God’s Truth: The Only Solid Foundation for Life.

"We have abandoned the role of the formative instruction of our children to those who do not bow in humility before God and his word. Until God is acknowledged for who he says he is, [people] will continue to make moral judgements based upon the quicksand of post-modern, existential thought. The problem lies not with a particular form of education. The problem lies with any form of education that does not see God’s truth as the only solid foundation for life." | Jay Younts

Original Post: Supreme Court: God & Bible are Irrelevant.

For the Fame of His Name

As the spiritual leaders of our homes, what can we do to lead our families well? What can we do to help wake people up from their sleep (Eph. 5:14-16) in order that they too might see the reality of their sin, God's pending wrath for the unrighteous, and their unquestionable need for a Savior.

Far too many people have fallen for the devil's lie that it is because they are so lovable that Christ came to rescue them. This is not only heresy, but it is also dangerous thinking. Jesus didn't come to die because we are worthy...he came to diefor the fame of his great name. His elect (i.e. Christians) are not some sort of prize that Jesus received as a reward for laying down his life. Instead, Christians are the tangible and visible evidence God chose to use to vindicate his holiness (as well as his love and mercy) before the eyes of the world.

I Will Put My Spirit Within You | Ezekiel 36:22-23 (ESV)

22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 

Men, may our efforts to make disciples always begin with the reality that it is for God's glory that Christ came to set us free. It is for the fame of God's great and glorious name that we do all things (1 Cor. 10:31). May God find our efforts worthy and may we never squander any opportunities we are given to point people towards Jesus.

How to Draw Others to Christ.

There is, therefore, hardly anything better we can do for those we lead than to love the Lord Jesus Christ supremely and keep our love relationship with Him fresh and growing every day! Out of this blessed and holy love relationship will come a greater manifestation of God’s love in us, shining out to others and drawing them to Christ. | Alexander Strauch

Do Our Choices Really Matter?

Fathers Are in the Instruction Business

"God has charged fathers with the responsibility to raise their children in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Mothers and fathers are not primarily caregivers. They are the holy representatives of the God of Creation to their children. The father’s authority is not authority that has been given to him by the state. The father’s authority is mandated by God and derived from God." | Jay Younts

Read more [ HERE ]

She Desires to Be Fulfilled, Not Fixed.

"It's not my wife's issue that needs my attention, love and effort it's my wife who does. My wife doesn't need to be fixed...instead her longing for me to be invested into her life, to share in her burdens and to truly know her...needs to be fulfilled."

It's Not About the Nail from Jason Headley on Vimeo.

This video was sent to me today by a good friend. Of course men and women can both watch this video and find the humor in it, but something much deeper hit me today after watching the video and I'd like to share my thoughts with you.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give our wife is to simply invest into her and truly know her. 

I have a lot left to learn in this area. I will typically try to look at facts, analyze them and seek a solution...that's my nature, but it's not always helpful. I grew up with three women in my house. I learned a lot in those years. I also have been married for thirteen years and one thing that I have learned for certain (albeit the hard way) over that period of time is that women don't always deal in black and white. Although this is strange to me...in reality this is wonderful news, because women have the ability to see things in ways that most men never would be able to without their perspective and insight. This is without question one of the ways that my wife has been designed by God to complement me. We are truly better, together.

After watching the video above I have a new goal for my week ahead...and hopefully in the weeks to follow. I want to be more intentional about simply listening to my wife and trying to know her on deeper levels than I have in a long, long time. I'm praying that in doing so she will see that I'm invested in her as a person and not simply trying to "fix her problems" and move on to the next task on the list. She isn't a task. Spending time with my wife isn't something that I do out of duty or obligation, but instead is something I do because I love her and it brings me a great deal of pleasure. Is this selfish of me? I don't think so. When we spend time listening to our wives and we give them the freedom to simply be themselves...I think we will show them the kind of love they desire and we will eventually fill their hearts with joy in the process. They will be blessed and we will be blessed as well. That, in essence, is the point of the relationship.

God doesn't love us because we are put together and have a good handle on all our problems. Instead, he loves us because he is invested into our lives and he cares deeply about us because we are his unique and beautiful creations. He loves us in spite of our imperfections and because of his patience, long suffering and grace...over time we willingly submit to his efforts to shape and mold us into the people he created and desires for us to be. He doesn't impatiently point out our failures so he can move on to his next project. He invests into us eternally, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal to us where we need to grow. If we were to love our wives in this way, I can all but guarantee we would see a difference in them as well as their responses to us.

The only question left to ask ourselves, is this:

"Are we willing to invest into the life of our wife...in the way that Christ has invested into ours?"

Ephesians 5:25-27 (ESV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV) - (emphasis mine)

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  

Love the woman in your life well, that by your efforts God may be glorified, your wife (or girlfriend) may be honored and you may be blessed.

For His Glory,

Jason

Satan Wants to Help You

Satan wants to help you—to help you sin. He is hell bent on taking you to hell with him. Thomas Books, in his book Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices, drew up a list of the devices Satan uses to draw you—yes you!—to sin. 

Click [HERE] to read the article.

Click [HERE] to purchase the Kindle Edition of, Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices for $0.99.

Casualness and Familiarity is a Ready Playing Field For Sin.

"If there is somewhere that I must especially be on guard against sin, the flesh, and our adversary, it is at home. Casualness and familiarity is a ready playing field for sin." | Jason Helopoulos

Prayer: Duty, Privilege or Both?

"Only a good and wise and sovereign God like ours would make prayer a duty and a privilege at the same time. Let me say that again. Prayer is a privilege. It is not a burdensome duty. It is a wonderful privilege. Even though Scripture commands us to pray, we should not view prayer as something we have to do. We should view is as something we get to do." | H.B. Charles Jr.

God's Word is Our Natural Habitat

"As water is to a fish, God's words are our natural habitat. Remaining in them, we thrive. Departing from them, we strive, suffer, and wilt." | Scott Sauls

Do You Love [Your Sin Here] Enough to Go to Hell For It?

Pornography is ubiquitous today; addiction to pornography, especially among men, is equally widespread. Young men are often introduced to pornography long before they are able to understand what it is and what it means. Many a young man's first awakening to sex and sexuality is by exposure to pornographic sex and nudity. This is sadly, increasingly, the case with women as well. 

Some Christians can take a kind of refuge in the fact that so many others share in the struggle. "We are all in this together" can minimize the weight of it. Yet the ubiquity of porn and porn addiction does nothing to lessen the horror of it. I want to ask you a question. But not quite yet. Read on…

Original Post (Desecration and Titillation) by: Tim Challies