’Tis a Point I Long to Know
’Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought;
Do I love the LORD, or no?
Am I his, or am I not?
If I love, why am I thus?
Why this dull and lifeless frame?
Hardly, sure, can they be worse,
Who have never heard his name!
Could my heart so hard remain,
Prayer a task and burden prove;
Every trifle give me pain,
If I knew a Savior’s love?
When I turn my eyes within,
All is dark, and vain, and wild;
Filled with unbelief and sin,
Can I deem myself a child?
If I pray, or hear, or read,
Sin is mixed with all I do;
You that love the LORD indeed,
Tell me, Is it thus with you?
Yet I mourn my stubborn will,
Find my sin, a grief, and thrall;
Should I grieve for what I feel,
If I did not love at all?
Could I joy his saints to meet,
Choose the ways I once abhorred,
Find, at times, the promise sweet,
If I did not love the LORD?
Lord decide the doubtful case!
Thou who art thy people’s sun;
Shine upon thy work of grace,
If it be indeed begun.
-a hymn by John Newton
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
newness
sifting through sin that the Lord's bringing to my attention; seeing, feeling, experiencing the deadness that sin brings.
thanking the Lord that He has made a way for me and that His promises quicken my heart to life from the death i deserve.
he promises newness.
a new heart.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 36:26
a new spirit.
"Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live."
Ezekiel 18:31-32
a new song.
"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD."
Psalm 40:3
a new name.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it."
Revelation 2:17
a new self.
"Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Ephesians 4:24
wholly new.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17
i am dead and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2)
HE is making all things NEW. (Revelation 21:5)
thanking the Lord that He has made a way for me and that His promises quicken my heart to life from the death i deserve.
he promises newness.
a new heart.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
Ezekiel 36:26
a new spirit.
"Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live."
Ezekiel 18:31-32
a new song.
"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD."
Psalm 40:3
a new name.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it."
Revelation 2:17
a new self.
"Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Ephesians 4:24
wholly new.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17
i am dead and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2)
HE is making all things NEW. (Revelation 21:5)
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
gospel-centered prayer
JD Greear shares three things he prays every morning to help him stay gospel-centered.
“God, because I am in Christ I know there is nothing I can do today that would make you love me any more, and there is nothing I have done that makes you love me any less.”
“God, your presence and approval is all I need to have joy today.”
“God, everything the gospel tells me about your intentions for my life is TRUE.”
How do you start your day?
“God, because I am in Christ I know there is nothing I can do today that would make you love me any more, and there is nothing I have done that makes you love me any less.”
“God, your presence and approval is all I need to have joy today.”
“God, everything the gospel tells me about your intentions for my life is TRUE.”
How do you start your day?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
words from the heywood crib
i've been praying that the Lord would give me wisdom. i've been praying this a lot lately. mostly cause i'm seeing all the situations in my life where i'm acting without wisdom and discernment. i've been tossing around james 1:5 in my mind where james says, "if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given him. but when he asks, he must believe and not doubt." praying this scripture in faith has assured me of God's willingness to give wisdom to me as i seek it, its declared to me that the Lord requires us to seek His gifts with a believing heart, but its still left me a bit in the dark about what it looks like to practically seek to walk in wisdom in my daily life.
i recently read an article from a sermon preached by a dude named Josh Harris on Proverbs 1. his 5 points were that:
-God's grace toward sinners gives us confidence to seek wisdom.
-We must choose wisdom.
-Wisdom comes from God. Solomon asked for wisdom, but it is God who bestowed it.
-Wisdom is for living. It is knowledge in action. It is put on display when we make choices and perform actions.
-You are only as wise as your next decision. You prove your wisdom in what you choose today.
this last point challenges me like crazy. i am only as wise as my next decision. whether i decide to sleep in or wake up early, to spend my time selfishly or selflessly, to respond in this or that manner, to read my bible or go on the internet, to give my money away or spend it on myself, wisdom is proven from moment-to-moment. and each decision is a new opportunity to exercise God-glorifying, God-gifted wisdom.
my tendency is to lapse into periods of coasting. as i disengage from intentional living in order to allow myself some laziness and unholy rest, i think i can ride out the past efforts of wise decisions i've made. how foolish this is! yesterday's wise decisions are undone by my next decision. i must choose wisdom for these decisions everyday. and what promise the Lord gives us that He will faithfully provide wisdom to those who seek it.
i recently read an article from a sermon preached by a dude named Josh Harris on Proverbs 1. his 5 points were that:
-God's grace toward sinners gives us confidence to seek wisdom.
-We must choose wisdom.
-Wisdom comes from God. Solomon asked for wisdom, but it is God who bestowed it.
-Wisdom is for living. It is knowledge in action. It is put on display when we make choices and perform actions.
-You are only as wise as your next decision. You prove your wisdom in what you choose today.
this last point challenges me like crazy. i am only as wise as my next decision. whether i decide to sleep in or wake up early, to spend my time selfishly or selflessly, to respond in this or that manner, to read my bible or go on the internet, to give my money away or spend it on myself, wisdom is proven from moment-to-moment. and each decision is a new opportunity to exercise God-glorifying, God-gifted wisdom.
my tendency is to lapse into periods of coasting. as i disengage from intentional living in order to allow myself some laziness and unholy rest, i think i can ride out the past efforts of wise decisions i've made. how foolish this is! yesterday's wise decisions are undone by my next decision. i must choose wisdom for these decisions everyday. and what promise the Lord gives us that He will faithfully provide wisdom to those who seek it.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Guy #3
Guy #3 made this happen. Before him, it was just a couple of crazies breaking it down... then Guy #3 got risky and initiated a dance party. No bravery points for any one after Guy #3.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)