If We've Only Got One Life…

John Calvin’s God Exalting Grammar

From Calvin’s preface to the Geneva Bible. Pointed out to our Prolegomena class by Dr. Garner. Worth reading out loud… its kind of epic.

And even any good that could be thought or desired is found in this Jesus Christ alone.

For He humbled Himself to exalt us;
He made Himself a slave to set us free;
He became poor to enrich us;
He was sold to redeem us,
captive to deliver us,
condemned to absolve us;
He was made malediction for our benediction,
oblation of sins for our justice;
He was disfigured to re-figure us;

He died for our life,
in such manner that by Him harshness is softened,
wrath appeased,
darkness enlightened,
iniquity justified,
weakness is made strength,
affliction is consoled,
sin is impeached,
despite is despised,
dread is emboldened,
debt is acquitted,
labor is lightened,
sorrow turned into joy,
misfortune into fortune,
difficulty is made easy,
disorder made ordered,
division united,
ignominy is ennobled,
rebellion subjected,
threat is threatened,
ambushes are driven out,
assaults assailed,
striving is overpowered,
combat is combated,
war is warred,
vengeance is avenged,
torment tormented,
damnation damned,
abyss is thrown into the abyss,
hell is helled,
death is dead,
mortality immortality.

In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery,
and goodness all wretchedness.

For all those things which use to be the arms of the devil to combat us and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into an exercise of which we can profit, so that we can boast with the apostle, saying, “O death,  where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55 NASB). From there it comes, that by such a Spirit of Christ promised to His elect, we no longer live, but Christ in us, and we are in spirit seated among the heavenlies, as the world is no longer world to us, though we have our conversation in it, but being content in all, either in countries, places, conditions, clothes, meats, and other like things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorious in vituperation, abounding in poverty, warmed in nakedness, patient in evil, living in death.

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On Knowing Your Sinfulness

Bonhoeffer in Life Together:

Finally, one extreme thing must be said. To forego self-conceit and to associate with the lowly means, in all soberness and without mincing the matter, to consider oneself the greatest of all sinners. This arouses all the resistance of the natural man, but also that of the self-confident Christian. It sounds like an exaggeration, like an untruth. Yet even Paul said of himself that he was the foremost of sinners (I Tim. 1:15); he said this specifically at the point where he was speaking of his service as an apostle. There can be no genuine acknowledgement of sin that does not lead to this extremity. If my sinfulness appears to me to be in any way smaller or less detestable in comparison with the sins of others, I am still not recognizing my sinfulness at all. My sin is of necessity the worst, the most grievous, the most reprehensible. Brotherly love will find any number of extenuations for the sins of others; only for my sin is there no apology whatsoever. Therefore my sin is the worst. He who would serve his brother in the fellowship must sink all the way down to these depths of humility. How can I possibly serve another person in unfeigned humility if I seriously regard his sinfulness as worse than my own? Would I not be putting myself above him; could I have any hope for him? Such service would be hypocritical. “Never think that thou hast made any progress till thou look upon thyself as inferior to all” (Thomas a Kempis).

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Background by Lecrae

Chorus:
I could play the background.
I could play the background.
Cuz I know sometimes I get in the way.
So won’t you take the lead, lead, lead.
So won’t you take the lead, lead, lead.
And I can play the background, background.
And you can take the lead.

Verse 1:
It’s evident you run the show so let me back down.
You take the leading role, and I’ll play the background.
I know I miss my cues, know I forget my lines
I’m sticking to your script, and I’m reading all your signs.
I don’t need my name in lights.
I don’t need a starring role.
And why gain the whole wide world, if I’m just gon’ loose my soul.
And my ways ain’t purified, I’ll live according to your Word.
I can’t endure this life without your wisdom being heard.
So word to every dancer for a pop star
Cuz we all play the background, but mine’s a rock star.
Yeah. So if you need me I’ll be stage right.
Prayin’ the whole world will start embracing stage fright.
So let me fall back and stop giving my suggestions
Cuz when I follow my obsessions I end up confessing.
That I’m not that impressive, matter fact I’m…………
A trail of star dust leading to the superstar.

Verse 2:
I had a dream that I was captain of my soul.
I was master of my fate, lost control, and then I sank.
So I don’t want to take the lead
Cuz I’m prone to make mistakes.
All these folks that follow me gon’ end up in the wrong place.
So, just let me shadow you. And just let me trace your lines.
Matter fact just take my pen.
Here, you create my rhymes.
Cuz if I do this by myself I’m scared that I’ll succeed.
And no longer trust in You, cuz I only trust in me.
And see, that’s how you end up headed to destruction.
Paving a road to nowhere. Pour your life out for nothing.
You pulled my card, I’m bluffing
You know what’s in my hand.
Me I just roll to trust you to cause the dice to land.
I’m in control of nothing. Follow you at any cost.
Some call it sovereign will, all I know is you the boss.
And man I’m so at ease. I’m so content.
I play the background like it’s an instrument.

