Answering the Cries

By: Russell Jeffares

Have you ever cried out—perhaps after watching the evening news or hearing a list of prayer concerns—“Enough already. I’m sick and tired of all the sin and suffering!” I’ve had this thought many times, and had it again this past week, after hearing about a family connected with our church whose child is terribly ill.

There are three voices (or cries) in Matthew 2-3 that appear in response to the suffering and evil in this world. These voices certainly go together because Matthew uses the exact same structure for each in the Greek. Each one is fronted with the words “a voice.”

A Voice of Lamentation
The first voice is in Matthew 2:18: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” This cry comes after Herod slaughters all the young children in Bethlehem. Matthew quotes Jeremiah 31, which speaks of the devastation experienced when the people of Jerusalem were being exiled to Babylon in an act of divine judgment again the nation’s sins. This first voice laments the horrific suffering and injustice in the world.

A Voice of Judgment
The second voice is that of John the Baptist (3:1-10). He is a voice crying out in the wilderness. He preaches repentance to those who have turned away from God. He also proclaims judgment against those who refuse to truly repent. “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (v. 10). Though pointed at the religious leaders, these words should cause us to pause. Which one of us truly “bears fruit in keeping with repentance”? We all stand under judgment.

A Voice of Hope
The third voice belongs to God himself (3:17) who replies to the first two cries. To the first cry, God answers: Here is my Son. He is the new Exodus, the beginning of the restoration of all things. He has come to redeem all the suffering and injustice this world has produced. To the second cry, he points to the suffering sacrifice that His Son will make to provide righteousness for us. In a string of Old Testament allusions, the Father proclaims that His son is the promised Messiah King, Servant, and the Sacrifice.

In a world full of hurt, despair, confusion, and evil, we can rest assured that God has the answer!

Song of the Week (05.27.09)

By: Johnny Coggin

I tend to like songs with rich lyrics. Not painfully verbose songs, mind you; but songs that take time to say something true, say it poetically, and carry it well with a good tune.

But I've gotta admit: Sometimes, simple is effective.

This week's "Song of the Week" is Fernando Ortega's "Give Me Jesus." In very simple "heart-cry" expressions, it reminds me of the message of John Piper's book, God is the Gospel - namely, that the good news of the Gospel is not merely that we can be forgiven, given a clean conscience, experience peace, or even "go to heaven," but rather that we get God himself. The good news, ultimately, is that we get to enjoy the sovereign, redeeming, triune God for all eternity.

In that vein, Ortega's arrangement of this traditional spiritual exudes a deep longing for Jesus himself. "When I rise... When I am alone... When I come to die... You can have all this world, but give me Jesus." Listen to him perform it live, and if you like, you can purchase his Hymns of Worship album from Amazon or iTunes.

Give Me Jesus
by Fernando Ortega

In the morning, when I rise, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world, But give me Jesus

When I am alone, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world, But give me Jesus

When I come to die, give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, Give Me Jesus,
You can have all this world, But give me Jesus

GEC Heads Downtown to Minister to the Homeless

By: Johnathan Todd

Combine superb weather, a crowd of about 400, a huge tent and what do you get? Memphis Union Mission's Annual Revival meeting. Since pictures are preferred to words, watch this video of the evening.

Song of the Week (05.20.09)

By: Johnny Coggin

As parents to a 21-month old, Lindsay and I have quickly realized that our little bundle of joy is a total sponge for words and behavior. She observes and then copies our physical mannerisms. She soaks up and repeats back to us everything she hears. It's astounding and - to be honest - pretty hilarious. (Like the time I said, "Oh snap!" and she replied, "snaaaAAP." Priceless.)

With all this sponginess, we're already thinking about how to teach her the truth of the gospel and God's word, even at 21 months. While we constantly sing goofy little songs from her favorite movie (Mary Poppins), we also sing songs like, "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus." Because it's top priority that our sweet baby girl hears and (Lord willing) absorbs the gospel of grace, starting even now.

And what better way to plant those seeds than catchy music?

That's the idea behind Sovereign Grace Music's kids project called Awesome God - twelve songs that teach (via fun music) God's attributes. (click the link to find out more and hear samples)

One of my favorites is "Mighty Mighty Savior" (track 6), which is this week's Song of the Week.

"Mighty Mighty Savior" is jam-packed with the gospel message - my sin, God's holiness, the cross and resurrection, and God's power to save and restore. It's like a message directly from Romans, but in language a kid can understand, and with a super fun, catchy tune.

