Unbreakable Joy: Third time is a charm...

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Third time is a charm...

I am reading through my favorite book (aside from the Bible) Desiring God for the third time. There are not many books that I've read three times, there's a few, but only the really good ones get a third go-around. I'm still finding myself amazed at how wonderful this book is and how foundational it is to the Christian life.

I've testified before that this book has been instrumental in turning my life upside down (in a very good way). I'm excited beyond words that a few guys at the jail have read all the books I've given them, the last of which is Desiring God (which they only get if they've read through everything else first). One guy who has been through the 4 week class twice and has asked to go through for a third time - and he is currently on his second time reading through this marvelous work. That excites me!

Here are a few tastes from my reading today:

Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) You cannot please god if you do not come to Him for reward! Therefore, worship that pleases God is the hedonistic pursuit of God. He is our exceeding great reward! In His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. Worship is the feast of Christian Hedonism.
- John Piper, Desiring God pg. 102

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience: "One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple" (Psalm 27:4). "In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).
- John Piper, Desiring God pg. 87

4 comments:

mwh said...: (1) What other books have you read three times?

(2) What other books do you give the guys at the jail first?

I think the only book I've read three times (besides the Bible) is "The Great Gatsby". Not very spiritual. :-); May 12, 2008 at 5:37 PM
Unbreakable Joy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; May 12, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Unbreakable Joy said...: (1)
The Pursuit of Man, by A.W. Tozer (This is the sequal or prequal to Tozer's The Pursuit of God, I think this was first entitled The Devine Conquest - I think... it may now have a newer name as well) I've read this book at least 5 times.

I've read Piper's Dangerous Duty of Delight mulitiple times (this is short and not difficult to read more than once).

I think I've read the Final Quest and the sequal The Call by Rick Joyner 3 times (positive at least twice - and I'll likely go back for more).

(Do audio books count?) If so I've listened to The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God (and read the book) more times than I know - every time is a tremendous blessing.

Some heads are thicker than others (like mine) and thereby much review is needed...

(2)
The inmates first recieved DG's For Your Joy booklet and The Dangerous Duty of Delight, if they read those they'll recieve Don't Waste Your Life w/ the study guide, if they read that they'll get Desiring God.

The Great Gatsby... I've never read it, it must be pretty good if you've been through it 3 times.; May 12, 2008 at 6:44 PM
mwh said...: I wouldn't call that thick headed; I'd call that intelligent. Most people have read that many books...let alone that many books three times!; May 13, 2008 at 7:21 AM

Noteworthy Quotes

Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly so worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.
- George Mueller

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
- C.S. Lewis

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, a spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
- A. W. Tozer

Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.
- Augustine

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
- Blaise Pascal

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C. S. Lewis

He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.
- Augustine

The men of this world are children. Offer a child an apple or a bank note, and he will doubtless choose the apple.
- John Newton

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience.
- John Piper

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Him, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
- C.S. Lewis

It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the Godly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.
- A.W. Tozer

If God contains the fullness of all good things in Himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness.
- John Calvin

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- John Piper

God glorifies Himself toward the creature in two ways; by appearing to their understanding, and in communicating Himself to thief hearts and their rejoicing in and delighting in Him, and enjoying manifestations He makes of Himself. God is Glorified not only by His glories being seen, but by it’s being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that he might communicate and the creature receive His glory, and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies His idea of God’s glory doesn’t glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
- Jonathan Edwards