Dear Friends of Desiring God,

Desiring God exists to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ, especially by focusing on the truth, and its implications, that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

We want to spread that truth and all of its amazingly God-exalting, practical implications everywhere in the world. So when the world passes beyond the seven billion population mark, we look at the 15 million or so people that checked us out last year on the web and say, hmmm, that's about 0.21%. And we say: There is some work to be done here. And we aim to do it with all our might and as globally …

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With the world's population just crossing the seven billion mark, Pastor John talks about the amazing power of the web to reach people everywhere with the truth of the gospel and Christian hedonism:

Watch the entire End-of-Year Video Update.

John Piper was recently interviewed for the Catalyst podcast on race and the gospel, what it means to enjoy God, and lessons on leadership. The discussion with Pastor John starts at the 15:40 mark.

A couple highlights…

1. The 26:55 mark, Pastor John shares two ways the truth of God's glory in our joy has changed him personally.
2. The 34:52 mark, Pastor John talks about the most consistent advice he passes on to younger leaders.

If you'd like to send out a tweet from the interview…

• John Piper: "Christian should address both race and the sanctity of life, not be typed by either." http://dsr.gd/v91wQW
• John Piper: "Not only is joy in God permissible, it's necessary." http://dsr.gd/v91wQW
• Jo…

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There are mornings when I wake up feeling fragile. Vulnerable. It’s often vague. No single threat. No one weakness. Just an amorphous sense that something is going to go wrong and I will be responsible. It’s usually after a lot of criticism. Lots of expectations that have deadlines and that seem too big and too many.

As I look back over about 50 years of such periodic mornings, I am amazed how the Lord Jesus has preserved my life. And my ministry. The temptation to run away from the stress has never won out — not yet anyway. This is amazing. I worship him for it.

How has he done this? By desperate prayer and particular promises. I agree with Spurgeon: I love the “I wills” and the “I shal…

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A Song of Ascents
There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. (Psalm 132:17)

Psalm 132 is the longest and clearest of the Songs of Ascents. As we've seen in the earlier psalms, we are coming up out of exile in hopes of a restored Jerusalem. Psalm 132 tells us why this Jerusalem is so special: it is the place of God's dwelling and the throne of his anointed.

Two concepts come together in this city: the Lord's presence (the ark) and the Lord's reign (Davidic kingship). This is what makes it the zip code of our dreams. These two things. The place where God dwells. Where his presence is known. Where his nearness is felt. And the domain of his power. …

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Kenōsis is the Greek word in Philippians 2:7 translated "made nothing" (ESV). It's what Jesus did to himself — "he made himself nothing . . ."

Donald Macleod writes,

In becoming incarnate God not only accomodates himself to human weakness: he buries his glory under veil after veil so that it is impossible for flesh and blood to recognize him. As he hangs on the cross, bleeding, battered, powerless and forsaken, the last thing he looks like is God. Indeed, he scarcely looks human. He looks like nothing but a hell–bound, hell–deserving derelict. Everything about him says, “An atheist and a blasphemer!” . . .

We should notice, too, that the kenōsis involved the willingness to go ever lowe…

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Behold, the star that they had seen when it rose
went before them until it came to rest
over the place where the child was. (Matthew 2:9)

The star moved. Really?

This is already the second time in this short section that Matthew’s making sure he has our attention. “Behold” is his effort to make sure we’re tracking with him.

First it was verse 1: “Behold, magi from the east came to Jerusalem . . . .” We’re supposed to be surprised that pagan astrologers came to see baby Jesus. (For more on the magi, see “We Three Kings of Orient Aren’t”)

But Matthew would have us be just as shocked with verse 9: “Behold, the star . . . came to rest over the place where the child was.” Behold, the star m…

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Charles Spurgeon on December 24, 1854:

Feast, Christians, feast; you have a right to feast. Go to the house of feasting to-morrow, celebrate your Saviour’s birth; do not be ashamed to be glad; you have a right to be happy. Solomon says, “Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.”

“Religion never was designed
To make your pleasures less.”

Recollect that your Master ate butter and honey. Go your way, rejoice tomorrow, but in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem; let him have a place in your hearts, give him the glory, think of the virgin who conc…

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A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord . . . (Psalm 127:3)

So Israel is in exile, but there is hope. Our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us (Psalm 123:2). These are the "Songs of Ascents" after all. Israel is coming up out of her captivity. We are headed to a restored Jerusalem.

From exile to a restored Jerusalem. We've seen this idea by the time we come to Psalm 127 and now it get's a little clearer. Exactly how is this movement going to happen? How will we go from here to there?

Let's talk about children.

This moving from here to there is only going to happen if the Lord himself does it. All our waiting is vain unless h…

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Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He's a Savior who knows what it's like to be human, to live in a fallen world, to experience temptation. And better news than our exemplar, Jesus was our substitution.

Donald Macleod writes,

There can be no doubt that the Father loved him; here, at Golgotha, above all, because this was the magnificent climax of his obedience. . . .

Even at the lowest point, where he cannot say, "Abba!" he says "Eloi!" ("My God!"). As Calvin put it: "still in his heart faith remained firm, by which he beheld the presence of God, of whose absence he complains." It could not have been otherwise. To lose faith and lapse into despair would itself have been sin…

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