Imagine, for a moment, the reaction of Hell to the death of Christ. Jesus was bound with the bands of death. What celebration and joy! God was defeated! Vengeance was the Devil’s. But they reckoned without the wisdom of God. For Christ could not be held down by the bands of death. In fact through death He was paralyzing the one who had the power of death, and He was setting His people free (Heb. 2:14-15). What seemed to be defeat was actually victory. The Resurrection morning was Hell’s gloomiest day. Satan saw the wisdom of God and tasted defeat.

Sinclair Ferguson

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Eggs, Dairy		Cookies, Chocolate	30	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2	c	All purp flour
1/2	ts	Baking powder
1/4	ts	Salt
1/2	c	Light brown sugar
1/2	c	Sugar
1/2	c	Salted butter, softened
1	lg	Egg
1/2	c	Sour cream
1	ts	Vanilla
1	c	Semisweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

MRS FIELDS COOKIE BOOK
Preheat oven 300F. In med bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt with
wire whisk. Set aside. Combine sugars in a lg bowl using an electric mixer
set at med speed. Add butter and beat until batter is grainy. Add egg, sour
cream, and vanilla, and beat at med speed until light and fluffy. Scrape
bowl. Add flour mixture and blend at low speed until just combined. Do not
overmix. Place chocolate chips in double boiler over hot but not boiling
water. Stir constantly until melted. Or microwave, stirring every 20 sec
until melted. Cool chocolate for a few minutes and pour over cookie batter.
Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, lightly fold melted chocolate into
the dough. Do not mix chocolate completely into cookie dough. Drop by
rounded T's, 2" apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 23-25 mins. Do
not brown. Quickly transfer cookie to a cool surface.

A Message from our Provider:

“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. #Charles Spurgeon”

1. While we will regret setting the bar below the standards of Scripture in recognizing men called to the eldership, we can also in our zeal set it artificially higher than the Scriptures, and fail to recognize that some of the best gifts grow in ministry. 2. Especially remember that “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:3), with its corollary of being able to “rebuke” (Tit. 1:9, i.e. to use the Scriptures for the ends for which they were given [2 Tim. 3:15-16]) does not specify an arena. Some are “able to teach” who are not suited to regular public preaching. 3. Look for men whose lives exhibit the spirit of, as well as an intellectual grasp of, sound doctrine. Orthodoxy with approachability is a great desideratum in an elder (approachability being the very least that “hospitable” means; Tit. 1:8). 4. Pose the most neglected question—”Do outsiders think well of him?” (1 Tim. 3:7)—and ponder why that question is important. 5. Choose those who are already “among” the flock, and the flock “among” them (1 Pet. 5: 2). Moral, domestic, occupational, didactic qualifications being met, ask, “Does this man love the flock and is he beloved by them?” Commitment to corporate prayer is often a litmus test. 6. Avoid appointing those who would commit to loving the flock if they were asked to be elders. Better by far to have men who love the sheep than men who love being shepherds (the former will become the latter, but not vice-versa). 7. Seek men who are simultaneously gentle but prepared to be courageous, and prepared to suffer if need be—to get in front to protect as well as behind to follow! An elder must be capable of both biblical rebuke and gentle restoration (Gal. 6:2). Quieter men, with quiet hearts, are worth their weight in gold and may astonish us by their wisdom. 8. Ask the question, “Would our church be willing, if need be, to pay this man a stipend to labor among us as an elder?” The answer may tell a great deal about his ministry in the flock and his esteem in their eyes. 9. Consider how well a man’s life echoes the principles of the Lord’s shepherding in Psalm 23.

Sinclair Ferguson