girl talk

Keeping Near the Cross

Nancy Guthrie has served us big-time once again! First, she provided a compilation of Advent readings in Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus which fed my soul each day in December as I meditated on the glorious truths of the Incarnation.  And just a week ago, my husband handed me her most recent book, Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, which will help me to "experience the passion and power of Easter."

Her book arrived in perfect time for me. I just finished memorizing the prose version from A Gospel Primer for Christians a way to grow in applying the truths of the gospel to my daily life. Now this collection of twenty-five readings will help me continue to consider the cross:

“Oh, what we miss out on when we rush past the cross of Christ. Oh, the richness and reward when we stop to linger before it, when we take the time to ‘consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself’ (Heb. 12:3)”

Let’s not “rush past the cross of Christ” but linger before it each day.

More Than a Bailout

Like many Americans I was astounded by the 700 billion dollars recently required to save our banking system. That amount of money is hard to comprehend.

But the cost to rescue me from sin, as my pastor reminded me on Sunday, was infinitely greater than any economic bailout:

“You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 1 Peter 1:18-19

Consider the cost and grieve. Consider the cost and worship.

Undeserved Gift

God tipped buckets of rain on the northeast United States this past weekend. My kids were both sick on Mother’s Day and on my birthday (yesterday) they gave me their colds as a present. Did I mention it was still raining? (Cue mournful violins, please.)

In the afternoon my sweet husband took the kids out while I read a book and watched the news. Cyclone in Myanmar. Earthquake in China. Tornados in the mid-west. I saw an interview with a man whose home was destroyed by a twister. Miraculously his entire family escaped, but he lost everything that he owned.

Nothing like the severe trials of others to put my own (lack of) trials in perspective. “Compared with what I deserve to be, how happy my condition!” a wise man once said.

I deserve to be sick with a cold and to have it rain on my birthday. I deserve to have a tornado rip through my house. I deserve to have my family die in an earthquake. In fact, I deserve far worse! I deserve the wrath of God poured out on my sins forever and ever.

Oh, but my receivings are so infinitely better than my deservings (Valley of Vision, “The Mover”). For God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to bear His wrath in my place. Instead of what I deserve, I am the daily recipient of His love and mercy and grace. He works all things for my good. And I have a home with Him—free from suffering—to look forward to forever.

What a glorious gift God has given to me!

Easter Monday

Imagine what Peter and John, Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’ mother must have felt the day after the resurrection. I picture them opening their eyes in the morning, and it all coming back with a rush. The tomb is empty! Jesus is alive! But did it really happen or was it just a dream? What overwhelming emotion when they realized once again that it was true! The Savior has risen from the dead! Can you imagine the ecstatic joy? Can you imagine the waves of peace? The uncontainable excitement? It was the morning after the pivotal event in all of human history! Salvation had come to mankind!

It was a day unlike any other day.

Fast-forward two thousand years to today, the day after the day we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. All too often we go back to work or school (or spring break) or the daily routine, little bothering to remember what we celebrated yesterday. We enjoy the ham sandwiches and polish off the deviled eggs (Dad always called them "angel eggs"). But today shouldn’t be “just another day.”  For the power of the resurrection is as real as it was the day after that first Easter Sunday. The good news is just as marvelous. The peace and joy and excitement are just as amazing. The Savior is alive!  He is risen! That’s why we as Christians should be what author Peter Lewis calls “Easter People.” We should celebrate the resurrection every day!

So to help you make today and every day, Resurrection Day, we want to encourage you to watch this message by Dad, kindly made available to all of us from our good friends at Ligonier Ministries.

Happy Easter Monday, Easter People!

The Resurrection: Receipt of Redemption

“The proof that God saves is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Imagine for a moment that Jesus died on the cross without ever rising from the grave. In that case, how could we be certain that Jesus really had dealt with our sin and all its terrible consequences; guilt, alienation, suffering and death? At most we could say, ‘Perhaps God has accepted the cross of Christ as the atonement for my sin, but I cannot know for certain.’ We would have no receipt to show that the price of our redemption had been paid in full. We would have no token of affection to show that we had been reconciled to God. Nor would we have any reason to believe in the resurrection of our own bodies. If God did not raise Jesus, how could he be expected to raise anyone else?....[But] God has raised Jesus from the dead. By doing so, God showed that Jesus did not die in vain, that his sacrifice was accepted. The crucifixion, which was the verdict of sinful men, was overturned on appeal. God rendered his verdict on Jesus Christ in the resurrection, which is God’s seal of approval on the crucifixion, the proof that his justice is satisfied. By raising Jesus from the dead, God has attested that Jesus is the Saviour 'who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.'" Philip Ryken, The Message of Salvation

May your Easter weekend be filled with the joy of our resurrected Savior!
Carolyn, Nicole, Kristin and Janelle

A Gospel Primer

“Over the course of time, preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced. I find myself sinning less, but just as importantly, I find myself recovering my footing more quickly after sinning, due to the immediate comfort found in the gospel. I have also found that when I am absorbed in the gospel, everything else I am supposed to be toward God and others seems to flow out of me more naturally and passionately. Doing right is not always easy, but it is never more easy than when one is breathing deeply the atmosphere of the gospel.”

How’s that for incentive to preach the gospel to yourself every day? The author of these words has written a book that’s been published just in time for our little series. We’ve mentioned it before, but now it is officially in print: Milton Vincent’s A Gospel Primer for Christians. This little book is “a tool designed merely to get you launched in preaching the gospel to yourself and rehearsing its benefits.” And we’ve found no more helpful tool for digging the truths of the gospel from the soil of Scripture.

There are thirty-one reasons to rehearse the gospel daily, and “A Gospel Narrative” in both prose and poetry. Best of all, each page is more than half-filled with Scriptures that expound the gospel.

