on Making War with Sin part 1 - How to Make War

I was reminded today of the need to MAKE WAR with sin instead of "settling in" - tedashii's song bearing this title was a refreshing perspective on this thought.

The question is this - how do I (we) make war with sin?

1. we battle sin by trusting God's promises (Battling Unbelief - John Piper)
2. we battle sin by preaching Truth to ourselves (Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure- D. Martin Lloyd-Jones)
3. we battle sin by the power of the Holy Spirit
4. we battle sin by God's grace alone
5. as such, we battle sin with humility
6. we battle sin by constantly moving forward with Christ (no foxhole mentality, we are advancing!)

May God grant us grace to fight sin for His glory!

In the second installment of this subject I will address why we should make war with sin - a bit counterintuitive to address the "why" after the "how" but I realized upon finishing this post that my own heart needs to be directed to the "why" question so that making war does not end up being just about me looking good for those around me or trying to earn God's favor by doing the right thing...

on Requiring Unregenerate Children to Act Like They’re Good?

Why Require Unregenerate Children to Act Like They’re Good? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library

Good thoughts for me as a father of a five year old who has accepted God's gracious forgiveness of sins and a three year old who I am praying for...

on Christmas

Recently I was speaking with a friend and mentor about the meaning of Christmas. I was sharing how I so often felt let down by the holiday season, how it just doesn't feel the way it did when I was a child, how I don't feel like I am able to get into the "Christmas spirit", how I feel guilty for not having my heart focused on Christ, etc...

He pointed out a distinction which I think is helpful between the sentimentality and the spirituality of a given holiday. It is not that there is anything innately wrong with being sentimental and having "warm feelings" about a special day or time of year, about the time spent with family and friends, about the memories of previous holidays and the people we were with then... but if this sentimentality pushes out the spirituality, we have replaced the God of Christmas (or Thanksgiving or Easter) with the god of family or friends or comfort or, ultimately, just the plain old fashioned god of me and my pleasure.

I don't appreciate the word balance in relation to my relationship with God because it seems to put Him on the same plane with everything else, but for lack of a better word; I am seeking a better balance this year... one in which I enjoy the season and the opportunities it gives for spending special time with family and friends and for creating traditions and memories, but also a season in which Christ is honored, in which the overwhelming awesomeness of God coming to earth in the flesh, as a baby, as a Savior, is impressed upon and celebrated in my heart.

Father, please help me to truly worship you and honor your Son this Christmas, help me to lead my family into traditions that are centered upon you and show how amazing the advent really is!, Be glorified in the meals that we eat, the gifts that we give and receive, and in the quiet moments of reflection. Thank you for the incarnation of your Son as our Savior, Redeemer and King! Please help me to be satisfied with all that He is and will be. For your glory and for Jesus sake, I pray... Amen.

on Sustaining Grace

What is sustaining grace?
Not grace that bars what is not bliss
nor flight from all distress, but this
the grace that orders our trouble and pain
and then in the darkness is there to sustain
~John Piper

What is grace that will help me endure?
Not grace that keeps me from experiencing anything that is not "nice",
Nor gives me an escape from distress, but instead,
it is the grace that is orchestrating (and hence giving meaning to) my trouble and pain,
and is also a light in the dark times which gives hope and sustains.
~Sam Couture's paraphrase


Jeremiah 32:36-42
36"Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say,'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence': 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. 42 "For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them."

on scavenger hunts & the Treasure hunt

Most of the time my life is like a scavenger hunt, running around with a list of random items, madly trying to find them before time runs out...

I want my life to be a Treasure hunt. like the man who found a treasure in the field and sold everything he had to buy that field and get the treasure.

Father, help me give everything to find the Treasure, Your Son, Jesus. Help me to give up my random list of little treasures and seek madly after You until time runs out... Let it be so...