QUICK TAKES - BIBLE EDITION

The Pursuit of Joy

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:42:00 +0000

Everyone wants joy in their life. Everyone seeks joy. People seek joy through entertainment, sports, relationships, money, etc... But as a Christian where are we to seek joy? Well, here are five summary statements of John Piper's teaching on the subject from a blog post on the Desiring God Blog.

1. The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful.

2. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction.

3. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God.

4. The happiness we find in God reaches its consummation when it expands to meet the needs of others in the manifold ways of love.

5. To the extent we try to abandon the pursuit of our own pleasure, we fail to honor God and love people. Or, to put it positively: the pursuit of pleasure is a necessary part of all worship and virtue.

Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:00:00 +0000

“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

— extra stanza —

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

- C.T Studd

Matt Chandler Sermon Jam on Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:23:00 +0000

What blessings we loss when we do not pray. If only we could know the blessings that come from laboring in prayer, we would not cease to pray. God grant that His people may be a praying people.

Rest for the Soul

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:49:00 +0000

Here are some wonderfully helpful thoughts from Andrew Murray's book Abide in Christ.

REST for the soul: Such was the first promise with which the Saviour sought to win the heavy-laden sinner. Simple though it appears, the promise is indeed as large and comprehensive as can be found. Rest for the soul--does it not imply deliverance from every fear, the supply of every want, the fulfilment of every desire? And now nothing less than this is the prize with which the Saviour woos back the wandering one--who is mourning that the rest has not been so abiding or so full as it had hoped--to come back and abide in Him. Nothing but this was the reason that the rest has either not been found, or, if found, has been disturbed or lost again: you did not abide with, you did not abide in Him.

Have you ever noticed how, in the original invitation of the Saviour to come to Him, the promise of rest was repeated twice, with such a variation in the conditions as might have suggested that abiding rest could only be found in abiding nearness. First the Saviour says, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest"; the very moment you come, and believe, I will give you rest--the rest of pardon and acceptance--the rest in my love. But we know that all that God bestows needs time to become fully our own; it must be held fast, and appropriated, and assimilated into our inmost being; without this not even Christ's giving can make it our very own, in full experience and enjoyment. And so the Saviour repeats His promise, in words which clearly speak not so much of the initial rest with which He welcomes the weary one who comes, but of the deeper and personally appropriated rest of the soul that abides with Him. He now not only says, "Come unto me," but "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me"; become my scholars, yield ourselves to my training, submit in all things to my will, let your whole life be one with mine--in other words, Abide in me. And then He adds, not only, "I will give," but "ye shall find rest to your souls." The rest He gave at coming will become something you have really found and made your very own--the deeper the abiding rest which comes from longer acquaintance and closer fellowship, from entire surrender and deeper sympathy. "Take my yoke, and learn of me," "Abide in me"--this is the path to abiding rest.

Do not these words of the Saviour discover what you have perhaps often sought in vain to know, how it is that the rest you at times enjoy is so often lost. It must have been this: you had not understood how entire surrender to Jesus is the secret of perfect rest. Giving up one's whole life to Him, for Him alone to rule and order it; taking up His yoke, and submitting to be led and taught, to learn of Him; abiding in Him, to be and do only what He wills--these are the conditions of discipleship without which there can be no thought of maintaining the rest that was bestowed on first coming to Christ. The rest is in Christ, and not something He gives apart from Himself, and so it is only in having Him that the rest can really be kept and enjoyed.

Continue reading →

The "New" Cross

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:52:00 +0000

This is an excerpt from a post on Grandpa Brueckner's blog (Call to Commitment). It is a section from A.W. Tozer's book Man, the Dwelling Place of God.

ALL UNANNOUNCED AND MOSTLY UNDETECTED there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences, fundamental.

From this new cross has sprung a new philosophy of the Christian life, and from that new philosophy has come a new evangelical technique-a new type of meeting and a new kind of preaching. This new evangelism employs the same language as the old, but its content is not the same and its emphasis not as before.

The old cross would have no truck with the world. For Adam's proud flesh it meant the end of the journey. It carried into effect the sentence imposed by the law of Sinai. The new cross is not opposed to the human race; rather, it is a friendly pal and, if understood aright, it is the source of oceans of good clean fun and innocent enjoyment. It lets Adam live without interference. His life motivation is unchanged; he still lives for his own pleasure, only now he takes delight in singing choruses and watching religious movies instead of singing bawdy songs and drinking hard liquor. The accent is still on enjoyment, though the fun is now on a higher plane morally if not intellectually.

