J.C. Ryle's Holiness

In recent weeks I have become somewhat of an avid blog reader. I was given a list of good blogs by Jamie, and I have thoroughly enjoyed this new practice. One of the blogs I frequent most is by a man named Tim Challies. Soon after I started reading his blog regularly, Mr. Challies proposed to his readers that they endeavor to read a classical work together. After much positive response, it was decided that they would read through J.C. Ryle's classic book on personal holiness titled Holiness. I have committed to reading this book, along with many other of Challies' blog readers, and we have just finished the introduction. I am looking forward to reading this work, praying that it will be of much benefit to the church as a whole, bringing deeper personal holiness to those of us reading it. I think it will be a good endeavor and I pray God will be glorified. For more information on how you can get involved in reading this book along with us, go to Reading the Classics Together and follow the links within the article. There's still time to join in and I hope you will consider so doing and that it may be great benefit to our sanctification!

The Disgust of Sin

My mom's boss, whom I've known my whole life, died this morning after battling severe cancer for close to a year. I have so many thoughts concerning this man's life, most of them bring me sadness and a bit of righteous anger. He was not a follower of Christ, therefore I know where his soul resides this very hour, and this thought is, I think, the saddest of the lot. I know God's justice and I would not presume to feel in any way as if God is in the wrong in this matter, He is the Sovereign of the universe and does what He pleases and I accept His will for this man, though it breaks my heart. Second, the cancer that he battled was some of the worst of which I've personally heard. He didn't find out about the cancer until it had already spread to his bones, which bode fatal from the beginning. He went through all the routine cancer treatments, chemotherapy, radiation, etc. with no improvement, but an actual worsening as some of the treatments were too strong for him to take. The tumors did not enlarge, but he lost 50 lbs and was sick and in the hospital regularly. Finally the inevitable happened and he contracted pneumonia last week. At first, the doctors tried to treat it with antibiotics, but with no success. That's when the doctors told his family that he had, at most, a week to live. The cancer was now 'everywhere' and he was beginning to lapse in and out of consciousness. The family moved him to a hospice and he died today, 4 days later. Third and last, I think of the death he died. When mom called me today to tell me that he had died, we talked a bit about his last few days. They sounded so horrible: lungs slowly filling with fluid, him having a harder and harder time breathing, gasping for breath, longer periods of unconsciousness, him telling his family he was dying (what would it feel like to know this inherently), not being able to recognize people as much, etc. All of these things make me think that he truly did feel the sting of death. Sure we may all die a death such as this man and I do not presume to know what death will be like, but this man was still in his sins, he had no hope and was 'without God in the world.' There was no trust for Christ in his heart and I think there must be quite a sting in a death like that.

So why do I call this post 'the disgust of sin'? Well, all these thoughts, along with a host of personal sins that I have been dealing with as of late, make me hate sin all the more. Originally, it was, in God's providence, because of the fall of Adam that these things of death, sin, pain, and disease came into the world and still survive today. Knowing a life like the life of this man I've just told you about makes me grieve that he was not a believer when he died, but it also causes anger in me toward sin and death. I only pray that my hatred for sin in this situation would fuel more hatred for my own sin and cause me to treasure Christ more than my sin. O God, I pray you would be glorified through this man's death and many people would be brought to repentance and faith in Christ through it, for your glory. Amen.

long time no post...

Hey, avid blog readers (all 5 of you!), sorry I haven't posted in a while. I was coming into a bit of writer's block last week and then I got sick this week. But, I think I'm about to kick this virus so hopefully I will return to the blogging world soon. Hope all of you are well...

Matthew 25

In light of reading Stop Dating the Church I have resolved, by God's grace, to be much more attentive during the sermons and try to apply what I am learning throughout the week. Last night, Don preached from Matthew 25:31ff. Basically, Jesus is teaching here what the final judgment will be like with a separation of sheep (believers) from goats (unbelievers). Jesus explains that what the sheep and goats did in life were very different and serves to reveal to which group each belongs. Don explained several things last night that were very instructive to me, but a few of them stand out in particular as especially memorable. First, Don explained that the sheep are doing these 'works' because they are sheep, they are not sheep because they are doing the 'works'. This may sound a little confusing, but it's very true. God sheds his mercy on undeserving sinners, makes them believers, and they begin to do good works as a result of the mercy they've been shown by Christ in salvation. That statement leads me right into the other comment I want to make about the sermon. I was struck and convicted last night, hearing Don talk about this mercy-evoking grace, at how often I have heard Don and my pastor, Ryan Fullerton, talk of 'mercy ministry' flowing out of the abundant mercy we've been shown in salvation, but how little of the time I am able to focus on this truth when serving. I pray I will be able to remember and apply these truths to my life and so glorify God in my service to Him.