*As a parent, wouldn't it be a joy to hear your kids walking around the house singing these words?:

Mighty Mighty Savior by Mark Altrogge

No one is good
No one is holy before God
I need someone to cleanse me
No one is pure
No one is righteous in Your sight
I need someone to save me
But I’m so glad You died and rose again
For helpless sinners like me

What a mighty, mighty Savior You are
What a mighty, mighty Savior You are
You can wash away my sin
You can change my heart within
What a mighty, mighty Savior You are

Sin is too strong
For me to conquer on my own
I need someone to help me
I am too weak
I cannot change my evil heart
I need someone to save me
But I’m so glad You died and rose again
For helpless sinners like me

What a mighty, mighty Savior You are
What a mighty, mighty Savior You are
You can wash away my sin
You can change my heart within
What a mighty, mighty Savior You are

(You can buy this song, or the whole collection, on iTunes, Amazon, or directly from Sovereign Grace Music.)

“Content to Fill a Little Space, If Thou Be Glorified”

By: Jim Umlauf

A missionary named John Elliot came to Massachusetts in 1631 and pastored for many years serving the Algonquin Indians. During that time, he labored to translate the Bible into Algonquin. This proved to be an arduous task, and not just because he had to master their tongue. Elliot had to invent a system of Algonquin grammar, and teach the Indians to read their own language. Imagine the painstaking labor! He said of his years of service, “Prayer and pains through faith in Jesus Christ will do anything.”

Now imagine this: not a person currently on earth can read that Bible translation, because no one remains who can read or speak the Algonquin language of that day.

Was it a waste?

Well, not only do we learn a lesson about the importance of Scripture, and not only was the Great Commission obediently carried out, and not only did men and women come to faith as a result, but we can learn a lesson about what it is to “fill a little space.”

The question is: Is there such a thing as a “little space”?

The title of this brief post is actually a line from a song we occasionally sing at Grace, usually on Wednesday nights, called “Father, I Know That All My Life.” Here are a few more lines:

In service which thy will appoints, there are no bonds for me;
My inmost heart is taught the truth that makes thy children free:
A life of self-renouncing love is one of liberty.

Take heart as you serve the King of kings. As quiet and unseen as it can often be, John Elliot – and certainly the Lord Christ – would say, “It’s worth it.”

Ask the Pastor: Did Jesus shed his humanity when he ascended to heaven, or is he still fully God and fully man?

By: Johnny Coggin

"Ask the Pastor" is a new series we're starting here at the Grace Evan blog, in which Dr. Young attempts to answer the questions that you ask him. (Other pastors at Grace will occasionally weigh in as well.) Hopefully, you'll benefit from these brief videos on theology, life, the Bible, etc. If not... oh well, you got what you paid for.

If you have a question you'd like answered, please email it to me (link above) in a concise form. We'll do our best with it.

Here is today's question: Did Jesus shed his humanity when he ascended to heaven, or is he still fully God AND fully man, now and forever?

Satan and Sunday Morning

By: Elaine Savell

As a mother to two young children, I know how hard it can be to get out the door in the mornings. But have you ever noticed how it’s extra hard on Sunday mornings? Every other day of the week we have to be at school, work, practices, games, and meetings, and we’re usually right on time. Even though I have an extra hour on Sunday morning, I get so discouraged getting my family out the door!

This tends to be the time when I wake up late, the kids fight over everything, my clothes don’t fit and I can’t find my keys. We rush out the door angry at each other and speed off to church, ruining the rest of the day. I was so tired of this constant routine, and have talked to many others who share this same Sunday morning charade. I started wondering if I wasn’t prioritizing the Sabbath like I should. I know that people make time for what’s important to them, so is church really that important to me?

I actually love going to church on Sunday and look forward to it all week long. A time to fellowship with other believers, rejoice in song, petition in prayer, and study God’s word…what could be better? So why are Sunday mornings so hard?

I would like to propose that there is something more going on than just my priorities being out of whack. I believe that Satan uses Sunday mornings as a time of frustration and fighting in order to stifle our hearts and minds before we enter God’s house. Our adversary would like nothing more than for us to be distracted when we come together as the church.

In realizing this, I knew I needed to do more than just hope the next Sunday goes smoother. I started looking for ways to create a special Sunday morning routine. Even bathing, picking out clothes, ironing, and setting my alarm clock earlier the night before could help. I even say a prayer that morning to keep my heart quiet and patient with my kids and to watch my temper. I want my family to know the Sabbath as a calm and restful time focused on God, to rejuvenate our souls before the stresses of the world come back on Monday morning. And with the world getting crazier every day, we as Christians need a true day of rest now more than ever.

Song of the Week (05.13.09)

By: Johnny Coggin

This week's song comes from Brian Oaks, a little-known guitarist/songwriter/producer from Nashville who has made a record of revamped hymns called There Is Still Room. The song is called My Faith Has Found a Resting Place.

That song title may sound familiar to you if you worship at Grace Evan, since we sing 2 different versions of it from time to time - the traditional hymn tune, and a more modern version written by our own Jim Umlauf (you can listen to Jim's version here).

But back to Brian Oaks's version: It's a very cool, modern setting of the song with a melody that's easy to learn and sing along with, and which carries the lyrics quite well. And hey, the guitar work is excellent as well (can't help but notice that part!).

