Happy Easter!

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 
                                         - 1 Corinthians 15: 12-22

In What Do We Find Our Identity? - Part 2

This is a continuation of Ed Welch's post on identity.


In ancient Israel, horses, chariots and secret pacts with foreign powers were things that people would trust in rather than trust in the Lord. From Roman times to the present, we cling to achievements that can enhance our individual reputations because we can cash them in for power, sex, love, respect, money, or just some fleeting self-worth. Paul knew that achievements can so easily become our confidence, and he wanted none of it.

If we were asked to identify the primary hazards of daily life, we would first consider the ever-present possibilities for pain and failure. But Paul disagrees. Pain and failure have their challenges, but they are not the biggest threat. It is our successes that pose the greatest danger. Our human tendency is to find something that we have done that can prop up our identity. For that, we don’t need an endless resume, though we might prefer one. We will usually settle for one achievement that is a bit more impressive than someone else’s.

Paul invites us to burn those resumes now rather than have them burned later—to burn those achievements that we account as our righteousness. Only then can we know something—someone—of surpassing worth and what we receive in him will survive the refiner’s fire.


I just want to add to Welch's sentiments one of my favorite passages from Jeremiah 9 where the prophet reminds us of the only thing that is worthy of boast:

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. (v.23-24)

In What Do We Find Our Identity? - Part 1

The following is from a blog post by Ed Welch. He talks about how we measure our worth; in particular, the value we place on achievements we typically list on our resumes. Essentially he asks: "What do we boast in?"

It is hard to imagine, but try slowly dismantling your resume. What personal achievements have some importance in your life? Include health, education, weight, fitness, general attractiveness and unique abilities. If you were to boast, what might you boast about? Now, toss these out one at a time. Do some hurt more than others? What is left when the achievements are gone?

Some people don’t have to imagine. They have lost jobs to a shrinking economy, lost abilities to a body and brain that are less and less competent, or lost children, who were once their pride and joy but are now living in ways that no longer enhance a parent’s reputation. Yet—all those who live long enough will suffer losses. You will watch your resume gradually go up in smoke as no one remembers your vocational contributions, no one cares where you went to school, your physical appearance will win no prizes, and the world is gradually forgetting you.

In other words, let’s enter into the Apostle Paul’s dismantling of his own resume.

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (Phil 3:4-8)

More tomorrow.

Wisdom and Humility

After the last few posts, we should remember that a remedy for unrighteous anger is wisdom and humility. Here is a prayer adapted from the Presbyterian Common Book of Worship of 1906:

O Father in heaven, grant to us that with a meek and lowly heart we may endure your fatherly corrections, and submit ourselves quietly to your wise discipline. Grant that we may bear patiently the troubles of this mortal life, neither rebelling against you, nor turning away from your instructions; so that in the end we may be made wise and humble, and obtain the blessing of those who, with patience and strength wait upon the Lord, for it is in his name we pray. Amen

When Desires Become Demands - Part 2

Today, we are continuing the discussion from yesterday on desires that get out of control and affect our relationship. Here, Paul Tripp moves through the transformation of our desires to expectations and disappointments.

Once my heart is ruled by the desire for a certain thing, it cannot help but affect my relationship to you. Need inevitably produces expectation ("You should").  If I am convinced I need something and you  have said that you love me, it seems right to expect that you will help me get it. The dynamic of (improper) need-driven expectation is the source of untold conflict in relationships.

Eventually I will come to accept the logic of my neediness. I will find it painful to live without the thing I desire. It becomes my right. This powerful expectation will not only shape my relationship with people, but with God as well. My plan for our relationship is that it would meet my needs.

But it doesn't stop there. You do not know that I have christened these desires as needs, and you do not meet my expectations. Expectation very quickly leads to disappointment ("You didn't!")....There is a direct relationship between expectation and disappointment, and much of our disappointment in relationships is not because people have actually wronged us, but because they have failed to meet our expectations.

