Rejoicing this Lord's Day in the Blessings of the Cross!

This morning as I was reading a Puritan prayer (from the book, Valley of Vision), I was struck by a segment of the prayer that listed the blessings that are ours as a result of Christ's death on the cross. I thought I would pass these on to you. Rejoice with me in how blessed we are because God so loved us that he gave his one and only Son!

Because of the cross and our faith in Christ's sacrifice for us . . .
"atonement is achieved,
satisfaction made,
guilt done away,
my debt paid,
my sins forgiven,
my person redeemed,
my soul saved,
hell vanquished,
heaven opened,
eternity made mine."

Praise God for his indescribable gift!!! Have a great Lord's Day!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Happy Friday the 13th!

If you have looked at a calendar, you would know that today is Friday the 13th. In fact, it is the third time this year (and the last) that the 13th of a month has fallen on a Friday (and all three have occurred exactly 13 weeks apart!).

Why is the # 13 considered "unlucky?" (So much so that the dorm in which I lived during my college years - which was a former hotel in center city Philadelphia - had no 13th floor! It had a 12th and 14th floor, but no 13th! This is quite common in building taller buildings. The Lancaster Marriott has no 13th floor either!). The answer to this question is long and complicated. But after doing some research, here is my conclusion. If something is said long enough ... and frequent enough ... and fervently enough ... people begin to believe it. It does not matter how outlandish it might be .... but at some point ... what is being put forth becomes, at least for many, truth! 

Unfortunately, that has not happened with the message God has been putting forth for the past two thousand years. Many people have heard this message over and over again but have chosen to ignore it (and, yes, there are far too many who have never heard it!). Why have people accepted this ridiculous message about Friday the 13th, while at the same time rejecting the most important and life changing message ever offered up to humanity? Jesus gives the answer. In the gospel of John, he says, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil" (John 3:19). Friends, don't get discouraged when you share the good news of the gospel with another and get no interest (or some hostility). People would much rather believe anything rather than God's truth (this should be a CALL TO PRAYER for us to ask God to open the eyes of the blind around us!). 

This morning as I read the paper, I noticed an article about Friday the 13th. The writer lists several superstitions associated with the day. The first? "Don't change the sheets on your bed or you will have bad dreams." Gulp! My wife changed the sheets this morning! Guess I had better wear my bike helmet tonight in case I fall out of bed as I fight off my nightmares!  

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

P.S. - My wife and I were married on May 13, 1978. We have enjoyed a wonderful marriage together ... for some 34 years now and counting! - Thank YOU, Father! 

Back in the Office!

Just stepped into my office after a wonderful time away with my wife (more on this later after I wade through the emails and other work that has piled up in my absence). But since I have not offered up anything of real substance for you to chew on in the past week and a half ... here is an extended quote from one of my favorite guys, J. I. Packer. Take a moment to reflect on what he has to say .... it's good stuff!

"Recognizing that the study of God is worthwhile, we prepare to start. But where shall we start from? How do we plot our course? Five basic truths, five foundation-principles of the knowledge about God that Christians have, will determine our course throughout: 


1. God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation. 
2. God is Lord and King over His world; He rules all things for His own glory, displaying His perfections in all that He does, in order that men and angels may worship and adore Him. 
3. God is Savior, active in sovereign love through the Lord Jesus Christ to rescue believers from the guilt and power of sin, to adopt them as His sons, and to bless them accordingly. 
4. God is Triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it, and the Spirit applying it. 
5. Godliness means responding to God’s revelation in trust and obedience, faith and worship, prayer and praise, submission and service. Life must be seen and lived in the light of God’s Word.


In light of these general and basic truths, we examine in detail what the Bible shows us of the nature and character of the God of whom we have been speaking. We are in the position of travelers who, after surveying a great mountain from afar, traveling round it, and observing how it dominates the landscape and determines the features of the surrounding countryside, now approach it directly with the intention of climbing it."  (J. I. Packer, Knowing God)

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Northward Bound!

By the time you read this, my wife and I should be well on our way on our long anticipated time away (just the two of us!!!). Five years ago we took a trip to Maine. We had such a great time that we decided we would have to do it again. So today we are on our way to Maine (ultimate destination: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. If you have never been there, I HIGHLY recommend you consider making the trip. It is well worth every mile you have to drive - and then some!). 

With that said ... I will not be posting to my blog until sometime next week. So until then ... May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Beyond Saying "I Do"

Today on my calendar I have marked the word "wedding." Yep. I get to officiate another wedding ... something I have enjoyed doing a few times across the course of the past thirty years.

Marriage has been in the news a lot in recent months ... especially since our president has come out in support of gay marriage. There has been a lot of discussion about marriage and what it is and who it is for. So ... here are a couple of thoughts on the issue.

- Marriage is a gift ... a gift from the God who made us and who knows what is best for us. He knows that for the vast majority of us, it is in our best interest that we be married (see Genesis 2:18-24). 


- Marriage is to be between a man and a woman. From the beginning, marriage was designed by God be a one man ... one woman relationship (see also Matthew 19:4-9). 


- Marriage is also to be life-long. Jesus makes it clear in the Matthew 19 passage that marriage that from the get-go, God clearly intends that people marry for life.


Now ... I could say more, but based on what I have said above, here are some implications for all of us who claim to follow Jesus! 


1. We must take a stand for traditional marriage. The term "gay marriage" is actually a contradiction in terms. A gay marriage may be a relationship ... even a civil union ... but it is not a marriage (at least not in biblical terms).

2. We must take just as strong (if not stronger) stand on the permanency of marriage. Far too many Christians have adopted our society's view of marriage ... that it is more than a "going steady" relationship ... but not much more. Therefore, when things aren't working out in the marriage ... it's time to be getting out of the marriage.

3. We must treat our spouse as a gift from God to us. When you start thinking about one another in these terms ... it has a way of changing the relationship .... for the better!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

The Power of Encouraging Words

Yesterday I did something that was looooonnnnnggg over due – I cleaned up my office. That meant doing something that I would rather not have to do … file! In the process, I pulled out an old file that I have had for many years. I call it my “encouragement” or “get up” file. In it I have accumulated notes of encouragement I have received across the years. One note in particular, written by a family upon the occasion of our leaving Pittsburgh to move here to Lancaster, brought tears to my eyes. Imagine that. The note was written almost 23 years ago … yet it still retained the power to massage my heart and lift up my soul. There is power in encouraging words! (But beware; there is also power in destructive, discouraging words! But that is a topic for another day’s blog.)

The book of Proverbs tells us that “pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24) and “an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 12:25).  The other day I urged you to keep your “radar” up and be looking to reach out a helping hand to those who are hurting.   Let’s make it part of our day today to offer someone a word (or words) of encouragement (often this is all it takes!). And why stop with just today?  Why not make it part of our every day routine?  In this broken world, there are plenty of people surrounding us who could use an encouraging word!

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

A La Carte Thursday

Here are my a la carte offerings for this week. I hope you can find something of note to help you in your journey of grace!

1. How do you answer someone when they say to you, "You don't REALLY believe in hell, do you?" Tim Callies offers a great response to this question (a question that is being increasingly asked in this day and age).

2. Also today, the biblical concept of marriage is under attack. Here is a great biblical definition of marriage. 

3. Francis Chan in a brief video (3:40) on aging biblically. 


4. Dads .... here's one for you ... stop stealing from your children. 


5. On a lighter note . . . 


Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj