The Web Site and Blog of Pastor Chris Brauns
Edmund Clowney (The Unfolding Mystery, 11):
The story [of the Bible] is God’s story. It describes his work to rescue rebels from their folly, guilt, and ruin. And in His rescue operation, God always takes the initiative. When the apostle Paul reflects on the drama of God’s saving work, he says in awe, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever (Romans 11:36).
Tim Keller writes:
But do you know where constant worry comes from? It’s rooted in arrogance that assumes, I know the way my life has to go, and God’s not getting it right. Real humility means to relax. Real humility means to laugh at yourself.
- Tim Keller, King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus
HT: Z
As Alec Motyer has rightly observed, “When truth gets into a hymnbook, it become the confident possession of the whole church.”*
It will only take you 3:51 to listen and watch.
*Quoted by Alistair Begg in the forward to Sinclair Ferguson’s, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life
If you are looking for good devotional reading in 2011, you will be blessed by Sinclair’s book. It is doctrinally rich. Yet it is written by a pastor in a way that it is accessible regardless of whether or not you have been to seminary.
Per Trevin Wax:
Truth without love is dogmatism.
Love without truth is sentimentality.
Speaking the truth in love is Christianity.- Bob Russell
Here we have the essence of the Gospel or Good News.
James Montgomery Boice explains that God’s mercy is not seen in saying, “sin is okay,” but rather in his taking the punishment on himself.
In the final analysis, the greatest mercy of God is seen, not in God’s mitigation of our punishment, but in His taking the full curse of the punishment of our sin on Himself at Calvary, which is why Adam and Eve were not cursed. Did sin bring pain in childbirth? No pain is equal to that of Jesus who travailed in pain in order that He might bring forth many children into glory (Heb 2:10). Did sin bring conflict? Jesus endured even greater conflict of sinners against Himself for our salvation (Heb 12:3). Did thorns come in with sin? Jesus was crowned with thorns (John 19:2). Did sin bring sweat? He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Do we know sorrow? He was a ‘man of sorrows, and familar with suffering’, (Isa. 53:3). Did sin bring death? Jesus tasted ‘death for everyone’ (Heb 2:9). In short, Jesus took our curse as Paul says in writing to the Galatians: ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us’ (Gal 3:13). He became a curse so that we might be set free to live to God through Him (James Montgomery Boice, 182, commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1, Zondervan, 1982).
Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian. G.K. Chesterton.
Psalms are a wonderful place to get your soul into a “happy state.” This summer, I have been memorizing Psalm 65. The Psalm shows us how we can experience joy when we meditate on how both the power of God and the goodness of God are seen in His creation.
George Mueller was a 19th century pastor who had a great passion for orphans. You can read more about George Mueller on the Desiring God site.
Below is one of his most famous quotes in which he describes the first priority of his daily routine.
I saw more clearly than ever, that the first and great primary business to which I ought to attend every day, was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might sere the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished . . . I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it. George Mueller of Bristol
Wendell Berry:
The difference between rights granted by a government and rights given by “our Creator” is critical, for it is the difference between rights that are absolute and rights that are contingent upon the whim of those in power.
Charles Dickens’ description of France in A Tale of Two Cities might be easily adapted to the 21st century U.S.A.
Dickens:
France, less favored on the whole as to matters spiritual than her sister of the shield and trident, rolled with exceeding smoothness downhill, making paper money and spending it.
Dave Harvey:
Let’s face it: some of our worst moments are how we respond when people don’t give us what we think we deserve.
As I previously posted, there are times when we’re so right that we’re wrong.
I was recently blessed to read Dave Harvey’s Rescuing Ambition and I highly recommend it.
Read endorsements for Unpacking Forgiveness here.
Click here to order Unpacking Forgiveness.
“. . . Chris Brauns has done a magnificent job in helping us understand the true nature of biblical forgiveness. Every Christian will profit from reading and applying this book.” Jerry Bridges.
“ . . . Unpacking Forgiveness is an engaging, convicting but emphatically encouraging treatment of this hugely important (and sometimes mindbogglingly challenging) part of life. Dr. Brauns writes from the standpoint of a faithful, wise, experienced and caring pastor . . .” Ligon Duncan, First Pres, Jackson, MS
A Brick in the Valley
