The Glory of Christ

 

Pondering and rejoicing in this truth today…

The Christian Gospel is about “the glory of Christ,” not about me. And when it is- in some measure- about me, it is not about my being made much of by God, but about God mercifully enabling me to enjoy making much of him forever.

-John Piper, “Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God”

31 Questions

While browsing my favorite blogs yesterday, I came upon this list of questions as posted by Sarah at Ampersand Photography.

I don’t do new years resolutions, but I do like the idea of reflecting on the year behind and on the year ahead and found these to be really helpful and encouraging.

Enjoy! And Happy 2012!

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Ten Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

In addition to these ten questions, here are twenty-one more to help you “Consider your ways.” Think on the entire list at one sitting, or answer one question each day for a month.

1. What’s the most important decision you need to make this year?
2. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what’s one way you could simplify in that area?
3. What’s the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?
4. What habit would you most like to establish this year?
5. Who do you most want to encourage this year?
6. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?
7. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year?
8. What’s one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year?
9. What’s one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?
10. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year?
11. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year?
12. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?
13. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year?
14. What’s the most important trip you want to take this year?
15. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?
16. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?
17. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year?
18. What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?
19. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it?
20. What’s the most important new item you want to buy this year?
21. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?

Written by Donald S. Whitney

when He takes you by surprise…

…simply rejoice.

it makes Him smile.

America’s Lost Culture

A few days ago, I was listening to a speech, and the speaker said something that caught my attention- “People around the world think that Americans don’t have a culture.”

Hmmm…

think about that.

We don’t have a culture?

I would disagree on one hand, because we do have a culture- people see hamburgers, they think ‘United States’. People see/hear a President, they think ‘United States’. People hear “all men are created equal” and they say- “Yep- that’s the United States.’

We have stories- legends- but they are few and far between.

But on the other hand, I have to agree with this speaker. The United States has lost its culture.

What once was a nation founded on the truths of God’s Word is now a nation that could care less what God thinks- as long as it seems or feels good, it’s alright.

Our foundations- the start of our nation- was what set us apart from the others in the world. we were those stubborn 13 colonies who wanted to be free of Britain. There was a war, and by God’s grace, we won. A nation was formed under His name- a nation that said “all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” A nation whose pledge stated that we would remain “under God”.

When our nation threatened to split itself in half over the cruelty of slavery, God showed his hand again and we were made the United States once more.

But as the 20th century slipped by, our nation shifted. We don’t care as much about what God desires for us- we only care about our desires. We don’t share stories of grandfathers, history, of family traditions. We simply follow the crowd and let valuable lessons slip by.

We, as a nation who calls itself Christian, has lost its Christ-likeness. The very word “christian” means “little Christ”. We are to be made more like Christ- but our nation has fallen away from that.

Yes, our nation has lost its culture- but we, as true believers and followers of Christ, have a culture that will withstand all shifting of other cultures and nations.

Though the nations may fall off of maps and disappear, as followers of Christ we can know that our nation- the body of Christ around the globe, and above the globe- will never disappear- for Christ is our unshifting foundation- our cornerstone that holds us to Him.

Autumn Blaze

I wake up early this morning, stumbling out of my loft to close the window.
Wind advisories are a big deal when you live out here.
It doesn’t merely mean a little breeze, but gale force winds that rip across cornfields and bounce off of house, tear through trees and send vertical rain horizontal until it comes in under the front door.
Thankfully, there was no rain with this wind, just the swishing of amber leaves waving and praising the Creator, who is worthy to be praised.
The sun creeps out and then blazes, full glory, onto the bright colors of fall come in fast. And me, my hair still dripping from the morning shower, I whip out that purple scarf and run to the basement.
That purple scarf that grandparents who know me so well smiled when I picked it up at Penney’s and said, “You want that one?” And I smiled and nodded, stretching my box to include a purple scarf with tassles and sparkles and different hues of purple.
On my way down to the basement, I slide on mom’s clogs, the ones that my heels hang off of now, the ones I usually wear out and Mom comes out, stocking footed and asking where in the world are those clogs? And I smile because she knows it’s me.
I dig around until the camera turns up, and I grab that smiley dog of mine and we go out into the gale.
The wind takes my long, now tangled hair and whips it in circles. I see that the little Autumn Blaze maple is living up to it’s name- all ablaze with the wonders of fall and pointing strait up to the Creator.
The pond is clear now, the wind blowing all the green muck away, blowing away the stink and mire, leaving the surface clean and clear, brilliantly blue.
I snap pictures and tyr to capture the moments of fall blowing in, but the wind, it moves the trees and the water and the leaves so that all I see is a blur of glorious red and blue.
After a while I end up back in that tall house, climbing the first of 31 stairs, and I hear mom call down as the phone chirps, “Let it ring!”
And it echoes from sister to sister, “Let it ring!”
Yes- let the glory of the Lord ring from the mountains and valleys and let it ring in the rustling leaves and on the waters. For good and great is the Lord- he who made it all now calls it all to praise, and it echoes across this farmfield, and I hear.

Oh Happiness!

Rejoicing, celebrating and living in the truth that YES!

There is grace enough for us! For you!

“For My grace is sufficient for you…”

for our God, oh how good he is!

Remembering the great grace the Lord gave that one day on Calvary’s cross,

and the great grace he gives, he grants each day to us waiting and hoping for grace.

 

(also for you… a great video by the Skit Guys on grace… and aren’t we all just like Peter?)

(and an Oh Happiness! song that makes me laugh each time I hear it… because there truly is grace enough for all of us!)