Continue reading →

Risk It for Christ

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Sun, 15 May 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Down through the centuries, men and women have been risking it all for Christ - even their lives. What about you? Are you willing to risk all for Christ?

The Need for Fellowship

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Thu, 12 May 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Here is an excerpt from a very good blog post on fellowship. It comes from the Pyromaniacs blog. (This is one of my favorite blogs. They deal a little bit with some of the contemporary errors in the church giving you a biblical view of how things are supposed to be. Example: They deal with Rob Bell and his new book.)

In this case, we were attending a church in which the give and take of realfellowship just did not happen. I wrote, then deleted, descriptions of what I'm talking about — because I'm unwilling to speak critically of a doctrinally-sound church. Let's leave it at this: whatever the reason, and despite our best efforts, the fire and the wood just never met for us there. Speaking for myself, despite my regular readings in the Bible in Hebrew and Greek, readings of Spurgeon and other good sources, I was shriveling up inside.

Then one day a friend mentioned a church he'd found with terrific preaching. I went, as an advance scout. Sure enough, it wasvery good preaching. I brought a positive report back to camp, and we returned in force. That became our church home for years. God did us a world of good there, and we served and committed and gave to the best of our ability.

But as I cast back my memory's eye, good as all that was, the single factor that I remember most piercing and affecting me was theliving fellowship arising from that passionate, Biblical preaching. I attended a Men's Fellowship meeting, and there met men who were alive, growing, excited. Each time we got together, they'd talk about Piper or Sproul, or this Biblical doctrine or that, which were really gripping and helping them and lighting them up. I found myself challenged once again, involved in the give-and-take of fellowship. One brother loaned me tapes (!) of Piper's talks based on his then-new Future Grace. In the context of the preaching, worship and fellowship, that book helped me mightily.

Continue reading →

Living for God's Glory at Work

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 09 May 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Now to make our labour, or employment, an acceptable service unto God, we must carry it on with the same spirit and temper, that is required in giving of alms, or any work of piety. For,if "whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we must do all to the glory of God;"(1 Cor. 10:31) "if we are to use this world as if we used it not; if we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God;" (Rom. 12:1) "if we are to live by faith, and not by sight, and to have our conversation in heaven;" (2 Cor 5:7 ; Phil. 3:20) then it is necessary that the common way of our life, in every state, be made to glorify God by such tempers as make our prayers and adorations acceptable to Him. For if we are worldly or earthlyminded in our employments, if they are carried on with vain desires, and covetous tempers, only to satisfy ourselves, we can no more be said to live to the glory of God, than gluttons and drunkards can be said to eat and to drink to the glory of God. - William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout Holy Life

Are You Wasting Your Life?

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Sun, 08 May 2011 23:20:00 +0000

All for Jesus, all for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed powers:
All my thoughts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours.
- Mary D. James, All for Jesus

Vermont On Destiny - Episode 1

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Bruce Gagne witnessing at the Maple Festival. Thanks Tyler for this great video.

A Problem with Christians in Evangelicalism

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 18:06:00 +0000

Why did you turn to Christ? Is He your fire insurance plan, or is He your great Treasure?

A Force for Change

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 02:34:00 +0000

It is amazing to see what God can do in a city! If God can work in Sao Paulo, can't He work in your city?

Creation Science

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:09:00 +0000

Why don't people believe in the creation?

The same reason they don't believe the gospel; they are blinded by the God of this world.

Those to Whom Christ Manifests Himself

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 03:26:00 +0000

In this week's Bible study, we looked at John chapters 13 and 14. One of the verses that stood out to me most was verse 21 of chapter 14. Here are John Gill's thoughts on these verses.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,.... He that has not merely the external revelation of them in the Bible; but has them written on his heart, by the finger of the Spirit of God, and keeps them under the influence of grace and strength received from him:

he it is that loveth me: others may talk of loving Christ, but this is the man that truly does love him; for his observance of Christ's commands is a proof and evidence that he loves him not in word only, but in deed and in truth: and to encourage souls to love and obedience, Christ adds,

he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father; not that love to is the cause, condition, or motive of the Father's love to his people; nor does his love to them begin when they begin to love Christ; but this expression denotes some further and greater manifestation of the Father's love to such persons, and shows how grateful to the Father are love and obedience to the Son:

and I will love him; which must be understood in the same manner; Christ does not begin to love his people when they begin to love, and obey him; their love and obedience to him, spring from his love to them; which love of his towards them was from everlasting: but this phrase signs a clearer discovery of his love to them, which passeth knowledge; and some fresh mark and token of his affection for them; and which is explained in the next clause:

and will manifest myself to him; not in a visible way, or in a corporeal form, as he did to his disciples after his resurrection; but in a spiritual manner, as when he makes himself known to his people in ordinances, and favours them with communion with him, and they see his beauty, his fulness, his grace and righteousness, his power, and his glory.