Disappointment then leads to some form of punishment ("Because you didn't, I will..."). We are hurt and angry because people who say they love us seem insensitive to our needs. So we strike back in a variety of ways to punish them for their wrongs against us. We include everything from the silent treatment (a form of bloodless murder where I don't kill you but act as if you do not exist) to horrific acts of violence and abuse. I am angry because you have broken the laws of my kingdom. God's kingdom has been supplanted. I am no longer motivated by a love for God and people so that I use the things in my life to express that love. Instead I love things, and use people - and even the Lord - to get them. My heart has been captured. I am in active service of the creation, and the result can only be chaos and conflict in my relationships.

Here we see how expectations create a "You should"-based relationship, followed by the inevitable "You didn't!" dynamic, and ending with the "Because you didn't, I will..." trap that sets us up as judgmental gods and destroys earthly relationships and strains our relationship with the true God. Please be careful about what desires rule you, brothers.

When Desires Become Demands - Part 1

In Instruments in the Redeemer's Hand, Paul Tripp describes the process when our desires - often good desires - become unrighteous demands on other people. It's worth noting that during this transformation, the one making the demands often becomes the center of his own universe. Not a good place for a Christian to be in.

The problem with desire is that in sinners it very quickly morphs into demand ("I must"). Demand is the closing of my fists over a desire. Even though I may be unaware that I have done it, I have left my proper position of submission to God. I have decided that I must have what I have set my heart on and nothing can stand in the way. I am no longer comforted by God's desire for me; I am threatened by it, because God's will potentially stands in the way of my demand. I can no longer conceive of a good life (moment, day, week, situation, location, relationship) without this thing. The morphing of my desire changes my relationship to others. 

[The next step is] to enter the room loaded with a silent demand: You must help me get what I want. If you are an obstacle, I will immediately be angry and impatient with you. But you don't know the rules of the game. I haven't announced my demand to you because I am unaware that my heart is increasingly controlled by it.

The expansion of desire doesn't end there. Demand quickly morphs into need ("I will"). I now view the thing I want as essential to life. This is a devastating step in the eventual slavery of desire. To give a rather silly example, cake is nice after a meal, but it is not essential. Respiration, on the other hand, is a basic human need. Without oxygenated blood, I will die. To "christen" desire as need is equivalent to viewing cake as I do respiration. Cake no longer has a simple "nice if you can get it" quality. Now I must have it at the end of every meal. If I do not get it, I will be angry.

Tomorrow, we'll see how this can get even worse.

Anger in Marriage

Continuing from yesterday's post, young men should be aware of how anger may play out in their marrriages. This is an exhortation from someone who learned this late in life.

In biblical marriages, the relationship between husband and wife is characterized as one of headship and submission. Ephesians 5:20ff describes this relationship in which the wife is to respect and submit to her husband's headship while the husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church.

In the context of Paul's instruction, it can be tempting for husbands to demand respect. And, reflecting on yesterday's post, many husbands become angry at their wives when they do not honor them. I don't believe demanding respect is biblical.

It is right for a husband to exhort his wife to be respectful, but not for his sake or glory, but for her sake. A wife who does not honor her husband is, first and foremost, disobeying the Lord; her sin - like all sins - is against God. Remember David's words to God in Psalm 51: "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight."

Any time fellow brothers or sisters in Christ is in sin, it is our responsibility to correct and exhort them, so that they will repent and flee from sin (Hebrews 3:13). One of the ways that a husband can determine if he correcting his wife for his own benefit not hers is by his reaction: Am I reacting in anger? As mentioned yesterday, Christ never became angry when he was personally attacked or offended. A husband - a symbol of Christ in marriage - must react in the same way. If he reacts in anger to his wife's sin, he is guilty before God as well.

When Should We Get Angry?

Anger is in all of this. Anger is fundamentally our reaction when we don't get what we want or we don't realize the results we expect.

In an earlier post I wrote about making a choice between being right or righteous. This is often a choice we should make in moments of impending anger. We almost always think we have the right to be angry, but, in my experience, we don't.

Ed Welch has written a devotional, Small Book about a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace. In this excerpt from the book, he provides tremendous insights into the nature of anger.

