Prayer Motivated by the London Terrorist Attack

God, you are sovereign over all: Over explosions, over kings, over terrorists, over life, over death. As I look out over the world wrecked by our sin and rebellion against you, I’m tempted to see the death and either try to separate you from it (exonerate you from being sovereign over it) or complain about how you could allow such horrible things to happen…Or, my heart is numb. My responses are all wrong. The 300,000 people who died in the tsunami—I think the loss is so great that I can’t even feel it. My heart doesn’t break like it should over the 2,749 at the World Trade Center, the 50+ killed in London today, the countless others who fade into a mound of statistics to be researched. God make me hurt for humanity and break my heart over sin and death and what it’s done. I want to mourn like Jesus blessed (Matthew 5:4) over sin, over rebellion, over what we have made of the paradise you made for us. Let me feel the weight and tragedy of death, injustice, and all of sin and not seek to separate your sovereignty from it. God I trust that you know what is best and I trust that all of this is for your glory. I know that you are glorified when both your justice is shown and your mercy. Oh how I love you and thank you for showing me your mercy and kindness. Overwhelm me with a recognition of the humanity that is suffering. Break my heart for the humanity that is suffering, dying, and going to eternity apart from you. Give me your heart to love people and see in each number of the statistics that are flashing across my computer screen the souls that are represented, the souls that you love and died for and the souls which I am called to care for. Overwhelm me with your mercy so that I live a life that isn’t focused on me but on giving mercy to others for your glory and our good and joy. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Piper's Thoughts on Selling with Sex

To all five of you loyal readers (thanks, Mom), I know that I haven't been coming up with much original content lately, but nevertheless I will keep throwing up stuff that has been capturing my attention and thoughts. This week's DG Fresh Words entry is pulled from Piper's Godward Life book. It quotes a letter that he wrote to a newspaper (presumably in Minneapolis) regarding the underwear ads which seem to become more-and-more prolific and more-and-more provocative every week. They also, I believe are used by my flesh to sear my conscience, poison my heart, and lower my standards for purity of thought. I strongly commend that you read and consider the following and how it may affect or have affected your heart:

"Jonathan Edwards once said that godly people can, as it were, smell the depravity of an act before they can explain why it evil. There is a spiritual sense that something is amiss. It does not fit in a world permeated with God. Ephesians 5:3 says that some things “are not fitting” among saints.” “Fitting-ness” is not always easy to justify with arguments. You discern it before you can defend it. That’s good, because we have to make hundreds of choices every day with no time for extended reflection.

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Is Heaven Just a Sublime Fiction?

One of my elders emailed this to me. The full text can be found at GraceGems.org; it's an excerpt from John Angell James, The True Christian, published in 1846. When I read it, I inserted "I" or "me" for "they" or "them." This is a very appropriate and necessary reminder for me as I try to live out my American life as a citizen of the Kingdom of God.