Resolutions for 2009

Had to get a year-end plug for CCWToday in. There is so much great Christian reading on CCW, you really need to check it out!

Jim Elliff recently posted some Bible reading plans here on his blog. I'm especially excited about the NT in 90 days plan.

MacArthur also has a great Bible Study approach that is summarized here. Grab the audio too (links are provided), it's been one of the most helpful and edifying sermons I've ever heard!

To wrap up the 2008 blogs, I'll close with a few resolutions I scribbled down. Some things I'd like to keep in mind for next year ...

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.
19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. (Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)
22. 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.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God' s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

OK, so I didn't write any of these. In fact, Jonathan Edwards wrote them BEFORE he turned twenty years old! You can read all 70 of his resolutions here. The following words prefaced his resolutions and reminds us how we ought to make and keep resolutions today!

BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE.

I want a Snuggy for Christmas!

Who wouldn't want to stay warm while looking like their favorite Reformer, Martin Luther?



I think I saw some guy wearing this at the Chiefs game today! -10 wind chill! Why not?!?

5 Solas of the Reformation

Saw this in a friend's signature line at the bottom of an email ...

We know from Sola Scriptura,
We are saved by Sola Gratia,
through Sola Fide,
in Solus Christus,
to Soli Deo Gloria.

For more on the 5 Solas, click here.

Birthday Blog

Before my b-day festivities commence (I turn 33 today!), just had to get a couple things out.

First, I found a great article about Limited Atonement. It shows convincingly that the difficult doctrine of limited (particular) atonement is inseparably linked to the other five Biblical points of Calvinism. Here is the compelling article by John Hendryx ...

Is it Possible to Deny Limited Atonement?

On the lighter side, I really like the SacredSandwich website. It's funny. Click the Twin Theologians for a very funny review of the new movie Fireproof.

Also, by far one of the funniest things I have ever read (certainly in the last month), is about what happens when a church potluck dinner goes terribly wrong!

It will certainly make you think twice about bringing green-bean casserole!

Churchgoers Survive Potluck Nightmare

Finally, here is a poem I came across in MacArthur's Think Biblically! (p. 53) Kate B. Wilkenson expresses what our desire should be as followers of Christ:

May the mind of Christ my Savior
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and pow'r controlling
All I do and say

Three Months till Reformation Day!

One of my favorite holidays has always been the one that takes place on October 31, 2008. As a kid it was a chance to get sick on candy and dress up like robots (since cardboard boxes were more easy to come by than cash in those days).

As I progress through my thirties, I get more and more excited about celebrating--not Halloween--but Reformation Day. It looks back to October 31st, 1511 when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to the church doors, an act that would spark a huge movement of God and affect history in profound directions!

Each year, I get more and more excited about celebrating what has became the most influential movement of God since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the early church in Acts Chapter 2. I might even dress up like Luther, Calvin, Zwingli or even John Knox (Aye, I can dooh a r-r-really dooozy of a Scottish accent!) Maybe not.

Moving on. I recently I heard Steve Lawson's series on the Reformation in a series called "The Protestant Reformation: Turning the World Upside Down for Christ".

Click here for Lawson's sermons on the Reformation

I have been really blessed by this series! I liken it to chatting on the front porch with a skilled storyteller who makes you believe he lived through the stories he relives. Of course, Dr Lawson is still in his prime, and would object to being dated to the Reformation, but what I mean to say is that he lives and breaths this topic and his passion is contagious!

All the way from Germany!

My boss recently spent a month in Germany with her family, and was nice enough to bring me back a treat, simply because I asked her to bring me something from Wittenburgh, the famous center of the Reformation.

I was out Monday and returned Tuesday to find this in my in-box, wrapped in thick paper.



I was so delighted, I typed up a speedy email to thank her for the wonderful chocolate! I assured her that this is one sweet that I would never eat!

She came by later and told me that it was a paper-weight.

Truly a "want-to-get-away?" moment!

You can hear a fantastic sermon about Martin Luther here.