The Gospel Pumpkin! | Object Lesson for Kids

This is pretty good. Jesus transforms us into His image to glorify Him.

The Oh so Unobviously Obvious Log in My Eye

I don't know if that actually made sense.... But yes there has been a log in my eye that was obviously obvious to everyone. Everyone but me that is. The heart is after all deceitful above all else.

Tonight after a hurtful event that further solidified my feelings of friendless-ness I asked myself, "What is the log in my eye that apparently every one else can see that keeps everyone away from me?" Well thanks to my wearing my heart on my sleeve after being hurt, the friend who hurt me told me. She is the godliest girl I know and it took this event for her, let alone anyone else, to finally tell me. Can you hear my indictment in that. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. And either I don't have faithful friends or the fault is my own again. I must not be receptive to correction. Again I have deceived myself if I thought otherwise. Moving on...

Here it is, the great BIG log: envy. And as my friend pointed out it's completely selfish and stems from a heart of discontentment. And at the root of all sin is pride. So what is my pride telling me? That I deserve something that I don't have, can't get and others are getting.

So where do I go from here? Where is here? Here is the awful place I'm standing in. Where my pride must be first humbled before I can move. Where I will need a lot of grace from all those friends I have been pushing away to move forward again. Where I must remember the cross or else stand condemned and hopeless.

So here are the five steps to repentance and complete restoration. So here they are, the five easy steps... yes I said easy... and the best part your mind won't even try to bring you down over and over again through the whole process!!! Wow. I wish.

So here's the great battle of the Christian life: total dependence and total effort. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), toil and struggle (Col 1:28a) with all His energy that He works powerfully within us (Col 1:28b)  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil 2:12).

Can you hear the bitterness? I can. And I've been masking my sin the same way Adam did. Blame. Blaming my married friends for ignoring me after they got married. Blaming my co-workers for not including me. Blaming my bosses for not valuing me. Blaming my friends for not having time for me. Blaming God for not making this easy! DIS-CON-TNET-MENT!!!

And what does Satan say? "They're better than you because they have husbands." "They're better than you because they're skinny." "They're better than you because they make more money." "They're better than you because they drive a nicer car." "They're better than you because they dress nicer." And best of all "They're better than you because they are godlier than you." I gave up on defending myself on the last one a long time ago. I gave up period. Defeated. White flag up.

Wow, I haven't felt this way in a long time. I remember this feeling. It was my closest friend for many many years. Can't say I've missed him, but welcome him back without a choice. Or so it feels at the moment. Depression; deep gut-wrenching, sticking-a-knife-in-my-heart-would-feel-like-relief kind of pain.

I have missed the deep sorrowful repentant tears I once remembered came along with this. But I'm not sure that was an accurate memory. I think I have been deceived again. I think these are two separate occurrences. I think one, the first one, is the sinful response and the second is the right response. So here I am. Where is here? I think it's sin of self pity. Why? Because I feel pain. "And what's hurt isn't dead yet." Implication: it needs to die. What's that? My pride. For the second type of pain quickly yields to God's all consuming grace of forgiveness and washing and regeneration. I can't think anymore. Because I'm not in that place right now. I thought I'd grow to that place, that's why I haven't felt "that" pain in a while. But here we relapse. Here on Earth until in Heaven we meet with He whom when we see we too shall be made like He.

Let's throw some truth in and hope that I catch it, shall we?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
    -1 John 1:9

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus...
    -Acts 3:19-20

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.
    -Hebrews 12:1-15

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 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. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
    -Hebrews 4:9-16

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and 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, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 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.
    -Psalms 51:2-12

Learning about me No. 2

Recently the Lord revealed to my heart by a sinful action, the deep depth of the sin of self righteousness in my heart. I had prayed earlier that day for the Lord to humble me as I saw arrogance in a friend of mine. Indeed He did not delay in answering my prayer. Later that day something else happened that further allowed me to see how deep this sin is.

Self righteousness. The oxymoron of all oxymoron's. I have no good in myself, and any I may try to create is only filthy rags.

It's not the first time the Lord has graciously opened my eyes to this. Perhaps a year ago I read through this passage... and saw myself therein...

Matthew 23

23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Graciously God is still working on me. The hard part is the discernment... when do I lovingly desire to reprove rebuke or exhort and when am I, as CJ Mahaney wrote 'self righteously imposing my personal preferences on others' and I add jealously envying the frivolous way they spend money.

Oh Lord have mercy on me the sinner. How gracious and patient you are - unfathomable how much forbearance you chose to have by sending your Son to die a grueling death for it. Great, great, great is your love for the world. Graciously some will escape the day of wrath to come and not just escape that but to enter into eternal pleasure in the presence of the Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All of us sit under His love now, but one day many will parish forever to endure His righteous wrath, the only righteous wrath.

Learning about me No. 1

John Piper has said it is good to know oneself if one can. So when I am able to pin point something about myself I want to remember and take note.

I have realized I like things to be black and white, to have definite truth, and definable answers. This is why I like Math and dislike English and why I can't easily to listen to "Christian" music that doesn't have a clear God-centered message and why I fear discovering new things that aren't tried and true. But thankfully our theology isn't going to be anything new. It has been spelled out in the Word and lived out by the saints of old. I need to work on discovering theology that is not new but new to me.

Battling the Unbelief of Envy on Desiring God

Battling the Unbelief of Envy on Desiring God

Page CXVI - Hymns I

Page CXVI - Hymns II