Hearing David Brainerd Pray

This is how Jonathan Edwards described his experience of listening to David Brainerd pray:

We enjoyed not only the benefit of his conversation, but had the comfort and advantage of hearing him pray in the family, from time to time.  His manner of praying was very agreeable; most becoming a worm of the dust, and a disciple of Christ, addressing an infinitely great and holy God, and Father of mercies; not with florid expressions, or a studied eloquence; not with any intemperate vehemence, or indecent boldness.  It was at the greatest distance from any appearance of ostentation, and from everything that might look as though he meant to recommend himself to those that were about him, or set himself off to their acceptance.  It was free also from vain repetitions, without impertinent excursions, or needless multiplying of words.  He expressed himself with the strictest propriety, with weight, and pungency; and yet what his lips uttered seemed to flow from the fullness of his heart, as deeply impressed with a great and solemn sense of our necessities, unworthiness, and dependence, and of God's infinite greatness, excellency, and sufficiency, rather than merely from a warm and fruitful brain, pouring out good expressions.

And I know not that ever I heard him so much as ask a blessing or return thanks at table but there was something remarkable to be observed both in the matter and manner of the performance.  In his prayers, he insisted much on the prosperity of Zion, the advancement of Christ's kingdom in the world, and the flourishing and propagation of religion among the Indians.  And he generally made it one petition in his prayer, "that we might not outlive our usefulness."

— The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, p. 349 —

The Romans Rover is rolling — you on board?

From "Dispatches From the Front;" some quotes from an article by David Hosaflook titled "Yonder Village."

________________

The Romans Rover is stuffed with soteriological treasure, but it is designed for travel - preferably off road. The front bumper says, "Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ!" (Romans 1:21); the back bumper says, "Unreached Territory or Bust!" (Romans 15:20).   

Paul taught us that the essence of missions is going places where Christ is not already named (Rom. 15:20).  

Roughly 35% of the world has no access to the gospel. I'm talking about the 2,400,000,000 people who couldn't find a Christian if they tried.  How many mission workers are targeting them? It's less than 5%!  

Five measly percent is a yawn in the face of the Great Commissioner, a shrug at the plight of the damned. It's tantamount to telling the unreached to go to Hell.  

Our main problem isn't fear. Christ is not our life (Phil. 1:21). We're self-absorbed. Distracted. Apathetic. Unimpressed at the stunning honor of fulfilling biblical prophecies. Passionate about anything other than the harvest fields of unreached souls - unreached not because they're unreachable, but because we've chosen not to reach them.  

The Romans Rover is warmed up and ready to roll. Jesus is driving. The ride won't be smooth. But there's a seat with your name all over it. You in?

The Christian's Call To Courage

From Gurnall's January 1 devotional (it's a day late, but still worthy of great attention!):

Who among us has not learned from his own experience that it requires another spirit than the world can give to follow Christ fully.

________

All may have a desire to be successful soldiers, but few have the courage and determination to grapple with the difficulties that accost them on the way to victory.

They preferred the bondage of Pharaoh to the promised blessings of the Lord.

How many part with Christ at the crossroads of suffering! When put to the test, they quickly grow sick of the journey and refuse to endure for Christ.

They will content themselves with their own stagnant cisterns and leave the Water of Life for others who will venture farther for it.

Who among us has not learned from his own experience that it requires another spirit than the world can give to follow Christ fully.

Let  this exhort you, then, Christian, to petition God for the holy determination and bravery you must have to follow Christ. Without it you cannot be what you profess.

Dare to be holy in spite of men and devils.
________
From "The Christian in Complete Armour: Daily readings in spiritual warfare."  William Gurnall. Edited by James S. Bell Jr.
ISBN-10: 0-8024-1177-0

Lamp Mode Videos

The brothers at Lamp Mode Recordings have been making some excellent videos recently.  Here are a few that really stood out to me:


 Worthy is the Lamb





Tell Em All





Brand New

The battle-scarred Bible is now in God's hands

It began as a pretty uneventful night for street evangelism. Emmanuel and I were passing out tracks across from the Target store on 9th and Nicollet. After a few minutes I felt inclined to get up on the concrete bench and begin reading scripture. That's when everything changed.

After a couple of minutes I noticed a hooded figure moving toward me. I turned away from it and kept reading. Next thing I knew it was standing next to me and cursing me. It was some guy dressed up in a morbid attire, like some kind of zombie or something, and he was drunk and angry. I kept reading with my back to him. Then, some street girls who had been sitting nearby listening began to intercede and tell him to back off. Finally he did so. So I kept reading God's Word out loud.

