“I
would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that
gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—G. K. Chesterton
“The aim
of life is appreciation; there is no sense in not appreciating things;
and there is no sense in having more of them if you have less
appreciation of them.”—G. K. Chesterton
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”—G. K. Chesterton
“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the
concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and
grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting,
swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I
dip the pen in the ink.”—G. K. Chesterton
“When we were children we
were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why
are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?”—G. K.
Chesterton
Friday, November 29, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gorden Lightfoot
A tribute to the 29 men who died November 10, 1975, aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior. I forgot to post this on November 10th but I am posting this now. I love this song by Gorden Lightfoot it is a haunting tribute to this tragedy and it is part of the Great Lakes legend which we Michiganders have an interest in.
Performance or Grace?
My
observation of Christendom is that most of us tend to base our
relationship with God on our performance instead of on His grace. If
we’ve performed well—whatever ‘well’ is in our opinion—then we expect
God to bless us. If we haven’t done so well, our expectations are
reduced accordingly. In this sense, we live by works, rather than by
grace. We are saved by grace, but we are living by the ‘sweat’
of our own performance. Moreover, we are always challenging ourselves
and one another to ‘try harder’. We seem to believe success in the
Christian life is basically up to us; our commitment, our discipline,
and our zeal, with some help from God along the way. The realization
that my daily relationship with God is based on the infinite merit of
Christ instead of on my own performance is very freeing and joyous
experience. But it is not meant to be a one-time experience; the truth
needs to be reaffirmed daily.
(by Jerry Bridges, in Transforming Grace)
My whole theology of gospel preaching rests on the foundation of truth that this quote illuminates. I am placing my entire eternal existence on the merit of Christ alone I do not trust in myself, my works, my achievements or my performance. Every day I reaffirm who I am in Christ, what Christ has done for me leading me to worship and be grateful for my salvation, for my being adopted into God's family and permanently being made a child of God.
(by Jerry Bridges, in Transforming Grace)
My whole theology of gospel preaching rests on the foundation of truth that this quote illuminates. I am placing my entire eternal existence on the merit of Christ alone I do not trust in myself, my works, my achievements or my performance. Every day I reaffirm who I am in Christ, what Christ has done for me leading me to worship and be grateful for my salvation, for my being adopted into God's family and permanently being made a child of God.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Luther's Thoughts On Free Will
I
frankly confess that, for myself, even if it could be, I should not want
free-will to be given me, nor anything to be left in my own hands to
enable me to endeavor after salvation; not merely because in face of so
many dangers, and adversities and assaults of devils, I could not stand
my ground; but because even were there no dangers I should still be
forced to labor with no guarantee of success
But now that God has taken my salvation out of the control of my own
will, and put it under the control of His, and promised to save me, not
according to my working or running, but according to His own grace and
mercy, I have the comfortable certainty that He is faithful and will not
lie to me, and that He is also great and powerful, so that no devils or
opposition can break Him or pluck me from Him. Furthermore, I have the
comfortable certainty that I please God, not by reason of the merit of
my works, but by reason of His merciful favor promised to me; so that,
if I work too little, or badly, He does not impute it to me, but with
fatherly compassion pardons me and makes me better. This is the glorying
of all the saints in their God.
- Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1957), 313-314.
- Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1957), 313-314.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
The Law Has Never Loved You
Did
the Law ever love me? Did the Law ever sacrifice itself for me? Did the
Law ever die for me? On the contrary, it accuses me, it frightens me,
and it drives me crazy. Somebody else saved me from the Law, from sin
and death unto eternal life. That somebody is the Son of God (Who loved
me and gave Himself for me). Hence, Christ is no Moses, no tyrant, no
lawgiver, but the Giver of grace, the Savior,
full of mercy….. Visualize Christ in these His true colors. I do not
say that it is easy. Even in the present diffusion of the Gospel light, I
have much trouble to see Christ as Paul portrays Him. So deeply has the
diseased opinion that Christ is a lawgiver sunk into my bones. You
younger men are a good deal better off than we who are old. You have
never become infected with the nefarious errors on which I suckled all
my youth, until at the mention of the name of Christ I shivered with
fear. You, I say, who are young may learn to know Christ in all His
sweetness. For Christ is Joy and Sweetness to a broken heart. Christ is a
Lover of poor sinners and such a Lover that He gave Himself for us. Now
if this is true, and it is true, then are we never justified by our own
righteousness.
