The riches we should seek

When the apostle Paul thinks about “wealth” or “riches” what springs to his mind? What should spring to ours? Where should our efforts at enrichment be invested?

Here are all the uses of Paul’s favorite word for “riches” (ploutos). Taste and see what he lives for.

• The riches of God’s kindness and forbearance and patience. (Romans 2:4)
• The riches of God’s glory for vessels of mercy. (Romans 9:23)
• The riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! (Romans 11:33)
• A wealth of generosity on their part. (2 Corinthians 8:2)
• The riches of God’s grace. (Ephesians 1:7)
• The riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints. (Ephesians 1:18)
• The immeasurable riches of God’s grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)
• The unsearchable riches of Christ. (Ephesians 3:8)
• The riches of God’s glory. (Ephesians 3:16)
• God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
• The riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
• The riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ. (Colossians 2:2)
• The rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6:17)

–John Piper

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Get this Jerry Bridges book for free. . .but hurry!

The Transforming Power of the Gospel, Jerry Bridge’s latest book, is available for free–Kindle Version!  Remember you can read a Kindle book without an actual Kindle reading device. There are apps for it for virtually every smartphone, for the Ipad, and for every computer.

Don’t know how long this deal is.  So head over to Amazon soon. Click here!

UPDATE: Saw the price was up to a $4.99 this morning! Still a good deal.

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The great non-compromise on contraception coverage

Dr. Al Mohler discusses five fundamental flaws with the President’s recent “compromise on contraception coverage.  This is an extremely important issue to which Christians should give careful attention.  Mohler’s article concludes:

Anyone who celebrates this “compromise” as a victory is hiding behind an accounting trick. That accounting trick cannot hide the great moral tragedy at the heart of the President’s policy — a policy that leaves religious liberty in peril and Planned Parenthood smiling.

Click here to see some clear biblical thinking on this issue.

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Nine purposes of suffering

Rebecca, from the north in Canada (we are talking Yukon region), provides a good rundown of some of God’s purposes for suffering.  The comments even suggest more.  And there is Scriptural support for each one.  Here’s the summary, but click here to see the support:

1. Suffering works to advance the gospel.
2. Suffering spurs other believers to keep trusting in Christ.
3. Suffering shows our weakness, demonstrating Christ’s power in us. 
4. Suffering teaches us to trust God and not our own abilities.
5. Suffering shows the genuineness of our faith. 
6. Suffering produces righteousness in us.
7. Suffering makes us value and long for what is eternal.
8. Suffering brings us heavenly reward.
9. Suffering give us the ability to comfort and encourage others in their suffering.

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Jeremy Lin: Rising NBA player, faithful Christian

“Three weeks ago pro basketball player Jeremy Lin—unrecruited out of high school and undrafted out of college—was sent to the minor leagues of the NBA. Three days later he was reinstated with the Knicks as a benchwarmer. On February 4, he scored 25 points, with 5 rebounds and 7 assists. The next game he had 28 points and eight assists, and tonight he scored 38 points for a victory over the Lakers, capping off a remarkable week and a four-game winning streak. He’s becoming the Tim Tebow of the NBA.

For a little bit of background on Lin—especially related to his identity first as a Christian and then as an Asian American—here is part 1 and part 2 of Timothy Dalrymple’s interview with NBA player Jeremy Lin, conducted back in 2010 when he was at Harvard.”

–Justin Taylor

UPDATE:  Owen Strachan has an extensive essay on Jeremy Lin, the player no one wanted, that is worth reading as well!

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Enjoy praying. . . your spiritual cardio workout!

Erik Raymond:

“I love thinking about prayer in this way, as a spiritual cardio workout. When we pray we are massaging our hearts with the pressure of God’s eternal perfections and subsequently producing in us the enduring praise to the glory of his grace. Prayer both prepares and sustains affections. In preparing our hearts it works to mold our imperfections closer to the perfect image of Christ and in sustaining it ignites within us an enduring passionate appreciation and pursuit of the glory of God.

So then one might rightly say prayer is for us, but prayer is for God.

Enjoy prayer today, knowing that it is producing in you an affectionate longing for heaven, where heaven’s King reigns, and where one day all of his saints will be joined together before his indescribable throne to ascribe glory, honor and praise to the Lamb who sits exalted.”

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