One Deaf and Dumb - Mark 7:31-37

    Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
   
(Mark 7:31-37 ESV)

A Song To The Lord - Mark Hill

Cool song...

The Beneficiaries - Matthew 22:1-14

We conclude our study on the Benefits of Redemption this week.

    And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
    “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
   
(Matthew 22:1-14 ESV)

Mortification of Sin is a Blessing Through the Spirit

John Owen

We receive mortification as a part of the blessings we receive in Christ. All the blessings that we have in Christ are given to us by the  Spirit of Christ. Without Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). All the blessings and graces we experience in Him at the beginning, and our growth in Him, are sent by the Spirit. He alone works in and on believers. Through His strength, sin can be mortified. ...


How does the Spirit mortify sin?
i. By causing our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the works of the flesh.
ii. By the effective destruction of the root and habit of sin, to weaken, destroy, and take it away.
iii. He brings the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith, and gives communion with Christ in His death, and fellowship in His sufferings.*

*From The Mortification of Sin: Abridged and made easy to read by Richard Rushing, Banner of Truth, pgs. 17 & 18.

Preach to Gospel to Yourself - CJ Mahaney

Book Review: Note To Self , The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself by Joe Thorn

Book Review: Note To Self , The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself by Joe Thorn

Note To Self , The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself  by Joe Thorn is a refreshingly easy to read and digest little work that is long overdue. Written in short, easy to absorb chapters, this one is a winner and should be on everyone’s devotional shelf, after it is read, of course. Author Joe Thorn has written this work in a self-talk style that suggests to the reader that we should all be talking to ourselves in a corrective and positive manner.

Consisting of 48 chapters under three major headings, Note To Self covers a wide range of topics wherein we should be telling, or rather preaching, to ourselves Biblical truth. Ranging from love to risk taking to worship and work, we learn or re-learn Biblical maxims that should be at the core of our thinking. We often fail when we fall back into sinful modes of thought that drag us away from holiness and happiness. But Thorn neatly shows us how to preach to ourselves daily in each of these familiar areas of life. Thorn defines this private preaching as, “Preaching to ourselves is the personal act of applying the law and the gospel to our own lives with the aim of experiencing the transforming grace of God leading to ongoing faith, repentance, and greater godliness.” So, we should find that, “…preaching to ourselves puts us into a cycle of law and gospel where we move from our guilt and need to God’s grace and provision and then back to the law as joyful and free obedience.”  The result? “Here the broken find hope and courage, for in Christ we have power and victory to obey, and we will, in the end, be raised in his likeness.” 

He concludes his introduction this way, “To preach to yourself is to challenge yourself, push yourself, and point yourself to the truth. It is not so much uncovering new truth as much as it is reminding yourself of the truth you tend to forget.”* So, let me challenge you to obtain, read and preach to yourself in the manner described within the pages of this work for your greater joy in Christ. This little tome is well worth your time and effort to further your spiritual growth and well-being. Don’t pass this one up.

*Thorn, Joe (2011-04-05). Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself (Re:Lit) (p. 24,31 & 32). Good News Publishers/Crossway Books. Kindle Edition.

Doctrine of Prayer Week 1

We start a new study this quarter on the Doctrine of Prayer. Be blessed.

    And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
    He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
   
(Luke 18:1-14 ESV)

Preach to Gospel to Yourself - John Piper

Book Review: The Demise of Guys

Book Review: The Demise of Guys by Philip G. Zimbardo and Nikita Duncan.

The Demise of Guys is a well written and well researched book. Informative and enlightening, it will be eye-opening for many and for many others it will simply reinforce what we already know, i.e., boys in this society are taking longer to mature and take responsibility than possibly ever before. The thesis of the book is that pornography and video gaming are major contributing factors to this decline to which this reviewer would heartily agree. The book is assembled in small, easy to digest chapters that that leave room for contemplation and reflection.  Well researched is an understatement as all the facts are backed up by numerous sources of data.

More than video gaming, this writer would suggest that easy to view internet porn is far more dangerous than even the authors suggest. Yes, it gives the incorrect view and expectations in relationships, but more than that, it is often the first step in much more serious crime which this work does not mention. Moreover, with all the accumulated data the authors have brought together, they still do not condemn pornography suggesting rather that those addicted to porn rather should lay off for a period of time and allow the brain to return to normal. Obviously, this is a huge problem with the work. The data supplied suggests something far different.

Another major fault would be in the chapter “What Can We Do” where the authors offer suggestions for males to overcome these addictions and make some positive changes in their lives. For all the authors’ work this chapter leaves the reader feeling that there must be something more. The propositions are weak and faulty making no firm assertions that they will even work. What these young men need most are long term, positive Christian role models that will model what it is to be a man and lead productive useful lives for themselves, their families and most of all for the Lord. Oh yes, don’t be alarmed at the use of some frank, street language which was not the least bit necessary to convey the authors meaning in any case. If that bothers you, you should skip this one.

