Pastor, Love Your Wife More Than Ministry
There are many reasons we should always love our wife more than our ministry. It’s biblical. It is a mark of qualification for the pastor. It will do nothing but enhance your ministry. It will be an example to your flock of what is to be the priority of a Christian husband. I’m sure you are thinking of others. However, there is one reason why this is essential in our lives as pastors and aspiring pastors that I don’t think comes to our minds as much as it should.
“If we love our ministry more than our wife, it is likely we could lose our wife.”
So, be warned dear pastors and aspiring ones, that we never question how important it is that we love Christ first, then our wives more than seminary…our ministry…our reputation…our children… quite frankly everything else.
Date Day!
Today is my monthly date day with my youngest daughter Meaghan. Every month on their "birthday" day, I take my daughters on a date with their Daddy, and my wife does the same for our son Cameron. I love date day because I know my girls love it. They love that Daddy opens the door for them; orders for them; talks to them; makes much of them...loves them.
Today is also International Women's Day. Today affords me the opportunity to show my Meaghan how she deserves to be treated by a man. I want her to see that chivalry and romance are important. I want her to see that for a man to biblically lead means to love and honour his wife. I want her to see that her submission to my headship is a good thing and ultimately for her benefit. I want her to see that her future husband must lead as Daddy leads because he will lead her. I want her to know that should the Lord be pleased to give her a family, her highest calling is to be Mommy. I want her to see that God is glorified in all that we do.
I love date days! I cherish them because I know that some day, sooner than I wish, they'll be gone. So today, we will dance...
A Taste Of Heaven
The people of God and the Word of God. And strangely, that's enough. Oh that we would burn with this passion for the Word, both written and Incarnate!
J.D. Greear:
HT / Z
J.D. Greear:
What an incredible video… this is one of the many Unreached People Groups in Southeast Asia… and someone allowed us to see what it was like for them to get the Word of God. Watching this video is like getting to heaven just a little bit early. Seriously, what would you rather invest your money in? And ask yourself, do you approach the hearing of the Word of God with this kind of anticipation? During the guy’s prayer, I seriously thought I might speak in tongues.
HT / Z
Precious In the Sight Of The Lord...
This is my small tribute to another Christian killed for Christ’s sake. I read his story with great admiration. I pray that his death will not be in vain in my life and in Pakistan’s struggle for freedom.
Shahbaz Bhatti was the Minister for Minority Affairs in Pakistan, and a Christian. He was killed in Islamabad on Wednesday, March 2, 2011. He had opposed the Pakistani blasphemy laws that appoint the death sentence for one who speaks words against the truth of Mohammed.
In a video, posted online by the European group First Step Forum, Mr Bhatti said: “I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ who has given his own life for us. . . . I'm ready to die for a cause. I’m living for my community and suffering people, and I will die to defend their rights.”
I read this to Noël and Talitha during our family worship this morning. We prayed for Mr. Bhatti’s family and for Pakistan. We dedicated ourselves afresh not to waste our lives. Lord, we are yours. Show us how to live fully for the global cause of your Truth and Grace.
Marillion: Crash Course - Free Album!
I am a Marillionaire! For those that don't know what that means - it is simply a way to say that I am a huge fan of the band Marillion. "WHO?" Is usually the question that follows. Ask no more. For those who have ever wondered, the band has offered a free CD sampler of their music called Crash Course. It is just that - a "crash course" in Marillioneze. Check it out; It's FREE. It is ten full tracks from the band from a variety of albums. Have a listen and then love 'em or leave 'em. I think you know where I stand!
Marillion are used to fighting misconceptions. Marillion are not what you think they are. No, really, they’re not. Just remember that whatever your preconceptions are about this band, chances are they are wrong.
Listen.
Find out for yourself.
Make up your own mind.
Signs You're Growing In Grace - Part 2
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You’ve actually read Nahum and Obadiah.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You catch people “doing it right” in a 3 to 1 ratio to “doing it wrong”.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You don’t try to take 23 items through the 10 item speed check out line at Publix.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You’re in your seat in the worship center 7 minutes early to pray for the service.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. On a 2-lane-becoming-1 road, you don’t speed up just to jet around 3 extra cars.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. Your repentances come quicker with less pouting, excuses and vain promises.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You throw less pity-parties, because you go to Jesus quicker than to self-contempt.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You talk about your justification 10 times more than your victimization.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You quote Jesus more than you quote Tim Keller.