As Mr. Vincent says, preaching the gospel to yourself is the discipline that will make the biggest difference in your life. And A Gospel Primer will get you started.

How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself

How do I preach the gospel to myself every day?

We told you we’d answer this question today, but instead, we are going to punt to Dad, who already explained how-to in his book, Living the Cross Centered Life. So here are five suggestions to help you begin today, to preach the gospel to yourself every day:

Memorize the Gospel—“All God’s promises commands are precious and powerful, but those verses that tell us of the Son of God who gave His life in our place are the most precious and powerful of all.” You can begin by memorizing verses such as 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 8:31, Isaiah 53:3-6

Pray the Gospel—“The gospel should be at the center of your prayer life because it makes it possible for us to approach God.”

Sing the Gospel—“A Christian’s heart should be brimming over every day with the song of Calvary.” You’ll find cross-centered music at the Sovereign Grace Ministries web store.

Review How the Gospel Has Changed You—“For Christians, one of the best ways we can draw near the blazing fire of the cross is to remember our past, and allow it to remind us of how marvelous God’s salvation really is.” 

Study the Gospel—“To grow in your passion for what Jesus has done, increase your understanding of what He has done.” Discovering the Power of the Cross of Christ by Charles Spurgeon and The Cross of Christ by John Stott are two classic works to get you started. Tomorrow we’ll tell you about one, newly published book on the cross.

Preach the Gospel to Yourself

In reference to yesterday’s post, several readers asked “What does it mean to ‘preach the gospel to yourself every day?’”

This phrase was popularized by author Jerry Bridges in his book, The Discipline of Grace, where he explains: “To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life.”

Mr. Bridges asserts that the gospel isn’t only the most important message to preach to non-Christians but it is also the most important message for Christians to review each and every day. This is because....

“…preaching the gospel to ourselves every day reminds us that we are indeed sinners in need of God’s grace….It helps us to consciously renounce any confidence in our own goodness as a means of meriting God’s blessing on our lives. Perhaps more importantly, though, preaching the gospel to ourselves every day gives us hope, joy, and courage. The good news that our sins are forgiven because of Christ’s death fills our hearts with joy, gives us courage to face the day, and offers us hope that God’s favor will rest upon us, not because we are good, but because we are in Christ.

Hope, joy and courage are available in Christ, and by preaching the gospel to ourselves daily, we enjoy these blessings.

Tomorrow we answer the question: “How do I preach the gospel to myself every day?”

A New Audio Book

“So many books, so little time” expresses my sentiments exactly!

I’ve been wanting to read the book, 1776 for half of forever, but just couldn’t find the time. So instead of reading the book, I’m having the book read to me, by the author himself no less. While I’m doing dishes, driving in the car, or cleaning my bedroom, I am listening to David McCullough tell the story of the birth of our nation.

To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure if I would enjoy or fully comprehend the book by listening to it rather than reading it. I don’t think I’m one of those “audio learners.” All I know is that I’m a “slow learner!” However, to my surprise, I have thoroughly enjoyed going through the book in this way. And though I’ve had to listen several of the CD’s more than once to fully grasp the content, I’m almost three-fourths of the way through the book.

Now, I am going somewhere with this little tidbit about my life. I want to tell you about another audio book that’s become available: it’s my husband’s Living the Cross Centered Life.

Although not read by the author himself (which would have been my preference!), this six-hour CD is unabridged. And even if you’ve already read the book, listening to it is a way to preach the gospel to yourself—or should I say, have someone else preach the gospel to you—as you are driving in your car, taking a jog, cleaning your house, or completing any other mundane task. As CJ says in the book:

“In the midst of our various responsibilities and many possible areas of service in the kingdom of God, one overarching truth should motivate all our work and affect every part of who we are: Christ died for our sins. This…is the main thing. Nothing else—not even things that are biblical and honorable—are of equal or greater importance than this: God sent His Son to the cross to bear His wrath for sinners like you and me. If there’s anything in life we should be passionate about, it’s the gospel. And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others; I mean passionate in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life.”

There truly is no better use of our “little time” than to remind ourselves of the good news of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. Listening to Living the Cross Centered Life is one way to do just that.

Preach the Gospel...to Yourself

Have you been encouraged to “Preach the gospel to yourself everyday”? Have you wondered how to do it?

Inspired by my husband’s example, I have desired to grow in this discipline. So for the month of January I decided to suspend my current study of the book of Genesis and to solely study the gospel during my morning devotions. CJ gave me a booklet entitled A Gospel Primer for Christians to aid me in this endeavor. I am finding it so helpful that I simply had to tell you about it!

The first part of the booklet is comprised of “Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily.” The second and third parts of the booklet contain “A Gospel Narrative” written in both a prose and poetic format that facilitates memorization and recitation of the gospel. Though it is a mere seventy-eight pages, this little resource is chock-full of the truths of the gospel and the Scriptures that affirm these truths. It reminds us of the valuable blessings which the gospel can render in our lives if we but preach it to ourselves each day.

The author, Milton Vincent, describes how this discipline has affected his life:

Over the course of time, preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced. I find myself sinning less, but just as importantly, I find myself recovering my footing more quickly after sinning, due to the immediate comfort found in the gospel. I have also found that when I am absorbed in the gospel, everything else I am supposed to be toward God and others seems to flow out of me more naturally and passionately. Doing right is not always easy, but it is never more easy than when one is breathing deeply the atmosphere of the gospel.

Need I say more about the powerful impact of this daily habit?

If you would like to obtain this little booklet to help you get started or become better at preaching the gospel to yourself every day, you can download it here, or order it in booklet form by contacting:

Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church,
1363 Linden Street, Riverside, California 92507
(951) 781-8174
[email protected]