Praise & Thanksgiving

C. S. Lewis, before he was a Christian, really disliked the message of the Bible that we should thank and praise God all the time. Then everything changed. What he discovered was not that praising and thanking made people childish, but that it made them large-hearted and healthy. He said, ‘The humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious, minds praised most while the cranks, misfits and malcontents praised least.’ That is my experience. When I am ungrateful, I am selfish and immature. When I am overflowing with gratitude I am healthy, other-oriented, servant-minded, Christ-exalting, and joyful. --John Piper

Beautiful, Scandalous Night

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

Follow Christ to the holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flowed
For you and for me and for all

CHORUS:
At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night

On the hillside, you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that poured
From our blessed Savior's side

CHORUS

Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified

Holistic Healing for a Holistic Mess

The quote below has been very encouraging to me today. It seems that "holistic mess" is a good description. Whether it is in discussions with friends, dealing with folks lives, or seeing the mess & hurt that my wicked heart inflicts on others... i am sensing a holistic mess. The glory of Advent is that Jesus comes into the mess... with power and grace.

“Sin and evil constitute bad news in every area of life on this planet. The redemptive work of God through the cross of Christ is good news for every area of life on earth that has been touched by sin, which means every area.

Bluntly, we need a holistic gospel because the world is in a holistic mess. And by God’s incredible grace we have a gospel big enough to redeem all that sin and evil has touched. And every dimension of that good news is good news utterly and only because of the blood of Christ on the cross.

Ultimately all that there will be in the new, redeemed creation will be there because of the cross. And conversely, all that will not be there (suffering, tears, sin, Satan, sickness, oppression, corruption, decay and death) will not be there because they will have been defeated and destroyed by the cross.

That is the length, breadth, height and depth of God’s idea of redemption. It is exceedingly good news.” - Christopher Wright, The Mission of God, 315

Haiti mEETING

THERE is an interest meeting for the Haiti mission trip scheduled for Sunday Night, December 9. Contact Steve "O-Dome" Omli for details... 316-1117

“Look more at justification than sanctification. ...If you have looked at your resolutions, endeavors, workings, duties, qualifications, etc., more than at the merits of Christ, it will cost you dear.”

- Thomas Wilcox, Honey out of the Rock

There is everything we need in Jesus to endear His name to our hearts. He is our Prophet, teaching us the will of the Father. He is our Priest, offering up Himself as our atoning Victim. He is our King, erecting His throne in our hearts, and subduing us to Himself as His loving and obedient subjects. He is our Friend, loving us at all times. He is our Brother, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, born for our adversity. He is our Great High Priest, touched with the feeling of our infirmities, tempted in all points as we are—and in our sorrows, griefs, and trials encircling us with the many-folded robe of His tender, loving sympathy.

O to know Jesus—that most excellent and superlative knowledge! With Paul we may well count all things but loss for its possession. To know Him as the Savior—to know Him as our Friend—to know Him as our Brother—to know Him as our Advocate—to know Him as our Portion, is endless life and glory!

The Incarnation

The Incarnation, this mysterious miracle at the heart of historic Christianity, is central in the New Testament witness. That Jews should ever have come to such a belief is amazing. Eight of the nine New Testament writers, like Jesus’ original disciples, were Jews, drilled in the Jewish axiom that there is only one God and that no human is divine. They all teach, however, that Jesus is God’s Messiah, the Spirit-anointed son of David promised in the Old Testament (e.g., Isa. 11:1-5; Christos, “Christ,” is Greek for Messiah). They all present him in a threefold role as teacher, sin-bearer, and ruler—prophet, priest, and king. And in other words, they all insist that Jesus the Messiah should be personally worshiped and trusted—which is to say that he is God no less than he is man.

Jesse Tree starts today

One dad told me the first reading was awesome. I'm looking fwd to starting with ma familia tonite.

Jesus is God's YES!

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. --Paul to the Corinthian church

Prophet, Priest, and King--- The Triple-cure

This advent during preaching portion of our weekly gatherings I plan to focus on what it means and what good it does to have "God with us". As a window into this... we will look at how Christ comes to us. One helpful way of understanding who Christ is and what He does is through the window of Jesus as Prophet, Jesus as Priest, Jesus as King.

"The threefold office of Christ has profound ramifications for the Christian life. First and foremost, this model enables us to connect the work of Christ, who has secured our redemption (which we discover only in the pages of Scripture), with our present experience and struggles as Christians. As John Calvin noted, the threefold office of Christ is certainly one of the best ways to explain our Lord's redemptive work, which by design overcame our ignorance, our guilt, and our corruption, and which even now provides us with illumination, redemption, and hope in the present." --Kim Riddlebarger

Please pray for me (Rob) as I meditate upon these truths and prepare these sermons.

a hymn, and a prayer of hope

O heart bereav'd and lonely,
Whose brightest dreams have fled
Whose hopes like summer roses
Are wither'd crushed and dead
Though link by link be broken
And tears unseen may fall,
Look up amid thy sorrow
To him who knows it all.

