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I recently recommended several books as we head into the season of Lent. Many have asked for a copy of the list, which I have furnished below. As you consider setting aside some earthly habits (tv, talk radio, even mealtimes) please know that it spiritually does you no good whatsoever if that time freed up is not devoted over to Christ. The whole purpose and idea is meant to create more opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus. I hope these book help as you seek to draw closer to the Lord. God bless you!

1)    A Hunger for God by John Piper

2)    Forgotten God by Frances Chan

3)    The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

4)    Overcoming Sin & Temptation by John Owen

5)    Generosity by Gordon MacDonald

6)    Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper

7)    Humility by Andrew Murray

8)    Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

Some other books I am currently reading (more historical in nature) include:

1)    How Rome Fell, Death of a Superpower by Adrian Goldsworthy

2)    Tea with Hezbollah by Ted Dekker

3)    Inside the Revolution by Joel Rosenberg

4)    The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

Some music favorites now playing on my iPod …

1)    Hillsong United

2)    Brooke Fraser

3)    John Mark McMillian

4)    David Crowder Band

5)    MercyMe

6)    Leeland

7)    Thrice

How about you? What are you filling your mind with? Certainly nothing takes the place of God’s Word, The Bible. And the singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. In addition, any favorite books or good tunes out there? Share some Favs!

I adore my wife (and I didn’t need to go to therapy to say it). It’s just true! We are blessed to be more in love today than ever and enjoying marriage more than ever before. Getting there required both of us coming to the realization that we are selfish sinners who had married of like kind. We needed help to become the partners in marriage God called us to be. Its taken lots of work but more to God’s credit. He did it all and now we have a Marriage that we praise and thank Him for.

This Spring, Bonnie has taken on the project of writing a Marriage series called “His Word to Wives”. Not wanting to be outdone, I thought I’d jot a thought of my own. Namely, if marriage is meant to last (and it is) then how do we build staying power into it? What’s the secret? Is it luck? Compatibility? Blindness? What’s the Eyebeam that keeps it all from caving in? A truth upon which all else rests?

Well, for us a breakthrough came when we realized in order to deal with the Heart of Marriage we had to first deal with the Heart of Sin. Back up, read that again. Serious, hang on it long enough to ponder whether you and your spouse have had an open conversation about SIN because that talk alone changes everything. Here’s why; we will never delight in God’s true solution until we face our true problem. Admitting we sin keeps focus on our dependency and on Christ’s remedy.

Regrettably, many couples think they can have a lasting marriage without addressing the sin issue. But if marriage is an earthly expression of our heavenly position with Christ, then it’s necessary for sin to be addressed in order to fully arrive at a role we’ve been created to fulfill. Unfortunately ignoring our sin isn’t confined to marriage. Many churches think they too can have a healthy ministry without confronting sin. Many avoid the topic altogether, reducing the message of the Cross to an example of service to others (partly right) yet making no mention of it being the only payment for our sin (the full story of Calvary). In the long run both the marriage, and the ministry, that avoids dealing with the issue of sin will never realize what Christ has done and desires to fully accomplish.

A few things to apply;
1) Achieving all Christ has done, and has to offer, begins when we stop ignoring our sin and placing blame onto others. It’s only when I am willing to see my sin, that my eyes are truly open.
2) We need to stop believing our sin isn’t bad enough to hang Christ on the cross. Isn’t it amazing how everyone else’s sin looks worse than ours? The truth is my sin alone was enough to murder the Son of God.
3) Ignoring the saving grace Christ came to provide is relational suicide. Like a wheel out of alignment, our personal perspectives steer us for the worse when we lose site of our need for a Savior. Lastly, we must not allow for sin to be tolerated. Repent! Acknowledge your sin to God, confess them to one another, and let God’s love take root in a heart where sin has been rooted out. If you’re looking for a secret formula for a lasting marriage; A magic pill? Here it is … Nail your Sin to the Cross! You will never regret it and your marriage will thank you.

PS Stay tuned for Bonnie’s Marriage series for wives coming later this Spring.

Challenges make you stronger …

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a one-room log cabin, located on a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky (a state that permitted slavery at the time). When he was only nine years old, his mother died. To support the family, he worked a neighboring farm which denied him the opportunity to go to school. The total amount of formal education Lincoln received was less than one year. Yet this would only be the beginning of a life of hardships, trials and difficulties, all of which was ultimately used to shape his life into becoming the greatest President in the history of our nation. To help put it in perspective, here is an amazing chart of the challenges that Lincoln was faced with.

Maybe you are feeling discouraged because you haven’t achieved your dreams? Don’t be. Worthwhile goals and aspirations will always take time to accomplish. Although Lincoln faced countless insurmountable obstacles, he did not give up. He never quit. He was determined and committed to make his dreams come true, he would get up each time he was knocked down. He must have known 2 Corinthians chapter four by heart! I think of many in scripture also pursued God’s call in spite of the cost: Abraham (whom Lincoln is named after) comes to mind. So do Joseph, Elijah, Esther and Moses. Certainly, the greatest Biblical comparison to Lincoln would be that of Christ Himself. He too faced death at the hands of his critics, and yet was able to rise above the opposition and perfect what Lincoln could only accomplish in part.

Lincoln once said: 

”If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, the shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how, the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what’s said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.” 



Let’s face it… if you’re not being some fire and attacks, you’re not being very effective. Attacks and confrontation is just part of being in ministry. But Lincoln had a great perspective on his critics and he remained focused on doing the right thing instead of making people happy. He always kept perspective! The long-term results of his actions far outweighed the short-term voice of his critics. Spurgeon provides great insight:

“Many hearers lose much blessing by criticizing too much and meditating too little; and many more incur great sin by calumniating those who live for the good of others. True pastors have enough stress and travail without being burdened by undeserved and useless fault-finding. We have something better to do than to be forever answering every malignant or frivolous slander which is set afloat to injure us. There are tender, loving spirits who feel the trial very keenly, and are sadly hindered in brave service by cruel assaults. The rougher and stronger among us laugh at those who ridicule us, but upon others the effect is very sorrowful. As ministers we are very far from being perfect, but many of us are doing our best, and we are grieved that the minds of our people should be more directed to our personal imperfections than to our divine message. Filled with the same spirit of contrariety, the men of this world still depreciate the ministers whom God sends them and profess that they would gladly listen if different preachers could be found. Nothing can please them, their cavils are dealt out with heedless universality. Cephas is too blunt, Apollos is too flowery, Paul is too argumentative, Timothy is too young, James is too severe, John is too gentle. Well then, let each servant of God tell his message in his own way. To his own Master he shall stand or fall. Judge the preacher if you like, but do remember that there is something better to be done than that, namely, to get all the good you can out of him, and pray his Master to put more good into him.”

So on this President’s birthday weekend, let us be resolved to remain persistent to the God call of God, to the task He has entrusted to us, and let us never waver in it.