An autistic man draws NYC from memory

Amazing, powerful, humbling.

HT: David Murray

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A fearful and wonderful labor: gospel ministry

This past Sunday I preached on 1 Peter 5:1-4 and how God expects pastors to shepherd the flock of God among them.  I spoke of three exhortations Peter gave to those who shepherd the flock of God.  The following quote that was shared recently by Jeremy Walker from an old Puritan goes well with the words of Peter to pastors.

The following quote is from Benjamin Wadsworth’s introduction to The Gospel Ministry by Thomas Foxcroft:

“The right performance of this work [of gospel ministry] is attended with many and great difficulties, partly from the various, frequent, furious assaults of Satan; partly from the lusts of men, variously discouraging or opposing it; and partly from the weaknesses and remaining corruptions of even the best of those who engage in it. Yet it is a work that is very honorable in itself, and of vast weight and importance. It must be thought so if we rightly consider that it is the infinitely great, glorious, holy and heart-searching God who (in His providence) calls and commissions men to this work; that the main scope of the work is to batter down Satan’s kingdom, to pull down the strongholds of lust in the hearts of men, to promote the glory of divine grace through Christ in saving men’s precious, immortal souls, one of which is more worth than a world; and that those who engage in this work must give a strict account of their management to that God who employs them, who can’t be deceived and won’t be mocked, and who will require at their hands the blood of those souls who perish through their neglect, as well as graciously and abundantly reward them if they are faithful.”

What fearful and wonderful labour this is! Does the weight of your work press upon you, in the best and right sense? May God spare us from making shipwreck of our own faith, and being mere sirens to call other men on to the rocks of eternal destruction, and may we prove faithful and fruitful in the discharge of all our duties.

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Spurgeon: the inspiration behind Footprints in the Sand?

Could be?

The opening paragraph of a Spurgeon sermon from 1880:

Were you ever in a new trouble, one which was so strange that you felt that a similar trial had never happened to you and, moreover, you dreamt that such a temptation had never assailed anybody else? I should not wonder if that was the thought of your troubled heart. And did you ever walk out upon that lonely desert island upon which you were wrecked and say, “I am alone—alone—ALONE—nobody was ever here before me”? And did you suddenly pull up short as you noticed, in the sand, the footprints of a man? I remember right well passing through that experience—and when I looked, lo, it was not merely the footprints of a man that I saw, but I thought I knew whose feet had left those imprints. They were the marks of One who had been crucified, for there was the print of the nails. So I thought to myself, “If He has been here, it is no longer a desert island. As His blessed feet once trod this wilderness-way, it blossoms now like the rose and it becomes to my troubled spirit as a very garden of the Lord!”

—Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Education of the Sons of God” (Metropolitan Tabernacle: June 10, 1880).

HT: Justin Taylor

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An important key to a healthy marriage

Owen Strachan:

The single most important key to a strong marriage, it seems to me, is humble repentance. Sin is the fundamental problem of our marriages; humble repentance is the fundamental solution. What does this mean? It means that husbands and wives must train themselves to be experts in the art of saying “I was wrong. I hurt you. I get that. I am so sorry.” What a simple collection of words, but what a punch they pack.

It is surprisingly easy for even loving couples to get out of this habit. You hurt your spouse, and she lets you know as she should, but you don’t apologize. You skate over it. We all come to a moment on a regular basis when we arrive at a fork in the road: we can take one path and evade meaningful confession, or we can swallow our pride and take the route of humility. Whether you’re married or not, you know what I’m talking about. Taking the first path guarantees that things will get harder, that sin will calcify. Taking the second brings light into the marriage; the pressure releases, and it’s as if someone opened the blinds in a gloomy house. The light of the gospel shines again.

If the above has piqued your interest, read more here.

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An interview with Jerry Bridges

Jerry Bridges has had a great influence in my life. I have only met him once but have read many of his books.  I  have also heard him speak in person a few times and have listened to him via other means as well.  So I am looking forward to watching this interview.  He’s a man worth hearing as is noted below,

“Few people work faithfully for the same organization for almost 60 years. Yet it was 1955 when Jerry Bridges, a Korean War veteran, joined the team at The Navigators where he continues to this day. An author of several books, Mr. Bridges is a leading voice in explaining the significance of the gospel in everyday life, including The Discipline of Grace,The Gospel for Real Life, and The Pursuit of Holiness, to name a few.

John Piper recently sat down with Mr. Bridges in Minneapolis to talk about life and ministry. In this 25-minute video, they discuss key issues regarding God’s providence, spiritual disciplines, and the Christian life.”

Click here to watch.

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