Blasted Gourds

Quotes: Martin Luther

ministerandy — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:42:26 +0000

Martin Luther gives good advice to Christians:

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved. And to be steady on all the battlefields beside is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.

I found this quoted in an article Marriage and the Seinfeld Effect

(ht:kd)

Proposition 8 Resources

ministerandy — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:58:12 +0000

I have found these articles to be thought provoking and helpful in seeing what is really at stake and how we ought to handle recent law changes regarding homosexuality.

Carl Trumen writes:

We can no longer assume our children will just agree with us on this issue; they are going to want arguments for holding that homosexual practice is wrong. We need to go back to scripture and sharpen our swords, so to speak, as we can no longer assume that the cultural bias will play our tune anyway.

Shepherd Press put out this article saying

It is true that the institution of marriage has been savagely attacked. But as long as the Lord Jesus Christ is King of Kings, it is not marriage that hangs in the balance. That institution will go forward because God has ordained it. What hangs in the balance is a nation that will openly flaunt the laws of the King of Heaven and Earth.

Kevin DeYoung gives his insight as well and concludes with some helpful instruction:

We must accept that no matter how hard we try, some people will conclude we are bigots, homophobes, and neanderthals for thinking homosexuality is wrong. Our goal must not be to stop people from viewing us in this way. We can’t control perceptions. Our goal is that those ugly perceptions do not match reality.
No gay jokes. None. It doesn’t help our witness and they’re not funny. Plus, the more we laugh at sin the more it gets normalized.
We must put away “hate the sin, love the sinner” and put homosexuality in the context of the Bible’s metanarrative of creation, fall, redemption, re-creation. This is one issue just screaming for the bigger picture.
We must be people of hope not despair. We know the Lord and he knows us. This is not the worst crisis in the history of mankind. Homosexuality is sinful, but God specializes in sin. Look at what he’s done with us.

Still Men Die for the Cause of Christ

ministerandy — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:02:40 +0000

I know nothing of these men, besides what is in the article, but I hope to meet them someday. They reminded me of words I preached months ago “If you don’t live for Christ, you should not expect to die for Christ.” But what a privilege to die for the cause of Christ, carrying for others and sharing the good news.

Romans 8
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Ten members of the Christian medical team — six Americans, two Afghans, one German and a Briton — were gunned down in a gruesome slaughter that the Taliban said they carried out, alleging the volunteers were spying and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. The gunmen spared an Afghan driver, who recited verses from the Islamic holy book Quran as he begged for his life.

Team members — doctors, nurses and logistics personnel — were attacked as they were returning to Kabul after their two-week mission in the remote Parun valley of Nuristan province about 160 miles (260 kilometers) north of Kabul. They had decided to veer northward into Badakhshan province because they thought that would be the safest route back to Kabul, said Dirk Frans, director of the InternationalAssistance Mission, which organized the team.

God Does Not Grow Weary

ministerandy — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:28:05 +0000

Someone asked me last night after our service, “Do you ever grow weary?” I replied, “don’t we all?” Admittedly there are many times when I grow weary. Relationship, ministry, and life require effort, and my flesh still remains. In selfishness, I believe, I will sometimes wonder what it matters, or why bother putting in the effort.

I am thankfully reminded that God is not like this. He does not grow weary. He never stops carrying about the details that do not seem to matter but do. He cares right down the the slugs on the bottom of the ocean floor. (ht:tc)

What creativity and beauty in something that seems to be so insignificant. God did not grow weary or fail to care about the details of a bottom feeder that we would fail to see without all this high powered equipment. I believe this demonstrates many things but let me list two. God cares infinitely about details, including the details of our lives. If he cares about fields and birds and slugs, how much more does he care about us? God cares infinitely about his glory. All created things are to reflect the glory of God. Look at the wonder and beauty of the slug. We too are to join in reflecting the beauty and majesty of the glory of our God in our existence.

Testing Faith to Prove it is Genuine

ministerandy — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 17:09:47 +0000

Those at Edgewood heard a sermon on Abraham’s faith and the order of trial and testing. These testings increased in their difficulty and intensity. However, for years, God had been proving Abraham’s faith was of Him and genuine.

I received this email today and thought it was a good reminder that God’s still works to prove our faith genuine.

Special Message From Joni

You have always been so faithful to pray for Ken and me – especially for my health. But today I bring before you a new concern. I have breast cancer. Ken and I have been assured by our doctors that there are many new treatments for breast cancer, and we are very hopeful for a successful surgery and a full recovery.

You have heard me often say that our afflictions come from the hand of our all-wise and sovereign God, and although cancer is something new, I am content to receive from God whatever He deems fit for me – even if it is from His left hand (better from His left hand, than no hand at all, right?!). Yes, it’s alarming, but rest assured that Ken and I are utterly convinced that God is going to use this to stretch our faith, brighten our hope, and strengthen our witness to others…

Especially at Joni and Friends. We’ve always prized the ministry God has given Joni and Friends to people facing a variety of disabilities; everything from autism to Alzheimer’s, from spina bifida to spinal cord injury. For years I have hoped that my quadriplegia might encourage people struggling with cancer… now I have a chance to truly empathize and journey alongside, affirming that God’s grace is always sufficient for whatever the disease or disability.

