Pray without ceasing

C.J. Mahaney says,

As I make my way from meeting to meeting, decision to decision, and phone call to phone call, I find the counsel of Charles Spurgeon very helpful. “I always feel it well,” he wrote, “to put a few words of prayer between everything I do.” Throughout his busy days, Spurgeon scattered words of prayer between each activity, a model I have sought to emulate over the years.

Read the rest of this helpful post here.

Does Your Pastor Believe in God?

Albert Mohler says,

A news report from the Netherlands points to a form of theological insanity that is spreading far beyond the Dutch. Ecumenical News International reports that church authorities in the Netherlands have decided not to take action against a Dutch pastor who openly declares himself to be an atheist.

The pastor, Klaas Hendrikse, serves a congregation of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. In 2007 he published a book described as a "manifesto of an atheist pastor." In the book Hendrikse argues for the non-existence of God, but he insists that he does believe in God as a concept.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee

One of the most important parts of my week is the time I spend with my "Little" at Lonsdale Elementary School. We eat lunch, talk about girls, play basketball or a board game, and read. I'm there 45 minutes to an hour - that's all. But it is making a world of difference, both to him and me. Please consider being a Big Brother or Sister. If you live in East Tennessee, go to their website to find out more.

Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church - Holy Week Schedule

Next week is a special week in the life of the Church. It is a time we set aside to magnify the greatness of God displayed in the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus. It begins with Palm Sunday (see below), and ends with Easter, or "Resurrection Sunday".

There are two ways to magnify something. One is to use a microscope to make something very small look bigger than it is, the other is to use a telescope to bring something very large, but far off, into view. That is what we will do during Holy Week. I hope you can join us.

See the music planned for the Palm Sunday service here, and the Easter service here.

The Shame of Weakness, the Hope of Glory

I receive a periodic eDevotional from Mike Card, whose music I've listened to for over 20 years. His devotionals are short but rich and thoughtful. They're also challenging. The below devotional came in the mail today. Maybe you can find it helpful too. The prayer at the end made a particularly strong impact on my heart.

“Keep an eye on the one in the middle,” some onlooker might have said that day. “He’s the one to watch. You never know what might happen.”

Words like these might have come from a boy with nothing better to do than squat on that stony hill and watch. Or from a man who had known Lazarus before he died – and had talked with him after this Jesus had brought him back to life. Or from a woman who had been healed by His touch. Or from a synagogue teacher still fearful that this upstart rabbi from Galilee might yet make fools of the whole religious establishment.

Until His corpse was laid to rest, there was always the possibility that at the last moment this Jesus could call upon those legions of angels He had said were at His command.

The apostle John and a handful of women watched and waited, too. How their hearts ached with grief, yet still clung to hope. Was Jesus truly King of kings? Then how could a city full of priests and soldiers thwart His will? Was He their long-awaited Messiah? Then how could any Roman power overcome Him? Wasn’t He truly God? Then how could three nails hold Him? At any moment, something could happen…..

But nothing happened. No angelic intervention. No reply. No miracle

Prayer
Lord, I praise You for enduring shame for me-
for not reaching for any other kind of miracle.
As I seek to bear my cross for You today, give me your strength.
Thank You that I never need to be ashamed of the gospel,
“the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
As I wrestle with the hunger You have given me for Yourself,
help me settle for no other, lesser satisfaction.
Someday soon may these very eyes behold Your glory;
may these very ears hear You say, “Well done.”
Lord, Jesus, I do hunger for your glory –
to see it and to be enveloped in it.
But sometimes in this world it seems
so distant and so dim to me.
When will You return!
When will I see You come in glory?
Until that day, O Lord, sustain me in this desire.
Hold me in Your hands and feed me with Yourself.
Amen

"Hosanna!"

Here's a short lesson from John Piper on the meaning of "Hosanna!". This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and our church's children will come in waving palm branches, shouting "Hosanna!", re-enacting the drama of Christ's "triumphant" entry into Jerusalem. Read Piper's short article for the meaning.

