Aspiring Sage: November 2009

Reformation & Revival

Here is a quote from Death in the City by Francis A. Schaeffer...

The church in our generation needs reformation, revival and constructive revolution. At times men think of the two words, reformation and revival as standing in contrast to one another, but this is a mistake. Both words are related to the word restore.

Reformation refers to a restoration to pure doctrine, revival refers to a restoration in the Christian life. Reformation refers to a return to the teachings of scripture; revival speaks of a life brought into it's proper relationship to the Holy Spirit.

The great moments of church history have come when these two restorations have simultaneously come into action so that the church has returned to pure doctrine and the lives of the Christians in the church have known the power of the Holy Spirit. There cannot be true revival unless there has been reformation and reformation is not complete without revival.

Such a combination of reformation and revival would be revolutionary in our day.

May we be those who know the reality of both reformation and revival so that this poor dark world may have an exhibition of a portion of the church returned to both pure doctrine and Spirit filled life.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

There are SO MANY things to be thankful for...where O where to begin?! Actually the problem is more...where to end! This post could go on for years and years! But since I only have a few minutes to post, I guess I'll just share a couple of things I'm eternally grateful for...

First & Foremost: My Precious Salvation!

Thank you Lord, for the gracious gift of your Son,

whose blood has atoned for my sin.

"Behold! What manner of love the Father has given unto us

that we should be called the sons of God!"

Your Precious Holy Word...

"Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

"Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day."

Your Magnificent Creation...

"You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you."

A Happy & Blessed Marriage...

"Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." ...For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."

Plus 4 Wonderful Children...

"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate."

The Gift Of Homeschooling\Homemaking...

"...tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and His might, and the wonders that He has done...so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments..."

"...admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

Watching Them Grow...

And Play...

And Smile...

And Laugh...

O there is just too many blessings to name!

I'm thankful for...

friends

family

church

health

protection

provision

chastisement

earthly comforts

service opportunities

PRAYER

warnings

rest

love

joy

peace

patience

kindness

goodness

faithfulness

gentleness

self-control

etc...etc..etc...

OK I'M FORCING MYSELF TO STOP NOW!!!

I pray you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Love, Mrs.Burnsed

Spiritual Growth ~ The Valley of Vision

In my last post I recommended The Valley of Vision. This book is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions that have been a wonderful source of blessing to me over the years. You can purchase it in paperback (shown below) or in black leather. Here is sample of one of the prayers...

O THOU MOST HIGH,

In the way of thy appointment I am waiting for thee,

My desire is to thy name,

My mind to remembrance of thee.

I am a sinner, but not insensible of my state.

My iniquities are great and numberless,

but thou art adequate to my relief,

for thou art rich in mercy;

the blood of thy Son can cleanse from all sin;

the agency of thy Spirit can subdue my most powerful lusts.

Give me a tender, wakeful conscience

that can smite and torment me when I sin.

May I be consistent in conversation and conduct,

the same alone as in company,

in prosperity and adversity,

accepting all thy commandments as right,

and hating every false way.

May I never be satisfied with my present spiritual progress,

but to faith add virtue, knowledge, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity.

May I never neglect

what is necessary to constitute Christian character,

and needful to complete it.

May I cultivate the expedient,

develop the lovely, adorn the gospel,

recommend the religion of Jesus,

accommodate myself to thy providence.

Keep me from sinking or sinning in the evil day;

Help me to carry into ordinary life portions of divine truth

and use them on suitable occasions, so that

its doctrines may inform,

its warnings caution,

its rules guide,

its promises comfort me.

Sinners In The Hands Of Angry God

One of the greatest sermons ever preached was by Jonathan Edwards in 1741: Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God. Click on the title to read the whole sermon or click on the picture below to purchase the audio version. I highly recommend the audio version!!! Max McLean has the most soothing voice and trust me you will need all the soothing you can get when listening to this sermon!!! It is BY FAR like nothing I've ever heard! For a lost man to sit under this sermon and walk away unaffected is a mind-boggling thought. It shook me to the core and I've already experienced God's saving grace! WARNING: THIS SERMON IS NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED!

I also recommend Max McLean's: The Listener's Bible and The Valley of Vision. Then go to Radio Shack and purchase a pillow speaker. Place this tiny little speaker under your pillow at night and fall asleep listening to the Word of God or Puritan prayers from The Valley of Vision. It has been a huge blessing to me over the years and I hope it now blesses you!

In the meantime...if you'd like, here is an excerpt of the sermon to wet your appetitie...

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a fallen rock. Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God's enemies. God's creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and do not willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope. There are black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you. The sovereign pleasure of God, for the present, stays his rough wind; otherwise it would come with fury, and your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff of the summer threshing floor.

Mother \ Daughter Quilting & Tea Party

This past Monday several mothers and daughters joined together for our 2nd Annual Mother\Daughter Quilting & Tea Party. It was a big success with 37 in attendance! Several other families wanted to come but couldn't and three families were unable to attend due to illness...The Barr's, The Cases's, & The Dimillo's...hope you're feeling better soon...we missed you all and hope to see you next year!

Here are some pics for you to enjoy...