Category Archives: Christian Life

The Week In Words

Posted on by

http://breathoflifeministries.blogspot.com/2010/01/announcing-week-in-words.html Melissa at Breath of Life hosts a weekly carnival called The Week In Words,which involves sharing something from your reading that inspires you, causes you to laugh, cry, or dream, or just resonates with you in some way.

Though I’ve read several things that spoke to me this week, the one I’ve spent the most thought on came from the devotional book I am going through with my youngest son, Quiet Moments with God Devotional Journal For Teens.* In this reading from April 10, an unnamed modern potter is quoted as saying:

Both my hands shaped this pot. And the place where it actually forms is a place of tension between the pressure applied from the outside and the pressure of the hand on the inside. That’s the way my life has been. Sadness and death and misfortune and the love of friends and all the things that happened to me that I didn’t even choose. All of that influenced my life. But, there are things I believe in about myself, my faith in God, and the love of some friends that worked on the inside of me. My life, like this pot, is the result of what happened on the outside and what was going on inside of me. Life, like this pot, comes to be in places of tension.

In all the sermon illustrations and object lessons I have heard and read concerning potters, somehow I have never gotten that point, that when pressure from the outside pushes against God’s sustenance and strength on the inside (if we know Him and are being sustained through His Word and His Holy Spirit), not only does His strength keep us from caving in, but the tension between the two sources of pressure actually forms us.

That point may have been made before, and I’ve experienced it, but I never quite got it in quite that way before, and it has given me much food for thought.

The base verse for that day’s reading was II Corinthians 4:16: “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day,” and the lesson, of course, was on the need to stay in close touch with God and feed on His Word so we have His resources to meet the needs of the day. Another quote I posted years ago was on “conditions for receiving strength” from a Bible study Rosalind Goforth had done, but I’ll just leave the link rather than requoting it here for the sake of space.

As I mentioned, there are multitudes of spiritual object lessons about potters and pottery: God’s ownership of His vessels and His right to form them as he will (Jeremiah 18:1-6, Romans 9:20-21), the need to be yielded to the potter’s hand, the problem a potter has when there is a resistant lump in the clay, or when the clay is not malleable and the potter has to take it off and knead it or take the lumps out or add water or clay to get it to the right texture before trying to rework it. But once when at our church we saw a demonstration of a Christian potter who actually brought his potter’s wheel and “threw” a pot, bringing out all the spiritual lessons, one thing stood out to me then: he brought out the intimacy of it, how the vessel he was working on was almost in his lap, how he was bent over it, arms around it, looking at it from all sides. That picture has stayed with me since then, of a God who is not aloof and insensitive, but rather bent over us, intensely interested and caring, actively and lovingly forming us.

(* Though I don’t want to take away from the precious truth here, I do feel compelled to say I cannot endorse this book completely. I’ll say more when I review it after we get back around to where we started in it, but though there are great nuggets in it, there are also places where the lesson either has nothing to do with the verse it is supposed to be taken from or is grossly misapplied.)

How Deep the Father’s Love

Posted on by

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom,
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Though I found many copies of these lyrics online and many recorded versions, I can’t seem to find who originally wrote it. This version is from the Steve Pettit Evangelistic Team‘s CD Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All.

Book Review: Where My Heart Belongs

Posted on by

Where My Heart Belongs by Tracie Peterson is a prodigal daughter story. Amy changed her name at the age of eighteen, demanded her inheritance from her father, and left home without another word for twelve years. Suddenly she shows back up on the old homestead doorstep wanting to renew family ties. Her older sister, Kathy, is understandably wary at first and wrestles with her own feelings of anger and betrayal.

Tracie does a good job with what could have been, but is not, a clichéd story (not that the Biblical prodigal story itself is clichéd — it is a marvelous parable of redemption.) I found myself empathizing with both characters as they worked through their various issues and alternately took steps toward and then away from understanding and forgiving each other. There were layers to each that I would not have originally anticipated.

My only quibbles were that the latter part of the book seemed a little rushed, and it ended maybe a little too perfectly, but on the other hand, every now and then it is nice to have things end in the ideal way we all really wish would happen, and after all the anguish both characters suffer, it is good to see things turn around for them.

Happy Easter!

Posted on by

Dear Lord, I have no Easter flowers to bring,
No roses fresh, no lilies dewy sweet.
But still one offering I may gladly bear,
And lay rejoicing at Thy feet.

Enfold my weary love in Thy sweet will,
And keep it closely to Thy wounded side,
So shall I rest, nor sad and helpless mourn,
While safe in Thee my love and I abide.

~ Author Unknown

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25

Happy Resurrection Day!

Book Review: Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter

Posted on by

Over the last couple of years, I saw the book Come Thou Long Expected Jesus mentioned on several blogs. It was compiled by Nancy Guthrie and included excerpts from the writings and sermons of godly Christians through the ages. I read and enjoyed it very much last Christmastime, and then when I saw Nancy had put together a similar book for Easter, Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter I got it to read this Easter season.

