March 27th, 2010 by drpuritan

I will be in the RBC pulpit, D.V., at 10 a.m. tomorrow. I make no promises about my appearance (at present, I have reddish, alien-looking, gooey eyes). Laugh at my singing voice if you must. Please pray for me. Brevity will likely be the order of the day. Preaching on Paul’s mission to Corinth. I will have some pics from my ‘92 trip there. Blessings to you all.

March 26th, 2010 by drpuritan

What have I learned in the "School of Sickness" this week? James showed some very kind sympathy when he stopped by to say hello before class. I just finished some of the best chicken and dumplings I have EVER eaten, prepared by a loving daughter. My red eye is really scary looking (don’t you think?) and I really need Jesus in the good times and bad. Robin’s Eggs are my favorite Easter candy. I am glad Ray is my best friend. Missed out on a dinner with church members and hanging out with my mom while my dad is fishing in a tournament. Ryan Anderson just sent Sessions to the line. I hope to pray myself into a long sleep VERY soon. Hope to see everyone Sunday at RBC.

March 25th, 2010 by drpuritan

Some days deserve a second blog post and some videos deserve to be more widely shared. Prepare to examine your priorities.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

March 25th, 2010 by drpuritan

I have been working with a LOT of sick students/teachers at school. For the past several months I have avoided illness, presumably because both (a) God has ordained my wellness and (b) I have availed myself of the means of Airborne (Dad!) and vitamins and good sleep patterns. Today I told the seniors (who are taking standardized tests in my classroom this week), as they were hacking and coughing, that I deserve hazard pay (since I am now sick). Their laughter I take for concurrence!

March 22nd, 2010 by drpuritan

I woke up yesterday feeling pretty well, actually better than I had in a long time. Checking my phone, I saw the J. C. Ryle Quote of the Day. It was about sickness. We as humans tend to live our lives as if we were immortal. Sickness, Ryle reminds us, corrects this false premise. We are going to die. My current sickness, which has taken my voice, reminds me that sometime soon (in the light of eternity) I am going to DIE. That is humbling. More humbling than not being able to speak to my Bible class above a whisper. If you would like to chat today, send me an email — when I wake up from my NyQuil-induced snooze, I’ll be glad to “talk.”

March 20th, 2010 by drpuritan

When I was an intern at First Baptist Church/Orlando back in the ’80s, we regularly sang a song called “Whose Side Are You Leaning On?” It was kind of an icebreaker, silly mostly, but somewhat of a serious ditty about choosing sides in the spiritual realm. Jesus said that there is no middle ground with Him; you are either with Him or against Him. The song emphasized that. The hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” usually is listed in hymnals with Deuteronomy 33:27 as the biblical underpinning, and rightly so. In this instance, the word ‘leaning’ evokes the idea of the basis of our support, not the choice we make of whose side we are on. God is Who believers lean on. I have been thinking for the past 2 years or so about a book project, with a working title that I won’t reveal here because I don’t want it “borrowed!” The basic premise is a consideration of the things we lean on (other than God) and how we respond when God in His providence removes those things, so that He is ALL we can lean on. Developing . . .

March 18th, 2010 by drpuritan

Have you ever received a picture like this? From a student. A niece. A son. I have lots of them. Judged by Sotheby’s, they might not be worth much. But judged by a teacher, an aunt or a dad, they are priceless. Give God your best, all the time. It may be only a cup of cold water given in Jesus’ name, but it delights the Father’s heart like the other stick-figure offerings we give. It is easy to love a God like that, isn’t it?