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Psalm 78
A maskil of Asaph. [a]
1 O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
3 what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their forefathers—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned back on the day of battle;
10 they did not keep God’s covenant
and refused to live by his law.
11 They forgot what he had done,
the wonders he had shown them.
Let this never happen to us. We need to constantly give the next generation the truths of the Word. We will not hide the truth from our children. We need to give them the truths of God to share with their children and their children’s children. Let us not turn back from the battle. Let us not forget what the Lord has done and what the Lord is doing now. Sovereign Lord, use us mightily for the advancement of Your Kingdom.
Justification by faith must never be obscured, and yet all are not clear upon it…. Many do this when addressing children, and I notice that they generally speak to the little ones about loving Jesus, and not upon believing in Him. This must leave a mischievous impression upon youthful minds and take them off from the true way of peace. (Lectures to My Students, p. 340)
The date for the DC Passion Regional Conference is February 22-23. Mark your calendars. The venue, cost and other details have not been announced yet. The Passion Regional website will be launching early May.
I found on the worship together website there is the sheet music to a song by Tim Hughes called, “The Highest and the Greatest.” I posted the words to this song a couple days ago. So, if you are interested become a member of worshiptogether.com by submitting your email address. You can download the sheet music for free. It is under free song. You can purchase the entire Tim Hughes holding nothing back songbook from worshiptogether.com. It’s a great site for worship resources.
Here is a simple test you can take that will determine your theological worldview.
I’m finishing up Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. In the book they gave a catechism lesson to Cristiana’s children. Listen to the children’s answers.
CHARITY: Aye, and that with a very good will, said Charity. So they consented, and stayed there about a month or above, and became very profitable one to another. And because Prudence would see how Christiana had brought up her children, she asked leave of her to catechise them. So she gave her free consent. Then she began with her youngest, whose name was James.
PRUDENCE: And she said, Come, James, canst thou tell me who made thee?
JAMES: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
PRUDENCE: Good boy. And canst thou tell who saved thee?
JAMES: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
PRUDENCE: Good boy still. But how doth God the Father save thee?
JAMES: By his grace.
PRUDENCE: How doth God the Son save thee?
JAMES: By his righteousness, death and blood, and life.
PRUDENCE: And how doth God the Holy Ghost save thee?
JAMES: By his illumination, by his renovation, and by his preservation.
Then said Prudence to Christiana, You are to be commended for thus bringing up your children. I suppose I need not ask the rest these questions, since the youngest of them can answer them so well. I will therefore now apply myself to the next youngest.
PRUDENCE: Then she said, Come, Joseph, (for his name was Joseph,) will you let me catechise you?
JOSEPH: With all my heart.
PRUDENCE: What is man?
JOSEPH: A reasonable creature, so made by God, as my brother said.
PRUDENCE: What is supposed by this word, saved?
JOSEPH: That man, by sin, has brought himself into a state of captivity and misery.
PRUDENCE: What is supposed by his being saved by the Trinity?
JOSEPH: That sin is so great and mighty a tyrant that none can pull us out of its clutches but God; and that God is so good and loving to man, as to pull him indeed out of this miserable state.
PRUDENCE: What is God’s design in saving poor men?
JOSEPH: The glorifying of his name, of his grace, and justice, etc., and the everlasting happiness of his creature.
PRUDENCE: Who are they that will be saved?
JOSEPH: They that accept of his salvation.
PRUDENCE: Good boy, Joseph; thy mother hath taught thee well, and thou hast hearkened unto what she has said unto thee.
Then said Prudence to Samuel, who was the eldest but one,
PRUDENCE: Come, Samuel, are you willing that I should catechise you?
SAMUEL: Yes, forsooth, if you please.
PRUDENCE: What is heaven?
SAMUEL: A place and state most blessed, because God dwelleth there.
PRUDENCE: What is hell?
SAMUEL: A place and state most woful, because it is the dwelling-place of sin, the devil, and death.
PRUDENCE: Why wouldst thou go to heaven?
SAMUEL: That I may see God, and serve him without weariness; that I may see Christ, and love him everlastingly; that I may have that fullness of the Holy Spirit in me which I can by no means here enjoy.
PRUDENCE: A very good boy, and one that has learned well.
Then she addressed herself to the eldest, whose name was Matthew; and she said to him, Come, Matthew, shall I also catechise you?
MATTHEW: With a very good will.
PRUDENCE: I ask then, if there was ever any thing that had a being antecedent to or before God?
