What Spiritual Warfare Looks Like

Well, this is one example at least.

A few moments ago I came across this blog post John Piper had written many years ago; providentially, my college pastor just read us this quote from Piper's devotional book Pierced by the Word not more than a few weeks ago. The blog is about combating sexual sins of the mind before they come to any sort of fruition—but it is really applicable to any and all sins—with the image of Jesus on the cross. It is not for the faint of heart (which explains why I come nearer and nearer to tears the more intensely I read it), but I know if I can bring myself to practice this, to practice taking EVERY thought captive to the subjection of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-6), the joy that I will have knowing that the Holy Spirit has sustained me through yet another trial, and the joy knowing that God has granted me the power through the Holy Spirit to be victorious, will be literally everlasting, and truly sweet. As Paul says, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not WORTHY to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us!" (Romans 8:18, NASB)

Music Is Vital to Your Soul.

A pastor of mine once said, "Music is vital to your soul," and went on to state that what you listen to will most certainly and undoubtedly impact how you think, feel, and act. So I guess if you kept on thinking about it, it would naturally follow that Christian music, especially if you're a Christian, is the best thing for your soul.

However, I've also heard the argument that Christian music doesn't really have anything to do with real life situations… I mean, what happens when you're just feeling down, or when something serious and life changing is really upsetting you; who is actually going to pop in a praise cd at that moment in time? Wouldn't it feel better to make a playlist of a bunch of songs written by lonely, tortured souls… they can relate so much better, right?

I think I've found the answer in the same sermon my pastor was preaching on; his main text for that Sunday morning was Psalm 42. His very fitting title, or thesis, for that sermon was "The Theology of Sorrow for the Glory of God"… I say that it is very fitting because once you read Psalm 42, it becomes apparent very quickly that this psalmist is in a deeply sorrowful, depressive state. He is being oppressed by not only his situation, but also by his enemies who stand by and mock him—his situation is so bad that it looks and feels as if God has abandoned this man, and he is fighting for hope. What does this have to do with music? Look at Psalm 42:4— "These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival" [emphasis added]. So in the psalmist's deepest bout of depression, he turns not to the world for comfort, but to his memory of praising God through music… and not just any music! Look closely… he talks about how he would "lead them in procession to the house of God"… He's talking about going to church and singing songs of worship! That absolutely blows my mind. He doesn't turn to the emptiness of the world, or even superficial "churchy" things like socialship (a fake form of fellowship); he holds dearest the worship of our Savior and King in the time of severe trial.

So this is my challenge to myself, and to you who have read this: Self, next time you are downcast, don't turn to the world for comfort when you personally know the source of all joy! Instead, turn to God's Word… preach to yourself through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Preach to yourself through Psalm 42. And Self, whatever you do, don't forget the cross!

Related links and info:

• For a sermon filled with the same Truth and Biblical principles on sorrow and, by extension, on music, download C. J. Mahaney's sermon on Psalm 42 for free at the Sovereign Grace Ministries website.
  
• Looking around for some good Christian music? Not just for something superficial that has a good sound, but for something that you like the sound of AND is filled with sound Biblical doctrine that makes you want to draw closer to God? Try Chasing Cadence's album Awake O' Sleeper (available on iTunes), or Enfield's album "O For That Day". Also, check out the Sovereign Grace Ministries website for good worship music (and lots of other great resources, lots of them free!)… right now, they have a free song called "Praise the Lord" available for download.
  

