Hail Lord Jesus Christ!

A Meditation on the Incarnation of Christ
by Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471)

Hail, Lord Jesus Christ, King of the holy angels,
Whom all the powers
of Heaven obey,
Whom the cherubim and seraphim
adore, praise, and bless for ever and ever.

Hail, Lord Jesus Christ,
True Messiah and Saint of Saints,
sent from the citadel of the Father into this world,
Whom all the holy ones from the beginning awaited,
Whom the Patriarchs
with great longing
desired to behold,
Whose coming the prophets
with divers heraldings
chanted.

Hail, Lord Jesus Christ,
Creator and Redeemer of the Human Race,
Whom the apostles and evangelists
preached to the world,
and taught to be the true Son of God
incarnate for us,
slain and risen from the dead;
and, resplendent with glorious signs and wonders,
they planted the holy Church throughout the world.

Hail, Lord Jesus Christ,
Most Mighty Warrior,
and Most Faithful Helper of the Saints,
Whom the noble martyrs,
despising the pleasures of this world,
despising also the sufferings of their own body,
have followed in the agony of the blessed Passion,
and, for the witness of faith,
with constancy have given themselves up to death.

Hail, Lord Jesus Christ,
Supreme Priest and True Pontiff,
and Eternal Shepherd,
Whom priests and Levites, doctors and confessors
have glorified by their life, knowledge and virtues,
Whom monks and hermits,
going through a hard and straitened life,
have loved with whole-souled devotedness.

Hail, Lord Jesus Christ,
Spouse of virgins,
Comfort of Widows,
Hope of Orphans,
Refuge of the Destitute,
Relief of the Sorrowful,
Eternal Salvation of Believers,
and Most Wide Gate to all them that come to Thee,
Whom,
with a special beauty of chastity,
an innumerable band of virgins follow,
bearing the spotless halo of their integrity.

Hail, Lord Jesus Christ,
Light of the World, Fount of Life,
Paradise of the Soul,
Joy of the Heart,
Giver of Grace,
Restorer of Innocence,
in Whom are hidden
all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God,
Whom to know is to live,
Whom to serve is to reign,
Whom once to have seen is to have learnt all things,
on Whom the angels long to gaze,
and are sated gazing with ever fresh desire.

To Thee be praise,
to Thee glory,
to Thee giving of thanks,
with the Father and the Holy Ghost
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Our Glorious Shout of Triumph - Justification by Faith

"Just, and the justifier of him which believeth."—Romans 3:26.

BEING justified by faith, we have peace with God. Conscience accuses no longer. Judgment now decides for the sinner instead of against him. Memory looks back upon past sins, with deep sorrow for the sin, but yet with no dread of any penalty to come; for Christ has paid the debt of His people to the last jot and tittle, and received the divine receipt; and unless God can be so unjust as to demand double payment for one debt, no soul for whom Jesus died as a substitute can ever be cast into hell. It seems to be one of the very principles of our enlightened nature to believe that God is just; we feel that it must be so, and this gives us our terror at first; but is it not marvellous that this very same belief that God is just, becomes afterwards the pillar of our confidence and peace! If God be just, I, a sinner, alone and without a substitute, must be punished; but Jesus stands in my stead and is punished for me; and now, if God be just, I, a sinner, standing in Christ, can never be punished. God must change His nature before one soul, for whom Jesus was a substitute, can ever by any possibility suffer the lash of the law. Therefore, Jesus having taken the place of the believer—having rendered a full equivalent to divine wrath for all that His people ought to have suffered as the result of sin, the believer can shout with glorious triumph, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" Not God, for He hath justified; not Christ, for He hath died, "yea rather hath risen again." My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, He is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen.

Meditation for This Morning by C. H. Spurgeon

'via Blog this'

Have You Read the Most Revolutionary "Preface" Ever Written?

I consider Luther's preface the most revolutionary "preface" ever written in the history of Christianity. It was a refreshing and thrilling joy to read again. I encourage you to read it: Martin Luther’s Preface to His Commentary on Galatians

'via Blog this'

Beware! Prosperity Gospel 101

This past Sunday, I spoke from Gal. 1:6-12 on the nature and danger of adjusted Gospels. I named a few of the current popular Prosperity Gospel teachers like TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, and Joel Osteen. I did not name them in order to "bash" them or those who follow them. My genuine concern was to point out that what they are teaching is not the biblical Gospel "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3). False teaching is dangerous and it is the responsibility of the shepherd to point out what it is and where it is coming from to the church (Matt. 7:15; cp. Act 20:28-30; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1). I had requests from a few folks after the service who shared the same concern and asked for more information. Watch the video I have posted here. John Piper does a great job explaining why this is dangerous teaching. Below are a few articles I would absolutely recommend in order to get a better understanding on what Prosperity Gospel is and what these teachers are teaching:

·         The Prosperity Gospel: Can We Have Whatever We Say?

·         The Teachings of Joyce Meyer - Christian Research Institute

·         Doesn't God Want Us to be Happy?

·         Suffering and a Theology of Glory

·         What Ever Happened to Sin?

·         The False Promise of the Prosperity Gospel: Why I Called Out Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer

Where is the Gospel in the Scripture?

Looking to find "the Gospel" in the Scripture? The following may help:

A.     Look at the Word “Gospel”

1.       The euangellion of the Greek world was “a technical term for ‘news of victory’. The messenger appears, raises his right hand in greeting and calls out with a loud voice: “Caire… nikwmen”. By his appearance it is already known that he brings good news. His face shines, his spear is decked with laurel, his head is crowned, he swings a branch of palms, joy fills the city.”

2.       Noun: used 73x in the Greek NT (cf. Gal. 1:7); in every instance the meaning refers to the finished work of Christ in redemption.

