Hello friends,

I was delighted to discover that for this month of May, ChristianAudio.com’s free audiobook download of the month is the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs!

This wonderful book traces the roots of religious persecution from Stephen in the book of Acts, considered the first Christian martyr, to the early Church’s persecution under the Roman empire.

It is fascinating and encouraging to read of the great “cloud of witnesses” and those “heroes of the faith” who came before us.  I first heard of this title after hearing Dr. Joe Morecraft’s sermon series on the History of the Reformation.  It gave me a renewed love for church history.  There are so many lessons to learn from these great men who fought in the time of Reformation, many of whom are included in the book including John Wycliffe, John Huss, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, Thomas Cranmer.   The details of the sufferings and pain which they were willing to endure will move you to tears.  It gave me pause also about the things and certain freedom that we take for granted today.

For those interested in reading the written version of this work, there are many versions and editions sold, but I recommend the particular edition prepared by W. Grinton Berry because, to the best of my knowledge, I believe it’s unabridged.  The audiobook is a slightly different version from this paperback edition, but I think it is pretty good, too.

The free download is available till the end of this month.  I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Dr. James R. White of Alpha & Omega Ministries (one of my favorite authors who sparked my journey in the Reformed faith) shared some sober words and thoughts on the day after an historic election:

I thought it’ll be edifying for me to write down a list of my goals. Some are manageable in the short-term, and others are a product of brainstorming ideas. I was inspired to record these after reading someone else’s blog. I thought it would be beneficial for me to write these ideas down for reference so I don’t forget. Listed in no particular order.

1. Read and study the Bible every day. Follow my schedule and plan. Use the Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible in connection with my Bible reading.
2. Spend time with God in prayer before facing the rigors of the day. Start and end each day in prayer.
3. Jog 35 minutes a day, 4 days a week (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat).
4. Spend my Saturday evenings at home to prepare for the Lord’s Day (instead of going out). Evaluate my week and areas I need to improve. “Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself…” (I borrowed this from Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions #37.)
5. “Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.” (Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions #5.)
6. “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.” (from Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions #16.)
7. Organize & clean the home and complete my homemaking work according to planned schedule.
8. Learn from godly older Christian ladies on Biblical femininity/womanhood, the arts of homemaking skills, etc.
9. Assign one book title to read for each day (5 books for Mon-Fri).
10. Save my earnings as much as possible. Be prudent in my expenses.
11. Invest my savings wisely.
12. Have at least several minutes each day for a meaningful conversation with my parents.
13. Invite someone over and show hospitality over a holiday (e.g. tea party, meal, etc.).
14. Memorize one question (per week) from the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
15. Journal or write what God is doing in my life (His faithfulness and His wonderful work).
16. Learn the guitar from my friend.
17. Become friends with everyone from church. Take time to talk with different people each week and get to know them better.

Okay, that is it … for now. I’m sure there are more things to add to the list in the coming days, so I’ll need to update it from time to time. If you have any suggestions or ideas to add to the list, feel free to contribute.

Update: I’ve edited this post to include the lyrics (which also rhyme beautifully).

Sometime ago I was introduced to the singing of Psalms in a Christian gathering. One of my favorite Psalms to listen to or sing now is Psalm 119X. I think it is wonderful to include the singing of Psalms and sing God’s Word in inspired Scripture.

Please play audio to listen to the song:

[audio:psalm119x.mp3]

Psalm 119X

Before Thee let my cry come near,
O Lord; true to Thy word, teach me.
Before Thee let my pleading come;
True to Thy promise rescue me.

Since Thou Thy statutes teachest me,
O let my lips Thy praise confess.
Yea, of Thy word my tongue would sing,
For Thy commands are righteousness.

Be ready with Thy hand to help,
Because Thy precepts are my choice.
I’ve longed for Thy salvation, LORD,
And in Thy holy law rejoice.

O let Thine ordinances help;
My soul shall live and praise Thee yet.
A straying sheep, Thy servant, seek,
For Thy commands I ne’er forget.

The lyrics are based from Psalm 119:169-176.

¹⁶⁹Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.

¹⁷⁰Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word.

¹⁷¹My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

¹⁷²My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

¹⁷³Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts.

¹⁷⁴I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.

I found the above audio from the Crown & Covenant Publications website, where they offer free download for the psalm of the month, if you happen to be interested in their resources.

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day of worship on the Lord’s Day tomorrow!

