Tried With Fire

The song is available for download here .

Just the thing that every reformed refrigerator needs. Can you guess who they are? Update: the answers are... Row 1: Jeremiah Burroughs, J.C. Ryle, Thomas Watson Row 2: John Owen, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon Row 3: Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Bunyan

"And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness , and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud." Exodus 16:10. But from what an unexpected quarter the glorious vision came! "They looked toward the wilderness ." Not a cheering prospect, surely! Not a likely spot to which one's eyes would naturally turn for a revelation of the Divine presence! A solitary place, without habitation, or fruitfulness, or beauty; a waste and arid land, where the sun smites by day, and the moon by night; a place where the wild beasts meet, and dragons and owls dwell in safety. Yet such a desert does God choose, in which to reveal Himself; and the watcher sees, amid all this desolation and loneliness, nothing less than "the glory of the Lord." Look into your past life, and see whether you cannot recall many times when you "looked toward" some w...

Lord, I would see You in all my joys, not only receiving them as gifts from Your bountiful hand, but feeling that You Yourself share them with me, thus sanctifying and exalting them; and I would see You in every sorrow, when only Your voice can comfort, and Your sympathy reach to the depths of my suffering. I would see You when perplexed and anxious concerning either heavenly or earthly things, for You are "the wisdom of God," and I cannot go wrong, or do amiss, so long as I follow closely after You, and keep Your commandments. I would see You, You blessed One, in Your wondrous relation to me as my Redeemer, and my Husband! I would often look upon You as the Purchaser of my soul by Your own precious blood, and realize that the absolute surrender of myself, and my will, is but the natural consequence of such an unparalleled sacrifice as Yours! From A Basket of Summer Fruit by Susannah Spurgeon (written after the death of her beloved husband, C. H. Spurgeon)

I was listening to Alone from Shai Linne's album Storiez last night. I lost it on the second verse. I was a faucet tap by the third. There is no question about the good that comes out of trials. But the pain of those trials are a reality as well. We're not anesthetized by God to become numb to the pain. If we were numb to the pain, we'd be numb to the joy as well. It seems like my life is a coming together of opposites. On the one hand, there is hurt and loneliness, and yet there is joy and fellowship in Christ. There's rejection, and yet I am accepted in the Beloved. Sometimes I feel very alone, but there is One who will never leave me nor forsake me. Can I take another step, but then grace is poured out to go on in joy. But if my life is the intersection of opposites, what was it like for Jesus Christ? God and man, perfect yet coming to seek sinners, holy and righteous yet made sin on my behalf, beloved of the Father yet stricken by God, always one with God yet cut o...

From my notes on Sunday's sermon : - Cherish and nurture our children in the Gospel. Not that they only love you, but that they fall in love with Christ. - Give our children the Gospel, not Christian materialism. - The Gospel is Christ-esteem not self-esteem. - Raise children who are poor in spirit not religious moralists. - Obedience is out of our identity and standing. Our identity and standing is not because of our obedience. Pastor Ryan's point about not raising children who are just religious moralists struck a chord in my heart. I was raised in a Christian home by parents who love the Lord. Not to fault them, but I was a Christian and a good religious moralist. I never rebelled, at least not outwardly. I was always one of the good kids. But I also learned how to play the game. I learned that as long as I maintained a good outward appearance everyone thought I was a good Christian daughter. Although there was nothing outwardly wrong in my behavior, I shudder at wh...

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. Psalm 133 I have had my fellowship cup filled to overflowing this week-end. On Sunday, I had a blessed time worshipping the Lord and hearing the preaching of the Word. Sunday afternoon there was more fellowship in the home of some saints. This morning, I had breakfast with a close friend in Christ. And to round out the day, there was an impromptu cook-out at the pastor's home for more fellowship. I am so encouraged by being with these brothers and sisters. I still marvel at God's sovereign hand in leading us to this church. The song may be a little sentimental, but I have to agree "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God."