3.       Verb: used 54x in the Greek NT (cf. Gal. 1:8); always in the sense of bringing or proclaiming good news

B.      Look in a Verse ("Nutshell" Form)

1.       In a chapter: 1 Cor. 15

2.       In a verse: in similar fashion to Gal. 1:4-5, it is in “nutshell” form throughout both the Old and New Testaments:

a)      Isa. 53: 5: He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

b)      1 John 4: 10: This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

C.      Look in a Book (like Romans)

1.       As a whole: Paul’s presentation of a systematic theology of the Gospel.

2.       Divisions: chapters 1-5 gospel salvation; 6-8 gospel sanctification; 9-11 gospel-implications for Jews and Greeks; 12-16 gospel-reality in community and in the world

D.     Look in All of Scripture!

1.       The Heart of the Bible: Dave Harvey: “The Gospel is the heart of the Bible. Everything in Scripture is either preparation for the Gospel, presentation of the Gospel, or participation in the Gospel.”

2.       The Purpose of Scripture: Mike Bullmore: “While Scripture itself is not the gospel, all Scripture is related to the gospel, and the gospel is Scripture’s reason for being. The gospel is the Bible’s main and unifying message.” (see Rom. 15:4; cp. 1 Pet. 1:10-12; Gal. 3:21-26)

What happens when we move the Gospel from the center?

What happens when we move the Gospel from the center? In 1996, D.A. Carson authored an insightful chapter entitled "The Biblical Gospel" in the book For Such a Time as This: Perspectives on
Evangelicalism, Past, Present and Future. I encourage you to read the chapter here! In the chapter, he explains what the Gospel is and what threatens our championing of it in our day. He explains what happens when we fall prey to "displacing the primacy of the gospel":

A litany of devices designed to make us more spiritual or mature or productive or emotionally whole threatens to relegate the gospel to irrelevance, or at least to the realm of the boring and the primitive. The gospel may introduce you to the church, as it were, but from that point on assorted counseling techniques and therapy sessions will change your life and make you happy and fruitful. The gospel may help you make some sort of decision for God, but ‘rebirthing’ techniques—in which in silent meditation you imagine Jesus catching you as you are born from your mother’s womb, imagine him hugging you and holding you—will generate a wonderful cathartic experience that will make you feel whole again, especially if you have been abused in the past. The gospel may enable you to be right with God, but if you really want to pursue
spirituality you must find a spiritual director, or practise asceticism, or discipline yourself with journalling, or spend two weeks in silence in a Trappist monastery...

This is a time for Christians to return to the basics, the comprehensive basics, and quietly affirm with Paul, ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel [p. 85] because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith”’ (Romans 1:16–17).

-- D. A. Carson. “The Biblical Gospel.” Pages 84-85 in For Such a Time as This: Perspectives on
Evangelicalism, Past, Present and Future. Edited by Steve Brady and Harold Rowdon.
London: Evangelical Alliance, 1996.

Why must Christians be continually educated in the Gospel? Part 3

Today I conclude my series of posts from Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way by J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett with Part 3, letters Q-Z [read Part 1 and Part 2]:

Q— Quickening Though by nature we were dead in our trespasses and sins and were objects of God’s wrath, God quickened us— made us alive with Christ— through his love and grace (Eph. 2: 1– 5). This God did, and still does, as we believe the Gospel, putting our faith in Jesus Christ. Lutheran theology especially emphasizes the notion that the Gospel is God’s quickening word, spoken to us in infinite mercy. We need to hear this word continually for our own sakes and to speak it faithfully to others.
R— Righteousness In the Gospel “a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last” (Rom. 1: 17). Paul’s argument in the letter to the Romans is deep and complex, but we submit that the Gospel reveals God’s righteousness in at least these two ways. First, it is a declaration that God himself is just and righteous, for the Gospel teaches that in Christ our sins have been fully propitiated as a basis for his forgiving of us (Rom. 3: 24– 26; 1 John 1: 9; 2: 2). Then, second, through the Gospel God declares us righteous as we put our faith in Christ Jesus. Thus in the Gospel God demonstrates “his own justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3: 26). It is truly vital beyond words that we faithfully preach and teach this Gospel.
S— Salvation Intricately related to the above is the whole wonder of salvation. Scripture is quite clear that the Gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom. 1: 16). As we have already noted, this is not a truth pertaining only to evangelism. The Gospel saves those who believe, from first to last, through and through. It includes all the wondrous doctrines of our great salvation, including election, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification, and much more. For this reason alone, the Gospel must remain central in all the ministries of the church.
T— Theology We saw above that both our doctrines and our manner of living must be in alignment with the Gospel. While errant theological thinking on a variety of issues can lead us to a twisted Gospel it is more to the present point to state that an errant Gospel can unleash a host of heresies. It is worth noting that Satan is a competent theologian with great skill in confusing and misleading with regard to God’s truth. We will explore this all further in the next chapter.
U— Unity A clear Gospel focus in our preaching and teaching has the potential to contribute to the unity of the church. In the latter half of the twentieth century one frequently seen example of this was the evangelistic campaigns of Billy Graham, which typically featured the cooperation of a great diversity of congregations and denominations. At the beginning of this century new movements are afoot for the sake of the Gospel that aim to be both evangelical and ecumenical. We never seem to achieve perfect consensus here because we need to constantly wrestle with variant details of conviction and, of course, with all kinds of intellectual spin-offs of our fallenness. But magnifying the Gospel as our central point of reference can help us keep a variety of lesser concerns in proper perspective (Phil. 1: 18).
V— Vision Keeping our minds focused on the Gospel can help us align our hearts to God’s own heart. We so easily fall into pettiness and needless division when we are not prizing the things God prizes. Jesus endured the cross and its shame because of the joy set before him (Heb. 12: 2), a joy which we take to refer to the fact that through suffering and death he would bring many children to glory (Heb. 2: 10– 18). Paul likewise endured all manner of things for the sake of the Gospel and in the furtherance of its saving ministry (1 Cor. 9: 23; Phil. 1: 12– 13; 2 Tim. 1: 11– 12). A clear vision of the goal imparts great fortitude in struggling toward it and great forbearance in the face of distractions from it.
W— Worship We must continually teach and learn the Gospel because there is simply nothing else that evokes worship and adoration as the Gospel does. A quick survey of the hymnody of the church through the past twenty centuries makes this clear. The best hymns— ancient and contemporary— which have shown themselves to have staying power have always been Gospel-obsessed. God is glorified, Christ is exalted, and the cross and Christ’s atoning work are central. The same is true of the other key elements of Christian worship— our preaching, our confessions, our prayers, our sacraments. Take away the Gospel and Christian worship simply ceases. A sampling from the thousands of Gospel-centered hymns of the church will make the point:

Not the labor of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling;

Further comment, we think, is needless. The Gospel as sung in hymns like this moves us endlessly to wonder and adore.

