tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61280926346909869892012-01-18T23:36:52.058-05:00meditations on what matters most: seeing, treasuring and enjoying Jesus ChristChris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.comBlogger151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-45485670974464336322008-03-06T00:38:00.015-05:002008-03-06T01:27:56.174-05:00

The best way to stifle the worshipping heart is to be fuzzy about the abilities of man and God. In an age where its cool to be generous in our orthodoxy to include value and appreciation of man's contribution to God and His salvation and to remove the particulars of doctrine, I would like to advocate a stingy orthodoxy. One that wont give us anything. Listen to Martin Luther from Freedom of the

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-58977418040235752542008-02-02T21:40:00.000-05:002008-02-02T22:42:41.494-05:00

Have you ever heard these phrases being used to communicate the gospel?"You must accept Jesus as your Savior...""To be saved, you must give your heart and life to Jesus...""You must receive Christ into your heart...""Christ must be enthroned in your heart..."These are all words used by well meaning people trying to communicate the Gospel. However. I am writing tonight to say that these words are

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-29849033822110886242008-01-13T23:55:00.000-05:002008-01-14T00:28:45.396-05:00

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn to com­mem­o­rate his first year of his life with Christ. Its an amazing, beautiful declaration of the gospel. I know some of you are very familiar with this song. However, this version has 19 verses! So keep reading.My daughters and I just started this book: Hymns for a Kid's Heart. I know it sounds like cheesy "Heaven and Earth" type Christian trinket

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-632942319966677902008-01-01T07:41:00.000-05:002008-01-31T22:33:54.242-05:00

Got an hour? Got a notebook? Got a Bible?Curl up to your computer by yourself or with a date and start the new year off with the right perspective. Listen to Dr. Bruce Ware teach for an hour on a key attribute of God: His self-sufficiency. Its well worth it. Save the 10 bucks for the movie and the 40 bucks for the baby sitter. Put the kids to bed (if you have them) and go to seminary for

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-35318034530225446742007-12-13T00:32:00.000-05:002007-12-13T17:27:09.753-05:00

I have been taking notice of what people say their problems are. Unfortunately what I hear most about are problems that are rooted in ourselves. Emotional instability, loneliness, poor self-esteem, not fulfilling our destiny, lack of fulfillment, or lack of money, etc. I think the reason that Christianity is so unappealing to many, Christians and pagans alike, is that these are problems that

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-72472452777738297362007-11-23T07:59:00.000-05:002007-11-23T21:37:58.075-05:00

Now that I have your attention.I have often asked God to reveal Himself to me. In times of despair, confusion, or general spiritual numbness, often my awareness of God dwindles away into faint memories of what I remember of Him. While in this helpless estate, I begin to ask God to show me again who he is.This may be the sentiment behind the line in a once popular modern chorus, now disregarded

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-65826268805846122062007-11-10T15:16:00.000-05:002007-11-10T16:02:25.373-05:00

I promised to bring you a 6 year old answer:Dad: Who is worse, us or frogs?Abby: We are, because we disobey. Frogs just hop around and go "ribbit".Way to go Abby. Now the other girls? Lets just say that 1 out of 3 is not bad!This leads me to a reflection on the nature of true "blessing". (go with me here, I'll connect the dots.) Its a word used a lot in Christian circles, but do we use it

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-82550531463132443712007-11-02T13:57:00.000-04:002007-11-03T02:02:55.696-04:00

I ask you, who has more value, you or a frog? (I will also pose this to my girls soon and get you their answer)Slime, warts, eats bugs. Right? Anyone in their right mind would say that we humans, the pinnacle of God's creation, would certainly be of more more value than a frog. We were created in God's image. Not sure what this ugly reptile is a copy of.You might be thinking, "We must be of

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-65386113542763825692007-10-30T22:41:00.000-04:002007-10-30T22:49:14.183-04:00

Have you thought recently about God in relation to time? Read this excerpt from Tozer in the Knowledge of the Holy:How completely satisfying it is to turn from our limitations to a God who has none. Eternal years lie in His heart. For Him time does not pass, it remains and those who are in Christ share with Him all the riches of limitless time and endless years. God never hurries. There are no

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-45149028002466520792007-07-10T00:24:00.000-04:002007-07-10T00:36:04.272-04:00

This pretty much sums up my capacity to understand the gospel. While I certainly think we should be diligent to read and communicate, it all comes down to this excerpt from Spurgeon:We have those in our company who never will be able to give a systematic statement of the doctrines of grace, though they are full of grace. They could never explain how they were saved; but they are saved. I

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-27630969223744184592007-06-30T23:41:00.000-04:002007-07-01T00:06:48.349-04:00

"Let's just forget about ourselves, magnify the Lord, and worship Him"If you had a "born on date" (if you drink domestic beer, you know what this is) into Christendom during the 70s or early 80s you probably remember this song. I was reflecting, by the way of D.A. Carson's Worship by the Book, how incomplete this line is. If we are simply told to forget about ourselves and sing this song, even

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-24238209394006682512007-06-14T23:04:00.000-04:002007-06-14T23:17:41.895-04:00

Aiden W Tozer walked into my life shortly after Jesus did. A pastor, author, and prophet (not in the typical charasmatic sense, but in the boldness and clarity sense) ministering in the 50's and 60's, his books have set the course of my spiritual life. This blog title comes from chapter 7 of his book, The Pursuit of God (click here to read the whole text online) I will quote below my favorite

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-12293884846264220192007-06-07T22:18:00.000-04:002007-06-07T22:34:46.318-04:00

I have been thinking much about how much we need other people. And its not to make up for our lonliness. In fact, we need each other to expose our lonliness. The true lonliness is a lonliness of heart, not of company and it is caused not by a lack of friends but by sin. And to expose our sin is the only way to come to Jesus and to really know one another. Read the following excerpts from and

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-75688527416215873012007-06-05T00:20:00.000-04:002007-06-05T17:33:05.824-04:00

Pastor types can sometimes see a 4 hour counseling appointment a mile away. However, I have yet to have one of these: "I thought on-line dating saved my life". I think the time is coming soon, however. I know of several success stories, and that's the problem. You only hear about the good ones. Stats show that only 1-2% of folks currently on the books, end up with a significant

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6128092634690986989.post-8420401472258385692007-05-21T22:36:00.000-04:002007-06-01T13:23:32.009-04:00

One of the greatest joys of life is watching your kids verbally process the gospel. I mean its enough to make you really want to understand it yourself. The other morning, while reading HEAVEN FOR KIDS, by Randy Alcorn, with my 3 oldest daughters, Lauren, the oldest, blurts out with no solicitation, "I don't know if I'm going to heaven."Chris: Oh really? Why is that?Lauren: I do a lot of bad

Chris DeRocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17935397245585289640noreply@blogger.com4