Whatever, it doesn’t matter. You have heard these words before. Perhaps, you have heard them from your own lips. These words are not words of encouragement or optimism. These are words of discouragement and disappointment. They are said when we feel let down, betrayed. The irony is that often when these words are spoken they really mean that something matters very much. The gospel matters. There is only one Person who will not disappoint you – his name is Jesus.
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Today, my wife and I are travelling to Duke University for an appointment at the Brain Tumor Center. As I shared with you in a previous post, my wife has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. The type of tumor is a stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme. This is an aggressive tumor. We are going today for another MRI and evaluation of the initial round of radiation and chemotherapy. Around 2 p.m. today, we will find out how effective the treatment has been. In other words we will find out what God has been doing since Ruth’s surgery last April.
Do you love the church? This question is one of the most important questions you will ever answer. An answer in the affirmative is binding. It is similar in importance to the affirmative answer given in a wedding ceremony. The pastor asks the question, “Will you take this woman to be your wife?” If the answer is “Yes,” at least two important things happen. The first is that you make your new wife happy. The second binds you to a committed relationship of service and sacrifice to your wife for the rest of your life.
This week’s special offer for our blog readers has two parts. The first part is to purchase Hints for Parents by Gardiner Spring. This book is a 19th century classic, republished by Shepherd Press. To help with application to the modern day, Tedd Tripp has written a series of gospel encouragements throughout the book. Glean timeless truths about parenting from Pastor Spring, with Dr. Tripp’s expert commentary to guide you. But this is just the first part of the offer. If you purchase Hints for Parents and enter the coupon code JYHINTS1 before you check out, you will receive 40% off your entire order! What a wonderful opportunity to get the Shepherd Press materials you have been wanting at a […]
Purchase either the Shepherding a Child’s Heart DVD or the Instructing a Child’s Heart DVD at the Christmas discount price of $49.95 each and receive 3 free copies of the corresponding book. This offer is available only through this blog and will last until December 24th. The books cost $13.95 each, so you will receive over $40 of additional savings. Here’s how to take advantage of this offer when you purchase the DVD set: For Shepherding a Child’s Heart enter the coupon code JY001SCH at checkout. For Instructing a Child’s Heart enter the coupon code JY001ICH at checkout. This is our way of saying thank you for being a reader of this blog!
It is easy to confuse the absolutes of life with personal preferences. Because of this it is also easy to make relationships with others, particularly our teenagers, more difficult than they need to be. For example, take driving on the right side of the road. This is, of course, the right way to drive; unless you happen to be in the United Kingdom. Here, as you know, they drive on the left side of the road, the “wrong” side of the road. But is it really the wrong side? While is against the law to drive on the left side of the road in the United States, it turns out that this law is actually a national preference rather than […]
It is Holy Week. This Sunday is Easter, a day of ultimate significance for Christians. This week is also significant for another reason. President Obama has said that Christian is no longer an adjective that should be used to describe America. Rather, he has chosen to use the word secular to describe the United States. Many would say that America has been more secular than Christian for some time, but the President has added his name to that list by his remarks in Turkey. In a news conference with the President of Turkey, President Obama stated, “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” Here is the quote in context from the AP as reported in the April 6 edition […]
Whenever you find an activity that is not directly mentioned in Scripture, it is necessary to find the biblical principles that apply to the activity. It is important to identify the appropriate principles because no activity is neutral before God. As Romans 14:23 says, "…whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." "Electronic gaming" is one of those phrases that is missing from your concordance, but it is surely a part of life to which the Bible applies. As we have seen in previous posts, it is helpful to place any activity (such as gaming) in the context of creation, the fall and redemption. The process of biblical analysis would be to ask the following questions: How was the principle […]
Facebook & Friends A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. Proverbs 27:6 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:13-14 Joe added you as a friend on Facebook. We need to confirm that you know Joe in order for you to be friends on Facebook. This is the message one receives when someone requests to be added as a friend on Facebook. As I mentioned earlier, the average Facebook account about has 100 friends. Many have much higher friend […]
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child […]