I then noticed that just behind me were some other street people who looked like a group of the downtown alcoholics we see frequently. As I read the scriptures one of them became very vocal and started shouting obscenities  and threats at me. Emmanuel interceded and was talking to him in his very calm demeanor. But the guy was really, really angry. I have to admit the threats were getting to me, and I noticed my Bible was trembling in my hands. Then, another young woman interceded. She too had been sitting nearby and was listening, and she began telling the guy to quiet down because she wanted to hear what I was reading, and she repeatedly threatened to call the police.

Finally, the guy calmed down or left. I'm not sure which because about that time an old drunk in a wheel chair came around in front of me and started talking to me. For a while I kept on reading, thinking it was just another distraction of the enemy. But, gradually it became apparent that he really wanted to talk. His name is Juan.

So, I stopped proclaiming the Word, and got down on one knee to listen more closely to what he was saying. Between my bad ears and Juan's garbled talk I missed a lot at first, but I was picking up signs of a real desire to talk. So at that point I sat down and began a conversation with Juan.

Well, Juan's questions were all over the board - smatterings of religious ideas and Bible stories, from long ago perhaps. I took advantage of that to take Juan to the word and share gospel truths
with him. I opened my Bible to various passages and placed it before him so he could follow along as I read them to him. I was emboldened to talk straight up to him and tell him he needed to turn his life over to Jesus Christ. It was unclear how much was getting through, but he continued to act as though engaged.

At one point I asked him if he wanted to be saved, to be born again, and know Jesus Christ as his savior. He said he did. So I asked if I could pray for him. He said yes. So, both Emmanuel and I laid our hands on Juan and I prayed for him. I prayed that God would help him to choose Christ, that God would help him to repent, and bring him into being born again. After that, we continued to talk. Although, I didn't see any signs of dramatic change, Juan did seem to become more personally engaged in the conversation.

Well, here was Juan, a 65 year old drunk in a wheel chair. One arm missing from hopping trains. Both feet bandaged from lost toes due to frost bite and living on the street. I was very bold and spoke directly with him about his need for Christ, and told him that he needed to genuinely cry out to Him for salvation.

At one point I asked him where he stayed at night. He said he slept outdoors. I asked him if he needed a blanket. He said yes. So, I called another friend on my cell phone who was also downtown working with us, and asked him if he would bring one of the two blankets from his car that I'd brought that night. While the brother was on his way, Juan asked if we had a Bible we could give him.

Emmanuel handed him his little Bible, but I could see that the type was way too small for his old eyes (too small for mine too!). It occurred to me that my Bible had about the right size type for Juan to read. So I quickly cleaned it out and gave it to him, leather zip cover and all.

This is the same Bible I had with me at the "Zombie Pub Crawl," an evangelism outreach I had participated in with a group of believers from our church over a year ago. Once a year local bars in Minneapolis host this event, inviting their patrons to dress up as zombies and move from bar to bar on a wild drinking binge. While standing on a temporary lamp post, proclaiming God's Word at that event, my street Bible got beer and fake blood splattered on some of its pages from disgruntled drunken "zombies" who had climbed up to share the lamp post I was standing on. It also had a "Don't Waste Your Life" a sticker on the leather cover. It was a well-used Bible with notations and underlinings on many of its pages. It was an old battle-worn friend of sorts. But, I felt like love demanded it this night. And, where love's expression is the cause, there is no loss.

Only time will tell if God is really getting hold of old Juan. One of our other evangelists said he'd also spoken with him in recent weeks, and on that occasion he had been hostile to the gospel. But, this night was different. Juan was asking questions about whether God would take him back after he'd turned away from him so many years ago. I assured him that God would do so, but that he needed to repent of his sin and cry out to God for help. My heart went out to him. Juan seemed to me to be on the last leg of his journey in this world and not far from facing God and eternity. I pray that God in his great mercy will give Juan to Jesus to be one of the sheep of his pasture.

Time to look for a new street Bible :D

Blessings brothers!

Dave Englund

The Easy Yoke

I wanted to share some very blessed words from Puritan preacher Nathaniel Vincent regarding Matt. 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." This selection is titled, "The Easy Yoke," and comes from a devotional called Day By Day With The English Puritans.

Since Christ is so compassionate, surely it is unreasonable to quarrel at and refuse to submit unto his yoke? The yoke of such a merciful one must be an easy yoke, and his burden a light burden (Matthew 11:30). The kingdom of heaven is like a marriage and as the wife’s subjection unto a tender and indulgent husband is sweet and pleasant, so, and much more pleasant is the believer’s subjection unto Christ.

Ungodly ones are strangely prejudiced against the scepter and government of Jesus; but indeed it is without cause. They say, "We will not have this Lord to reign over us." It is a mercy to be translated into the kingdom, for then you are freed from other lords, which are so imperious, so cruel, and will reward with death all the service you do for them. All the precepts of Christ are for your profit and he forbids you nothing but what he sees will harm you.