Bridge:
I know I’m safest when I’m in your will and trust your word.
And I know I’m dangerous when I trust myself; my vision blurred.
And I ain’t got no time to play life’s foolish games.
Got plenty aims but do they really glorify your name.
And its a shame the way I want to do these things for you, yeah.
Don’t even cling to you. Take time to sit and glean from you.
And its seems that you are patient in my ignorance.
If ignorance is bliss, its cuz she never heard of this.

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Bringing Perplexed and Dubious Matters to a Happy Result

Calvin’s Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 16, Section 4:

First, then, let the reader remember that the providence we mean is not one by which the Deity, sitting idly in heaven, looks on at what is taking place in the world, but one by which he, as it were, holds the helms and overrules all events. Hence his providence extends not less to the hand than to the eye. When Abraham said to his son, God will provide, (Gen. 22: 8,) he meant not merely to assert that the future event was foreknown to Gods but to resign the management of an unknown business to the will of Him whose province it is to bring perplexed and dubious matters to a happy result.

Calvin’s Institutes, Book 1, Chapter 16, Section 7:

Nothing in nature is more ordinary than that we should be nourished with bread. But the Spirit declares not only that the produce of the earth is God’s special gift, but “that man does not live by bread only,” (Deut. 8: 3,) because it is not mere fulness that nourishes him but the secret blessing of God. And hence, on the other hand, he threatens to take away “the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,” (Is. 3: 1.) Indeed, there could be no serious meaning in our prayer for daily bread, if God did not with paternal hand supply us with food. Accordingly, to convince the faithful that God, in feeding them, fulfils the office of the best of parents, the prophet reminds them that he “giveth food to all flesh,” (Ps. 136: 25.)

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Chase That by Lecrae

Started with hangin’ posters on my bedroom walls.
To battle rappin’ for status up in the school halls.
Just call me double sushi, thought I was too raw.
And hip-hop was my home, I had my shoes off.

6’3 in high school, well skip a hoop dream.
If I don’t blow up then maybe I’ll try the school thing.
I went to college to do my family a favor,
But I couldn’t pick a major cuz I wanted to be MAJOR.

I tried sellin’ work, but it didn’t work.
So I worked, shopping center clerk, finna go berserk.
Lunch break, see me writin’ 16′s over Mickey D’s,
Skippin’ class, makin’ beats, over 60 keys.

And I love that even though I’m just chasin’,
Selfish ambition couldn’t tell your boy nothin’.
Watch out all you rappers cuz they finna let ‘Crae in,
But I was sleepin’ on the sun, like a Days Inn.

And you can have the money, and you can have the fame.
For me I want the glory, I’m livin’ for the Name.
See life is just a picture, I see outside the frame.
I’m livin’ for a Kingdom that I ain’t never seen.

Chorus:
And imma chase that, imma imma chase that.
Found the key to life and best believe that imma play that.
(Glory) imma chase that, imma imma chase that,
(Glory) imma chase that, imma imma chase that.

I remember chasin’ the green, feelin’ blue.
Only check I’m countin’ is the mic check, 1-2.
All I wanted was the money and the fame and the new,
Somebody on my arm when I walk inside the room.

All I wanted was doom.
The same kind Alexander the Great felt when the earth ran out of room.
He conquered all he could, but yet he’s feelin’ consumed.
By this neverending quest for glory he couldn’t fuel.

Like a typical fool,
(I would go hard) shootin’ for the moon,
But there’s only one sun (Son), no co-star.
Chasin’ glory I shouldn’t own,
Instead of living to make His name known,
I’m runnin’ after His throne.

I thought bein’ on TV where everybody could see me
Was nothing short of the easiest way I could see to please me.
I’ll never be who I used to desperately want to be,
I’m too worried ’bout the Lord gettin’ credit instead of me.

And you can have the money, and you can have the fame.
For me I want the glory, I’m livin’ for the Name.
See life is just a picture, I see outside the frame.
I’m livin’ for a Kingdom that I ain’t never seen.

Chorus:
And imma chase that, (Glory) imma chase that.
Found the key to life and best believe that imma play that.
(Glory) imma chase that, imma imma chase that,
(Glory) imma chase that, imma imma chase that.

I used to wanna do it big.
When you’re only focused on yourself that’s small.
And they … they used to tell me as a kid,
That I could do anything that I want, except fall.
And now that I recall, I was chasin’ my goals.
And everytime I caught’em they multipled into mo’.
I never even thought about whether the Lord approved,
Call it selfish ambition, I call it, “I’m makin’ moves.”

But history repeats itself, evil’s what it is.
Cuz Lucifer was cast away for doing what I did.
Created by the God who spoke the earth into existence,
Instead of chasing the Father’s glory, he was chasin’ his.

He lies to us all, told Adam he could ball.
“Why you followin’ God when you could go get it all?”
I’ll tell you what’s better, or better yet worse.
Chasin’ your own glory by doin’ the Lord’s work.

So holla if it hurts, but we were made for greater.
Our greatest satisfaction is making His name famous.
So if we’re never named among the greatest,
They don’t critically acclaim us,
Ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of, we gave it up for the Savior.

Chorus:
Imma chase that, imma imma chase that.
And the Lord’s goodness, you should – you should taste that.
And you ain’t livin’ ’til you livin’ for His name, yeah.
(Glory) imma chase that, imma imma chase that.

