Parents, here are five ideas for teaching your children this week.

http://www.gracelaced.com/2010/03/29/5-ways-to-make-passion-week-count-with-your-kids/

That's My King! Great listening!

That’s My King!
Source: thegospelcoalition.org

Praying for our nation and all the nations, too...Please read.

Praying About Health Care Reform
Source: thegospelcoalition.org

He Could Have Saved Himself, But Didn't Try , By Andrew Lisi

He was exactly who they said he was.  He had the power to save others and he did.  He had the power to save himself and he didn't.  I am blown away by this.  The thought is not profound, but Jesus' action, or rather inaction, is.  By his unwillingness to save himself, I am saved...The criminal's words echo through my head: "Save yourself and us."  Little did he know that if Jesus had, all would be destroyed.  Jesus proved himself to be exactly who they said he was not by succumbing to their spiteful commands, but by remaining silent, fulfilling the will of his Father.

He could have saved himself, but didn't try.  Now, by his grace, I don't have to either.  By his grace.

Please post: Don't forget Haiti! Moving pictures...

http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2010/03/haiti-70-days-later.html

It Is Not Lawful

Those who killed Jesus were meticulous about keeping the temple treasury clean— murderers with a sanitary bank account!

“Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and and the elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’  They said, ‘What is that to us?  See to it yourself.’  And throwing down the pieces of sliver into the temple, he departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests taking the pieces of sliver, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.’”  Matthew 27:3-6

Looking ahead to Good Friday: The Curse of the Cross

Galatians 3:13  “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”

Deuteronomy 21:22-23    “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.”

What great grace and mercy to us— Christ cursed for us on the cross!

Abortion = Family Planning? Weep and pray.

http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2010/03/if-planned-parenthood-is-excited-about.html

Here is a very valuable article from Tim Keller on godly, wise living, for the glory of God.

Proverbs: A Mini-Guide to Life
Source: thegospelcoalition.org

GLEANINGS FROM READING THROUGH THE BIBLE

I have come to Deuteronomy, Psalms, Matthew and Romans in my Scripture reading and will share some verses and thoughts that leaped out at me during the last couple of weeks.  I find that recording these things helps me retain and meditate on the Word and these gleanings are posted on Going Deeper to encourage you to write as you read the Bible.

Numbers

· God faithfully provided manna for the people and they complained.  “Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving…Oh that we had meat to eat!” (11:4).  Lord, may I be content with your provision and never be counted among the rabble!

· Moses, what a relationship he had with the LORD!  God said, With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD” (12:8)

· Over and over the people complained and questioned, displaying self-centered mistrust of God and His appointed leadership.  They even preferred slavery or death in Egypt to God’s promise!  “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!  Or would that we had died in the wilderness!  Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword?  Our wives and our little ones will become a prey.  Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (14:1-3)

· There’s a huge difference between speaking to a rock and striking it!  God told Moses to tell the rock to produce water; he struck it with his staff.  The LORD still provided water (mercy!) even though Moses disobeyed.  And look at why this is so serious—because obedience upholds God’s holiness!  “And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them’” (20:12).  Do people see God as holy because of how you live?

· Phineas: “He was jealous for his God” (25:13).

· “Barbs in your eyes!”  Disobeying the Lord should give me the “wooshies”!  “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides…” (33:55).

· God was faithful to His people, obstinate and whiny and disobedient as they were.  “These forty years the LORD your God has been with you”Deut. 2:7)

· Don’t mess with God’s Word!  “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it…” (Deut. 4:2).

· “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, lest they depart from your heart all the days of your lives.  Make them known to your children and your children’s children” (4:9)… “Gather the people to me…that they may learn to fear me all the days  that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so” (4:10).

· Why battle idolatry?  “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4:24)

Psalms

· Why God answers when we call.  “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify me” (50:15).

· Forget God?  May it not be!  “Mark this, then, you who forget God…”  (50:22)

· Here is why God gave us tongues and lips: “My tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.  O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise” (51:14b-15).

· God’s name trilogy: “I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly (52:9).  “O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might” (54:1).  “I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good” (54:6).

· Comforting words: “You have kept my tossings, put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your book?” (56:8)  Tossings?  The ESV study note shows “wanderings” as an alternate translation.

· I’ve been meditating on fearing God a lot and seeing it many places in the Word, especially last Sunday from Acts 5.  And here in Psalm 60:4 is a beautiful blessing for fearing Him.  “You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to it from the bow.”

· This slight change in wording is cool in Psalm 62: “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation” (v. 1)… “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence. For my hope is from Him” (v. 5). 

· When you wake at night and cannot sleep, get satisfied in the Lord.  “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night” (63:6).

