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Archive for January, 2011

First 10 Days of Fatherhood

Posted in Uncategorized on January 31, 2011 | 3 Comments »

Here are 10 thoughts that have been on my mind these past 10 days:

1.  I’ve been given a son, who was made by God, that I might love God all the more and that I might show a child the Love that God is.

2.  Without Jesus, I would not be able to relate to God the way my son relates to me.  Through Jesus, however, I get to relate to God the way my son gets to relate to me.

3.  ”God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them.”  -C.S. Lewis

4.  What do I love so much that I’d give up my son for it?  God loves the world so much that He gave His Son.

5.  My son cries whenever he’s apart from his parents.  Do I do the same when separated from my Father?

6.  My son cries when he needs to be cleaned, and even pushes me away as I try to clean him.  Do I do the same?

7.  ”Whether it be weakness or strength, sweetness or bitterness, temptation, distraction, pain, weariness, uncertainty, or blessing, all should be received as equal from the Lord’s hand.  None of these should delay your course even for a moment.”  -J. Guyon

8.  I’ve had to apologize to my wife just about every day since my son was born for sinning against God and her.  What pride was hiding before January 20 that kept me from seeing the darkness of my heart?  And what a gift to have it exposed by the Light!

9.  Parenthood offers God’s children endless new frontiers of dependence upon Him.  This is one of the greatest benefits of parenthood.

10.  ”To such as these belong the kingdom.”  Am I as an infant before Jesus?  Humble, needy, helpless, in awe, weak, desperate, trusting, comforted, fed, clothed, and loved?

 

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Words from the Lord, God

Posted in Uncategorized on January 31, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

“Spend no more than 30 minutes and no less than 15 minutes a day memorizing Scripture.”   -Kang

 

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to sleep or not to sleep

Posted in comfort, conviction, freedom, God, Gospel, grace, idolatry, Jesus, marriage, obedience, prayer, salvation, sanctification, transparent, tagged , , , , , , , on January 29, 2011 | 3 Comments »

a few weeks ago i wrote on my struggle with the idolatry of sleep.

last night, ash apparently woke me up to ask me to try & feed pax a bottle because he wouldn’t take it from her,

and i told her, “no, i’m ok.”

she took him into another room to let me sleep while he was crying.

when we woke up the next day,

she asked me,

“do you remember me asking you to feed him last night?”

i told her that i vaguely remembered that in a dream i recently had, and was kinda freaked out as to how she could read my dreams…

she then so gently said,

“ronnie, i think you can make sleep an idol, but i also think you can make not sleeping an idol…”

straight dagger.

in my last post, i had been convicted that

i cared more about my sleep than i did praying or reading Scripture or sitting in the presence of God”

…

now, i have been convicted that

i care more about not sleeping than i do doing what the Word of God tells me (eph. 5:25-33)

some might be saying, if you keep thinking about it so much, you’re never going to be right…

if this is you, i think you’re getting close.

in the same way that doing something can become a distortion of the gospel,

not doing something can become a distortion of the gospel.

the gospel is a magnificent paradox.

God’s grace is not dependent on your performance,

and it is not dependent on your lack of performance…

it’s a gift, and it’s not based on you,

but it is available to you because of a beaten and bloody King who defeated death and is currently reigning over the entire cosmos.

waking up early is a great thing, but…

why are you getting up early?

to do more?

to gain your acceptance?

to prove your righteousness?

Jesus has done it all.

everything.

everything.

do you really believe that?

He’s paid it all.

all.

all.

performance and entitlement have invaded the American church … are you infected?

i know the antidote.

it’s not a set of rules or regulations,

it’s not a ten step plan,

it’s not an experience,

it’s not an emotion,

it’s not an understanding,

it’s not intellectual,

it’s a person,

and his name is Jesus.

by God’s grace, i will defeat the idol of sleep without bowing to the idol of not sleeping.

what do you think about the statement, “If you don’t think you’re a moral failure, you’re not a Christian?”?

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me-centered or God-centered (4/4)

Posted in Bible, evangelism, God, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, tagged , , , , , , on January 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

view of God

view of humanity

view of Christ

view of response to Christ

me-centered

  • Invitation waiting to be accepted now.
  • Our choice is the basis for salvation, God responds to our decision.
  • We give mental assent to truths of gospel – decision.
  • Appeal is made to the desires of the sinner.
  • Saved by faith alone – repentance omitted for it is thought of as “works.”
  • Assurance of salvation comes from a counselor using the promises of God and pronouncing the new believer saved.
  • Conclusion: Sinners have the key in their hands.

God-centered

  • Loving command to be obeyed now.
  • God’s choice is the basis for salvation.  We respond to God’s initiative.
  • We respond with our whole person (mind, heart, will) – conversion.
  • Truths are driven home into the conscience of the sinner.
  • Saved by faith alone – saving faith always accompanied by repentance.
  • Assurance of salvation comes from the Holy Spirit applying biblical promises to the conscience and effecting a changed life.
  • Conclusion: God has the key in his hand.

are you more “me-centered” or “God-centered”?  what do you agree with?  disagree with?

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me-centered or God-centered (3/4)

Posted in Bible, evangelism, God, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Jesus, tagged , , , , , , on January 28, 2011 | 1 Comment »

view of God

view of humanity

view of response to Christ

view of Christ

me-centered

  • Savior from failures, sins and hell.
  • He exists for our benefit.
  • His death was more important than his righteous, law-fulfilling life.
  • Emphasizes his priestly role – Savior.
  • Conclusion: An attitude of submission to Christ’s lordship is optional for salvation.

God-centered

  • Savior from sins, sinful nature, and hell.
  • He exists to gather a kingdom and receive honor and glory.
  • His death and his life of fulfilling our obligation to God are equally important.
  • Emphasizes his priestly, kingly and prophetic roles.
  • Conclusion: An attitude of submission to Christ’s lordship is necessary for salvation.

are you more “me-centered” or “God-centered”?  what do you agree with?  disagree with?

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