In high school I was taught that God’s Word was the means and motivation for fighting sin. The text that was often cited, and which I memorized, was Psalm 119:9, 11. Those two verses are some potent medicine for a sin sick soul.

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By keeping it according to Your word.

Your word I have treasured in my heart,

That I may not sin against You.

Pretty straightforward. Keeping and treasuring God’s word is the cure and prevention for sin. But I think the way I memorized these two verses (vv. 9 and 11, without 10), caused a wrong accent to be struck in my sanctification. Notice the end of verse 11… “That I might not sin against You.”

Sin is a personal affront to God. It is my cosmic rebellion against my Creator. But this offense is not mitigated simply by the cessation of sin. Here is where verse 10 is so important. The psalmist writes:

With all my heart I have sought You;

Do not let me wander from Your commandments.

There it is. God’s Word is a means for seeking and knowing God. Personally.

When coming to God’s Word, it is so important for me to remember that it is the revelation of God Himself to me that is the priority. The avoidance of and repentance from sin is the result of seeking God with all my heart.

Repentance should grow from relationship.

This perspective makes me eager to meet God in His Word in my devotional exercises. It makes turning from sin make much more sense.

I’m praying that I can say to God with sincerity, “With all my heart I have sought You.”

He doesn’t remember the fall but a friend was behind him and said Luke hit some gravel and the board went forward and he went backwards. He hit the back of his head on the road resulting in a skull fracture with some light internal (brain) bleeding. He also lost a fair amount of skin on his knees, elbows, back, and hands.

Bottom line is that God was merciful to our son, AGAIN! This could have been a lot worse.

Should be in the hospital a couple of days for observation. He’s pretty sore and has a whopper of a headache.

Thank you to all who have prayed for him.

… And kids, wear your helmets.

Nine and a half years ago I was driving on the 210 Freeway in Los Angeles thinking about our upcoming weekend college retreat. I had just gotten off the phone with a fellow pastor to collegians who was super excited about his group joining us for our retreat. The retreat was going to be in Riverside at the convention center and we were crunching out details.

That drive would change a lot of things for me. That day the oh-too-familiar traffic would gave me some time to think. What if we expanded our retreat to something a bit bigger? Maybe a conference?

I took that idea back to our leadership team to talk about. From the very first discussion the concept was embraced and enhanced by the creative minds of John Martin and Jonathan Rourke. Here is the truth though. None of us had any idea what we were getting into or how it would mark our lives.

We kicked the idea around for a few weeks and decided to go for it. We needed a name and batted around some ideas. I was pushing the idea of calling it “Upsetting the World” from Acts 17 where Paul and his associates were accused of such. Let’s just say that Rourke and Martin rejected my proposal with merciless ribbing. [To work in our little trio you had to have pretty thick skin.]

We widened the circle to Dan Dumas and Daniel Gillespie to think through the concept. Dan was very helpful administratively and with hotel and convention center contracts. Daniel was helpful in many ways, but none more than the day he came into my office and said, “I’ve got the name for your conference.”

A little background.

Daniel knew of my love for Jonathan Edwards and we had had many discussions about Mr. Edwards and his theology. And working with college-agers, we had talked about the 70 Resolutions of Edwards, each of those commitments beginning with the simple word, “Resolved.”

Daniel sat down in the chair across from my desk and said, “It’s staring you in the face Rick! Call it Resolved.”

In that instant things came together. John Martin and Jon Rourke agreed that this was the name and rallying point of the conference. Resolved had begun.

So I wrote a little paragraph about the conference that has been on our website since the beginning. Here is what it says:

Resolved means what it sounds like: it’s a deliberate, committed disposition.

As a 19-year old in the mid-1700s, Jonathan Edwards became serious about the direction of his life. He began to understand the nature of God, and what he discovered was both delightful and disturbing. The more he investigated the infinite tributaries of God’s nature, the more he unearthed his own sinfulness. From then on, the weight of God’s glory became the gravity of his life. He was compelled to respond.

So he sat down with a quill and paper and wrote out a series of commitments. These were simple statements, conclusions, and commitments forged in the immensity of God and the trauma of His holiness. All of them began with the same word—”Resolved”.

