Tried With Fire

Mind and heart belong together.  Strong, passionate desires for God flow from and encourage the faithful, thoughtful study of God - his nature, character, and works. We're deceived when we think we can have one without the other.  God intends us to have both. If our doctrine is accurate but our hearts are cold toward God himself, our corporate worship will be true but lifeless.  Or if we express fervent love for God but present vague, inaccurate, or incomplete ideas of him to those we're leading, our worship will be emotional but misleading - and possibly idolatrous.  Neither option brings God glory. My prayer for myself and every worship leader is that we'll become familiar with the Word of Truth as we are with our instruments. Hopefully even more so.  If we do, there's a strong possibility people are going to walk away from our meetings more amazed by our God than by our music. And that will be a very good thing. From Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin,...

Don't injure the pastor or there will be no sermon tomorrow!

It wouldn't be spring in Virginia without azaleas. Alas, summer will be here sooner than I'd like, but I can enjoy them while they last. I'm thankful for God's sovereignty over every conceivable thing.  I am prone to forget and get stressed, but I'm thankful His ruling care doesn't depend on my memory. I'm thankful for these verses from the Easter sermon: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

Congratulations, Whitestone!!!!  I'll be sending you the book ASAP. Thanks to everyone who entered. God willing, there will be more giveaways in the months ahead.

I've removed the name of the church, because my intention is not to criticize a particular group. And yes I know one is limited by space as to what one can say. But this sign is public and obviously wants to get a particular message across. So what to you think?  Is this accurate?

to enter the giveaway for The Organized Heart .  We'll draw the providential winner tomorrow morning. Thanks!

D.A. Carson gave a special address at The Gospel Coalition's 2011 conference on God: Abounding in Love, Punishing the Guilty .  It's worth your listening time. Pay special attention to how our view of the love of God directly impacts our understanding of the atonement.  The panel discussion is informative as well.

Uprising from the darksome tomb, See the victorious Jesus come; The Almighty Prisoner quits the prison, And angels tell, 'The Lord is risen.' Ye guilty souls , that groan and grieve, Hear the glad tidings, hear and live! God's righteous law is satisfied, And justice now is on your side. Your Surety, thus released by God, Pleads the rich ransom of his blood; No new demand, no bar remains, But mercy now triumphant reigns. Believers, hail your rising Head. The first-begotten from the dead; Your resurrection's sure through his, To endless life and boundless bliss! Joseph Hart (1712-1768)

C. S. Lewis gave good advice when he encouraged us to keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds by reading old books and thus avoid the errors of our present age.  Therefore when I am reading books by living authors, I try to read at least one dead theologian, affectionately known as a "dead guy".   I had put down  The True Bounds of Christian Freedom  by Samuel Bolton for several months but picked it up again this week.  I realized how much I had been missing.  Not that I don't appreciate living authors, but there is something refreshing about the Puritans.  They weren't concerned about politically correct prose, but wrote bluntly, eloquently, and with holy affections. Here's a sample of some fresh air from 1645: It would be a sad matter if believers should grow more slack and sluggish; if that which should quicken them slacken their hands; if a man should say in his heart, Christ died, I need not pray so much; Chri...

What if the Lord of the Rings had been written by... Gilbert and Sullivan  by archerx: I am the very model of the modern heir of Elendil I aid the bearer of the ring whose really not an Underhill I woo the elven damsel and.. The army incorporeal, I am the very model of the modern heir of Elendil! Charles Schultz  by akapoetry: It was a dark and stormy night. The Nazgul jumped out from behind the bush. "BOO!" he yelled. (Wow! That's scary!) Jane Austen  by WarrenROP: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a chubby hobbit in possession of a magic ring must be in want of a volcano. "My dear Mr Baggins," said his wizard to him one day, "have you heard that the Dark Tower is let again at last?" Mr Baggins replied that he had not. "But it is," returned the wizard; "for the Lady Galadriel has just been here, and she told me all about it." Mr Baggins made no answer. "Do you not want to know who has ...

Last night our small group had a special time to remember our Lord's death. We read scripture from Isaiah 53, Mark 14, and John 19. We sang songs that focused our attention on the cross. As believers, we live on this side of the resurrection, but it was good to sit in the darkness and ponder the gravity and magnitude of Jesus' sacrifice. I'm thankful that "in my place condemned He stood."  Only then can I say, "Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

When we think of organizing our lives, what comes to mind?  The pantry, the closets, the stack of papers waiting to be sorted on the computer desk? But the first place to start isn't the sock drawer, its our hearts. In The Organized Heart - A Woman's Guide to Conquering Chaos , Staci Eastin encourages her readers to go beyond the visible clutter in our homes to the clutter in our hearts.  She challenges us to consider the sin behind the chaos, and own up to the idols that steal our devotion and time. It's a concise, very readable book.  I love how it gets to the theological root of the problem.  You may wince like I did when her questions get a little too close to home, but she repeatedly brings us back to the gospel and grace of God.  As a single mom, I also appreciate Staci's sensitivity to women in my situation as well as those with serious health issues.  I can't think of a better way to encourage us than to point us back to God's sovereignty in our...