X— Xenophilia The actual Greek word we have in mind here is philoxenia, which literally means “love of strangers, foreigners, aliens.” Our coinage, if such it be, means exactly the same. 33 In our English New Testaments, philoxenia is rendered as “hospitality” (Rom. 12: 13; 1 Peter 4: 9) and “to show hospitality to strangers” (Heb. 13: 2). Such love of strangers is a required attribute of church leaders (1 Tim. 3: 2). In the final judgment Jesus will either commend or condemn based upon whether or not people have welcomed “the least of these” (and thus welcomed Christ himself; Matt. 25: 35, 43). Jesus is the great model for philoxenia, as is indicated in the Gospel narratives as well as in the whole wonder of his incarnation and passion. Indeed, we were not merely strangers to him; we were God’s enemies when he died for us (Rom. 5: 8). In declaring such love, the Gospel also calls us to imitate it (1 John 4: 10– 11).

Y— Yielding The Gospel must be continually set forth before church members because it is in view of God’s mercy that we are provoked to yield our lives fully to God as living sacrifices (Rom. 6: 13; 12: 1). It is the kindness of God displayed in the Gospel that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2: 4) so that we no longer live for ourselves but for him who died for us and was raised again (2 Cor. 5: 15).

Z— Zeal May God stir both our own hearts and the hearts of those we are called to serve with an authentic zeal for the Gospel, and for the Christ of the Gospel. We have seen how fully this marked Paul’s life. We could certainly say the same of Jesus, whose first public words were a call to repent and believe the Gospel (Mark 1: 15) and whose entire ministry was Gospel. All that Jesus said and did and was, in life and in death, was a display of God’s Good News for humanity. In all the ways we have addressed throughout this chapter and more, may we and our readers never be lacking in zeal but keep our spiritual fervor as we serve the Lord (Rom. 12: 11) in and through this glorious Gospel, the Good News of Christ.

Why must Christians be continually educated in the Gospel? Part 2

I continue my series of posts from Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way by J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett with Part 2, letters I-P [read Part 1]:

I— Intimacy Through the Gospel we are invited into a living relationship with the living God. In the love proclaimed at the heart of the Gospel God has adopted us into his family. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are” (1 John 3: 1). The Holy Spirit empowers us to believe the Good News and is sent into our hearts, enabling us to cry, “Abba, Father” (Gal. 4: 6). Rehearsing the Gospel in our worship, teaching, preaching, fellowship, and service helps us to nurture and celebrate this unfathomably intimate relationship.
J— Jealousy We learn and teach the Gospel because we are called to be jealous for those we serve. The apostle Paul declared to the Corinthian believers, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Cor. 11: 2). If we think jealousy is unbecoming in the apostle, we should remember that God himself is a jealous God (Exod. 20: 5). True love that is covenant based is properly jealous concerning the parties in that covenant. We must keep the true Gospel before the eyes of those whom we teach and serve so that they will avoid what Paul feared for the Corinthians— that is, that they should “be deceived by the serpent’s cunning” and “somehow be led astray from [a] sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11: 3). Deeper acquaintance with the true Gospel will help believers recognize and reject the preaching of “another Jesus” and “a different Gospel” (2 Cor. 11: 4).
K— Knowledge We continually learn the Gospel, even as believers, because the Gospel is the revelation of the knowledge and wisdom of God. Though the message of Christ crucified seems foolish to many in this age, “to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1: 23– 24). The Gospel is “a message of wisdom among the mature” (1 Cor. 2: 6), a message that is “God’s secret wisdom” that has been hidden for ages (1 Cor. 2: 7). But “God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (1 Cor. 2: 10). “‘ Who has known the mind of the Lord that he would instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2: 16). Would we grow in the knowledge of God’s wisdom? Would we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Then let us remain steadfast in the Gospel.
L— Love The Gospel is the revelation of God’s abounding love: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5: 8). We do well to immerse ourselves and the saints we serve in that Good News. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, for example, is an ongoing, multisensory reminder of Christ crucified (1 Cor. 11: 26). God’s Gospel love also calls forth love as response. The Lord’s Supper both declares God’s love and demands that we love one another in turn (1 Cor. 11: 27). John, “the beloved apostle,” makes these truths very clear. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4: 10– 11). And again he writes, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4: 19). Would we see love grow in the hearts of God’s people and reach to their neighbors— both saints and sinners? Then we must school them continuously in the Gospel of love.
M— Mission And why must we continually learn and teach the Gospel? We do so that we may not lose sight of the great work that God is doing in our day. God is actively engaged in the wondrous work of reconciling all things to himself. It was for this that the Son of God came forth. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5: 19). And this work continues in and through us, the body of Christ, gathered and dispersed throughout the world today. The very work for which the Father sent the Son, the Son has now sent his church to continue (Matt. 28: 18– 20; John 20: 21). And he promises to be with us always. Being in his presence must be taken as seriously as doing the work of true mission, for mission can only have power and a cutting edge when Christ is indwelling us and we him.
N— Narrative We must ever study the Gospel because it is the apex and summary of the great narrative of God’s redemptive activity in the world. As we saw in chapter 4, it is into this Story that we have been called. In an age when many deny the existence of a single metanarrative that applies to all persons it is more critical than ever that we know the biblical narrative and tell it faithfully to others, asking God to convince hearers as we do so that this is their Story as well.
O— Obedience The Gospel calls forth obedience (Rom. 1: 5) in at least three ways. First, we must obey the Gospel by believing and receiving this Good News (John 6: 29). Second, the faith that saves works itself out in obedient living by God’s empowering grace (Phil. 2: 12– 13). Third, we are to obey Jesus’s command to bring this Gospel to the nations (Matt. 28: 18– 20). In our ministries of teaching and formation these calls to obey the Gospel must be clear and unequivocal.
P— Passion Passion comes from the Latin passio, meaning “suffering.” We celebrate each year the passion of our Lord when we attend to the historic remembrance of Holy Week. Likewise, whenever we partake of the Lord’s Supper together we “proclaim the Lord’s death till he comes.” It is given to us not only to believe in Christ the Suffering Servant but also to suffer for him ourselves (Phil. 1: 29). Paul saw his own suffering for the Gospel and for the building up of the church as an active participation in the afflictions of Christ (Col. 1: 24; Phil. 3: 10– 11). We must be forthright in teaching our congregants, by word and by example, that this is part of our calling as well.