I will be undergoing tests the rest of this week, after which, I will have surgery on the afternoon of Monday, June 28th. Please pray that the upcoming tests, surgery and subsequent treatment will be successful (thankfully, my quadriplegia has no bearing on either the surgery or the treatment; I’m like any other woman with breast cancer — I simply want to focus my energies on getting better).

Of course, I believe that God can and does heal and I covet your prayers to that end. Most of all, please pray that God will pour out grace-upon-grace on Ken and me. We’ll be posting regular updates on “Joni’s Corner” here on our website – also posted here you will find an article called “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” by John Piper and David Powlison, both of whom are cancer survivors. I can’t begin to describe how encouraged I’ve been just reading their insights – I’m sure you’ll say the same after you read it. We join you in resting in the assurance of Psalm 62:5-6, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

Yours in His sovereign care,

Joni Eareckson Tada

Quote: Jim Elliot

ministerandy — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:56:59 +0000

One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can only be surrendered in a lifetime.

Stop It! Stop Sinning

ministerandy — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:50:00 +0000

Good quote by Lloyd-Jones. Plan on hearing a bit more about this in a few weeks.

I do not know of a single scripture—and I speak advisedly—which tells me to take my sin, the particular thing that gets me down, to God in prayer and ask him to deliver me from it and then trust in faith that he will.

Now that teaching is also often put like this: you must say to a man who is constantly defeated by a particular sin, “I think your only hope is to take it to Christ and Christ will take it from you.” But what does Scripture say in to the man who finds himself constantly guilty of stealing, to a man who sees something he likes and takes it? What am I to tell such a man? Am I to say, “Take that sin to Christ and ask him to deliver you?” No, what the apostle Paul tells him is this: “Let him that stole, steal no more.” Just that. Stop doing it. And if it is fornication or adultery or lustful thoughts, again: Stop doing it, says Paul. He does not say, “Go and pray to Christ to deliver you.” No. You stop doing that, he says, as becomes children of God.

I wonder if he would have liked Newhart

Preparing for the Lord’s Day

ministerandy — Sat, 08 May 2010 21:35:21 +0000

Good thoughts on Tim Challies Blog today

In his book Expository Listening (read my review) Ken Ramey offers a list of ways you can “Plan Ahead, and Schedule Your Week Around the Ministry of the Word.”

“For the majority of people, even church members, church is not the priority of their week. Too often school, work, sports, and other activities take precedence over going to church. They make the mistake of letting their time be ordered by the world, which views the weekends as a time to relax, to play sports, to stay up late and sleep in. For Christians, however, Sunday should be the most important day of the week. You should try to schedule your work, activities, get-togethers, and vacations around church. You should live by the principle that Sunday morning starts Saturday night.”

He offers several practical suggestions on how to prioritize the Lord’s Day:

Make it a habit to be home on Saturday night.

Be careful not to do, watch, or read anything that will cause lingering distractions in your mind the next day.

Get things ready on Saturday night to alleviate the typical Sunday morning rush (lay out clothes, set the table, write the offering check, stock the diaper bag, etc).

Get a good night’s sleep so you can be sharp and energetic to worship and serve God. It’s hard to listen when you’re nodding off.

Eat a simple but adequate breakfast that will hold you until lunch. It’s difficult to hear over the grumbling of your stomach.

Work together with the other members of your family to get ready, and to establish and maintain a godly atmosphere on the way to church. Listen to music, sing, and pray together.

Arrive at church ten minutes early instead of ten minutes late so you have enough time to find a parking spot, drop the kids off in the nursery or their Sunday school classes, get a cup of coffee, visit with your friends, and find a seat.

“When you fail to plan ahead,” he warns, “Sunday morning ends up becoming a chaotic crisis, and by the time you get to church, you are frustrated and frazzled and your heart is in no condition to receive the Word. But when you plan well and are able to arrive in a relaxed, leisurely way, you will be in a much more receptive frame of mind.”

There is some valuable food for thought as we all look forward to worshiping the Lord tomorrow.

Looking for the Perfect Pastor?

ministerandy — Sat, 08 May 2010 00:03:15 +0000

Is there an ideal pastor? There is one: His name is Jesus Christ. He sets the standard for all who would follow in His footsteps. But do not forget the interwoven and full-orbed perfections of the Lord Jesus: no one was gentler than He, nor consumed with such holy zeal. No one spoke with such tenderness to those in genuine need, nor with more bite to those who bitterly opposed the will of God. He was a true friend of sinners, and a fierce enemy of hypocrites. He could call a child to Himself and embrace him; he could make a whip of cords and drive thugs from the temple of God. He was loved with profound attachment by His friends; He was hated with deep loathing by His enemies. At times thousands hung upon His words; He died a deserted and forsaken man.

- Rob Ventura (A Portrait of Paul)

(ht:jf)

Parody of the Contemporary Church

ministerandy — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:20:55 +0000

“Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.