The Resolved conference is a call for a new generation to live with the same resolve.

So we started praying and planning. Those early prayer times were precious. We had no idea what God was going to do. Well, He did exceeding abundantly beyond all we asked or thought (Eph 3:20-21).

It was wistful to bring the conference to a close this year. Yeah, I cried. And for a brief moment, Jonathan Rourke and I hugged and swayed to the closing song before realizing it and creating some quick distance between us! But in the end I’m so glad to be sitting at my desk in my church office as I write this. It was a fun year.

Austin Duncan provided excellent leadership this year and Mark Zhakevich lent his administrative gifts in significant ways.

All of us believe what we said over and over each year. Resolved is a weekend. It’s a great weekend, but only one weekend a year. But the church is our ever-present, joyful burden.

What about the future? We don’t know except to say that we are all concentrating our ministries with a single focus right now. And that is good.

I am so thankful to God for the eight years of Resolved. It has served as a ruler by which I can measure my love for Christ. My family can reverence our growth by it as well. It has been a part of my sons’ lives for half or more of their lives. They were 5, 7, and 9 when it began. Now they are 12, 14, and 16.

I am so thankful to John MacArthur and Grace Community Church for allowing us to start and maintain Resolved. John’s preaching was an anchor from the very beginning. Someday the folks who came to Resolved will tell their grandchildren about hearing John MacArthur at the conference. To God be the glory.

Steve Lawson too was with us from the start. His unceasing support of the conference in general and me personally will long encourage my soul. His preaching was thunderous and penetrating. He kept us fueled to look to God. To God be the glory.

C.J. Mahaney was not well known in our circles when he came to the conference. He so graciously accepted our invitation to speak that first year and none of us were ready for what God had for us. His sermon on Christ’s agony in Gethsemane that first year rocked us and in a real sense defined the trajectory of Resolved. I’ve listened to that one sermon more than any other sermon. Most of it is committed to memory. His ability to apply the Scriptures and gospel truth can only be attributed to God’s gifting. No one makes me laugh and cry, worship and repent, pray and praise more than C.J. To God be the glory.

Al Mohler joined us three years ago and immediately fit as a fixture in the speaker lineup. He has an uncanny knack to provide both high-altitude theological perspective and on-the-ground application when he preaches. The way he says things makes me think about familiar spiritual realities in fresh ways. To hear him in person is a privilege few will ever forget.

This last year we heard from Jonathan Rourke for the first time as a preacher. He has served us so well in previous years as a quick-witted, caring shepherd as the conference M.C. But it was clear from his exposition that he is doing what God has called him to do in preaching weekly in his own pulpit. The San Diego area is privileged to have such an expositor in its shadow. To God be the glory.

Austin Duncan joined the lineup this year as both host and speaker. I’ve known Austin for eight years. His exposition of Acts 4 and 5 will certainly find its way into my long-term memory. His opportunities at Grace Community Church and at The Master’s Seminary will begin to surface what so many of us have seen behind the scenes for a long time. I see no ceiling on his potential for the gospel. To God be the glory.

And then there is Enfield and my friends John and Lisa Martin. Anyone who has been to Resolved can confirm that without them, Resolved is a very different conference. John’s leadership, musical skills, work ethic, and love for Christ have served us well. Enfield’s worship leading has been the thread that wove the conference into one piece. And this year they recorded the music sets for a live album to be released later in the summer.

So what’s next?

For the next year all of us on the Resolved team are taking a break from conferencing. We truly believe what was preached at the final conference. Our local churches are where our hearts are and they need our best efforts and constant attention. I’m a pastor, not a conference director.

However, I have seen and experienced the benefits of a conference like Resolved and cannot rule out anything for the future. For now though, I want to concentrate on Mission Road Bible Church.

To God be the glory.

*** You can find all the conference messages here.

*** You can find all the photos here.

Friday through Monday will mark the final Resolved Conference. It has been a great run for past 7 years, a highlight of my year.

If you have been to a conference, you understand. Hearing thousands of voices singing to and about our Savior, hearing preachers and preaching that make time stand still and eternity seem so close, interactions with the best of friends and closest comrades in the gospel… These have been weekends that have been like the marks on a ruler in my life. I can measure my own growth and that of my wife and sons by the Resolved Conference.