O cling to thy Redeemer
Thy Saviour, Brother, Friend;
Believe and trust His promise
To keep you till the end;
O watch and wait with patience
And question all you will;
His arms of love and mercy
Are round about thee still.

Look up, the clouds are breaking,
The storm will soon be o'er
And thou shall reach the haven
Where sorrows are no more.
Look up, be not discouraged;
Trust on, whate'er befall;
Remember, O remember,
Thy Savior knows it all. --an old hymn

“It cannot be over-emphasized that we have not seen the full meaning of the cross till we have seen it as the center of the gospel, flanked on the one hand by total inability and unconditional surrender and on the other by irresistible grace and final preservation.

Christ died to save a certain company of helpless sinners upon whom God had set his free saving love. Christ’s death ensured the calling and keeping - the present and final salvation - of all whose sins he bore. That is what Calvary meant, and means. The cross saved; the cross saves.”

- J.I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1990), 138.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all men.
We bless thee for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

Jesus, priceless Treasure,
Source of purest pleasure,
Truest Friend to me.
Ah, how long in anguish
Shall my spirit languish,
Yearning, Lord, for Thee?
Thou art mine, O Lamb divine!
I will suffer naught to hide Thee,
Naught I ask beside Thee.

In Thine arms I rest me;
Foes who would molest me
Cannot reach me here.
Though the earth be shaking,
Every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear.
Lightnings flash and thunders crash;
Yet, though sin and hell assail me,
Jesus will not fail me.

Satan, I defy thee;
Death, I now decry thee;
Fear, I bid thee cease.
World, thou shalt not harm me
Nor thy threats alarm me
While I sing of peace.
God’s great power guards every hour;
Earth and all its depths adore Him,
Silent bow before Him.

Evil world, I leave thee;
Thou canst not deceive me,
Thine appeal is vain.
Sin that once did bind me,
Get thee far behind me,
Come not forth again.
Past thy hour, O pride and power;
Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
Leave thee now forever.

Hence, all thought of sadness!
For the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in.
Those who love the Father,
Though the storms may gather,
Still have peace within;
Yea, whatever we here must bear,
Still in Thee lies purest pleasure,
Jesus, priceless Treasure!

Just get me to Jesus

In two different conversations this morning, one with my wife and one with Steve Lammers ..... a theme emerged..... I/We need Jesus!!... and so this quote found traction in my heart. Maybe you'll benefit as well:

Faith may seem a slight thing to some; and they may wonder how salvation can flow from believing. Hence they try to magnify it, to adorn it, to add to it, in order that it may appear some great thing, something worthy of having salvation as its reward. In so doing, they are actually transforming faith into a work, and introducing salvation by works, under the name of faith. They show that they understand neither the nature nor the office of faith. It saves, simply by handing us over to the Saviour. It saves, not on account of the good works which flow from it, not on account of the love which it kindles, not on account of the repentance which it produces, but solely because it connects us with the Saving One. Its saving efficacy does not lie in its connection with righteousness and holiness, but entirely in its connection with the Righteous and Holy One … --Horatius Bonar, 1800's

a wedding & marriage prayer

O God, to those who here profess their vows of lifelong love, Grant joy and peace; their marriage bless with gladness from above.

Christ, grant that neither grief nor place nor life nor death may part

Those who, enjoying your sweet grace, in You are one in heart.

Spirit of God, whom we adore: preserve, protect, defend,

Increase, rekindle, and restore their love till life shall end.

Charles price and charles Wesley, music Caithness

I heard the voice of, Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light
Look unto me thy morn’ shall rise,
And all thy days be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found, In Him my star, my sun
And in that light of, life I’ll walk,
Till pilgrim days are done --Bonar.... hymn here

o by the way.... spurgeon this morning is incredible....

"Lord, here is my heart, my poor heart. Take it just as it is, and make it all that You would have it to be; cast it into Your mold, and let it receive and reflect Your image, Son of God, inexpressibly precious Jesus, Savior of sinners, Redeemer of my never dying soul!"

Jesus is the Fountain, yes, the Ocean, of living waters. We draw supplies from His infinite, inexhaustible fulness. "Lord, impart to me more of Yourself. Fill this heart with Your love, engrave Your image there, and let me not lose sight of You for one small moment."

