Wondermill Free Giveaway
There is a free WonderMill giveaway at Take Time To Smell the Roses.
I have heard great things about the WonderMill.
There is a free WonderMill giveaway at Take Time To Smell the Roses.
I have heard great things about the WonderMill.
Topics covered:
Budgeting, Business, Contentment, Debt, Getting-Rich-Quick, Giving, Investing, Lending, Love-of-Money, Planning, Provision, Prospering, Receiving, Saving, Stewardship, Success, Surety, Taxes, Tithing, Waste, Work, Worry
Budgeting Scriptures
Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.
Proverbs 21:5
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenty; but the thoughts of everyone who is hasty only to poverty.
Proverbs 22:3
A prudent one foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.
Proverbs 24:3-4
Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Here are 12 ways God is reforming me and my family:
To put a child through 15,000 hours of Godless, Christless, Holy Spiritless, no-Bible, non-Christian “education” (K through 12) is sin and ignores what has been said by many of the greatest teachers of the Reformed faith. A Godless “education” is not bringing children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Such an “education” is not “for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) — or which we are commanded to do everything.
Only a woman can carry in her body an eternal being which bears the very image of God. Only she is the recipient of the miracle of life. Only a woman can conceive and nurture this life using her own flesh and blood, and then deliver a living soul into the world. God has bestowed upon her alone a genuine miracle — the creation of life, and the fusing of an eternal soul with mortal flesh. This fact alone establishes the glory of motherhood.
Despite the most creative plans of humanist scientists and lawmakers to redefine the sexes, no man will ever conceive and give birth to a child. The fruitful womb is a holy gift given by God to women alone. This is one reason why the office of wife and mother is the highest calling to which a woman can aspire.
This is the reason why nations that fear the Lord esteem and protect mothers. They glory in the distinctions between men and women, and attempt to build cultures in which motherhood is honored and protected.
The mid-1680s is remembered as the Killing Time in Scotland. Royal regiments martyred Scottish Presbyterians at will. Despite the danger, Presbyterian John Brown fell in love with Isabell Weir. He proposed to her, but warned that he would one day seal his testimony with blood. Isabell replied, “If it be so, I will be your comfort. The Lord has promised me grace.” They were married in a secret glen by the outlawed minister, Alexander Peden. “These witnesses of your vows,” said Peden, beginning the illegal ceremony, “have come at risk of their lives to hear God’s word and his ordinance of marriage.” The vows were spoken, then Peden drew Isabell aside, saying, “You have got a good husband. Keep linen for a winding-sheet beside you; for in a day when you least expect it, thy master shall be taken.”
The Brown home soon included two children. It was happy, filled with prayer and godly conversation. Fugitive preachers were hidden and cared for there. But on May 1, 1685 John rose at dawn, singing Psalm 27, to find the house surrounded by soldiers. The family filed onto the lawn. The commander, Claverhouse, shouted to John, “Go to your prayers; you shall immediately die.” Kneeling, John prayed earnestly for his wife, pregnant again, and for his children. Then he rose, embraced Isabell, and said, “The day is come of which I told you when I first proposed to you.”
“Indeed, John. If it must be so, I can willingly part with you.”
“This is all I desire,” replied John. “I have no more to do but to die.” He kissed his children, then Claverhouse ordered his men to shoot. The soldiers hesitated. Snatching a pistol, Claverhouse placed it to John’s head and blew out his brains. “What thinkest thou of thy husband now, woman?” he snarled. Isabell, fixing Claverhouse in her gaze, told him she had never been so proud of him. Claverhouse mounted his horse and sped away, troops in tow. Isabell tied John’s head in a napkin and sat on the ground weeping with her children until friends arrived to comfort them.
Armies may surround me, but I won’t be afraid;
War may break out, but I will trust you.
I ask only one thing, Lord:
Let me live in your house every day of my life
To see how wonderful you are
And to pray in your temple.
— Psalm 27:3,4
One thing is certain: the quality of the teaching of both pastors and fathers will have a profound reciprocal effect. If fathers are faithful expositors, the church will benefit, for the family is the nursery of the church; and if the pastors are faithful expositors, the family will benefit, for the church is the family of God and the pillar and support of the truth. In this way, both church and home are transformed by holy Scripture as it is loved and communicated by both church shepherds and family shepherds. This is how fathers teaching in their homes and pastors teaching in the churches are interdependent.