This weekend will mark the culmination of the conference. It makes sense too. The theme is the church and we have made every effort to use these weekends to point people back to their local churches.

I have been asked dozens of times in recent days how I feel about this being the last conference. The answer is that I am both overjoyed and a bit wistful. The joy comes from the experiences that Resolved has given me. The sadness is that we are closing up shop. But the balancing of both of those is that the church will continue to do every day and every week what Resolved tried to do one weekend a year.

The question should not be, “Why can’t we continue the Resolved conference?” The question should be, “How can I participate in my local body better?” Our prayer is that these weekend offerings have served as catapults for involvement in the local church. Conferences come and go. But Jesus promised to build His church.

Yes, I’ll miss the conference. But that sadness can’t compare to the joy of being involved in my local church. I like Resolved. I love the church.

We hope to see you at the culmination of the Resolved Conference. But more than that, we hope you are involved in your church.

Ten Books Every Pastor Should Read in 2012

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction Alan Jacobs (Oxford University Press: Oxford)

The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way Michael Horton (Zondervan: Grand Rapids)

Reading Scripture with the Reformers Timothy George (IVP Academic: Downers Grove)

The Next Decade: Where We’ve Been…and Where We’re Going George Friedman (Doubleday: New York)

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other Sherry Turkle (Basic Books: New York)

The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion Rodney Stark (Harper One: New York)

Christian Apologetics: Past and Present, Vol. 2 William Edgar & K. Scott Oliphant (Crossway: Wheaton)

A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New G.K. Beale (Baker Academic: Grand Rapids)

Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine Gregg R. Allison (Zondervan: Grand Rapids)

Lost in Translation: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood Christian Smith, Kari Christofferson, Hilary Davidson, Patricia Snell Herzog (Oxford University Press: Oxford)

One of the most interesting fields of theological study is apologetics. The term comes from the Greek word (apologia) that means to give a verbal defense. The use of this word in 1 Peter 3:15 has become the foundation for apologetics:

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense [give an apologetic] to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence

Syllogizing proofs, organizing arguments, answering philosophical objections, solving apparent theological and biblical discrepancies, these are the concerns of modern apologetics. Every believer ought to be grateful for the hard work that theologians have done in the area of Christian apologetics. I surely am. I love studying apologetics.

But giving a defense for our faith can be intimidating. Most of us have experienced the panicked “uh-oh” moment when we don’t know how to answer a question about our faith. These times work for our good when they force us back to the Bible to discover those answers and generate solid defenses.

But a closer look at Peter’s admonition is interesting. The defense/apologetic called for in 1 Peter 3:15 is not a philosophical, logical, or even theological defense, actually it is a personal one.

Peter says we are to be ready to make a defense for the hope that is within us. I think he is pointing to the power of a personal testimony.

The Apostle Paul was greatest theologian to ever argue the case of Christianity. If anyone could ever prove the point, paint the picture, argue the case about the veracity of the Christian faith, it was Paul. Yet it is remarkable that when he had to give his defense of Christianity before the Jewish leaders and establishment in Jerusalem (Acts 22) and before the Roman representative, King Agrippa at Caesarea Maritima (Acts 26), he defaulted to giving his testimony. When Paul’s life was on the line for his faith, his defense was to tell the work of Christ in his life. His defense was found on the road to Damascus, not in the Encyclopedia of Apologetics.

Every believer has a testimony. Some are dramatic and include radical and seismic shifts in lifestyle and thinking. Others are the sweet story of growing up in a Christian home with gospel truth ever-present from infancy. No matter the personal history, every Christian should be able to tell of the work of God in the heart to bring the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

So what’s the point?

Don’t ever underestimate the power of your testimony. Don’t ever shy away from telling the story of God’s grace in your life. Don’t ever tire of hearing of the work of the gospel in the lives of other believers. And don’t ever shy away from “being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.”

