writing these things

What is Man that You are Mindful of Him?

Mark Norman — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:18:24 +0000

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

Mark Norman — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:20:01 +0000

Beautiful song by Matt Redman.

Ads vs. Reality

Mark Norman — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:17:36 +0000

I’ve always wondered whether the ads we see are realistic. This helps to answer my question! Fascinating.

To see the whole article and other comparisons, go to alphaila.

Justified Freely

Mark Norman — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:11:15 +0000

“We are justified freely, for Christ’s sake, by faith, without the exertion of our own strength, gaining of merit, or doing of works. To the age-old question, ‘What shall I do to be saved?’ the confessional answer is shocking: ‘Nothing! Just be still; shut up and listen for once in your life to what God the Almighty, creator and redeemer, is saying to his world and to you in the death and resurrection of his Son! Listen and believe!’”

- Gerhard O. Forde, Justification by Faith (Philadelphia, 1983), page 22. (HT: Ray Ortlund)

Mark Norman — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:45:50 +0000

“….when the angels came to bring the news of the birth of our Lord Jesus, they say, “We bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” Luke 2: 10. What are these joyful tidings? What was the matter of this report? Why, “This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord,” verse 11. It is only this, “A Saviour is born; a way of escape is provided,” and farther they do not proceed. Yet this they say is a matter of “great joy;” as it was indeed. It is so to every burdened, convinced sinner, a matter of unspeakable joy and rejoicing. Oh, blessed words! “A Saviour is born!” This gives life to a sinner, and opens “a door of hope in the valley of Achor,” the first rescue of a sin-distressed soul.”

- John Owen (HT: A Voice Crying Out)

The Supreme Mystery

Mark Norman — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:39:58 +0000

“The supreme mystery with which the gospel confronts us . . . lies not in the Good Friday message of atonement, nor in the Easter message of resurrection, but in the Christmas message of incarnation. The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man – that the second person of the Godhead became the ‘second man’ (1 Cor. 15:47), determining human destiny, the second representative head of the race, and that He took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as He was human.

Here are two mysteries for the price of one - the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus. It is here, the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. ’The Word was made flesh’ (John 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this: the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets.”

- J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, 1973), pages 45-46.

- HT: Ray Ortlund Christ is Deeper Still

Removing the Snow from Your Car

Mark Norman — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:09:50 +0000

I saw this last year, but it still cracks me up.

Jesus, Joy of Highest Heaven

Mark Norman — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:22:35 +0000

“Jesus, Joy of Highest Heaven” performed by Keith & Kristyn Getty.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Mark Norman — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:52:57 +0000

A classic sung by Straight No Chaser (from 1998). Enjoy.

Sugar Plum Fairy by P.Tchaikovsky

Mark Norman — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:14:00 +0000