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” ~Colossians 3:16

Earlier this evening, I felt a bit discouraged about a particular circumstance in my life that I considered to be less than ideal. But God, in His goodness, encouraged me through a friend and reminded me of a wonderful quote by Charles Spurgeon. I decided to google the quote, hoping I’ll be able to read more on this subject and see the greater context. If I were to sum up the quote in one sentence: “Had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there.”

How comforting! How encouraging!

Besides this, I’m reminded that God has given me so much blessings in life. He’s given me so much that I don’t deserve, and He’s spared me from the things I do deserve. He’s pardoned my sins when I deserved His just wrath. And He gives me the eternal blessing of heaven when I deserved hell. Since He has taken care of the biggest problems in my life, could He not take care of smaller problems? Absolutely!

Through our finite perspective, there may have been times when we feel like it would’ve been better for us to be in another circumstance than we are in, or maybe to have been taught or exposed under godly teaching earlier, or _______ (fill in the blank); yet in God’s infinite wisdom He knows what is best. He is never too late. His timing is perfect. Never one second too early, nor one second too late. It happens exactly when He wants and appoints it to happen. It would be utterly foolish for me to think that I know better. No one can improve God’s plan, for He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, emphasis mine). We often see things from a temporal perspective; yet as the eternal Creator, God sees the beginning to the end. He is in control.

Everything God does is right, holy, and just. In His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, whatever lot God places me in life is the most suitable for me—not only for the purpose of molding me into the person He wants me to be but, more importantly, to display His trophies of grace by showing what He can accomplish through (or despite!) imperfect means, sinners, and less-than-ideal circumstances, so that it brings Him the most glory.

The following is the portion written by our beloved “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon, that was used by God to encourage, comfort, and remind me of His goodness and sovereignty this evening (excerpted from Spurgeon’s Evening by Evening; Or, Readings at Eventide for the Family or the Closet – Page 318):

Believer, if your inheritance be a lowly one, you should be satisfied with your earthly portion; for you may rest assured that it is the fittest for you. Unerring wisdom ordained your lot, and selected for you the safest and best condition. A ship of large tonnage is to be brought up the river; now, in one part of the stream there is sand-bank; should some one ask, “Why does the captain steer through the deep part of the channel, and deviate so much from a straight line?” his answer would be, “Because I should not get my vessel into harbor at all if I did not keep to the deep channel.” So, it may be, you would run aground and suffer shipwreck, if your divine Captain did not steer you into the depths of affliction, where waves of trouble follow each other in quick succession. Some plants die if they have too much sunshine. It may be that you are planted where you get but little; you are put there by the loving Husbandman, because only in that situation will you bring forth fruit unto perfection. Remember this: had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances, and if you had the choosing of your lot, you would soon cry, “Lord, choose my inheritance for me, for by my self-will I am pierced through with many sorrows.” Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good. Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove most effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God. Down, busy self and proud impatience; it is not for you to choose, but for the Lord of Love!

“He shall choose our inheritance for us.” — Psalm 47:4

“Trials must and will befall —
But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all,
This is happiness to me.”

Update 06/11/09:  I’ve already given away all the books listed below, so I have no more copy to give.  Thanks to all who showed interest!

I’m giving away some excellent Puritan works! See below for details.

I love the Christian writings by 16th-17th century Puritans! They, by their works, though dead, yet speak. I wish that we have more authors like them today. I still remember the first time I was drawn to read them. It was when I picked up The Forgotten Trinity written by one of my favorite (and erudite) Christian apologists, Dr. James R. White. (I had to slip in the word “erudite,” cause one of my friends Josh never fails to be impressed whenever I use the word. Ha ha ha…) For those who may not know yet, Dr. White was the first author whom God graciously used to introduce me to the Doctrines of Grace and who sparked my journey in the Reformed faith. In his book, Dr. White shared the Puritans as his favorite authors and heroes of the faith. Since I admired Dr. White so much, I thought, “Mmm, maybe I ought to check their writings!”

I must admit, at first I was quite intimidated about reading old works written in old language. But after reading the recommendations and references made by other good Bible teachers and preachers (e.g. John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon, etc.), I decided to give it a try. The writings of these 16th-17th century “heroes of the faith” are just as relevant today as they were centuries ago, for they cover timeless truths concerning the depravity of our human nature, our need of Christ, and the holiness and sovereignty of a glorious God. In fact, we probably have a greater need of them in our modern day and age. The writings convicted me of my sins, yet encouraged me at the same time to try to set the bar a little higher in my spiritual walk. I admire the Puritans’ deep devotion to God, their understanding of His truth, and the way they passionately sought to live every single arena of life to the glory of God. Their beliefs concerning different areas of life (including worship, the Sabbath, family, money, work ethics, social action) and how they incorporate them into daily life are something I’d like to emulate.