In order for there to be lasting reformation of the church, three things must happen as we make this a priority:
John Piper has taught me much over the years. I consider it an honor to count him as a friend, and I am deeply saddened by his recent announcement that he will be taking a leave of absence for the remainder of 2010. In explaining his leave of absence, he writes:
The difference between this leave and the sabbatical I took four years ago is that I wrote a book on that sabbatical (What Jesus Demands from the World). In 30 years, I have never let go of the passion for public productivity. In this leave, I intend to let go of all of it. No book-writing. No sermon preparation or preaching. No blogging. No Twitter. No articles. No reports. No papers. And no speaking engagements. There is one stateside exception—the weekend devoted to the Desiring God National Conference combined with the inaugural convocation of Bethlehem College and Seminary in October. Noël thought I should keep three international commitments. Our reasoning is that if she could go along, and if we plan it right, these could be very special times of refreshment together.
As I contemplated Dr. Piper’s words, I could not help but realize that even in what must be a devastating moment for him, he is still teaching those of us who are listening. Here are a few things I hope we all learn:
I had set down some bags of groceries next to our van while I loaded littles back into their seats. A little boy (probably six or seven years old) walked between my van and the next car in an attempt to reach the other side of the parking lot with his mother following behind him. He stepped right on my bags of groceries, then shot me an annoyed look. Instead of apologizing, his mother snatched his hand and proceeded to drag him around me, snapping at him to “hurry up.” My mouth gaped as I looked wordlessly at my eldest son. And that’s when it hit me: As a nation, we have finally fallen into “default parenting.”
When we don’t make a deliberate effort to train our children and prepare them for adulthood, we just fall back on the “default,” which is either total laxity or whatever we see modeled in the pop culture (TV, movies, etc.). The cultural meltdown I witnessed all around me that day is simply the fruit of a generation of default parenting. This was almost unheard of when I was growing up (even in the crazy 1970s). If I’d stepped on someone’s bag of groceries, my mother would have stopped me, then directed me to look the lady in the eyes and apologize for stepping on her things. She would have checked to see if I’d broken anything and offered to replace it if I had. Then, as we walked away, she would have talked to me about the importance of watching my step and especially of making sure to take care of other people’s property. And I’d have internalized that, filing it away for the next time I encountered a similar situation.
I’d like to ask you for advice on how to answer a modesty issue that is occurring at our church. There is a single young woman who continually chooses to attend church in very risque outfits. This appears to be on purpose. She loves to flaunt herself in addition. Her parents and other siblings attend our church along with her. Week after week goes by and it seems like no one is speaking out against this. It is almost like we’re all pretending to ignore it and are hoping it will end on its own. My family and I can hardly ignore this, and her choice of dress is a complete distraction to us, not to mention we continue to grow angry and concerned about how this could be affecting the men and boys of our church (as well as other young girls). What would you do -who would you approach first? Also -it’s not like our pastors don’t “see” this too. Could they be ignoring it as well? Sincerely, “Sad & Frustrated”
Immodest dress is a hindrance. When a girl bares it all, it can be difficult for us to see past the skin and realize that the young woman is more than what she has on. In fact, one of the reasons modesty is so important is because immodesty is such an incredible distraction–and not just for young men! Although one of the biggest sticking points for discussions surrounding modesty is an incredible burden that’s been placed on Christian womens’ shoulders not to cause their brothers to stumble, the truth is, I’ve noticed that immodesty affects women just as much -if not more so -than men.
As the father of four children and an enthusiastic bibliophile, I am constantly scanning the evangelical landscape for books that offer biblical, godly wisdom that relates to fatherhood and for resources that I may use to help place God’s Word inside the minds and hearts of the little Robinsons. Recently, my dear brother in Christ Andrew Case, a gifted young worship leader, song writer, teacher, writer and theologian (and occasional contributor to this blog), placed his new book in my hands and I want to commend it enthusiastically to the readers of Gender Blog.
Setting Their Hope in God: Biblical Intercession for Your Children is a treasure for parents who want to pray down heaven on behalf of their children. Over 240 pages the author provides parents with prayers for their children, prayers that are, as John Piper loves to say, Scripture-saturated, Gospel-oriented, Christ-exalting and God-entranced. Reminiscent of Puritan prayers as exhibited in the fabulous work Valley of Vision, this collection of prayers provide the perfect complement for family ministry in the home.
One of the pleasures of working at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has been to meet and interact with professors and authors. Mary Kassian is one of those. She has been a joy to get to know. She has provided such wisdom in my life both in conversation and through her writings.
Kassian’s brand-new book, Girls Gone Wise (in a World Gone Wild) (Moody Press) is definitely no exception. I marked my copy profusely with notes to myself and underlined key quote that I’ve been sharing with women.
