It Is Well

"For me, a writer aware of how much more complex each book becomes with each sentence added, it was..."

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:29:50 -0400

“

For me, a writer aware of how much more complex each book becomes with each sentence added, it was the clarity of the patterns and structure in Scripture and their ability to intermesh with one another through as many levels as I could imagine that convinced me that the Bible couldn’t be the creation of a man or any number of men, and was certainly not the product of separate men divided by centuries, but was of another world: supernatural.

I was forced to admit under no pressure but the pressure of the text itself that it could be only what it claimed it was, the Word of God.

”

- Larry Woiwode (HT: Justin Taylor)

Amen.

"The people in your congregation did not become active participants in your ministry so that..."

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:43:03 -0400

“The people in your congregation did not become active participants in your ministry so that collectively they could make you feel better about yourself and more secure with your ministry gifts. God didn’t call you to your particular ministry position so that you could finally cobble together an identity that you could live with. The leadership of the church didn’t call you to be their pastor because they knew that you needed a forum where you could find meaning and purpose. The troubled people in your congregation did not come with their troubles so that you could feel needed, essential, and appreciated…So you will never find in your ministry the rest of heart that every human being seeks. And when you look there, it only ends in anxiety, frustration, hurt, disappointment, anger, and bitterness and may ultimately lead you to question the goodness of God. I am convinced that what we often call “ministry burnout” is often the result of pastor’s seeking in their ministry what cannot be found there, and because it can’t be found there they end up weary and discouraged.”

- Paul Tripp, A Dangerous Calling, p. 202

A quote for pastors, but I think it’s pretty darn applicable for everyone who spends a lot of time serving in ministry. Our identity and rest are in Christ, we are in ministry not for ourselves, but to pour ourselves out for the good of others and for the glory of our King!

"It is a very easy thing for us to get into a desponding state of heart, and to mistrust the promises..."

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 02:56:04 -0500

“It is a very easy thing for us to get into a desponding state of heart, and to mistrust the promises and faithfulness of God, and yet, all the while, to look upon ourselves as the subjects of a disease which we cannot help, and even claim pity at the hands of our fellow-men, and to think that they should condole us, and try to cheer us. Perhaps they should; but, at any rate, we must not think they should. It will be far wiser for each one of us to feel, ‘This unbelief of mine is a great wrong in the sight of God. He has never given me any occasion for it, and I am doing Him a cruel injustice by thus doubting Him.’”

- Charles H. Spurgeon (via winfredluong)

"Acedia [Sloth ‘the sin of the empty soul’]…means a life driven by mere..."

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 02:32:06 -0500

“

Acedia [Sloth ‘the sin of the empty soul’]…means a life driven by mere cost-benefit analysis of ‘whats in it for me.’…Acedia is the sin which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing and only remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die

…a person characterized by acedia—in which their driving passion is their own needs, comfort, and interests—does not necessarily look lazy at all. Indeed, this type of person seems to generate lots of activity…[but] it puts the cynical self at the center of your life. And when you do that you release all the worst vices and sins to be the main animating energy behind your work.

”

- Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavor

…Dang. Sounds a lot like me.

"Why are we not free enough from fear and anxiety to allow ourselves to go full stretch in following..."

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 16:12:08 -0500

“

Why are we not free enough from fear and anxiety to allow ourselves to go full stretch in following Christ?
One reason it seems i that in our heart of hearts we are afraid of the consequences of going the whole way in the Christian life. We shrink back from accepting burdens of responsibility for others because we fear we should not have the strength to bear them. We shrink back from accepting a way of life in which we forfeit security because we are afraid of being left stranded. We shrink from being meek because we are afraid if we do not stand up for ourselves we shall be trodden down and victimised, and end up among life’s casualties and failures. We shrink from breaking with social convention in order to serve Christ because we fear that if we did, the established structure of our life would collapse all around us, leaving without a footing anywhere. It is these half-conscious fears, this dread of insecurity, rather than any deliberate refusal to face the cost of following Christ, which makes us hold back.

…Now let us call a spade of spade. The name of the game we are playing is unbelief, and Paul’s ‘He will give us all things’ stands as an everlasting rebuke to us

”

- J.I. Packer,Knowing God

Man, so much wisdom in this book, but I have I have a feeling I passed over it much too quickly. Will have to reread sometime in the future!

"Perhaps, some of you may say, like David, ‘It is good that I was afflicted’, but you..."

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 23:05:32 -0400

“Perhaps, some of you may say, like David, ‘It is good that I was afflicted’, but you must come to this, ‘It is good that I am afflicted.’ Not just good when you see the good fruit it has wrought but to say when you are afflicted, ‘It is good that I am afflicted. Whatever the affliction, yet through the mercy of God mine is a good condition.’”

- Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

"Show a little faith to Him, and He gives more faith"

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 20:52:06 -0400

“Show a little faith to Him, and He gives more faith”

- Jim Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty

"It is our duty and our privelege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens..."

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 03:58:27 -0400

“It is our duty and our privelege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimens of men in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, whose lot is to be consumed; we are to spend and to be spent, not to lay ourselves up in lavender and nurse our flesh”

- Charles Spurgeon, p.162 in “A Minister’s Fainting Fits”

so epic!

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:36:20 -0500

so epic!

“There have always been literate ignoramuses who have read too widely and not well. The Greeks...

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 16:53:00 -0500

“There have always been literate ignoramuses who have read too widely and not well. The Greeks had a name for such a mixture of learning and folly which might be applied to the bookish but poorly read of all ages. They are all sophomores.”

Mortimer J Adler & Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book

haha… this is so true.

