WES' BLOG

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:41:00 +0000

And We're Back

I've been on a little blog-leave for a while, but I'm back now.
I'm enjoying the 'Reading Classics Together' over at the Challies Blog
The Rare Jewel Of Christian Contentment
ONLINE HERE

Every time I read a 'classic' I'm amazing why I don't read them more often. Compare the dead authors to the living authors on depth and insight, the dead win, big time. It's like comparing a pot hole to the Mariana Trench. It takes time to dig, but when you do.....the treasures you find are awesome.

I've always misunderstood this 'rare jewel' of contentment. I find just the title of the book ironic yet engaging. I know contentment is a treasure but it's so rarely consistent in my life that I have actually 'found' it. Once I think I've got it, it flies away.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:44:00 +0000

LINKS

Al Mohler cleans house about gay marriage on NPR

Gay leaders are upset about Warren introducing Obama

Another reason (of hundreds) why not to do daycare.

John Piper's favorite Christmas bible verse ( I preached on this last week)

More divine vinyl from purgatorio

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:01:00 +0000

MUSIC PLUG
My wife and I are really enjoying: THE WELCOME WAGON
CLICK HERE

The lead singer is a young church planter and pastor in his twenties Vito. Here is there church in Brooklyn New York. http://resurrectionwilliamsburg.com/

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:32:00 +0000

Here is an excellent article for our seasonal celebration: SANTA CHRIST?

22 Words has a good bit of advise on miscommunication. It begins with the communicator.

Thumbs way up to a good friend of mine for getting me a brand new black, leather, ESV Study Bible. It's easily the most comprehensive study Bible ever published—with 2,752 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources. 2 million words. I haven't opened it yet. I don't remember the last new bible I've got. This one looks to be a monster. I plan on going through it entirely this next year and give a review of it this time next year.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:44:00 +0000

DUBAI Burj tower 1/2 mile tall

THIS gives the tower of babel a new meaning. Scroll all the way down. Plans are now in place to build one 1,000 feet taller or 3,208 feet, 1 kilometer.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:03:00 +0000

LINKS AND SUCH

Movies we just watched.
God Grew Tired Of Us A group of 25,000 young men who have fled the wars in Sudan since the 1980s, and their experiences as they move to the United States. Excellent.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days the story of two students, roommates in the university dormitory, who try to arrange an illegal abortion.

Obama Interview On his 'faith'

Grace Has Called My Name
new song by Kathryn Scott

22 Words recommends some blogs

Mark Driscoll's series on Song of Songs now has a Whac-a-Fox game
Kacy and I are enjoying this series.

JCPenny $10 off $25 purchase coupon

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:55:00 +0000

Happy 8th! Memories with my sweet Kacy.

1. Spending all my money to buy you a ring and a honeymoon.
2. Riding around with you in my old pickup back and forth from Munday to Throckmorton.
3. Hauling 2000 gallons of water with you in a borrowed jeep, which almost tipped over, during the 2000 drought.
4. Looking over at you smiling back at me while riding in the jeep and wiping sweat off your forehead, it's when I knew.
5. Arguing about Hillsong or Vineyard, 1st argument.
6. Going over 100 miles an hour on Grape Street in downtown Abilene to the Emergency room.
7. Swimming in a RA Brown Ranch tank.
8. Making up after arguing over spoons.
9. Remembering the Uturn and your sacrifice for the kids that came.
10. Cracking your Dodge Omni transmission pan in front of the Munday Church of Christ.
11. Ruining your quilt while fixing your car, by myself, in front of the Uturn.
12. Driving to Kansas City for the premarital seminar.
13. Crying with you in the kitchen over Petey, then singing goodbye.
14. Walking under the oaks in Buffalo Gap.
15. Hiking to Sacred Falls in Oahu.
16. Shopping at target for 2 hours, the first time.
17. Filling up with gas at the Exxon at 2AM while contracting.
18. Surprising you with a 'stolen' Birthday car and your reaction afterward.
19. Leading worship together at Graham.
20. Watching you hold our boy and sing over him How Great Thou Art.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:53:00 +0000

Recent Reads

Spectacular Sins by John Piper: excellent, short, overview of God's purpose in sin.
Everyday Talk John Younts: quite good will use as a reference, thanks evans.
Job by John Piper: dark and painfully excellent, if we could just 'get this'.
Same Kind Of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore: Good true story of grace, friendship, in the midst of cancer. These two authors were at ACU last month.
Age Of Opportunity by Paul Tripp......the best book I've every read concerning heart issues.

What I'm reading now:
Peace Like A River by Enger
Shepherding a Child's Heart

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:28:00 +0000

MUSIC MONDAY

Patrick Park "Here We Are" from JT GURZI on Vimeo.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:23:00 +0000

HOW TO KNOW GOD IS YOUR TREASURE and not his gifts
DESIRING GOD: JOB WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS SUFFER
Several people from our church went to a conference in Austin a week ago. WOW!!

Oh, Lord if this were lost instead and all I had was you, I would be rich, and have the greatest good.

JOB: When The Righteous Suffer, session 1
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/3335/Audio/

JOB: When The Righteous Suffer, session 2
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/3336/Audio/

JOB: When The Righteous Suffer, Questions and Answer, session 3
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/3337/Audio/

Job lost everything: his wealth, his health, and his ten children. All swept away in one satanic storm. Reduced to a heap of flesh, ashes, and tears—rebuked by friends and jeered by strangers—righteous Job wrestled over the purpose and presence of God in the midst of unbearable pain.

