Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Abundant Mercy: Wash and Cleanse Me

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and a cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions,and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:1-4)

Paul David Tripp describes his new book, Whiter Than Snow, a collection of meditations on Psalm 51.




Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12)


(Create in Me a Clean Heart by Keith Green on his Greatest Hits album)


More valuable resources on understanding and gleaning the gems of God's abundant grace and mercy found in Psalm 51:

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David. And in printed form.

Arthur W. Pink's The Life of David (Vol. 2, Chs. 51-57). And in printed form.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Real Gospel Tract: Wonderful Plan & Best Life Now?



If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:34-36)

Instead of preaching the good news that sinners can be made righteous in Christ and escape the wrath to come, the gospel has degenerated into the pretext that we can be happy in Christ and escape the hassles of life.(Ray Comfort, God Has a Wonderful File For You [Living Waters 2000, ISBN 1878859250])

(HT: The Contemporary Calvinist: Failed Gospel Tract; Desiring God Ministries)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Thankful He Stood!

Today we celebrate and honor Martin Luther, who, 488 years ago stood trial at the Diet of Worms (pronounced "DEE-et of Voerms"). Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River.

It was on this date, April 18, 1521, that Luther gave his historic response to the question of whether certain writings were his and if he would revoke them as heretical. His response is depicted in the clip below from the 2003 movie Luther.



More on Martin Luther here, and from Monergism.org.

(HT: Between Two Worlds: Here He Stood)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Christ's Glories - Concentrated

That we might be "filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Col. 1:9-10 ESV)

John Piper provides us this wonderful "litany of amazing truths about Jesus Christ that are probably the most concentrated description of the glories of Jesus in the entire Bible" from Colossians 1:14-20.
  • In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (v. 14)
  • He is the image of the invisible God. (v. 15a)
  • He is the firstborn of all creation—that is, the specially honored, first and only Son over all creation. (v.15b)
  • By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. (v. 16a)
  • All things were created through him. (v. 16b)
  • All things were created for him. (v. 16c)
  • He is before all things. (v. 17a)
  • In him all things hold together. (v. 17b)
  • He is the head of the body, the church. (v. 18a)
  • He is the beginning. (v. 18b)
  • He is the firstborn from the dead. (v. 18c)
  • In everything he is preeminent. (v. 18d)
  • In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. (v. 19)
  • He reconciles all things to himself, whether on earth or in heaven. (v. 20a)
  • He makes peace by the blood of his cross. (v. 20b)
John Piper, Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ (Crossway Books, 2008, ISBN: 1433502755) (pg. 32).

Contents, Introduction & Chapter 1, courtesy of Westminster Bookstore.

Piper's sermons on God's purpose for, and use of spectacular sins for His purposes and ultimate glory (all for FREE download - audio and video).

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Jesus Christ of Nazareth: He is Risen Indeed!

I don't believe I can say anything more profound that what the Masters have said before me.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
(Isaac Watts, 1707)
When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.


Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
(Charles Wesley, 1739)
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your voice and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ has burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened Paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died, our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven! Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the Resurrection, thou! Alleluia!


And Can It Be That I Should Gain?
(Charles Wesley, 1738)
And can it be that I should gain,
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain -
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray -
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.


And Robert Lowry's (1874) Low In The Grave He Lay -

Death cannot keep its Prey, Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!


Yes! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Pick One that Sums It All

If you had to choose one verse from Scripture to sum up the whole of the Bible, what would it be?

I think mine would be:

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)