Impossible...

"He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us" ( 2 Cor 5:21 )

I am absolutely certain that it's impossible for sinful men to understand the awesome sacrifice, limitless grace and incomprehensible love and humility it took to make these 12 spectacularly  beautiful words a reality - but it will be a source of eternal joy for me to forever try.

What is the Bible?

I was asked to write a paragraph based on this question: What is the Bible?  This came out instead.

The Bible is
The unparalleled 
The infallible
The unfailing
and eternal word of God


The Bible is a lamp for my feet
A guide to my path
A sure anchor for my soul
A comfort in times of trouble
and a rebuke in times of selfishness

Through the Bible God
Speaks to me
Teaches me
Tells me he loves me
and shows me what love really is

In the Bible I see
My sinfulness
And His holiness
My shame
and His Glory

But the Bible tells me that
Despite my unworthiness
Christ died for me
Christ was raised for me
and Christ will come again for me

God used the Bible to
To convict me 
To humble me
To bring me low
So that He may raise me up

Now I use the Bible
To feed on
To gain strength from
Until I am called to be with Him
Or He returns to be with us

Father when I wander

Father when I wander
Make that land a barren desert
Provide me with no relief



Let the sun scorch me,
May the thirst crush me,
Allow me to feed only on sand

For it is when my feet are burned
And I can no longer walk

And my tongue has dried,
And I can no longer speak

That my heart will cry out to You,
My God my Savior my King

Drinking Deeply

Last year I memorized these verses From Psalm 74:

  Whom have I in heaven but you?
  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
  My flesh and my heart may fail,
  but God is the strength of my heart
  and my portion forever.

Oh how I long for these verses to be as firmly planted and deeply rooted in my heart as they are in my mind.  This is the lens through which I want to view everything,  whether it be my pain or my pleasures, my joys or my struggles, my gains or my losses.  There is nothing that I posses that is not ash in my hands nor any desire that is not ultimately and completely satisfied in Him.

 ²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
       I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
       I will tell of all your deeds.

Just Passing Through

From  J.C. Ryle

“A holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness. He will endeavor to set his affections entirely on the things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand. He will not neglect the business of this life now; but the first place in his mind and thoughts will be given to the life to come. He will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven, and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim traveling to his home.

A Quote that Bugs Me

Over the last couple of weeks a quote from St. Francis of Assisi has come up time and time again:

"Preach the gospel, and if necessary use words."

Putting aside the fact that there is no real evidence that St. Francis ever actually spoke these words that were attributed to him by others long after his death, and putting aside the fact that he was a constantly preaching, and putting aside the fact that he was not shy when it came to speaking of sin, the need for repentance and faith I ask this question:  Is this advice biblical, or does it merely tickle the narcissistic ear?



Romans 10:14 tell us of our need to speak to the lost::   "How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

Are we to believe that the answer to this rhetorical question from Paul would be:   "Well Paul, people are going to observe my goodness,  and when they do they will repent and trust Jesus because they observed my goodness.  Did I mention that people saw my goodness?"

So many of us struggle finding the courage to open our mouths with the lost about their desperate need for a Savior, but are we really helped by this quote?  Are we encouraged to be bold witnesses for Christ by this quote? Or is it possible that the use of this quote could actually undermine a verse like Romans 10:14 by giving the impression that "speaking" about the things of God is of secondary importance. To borrow a line from Ray Comfort we would never say "feed the starving, and when necessary use food.’
Should people see Christ in us? Absolutely!  But that in no way relieves us of our obligation to open our mouths saying,  "if Christ can save a pitiful worm like me, He can save you too."

My Daughters Baptism

Praising God today for the blessing of participating in my twelve year old daughter Katie's baptism. I praise God for the countless Christians in our lives, in her school, and in our church who have been so faithful to God and His word in teaching her, praying for her, challenging her and loving her.  May God bless you all.

Happy Reformation Day

Today marks the traditional anniversary of the start of the reformation, when Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

"I cannot choose but adhere to the word of God, which has possession of my conscience; nor can I possibly, nor will I even make any recantation, since it is neither safe nor honest to act contrary to conscience! Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God! Amen."  Martin Luther

What Did I Do?

What did I do with my salvation today?

Did I rejoice in it, did I rest in it, did I delight in it?

Did I walk in it, did I talk in it, did I share it?

Did I overcome because of it, did I show love because of it, did I grow because of it?

Did I use it to free me, did I use it to shield me, did I use it to guide me?

Was I thankful for it, was I grateful for it, was I comforted by it?


Did I remember the Grace that was shown me, the Mercy that was given me, the price that was paid?

Or did it even cross my mind?

Yahoo Headline:

"The human body emits a visible light in very small quantities, researchers say. "

I can already hear the sermon illustrations!!