Thirteen Cows

As I took my afternoon stroll
Pole to pole as I plodded with Poe
I looked up to the strangest sight
That caused me to smile with much delight

At the fence stood one and twelve
And into their confidence did I delve
Thirteen cows cheering me on
Even as each footfall fell like a ton

They didn't care that it's a windy day
Or that they paused too long from their hay
Hey! The seemed to say
With eyes expectant as if to play

Two were nodding, I kid you not
One grinned, One just blew snot
You can do it, we know you can
Keep on going! You're the man!

So if you're ever plodding along a country road
And you think you're about to give up or explode
Look for encouragement from the strangest of place
Keep one foot in front of the other, a smile on your face

February Reading

• Punk Monk - Andy Freeman & Peter Greig
• Praying the Bible - Donald S. Whitney
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling
• The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis - Alan Jacobs
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
• If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis - Alister McGrath

MBC 40 Hours of Prayer

January Reading

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
• The Time Machine - H. G. Wells
• Perelandra - C. S. Lewis
• Jesus No Equal - Barry St. Clair
• Devotions on the Greek New Testament - J. Scott Duvall & Verlyn D. Verbrugge
• Beowulf - J. R. R. Tolkien
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling
• Writing on the Wall - Brian Heasley
• Galileo - Mitch Stokes
• The NIV Application Commentary: James - David P. Nystrom
• The New American Commentary Vol. 36: James - Kurt A. Richardson
• The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: James - John MacArthur
• The Letter of James - Clayton K. Harrop
• Power from God - Charles Finney
• Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in James - David Platt

Here's Hope

Hope.
And joy.
That's what Jeremiah 31 is all about.  The people of Israel had for a long time walked away from God.  God, through the prophets, repeatedly warned them of coming judgment if they didn't repent.  They didn't, and God did.
But then in the middle of what must have seemed a completely hopeless situation, God sent them another message of hope and restoration, in fact event better than that--a new covenant!  That new covenant was established by the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Jeremiah 31:6 says, "For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'"
Perhaps you have been straying from the faith.  Maybe you have walked out on God.  Maybe you have abandoned His people, the church.
Maybe your life seems completely messed up, broken, and without any shred of hope or joy.
The good news is that can change.  "Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God."
Today is a new day. Start fresh.  Return to the Lord.  If you've walked away from the church (for whatever reason), make it a point to go back this Sunday.
You may be thinking, "No way!  Good will never have me back after what I've done."  I'm so happy to tell you that you are wrong about that.  God is ready and waiting with outstretched arms to welcome you back.
If that's you today, then go ahead and agree with God that your life is empty without Him in it.  Ask for forgiveness and take the necessary steps back into a growing, vibrant relationship with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Let Us Boast

James, the half-brother of Jesus, warns us about a kind of boasting that is evil (see James 4:13-16), but that doesn't mean that all boasting of any kind is evil.  There is at least one kind of boasting that is always good and right for us to do, and that is to boast about God (what He has done, what He is doing, what He will do).
"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31).
The Apostle Paul also said, "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).
The Prophet Jeremiah writes, "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the LORD'" (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
So what are some things Christians can boast about today?

• Boast in the fact that Jesus saves.
• Boast in the fact that God can be known.
• Boast in the fact that God is the God of love, justice, and righteousness.

Don't boast about yourself; boast about Jesus Christ!

3 Recommended Devotionals

It's that time again.  Each new year welcomes a great opportunity to start fresh with quiet times and devotions.  Here's three devotional books that you might want to check out this year.

1. Glorifying God: A Yearlong Collection of Classic Devotional Writings by Thomas Watson - Compiled by Patti M. Hummel (365)
2. A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God - Trisha White Priebe (60)
3. A Hobbit Devotional - Ed Strauss (60)

Top 20 Books Read for 2015

1. Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus - J. Mack Stiles
2. The Pastor As Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision - Kevin J. Vanhoozer & Owen Strachan
3. Mere Humanity: G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien on the Human Condition - Donald Williams
4. The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis Volume II: Books, Broadcasts, and the War 1931-1949 - Walter Hooper, Editor
5. Tolkien: How an Obscure Oxford Professor Wrote the Hobbit and Became the Most Beloved Author of the Century - Devin Brown
6. Why Church Matters - Joshua Harris
7. The Spiritual World of the Hobbit - James Stuart Bell
8. The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald
9. On the Incarnation - Athanasius
10. Preach: Theology Meets Practice - Mark Dever & Greg Gilbert
11. Bedeviled: Lewis, Tolkien and the Shadow of Evil - Colin Duriez
12. How to Be Rich - Andy Stanley
13. The Knowledge of the Holy - A. W. Tozer
14. Literature: A Student's Guide - Louis Markos
15. Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
16. Gorgias - Plato
17. Four Faultless Felons - G. K. Chesterton
18. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
19. Credo: Believing in Something to Die For - Ray Pritchard
20. Strange Fire - John MacArthur

This list of 20 books was compiled after reading 68 books this year.  As always, if you're only going to read one book, make sure it is the Bible.

December Reading

1. One to One Bible Reading - David Helm
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling
3. Mere Humanity: G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, & J. R. R. Tolkien on the Human Condition - Donald T. Williams
4. The Great Divorce - C. S. Lewis
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J. K. Rowling

November Reading

1. Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
2. Tolkien: How an Obscure Oxford Professor Wrote the Hobbit and Became the Most Beloved Author of the Century - Devin Brown
3. Psalms: Reading and Studying the Book of Praises - W. H. Bellinger, Jr.
4. Out of the Silent Planet - C. S. Lewis