Kassian has no trouble hitting her target audience: women – of all ages. She wrote this book so that any woman: single, married, in college, 3 kids, high schooler, grandmother, would be able to pick it up and apply it to her life. One of the reasons this is accomplished is because Scripture applies to all of us: no matter what stage of life we are in.
Mrs. Kassian takes the sage advice from the writer of Proverbs and compares the two women he identifies in the book: the “Girls Gone Wild” and the “Girls Gone Wise”. She creatively illustrates the devastating contrasts between the women in Proverbs, mostly in chapters 7 and 31. When looking at the two women side-by-side one notices the stark difference between the two. One following the ways of the world, foolish, and heading to a life of destruction. The other following the Spirit’s leading, wise, and walking daily in the fear of God; her life gripped with the power of the Gospel.
As I have the privilege of teaching at homeschool conferences around the country (California, Iowa, and Virginia to name a few), I have had the privilege of talking to hundreds of families. For the most part, these conversations have been very encouraging. However, there is one thing I’ve learned that is not encouraging at all. Many believers out there who have committed their lives to home discipleship are desperate to find a healthy church that shares, nurtures, and teaches their doctrinal convictions. In conversation after conversation people ask me (a total stranger who in some cases has never even been to their town) if I know of any “good” churches in their area. As I have processed these conversations, I have noticed a recurring pattern. These families are looking for churches that 1) preach and teach sound doctrine; 2) support, promote and practice home discipleship; 3) are led by godly, manly elders, and 4) practice church discipline. (note: this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but a response to specific questions posed to me in recent weeks)
This is the message that started the “Family Driven Faith” firestorm. This exposition of Ephesians 6:1-4 challenges the very foundation of age-segregated ministry in the local church. The Bible makes it clear that parents (not Sunday school teachers, youth ministers, or teachers) are responsible for the discipleship of their children. Moreover, the church has a responsibility to avoid efforts that undermine this biblical imperative. Unfortunately, much of what we have done for the past several decades has worked against biblical discipleship in the home. There must be a reformation in this area. This message has been the spark for such a reformation in countless lives and local churches around the world.
The recent naming of Nancy Pelosi as the “most powerful woman in American history” has sparked national discussion on both the history of women in America and the nature of woman’s power. As Speaker of the House, Mrs. Pelosi holds the highest civic position any American woman has held to date, and her hand in putting through the recent Health Care Bill will have huge historic implications. Though we don’t see it as a great advance for women to finally be oppressed by one of our own, this is undeniably a kind of power.
But behind this recent tribute to Mrs. Pelosi is this presupposition: “Women find their power in holding the positions of men – the traditional women’s role has no power. The power traditional women exercised in the past doesn’t count.”
Americans are ready to believe this because they long ago adopted a feminist view of history. Before feminism led women from the kitchen to the boardroom, we are told, women’s minds withered in the confines of a “comfortable concentration camp,” their talents never developed or given room to benefit society. Before feminism bought women the positions of men, woman’s influence was hushed and smothered beneath the oppression of male dominance. Before feminism invented justice, equality, and rights for women, women were deprived of education, opportunities, property, and power.
So, what is a family reformation? To reform something means to “form anew” or to “rescue from error and return to a rightful course.” Many Christian families are in error. We have churches full of “out of order” families where men are not leading, wives are disrespectful, children are rebellious, and everyone acts and reacts selfishly. Families need to be “formed anew” – reformed into the order God prescribes in His Word. Allow me to briefly present to you a few key points on what family reformation means.
Anyone who was raised in the prison-like system of government schooling knows that history is a boring mass of confused, causeless, and meaningless names and dates. History has been made practically irrelevant. That generations of American minds have been laid waste by this idea is not accidental. At the end of the 19th century, a group of committed men determined that history must go. Here is why.
It was a custom in ancient times for a bride to be bathed before her wedding. The custom was not simply carried out for aesthetic purposes. That bath had the same symbolic idea as a white wedding gown. The freshly bathed bride would arrive at the altar pure and clean. She would be, in the language of Ephesians 5, “having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing” (v. 27). Any impurity or defilement that might have existed was figuratively washed away in that prenuptial bath.
In the same way, when a man confesses his sins and comes to Christ, he is cleansed from all unrighteousness. Old things are passed away, according to 2 Corinthians 5:17, and all things are made new. Our Bridegroom washes us with his blood, and we publicly declare that we are his in a covenant cleansing ceremony of our own — baptism.
There is a significant difference between the ancient custom of a wedding day bath and the cleansing of the bride spoken of in Ephesians 5. In the first case, the bride makes herself ready for her husband. But in the Scriptures, the bride of Christ is incapable of cleansing herself. It is her Beloved who cleanses her, with his own blood, and who washes her in water with the Word.
