Category Archives: Plain old fun

Magnify!

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Justin Taylor posts this excerpt from Chris Brauns —

Here is a summer science project. Do this one at your own risk.

Choose an afternoon when the summer sun is burning down, get a magnifying glass and a pile of some dry combustible material. Dried leaves will work just fine. Gun powder will be more exciting.

Put the burning material down on the sidewalk and then use the magnifying glass to focus a beam of sunlight onto the material. You will be amazed at how quickly smoke begins to curl away. My boys and I do this and we think it great. Jamie rolls her eyes.

You know: the magnifying glass does not provide any power of its own. It serves only to direct the power of the sun. But, when it does, it brings light to a burning focus and things ignite.

That is what the local church is supposed to do. By itself, the church, God’s people, do not offer any power. But, a church is like a magnifying glass that God uses to focus and direct His power. Paul says in Ephesians 3:10 that God is pleased to make declaration of Himself both to people and the Heavenly realms by means of the church.

Maybe in your life, the presence of Christ does not seem powerful. You keep waiting for change and power to ignite in your life but it’s just not happening. If that is the case, then try another experiment this summer. Look for a church that centers on the Lord Jesus and His Word. Put yourself right underneath the magnifying glass on a warm Sunday and wait for Spirit and Truth to ignite in your heart.

On Wisconsin!

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Hopefully you know the famous fight song, “On Wisconsin, On Wisconsin!” If not, I’ll be happy to teach it to you when we meet… or you can start online here as played by the mighty Wisconsin Badgers marching band! (Woo, go Badgers!)

The family is enjoying a wonderful, slow-paced vacation here in southern Wisconsin visiting my parents and siblings. (I say “slow-paced” for a few reasons – we are on a leisurely schedule, and everyone out here walks and drives very slowly!). It rained while we drove in on Monday/Tuesday, but we’ve had perfect summer days of sunshine so far. My parents are in good health, and the grandkids are drinking up lots of stories — and love. I am so thankful we are able to make this trip and reconnect. These things do not happen unless we plan and act.

I wish you were here — here’s a postcard for you from a site of a guy who is collecting such cards from all 50 states (click through for his link). You can spot Janesville at the bottom-center of the state. I’ve lived in a lot of towns (Beloit, Mosinee, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Middleton, Eau Claire, Watertown), so this definitely feels like home!

I am not able to get online much (so far) so very few blog or Facebook updates, but can update on Twitter (as ‘dbissett’) from my cellphone.

My reading progress has really slowed, but I am being greatly helped reading excerpts from Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor, now published by the Banner of Truth as a mini-book. One good example is this, which particularly struck me as vacation means living in such “close proximity” with the kids (the boys and I all share a hotel room together!)….

“One proud, surly, lordly word, one needless contention, one covetous action, may cut the throat of many a sermon. Take heed to yourselves, lest your example contradict your doctrine.”

Yes, life is where the rubber hits the road — with real (even eternal) consequences.

Thanks for your prayers as we travel.
pdb