"Evolution Sunday"?

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Here is some very disturbing news that I found out about through Answer's in Genesis. This is adapted from a radio broadcast that Ken Ham made.

Did you know that on Sunday morning, February 13, about 350 pastors will be talking about creation vs. evolution? Believe it or not, though, these churches will have pastors actually speak in favor of evolution!

This coincides with Charles Darwin's birthday, February 12. For months, a web page has been promoting what's called "Evolution Sunday." If you visit this site, not only will you discover that over 10,000 pastors have signed a statement in support of evolution, but hundreds of them have agreed to promote evolution in their churches on Sunday. Incredibly, the founder of this movement is an atheist!

Probably a majority of America's pastors accept some form of evolutionary/long age thinking and try to add it to the Bible, so we're not totally surprised by "Evolution Sunday."

Now, if a pastor accepts evolution and an old earth, he must believe that God used death and bloodshed over millions of years. This actually destroys the foundation of the atonement/gospel message.

Let's pray against this anti-biblical movement called "Evolution Sunday."

It is a sad day when those who are supposed to uplift and defend the Word of God are the very ones undermining it. Evolutionary teachings have come into our Christian colleges and are now invading the church. It may not always be flat-out evolution. Many times these "Christians" will take a part of evolution and insert it into the creation account (They can't deny that God created everything or was at least the original Mover). But, any deviation from the account as stated in Genesis is dangerous. For when you begin to add to or subtract from the creation account, you have invariably erred from Scripture. There is no room in the creation account for evolution. There is no reconciling creation and evolution.

As long as an "expert" says something, we think that it is true. Where are those who will stand by the Bible no matter what "experts" say? Do these "experts" know more than God? God could say the same thing to them that He said to Job and his friends: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it? (Job 38:4-5)"

"...let God be found true, though every man be found a liar... (Romans 3:4)"

Victory Over Sin

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 23:41:00 +0000

VICTORY OVER SIN!!! - Part 1 from allensmith on Vimeo.

This video really spoke to me. Some of the quotes used in here are along the same lines that God has been speaking to me on.

You can also view part 2.

Passion

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:42:00 +0000

As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So my soul pants for Thee, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;

When shall I come and appear before God?

- Psalm 42:1-2

Whom have I in heaven but Thee?

And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For, behold, those who are far from Thee will perish;

Thou hast destroyed all those who are unfaithful to Thee.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

That I may tell of all Thy works.

- Psalm 73:25-28

My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

- Psalm 84:2

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ...

- Philippians 3:7-8

And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.

- Revelation 5:11-14

Can you feel the passion with which these words were penned? The men who wrote these words were men with "like passions as we are." They had no advantage over us. In fact, we have a greater advantage over them of having the whole Bible. We too can have a heart that overflows with love for God.

O, to have a heart that is consumed with a love for God! Pray with me that more and more our hearts would be filled with a great love for God.

Are You Stumbling?

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 03:37:00 +0000

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." - John 11:9-10

Here are some comments by Matthew Henry on the above verses:

If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not; that is, If a man keep close to his duty, and mind that, and set the will of God before him as his rule, with an impartial respect to all God’s commandments, he does not hesitate in his own mind, but, walking uprightly, walks surely, and with a holy confidence. As he that walks in the day stumbles not, but goes on steadily and cheerfully in his way, because he sees the light of this world, and by it sees his way before him; so a good man, without any collateral security or sinister aims, relies upon the word of God as his rule, and regards the glory of God as his end, because he sees those two great lights, and keeps his eye upon them; thus he is furnished with a faithful guide in all his doubts, and a powerful guard in all his dangers, Gal. 6:4; Ps. 119:6.

If a man walk in the night, he stumbles; that is, If a man walk in the way of his heart, and the sight of his eyes, and according to the course of this world,—if he consult his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God,—he falls into temptations and snares, is liable to great uneasiness and frightful apprehensions, trembles at the shaking of a leaf, and fleeswhen none pursues; while an upright man laughs at the shaking of the spear, and stands undaunted when ten thousand invade. See Isa. 33:14–16, he stumbles, because there is no light in him, for light in us is that to our moral actions which light about us is to our natural actions.

The Evidence You Are Saved Is a Changed Life

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:12:00 +0000

This is the message that I preached while filling in for Dad as he was away in Macedonia.

