fleeting happiness and soul-crushing grief

Today I received a great gift. I got a Marmot Nyx 2 and some sweet MSR cookware. For those who don't know...that's a $280 tent and $80 pots for camping. The weird part? I don't have any clue as to who sent them. I got them from the Oregon Mountain Company and the box contained no bill of lading and no original sender. A completely anonymous gift.

Someone who knows me well got these things, because the tent is the exact color and one of 3 models that I have been looking at and the pots are the exact ones that I wanted. So, to whoever it is...THANKS! I appreciate them more than you know.

And on to grief.

This day also made me realize how fleeting my happiness can be in receiving such presents. The last few days in Fulton County have been filled with about 7 inches of rain. Massive flooding everywhere, roads closed, schools closed and riverbeds overflowed.

Yesterday a young mother of 5 hit high water and attempted to back out only to be swept into over 7 feet of water. Her SUV quickly began sinking with all of her kids trapped inside.

A passing car stopped and called 911 as the mother desperately tried to rescue her children. She was only able to save 3.

The paper tonight gave the story of her relentless pursuit of trying to pull them from the car and the unsuccessful attempts at rescue by the fire and police departments (they responded quickly and acted quickly but not in time.) My heart breaks for her and her family. What heartache. What grief.

Let us bond together to pray for her, that she might fall upon Christ, that He may be glorified and that her family will bond and grow closer.

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

Join me in mourning and weeping the death of the two children and the pain of the family.

-joe

one book11

Despite the fact that I'd love to recommend lots of books (I can think of at least 15 I've read this year) I am only going to recommend one. That's right. Just one. And I've only recently read it (finished it just minutes ago).

The book? Mark Dever's The Gospel and Personal Evangelism. It is simple. It is short. It is powerful.

I could spend lots of time talking about other great books by Piper, Edwards, Owen, Lewis, Sproul or Carson. I could talk about my love of the books and resources from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. But, no matter how great and inspiring these books are, I think Dever's has the most practical implication for everyone. (I could probably argue for Don't Waste Your Life, too).

10 reasons you should get this book...

10. It is short. Really, 108 pages with the Foreword, Intro and Appendix. Less than 100 pages in the actual book.

9. It is cheap. From $5.32...you can't beat it.

8. It is practical. What is more practical than learning about the Gospel and how to tell people about it?

7. Great endorsements. John MacArthur, J.I. Packer, Randy Newman, Thabiti Anyabwile, Robert Coleman, Johnny Hunt, John Folmar, David Thomas, J. Mack Stiles. Seriously...those are some pretty big props.

6. the Foreword. C.J. Mahaney writes in the foreword

"If you, like me, have walked through entire days unconcerned and unaware of the lost sinners all around you, or if you desire to share the gospel but are unsure how to build a relationship or start a conversation, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism will encourage and equip you."

5. No theological jargon. I love studying hard to read stuff...but this is easy. No big, unknown, need a dictionary words. Dever uses normal language to communicate timeless truth.

4. Something for everyone. Whether you side with the Reformed, the Liberal or the Emergent...you will benefit from something in this book.

3. Useful chapters.
Chapter titles:
Why Don't We Evangelize?
What Is the Gospel?
Who Should Evangelize?
How Should We Evangelize?
What Isn't Evangelism?
What Should We Do After We Evangelize?
Why Should We Evangelize?

2. Cuts to the quick. Gems like this "When we don't sufficiently consider what God has done for us in Christ...we lose the heart to evangelize."

1. Cause I said it was awesome...the only criterion that should matter.

So, go buy it. Seriously. For you and the countless others to whom we should be declaring the Gospel, to the glory of God.

-joe