Stamping Eternity on Your Eyeballs

If there is one thing that the Lord has ever led me to consider more often than not, it will usually be on the frailty of Man. As one of my favourite preachers so often says, "Yesterday I was 9, today I'm 43, tomorrow I'll be 90."

Life, as we know it on this earth, is but a passing dream and all the things that glitter, all the things that Man so often desires for in this life, are but dung and refuse that moths and rust will destroy. Man is but a vapour that appears for a little while, then vanishes away with the rising of the sun.

So often, and especially in a culture as materialistic and consumer-orientated as this one, people would chase with such passion after luxuries and things of gold and things of silver rather than the God who is infinitely more precious than such trinkets. People would rather get excited over a football game and expend so much time and resources in order to imitate their favourite football or movie stars, while sitting as cold as a stone in church and despising the Son of God whom we are all called to imitate. I know this, because I am so often guilty of the same thing.

Why do you boast O Man in your strength? Is it not a passing phase? (and a short one at that). Will your strength last forever? Why do you boast O Man in your wisdom? Are you able to number all the stars in the sky? Are you able to count all the hairs on your head? Are you able to determine the length of your life? Why do you boast O Man in your wealth? Are you able to take it with you into the next life?

Why do you boast O Woman in your beauty and flaunt it for others to see, thus dishonouring the Lord who created you? Is it not true that, as a Mayfly that is born in the morning and then dies in the evening, all physical beauty quickly passes? Do not all beautiful women one day grow old and ugly?

Why do you boast in your youth O young person? Do you really believe that you will remain young forever? Do you believe that there will always be a tomorrow for you to repent and turn back to God? Why O Why do you live life as though there would not be a Day when you would be called to account.

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
- Jeremiah 9: 23-24

Away with such trivialities! Away with such things that will not last! Pursue that which is eternal, that thieves cannot steal nor rust destroy. Pursue the treasure that is Christ, who hung on a tree crushed by His Father so that wretches such as you and I may be reconciled to God. Pursue with eternity in mind, knowing that one day all Man will stand before God to account for all that he has done. Woe to the one who is not found in Christ on that Day, for while he may beg with whatever might he has, there will no more mercy and grace left for him on that great and terrible Day.

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
- 1 Kings 18:21

John Piper on Augustine and Lust

The Lord Scoffs

A passage that delights me no end.

Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
"Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!"
He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.

- Psalms 2:1-4 (NASB)

Who is like the Lord? There is no one.


*Edit*
Found a few interesting articles (yes I know I should be studying) by Pastor Voddie Baucham regarding youth ministry. Read more about it here. (In case you're wondering, he holds that youth ministry is unbiblical)

Exams are here again

Well I guess it is time for me to actually sit down and study properly for the exams. I hypothesize that the amount of time spent studying for an exam is inversely proportional to the time spent in Uni.

P.S. I must praise God for giving me decent marks for History module CA though I really did not have the "form" that I had with previous history modules.

P.P.S. A must read tract by J. C. Ryle, especially in view of the coming Christmas Day. "What Think Ye of Christ?"

Great blog for Women

Especially in relation to values like modesty.

Read it here.

More than doctrine, do you desire His presence

Something that I desperately needed.

Have mercy oh Lord on me, a sinner.

Is this just the beginning?

Church attacked in Michigan.

Link Here

On Sunday morning, amidst worshiping congregants and following unifying prayers that our President-elect be granted wisdom as he prepares to lead our nation through difficult global, social and economic challenges, the Michigan left declared open war on peaceful church goers.

They did it with banners, chants, blasphemy, by storming the pulpit, by vandalizing the church facility, by potentially defiling the building with lewd, public, sex acts and by intentionally forcing physical confrontations with worshipers.

I WIll Praise Him

Despite the terrible week and my unfaithfulness, and the prospect of an even worse week ahead, I will praise and rejoice in Him who sustains my every breath. And these two verses that will always remain in my heart come what may, they give me every reason to be glad.

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.
- Habakkuk 3: 17-19

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Romans 8: 38 - 39

Amen

Interview with Paul Washer

Ten Indictments

A message well worth the two hours.

Do not be Ashamed

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
- 2 Timothy 1:8 - 14

I am truly thankful to God for graciously allowing the few of us to gather and read His Word as well as having brothers in Christ, who when it is said that we need to come back to the Gospel give a hearty "Amen" instead of giving me the "what the heck you talking" look.

Reading 2 Timothy chapter 1 today, one is struck by Paul's focus on the Gospel of Christ, which is echoed throughout most (if not all) of his letters. And in verse 8 he begins with "do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord." Immediately verses like Romans 1:16 spring to mind. (For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.) How often are we ashamed by the Gospel of our Lord. How often do we tweak it by adding or taking away from it in order to appeal to a wider audience. As Paul Washer so often puts it, this Gospel of ours is a scandal and therein lies the power of it. I seriously feel it is ludicrous for us to think we should help God make His message more acceptable to carnal men, to pander to their sinful desires and lusts. I mean come on, is God so weak and feeble that unless we help Him with a bit of PR no one would come to Him?

Secondly, Paul tells Timothy to not be ashamed of him, a prisoner. While alluding to both his status as a prisoner of Christ as well as a prisoner of Caesar, the statement is clear. Do we despise men who preach the hard truths? Do we rather prefer men who teach things that would tickle our ears and feed our selfish desires?

The third thing, and the one that really struck me today, was Paul's request for Timothy to "share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God". Are we not all then called to suffer for the Gospel's sake? So often we, myself included, would rather choose to sit back and relax. To take the easy rather than the hard path. And yet, Paul tells Timothy to share in his sufferings, by the power of God no less.

And Paul ends it off so beautifully, "I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed." And I know in whom I have believed, the Lord high and lifted up, the Lord mighty in battle. That is why I am not ashamed.