I’d like to give away for free some Puritan books to those who are interested!  I hope you’ll be blessed and encouraged by them. It gives me joy to know that someone else may enjoy or benefit from it. Please let me know which title you’d like to have. I just have one copy of each title to give away, so they’re only available until supplies last. Here are the books:

John Owen’s The Mortification of Sin is a wonderful book that teaches us how to fight and kill sin. J.I. Packer once told the story of his earlier years as a new Christian. He had a very sensitive conscience, and was on the verge of committing suicide due to feelings of frustrations and failures in his Christian walk. The Lord used two books to help and save him from committing suicide: Owen’s On the Mortification of Sin and J.C. Ryle’s Holiness.

John Piper also spoke of John Owen as the spiritual doctor for the soul. As Dr. Owen says: “Be killing sin, or [sin] will be killing you.” One of my favorite quotes from the book is: “Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who hath once smitten a serpent, if he follow not on his blow until it be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel. And so he who undertakes to deal with sin, and pursues it not constantly to the death.”

John Owen teaches us that fighting sin with human strength will produce only self-righteousness, superstition and anxiety of conscience. He shows us how victory can be only be certain with faith in Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

J.I. Packer’s A Quest for Godliness is a good intro on the theology of the Puritans. It gives a glimpse of their beliefs and vision of the Christian life. A quote from the back cover:

Drawings on a lifetime of study, Dr. Packer takes the reader on a survey of the lives and teachings of great Puritan leaders such as John Owen, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards. He offers a close look at such subjects as the Puritan view of the Bible, spiritual gifts, the Sabbath, worship, social action, and the family. He concludes that a main difference between the Puritans and ourselves is spiritually maturity–the Puritans had it; we don’t.

Thomas Watson’s A Body of Divinity is an exposition of the Westminster Assembly’s Shorter Catechism. Thomas Watson is one of my favorite Puritan writers. If you notice my Daily Gems section in this blog, I think I may have quoted Thomas Watson more than anyone else on there. An excerpt from the back cover to describe why this book has been one of the best sellers and the most useful and influential of the Banner of Truth publications:

1. The Subject of the book. It deals with the foremost doctrinal and experimental truths of the Christian Faith.
2. The means of the instruction used. It is based on the Westminster Assembly’s Shorter Catechism, in which the main principles of Christianity that lie scattered in the Scriptures are brought together and set forth in the form of question and answer. This Catechism is unsurpassed for its ‘terse exactitude of definition and ‘logical elaboration’ of the fundamentals.
3. The style of the author. Watson conveys his thorough doctrinal and experimental knowledge of the truth in such an original, concise, pithy, pungent, racy, rich and illustrative style that he is rightly regarded as the most readable of the Puritans.

Thomas Watson’s The Ten Commandments is a continuation of his exposition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Here’s the description from the back cover:

There are few matters about which the Puritans differ more from present-day Christians than in their assessment of the importance of the ten commandments. The commandments, they held, are the first thing in Christianity which the natural man needs to be taught and they should be the daily concern of the Christian to the last.

In The Ten Commandments Thomas Watson continues his exposition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. He examines the moral law as a whole as well as bringing out the meaning and force of each particular commandment. In view of the important function of the law in Christian life and evangelism this is a most valuable volume.

Well, there they are! I would like to share more free things in the future for your benefits (e.g. other books, Christian documentaries or DVDs, etc.), and will post them here when available. May God bless your day!

I feel great this evening. I did my work for the day, washed three loads of laundry this evening, took a warm shower, ate dinner, made plans for the weekend and this coming Lord’s Day. I think cleaning is therapeutic for me. Organizing makes life so much easier and manageable. I enjoy putting things in order or where they belong. Yes, I even alphabetize my books…according to author’s last name, publication date, etc. (This is what happens when God combines a love for books and organization together. ) Okay, just kidding about the publication date part!

There’s also something fulfilling about performing these things ourselves. It’s just not the same when we hire a maid or someone else to do them. I am learning that taking care of one’s home is more than just going through the motions. The labor of love that goes into it makes a difference. One can’t pay for that; it’s priceless. It is the ingredient that turns a house into a home. Growing up, I wondered why my mom’s cooking often tasted better than mine even though I’ve tried to replicate her recipe by following it step-by-step. Now I know why. It is because of the dedication and labor of love that she pours into everything she does for her family. The dishes she prepared were cooked with a mother’s warmth, stirred with a mother’s patience, seasoned with an extra pinch of real hearty love, and served generously with affections.