Why must Christians continually be educated in the Gospel?, Part 1

Luther wrote that the Gospel:

"is also the principal article of all Christian doctrine, wherein the knowledge of all godliness consisteth. Most necessary it is, therefore, that we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually." - St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians (Smith, English & Co. 1860), p. 206.

But why do we need it "beat into" our heads continually? I came across this list in Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way by J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett. They wanted to answer the question of why Christians need to be continually educated in the Gospel. They expressed their answer in a very creative and helpful way. For us as Christians, the Gospel isthe entire alphabet of the Christian life, the A to Z, rather than just the ABC's of the Christian life. Here is Part 1, or letters A-H:

A— Alignment We must continually teach and learn the Gospel because it is to be the “plumb line” for our doctrine and our living. We are to measure all our teaching to ensure that it is in line with— that is, conformed to— the glorious Gospel of God (1 Tim. 1: 11). If our teaching about God, humanity, sin, salvation, the church, last things, and whatever other doctrines we may teach do not accord with the Gospel then they must be rejected. Likewise, our way of living must conform to the sound doctrines that flow from the Gospel. If, like Peter and Barnabas, we begin to act in ways that are “not in keeping with the truth of the Gospel” (Gal. 2: 14), may God raise up for us a Paul-like brother or sister to confront us and correct us.
B— Belief We must continually teach and learn the Gospel because even Christians struggle to truly believe God’s Good News. The message of the cross is both countercultural and counterintuitive. To the world it is foolishness and weakness. To our flesh it is simply too good to be true. And Satan, the devil— that accuser of the brethren— continually speaks a contradictory word to our hearts. He accuses us before God as surely as he accused Joshua the high priest (Zech. 3: 1). Hearing all this we, with full knowledge of our failings, struggle to believe the truth of the Gospel. To believe it at an appropriately deep level, with an appropriate appreciation of all that it presupposes and implies, is a lifelong task. We must hear it again and again and ask God to seal its truth in our hearts. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24).
C— Contextualization Paul was determined to “become all things to all people” for the sake of the Gospel (1 Cor. 9: 19– 23). He knew that the Gospel could and should take on different cultural forms in different cultural settings. Yet when we export the Gospel to others, we may be guilty of confusing it with our own cultural trappings. For example, we know that some missionaries have been guilty of imposing their Western cultural forms on those to whom they carried the Gospel. Though this error could be conscious and express cultural imperialism, it is more often unconscious and reflects a lack of discernment about which aspects of our own Christianity are truly Gospel-driven and transcultural, and which are culturally driven and therefore variable. To help us avoid such an error, it is critical that we continually study the heart of the Gospel so that we may better distinguish the treasure we bear from the jars of clay in which we bear it (2 Cor. 4: 7).
D— Depth As we noted earlier, we do not move from the milk of the Gospel to the meat of something else, but from the milk of the Gospel to the meat of the Gospel. Even Paul, concluding his exposition of the Gospel and preparing to move on to its implications for life, closes his argument in awe and wonder: “Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Rom. 11: 33). The wonder of how deep and powerful the Gospel is— especially as it works its way into believing hearts— is well articulated in this Puritan prayer:

BLESSED Lord JESUS,
No human mind could conceive or invent the Gospel.
Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message,
  lived out on earth through infinite compassion,
  applying thy life to insult, injury, death,
  that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.
Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,
Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way,
Praise to thee, O Holy Spirit,
  for applying this way to my heart.
Glorious Trinity, impress the Gospel on my soul,
  until its virtue diffuses through every faculty;
Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt. 

E— Evangelism The Gospel is food for believers. But it is also the only saving medicine for those who have not yet believed. And we are compelled by the love of Christ to declare this Good News to all people. St. Francis of Assisi told his friars not to preach unless they had permission to do so. But, he added, “Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.” Francis’s words have often been paraphrased along these lines: “Preach the Gospel always; use words when necessary.” The fact is that words are necessary, every time. We are always witnesses to the Gospel (Acts 1: 8) and, as witnesses, we shall be called upon to testify. When we are, we must be sure to get the message of the Gospel right for there are many counterfeit “Gospels” in the world.
F— Fidelity Faithfulness to the true Gospel calls for ongoing study and obedience. It calls as well for watchfulness, lest false Gospels be introduced. The battle against counterfeit Gospels has always been part of church life. Even in the first century Paul battled against such, as did Peter and Jude and John. Like Paul we must be resolved that we will tolerate no other “Gospel,” even if it comes from a heavenly angel or springs from our own imperfectly sanctified hearts, and we should expect the same fidelity from those with whom and to whom we minister (Gal. 1: 6– 9). Only a constant learning and reviewing of the Gospel can ensure that we will be astute enough to separate the chaff from the wheat.
G— Grace We need to continually learn and teach the Gospel because Gospel-centricity assures and propels us toward grace-centricity. When we swerve from the Gospel we lapse into either antinomianism30 or legalism. Neither can offer the true beauty or savor of Christ. To be in the presence of individuals or congregations who are not grace-centered is enervating and exasperating. Let us then learn and relearn the glorious Gospel that we may ever stand fast in the true grace of God (1 Peter 5: 12) and may indeed “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forevermore. Amen” (2 Peter 3: 18).
H— Hope We focus on the Gospel also because it is the source of our hope. In face of the brokenness that fills the world around us and rises up within our own hearts, what hope do we have? Apart from the Gospel we have none. But in the Gospel is a great and steadfast hope, and from this hope spring forth faith and love sufficient for each day (Col. 1: 5). Diminished “Gospels” may promote, on the one hand, easy believism or, on the other hand, may put the burden of salvation back on human shoulders rather than locating and leaving it in the hand of God. These deviations can offer no certain hope. The glorious Gospel is a blessed hope indeed (Titus 2: 13), an anchor for the soul (Heb. 6: 19). Christ in us is the hope of glory (Col. 1: 27). This is the hope held out in the Gospel (Col. 1: 23). With such a hope fixed within our hearts— based upon the certainty that God has made us his children and the confidence that we will be with Christ and like him forever— we long for and labor toward becoming more like him even now (1 John 3: 1– 3).

