Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Informed Conscience

Over the last few days Bear Cub has started saying "No, no, no..." just before doing things that he knows he shouldn't. This is both very cute and quite helpful.


This morning he was heading for the toilet with his toothbrush in hand saying "No, no, no, no..." He knows that he is not to throw things in the toilet - Mommy and Daddy have taught him so. His conscience was clearly telling him that throwing his toothbrush in the toilet was NOT OK, though he was also about to ignore it.

God has given us all a conscience, and we do well to heed it. But more than that, we need to inform it. A well fed conscience will guide us and make us increasingly aware of our sin. The more we come to know God through availing ourselves of the means of grace, the more attuned we will be to our own sinfulness. The more we know God, the more we are able to please Him - and the more we will be grieved by our own sin. Study Gods Word - truly meditate on it (in the mind-filling sense, not the mind-emptying sense) and hide it in your heart and your conscience will be fed. A weak and starved conscience does little to keep us on the path of righteousness. 

Does that mean we will not sin? Of course not. And we will have times when we ignore our conscience, just as Bear Cub did this morning. But as long as we find ourselves saying with the Apostle Paul:

Romans 7:24

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body? 
We can know that we are indeed growing in grace and the knowledge of God. And we can also be assured:


If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness


Friday, January 20, 2012

Friday Favs

Image Source


*Some great thoughts on feminism and the church:
http://andreamomm.blogspot.com/2012/01/feminism-and-church.html

*Ingrid Schlueter on Daddies and Daughters:
http://ingridschlueter.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/daddies-and-daughters/

*An excellent explanation of supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism by Phil Johnson :
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/sup_infr.htm

*And the most upsetting tweet of the week:
https://twitter.com/#!/JohnPiper/status/159953341177282560



Monday, January 16, 2012

Blessings Abound




* I'm now 32 weeks and still pregnant - thank you for all of your prayers. I will continue on full bed rest for now.

* Though it's not the same as being with my church family, watching MacArthur's church service streamed live on Sunday morning is such a blessing to me.

* My husband has been able to take a FMLA leave to care for me and Bear Cub. He is working part time from home and going in to work one day a week, but mostly he is free to take care of our needs.

* He has done a wonderful job of learning "mommy things" and is enjoying spending more time with Bear Cub.



* Bear Cub and I have found new ways to have "mommy time":



* And he's found plenty of ways to entertain himself while Daddy tries to work:



* I have been really blessed by reading "The World Tilting Gospel" by Dan Philips and "John" by RC Sproul.

* I have wonderful parents and in laws who have been helping out when my husband needs to go to the office.

* I know I haven't blogged about this, but I didn't know where the Teen was for awhile. I now know that he is safe and staying with a Christian family - what a wonderful answer to prayer. That situation is only temporary, but at least I know he is safe for now.

*****

Lamentations 3:22-23
22 Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.

23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!











Sunday, January 8, 2012

Friday Sunday Favs

Godliness with Contentment:
http://www.theologyforwomen.org/2012/01/godliness-with-contentment.html


A Gentle Mother:
http://www.agentlemother.blogspot.com/2011/11/if-i-could-only-be-like-her.html

An Excellent Family Technology Policy:
http://www.beckypliego.com/2011/12/family-technology-policy-by-wendy.html

Something seem strange about John Piper lately?

BETH MOORE AND JOHN PIPER LEAD LECTIO DIVINA-LITE AT PASSION 2012


***Please note that by posting this I'm not saying that all of Piper's teachings must be dismissed. He has made some very valuable contributions to the Church and as with everything, we must use discernment and be Bereans.