I echo Cheryl Mendelson’s words when she wrote in her excellent book Home Comforts (an encyclopedic A-Z resource on homemaking how-to’s):

[W]hat a traditional woman did that made her home warm and alive was not dusting and laundry. Someone can be hired to do those things (to some extent, anyway). Her real secret was that she identified herself with her home. Of course, this did not always turn out well. A controlling woman might make her home suffocating. A perfectionist’s home might be chilly and forbidding. But it is more illuminating to think about what happened when things went right. Then her affection was in the soft sofa cushions, clean linens, and good meals; her memory in well-stocked storeroom cabinets and the pantry; her intelligence in the order and healthfulness of her home; her good humor in its light and air. She lived her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made.

Housekeeping is also one of those things that returns immediate satisfaction. It’s one of those jobs where we can not only enjoy, but also see, the results almost immediately. After finishing the laundry, at the end of the day I get to enjoy the nice, delicious feeling of clean bed sheets and warm, fresh-smelling comforter during a cold winter season such as this one. Or when I cook, I get to share and partake with my loved ones the savory creation of homemade recipes with fragrant aroma already wafting through the air. How wonderful…

On this note, well, soon it will be time for me to sleep. Before then, I shall lie down and curl up with a good book on my cozy bed that has been wrapped with crisply washed sheets. The rain has been pouring outside, and I cannot think of a nicer way to end the evening than snuggling up on airy pillows, under a soft comforter along with a great book (off my alphabetized bookshelf, of course ), a warm cup of drink, and a few chocolate chip cookies.

I decided to re-write my personal goals and projects recently. It is so nice to outline them in written form, because I can always look at the list to remind myself of these goals as well as evaluate my progress. Right now I divide them into six categories: Spiritual, Finances, Personal, Education, Marriage Preparation, Work/Ministry. Then I expand each category into manageable steps that I can carry out daily or weekly. That way I can keep track of what I’m doing each day to accomplish them.

For example, under Education, I write that I want to cultivate my mind and educate myself better in different subjects. I plan what books to read on history, biography, doctrine, church history, and miscellaneous topic (of my choice). Then I assign one day of the week to read a book from each subject. That way it diversifies my reading. Under Personal, I put learning Piano and Exercise. Hopefully in the future, I may even add Needlework if I have an older Titus 2 lady to teach me that.

I then print the list (which is no longer than 3 pages) and keep it on my desk so I can see it. At the end of the day, I write down the tasks to do for the next day, and assign the hour for each one. It is so much fun to plan these things. From my experience, because I’ve sometimes gotten sidetracked, I must review this list from time to time as a form of reminder and encouragement. It also gives meaning to the labor and hour of each day, knowing that even the small tiny things we do actually count in the long run and that our goals are ultimately for God’s glory.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31)

Hello all!  I’ve been making several changes recently on my blog, adding a few features and plugins into it.  I’m quite happy with the new things that these little new additions enable me to do here.  However, there’s a minor down side… that is, if you’re still viewing my blog under the old address of http://jessica.solideogloria.com, then certain images won’t show up.  If you’re one of these visitors, I just wanted to encourage you to update my blog’s address in your bookmark (or your site link, blog reader, etc.) to the permanent address of http://pilgrimsprogress.net.

I suppose I may be able to fix the problem by web forwarding, but since I’ll likely expire the old web address in the near future anyway, I thought it best if my fellow visitors just update it to the new address.  Besides, pilgrimsprogress.net is one cool domain name and much better than the old one, don’t you think?  Well, if nothing else, it’s definitely much easier to remember.

Today is the Lord’s Day!  Happy Lord’s Day to everyone!   I hope you have a blessed day of worship at church today.

Exodus 20:8-10 says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.”  So in this scripture God tells us that for six days we shall work, but on the sabbath day we ought not to work, but rather set it aside as a day of rest.

I can hear it now…  “What?  No work?  Yep, I’m all for any rules that says we don’t have to work.  We need more rules like that!”

Heh-heh…   On a more serious note, though, isn’t it so wonderful to have one day of the week where we can set aside all the other cares and affairs of our lives (including its hustles and bustles) and simply devote it for the worship and meditation of our God?  God knows we need it!  I’m grateful for the opportunity to reserve the Lord’s Day for the public worship, private meditation, reading, and reflecting on the things of God.

May you continue to have a blessed and wonderful Lord’s Day today!