I think that at the reading of this, the most stubborn should yield and say, "We stood outside against the Lord of life, but it was upon a mistake; we did not think his service was so near a kin to freedom; we once imagined his commands grievous, therefore we cast them behind our backs, but now they are to be esteemed above gold, nay, the finest gold, and are sweeter than the honey and honeycomb."

(Day By Day With The English Puritans, Randall J. Pederson, p.23)

Fighting Joylessness With the Sword of the Spirit

You know those moments where you just feel sort of empty?—like the joy and peace of God has left, and there's this restless feeling?

Well, the Lord has been doing a work in me of Scripture memorization (something I have almost never done in my Christian life until 6 months ago), and so, there have been multiple times where when I feel this way I just decide to start reciting my memorized passages (in my head or out loud), even though it feels like empty and dead words (at first!) and I'm not motivated to do it.

But just about every time I can recall (like tonight!), the Lord takes me from a place of empty joylessness to genuine, heartfelt joy and peace in Him!

I have been amazed at what the power of the Word can do! Scripture memorization and recitation was not even a part of my life until this year, and it appears to me to be such a wellspring of blessedness that I continue to find new, hidden treasures in as I dig deeper and continue further in this discipline.

So, brothers and sisters, are you feeling restless and empty? Then take up the sword of the Spirit and fight sins like joyless with the memorized Word of God!

Here are a few practical things I would recommend:

• Have a set time everyday (even just 3 minutes like I do before I clock in at work) where you recite your current passage, as well as keep up with old ones.
• Have a pocket New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs that you carry with you at all times. (This will help tremendously!)
• Let your sword grow large with long passages (like whole Psalms or chapters), and you will eventually begin to see things in the Scriptures that you never even noticed before.

May the Lord bless you in this life-changing endeavor!

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.—Ephesians 6:17

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.—Psalm 119:11 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.—Hebrews 4:12

More of Christ!!!

Listen to this song from Lecrae's newest album, Rehab: The Overdose. This should be the anthem of Christian Hedonism!

Wisdom for Life

The Book of Proverbs—Is it just a book of good wisdom?

I have been richly blessed in my recent study of this book. I have found that chapters 1-9 serve as an introduction to the book, while chapters 10-29 contain the actual proverbs (followed by some short sayings of Agur and King Lemuel, and ending with the beauty of the Proverbs 31 woman or "excellent wife").

It's so refreshing to read through these introductory chapters and see someone showing some seriousness about the things of God (in light of the ever-so-flippant world around us)! In it we find a deeply loving and earnest appeal to his "son" to "get wisdom" and save his soul, avoiding the path of wickedness and folly and choosing the way of righteousness and life. Hover over these references to get an idea of how the introduction is addressed: Proverbs 1:8, 2:1-5, 3:1, 3:11-12, 3:21-22, 4:1-2, 4:10-11, 4:20-23, 5:1-2, 6:20-22, 7:1-3, 7:24.

Then, in light of this introductory charge to be a man of God, we come to the long lists of proverbs and sayings of the wise. As I read through these short sayings, I noticed many reoccurring themes throughout the book—humility, hard work, being slow to speak, and disciplining your children to highlight a few.

I hope that some of you who read this will be inspired by God to do your next study in the book of Proverbs and experience the same blessings that I have. Below is the list of some of the themes that I encountered in the book, which I would encourage you to meditate on if there are certain topics of particular interest to you.

The Fear of the Lord
Proverbs 1:7, 2:3-5, 8:13, 9:10, 10:27, 14:2, 14:26-27, 15:16, 15:33, 16:6, 19:23, 22:4, 23:17, 24:21, 28:14, 31:30

The Sovereignty of God
Proverbs 16:1, 16:4, 16:9, 16:33, 19:14, 19:21, 20:24, 21:1, 21:30-31

Humility vs. Pride
Proverbs 11:2, 15:33, 16:5, 16:18-19, 18:12, 21:4, 21:24, 22:4, 25:27, 26:12, 27:2, 29:23

Receiving Rebuke & Instruction
Proverbs 12:1, 12:15, 13:10, 13:18, 15:5, 15:10, 15:31-32, 17:10, 19:20, 19:25, 19:27, 25:12, 27:6, 28:23, 29:1

The Blessing of a Godly Wife
Proverbs 18:22, 19:14, 31:10-12

The Curse of an Ungodly Wife
Proverbs 12:4, 14:1, 19:13, 21:9, 21:19, 25:24, 27:15-16