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Come, Weary and Heavy Laden

After a handful of recommendations (thank you Eric, Daniel, and Behzad!), I’ve finally started reading Paul Miller’s A Praying Life.  I’m only a few chapters in, but I can already say that this is definitely going to be one of the best books I’ll read all year, if not the best.

Here’s a quote:

We were uncertain whether she would ever be able to walk, so when she took her first step at three years old, we didn’t say, “Kim, that was all very well and good, but you are two years late.  You have a lot of catching up to do, including long-range walking, not to mention running, skipping, and jumping.” We didn’t critique how messy or late Kim was.  What did we do?  We screamed; we yelled; we jumped up and down. The family came rushing in to findout what had happened.  Cameras came out, and Kim repeated her triumph.  It was awesome.

This isn’t just a random observation about how parents respond to little children.  This is the gospel, the welcoming heart of God.  God also cheers when we come to him with our wobbling, unsteady prayers.  Jesus does not say, “Come to me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.”  No, Jesus opens his arms to his needy children and says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NASB).  The criteria for coming to Jesus is weariness.  Come overwhelmed with life.  Come with your wandering mind.  Come messy.

What does it feel like to be weary? You have trouble concentrating.  The problem of the day are like claws in your brain. You feel pummeled by life.

What does heavy-laden feel like? Same thing.  You have so many problems you don’t know where to start.  You can’t do life on your own anymore.  Jesus wants you to come to him that way! Your weariness drives you to him.

Don’t try to get the prayer right; just tell God where you are and what’s on your mind. That’s what little children do. They come as they are, runny noses and all. Like the disciples, they just say what is on their minds.

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The Invasion (Hero) by Trip Lee

(Apparently this music video was recently featured on BET: http://reachrecords.com/news/show/The-Invasion-Hero-on-106-Park)

Verse 1:
Creation’s groaning, lost their hope and feel they always closed in
Lots to cope with, on the ropes, wish they was in the open
This broken world is so dim, our souls are searching,
groping For one with hope to hold us close, and set goodness in motion
I remember growing up in Dallas, I thought me and my close kin
Was more than straight, our folks was great ,not broke that paper flowed in
Not boasting man, just saying in my brain I didn’t know then
That all went wrong, and it just can’t go right like a broke pen
My mind was blind and cloaked in, but then that foolishness departed
I saw this thing’s an ocean, and we just tryna swim real far but
But can’t nobody float when we ain’t got boats or no fins
We need a hero to go in, cause our solutions don’t win
Education can’t fix it, more dough just leads to more sin
Medicine is temporary, government seems so thin
With all these weighty problems, that ain’t shrinking they just growing
Who’s adequate to save us, how about He knew no sin?

Hook:
Like a G5 yeah you rushed to rescue me
Took a cross in exchange for a throne to save me
You began the work and I know you’ll finish
And make all things right when you come back
Cause you’re my hero, you already saved the day
Cause you’re my hero, and I know you’re coming back for me

Verse 2:
Follow the steps bro, Adam sinned now we all dead so
We gotta sentence on our head like death row, everything is wrecked
All creation is a mess bro,
In the fullness of time, in steps the hero no red cloak, He’s Jesus
No flashing lights, glitz n glam, and no cameras
He came to serve needy folks, and point them to the answer
You see Him healing, feeding folks, and telling them the standard
Our most basic need is to be ransomed by Jesus

It has first place, yeah we separated in the worst ways
Even physically peep how the earth quakes
Separated socially, murder and the worst rapes
Even separated from ourselves, we in the worst state
It’s so major, that’s the reason that we need a Savior
Cause the root of needs is separation from Creator
Jesus came humbly to restore us to our maker
And later He’ll restore all that He made bruh, He’s Jesus

Verse 3:
God is not pleased man, it’s clear that His standards missed
The world is running rampant with, sin it’s an abandonment
Man is feeling stranded, feeling hopeless since his banishment
God is angry at the distortion and the mismanagement
Evil is at work, but don’t be thinking He can’t handle it
He promised He would do away with all of it, dismantle it
He’s put up with this damage in His world, but He’s promised us
That He’ll destroy all His enemies and then He’ll walk with us

New Heaven, new Earth that’s where all His sheep dwell
Cause Jesus succeeded in every part of life that we failed
Died the death we couldn’t die, paid our price with 3 nails
Began the work He promised, in the end we all will be well
Already beat our enemies and when His Kingdom’s realized
All those who oppose Him will see Jesus with some real eyes
Deliverance is offered us, the hero He is urging us
Salvation is exclusive to His people who have turned to trust

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You Were Made For Global Missions

“Many people don’t know what’s wrong with their souls, and what’s wrong with their souls is that their souls have shrunk to the level of their concerns. They’re not concerned about the nations. We were made to get our arms around the nations, with God. When you pray ‘hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come’, that’s meant to take your heart and make it as big as history and as large as the globe. And that’s a healthy heart.”

Watch the full sermon here, and then part 2 here.

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No, Mr. President

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God So Loved The World

Two recent Piper sermons, definitely worth watching…

Part 1:

Part 2:

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