From June 15th to July 3rd, christianaudio.com is having an incredible sale. Most of their audio books (download only) are selling for $7.49. I purchased the unabriaged Bible (ESV) for $7.49! I also purchased to Fiction books by my favorite author (Alcorn). It’s an amazing sale. Check it out!!!
It has sat on my bookshelf for almost 6 years. Every time I saw it, I knew I should read it. But, frankly, I had no desire to. What possessed me to buy that book? Out of all the books in the Covenant Life Bookstore, why this one? I’m well aware that I need to be content. I’m convinced it’s one of the hardest things to be. Why do I want to read a book that makes that painful fact even more of a reality? AND it’s written by a really smart, old guy…it’s not going to be easy to read.
Have you ever avoided a book you know God wants you to read? I have. I’ve done it twice before…The Holiness of God and When People Are Big and God Is Small. What amazed me is that God used both of those books in amazing ways, in my life. They are on the top 5 books that have greatly affected my Christian walk (the Bible being number 1). I’m not amazed that the books affected me, because they’re incredible! I’m amazed that God allowed them to affect me after I had ignored His prodding for years. It once again proves that I have an amazing God that doesn't work like I would. And I’m so glad!
I am in that place again. For many years I have stared at this book sitting in my wardrobe. Knowing I should read it, but having absolutely no desire to do so. I decided to pick it up last week and I’ve fallen in love with it. It is so gracious and yet so convicting at the same time. But, it’s not a “aahh, I can never change” kind of conviction. It is the “wow, I’m not like that, but I really want to be” kind of conviction. It’s the kind you know that you cannot achieve on your own, but you realize that by God’s grace, you can/will. I have also been very surprised to find it easy to read. Nowhere near as difficult as I expected.
So, if you’re wanting to read an amazingly well written, grace-filled, convicting book (that is only $5.40)…order The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs, today!!! It’s well worth the $5. You can purchase it HERE.
Still not convinced? Check out these excerpts.
I am ten pages into my new book. Yet, I am already hooked. This book is incredible! I wish I could highlight the entire book. It is so good! It is a MUST read!!! Here’s a quote to wet your appetite:
It’s essential for us to think about God’s love today because it is only his love that can grant us the joy that will strengthen our hearts, the courage that will embolden us in our fight against sin, and the assurance that will enable us to open up our lives to him so that he might deal powerfully with our unbelief and idolatry. If we’re not completely convinced that his love is ours right now-full and unalterably ours-we’ll always hide in the shadows, focusing on our performance, fearing his wrath. Prayer will be hard because we won’t want to approach him or be transparent before him. Witnessing will be a chore, for who would want to talk to others about a god who is demanding, angry, or cold? If we don’t consciously live in the light of his love, the gospel will be secondary, virtually meaningless, and Jesus Christ will fade into insignificance. Our faith will become all about us, our performance, and how we think we’re doing, and our transformation will be hindered.
If you’d like to purchase the book for a reasonable price, click the picture below. Westminster Bookstore is one of the cheapest online bookstores I’ve found…
Can I request that you take a second (for it really isn’t that long) and read the quote below. If you are tempted to doubt God, not trust Him, worry, be anxious, or anything along those lines; than I STRONGLY encourage you to read this quote. It’s so good and very applicable to life in the US right now…
"How countless are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures! Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number--living things both large and small. All of them wait for You to give them their food at the right time. When You give it to them, they gather it; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to the dust!" Psalm 104:24, 25, 27-29
The providence of God is His care of and provision which He makes for His creatures; with His supervision and superintendence of them. The providence of God in His government of the world is a subject of deep importance to the Christian, for by proper views thereof, he will learn to see God's activities--in the daily works of His hands. Yet, though Christians assent to this truth, nevertheless they are prone to overlook it in exercise, and thereby to be deprived in great measure of that poise of mind and comfort of heart, which a deep and constant improvement of this doctrine is calculated to impart.
Nothing is more strengthening to faith, stabilizing to the mind, and tranquilizing to the heart of a Christian--than for him to be enabled to discern his Father's hand guiding, shaping, and controlling everything which enters his life; and not only so, but that He is also governing this world, and all people and events in it. Alas, we are living in an age of terrible skepticism, when most of what happens is attributed to natural causes, while God is more and more banished from the world, in the consideration of His creatures. It is not only a fact that God governs the world in a general sense, but He also regulates all its affairs, and controls all creatures in it, "working all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11).
God is not troubled by anything that is now taking place in His world--either in its political, social, or religious sphere; nor should we be troubled. The helm is still in His hand; and Satan himself cannot so much as touch a hair of our heads, without His direct permission.
"We ought to see the hand of God in the most trifling things. Nothing is so small as to be below His attention! Nothing is too great for His Providence to effect!" Carson- Arthur Pink, "Divine Providence
Some other great posts that have encouraged my soul lately…
Reasons To Hope You’ll Change - Crazy Counsel - Reason To Keep Asking Jesus To Heal
If you’re looking for some great books on Trust, I recommend the following (and there are tons more). I have finished one and I’m reading the other.
The chapter on Habakkuk is incredible!!!
If nothing else, read the first chapter.
And if anyone is wondering, Dad is doing great. He’s got a cold, but they’re having a good time. The first part of their trip was cancelled, so they are spending the entire time in the second country they were planning on visiting. Please continue to pray for his safety (and Larry M), that God would bless them, that God would give them wisdom & strength, that they would be able to serve our brothers & sisters, and that they would be able to obtain medications that the government (in they country that they are at) confiscated from the church there. Thanks for praying.
Can't figure out what to buy "Uncle Bob" for Christmas? Here's some of my favorite books. I highly recommend them. If you click on the pics, they will take you to Westminster Bookstore. One of the cheapest web sites I've found to purchase Christian books.
