Featured Book: Counterfeit Gods

By: Johnny Coggin

Idolatry is sin. This we know. But admit it -- it seems like an ancient concept, far removed from our modern culture, right? So how does the Bible's warnings about idolatry apply to your life today?

This is exactly why best-selling author and trusted pastor Tim Keller wrote his new book, Counterfeit Gods, which is available today.

In this brief video, Keller talks a little further about the book, and who it was written for. If you're not already familiar with Tim Keller, this might be a good time to get acquainted! (see here and here)

Watch the video, and consider putting this book on your reading list.

Ever-increasing Repentance

By: Johnny Coggin

“We need to realize that while God’s acceptance of each Christian believer is perfect from the start, our repentance always needs to be extended further as long as we are in this world. Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of your God, and as our knowledge grows at these three points so our practice of repentance has to be enlarged.”

- J.I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God, 87.

Spiritually Invigorating

By: Johnny Coggin

". . . one of the best things that could happen to many believers would be for them to be led to give away, all at one time, a substantial part of their savings. That is, they should give a substantial part of their capital. Why? Because there is something about giving away a sizable percentage of one’s money – and, of course, the amount would vary entirely from one individual to another – that is spiritually invigorating. And there is seldom a case in which a large gift does not throw the Christian back on the Lord and increase the feeling that he is all-wonderful and that he is more than able to care for the one who trusts him. I have seen this happen in many instances. And I have never known a true Christian to be sorry for even the most sacrificial giving afterward."

James Montgomery Boice, Philippians, page 290.

(cited from Ray Ortlund)

How Eternity Influences a Mom's Daily Tasks

By: Johnny Coggin

The daily routine of life can sometimes become suffocating. At the workplace, in the home, driving kids from place to place - it's easy to get bogged down in the mundane details and lose track of the bigger picture, the ultimate purpose.

For parents, John Piper offers a wise reminder about keeping in mind the eternal perspective. Here's an excerpt pertaining to moms:

A mother will delight most in the little baby in front of her when she has a vision of God and a vision of the world that's big enough to admit that this little child has a destiny in front of him or her and might become this or that.

If she is totally circumscribed by her little home—with no vision for the world—then I think her domestic scene is probably going to shrivel up on her, and she is going to feel that it is small and constraining. But if she sees it in the wider context of what she is a part of in the missionary enterprise, I think every detail of her life can take on a global significance, indeed, an historical significance.

And to dads, there's this:

The goal isn't just to fulfill some little task that dads are supposed to do. Rather, you're building men who hopefully someday will have absorbed so much of God and so much of the Bible that it's going to shape their whole world. And they might wind up going to Pakistan to help build shelters for earthquake victims.

Read the rest here.

Song of the Week (10.14.09)

By: Johnny Coggin

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Sovereign Grace Music, and it seems I'm not alone: Worship Leader magazine picked SGM's recent Psalms album as one of the “Best of the Best” for 2009. (For the record, I've never read "Worship Leader" magazine... not that there's anything wrong with that. I was made aware of this by the internet machine, thank you very much.)

To celebrate, SGM has dropped the price for the Psalms CD to $8 through the end of November. The downloadable album is also on sale, for $6.

Psalms contains twelve songs echoing the passion, prayers, and praises of the psalmists. It's excellent (in my opinion), and if you haven’t heard it yet, you can preview it with a free download of the song “Praise the Lord,” which is our song of the week.

It's a happy, celebratory song based on Psalm 150, exhorting us to praise the Lord with everything we have and are, because of everything He is and does. And how can you go wrong with Scripture songs?

(it's also available on iTunes and Amazon, but not at the discounted rate!)

Praise the Lord (Psalm 150)

Music by Doug Plank

Words by Doug Plank and Bob Kauflin

Praise the Lord, O praise His name

From the heights of heav’n He reigns

Seated in the highest place

Surrounded by unending praise

Praise Him for His mighty deeds

Awesome in His majesty

Praise Him now with trumpet sound

Lift your voice and dance around

Everything that has breath, praise the Lord

Everything that’s in us, praise Him

Everything that has breath, praise the Lord

Praise the Lord with instruments

Praise Him for His excellence

Look at what He’s done for us

Bore our sins upon the cross

Praise the Lord with all you are

Mind and soul and will and heart

From His hand comes everything

He alone is God and King

Everything that has breath, praise the Lord

Everything that’s in us, praise Him

Everything that has breath, praise the Lord

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)/

Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

Walking with Jesus - A Pastor's Perspective

By: Johnny Coggin

As Christians, we often hear about the importance of "walking with God" or "spending time with Jesus." But it seems far more rare to hear anyone describe how he or she actively pursues a consistent relationship with the Lord. It doesn't just magically happen, does it?

