Your Life Runs Away
5 hours ago
In the issue of faith, the chief weapon is the Word.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and
in His Word do I hope.
From this passage you can see that the strength that sustains waiting is hope
and the power behind hope is the Word.
Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits and
in His Word do I hope.
From this passage you can see that the strength that sustains waiting is hope
and the power behind hope is the Word.
Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
"How Firm a Foundation, Ye Saints of the Lord"
by "Keen," 1787
1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
2. In every condition, -- in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, --
The Lord, the Almighty, they strength e'er shall be.
3. "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
4. "When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
5. "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
6. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!"
by "Keen," 1787
1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
2. In every condition, -- in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, --
The Lord, the Almighty, they strength e'er shall be.
3. "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
4. "When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
5. "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
6. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!"
Ah my deare angrie Lord,
Since thou dost love, yet strike;
Cast down, yet help afford;
Sure I will do the like.
I will complain, yet praise;
I will bewail, approve:
And all my sowre-sweet dayes
I will lament, and love.
George Herbert 1633
Or as the apostle Paul put it for all the saints who are fighting for joy in this fallen world of pain and suffering, we live and minister "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" 2 Cor.6:10
excerpt taken from When The Darkness Does Not Lift by John Piper
Since thou dost love, yet strike;
Cast down, yet help afford;
Sure I will do the like.
I will complain, yet praise;
I will bewail, approve:
And all my sowre-sweet dayes
I will lament, and love.
George Herbert 1633
Or as the apostle Paul put it for all the saints who are fighting for joy in this fallen world of pain and suffering, we live and minister "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" 2 Cor.6:10
excerpt taken from When The Darkness Does Not Lift by John Piper
John Wesley (1703-1791) on education:
" Let it be remembered, that I do not speak to the wild, giddy, thoughtless world, but to those that fear God. I ask, then, for what end do you send you children to school? “Why, that they may be fit to live in the world.” In which world do you mean, — this or the next? Perhaps you thought of this world only; and had forgot that there is a world to come; yea, and one that will last for ever! Pray take this into your account, and send them to such masters as will keep it always before their eyes. Otherwise, to send them to school (permit me to speak plainly) is little better than sending them to the devil. At all events, then, send your boys, if you have any concern for their souls, not to any of the large public schools, (for they are nurseries of all manner of wickedness,) but private school, kept by some pious man, who endeavours to instruct a small number of children in religion and learning together."
" Let it be remembered, that I do not speak to the wild, giddy, thoughtless world, but to those that fear God. I ask, then, for what end do you send you children to school? “Why, that they may be fit to live in the world.” In which world do you mean, — this or the next? Perhaps you thought of this world only; and had forgot that there is a world to come; yea, and one that will last for ever! Pray take this into your account, and send them to such masters as will keep it always before their eyes. Otherwise, to send them to school (permit me to speak plainly) is little better than sending them to the devil. At all events, then, send your boys, if you have any concern for their souls, not to any of the large public schools, (for they are nurseries of all manner of wickedness,) but private school, kept by some pious man, who endeavours to instruct a small number of children in religion and learning together."
A Biblical Apologetic Celebrating the Homemaking Tasks of a Virtuous Woman
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense, to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1Peter 3:15)…….
1Timothy 5:14 and Titus 2:4-5 lay some of the foundational instructions for the design of the home. The younger women should marry, bear children, manage the home, and give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. They are to love their husbands, love their children, be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
Well, how does she go about this array of tasks? The virtuous woman will first and foremost approach every task with the goal of glorifying God (1Corinthians 10:31). She will strive to be holy just as He is holy (1Peter 1:15), knowing that her fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Therefore, she is devoted to fervent prayer, study, meditation, and memorization of God’s Word (Colossians 3:16).
She begins with being submissive to her husband in everything (Ephesians 5:22) and does not deprive him of the affections due him (1Corinthians 7:5). She also conducts herself in a chaste and trustworthy manner; therefore the heart of her husband safely trusts her (Proverbs 31:11). All the days of her life are spent doing him good and not evil (Proverbs 31:12). She carefully strives to become the beautiful picture of the helpmeet God intended her to be (Genesis 2:18).
Her children are her next focus. She faithfully tries to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), knowing that she will give an account one day for the way she educated these precious gifts (Matthew 12:36-37). Therefore, she diligently teaches them the word of God while they sit in their house, when they walk by the way, when they rise up, and when they lie down (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). She sets the example in thirsting for God as the deer pants for the water (Psalm 42:1). Because she does not eat the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27) her children are treated like the precious gifts that they are (Psalm 127:3). All her days are spent trying to redeem the time with her children and husband because she knows the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).
The people of the community praise her because she willingly extends her hand to the poor, needy, and fatherless (Proverbs 31:20). On her tongue is the law of kindness (Proverbs 31:26) and nothing is done through selfish ambition but in lowliness of mind she esteems others better than herself (Philippians 2:3).
