Praying for John Piper this week

Pastor John Piper will have prostate surgery this Tuesday. Read more.

Expendability for God's glory

Every day I can I read just a short devotional thought from John MacArthur's
Truth for Today : A daily touch of God's grace. One sentence today gripped my soul. "Living for the glory of God means knowing you are expendable and being ready to die, if necessary, to accomplish God’s ends." Paul lived like this as he wrote to the Philippians, "Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all." (Philippians 2:17, ESV) . Success then in God's eyes is being willing to serve others sacrifically and joyfully no matter what it costs.

William Tyndale and one key to his ministry

Yesterday I read John Piper's biographical message on William Tyndale. I am truly humbled when I compare my life to his. There were many memorable sections from this article but in two paragraphs Piper sums up what enabled Tyndale to accomplish the massive work of translating the entire NT and a good deal of the OT (interrupted only by his death). In this is a call to pastors to be willing to die in his ministry:

The question arises: How did William Tyndale accomplish this historic achievement? We can answer this in Tyndale’s case by remembering two ways that a pastor must die in the ministry. We must die to the notion that we do not have to think hard or work hard to achieve spiritual goals. And we must die to the notion that our thinking and our working is decisive in achieving spiritual goals.

Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:7, “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” First, think. Work. Don’t bypass the hard work of thinking about apostolic truth. But second, remember this: “the Lord will give you understanding.” You work. He gives. If he withholds, all our working is in vain. But he ordains that we use our minds and that we work in achieving spiritual ends. So Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” The key to spiritual achievement is to work hard, and to know and believe and feel and be happy that God’s sovereign grace is the decisive cause of all the good that comes.

I will be thinking and working much harder today and I trust in the future whenever I think of William Tyndale's life. And I am delighting in the sovereign grace of God in my life (Genesis 32:10).

Help for your finances

http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/

Here is a resourceful place to go for some wise perspectives on money. The site covers tax preparation, budgeting, giving to the Lord (though it advocates that the tithe is still for today), buying a house, reducing credit card debt, etc.

Is the Super Bowl Baal Worship?

I rarely watch the whole Super Bowl, but last night was an exception because we cancelled our church service due to a winter snowstorm (12 inches) and also the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers were playing.

But Phil Ryken, pastor of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelpia had this to say about Super bowl-mania:

"The Super Bowl is a grotesque idolatry that reveals, in so many ways, what is wrong with American culture: the self-indulgent consumption, the superficial entertainment, the hype, the marketing, the seriousness given to a grown-men's game, etc., etc. Then there is the way it displaces the worship of God (not that anyone has Sunday evening services any more)."

Read the rest of his short post here.

Your comments?

One more recent post on biblical manhood!

Ron Gleason has an excellent post on "Act Like Men" which he gives a challenge for all men to live up to 1 Corinthians 16:13! He makes some excellent points especially when he writes, "Satan and his hosts go after leaders in the home and in the church. There is an ongoing need to remain watchful in our lives."

Quiet Time with Little Children

Ever wonder what to do to help your little ones establish the habit of daily intake of the Word of God? Here is some helpful hints from one family about what to do with little ones. Right now I am Grandpa's Box with Stefan which is a great book that just tells the important stories of the Bible in a very interesting way that is true to the Scriptures. I hope to use some of the helpful hints in the above article though as well. [We already have an ESV Children's Bible for his birthday but let's keep it a surprise for him].

Show Yourself a Man

I am reading a series of articles on manhood from the Southern Seminary magazine that just came out. Al Mohler has a lead article on "The Boy Problem" and another one that answers the question, "When Does a Boy Become a Man?" which I have read before and have studied with my older son Ian.

Randy Stinson's article "Show Yourself A Man" is priceless as he uses David's parting words to his son Solomon as a great example giving us the context, character and content of manhood. He singles out nine areas where a husband must demonstrate leadership in the home and calls these the content of manhood: vision, direction, instruction, imitation, inspiration, affirmation, correction, protection and provision.

His article concludes by pointing to Christ as the ultimate man's man and then gives some gems for cultivating an active manhood rather than passivity. He recommends the following: Do the hardest task first, make the hardest phone call first, run to the battle, do your work now as opposed to later, keep your domain in order, kill a bear or a lion.

So hear the words of a David to his son, "Show yourself a man!"

There are some other good reads in this issue as well. Rise up, o men of God and read!

Looking at the cross!

I have been so strengthened in God's grace by reading a prayer each day recently from the classic book of Puritan prayers The Valley of Vision. Yesterday we observed the Lord's Supper during our congregational worship. Still thinking of the cross this morning I read these words:

"At the cross may I contemplate the evil of sin, and abhor it, look on Him who I pierced, as one slain for me, and by me. May I never despise his death by fearing its efficacy for my salvation. And whatever cross I am required to bear, let me see him carring a heavier."

Yes, Lord, I want to contemplate the cross today--not superficially, but may I glory in nothing except the cross and continually be preaching Christ and Him crucified.

Worry and Meditation

Read this today from a man named Nicky Gumbel: "If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate." Wow, that is so good!