—Christopher Love

Paranoia was the lethal, guiding principle of the seventeeth-century English government. Having beheaded King Charles for treason, Parliament was deeply embroiled in a tug-of-war struggle with Scotland and Ireland for British power. In the absence of a king’s authority, Parliament fingered anyone critical of its rule as traitorous. Suspicion of conspiracy effectively muzzled Puritan preachers (the “Non-Conformists”) from identifying the obvious and public sins of Parliament’s nervous rule. Still, there were courageous exceptions. Among this hallowed list is Christopher Love. This unfamiliar Puritan gave his life for the cause of Christ and gospel fidelity. The martyred blood of Love still calls preachers to sacrificial faithfulness.

Love’s Reputation

Ministerial preparation for Englishmen in the seventeenth century almost ensured matriculating at either Cambridge or Oxford. Love chose Oxford and entered New Inn Hall in 1635. Logic, rhetoric, philosophy, history, and theology comprised his curriculum as a preacher in training.

Alongside these subjects a more subtle course was taught outside the classroom. As penetrating as the summer humidity and winter chill, there was something else in the air at Oxford. Motivated by gospel-rich theology, groups of students were becoming discontent with the relationship between the government and the pulpit. Parliament was bullying English preachers into using their sermons as political commercials. But a new breed of preachers was climbing into English pulpits; the Puritans’ day was dawning.

At Oxford, Love learned to think clearly. He was a “Precisionist” and applied tedious and meticulous scrutiny to Scripture as it related to the issues of his day and to the issues of his day as they related to Scripture. Love was a stellar student. However, he was expelled from his masters program for non-conformity before graduating.

Love had a reputation at Oxford that demonstrated the authenticity of his faith. He was known as one who never missed a chapel service or opportunity to hear a visiting preacher. His later reputation as a great preacher in the pulpit is anchored to his love for hearing the Word of God in the pew.

After his expulsion from Oxford, he was invited to preach at Newcastle by the mayor and aldermen. During an afternoon sermon he identified some doctrinal errors in the Book of Common Prayer relating to the superstitious hangovers from Catholicism. He was immediately arrested and incarcerated with thieves and murderers. Instead of silencing Love this only provided him the opportunity to preach to the inmates and witness many conversions of those on death row. But there were greater persecutions ahead.

Love’s “Plot”

Love was a political activist in the pulpit. This is exactly what the government wanted preachers to be. However, his activism was not the brand Parliament had in mind.

Parliament had convicted King Charles of treason for good reason. He was plotting a peace with Scotland that included political and religious compromise. Parliament opposed him for political reasons; the Puritans opposed him for biblical reasons. Married to a Catholic, Charles tried to undo, or at least minimize, the English Reformation.

Charles was tried, convicted, and executed by Parliament for high treason against the nation. In an unprecedented act of independence, Parliament dissolved the right of kingly succession and established the Commonwealth of England. This gave authority over the nation to Parliament.

Tension climaxed in 1651 when Scotland crowned Charles’ son, Charles II, in an attempt to reestablish the monarchy by force. Charles II promised to establish the Presbyterian Church in England when he returned to London. Fearing their loss of power to Charles II and the Puritans, the members of Parliament threatened with death anyone supporting the Scots’ coronation of King Charles’s son.

Acting on the promise of Charles II, some of the Puritan-Presbyterians conspired with the Scots to take back the throne for the monarchy. (This promise would prove empty a few years later.) Christopher Love was accused of being involved in the conspiracy through correspondence with Scotland. Ironically, Love despised the papist theology of the beheaded King Charles, but held true to his conviction that God alone puts kings on the throne and God alone would bring them down. Love did have correspondence with leaders in Scotland, but denied any part in the conspiracy.

Love on Trial

Parliament was negotiating with Scotland for a peace saturated with political and theological compromise. During the negotiations, Love preached an impassioned sermon stating that he would rather have a just war than a wicked peace. In that sermon his convictions stepped on the toes of everyone possible in the debate. His driving point was that promotion and protection of the gospel truths of the Reformation should be the criteria for governmental rule.

Love was arrested and charged with high treason by the High Court of Justice on June 20, 1651. A five-day trial followed. Witnesses who were called to testify fabricated a complicated and contradictory tale of Love’s supposed conspiracy. Haunted by guilt, several of them confessed to lying after Love’s death. On the sixth day the court came back with the verdict of guilty and sentenced him “to suffer the pains of death by having his head severed from his body.” He was locked up in the London Tower until his scheduled execution.