The Joy of a Wise Son, the Grief of a Foolish Son
Proverbs 10:1, 10:5, 13:1, 15:5, 15:20, 17:21, 17:25, 19:13, 23:15-16, 23:24-25, 28:7, 29:3, 29:17, 30:17

Discipline Your Children
Proverbs 13:24, 19:18, 20:30, 22:6, 22:15, 23:13-14, 29:15, 29:17

Working Hard vs. Being a Sluggard
Proverbs 12:11, 12:24, 13:4, 14:23, 18:9, 19:24, 20:13, 21:25-26, 22:13, 24:27, 24:30-34, 26:13, 26:14-16, 28:19

Patience vs. Haste
Proverbs 14:29, 15:18, 16:32, 19:2, 21:5, 25:15, 29:11

Overlooking an Offense
Proverbs 12:16, 17:9, 17:14, 19:11

Good Company vs. Bad
Proverbs 13:20, 14:7, 18:24, 22:24-25, 24:1, 24:21, 28:7

Seek Counsel
Proverbs 15:22, 20:18, 24:6

Be Slow to Speak
Proverbs 10:19, 11:12-13, 12:23, 13:3, 15:1, 15:28, 17:27-28, 18:2, 18:6-8, 18:13, 18:21, 21:23, 25:15, 29:20

Be Generous to the Poor
Proverbs 11:24-25, 14:21, 14:31, 19:17, 21:13, 21:26, 22:9, 28:27, 29:7, 31:8-9, 31:20

Wisdom and Health
Proverbs 12:25, 13:12, 14:30, 15:13, 15:15, 15:30, 16:24, 17:22, 18:14

Seek Wisdom, Not Wealth
Proverbs 16:16, 22:1, 23:4-5, 28:20

The Hole in Our Holiness

I recently read a blog post by pastor Kevin DeYoung called The Hole in Our Holiness. Kevin's observations about the lack of concern for holiness in our churches were strikingly on-point. Here is the text of the article:

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I have a growing concern that younger evangelicals do not take seriously the Bible’s call to personal holiness. We are too at peace with worldliness in our homes, too at ease with sin in our lives, too content with spiritual immaturity in our churches.

God’s mission in the world is to save a people and sanctify his people. Christ died “that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:15). We were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4). Christ “loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her…so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27). Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

J.C. Ryle, the Bishop of Liverpool from the nineteenth century, was right: “We must be holy, because this is one grand end and purpose for which Christ came into the world…Jesus is a complete Saviour. He does not merely take away the guilt of a believer’s sin, He does more–He breaks its power (1 Pet. 1:2; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 12:10).” My fear is that as we rightly celebrate, and in some quarters rediscover, all that Christ saved us from, we will give little thought and make little effort concerning all that Christ saved us to.

The pursuit of holiness does not occupy the place in our hearts that it should. There are several reasons for the relative neglect of personal holiness.

1) It was too common in the past to equate holiness with abstaining from a few taboo practices like drinking, smoking, and dancing. In a previous generation godliness meant you didn’t do these things. Younger generations have little patience for these sorts of rules. They either don’t agree with the rules or they figure they’ve got those bases covered so there’s not much else to worry about.

2) Related to the first reason is the fear that a passion for holiness makes you some kind of weird holdover from a bygone era. As soon as you talk about swearing or movies or music or modesty or sexual purity or self-control or just plain godliness people get nervous that others will call them legalistic, or worse, a fundamentalist.

3) We live in a culture of cool, and to be cool means you differentiate yourself from others. That has often meant pushing the boundaries with language, with entertainment, with alcohol, and with fashion. Of course, holiness is much more than these things, but in an effort to be hip many Christians have figured holiness has nothing to do with these things. They’ve willingly embraced Christian freedom, but they’ve not earnestly pursued Christian virtue.

4) Among more liberal Christians a radical pursuit of holiness is often suspect because any talk of right and wrong behaviors feels judgmental and intolerant. If we are to be “without spot or blemish” it necessitates we distinguish between what sort of attitudes, actions, and habits are pure and what sort are impure. This sort of sorting gets you in trouble with the pluralism police.

5) Among conservative Christians there is sometimes the mistaken notion that if we are truly gospel-centered we won’t talk about rules or imperatives or exhort Christians to moral exertion. To be sure, there is a rash of moralistic teaching out there, but sometimes we go to the other extreme and act as if the Bible shouldn’t advise our morals at all. We are so eager not to confuse indicatives and imperatives (a point I’ve made many times) that if we’re not careful we’ll drop the imperatives altogether. We’ve been afraid of words like diligence, effort, and obedience. We’ve downplayed verses that call us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), or command us to cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1), or warn against even a hint of immorality among the saints (Eph. 5:3).

