Weekend prayers and happenings

John Piper's granddaughter died as she came into this world this weekend. He writes about Felicity here. I love this man as he continually offers hope no matter in what situation. To quote one of my friends, "he is a pastor who truly lives up to his calling."

Had a good weekend with Jen, spent some time at Light of Life taping for my project this summer. Lord Willing it will be done in a few weeks. (yay)

I read this and thought that Driscoll summed up my walk with God... though I really need to work at the discipline and joy of conversing with God. (Prayer)

Functionally my devotional life is a bit mystical, like Jonathan Edwards' was, so it would make most charismatic Christians happy even though I've never spoken in tongues. I spend a lot of time in prayer, silence, solitude, study, and the other contemplative disciplines to hear from and connect with Jesus. I do believe that God is sovereign over all of life and the Holy Spirit will guide me through all of life as I walk in step with him. Corporately, however, I have struggled with how to more effectively implement prayer church wide. (Mark Driscoll pp. 169 from Confessions of a Reformission Rev.)

The first week on the job

So here I am sitting in an internet cafe that is just around the corner from my place for the summer. Last week was more of an eyeopener than anything else, being awoken and able to see certain prejudices and down casting thoughts upon the homeless of this city. (you can assume the homeless period.) That is really the first lesson... getting past those stigmas. The next is recognizing that my job this summer is not a job. It is a ministry. One of my 'duties' is to interact with the homeless and get to know them better, their needs, etc. All done in order to better understand how to preach the gospel to them. That's lesson number two. God demands that we glorify His name through ministering to one another- especially the down trodden and rejected of this world. If you need proof of that, look at Christ's example and how he interacted with tax collectors, prostitutes, and so on.

At the end of this month I am supposed to preach in the chapel ministry.. which is a very daunting task. I am very thankful for Dr. Duguid's guidance as I approach that date.

But as I part.. a thought to warm your hearts.

It is a great privilege to hear the gospel. You may smile and think there is nothing very great in it. The damned in hell know. Oh, what would they give if they could hear the gospel now? If they could come back and entertain but the shadow of a hope that they might escape from the wrath to come? The saved in heaven estimate this privilege at a high rate, for, having obtained salvation through the preaching of this gospel, they can never cease to bless their God for calling them by his word of truth. O that you knew it! On your dying beds the listening to a gospel sermon will seem another thing than it seems now.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

[HT] the Irish Calvinist

Light of Life Internship

Friday night, as I assisted Jen packing up her stuff for break, I received a phone call from the Light of Life Rescue Mission located in the Northside of Pittsburgh. Brenda, the director of volunteers, offered me a position working with the Samaritan Ministries Program. A little brief introduction to this ministry is found here. Light of Life is arguably one of the most successful missions in Pittsburgh that helps the homeless get back on their own feet, and many churches in the Iron City area respect the work that they do. One of my jobs would be to help these men and women become a part of the visible body of Christ.

Murray, Sovereign Grace, Duguid and Prayer

"'The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.' The whole earth is full of God's glory. The chief incentive in subduing the earth and the chief end to be promoted by it would have been the discovery and exhibition of the manifold wisdom and power of God. We know how intriguing, even to godless men, is the scientific quest, and how untiring are their labours to discover the secrets of what they call nature. How incomparably more intriguing and defeatlessly rewarding would have been the quest of sinless man when, at every step of his path and in every detail of progressive understanding, the marvels of the Creator's wisdom, power, goodness, righteousness, and lovingkindness would have broken in upon his heart and mind, and every new discovery, every additional conquest, would have given cause afresh for the adoration, 'O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches' (Psalm 104:24). We get a glimpse of the stupendous undertaking and the unspeakable glory of it all. We begin, perhaps, to understand a little of what culture should be. This is the culture that would have engaged and inspired man if he had been confirmed in his integrity. It would have been culture untiringly inspired by the apprehension of the Creator's glory and by the passion to apprehend and exalt that glory more. That our culture is so little inspired by that ideal is but proof that man has fallen. That any of this culture is found in the earth is proof of redemptive grace." – John Murray

The above is a quote taken from the Sovereign Grace Ministries Website, the beloved group of churches under the leadership of Mahaney. They are launching a worldview conference for those within their fellowship of which one of the keynote speakers is Dr. Iain Duguid. Should be enlightening for sure.

A prayer request - the beloved brothers from Christ Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sheridan Indiana had their congregational building burned down on Monday. My good buddy Gilbert is from that church where his dad is an elder. Please uphold these brothers and sisters in prayer.

prayer request:
Over the weekend Jen's church burnt down. No one was hurt in the fire, which is a huge praise. The congregation is hoping to rebuild their building in the same location. The church was there for over 80 years and has had a long testimony throughout the life of the Orthodox Presbyterian Chruch.

Luther on Prayer

When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes. Luther said, "Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish, or hope."

Prayer

The past few weeks I went on a mental journey trudging through a few quotes by my friend John Owen. He spoke to my heart which the Lord has used to convict me and remind me often (I was reminded of his words today as I heard the Word preached). Owen told me that, a man on his knees before the Almighty God, that he is and that alone.

How true a statement? We can read comments, posters on a person's character all we want. One of these posters would say, "character is when no one is watching." The truth be told that God is always watching, and before God there are two responses - either spiteful rebellion or loving submission.

I like how Edward Payson says it, (taken from The Threshold)
"We may judge of the state of our hearts by the earnestness of our prayers. You cannot make a rich man beg like a poor man; you cannot make a man that is full cry for food like one that is hungry: no more will a man who has a good opinion of himself, cry for mercy like one who feels that is is poor and needy. The symptoms of spiritual decline are like those which attend the decay of bodily health. It generally commences with loss of appetite, and a disrelish for spiritual food, prayer, reading the Scriptures, and devotional books. Whenever you perceive these symptoms, be alarmed, for your spiritual health is in danger; apply immediately to the great Physician for a cure.
The best means of keeping near to God is the prayer closet. Here the battle is won or lost. If a man begins to be impatient because his prayers for any blessings are not answered, it is a certain proof, that a self-righteous dependence on his own merits prevails in his heart to a great extent; for the language of impatience is, "I deserve the blessing: I had a right to expect that it would be bestowed, and it ought to have been bestowed ere this." It is evident that a man who feels that he deserves nothing, will never be impatient because he receives nothing; but will say, "I have nothing to complain of, I receive as much as I deserve." Again, when a man wonders, or thinks it strange, that he does not receive a blessing for which he has prayed, it shows he relies on his own own merits. The language of such feelings is, "It is very strange that I, who have prayed so well, and so long, and had so much reason to expect a blessing do not receive it." Persons who feel truly humble, on the contrary, are surprised, not when blessings are withheld, but when they are bestowed. It appears very strange and wonderful to them that God should bestow any favors on creatures, so unworthy as themselves, or pay and regard to prayers so polluted as their own. This is the temper to which every person must be brought before God will answer his prayers."