You can listen to his track for free (or right click that link & save/download if you'd like to download the mp3 to keep). If you like it, I'd suggest buying his entire album of remade hymns. It's a great collection, and at $5 for the whole mp3 set, it's a steal. Oh, and I think our bookstore still has a few copies of the CD left, if you're lucky.

Here are the stellar lyrics, written by Eliza Hewitt in 1891:

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

My faith has found a resting place, from guilt my soul is freed;
I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves, this ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him, He’ll never cast me out.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.

My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s Name, Salvation through His blood.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.

My great Physician heals the sick, the lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed, for me His life He gave.

I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.

The Value of Our Souls

By: Will Savell

Several years ago, I was at my grandmother’s house in the small town of Philadelphia, MS, looking through a pile of my mother’s childhood memories. Unknown to my brother or me, my mom had collected some baseball cards.

My eyes became huge when I saw the name Mickey Mantle on one of the cards. I didn’t know much about baseball, but I knew that any Mickey Mantle card carried a high value. In fact, after some research I had found that this particular card was valued at around $5,000. Imagine finding five grand lying in your closet. That’s how I felt.

When I excitedly picked it up out of the pile, along with it came three other cards and a piece of plain white paper. For whatever reason, my mother thought it was a good idea to organize her baseball cards by gluing them all to pieces of paper!

Now, if you don’t know, the value of the card depends on both the front and the back of the card being in tact. I didn’t know what to do. I just yelled, “Mom! What were you thinking?!”

She explained, “They’re just cards with pictures on them. They were my toys. They didn’t really have any value to me.”

Some of the guys reading this realize how bad this actually was. It was really bad because that card is so valuable.

However, there’s something with much more value than that. It’s your soul. And because we aren’t in the business of killing the sin in our lives, it’s as if we have thrown glue all over it and stuck it to a piece of paper, completely neglecting its real value.

Paul writes in Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Our souls hold a much higher value than any baseball card ever could. Therefore, by power of the Holy Spirit, we must put to death the sin that we battle on a daily basis. If we don’t, it will choke the very life out of the faith, love, and passion for Christ that we depend on.

As family pressures rise, as the economy continues to spiral, and as children disappoint, we need the faith to believe that there’s going to be a better day. As the world is so full of hate, we need Christ’s love to endure. And as the devil seems to have his way, we need a strong passion for Christ to be a light in this dark world.

We need those graces of faith, love, and passion for Christ. They are good for our souls, but sin has a way of hindering their growth in our life. By the power of the Spirit, let us value our souls more than any other earthly thing and put to death the sins of the flesh.

Baseball Card Justification

By: Johnny Coggin

"There's your picture on a baseball card. Turn it over, and whose stats, season by season, do you find there? Not yours, but Jesus'. A great career."

A perfect career, in fact. That's what it means to have Christ's righteousness imputed to you: Standing before God, in Christ, you hold a perfect batting average, with zero errors. Astounding.


HT: Ray Ortlund

Song of the Week (05.06.09)

By: Johnny Coggin

If you worshipped with us at Grace Evan this past Sunday, you heard our own Casey Rowland sing a uniquely stirring version of the beloved hymn, "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus." The band sounded great, Casey sang beautifully, and best of all, the gospel was faithfully proclaimed through this classic Christian anthem.

A number of people have since asked me something like, "How did you guys come up with that version? It was really cool/worshipful/beautiful." And as much as I hate to reveal "the tricks of the trade," I think it's worth it in this case.

This version of "Nothing but the Blood" came from a just-released collection of classic hymns - recorded with a fresh, modern feel - by a project called Page CXVI. According to their website:

Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible and known again. They are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.

From their site, you can buy a CD or download the 7 hymns (including Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, and In Christ Alone). And obviously, I'm recommending that you do so.

And of course, here are the lyrics to "Nothing but the Blood":

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus
(by Robert Lowry, arranged by Page CXVI)

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

The Gospel in 3 Minutes

By: Johnny Coggin

Ever wanted a brief overview of how God's saving grace runs throughout the entire Bible? Or maybe just a summary of the gospel message?

Try this video on for size. (And hey, if you like the music, the song is called "Depth of Mercy" by Red Mountain Church. you can buy the track or the full album from their website or on iTunes. Good stuff.)

(HT: Ray Ortlund)

Faith in the Face of Suffering and Question Marks

By: Dr. Jimmy Young

The Book of Job is known to be a book about suffering, yet I suggest that it is far more. It makes a wonderful statement about faith:

• Faith trusts.
• Faith obeys.
• Faith holds on, even when it doesn’t have answers. (If it had the answers, then it wouldn’t be faith.)
  
• Faith is “OK” with not knowing.

Nowhere is faith more required than in the midst of pain and having no answers… like Job. Job is never given an explanation as to why he suffered.

But the fact that I don’t understand the reason doesn’t mean there isn’t one.