Video

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:52:38 -0500

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! When I told of my...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:26:30 -0400

    My soul clings to the dust;
        give me life according to your word!
    When I told of my ways, you answered me;
        teach me your statutes!
    Make me understand the way of your precepts,
        and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
    My soul melts away for sorrow;
        strengthen me according to your word!
    Put false ways far from me
        and graciously teach me your law!
    I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
        I set your rules before me.
    I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;
        let me not be put to shame!
    I will run in the way of your commandments
        when you enlarge my heart!

(Psalm 119:25-32 ESV)

He ever lives and abides a Priest continually. His continuance in the Priestly office should comfort...

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:44:51 -0400

He ever lives and abides a Priest continually. His continuance in the Priestly office should comfort us under all our heart-breakings, short-comings, and deadness in prayer and praise; his blood will be heard for us — when we are ashamed of our pleading for ourselves.

-James Smith (HT: Of First Importance)

"An idle life and a holy heart is a contradiction"

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:35:05 -0400

“An idle life and a holy heart is a contradiction”

- Thomas Brooks (HT: Challies)

Do we profess to believe in God? He’s a missionary God. Do we say that we are committed to...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:28:49 -0400

Do we profess to believe in God? He’s a missionary God. Do we say that we are committed to Christ? He’s a missionary Christ. Do we claim to be filled with the Spirit? He’s a missionary Spirit. Do we delight in belonging to the church? It’s a missionary society. Do we hope to go to heaven when we die? It’s a heaven filled with the fruits of a missionary enterprise. It is not possible to avoid these things.”

- John Stott

"You are retired for your private devotions; you have opened the Bible, and you begin to read. Now,..."

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:22:26 -0400

“

You are retired for your private devotions; you have opened the Bible, and you begin to read.

Now, do not be satisfied with merely reading through a chapter. Some people thoughtlessly read through two or three chapters—stupid people for doing such a thing!

It is always better to read a little and digest it, than it is to read much and then think you have done a good thing by merely reading the letter of the word.

For you might as well read the alphabet backwards and forwards, as read a chapter of Scripture, unless you meditate upon it, and seek to comprehend its meaning.

Merely to read words is nothing: the letter kills.

The business of the believer with his Bible open is to pray, “Lord, give me the meaning and spirit of your word, while it lies open before me; apply your word with power to my soul, threatening or promise, doctrine or precept, whatever it may be; lead me into the soul and marrow of your word.”

Also, it is not the form of prayer, but the spirit of prayer that shall truly benefit your souls.

That prayer has not benefited you, which is not the prayer of the soul.

You have need to say, “Lord, give me the spirit of prayer; now help me to feel my need deeply, to perceive your promises clearly, and to exercise faith upon them.”

In your private devotions, strive after vital godliness, real soul-work, the life-giving operation of the Spirit of God in your hearts.

”

- Charles Spurgeon (HT: Justin Taylor)

May I put aside all laziness and thoughtlessness in my private devotion. I must read until I truly read, pray until I really pray.

"I would suggest one of the greatest dangers is that of becoming dependent upon meetings. There is..."

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:32:17 -0400

“I would suggest one of the greatest dangers is that of becoming dependent upon meetings. There is developing a kind of ‘meetings mania’ and there are Christian people who seem to be always at meetings. Now meetings are undoubtedly of great value…but let us beware lest we become so dependent upon meetings that one day when we find ourselves ill and laid upon our bed we do not know what to do with ourselves…We must beware of the danger of resting on props even in Christian service
—
… Professor Whitehead uttered a great truth when he said in his definition that ‘Religion is what a man does with his own solitude.’ You and I, in the last analysis, are what we are when we are alone.
—
Let me put it plainly— the danger with some of us is to spend far too much of our time even reading about him. The day may come, indeed will come, when we shall not be able to read. Then comes the test. Will you still be happy? Do you know Him so well that though you become deaf or blind this fount will still be open? Do you know Him so well that you can talk to Him and listen to Him and enjoy Him always? Will all be well because you have always been so dependent upon your relationship to Him that nothing else really matters!”

- Martyn Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression, p. 282-285

What a humbling and terrifying thought. Take away my meetings and my books and leave me alone, deaf and blind. Then what will my knowledge and love for God be?

Oh, I do not just want to know more about Him. I want to know Him!

A desire for God which cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do but little...

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:23:40 -0400

A desire for God which cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do but little good for God after it has indulged itself fully. The desire for God that keeps so far behind the devil and the world at the beginning of the day will never catch up.

- E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer

"I think one may be quite rid of the old haunting suspicion—which raises its head in every..."

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:38:58 -0400

“

I think one may be quite rid of the old haunting suspicion—which raises its head in every temptation—that there is something else than God, some other country into which he forbids us to trespass, some kind of delight which he ‘doesn’t appreciate’ or just chooses to forbid, but which would be real delight if only we were allowed to get it.

The thing just isn’t there. Whatever we desire is either what God is trying to give us as quickly as he can, or else a false picture of what he is trying to give us, a false picture which would not attract us for a moment if we saw the real thing… . He knows what we want, even in our vilest acts. He is longing to give it to us

”

- C.S. Lewis

"Is it not enough to make any heart to tremble, to think of being brought into that estate wherein he..."

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:12:02 -0500

“Is it not enough to make any heart to tremble, to think of being brought into that estate wherein he would have slight thoughts of sin? Slight thoughts of grace, of mercy, of the blood of Christ. of the law, heaven, and hell, come all in the same season. Take heed, this is that which your lust is working toward —the hardening of the heart, searing of the conscience, blinding of the mind, stupifying of the affections, and deceiving of the whole soul.”

- John Owen