"Love God; love the brothers; don't love the world."
This is a summary of the Christian life as Pastor Phillips mentioned tonight. It is interesting that most forms of Christianity seem to go astray on one of these three points. We usually remember to love God. But we often forget to love our brothers. And if we remember that, we may well forget that we must not love the world system in which we live. For my particular slice of Christianity, I think, we struggle most with the middle proposition, while we usually remember to love our God and not be so fascinated by the world.
Complete devotion to God, full familial loyalty and service to the believing community, and abhorrence of that which seeks to distract and detract from these first commands... that is a good look at Biblical Christianity.
30 April 2009
Thoughts from tonight's service
18 April 2009
3 Thoughts for the day
A picture from the Junior/Senior banquet last night... we enjoyed the banquet and then games with friends afterwards.
A link to an excellent article on a blog I don't follow... (this article speaks to much that is awry in Christianity today.)
A link to the back articles from "In the Nick of Time", a weekly publication usually from the pen of Kevin Bauder... follow the link down to the bottom of the page and read the current series on "Understanding Conservative Christianity." This series has been outstandingly beneficial to me personally and has made some things click. It is well worth reading
17 April 2009
Meditations from the Second Psalm
This semester I have been taking a class on Revelation; Psalm 2 applies immediately to the time period dealt with in that book. Read in the context of the last days...
ponderings from the first Psalm
Divine blessing will come upon the man who doesn't take wicked advice about how to live, or join in the lifestyle of sinful men (though he may still join sinful men, he is separate from their sin - as Christ was with us), or settles into the seat of those who scoff at God. Rather this blest man receives his joy from searching in the words of God, and he ponders his Lord's instruction continually.
Thus it is that his life is full and rich; and in his Master's time, he sees harvest and reward and multiplication. Still, it is not always harvest day even for this profitable and blessed man.
Unlike this stable, healthful one, the wicked's life lacks substance and endurance or even real profitableness. They will not measure up or remain when the tests of reality and authenticity are applied because that blest man's God recognizes him and his way, but the wicked will be utterly rejected and removed.
16 March 2009
on the Conservative's religious affections
Notice especially the first sentence. If the full article interests you, check it out here.
"Unfortunately, we live in a day when the distinction between affections and appetites has been lost. In the absence of this distinction, religious entrepreneurs have discovered what Madison Avenue salesmen have long known, namely, that people can be manipulated most easily by appealing to those varieties of emotion that used to be classified as passions. Not surprisingly, we now find ourselves awash in a sea of unregulated religious appetite." (From this week's "In the Nick of Time")
13 February 2009
Northern Lights' song
Here's a song that is being given away free. It's full of good reminders. Also, some of the Heart Conference sessions were outstanding; I particularly enjoyed some of Dr. Jordan's.
28 January 2009
from City on a Hill
Philip Graham Ryken is speaking of how we must learn to think and act Biblically and the difficulty we encounter:
"What we ought to do is take the time to stop and think. That is what people usually do when they lose their way. A motorist looking for a street in a strange neighborhood eases off the gas pedal and turns down the stereo. But in these post-Christian times, we do exactly the opposite. We sense that we have lost our spiritual way, but instead of taking time to think things through, we go faster and faster, cranking the music louder and louder." (pg. 123)
19 January 2009
"Who is on the Lord's side?" text
I noticed the words to this song tonight and they are quite excellent. I don't think I've ever seen the last verse before.
by Frances R. Havergal
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!
Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm,
Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm;
But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died:
He whom Jesus nameth must be on His side.
By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!
Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem,
But with Thine own life blood, for Thy diadem;
With Thy blessing filling each who comes to Thee,
Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.
By Thy grand redemption, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!
Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe,
But the King’s own army none can overthrow;
’Round His standard ranging, victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.
Joyfully enlisting, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!
Chosen to be soldiers, in an alien land,
Chosen, called, and faithful, for our Captain’s band,
In the service royal, let us not grow cold;
Let us be right loyal, noble, true and bold.
Master, Thou wilt keep us, by Thy grace divine,
Always on the Lord’s side—Savior, always Thine!
09 January 2009
security vs. daring
I don't think I could really explain why this article struck me as interesting. I do a fair amount of reading of the news and rarely post what I find, but this one is interesting because it shows people making life decisions in an interesting way. The fact that one of the men at the end gives a fairly clear Christian witness is also of interest. Why would someone leave a comfy job to branch out on their own? Maybe the same sort of desires that would cause them to live overseas when so many would love to live in America?