Psalm 1:2 (NLT)
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
Psalm 143:5 (NLT)
I remember the days of old.
I ponder all your great works
and think about what you have done.
Psalm 145:5 (NLT)
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
“So meditating on the Word of God day and night means to speak to yourself the Word of God day and night and to speak to yourself about it- to mull it over, to ask questions about it and answer them from the Scripture itself, to ask yourself how this might apply to you and others, and to ponder its implications for life and church and culture and missions.”
- John Piper (When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy)
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Something To Chew On
Psalm 19:10 (NLT)
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
Psalm 119:11 (NLT)
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
“I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the word of God, and to meditation on it…What is food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and…not the simple reading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”
- Geoge Mueller (Written By Himself, Jehovah Magnified)
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
Psalm 119:11 (NLT)
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
“I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the word of God, and to meditation on it…What is food for the inner man? Not prayer, but the word of God; and…not the simple reading of the word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts.”
- Geoge Mueller (Written By Himself, Jehovah Magnified)
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Purity of Desire
1 John 5:14 (NLT)
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
“It is for gratifying our desires when those desires have been so purified and so saturated with Christ and his Word that they coincide with his plans. This happens more and more as the Word of Christ abides in us.”
- John Piper (When I Don't Desire God)
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.
“It is for gratifying our desires when those desires have been so purified and so saturated with Christ and his Word that they coincide with his plans. This happens more and more as the Word of Christ abides in us.”
- John Piper (When I Don't Desire God)
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Fight of Our Lives
Matthew 5:29 (NLT)
So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
"…there is a mean streak to authentic self-control…Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin…The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war…There is something about war that sharpens the senses…War keeps us vigilant.”
- Ed Welch (Self Control: The Battle Against 'One More')
So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
"…there is a mean streak to authentic self-control…Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin…The only possible attitude toward out-of-control desire is a declaration of all-out war…There is something about war that sharpens the senses…War keeps us vigilant.”
- Ed Welch (Self Control: The Battle Against 'One More')
Monday, October 7, 2013
Gutsy Guilt
Micah 7:8-9 (NLT)
Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The Lord will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness.
“But in the ashes of our regret, the flame of boldness never goes out. It may flicker. But when self or Satan taunts us that we are finished, we lay hold on Micah’s faith- indeed we lay hold on Christ and his righteousness- and say, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me…He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light.”
- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)
Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him. But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies. The Lord will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness.
“But in the ashes of our regret, the flame of boldness never goes out. It may flicker. But when self or Satan taunts us that we are finished, we lay hold on Micah’s faith- indeed we lay hold on Christ and his righteousness- and say, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light unto me…He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light.”
- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Hearing
Romans 10:7 (NLT)
And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”
“Not only does the first act of faith come by hearing, but all subsequent acts of faith come by hearing. And since God supplies his spirit through this “hearing with faith”, the fullness of the Spirit comes by the ongoing hearing of the Word of God. And when the Spirit comes, he comes to make much of Jesus. Which means he comes to ignite joy in our hearts over the glory of Jesus. Which means the word of God is worth more than anything this world can offer.”
- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)
And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”
“Not only does the first act of faith come by hearing, but all subsequent acts of faith come by hearing. And since God supplies his spirit through this “hearing with faith”, the fullness of the Spirit comes by the ongoing hearing of the Word of God. And when the Spirit comes, he comes to make much of Jesus. Which means he comes to ignite joy in our hearts over the glory of Jesus. Which means the word of God is worth more than anything this world can offer.”
- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Never Outgrowing the Gospel
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
“Hearing the word of the cross, and preaching it to ourselves, is the central strategy for sinners in the fight for joy. Nothing works without this. Here is where we start. And here is where we stay. We never outgrow the gospel. Here we see the glory of Christ more clearly than anywhere else. Indeed, the gospel is “the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” If seeing Christ is the key to savoring Christ- and it is!- then here is where we must linger. The word of the cross is the revelation of the glory of Christ.”
- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
“Hearing the word of the cross, and preaching it to ourselves, is the central strategy for sinners in the fight for joy. Nothing works without this. Here is where we start. And here is where we stay. We never outgrow the gospel. Here we see the glory of Christ more clearly than anywhere else. Indeed, the gospel is “the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” If seeing Christ is the key to savoring Christ- and it is!- then here is where we must linger. The word of the cross is the revelation of the glory of Christ.”
- John Piper (When I Don’t Desire God)
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Reevaluating Grace
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost Of Discipleship
Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost Of Discipleship
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