Our beloved Hannah

Hannah's been asking us some deep and crucial Q's about eternal security and assurance these days.

We praise God for the Spirit's continued working in her heart. Just yesterday, Hannah came out and confessed some lieing and deceit from almost a yr ago and confessed her sin.

One morning, after her own reading of the account where Samuel rebukes Saul's disobedience, we talked about obeying God supremely above our own desires, esp in light of Saul's departing the faith.

This, in conjunction with the 3 excommunications in our church the past year and a half, has really got her attention. And I'm so grateful for this.

Mommy, in one bedside heart-to-heart one night was encouraging Hannah in the assurance of Christ's salvation for her. This is one beautiful moment in the conversation:

"Hannah, do you see how your head is resting on your pillow right now? That is how you can rest in Jesus' grace in salvation for you."

Hannah, when hearing this, welled up with tears...

Way to go Mom!

And Praise be to God for his working in Hannah by His Spirit to ask these Q's.

We're about to start a little I JN. Bible study with Hannah and Abigail in conjunction with all this and Pastor Joost's preaching through the book.

Clear Light

"The best light comes in through the clearest glass: too much paint keeps out the sun." Spurgeon

Live in the Light.

Live in faithful, honest confession.

"The lamp of the body is the eye."

If your heart isn't clear then your life will not be clear.

Don't try to paint and embellish God's too clear truth.

This little piece will bless your day and beyond, esp. in Easter time

"What is the chief end of man? What is the greatest calling of every subject of the Kingdom of God? Your central purpose from beginning to end, first to last, your greatest task and privilege is the worship and glory of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This being the case, the central purpose of education is the training of Christian worshipers. The reason you are reading this essay is so that you might chant, sing, clap, pray, kneel, raise hands, listen, eat, drink and shout with understanding, reverence and joy to the end that the God of heaven and earth will send justice like summer rain and mercy like a downpour on the earth. The reason you study math, science and art is so that your imagination will be filled with wonder and awe at the Creator of the most mind blowing project ever: the world. And whether you are learning to read music or playing an instrument, whether your hand is holding a pencil or gesturing in the theater, you are training yourself for the warfare of worship. You are teaching your body gratitude; you are teaching your soul thanksgiving. There is hardly an adequate evaluation of your progress, but the best grade you can receive is the outworking of a thankful heart. If you have truly learned Algebra, if you have mastered the story of Western Civilization, if you can tell me the names of the constellations that whirl about our heads, then you will do it with laughter in your voice, you will do it with joy in your heart and gratitude in your bones. Worship is the point of learning because worship is the point of life. And worship is the point of life both because this is the chief honor of every faithful subject in the Kingdom of God and because it is the head of many waters, the council chambers of the King of all the earth. From the world gathered at the table of the Lord issues the great judgments of the King.
Hitler’s world is the story of eternal collision, unending struggle and violence. In that world blood and genes are the fundamentals of life, and pure Aryan blood is Hitler’s absolute best. But the Christian story scoffs at the small-mindedness of German nationalism even as it scoffs at American imperialism. The Lord of Heaven derides Hitler’s arrogant racism and sickening genocide as much as He abhors the slaughter of the unborn in our own country. But this is all the inevitable end of evolutionary thought. If the world is a galactic mosh pit, then bigger is better, might does make right. However, history tells the story better. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. But blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. And the sons of God are welcome at His table. The gospel declares the pure and undefiled blood of Jesus Christ, whose blood purifies every nation of the world. Hitler was right: pure blood will conquer the world. But ironically (for Hitler) that blood is the blood that was shed by an innocent Jewish man two thousand years ago. The sons and daughters of the Most High are family through the blood of Christ and are therefore invited to the family meetings. The Christian faith encompasses all of life, visible and invisible. Forgiveness cleanses the soul, and fruit proceeds out of the heart. In a mystery, the visible and invisible mingle and mix. In a wonderful glory God adopts us into His family with water and faith, He feeds us with His word and bread and wine. And we bless one another with words and smiles and hugs. Joy makes bones strong, and wisdom gives long life. We live in the world that God made, a world where heaven and earth touch, for we have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God. In Christian worship we ascend into the throne room in heaven to ask the Father for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Fate speaks, destiny beckons and all of the scrapings of Hitler are like sand in the wind. But the Lord speaks, the Triune God beckons and the prayer of the righteous man avails much."

Toby Sumpter

Toby is pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, ID and has three little ones-River, Felicity, and Tovia.

For the rest of the absolutely amazing article go here: http://resources.veritaspress.com/Sep06_epistula.htm It is the "feature article." It's not that much longer.