32

Today I turn 32. Yes, my birthday is the day after Christmas. People have always asked me if I’ve felt “cheated.” Not really. Especially as you get older and you know very well that as the night of Christmas Day settles in, everyone else is focused on cleaning up, working off the big meal, and going back to work—big let-down. Not for me. The party’s just getting started. Today I get on the trail to hunt out my books with my gift cards and other assorted book monies.
Of course, not treating Christ's birth (which was almost certainly not on December 25th anyway) as a cash cow would be a good start to not feeling a "letdown," but I digress.

At any rate, here’s what I’ve got already:

Charles Spurgeon, Complete Sermons (Vol. I-X)
Charles Spurgeon, Complete The Treasury of David (Vol. I-III)
Jonathan Edwards, A Treatise on Grace
Jonathan Edwards, To the Rising Generation
Jeremiah Burroughs, Gospel Worship
Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Thomas Watson, The Lord’s Supper
John MacArthur, The Truth War
Jerry Bridges & Bob Bevington, The Great Exchange
Ed Stetzer, Planting Missional Churches
R. C. Sproul, Truths We Confess (Vol. II)

So I started reading The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment last night as soon as the kids were tranquilized. Reading more this morning. If anyone thinks that Piper invented Christian Hedonism, just check out what Burroughs says:

“A soul that is capable of God can be filled with nothing else but God; nothing but God can fill a soul that is capable of God…whatever God may give to a gracious heart, a heart that is godly, unless he gives himself it will not do…All outward peace is not enough; I must have the peace of God. But suppose you have the peace of God, Will that not quiet you? No, I must have the God of peace; as the peace of God so the God of peace” (pp. 43-44).

Anyway, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This morning I gave poetry (or a potential song?) a try

O, Kiss the Son, the Fire of God!
Based on Psalm 2


To earthly powers, the strength of men,
To devils bound in chains;
This gift we bring, this newborn King,
This freedom from your reign!

The Son of David, Son of God,
His throne descends above;
Let all these rebels cut their cords,
The bonds He brings are love.


O kiss the Son, the fire of God,
Whose passion is His Name;
So all in Him delight and then,
Take refuge from the flame!


Now pay Him honor, Now bow or burn,
Show wisdom, pretend kings;
All idols smash, all feelings turn,
All else confess as wicked things!

O tell the whole story, O sing the right tune,
Yes, proclaim the Lord’s decree;
All hearts’ longings, and history,
Wrapped up—a gift—in His glory!

Late-night thoughts

Alright—late at night. Gotta watch the baby. Nothing else to do but blog. Yes, that is pretty much the only time I’m going to blog anymore since it’s apparent that no one besides you two (Aaron and Joel) will ever read it! But I’m not bitter. I saw all that Glenn Beck whining over Huckabee today. Wow, what does he want? Do Mormons actually need an Evangelical candidate to renounce their differences with Mormonism? Should Romney be asked to renounce all LDS differences with Evangelicals? Naturally, the flaming Commie media will never see the double standard.

I’ve been re-listening to the Missional stuff again. Both of Driscoll’s messages from Vancouver, and then three by Ed Marcelle. He was one of my four assessors and pastor of Terra Nova in Troy, NY. Good stuff. I can’t get away from the stuff. I spend months on end turned off from it because of some in the movement downplaying Reformed Theology, but then just the bare fact of the church “being on mission.” If we just put it that way, then it’s convicting and makes you want to start preaching the mission again.

I’m half-way through Piper’s book The Future of Justification. No real surprises. I just hope all the young pastors out there who think they can dig Piper and flirt with all of Wright’s neat little perspectives of the kingdom and so forth can be jolted back into the real world by a writing like this. I’m also trying to start reading another book that intrigued me enough to buy a month or two back (but which I haven’t cracked open yet)—The Jesus-Driven Ministry by Ajith Fernando. It’s endorsed by Piper and Ravi Zacharias so it’s gotta be good. I’ll blog a review when I get done with it.