Jesus is all in all to me. --Mary Winslow

Start Christmas BEFORE thanksgiving

Tomorrow night, Thursday November 15, you can help a child experience a wonderful Christmas present. There is a wrapping party to prepare the shoeboxes that will be assembled (i.e. stuffed) on Sunday morning.
details here

The Renewing Grace of Jesus

When worn with sickness, oft hast Thou
With health renewed my face;
And, when in sins and sorrows sunk,
Revived my soul with grace.

--When All Thy Mercies, O My God

The rule has been disproved
The stone it has been moved
The grave is now a groove
All debts are removed
Oh can’t you see what love has done? --U2, Window in the Skies

“Once you have accepted Christianity, then some of its main doctrines should be deliberately held before you mind every day. That is why daily praying, and Scripture reading and church going are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed…if you examined one hundred people who had lost their faith in Christianity I wonder how many of them would turn out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people simply drift away?” C S Lewis, Mere Christianity

Hard-boiled Sinners

Martin Luther was concerned about a friend of his who felt like he had to get his life put together before he could come to church. Luther's response in 1544 screams loud and clear even today:
"My faithful request and admonition is that you join our company and associate with us who are real, great and hard-boiled sinners. You must by no means make Christ to seem paltry and trifling to us as though He could be our helper only when we want to be rid from imaginary, nominal and childish sins. No, no! That would not be good for us. He must rather be a savior and redeemer from real, great, grievous, and damnable transgressions and iniquities…"

"let the good times roll in case God doesn't show"

.... the following is either an advertisement for engaging popular culture with your children OR
an advertisement against same

This morning i heard my 6 yr old singing this line
let the good times roll In case God doesn't show

turns out w/ a little help from google that the song is by Fall out boy and called Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
Anywho... it struck me that this line is akin to saying

Stuff your face if the caterers don't show
Dance around if the band doesn't show
Throw me a pass if the football can't be found
Turn on the TV since the electricity is out.

It felt oxymoronic. And this is the way I spoke with my son.... there is no deeper conviction i have (see Hebrews 11 and acct of Moses' life) than that it if God "doesn't show (up)" then it is impossible to have a good time.
But in further reflection, perhaps this line is more like what Paul said
If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” What do you think?

Men's Road-trip, to Biloxi for Katrina relief

Here's all the info... some of it repeated... put together in the most spastic way I can....We leave Wed 7th at5pm and return Sunday the 11th around 1pm. The Gators have conveniently scheduled there game against Spurrier for Sat nite so that we can--after a hard days work--enjoy the game together over dinner.
We only need to bring towels, sheets and pillows. They provide a place to sleep and shower, food including water and power aide on the job.

We will be guided by 7 Rivers Pres of Crystal River. They've worked this area monthly for 2 years.

We will be leaving from the church house on Wednesday at 5:00 pm (try to be there at 4:45 pm)
We will head back Sunday morning and hope to be home around 1:00 pm
Please bring twin sheets, pillow, towel and blanket
Bring $90.00 for food and we will be sharing gas expense
Bring work clothes and basic hand tools if you have them
Bring clothes to go out to watch the game in

Basic schedule:
Wednesday: drive
Thursday & Friday: work all day & do some friendship-building, worship & bible study in evening
Saturday: work all day & watch Gator game while out at dinner
Sunday: worship together & hit the road pretty early

Who's going?

Rob Pendley,John Gallagher, Mike Marshall, Frank Stankunas, Frank Matthews, Ken French

"I will pour water upon him that is thirsty."

When a believer has fallen into a low, sad state of feeling, he often tries to lift himself out of it by chastening himself with dark and doleful fears. Such is not the way to rise from the dust, but to continue in it. As well chain the eagle's wing to make it mount, as doubt in order to increase our grace. It is not the law, but the gospel which saves the seeking soul at first; and it is not a legal bondage, but gospel liberty which can restore the fainting believer afterwards. Slavish fear brings not back the backslider to God, but the sweet wooings of love allure him to Jesus' bosom. Are you this morning thirsting for the living God, and unhappy because you cannot find him to the delight of your heart? Have you lost the joy of faith, and is this your prayer, "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation"? Are you conscious also that you are barren, like the dry ground; that you are not bringing forth the fruit unto God which He has a right to expect of you; that you are not so useful in the Church, or in the world, as your heart desires to be? Then here is exactly the promise which you need, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." You shall receive the grace you so much require, and you shall have it to the utmost reach of your needs. Water refreshes the thirsty: you shall be refreshed; your desires shall be gratified. Water quickens sleeping vegetable life: your life shall be quickened by fresh grace. Water swells the buds and makes the fruits ripen; you shall have fructifying grace: you shall be made fruitful in the ways of God. Whatever good quality there is in divine grace, you shall enjoy it to the full. All the riches of divine grace you shall receive in plenty; you shall be as it were drenched with it: and as sometimes the meadows become flooded by the bursting rivers, and the fields are turned into pools, so shall you be--the thirsty land shall be springs of water. --Spurgeon, Morning & Evening Devotionals, morning for today, November 6