–Martin Luther
To anyone who is stuck on the law and on your own personal performance I ask you to think about this until Christ becomes joy and sweetness to your soul.
–Martin Luther
To anyone who is stuck on the law and on your own personal performance I ask you to think about this until Christ becomes joy and sweetness to your soul.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
In Christ Your Sin Is Publicly and Legally Cancelled, Nailed Up for All to See
In Christ Your Sin Is Publicly and Legally Cancelled, Nailed Up for All to See
Sin being removed, and righteousness bestowed, we have peace with God—are continually accepted before him.
There is not any thing to charge us with: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his cross—made fast there; yea, publicly and legally cancelled, that it can never be admitted again as an evidence.
What court among men would admit of evidence that has been publicly cancelled and nailed up for all to see it?
So has Christ dealt with that which was against us; and not only so, but also he puts that upon us for which we are received into favor.
He makes us comely through his beauty; gives us white raiment to stand before the Lord.
This is the first part of purchased grace wherein the saints have communion with Jesus Christ. In remission of sin and imputation of righteousness does it consist; from the death of Christ, as a price, sacrifice, and a punishment—from the life of Christ spent in obedience to the law, does it arise.
The great product it is of the Father’s righteousness, wisdom, love, and grace—the great and astonish-able fruit of the love and condescension of the Son—the great discovery of the Holy Ghost in the revelation of the mystery of the gospel.
—John Owen, Communion with the Triune God, 290-91.
Read this and believe it, read it until you believe it, Owen says "There is not any thing to charge us with" Paul said "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies." (Rom. 8:33) The answer is no one! Once God declares you not guilty and all charges against you have not only been removed they have been nailed to the cross, publicly cancelled legally cancelled never to be used as evidence again. You are free, enjoy it.
Sin being removed, and righteousness bestowed, we have peace with God—are continually accepted before him.
There is not any thing to charge us with: that which was, is taken out of the way by Christ, and nailed to his cross—made fast there; yea, publicly and legally cancelled, that it can never be admitted again as an evidence.
What court among men would admit of evidence that has been publicly cancelled and nailed up for all to see it?
So has Christ dealt with that which was against us; and not only so, but also he puts that upon us for which we are received into favor.
He makes us comely through his beauty; gives us white raiment to stand before the Lord.
This is the first part of purchased grace wherein the saints have communion with Jesus Christ. In remission of sin and imputation of righteousness does it consist; from the death of Christ, as a price, sacrifice, and a punishment—from the life of Christ spent in obedience to the law, does it arise.
The great product it is of the Father’s righteousness, wisdom, love, and grace—the great and astonish-able fruit of the love and condescension of the Son—the great discovery of the Holy Ghost in the revelation of the mystery of the gospel.
—John Owen, Communion with the Triune God, 290-91.
Read this and believe it, read it until you believe it, Owen says "There is not any thing to charge us with" Paul said "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies." (Rom. 8:33) The answer is no one! Once God declares you not guilty and all charges against you have not only been removed they have been nailed to the cross, publicly cancelled legally cancelled never to be used as evidence again. You are free, enjoy it.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
The Way It Is
When I
get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt. I
hope and get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling
good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and
suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a
rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for
beer.
To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God's grace means. As Thomas Merton put it, "A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God."
Brennan Manning
Oh to know the grace of God in its fulness and to live by it and rest in it and to know God for who he really is. Lord deliver me from my self serving religious ideas and ways that keep me from your grace.
To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God's grace means. As Thomas Merton put it, "A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God."
Brennan Manning
Oh to know the grace of God in its fulness and to live by it and rest in it and to know God for who he really is. Lord deliver me from my self serving religious ideas and ways that keep me from your grace.
Monday, November 4, 2013
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