I’m not suggesting that we set out and make 70 of our own.  But we can learn something from this.  Even wise, gifted men such as Edwards need to choose purposefulness for their lives.  We can sometimes see men like this and think they are other-worldly.  They don’t struggle with temptation.  They aren’t normal.  They aren’t like us.  Yet, these resolutions defy that. 

No…his gifting isn’t normal.  But his temptations are.  His tendencies are.  And his choice for purposefulness in his Christian life is as necessary for us as it was for him.  

Will you act and speak only as though it is the last hour of your life? (#7)  Will you choose to act always as though you belong only to God? (#43)  If not these resolutions, what will you use to help you live purposefully, for as long as you live? 

Edwards’ resolutions were for Edwards.  They are not Scripture nor are they binding on your life.  His example, though, for purposeful living is a call placed on each of us.  

Interested in reading the whole list of 70 resolutions?  Click HERE.