If you want to know God, know Jesus (Heb 1:1–3). He is the most comprehensive picture that God gives of himself, and he did get angry. He was angry with leaders who were more interested in protocol than they were in a man being healed (Mark 3:5). He was angry when people were using the temple as a way to make a profit, thereby disrupting worship and showing disdain for his Father’s house (John 2:13–17). He was indignant when his disciples kept children away from his blessing (Mark 10:14). When other people’s welfare was at stake, Jesus was angry. Here is how he is unlike us: He was never angry when he was personally violated. People tested him, accused him of being from the Devil, betrayed him, denied him, brought false charges against him, spit on him, sought to heap shame on him, and nailed him to a murderer’s cross. He never got angry because his personal desires were violated. Ever. Instead, the Judge of the world gave his right to judge over to his Father. (Day 15) (my emphasis)

He continues: "Angry people are confident in their rightness, and confident people have little reason to listen. But, in my experience, if they ever listen, they listen at this point. Jesus, THE human, was never angry when he was sinned against. It’s unexpected to learn this and helps the angry person to begin to see anger rightly."

Meditate on this. How often do we become angry when we perceive an offense, a lack of respect, etc.? Jesus never did. More on this in future posts.

God, What Do You Want From Me?

The following is a quote from C.S. Lewis from a letter to Mary Van Deusen on March 25, 1954.

A few good words for those who ask God, "What do you want from me?"

I must be short for I have had a run of absolutely full days and there are endless things waiting to be done. You ask ‘for what’ God wants you. Isn’t the primary answer that He wants you. We’re not told that the lost sheep was sought out for anything except itself [Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:3-7]. Of course, He may have a special job for you: and the certain job is that of becoming more and more His.

The Sin of Perfectionism - Part 2

Continuing from yesterday on this topic, Gale describes what happens to a person when perfectionism  - trying to become perfect without the Lord - is in play:

The problem is, however, that he always falls short of his goal, the implications of which are lack of joy, a heavy heart, despair, worry, etc. As he looks about him, he sees others, who seem to have a peace and smile, and he concludes that these Christians are not taking their Christian life seriously. They are sober in respect to the gravity and heinousness of their sin. How dare they be joyful. This conclusion may lead to anger, bitterness, loneliness, etc. In addition, his Christian walk is stymied for fear that he is not making decisions consistent with the will of God. Is he allowed to indulge in recreation? After all, isn’t it detracting from Bible reading and prayer? Is it God’s will to go to the store now? Should he wait? You can see, left unchecked, the disastrous effect that perfectionism can have.

What do we do in these situations? First, call perfectionism sin and like any other sin handle it through confession, repentance, and bearing good fruit, such as joy and peace. Second, remember Christ's righteousness by reading Phil. 3:4-16. Third, as we participate in Christ's transforming us into perfect holiness, recall from Heb. 12:1-2 that we are running a race, but remember that the focal point is Christ, not our own works. Fourth, put on love. "Part of the sin of perfectionism and its effects on life is an extreme self-focus, along with fear for self and judgmentalism towards others." Love like you have been loved. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Show grace as you have been shown abundant grace. You are not perfect and neither are your neighbors, friends, parents, siblings, and colleagues. And, finally, enjoy life. Gale expresses it well:

The Christian life is an abundant life. The believer awakens each morning to face a day in which he can commune with, glorify, and enjoy God. Worldly pleasures become consecrated to God and are a gift from Him.

The Sin of Perfectionism - Part 1

The following is from an article by Stanley Gale in the Journal of Biblical Counseling. The article is entitled, "The Sin of Perfectionism." I cannot include the entire article here, but I provided some excerpts. Many Christians struggle with perfectionism: "the allegiance to and occupation with becoming perfect." Yes, we are called to be perfect in holiness, but this is not something we do...this is something the Lord does to us through faith. We usually pursue the perfect through our own means and this can only lead to frustration and failure.  "The goal of perfection for which we are to strive must be in the context of perfection in Christ. The work begun by the Spirit we cannot seek to perfect by the flesh":

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? (Gal. 3:3)

Our righteousness is found in Him and Him alone (Gal. 2:16, 21). The goal of perfection is not the problem.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (II Cor. 7:1)

The problem is that we think we can achieve this standard through our own efforts; that it is within our power to become righteous, to do everything right, to stop sinning:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

"The perfectionistic person is zealous for pleasing God and for working diligently, even compulsively, toward that end." But when we pursue something without God - when we take something that rightfully belongs to Him -  the fruit will be bitter. Perfectionism, in the end, is self-righteousness.

