Peace

"God has appointed this whole life to be all as a race or a battle; the state of rest, wherein we shall be so out of danger as to have no need of watching and fighting, is for another world."

--Jonathan Edwards

It's almost discouraging to think of my entire life as a race or battle, but the second part reminds me it's all worth it.

One day...one day, there will be no more watching or fighting. No more battles against the flesh.

One day there will be true...

Peace.

He Cares.

I don't know why I'm always amazed at God's timing, but I literally sat in amazement for a few minutes this morning when I saw today's daily reading. What an awesome reminder that He knows not only that I am anxious today, but He knows what I'm anxious about and He's reminding me that He's got it covered. No matter what the outcome is, He is in control.

I can't change it, but He can handle it. He cares.

I PETER 5:7

Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

You know what? God personally cares about the things that worry us. He cares more about them than we care about them: those things that hang in our minds as nagging, aching, worrisome thoughts. First Peter 5:7 invites you to cast "all your anxiety on Him, because He has a care for you." He cares. You are His personal concern. He cares about those aching thoughts that are like heavy anchors dragging you down.

--Charles Swindoll

Bedside Blessings

An Open Door

Now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near.

Ephesians 2:13

Nothing remains between you and God but an open door.

Something happened in the death of Christ that opened the door for you and me. And that something is described by the writer of Hebrews.

"So, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place without fear because of the blood of Jesus' death. We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus opened for us. It leads through the curtain—Christ's body" (Heb. 10:19-20).

To the original readers, those last four words were explosive: "the curtain—Christ's body."

According to the writer, the curtain equals Jesus. Hence, whatever happened to the flesh of Jesus happened to the curtain. What happened to his flesh? It was torn. Torn by the whips, torn by the thorns. Torn by the weight of the cross and the point of the nails. But in the horror of his torn flesh, we find the splendor of the open door.

He Chose the Nails

Max Lucado

Grace for the Moment, Volume II

This isn't 'Separate but Equal.' They're One.

I read this today and found it to be thought-provoking.

This Isn’t ‘Separate but Equal.’ They’re One.
by Pastor Mark Driscoll on Friday, August 27th, 2010 12:40 pm

There is one God and that this God exists as three persons – Father, Son, and Spirit – that are absolutely equal in every way, sharing all attributes and qualities. Scripture is clear here. And yet there is a difference of role and function between them: We see this in Genesis where God, the Father, speaks. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, the agent of creation. And the Holy Spirit hovers above the water, bringing order out of chaos, but the Holy Spirit is not birthed out of the womb of Mary. There is a difference between the Father, Son, and Spirit. And they have particular functions that they accomplish, but they are, in a very real sense, in every real sense, one. There is one God.

The Equality of Echad

And so, it is possible for there to be difference, yet equality and oneness, even though there are more than one persons. What is true – and God’s image is true in the image of the man and the woman – that as God is one, the man and the woman in marriage are supposed to echad, one, Genesis says. They are to be one as God is one.

Continue reading here.

2 in 1 day?!

Six months of absence, & now 2 posts in 1 day! ;) I just read this blog post by Rev. Voddie Baucham & thought it was too good not to share. It's talking about John Piper's announced leave of absence, & I think there are some excellent points to be considered.

10 Things I Hope We Learn from John Piper’s Leave of Absence

John Piper has taught me much over the years. I consider it an honor to count him as a friend, and I am deeply saddened by his recent announcement that he will be taking a leave of absence for the remainder of 2010. In explaining his leave of absence, he writes:

The difference between this leave and the sabbatical I took four years ago is that I wrote a book on that sabbatical (What Jesus Demands from the World). In 30 years, I have never let go of the passion for public productivity. In this leave, I intend to let go of all of it. No book-writing. No sermon preparation or preaching. No blogging. No Twitter. No articles. No reports. No papers. And no speaking engagements. There is one stateside exception—the weekend devoted to the Desiring God National Conference combined with the inaugural convocation of Bethlehem College and Seminary in October. Noël thought I should keep three international commitments. Our reasoning is that if she could go along, and if we plan it right, these could be very special times of refreshment together.

As I contemplated Dr. Piper’s words, I could not help but realize that even in what must be a devastating moment for him, he is still teaching those of us who are listening. Here are a few things I hope we all learn:

1.I hope we learn that no man is indispensable, and that that it is the Lord, and not man who can proclaim, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt 16:18).

To read the rest of Rev. Baucham's post, go here.