Love Letters

While Christopher Love awaited execution, he exchanged letters with his Puritan friends and his wife. Many of these letters have been preserved in Don Kistler’s excellent biography of Love—A Spectacle unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love (Soli Deo Gloria, 1994). Impending death reveals the true nature of a man’s soul. And Love’s faith is something to behold through these letters.

The most moving of the letters was written by Christopher’s wife, Mary. On the eve of his scheduled execution, she wrote him a final letter of love and encouragement. She actually wrote two such letters because the execution was postponed six weeks due to a last-minute appeal. This first letter became one of the most inspiring anchors for faithfulness for the Puritans as it was circulated in later years. (The entirety of the letter is provided at the end of this article.)

In it Mary pours out her love for her husband mingled with mortality-proven theology. She comforts him with thoughts of the glories he was about to enjoy and begs him not to have any concerns for her or their children; she was eight months pregnant with their third child. She wrote, “I dare not speak to thee, nor have a thought within my own heart of my unspeakable loss, but wholly keep my eye fixed on thy inexpressible and inconceivable gain.”

One of the most remarkable parts of her letter is the almost incidental reference to the executioner’s unjust blow as “thy Father’s stroke.” The letter reads:

And when thou layest down thy precious head to receive thy Father’s stroke, remember what thou saidest to me: Though thy head was severed from thy body, yet in a moment thy soul should be united to thy Head, the Lord Jesus, in heaven. And though it may seem something bitter, that by the hands of men we are parted a little sooner than otherwise we might have been, yet let us consider that it is the decree and will of our Father, and it will not be long ere we shall enjoy one another in heaven again.

Christopher and Mary’s love was humanly tender and theologically sound. Every spiritual leader should read this letter with his wife.

Love on Display

A little before two o’clock in afternoon Love was escorted from his chamber to the scaffold on Tower Hill. Both supporters and jeerers showed up to witness his death. Before kneeling to put his head on the block, he asked if he could address the crowd. What followed was an epic sermon from a faithful man with his hand on Heaven’s doorknob.

With settled calmness, Love said, “This scaffold is the best pulpit that I ever preached in. In my church pulpit, God, through His grace, made me an instrument to bring others to heaven, but in this pulpit He will bring me to heaven.” He went on extolling the glories of Heaven while asserting again his innocence of the charges of treason.

Love announced, “I am accused of being an apostate, of being a turncoat, of being this, of being that, of being anything but what I am. In general, I will tell you, I bless my God, a high court, a long sword, a bloody scaffold have not made me in the least to alter my principles or to wrong my conscience.” He asserted, “It is true, my faithfulness has procured me ill will from men, but it has purchased me peace with God.”

And looking at the crowd he thundered, “I would rather be a preacher in a pulpit than a prince upon a throne. I would rather be an instrument to bring souls to heaven than have all the nations bring in tribute to me.”

When Love was walking up the scaffold steps, there were many noisy mockers. It was reported that upon hearing Love’s scaffold sermon and final prayer, one of the loudest mockers bewailed his sins and was converted on the spot.

Just before three o’clock, Christopher Love laid his head on the block and closed his eyes for the last time. With the flash of the axe his faith became sight.

Few of us will be called to exercise such martyred faithfulness. But all who preach can share the wondrous passion of this dying preacher in his last sermon.

“I would rather be a preacher in a pulpit than a prince upon a throne.”

*Here the complete copy of Mary Love’s letter to Christopher the night before his scheduled execution.

July 14, 1651

Before I write a word further, I beseech thee think not that it is thy wife but a friend now that writes to thee. I hope thou hast freely given up thy wife and children to God, who hath said in Jeremiah 49:11, “Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive, and let thy widow trust in me.” Thy Maker will be my husband, and a Father to thy children. O that the Lord would keep thee from having one troubled thought for thy relations. I desire to freely give thee up into thy Father’s hands, and not only look upon it as a crown of glory for thee to die for Christ, but as an honor to me that I should have a husband to leave for Christ.