2 Peter 1:3-10

As Christians, we can feel the pressure of life as we struggle against our flesh, the world, and the Evil One. It can be overwhelming and we can become discouraged to the point where we want to give up the fight. But we have to remember that this fight is not ours alone. Our Lord gives us the power to persevere and, ultimately, we will have victory. Please remember that God has provided for us through His Son. We have been given all we need to have victory in life and godliness. The Apostle Peter reminds us of this:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Joy From Another Angle

I wrote the post below (about 9 years ago) the day after I wrote the one I posted yesterday. While I always like to find joy in fatherhood, there are times when it can be a challenge. But even in those times, God can humble our hearts so that we find patience. In the post below, my son was about 10 years old. Re-reading it, I had to laugh. Remember this when you have your own kids. For those who have kids, this has probably happened to you.

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While this may seem contrary to the spirit of my previous post, if you wait for it, you'll see that it fits like a glove.

The other day my youngest son was moving particularly slow. When it comes to chores and other required activities, he never has been greased lightning, but this time I felt like I was watching paint dry.

"Come on James. Why do you always move so slow? I mean, what is going on with you?" I asked with a less than patient voice.

"I don't know, Dad," he said.

And then he added, "I guess I'm like a lizard in a refrigerator."

And that's how God turns a father's aggravation and pride into joy, humility, and laughter.

The Joy of It All

I have another blog that I used to post to very often. Not so much anymore. I was just leafing through some of my older posts and found the one below. I wrote it eight years ago when my son, now in college, was just a kid. Tonight he will be on a train coming home for spring break. I enjoy his company as much now as I did back then! Here is some advice for him in anticipation of a time when he will have his own children. This also may be helpful to others who are already there.

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It's a Sunday night and I'm listening to my 13-year old son play piano. In less than two years he has come so far on this instrument. I'm very proud of him. The music he plays is beautiful.

It makes me think about how much I enjoy him. I enjoy him now and I enjoyed him at 3 years old, 1 year old, 7 years old...every age. I've made many mistakes in my life, but one thing I never did was wish the time away; that is, when he was two, I never wished that he was five, and when he was five, I never wished that he was eight. I tried to enjoy each stage, each time of life with my boys. Each age has its challenges and rewards, but they are all given to us from God. At 3 years old, I watched him become fascinated with a butterfly or a power tool or his shoelaces. Ten years later, I listen to him play piano, something he could not do at age three - the wonder and joy of it all.

For the few people who read this blog, please consider this advice: enjoy every age, don't rush your kids into the future, and don't think there are things more worthwhile than being with them. Yes, we have to work and we can contribute to the Kingdom there; we have to fix things that are broken around the house; it's great to spend time with friends - all of these things are a blessing and opportunities for obedience to God. But above all, our kids were given to us to raise, teach, love, and enjoy. We are raising sons of God, inheritors of the Kingdom, rulers of the earth. As fathers, this is one of the most important things we will do in life.

Enjoy your kids. Before you know it, they will be grown-up. You have about 18 years to teach them to love what God loves and hate what God hates. You have about 18 years to enjoy them as children. Don't wish any of that time away. I hope I never do.

The Theology Behind Addiction - Part 2

If you look to something that God created to give you what it wasn't intended to give, either you get discouraged quickly and wisely abandon those hopes, or you go back again and again, and in so doing, begin to travel down the dangerous road toward addiction.

Sex will give you a short-term buzz of pleasure, and it may even make your problems seem to disappear momentarily, but you'll hate how short it is. So you'll have to go back again quickly to get another shot, and before long you've spent way too much time, energy, and money on something that can't satisfy.