"Praise the Lord" Lyrics:

Praise the Lord, Oh praise His name
From the heights of heav'n He reigns
Seated in the highest place
Surrounded by unending praise

Praise Him for His mighty deeds
Awesome in His majesty
Praise Him now with trumpet sound
Lift your voice and dance around

Everything that has breath, praise the Lord
Everything that's in us, praise Him
Everything that has breath, praise the Lord

Praise the Lord with instruments
Praise Him for His excellence
Look at what He's done for us
Bore our sins upon the cross

Praise the Lord with all you are
Mind and soul and will and heart
From His hand comes everything
He alone is God and King

P.S.—Are you up for another challenge? Try to find out which Psalm(s) this song is from! Check out the links on the left hand column of the blog for some useful tools you can use in Scripture search and study… Tell me if you find it ;-)

Light of the World

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

When I saw this picture, it instantly reminded me of this passage. I love how brilliantly the light stands out, how sharp the contrast is between light and dark. I think it's a beautiful analogy of what our lives as Christians should be like… And it makes me wonder: Is my life this different, this radical, compared to the rest of a dark, lost, and dying world?

Another amazing quality about light is that it has the ability to penetrate into the darkest recesses of a room (or heart!). A single match can light up an entire room, transforming what was once utter darkness into light. Of course, a light makes more of a difference when it is bigger, brighter, and more concentrated. Which makes me wonder what kind of a light I am…

Just food for thought :-)

Why?

Why is a very good question, despite the misgivings of some moms when that's the only question their two-year-olds seem to know. What I'd like to talk about is WHY—Why seek His face? Why write this blog? Why seek His face through writing this blog?

Seek His Face

Psalm 27:8 says, "You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, 'Your face, LORD, do I seek'." I wish, like David, I could say that this is the cry of my heart, simply and wholly and solely to seek God's face, to know Him in a personal and intimate way. Although I can see the evidence that God is in the process of sanctifying me, of making me more and more like Christ each day, there are still times that I seek out sin rather than the holy and glorious face of God. So I want it to be my life's goal to worship and glorify God by enjoying Him forever, and I know the only way I can truly enjoy Him is through seeking His face… which translates into a love of God's Word because of what He reveals about Himself in it.

Blogging…

I actually didn't notice the date until today, but on my birthday John Piper wrote a blog called "6 Reasons Pastors Should Blog".

Well I know I'm not a pastor, nor will I ever be one, nor do I ever desire to be one (1 Cor 14:33-36)… But when I read this, it really helped to solidify in my mind a subtle desire to start blogging. Besides, why should our pastors be the only ones that get to have the joy of meditating over Scripture day in and day out as they prepare for their messages? I don't see this principle in the Bible anywhere, and I'm positive that every Bible believing, Bible teaching pastor would love to know that the individuals in their congregation are seeking out ways to meditate on Scripture day and night! So this blog is just one of the means by which you and I can regurgitate what we have been learning throughout the week; to keep God's Word continually on our minds, in our hearts, and on our lips; and to set our thoughts on things above. (Deut 6:6-9, Deut 11:18-19; Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2, 19:7-13, Psa 119:11-16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 107, 103, 113, 127, 129, 131,159, 162, 167, 171; Eph 4:29; Col 3:2)

My Real Hope & Intent

My real hope and intent is that you will not only be encouraged by but also involved in this blog. I want to encourage you to live a life wholly devoted to the one true God, the One from whom we derive all our hope, and all our JOY. (Jeremiah 2 and Matthew 13 both have a lot to say about drawing our joy, our pleasure, from God… but that's a topic for another blog perhaps) I want you to give me feedback on how the posts either do or don't apply to your life, how they would be more helpful, and maybe even a little further down the line we could do something like a Q&A month, where you could post as many comments and questions as you like, and then I can try to respond to as many as possible!

Most of all, I want this to be a blog that honors our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one that exalts Him. And I want this to be a tool that many people (including myself!) can use to talk about what God is teaching us in His Word, to have true Christian fellowship, to edify and exhort each other to grow closer to Christ in our personal relationships with Him, and even at times to discuss current issues and trends in the light of God's Word. At the root of all this will be love for Christ, passion for the Truth of His Word, and conviction to follow up on that love and passion with long-lasting fruit; all of which boiling down to the purpose for which EVERYTHING was created, including you and me—to glorify God, by enjoying Him forever. I pray that I would never stray from that path in this blog, or in my life, and I call on you for your help and accountability to let me know if I ever do!

So now you know how I purpose to seek the face of God through the writings of this blog.