I find it telling that you can find plenty of young Christians today who are really excited about justice and serving in their communities. You can find Christians fired up about evangelism. You can find lots of Generation XYZ believers passionate about precise theology. Yes and amen to all that. But where are the Christians known for their zeal for holiness? Where is the corresponding passion for honoring Christ with Christlike obedience? We need more Christian leaders on our campuses, in our cities, in our seminaries who will say with Paul, “Look carefully then how you walk”? (Eph. 5:15).

When is the last time we took a verse like Ephesians 5:4–“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving”–when is the last time we took a verse like this and even began to try to apply this to our conversation, our joking, our movies, our you tube clips, our t.v. and commercial intake? The fact of the matter is if you read through the New Testament epistles you will find very few explicit commands that tell us to evangelize and very few explicit commands that tell us to take care of the poor in our communities, but there are dozens and dozens of verses in the New Testament that enjoin us, in one way or another, to be holy as God is holy (e.g., 1 Peter 1:13-16).

I do not wish to denigrate any of the other biblical emphases capturing the attention of younger evangelicals. But I believe God would have us be much more careful with our eyes, our ears, and our mouth. It’s not pietism, legalism, or fundamentalism to take holiness seriously. It’s the way of all those who have been called to a holy calling by a holy God.

Parent Me

Check out this video for the song "Parent Me" from Json's album City Lights. This is a very well-made video for a song that has really convicted me, particularly the third verse in the song.

In Love With God

     The greatest commandment in all of Scripture is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

     In Love With God—this is the thought that overwhelmed me as I was listening to a song by Kari Jobe called “My Beloved.” “Come away with me” the lyrics went. I so long for this deep, deep love of God; this real and rich relationship that keeps us seeking more of him. Something greater, something deeper, something purer than simply being joyful in God. It's something more than anything the world has known. Perhaps you have known something of a comparison if you have ever been in love with a person. When a heart is in love, the heart becomes heavy with love. The mind also becomes consumed with thoughts of this person. There is a new richness in life—a brightness, a fullness, a hope. Where there once existed dullness and drudgery, there is now energy and passion.

     The Bible says, “Let love be genuine … Love one another with brotherly affection” (Romans 13:9-10), and “love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22). So if our love for people is to be with affection, then of course our love for God is to be also. We are warned in the Bible about our love growing cold (Mathew 24:12), our love being lukewarm (Revelation 3:16), and forsaking our first love (Revelation 2:4). There is a true love in the true Christian; a love that involves deep passions and hot affections.

     I don't experience this love nearly as much as I would like to. Oftentimes my heart is dull, and I disappoint my divine Love by my weak love. But my heart has indeed been captured by his love. And being thus captured, I simply cannot move on to anything or anyone else. My life has become a continual looking to him and a seeking after him. This love keeps me strong; it keeps me from sin; it keeps me faithful to him.

     The Great Love in the Death of Christ—this is where my thoughts will close—that the love of the Son of God is so great, that he shed his blood on a cross for my soul. Consider this closing verse:

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”—2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Itinerant Ministry in the Book of Acts

Recently as I was reading the Book of Acts, it really caught my attention how the apostles did their ministry in the places they went. I noticed several patterns in each city. These patterns include things like public evangelism, open-air preaching, speaking in synagogues, lodging with believers, proclaiming the Word of God with boldness, and the active involvement of the Holy Spirit. It is such a blessing to get to study the biblical example of real, Spirit-led ministry since we live in a Church age of such falsehood, hypocrisy, and man-led ministry. Oftentimes I find myself saying in my disappointment, "I just want the real thing." I pray you will be blessed by seeing both the power and the simplicity of the ministry of the early apostles.

*****

Samaria: Philip – Acts 8:4-25

• "Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ" (8:5)
• "the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did" (8:6)
• "unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed" (8:7)
• "there was much joy in that city" (8:8)

Damascus: Paul – Acts 9:19-22

• "For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus" (9:19)
• "immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues" (9:20)
• "all who heard him were amazed" (9:21)
• "Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ" (9:22)

Jerusalem: Paul – Acts 9:26-30

• "he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord" (9:28)
• "he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists" (9:29)

Cyprus: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 13:4-12

• "being sent out by the Holy Spirit" (13:4)
• "they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews" (13:5)
• "they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos" (13:6)

Antioch: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 13:13-52

• "on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue" (13:14)
• "the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath" (13:42)
• "many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas" (13:43)
• "The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord" (13:44)
• "Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly" (13:46)
• "as many as were appointed to eternal life believed" (13:48)
• "the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region" (13:49)
• "they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium" (13:51)
• "the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (13:52)

Iconium: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 14:1-7

• "they entered together into the Jewish synagogue" (14:1)
• "spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed" (14:1)
• "they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands" (14:3)

