How to make the fear of the Lord impossible

"The problem we encounter in our quest to know and fear the Lord as he ought to be feared is that we have three prominent adversaries. The world, our own flesh, and the Devil conspire to elevate other people (or what we can get from them) over God.

The resistance is actually found in our heart (flesh), and it is influenced by the world and the Devil. Our hearts have dozens of strategies to avoid the fear of the Lord. One strategy is that we downgrade obedience - the concrete expression of the fear of the Lord - into concern about appearances. We concentrate on actions and overlook attitudes. By doing this, our sinful nature can give us a sense that we are okay. We have not killed today. We have not been adulterous. We have not stolen anything from the store. Therefore, we had a good day. Better yet, we are good. Of course, we occasionally do bad things. We might yell too loudly, or we might pick up some pornography at the airport. In these cases we should ask God's forgiveness. But, on the whole, we tend to be fairly good. And if we think we are usually good, then God is usually irrelevant.

Such thinking is not advertised as good theology, but isn't it the practical theology of most Christians? I know that it can be my own. I am a good guy - a nice guy - who occasionally does bad things. Such thinking ignores the depths of sin in my own heart, and, in essence, it elevates me so that I am just a mildly flawed imitation of God rather than someone completely dependent on him. Fear of the Lord is then impossible."
-- Edward Welch, When People are Big and God is Small

Facing a Task Unfinished

Facing a task unfinished
That drives us to our knees
A need that, undiminished
Rebukes our slothful ease
We, who rejoice to know Thee
Renew before Thy throne
The solemn pledge we owe Thee
To go and make Thee known

Where other lords beside Thee
Hold their unhindered sway
Where forces that defied Thee
Defy Thee still today
With none to heed their crying
For life, and love, and light
Unnumbered souls are dying
And pass into the night

We bear the torch that flaming
Fell from the hands of those
Who gave their lives proclaiming
That Jesus died and rose
Ours is the same commission
The same glad message ours
Fired by the same ambition
To Thee we yield our powers

O Father who sustained them
O Spirit who inspired
Saviour, whose love constrained them
To toil with zeal untired
From cowardice defend us
From lethargy awake!
Forth on Thine errands send us
To labour for Thy sake

Frank Houghton

child-like faith

"i am very grateful for the family that God has given me. sitting around the table with my aunt and uncle, my cousin and his bride and their 4 kids is truly a delight and a blessing. two things were incredibly beautiful yesterday. i was playing with emmie (just shy of 2 years old) in the back yard. she had climbed up the stairs on the swingset, and was trying to climb back down, but only got one set down before she froze. she couldn’t get herself out of it; she couldn’t get down or turn around to climb back up. so i asked if she wanted help. she can’t really talk yet, so just held out my arms and took a step towards the stairs. without a second thought, she leaned forward and fell into my arms. i set her down on the ground, and she ran over to where her dad and sister were on the swings. and i just stood there, begging God to grant me that kind of faith in Him. that is what Jesus means when He talks about child-like faith. and i want to trust Him like that so much."

--Walt


"the other was when the kids were leaving with their parents, james (4 years old) came over and whispered in my ear “don’t be afraid; you can pray to Jesus, because Jesus loves you and He’s in your heart”. such a simple blessing; i almost cried. i need to remind my brothers and sisters of that more often."
--Walt

Accountability

"An accountability relationship is one in which a Christian gives permission to another believer to look into his life for purposes of questioning, challenging, admonishing, advising, encouraging and otherwise providing input in ways that will help the individual live according to the Christian principles that they both hold."
-- Alan Medinger

"What kind of person should you look for? First, look for someone who fears God and who takes his word seriously. Don't settle for the person you feel most comfortable with; find someone who will make you uncomfortable in your sin."
-- Joshua Harris

Video Tribute to Ralph Winter

Ralph D. Winter Tribute from U.S. Center for World Mission on Vimeo.

TPo IRC Channel

In preparation for doing this more carefully for Christian community, I've set up an IRC channel where we can chat about Jesus, about the things on this site, and about other things. Check it out.

Be a Man

Get off facebook, BE A MAN - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

The tide always comes back in

"You never met an old salt, down by the sea, who was in trouble because the tide had been ebbing out for hours. No! He waits confidently for the turn of the tide, and it comes in due time. Yonder rock has been uncovered during the last half-hour, and if the sea continues to ebb out for weeks, there will be no water in the English Channel, and the French will walk over from Cherbourg. Nobody talks in that childish way, for such an ebb will never come. Nor will we speak as though the gospel would be routed, and eternal truth driven out of the land. We serve an almighty Master ... If our Lord does but stamp His foot, He can win for Himself all the nations of the earth against heathenism, and Mohammedanism, and Agnosticism, and Modern-thought, and every other foul error. Who is he that can harm us if we follow Jesus? How can His cause be defeated? At His will, converts will flock to His truth as numerous as the sands of the sea ... Wherefore be of good courage, and go on your way singing:

The winds of hell have blown
The world its hate hath shown,
Yet it is not o'erthrown.
Hallelujah for the Cross!
It shall never suffer loss!
The Lord of hosts is with us,
the God of Jacob is our refuge

" -- C.H. Spurgeon

RUN!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6qNCIDtyCw

Run from gospels that only focus on success and prosperity.
Run from those who use the name of Christ only for their personal gain.
Run from those who are picking your pockets in the name of Jesus.
Run from gospels that only focus on self-improvement.
Run from churches where men and not Christ are glorified.
Run from churches in America and in Canada where there is no Bible, there's no cost in the theology, there's no soul-searching work, there's no repentance from sin, there's no mention of the blood of Jesus.
Run from churches where you are comfortable in your sins.
Run from pulpits that are filled with political men.
Run from those who preach division between races and cultures.

Spoiler Alert!

Jesus wins in the end.

(Per my last post, the King sent reinforcements, thank God.)