"I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." — Isaiah 44:3

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain.
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain. --William Cowper

“Sin is the sickness of the soul. It is deforming, weakening, disquieting, wasting, killing, but blessed be God, not incurable. Jesus Christ is the great Physician of souls. Wise and good men should be as physicians to all about them; Christ was so. Sin-sick souls have need of this Physician, for their disease is dangerous; nature will not help itself; no man can help us; such need have we of Christ that we are undone, eternally undone, without him. There are multitudes who fancy themselves to be sound and whole, who think they have no need of Christ, but that they can do for themselves well enough without him…Christ came not with an expectation of succeeding among the ‘righteous’, those who conceit themselves so, and therefore will sooner be sick of their Savior than sick of their sins, but among the convinced humble sinners; to them Christ will come, for to them he will be welcome.” Matthew Henry, Commentary on Matthew 9

Sex, Intimacy, and the Gospel

From time to time i like to post solid resources. Here are some good ones, particularly for the fellas... but also for ladies trying to support a man or raise a son.

• A Song of Joy: Sexual Intimacy in Marriage
  C.J. Mahaney (mp3)
• Sex, Romance and the Glory of God (Part 1)
  C.J. Mahaney (mp3)
• Sex, Romance and the Glory of God (Part 2)
  C.J. Mahaney (mp3)
• A Clean Heart, A Clean Mind: Restoring Sexual Purity in the Church
  H. Schaumburg (mp3)
• Men's Bible Study: Wise Sex (Part 1)
  Jay Sklar
• Men's Bible Study: Wise Sex (Part 2)
  Jay Sklar
• Sexual Purity and the Circumcision of the Heart
  Hans Bayer (mp3)
• Sexual Character - Treating Younger Women as Sisters With Absolute Purity
  Mark Dalbey (mp3) - 1 Timothy 5:1-2
• A Clean Heart, A Clean Mind: Restoring Sexual Purity in the Life of the Church
  Harry Schaumburg (mp3) - 1 Corinthians 5:1-8
• The Gospel and Sexual Sanity
  Scotty Smith (mp3) - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
• Sex and the Resurrection
  Richard Winter (mp3) - 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
• Be Still, O Wandering Eye - Keeping From Sexual Sin
  Dan Doriani (mp3) - Matthew 5:27-32

Owen quotes

Several asked about the John Owen quote. Here's one of them:

"God’s love is like Himself- it is equal and constant. And even the things which appear to show that God has changed His mind about us proceed from His love for us. We are so different- our love changes, yet God’s love is always the same.

Some may say.... ‘This comes nigh to that blasphemy, that God loves his people in their sinning as will as in their strictest obedience; and, if so, who will care to serve Him more, or to walk with Him unto well-pleasing?’ ‘But will not this encourage sin?’

He never tasted of the love of God that can seriously make this objection.” -John Owen.... more complete quote here

in the past year 2 guys (Kelly Kapic & Justin Taylor) have done amazing new re-edits of someof John Owen's work....

Communion with the Triune God & Overcoming Sin & Temptation .... at $15 they make excellent Christmas gifts

The compassion of Jesus

Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. --The Gospel of St. Matthew

Give Me Christ, or Else I Die

Gracious Lord, incline they ear; My requests vouchsafe to hear;
Hear my never-ceasing cry; Give me Christ, or else I die.

Wealth and honor I disdain, earthly comforts, Lord are vain;
These can never satisfy: Give me Christ, or else I die.

All unholy and unclean, I am nothing but sin;
On thy mercy I rely; Give me Christ, or else I die.

Thou dost freely save the lost; In they grace alone I trust.
With my earnest suit comply; Give me Christ, or else I die.

Thou dost promise to forgive, all who in they Son believe;
Lord, I know thou cannot lie; Give me Christ or else I die.

Words - William Hammond, 1719-1783

"Oh, that's easy. It's grace."

It is to the prodigals … that the memory of their Father's house comes back. If the son had lived economically he would never have thought of returning.
—Simone Weil

During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world were discussing whether any one belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. "What's the rumpus about?" he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. In his forthright manner Lewis responded, "Oh, that's easy. It's grace." --from Phil Yancey