All I Owe Words by Robert Murray McCheyne and Matthew Smith Music by Matthew Smith © 2002 detuned radio music (ASCAP) When this passing world is done, When has sunk yon glaring sun, When we stand with Christ in glory, Looking o'er life's finished story, Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then, how much I owe. All I owe you paid for me From all I owe I’ve been set free And all I owe proves your great mercy to me When I stand before your throne, Dressed in beauty not my own, When I see you as you are Love you with unsinning heart, Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then, how much I owe. All I owe you paid for me From all I owe I’ve been set free And all I owe proves your great mercy to me Chosen not for good in me, Wakened up from wrath to flee, Hidden in the Savior's side, By the Spirit sanctified, Teach me, Lord, on earth to show, By my love, how much I owe. All I owe you paid for me From all I owe I’ve been set free And all I owe proves your great mercy to me

At prayer meeting this week, Pastor Ryan shared briefly from Romans 8: 28-29. He commented that verse 28 is often pulled out of the rest of the chapter. Yes, it is a promise from God that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. However, Pastor Ryan brought in verse 29 as well, " in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." The aim of the all things working together for good is that He, Christ, might be the firstborn or the first. He encouraged us to see that the goal of the working together for good is not a change in our circumstances but the goal is that Christ would be first. Even our being foreknown, predestined, and conformed to His image is in order that He might be the first of many brothers. This got me thinking about the good and when do we experience this good? In one sense, the full reality of this is deferred to the future. One day, we will be with the Lord forever. But the best th...

I've been thinking about hymns this week and my own convoluted musical journey. I always remember singing hymns as a child. Since I was raised in a Plymouth Brethren church, we sang lots of hymns. In college, I became enamored with short choruses and contemporary Christian music. I came back to hymns when I became a mom because I wanted my daughter to have the heritage of knowing and loving hymns. Nine years ago, I steered clear of choruses because I was leery of how they could be used to emotionally manipulate a congregation. What's ironic is that after my husband left, I started listening to Christian music again. What was I drawn to? The songs that evoked a strong emotional response . In my loss, I needed to feel that at least God loved me. Believe me, there were plenty of songs to fit the bill. Here's a song that I would listen to: The more I seek you, the more I find you The more I find you, the more I love you Chorus:I wanna sit at your feet drink from the cup ...

Here's my top 10 hymn list: My hope is built on nothing less - Edward Mote. I appreciate this hymn much more since we have been going through Hebrews on Sundays. The verses take so much of their imagery from Hebrews. "My anchor holds within the veil" And can it be that I should gain - Charles Wesley. "No condemnation now I dread" Arise, my soul, arise - Charles Wesley. "In confidence I now draw nigh and Father, Abba Father, cry" All hail the power of Jesus name - Edward Perronet. I love both the Coronation and Diadem tunes. I know the songs around the throne in heaven will be much better, but I can't sing this song without thinking about that scene. Like a river glorious - Frances Ridley Havergal. "They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true." When I survey the wondrous cross - Isaac Watts. "Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown" Jesus I am resting, resting ...

I started compiling a list of hymns for the hymn project . It will be hard paring it down to just ten. I grew up singing hymns in church all the time. I'm grateful to have learned many because they've stuck in my mind even after all these years. However when short choruses became popular, I preferred those. Due to the folly and arrogance of youth, I thought that hymns were dull, boring, and dated. Now that I'm older, I appreciate the depths of hymn lyrics. I think my favorite hymns fall into two categories. I love hymns that are full of the glorious work of Christ. These are hymns that make me long for the day when all the saints will be around the throne offering unending praise to God. But I also love hymns about comfort in trials. The words express what's in my heart often better than I can. The words aren't just well turned phrases or just nice poetry, but ring true because they were written in the midst of deep personal trials. It's humbling to receive so m...

Sherry at Semi-colon is conducting the Top 100 Hymns Poll . If you're interested check out her blog for the details. Basically, pick your top 10 hymns and number them from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best and email them to her. She will tally the results. Also, any justification on why you like the hymns may be included as well. I think I'll have a hard time narrowing my favorite hymns down to 10. HT: rebecca writes

Pastor Ryan continued the series on the Gospel and the Home. Last week was on the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31. This week was on the Gospel Marriage from Ephesians 5. I found myself wishing that I had heard a sermon like this before I ever contemplated marriage. Even in Christian circles, marriage is portrayed primarily as a horizontal relationship. Oh sure, we want God to bless it, but it's made out to be all about the husband and the wife. Well, Pastor Ryan raised the bar. Marriage is a means of portraying the powerful effect of the gospel in two lives made one. It is a pointer to the true reality, Christ and the Church. It's not about trying to stay in love until you die but to keep covenant because Christ will never break His covenant to His Bride. A marriage relationship is as unto the Lord . He asked the question if our marriages are gospel marriages or religious marriages. If we believe that our standing with Christ is only based on His finished work that we receive...

Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him? Is not thine a captured heart? Chief among ten thousand own Him; Joyful choose the better part. Captivated by His beauty, Worthy tribute haste to bring; Let His peerless worth constrain thee, Crown Him now unrivaled King. Idols once they won thee, charmed thee, Lovely things of time and sense; Gilded thus does sin disarm thee, Honeyed lest thou turn thee thence. What has stripped the seeming beauty From the idols of the earth? Not a sense of right or duty, But the sight of peerless worth. Not the crushing of those idols, With its bitter void and smart; But the beaming of His beauty, The unveiling of His heart. Who extinguishes their taper Till they hail the rising sun? Who discards the garb of winter Till the summer has begun? 'Tis the look that melted Peter, 'Tis the face that Stephen saw, 'Tis the heart that wept with Mary, Can alone from idols draw: Draw and win and fill completely, Till the cup o'erflow the brim; What have ...

From this sermon by Tim Keller : "Now I know this may sound very strange, but what we have here is a form of idolatry where you put your hope in something to give you a sense of being loved, of being valuable, of giving your life meaning . And these are not idols of the liberal world. These are idols of the conservative world, because Jacob says, if I get this gorgeous wife on my arm, if I am married, then I finally will have happiness . And it didn't work And poor Leah turns and says, if I have a child, if I have children, if I have sons, if I have this wonderful family then I'll be worth something. Then I'll be loved . And it never works. " "Every time she says, "Now my husband will love me." "Now my husband will love me." "Now my husband will love me." And then it says she conceived again, and then she gave birth to a son and she said, "This time I will praise the Lord." Finally, no talk about her husband. What had ...

I have moved Holiness by J.C. Ryle from the back burner. I started reading it again on Monday evening when we lost power for 6 hours. It felt quite historically correct reading it by candlelight. Chapter 3 on Holiness seems to tie in well with the new sermon series on the Gospel and the Home. I'm still ruminating on The Glory of Christ by Owen. I am pondering John 1:18 and Owen's statement " Without Christ we would have known nothing truly about God for he would have been eternally invisible to us. We would never have seen God at any time, either in this life or the next ". Since this the case, what/who did Adam see in the garden, what/who did Abraham see when God told Him of His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, what/who did Moses see on Sinai? Around the blogsphere: Brian at Recover the Gospel has posted a video interview of Shai Linne on communicating the gospel via the medium of hip hop. Check out the many resources available there. While We Sojourn i...

Today was one of those days when I was very aware of my trial. As Jeremiah Burroughs puts it, "God gives his people leave to be sensible of what they suffer. " Well, I had plenty of leave to be sensible of that today. Thank God, there are days of joy and peace despite all that has gone on, but today was one of those days when I wanted my particular trial to be over. I had hoped for some resolution of some issues last month. However, it will be another two months before some critical things get resolved. I know God has already decided the outcome but it's hard waiting for what that will be. This interim period has added stresses, and I am getting so weary. However, God is faithful. Tonight at prayer meeting, the pastor shared from Philippians on suffering with joy for the sake of the gospel. He gave the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus as those who suffered. He asked us would we be willing to suffer like that? In the good discussion that followed, a brother said (who I...

It has been an interesting journey these last few years in motherhood. Being a single mom has its unique challenges, but God has proven Himself more than faithful. Through this, my daughter and I have grown so much closer. We've been blessed with heart-to-heart fellowship as sisters in Christ, encouraging and admonishing one another to follow the Lord. We've cried many tears together but we've laughed a lot and experienced the joy of the Lord. These are some mommy memories that I will treasure: - "I've always loved you, but you're much nicer to be around as a Calvinist." - Being elbowed sharply or smacked on the head for reverting to hand wringing, Arminian prayers. - When she knows from the set of my eyebrows whether I am ruminating on theology or just worrying. - "You smile differently now that you're a Calvinist. You even laugh differently." - "I used to think that life was just about having a good Christian family and being happy. B...

Underground Piano 1984 - Shigeo Fukada (1932-2009) More of Fukuda's illusions can be found here . The site has several videos of his 3D optical illusions including models based on Escher's drawings. Some of Fukuda's work is featured in Masters of Deception, a book on the art of optical illusions . Ellipses plein vide, rouge et blue 1996 - Felice Varini The above picture looks like someone touched up a photograph. But you can see what it really is... More of Varini's work can be seen here . It's amazing how our eyes can deceive us. You can come up with your own spiritual parallels, but I couldn't help thinking that by nature, man is a master of deception as well, self-deceived and a deceiver of others. Send out your light and your truth ; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Psalm 43:3 (ESV)

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. Psalm 94:19 (ESV) When I read this verse this morning, I recalled the many times that I experienced God's consolations to my soul. There were times when I didn't think I could go on and God was merciful to give me hope. It may have been from my Bible reading, something from Spurgeon, a hymn by John Newton, or Sunday's sermon, but the common theme of what had lasting comfort was that I was pointed away from me to Christ. What better consolation is there when you feel like your world is falling apart then to behold the One who upholds the universe by the word of His power? There is no better consolation than Christ.