I dare not speak to thee, nor have a thought within my own heart of my unspeakable loss, but wholly keep my eye fixed on thy inexpressible and inconceivable gain. Thou leavest but a sinful, mortal wife to be everlastingly married to the Lord of glory. Thou leavest but children, brothers, and sisters to go to the Lord Jesus, thy eldest Brother. Thou leavest friends on earth to go to the enjoyment of saints and angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect in glory. Thou dost but leave earth for heaven and changest a prison for a palace. And if natural affections should begin to arise, I hope that spirit of grace that is within thee will quell them, knowing that all things here below are but dung and dross in comparison of those things that are above. I know thou keepest thine eye fixed on the hope of glory which makes thy feet trample on the loss of earth.

My dear, I know God hath not only prepared glory for thee, and thee for it, but I am persuaded that he will sweeten the way for thee to come to the enjoyment of it. When thou art putting on thy clothes that morning, O think, “I am now putting on my wedding garments to go to be everlastingly married to my Redeemer.”

When the messenger of death comes to thee, let him not seem dreadful to thee, but look on him as a messenger that brings thee tidings of eternal life. When thou goest up the scaffold, think (as thou saidest to me) that it is but thy fiery chariot to take thee up to thy Father’s house.

And when thou layest down thy precious head to receive thy Father’s stroke, remember what thou saidest to me: Though thy head was severed from thy body, yet in a moment thy soul should be united to thy Head, the Lord Jesus, in heaven. And though it may seem something bitter, that by the hands of men we are parted a little sooner than otherwise we might have been, yet let us consider that it is the decree and will of our Father, and it will not be long ere we shall enjoy one another in heaven again.

Let us comfort one another with these sayings. Be comforted my dear heart.  It is but a little stroke and thou shalt be there where the weary shall be at rest and where the wicked shall cease from troubling. Remember that thou mayest eat thy dinner with bitter herbs, yet thou shalt have a sweet supper with Christ that night. My dear, by what I write unto thee, I do not hereby undertake to teach thee; for these comforts I have received from the Lord by thee. I will write no more, nor trouble thee any further, but commit thee into the arms of God with whom ere long thee and I shall be.

Farewell, my dear. I shall never see thy face more till we both behold the face of the Lord Jesus at that great day.

Mary Love

Cited in Don Kistler, A Spectacle unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1994), 1-3. Because of several appeals to spare his life, four of which were Mary’s, Love was not actually executed until August 22, 1651. Mary wrote a similar letter on the eve of his actual execution.

For further study of Christopher Love:

Brooks, Benjamin. Lives of the Puritans, Vol. III. Morgan, Penn.: Soli Deo Gloria, 1996.

Kisler, Don. A Spectacle unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love. Morgan, Penn.: Soli Deo Gloria, 1994.

Never has there been a generation with more access to biblical truth.

But is the church any better for it? Are believer’s more holy, more content, more committed to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) because of these accesses?

Here is the challenge that my own heart faces daily. With so much truth available, it is easier to appreciate the truth than apply the truth. It’s too easy to think that if we have appreciated, or just plain liked, a quote, a book, a sermon, a blog post, etc., that we have accomplished the intended effect of that truth. Appreciation and application are two very different things.

Don’t misunderstand. We should have a deep and abiding appreciation and attraction to biblical truth. Saying something like, “I loved that book,” or “I really enjoyed that sermon,” those are good things. Would we really want to say the opposite?

However, what a difference there is in being able to point to measurable and evident changes made in our thinking or behavior because of something we have learned. Appreciation of the truth should lead to application of the truth. Otherwise it is like putting a great Christian classic on the bookshelf for eye candy rather than actually reading it. I once heard a sad anecdote that the definition of a Christian classic is a book that everyone has, but no one has read. This illustrates the point.

So what steps can we take to move from appreciators to appliers? Here are some suggestions.