The preface says:

Oh, what we miss out on when we rush past the cross of Christ.Oh, the richness and reward when stop to linger before it, when we take the time to “consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself” (Hebrews 12:3). In a culture where crosses have become commonplace as architecture and jewelry, how we need to truly gaze upon the cross of Christ in all its ugliness and beauty, in its death and in its healing, in the painful price paid there, and in its free gift of grace. Jesus, keep us near the cross.

And that is just what the book endeavors to help us do. Each of the twenty-five chapters is an excerpt from a book or sermon from various, mostly well-known Christians throughout the ages, from Augustine, Luther, Edwards, and Spurgeon all the way to John Piper, John MacArthur, J. I. Packer, and others. There were a handful of names I did not recognize, so please don’t count this as an endorsement of everything ever written or said by every author, but for the most part I agreed with everything in this book.

The chapters all deal with Christ’s death and resurrection, some in general, some on a particular aspect, such as C. J. Mahaney’s chapter on “The Cup,” exactly what was meant, what cup Christ was talking about when he said, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt’ (Matthew 26:39), or an exploration of some of the things Christ said from the cross, or J. I. Packer’s treatment of what was meant in Christ’s descent into hell and ascension into heaven. Just yesterday I found here a list of all the chapters and authors with a quote from each chapter, but today that link brings up a window about exceeded bandwidth: hopefully that will be rectified soon. Each chapter is 3-5 pages long, and it was very manageable to read one a day. I wouldn’t recommend reading more than that at a time: just soaking on one chapter and thinking over it through the day is rich meditation.

All the chapters did not resonate with me equally, but that may have been due to sleepiness or distraction on my part on given mornings. Probably my favorites were C. J. Mahaney’s on “The Cup,” C. H. Spurgeon’s “Then They Did Spit Upon His Face,” and Raymond Ortlund’s on “The Most Important Word in the Universe.” I shared several quotes from the last one yesterday, but two that impacted me were:

In human religions, it’s the worshipper who placates the offended deity with rituals and sacrifices and bribes. But in the gospel, it is God Himself who provides the offering.

And:

The God you have offended doesn’t demand your blood; he gives his own in Jesus Christ.

Overall the book did fulfill it’s purpose set out in the preface: it did cause me to slow down and meditate on what Christ did for me, to appreciate it anew, to revive my love for Him and thankfulness to Him. I plan to make this book a regular part of my Easter preparations in the coming years, but of course the topic is not confined to Easter: this book will help you contemplate the cross and what it means for you any day of the year.

The Week In Words

Posted on by

http://breathoflifeministries.blogspot.com/2010/01/announcing-week-in-words.html Melissa at Breath of Life hosts a weekly carnival called The Week In Words,which involves sharing something from your reading that inspires you, causes you to laugh, cry, or dream, or just resonates with you in some way.

Here are some of the words that stood out to me this week. I’m not going to comment on them: they speak for themselves, and I don’t want to take away from the power of them.

Seen at ivman’s blague:

“To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.” – Benjamin Franklin

I forgot where I saw this, but I have seen it before:

Upon a life I did not live,
upon a death I did not die;
anothers life, another’s death,
I stake my whole eternity.
-Horatius Bonar

From the March 27 reading of Our Daily Walk by F. B. Meyer:

A quiet heart. I do not say a quiet life—that may be impossible, but a heart free from care, from feverish passion, from the intrusion of unworthy ambition, pride or vanity. The habit of meditating on God’s Word helps to induce the quiet heart and devout spirit which realizes the Lord’s presence. The Bible is like the garden in which the Lord God walked in the cool of the day; read it much and prayerfully, and you will meet Him in its glades.

From a chapter of Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter titled “The Most Important Word in the Universe” by Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr.:

God’s anger shows how serious His love is.

His wrath is the solemn determination of a doctor cutting away the cancer that’s killing his patient.

In human religions, it’s the worshipper who placates the offended deity with rituals and sacrifices and bribes. But in the gospel, it is God Himself who provides the offering.

He detests our evil with all the intensity of the divine  personality. If you want to know what your sin deserves from God, don’t look within yourself, don’t look at your own emotions. Look at the man on the cross — tormented, gasping, bleeding. Take a long, thoughtful look. God was presenting something to you there. God was saying something about his perfect emotions toward your sin. He was displaying his wrath.

The God you have offended doesn’t demand your blood; he gives his own in Jesus Christ.

Who qualifies to enjoy the liberating power of the death of Christ? Sinners. They’re the only people he died for. If your problems are always someone else’s fault, if you come to God standing upright and ready to make your own case, the cross condemns you. But if you’re far from God, if you’ve sinned and you keep on sinning and you’re ashamed and wish you could trade in your record for a better one, if your conscience knows that you deserve the wrath of God and your only hope is God’s mercy in Christ, then he longs for you to know…he sees you through the death of Christ…He longs for you to know that your sins have been nailed to the cross.