Because of what it has briefly done for you each time, you're convinced that you can't live without it. You're hooked, because the thing you once desired, you're now persuaded you need, and once you've named it as a need, it has you in its addictive grip.

However, sex has no capacity to satisfy your heart. In a word, it cannot be your savior.

If you look outside of the Savior for something to be your savior, that thing will end up being not your savior, but your master. The sexual pleasure you hoped would serve you pulls you into its service. What seemed like freedom ends up being bondage.

You see, sex was never the problem; what we've asked of it is.

Is there wisdom in protecting ourselves (and others) from what we see? Absolutely. But our sex madness needs to be dealt with spiritually and theologically for us to experience lasting sanity.

I'll continue to write more about the theology of sex, but I want to end this week with this question: Are you asking sex - or something else that God created - to provide for you what only Jesus can offer?

Sex is glorious, but it was created to be a sign that points you to the one glory you were designed to live for and that can truly satisfy your soul — the glory of God.

[Excerpt from Paul Tripp's, Wednesday's Word]

The Theology Behind Addiction - Part 1

When it comes to sex, we've gone culturally insane. Just think about how much sexually explicit and sexually driven material is pushed in front of your eyes every day.

With all of this so readily available, it's very tempting to blame sex, societal values, the mainstream media, or technology as the problem. But here's the humbling truth: sex is not the problem, nor is our environment the primary problem.

The act of sex, as God designed, is beautiful and rewarding - not evil. And we can't try to live as modern-day monastics, as if retreating from the TV and Internet would suddenly cure our hearts from sexual sin.

The counterintuitive reality is that it's only ever the evil inside our hearts that magnetizes us to the evil that's outside in our world. Likewise, it's only ever our sin that turns pure gifts from the Creator into dangerous idols.

In summary, we are the problem. More specifically, our heart, and what it asks of sex, is the problem.

[Excerpt from Paul Tripp's, Wednesday's Word]

Check Your Conscience

Confidence before God is necessary for spiritual growth and intimacy. Without confidence, it is not likely that we will communicate freely, and without communication intimacy cannot develop. That is why a condemning conscience robs the Christian of consistent confidence. Lack of confidence then leads to doubt, which can lead to further alienation from others and from God, and to self-condemnation. Self-condemnation is a form of god-playing. Romans 8:34 states that no one can condemn or separate the Christian from the love of God in Christ. Not even we ourselves! If we cast verdicts of condemnation upon ourselves, we do something that even God Himself does not do. In a twisted kind of way, our self-condemnation puts us in a position of adjudication that belongs to God alone. There is a difference between genuine remorse and guilt over our sin, and the feeling or belief that we are condemned on account of our sin. Such confidence, first and foremost, comes from His work for us and in us, not from our work for Him. Performance, although a helpful barometer, is secondary to the objective promises of God’s work in our lives. Too much focus on our failures gets us off track. We lose the biblical perspective that God is at work for us and within us (Phil. 1:6, 1:28, 2:13). Our primary focus should always be on the adequacy of Christ and His finished work.

(exerpt from The Journal of Biblical Counseling; authors Gary L. Nebeker and Norman L. Thiesen)

Luke 9:23-26

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

This Could Be You

Loneliness can try a man's soul, but the Lord is always with us; I posted several verses awhile back on how he is with us and will never leave us.

But when we are feeling a bit down, sometimes a good laugh can help.

Not for nothing, but you could be dealing with this.

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U.S.—Students attending the nation’s Christian colleges celebrated the annual tradition known as “DTR Day,” held every February 14, on which couples in some kind of relationship haze attempt to clearly define their alliance, sources confirmed Wednesday.

DTRs are a staple of life in Christian higher education, and conversations held on the annually occurring DTR Day bring clarity to thousands of relationships.