Matthew

· The highly educated Sadducees were really ignorant of the Scriptures and were blind to the power of God, even when God Incarnate stood before them.  “But Jesus said to them, ‘You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (22:29).

· The God-glorifying promise that motivates risk-taking go-ers and sacrificing senders to pursue global missions: “And this gospel of the kingdom will proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, but then the end will come” (24:14).

· The words of Christ are forever!  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (24:35)

· Be ready!  “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only…Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (24:36,44).

· “Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver Him over to you?” (26:14)  Is there any sum or worldly pleasure that would buy my denial of Jesus?  I pray, “None, never!”

Romans

· A great calling!  “Set apart for the gospel of God…” (1:1)

· Equipment for and goal of gospel ministry: “…Grace…to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His name among all the nations…” (1:5)

· A good reason to assemble with other believers—mutual encouragement of faith.  “…that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (1:12).

· Wow, hear these superb “for” statements: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” (1:16-18).

· God is mercifully revelatory, isn’t it?  “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them” (1:19).

· The awfulness of sin and depravity: Futile thinking and foolish, darkened hearts (1:21); a deadly exchange of God’s truth for a lie (1:25); creature worship (1:25).

· Real rescuing faith leaves no room for human boasting.  “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (4:2-3).

· Want peace?  Trust Christ!  “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:1).

· Hallelujah!  “But the free gift is not like the trespass.  For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many” (5:15).

· Christ, our hope for waging war against the flesh and growing in sanctification!  “Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (7:24-25)

· How much condemnation is there for those in Jesus?  A little?  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1).

· Feeling weak?  Read this!  “…The Spirit helps us in our weakness…And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (8:26,28).

· The astounding, amazing, gracious scope of my salvation!  “Those who He predestined he also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified” (8:30). 

Imprecatory Psalms: On March 11 I read Psalm 58 and on March 16 I read these helpful interpretive comments in "Let Them Be Like the Snail".

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2299_let_them_be_like_the_snail_that_dissolves_to_slime/

May God Have Mercy on Us!

http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2298_tea_party_prevarication/

Reflecting on March 14’s Sermon

Here are questions and thoughts to ponder about Acts 5:1-11--
What sort of reaction wells up within you when you hear Peter’s words to Sapphira, “How is it that you have agreed to test the Spirit of the Lord?  Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” (5:9)  Harsh and unjust?  What reaction does the passage call you to?  See 5:5,11.

Could it be that God’s swift taking of Ananias and Sapphira’s lives was a mercy to them, assuming they were truly believers in Jesus?  Which is more merciful and gracious?  To go on in masquerading hypocrisy and lying to the Holy Spirit, or to be taken from this life into Christ’s presence?

Guard your heart-- “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart?” And be filled with the Holy Spirit-- “When they had prayed...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”

What’s at the root of hypocrisy?  Pride and self-adulation.  Therefore, fear the Lord (5:11) and battle hypocrisy... “God opposes the proud  but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).  Look who wrote that— Peter!  And what does Luke write about the grace of Acts 4:33?  “Great grace!”  Lord, pour out great grace on the people of Rocky today, please!

Dads, please read this very good advice and pass it on to other men.

How to Treat Your Children so That They Have Good and Right Thoughts about God

Source: thegospelcoalition.org

PRAISE, PRAYER, PERSEVERANCE

Last Sunday morning I asked, “Why did Peter and John and the church (Acts 4:23-31) keep on speaking “the word of God boldly” (v. 31) after the apostles were threatened by the Council?” (v. 29)  The answer I gave is a mighty one— LOVE!  Peter and John loved the Lord Jesus and could not help but speak of Him because He loved them.  Peter wrote in his first epistle, “Above all, keep loving one anther earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).  Why did he write that?  How did he know?  I think it’s because Christ lovingly restored him after his grievous sin of denying his Lord (John 21:15-19).  And so it was with John, too.  In his gospel he wrote these words of Jesus: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Abide in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love...” (John 15:9-10)
 
The Lord Jesus loved Peter and John and they loved Him.  Therefore, they spoke of the One they loved, even when they were persecuted.

May it so with us, that Christ’s love for us and our love for Him will move us to pray for and witness to lost people.  Let us speak of the One we love.

LORD WHILE WE PRAY AND WITNESS, PLEASE DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO

Here’s a loose paraphrase of Acts 4:29b-30--

“Lord, help us to keep on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly, and please do what only you can do!”

And here is a prayer from Charles Spurgeon, one for us to pray for our Romans 10:1 Five-- “We may preach, but it is Thine to apply.  Lord, apply it.  Come forth, great Spirit.  Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.  In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, O Spirit of God, come forth!”