1. Write it down. Get a notebook or journal and put into writing your responses to the biblical truth you are accumulating. Write out prayers pleading for the Spirit to apply the truth to your life. When taking notes from a sermon, don’t just write the outline, but note the things that you discern the Holy Spirit doing in your heart in response to the sermon.
2. Talk about it. This is another way of saying become accountable. Foster relationships in which you can discuss not only the truth you are learning, but also the appropriate responses you should have to those truths.
3. Review. Because truth is flying at us at light speed, take the time to read through that notebook or journal often to refresh your applications.
4. Pray. Yeah, you knew that was coming. But I would encourage you to speak to God about the things you are learning. Go over your notes with Him in your prayer time and request specific grace for specific application of His truth.
5. Slow down. I have found that I get more out of a book read slowly or a blog read repeatedly than trying to keep up with everything that comes out at an almost hourly rate.

Don’t let your mind become a museum for truth.

In December my wife, Kim, and I were discussing our Bible reading plans for 2012. I had (and have) ambitions to read it through twice this year. I must admit that I felt pretty good about that plan. But imagine my response when Kim said, “I think I want to try to read the Bible through in January.”

I must admit that I was a bit skeptical, but encouraged her to go for it.

Well, she did it.

As we talked about the things she learned, I thought those lessons to be too valuable to keep to myself. So I asked her to write her thoughts out so I could post them. She was reluctant to do so for fear of drawing attention to herself. However, at my urging, she did put together her response to reading the Bible in a month. Here it is…

It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?” But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it (Dt. 30:12-14).

I’m not really sure what made me want to read the entire Bible in the month of January. I think some of it may have been guilt because it had been a while since I read all of God’s Word. I was also convicted that I am not as familiar with this precious book as I need and want to be. Whatever the reasons, I am so glad I did. It both confirmed my ignorance and whetted my appetite to dive deeper into its riches.

The following are some observations that the Lord showed me as I read:

1.     The unchanging character of God is always in the foreground (His holiness, compassion, faithfulness and grace) and shines against the backdrop of man’s continual failures. His focus on the heart stood out this time as well, especially in the Old Testament amidst all the detailed instructions on conduct.

2.     God’s message, plan, and sovereign orchestration of all events to accomplish this plan are consistent on every page. I am convinced that anyone who says the Bible is inconsistent has not spent much time in it.

3.     My reading included about 8 chapters in each of 5 sections daily (Law, History, Poetry, Prophecy and New Testament). I love seeing the Bible’s commentary on itself as well as themes and events being enhanced in different passages. For example, in Acts Peter is called to evangelize Gentiles and in Psalm 67 we see, “Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You… God blesses us, that all the ends of the earth may fear Him.” In the same day I would read of the faithlessness of the kings and people of Israel, of God’s faithfulness to Israel in the Psalms, and from the prophets who were speaking truth into their lives. On another day I read about David’s desire for God to have a dwelling place in Psalm 132 and Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple in 2 Chronicles 9.

4.     It wasn’t that hard! Yes it took discipline and a good amount of time each day (1 ½ – 2 hrs), but it was very doable. From this point on, reading through God’s Word 3 or 4 times a year does not seem a bit daunting.

5.     I found myself growing in familiarity – the sense in which I am well acquainted with portions of Scripture because I just read them a few days ago. Several times they came to mind readily when dealing with issues in my own heart or in giving counsel to others. Some of these passages were close friends at one time and I’ve missed them. Others were mere acquaintances, but are pulling at me to get to know them better.

6.     After being so immersed in the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan and His repeated warnings and patience with mankind, the final chapters in Revelation carried new meaning. I was overcome with worship for my Sovereign King and Lamb as well as deep sorrow for those who are perishing.

God has lovingly and graciously made it possible for me to know Him through the sacrifice of His Son and the revelation of Himself in His Word. It is not in heaven or across the sea, but it is right beside me on my nightstand. And I pray that it would be ever nearer in my heart and in my mouth.

I’m a music lover, not a music critic. So when I want to review an album it is because I like it and want others to as well. Such is the case with We Proclaim by Ekklesia Music. It is a production of the music that Joshua Spacht has written and arranged for Grace Immanuel Bible Church in Jupiter, Florida.

This album is a journey. It starts and ends in specific places and is a tour de force of gospel contemplation. Profound theology put into interesting phrasing sung by gifted voices backed by some of the most creative orchestration and arrangements I’ve ever heard… that is the best way I can describe it. The album moves from a defined beginning to a reflective end. I like listening to it from start to finish. You don’t want to “shuffle” the order. If you love the gospel and good music, this record will live in your CD player and be repeated in your iTunes.