“We take the time to sit down and decide whether we’re courting, dating, being pursued, pursuing, or just being good friends,” one girl at a Christian university in Southern California told reporters. “I can’t wait to find out if I’ve been wasting an entire semester doing ‘group hangouts’ with Brad and our mutual friends, or if he’ll be pursuing me like a good Christian man.”

“Please let it be a real relationship,” she added under her breath.

Thousands of the nation’s Christian college co-eds will find out “what exactly this confusing relationship is” over dates at their school’s cafeteria, a nearby Starbucks, or Panera bread locations, sources claim

Source: http://babylonbee.com/news/nations-christian-colleges-celebrate-annual-define-relationship-day/.

Love and Marriage: Go Together Like a Horse and Carriage

Winston Smith offers some sound advice when it comes to dating and finding a spouse. Here are a couple of brief videos:

On Dating

On Marriage

For those of you who are already married and have kids, the advice may be helpful to pass on to the next generation.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

What Is Your Dream?

It is often tempting to try to strike bargains with God, but life is not a series of strategic negotiations with God; it is a moral drama of wisdom and foolishness, right and wrong, true and false, and good and evil. It plays itself out in even the most mundane situations of our daily lives. At the center of this moral drama is what defines our happiness. Perhaps there is no more important human thought than, "If I had___________, then I would be happy," because what holds your happiness controls your heart, and what controls your heart conditions your emotions, commands your choices, and shapes your behavior. - Paul Tripp, Lost in the Middle

God's Care - A Prayer

O God, most holy, wise, and powerful preserver and governor of all your creatures and all their actions; keep us in health of body and soundness of mind, in purity of heart and cheerfulness of spirit, in contentment with our lives and charity with our neighbor; and further all our lawful undertakings with your blessing. In our labor strengthens us; in our pleasure purify us; in our difficulties direct us; in our perils defend us; in our troubles comfort us; and supply all our needs according to the riches of your grace in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen

Sarcasm and God Usually Don't Mix

Sometimes when we are disappointed with our lives, we can get a little snarky with God. I don't recommend that we follow in the steps of the Israelites:

They [the Israelites] were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

Remember that our God is holy. He always delivers what is best for us.

Where the Soul of Man Never Dies

This is a lyric from a great bluegrass tune written by Audrey Williams and Hank Williams. A song of encouragement when life looks dim:

Dear friend there'll be no sad farewells
(No sad farewells)
There'll be no tear-dimmed eyes
(No tear-dimmed eyes)
Where all is joy, peace and love
(Where all is joy)
And the soul of man never dies
(And the soul never dies)

Here's a link to the song performed by Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs. Pure music.

God Has Us...Always

Romans 8:27-30 
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

John 10:27-30 
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 
Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Isaiah 41:8-10 
But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Psalm 73:26 
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

1 Peter 5:6-11 
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Horror of It

This is from an edited volume by Joel R. Beeke, The Beauty and Glory of the Christian Worldview.

In this volume, Derek W. H. Thomas writes on Colossian 3:1-17. He quotes v.11: "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all." Then he writes the following:

Remember how Paul uses this in an altogether alarming and staggering way in 1 Corinthians 6 when he talks about certain professing believers in Corinth. It is almost incredible and unbelievable that certain believers in Corinth were visiting brothels. And what is Paul's argument here? It is that they can't leave Jesus outside the door! When they sin, they sin in union and communion with Christ! As professing Christians, they cannot blame their sin on their Adamic nature [once we are 'in Christ' we are no longer 'in Adam']. The Corinthians were in effect taking Christ with them and uniting Him to a harlot! That is what Paul is saying. That is the implication of it. Realize who you are and that when you sin, you sin in union and communion with Christ. That is the horror of it.

This is a stark picture of sin and our behavior.

Proverbs 23:19-20

Listen, my son and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path.
Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Isaiah 55:6-8

In Isaiah 55:6-8, Isaiah pleads with his people to seek the Lord, humble themselves before Him, and acknowledge their wickedness. Even for those of us who belong to Him, we still sin and pursue ways that are not of God. When we falter, we are able through Jesus Christ to reach out to a holy God and receive his mercy "for he will freely pardon." We ought to find peace in this truth.

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.