Twenty-One Life-Altering Reasons Why the Gospel Changes Everything [from Gal. 1:1-5]

Gal. 1:1 Paul, an apostle-- not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The following is a list gave in the opening sermon of a series through Galatians. The aim of this was to show that the Gospel-far wider and deeper than we often consider it is-is the central and most important of the Bible:

1. Paul, an apostle-- not from men nor through man but through Jesus The Gospel means that God has spoken. He has a message for us and has appointed messengers to deliver that message
2. Jesus Christ The Gospel means that the OT finds its meaning and fulfillment in the NT. Jesus Christ is Israel’s Messiah thus fulfilling OT Scripture.
3. Jesus Christ and God the Father The Gospel means that the triune God saves. God has fully revealed His true nature as a Triune being in and through the message of the Gospel.
4. who raised him from the dead The Gospel means that Easter matters. The Resurrection has changed everything.
5. and all the brothers who are with me The Gospel means that the Son has left behind a family.
6. To the churches of Galatia The Gospel means that churches are intentional creations and witnesses to the Gospel in the world.
7. Grace to you and peace from God The Gospel means that we can know real grace and peace from God and we can share it with others.
8. Jesus Christ, who gave himself The Gospel means that Christ willingly and voluntarily came.
9. Jesus Christ, who gave himself The Gospel means that Christmas matters. Christ the God-Man was incarnated. Christ personally showed up.
10. for our sins The Gospel means that on the cross God died for His enemies.
11. for our sins The Gospel means that on the cross God died to satisfy the wrath of God against sin.
12. Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins The Gospel means that Jesus is the second Adam and has established a new humanity.
13. to deliver us The Gospel means that His death was purposeful and planned.
14. to deliver us The Gospel means that our sin had doomed us all and we needed rescue. 
15. to deliver us The Gospel means that we could not save ourselves. What was needed to accomplish our salvation required no contribution on our part (monergistic not synergistic). 
16. to deliver us from the present evil age The Gospel means that God hasn’t changed the world yet, but that change coming.
17. to deliver us from the present evil age The Gospel means that sanctification is the outcome of justification – not the other way around. In other words, He saved us in order to change us. Whereas religion demands you change yourself enough in order to be saved.
18. according to the will of our God The Gospel means that God’s ultimate motivation is found in His will and desires – not ours.
19. our God and Father The Gospel means that God desires a Fatherly relationship with those whom He has saved.
20. to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. The Gospel means that God saved us ultimately to further His own glory – not ours.
21. to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. The Gospel means that worship is the natural and proper response to knowing and experiencing its truth.

"Make Us Your Handiwork": A Prayer of Irenaeus

Irenaeus was a second century church leader who had been discipled by Polycarp. He lived in Gaul (modern day France) and served as the bishop of the prominent city of Lyons. Of his writing that survive, the most well-known is his Against Heresies which is aimed at defending the Christian faith from the Gnostic heresy. For the Eastern Orthodox Church, today, August 23 is a feast day commemorating Irenaeus' life and influence. The following is a prayer excerpted from that great work:

1
God, Our Maker,
we do not make you, but You make us.
Since we are your workmanship, we await your hand,
which creates everything in due time.
We offer to you our hearts
in a soft and tractable state,
and will preserve the forms
in which you, our Creator, have fashioned us,
keeping moisture in ourselves,
lest, by becoming hardened,
we lose the impressions of your fingers.
2
But by preserving this framework
we shall ascend to that which is perfect,
for the moist clay which is in us
is hidden there by your workmanship.
Your hand fashioned our substance;
You will cover us over within and without
with pure gold and silver,
and you will adorn us to such a degree,
that even you our King
will have pleasure in our beauty.
3
But if we, being obstinately hardened,
reject the operation of your skill,
and show ourselves ungrateful towards you,
we will at once lose both your workmanship and life.
For to create is an attribute of your goodness,
but to be created is an attribute of human nature.
If then, we will deliver up to you what is yours,
that is, faith towards you
and subjection,
we will  receive your handiwork,
and shall be perfect works of yours.

from Against Heresies [c. 180]

God is the Ocean

H/T Jared Wilson:

“To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives or children or the company of earthly friends are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but the scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but the streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops; but God is the ocean.”
– Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards(Edinburgh, 1979), II:244.

'via Blog this'

Things Are Going to Get Sticky

A Call to Martyrdom » Peter Leithart | A First Things Blog: "Many churches have already capitulated to the Zeitgeist, and many others will. Some Christians and some churches won’t be up to the challenge. For those who heed Paul’s admonition not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, things are going to get sticky." Here is one example.

'via Blog this'

What Faith Isn’t and Is | 9Marks

What Faith Isn’t and Is | 9Marks:

'via Blog this'

Introverts Can Share the Gospel Too - and Stay Introverts!

The Introverted Evangelist - Gospel Centered Discipleship | ResourcesGospel Centered Discipleship | Resources to Make, Mature, & Multiply disciples of Jesus:

'via Blog this'

Ten Big, Daily Reminders - Desiring God

Ten Big, Daily Reminders - Desiring God:

'via Blog this'

Missiology 103: The Greatest Purpose On the Planet

This is the third in my series of posts from Piper's "Let the Nations Be Glad". If you missed it, read the first and second posts before continuing on with this post.

Growth Group Discussion Guide for Week of Feb 24

Digging In the Word 

Paul’s concern for the disciples at Colossae was that they would continue in the faith. How does the Apostle encourage them – and us – to preserve as Christians? Let’s take a closer look at what we read here and what we learned on Sunday.

• Let’s read Colossians 1:15-23. 