Ah, the wonderful world of books

I have been on quite a reading rampage lately, which for me is a bit unusual. It is not unusual for me to be reading a lot, but to actually complete a book, let alone three as I have this week, is pretty strange. I could probably be called the queen of starting books but not finishing them so I am thankful that I have been given more diligence as of late to persevere and finish a few books. As I posted the other day I recently finished Found: God's Will by MacArthur, but I also finished reading 50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper over the weekend. I won't go into detail on my blog about this book, but it was very Christ-centered and a very good reminder of the gospel and many of the reasons for and things accomplished by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The book is broken down into 50 short chapters, so it's perfect to read along with daily Bible reading, as you can read 1 per day or more if you like. I hope you will read this one as well and reap great benefit for your souls!

The book I want to focus now, however, is a book I just finished last night by Joshua Harris: Stop Dating the Church. This is a really good little book about being committed to local church membership and loving it. Some of what's contained in this book was review for me, as I, by God's grace, have been an active member at my church for 2+ years, but it is very helpful information nonetheless. The section of this book I most enjoyed was Chapter 6 entitled "Rescuing Sunday." In this chapter, Harris provides a lot of good, practical, and convicting advise on what we can to do reclaim a cherishing of the Lord's Day. His advice is not a legalistic list of do's and dont's, but rather a good lesson in what I'll call the fear of the Lord and how this should affect our actions before, during, and after every Sunday meeting. One quote that especially humbled me was from a fellow pastor of Harris' named Jeff Purswell, and he states: "When God's Word is being preached...God Himself is addressing you through His Word" (111). What a thought! How much should the truth of that statement affect our preparation before and listening during each church service! Harris talks about how the importance of Sunday should affect what we do Saturday night, that we should spend time preparing our hearts and minds to receive God's Word and prepare our bodies by getting plenty of sleep. Oh Lord, please grow me in these areas and allow me to apply what I have learned from this book and so cherish the Lord's Day all the more! These few reflections are just a sampling of the treasures I mined from this book and I hope they will motivate you to read it and may the Lord bless you with growth in the knowledge of Him!

Found: God's Will

On Saturday I finished reading a little booklet by John MacArthur, Jr. entitled Found: God's Will. I have read this book more than once and I have found that upon each reading I am encouraged and reminded of some good biblical principles concerning God's will. MacArthur seeks to answer a question that so many Christians ask: "What is God's will for my life and how do I find it?" Without going into too much detail (because I hope you will read it yourself), he basically says that God's will for each of us is to be "saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and suffering" (54). Each of these principles is explained further in the book, but suffice it to say here that MacArthur's confidence in putting these forward as God's sure will for a person is that they are each found clearly in Scripture. He also explains that we can not expect God to reveal any further will for our lives to us until we are first committed to obeying the principles which have been clearly laid out for us in His Word. I'll end my discussion of this book with one quote which I think encompasses MacArthur's overall perspective on this topic: "[T]he will of God is not primarily a place. The will of God is not, first of all, for you to go there or work here. The will of God concerns you as a person. If you are the right you, you can follow your desires and you will fulfill His will" (60). I hope you will read and enjoy this book as much as I have and may it bless you and point you to Christ!

Faithfulness

Well, I haven't written in a while because I've been so busy around here. I wrote last time about being overwhelmed at the prospect of being here directing volunteers with everyone else gone. I am very thankful to say today that the Lord was very gracious to answer my anxious pleas for wisdom and mercy to do a good job this past week. It went so much better than I could have ever expected and I am so grateful and thankful to the Lord. Jamie came back last night and we had a fun time talking and eating dinner together. It's good to have her back, but I am glad what the Lord brought me through this past week. To Him be the glory, Amen.

Departing with friends...

Last Saturday two people from my home church in Louisville, Immanuel, came up to work for the week. Mike, Lisa, Doug, and I worked with an electrician and a builder from Massachusetts, Rob and Bob, on many different projects this week. I think the most fun I had this week was helping Rob wire a house from the start with my friends from back home. It was so good to see friends from Immanuel and hang out and work alongside them. Today, however, I had to say good-bye to them as they all head back to Kentucky. It is so interesting how even mere acquaintances can become such dear friends after being together down here for a few days, let alone a whole summer. I began to cry a bit as they were heading out and I'm not even really sure why. In part, it will be lonelier here with Lisa, Mike, and Doug gone. Also, the idea that they are heading back to Louisville appeals to me as well, as I miss my church family there greatly. Lastly I think, it is overwhelming for me to think about directing teams here with Jamie and Doug gone. Jamie left on Tuesday to visit some friends in Florida for a week, so she will be back, but between now and the time she gets back about 150 people will come and go and it will be the first time I'll be without her here to guide me in giving them jobs. So, with all those things combined, I find myself writing this note with a lingering sense of sadness. I am confident, though, that the Lord is sovereign and He is completely in control of this situation and is using it for my sanctification and that it will be good, even though I know it will be hard. Good does not always mean easy, and, I've found, in the true Christian life it often doesn't mean easy. I pray the Lord would increase my trust in Him as my portion, my hope, and that He would be glorified for it.