"It is finished!" Sinners, hear it; 'Tis the dying Victor's cry; "It is finished!" Angels bear it, Bear the joyful truth on high; "It is finished!" Tell it through the earth and sky! Justice, from her awful station, Bars the sinner's peace no more; Justice views with approbation What the Saviour did and bore; Grace and mercy Now display their boundless store. Hear the Lord himself declaring All performed he came to do; Sinners, in yourselves despairing, This is joyful news to you. Jesus speaks it, His are faithful words and true. "It is finished!", all is over; Yes, the cup of wrath is drained; Such the truth these words discover; Thus the victory was obtained; 'Tis a victory None but Jesus could have gained. Crown the mighty Conqueror, crown him, Who his peoples' foes o'ercame! In the highest heaven enthrone him! Men and angels, sound his fame! Great his glory! Jesus bears a matchless name. Thomas Kelly (1769-1855)

The worship team at church has started reading Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin together.  Before delving into technique and style, this book starts out with the core issues of worship - what we love, what we believe, the purpose of our skills, and the lives we model. I appreciate that Kauflin devotes a chapter to the importance of doctrine and theology in our worship.  Biblical worship is impossible without these ingredients.  As we know God more accurately through his Word, our worship will be more genuine.  Conversely, without a right understanding of God, it could veer into idolatry. He gives several common misconceptions among worship leaders and musicians. Here is the first: Misconception #1: Studying This Stuff Shouldn't Be So Hard Studying doctrine and theology is hard.  Becoming a good theologian is harder than learning a new riff, and initially not as fun. Getting to know God is time-consuming.  We live in the age of instant everything. ...

I am thankful for sisters in Christ. Sisters Near: Last Friday, we had our overnight retreat in the Outer Banks with 13 ladies from the church.  We talked, laughed, played games, and ate great food.  The pastor's wife led us in a study of Galatians 6:2, encouraging us to bear one another's burdens. We delved into 1 Thessalonians and Romans to flesh out what this charge would look like day to day.  I'm thankful for these women who I really like as friends and love as sisters. Sisters Far: Too often doctrine is viewed as outdated, unnecessary, or strictly for pastor/elder/teachers.  While I am an unashamed complementarian, women need doctrine too.  How we live our everyday lives is ultimately a reflection of our theology, whether good or bad.  This is why I've been encouraged by the posts from my sisters via Doctrines in the Kitchen .  I'm thankful for their love of sound doctrine and have been blessed and challenged by their words.

My favorite chapter so far in Living for God's Glory  is Chapter 15 -  Sanctification in Puritan Practice .  Dr. Beeke has distilled wisdom from the Puritans to help us in the sanctification process.  When we consider how to live as Christians, holiness may not be the first word that comes to mind, but it should be.  Rather than meaning "holier-than-thou", holiness should be the desire and fruit of a believer.  "A holy life should emanate from joy in the Lord, not negative drudgery.   The idea that holiness requires a gloomy disposition is a tragic distortion of Scripture, for Scripture asserts that those who cultivate holiness experience true joy." (pg. 214) Dr. Beeke offers some good questions to ask ourselves in regard to holy living: When hesitating over a course of action, ask yourself the following questions based on 1 Corinthians: 1. Does this glorify God? ( 1 Cor. 10:31 ) 2. Is this consistent with the lordship of Christ? ( 1 Cor. 7:23 ) 3. ...

It's a privilege to participate with other like-minded sisters in  Doctrines in the Kitchen .  My post on the doctrine of imputation is featured today. Many thanks, Becky!  May the Lord reward you for your labor of love.

My daughter and I had an interesting discussion on unconditional election after church.  She has been hearing arguments against this doctrine from other sources, namely the Arminian view of conditional election that although people are sinful, they are able to believe on Jesus Christ by exercising their free wills. My daughter is a firm 5-pointer, but she's probably not going to start any theological fights in the near future.  However, we looked at some responses to conditional election.   Here is good one from Joel Beeke: [C]onditional election really saves no one.  In the end, it destroys men, because it bases salvation, at least in part, upon depraved human beings.  Unconditional election, on the other hand, does not destroy men but saves them; it is our friend, not our enemy. It does not keep out of heaven people who otherwise would be there, but it brings to heaven people who otherwise never would be welcome there.  The wonder is not that God justly ...