1. What point is Paul trying to make to the Colossians in 1:13-14 and 15-20? What does this have to do with “the “hope of the Gospel” (compare verse 23 and 27!)? 
2. In verse 23, Paul urges the Colossians to persevere in their faith and not allow themselves to be constantly shifting from the hope of the Gospel. How do you think believers today are tempted to “shift away from the hope of the Gospel”? What are we taught here to do instead? What does that look like?
3. Pastor Josh pointed out the difference between the “outputs” of a Christian lifestyle and the “outcomes” of Gospel transformation. What do you think the difference is between outputs and outcomes?
4. We should expect to see certain outcomes over time as a result of true Gospel transformation in the life of the truly converted. What Gospel transformation outcomes can we find in Colossians [see 1:23; 2:6-7, 19; 3:5-4:6]? 
5. What do we learn in Colossians that can help us pursue Gospel transformation together? 

Applying the Truth 

• Pastor Josh shared this quote from the late Dr. Howard Hendricks: “Many of us want a word from God, but we don’t want the Word of God. We know enough to own a Bible but not enough for the Bible to own us. We pay the Bible lip service, but we fail to give it ‘life service’.” Do you agree with Dr. Hendricks? How is this problem manifested in your life? In your marriage? In your friendships? In your family? 
• How do you you think God is challenging you to persevere in your faith toward greater Gospel transformation? 
• How would you like to have others pray for you? Break into groups of men and women to share your answers and to pray for one another. 

Missiology 102: What Is the Most Crucial Issue In Missions?

I am continuing my weekly series of posts from Piper's "Let the Nations Be Glad". In case you missed it, read the first post "Missiology 101: Why Missions Is Not The Ultimate Goal of the Church".

Growth Group Discussion Guide for the Week of Feb 17

OPENING UP

• What do you think of when you hear the word “disciple” or “discipleship”?
• On Sunday, Pastor Josh provided the following definition of discipleship based on Luke 9:18-26: “A disciple is someone who confesses Christ as Savior, followers Christ as Lord, and loves Christ as greatest treasure.” How is this definition helpful? What do you think requires more explanation? 

Pastor Josh also presented us with the diagram here on the right. It pictures the 3-fold strategy for making disciples found in throughout the New Testament:

• How does this diagram help us to think about discipleship?

 DIGGING IN THE WORD

Let’s read Colossians 1:3-14.

1. How had Paul and Epaphras been intentional in their pursuit of others with the Gospel (see 1:5-8)?
2. What do we learn about Epaphras as a disciple-maker in 1:5-8 and 4:12-13?
3. The closing greetings in 4:7-18 provide a unique glimpse into the lives of the men and women of this community in Colossae. What can we learn from this? How should this encourage us?

APPLYING THE TRUTH

We learned on Sunday that “…for effective discipleship to take place, there must be disciples committed to intentionally reach out to one another for the purpose of spiritual maturity.”

• How do you see that happening here in the context of our Growth Group? In what ways could we be more intentional in our pursuit of one another for the purpose of spiritual maturity?
• How do you you think God is challenging you to pursue others intentionally for the purpose of spiritual maturity?
• How would you like to have others pray for you? Break into groups of men and women to share your answers and to pray for one another.

Missiology 101: Why Missions Is Not the Ultimate Goal of the Church

My own philosophy of missions has been greatly impacted by John Piper's writings. In particular, I have found no better biblical theology of missions than what I have read in his book "Let the Nations Be Glad". Last year I gave a copy of this book to every member of our mission committee. As we prepare at our church for our annual Missions Week, I am posting a series of excerpts from this book in the hopes that your mind and heart will be stimulated by the supremacy of God in missions.

"Beside Ourselves": An Excerpt from Gifts of Grace

I am in the process of writing a special devotional for our church to use as we begin our march toward missions week. My desire is to help our people prepare for what is almost always a time of revival and renewal. Here is an except from the devotional:

Growth Group Discussion Guide for Week of 2/10/13

**DOWNLOAD THE PRINTED GUIDE**

OPENING UP

• What stood out to you about the India Trip presentation on Sunday? What did you find to be most encouraging about the report?
• Can you see yourself going on a trip like that? Does the idea of short-term foreign mission trips excite you? Would you rather stay closer to home and do more local missions? Why?
• How has the Lord gifted you or given you experience that you think might be useful on the foreign field?

DIGGING IN THE WORD

• Let’s read 1 Pet. 3:1-7 together

Pastor Josh said on Sunday that this wasn’t a typical “missions passage”. But it was relevant in that he was able to see God use the Scripture in an incredible way during their trip. Let’s take a closer look at the passage and then how God used it on the mission field:

1. What issue of Christian living is Peter addressing in this letter? (see 1:6-7, 2:21, 3:17-18, 4:1, and 4:12-13)
2. Why does Peter speak to slaves and women in particular? What cultural similarities are there between the first century Roman culture of Peter’s day and the culture of India?
3. What does God say to wives who live in pagan marriages (3:1-6)? Read the explanatory note below. What is your response to this?
4. How is God’s message to women about submission in these types of situations very different from what our culture (or Indian culture) reinforces?
5. What is God’s message to husbands? (3:7) How does this shatter cultural expectations here in the West as well as around the world?
6. What do you remember about the impact that this passage had on the pastors in training there in India? What should that tell us about the power of God’s Word as it confronts cultural, religious, political, and racial barriers?
7. How does all of this encourage you as you participate in missions through our church?

Explanation of 1 Pet. 3:1-6: Pastor Josh mentioned on Sunday that women who are abused are liable to respond to their suffering by either resisting or manipulating. When women respond to suffering by resisting, they allow the suffering to change their attitudes and outlook. They become bitter, angry, and resentful wives. God tells them that this won’t lead to their husbands’ conversion (3:1-2).When women respond to suffering by manipulation, they use sex to gain love, respect, and responsiveness from their husbands. God doesn’t want women to lower themselves to become sexual objects in order to get what they want (3:3-4). God wants Christian wives to grow strong in their character and devotion to the Lord. Like Sarah, they are to trust the Lord and love their husbands (5-6a). They are to follow their husbands as far as their faith in and loyalty to Christ will permit. They are not to give into intimidation from their unbelieving husbands (6b).
APPLYING THE TRUTH

• How do you think God is leading you to live according to the instruction given in 1 Peter 3:1-7?
• How do you you think God is challenging you to participate in the work of missions in and through Immanuel?
• How would you like to have others pray for you? Break into groups of men and women to share your answers and to pray for one another.