On a scale of 1 to 5, The Demise of Guys rates a 3 for the outstanding amount of useful facts on porn and video gaming that are affecting our young men. But, sadly it’s only a 2 overall due to the dismal recommendations to resolve the issues.

A Syrophoenician's Faith - Mark 7:24-30

    And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
   
(Mark 7:24-30 ESV)

Celebrity, Authority, and Authenticity in the Church - Carl Trueman

Trueman is always enlightening...

Great Way to Journal through the Bible

From my FB friend, Matthew Perry, comes the endorsement to journal through the Bible with Journibles from Reformation Heritage Books. From their website is the idea behind these journals:

In Deuteronomy 17, Moses is leaving final instructions concerning the future of Israel. As a prophet of God, Moses foretells of when Israel will place a king over the nation (v. 14). In verse 18, the king is commanded to not simply acquire a copy of the law (the entire book of Deuteronomy) from the “scroll publishing house,” but to hand write his own copy of the law. Thirty-four hundred years later, educators are “discovering” that students that physically write out their notes by hand have a much greater retention rate than simply hearing or visually reading the information. Apparently, God knew this to be true of the kings of Israel also. From such understanding came the conception of this series of books.

How to Use These Books

Each book is organized so that you can write out your very own copy of Scripture. You will be writing the Bible text only on the right hand page of the book. This should make for easier writing and also allows ample space on the left page to write your own notes and comments. From time to time a question or word will be lightly printed on the left page; these questions are to aid in further study, but should not interfere with your own notes and comments.

Watch the video below for a bit more info on this fantastic way to study the Scriptures.

Benefits Enjoyed - Titus 3:4-7

    But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus 3:4-7 ESV)

The Masculine Christianity of JC Ryle - John Piper

The best part of the yearly pastor's conference...

Draw Near

Richard Sibbes

    But for me it is good to be near God;
        I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
        that I may tell of all your works.
(Psalm 73:28 ESV)

Labour to be near him. God is near to all that call upon him. There is not a minute in all of our life but we must either be near to God or we will be undone. We must grow in our understanding and fill our thoughts with him. The soul is never at rest till it rests in him. The soul grows in the Spirit and finds sweet communion. Our affections mount up  in prayer as in a fiery chariot to hear him speak to us, seeking comfort in our distresses. Draw near to him in praise. This is the daily work of the angels and saints in heaven. Let us lift up our hearts with joy inexpressible (1 Peter 1:8). (From Voices from the Past, edited by Richard Rushing, Banner of truth, page 60.)

Where was your heart, mind and thoughts today? Did you draw near?

Matthew to Acts Survey Week 10

Part 2 of our overview of the Book of Acts.

Denying Self

Origen

    Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:8 ESV)

Those who do not deny themselves cannot follow Jesus. ...Those who deny themselves wipe out their former wicked lives. For example, those who were once immoral deny their immoral selves and become self controlled.... Those who become righteous don't confess themselves but Christ. ...As a result, let every thought, every purpose, every word, and every action become a denial of ourselves and a testimony about Christ and in Christ. I am persuaded that the perfect person's action is a testimony to Christ Jesus and that abstinence from every sin is a self of self, leading to Christ. Those people are crucified with Christ. They take up their own crosses to follow him who, for our sake, bears His own cross.(From Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers, Hendrickson Publishers, page 3.)

    Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24 ESV)

Have we picked up our cross today or did we hurry past it and follow our desires?

Defilement

    And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
   
(Mark 7:14-23 ESV)

Why Mortify the Flesh?

John Owen

What were your first thoughts this morning? Thoughts of work, mowing the lawn, fixing the sink, bbq'ing tonight with friends, or watching or attending some sporting event this afternoon? Maybe your first thoughts should have been on the fact that the Lord's "mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is [His] faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV) And following on the heels of that praise you and I both should should move on to mortifying our flesh for those sins that beset us the most. "Put to death [mortify] therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5 ESV) For John Owen wrote, Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? You must always be at it while you live; do not take a day off from this work; always be killing sin or it will be killing you.*

Owen directs us to Romans 8:13 where we have clear direction to mortify the deeds of the flesh:

    For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13 ESV)

And the five points of this text reveal:

1. To whom it is directed: 'You believer.'
2. The condition: 'If you.'
3. The means of accomplishment: 'The Spirit.'
4. A duty: 'Put to death the deeds of the body.'
5. A promise: 'You will live."*

So take a moment right now to consider those sins that trouble you the most and how you'll put them to death today.