The Face of Jesus

Posted on by

The face of Jesus:

For my salvation.

A glorious face, now.

Let its light shine on me, O Light of Life.

Let Your radiance fall on me, Sun and Savior,

Lighten my darkness.

Then grant me this by Your grace:

That I, in turn, may give

“The light of the knowledge of the glory of God” (2 Cor 4:6 AV)

As I see it in the face of Jesus Christ.

~ Elisabeth Elliot, A Lamp For My Feet

Laudable Linkage

Posted on by

Here are some great things I’ve seen around the “Net and thought some of you might enjoy as well.

Tim Challies shared a link to an incident that brought tears to my eyes: The Contagious Comfort and Mercy of God at Wrestling With an Angel. It begins this way:

One busy Saturday afternoon I was patrolling the local mall parking lot in my police cruiser. It was warm, so I had my windows down enjoying the fall air. As I drove though the lot I heard a loud piercing cry echoing like a sound bite from a horror movie.

After reading that post I clicked around and read a few other posts there. Very good, rich reading.

A Biblical view of self image and way of dealing with self-doubt by Laura at Outnumbered Mom, a new blog friend discovered through the Friday Fave Fives. Though it deals with self-doubt as a mother, the truths there are applicable to anyone.

Political angst by Wendy at Practical Theology For Women deals with a few pet peeves, such as angst in Christianity “over something the individual perceives as righteous or unrighteous but that Scripture itself only addresses in either very general terms or doesn’t address at all.”

The Marriage Bed. Be sure to read til the end! I’m sorry I forgot to note where I saw this one.

Respect within marriage.

How to Pray For Missionaries.

The Paradox of Parenting Boys. This made me smile.

A live web cam of a nesting owl, HT to Lizzie. It will be really fun once the babies hatch.

A refurbished vintage sewing cabinet. Lovely!

A video library of hand embroidery stitches. Great resource!

Paper silhouette art. These are very creative — I’ve never seen silhouettes like this.

If you need any ideas for cute Easter decorations or goodies:

Eggy Baskets.
Little nests.
Free printable cupcake toppers.

Have a great weekend! We start spring break this week!

The Week In Words

Posted on by

http://breathoflifeministries.blogspot.com/2010/01/announcing-week-in-words.html Melissa at Breath of Life hosts a weekly carnival called The Week In Words,which involves sharing something from your reading that inspires you, causes you to laugh, cry, or dream, or just resonates with you in some way.

I read these first few this week — in a file I had of spring quotes! I’m sorry I did not note where I first saw them. I’d like to know where the Dickens quote is from.

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
– Charles Dickens

March is a tomboy with tousled hair, a mischievous smile, mud on her shoes and a laugh in her voice.”
– Hal Borland

“Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.” — Unkown

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. ~Henry Van Dyke

This is an excerpt from the March 19 reading from the Our Daily Walk devotional by F. B. Meyer

“If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.”– Col 3:1 (R.V.).

If some one will say, “There’s the rub! I’m afraid that is not true of me; my life is sinful and sorrowful; there are no Easter chimes in my soul, no glad fellowship with the Risen Lord; no victory over dark and hostile powers.” But if you are Christ’s disciple, you may affirm that you are risen in Him! With Christ you lay in the grave, and with Christ you have gone forth, according to the thought and purpose of God, if not in your feelings and experience. This is distinctly taught in Eph 2:1-10 and Rom. 6. The whole Church (including all who believe in our Lord Jesus) has passed into the light of the Easter dawn; and the one thing for you and me, and all of us, is to begin from this moment to act as if it were a conscious experience, and as we dare to do so we shall have the experience.

Notice how the Apostle insists on this: “You died, you were raised with Christ, your life is hid with Christ.” Give yourself time to think about it and realize it.

The Cross of Jesus stands between you and the constant appeal of the world, as when the neighbours of Christian tried to induce him to return to the City of Destruction. This does not mean that we are to be indifferent to all that is fair and lovely in the life which God has given us, but that the Cross is to separate us from all that is selfish, sensual, and savouring of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1Jo 2:15-17).

There were three I kept aside from the e-mail Elisabeth Elliot devotionals as well — but, believe it or not, I really do try to keep these things from being too long! I encourage you to sign up for those.

I also marked a couple from Carry On, Jeeves, but I’ll share that when I review it, probably tomorrow.

Happy Monday!

The King of Love

Posted on by

One of my favorite hymns:

The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never,
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow
My ransomed soul He leadeth,
And where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread’st a table in my sight;
Thy unction grace bestoweth;
And O what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.

~ Henry W. Baker