How to Stop Church-Killing Gossip – Justin Taylor

How to Stop Church-Killing Gossip – Justin Taylor:

'via Blog this'

There Is No Force On the Planet Like It

There is no force on earth which has the power to shape men and women into the creatures God intended them to be like the force unleashed in prayer.

On this, our last day in Delhi, I was privileged to speak once again to the flock at Bible Bhavan. The church is nearing the end of their annual 40 days of prayer and fasting which begins on the first day of every new year. The text I spoke from this Sunday was Daniel 9:1-19. I was so blessed in my personal study of this passage to see just how the mighty force of prayer had shaped Daniel! Of prayer's power to mold us, E.M. Bounds wrote:

"Never did the cause of God need perfect illustrations of the possibilities of prayer more than in this age. No age, no person, will be examples of the gospel power except the ages or persons of deep and earnest prayer. A prayerless age will have but scant models of divine power. Prayerless hearts will never rise to these Alpine heights… It is prayer-force which makes saints. Holy characters are formed by the power of real praying. The more of true saints, the more of praying; the more of praying, the more of true saints."

The Exceeding Sinfulness of Sin

“I do not think, in the nature of things, that mortal man can at all realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin in the sight of that holy and perfect One with whom we have to do. On the one hand, God is that eternal Being who ‘chargeth His angels with folly’ and in whose sight the very ‘heavens are not clean.’ He is One who reads thoughts and motives as well as actions and requires ‘truth in the inward parts’ (Job 4:18; 15:15; Ps. 51:6). We, on the other hand – poor blind creatures, here today and gone tomorrow, born in sin, surrounded by sinners, living in a constant atmosphere of weakness, infirmity and imperfection – can form none but the most inadequate conceptions of the hideousness of evil. We have no line to fathom it and no measure by which to gauge it. The blind man can see no difference between a masterpiece of Titian or Raphael and the queen’s head on a village signboard. The deaf man cannot distinguish between a penny whistle and a cathedral organ. The very animals whose smell is most offensive to us have no idea that they are offensive and are not offensive to one another. Fallen men and women, I believe, can have no just idea what a vile thing sin is in the sight of that God whose handiwork is absolutely perfect – perfect whether we look through telescope or microscope; perfect in the formation of a mighty planet like Jupiter, with his satellites, keeping time to a second as he rolls round the sun; perfect in the formation of the smallest insect that crawls over a foot of ground.”

J.C. Ryle, Holiness

India in a Word

"India is a functioning anarchy."

— J.K. Galbraith (US Ambassador to India, 1962)

Sightseeing in Delhi

Take a Glimpse Inside a DBI Sewing Centre

Ministry in Dehradun

The Sensitivity of the Sinless One

“Christ also suffered...who did no sin.”

John Henry Jowett (1864-1923) pastored in England at the beginning of the 20th century. He was dearly loved and known for his passion for the and sensitive shepherd's heart. Jowett believed that in his day there was a tendency in the church to belittle sin (I wonder what he would think about the situation today!). Knowing this about him caused me to take extra care in reading his commentary on 1 Peter which speaks of the sufferings of Christ and of Christians. I was taken over with emotion as I read his insights on 1:21-22. If you take the time to read it, I'm sure you will be too. I am indebted to this dear pastor of a century ago for awakening in my soul a sense of the magnitude of the sufferings which were my Savior's to bear for me:

   “Christ also suffered . . . who did no sin.” [1 Pet. 2:21, 22] The two phrases must be conjoined if either is to receive an adequate interpretation. The earlier term discloses its significance by the light of the later term. If we would know the content and intensity of the suffering, we must know the character of the sufferer. “Christ also suffered.” [1 Pet. 2:21] The word is indeterminate until I know the quality of His life. Suffering is a relative term. The measure of its acuteness is determined by the degree of our refinement. The same burden weighs unequally on different men. Lower organization implies diminished sensitiveness The higher the organization the finer becomes the nerve, and the finer the nerve the more delicate becomes the exposure to pain. The more exquisite the refinement, the more exquisite is the pang. 

   "I do not limit the principle to the domain of the flesh. It is a matter of familiar knowledge that in the body it is regnant. There are bodies in which the nerves seem atrophied or still-born, and there are bodies in which the nerves abound like masses of exquisitely sensitive pulp. But the diversity runs up into the higher endowments of the life, into the aesthetic and affectional and spiritual domains of the being. The man of little aesthetic refinement knows nothing of the aches and pains created by ugliness and discord. The rarer organization is pierced and wounded by every jar and obliquity. It is even so in the realm of the affections. Where affection burns low, neglect and inattention are unnoticed; where love burns fervently, neglect is a martyrdom. If we rise still higher into the coronal dominions of the life, into the domain of moral and spiritual sentiments, we shall find that the degree of rectitude and holiness determines the area of exposure to the wounding, crucifying ministry of vulgarity and sin. 

   "We must interpret the rarity and refinement of His spirit if we would even faintly realize the intensity of His sufferings. “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” “No sin!” The fine, sensitive membrane of the soul had in no wise been scorched by the fire of iniquity. “No sin!” He was perfectly pure and healthy. No power had been blasted by the lightning of passion. No nerve had been atrophied by the wasting blight of criminal neglect. The entire surface of His life was as finely sensitive as the fair, healthy skin of a little child. “Neither was guile found in His mouth.” There was no duplicity. There were no secret folds or convolutions in His life concealing ulterior motives. There was nothing underhand. His life lay exposed in perfect truthfulness and candor. The real, inner meaning of His life was presented upon a plain surface of undisturbed simplicity. “No sin!” Therefore nothing blunted or benumbed. “No guile!” Therefore nothing hardened by the effrontery of deceit. I ask you to try to imagine the immense area which such a life laid open to the wounding implements of unfaithfulness and sin. 