Here's a brief but helpful video of pastor Matt Chandler (Dallas, TX) describing the proactive steps he takes to walk close with Jesus.

Song of the Week (10.07.09)

By: Johnny Coggin

This week's featured song is a new one from well-known worship leader and songwriter, Matt Redman. It's called "You Alone Can Rescue," and it comes from Redman's new album We Shall Not Be Shaken. About the album, Redman says:

"This album praises God's steadiness. We're being reminded how shakable earthly things are: job losses, home foreclosures. When we traveled to Korea, there were high profile suicides due to the failing marketplace. So it feels appropriate now to address the economy in a worship song. Nothing in the Psalms was ever detached from its era. We Shall Not Be Shaken is intentionally Psalm-like, using simple poetic lyrics to express unbreakable truth in an age of utter brokenness."

The song "You Alone Can Rescue" is a simple song of salvation, and a great example of this Psalm-likeness. Verse 1 asks a question, "Who, O Lord, could save themselves, their own soul could heal?" and the chorus then answers, "You alone can rescue, You alone can save."

Simple and true. Comforting and God-exalting.

You can hear the song in the youtube video below (or click here if your email/reader doesn't display the video). This song/album can be also purchased at Amazon or iTunes.

You Alone Can Rescue
By Matt Redman

Who, O Lord, could save themselves,
Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still

You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

You, O Lord, have made a way
The great divide You heal
For when our hearts were far away
Your love went further still
Yes, your love goes further still

You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
You’re the Giver of Life

You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

Success in Marriage

By: Johnny Coggin

What's the key to marital success? Finding your soul mate? Having enough money?

John Piper offers this answer:

Success in marriage is not finding the right person, but being the right person in the power of the one perfect Person.

(For more truth daggers like this, follow @JohnPiper on Twitter.)

Approved

By: Johnny Coggin

"For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

Wise commentary from pastor Ray Ortlund of Immanuel Church, Nashville:

Paul had lived for human approval. That's what his uppity legalism had really been about. It's why the word "still" is in there: "If I were still trying to please man . . . ." Paul gave it up, in order to please God.

It is so freeing to stop caring so much about what people think. It is so freeing to lift your eyes to Christ, whose approval is all that finally matters. What does he want from you? Not that people would think you're wonderful, but that your gospel would be pure and honoring to him. You can't control how people respond. That is their own responsibility before God. And if your gospel is pure, some will inevitably disapprove (2 Cor 2:15-16) and will blame you for it. Why? The impenitent are incapable of self-awareness. Don't be discouraged. Just keep your gospel clear. And keep your heart close to the Lord.

Here is his word to you: "Approved."

Justification and Suffering

By: Russell Jeffares

One of the most glorious, foundational, life-transforming teachings in the Bible is that we are justified by faith in Christ. This means we are declared righteous through the death of Christ on the cross. Interestingly, the Apostle Paul put this idea side by side with the reality of suffering. In Romans 5:1-5 Paul says,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. … we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

In these verses Paul parallels these two profound themes. Why is that? According to Paul, our ability to face suffering with “rejoicing” is directly dependent upon our grasp of the fact that we are declared righteous and made at peace with God.

So how does our being declared righteous and at peace with God give us the ability to rejoice in the midst of suffering? Simple: We can now rejoice in suffering because we know that God is now fighting for our good. Paul says it this way:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. …What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies. (Romans 8:28, 31-34)

So Paul tells us that because we have now been declared righteous, are at peace with God, and are even adopted as His sons and daughters, we can rejoice in any circumstance—even if it means terrible suffering. As our Father, God is working all things together for our good. He is fighting for our good as our loving, heavenly Father, who -- by the way -- is truly good.

So if you are facing difficult, uncertain, painful times, rest and rejoice in the beautiful truth that you are justified—declared righteous, approved, and precious in God’s sight.