Her house now becomes a home because of her love for Christ, her love for His people and her dedication to her family. In her home there is an atmosphere of love and unity. You are greeted with welcoming arms and a friendly smile. All who enter are blessed and encouraged. The children are obedient and play nicely together. There is a sweet sense of peace and safety from the world. It is full of laughter, smiles, edifying speech and praises to God for His Son Jesus Christ.
Because this woman strongly believes in the sovereignty of God (Psalm 115:3), she has learned to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:11). Her motivation and her hope come from knowing that she is a recipient of redemption by grace (Romans 3:23-24) and that God will complete the good work He has begun in her (Philippians 1:6). In conclusion, she celebrates all the tasks of her womanhood because it is in her pursuit of these God-given tasks that she feels most fulfilled and thus her God is most glorified.
Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense, to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1Peter 3:15)…….
1Timothy 5:14 and Titus 2:4-5 lay some of the foundational instructions for the design of the home. The younger women should marry, bear children, manage the home, and give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. They are to love their husbands, love their children, be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, and obedient to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
Well, how does she go about this array of tasks? The virtuous woman will first and foremost approach every task with the goal of glorifying God (1Corinthians 10:31). She will strive to be holy just as He is holy (1Peter 1:15), knowing that her fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Therefore, she is devoted to fervent prayer, study, meditation, and memorization of God’s Word (Colossians 3:16).
She begins with being submissive to her husband in everything (Ephesians 5:22) and does not deprive him of the affections due him (1Corinthians 7:5). She also conducts herself in a chaste and trustworthy manner; therefore the heart of her husband safely trusts her (Proverbs 31:11). All the days of her life are spent doing him good and not evil (Proverbs 31:12). She carefully strives to become the beautiful picture of the helpmeet God intended her to be (Genesis 2:18).
Her children are her next focus. She faithfully tries to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), knowing that she will give an account one day for the way she educated these precious gifts (Matthew 12:36-37). Therefore, she diligently teaches them the word of God while they sit in their house, when they walk by the way, when they rise up, and when they lie down (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). She sets the example in thirsting for God as the deer pants for the water (Psalm 42:1). Because she does not eat the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27) her children are treated like the precious gifts that they are (Psalm 127:3). All her days are spent trying to redeem the time with her children and husband because she knows the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16).
The people of the community praise her because she willingly extends her hand to the poor, needy, and fatherless (Proverbs 31:20). On her tongue is the law of kindness (Proverbs 31:26) and nothing is done through selfish ambition but in lowliness of mind she esteems others better than herself (Philippians 2:3).
Her house now becomes a home because of her love for Christ, her love for His people and her dedication to her family. In her home there is an atmosphere of love and unity. You are greeted with welcoming arms and a friendly smile. All who enter are blessed and encouraged. The children are obedient and play nicely together. There is a sweet sense of peace and safety from the world. It is full of laughter, smiles, edifying speech and praises to God for His Son Jesus Christ.
Because this woman strongly believes in the sovereignty of God (Psalm 115:3), she has learned to be content in every situation (Philippians 4:11). Her motivation and her hope come from knowing that she is a recipient of redemption by grace (Romans 3:23-24) and that God will complete the good work He has begun in her (Philippians 1:6). In conclusion, she celebrates all the tasks of her womanhood because it is in her pursuit of these God-given tasks that she feels most fulfilled and thus her God is most glorified.
Below are the lyrics to Be Thou My Vision...
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
Here is an example of how Charles Simeon (a Calvinist) conversed with the elderly John Wesley (an Arminian):
Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?
Yes, I do indeed.
And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?
Yes, solely through Christ.
But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?
No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.
Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?
No.
What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?
Yes, altogether.
And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?
Yes, I have no hope but in Him.
Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things where in we agree.
Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?
Yes, I do indeed.
And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?
Yes, solely through Christ.
But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?
No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last.
Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?
No.
What then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?
Yes, altogether.
And is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?
Yes, I have no hope but in Him.
Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things where in we agree.
Girls gotta learn how to shoot too!
We just finished watching Pride & Prejudice
Aren't my boys the cutest thing you ever did see?
Yum! Yum!
Reading Time :)
School Time...
The finished product...A new skirt, made out of a bed sheet from Goodwill for $1.25
and a sweet sense of accomplishment; all while
enjoying the comforts of home and family!
Can't do that in Public School! :)
"Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it, labor in vain." Ps.127:1
I don't know how many of you read the blog posts of Kevin Swanson or listen to him on the radio...but here are a few excerpts from a post Kevin did recently on 'how to make judgements concerning the churches we attend and the ministries we connect with':
...All of us draw some conclusions concerning Focus on the Family, Answers in Genesis, Reasons to Believe, Desiring God Ministries, Christian Home Educators of Colorado, the PCA, the Southern Baptists, the ELCA, the Mennonite Brethren, the OPC, or New Life Church in Colorado Springs. If you have have any contact with or knowledge of a local church or ministry, usually you will draw some conclusion about that ministry. Most of us hold some sort of opinion on the importance, the value, or the impact the ministry bears upon the kingdom of God.
