Saturday, February 28, 2015
Oscar Peterson Trio - Hymn to Freedom
Written in 1962 in support of the Civil Rights movement, a wonderful combination of gospel and jazz performed by the man who Duke Ellington called 'The Maharaja of the Keyboard' with Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums
Friday, February 27, 2015
Thursday, February 26, 2015
What Is Your Only Comfort In Life And Death?
The Heidelberg Catechism written in 1563 begins with a profound first question and answer worth meditating on and absorbing.
Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death--to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death--to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
This is the most important question you will ever face. What enables you
to endure life and face death unafraid? This question shapes our whole
existence. The first thing we are to know as a Christian is that we
belong to Jesus and not ourselves.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
'The Three Kinds of Good Life for the Instruction of Consciences"
In 1521 the Martin Luther preached a sermon called 'The Three Kinds of
Good Life for the Instruction of Consciences,' found in vol. 44 of LW.
This goes along with what I posted by C.S.Lewis:
Luther says there are 'three kinds of conscience and three kinds of sin, as well as three kinds of the good life with three kinds of good works' (235). The first kind 'is concerned only with outward works' (235). 'As a result of this kind of teaching, people become hardened and blind' (236). '[T]heir holiness is circumscribed by their five senses and their bodily existence. And yet, this very holiness shines brighter in the eyes of the world than does real holiness' (238). This is the Pharisee, the person who does the right things but with a rotten heart.
The second kind of person has a well-developed conscience. It understands 'humility, meekness, gentleness, peace, fidelity, love, propriety, purity, and the like'(239). Such people, however, 'set about them in the wrong way' (240). They 'maintain a pious posture not out of their own desire, but because they fear disgrace, punishment, or hell. . . . And this false ground is so deep that no saint has ever fathomed its bottom.' Such people have a sensitive conscience, unlike the first kind, but they follow it not from godliness but self-love. Luther then prepares to transition into the third kind of person. 'God does not just want such works by themselves. He wants them to be performed gladly and willingly. And when there is no joy in doing them and the right will and motive are absent, then they are dead in God's eyes' (240). Luther explains that none of us can rise above this second kind of person of our own ability.
The third kind of person is different not in externals but is qualitatively different in the heart--this person wants to obey. They are characterized by two realities, says Luther: self-denial and the Holy Spirit. He then concludes: 'When the Spirit comes . . . look, he makes a pure, free, cheerful, glad, and loving heart, a heart which is simply gratuitously righteous, seeking no reward, fearing no punishment. Such a heart is holy for the sake of holiness . . . and does everything with joy' (241-42).
Luther says there are 'three kinds of conscience and three kinds of sin, as well as three kinds of the good life with three kinds of good works' (235). The first kind 'is concerned only with outward works' (235). 'As a result of this kind of teaching, people become hardened and blind' (236). '[T]heir holiness is circumscribed by their five senses and their bodily existence. And yet, this very holiness shines brighter in the eyes of the world than does real holiness' (238). This is the Pharisee, the person who does the right things but with a rotten heart.
The second kind of person has a well-developed conscience. It understands 'humility, meekness, gentleness, peace, fidelity, love, propriety, purity, and the like'(239). Such people, however, 'set about them in the wrong way' (240). They 'maintain a pious posture not out of their own desire, but because they fear disgrace, punishment, or hell. . . . And this false ground is so deep that no saint has ever fathomed its bottom.' Such people have a sensitive conscience, unlike the first kind, but they follow it not from godliness but self-love. Luther then prepares to transition into the third kind of person. 'God does not just want such works by themselves. He wants them to be performed gladly and willingly. And when there is no joy in doing them and the right will and motive are absent, then they are dead in God's eyes' (240). Luther explains that none of us can rise above this second kind of person of our own ability.
The third kind of person is different not in externals but is qualitatively different in the heart--this person wants to obey. They are characterized by two realities, says Luther: self-denial and the Holy Spirit. He then concludes: 'When the Spirit comes . . . look, he makes a pure, free, cheerful, glad, and loving heart, a heart which is simply gratuitously righteous, seeking no reward, fearing no punishment. Such a heart is holy for the sake of holiness . . . and does everything with joy' (241-42).
