For those of you in high school, we’re going to be returning to Leavenworth for the Snow Retreat this coming January.  It will be on the weekend of January 25-27, and we’ll be joining students from our sister churches in Issaquah and Tacoma.  Please contact me with any questions, or if you wish to sign up.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do anything, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

Some of you may have noticed that I have a link on the far sidebar to Desiring God, the ministry of John Piper. There is a reason for that. Few modern Christian authors and preachers have influenced and helped me more than Piper. His reflections on the glory of God and the importance of hope and joy in the Christian life have been both soul-stirring and life changing for me. The Pleasures of God, Desiring God, and Future Grace are three of my favorite Christian books. Piper is among the Christian writers that I would most strongly commend you to read. I think that you would greatly benefit from his work.

One of the most significant ideas in Piper’s work is what he calls “Christian Hedonism.” This may sound like a bizarre oxymoron, but Piper believes that it is a thoroughly biblical idea. As he puts, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him.” Thus happiness is something that is to be pursued with zeal. You can get a taste of Piper’s wonderful God- centered thought as he explains Christian Hedonism here. See what you think.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don’t hinder.12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

As you can see in the first sidebar, I have arranged for us to serve food at Union Gospel Mission on Saturday, October 6th. If you able to make it, please sign up quickly so I can get a good sense of what our numbers look like.

For your edification, here is a great quote from the puritan John Flavel that I got from John Piper’s amazing book, Future Grace:

“Surely if he would not spare his own Son one stroke, one tear, one groan, one sigh, one circumstance of misery, it can never be imagined that ever he should, after this, deny or withhold from his people, for whose sakes all this was suffered, any mercies, any comforts, any privilege, spiritual or temporal, which is good for them.”

Blessings all!

Hey everyone.  I’m back again.  I hope you’re all getting back in the swing of things.  Here are the next five resolutions made by the young Jonathan Edwards.  Blessings.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

Hey all, I’ll be away for the next couple weeks getting married and with my new bride. I thought I’d leave you with the first five resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is considered to be among the greatest theologians and philosophers in American history. He was a noted preacher, and was the leading theologian of the First Great Awakening. His sermon “Sinners in the Hands of God” is still famous for its striking descriptions of judgment and for the reaction it prompted from those who heard it.

Edwards was also known for his godliness, and his desire to honor his Lord with a holy life. At the young age of nineteen, the young Jonathan Edwards wrote a number of resolutions that he sought to follow. I thought I’d get things rolling by giving you the first five of them.  This is what he wrote:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Hey everyone.  Instead of a full website, this blog will (at least for now) function as the site for the youth ministry of Bellewood Presbyterian Church.  I will post information and updates about meetings and events, as well as some other materials that will hopefully be of interest and use to you.  Let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions.

Pastor Michael