Thessalonica: Paul & Silas – Acts 17:1-9

• "they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews" (17:1)
• "Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures" (17:2)
• "explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead" (17:3)
• "some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women" (17:4)
• "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also" (17:6)

Athens: Paul – Acts 17:16-34

• "his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols" (17:16)
• "he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there" (17:17)

Corinth: Paul – Acts 18:1-17

• "they were tentmakers by trade" (18:3)
• "he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks" (18:4)
• "Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus" (18:5)
• "many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized" (18:8)
• "he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them" (18:11)

Ephesus: Apollos – Acts 18:24-26

• "being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John" (18:25)
• "began to speak boldly in the synagogue" (18:26)

Achaia: Apollos – Acts 18:27-28

• "he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus" (18:28)

Ephesus: Paul – Acts 19:1-10

• "he entered the synagogue" (19:8)
• "for three months spoke boldly" (19:8)
• "reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus" (19:9)
• "continued for two years so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord" (19:10)

Macedonia & Greece: Paul – Acts 20:1-12

• "he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement" (20:2)
• "he spent three months" (20:3)

Tyre: Paul – Acts 21:3-4

• "having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days" (21:4)

Ptolemais: Paul – Acts 21:7

• "we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day" (21:7)

Caesarea: Paul – Acts 21:8-14

• "we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him" (21:8)
• "He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied" (21:9)

Jerusalem: Paul – Acts 21:15-23:30

• "some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge" (21:16)
• "When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly" (21:17)

Rome: Paul – Acts 28:11-30

• "he called together the local leaders of the Jews" (28:17)
• "From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets" (28:23)
• "He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him" (28:30)
• "proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (28:31)

Open-Air Preaching in the Book of Acts:

• Jerusalem (Pentecost): Peter – Acts 2:14-41
• Jerusalem (Solomon's Portico): Peter – Acts 3:12-26
• Lystra: Paul & Barnabas – Acts 14:14-18
• Athens: Paul – Acts 17:22-34
• Jerusalem: Paul – Acts 21:37-22:21

*****

Acts 8:4 - Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

Acts 8:40 - But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Acts 18:23 - After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Persevere Through The Wilderness

I'd like to share this poem to encourage those who have been walking in the wilderness. Recently the Lord assured me of my salvation in Him. I have struggled with doubt for a long time, but he helped me to persevere and was faithful in sustaining me during all of this. It was often very difficult through these years, but it was well worth it. I now know that salvation is for me, and I have a loving Father who will never leave me or forsake me. So, be encouraged to never give up, and keep seeking until you find Him. He is the greatest love of all!

It has been a long time in this fight of faith,
But you, God, sustained me with your beautiful grace.
You have protected me from satisfaction in stuff,
So to pursue and desire you, Lord, you are enough.

What is the point of this life, I would ask?
Surely not to go around trying on masks.
I did that enough, there must be more,
That life was full of sorrow behind every door.

Your cisterns are broken, will you stop digging?
Repent and believe so you'll be forgiven.
Why have we forsaken the Glorious One?
In a sin-filled world with Pagan fun.

Lord, I see it! The sin I committed.
The punishment, God, oh how I fit it.
But like the matrix, I can't go back!
Like a shepherd, you lead me back to the pack.

For so long, I've been stuck in the middle,
On fire at first, but that flame did dwindle.
My motive was wrong, jump on the wagon,
I wanted praise, something was lacking.

Yet you guided me to where I was,
Not because of my acts, but because of your love.
For a while, I isolated myself,
Self pity sunk in, I refused any help.

Now that was a scary place to be,
But as always, your grace carried me.
Many more things happened back then,
Having no desire, seemed like no friends.

But Lord, I heard you many times in the past,
I couldn't hang on, the memories did not last.
Kris told me that I need you all the time,
I felt bad asking, like it was a crime.

I didn't know that you wanted this for me,
I do need you all the time, not just a memory.
My desire then was sparked and ignited,
But I struggled with doubt, are we united?

In Chicago I heard the true gospel,
Preached in three parts, by Paul Washer.
After I heard what was the price,
How Jesus was the sacrifice.

With Issac there was a substitution,
But with God's holiness, there is no overlooking.
The provided lamb was to show what's to come,
God's wrath being poured out on his own Son.

Issac was saved, but the lamb was not,
The sacrifice was still needed, have we forgot!
The spotless lamb led to the slaughter,
And then was laid upon the alter.

Do you know what this story starts to depict?
I know what it means, I feel so sick.
When I was at church, I didn't want to confess,
That my sin was the cause of his death.

To think of how he suffered and died,
I could not bear it, I started to cry.
I don't want this. It costs way too much,
What am I leaning on? What is my crutch?

