Monthly Archives: September 2014

On Confession of Sin and Playing Games with God

29 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by in Confession of Sin, Edification, Exhortation, Repentance, Sin, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman, Walking in Newness of Life

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“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:19

“Confession is the authenticating mark of repentance, and likewise, repentance is the authenticating mark of our confession. They are like two sides of the same coin. If we truly agree with God about our sin, we will make every effort to stop sinning. We will do everything that we can do to turn away from our sin and turn towards God in the pursuit of holiness. Confession without turning away from sin is not real confession: it is lip-service that we are making to God. Giving lip-service to God reveals either deep stupidity (for who is stupid enough to play games with God?), or it reveals a genuine lack of understanding of who the God of the Bible is and how dangerous sin is. Jesus tells people who think that they are all set with half-hearted Christian living (things like insincere confession or lives that lack the fruits of repentance): “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).”

Walking in Newness of Life: Experiencing the Power of God in Resurrection by Identifying with Christ in His Death and Burial pp. 51-52

 

From The Depths of Woe – Indelible Grace

27 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by in Call to the Cross, Cool Christian Tunes, Cross-Bearing, Encouragement, Music, On Prayer, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

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From The Depths of Woe – Indelible Grace

The Words of this piece are from Martin Luther’s “Aus Tiefer Not Schrei ich zu Dir”-or in English “From The Depths Of Woe I Cry” (And no, I do not know German- that was a cut and paste). The hymn is based on Psalm 130. This rendition of the From The Depths Of Woe I Cry is distinct, intense, strong, and it has a ‘rugged beauty’- if you are in a season of waiting on God, if you are really feeling your need for His mercy and grace right now- this ones of you.

 

On Confession of Sin

26 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by in Confession of Sin, Exhortation, Repentance, Sin, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

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“When we confess our sin; we should name the exact times that we have committed our pet sins, the precise places that we are more likely to indulge our sinful appetites, and the people with whom we feel the freest and most comfortable committing our sin. If we do this we will be helped in our repentance; for we will be more aware of the relationships, places, and opportunities in our lives that we must be careful to turn away from in repentance. Also, by being specific in our confession, we own more truthfully the provisions that we have made for committing our sins in the past. This level of honesty with God and ourselves will likely aid in the production of the good-guilt, i.e., the godly grief, over our sin that is appropriate for a believer to feel. Feeling godly grief will cause us to confess and repent of our sin more and more; making us holier and leading us into deeper and deeper levels of holiness. Confession and repentance of sin keeps us on the path that leads to salvation. Ongoing confession and repentance of sin will keep us on the narrow path that leads to life. That is why the Scripture says, ‘…godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation.’ “

Walking in Newness of Life: Experiencing the Power of God in Resurrection by Identifying with Christ in His Death and Burial  pp. 51-52

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Van Til: Reasoning with Unreasonable Men

22 Monday Sep 2014

Posted by in Education, Evangelism, Missions, Reformed Theology

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We do not expect men to be reasonable unless God has once more made them so. But this does not vitiate the usefulness of reasoning with unreasonable men. Such reasoning strengthens our faith, and (who knows?) may be used by the Spirit to make men reasonable.

A quote from Cornelius Van Til, from his essay “Creation: The Education of Man- A Divinely Ordained Need“

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Have You Heard the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers????

20 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by in Cool Christian Tunes, Edification, Encouragement, Exhortation, Music, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

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Amazing, this band has a great sound. It takes me back… Their music is like a cross between Aretha Franklin, Janice Joplin, and the the Mamas & the Papas, but the lyrics are edifying. Perhaps to some of you that is an unsettling thought…but this song, “Little Light“,  has a happy feel, and it lifts me up. In their own words, the Eagle Light Gospel Singers are “A collective of friends reviving the spirit of gospel music with a unique blend of blues, indie rock, folk and bluegrass… The album captures ERGS live performance energy with a whole lot of percussion, a chorus of up to eight and an authentic love of gospel and the source behind the music.” To learn more- check them out at http://theeaglerockgospelsingers.com/.

