CloudofSteam

Individualism tells us that we are the centre of everything and what matters is how something effects us. The individual must have faith for himself, but they do not remain isolated. The Church is the gathering of God’s people. When we are saved from our sins, which separate us from God, we are together united to Christ in His body, the Church (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12).
we come to meet with God, particularly in His word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
We meet people that we disagree with at church, sometimes hypocrites who don’t live out what they say the believe. Some people who hurt us by what they say and do. If we look at it with some perspective we’d have to say we do similar things to others. Should this potential to fall short of the ideal of the Church as the spotless bride of Christ (Revelation 19:1-10) stop us from being part of it?
Kevin De Young and Ted Kluck don’t think so. They’re recently published another book together called Why We Love The Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion and were asked to contribute a guest opinion piece for the Washington Post. It became this piece called Church: Love It, Don’t Leave It and Steve Chavis has produced a narrated version (turned into the YouTube video below).

(You can read the opening chapter of Kevin and Ted’s book at Kevin’s blog DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed. Ted has also posted audio of an address about the book at his website Ted Wins.)

Labels: 1 Corinthians 12, Bride of Christ, church, Kevin De Young, Revelation 19, Romans 12, Ted Kluck

On Sunday afternoon I hopped in the car for the 4 hour drive to Canberra to pick up my sister on her way home from a 6 week mission trip with CMIAid. I dropped in at 1Way FM, visited Parliament House again, took some photos and ate one of the nicest pies I’ve ever had.
On Monday night we were invited to dinner with friends and were privileged to sit in on family devotions. The topic was a review of Sunday’s sermon on 1 Corinthians 7, particularly verses 29-35 about singleness. It was refreshing to consider the topic, particularly with a strong emphasis on families from the pulpit and the political press release (need I say “working families”?). With a number of young people around the table close to or at marriageable age, the discussion was surprisingly devoid of uncomfortableness.
My sister wasn’t the only thing I picked up on my trip; I’ve come back with a cold, so my synapses aren’t firing at their regular rate. So, in substitution for my usual ponderings, I thought I might share some of the articles that have been circulating among my (mostly single) friends recently on Facebook (one of them had the temerity to quote Elvis Presley at us: “A little less conversation, a little more action, please!”).

• Avoiding Relationship Paralysis by Thomas Jefferies at BoundlessLine.org.com
• A Girl’s Guide to Marrying Well from Boundless Magazine
• A Guy’s Guide To Marrying Well from Boundless Magazine
• Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage by John Piper at DesiringGod.com
• The Case for Early Marriage by Mark Regnerusat ChristianityToday
• Make it harder to divorce by Tony Abbott in The Australian

Pictures:
Parliament House Copyright Stephen McDonald
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Canberra Copyright Stephen McDonald

Labels: 1 Corinthians, Facebook, marriage, travel

Dan Walker is a sports broadcaster for the BBC. In this article from DayOne, Dan explains how God has made it possible for him to work as a sports journalist without having to compromise on keeping the Lord’s Day and the opportunities this has given him to explain the importance of Sunday to his colleagues, potential employers, and sports stars like David Beckham.

Many people—even Christians—have asked me why I feel so strongly about the Lord’s Day. For me it seems quite obvious. God, our creator, has given it to us for our own good. Some will argue that Jesus Christ’s coming means we are no longer obligated to keep it special but that is a viewpoint I fundamentally disagree with.

There are still ten commandments and it is more important than ever before to guard the fourth one jealously. I think it is also essential to stress the importance of being part of a ‘local’ church. The church, the corporate worship of God, and the preaching of the Word are three of the main things Satan aims to undermine in the lives of Christians. I know that I would suffer both spiritually and practically if I started working on Sunday. I don’t think our attitude to the Lord’s day is a ‘salvation’ issue but I do firmly believe that it is a sign of our spiritual temperature. What does it say about us if we would rather be on a football pitch than in the presence of God’s people hearing his Word?

Read it all here: http://www.lordsday.co.uk/Dan%20Walker.htm

Thanks to Tim Challies for the tip off.

Labels: Sunday, Tim Challies

Labels: Go Labour On, Horatius Bonar, service

On Wednesday I heard Carl Trueman deliver 4 lectures at Presbyterian Theological College, Melbourne. He spoke on John Calvin and the second generation of the Reformation. With a passing reference to the book The Medical History of the Reformers by John Wilkinson, a Scottish doctor, Trueman pointed to the fact that these men “were dying from the time they were 18 years old.” Calvin was a shadow of a man who usually ate one meal a day and was constantly beset by asthma, and yet preached twice each Sunday and each morning of every second week.
Contrast this with words often heard on news reports on the deaths of young people and even at the funerals of Christians who die before their “three-score and ten” (reading the whole of Psalm 90 shows that rather than demanding a long life, the Psalmist’s main concern is that God teach him to number his days, v12, satisfy him with His mercy, v14, show His glory and establish the work He gives us in our time here, v16-17). However many days we live are apportioned to us by God before one of them comes to be (Psalm 139:16). If it is our desire to serve God every day of our lives, how can we turn around and blame God when He calls either ourselves or another of His servants to Himself after a life of service, no matter how long? Is that the attitude of true devotion to Christ who gave His very life for us? (Philippians 2:1-11)

“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”

Jim Elliot, quoted in Shadow of the Almighty, page 247. HT: Ray Ortlund at Christ Is Deeper Still

He whose head is in heaven need not fear to put his feet into the grave.

Matthew Henry HT: RevMatthewHenry on Twitter

Labels: death, Jim Elliot, Matthew Henry, Psalm 139, Psalm 90, vapour

Yep, I’m one of those strange kids. You know, the ones who have no social skills because they haven’t been stuck with 20 other kids of exactly the same age for 12 years of their lives. I’m one of those.

(I’m not a one-eyed homeschooler. My parents at various times used public, private and home-schooling for us.)

Labels: education, homeschooling