TopekaStew

"...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags...." (Isa. 64:6) Imagine yourself walking into the throne room of God. Picture yourself standing in the presence of the full glory and majesty of the Creator. What would you say? Would you say, "Father, I deserve more. I deserve better than I'm getting right now. I don't deserve to have bad things happen to me"? Can you imagine saying that to God? The person who approaches God demanding better does not have a very well informed imagination. The person who thinks it's okay to tell God what he does and does not deserve lacks a biblical understanding of who God is, not to mention humility. Last Sunday we talked about the fact that the good works we do are like filthy rags before God. Tim Keller, referring to Isaiah 64:6, says the following: "Imagine the most unsightly, smelly, decrepit, homeless person, wandering the city streets in rags. He does not have much of a mind left. He has no resources at all. H...

Angie and I are in the middle of an eight day trip. It is partly a vacation and a celebration of sixteen years of marriage: Our anniversary was last Friday. But the trip is also partly a training and research trip. We're getting ready to build "The Bridge," an afterschool program for urban children in Topeka. We came to Minneapolis for a worship conference that filled our souls. I raised my hands, lifted my voice in songs of praise, and wiped tears from my eyes as I worshiped our Creator and our God. God filled my heart from his word by the preaching of godly men and has inspired me to love him more. Angie and I connected at the highest level, in the presence of the Most High God. On Monday and Tuesday we made our way around Minneapolis, visiting urban ministries, learning what God is doing here. I strongly believe that vision fuels ministry, even during dark and frustrating times, and so it is good to see what God is doing in other cities. We've prayed with inspired,...