Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
What Am I Afraid Of?
Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.
- Francis Chan
Gospel Centered Hymns
I picked up the guitar for the first time in a long time today. I think this is the first time I played it since moving back to New York. I miss serving on praise teams and leading praise for small prayer meetings.
It's hard to enjoy and worship to hymns in this contemporary age, but when the lyrics are so amazing and true to the Gospel as these two hymns, how can one NOT praise the Lord? Anyway, these two hymns really hit me today:
Before the Throne of God Above
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One,
Risen Son of God!
Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!
One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God
It is Well (With My Soul)
When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well, with my soul.”
It is well, with my soul
It is well, with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul!
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control:
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul!
It's hard to enjoy and worship to hymns in this contemporary age, but when the lyrics are so amazing and true to the Gospel as these two hymns, how can one NOT praise the Lord? Anyway, these two hymns really hit me today:
Before the Throne of God Above
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One,
Risen Son of God!
Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!
One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God
It is Well (With My Soul)
When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well, with my soul.”
It is well, with my soul
It is well, with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul!
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control:
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
My Faithlessness and His Faithfulness
During these times when I know that I am essentially and fundamentally living a Godless life; when I know the gospel of Christ Jesus is not the center and anchor of my life; when I know that I am comfortable with my worldliness and my fleshly desires, I really wonder how I haven't fallen off the wagon completely and turned away from God altogether. When there is nothing good in me and when I desire not for it, how could a longing for the One who is eternally good still reside in my innermost thoughts?
- Charles Spurgeon
"If we have not altogether turned aside from the Lord, it is only grace which has prevented us."
- Charles Spurgeon
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Politics and Christianity
Neither truth nor righteousness lie in the law of the world. Love; but forget not the Way, Truth, and Life for whom we are ambassadors.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Two Real Reasons for Vigilance
Around 11:30pm on May 1st, 2011, President Obama announced the death of Osama Bin Laden at American hands. The President called for vigilance as Al Qaida still remains regardless of the death of its figurehead. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed this same message this morning.
Today is a day of mixed feelings and mind racing. I keep thinking about September 11 and what I was feeling and thinking then. I think about all the innocent lives lost. I think about our idea of “justice” and our idea of “freedom”. I think about the idea of the military and war. I think about politics. I think about America’s stuck up attitude and superiority complex as exhibited in President Obama’s speech: “America can do anything it sets its mind to.” I'm caught. One part of me wants to join the bandwagon of celebration and American patriotism. The other, bigger part of me, considers mercy, forgiveness, love and mostly just trying to look beyond what we see in front of our eyes. How would God want us to react to all of this on this day?
At this moment I can only say that yes, indeed, we must be vigilant. But not solely against terrorism (in the western political definition) and not solely because of fear. We must be vigil against the enemy, Satan, as he is continually trying to get us and we must be vigil because the day and hour of Christ’s second coming is unknown.
Matthew 25:1-13 NIV:
1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV:
Lastly, here is an interesting read. I do not rejoice today. But I'm still not quite sure exactly how I feel.
Today is a day of mixed feelings and mind racing. I keep thinking about September 11 and what I was feeling and thinking then. I think about all the innocent lives lost. I think about our idea of “justice” and our idea of “freedom”. I think about the idea of the military and war. I think about politics. I think about America’s stuck up attitude and superiority complex as exhibited in President Obama’s speech: “America can do anything it sets its mind to.” I'm caught. One part of me wants to join the bandwagon of celebration and American patriotism. The other, bigger part of me, considers mercy, forgiveness, love and mostly just trying to look beyond what we see in front of our eyes. How would God want us to react to all of this on this day?
At this moment I can only say that yes, indeed, we must be vigilant. But not solely against terrorism (in the western political definition) and not solely because of fear. We must be vigil against the enemy, Satan, as he is continually trying to get us and we must be vigil because the day and hour of Christ’s second coming is unknown.
Matthew 25:1-13 NIV:
1 ”At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.6 ”At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’7 ”Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’10 ”But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.11 ”Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’12 ”But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’13 ”Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV:
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Lastly, here is an interesting read. I do not rejoice today. But I'm still not quite sure exactly how I feel.
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