*From The Mortification of Sin: Abridged and made easy to read by Richard Rushing, Banner of Truth, pgs. 1&5.

True Benefits

We begin a new evening sermon series this week on the Benefits of Redemption.

    Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
   
(Matthew 20:20-28 ESV)

Matthew to Acts Survey Week 9

We are coming to a close of our Matthew to Acts Survey this week with part 1 of our overview of the book of Acts.

Rethinking our Attitude Toward Work

1. God always gives us enough in order to do what he has required.
2. Whatever the Lord gives us now, he will ask us about later, expecting us to diligently work with these resources to further his kingdom.

 The above is from a post by Hugh Whelchel post on the Gospel Coalition blog. He brings out some crucial Biblical points about work and how we have been misled by society to think unbiblically about our employments. Most of us could, or rather should, rethink our our attitude toward work and success. Read the entire article here.

Traditions - Mark 7:1-13

    Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
    “‘This people honors me with their lips,
        but their heart is far from me;
    in vain do they worship me,
        teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
    You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
    And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do. (Mark 7:1-13 ESV)   

Trueman Interviews Packer

Enlightening..



Packer receiving his honorary doctorate from Westminster Seminary.

The Purpose of Heaven

    He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
   
(Colossians 1:15-16 ESV)

A Few Thoughts on Visiting the Sick

Few of us think about visiting the sick.  For whatever reason we leave it to our pastor or elder or that other "gifted person in the congregation that performs visitations so well." Actually, we should all be visiting and comforting the sick as Providence allows (Matthew 25:45). To get us all started, here's a few pointers from David Dickson to consider as we prepare to head out.

-Often weak and sensitive, they [the sick or afflicted] are very susceptible of kindness, and grateful for it. Some may require systematic instruction in the truth; and even where this is not necessary the elder [or visitor] will find it add greater usefulness and interest to his successive visits to speak a little on some one important truth; and he will not find this without fruit.

-In visiting sick people or invalids we should avoid noise or abruptness. A low, quiet voice is usually soothing and pleasant to them, especially if they are weak and nervous.

-Don’t let us strain them with anything requiring long or continuous attention, and let our change from one subject to another be natural and easy. Such visits should not be of long duration, and it is best for us to leave immediately after engaging in prayer, giving them perhaps one text to keep near their heart.

-To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction is our privilege and duty, and to carry with us such messages from the word of God as are fitted to bind up the broken heart. In cases of sudden and severe affliction we may be able to do little more than weep with them that weep, giving the afflicted some word from the merciful and faithful High Priest, and perhaps taking hold of the sufferer’s hand—an act of sympathy which has often a wonderful power to calm and soothe in times of deep distress.

-The elder [or visitor] will seek, along with the minister, that a time of affliction may be a time of blessing to a family. It is not necessarily so, nor always so, for trial is not in itself sanctifying. But at such a time the affections are stirred and the mind opened to hear what would not have been listened to at another time. It is often a crisis in a family’s history. Let us seek wisdom to win souls at such a time; kindness and sympathy from us then will never be forgotten. It is after the excitement is over that a bereavement is most felt.

-Let the bereaved ones feel that in this cold and selfish world they have in their elder [or visitor] at least one human friend left. We may look in upon them in the evening occasionally ... trying in some measure to fulfill the promise, “When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”

Dickson, David (1883-01-01). The Elder and His Work (Kindle Location 253-283, emphasis added).   Kindle Edition.

Why I Believe

Cornelius Van Til

I was brought up on the Bible as the Word of God. Can I, now that I have been to school, still believe in the God of the Bible? Well, can I still believe in the sun that shown on me when I walked as a boy in wooden shoes in Groningen? I could believe in nothing else if I did not, as back of everything, believe in this God. Can I see the beams underneath the floor on which I walk? I must assume or presuppose that the beams are underneath. Unless the beams were underneath, I could not walk on the floor. ( Taken from Why I Believe in God: Toward A Reformed Apologetic by Cornelius Van Til).

Matthew to Acts Survey Week 8

Part two of our review of the Gospel of John

GCD - Discipling Through Anger - Psalm 4

    Be angry, and do not sin;
        ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
(Psalm 4:4 ESV)

We confes that...

Our Father, we confess that our longing for the comforts of this world has been extreme and sinful.  We have loved the gifts more than we have loved the Giver.  We have labored for bread that does not satisfy.  We have fallen short.  Help us to see that the things we pine for in this life are mere shadows while you are the substance.  Enable us to discern that they are quicksand while you are the rock.  Assist us to believe that they are just ripples while Jesus is the anchor.  Accept His worthiness for our unworthiness, his sinlessness for our transgressions, his fullness for our emptiness, his righteousness for our dead works, and his glory for our shame.  We ask this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.