Hottest tracks to cost $1.29 at iTunes starting April 7 - Los Angeles Times

I'm already hesitant to buy tunes at $.99. Now this? Well, there's always Christmas gift certificates.

ESV, NIV, & Wikipedia

I'm studying for my Comprehensive English Bible exam to graduate from Reformed Theological Seminary this May. Three websites I keep going to are the English Standard Version Study Bible, the New International Version Study Bible, and Wikipedia. Seriously, what else do you need? Oh yeah, you need Flash Card Machine (a free online flash card thingie).

Tullian, Coral Ridge, and New City - How difficult will it be?

Read article from World Magazine on the difficulty facing new leaders in established churches HERE.

I know we will face the same difficulties that Coral Ridge at my church when our pastor retires. People choose churches for various reasons. I was working out this morning with a guy who in the course of conversation let me know that the reason he is a member of a church up the road is their focus on youth. I've seen people come and people go because of musical styles. But I can't imagine someone going to church where everything else is great but the preaching is less than thoughtful, inspiring, rich and full of zeal.

America seems to be in a "changing of the guards" period, as the World article will support. Last century's church leaders are getting old and dying off. They carried the message of the Gospel since their youth. They were vigorous. Now it's time for the next generation to do and be the same.

It is time to fulfill the call of Psalm 145:4 -
"One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts."

I pray that God will raise up new leaders with fresh vision who are not afraid to look at today's Church and do the hard work that Jesus left his followers to do. I think it will mean a whole new way of looking at everything, bringing everything to the drawing board, questioning everything so we can "create a culture for the Gospel" as Fred Harrell said recently. (Listen to Fred's sermons at our Global Mission Conference here and here.)

God help us.

How to play Superstition on Clavinet? Stevie Wonder's funky part dissected

Stevie Wonder’s Superstition is definitely one of the funkiest songs on the planet - It was released way back in 1972 on the Talking Book album and climbed up the UK charts quickly. Stevie came up with the song by playing the original funky drum beat that starts the track and humming a melody over the top of it.



Here's a "dope" Sesame Street jam Stevie did back in the day. ("Dope" is a word I picked up from Randy on American Idol. Don't know its origins, but I think it replaces overused terms like "awesome", "cool", "bad", "rad" & "trippin" which were pop-culture lingo mainstays since the late eighties.)

'Nightline' Face-Off: Does Satan Exist? - ABC News

Don't forget to check it out.

Sovereign Grace Music

My friend Bob Kauflin led the singing at Together for the Gospel last year. The worship from the event is captured on CD. Bob's leadership is anointed, and the 5000 men that were there were singing with all their might.

Kutiman mixes YouTube - The Mother of All Funk Chords

More funk.

Audio slideshow: Christianity sweeping China -- chicagotribune.com

Mars Hill Pastor to Debate Existence of Satan on ABC

It seems like the question for so long has been, "Does God exist?" Now Satan gets a turn. Should be an interesting debate.

From ChristianPost.com:

Two controversial preachers, a former Las Vegas escort and an author on spirituality have been recruited by ABC to debate the existence of Satan on Friday.

The unexpected line-up will tackle the issue at Mars Hill Church in Seattle for ABC's "Nightline Face-Off" series, which will air on March 26.

Arguing that the devil does exist will be Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church and Annie Lobert, founder of Hookers for Jesus. On the other side of the debate are Deepak Chopra, author of Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment, and Bishop Carlton Pearson who is often labeled as a heretic for his Gospel of Inclusion preaching.

Pastor Driscoll of Mars Hill, who believes Satan is at work in the world for evil, believes the lineup of debaters helps ensure a "practical discourse" rather than "just an academic debate," according to the local Times.

The debate will be moderated by Dan Harris, who covers faith issues for ABC News, and representatives from both sides of the "Does Satan Exist" question will be at Friday's taping to watch and also ask questions.

Win some audiophile earbuds by Etymotic

Participate in the forums @ NoiseAddicts music and audio blog and you might win some buds.