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Gospel Transformation
The gospel transforms us from the inside out. This is completely
different than moral reformation which starts on the outside, trying to
change you through will power and legalism. Paul’s message is that Jesus
“GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS TO DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL AGE”
(Gal.1:5). The gospel is once you have believed in Christ you are
justified and no matter what you have done your sins can never bring you
into condemnation again. You are children of Abraham, heirs of God and you have been adopted into God’s family and set-free.
The problem religious people have is that they don’t see how in the world it’s possible to tell people that God accepts them in Christ no matter what they do. In Christ they are forgiven and free and the result of knowing that will produce the kind of incentive needed to live a godly life. This is grace plus nothing. I want 200 proof grace straight up with no mixture.
The problem religious people have is that they don’t see how in the world it’s possible to tell people that God accepts them in Christ no matter what they do. In Christ they are forgiven and free and the result of knowing that will produce the kind of incentive needed to live a godly life. This is grace plus nothing. I want 200 proof grace straight up with no mixture.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Friday, February 13, 2015
Jack McBrayer Struggles to Talk over Triumph's Quiet Reading on The Tonight Show
They talk about their new TV show, my son Jeffrey will be on the second episode
Thursday, February 12, 2015
This Makes All The Difference
*KEY* It’s what Christ has done that makes all the difference. His
righteousness is given to me and now I know that my Father will always
be my Father and I will always be his child and God is working in me to
remind me of the hope, the surety of my righteousness and acceptability
before Him. He never loves me because I did good, I did good because he
loves me. He never doesn't love me because I did bad. Even the bad thing
I did God is weaving into a pattern for my life out of his love. Every
day you fill your heart with the certainty of who you are in Christ and
that will remove fear.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
What Faith Is
Charles Spurgeon said in “All of Grace” — “Faith is chosen by God to be
the receiver of salvation because it does not pretend to create
salvation, nor to help in it, but it is content humbly to receive it.
Faith is the tongue that begs pardon, the hand which receives it and the
eye which sees it; but it is not the price which buys it. Faith never
makes herself her own plea, she rests all her argument upon the blood of
Christ. She becomes a good servant to bring the riches of the Lord
Jesus to the soul, because she acknowledges whence she drew them and
owns that grace alone entrusted her with them”.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
What Decides Whether You Are A Christian
What decides whether we are Christian or not is neither what we do or
what we are, it’s our relationship with God. Paul says you were “BROUGHT
NEAR” not “you have now improved” or “you are living a better life”.
What makes you a Christian is that “YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR OFF HAVE BEEN
BROUGHT NEAR”. The distinction and the difference has nothing to do with
our morality or conduct or behavior but our relationship with God.
This is the point I am making concerning being a Christian. I am not asking if you have been living in the gutters of life or in a wealthy neighborhood. I’m not asking if you’re rich or poor, tall or short, weak or strong, I’m not asking about your race or sex. The question is — “Have you been brought near to God? Do you know God? Have you entered into the holiest of all?” Everything else is irrelevant.
You didn't bring yourself near to God Christ brought you near by his blood, by his work on the cross. You were "far off" that means you were so far away from God there was no way you could make the journey, no way you could bring yourself near to God. It was and is utterly and completely impossible to bring yourself to God, so God sent Jesus who died for your sins and shed his blood, defeated death and the devil and sin He rose from the dead and is the only one who has the ability to bring people who are far away from God back to God. Period.
This is the point I am making concerning being a Christian. I am not asking if you have been living in the gutters of life or in a wealthy neighborhood. I’m not asking if you’re rich or poor, tall or short, weak or strong, I’m not asking about your race or sex. The question is — “Have you been brought near to God? Do you know God? Have you entered into the holiest of all?” Everything else is irrelevant.
You didn't bring yourself near to God Christ brought you near by his blood, by his work on the cross. You were "far off" that means you were so far away from God there was no way you could make the journey, no way you could bring yourself near to God. It was and is utterly and completely impossible to bring yourself to God, so God sent Jesus who died for your sins and shed his blood, defeated death and the devil and sin He rose from the dead and is the only one who has the ability to bring people who are far away from God back to God. Period.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
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