Posted by: Brian Phillips | 3 December 2009

Christmas Music as Worship Music

I am so thankful for the folks leading out in worship at Believers Church. They are taking Christmas hymns and carols and playing the songs in such a way that the words are coming rich and alive in a new way for me.

On Sunday,these words to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” jumped out at me.

“Fear not then,” said the Angel,”Let nothing you affright,

This day is born a Saviour Of a pure Virgin bright,

To free all those who trust in Him From Satan’s power and might.”

O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy.

(emphasis mine)

Maybe I was a strange sight, raising my hands in praise during a Christmas carol.

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 3 December 2009

Advent: True Greatness

While Caesar, the king of the Roman world, was showing everyone how great he was by counting all of his people, God the king of the universe, was showing the world how great he was by sending his Son into the world as one of his people.

David Helm, The Big Picture Story Bible (p.255)

God uses the humble things of the world to shame the proud.

Luke 3:1-2 (emphasis mine):

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

Luke lists all of the men with worldly power, but then says that true power (God’s word) came to a nobody in the wilderness.

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 2 December 2009

The Test of Gospel Preaching

There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this, that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. That is a very good test of gospel preaching. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel.

Martin Lloyd-Jones, Commentary on Romans 6

You can see the news by clicking here.

I am giving thanks for this!

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 15 October 2009

Phillips Update

It has been a long time since I have posted any original content here.

Blogging is pretty far down in the priority scale at this point, and we’ve been inundated with all kinds of new things in life.  (different house to remodel, two new jobs, additional responsibilities for church and Bible study, and plenty of time taken by missionary training and discussion with missionary agencies)

I do hope to put some stuff up in the near future, as time allows.

However, I do want to point you to something Kassie wrote this week.  If you know us, I think you’ll want to read the post.  Kassie did a really good job of re-telling the story and the pictures at the end had me a little choked up.  You can read it by clicking here.

*****

Facebook readers might have to click through to my original post to get the link.

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 13 October 2009

Faith Risks

“Christ’s call is to feed the hungry, not the full, to save the lost, not the stiff necked, not to call the scoffers but the sinners to repentance, not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers, and artistic musical performances, but to raise living churches of souls among the destitute, to capture men from the devils clutches, and snatch them away from the very jaws of hell and enlist and train them for Jesus and make them into an almighty army of God, but this can only be accomplished by red hot unconventional, unfettered holy ghost religion….where only Christ and Him crucified are preached….by wreckless sacrifice and heroism in the foremost trenches.”

-C.T. Studd

(via Spirit of Adoption)

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 24 September 2009

Quotes in my Bible: Wanting God

“Any man can have as much of God as he wants.”

That encouraging- and haunting- phrase is written in the back of my Bible.

It’s encouraging because of the hope that is held out during times of frustration and laziness.  There is a promise that God is eager to encourage and bless each person.  He cannot wait to do good.

It’s also haunting because the blame for spiritural apathy rests squarely on my shoulders.  When God seems distant, I know that it is not because He has moved away from me, but that I have moved away from Him.

To sum it up, this short sentence should be a blessing.  It’s a reminder of God’s pursuit of me and of my responsibility to diligently pursue Him.

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 6 September 2009

Tears of the Saints

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 4 September 2009

Vessels of Glory

“Let us stand still, and admire and wonder at the love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners; that Christ should rather die for us, than for the angels. They were creatures of a more noble extract, and in all probability might have brought greater revenues of glory to God: yet that Christ should pass by those golden vessels, and make us vessels of glory, Oh, what amazing and astonishing love is this! This is the envy of devils, and the admiration of angels and saints.”

Thomas Brooks, Christ’s Love for Us

(via Sam)

Posted by: Brian Phillips | 3 September 2009

Quotes in my Bible: Tozer Prayer

This is the first post  in a new series.  In the coming weeks, I’ll share the few quotes that I have written in the inside of my Bible.

Some of these quotes are more common than others, but they each have a special significance to me.  I don’t want a messy looking cluttered mass of quotes that are pretty good, so I make sure that the words are substantial before I put pen to inside cover.

This precious prayer is the most lengthy quote written in my Bible.  It’s the only thing written in the front of my Bible.

From A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God:

O God, I have tasted Your goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.
O God, the Triune God,
I want to want You;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Your glory, I pray,
so I may know You indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…
Give me grace to rise and follow You up from this misty lowland
where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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