To listen to Little Light hit the arrow on the bottom of the picture box…

Happy Saturday.

 

 

 

On Living in the Reality of Philippians 2:12-13.

19 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by in Boasting in Weaknesses, Edification, Education, Encouragement, Pauline Theology, Reformed Theology, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman, The Holy Spirit, The Sovereignty of God, Walking in Newness of Life

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“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13

“Personally, I cannot imagine a way that we could possess a more intimate knowledge of God than having Him inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit, manifesting His resurrection power through our physical, mental, and emotional capacities; literally changing us from the inside out, and thus enabling us to walk in newness of life in Christ- only the Lord could think of that. Yet, astonishingly, this is exactly what has been happening in us since the moment that God saved us. God has been making us more and more holy, conforming us into the image of His Son. He has been forgiving sin. He has been at work healing that which is lame in us. He has begun to unravel our twisted sinful thinking and untangle all the shame filled knots in our souls. God has only begun to resurrect that which is dead in us; teaching us how to walk in the glorious newness of life that He has so graciously given us in Christ. Since the moment that we passed from death to life, God Himself has been at work in our souls producing all of the necessary graces that we have needed for walking in newness of life- through our union with Christ. Every step of faith that we have taken, every act of obedience which we have completed, every willingness and inclination towards God’s will has been a fulfillment of both the exhortation and the promise of Philippians 2:12-13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Taken from Walking in Newness of Life, p. 138.

Ever-Present Help

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Boasting in Weaknesses, Edification, Encouragement, Exhortation, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman, The Holy Spirit, The Sovereignty of God

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“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1, NIV

Have you ever noticed how when the Lord is teaching us something He providential ordains a thousand ways to communicate that same truth to us over and over again in our daily lives? For example, like when the Lord is teaching us about trusting Him: He makes the daily Bible reading about trusting Him, the songs that come on the radio (or Pandora) about trusting Him, the testimony at church or prayer meeting  about trusting Him, and our friends start randomly texting us verses about trusting God. In doing this, God is doing two things. First, He is giving us repeated exposure to whatever truth that He is teaching us (in the example that I just gave He is giving  repeated exposure to the truth that we can trust Him), and secondly, in doing this, God is also showing us that He is the Ever PRESENT God. He is showing us that He is the God of TODAY, the God of RIGHT NOW, the God of our present tense reality. He is showing us that He is not just the God of history or the God of some far-off abstract future tense reality (like the future reality of judgment day). We don’t want to miss this second message in the divinely appointed providential messages sent to us from the Divine School-Master (that is, given to us by the blessed Holy Spirit- who is God over all). In other words, we don’t want to let the insane pace of the American lifestyle rob us of the peace of the knowledge that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

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Why Didn’t God Give Us a New Past?

12 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by in Boasting in Weaknesses, Call to the Cross, Cross-Bearing, Edification, Encouragement, Exhortation, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman, The Sovereignty of God, Walking in Newness of Life

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God gave us a new hope, a new Spirit, a new heart, and a new life, but He did not give us a new past: He decided to leave our pasts with us for the time being. God did this because He gets more glory by transforming our pasts than erasing them.

Taken from Walking in Newness of Life: Experiencing the Power of God in Resurrection by Identifying with Christ in His Death and Burial (p.98).

 

Why Matter- Matters.

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by in Edification, Encouragement, Walking in Newness of Life

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“God created everything that exists in order to manifest (or to make known) His glory. All matter was created to give us a small glimpse, a physical picture, of the incomprehensible greatness of who God is. Do you think that fruit is sweet? God is sweeter than the sweetest of fruit. Do you think that the sun is dazzlingly brilliant? God is dazzlingly brighter still. Do you think cool water is refreshing on a hot summer’s day? God is more refreshing than a thousand thirst-quenching mountain springs. Do you think that the ocean is vast? The vastness of God is greater still. Do you think that the universe is large? It is nothing in comparison to the greatness of God. So you see, matter matters because of what it shows us about God.”

Taken from Walking in Newness of Life: Experiencing the Power of God by Identifying with Christ in His Death and Burial (p.25).