Now, it is a Scriptural principle that all sin creates insensitivity. “The wages of sin is death,” deadened faculty, impaired perception. “His leaf shall wither!” Sin is a blasting presence, and every fine power shrinks and withers in the destructive heat. Every spiritual delicacy succumbs to its malignant touch. I suppose that Scripture has drawn upon every sense for analogies in which to express the ravages of sin in the region of perception. Sin impairs the sight, and works towards blindness. Sin benumbs the hearing and tends to make men deaf. Sin perverts the taste, causing men to confound the sweet with the bitter, and the bitter with the sweet. Sin hardens the touch, and eventually renders a man “past feeling.” All these are Scriptural analogies, and their common significance appears to be this—sin blocks and chokes the fine senses of the spirit; by sin we are desensitized, rendered imperceptive, and the range of our correspondence is diminished. Sin creates callosity. It hoofs the spirit, and so reduces the area of our exposure to pain. 

   “Who did no sin!” No part of His being had been rendered insensitive. No perception had been benumbed by any callous overgrowth. Put the slightest pressure upon the Master’s life, and you awoke an exquisite nerve. “And they disputed one with another who should be greatest.” . . . “And Jesus perceiving their thoughts!” How sensitive the perception! The touch of a selfish thought crushed upon the nerve, and stirred it into agony. Such is the sensitiveness of sinlessness, and in this vulgar, selfish, and sinful world it could not be but that the Sinless One should be “a Man of Sorrows,” and that He should pass through pangs and martyrdoms long before He reached the appalling midnight of Gethsemane and Calvary."

The All-Absorbing Life of Prayer

In preparing to preach here at Bible Bhavan in Delhi on the subject of prayer from Luke 11, I was captured by the following from Alexander Whyte:

"Now it is necessary to know, and ever to keep in mind, that prayer is the all-comprehending name that is given to every step in our return to God. True prayer, the richest and the ripest prayer, the most acceptable and the most prevailing prayer, embraces many elements: it is made up of many operations of the mind, and many motions of the heart. To begin to come to ourselves,— however far off we may then discover ourselves to be,— to begin to think about ourselves, is already to begin to pray. To begin to feel fear, or shame, or remorse, or a desire after better things, is to begin to pray. To say within ourselves, “I will arise and go to my Father,”— that is to begin to pray. To see what we are, and to desire to turn from what we are— that also is to pray.

"In short, every such thought about ourselves, and about God, and about sin and its wages, and about salvation, its price and its preciousness; every foreboding thought about death and judgment and heaven and hell; every reflection about the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ; and every wish of our hearts that we were more like Jesus Christ: all our reading of the Word, all our meditation   reflection, contemplation, prostration and adoration; all faith, all hope, all love; all that, and all of that same kind,— it all comes, with the most perfect truth and propriety, under the all-embracing name of “prayer”; it all enters into the all-absorbing life of prayer.

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
  Uttered or unexpressed:
The motion of a hidden fire
  That trembles in the breast.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
  The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye
  When none but God is near.
Prayer is the simplest form of speech
  That infant lips can try:
Prayer the sublimest strains that reach
  The Majesty on High. 

"How noble then is prayer! How incomparably noble! Who would not be a man of prayer? What wise, what sane man, will continue to neglect prayer? Ask, and it shall be given you; that your joy may be full."

Alexander Whyte, Lord Teach Us To Pray

Glory-Filled Inexpressible Joy

"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory..." - 1 Peter 1:8 

This morning I was in 1 Peter in preparing material for teaching later this week. My study had me immersed in the opening words of worship in 1 Pet. 1:3-12. As I was sorting out my thoughts here in my room on the second floor of the DBI center located here in Bible Bhavan Church in New Delhi, the sweet sound of praise music began to ascend from the floor below into my room like the savory aroma you might imagine if a master chef were downstairs preparing an incredible feast. After some time had passed, and being unable to resist any longer the urge to investigate what was occasioning such wonderful praise, I left my books to venture down the stairs. It turns out that a local fellowship of Tangkhul youth and college students were meeting here for a special weekend retreat. The Tangkhul are a people group living in Delhi from a far eastern province of India. I found the group gathered in the dining area and took the liberty to record a portion of their worship service. As they sang and I listened, it was as if the words of 1 Pet. 1:8 which I had been studying had come alive...

As you listen to the first 1:30 of the video, what you are hearing is the group praying (out-loud praying is very common outside of the Western world). And as you probably recognize, the song they are singing for rest of the video is "The Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman (in English too, which meant that I could and did sing along!). I included the lyrics below as it is one of my favorites. 

The Heart Of Worship
by Matt Redman

Verse 1
When the music fades all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

Pre-Chorus
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Chorus
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You all about You Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You all about You Jesus

Verse 2
King of endless worth no one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor all I have is Yours
Ev'ry single breath

© 1999 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use.  All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 733125

Christianity's True Power of Persuasion

"Nothing is really achieved by trying to persuade people. Christianity's true power is discovered only when it is hated by the world." Ignatius to the Romans, AD 115

Ignatius of Antioch was of the generation of disciples who came after the New Testament apostles. The church he pastored is well known to us as it is the same church in Antioch that we read about in the book of Acts. It was the Antiochene church that sent out Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13 and served as Paul's home church. It is therefore quite reasonable to assume that Ignatius had been trained for the ministry by Apostle Paul, Barnabas, and other Antioch church leaders. Ignatius wrote several letters around AD 115 while being transported from Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) to Rome where he would die as a martyr being fed to wild animals as a special feature of the halftime show at the Roman Coliseum. John Chrysostom, a famous pastor from Antioch as well, described Ignatius of Antioch as "a soul boiling with a passionate divine love."

The First Sewing Conference Begins in Lucknow

DBI's Lucknow Ashram (Oct 2010)

Please pray for our women today as they join the ministry team at Lucknow. They will be assisting Gloria Shaw in training Hindu women from the surrounding area in sewing skills. This simple skill goes a long way in helping the impoverished women and children of India with basic needs but also serves as an incredible bridge for the Gospel. Our ladies arrived last night in Lucknow with Gloria and a handful of other women and are preparing to depart for the ashram (teaching center). Meanwhile, I am here in Delhi preparing for my first class this afternoon with pastors-in-training. I will be teaching the book of 1 Peter (ring any bells, Gospel-Centered Bible Study students?).