I had a very pleasant surprise yesterday. It made my day. Somehow, for some reason, my ESV Study Bible came in the mail. The official release is a little over 4 days away. Maybe it's because we pre-ordered back in July. I don't know. I was expecting to get it after the release (like 2 weeks from now), but God blessed me with getting it early!!! I'm so excited, I've been looking forward to this resource. It's so incredibly amazing. I'm most excited to finally have a cross-reference again. But, it has a lot of other tools and features. I am slowly (very slowly) reading through the Bible. It was nice to find a very long introduction before each book. That will be so helpful.
If you haven't checked out their website, you must...it's pretty cool. They're running a 15% off discount from now until October 15th. http://www.esvstudybible.org/
I just finished chapter 5 in Why Small Groups?. It has by far been the best chapter in the book! It has been so convicting!!! Here's a couple more amazing (and convicting) quotes:
To listen properly, a servant's attitude and posture is necessary. It requires us to put our whole inner and outer man at another person's disposal, say: 'Your interests, concerns, problems, successes, or failures are more important than min. I will listen to whatever you have to say as long as it is biblically proper. I will allow you to express yourself fully. I yield myself to you. Let's focus on what is most important to you rather than on what is most important to me. -Wayne Mack
...keep in mind that your three-fold goal (during a conflict) is to solve the problem, grow closer in the process, and become more godly through the process. Personal victory is not the goal, for this will never bless your friend nor please God. -Mickey Connolly
Confrontation can be very difficult, and many avoid it. But what wasted time could be redeemed in our lives if faithful friends started telling us some truths about ourselves. -Terry Virgo
Terms not only describe; they interpret. When we use a word such as gossip, many biblical images and exhortations come to mind-as well they should. When we try to describe the same activity in a more neutral fashion, what we really do is describe it in an unbiblical way. God's descriptive categories are not neutral...'Neutrality' is really a surrender to unbelief. It is a refusal to speak and think from God's perspective. -E. Bradley Beevers
The Christian approach is to solve all problems, not just solve some problems or solve them par way. Romans 5:20 tells us about the fullness of God's grace: 'But where sin abounded, grace far more abounded.' That assurance means that when Christ meets sin, He more than meets the need. It is not His concern to 'patch things up' or even to turn back the clock. He wants to turn a bad thing into a great one! And He will settle for nothing less. -Jay Adams
The Bible teaches that we should see conflict neither as an inconvenience no as an occasion for selfish gain, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate the presence and power of God...it encourages us to look at conflict as an opportunity to glorify God, to serve others, and to grow to be like Christ. -Ken Sande
Here's a great opportunity. The folks at CrossWay books are allowing friends of Sovereign Grace Ministries to pre-buy the new ESV Study Bible. It will be released in October. They are not only giving us the opportunity to pre-order it, but giving it to us 35% off!!! How cool is that! But, it gets better. They are going to give 5% of the proceeds of this "pre-buy" to Sovereign Grace's Pastors College. So, you can get a really cool (and very helpful) Study Bible & support my favorite college. But, hurry...offer ends on July 31st. Want more info?
I bought In My Place Condemned He Stood at Na*. I was unaware that there was much controversy in many Christian circles on the subject of penal substitution. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure if I'd ever heard those words before (though I must have at some point). As Dr. Packer began explaining what penal substitution was, I was horrified. How can anyone not believe this? How can you be a Christian and NOT believe this??? As I was reading In My Place Condemned He Stood I came across this...
But in this century a number of scholars...have revived the view of the sixteenth-century Unitarian Socinus, a view that had already been picked up in the late 1800s by Albrecht Ritschl, a founder of German liberalism, to the effect that there is in God no such thing as anger occasioned by human sin, and consequently no need or possibility of propitiation. Dodd has labored to prove that the propitiation word group in the New Testament does not carry the sense of appeasing God's anger but only denotes the putting away of sin, and there expiation is a better rendering...
I am the furthest thing from a scholar. Dr. Packer stretches my thinking skills. I am not gifted in writing (as anyone that reads this blog would heartily agree with). And I don't want to appear to criticize men that are my seniors and much smarter than I am. Not my intention. But, I am appalled (though I do live in a sinful world, so I shouldn't be surprised) that anyone could even entertain such thoughts. If God is not angered by sin, than why did Jesus have to die for it? Why was there a need for atonement? If God's wrath is not to be reckoned with, than why worry about it? How can you have justice and not holy anger? How can He be offended by our offense and yet not pour out wrath (our just punishment) for it? God's just anger is what make the gospel so beautiful. Forgiveness instead of wrath. How can you be grateful for salvation if you haven't been saved from His holy and just anger? It kinda takes the pizazz (if you will) out of the gospel...
CrossWay books graciously offered at 35% off discount to NA attendees for books sold at the conference. I've heard that at least on of these books is now on backorder and it will be 3 or 4 weeks before they're delivered. Want them sooner? Want them at the same price? :-) Check out one of my favorite book sites...
Many of the books at NA are sold here (including WorshipMatters) and they ship same day (on orders made before 3pm). They're super fast and shipping is also very cheap.
Stephen Altrogge is making his new book available for download, for free!!! I have not had a chance to read it, but I will soon. Here's some comments that he made about this book.
No one has had a greater spiritual influence on my life than my dad, and there’s no one I want to be more like. Like the title says, he’s my friend and my hero. This book details the specific ways my dad influenced me to follow Christ, and is intended to be an encouragement for mom’s, dad’s, husbands, and wives. My hope is that this book encourages you as you seek to faithfully raise your children in the fear of the Lord.
You read the rest of his post on The Blazing Center.
You can download his book HERE.
