Mistakes, Tears, and Lessons

In reading through both world and evangelical news today I came across the following stories which I wanted to share with my readers in hopes that they might be an encouragement and means to edification in your lives.

1) Read Josh Harris' blog for today. Harris is the pastor of a large Sovereign Grace Church in Gaithersburgh, Maryland. He had originally decided to cancel services on Christmas Sunday in order to allow their churches numerous volunteers to spend time with their families. Harris has since realized that this falls right in line with the world's philosophy and that they, as God-centered Christians, would be missing an oppurtunity to point to the significance of God's established and ordained gathering of the church. Check out what he has to say (you can click the link Josh Harris' Blog under my links section).

2) Don Whitney, author/speaker, faculty member at Southern Seminary, and founder of the Center for Biblical Spirituality, has announced that he has cancer. It is a very sad thing. At this time let us all be in prayer for him and his family. You can check out the update from Don on his website and I believe he provides us all with a wonderful picture of how to endure trials.

There is much to be learned from such godly men as Dr. Whitney and Josh Harris. Especially for those of us who are young. I have been increasingly convinced in the last few days of the great need to learn from wiser men. God has given us young ones a line of great teachers and "fathers in the faith". Learn from them. Read them, inquire of them, and model them insofar as they glorify God. In the coming days I will be writing on a wonderful book for pastors- "Dear Timothy" if you do not own a copy of this book, get it!

Proverbs 19:20 says, "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days." God says it- seek wise counsel!