I remember reading in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes one time a story in which Holmes is told by Watson a scientific fact (seems as if it was that the earth was round) and Holmes said that it was very interesting, but that he would now endeavor to forget it because he did not want to waste his memory on such an item that was of little use to him.  He compared his memory to an attic that only had room for a certain amount of furniture and he was being very particular, which furniture he made room for in his attic.

I have looked at the contents of my “mental attic” and have to say that it is in an amazingly sad state.  There are many, many incredibly useless pieces of mental junk scattered about the place and so I have begun to fix that by treasuring up God’s word in my heart through scripture memory.  Hey, if I can have whole scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail stuck in my head from my teen years, I can certainly memorize God’s Word which has eternal value.

I am using Justin Taylor’s Scripture memory plan “Treasuring God’s Truth In Your Heart” as a basis for what I am studying, though rather than using the listed verses I began with Psalm 1:1-2 since it is the basis for my desire to do this -

Blessed is he who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, not stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His Law he meditates both day and night

I pray that God will use the words that I memorize to draw me closer to Him.

Thou art the Blessed God,
Happy in Thyself, source of happiness in Thy creatures, my Maker, Benefactor, Proprietor, Upholder.

Thou hast produced and sustained me, supported and indulged me, saved and kept me; Thou art in every situation able to meet my needs and miseries.

My I live by Thee, live for Thee, never be satisfied with my Christian progress but as I resemble Christ; and may conformity to His principles, temper, and conduct grow hourly in my life.

Let Thy unexampled love constrain me into holy obedience, and render my duty my delight.

If others deem my faith folly, my meekness infirmity, my zeal madness, my hope delusion, my actions hypocrisy, may I rejouce to suffer for Thy name.

Keep me walking steadfastly towards the country of everlasting delights, that paradise-land which is my true inheritance.  Supportme by the strength of heaven that I may never turn back, or desire false pleasures that wilt and dissapear into nothing.

As I pursue my heavenly journey by Thy grace let me be known as a man with no aim but that of a burning desire for Thee, and the good and salvation of my fellow men.

Amen.

I am currently reading in about four different books - three of them various aspects of the Gospel and biblical study and one on bananas (don’t ask) - so the input is varied at the moment, but it is amazing how the Holy Spirit continues to bring back to me the same point from various places, impressing on me a truth that I need to hear.

Earlier in the week, while reading in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, I read the statement that all creation was created to glorify God and the next thought was “… and in all creation only humanity has rebelled against Him.” And then this morning during my devotional time, I am reading John Piper’s excellent book Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die and read the following:

I have heard it said, “God didn’t die for frogs. So he was responding to our value as humans.” This turns grace on its head. We are worse off than frogs. They have not sinned. They have not rebelled and treated God with the contempt of being inconsequential in their lives. God did not have to die for frogs. They aren’t bad enough. We are.

How many Christians clearly understand our need and poverty before God? How many of us grieve that in all creation, we are those who rebel against our Creator, who mock His name, who deserve His wrath? Have we stopped to even consider that it is we who are out of step with what He made? Lord, may our eyes be opened to our true nature so that we may glory in Your mercy and grace.

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:7-8 (ESV)

This poem by Blair is outstanding.   The theology here is so correct and so beautiful.  May our preachers in churches today listen carefully to what is said here.  Please listen carefully….

“For I determined to know nothing among you except Christ Jesus and Him crucified.” - 1 Corinthians 2:2

Amen!

A story has been floating around the internet the last week or so about Azariah Southworth, the producer and host of a Christian music program called The Remix, who has announced that he is gay. While I don’t wish to discuss Mr. Southworth’s announcement, one of his comments gave me pause -

I know I will be cut off from many within the Christian community, and if so, then they didn’t get the point of the life of Christ. I believe by me living my life honestly and authentically now, I am able to be a better person and a better Christian.

So what is the point of the life of Christ? I would be curious to hear Mr. Southworth’s take on that statement though I am nearly sure it would make my head explode … and not in a good way. I think there is likely a great deal of confusion in the church in the 21st century as to what purpose Jesus had in coming, dying, and being raised from the dead, because rather than holding to the truth of the bible, we have allowed our message to become one that is man-centered rather than God-centered.

In today’s church, it is often about what God can do for me, what Jesus did for me, how the Holy Spirit can empower me and not about God. We are suddenly the center of the story and not God. It is about my sin, not God’s holiness. It is about keeping me out of Hell, not God’s wrath and His justice. It is about my need, not God’s love. So suddenly, we are teaching a self-centered gospel that is about us and we find that we are worshiping the idol of our own importance instead of glorying in the goodness, the righteousness, the holiness, the love of God our Father who sent His son, not so that we would make much of ourselves, but instead make much of God.

I love the Puritans and their ability to acknowledge their depravity and their love of Christ’s crosswork.  There is a little book called “Valley of Vision” that is a collection of prayers and they are amazing.  The ones on contrition and repentance are astounding.  Here is one entitled “Confession & Petition”…

Holy LORD,
I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find thy mind in Thy Word, of neglect to seek Thee in daily life. My transgressions and short-comings present me with a list of accusations, but I bless Thee that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ; Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my spirit into subjection, but do Thou rule over me in liberty and power. I thank Thee that many of my prayers have been refused - I have asked amiss and do not have, I have prayed from lusts and been rejected, I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness. Go on with Thy patient work, answering ‘no’ to my wrongful prayers, and fitting me to accept it. Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to Thy rule. I thank Thee for Thy wisdom and Thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross. No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.  If Thou shouldst give me choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins, or to have them burnt awat with trial, give me sanctified affliction. Deliver me from every evil habit, every accretion of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of Thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in Thee.  Then I shall bless The, God of Jeshurun, for helping me to be upright.