QUESTIONS FROM THE CONFERENCE:
* What language should we use to talk about God's sovereignty over sin?
* How much did the Holy Spirit have to do with Job's ability to suffer well?
* As an ancient believer, how was Job's faith different than ours?
* How could Satan come into God's presence? Does he still?
* Did God initiate the meeting with Satan?
* How should we view Satan's involvement in our lives?
* What is involved in the worship that comes in the moments of deepest suffering?
* Would it be wrong to express anger and frustration in these moments?
* How do you lovingly speak the truth of God's sovereignty to sufferers?
* What does it mean to be righteous?
* What does it mean for the righteous to suffer when there is none righteous before God?
* How do we make sure our kids are prepared for suffering when our family has undergone so little?
* What do you say to a couple who lost their infant and now God seems so far away?
* How do I help my disabled child understand God's sovereignty when she faces not just physical suffering, but emotional suffering because of continual ridicule?
* What do you do for an unbelieving friend whose suffering is pushing her away from God?
* What do you do when you can't see God's good purposes in suffering?

You can listen to them online or download the audio or video for free. As usual, most all of the Desiring God stuff is FREE. Including many of his books.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:22:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:14:00 +0000

MY SOUL FINDS REST IN GOD ALONE

As a music/song leader in our small church I'm always looking for good, scriptural, God-centered songs.
Thanks to Bob Kauflin and Tim Challies for this plug.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:54:00 +0000

Blame God For The Sub-Prime Mess?

Time Magazine asks this question, HERE

"Has the so-called Prosperity gospel turned its followers into some of the most willing participants -- and hence, victims -- of the current financial crisis? That's what a scholar of the fast-growing brand of Pentecostal Christianity believes. God caused the bank to ignore my credit score and blessed me with my first house." Albert Mohler

Piper on gab-it-grab-it

Driscoll on gab-it-grab-it

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Dave Ramsey's advice on the $700 Billion Bailout is apparently getting heard.

See it HERE.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:27:00 +0000

The War Of Words DGM conference just finished. And again, it's FREE. Unlike most ministries that charge an arm and a leg just for one cd message, most all of DGM resources are FREE online.

Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it.

Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. -Jonathan Edwards

Needless to say, I need help with this.

Driscoll spoke on using biblical sarcasm/satire here.
QUOTE OF THE DAY-
'You buy things you can't afford on things you don't need to impress people you don't like.'

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:25:00 +0000

MUSIC MONDAY

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:45:00 +0000

We're watching the HBO Series 'JOHN ADAMS' on dvd and so far so good.
Click Here to see the trailer.

It's based on one of my most favorite authors David McCullough who is just brilliant with all his stories. If you haven't read any of his stuff get it now.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Mark Driscoll and the Peasant Princess HERE

Kirk Cameron only kisses his wife. HERE

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:51:00 +0000

FRIDAY PHOTOS

Ky-buzz takes off, but falls head first into the floor. Thumbs up, Woody!

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:42:00 +0000

DIGGING A HOLE TO CHINA?
I grew up thinking that if you dug a hole through the Earth you'd end up in China. I tried several times but one time I got pretty close with childhood friend Jed Davis, 4 feet deep.

This tool shows exactly where you'd end up. In my case(and all Texans), our hole would fill up in water as we would be in the Indian Ocean.

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:58:00 +0000

A WOMAN PRESIDENT/A MAN PASTOR
Voddie Baucham, does a fine job in this CNN interview. The controversial subject;
How can you vote for a woman to be the President but not 'allow' her one to be a pastor? CLICK HERE

The ladies in the interview, who politely took the more 'progressive side', give a great example of taking verses in the Bible completely out of context (my last post).

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:22:00 +0000

WHAT IT READS / WHAT IT MEANS
I don't know how many times I'll hear someone (including myself) quote a scripture COMPLETELY out of context and apply a meaning to the text that makes absolutely no sense to the original meaning of the context. INTERPRETATION is in the eye of the beholder has become the fad of today.

Reading the Bible is important but understanding what it really means is very important. Steve McCoy has collected some 'Books on Biblical Hermeneutics' HERE.

My picks are:
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Douglas Stuart and Gordon Fee
Biblical Exegesis by John Piper
The Hermeneutical Spiral by Grant Osborne
Listening to the Spirit in the Text - Fee

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:55:00 +0000

SARAH PALIN
'If Obama does not get the subject changed from Palin, he can lose.'
I agree with John Mark Reynolds

Doug Wilson has some interesting discussion about Sarah Palin HERE

Sarah Palin is to the left what sunlight is to a vampire. CAL THOMAS

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:18:00 +0000

NEW ESV STUDY BIBLE COMING SOON
I agree with my friend Peter here about the new ESV Study Bible coming out October 15.
Pre-order one HERE

The endorsements on this resource are huge. Here is one from Josh Harris

noreply@blogger.com (WES) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:55:00 +0000

AT WHAT POINT DOES A BABY GET HUMAN RIGHTS?
OBAMA: IT IS ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.
MCAIN: AT THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION.

This is really big as Albert Mohler points out in his excellent commentary here. When asked, "at what point does a baby get human rights?" Obama said that the question "is above my pay grade." That is a particularly evasive answer, because the President of the United States must frame policies that are predicated on some assumption of when a human being, born or unborn, deserves the full protection of the law.

Is this not the most fundamental question of being a citizen of a country, namely that of 'rights' and freedom ? And isn't it the presidents job to protect and enforce the rights and liberty of the nation? Obama apparently, does not know , 'above my pay grade'? Against the least able to defend their own rights, little babies, Obama turns his head, 'its above my pay grade'.

MORE HERE

All that said, politics are not the savior and never will be.