Opening Words to Martin Luther's 95 Thesis

"Out of love and zeal for truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following theses will be publicly discussed at Wittenberg under the charimanship of the reverend father Martin Luther, Master of ARts and Sacred Theology and regularly appointed Lecturer on these subjects at taht place. He requests that those who cannot be present to debate orally with us will do so by letter."
"In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, "Repent," he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.

Coffee Art Update

Try #14 I've got a heart looking shadow across the top!!!!!!! Ok, grab a magnifying glass and look. It's pretty spectacular!


Try #15 So, I didn't follow the directions for pouring, but was coming up with some pretty cool squiggly lines when . . . plop went the foam on top of everything, so I went to etching a design with a bobby pin that was laying around. Here's a "Hi You!" cup of coffee :)

Sola Gratia

In chapel today, the speaker brought to our attention this quote by Charles Spurgeon. Hell doesn't even cover our sins . . . ever. The only way we can escape our sin is through Christ and He chose us when we chose our sin. Thank you Lord for your Grace to me!


Oh! our monster sins, our horrible sins, our damnable sins!

Hell itself cannot put our sins away! There
are the devil and his angels for whom hell
was made, for whom the fire was first kindled,
and its pit first digged; but they are as great
sinners after these six thousand years as they
were when first they were cast down from heaven!

And so those lost ones whose spirits have
been in hell since the time of Noah's flood,
they are still sinners, and after all the ages
of suffering they have endured, not a sin less
is upon them now than there was at first!

Ah, dreadful thought!

If you are ever cast into hell, though ages
on ages may lapse, and the wrath of God be
poured out upon you to the uttermost, there
will never be the destruction of a single sin
or particle of a sin by it all.

Sin cannot be put away until the penalty is borne
to the end, and that can never be by finite man.

and I have to be commanded to worship Him?

I just read Deuteronomy 10:12-22 for my Old Testament Survey. It hit me that it is kind of funny that Moses would lay out what God requires of His people before giving this amazing and wonderful description of who this God is. To my own shame I don't practice this myself, but it seems to me that if you really know and believe that God is all these later verses says He is, what other reaction would you have but to fear, love, and serve Him?

Take a look into Moses' description to the Israelites of the God of Israel who we are mercifully allowed to call our God too.

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude."

Coffee Art

Ever since I saw my first picture of coffee art and especially after I saw my first cup of coffee with the art creatively drawn on top, I've wanted to learn to do it myself. Yesterday was the day. I was going to figure it out. I dutifully googled "how to do coffee art." I came up with multiple YouTube videos, articles, and pictures on how to do this beautiful art. I knew that I would not be perfect and that I would probably fail the first time, so, after making my espresso and steaming my milk, I wasn't too surprised to find that as I gently poured it into the cup and wiggled it back and forth, nothing happened. The cup of espresso gently blended together (completely) with the milk I poured in. Fail. However, I am not a perfectionist, so I took it with a smile and enjoyed my late with no art on top. I researched a little more and found that I had not quite heated the milk up properly. OK, I think that probably would make a difference. So yesterday afternoon I gathered some friends together and made four separate lattes and tried four separate times to create some sort of art on the top. I had a fail, another fail, another fail, and another fail. Today, sadly instead of posting on how I learned this wonderful new technique, I will just show you this wonderful picture of someone else's talent.




Now isn't that pretty?

20 Resolutions on Taming the Tongue

Sinclair Ferguson's 20 resolutions on taming the tongue all derived from the book of James.

1. I resolve to ask God for wisdom to speak out of a single-minded devotion to him. (1:5)

2. I resolve to boast only in the exultation I receive in Jesus Christ and also in the humiliation I receive for Jesus Christ. (1:9-10)