The works of Christ I sing. And glory in His name; Immortal life to bring, The Lord of glory came; He gave Himself for wretched me, And sets my soul at liberty. He magnified the law And made an end of sin; Without a single flaw, A righteousness brought in, Come mourning souls, in Jesus trust; His righteousness makes sinners just. William Gadsby (1773-1864)

The list for this week... ~ Fragrant narcissus perfuming the house. ~ God's providence over the automotive sector of my life.  The women's retreat is tomorrow, so I offered to drive.  I heard strange sounds emanating from the steering column every now and then and thought it would be wise to get the car checked.  I waited too long to get my starter replaced last year and ended up with a dead car in the driveway.  I learned my lesson and didn't want a repeat episode.  Lo and behold, the power steering pump was leaking, and there was an issue with the transmission pan.  Thankfully the refund from Uncle Sam will cover the repairs.  I love my humble old Camry. I'm thankful it has lasted this long. ~ Timely help from the Lord.  Life has been increasingly hectic.  I've felt like a thrashing CPU and a chicken with its head cut off. Recently I forgot to add yeast to the bread machine, forgot to bake bread, and forgot to buy flour amo...

The kind folks at Eternal Life Ministries are offering a free copy of The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel to those on their email list.  To subscribe, send an email to subscribe@eternallifeministries.org with "subscribe" in the subject line.

What do you get when you combine  this this and this? Tutorial here With my limited time, this is a crafter's instant gratification.  I used 14 inch cake circles.  One fat quarter (18" x 22") is enough to make one yo-yo around the cardboard circle.  The dots are fastened with removable foam poster tape.   Here are more ideas for frugal wall art.

For the sake of Niceness ™ , some prefer to call a wolf - our timberland canine cousin , but it's still a wolf. If someone doesn't warn the flock, the result is dead sheep. Here's an example of plain speaking, maybe too plain for some, from the Prince of Preachers: When we believe in Christ by faith we receive our justification. As the merit of His blood takes away our sin so the merit of His obedience is imputed to us for righteousness. We are considered, as soon as we believe, as though the works of Christ were our works. God looks upon us as though that perfect obedience, of which I have just now spoken, had been performed by ourselves—as though our hands had been busy at the loom, as though the fabric and the stuff which have been worked up into the fine linen which is the righteousness of the saints, had been grown in our own fields. God considers us as though we were Christ—looks upon us as though His life had been our life—and accepts, blesses and...

I kid you not.  This recipe is courtesy of a sister in our church.  Warning: This is NOT a low-fat dish, but it's worth every calorie.  Enjoy! Kim's Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients: 8 oz. elbow macaroni cooked for 7-8 minutes 1 small onion chopped very fine 1 small jar of chopped pimento (approx. 2 oz.) 1 cup mayonnaise 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 lb (yes one whole pound) sharp cheddar, grated Combine above ingredients in greased 9 x 13 pan. Topping: 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers 1/2 stick of butter, melted and then slightly cooled. Crush crackers in plastic bag.  Add melted butter.  Mix well and sprinkle on top of macaroni mixture. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Book Club Rebecca at Rebecca Writes is giving away The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance by Leon Morris. You need to hurry because the winner will be picked on April 6. Erik at J.C. Ryle Quotes is giving away The Upper Room which contains The Duties of Parents and Thoughts for Young Men. The winner will be picked April 8. Finally, Petra at Penned Pebbles is giving away The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes with the drawing on April 15. (The pattern for the above quilt is from Modern Quilt Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr .  I'd love to make it if I had the time.  The "books" are pieced individually which is a little more time consuming, but it would be worth the effort. I could even piece the book spines to make them look like Puritan Paperbacks which would be very cool.  Perhaps one of these days...)

Not to Sinai's dreadful blaze, But to Zion's throne of grace, By a way marked out with blood, Sinners now approach to God. Not to hear the fiery law, But with humble joy to draw Water, by that well supplied Jesus opened when He died. Lord, there are no streams but thine Can assuage a thirst like mine! 'Tis a thirst thyself didst give; Let me, therefore, drink and live! John Newton, 1779

My friend Becky is having a special theme at her blog this month - Doctrines in the Kitchen .  She will be focusing on the joy of learning Biblical doctrine and applying it to our lives.  I hope you will join her and her guest bloggers as they dig into God's word and discover the bounty of His goodness.