Pray for Burma
Here is a disturbing story. Let's pray for these brothers and sisters.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Fender Bender
9 days ago we had a fender-bender. I was pretty steamed at first, but looking back on it now, I praise God that he spared us from injury and greater damage. OK, I confess, at first I was downright angry!
When bad things happen, sometimes it is hard to think clearly and with eyes on God's sovereignty. We love to praise God's control when things are going great. But in difficulties, if we will look at the situation through the lens of Romans 8:28, we remember that they also come for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. What a tremendous thing! What grace that we were spared big damages, injuries and death. Maki and I deserved these, as sinners, but God spared them. He loves us.
As I thought through it, God alone knows what is best, and He gives it at every moment. If we were to die, that too would be the best plan, because it would be God's plan. Don't ask me if I could write this if Maki alone died - I am not super-man, but I pray that I would eventually be able to someday write something like this.
Going back to the accident, sin and carelessness is real and I am responsible for my faults, but even in this God wants to teach us things. He is not limited by our inabilities. He works through us and in us "to act and will according to His good purpose." - Phil 2:13
Through this we saw God's grace and also His humbling hand. (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." - Jude 24,25
9 days ago we had a fender-bender. I was pretty steamed at first, but looking back on it now, I praise God that he spared us from injury and greater damage. OK, I confess, at first I was downright angry!
When bad things happen, sometimes it is hard to think clearly and with eyes on God's sovereignty. We love to praise God's control when things are going great. But in difficulties, if we will look at the situation through the lens of Romans 8:28, we remember that they also come for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. What a tremendous thing! What grace that we were spared big damages, injuries and death. Maki and I deserved these, as sinners, but God spared them. He loves us.
As I thought through it, God alone knows what is best, and He gives it at every moment. If we were to die, that too would be the best plan, because it would be God's plan. Don't ask me if I could write this if Maki alone died - I am not super-man, but I pray that I would eventually be able to someday write something like this.
Going back to the accident, sin and carelessness is real and I am responsible for my faults, but even in this God wants to teach us things. He is not limited by our inabilities. He works through us and in us "to act and will according to His good purpose." - Phil 2:13
Through this we saw God's grace and also His humbling hand. (2 Cor. 12:7-10)
"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." - Jude 24,25
Grudem on God's Providence
Interesting and Free MP3 files - Wayne Grudem is the man who
had the greatest impact on my view of God's sovereignty and providence.
Interesting and Free MP3 files - Wayne Grudem is the man who
had the greatest impact on my view of God's sovereignty and providence.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
The Pleasures of God in Election
Click here to find out why we can boast in only One.
Praise God that Biblical election eliminates pride and
insecurity .
Click here to read about a great new resource about divine election.
My friend Justin Taylor says,
"Divine election is certainly one of the more profound—and controversial—doctrines in the Bible. Does God elect people because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, or does God elect people in order that they will believe in Christ? Much of the disagreement and controversy concerning this doctrine proceeds from a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means."
Click here to find out why we can boast in only One.
Praise God that Biblical election eliminates pride and
insecurity .
Click here to read about a great new resource about divine election.
My friend Justin Taylor says,
"Divine election is certainly one of the more profound—and controversial—doctrines in the Bible. Does God elect people because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, or does God elect people in order that they will believe in Christ? Much of the disagreement and controversy concerning this doctrine proceeds from a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means."
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Godly Hedonism by St. Augustine
"...by spurning earthly happiness I would clear in my life to search for
wisdom; yet even to seek it, let alone find it, would have been more
rewarding than discovery of treasure or possession of all this world's
kingdoms, or having every bodily pleasure at my beck and call."
"But what am I loving when I love You? Not beauty of body nor
transient grace, not this fair light which is now so friendly to my
eyes, not melodious song in all its lovely harmonies, not the sweet
fragrance of flowers or ointments or spices, not manna or honey,
not limbs that draw me to carnal embrace: none of these do I love
when I love my God. And yet I do love a kind of light, a kind of voice,
a certain fragrance, food and embrace, when I love my God: a light,
voice, fragrance food and embrace for my inmost self, where some-
thing limited to no place shines into my mind, where something not
snatched away by passing time sings for me, where something no
breath blows away yields to me it scent, where there is savor
undiminished by famished eating, and where I am clasped in a union
from which no satiety can tear me away. This is what I love, when I
love my God."
click here for a great message on Augustine's life and thought by
John Piper.
"...by spurning earthly happiness I would clear in my life to search for
wisdom; yet even to seek it, let alone find it, would have been more
rewarding than discovery of treasure or possession of all this world's
kingdoms, or having every bodily pleasure at my beck and call."