Testimony of a Dying Man's Conversion

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 22:14:00 +0000

In this video, Paul Washer tells a story of true conversion.

Toxic Intelligence

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:42:00 +0000

History of the Modern Gospel: Session Two from Real Truth Matters on Vimeo.

This video deals with some of the false gospels that are being preached. Towards the end of this presentation, Michael Durham makes a few points that are very applicable to you and me.

You Are Weak

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:19:00 +0000

Lord, Thou wilt establish peace for us, Since Thou hast also performed for us all our works. - Isaiah 26:12

I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. - Psalm 57:2

These are the words of weak people who know that they are weak. David knew that he was nothing apart from God. David was who he was because of God, and he knew it.

Israel was nothing apart from God. Look at Israel's history. They could not defeat the mighty Egyptians in their own strength. They could not cross the Red Sea or the Jordan River by their own ingenuity. They could not sustain themselves in the wilderness for forty years by their own endeavors. All this was the work of God.

You are weak as well. All men are weak. That is why God in the Old Testament said, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6);" and why Jesus in the New Testament said, "Apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)"

The problem is that all too often we do not acknowledge our weakness. We are like the Laodicea church who thought they had it all together, who imagined that they were "it" (Revelation 3:17a). But what did Jesus say about them? "You are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17b)"

Oh, turn to Christ as your all! Allow Him to clothe you. Allow Him to open your eyes. Allow Him to guide you. You can do nothing on your own. Run to Jesus. Stop trying to live life through your own strength.

To Those Who Long for Fulfillment

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Here is an encouraging word from Hudson Taylor:

"And now I have the very passage for you, and God has so blessed it to my own soul! John 7:37-39 - 'If any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink." Who does not thirst? Who has not mind-thirsts, heart-thirsts, soul thirsts, or body-thirsts? Well, no matter which, or whether I have them all - 'Come unto me and" remain thirsty? Ah no! 'Come unto me and drink.'

"What, can Jesus meet my need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am, how deep are my soul-yearnings - Jesus can meet all, all, and more than meet. He not only promises me rest - ah, how welcome that would be, were it all, and what an all that one word embraces! He not only promises me drink to alleviate my thirst. No, better than that! 'He who trusts Me in this matter (who believeth on Me, takes Me at My word) out of him shall flow . . .'

"Can it be? Can the dry and thirsty one not only be refreshed - the parched soil moistened, the arid places cooled - but the land be so saturated that springs well up and streams flow down from it? Even so! And not mere mountain-torrents, full while the rain lasts, then dry again . . . but, 'from within him shall flow rivers' - rivers like the mighty Yangtze, ever deep, ever full. In times of drought brooks may fail, often do, canals may be pumped dry, often are, but the Yangtze never. Always a mighty stream, always flowing deep and irresistible!

"'Come unto me and drink,' [he wrote in another June letter]. Not, come and take a hasty draught; not, come and slightly alleviate, or for a short time remove one's thirst. No! 'drink,' or 'be drinking' constantly, habitually. The cause of thirst may be irremediable. One coming, one drinking may refresh and comfort: but we are to be ever coming, ever drinking. No fear of emptying the fountain or exhausting the river!" - this is an excerpt taken from Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret (pp.172-173). This selection was taken from two of his letters.

"Do What You Want"?

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:02:00 +0000

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" is the Satanic philosophy derived by the founder of modern Satanism Aleister Crowley. In fact, it is the law stated in the Satanic Bible. These three videos expose how prevalent this demonic philosophy has crept into society.

You can get this video in its entirety at the Apologetics Groups Official Website http://www.theapologeticsgroup.com. It is called Hell's Bells 2. - LaneCh (youtube)

Joseph: A Role Model

noreply@blogger.com (John Brueckner) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 02:50:00 +0000

This week in Bible study we examined the character of Joseph. Previous to this, I had never taken time to just look at what the Bible reveals to us about Joseph. As I studied the first couple chapters of Matthew, I was impressed by what a godly man Joseph was. Matthew calls Joseph a righteous man. Then he goes on and gives us some glimpses of Joseph's righteousness. I found that Joseph is quite the role model to follow.

Here are some of the areas in which we can emulate him. Joseph was...

1) interested in Mary's well-being (Matthew 1:19 cf. Philippians 2:4)
2) obedient to the voice of God (Matthew 1:24-25; 2:14, 21, 22)
3) willing to follow God where ever He led (Matthew 2:13-14, 22)
4) a model of sexual purity (Matthew 1:25).