Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
the rest is loss
whatever was to my profit, i count it all as loss, compared to the surpassing grace of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake i have lost all things.
i read these words today and they cut straight to my heart. thinking about the trivialities of life that my heart gets caught up in, that i am no where near counting these things as unimportant or seeing them with indifference, let alone counting them as loss. paul's words are bold and challenging. what's getting in the way of knowing christ? too much sleep? too little sleep? busyness? relationships? laziness? building a reputation? paul challenges us to count it all as LOSS. to hate it. to repent of it. to see it as the horrific distraction from the REAL TREASURE that is CHRIST HIMSELF. Jonah 2:8 declares that "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs". the grace is Christ himself and the surpassing joy of knowing him. the idols are anything but Christ that distract us and vye for our ultimate affection.
i have to know that paul's words are implying a battle that must be fought. he brings the heat when he says to count these things as loss, to declare them rubbish. there's an intensity in his approach to anything that gets in the way of his affection for Christ. satan must take great joy in satiating me with such easy distractions as my own comfort, legalistic busyness and emotional hangups. its time to hate the ploys that alter my eyes from the true treasure of Christ.
what comfort there is in knowing that we were created by Him and for Him thus anything but Him won't be enough. it makes us search and strive, it makes us long and groan and ache and desire nothing apart from that which can satisfy- we must know and believe that that is Christ himself. our precious Savior is the only one able to combat the sinfulness, the futility, the neediness, the pain, that is our humanity. nothing else will do.
i pray for eyes to see Christ, a heart that longs for Him above all, and the strength to fight for my affections to remain rooted in Him.
i read these words today and they cut straight to my heart. thinking about the trivialities of life that my heart gets caught up in, that i am no where near counting these things as unimportant or seeing them with indifference, let alone counting them as loss. paul's words are bold and challenging. what's getting in the way of knowing christ? too much sleep? too little sleep? busyness? relationships? laziness? building a reputation? paul challenges us to count it all as LOSS. to hate it. to repent of it. to see it as the horrific distraction from the REAL TREASURE that is CHRIST HIMSELF. Jonah 2:8 declares that "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs". the grace is Christ himself and the surpassing joy of knowing him. the idols are anything but Christ that distract us and vye for our ultimate affection.
i have to know that paul's words are implying a battle that must be fought. he brings the heat when he says to count these things as loss, to declare them rubbish. there's an intensity in his approach to anything that gets in the way of his affection for Christ. satan must take great joy in satiating me with such easy distractions as my own comfort, legalistic busyness and emotional hangups. its time to hate the ploys that alter my eyes from the true treasure of Christ.
what comfort there is in knowing that we were created by Him and for Him thus anything but Him won't be enough. it makes us search and strive, it makes us long and groan and ache and desire nothing apart from that which can satisfy- we must know and believe that that is Christ himself. our precious Savior is the only one able to combat the sinfulness, the futility, the neediness, the pain, that is our humanity. nothing else will do.
i pray for eyes to see Christ, a heart that longs for Him above all, and the strength to fight for my affections to remain rooted in Him.
Friday, September 25, 2009
’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
’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
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?
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