Peter said, "Lord you will never wash my feet!"
Jesus said, "If I don't, sin and death you can't beat."
As I took of the bread,
I just hung my head.

Then the cup poured out for me,
As I held it, I saw my need.
Now I see this part of the story,
Come, Lord Jesus, save me, please hurry.

Jesus did suffer but counted it joy,
That's why he was wrapped in flesh as a boy.
His life was planned, he willingly came,
Then he said, "No doubting, believe in my Name."

I am willing, oh Lord, this is what I desire,
As I drank of the cup, my sins are now covered.
Assurance and peace, I waited so long,
To be loved by the Lord and sing a new song.

The weight now is lifted, I feel so free,
The bible was right, salvation for me!
I have a new hope, my hope is in Christ,
And all that he accomplished with his sacrifice.

Not by my works, I saw how I would boast,
Now led by the Spirit, the Holy Ghost.
The Lord is so faithful, he said persevere,
He has never left me but has always been near.

And as I continue, I will seek after Thee,
Because nothing else, Lord, can satisfy me!
Fight the fight, never grow weary,
Even when it's hard and seems to get scary.

Pray that the Lord will give you rest,
And continue to persevere through the wilderness.

You Are Not A Goon!

Check out this music video for Json's new song "Goon" from his recent album titled City Lights. They shot the video in one of the worst neighborhoods in Chicago where many local residents thought they were crazy for hanging out that long in the area. Every time I listen to this song, I'm feeling it more and more!

(Note: a "goon" is a common street reference for a low-level gang member or drug dealer)

A Holy Passion From On High

There is a passion from God that can burn so fiercely in the souls of men that they cannot hold it in and, therefore, must express it verbally or through written words. They are increasingly weary of holding it in, lest they explode from holy zeal or sin against a holy God who is compelling them to speak. Jeremiah experienced this passion, as he describes in Jer. 20:8 -

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

I have also experienced this passion on a number of occasions. It is something that can either come upon you suddenly, or it can be built up over a period of time. When this passion comes upon you, there is nothing but God alone that can stop you from expressing it. All fear, anxiety, concerns about one’s reputation, and anything else that might hinder this passion from being expressed will all disintegrate in the blazing fires that are being experienced in the soul. It is a passion that is far above and beyond any other passion that one might experience, because the object that is fueling this passion is infinitely superior and more worthy of such zeal.

Preaching that comes out of such a passion as this is greatly superior to other varieties of preaching. First, a man consumed with holy zeal for God will speak about him in a manner that far better displays his greatness, holiness, love and other attributes to the audience. In my experience, people can really see the difference between men who preach accurately about God but without much passion and men who preach in a way that shows they have been deeply affected with the glorious realities they are speaking about. Secondly, those who are filled with a holy passion for God will be much less influenced by the desire to please men during their sermons. As I described above, this holy zeal for God completely consumes one’s soul, leaving no room left for the fear of man or a desire to please one’s audience. With God being the supreme object that is fueling this passion, the man who experiences a Jeremiah-like zeal in his heart will have his mind set fully on pleasing the LORD. Therefore, his sermon will best honor the LORD and will also be more beneficial to the audience insofar that the motive behind it would surely be to tell the people what the preacher thinks God wants them to hear rather than what would be pleasing to them.

In conclusion, brothers, I exhort you to pray for experiences of this all-consuming zeal that you may best glorify the amazing God that we serve, and that you may be of the most benefit to those who listen to you preach. Cut off the arm of the flesh in your preaching, brothers, and pray that God would equip you with the holy power that Paul describes in 1 Cor. 2:4-5 -

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

An Encouraging Promise

The book of James contains one of the most encouraging promises I've ever read in the Bible. Consider the following statement from James chapter 4:

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." (James 4:8)

This amazing Biblical promise can provide great encouragement for many different types of people. First, for the true Christian who desires (above all else) to be near to the Lord and to experience His glory, this is an absolute Holy Spirit-inspired promise that God will draw near to you if you draw near to Him. Now of course that doesn't mean God is just sitting there waiting to do our bidding and will come immediately whenever we want Him to, but it is a promise that He will not forsake those who continue to draw near to Him. And what I have found in my own experience is that the Lord is very merciful and many times will draw near to you without delay, especially when you really need to experience His presence.

For Christians who have grown distant from the Lord and greatly desire to be near to Him again, this statement is equally encouraging. Just as the persistent widow was eventually granted justice against her adversary (Luke 18), God will draw near to you and restore your intimate relationship with Him if you persist in seeking Him. From my own experience, this can certainly take a while, but it is infinitely worth it! And because it can be such a painful process to grow close to the Lord again, you are greatly motivated to not ever let this happen again!

