In His Hands

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

Isaiah 40:12

Do You Thirst for the Lord?

Here is an excerpt from Donald S. Whitney's book Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health.

"Lord, I want to know You more," sang Mike, just before the sermon. One of my seminary professors from years back, who was guest preacher at our church that Sunday morning, sat next to me on the front pew and listened transfixed. As Mike continued to sing, I could hear my older friend sigh occasionally. When the song was over, T.W. sat motionless for so long I thought he had forgotten that he was now supposed to preach. As I turned to remind him I saw his shoulders lift and fall with the slow draw and release of his breath. Finally, he opened his eyes and stepped thoughtfully to the pulpit. He looked down for what seemed to be a full minute before he could speak. And then, "Lord, I do want to know you more." Departing from his prepared words for awhile, he spoke of his thirst for God, his longings to know Christ more intimately, to obey Him more completely. Here was a man who had followed Christ for more than fifty years still captivated by the sweetness of the quest. In his second half-century as a disciple of Jesus, the grace of growth still flourished in him.

It's been ten years since that Sunday morning. I've seen T.W. at least annually since, and the things of God have not diminished their magnetic pull on his heart's aspirations. Two months ago I found myself sharing a shuttle bus ride with him from a denominational convention back to our hotel. Though nearly seventy now, and weakened by cardiac surgery, his eyes flashed as he talked half an hour about what he was learning about prayer. Even as his body decays, his longings for God display the growing strength of his soul.

The Apostle Paul must have similarly impressed others in his day. Despite all his maturity in Christ, all he had seen and experienced, late in life (in Philippians 3:10) Paul wrote of the passion that propelled him: "that I may know Him." What is he talking about? Didn't he already know Jesus more closely than perhaps anyone else ever will? Of course he did. But the more he knew Jesus, the more he wanted to know Him. The more Paul progressed in spiritual strength, the more thirsty for God He became.

With a similar thirst, the writer of Psalm 42:1-2 prayed, "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" Does this describe your thirst for God? If so, be encouraged: whatever else is transpiring in your Christian life, your soul-thirst is a sign of soul-growth.

Donald S. Whitney

Contextualization of the Gospel = Confusion

Check out this article at the Slice of Laodicea. It is interesting.

"Contextualization . . . This word can be summed up in the following phrase: "we don't want to be seeker sensitive, but seeker sensible; we don't want to argue for relativism, but relevantism." This appears to be nothing more than mere double-talk beloved: sensible for sensitive - relevantism for relativism. In reality, it is exactly the same thing just clothed in different rags."

TFC Update

I received a phone call from JR, my admissions counselor today. He told me Toccoa Falls College had accepted my application and that he looked forward to seeing me in the fall if that was where God was leading me. Please pray for me to make the right choice, either to go with TFC or continue to look around. I have and idea, but I would like to give this completely to God.

Runaway Thoughts

This summer the church is going on a mission trip to Puerto Rico. I am excited, but there have not been any meetings to sign up. When the church went to Scotland, there were signups and meeting once a month to prepare for the trip. If we do not meet soon, plane tickets will be so high. We need to start fundaraising now for the trip. I really hope that we can get things rolling fast before the time runs away.

Braces

Currently, I am sitting and waiting for my little brother to finish his orthodontics appointment. I have never had braces and I cannot imagine what it is like. My dentist says my biggest problem is the the poor enamel that has been handed down to me from my dad. We both need better enamel. I also drink lots of coffee! Therefore, my teeth are not the sparkling white they probably could be. Coffee vs. White Teeth?

Friday at The Falls

I love the school out there!!! It is great. The school is smaller than mygraduating class. I prayed with a lot of people there. There are prayer rooms everywhere. The people are really friendly and the missions program is awesome.

Last night, while eating dinner outside, I dropped my napkin.This is a normal occurrence with me, I am very clumsy. So in response to my plight,I said "ZUT," which is French for "darn it!" This guy overheard me and said, "you speak French also!" I was so excited to meet two other people on campus one from GA the other from NY that liked speaking French at one time in their lives.

When I went to their worship service, I really felt at home worshiping with the other believers on campus. Also, instead of chapel on Thursdays, they assign you to small groups to do bible study!

The two girls I stayed with were really fun. Callie and I when I was describing my church preferences and laughed even harder when at the same time she pulled out her reformation study bible like mine. Megan asked, if because she was an armenianist, if we could still be friends since Callie and I were Calvinists. I said it would be tough.

Besides all of that, I am praying that God will make clear to me the right college choice.

Sidenote: I went to the founders website to see if there were any reformed churches in Toccoa. There were none. (sadness)

Jars of Clay

Good Monsters Music Video


The Jars of Clay concert was superb. I feel silly asking but I do not exactly understand this song completely.

Toccoa Falls College

Ask me about it!