John Piper - How Does God Show Love?

Boasting in Weakness

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

To boast in weakness is an elusive honor reserved for broken men and women who have been rebuilt by grace. I find that I'm always searching around for some fragment of strength to boast in, always hoping for God to change his mind about showing his power in my weakness. I don't mind weaknesses as an addendum to a history of strength. As in, "And he did all of these in spite of his inability!...." But no, God isn't looking for a way around my weaknesses, but rather to magnify himself in them. The Bible is one long narrative of God's intention to bless the poor in spirit, to comfort those who mourn, to be with the contrite, to remember those who cry out for help, to deliver the prisoners, to heal the sick, to ransom the captives, to atone for the guilty, to resurrect the dead.

Help me, Lord Jesus to boast in my weaknesses. Help me to love your glory more than my own--to run forward risking all and giving all for you, all the while admitting that I have nothing to offer that you don't first give, then empower, then sustain, then preserve, then render eternally useful. Jesus, keep me near your cross of power in weakness, glory in shame, hope in death. And make my boast only in you.

Jerry Bridges - Anything on the horizon that could threaten our understa...

Unless....

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24
Listen to John Piper on Radical Christan Sacrifice:
How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice (Session VII) : Together for the Gospel


Lord, help me to die to myself, to all selfish dreams, and desires, and demands, so that I can bear much fruit for your glory.

Prodigal: An Animation

Lord, keep me amazed at grace.

Sunday Morning Prayer

Lord, we will gather as your people today, indwelt by your Spirit, hungering for your Word, anticipating the edifying blessing of your gifts, given to us to serve one another. Enliven our praises with a vision of your glory through the eyes of faith. Show us the glory of the gospel--give us a sight of Calvary and may our hears burst with joy and gratefulness. As we share communion may we feel the comforting assurance and shocking sacrifice of your death. Fix our hopes on heaven and purify our cravings for this world. As we listen to your Word, comfort the grieving, strengthen the weary, seek the lost, gather the wandering, redirect our hearts to you. Be our Shepherd, and lead us to green pastures and still waters in your presence.

Waiting on the Lord

I'm grateful for David, the shepherd-king, for many reasons. Like many Christians I have been grateful for his example of trust in the Lord, of passionate worship, of constant prayer, of broken confession. I'm also grateful for something that he has taught me again and again from the last few verses of Psalm 27. "Wait on the Lord."
What does it mean to wait on the Lord? My heart prefers self-important busyness or self-indulgent laziness. But waiting on the Lord indicates a readiness to move when the Lord speaks, combined with an admission of dependance on the Lord's strength and guidance. Waiting on the Lord means that I do not issue my own orders, but follow his. It means I have no strength of my own but must glory in his. It means that I cannot live without prayer. It means that I live in constant need of the Lord's sustaining grace and guiding Word. It means that the Lord is my rock and my salvation--that I am neither rock-like nor a champion, but rather a weary pilgrim in need of heavenly rest.

Lord, teach me to wait on you. Teach me to be always ready to move at your command, but equally content to stay in my current circumstance at your order. Let my "heart take courage" as I "wait on the Lord."

To See the Glory

In 2 Corinthians 4 Paul speaks of a darkness that has passed over the minds of every person in the world. The darkness is like a veil that keeps us from seeing true glory--the glory that is present in the person of Jesus Christ. When God sends his gospel into our hearts the darkness is pierced, the veil is torn, the scales of sin and unbelief falls from our eyes and we see Jesus Christ with eyes of faith. This sight is granted only by the mercy of a Sovereign Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is this sight that takes place at regeneration---a sight we return to every time we open up our Bible and lift our voice in prayer for the Holy Spirit to illuminate the glory of our Savior. As Christians this seeing is a never ending quest. We have seen, we are longing to see, and we will see more and more of his glory for eternity. It is only the sight of Jesus Christ--Lord, Savior, Judge, Lion, and Lamb that rouses us from our deadly blindness and ushers us into the beauty of true eternal glory.
Lord--open my eyes that I may see your glory.

The Gospel in Exodus

I've been trying to read the "real" Bible to my daughter. We've enjoyed her children's Bibles but she seems old enough to "almost" make her way though the text itself. Thankfully, she is very patient with my inconsistency and somehow keeps in mind where we left off last.

Right now we are in Exodus--and the Israelites just crossed the Red Sea. The Gospel has been shining through this deliverance story as I've read to her about God's power of judgment being displayed in the Egyptians. What amazes me is that this same destructive power was displayed in my deliverance as well. Only, for me, the object was not a cruel human ruler or nation. Rather--the overwhelming power of judgment was poured out on God, in the person of His Son. The same "mighty hand" was shown in my salvation, but it was unleashed against Jesus Christ and I was brought through the waters of judgement on the dry ground of costly grace onto the shore of my salvation.

He was wounded for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. By His wounds we are healed.

Lord--show me the cost of my salvation.