"But what am I loving when I love You? Not beauty of body nor
transient grace, not this fair light which is now so friendly to my
eyes, not melodious song in all its lovely harmonies, not the sweet
fragrance of flowers or ointments or spices, not manna or honey,
not limbs that draw me to carnal embrace: none of these do I love
when I love my God. And yet I do love a kind of light, a kind of voice,
a certain fragrance, food and embrace, when I love my God: a light,
voice, fragrance food and embrace for my inmost self, where some-
thing limited to no place shines into my mind, where something not
snatched away by passing time sings for me, where something no
breath blows away yields to me it scent, where there is savor
undiminished by famished eating, and where I am clasped in a union
from which no satiety can tear me away. This is what I love, when I
love my God."
click here for a great message on Augustine's life and thought by
John Piper.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Getting ready for the Amazing Grace movie
You may find this a good read in preparation for the
new movie, "Amazing Grace". Wilberforce was the
man largely responsible for taking down slavery in
England.
"When Wilberforce was twenty-five years old, the
whole direction of his life changed, not because of some new
political appointment but because of a spiritual conversion
that was so dramatic that he initially considered leaving
Parliament to become a clergyman. Fortunately, a wise men-
tor, simply called “Old Newton” by Wilberforce, advised him
against such a career change and urged him to remain in the
House of Commons serving God through politics.
“Old Newton” was John Newton, the reformed slave ship
captain who had become a minister in the Church of England,
an author and writer of legendary hymns such as Amazing
Grace, and a leader of the growing evangelical movement in
eighteenth-century England."
Read the free book here.
You may find this a good read in preparation for the
new movie, "Amazing Grace". Wilberforce was the
man largely responsible for taking down slavery in
England.
"When Wilberforce was twenty-five years old, the
whole direction of his life changed, not because of some new
political appointment but because of a spiritual conversion
that was so dramatic that he initially considered leaving
Parliament to become a clergyman. Fortunately, a wise men-
tor, simply called “Old Newton” by Wilberforce, advised him
against such a career change and urged him to remain in the
House of Commons serving God through politics.
“Old Newton” was John Newton, the reformed slave ship
captain who had become a minister in the Church of England,
an author and writer of legendary hymns such as Amazing
Grace, and a leader of the growing evangelical movement in
eighteenth-century England."
Read the free book here.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Is Your God too Small?
"If there is a God, it's going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed." - Richard Dawkins
Are we as Christians talking about God in the right way?
"Richard Dawkins, has just come out with The God Delusion (Houghton Mifflin), the rare volume whose position is so clear it forgoes a subtitle. The five-week New York Times best seller (now at No. 8) attacks faith philosophically and historically as well as scientifically, but leans heavily on Darwinian theory, which was Dawkins' expertise as a young scientist and more recently as an explicator of evolutionary psychology so lucid that he occupies the Charles Simonyi professorship for the public understanding of science at Oxford University."
Read an interesting exchange between Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins (theist) here.
By the way, I wonder what Dawkins would say to this. - This, I believe, is how we need to talk.
"If there is a God, it's going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed." - Richard Dawkins
Are we as Christians talking about God in the right way?
"Richard Dawkins, has just come out with The God Delusion (Houghton Mifflin), the rare volume whose position is so clear it forgoes a subtitle. The five-week New York Times best seller (now at No. 8) attacks faith philosophically and historically as well as scientifically, but leans heavily on Darwinian theory, which was Dawkins' expertise as a young scientist and more recently as an explicator of evolutionary psychology so lucid that he occupies the Charles Simonyi professorship for the public understanding of science at Oxford University."
Read an interesting exchange between Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins (theist) here.
By the way, I wonder what Dawkins would say to this. - This, I believe, is how we need to talk.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Between Two Worlds: Ad Block
Ad Block
Free public service announcement from Between Two Worlds: Adblock Plus is a very, very nice (and free) tool to have. It blocks ads and banners on the web, and therefore can make your web reading more efficient and edifying!
Free public service announcement from Between Two Worlds: Adblock Plus is a very, very nice (and free) tool to have. It blocks ads and banners on the web, and therefore can make your web reading more efficient and edifying!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Dave Busby
A little guy God used in a BIG way in my life.
"God knows what He is doing." Click here to watch a
5 min. message from Dave.
A little guy God used in a BIG way in my life.
"God knows what He is doing." Click here to watch a
5 min. message from Dave.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Onsen Trip with Maki's family
This was our nice meal
This was our hotel.
Please pray with us for Maki's family. We were so happy to have a good time with 8 family members on this trip. Today, the day after the trip, both of Maki's parents came to chapel together. We learned later that they went to church together in the morning too. In the evening they were playing a board game together. We are excited about what God is doing in their hearts and in their marriage!
This was our nice meal
This was our hotel.
Please pray with us for Maki's family. We were so happy to have a good time with 8 family members on this trip. Today, the day after the trip, both of Maki's parents came to chapel together. We learned later that they went to church together in the morning too. In the evening they were playing a board game together. We are excited about what God is doing in their hearts and in their marriage!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)