Finally, for those who do not yet know the Lord, James 4:8 can provide great motivation to seek Him until He saves you. If you're someone who has been seeking to know God but hasn't found Him yet and are ready to give up, this is a promise that your efforts and perseverance will not be in vain if you continue to pursue the Lord with all your heart. Here are a few other verses that share this same truth:

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."
(Deut. 4:29)

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jer. 29:13)

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Mat. 7:7-8)

If you are someone who has never even attempted to find God, then be encouraged that the God who created the universe is real and He will be found by all who persevere in seeking Him. God created you to know Him and to be enthralled by His glory, and He desires for you to come home where you belong (1 Tim. 2:4).

Reflections on Psalm 119

I recently read Psalm 119—the longest and (I think) one of the best psalms of the book of Psalms. Here are some reflections that I would like to share:

1) 24 times in my Bible I underlined words and phrases where the Psalmist describes the law of God (or the commandments of God, the testimonies of God, the words of God, etc.) in terms of his delight, his love, his joy, the longing of his soul, or other such hedonistic phrases (verses 14, 16, 20, 24, 35, 47, 48, 70, 77, 92, 97, 103, 111, 113, 127, 129, 131, 159, 161, 162, 163, 165, 167, and 174). Now arises the question: "Why is it that the Psalmist finds so much pleasure in following the commands of and hearing the words of the LORD?" And I would suggest that the answer lies in how much pleasure he finds in the LORD Himself (His Person, His attributes, His fellowship, etc.). Think about that for a moment...

2) Consider Psalm 119:11...

"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

True love takes care not to offend, irritate, or dishonor another person. Just think about the relationship between a husband and wife. If the husband truly loves his wife and cares for her feelings, I think he will be taking strides to honor, cherish, and remember her out of the natural loving inclinations flowing from his heart.  A husband who does not truly love his wife will not have such natural tendencies, and will thus be prone to irritate, dishonor, and neglect her. So consider what true love for God looks like in light of what the Psalmist says in this verse. He takes a genuine care not to offend or dishonor ("sin against") the majesty of God. And one way that he does this is by knowing more of God (what He's like, who He is, and what He commands) through His Word ("I have stored up your word in my heart"). Do you find that you have an awareness of the feelings of God in your life and how your actions and attitude affect Him?

And let me just add something that has blessed me much with regard to how we should approach the Word of God. Psalm 119:18 says, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." I have found that reading the Bible with no real purpose other than getting through it (as part of my daily routine or Bible reading plan) tends to bore the heart; but if my approach is to "behold wondrous things" in the Scriptures, then I find more of the life and sweetness that flows out of the words of God. In other words, when I approach the reading of Scripture I am on a mission to discover great truths or great things about Jesus that will open my eyes more to the reality of the glory of Christ and the Gospel. I hope that this approach will give you a renewed desire to feast and meditate on the beautiful things found in the Word of God.

3) While reading Psalm 119 I have noticed how much the Psalmist desires and pleads for the goodness of God to be present in his life. This “goodness” could also be thought of as blessings from God, salvation from God, being favored by God, or other such things, but it basically boils down to experiencing the abundant goodness of God in your life (or, more simply stated, things go well for you in life in a good and spiritual sense). Some of the specific things that the Psalmist mentions with regard to the goodness of God include: comfort (v. 76, 82), life (v. 77, 88), deliverance from trials (v. 84), and not being put to shame (v. 80). I find this second one (having life) to be an intriguing desire. I don't think the Psalmist is simply referring to staying alive instead of dying (although that could be part of it), but rather that he wants to feel alive. He wants to have a steadfast spirit inside him and have motivation and purpose in life. I oftentimes find myself wanting to feel this way too (as opposed to feeling depressed, tired, or unmotivated), and I can rejoice to know that God delights in showing such exceeding goodness to His children and that He is glorified in doing so (see Jer. 32:40-41 and 33:9 below).

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. (Jer. 32:40-41, ESV)

And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it. (Jer. 33:9, ESV)

Far Away

This is a powerful video produced by Desiring God (John Piper's ministry) for Lecrae's new song "Far Away." The song is a tribute to the current Haiti relief efforts, and the video features powerful footage from the ground in Haiti.

The Battle Cry of Christian Hedonism

Resolved:  To endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

- Jonathan Edwards

(quoted by John Piper in his book, Desiring God, pg. 159)

This resolution from the Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards is perhaps the craziest thing I have ever read in my life. Edwards speaks as a man who has tasted of indescribably excellent things and is absolutely heaven-bent on obtaining as much of these divine excellencies as possible. Like Asaph in Psalm 73, God is the sole object of his desires and his portion forever!

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

(Psalm 73: 25-26)