Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature-- which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted-- but which some believers feel more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called 'zealous' men...
A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies-- whether he has health, or whether he has sickness-- whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offence--whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish-- whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise-- whether he gets honour, or whether he gets shame-- for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God's glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it-- he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, sigh, and pray... If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exodus 17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean when I speak of 'zeal' in religion.
- Bishop J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion, 1959 ed. p. 130 as quoted in J.I. Packer's Knowing God
January 24, 2010
January 12, 2010
Seminary Priorities
At the completion of this semester I will be done with my first two years of seminary. Praise God! As I thought back over the last couple semesters I realized just how far I've come since day one. Here is a list of lessons learned, specifically in the area of "student life", that has made all the difference in the world. These are the top seven rules any student, but especially seminary students, must learn to balance.
1. God - have your devotions every day, preferably in the morning before classes and studying.
2. Relationships - take time to meet new people and to fellowship with them.
3. Sleep - if you don't sleep in bed you'll just sleep in class (don't waste your money).
4. School - remember why you came to seminary, take your classes and work seriously. Don't wait until the last minute to get reading and writing done.
5. Church - find a church as soon as possible and get involved.
6. Food - try to eat, and while you're at it, try to eat healthy.
7. Schedule - don't overcommit yourself. It's better to have extra time than not enough time.
Overly simple, maybe. But they are the basic building blocks for why we're here. When I encourage freshmen students, it is always in these areas.
Just some thoughts...
Grace,
Matthew
1. God - have your devotions every day, preferably in the morning before classes and studying.
2. Relationships - take time to meet new people and to fellowship with them.
3. Sleep - if you don't sleep in bed you'll just sleep in class (don't waste your money).
4. School - remember why you came to seminary, take your classes and work seriously. Don't wait until the last minute to get reading and writing done.
5. Church - find a church as soon as possible and get involved.
6. Food - try to eat, and while you're at it, try to eat healthy.
7. Schedule - don't overcommit yourself. It's better to have extra time than not enough time.
Overly simple, maybe. But they are the basic building blocks for why we're here. When I encourage freshmen students, it is always in these areas.
Just some thoughts...
Grace,
Matthew
January 1, 2010
2009 in Review
Seven words that describe 2009 for me:
Indelible. Full tilt. Burgeon. Original. Authentic. Sensational. Extramundane.
God has blessed me in so many ways these past twelve months. It would take all of my last six hours to write them so I'll just stick with the top ten:
1) Lived under the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ
2) Started dating an extraordinary girl (Natalie Price)
3) Two great semester's at Dallas Theological Seminary
4) Served as an interim pastor of a small church preaching the Word of God
5) Traveled up the West Coast in a convertible (lifelong dream)
6) Moved into an amazing apartment with two fantastic roommates
7) Went snowboarding for the first time
8) Enjoyed the most amazing family on my breaks
9) Watched God provide financially for the impossible
10) Grown spiritually
I feel this list is just the snowcap covering the mountain of blessings bestowed upon me. God has truly blessed me more than I can ever put into words. I love my Lord Jesus more than ever before for all He has done for me. I also feel completely overwhelmed by the unwavering love, support, encouragement, and laughter of my friends. 2009 will go down in history as the year that ushered God blessings like no other! Now it's time to direct our energy to the next. 2010 here we come!
Matthew
Indelible. Full tilt. Burgeon. Original. Authentic. Sensational. Extramundane.
God has blessed me in so many ways these past twelve months. It would take all of my last six hours to write them so I'll just stick with the top ten:
1) Lived under the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ
2) Started dating an extraordinary girl (Natalie Price)
3) Two great semester's at Dallas Theological Seminary
4) Served as an interim pastor of a small church preaching the Word of God
5) Traveled up the West Coast in a convertible (lifelong dream)
6) Moved into an amazing apartment with two fantastic roommates
7) Went snowboarding for the first time
8) Enjoyed the most amazing family on my breaks
9) Watched God provide financially for the impossible
10) Grown spiritually
I feel this list is just the snowcap covering the mountain of blessings bestowed upon me. God has truly blessed me more than I can ever put into words. I love my Lord Jesus more than ever before for all He has done for me. I also feel completely overwhelmed by the unwavering love, support, encouragement, and laughter of my friends. 2009 will go down in history as the year that ushered God blessings like no other! Now it's time to direct our energy to the next. 2010 here we come!
Matthew
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)