MATTHEW: No, for God is eternal; nor is there any thing, excepting himself, that had a being until the beginning of the first day. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.
PRUDENCE: What do you think of the Bible?
MATTHEW: It is the holy word of God.
PRUDENCE: Is there nothing written therein but what you understand?
MATTHEW: Yes, a great deal.
PRUDENCE: What do you do when you meet with places therein that you do not understand?
MATTHEW: I think God is wiser than I. I pray also that he will please to let me know all therein that he knows will be for my good.
PRUDENCE: How believe you as touching the resurrection of the dead?
MATTHEW: I believe they shall rise the same that was buried; the same in nature, though not in corruption. And I believe this upon a double account: first, because God has promised it; secondly, because he is able to perform it.
Then said Prudence to the boys, You must still hearken to your mother; for she can teach you more. You must also diligently give ear to what good talk you shall hear from others: for your sakes do they speak good things. Observe also, and that with carefulness, what the heavens and the earth do teach you; but especially be much in the meditation of that book which was the cause of your father’s becoming a pilgrim. I, for my part, my children, will teach you what I can while you are here, and shall be glad if you will ask me questions that tend to godly edifying.
I was listening to Tim Hughes new cd, Holding nothing back. I wanted to post the words of a couple songs that have spoken to my heart today.
The Highest and the Greatest
Wake every heart and every tongue
To sing the new eternal song
And crown Him, King of Glory now
Confess Him, Lord of all
You are the highest
You are the greatest
You are the Lord of all
Angels will worship
Nations will bow down
To the Lord of all
A day will come when all will sing
And glorify our matchless King
Your name unrivaled stands alone
You are the Lord of all
Let every heart
Let every tongue
Sing of Your name
Sing of Your name
Let every heart
let every tongue
Sing, Sing, Sing
Lifting You higher, higher and higher
The next song is Clinging to the Cross
My soul is weak
My heart is number
I cannot see
But still my hope is found in You
I’ll hold on tightly
You will never let me go
For Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail
Simply to the cross I cling
Letting go of all earthly things
Clinging to the cross
Mercy’s found a way for me
Hope is here as I am free
Jesus, You are all I need
Clinging to the cross
Even darkness is as light to You, my Lord
So light the way and lead me home
To that place where every tear is wiped away
For Jesus, You will never fail
Jesus, You will never fail
What a Saviour, what a story
You were crucified but now You are alive
So amazing, such a mystery
You were crucified but now You are alive
The drywall is being installed in the youth room as we speak. Our new youth room is coming together. Woo hoo, someone’s a little excited.
I was scoping out the 268 blog. They are putting together six regional conferences for Fall 2007/2008. There will be one either in Baltimore or DC. This is great news because they typically host the conferences in Atlanta or Nashville on New Year’s. Now, they will be coming to some regional sites throughout this U.S. I will be checking back on their site when they announce the dates. They will be in Chicago and Boston later this year with other dates to follow in 2008. You can guarantee I will be there for the conference in Baltimore or DC.
John 19:30 (New International Version)
30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Here we see Jesus at the point of death. He wishes to say something that is heard so he calls for a drink to moisten his parched throat. The words, He cries, “It is finished.” This is not the moan of the defeated. This is not the sigh of resignation. These words are not the cries of a helpless martyr. It was not the last gasp of worn out life. He cried these words in triumphant victory. Jesus died with the words of victory on His lips. It is finished is a declaration on the part of the Divine Redeemer, that all for which he came from heaven to earth to do was now done. Every iota and tittle of the Law had been magnified. The Old Covenant had been fulfilled. It marked the end of temple offerings and sacrifices. All things the Father required of Him were performed. There was nothing under the Law that had any power to make atonement for sins to appease the wrath of God and to obtain justification until the price was paid in full. It is finished reveals the ransom paid. The sacrifice for sin completed. Divine justice satisfied. God reconciles the world to Himself by the death of His Son by this curse thus falling upon His only begotten. This was to reveal the glorious character of God. Death itself becomes not his shame but his veritable glory. It is finished, it is paid, it is accomplished, it is paid in full. What has been made an end of, our sins, our guilt, the price of redemption. Everything necessary for the putting away of the sins of His people, providing them a perfect standing before God, securing them an eternal inheritance and fitting them for it, all had been done. What was performed? The uttermost requirements of God’s Law. What was accomplished? The work the Father had given Him to do. What was finished? the making of atonement.