Here is what I enjoy about the individual tracks.

1.     In the Beginning

The word “epic” has been overused in recent years, but it is the right word for this track. Wow, just wow! If you want to put John 1:1-5 to music it needs to be big. And this song (actually anthem) is huge. Dramatic strings flow seamlessly with aggressive percussion to create what feels like a soundtrack to the Creation event. The vocals have such a full range of dynamics that the choir’s voices sound like they are floating on a cinematic soundtrack. The drums at 3:33, chased by the strings are awesome. And the closing seconds are the way a piece like this is supposed to end.

2.     A Mighty Fortress

I’m not always a fan of changing the melody of a familiar song. But this one works. The original music is like a march, but this arrangement is more of a celebration. Josh Spacht’s voice is among my favorites. And it really cooks on this track. The new melody makes you think freshly about the words. Got to love the hammer dulcimer too. I think Martin Luther would like this rendition.

3.     Called by Your Name

By the time you get to this song, you wonder if you are listening to the same album. But that is what makes the project so enjoyable. It defies genre assignment. These lyrics are drenched with gospel truth beautifully sung by Kristie and Jerry Wragg (father-in law and daughter-in-law). This song has really tight transitions. Excellent bass and drum rhythm flow. Lots of movement in this tune between full orchestration, breaks with vocals and loops, and parentheses with an acoustic guitar floor. I have heard Jerry sing for years. He is as good as I’ve heard him on this song.

4.     Behold the Lamb

I don’t know where to start on this one. This song is the Everest of the album to me. I have loved this song since the first time I heard it on an old PDI album. Mark Altrogge wrote a classic for my soul in this song. And Josh has taken a simple, sweet ballad and turned it into a symphony worthy of Carnegie Hall. First thing you notice is that it is not in a normal time signature. Josh took a 4/4 song and put it into 7/8 time with minimal change to the melody. Genius! The piano works as a trellis around which a masterpiece grows. Everything about this song works: movie-score strings, intense choir pushes, a crunching phat electric guitar, accenting chimes, Josh’s vocal and Mark’s lyrics make your imagination stare at the cross. My iTunes account tells me that this song is in my top 5. Enough said.

5.     Sweet Sacrifice

Putting this song after Behold the Lamb is perfect. If ever a song were sung perfectly, Meghan Baird does so here. Every time I hear this track, I find that the simplicity of it launches me into the complexity of the hypostatic union (that Jesus is both God and man). And the melody is a soothing application of gospel truth to my heart. Great bass and piano work. Turn the lights down, get a cup of tea, close your eyes and let Meghan take you to the cross. The line, “Darkest hour in all of time as the angels watch you die” gives me chills every time. Beautiful song, deep lyrics, compelling melody.

6.     Of the Father, To the World

It is no secret to anyone that knows me that John Martin is one of my favorite singers. So having his voice weave this complex melody into a simple sound is really cool. This song grows from an acorn to an oak in five and a half minutes. It is a giant crescendo, both lyrically and musically, with a great key change. The chorus/refrain is catchy and will have you humming it for days. I love the break with just John and the choir. Rich theology couched in an invitation to worship.

7.     We Proclaim

Again, excellent strings! And the string and brass combination in the intro lets you know something big is coming. Jessica Fleming (daughter of Jerry Wragg) nails this difficult vocal. There are so many interesting things happening in the background it will take you a lot of trips through it to appreciate them all. The background choral vocals really make this track move. And yes, it has a bit of a Broadway musical ending.

8.     Titus 2:11-13

Scripture put to music, is there a better combination? Two great voices, Josh and Meghan, combine to make this so irresistibly beautiful. I heard this song as a chorus in Josh’s church years ago and instantly wanted the music. He wrote the music to nicely match the meaning of the text of Titus 2:11-13. Dramatic orchestral swells and soft breaks serve to put this text of Scripture securely in your memory. I love this song. It serves kind of like the credits at the end of the movie telling you what to do with what you just heard. This would be a great chorus for your church to sing. [Josh, please put more Scripture to music!]