A sign you’re growing in grace is a commitment to give your spouse focused, unrushed attention at the END of the day.
A sign you’re growing in grace is just grabbing a brownie without looking for the biggest or best crust-edged brownie.
A sign you’re growing in grace is when you use less labels to dismiss people or marginalize their comments.
A sign you’re growing in grace is still being gracious to telemarketers when they call your protected phone number.
A sign you’re growing in grace is a commitment to pray for people you’d really rather gossip about.
A sign you’re growing in grace is not texting or reading emails on your pda while driving, with or without kids.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You no longer simply assume if you can pay for something you really can afford it.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You recognize the subtle ways you’re living justification by sanctification.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. Your spouse and children are the first to notice the signs.
Another sign you’re growing in grace. You get sucker-punched by condemnation for sin less often, but convicted much more.
A sign you’re growing in grace. You don’t use your car horn to curse bad drivers, but appropriately caution & warn them.
A sign you’re growing in grace. The gospel still astonishes & humbles you. It’s not just cliche or the name of your tribe.
A sign you’re growing in grace. If you USED to be a Dispensationalist, you’re not cynical about those who still are.
A sign you’re growing in grace. If you USED to be a Charismatic, you don’t atrophy into dead or dry orthodoxy.
A sign you’re growing in grace. If you’re “finally” Reformed, you don’t confuse knowledge with spirituality.
A sign you’re growing in grace. You realize that Presbyterian and Reformed types are .07% of the entire Body of Christ.
A sign you’re growing in grace. The more you learn about Jesus & the gospel the more you realize how little YOU know.
Holy Love Wins
I pray that Rob will once again preach the glories of the God who truly loves, the God who upholds his own glory at all costs, the God who loves us despite our sin, the God who takes on flesh and dies for us in order that we might find eternal satisfaction in him. In the words of Tim Stoner, Holy love wins:
… The love that wins is a holy love.
The love that won on the cross and wins the world is a love that is driven, determined, and defined by holiness.
It is a love that flows out of the heart of a God who is transcendent, majestic, infinite in righteousness, who loves justice as much as he does mercy; who hates wickedness as much as he loves goodness; who blazes with a fiery, passionate love for himself above all things.
He is Creator, Sustainer, Beginning and End.
He is robed in a splendor and eternal purity that is blinding.
He rules, he reigns, he rages and roars, then bends down to whisper love songs to his creatures.
His love is vast and irresistible.
It is also terrifying, and it will spare no expense to give everything away in order to free us from the bondage of sin, purifying for himself a people who are devoted to his glory, a people who have “no ambition except to do good”.
So he crushes his precious Son in order to rescue and restore mankind along with his entire creation.
He unleashes perfect judgment on the perfectly obedient sacrifice and then pulls him up out of the grave in a smashing and utter victory.
He is a God who triumphs…
He is a burning cyclone of passionate love.
Holy love wins.
Nothing would please me more than to see someone of Bell's influence passionately pursue the biblical gospel. Nothing would please me more than to see every Christian walking in perfect unity. But if we're not united in the Truth, what is the point of unity? Christianity is not wishful thinking - as some would like to hope - "We have this hope as an anchor"! Love does indeed win, but it doesn't win at the expense of justice.
The Holiness of God - Free
This month's free download from Christian Audio is the classic, The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul. This is quite simply a must have in one's library, and the fact that you can have it both free and in audio form is a bonus. The late James Boice said,
“It may be a bit early to call R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God one of the classical theological works of our time. But if it does not have that status yet, it is well on the way to achieving it.”
I think it is safe to say it has indeed achieved it. I remember watching the DVD series during the summer after my first year of Bible School, and I was changed. My vision of Christ was expanded far beyond what it had been up to that time. In light of Jesus' words in John 17:3, it is paramount that we know God. This work by Sproul will help you do just that.
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