Occasionally, you will run into some Christian who assumes that outside of his local church at six friends, everybody else in the world is going to hell. Such perspectives smack of a puffed-up-edness and a love that doesn't quite hope enough about his brothers.
Well then, how should we make judgements concerning the churches we attend and the ministries we connect with? Here's my take on it...
1. Some churches and ministries will be stronger than others and produce more gold, silver, and precious stones after the fire burns than others...
2. Truth and love are equally important...you need '180% Proof' Truth and '180% Proof' Truthful Living. [I believe this is a play on words...180% proof meaning: the strongest you can find; not 80% above what is revealed in scripture.]
6. You will never know the true impact of a "reformation," a movement, a church denomination, a system of government, a methodology, and a message for at least 40-50 years. By their fruits you will know them, but after all the exciting conferences and building programs, and after the fire burns, only time will tell what the ministry really produced. And there will be no exceptions to the rule. All of us will be tested for the quality of work produced over a life time.
7. Nobody bats 1000...The idea is to make it as far up Omaha Beach as you can, before you are cut down by enemy fire. The battlefield is going to be a mess the whole way to the gates of heaven.
9. Oh, one more thing - whatever you do, don't choose to affiliate with proud ministries who think they are the best ministry in the world. And once you have tossed in your hat with some particular ministry, you will begin to see the sins and weaknesses latent within the organization. Because you are not closely affiliated with other ministries therefore, you have no idea how God is working there. So to assume that you are in the best church in the area is always well beyond your ability to discern. In the final analysis, you have no idea how much more love, joy, and peace are nurtured within your congregation compared to any other. Sure, you might know all doctrine and all knowledge, and have all faith so that you can remove more mountains than that other church down the street. But you can't tell me that you have 68% more love than they do.
These are my observations after participating in many different exciting Christian movements over a lifetime.
Of the 9 points he makes, I only copied portions of them and not all 9 so, to read this post in its entirety, click here.
Nonetheless, I hope the portions shared will remind us all...
Do Not put anyone or anything up on a pedestal besides the Lord Jesus Christ!
Enjoy these ministries, enjoy your church, and enjoy the edification received by fellow believers, but NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! exalt them higher than they should be.
Appreciate the gifts, but LOVE the Giver!
...All of us draw some conclusions concerning Focus on the Family, Answers in Genesis, Reasons to Believe, Desiring God Ministries, Christian Home Educators of Colorado, the PCA, the Southern Baptists, the ELCA, the Mennonite Brethren, the OPC, or New Life Church in Colorado Springs. If you have have any contact with or knowledge of a local church or ministry, usually you will draw some conclusion about that ministry. Most of us hold some sort of opinion on the importance, the value, or the impact the ministry bears upon the kingdom of God.
Occasionally, you will run into some Christian who assumes that outside of his local church at six friends, everybody else in the world is going to hell. Such perspectives smack of a puffed-up-edness and a love that doesn't quite hope enough about his brothers.
Well then, how should we make judgements concerning the churches we attend and the ministries we connect with? Here's my take on it...
1. Some churches and ministries will be stronger than others and produce more gold, silver, and precious stones after the fire burns than others...
2. Truth and love are equally important...you need '180% Proof' Truth and '180% Proof' Truthful Living. [I believe this is a play on words...180% proof meaning: the strongest you can find; not 80% above what is revealed in scripture.]
6. You will never know the true impact of a "reformation," a movement, a church denomination, a system of government, a methodology, and a message for at least 40-50 years. By their fruits you will know them, but after all the exciting conferences and building programs, and after the fire burns, only time will tell what the ministry really produced. And there will be no exceptions to the rule. All of us will be tested for the quality of work produced over a life time.
7. Nobody bats 1000...The idea is to make it as far up Omaha Beach as you can, before you are cut down by enemy fire. The battlefield is going to be a mess the whole way to the gates of heaven.
9. Oh, one more thing - whatever you do, don't choose to affiliate with proud ministries who think they are the best ministry in the world. And once you have tossed in your hat with some particular ministry, you will begin to see the sins and weaknesses latent within the organization. Because you are not closely affiliated with other ministries therefore, you have no idea how God is working there. So to assume that you are in the best church in the area is always well beyond your ability to discern. In the final analysis, you have no idea how much more love, joy, and peace are nurtured within your congregation compared to any other. Sure, you might know all doctrine and all knowledge, and have all faith so that you can remove more mountains than that other church down the street. But you can't tell me that you have 68% more love than they do.
These are my observations after participating in many different exciting Christian movements over a lifetime.
Of the 9 points he makes, I only copied portions of them and not all 9 so, to read this post in its entirety, click here.
Nonetheless, I hope the portions shared will remind us all...
Do Not put anyone or anything up on a pedestal besides the Lord Jesus Christ!
Enjoy these ministries, enjoy your church, and enjoy the edification received by fellow believers, but NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! exalt them higher than they should be.
Appreciate the gifts, but LOVE the Giver!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)