3. I resolve to set a watch over my mouth. (1:13)

4. I resolve to be constantly quick to hear and slow to speak. (1:19)

5. I resolve to learn the gospel way of speaking to both rich and poor. (2:1-4)

6. I resolve to speak in the present consciousness of my final judgment. (2:12)

7. I resolve never to stand on anyone’s face with the words I employ. (2:16)

8. I resolve never to claim as reality in my life what I do not truly experience. (3:14)

9. I resolve to resist quarrelsome words as evidence of a bad heart that needs to be mortified. (4:1)

10. I resolve never to speak decided evil against another out of a heart of antagonism. (4:11)

11. I resolve never to boast in anything but what I will accomplish. (4:13)

12. I resolve to speak as one subject to the providences of God. (4:15)

13. I resolve never to grumble. The judge is at the door. (5:9)

14. I resolve never to allow anything but total integrity in everything I say. (5:12)

15. I resolve to speak to God in prayer whenever I suffer. (5:13)

16. I resolve to sing praises to God whenever I’m cheerful. (5:14)

17. I resolve to ask for the prayers of others when I’m in need. (5:14)

18. I resolve to confess it whenever I have failed. (5:15)

19. I resolve to pray with others for one another whenever I am together with them. (5:15)

20. I resolve to speak words of restoration when I see another wander. (5:19)

Enough To Keep Me Busy

Reading today through the 1st chapter of Isaiah I found this:

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean.
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil. Learn to do good;
Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow."

This should be enough to keep me busy the rest of my life.

"How Can It Be?" by Tristan Gylberd

Guard us Lord, from the Judas kiss;
Keep us Lord, from the way of Cain;
From the error of Balaam; From the rebellion of Korah.
We confess that we are Jezebels at heart, every one of us;
We are Icabods; We are Hamans;
We are Tobiahs and Sanballats;
We are Abimelechs and Absaloms;
We are Chedoloamers and Eglons.
Indeed, we are all Adams.
How can it be?
The seeds of destruction have been sown, even as You have blessed us:
Though You have offered us sweet fountains of life,
We have thirsted for the bitter waters;
Though You have laden high the festal table,
We have hungered for thorns and thistles.
How can it be?
We have become adepts:
In a reverse alchemy,
Turning gold to base,
Turning blessing to cursing.
We are waterless clouds and fruitless trees;
We are wild waves and wandering stars.
Meet us here, Lord:
Give us Gospel sanity,
That we might yet again relent;
That we might yet again repent.

New Favorite

This week I've been to three separate Bible Studies at three separate universities because of outreach week. Anyway, at each one, we sang this song called "Jesus Thank You." You can find it here and listen to a sample or buy the song if you want to. It's a Sovereign Grace song, and I've heard it many times in Chapel and at my fellowship group, Crossroads, at Grace Community Church. This song really says what I've been feeling in my heart these past few days. So, it's a new favorite :)


The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You


© 2003 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP).

Poseidon and God's Grace

This week, or at least since Wednesday, Master's College gives their students the opportunity to do outreach with local churches. I joined a team that went with Grace Community Church. We have had an amazing time so far visiting different Bible studies, evangelizing at different colleges, packing spaghetti noodles for the Children's Hunger Fund, visiting people who can't leave their home . . . Today we were at UCLA evangelizing and spreading the word about the Grace On Campus Bible Study group that is affiliated with Grace Community Church and meets at UCLA every Friday night.

This afternoon, we split up into groups of two people and went and passed out flyers for the Bible study and tried to start conversations with people about the gospel. Me and the fellow TMC student I was with met a guy who was a professing pagan and a worshipper of Poseidon. I really know nothing about Poseidon, but I just googled it and now I'm really shocked. We had quite the interesting conversation with this guy. It's a long story, but I'm just gonna tell you the most amazing part that really affected me. At one point, he said "You two are good people, you're wrong, but you're doing good things." To that we both promptly responded that we weren't good people! No way! He said something like "Well, live in that guilt if you want to. It's so much like Catholocism, you just wallow in your guilt." I thought about it for a couple of seconds and then said "But I don't feel guilty!" At this point in the conversation, Wagner, the guy I was with was giving the gospel and was explaining how Christ took our punishment. Later, I was thinking about it and we were talking it over and I realized that I had never thought about that. Yes, I am a sinner, I totally admit that I am depraved, ungodly, horrible person. But I don't feel guilty! My punishment has been paid for. I am cleansed completely! "My sins are paid for in full." I've said it a thousand times if I've said it once, but it took a Poseidon-worshiping Pagan-professing guy at UCLA to teach me that I have no guilt or reason for guilt as a true Christian. I have peace in Christ. I do feel bad when I sin, but after I confess my sin my guilt is gone. I am ashamed that I have dishonored God, but I have no lasting guilt at all. I go on and glory in God because I know that the price is paid. What is there to be guilty about? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.