For most of my Christian life, I've had this lurking fear that it was up to me to make the right choices, live the right life, or else. If I failed, then I missed God's will. If that happened, I missed Plan A so I might be in Plan B or even C or D depending on how badly I messed up. This past combination of Arminianism and deeper life teaching was a double whammy because acceptance with God was based on my sanctification not my justification. There was always a question in my mind about God's acceptance if I wasn't living the victorious Christian life which was the result of a wrong choice which was a result of not living the victorious Christian life which was the result of a wrong choice which was the result of not living the victorious Christian life... So forth and so on. It was like a hamster wheel because I was trying to get to the place where I would be received by God because of something I had done. But the place I was trying to get to does not exist . Hence t...

If a seeker-sensitive mega church sent a musical invitation to encourage you to attend their service, what would it be? Here is my songwriting interpretation of that invitation set to the tune Seventy-six Trombones from The Music Man by Meredith Wilson. Hope you enjoy it.

me: I'll worry about that tommorow. daughter: Why are you worrying about it at all? Ouch! Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

This album has been at the top of my play list. It's not easy listening. In fact, I find myself mentally flinching at some of the lyrics. Not because any of the lyrics are offensive but that the lyrics are so honest . Shai Linne does not mince words in describing the total depravity of man. Any thoughts that people are basically good get demolished by In Adam All Die . He doesn't mince words about the brutality of the cross, physically as well as Christ being made the sin bearer. I naturally want to shy away from such things. In fact, I haven't seen Mel Gibson's Passion of Christ for that very reason. It is an offense and offends our 21st century civilized sensibilities. It's no wonder that so-called theologians want to strip the cross of it's real meaning - the penal substitutionary atonement of our Savior. Through My Eyes captures the fear and agony of the thief on the cross. I think this is the hardest song for me to listen to. Perhaps because it ...

Golden Celebration Crown Princess Margareta These are David Austin English roses from the garden. How I wish the fragrance could be relayed across the internet because they smell beautifully. When I was cutting the roses this morning, I noticed all the weeds at the base of the bushes. Like most people, I dislike weeding. It's far easier to spray them with an herbicide like Roundup and cover the remains with mulch, which I will probably do. Weeds come up without any effort at all and never need planting. If left to itself, a flower bed will become over run with weeds rather than over run with flowers. Since sin is like a weed, wouldn't it be nice if there was a form of spiritual Roundup? The Holy Spirit applies it and v oila! , in 5-7 days our indwelling sin is gone without any toil or effort on our part. Not. Human nature would love for a quick and easy way to be sanctified. However, it will be lifetime of discipline and chastening, active participation with the Holy Spirit in...

I had a visit from a neighbor today. She is an elderly woman with a husband in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Sadly, she is not a believer. She is very particular about her yard. Almost every day in the fall, she will attempt to rake every leaf. Once that is done, she can enjoy her lawn for about 2 seconds until the next leaf falls. She is also very particular about her neighbors' yards and is very verbal with her disapproval. Today, she came by to complain about some vines that were coming over to her side of the fence. The situation wasn't that bad but it seems that once she gets into a complaining spell there is nothing that can pacify her. I have to admit that my yard has been a very low priority lately. It's a good thing a friend comes by to cut the grass (which is really mostly weeds disguised as grass) or things would really be looking bad. I probably need to get out and weed the beds, trim the bushes, and put down some mulch. But after our encounter today, I w...

Guess what we did in school yesterday? There's nothing more fun than having your kitchen counter turned into a biology laboratory. I hope the few folks who stop by aren't too put off by this. At least I didn't post close-ups of the inward parts of our frog. It's actually quite interesting to see how wonderfully God designed His creation. This is number eight of nine specimens my daughter and her friend have dissected. Although the invertebrates were interesting, I think the students enjoyed this one the best, so far. This was the first one where they could clearly identify the various internal systems. To further confirm the fundamental difference between girls and boys, the girls were fascinated with identifying the various internal organs while being as careful as possible in the dissection. The younger brother who was present just wanted to take the frog's head off. It's sad when scientists study God's handiwork and completely miss the boat. But thank God...