More Christians Slaughtered-- Please Read and Pray

Slaughtered With Machetes
Source: thegospelcoalition.org

Reading Through the Bible

I am loving it as I read through the Scriptures!  It’s never too late to start, so join me!

Here are some more gleanings from Numbers, Psalms, Matthew and Romans.

Numbers

• God takes adultery very seriously.  Numbers 5:11-31
• God knows our names.  Isn’t that cool?  Look at Numbers 1:5-15

Psalms

• Sometimes we acknowledge God’s fearsomeness by clapping and shouting.  “Clap your hands, all peoples!  Shout to God with loud songs of joy!  For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared…” (47:1-2)
• God’s love is steadfast…Think about it!  “We have thought on your steadfast love, O God…”  (48:9)
• “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life…”  (49:7).  But the God-Man can—Jesus, who gave His life a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28).
• “…Even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish…Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish” (49:10, 12).  Death is an inevitable equalizer.
• I was reminded of this great verse when preparing to preach from Acts 4:23-31, wherein we read of the church’s prayer meeting upon Peter and John’s release.  “And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (50:15).
• “Mark this, then, you who forget God…” (50:22)  Forget you?  O Lord, may it never be!

Matthew

• The fear of man is dark and deadly.  Matt. 21:23-27

Acts

• Everywhere the church was spoken against, according to Acts 28:22.  I am prompted by Ray Ortlund to say, “May it be so of Rocky Bayou Baptist Church!  Opposed, not ignored, for the sake of Christ and his gospel!”

  Romans

• “…a servant of Jesus Christ…set apart for the gospel of God…” (1:1).  My calling and that of all believers.
• Goal of ministry and mission: “…to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ” (1:5-6).
• Be eager to preach the gospel to converted people!  “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” (1:15)  Who is Paul addressing?  “All those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints…” (1:7).

Spurgeon Biography in Rhyme

I love Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great 19th century English preacher whom God used mightily to proclaim the gospel so fruitfully.  Believe it or not, I found Spurgeon in rap music!  Go to www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/thabitianyabwile.

Romans 10:1 Five— Why pray for lost, spiritually dead people? It is for God to apply the gospel!

“We may preach, but it is Thine to apply.  Lord, apply it.  Come forth, great Spirit.  Come from the four winds, O Breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.  In the name of the Jesus of Nazareth, O Spirit of God, come forth!”   - C.H. Spurgeon

A New Website from Life Training Institute

http://takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-lti-website.html

Bible Gleanings

Leviticus

• God is sovereign over disease.  “The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, say, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession...”  (Lev. 14:33).
•   *   For the glory of God, who gives life, let us pray against the  idolatrous culture of Molech that prevails in our culture because of abortion of babies!  “Any one of the people of
  Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 20:2)
• “Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.  Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death” (Lev. 24:15-16).  Hmmm.  Go to Luke 12:10-- “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

Psalms

• Are you poor and needy?  God thinks about you!  “As for me, I am poor and needy, but the LORD takes thought for me” (Psalm 40:17).
• And He blesses us when we consider poor people.  “Blessed is the one who considers the poor” (Psalm 41:1).
• Sin-sick?  Ask the Lord-- “O LORD, be gracious to me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against you”  (Psalm 41:4).
• “My tears have been my food day and night...” (Psalm 42:3).  What does that mean?
• A verse for insomniacs: “By day the LORD commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8).
• “Hope in God...Hope in God...Hope in God” (Psalms 42:8, 11; 43:5).
• His presence and strength are God-sized when I am troubled!  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Matthew

• Jesus calls me to seriously battle sin!  “If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire” (Matt.18:8-9).
• Want to follow Jesus?  Forgive!  “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  As many as seven times?  Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21-22).
• Lord, bless and protect the marriages of Rocky!  “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matt. 19:6).
• Why do people divorce?  Hard hearts.  (Matt. 19:8)
• Why does Matthew include the “exception clause” in 19:9.  See Matthew 1:18-19 and think about it please.
• Hallelujah!  Salvation is God doing the impossible!  “Who then can be saved?...With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:25-26).
• Do you want to be great?  Die.  (Matt. 20:26-28).

Acts

• How did Luke know what was written in the letter of Acts 23:26ff.?
• The Easter season is upon us.  “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8)
• Repentance, change of mind and behavior: “...They should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (Acts 26:20)
• Why did Paul appeal to Caesar when he might have otherwise been set free?  The gospel!  “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar” (Acts 26:32).

Delights of Delighting in God!

From the Blog-
Ray Ortlund: Christ Is Deeper Still

Click Here To Read Article- "It will not be taken away from you"