Clear Vision musings

Yesterday I challenged you to to read dead guys. (See yesterday’s post or the Puritan Reading Challenge image in the sidebar.) Perhaps you were unconvinced. You see no reason why anyone would want to do this.

I gave you one good reason, spiritual maturity. Fluff reading (or non-reading) keeps Christians as babes on milk. They need to grow and enjoy a full well-rounded meal. That should really be enough. But for a nice list of a few good reasons, read Colin Adam’s 20 Reasons to Read (Good Christian Books). And I’ll try to get my own post written soon on why I think reading dead guys is important.

SDG,
Lisa

““Fluff” is the enemy of every Christian seeking to become spiritually mature.” (Stephen Newell)

I’m taking a challenge that I’m praying for grace to complete. I have several books by Puritan authors, but there are many more I’d like to read. To help keep me consistent, I’ve joined the 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge.

I am going to try to keep up with the reading schedule of one book per month, from their list (below), as well as writing at least one blog post about each one. I’d also like to re-begin my Valley of Vision (alternate link - leather bound) daily reading along with this too, but that may be a bit too ambitious.

If you’d like to join the challenge or read more about it, click the image here or in the sidebar.

List of books: (if you want more info on the books, or for links to read each on line - or download pdf or listen to audio - check our webpage here.)

January: The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes (128 pp)
February: The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel (221 pp)
March: The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson (252 pp)
April: Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks (253 pp)
May: Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan (225 pp) - Click Monergism image link below to search and order.
June: The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (130 pp) - this link not the Banner of Truth edition. Click here The Mortification of Sin to order Banner of Truth ed.
July: A Lifting Up for the Downcast by William Bridge (287 pp)
August: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs (228 pp)
September: The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton (224 pp)
October: The Christian’s Great Interest by William Guthrie (207 pp)
November: The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (256 pp) - on audio
December: A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine (148 pp)

This week we learned about a hymn writer new by name to us, Ray Palmer; and also looked at one familiar to us, (and probably you, but perhaps not by name,) Samuel Francis Smith.

Samuel Francis Smith wrote "My Country ‘Tis of This" which is far more a song of patriotism than worship of God. But Ray Palmer, as the book we are reading states, "represents the last major American hymn writer who wrote his hymns from a Calvinistic understanding of God’s Word," (meaning emphasizing the Sovereignty of God, and in all glory to Him.)

Although I knew this hymn before, I was totally unfamiliar with its author. The words of My Faith Looks Up to Thee express my soul:

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!

While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream over me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

Listen to and read more about this hymn here.

SDG,
Lisa

I may have mentioned something we’d come across by this man sometime last year, but today I want to do a little more comprehensive post. A little over a year ago we came across a pastor/writer/speaker who is speaking out on the Christian family. We’ve loved "running into" him in several places over the last year. We think you’ll enjoy him too. Many of these resources are free. Some are not, but once you read/listen to the free ones we think you’ll find the others worth the investment.

I think the first place we heard him was on Dennis Rainey’s Family Life Today radio show speaking on The Home is the Key. Shortly there after Kevin Swanson interviewed him on Generations, on Why the Southern Baptists are Losing 88% of the Next Generation. Then we read an article by him in Biblical Worldview magazine, Education: The Forgotten Key to Discipleship. I checked out his website where I ordered The Ever Loving Truth (of which there is a book by the same title) and I thought something else, but don’t see it at the moment.

Next I got The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship CD from the 2006 National Conference for Uniting Church and Family. We listened to him and Paul Washer answer questions, mainly from young people - Part 1 and Part 2. Recently I got the 2 messages that now comprise the Children of Caesar DVD set, from American Vision. And finally ordered the book, Family Driven Faith.

I’ve also found several short clips on YouTube, including Why I Believe the Bible. And links to several messages. And another blog that has a TON of links. (I haven’t checked them all out to make sure they are still there.

That should be enough links to introduce you to him. Hope you enjoy as much as I do.

SDG,
Lisa

The gospel IS relevant in and of itself beloved; and it needs no dressing up, or propping up to make inroads into the depraved sinful hearts of unregenerate men or women today in any culture. It alone is the power of God unto salvation.

by Steve Camp

You have no doubt heard the arguments: … Above all else, we have got to stay in step with the times. … They don’t really care if they are worldly. They just don’t want to be thought uncool. … Whole churches have thus deliberately immersed themselves in "the culture"–by which they actually mean "whatever the world loves at the moment." … In the name of connecting with "the culture" they want their people to know they have seen all the latest … They seem to know every fad top to bottom, back to front, and inside out. They’ve adopted both the style and the language of the world–including lavish use of language that used to be deemed inappropriate in polite society, much less in the pulpit. They want to fit right in with the world, and they seem to be making themselves quite comfortable there.

by John MacArthur - quoted on CampOnThis

Postmodernism has become the new hermeneutic by which the ECM interprets Scripture rather than Scripture being the true hermeneutic which clearly interprets postmodern culture.

by Steve Camp

Again, it bears repeating –

The gospel IS relevant in and of itself beloved; and it needs no dressing up, or propping up to make inroads into the depraved sinful hearts of unregenerate men or women today in any culture. It alone is the power of God unto salvation.

by Steve Camp

The Sword (the Word of God) rightly expounded and divided and The Swordsman (the Holy Spirit) rightly obeyed and honored, are both necessary for the preaching of God’s Word to bear the fruit heaven in ministry.
—great quote from Steve Camp’s blog

Steve Camp blogged on Jonathan Edwards’ "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" yesterday. Christians just don’t talk much about that anymore - an angry God that is. It certainly is not ALL God is. He is truly Love, perfect Love; and Good, perfect Goodness. But to be perfect love and goodness, He must also HATE sin. And He does. His Word tells us so. In fact, everything we can know for a fact about God is found in His Word. We have no other source for truly knowing Him as He is. We can’t make up our own little ideas of what we think God SHOULD be like. We take Him as He is, and as the Sovereign of the Universe.

You can head over there if you want to read or listen to Edward’s sermon.

If you don’t know who Jonathan Edwards is, you won’t find him on your local Christian radio station or your inspirational cable channel. He was a godly pastor whose preaching began the Great Awakening in the first half of the 18th century in America. Read more about him at Monergism.com.

Read part of the life of Jonathan Edwards. How feeble does my spark of Christianity appear beside such a sun! But even his was a borrowed light, and the same source is still open to enlighten me.
— Robert Murray M’Cheyne