Why Does God Sing? « Glory to God for All Things

A catholic priest searches for the meaning behind Zephaniah 3:17:

The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Tullian Tchividjian Elected as Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Tim Hawkins: Chick-fil-A Parody Song

Edmar Castaneda: A Jazz Harpist Who Wants 'A Party With The Angels' : NPR Music

You've got to hear this guy.

Planning Center Online

If you're part of a worship planning team, and not using Planning Center Online, you probably should. (I think I've said this before.)

It's very intuitive, and stores all your music PDFs and MP3s, sends reminders, it has stage layout design tool, and it's very simple. It also has a matrix tool that lets you compare numerous services side by side. It will keep a record of your CCLI data as well when it's your church's time to report song usage. Recently, they've made it easy to make specific services you've planned to have public access.

I love this thing! I only keeps getting better. It's like there is someone telling the designer, "OK, this Breedlove dude is a dummy, and especially slow in his communication and planning skills. Make it easy for him for the sake of everybody else."

IMAO: Frank Facts About Fred Thompson

My pal Jason (who by his own confession is "obsessively conservative") was so delighted with my post on Chuck Norris that he showed me this link. I don't want my blog to get political....these are just too funny not to share.

Here's a preview:

AWESOME FACTS ABOUT FRED THOMPSON

* Fred Thompson has on multiple occasions pronounced "nuclear" correctly.

* Fred Thompson has blasted more people in the face with a shotgun than even Dick Cheney.

Chuck Norris Facts

This is a funny sight. But I'm scared to laugh 'cause I think Chuck Norris will kick my arse.

Twitter thoughts

I overheard a workmate saying that, first it was MySpace, which was replaced my Faceboook, and that will be replaced by Twitter as the online social network.

You agree? No need to defend your position. Yes or No. Expound at will.

Merger is a go

The elders at New City Pres and Coral Ridge Pres in S. Florida have decided to merge their churches. New City's leadership includes two close friends of mine, Tullian Tchividjian - pastor, and Brandon Wells - Director of Music in Worship.

Read the most recent update at their blog: On Earth as it is in Heaven.

If you pray, consider praying for God's grace to cover them with protection, and grant them both wisdom during this transition.

Free book downloads @ christianaudio.com

The good folks at Christian Audio know that most of us desire to read good books, but don't have the time to sit down and do it. We are playing with our kids, cutting our lawns, fixing dinner, driving back and forth to work, etc... So every month they choose an audio book to give away for free downloading.

This month it's Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life.

So click on over, punch in the coupon code (MAR2009), and download the book to listen while you do other stuff. Jjust don't block out your kids....they need you to be present.

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

This is a $100 bill. Small enough. With all the talk about a trillion dollars being thrown around, a dude used Google SketchUp to render an image that I find extremely helpful. Take a look yourself.

HT: Andrew Moor @ The Blue Bass

Do 320kbps mp3 files really sound better?

Do 320kbps mp3 files really sound better?
Take the test at NoiseAddicts music and audio blog.

(By the way, I passed the test.)

John Wesley, on the Bible

“I have thought I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God, just hovering over the great gulf, till a few moments hence, I am no more seen; I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing—the way to heaven, how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end He came from heaven. He has written it down in a book. O give me that Book at any price, give me the Book of God” (from the preface of Sermons on Several Occasions by John Wesley, originally published in 1771, copied from John Piper's booklet "Biblical Exegesis").

Between Two Worlds: Lectures on Worship

Invaluable post by Justin Taylor: Between Two Worlds: Lectures on Worship.

HT: Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters

Evangelicalism doesn't need a bailout...it needs a funeral

Michael Spencer at InternetMonk.com, in his article The coming evangelical collapse says: "Evangelicalism doesn't need a bailout. Much of it needs a funeral."

He has some pretty compelling arguments.

Read more HERE.

Biblical Productivity

I am finding this blog series on Biblical Productivity by C.J. Mahaney very helpful.