Happy Presidents’ Day!

Posted on by
Reply

Hopefully you do know that today, the third Monday in February, is “Presidents’ Day.” It celebrates the birthdays of two of the greatest Presidents: George Washington (born Feb. 22, 1732), and Abraham Lincoln (born Feb. 12, 1809).

Although our current Presidents’ Day aims to honor only Washington and Lincoln (as it should), it just so happens that two other Presidents were also born in this month: William Henry Harrison (Feb. 9, 1773), and, the great Ronald W. Reagan (Feb. 6, 1911). My birthday is also in February, on the 29th (yes, I was born in a leap year, 1960). The current President, Barack H. Obama, is actually younger than I am, born on August 4, 1961. Hmm….

OTHER PRESIDENTIAL BIRTHDAYS? October has the the most presidential birthdays (six, including three of my favorites, John Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, & Theodore Roosevelt); and, the second most popular month for presidential birthdays is November with five. There is a tie between June and September for having the least presidential birthdays (each has one).

Let us pause and give thanks to God for our good and godly leaders. And, let us pray for our current President, as we are exhorted to do in the New Testament —

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
–1 Timothy 2

pdb

John Piper & Me (#2)

Posted on by
4

A few months ago, John Piper marked his 30th anniversary in the pulpit of Bethlehem Baptist Church, where I was once a member and a pastoral intern (we were called “apprentices” in those days). As I mentioned this relationship here in The Breadline, I was asked by a blog reader:

What was John Piper like on a personal level, how did he influence or change your perspective on ministry, and what would you say is the most important thing he taught you?

My first answer had to do with John’s vibrant model of a ministry driven by reformed theology. Let me follow up that post with this (and hopefully one more).

Second: I came to know about passionate, biblical worship by attending BBC, led by Pastor John Piper. I first went to hear the preacher, but then was awe-struck by the dynamic, reverent and God-centered worship in that place. Words are hard to come by to adequately describe how significant an impact those worship services made upon me. My very definition of worship is built upon one that John taught —

“WORSHIP IS FOCUSING YOUR MIND’S ATTENTION AND YOUR HEART’S AFFECTION ON THE GLORY AND GRACE OF GOD.”

You can read about John’s theology of worship in his book DESIRING GOD, MEDITATIONS OF A CHRISTIAN HEDONIST [his website allows you to read the book for free online, or to download a PDF copy for free].

There John describes worship with a wonderful word-picture:

The fuel of worship is the truth of God, the furnace of worship is the spirit of man, and the heat of worship is the vital affections of reverence, contrition, trust, gratitude and joy. …

The fuel of worship is a true vision of the greatness of God; the fire that makes the fuel burn white hot is the quickening of the Holy Spirit; the furnace made alive and warm by the flame of truth is our renewed spirit; and the resulting heat of our affections is powerful worship, pushing its way out in confessions, longings, acclamations, tears, songs, shouts, bowed heads, lifted hands and obedient lives.

Preaching sound, biblical theology fuels the passionate worship of a great God! I discovered that thanks to the ministry of John Piper (and Tom Steller and several other dear people at BBC).

pdb

[the first post with this same title was in October 2009]