Jesus Christ Makes My Day!

John Owen was a puritan theologian who lived from 1616-1683. Some consider him to be the greatest theologian ever born in England. Owen has left a wealth of theological writings behind. And though he is dead, he still speaks!

Here is a John Owen quote worth pondering! Enjoy!

"We can begin each day with the deeply encouraging realization, I'm accepted by God, not on the basis of my personal performance, but on the basis of the infinitely perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ." 

Yes!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Insane Money!

The Philadelphia Phillies just signed their All Star lefty, Cole Hammels to a six year, $144 million contract. As I reflected on that mind numbing figure, I starting wondering how much Hammels would be making PER PITCH. So ... I did some research and here is what I came up with. If he starts the average number of starts In a season(approximately 30) and throws the average number of pitches (approximately 95 per game) .... then he will be making (are you ready for this?) ..... $8421 every time he winds up and throws the ball to the plate! With just a few pitches ... he can easily afford to buy any new car I might be interested in! I don't know about you ... but I find that kind of salary insane! Especially for playing a game!

With athletes (and other entertainers) at the top rung of the earning ladder - what does this tell you about our culture? I believe it says SHOUTS --- "Entertainment is KING!" People want to be entertained. It does not matter if it is on the baseball diamond or the silver screen .... people will pay big bucks for a couple of hours of amusement. Life is stressful ... and it feels good to leave that all behind for a time as we cheer on our favorite sports team or clap to our favorite recording artist's latest hit.

Now do not get me wrong. I go to see an occasional movie or baseball game . . . but I believe the value we place on entertainment is WAY out of line. Therefore, those of us who follow Jesus must be careful not to get sucked into the "Entertain me!" mindset of the world around us -- our life on earth is too short ... and our mission from heaven too urgent! So I encourage you to take a moment and evaluate how you are spending your time and money on entertainment.

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

PS -- My wife and I recently did this and as a result decided to ditch our cable and go with an old fashioned tv antennae. Not only will we be saving on a monthly cable bill ... we won't be tempted to turn on ESPN or the History Channel - because we don't have them any more!

Thursday A La Carte

Here is this week's a la carte . . .

1. Here is a solid article, You Cannot Improve on God's Design for the Family.

2. Chuck Swindoll offers up encouragement in this brief video to keep praying that Christ be proclaimed among the nations!

3. Holiness is the sum of a million little things ... this is a brief excerpt from a new book coming out by Kevin DeYoung.

4. Here's Ed Welch on Making Wisdom Attractive to Children. Parents out there ... well worth the 3 minutes to watch!

5  Recently we marked the 32nd anniversary of Apollo 11's moon landing. Of course, there are a few who still believe it was all part of a conspiracy and never happened. Here's a lighter take on it all . . . 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Setting the Torch to Anxiety!

Casey James Fury is a 24 year old civilian laborer who works at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kettery, Maine. Back on May 23rd, Fury allegedly started a fire aboard the USS Miami, a nuclear powered attack submarine. It took firefighters 12 hours to get the fire under control. When it was all said and done, the sub suffered $400 million dollars in damage. That's one costly fire! And why did Fury allegedly start the fire? Fury told investigators that he was suffering from anxiety (which "started getting really bad") and therefore he wanted to get out of work early that day. So he grabbed a cigarette lighter and set some rags on fire. If convicted of arson, Fury could spent the rest of his life in prison.

Ouch! Here is an illustration of how anxiety, fear, worry can lead people to do foolish, irrational things It sure did with Casey Fury . . . but it does not have to! So what should we do when we feel our soul being gripped by anxiety and fear? Ed Welch offers up some really insightful thoughts on The Secret of Dealing with Fear and Anxiety.  IF you struggle with this (as I know I do more than I would like to admit to) ... you need to read what Ed has to say. You will be better for it! 

Thanks for stopping  by . . . 

pj

A Prayer about God's Sovereignty in My Daily Routine

All of us who claim allegiance to Jesus Christ as the Lord and King of the Universe would agree that He is indeed sovereign, that he works ALL things after the counsel of his own will (Ephesians 1:11). Yet when it comes to accepting the outworking of his sovereign will in our lives ... especially in those times when we feel pain ... we struggle. Below is a prayer from Scotty Smith that you just might want to make yours!

      "I don’t have any problem with you setting up and sitting down presidents, premiers, and potentates. But when it comes to things that are limiting, inconvenient, or a contradiction of my sensibilities or plans, sometimes I question your focus, timing and goodness.

     Free me from such foolishness and arrogance. You’re always at work for your glory and our good. Nothing goes unnoticed before your throne of grace. There’s no lapse in communication. Wires never get crossed in heaven. You’ve promised to do all things well, not make all things easy."

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

What is Most Important in Life?

All of us have numerous items that compete for our attention and our efforts. But of these, what is THE most important?  Sinclair Ferguson suggests an answer. I offer it to you for some reflection on this Lord's Day.

"What is the most important thing in the world to every Christian? It is to grow in the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is the heart of salvation and of all true spiritual experience. Knowing Him is what we were created for. It will occupy us throughout all eternity. In Scripture, it is almost equivalent to salvation. Jesus said that eternal life, or salvation, means knowledge of God: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3, ESV). To be a Christian is not a mindless experience, but involves knowledge and understanding. It means a personal relationship and personal acquaintance with the Lord." 

(How Great Is Our God: Timeless Daily Readings on the Nature of God)

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Anxanity!

An ... what???  Anxanity!  This is a word that came out of the mouth of a friend recently. He was trying to explain some feelings of anxiety he was having ... and got caught between the word "anxiety" and the word "insanity." What came out was "anxanity."

As I thought about that ... I thought, "Wow! That's not a bad word!" How so? Think with me for a moment. Anxiety is basically the feelings we have that are born out of fear. Fear that our needs won't be met. Fear that danger is lurking around the corner for us or a loved one. Fear that "life" is about to take a wrong turn. Because of these fears we worry. We grow anxious. But for the one who professes faith in Christ .... it is literally an act of  insanity to allow anxiety to dominate our lives. Simply put, insanity is wrong thinking. And it is wrong thinking that leads to fear. If we truly believe that God is in control and that his promises to be with us and to care for us are promises he will back up ... then it is insane to worry (see Psalm 27:1, 3; Matthew 6:25-34).

So if you are feeling some "anxanity" beginning to darken your mind ... recall some of God's promises. And remind yourself of his faithfulness that is great ... and new every morning (Lamentations 3:21-25)!

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj