Thursday, January 17, 2008
I have read Gospel Worship once through and absolutely love Jeremiah Burroughs. He certainly isn't for the faint of heart but the content in his sermons are incredible. I am convicted everytime I read him and encouraged as I work out my own salvation according to the Word of God. He is an incredible resource for any believer who wants more. As his sermons are lengthy and indepth it is easier for me to have a snapshot of his sermon, what perhaps he may have preached from if he used outlines. It helps me process what I am reading and I hope if you pick up this classic and add it to your reading list it will assist you in your journey through Gospel Worship. Due to the format of blogging the outline doesn't look great on the post but I will be more than happy to forward a copy (work in progress) to any who would like to see it.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Do you struggle with pleasure?
Our pastor has been doing a Sunday morning teaching series regarding Calvinism (not a bad word, I promise) but more specifically how this viewpoint affects our everyday life. Yesterday he taught about pleasure; how and what we do for refreshment. It never ceases to amaze me how God brings all the different resources in my life to speak to me. I have recently been struggling, well maybe more like wrestling, with the concept of making the Lord's Sabbath a day of rest unto him. I have never been taught or encouraged to make this day separate let alone know how or what it looks like. Just for an example, is it okay to watch NFL football on Sunday?
First, the scripture he took us to was Ecclesiastes 2. Solomon realized that all things "done under the sun" were all vanity. So, first, if we do things without a Higher purpose in life it's all vanity. The advantage Solomon had was he could do all the things that brought him pleasure in about a year (he was very wealthy) where it would take the majority of us our whole life to realize all we did "under the sun" was vanity. Sadly enough, many people do come to the end of their life with many regrets.
Here are three principles we can gage the way we enjoy pleasure...
1. Pleasure can be anything that refreshes that doesn't diminish or distort our final goal in life (which would preclude we know our ultimate goal...)
2. Any pleasure, however good, if not kept in balance will distort reality or destroy your appetite (MODERATION!)
3. If refreshment adversely affects the next days duties, it's not pleasure but excessive feasting (Revelry)
These were extremely helpful on my continued journey to godliness as I work to make Sunday a Sabbath, a day of rest.
First, the scripture he took us to was Ecclesiastes 2. Solomon realized that all things "done under the sun" were all vanity. So, first, if we do things without a Higher purpose in life it's all vanity. The advantage Solomon had was he could do all the things that brought him pleasure in about a year (he was very wealthy) where it would take the majority of us our whole life to realize all we did "under the sun" was vanity. Sadly enough, many people do come to the end of their life with many regrets.
Here are three principles we can gage the way we enjoy pleasure...
1. Pleasure can be anything that refreshes that doesn't diminish or distort our final goal in life (which would preclude we know our ultimate goal...)
2. Any pleasure, however good, if not kept in balance will distort reality or destroy your appetite (MODERATION!)
3. If refreshment adversely affects the next days duties, it's not pleasure but excessive feasting (Revelry)
These were extremely helpful on my continued journey to godliness as I work to make Sunday a Sabbath, a day of rest.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Who is Aspiring Godliness?
My closest friend will likely laugh at this next thought but I have to share it anyway (I know she doesn't laugh to jest, only in agreement). I am easily frustrated with tasks that do not have a purpose or at least a purpose I have determined as worthwhile. Oh, I know, blogging has all sorts of purposes but I guess I think there has to be a purpose within the purpose. Let me explain, no, let be sum up (The Princess Bride)....It would be "okay" to have a blog to express my everyday life (although uneventful most of the time) but what would be the real purpose in that. Are people all that interested in reading the ramblings of wife and mother about her not too exciting life? (My friends with blogs have much more interesting lives than mine and sometimes I live vicariously through them.) Probably not! I am sure those that would be interested are my closest friends and family who would visit my blog to be nice and supportive, which is great, I guess. But I want more; I always want more....
You see, I've never been one for small talk. Don't get me wrong, I can do it but I am quickly bored with it. I am not all that funny (or at least I don't think I am, especially in verse) so I don't think my posts will bring on the giggles, let along the belly shakes (but hope to bring a smile every now and then) as my friends are excellent at doing. I want more....
I don't read the "popular"books or books just to go blah (although I have read a few books I would consider "mind candy" but reserve those for "before bed" to go to sleep by) and wouldn't know what to do with myself in most book clubs. I don't read newstand magazines or the like as I am not that interested in who the world says is important and that's what I should be attaining to. I want more...
"All right, get on with it already!" I can hear you saying. What DO you WANT? I want depth. I want meaning. I want purpose. I want to be changed and I want to help others change. I want to be more like God. I want to be more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, more patient (especially with my family), more kind, more good (not correct English but appropriate in this context), more faithful (especially toward my responsibilities to God), more gentle, more self-controlled.
Colossians 3:23-25 says "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." In context, these verses come after Pauls exhortation to wives to submit to husbands, husbands to love wives and slaves obey masters. So verses 23-25 could be interpreted solely in relation to our work, job, profession, hiho, hiho, it's off to work I go... But I understand these verses to be more than that. Again, in context, Paul says in verse 17, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (emphasis added)
I am certainly not a biblical scholor or inspired preacher and there is much more in the letter to the Colossians than I could possibly tackle in this forum but I think this explains a little of what I am getting at. We, professing believers and children of God, are to do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. "Everything" doesn't leave anything excluded. My whole life is to be done in the name of the Lord, for HIS GLORY!
I am not even close to this thus the reason for my blog title but by heart's loudest cry and desire is to obtain "this", only to know I will not fully attain this on this side of heaven. And what is "this" you might ask. In short, GODLINESS! I Timothy 6:11 says, "But as for you, O man (or woman) of God, flee these things. (See prior verses) Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness." Godliness is only one of the things in the list Paul exhorts for us to pursue but I think godliness, in light of entire scripture, sums up what we are to aspire to.
Are you aspiring godliness? I hope so, but if not, let me encourage you to begin; begin now (Hebrews 3:13). "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6
So back to the beginning... I found my purpose in creating and maintaining a blog. "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." I Thessalonians 5:11 I am tired of feeling like I am walking this journey alone. I want to know you are on this journey with me. This journey is difficult; I want to be able to share my struggles and victories and I want to know yours. So, if you are aspiring godliness, let me know who you are. I am looking forward to what God will do for us as we encourage and build each other up.
You see, I've never been one for small talk. Don't get me wrong, I can do it but I am quickly bored with it. I am not all that funny (or at least I don't think I am, especially in verse) so I don't think my posts will bring on the giggles, let along the belly shakes (but hope to bring a smile every now and then) as my friends are excellent at doing. I want more....
I don't read the "popular"books or books just to go blah (although I have read a few books I would consider "mind candy" but reserve those for "before bed" to go to sleep by) and wouldn't know what to do with myself in most book clubs. I don't read newstand magazines or the like as I am not that interested in who the world says is important and that's what I should be attaining to. I want more...
"All right, get on with it already!" I can hear you saying. What DO you WANT? I want depth. I want meaning. I want purpose. I want to be changed and I want to help others change. I want to be more like God. I want to be more loving, more joyful, more peaceful, more patient (especially with my family), more kind, more good (not correct English but appropriate in this context), more faithful (especially toward my responsibilities to God), more gentle, more self-controlled.
Colossians 3:23-25 says "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." In context, these verses come after Pauls exhortation to wives to submit to husbands, husbands to love wives and slaves obey masters. So verses 23-25 could be interpreted solely in relation to our work, job, profession, hiho, hiho, it's off to work I go... But I understand these verses to be more than that. Again, in context, Paul says in verse 17, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (emphasis added)
I am certainly not a biblical scholor or inspired preacher and there is much more in the letter to the Colossians than I could possibly tackle in this forum but I think this explains a little of what I am getting at. We, professing believers and children of God, are to do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. "Everything" doesn't leave anything excluded. My whole life is to be done in the name of the Lord, for HIS GLORY!
I am not even close to this thus the reason for my blog title but by heart's loudest cry and desire is to obtain "this", only to know I will not fully attain this on this side of heaven. And what is "this" you might ask. In short, GODLINESS! I Timothy 6:11 says, "But as for you, O man (or woman) of God, flee these things. (See prior verses) Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness." Godliness is only one of the things in the list Paul exhorts for us to pursue but I think godliness, in light of entire scripture, sums up what we are to aspire to.
Are you aspiring godliness? I hope so, but if not, let me encourage you to begin; begin now (Hebrews 3:13). "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6
So back to the beginning... I found my purpose in creating and maintaining a blog. "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." I Thessalonians 5:11 I am tired of feeling like I am walking this journey alone. I want to know you are on this journey with me. This journey is difficult; I want to be able to share my struggles and victories and I want to know yours. So, if you are aspiring godliness, let me know who you are. I am looking forward to what God will do for us as we encourage and build each other up.
Getting Started...
Several of my closest friends all have blogs. They advertise it's a great way for people all over the world to keep up with you and it gives the blogger a chance to express him or herself however they deem fit. I am personally on the computer 40 to 50 hours a week as it is with my profession so I find it very difficult to set time aside to read other blogs, or let alone, create a blog for my own self. With all that being said, I have decided to give it my best shot so that I, too, can chronicle my journey and share my life with those of you who are interested, who may perhaps be encouraged, and for those who also may share some wisdom and encouragement with me. With that being said, here we go...
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