The poker-playing dogs, immortalized in the famous paintings by Cassius Coolidge, announced last week that they have repented of their former ways and have replaced their Friday night poker game with a Wednesday night Bible study. Laddie (left), top dog of the study group, hopes that their new painting, “Dogs Reading Scripture,” will make them role models for other dogs caught in the vicious cycle of canine gambling. Says the collie leader, “Our next goal is to stop drinking out of the toilet.” . . . .
He died last Sunday. Yet he had a tremendous impact on a couple who decided to walk by faith, and show their love in the most difficult of circumstances.
This is quite a disturbing article about the Chinese totalitarian state and how it is trying to maanipulate gender balance. Intentional or not, this causes skyrocking and disturbing abortion rates. In the wake of these practices it appears all moral conscience ragarding abortions has evaporated from the people in China.
This is an article you may want to put on your corkboard.
Some excellent counsel from John Piper to the pastoral staff at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Read the whole article here.
1. Let’s avoid gossiping. 2. Let’s identify evidences of grace in each other and speak them to each other and about each other. 3. Let’s speak criticism directly to each other if we feel the need to speak to others about it. 4. Let’s look for, and assume, the best motive in the other’s viewpoint, especially when we disagree. 5. Think often of the magnificent things we hold in common. 6. Let’s be more amazed that we are forgiven than that we are right. And in that way, let’s shape our relationships by the gospel. ... ... .. .
Kevin DeYoung encourages us to examine our entertainment habits and make intentional evaluations as to what the implications of our choices mean to our spiritual growth.
It’s Friday Jesus is praying Peter’s a sleeping Judas is betraying But Sunday’s comin’
It’s Friday Pilate’s struggling The council is conspiring The crowd is vilifying They don’t even know That Sunday’s comin’
It’s Friday The disciples are running Like sheep without a shepherd Mary’s crying Peter is denying But they don’t know That Sunday’s a comin’
It’s Friday The Romans beat my Jesus They robe him in scarlet They crown him with thorns But they don’t know That Sunday’s comin’
It’s Friday See Jesus walking to Calvary His blood dripping His body stumbling And his spirit’s burdened But you see, it’s only Friday Sunday’s comin’
It’s Friday The world’s winning People are sinning And evil’s grinning
It’s Friday The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands To the cross They nail my Savior’s feet To the cross And then they raise him up Next to criminals
It’s Friday But let me tell you something Sunday’s comin’
It’s Friday The disciples are questioning What has happened to their King And the Pharisees are celebrating That their scheming Has been achieved But they don’t know It’s only Friday Sunday’s comin’
It’s Friday He’s hanging on the cross Feeling forsaken by his Father Left alone and dying Can nobody save him? Ooooh It’s Friday But Sunday’s comin’
It’s Friday The earth trembles The sky grows dark My King yields his spirit
It’s Friday Hope is lost Death has won Sin has conquered and Satan’s just a laughin’
It’s Friday Jesus is buried A soldier stands guard And a rock is rolled into place
But it’s Friday It is only Friday Sunday is a comin’!
I never get tired of hearing this. I heard this first about 5 years ago as an insert to a sermon, and have treasured it since. Since then I have seen a couple of "video-ized" versions of it - this is a nice one. What is this? It is a version of a wonderful prayer given in 1976 by Dr. S.M. Lockridge (1913-2000), a great preacher of that time. It is classic.
He IS RISEN!!
Here is the full transcript... "My King" - Dr. S.M. Lockridge
My King was born King.
The Bible says He's a Seven Way King. He's the King of the Jews -- that's a racial King. He's the King of Israel -- that's a national King. He's the King of righteousness. He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that's my King. Well I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him?
Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King?
David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork. My King is the only one whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shoreless supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing.
He's God's Son. He's the sinner's savior. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He's august. He's unique. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's supreme. He's pre-eminent.
Well, He's the loftiest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the supreme problem in higher criticism. He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology. He's the cardinal necessity of spiritual religion. That's my King.
He's the miracle of the age. He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him.
Well, He's the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He's strong God and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharges debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him?
Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. He's the Master of the mighty. He's the Captain of the conquerors. He's the Head of the heroes. He's the Leader of the legislators. He's the Overseer of the overcomers. He's the Governor of governors. He's the Prince of princes. He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords.
That's my King. Yeah. Yeah. That's my King. My King, yeah.
His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He's indescribable. He's indescribable. Yeah!
I'm trying to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explain Him. You can't get Him out of your mind. You can't get Him off of your hand. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him.
Well, Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him. Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree. Herod couldn't kill Him. Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him.
That's my King. Yeah!
He always has been and He always will be. I'm talking about He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There was nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not gonna resign. That's my King! That's my King!
Thine, Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it's God's power. Thine is the power.
Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever and ever and ever.
How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the forevers, then, Amen.
It's a silly title, but a serious topic. A lot of Christians get messed up without a solid biblical understanding of the will of God. And, as this post points out from Team Pyro, there are some dangerous false teachings out there that should be set straight. Dan Phillips does a good job in that with this blogpost.
It's Atheism, and, if you haven't noticed, they are getting more vocal and more visible. Now there are billboards. Soon there will be ads on TV (next to the Methodists and the Mormons) encouraging all to feel "not alone" in our "non-theism."
The article states, "In more recent findings, the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) found that the percentage of Americans claiming no religion jumped from 8.2 percent in 1990 to 14.2 in 2001, and increased to 15 percent in 2008."
It's easy to get angry at or be discouraged by this group, but stand back, Christian, and think of how miserable and lonely they really are. Can you pray that they will have their hearts softened, minds opened, and that the Holy Spirit would do a great work among them? That is my prayer.
But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful – 2 Samuel 11:1b-2 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. – 2 Samuel 12:9 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How bad does it have to get before God gets your attention in your sin? How long will it take to realize you have to confess and repent, to begin the healing? When will this all end? Those are some of the questions I think about when reading the story of David and Bathsheba. David is such a model of how sin, unchecked, can have a deadly snowball effect. Evil progressed from laziness, to coveting with the eyes, to adultery, to cover-up, lying and deceit, and finally to murder. It’s disturbing to know how sin progressed in such a forceful and wicked way. If only David had a trusted confidant who could have nipped this digression in the bud. “David, why aren’t you with the soldiers? David, stop looking at that woman bathing over there.”
What a great prayer that Pastor Chris has for his kids, that if they do something wrong while at school, that they would get caught. That got a few chuckles in church, mine included, but later I realized that that is such a loving and right prayer. Expose the wrong acts of my beloved children (and me), Lord, that it may not progress into increased unresolved sin! Destroy the sin snowball at the top of the hill, God.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
This is a subject where real Christians of varying flavors differ greatly in belief and application. Here is some good material to consider for you Parents, Sunday school teachers, and VBS vols.
The poker-playing dogs, immortalized in the famous paintings by Cassius Coolidge, announced last week that they have repented of their former ways and have replaced their Friday night poker game with a Wednesday night Bible study. Laddie (left), top dog of the study group, hopes that their new painting, “Dogs Reading Scripture,” will make them role models for other dogs caught in the vicious cycle of canine gambling. Says the collie leader, “Our next goal is to stop drinking out of the toilet.”
