You First

Mike Leake

In 1839 Robert Murray McCheyne went on mission to Palestine. In his place at St. Peter’s was the Rev. W.C. Burns. Here is McCheyne’s charge to Burns:

Take heed to thyself. Your own soul is your first and greatest care. You know a sound body alone can work with power; much more a healthy soul. Keep a clear conscience through the blood of the Lamb. Keep up close communion with God. Study likeness to Him in all things. Read the Bible for your own growth first, then for your people. Expound much; it is through the truth that souls are to be sanctified, not through essays upon the truth. Be easy of access apt to teach, and the Lord teach you and bless you in all you do and say.

I think his point of “reading the Bible for your own growth” goes with his point to “expound much”. When we are taking aback by the Word of God that is being used by God to rock our own souls we will hardly have a care to give “essays upon the truth” but we’ll passionately proclaim Truth Himself. 175 years later McCheyne’s advice ought to be heeded by every preacher of the gospel.

Microwave Suffering

Mike Leake

My wife has been really busy this past week putting together a Christmas play. This means that for the entire week I have been the chef of the house…which also means that our best meal of the week was either fish sticks or cheese pizza night. Most of the time I just find something to put in the microwave.

I’ve discovered that there are two types of TV dinners. One type you stick in for 4-5 minutes then have to turn something, or cut something, or stir something, and then put the thing back in for another 5 minutes. The second type, and my preferred type, is the one that allows you to stick a frozen dinner in the magic box, push a few buttons, wait 8 minutes, and then enjoy your now unfrozen dinner.

It seems to me that some believers—myself included—think that suffering is like the second type of microwave meal. When we are put into the furnace of suffering for a season we assume that we will come through the other end chiseled and no longer in need of suffering. It confuses us when the Master has to toss us around and then put us back into the kiln.

The Lord is very good and every stroke from His hand is for our good. Let us trust in Him no matter how many times He has to put us in the furnace. May we “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame…”

It’s not an accident that “sufferings” is plural. We’ll undoubtedly have to endure many trips in and out of the furnace. Take heart, the Lord is radically dedicated to our good and He cares for us with infinite wisdom. I’d prefer one trip and I’m done. But the Lord would have me to be better cooked than that.

Today in Blogworld 12.07.12

Mike Leake

Why Aren’t We Calling It the “Royal Fetus”?

Denny Burk has a great point about this royal baby that has been hijacking the #Royals thread on Twitter.

Ministry Miseries or Pastoral Pleasures

I appreciate these words from David Murray. He thinks we need to highlight the positives of ministry. “Let’s get a better balance in our view of God’s work in us, through us, and around us. And let’s have more articles and books on Pastoral Pleasures and less on Ministry Miseries.”

The Injustice of Helpful Parents—Yet More Insanity

Insanity is correct. Dr. Mohler weighs in on France’s idea of not having any homework so as not to disadvantage those kids without parents.

Sexual Freedoms Always Curtails Other Freedoms

Great piece by Trevin Wax. “Our culture’s hyper-sexualization of everything could eventually poison a family’s innocent hugs and kisses.”

John Piper reads The Innkeeper:

Today in Blogworld 12.05.12

Mike Leake

Writing When There’s Nothing to Write

I have experienced this: “What is a writer to do when the ideas aren’t there, when the mind is a wasteland of shriveled thought and emptiness? It can be downright scary and depressing because it is so much out of our control what ideas we have.” Barnabas Piper gives a few ideas for getting out of the funk.

The Joy of Rejection

It’s hard to imagine Tim Challies facing rejection as a writer. This article really got me to thinking about submitting more articles and putting myself in a position to be rejected more. I appreciate this article from Challies, and it applies to far more than writing.

For Want of a Pitcher: R.A. Dickey

After reading his biography I am a huge fan of R.A. Dickey. I am also a huge fan of the KC Royals. There are rumors that the two could become one. I’m dreaming of that. And so I love articles like this one. I’m hoping it gets done…

The Complexities of Christmas

Tim Brister believes that the complexities of Christmas time exposes us to many subtle forms of idolatry. He encourages us to slow down in this season rather than speeding up.

This took more than a Movember or a No Shave November: