Xaris - What We Breathe

No more writing on blogger??

2011-09-14T21:53:00.003-04:00

I tried it in the past, but I came back to this blog again. I am here to say now that I'm pretty confident that I won't be back with blogger again.

I'm keeping this blog up so that I don't delete my previous posts, but I probably won't be writing new blog posts on this site.

My new blog can be found at venturabc.wordpress.com. Hope to see you there!

A Bruised Reed

2011-07-26T22:39:00.003-04:00

Recently some friends of mine had a baby boy named Reed. I have not met him yet, but I look forward to doing so someday. Reed had many health complications in the womb and it got to a point to where an emergency C-section was performed in order to try to save this little boy's life. Once out of the womb, Reed was poked and tested and tubed. In all of this, many people prayed for him - that God would be glorified in healing him. There were definite times where God intervened and brought about unexpected results; however, God brought Reed to Himself yesterday. We may have been praying for physical healing of Reed, but the Lord didn't answer that way. The Bible is clear that one of the reasons this would happen is because God loves Reed more than we can imagine, and He chose what is best.

When I first heard of Reed's name, I was reminded of a favorite verse of mine: "a bruised reed he will not break. . ." (Is. 42:3). Probably in all the poking and tests for Reed, he was bruised. He experienced some pain in the body. In a much more literal sense, he was a bruised Reed. In God's great love, God fulfilled His promise in Reed's life. He did not break him. Meaning, even though Reed died, God did not allow him to experience condemnation. Instead, He rescued him. He brought Reed to an everlasting rest.

God, the Father, knows the pain of searing loss. Jesus, the Son, knows what it is like to experience pain and death. And, because of Jesus' sacrifice, Reed is worshiping in Heaven today. Can you imagine what that must be like to never really know what life on a sin-cursed earth is like? Can you imagine the joy that Reed is experiencing while our Heavenly Father is teaching him more about Himself? Can you imagine what Reed is thinking? Now, Reed is one of the great cloud of witnesses cheering all of us on. And, while he did not live on this earth for very long, he's saying, "It's worth it! Follow Jesus! Seek Him. He didn't break me - this bruised Reed. He rescued me, and He can rescue you."

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

2011-05-09T13:21:00.002-04:00

Was just listening to the "Rain City Hymnal", and heard "I Sing the Mighty Power of God" again. Take some time to ponder the lyrics as written by Isaac Watts (publi 1715).

Beautiful!

I sing the mighty pow'r of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where'er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There's not a plant or flow'r below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God, art present there.

Deep Down Inside. . . .

2011-05-02T16:36:00.003-04:00

When I was at The Gospel Coalition Conference, Tim Keller preached on the exodus. It's a phenomenal message, but here's a serious-yet-funny tidbit from the message:

"Now, there's another kind of bad parenting that I call self-esteemism. That's where you tell your child over and over again that you say, 'You can be anything you want. You can do anything you want.' You say, "Uh huh, I'm 23 years old. I'm 5'3". I'm 125 pounds. But, if you want to be an NFL linebacker, you just have to go for it with all you've got because you have to climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow.' And, when you do that to kids, they do grow up with this incredible sense of entitlement. And, it almost seems impossible to make them feel ashamed or guilty for anything. Yet, I don't believe you can put out what all human beings know - that we should be perfect (that we should love God, that we should love our neighbor)." (paraphrase)

Is God Holding You Back

2011-04-28T21:16:00.004-04:00

Last week I was reading in Numbers, and a certain passage stood out to me. This passage is found in the story of Balak and Balaam. King Balak had asked the false prophet Balaam to curse Israel. Through the process, God grabs Balaam’s heart and Balaam refuses to submit to Balak’s request. As a result, we read the following:

And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honor.” (Numbers 24:10-11 ESV)

As I’ve thought about this passage over the past few days, I’m reminded that non-Christians may often say to Christians, “The LORD has held you back from honor.” When Christians have opportunities to sinfully make a quick buck or to indulge in an age-old dream that would draw them away from God, people (even our own flesh) might say, “The LORD has held you back from honor.” These are words that, at the heart, are as old as the first temptation itself. Think back to the serpent’s conversation with Eve in Genesis 3. He tries to get Eve to believe that God is withholding some greater blessing. Eve takes the bait. She sins. She realizes the dire circumstances into which she ran. Balak is assuming and sharing that same lie, but Balaam rejects it when he says, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak’? (Numbers 24:12b-13 ESV).

Balaam realizes something profound. God’s word and way is worth more than a house filled with silver and gold. To put it another way, “

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36 ESV)

and

. . . whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:35b ESV)

Anyone who surrenders to Christ will find true gain, and the gospel enables us to see this clearly. Ultimately, while Balaam’s example is nice, it’s not his example that will fuel us the rest of our days. (Keep in mind that Balaam's own experience did not maintain himself.) Christ’s sacrificial life, death and intercession will fuel us. Do you remember what the people said to Jesus while he was on the cross?

He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
(Matthew 27:43 ESV)

The accusation towards Jesus is very similar to that of Balak’s statement. In essence they said, “God probably does not care for you.” As Christians, we know otherwise. The Scriptures say, “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus despised the shame of the cross yet he looked forward to the greater joy that was ahead of him – sitting at the right hand of the throne of God!

If you find yourself right now feeling weak, look to Christ. The next time your flesh or somebody else says that God is holding you back, remember that he died to set you free. Trust him and look forward to the hope that is set before you. Then, you can say with the other saints through the ages that God is your treasure and you wouldn’t trade him for all the riches of this world!

We Are All Evil & Adulterous

2011-02-08T14:41:00.004-05:00

Today I was reading in Matthew 12. I came across this incident, and wanted to share my thoughts with you on it.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (vv. 38-39, ESV)

While reading this, I can immediately hear Jesus' rebuke. But, recently I came across this passage and heard mercy in it as well.

I heard the gospel.

The Pharisees and scribes ask Jesus to give them a sign to prove that He really is the Messiah. Many times we are the same way. We ask God for signs. We want proof that He really is the real God. Other people throughout the ages have doubted God and asked for signs. Although indirect, the Israelites in the time of Moses were given many signs because of their complaining. John the Baptist indirectly asked for proof of Jesus being the Messiah. And, here we have the scribes and Pharisees. In all of these responses that I've mentioned, God is gracious and grants a sign. Even with regards to the scribes and Pharisees.

Before Jesus offers any hope, He rebukes these men. He calls them evil and adulterous. After all, what more are they looking for? They've studied the Word. They should simply believe what the Word says - even if experience isn't completely matching their pre-conceived notions. In all honesty, how many times are we the same way? We ask God to give us signs even when we know that God is still by our side and He is leading us as a good Father. Jesus says that there's an arrogance sometimes (not all the time) when we ask for a sign. Yet, Jesus doesn't walk away from these evil and adulterous men. After all, He came to save the evil and adulterous people. Jesus gives them what they ask for. He gives them the greatest sign that has ever been given and ever will be given - the sign of Jonah.

What is that sign? It's Jesus' death and resurrection. Verse 40 says, "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (ESV) What greater sign could there be? The people of Nineveh repented after Jonah's release of the great fish, and there will be myriads of people who will be led to repentance because of Jesus' power of sin and death once he is resurrected.

This story is profound. Jesus rebukes the men as evil for asking for a sign and then He promises to be a sign to them. These men don't get the sign they're asking for, and many of these men reject Jesus. But, that doesn't change the fact that this sign brings the most profound blessing. Jesus was sharing the gospel with these men. He reveals the bad news - they're evil. Then he displays the beautiful good news - He is the Savior!

Remember, just like the scribes and pharisees, we are evil and adulterous - seeking our own ways. But also remember this: many previously evil and adulterous scribes and Pharisees are now in Heaven today. Not only that, thousands upon thousands of other evil and adulterous people (like ourselves) can know real forgiveness and life because of this gracious sign of Jonah that Jesus offered up on behalf of sinners.

Common Grace Everywhere

2011-02-01T14:24:00.003-05:00

God is such a wonderfully gracious God. I was reading in Acts and came across this passage. These verses remind me of God's great goodness and kindness towards people - intending that goodness to lead them to repentance (Rom. 2:4).

In past generations [God] allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:16-17)

To me, these words are hugely encouraging. What are your thoughts?

New Favorite Prayer

2011-01-31T16:14:00.003-05:00

Today I received an e-mail from my dad with this prayer as an attachment. This is my new favorite prayer. It's taken from the book, "The Valley of Vision." If you don't have it, you should get it. The prayers are rich and extremely encouraging.

The title of this prayer is "Spiritual Helps."

Eternal Father,
It is amazing love,
that thou hast sent thy Son
to suffer in my stead,
that thou hast added the Spirit
to teach, comfort, guide,
that thou hast allowed the ministry of angels
to wall me round;
All heaven subserves the welfare of a poor worm.
Permit thy unseen servants to be ever active
on my behalf,
and to rejoice when grace expands in me.
Suffer them never to rest until my conflict is over,
and I stand victorious on salvation's shore.
Grant that my proneness to evil, deadness to good,
resistance to thy Spirit's motions,
may never provoke thee to abandon me.
May my hard heart awake thy pity, not thy wrath,
And if the enemy gets an advantage
through my corruption,
let it be seen that heaven is mightier than hell,
that those for me are greater than those
against me.
Arise to my help in richness of covenant blessings,
Keep me feeding in the pastures of thy strengthening Word,
searching Scripture to find thee there.
If my waywardness is visited with a scourge,
enable me to receive correction meekly,
to bless the reproving hand,m
to discern the motive of rebuke,
to respond promptly, and do the first work.
Let all thy fatherly dealings make me a partaker
of thy holiness.
Grant that in every fall I may sink lower
on my knees,
and that when I rise it may be to loftier heights
of devotion.
May my every cross be sanctified,
every loss be gain,
every denial a spiritual advantage,
every dark day a light of the Holy Spirit,
every night of trial a song.

Humanity's Fall

2011-01-27T15:02:00.003-05:00

I just got a new book, "The Christian Faith" by Michael Horton (published by Zondervan). I was reading something very interesting, a quote from C.S. Lewis (God in the Dock, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970, 216-17), and thought you might find it interesting as well (pp.432-434).

"You are always dragging me down," said I to my Body. "Dragging you down!" replied my Body. . . . "Who put an end to all those angry and revengeful thoughts last night? Me, of course, by insisting on going to sleep. Who does his best to keep you from talking too much and eating too much by giving you dry throats and headaches and indigestion? Eh?" "And what about sex?" said I. "Yes, what about it?' retorted the Body. "If you and your wretched imagination would leave me alone I'd give you no trouble. That's Soul all over; you give me orders and then blame me for carrying them out."

Horton continues off of this quote and says,

The biblical view [of human sinfulness] is constantly challenging our attempts to exonerate ourselves by fixing the blame on something outside of ourselves. If we cannot deflect sin to society, we will press charges against our family; if this is inadequate, we will indict our own body as if it were exterior to our real self. The soul flees the approaching footsteps of divine judgment by withdrawing within, protesting its divinity and purity.

. . . The inner self is not the innocent spark of divinity or island of purity, but is the fountain from which every act of violence, deceit, immorality, and idolatry flows out through the body and into the world.

. . . Captive to sin, "in Adam," we are nevertheless willing accomplices to our own imprisonment (Ro 5:12). Only when God seizes us and liberates our captivity are we truly free to be the human beings that we are (Jn 8:36).

God, seize and liberate us!

When God Denies Deliverance, Part 2

2011-01-03T12:39:00.002-05:00

If you haven't read the first interpretation of this passage, click here. This is the second of a two-part series on God's radical deliverance and also his withholding of deliverance.

In this story, the words of God, "'Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress'" (v. 14) must have rung with horror in the ears of the hearers. The Israelites just cried out for mercy and they received judgment. To a someone like myself who still faces sin daily, it is this sober phrase that tells me that God can do whatever He pleases and is in no way obligated to do what I tell Him to do.

But, what's the end of this story? We read one interpretation, but here's another one - one with which I'm more apt to agree (although the other interpretation is entirely feasible).

The Israelites response to God's words are the following, "'We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day'" (v. 15). The following verse goes on to say, "So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

While it is entirely possible that their repentance was fake, and the writer of the book of Judges was merely explaining external religious conformity, I tend to think that's not the case. These words are too specific in detailing how the people of Israel responded. It seems like there really was repentance. They served the Lord and got rid of the foreign gods. And, the passage says that God became impatient over the Israelites misery. What I take that to mean is that God had pity on the people of Israel in their state of misery. He desired to deliver them.

The applications from this passage that I see are the following:

God can do whatever He pleases. In judgment, He is glorified. In extending forgiveness, He is glorified. Yet, in this passage, "mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).
People who cry out to God for forgiveness don't demand forgiveness. The people of Israel knew that the sobering statement from God was completely justified. Yet, they entrusted themselves to Him and sought after His mercy - even though that mercy was not verbally offered.
Repentance leads to change. The Israelites put away their gods and served the Lord. No change, no repentance.
Repentance doesn't mean perfection. This might seem to contradict #3, but I believe it is more of a healthy balance. Even though the Israelites put away their gods, that didn't mean they did everything right. After this, in chapter 11, they chose what seems to be the wrong judge. This doesn't mean they didn't repent in the story in chapter 10. I believe this simply means that they are experiencing the Romans 7 reality.

In all of this, we see a God who fulfills His promise of Romans 10:13 - "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" God, through Christ, freely grants forgiveness to those who know they do not deserve it and radically changes them by His grace. Although that change may come slowly, God's people will continue to grow and seek Him so that sin is more abhorred and God (and His righteousness) will be more adored.

When God Denies Deliverance

2010-12-29T14:30:00.002-05:00

This morning I was reading in Judges and I came across the familiar situation of the Israelites. They had disobeyed God. God punished the Israelites. The Israelites cry to the Lord for mercy.

But, this time the situation is different. In Judges 10:13, God says, "Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go cry out to the gods you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress."

This seems like a harsh response. Doesn't the Bible say that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved? What happened in this situation?

There are at least two interpretations of this passage. Both of which speak a broader biblical truth. Yet both of the passages lead us to different conclusions about this specific scenario.

I'll give you one interpretation today:

God denies deliverance to Israel because they're really not repentance. They may be sorry about what they've done from a physical perspective, but they're not sorry for what they're done by denying God.

Therefore, God tells them to run to their gods. Obviously there's some harsh sarcasm here. God knows that these gods will never deliver them. These gods got them into this mess, and they will continue to mess them up all the way to hell.

Yet, the people of Israel respond to God by saying, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day" (v. 15b).

This looks like real repentance. The problem is that immediately after this, they pick a judge who doesn't seemed to be blessed by God. He even commits an abomination by sacrificing his daughter to God.

So, was there real repentance in Israel? This interpretation says no.

But, my question goes back to God saying that He will not save them anymore (v. 13).

Do you realize that apart from God's grace, this statement is true for everyone? Those who don't have Christ have no guarantee of temporal and/or eternal salvation. Yet God, in His abundant grace, looks beyond this decree and decides to save Israel again and again after this incident. Even when there seems to be no hope - maybe even precisely at that moment where we feel as though all hope is gone - God brings rescue.

God didn't stop bringing judges. And, finally, God allowed for kings. Ultimately God brought Jesus - the Great Rescuer. Mercy triumphs over judgment. And, while God is glorified in judging people according to their sins. God is also glorified, thankfully so, for forgiving sins!

Be thankful that God didn't stop at judging you by your works. Be thankful God judged you according to Christ's work!

Conflict (from "Valley of Vision")

2010-12-14T09:54:00.002-05:00

O LORD GOD,

Thou art my protecting arm,
fortress, refuge, shield, buckler.
Fight for me and my foes must flee;
Uphold me and I cannot fall.
Strengthen me and I stand unmoved, unmoveable;
Equip me and I shall receive no wound;
Stand by me and Satan will depart;
Anoint my lips with a song of salvation and I shall shout thy victory;
Give me abhorrence of all evil,
as a vile monster that defies thy law, casts off thy yoke, defies my nature, spreads misery.
Teach me to look to Jesus on the cross
and to know sin's loathsomeness in thy sight.
There is no pardon but through thy Son's death,
no cleansing but in his precious blood,
no atonement but his to expiate evil.
Show me the shame, the agony, the bruises of incarnate God,
that I may read boundless guilt in the boundless price;
May I discern the deadly viper in its real malignity,
tear it with holy indignation from my breast,
resolutely turn from its every snare,
refuse to hold polluting dalliance with it.
Blessed Lord Jesus, at thy cross
may I be taught the awful miseries from which I am saved,
ponder what the word 'lost' implies,
see the fires of eternal destruction;
Then may I cling more closely to thy broken self,
adhere to thee with firmer faith,
be devoted to thee with total being,
detest sin as strongly as thy love to me is strong,
And may holiness be the atmosphere in which I live.

Isaiah's Dream

2010-12-07T22:42:00.002-05:00

Can God use dreams to teach truths? I think He can, and I'm wondering if He did with Isaiah recently.

Isaiah, one of my sons, explained a dream he had. Here it goes:

There was a heart. In the heart was a person's spirit. It was black. Then God's Spirit entered it. That was orange. Isaiah said that each spirit looked like a squished diamond. While God's Spirit was in the heart, it shot the black with fire, and the black was thrown out of the heart. Then the heart slowly became white.

I'm not sure on the meaning of everything, but this is pretty descriptive and cool! Very interesting, very precise, and there are definitely lessons that can be learned from this.

What the Pharisees Got Right

2010-12-07T09:33:00.003-05:00

Here's a post by John Piper that I thought was quite good and challenging:

To lay a trap for an animal there has to be some truth to attract him. It must at least look like a meal even if the iron clamps lie just beneath. Mark says the Pharisees came “to trap" Jesus. So they put some truth over the trap. They said,

“Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God.” (Mark 12:14)

This is amazing insight coming from those who do not live it. Appearances were everything to the Pharisees. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others” (Matthew 23:5). It is frightening how much theological and moral wisdom can be spoken and not lived.

Twice they say that truth-telling depends on freedom from the fear of man.

“We know you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion.” Truth is compromised where we fear man’s disapproval. Is our finger in the text or in the wind?
“You are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God.” Literally: “You do not look at a man’s face, but teach the way of God in truth.” In other words, we will not be reliable truth tellers if we keep one eye on the facial expressions of people we need to please.

So let the hypocrites be our teacher today. Do as they say, not as they do. Fear no man. Tell the truth. Be like Jesus.

Wil E. Coyote Theology

2010-12-04T21:19:00.002-05:00

Over the past few months I've introduced the Roadrunner and Wil E. Coyote to my children. Of course there's much laughter as they watch it, and I have to be honest, I love watching it, too.

As I looked at this picture I thought of how I can relate to Wil E. Coyote (and I'm wondering if you can, too).

While watching this cartoon, you may get the thought, "Why do you keep doing this?! Just go find something else to eat. Shouldn't you be starving by now? Have you had anything in the last 1,000 episodes?" And, at times in an episode, this sad and pathetic creature waves a sign that says "HELP!" or something like that. But, my question is, "Does he really want help or does he just not want to fall 500 feet down the canyon?" I ask that question because he goes right back to that same bird to get him! He's never going to get him.

You see, this is where I see myself. Personally I lean more towards the pessimistic. The glass is always half empty (and sometimes it's 3/4 to 9/10). There are many times I'll cry out to God and say, "HELP!" But, am I really asking for help or do I just want out of this struggle I'm in? Maybe I simply want the pain or the difficulty to pass. And, while I may say "HELP", I know I'm just going to go about my life my way again (looking for my own results) - without living by faith - getting me back into the same predicament, hanging precariously from some spiritual tree or finding myself running on thin air in a cloud. And, as soon as that cloud dissipates, I'm going to realize that I have nothing keeping me from falling. That's when the "HELP!" sign goes up.

So, how do I (we) stop this cycle?

I came across Hebrews 12 recently, and it struck me in a different way. After the author writes about many heroes of faith, he exhorts the believers to lay aside sin and every weight that encumbers them. Then he goes on to give two reasons why:

Consider Jesus. He purchased your spiritual growth. He also went through death. I haven't died while fighting my sin and weaknesses. (vv. 2-4)
God is disciplining me. (vv. 5-11)

I want to take a moment and focus on the second point. I always understood, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves" as some type of spiritual spanking. However, in the context of this passage, I see it differently. God is saying that he is shaping and molding and challenging me THROUGH the weaknesses and sins in my life. While some may disagree with this statement, it is the Lord that is ordaining the weaknesses and sins in my life. (By that I do not mean that he is approving of sin or desires that we sin). What I mean is that in my (our) life we will have trouble. Jesus promised that. But God is using that trouble to train us - like a coach with an athlete. And, as any good athlete should do, if he falls off the treadmill or passes out, he should always trust the coach and look towards the goal to ensure that he wins the race.

Ultimately, as a human and as a Christian, there are many difficulties. Yet, God is the ultimately gracious Father who is using everything to mold and shape us. And, he tells us, lay aside the sin and weaknesses AND be encouraged because God is using even these things to grow us to become more like him. So, instead of waving around some fake "HELP!" sign and doing the same thing over and over again, really cry out to God. Stop trusting in your own efforts, and run after Christ - not any other thing - to satisfy you fully.

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11 ESV)

Genesis 1:1 & The Triune God

2010-12-02T10:35:00.002-05:00

I just picked up Driscoll's "Doctrine" book to read, and in the first chapter I came across something that was very interesting and new to me. Because I don't make a mistake in the communication process, the section is quoted before (with a minor commentary of my own). But, before I do, I did want to encourage you (especially men) to pick up this book. As men we have a high calling of being responsible to train and exhort our families and people in our churches. We need to point them to God and we need to be in the Word - knowing God more and more so we can be saturated with Him. Regarding this book, James MacDonald (Senior Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in the Chicago area) said, "A challenging yet easy-to-understand guide to the major doctrines of Scripture. I commend it to you as a companion to your study of God's Word."

So, without further adieu, here's the quote:

The opening lines of Scripture reveal God in a most surprising way:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was
without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

We see both God the Father and the Spirit of God involved in creation.

It gets even more interesting when we look at how ancient Jewish rabbis understood this passage as they did their interpretative translation of the Hebrew Bible in Aramaic, the common language of the people. they did a word study of "beginning" (re'shit in Hebrew) and found that it is used in synonymous parallelism with the Hebrew word for "firstborn" (bekor in Hebrew) four times in teh Old Testament. This would mean that the two words, "Beginning" and "firstborn," can have the same meaning. Thus, their translation of the opening words of the Bible includes both words:

In the beginning, by the firstborn, God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the
deep. And the Spirit of god was hovering over the face of the waters.

In this important translation, predating the birth of Jesus Christ by approximately two hundred years, we find three divine persons-the Firstborn, God the Father, and the Spirit-at work in creation.

This is me speaking now. You could stop at this point and say, "Well, this is Jewish Scripture that may or may not be inspired. It's just their translation." That may be the case, but get this next point.

Paul reflects this pre-Christian Trinitarian understanding when he describes the Son as "the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him."

Thoughts? Reflections? I'd love to hear them!

Hello, My Name Is Mr. Right. . . .

2010-11-30T14:14:00.002-05:00

Here's a great article on what a true and godly marriage looks like: The Misery Caused by Foolish Husbands.

“For no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cares for it, just as Christ also the church” (Eph. 5:29)

No one ever hated his own flesh, but those who treat their wives hatefully do so without realizing it. The fool exalts himself over his wife, mocks her, demands service, and speaks in derogatory ways of her. Without realizing it, such fools are hating themselves. They demean their wives and suffer the consequences: highlighting the flaws of their wives only causes their wives to become less attractive as they grow more bitter, more discouraged, more frightened, and more suspicious. A one-flesh union with a bitter, discouraged, frightened, suspicious woman is hardly pleasant. Fools hate themselves. And wives of fools will have a difficult time respecting and submitting to husbands who treat them hatefully. When fools present their wives to themselves, they get what they have created for themselves: misery. Only by the abundance of God’s common grace do fools get any blessing from the the wives they have abused. They have hated themselves. They suffer for it.

Compare that to our True Husband:

Here is a paradox: by sacrificing himself Christ wins for himself a glorious church. Jesus gains what is desirable from an undesirable death. The very things that selfish people desire for themselves–good things that are desired inordinately and sinfully–are the things that Jesus gains by being unselfish. The very things that keep men from behaving in an unselfish way, from being concerned for the welfare of their wives first, are gained by Christ because he was unselfish. A selfish husband desires to be served and satisfied by a glorious wife. By unselfishly giving himself for his wife, Christ creates for himself just such a wife.

James M. Hamilton, Jr., “The Mystery of Marriage,” in For the Fame of God’s Name.

Jesus in Isaiah 6

2010-11-18T16:36:00.002-05:00

When was the last time you read Isaiah 6? For me, this passage is familiar. It's one of those passages that I hope will hit me more and more. I desire that I would be filled with the greatness and awe of God's majesty, and this passage shows me just how majestic God is.

Recently I was listening to to our Vintage Jesus series that the teens in our youth ministry are going through, and Mark Driscoll brought up a point that I had never seen before: The description of God in Isaiah 6 is the description of Jesus. As a conservative evangelical Christian, I know that God is Triune, but it just hit me more to realize how closely related the Persons of the Trinity are when I heard Driscoll share this verse:

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. - John 12:41

John is referencing Jesus in this verse. John is saying that Isaiah saw Jesus' glory and hence spoke of Him. At what point in time did Isaiah see Jesus' glory? It's rehearsed in Isaiah 6.

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Jesus is not only the humble servant, but He is King of kings. He is the Holy Lord. He is the Mighty God whom seraphim continually worship. He is all-powerful. And, for anyone who trusts Him, He is their Savior!

Jesus Satisfying People's Hunger

2010-11-17T11:30:00.002-05:00

Have you ever really wanted something to eat so bad, you could almost taste it? You go to a restaurant and you order that steak or burger or salad. You crave it while talking with your friends. The food arrives. You eat it. You're satisfied. Lunch was a success!

Have you ever had a similar situation regarding trials? You just want them to be over. The hunger pains for God don't go away. And, yet God doesn't seem to be coming to you. You may be learning some from His Word, but for some reason, God is making you wait.

This morning I read in Mark 8, and received some thoughts that I think were encouragements from the Holy Spirit.

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away." (Mark 8:1-3)

A couple of truths jumped out to me. The first of which is this: Jesus cares about people. Now, I know this shouldn't come as a shocker. But, many times I get a thought that Jesus just wants me to buck up, try harder, work God's approval. Obviously I often feel weak when these thoughts control me. So, in the margin of my Bible, I wrote, "Jesus cares when you're exasperated." The reason I wrote it that way is because Jesus was concerned not only that the people hadn't eaten food, but he was concerned at the consequences of that. In other words, if those people didn't eat on that day, they would faint. Their physical bodies would "give up."

This is the second truth I saw was this: Jesus could have fed the people on the first or second day. He could have fed them all of the days. But, He didn't. Instead, Jesus waited until they were in greater need for it.

The third truth? Jesus gave more than enough food to satisfy each person. "And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full."

Indulge me for a moment to spiritualize this. I know this isn't coming from this passage, but I think these are scriptural truths I'm sharing here.

If you find yourself in a dry season, just know that God knows what you can bear. You may be in the first day and your hunger for God is known through growling. You may be in the third day and you are getting worried about the spiritual journey ahead. You may not be growling for food, but you feel weak and you know if you take too many more steps, you'll faint. Just know this: Jesus cares. He cares what you're exasperated. He cares about you and doesn't want you to faint on your walk with Him. He knows how many "days" you can handle. And, also know this: while you might feel hungry now, there's going to be a time when he feeds you to the full and you will be satisfied with more than enough food (and then some).

Keep looking to the Savior who truly cares for you!

"Christians at the Crossroads in the Public Square"

2010-11-16T09:59:00.004-05:00

There are a lot of new books that have come out by conservative Christians regarding the role of the Christian in politics. If you don't have time to read an entire book, but would like a basic idea on a historical position of the Christian's involvement in the world around us, I came across one by Don Eberly. This is a great article on how Christians should view their role in the political, social and cultural sphere around us. The following are a few quotes to get you thinking.

Abolitionist William Wilberforce recognized the impossibility of passing or sustaining legislation to outlaw the slave trade without first bringing about widespread reformation of manners and morals in society. . . .

Christians can be heard referring excitedly to their evangelical contacts at the top of the power heap in Washington,, such as the entire leadership of the House of Representatives. The fact that not one evangelical can be identified running a cultural institution such as CNN, NPR, a secular philanthropy, or a Hollywood film studio, is never even a matter of conversation, much less concerted action. The unmistakable inference from this preoccupation with legal matters is that society and culture are subsidiaries of the state, not vice versa, a belief, which if actually held, is a dangerous heresy. . . .

In no place in the New Testament is the slightest suggestion given that Christians should attempt to commandeer political or governmental institutions. In the brief New Testament passages that even address the issue, believers are called to submit to and respect "every authority" without a hint that they be worthy of respect as a precondition. . . .

The founders framed a constitutional republic, predicated upon a rather thin theism, not a muscular, prescriptive Christianity. Perhaps in doing this they were acknowledging that New Covenant Christianity is about the redemption of elect individuals, not special covenant relations with elect nations. . . .

. . . anytime we embellish a particular cultural, political, or moral agenda with the authority of the Christian Gospel, the result is a manifestation of "works-righteousness" which is "ipso facto, an act of apostasy." . . .

The idea, says C.S. Lewis, "that Christianity brought a new ethical code into the world is a grave error." Lewis adds, Christianity's founder and early followers "came demanding repentance and offering forgiveness in Christ, a demand and an offer both meaningless except on the assumption of a moral law already known and already broken. Moral law, along with numerous other facts of our existence, including the institutions of marriage, the family, the state, the social order, all came to us via God's creation, and are thus a part of his common grace." . . .

[Alexis de Tocqueville] said religion "exercises but little influence upon the laws and upon the details of public opinion; but it directs the customs of community and by regulating domestic life, it regulates the states." The clergymen, he said, were careful to preserve the unique and honored station they occupied in society. Ministers of the Gospel "eschewed all parties," filled no public appointments, and were "excluded by public opinion" from serving in political roles.

Interested in more? Click here to read the entire article.

What's the Difference?

2010-11-15T16:39:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday, I talked about how the gospel answers all the main questions that people ask. Here are some:

What's the point of life?
What's wrong with the world?
Where will I spend eternity?

As I got done with my teaching, I sat down and had a discussion with a couple of teens. One of the girls said something very interesting. She goes to a Christian school, and there are several foreign exchange students there. One of the students recently said something like this to her: "As I have heard people in church talk about God, I think it is the same spirit we talk about in Buddhism." This teen said to me that she didn't know how to respond to this student.

What was my response, you ask?

I first explained that in every false religion, there are elements of truth in them. Secondly, I explained again that what sets Christianity apart is Christ and the good news of Him living, dying and rising in our place!

Living by faith is the point of life (because it's impossible to please God apart from faith), our sin is what's wrong with the world, and Heaven and Hell are eternal realities that are addressed in the cross and resurrection.

In reality, good works don't set us apart from other religions. All other religions promote "good" works. What really sets us apart is CHRIST and the GOSPEL of forgiveness and real hope in Jesus. My works may not look so different from my neighbor (although I hope it is), but now I have confidence, by faith, that my works glorify God and He will use them as He sees fit.

What are your thoughts?

Making other people's faith your own

2010-11-08T10:29:00.007-05:00

Many times we hear people say, "Don't just believe it because your friend's believe it." While I definitely agree with that statement, I think we may miss a subtle reality if we don't think a little more deeply about it - the reality of how other people's beliefs definitely shape our own.

Here are a couple of incidences where we are commanded to be edified by other people and their beliefs:

Proverbs 3:1 - "My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,"
1 Corinthians 11:1 - "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

While I understand that I must embrace a belief in order for it to be "mine", I also want to encourage everyone out there reading this note that we are shaped by so many things. We believe what we believe in large part because of so many external realities that surround us (things that God has ordained). And, sometimes, in the real bleak and dark times of your life, we almost need to cling to the beliefs of other people around us. We need other people to stir us up when we don't feel like we can hold on. Like Asaph in Psalm 73, we are wearied until we go "into the sanctuary of God" (v 17) and experience the encouragement of other people pointing us upward!

So, while I agree that you can't just believe something because others believe it. I also believe that, if others are abiding in the Word, you need to have them in your life, preaching Truth to you. And, at times, you need to make other people's faith your own.

Next Conference

2010-10-29T13:53:00.006-04:00

Okay; so, in about 7 months, the Next 2011 conference is going to be starting. I know it's early, but if you've ever been to Next, you know why the excitement is so high! Below is a recording of one of the songs sung at Next 2010 by a band named Generation Letter. Enjoy! Maybe we'll see you in Orlando for the conference.

Lord, Your children have not been spared

From this world's daily trials and cares.

We know weakness, fear and sorrow

Yet we're not alone.

You are near in our time of need.

You are faithful.

You hear our pleas.

You give grace to

All who hope in Your mighty name.

King of Peace, You calm our raging storms.

All we need is found within Your arms.

We find rest by Your quiet streams,

King of Peace.

We were rebels against Your reign.

We were haters of Your great name

When You saved us

From Your justice,

And from ourselves.

You give life to our hearts of stone,

Made a way for us to Your throne -

Where we lay down all our burdens

At Your feet.

King of Peace, You calm our raging storms.

All we need is found within Your arms.

We find rest by Your quiet streams,

King of Peace.

We stand upon Your faithfulness

As we trust in You.

King of Peace, You calm our raging storms.

All we need is found within Your arms.

We find rest by Your quiet streams,

King of Peace.

So, you want to be a pastor's wife?

2010-10-24T23:42:00.008-04:00

This past Sunday my church family celebrated Pastor Appreciation. My wife, children and I got some gifts, and during the presentation one of our deacons took the time to explain why he was grateful for the pastors, the wives and also the children.

I simply want to take a moment to talk about the wife part.

There have been times when I get this feeling that some people think that being a pastor's wife would be like living a dream. Obviously a pastor only really works one, maybe two, days a week. But, even if his week is busy, he gets friday off, right?! Then there's the lunch dates that he might be able to take during the day. (Did you catch some of the sarcasm?)

While being a pastor wife does have it's benefits, I think we sinful humans usually tend to look at the greener grass in other people's lives and ignore the burnt grass. Being a pastor's wife is different for different people because of the various types of ministries, but let me just give you a hint of the challenges this pastor's wife faces.

No helper on Wednesday nights to get the kids in the van to come to church and get to Awana.
Minimal weekends where there's nothing going on ministry-wise (whether it's youth ministry, children's ministry, men's ministry or leadership related). Therefore, there's a need for creative planning on when grocery shopping takes place or haircuts are done - all the while, we need to ensure that we maintain family time.
In the Spring and Summer time, most Sundays are packed with TnT's, missions team meetings, youth staff meetings, leadership council meetings and family nights. In the fall and winter months, there are still TnT's, youth staff meetings, leadership council meetings and family nights. Hence, on those days, our children make a sacrifice by not being with daddy (for example, this past weekend, there was a Senior High Barn Bash, Sunday morning I played guitar in the service; so, I was at church by 8:30. I taught Sunday School, played in the service, came home for the afternoon, went to church by 5:00 to practice for the evening service, played in the service, and then had a leadership meeting until almost 11:00 p.m. Who put all the young-ins to bed? You guessed it. My wife.)
Having a pastor as your spouse means that he's dealing with a lot of spiritual trash on a weekly basis. I personally have dealt with a myriad of sexual sin issues in other people's lives. That alone can have affects on your outlook. A pastor's wife is a radiant oasis at the end of the day to her husband. Yet, to her, she's been dealing with the childrens' sin issues and I'm sure she would love to let her hair down a little when daddy comes home. Hopefully I give that to her, but that's not always the case.
Many godly men through the ages have dealt significantly with spiritual valleys. Whether it's Spurgeon, Edwards or Luther, each of these men had bouts of depression. Why? I'm not exactly sure, but I know it keeps godly men humble, and it draws them closer to their Savior. I also know that while God means these times for good, Satan intends them for evil. There almost seems to be a literal bulls-eye on a pastor. Unfortunately, the wife gets caught in the cross-hairs since she is the helper and seeks to encourage her husband towards Christ when he is down. To me, sometimes (maybe many times) Tracy is like the medic in a battle.

These are just a few things that a pastor's wife must work through. And, this is written for a couple of reasons: 1) To see how amazing, patient and loving my wife is, 2) To point people to pray for me, my children and my wife, 3) To say "thank you" to my bride for the sacrifice she makes daily in various ways so that Christ will be glorified.

You see, Gary's words this past Sunday were very kind. There was great depth to them. And, I wanted to take a moment to share what that depth looked like.

However, I'd be unfair if I only focused on the struggles. The rewards far outweigh the struggles.

Knowing you're fighting in a battle that matters for eternity.
Helping people through words or even simply through example that Christ is worth it all.
Being able to display Christ through joy and sorrow - with all eyes watching you. (this might sound like an annoyance yet it's great for accountability!)
Having a family of Christians who pray for us.
We get to see growth and maturity in people's lives first-hand.

These are a few things. And Christ has enabled us to be a part of this ministry. If Jesus doesn't give us grace, it'd be futile. If Jesus were a fake, we'd quit. But, thankfully, Jesus is who He said He is, and we are able to do what He has called us to do. By His grace, I can pastor my family and this church. And, by His grace, Tracy can support me, train our children, and even minister with Calvary.

Come Ye Sinners, Part 6

2010-10-12T16:03:00.003-04:00

"Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him."

If we are to go to God with a right spirit, we must always understand our need of Him. The problem is that human beings constantly try to make themselves look better than they really are. Yes, it's true that we're created in God's image, and human beings do accomplish great things. But, it's also true that we're marred. And, from a spiritual perspective, we do no good apart from God. Even from a purely physical perspective, we have to admit that since a God exists, we are completely dependent on Him. Therefore, "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28a). There is nothing that we can do apart from God's common and/or saving grace working in our lives.

So, what does this have to do with this final stanza of "Come Ye Sinners"? The first two lines share the sinful desire of human beings. When the author says "Let not conscience make you linger," the word has a different connotation than what you may think in today's vernacular. Conscience means: " the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good." Therefore, the first two lines are almost synonymous statements. Basically put, stop thinking that you have or ever will attain to God's standard.

Why?

Think about it. If you depend on yourself for your own salvation, who are you glorifying? If you sit at home and worry about whether you've done enough to earn God's approval, who are you really trying to please and honor? God or you? This is suggested in the last two lines. God requires something, but it's not what you can bring to the table. It's what He can bring to the table.

You have needs. He has fulfillment. You have brokenness. He has wholeness. You have guilt. He has forgiveness.

All that God requires is that you feel, deep in your being, your need of Him. It's at that moment that a sinner also knows the deep mystery of being one of God's children - a saint.

Bible Learning

2010-10-11T14:46:00.002-04:00

I've been doing a different type of Bible reading plan. As a result of this, I'm reading several chapters a day from various books of the Bible. It's been a really awesome to see how the Bible really is interwoven in its theme of God's salvation!

Check it out. You might like it, too!

Come Ye Sinners, Part 5

2010-09-30T09:44:00.003-04:00

"View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies.
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?"

Ponder the universe. Think about the mountains, valleys, stars, planets, ants, lions, plants, colors, and so much more. Meditate on the power that is involved in creation. Behind all of this is the omnipotent, holy God.

Now imagine this perfect God - who is infinitely happy within Himself - coming down to earth as a man. Imagine this Man feeling utterly helpless. Imagine this God-Man lying down on the ground in prayer - symbolizing a feeling of weakness and almost despair.

Behold your God. This is Jesus.

But, it becomes more unbelievable. Imagine this same God-Man being taken away by soldiers, being mocked, being beaten and then being nailed to a cross. His bones are exposed for all to see. He is treated like a criminal. Imagine this God, who created air, needing air for survival. As a result, this God-Man is straining to take a breath on the cross.

Step back for a moment. Imagine what this Jesus was like without a human body. Philippians said He took on the form of a man when He came to this earth. Before that, He had no physical limits. Now, nails have a real hold on Him.

Behold your God. This is Jesus.

Jesus did this for a reason. It was all for God's glory according to Romans 3. It was so that God would be viewed as just and justifier for all who believe. It was also so that God could shower His grace and love towards people who don't deserve it. As a result, we have life. God gets the glory. We get the joy. While Jesus was hung by real nails in a real body, we also admit that it would have never happened had He, the Creator, not allowed it.

Jesus died so that you could have life. Jesus suffered so that you could be righteous. Jesus endured God's wrath in your place so that you could have God's face shine on you and give you peace.

Behold your God. This is Jesus.

"Sinner, will this not suffice?"

Who Has Clean Hands?

2010-09-28T16:29:00.003-04:00

A couple of years ago I read something by a professor named Michael Horton that helped to enlighten me on a certain psalm. I don't exactly remember where I read it, but this is the basic understanding.

Psalm 24 talks about someone ascending into God's realm. It says, "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?" The answer: "He who has clean hands and a pure heart. . . ."

I don't know about you, but if I read that I automatically will think, "GUILTY!" And, because I'm guilty, I'll never ascend to the hill of the LORD. So, it was a valiant (or not-so-valiant) effort, but there's no hope in myself to attain to God's glories.

Many of you might scan over this psalm, read that passage, and then get to verse 7 where it says, "Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." Why does the psalmist move from "the generation of those who seek him" to the lifting up of the gates' heads?

Here's the logical flow: NO ONE has clean hands or pure hearts; so, there had to be another way to ascend God's hill. Who ascended? The King of glory. There's a picture of a triumphal entry into a city. According to James 2:1, Jesus is the Lord of glory; so, Jesus is the one entering the city gates with clean hands and a pure heart, and anyone who has placed their hope and trust in Jesus is following Him into the city of God.

So, who has clean hands and a pure heart? Jesus! And, in Him, we will grow in purity and love and be a generation that seeks His face.

Romans 3:23 - Do you really understand what it means?

2010-09-27T10:12:00.003-04:00

A few years ago, I came across an explanation of Romans 3:23 in a friend's dissertation. I grew up hearing this verse. It was always to be the first verse mentioned in a "Roman's Road" approach to sharing the gospel. Yet, I think we're missing something if we only think this verse applies to non-believers.

This is what my friend wrote:

Christians often use Romans 3:23 to speak of the universal sinfulness of humanity. This, however, is not the point of the verse. The all in verse 23 governs the participle . . . (and all are justified). If the all in verse 23 spoke of all humanity universally, then this passage would teach universal justification. Instead, it is better to understand the all in verse 23 as a reference to and an abbreviation of the phrase all who believe . . . in the preceding verse.

Confused? Let me re-state. The "all" in verse 23 refers back to the "all who believe" in verse 22. So, this is the understanding of Romans 3:23, "For all [who believe] have sinned and [continually, present tense] fall short of the glory of God,"

This verse offers humility to us believers and it also provides great encouragement. Even as believers we fail in our attempts to glorify God. Hence, we continually need a Savior. And, the encouragement from this verse is that we have a Savior! Verse 24 says that we, who have sinned, and sin continually, are justified. We have been declared righteous as a gift of God's grace. He delighted in giving us this gift so that we could forever be seen as righteous in His sight, and so that we could forever praise Him for His justice in passing over sins.

Go ahead, read Romans 3:21-26 again. Find hope, encouragement and joy. Let it bring you closer to your Savior, and then share it with others!

Come Ye Sinners, Part 4

2010-09-20T14:29:00.003-04:00

"Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all."

No matter how far you've climbed up the ladder of relative righteousness, you will always have further to go. And, now matter how far you've climbed, you realize that your motives (apart from Christ) are just as wicked as the person who is on the bottom rung.

It's true. No matter what you do, apart from Christ, is nothing less than falling short of God's glory. I, in my flesh, hate this truth because I personally want to be "better off" than other sinners. While God has showed that His ways work best in this world - causing it to operate more properly, it is also true that we, in our flesh, always seek to glorify ourselves. So, whether we do outward evil or whether we do "good" in our flesh, we do these things for other people's, thing's and/or our own glory. Hence, without Christ, our good is only relative (something we compare with others). We are tainted, taunted and tormented by sin, and we are all in need of a Savior just like anyone else.

Therefore, all of us should be wearied by our own pursuits. Living life in this world shows us that we were meant for so much more than pain, heartache, injustice, sin. We were meant to know Someone greater. We are lost. We have been utterly ruined by the fall - completely unable to glorify God in our own strength.

The last two lines of this stanza prove our sinfulness and also give us great hope. In our own efforts, we'd choose to wait until we're better off. Have you ever done this before? Have you ever said, "I feel like I can't read my Bible because I'm such a big sinner"? Have you ever not confessed your sin to God because you feel like you're just going to fail again? Maybe, instead of not doing things, you just try harder. You pray for forgiveness and you say, "I'll never do this again, God." And, instead of really trusting in Christ's righteousness to cover you, you let a vain promise give you assurance that God will forgive you. Sometimes we can read our Bibles and pray because we think that if we do these things, we're obviously "good" with God. But, we can even do all the right things while ignoring God Himself. What's the answer? God tells us to humble ourselves. This hymn brings out our tendency towards self-sufficiency. We don't want to be humbled before God. Instead, we keep waiting until we're better because we hope to clean ourselves up enough to ensure that God will not find sin dwelling within. Yet, that day will never come.

"If you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all."

There's hope in this phrase. Listen. Heed the words. You know this is true of yourself, and God knows this, too. Stop straining for God's love. Instead, embrace Christ, repent and trust. God doesn't expect you to wait until you're better. He wants you now - just the way you are. He wants to rescue you and pour out His love on you.

The World's Profundity

2010-09-16T10:03:00.002-04:00

The following is quoted from Michael Horton's, "Putting Amazing Back Into Grace."

These days the world is often more profound than the church. One frequently hears honest pagans asking really good questions: What is the meaning of life? Does life have purpose? Meanwhile, we evangelicals seem to be making the most trivial queries: Is dancing a sin? . . . Is Jesus really coming back in November? Is Iraq "Magog," and if so, is Saddam Hussein the Antichrist? While we're busy organizing ever-greater conferences and conventions so we can talk to ourselves, give each other awards, and dazzle each other with the latest evangelical superstars, the world is taking its business elsewhere, to merchants who care about the big questions. Philosopher Paul C. Payne noted that the world does not take the church seriously today because the church is not serious.

Come Ye Sinners, Part 3

2010-09-12T21:19:00.002-04:00

Stanza 3:

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,

God's free bounty glorify;

True belief and true repentance,

Every grace that brings you nigh.

I'm going to take a stab at this stanza, but you can feel free to give me your thoughts (as I'm a little confused on some of the wording).

Overall, the theme is to go to Christ. What I love is that this passage merges the doctrinal truths of God's sovereign grace and our joyful responsibility. Jesus commands and bids us to come to him. He pleads with sinners - people who don't love Him - to find satisfaction in Him. Yet, the only way we really will arrive at home with Him are by the graces of true belief and repentance. Belief and repentance are God's gifts to us! Praise God and never cease to be amazed that He has called you as His child and given you the ability to trust and turn to Him!

Now, on to the second line. We are to come to Christ and welcome the blessings that flow. This seems to somewhat fall in line with Hebrews 11:6 where we find that faith must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Those who truly believe in Christ trust that He'll reward them. So, they welcome the blessings of God's grace. Hence, they glorify God's free bounty. In other words, when a sinner repents and trusts in Christ - acknowledging their need of grace, God's beauty and wonder is seen in greatest splendor!

Remember Romans 5? Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more! When people (whether moral or immoral people) come to Christ, welcome His bounty, God is truly glorified.

So, even if you are a believer, where do you find yourself today? Do you find yourself thinking that your imperfection keep you from God? It's true that it can. But, would you instead acknowledge your sinfulness and trust in a Savior that desires to reward you with His great grace? And, as a result, He ends up getting all the glory, and you are blessed with His good!

Side Bar: Bible Reading 101

2010-09-08T11:35:00.003-04:00

How do you read your Bible?

Do you look for the moral of the story? Are you actively seeking to find out how you can become a better you, and live a more victorious Christian life?

Over the past week I have had the opportunity to talk to two people about Bible-reading. One person attends our church and the other person walked in our church to ask for help. With both of these people I was able to talk to them about how to approach the Scriptures.

It's interesting because we are all so prone to read the Scriptures through a "moral-of-the-story" lens. However, if you start reading in Genesis, you quickly find that all of these "godly" people weren't very moral at times. In fact, they failed BIG time. Do we really want to follow their example? I mean, even Moses, the most meek man we know of, murdered a guy.

So, what is the point of Scripture? Answer: God and His rescue plan. If Scripture is primarily about people and how to make people better, then we can completely forget about God. In that mentality, the Bible has just become another manual like any other religious book, exercise program or self-help project. No, the Bible is primarily about God, His character and His beautiful plan.

How does that change the way you read the Bible? Well, instead of reading it as a self-help motivational manual, you begin reading by asking this question, "What does this teach me about God?" Secondly, I would add that you must ask this question, "How is this pointing to Christ?" Jesus says in Luke 24:27 that he is the point of it all:"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself" (ESV).

You might say, "Wait, you didn't give these people any real advice. If they don't get any practical application, then they're never going to become good." But, here's the reality of the situation. They can become good without becoming godly. I firmly believe that if someone truly knows God, they want Him to define them. And, how is He going to define them if they only look for the moral of the story and they don't look to God in the story.

A boyfriend loves his girlfriend not by reading her letters for the moral of the story. Instead, he reads her letters and loves her more. As a result, he lives that love out for her in greater ways. Shouldn't that be similar with how we view God? Instead of looking to all God requires, we look to God, become amazed with Him and all that He has done through and because of Christ. As you continue to be amazed with Him, you are defined by Him and your life is changed from one degree of glory to another.

So, can I encourage you to read your Bible that way? Off the bat, you know that you are in need of a Savior daily. So, ask this to yourself, "What does this say about God and how does this point me to Jesus?"

Come Ye Sinners, part 2

2010-09-05T15:25:00.002-04:00

"I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms."

In the previous post, we have a person who acknowledges their need for the Savior. In this stanza, we have the action-step. This person decides that, based on the great love of Jesus, he is going to respond to Christ. The expressions of the first line indicate repentance - a change of the will that directs itself towards Christ.

Now, look at what this person believes Jesus is going to do.

Embrace him.
Grant unlimited joy.

From this point on, the Savior holds the person - never to let him go. Sure, there are times where we feel weaker and stronger on our spiritual journey, but Jesus never lets his flock out of his care. In addition to this, Jesus doesn't just forgive - which would be amazing in and of itself. But, Jesus wants to show the glories of the Father! We are forgiven and there is everlasting joy in Christ!

When someone turns to Jesus, they have God's love protecting them, the potential of unlimited joy and a promised hope that now Jesus is not just someone else's Savior, but "my dear Savior."

Come, Ye Sinners, Part One

2010-09-01T10:23:00.002-04:00

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

The first two lines focus on humans. The second two lines focus on Jesus. We'll take the stanza in that order.

The world would immediately balk at this hymn. Our own flesh hates it. "Sinners?! I'm not a sinner (or at least not that bad of one)." Yet, we know that deep within, while God is gracious to allow us to not be as bad as we possibly could be - we are not as good as we should be. This term "sinner" shows us who we are at the core of our being. We don't just sin. We are sinners. When you realize the depth of your own depravity, you will immediately resonate with the following words, too. You are poor and needy. Yet, immediately in the first line, there's hope. "Come. . ." Someone is calling you! Someone is wanting to draw you - a poor, needy, weak, wounded, sick, sore sinner. You are one who has been wounded by the fall and also embraced the fall. Yet, there's someone who is calling.

Who is that Person?

Jesus! And, get this. Jesus isn't sitting on His throne with His arms folded. Jesus is ready, standing up - looking for you, the sinner, to come to Him. Many people might wonder how Jesus could be that way. You think, "I sin all the time in my thoughts or motives or actions." Maybe you think, "But, I've done this again." The problem is that you focus too much on you and not enough on Him. Look at the final line: "Full of pity, love and power." The word pity can sometimes sound too pathetic in our day. But, there's fullness to this word that we need to grasp. For Jesus to be full of pity is for Him to looks at our estate, and instead of walking away in contempt, He has a sorrow and compassion for us that leads Him to want to give us a better life - eternal life in God. And, that pity will never go away because his love is steadfast - always remaining the same. Oh, and just in case you want to fight back and say, "Yeah, but, I failed again." Just remember that Jesus' power keeps you, a poor-sinner-yet-simultaneously-righteous-saint, until the very end.

Look to Jesus. Savor Him today.

Come, Ye Sinners, Poor And Needy

2010-08-31T11:27:00.003-04:00

This was a hymn that was mentioned last Sunday (8/29). I have copied the entire piece below, and over the next several blog posts, I am going to try to comment on each stanza.

Read and enjoy the depths of grace found in these words:

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies.
On the bloody tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?

Lo! th’incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.

A Wedding

2010-08-28T19:29:00.003-04:00

Tonight my wife and I went to a wedding. We've been to two within the past month, and they have been wonderful. At tonight's wedding, the bride danced with her dad.

I cried.

One of the reasons I cried was because I have a little baby girl and I know that, all too quickly, she's going to grow up. Someday she's going to come home with a boyfriend (after I've thoroughly interrogated him), and then she'll come home with an engagement ring, and then she'll be saying "I Do" at the altar.

After the dad and his daughter danced, I thought about going up to the dad and saying, "How did you not burst into tears with your daughter?" But I refrained. Then I "philosophized" in my head. Here were some of my thoughts (and some added thoughts as I write):

There is a LOT of pain in rearing children. There are a lot of difficulties, times of guilt and sadness. There are times when the parents don't know if they're doing anything right. But, in all of that, raising children is worth it.

The reason?

Ultimately it teaches you more about God and his undying love for his children. The fact that having children is difficult should never be a deterrent to anyone because raising children is worth it. As a Christian, we can experience and learn more about God and his grace in a variety of ways. And, as a human being, we can have a greater depth of personal relationships that we would completely miss out on if we didn't have children.

So, children are DEFINITELY a treasure from God. Cherish them. Delight in them. And, remember, even in the difficult times, it's worth it. God strengthens and teaches Christians through those times. And, for any human being, it's worth it because God still is revealing his kindness and grace through allowing you to have deeper and more fulfilling relationships on this earth.

The Two Things That Keep Teens In Church

2010-08-26T13:00:00.000-04:00

Christian Smith, a sociologist who has studied teens and religion, did extensive research on the two key things that keep the younger generation in church. The following quotation is a paraphrase of what Christian Smith wrote in his first book. This is quoted from a panel discussion on global evangelism. This conversation recently took place on the campus of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. (I think the person talking here is Skye Jethani.)

"We've got big youth programs, and we take them to camps and we've got lots of things to entertain them. And he said . . . none of those are really the things that keep them in. The two things that show up over and over again with those kids who are still in the church and are still believers . . . . And, listen to how low-tech they are. One of them is that they see there's a pattern of Scripture-reading in the home - they see their parents reading the Scripture, and they're having the Scriptures read to them. And the second thing is that they're part of an inter-generational church . . . rubbing shoulders with believers of other age-groups. That's it! And, how much time, how much energy, how [many] resources do we put into all kinds of other programs instead of encouraging two of the most basic things?"

Please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater here. I believe programs can be good. I believe resources can be good. But, these two key things must stay KEY or else we may not really be doing ministry. We may just be doing stuff.

Missions Trip, Post #2

2010-07-13T09:04:00.002-04:00

I'm beginning this post by talking about what we studied and discussed yesterday from the Word. We talked about Adam and Eve's sin and also Jesus' death on the cross. In all of this we learned that God could have punished us yet he decided to rescue us at great cost to himself. We discussed that Jesus suffered more than any human being will ever suffer because he suffered an eternity's worth of punishment on the cross of all the people who have and will come to him! What a wonderful Savior.

After our discussion last night, I was able to spend some great time with some teens - praying, talking about struggles and encouraging each other. We didn't get to sleep until after 1:00, but it was well worth it.

We definitely had a busy day yesterday with working outdoors. Teens were cutting down trees, weeding with their hands (not hand-tools), getting plants out of gutters, etc, etc! It was a wonderful time and tiring. But, the day wasn't over. We came back to the church (some teen guys got hosed down to cool off a little), and then we moved into VBS set-up mode, ate dinner and began our first night. We had 35 kids, and it was a blast. We were a little taken aback that we had probably 12 three and four year-olds, though. That said, it was a great night. The teens did awesome, and we're looking forward to another night.

Please continue to pray for the Spirit's illumination, liberation, power and fruit. We need it and we need to be humble to receive it.

Missions Trip, Post #1

2010-07-10T09:30:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! Right now I'm sitting in the office of First Baptist Church of Oglesby as the teens are getting ready to eat breakfast. Really, there's not much to report right now (maybe that's why I have time to post this right now).

Yesterday went quite well! We got to Oglesby around 4:00. The girls got their stuff out at the place they're staying. We went out for dinner (Moms, your sons and daughters did not leave hungry). We then went to the town that Tracy's family lives. We climbed an old coal mining "dump", prayed, and went to our respective places to sleep.

Today is going to be much busier - practicing the VBS, canvassing, car wash, practices for Bible stories, preaching, singing, puppets, praise team!!!

Please pray for us that God's Spirit would fill us in immense ways so that we would please God to the fullest!

Next 2010, Session 2-5

2010-05-30T16:35:00.003-04:00

Since the last post, we've heard Mark Dever, Kevin DeYoung, CJ Mahaney and DA Carson. All of which were phenomenal!

Dever talked about how the Christian relates to suffering. DeYoung talked about the great value of the Scriptures, Mahaney talked about sanctification (our growth in pursuing God), and Carson talked about God (how he is greater than anything else). I could take time to talk about each session, but I won't do that now. All I can say is that each speaker took their topic, taught it biblically faithful and then applied it to our lives.

I am blessed to be here in Baltimore for the Next Conference, and I would encourage you to get on-line and start listening to the messages. If you can only listen to one, I'd recommend either Joshua Harris' or Carson's message!

The Next Conference Session #1

2010-05-28T23:15:00.002-04:00

First day in Baltimore, MD for the Next Conference, and it was wonderful! The gospel is central and I was blessed to be a part of the worship through song and the ministry of the Word!

Joshua Harris spoke tonight on Luke 6, and the wise and foolish man building their houses on different foundations. Harris brought out many things that were challenging and encouraging. Here were a few things I noted from the message:

1. Jesus says, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' if you do not obey my words."
2. Doctrine isn't an end in itself. Doctrine helps us to love, trust, and obey Christ.
3. Grace is not an it. Grace did not die in order to give itself to us. Jesus died in order to give himself to us.
4. A real, saving relationship with Jesus Christ necessarily involves doctrine.
5. Don't separate doctrinal truth from passion.
6. Knowing right doctrine isn't enough. We have to put Jesus' words into practice.

DON'T JUST TAKE NOTES ON A PIECE OF PAPER. MAKE NOTES ON YOUR LIFE!

Please know this isn't a formal outline. These are simply paraphrases/quotes of what was said during our time. If you want to hear the message, I'm sure you'd love it. They should be available soon online at www.thisisnext.org

God's Grace vs. any other kind of grace. . . .

2010-04-26T10:31:00.003-04:00

Did you see this last night on my facebook status?

"Isaiah: 'And you know what - God's grace is better than regular grace!'"

I wanted to take a little bit of your time to explain why he said that. Last night, Samuel was upset about some things. We teach our children that disobedience and obedience brings different consequences. Samuel got a consequence. He couldn't have his drink in bed with him.

But, I also knew that Samuel was tired and was just not thinking straight, too. So, I went in a little later and I gave Samuel his drink. Isaiah responded by saying that disobedience hurts. And, I said, "Yes, but I can also give grace, too."

So, there you have it, folks. That led Isaiah to say his very profound statement. What he was seeming to say was, "Yeah, dad, your grace is good. But, guess what?! God's grace is even better!"

And, isn't that the point of doing good works? Isn't it so that our children (or other people around us) might "get it" and then glorify God. I was blessed to hear my son talk about God after seeing me display my piddly human grace.

Praise the Lord!

Whose salvation is it anyway?!

2010-04-19T13:05:00.002-04:00

I was struck with Psalm 51:10-12 as I read it yesterday and today.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Here's a person who has been struck with the reality of his sinfulness, and he knows that the only One Who can rescue him is God. It's not that he needs God merely to reform his behavior. He could do that on his own (see v 16 where he says he could give sacrifices). What he realizes he needs is an inner cleansing of the heart that he cannot perform.

What is beautiful is that while David acknowledges he cannot change himself, he doesn't let that thought keep him from going to God - believing that God will answer.

But, what was it that "hit" me?

It is really verse 12. In the past, I've been struck with the first line: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." It's not my salvation that I should have restored to me. That's what I'm seeking to get away from. My salvation (self-salvation) doesn't work. It always is a sign of spiritual death. What I need is the joy of God's salvation.

While that's a beautiful truth (and the basis for living life to the full for God's glory), what got me this time was the second line - "and uphold me with a willing spirit."

We cannot do life for God's glory without a willing spirit. Do you realize that? Do I? For the joy of God's salvation to sink deeply within us, we need a willing spirit, a clean heart - to be filled with the Spirit's presence. We need restoration, renewal and God's open arms grabbing us close to his heart and affecting us so that we love him more deeply and more profoundly.

Lord, grant us the joy of your salvation and give us willing spirits. We are wicked sinners even in our best efforts. You're a righteous and loving Savior. Restore, renew and bring us close to you. Amen.

Not many wise. . . .

2010-04-09T22:52:00.003-04:00

I must admit that this passage has me very confused. I don't believe I grasp the beauty of it as I ought to yet (you can pray for me about that), but I'm seeing it a little more by God's grace, I trust.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

(1 Corinthians 1:26, ESV)

My gut reaction is to not like this because it seems unfair to me. How can it be that God would choose to not call people who are wise, powerful or prominent as kings? I mean, isn't being a King (or President) something that God says is good for the human race (Rom. 13)? If God says that being a king is good, and that people should use their brains to the fullest extent and that making advancements in many different things are good, then why would he shut the door to those who pursue those with great diligence?

I don't know if I can fully answer that question, but I can say this: just as people can trust in notorious sins and have those things draw them completely away from God so can people trust in their seeming goodness and the consequences are the same.

The point of wisdom and power and kingship is meant to point people to the reality of their need for a greater Wisdom, a greater Power and a greater King; however, the more blessing we receive, the more prone we are to reject.

For any of you reading this who are believers in Christ, be thankful that God removed the barriers from your eyes so that you didn't continue to trust in the wisdom of this world, the American dream or any other thing that can take you away from the Father's heart.

Consider your calling, brothers and sisters. . . .

What is Love?

2010-04-06T10:45:00.003-04:00

I have been reading a book called "Trusting God" by Jerry Bridges, and yesterday I came across this familiar verse: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10).

Think about that verse for a moment.

What is love?

Love is not defined by us and our affections. Love is defined by God, and his actions toward us. Love is not that we loved God. This comes as a tremendous jolt to anyone who tries to work their way to God. This verse is clear that our love is not impressive. And, it's not impressive simply because we ought to love God.

God has created everything. He ordains all things. He is working all things together for His glory and the believer's ultimate good. God orchestrates the rainfall, the hurricanes, the smallest atom. God is infinitely greater than all of creation, and he has given to us humans this earth to truly enjoy. Based on all of these gifts, every human being should be eternally grateful. So, our love is really not the deepest form of love simply because we ought to love him.

But what about God's love?

Oh, his love is tremendous! His love is glorious. His love is beyond our comprehension. He defines love (1 John 4:8). Why is his love so vastly different and more worthy of praise than our love?

Going beyond the reasons stated above, we simply have to look at the words in verse 10 again.

God sent his Son. This is enough of a price. Jesus, God the Son, became flesh. He took on the form of a man, and lived a humble life away from the always visible presence of God the Father. As a human father, I am sad when my boys are away for a short period of time, but imagine the cost of this sending on God the Father.
Jesus was an atoning sacrifice for our sin. It's not simply that Jesus took a vacation and was coming back in a little while. Jesus was sent for a purpose. God's love is expressed in the sending and also in the reason for the sending: for Jesus to endure God's wrath for our sins so that we might be righteous.

These are two profound truths. Why would God do this for finite beings? Not only that, why would God do that for ones who are his enemies (Romans 5)? This is love.

And, because of this love, God counts our dependent, Spirit-empowered love as love back towards him.

What an amazing God!

Collision

2010-01-05T11:26:00.005-05:00

It's been out for a little while, and I've finally watched it. Collision is a movie where ardent atheist (or anti-theist as he prefers), Christopher Hitchens, and evangelical pastor, Doug Wilson, debate whether or not Christianity is good for the world.

The events leading up to the film are actually quite interesting in and of themselves. Doug Wilson got to know Christopher through on-line exchanges which eventually were compiled for a Christian magazine and then were finally published in a book called, "Is Christianity Good for the World?" Up to this point, Hitchens and Wilson hadn't met. Finally, it was decided that the two of them travel to different cities to debate in person. These debates were filmed and then put in the documentary called "Collision."

As with any film, there are pros and cons.

Con: To me, one sad point was that there was no decisive conclusion on who won. However, that clearly is the nature of this debate. When you have a man like Hitchens basically say that even if someone was truly virgin born, that doesn't prove anything, you know the debate is going to go on forever.
Pro: Hitchens really does have valid questions that I think need to be answered by thinking Christians (and I think have been answered by many).
Con: The film failed to reveal Wilson's answers to some of Hitchens most seemingly plausible arguments.
Pro: It was easily apparent that Wilson could have more assurance on certain matters than Hitchens. This is not to say that Wilson "wins" because of this, but it clearly demonstrates the nature of the argument. Hitchens, while clearly thinking he is right, cannot go to any ultimate justice in the universe to reason why he is right. Wilson continually goes to the Scriptures, biblical reason and ultimately to God himself for the ultimate answers for anything.
Con: The cinematography is "new." If you ever watched the movie "Bella," it's the same kind. The camera is fuzzy for a while and then focuses in on the pimple in the inner ear. (Okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the point.)
Pro: With the movements and camera angles doing all that, it didn't totally distract me. The topic and the arguments kept me focused on what was actually taking place.
Con: While the comments made during the CBN interview were interesting, I personally wish it wouldn't have been in the documentary because it is CBN (I know that sounds bad, but I have reasons).
Pro: As a Christian, I loved that Doug Wilson stood his ground faithfully and didn't compromise the Word.

These are just a few pros and cons. Overall, I would give this documentary high ratings. I personally thought the conclusion to the film was extremely good. And, I hope someday that I might be able to sponsor an event with the film.

Christmas Sermon

2009-12-15T13:34:00.003-05:00

I'm currently listening to a sermon I preached last year on Zechariah. I'm posting the link because this message is an encouraging message on God's grace and encouragement to us when things seem impossible.

http://calvarymedia.org/audio/121408ADoubtingBeliever%27sGod.mp3

What God can teach us through a 5 year-old

2009-11-02T09:26:00.005-05:00

Last night, Isaiah professed his trust in Jesus to forgive him and give him a friendship with God. A definite praise!

I want to take a few moments of your time to share with you the thoughts and questions Isaiah posed over the last week or two before coming up to this moment. And, in doing so, I hope that you will be encouraged and challenged in your own faith.

About a week or two ago, more purposeful conversations started after I read a story to both Isaiah and Samuel about the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44) from "The Jesus Storybook Bible". At the end of the story, the author wrote that God is the treasure of ultimate value, and then the author also said that God's children are of great value to God. The way it was worded caused Isaiah to say (with a general excitement), "Is that us?! Is that us?!" So, I sat down and I asked him if he had trusted Jesus to forgive him of his sins. He said he hadn't done that yet. That night, we talked about what we deserve. I even talked about hell (that it is a very sad place where we will never be with God). He teared up because he didn't want to be away from mommy and daddy. I pushed that thought some and told him that it would be sad to be away from mommy and daddy, but God is the most important. He then quickly defended that thought by agreeing that God is the most important, but he just doesn't want to be away from us. We continued to talk, but then the conversation changed to something completely different. I said goodnight and let him drift off into sleep.

The next night, I told another story. Isaiah and I talked again. But, quickly, the conversation went off to something else regarding toys (or something like that). Again, I stopped the conversation and let him go to sleep.

Finally, we get to last night. I read the story of Jesus' death. While reading the story, I said that Jesus cried out "Daddy! . . . Daddy!" And, the author's words were something like, "and for the first and the last time, God didn't answer." At that point, Isaiah asked why that happened. I told him I'd explain in a little bit. I went on in the story. The story said that God's fierce anger rested on Jesus so that he could take our punishment for us.

After reading the story, I sat next to Isaiah and explained things. I told him that we deserve to be punished for our sin. I reminded him of hell. I also told him again that Jesus wanted to take our punishment because he loves us and he wants us to know how awesome God is. Isaiah acknowledged these things and he also acknowledged he couldn't rescue himself. And, he even went so far as to say that he couldn't turn away from his sins. But, he also said he didn't sin all the time. To the points about sin, I asked him if he thought he loved God like he should all of the time. He said he doesn't. But, I also told him that even for the people who trust in Jesus, we sin, but God always takes care of us and he says he'll never let us go. To that, Isaiah said, "Ooooooh!" (the idea that God was always there seemed to cause Isaiah comfort) In the midst of the conversation, Isaiah asked, "Why is God and Jesus so hard to understand?" He was referencing the Trinity. He doesn't get how Jesus is God and how God the Father is God. At that point I simply said that God is different from us. He's not like humans. Isaiah took the answer by faith and we moved on.

Finally, after these things (and maybe a few more issues), I asked Isaiah if he wanted to trust Jesus. He didn't hesitate. I did a brief review and then I said, "How could you show that you trust Jesus to forgive you?" His answer: to obey. Obviously that is correct, but I thought it would be good if he acknowledged it verbally in prayer to God; so, I suggested that. He was willing, but he said, "Daddy, could you help me?" And, that led us to pray together.

From this, what can we, as adults, learn? Here are a few that jump out to me:

Do you have doctrinal questions that seem to dog you? If so, do they limit your ability to really trust God? What I love is that Isaiah asked the question about the Trinity (which he has asked before), but that doesn't stop him from believing the truth of it. And, it didn't hinder him from trusting Jesus - which too often it does that for both believers and unbelievers.
We need to acknowledge that sin has grave consequences, but Jesus took our punishment so we can be friends with God. While I tell Isaiah (a five year-old) about these things, he doesn't see a contradiction in the character of God. Instead, he might be confused, but he also sees great love. This is the gospel! Do you see and savor God's love in this?
We sin all the time, but that should never keep us from going to Jesus. As Spurgeon once said, "God is more willing to forgive you than you are ready to sin" (paraphrase). Do you know that? Do you believe that? Even though we might feel like we can't stop sinning, like Isaiah said, that shouldn't stop us from running to Christ for his grace and mercy.
God will never let you go. If you have trusted in Jesus, God will never let you go. Psalm 25:8, "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way." Do you qualify for God to show his goodness and justice to you? We all do! And, for God's children, nothing will separate his goodness and justice towards you (Romans 8:35-39).

Now, please hear me, this post needs to be all about God. As Isaiah so rightly pointed out, "I can't turn away from my sin." It's God's grace that leads us to repentance. It's due to the sovereign grace of God that my son is now trusting Jesus. So, last night, and everyday for the believer is all about him working through us by his kindness and grace.

Where do you find yourself today? Are you an unbeliever - focusing on all the seeming contradictions in the Scripture? Are you a believer and doubting God and his love? Wherever you find yourself today, Jesus has what you need. He says this, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Forgiveness

2009-10-28T12:32:00.002-04:00

Should forgiveness automatically be granted to anyone without any cost?

I feel as though in our day we hear a message of forgiveness that is too offender-focused and not enough offended-focused. We talk so much about the person who has offended and then we move on to how the offender can be forgiven, and then we assume that the offended person will forgive because that's the right thing to do. But, we don't talk about much more than that.

For Christians, I think that falls short of God's thinking regarding forgiveness. Here are a few things that I've thought about, and I think could be helpful for all of us to meditate on:

1. There is always a cost for forgiveness. No one ever forgives without a cost being paid. Even if the offender asks for forgiveness, the offended person has to absorb any feelings of hatred or disgust toward that individual. And, putting those feelings and desires away can "cost" a person much.

2. We must continue to regard the offended's honor above the offender's actions. If we focus more on the offender than we do the offended, we begin to value the offender more than the offended. How is that the case? Some may focus too much on how the offended can be made right and how the offended can do this, that or the other thing to become better. As a result, we can tend to lose sight of the actual offense. And, the offender starts to think more highly of himself because people are giving him much attention.

Why do I write this? Because I want us to ultimately think of ourselves in relationship to God. As Christians, we should be very concerned about the message of forgiveness. But, in our fervor, many of us have focused more on us (the offenders) than we have on God (the Offended). As a result, Christians and non-Christians alike have treated God's forgiveness as something that must be given instead of something that is undeserved. From God's perspective, he is the Most Honorable and Glorious God and he must preserve his honor or else he himself and also all of creation falls apart. Beautiful things lose their beauty if God doesn't preserve his glory. Sinful things won't be so bad if God puts his glory off to the side. So, from God's perspective, punishment is deserved when we sin.

Hence the doctrine of Hell. It is a place where people will finally see through all eternity the seriousness and heinousness of their sins because of the great offense against the Majesty and Glory of the Offended. The only way to escape that punishment is if God is willing to pay the cost of the punishment himself.

And he is willing.

More than willing.

The Bible displays for us that, at great cost to himself, God the Son humbled himself by becoming a man, lived a perfect life in the midst of innumerable difficulties, died a perfect death while enduring God's wrath, and rose again so that anyone who goes to God for forgiveness might actually receive that forgiveness.

How should this affect how we relate to people around us?

We should and must be willing to grant forgiveness when people come to us for it - even if it costs us much.
We should never minimize sin in our own minds. Every sin we commit is truly sinful because forgiveness of each individual sin had a price tag.
We should be grateful for the forgiveness that Christ purchased for us at great cost to himself.
Hatred for sin should flow from our lives as we see the disgusting nature of it through the Offended's eyes.
Grace-filled obedience results as we see the majesty, worth and honor of the Offended (who now rejoices in you calling him "Father").

Difficult Faith

2009-10-05T10:26:00.002-04:00

"Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday."

~ Psalm 37:4-6

Personal confession time. When I am tempted with faithlessness by believing God doesn't care, I want to fight that faithlessness back by saying, "How am I feeling in this moment?" or, "Am I really that sinful?" My feelings respond with "You are feeling like a wicked sinner." or, "Yes, you really are that sinful." My response to those feelings is to then try to change those feelings myself. Once my feelings have been brought in line, then I feel as though I am ready to delight in God and trust in him (because my feelings agree). But, is that what David prescribes?

Absolutely not.

Look at Psalm 37:4-6 again.

David contradicts my natural inclination. He says that I must simply trust God in the midst of difficulty and believe these truths:

1) God is worthy of my delighting in him (trusting in him and committing my lifestyle to him) - even, and especially, when "things" don't make sense.

THEN...

2) God will give me the desires of my heart

AND...

3) God will clearly bring about righteousness and justice in my life.

The reason I find much hope in this passage is because I tend to want to be the "approver" of what is right and what is wrong. If my feelings or even circumstances of life or the advice of many others lead me to a certain conclusion, I tend to want to go with that. But, this passage gives hope.

- I can't effectively change my desires (I must be dependent on God to do that in his timing).

- I can't make righteousness and justice spring out of my life (I must be dependent on God to do that in his timing).

So, what is my responsibility when I'm faced with temptations to sin, trials or difficulties of life? Trust. It's "that simple." But, it requires a death to self that I don't like. I want to know the plan. I want to "feel" on board with God. I want to create a righteousness of my own weaving.

What arrogance.

Graciously God has given me his righteous and good answers in His Word. I can truly trust him because he will take care of my feelings (and even the circumstances of life) in his good timing. The desires might not change immediately, but Jesus, the sum of all my desires has secured a hope for me that is inexpressible. And righteousness will be clearly revealed in my life because not only have I been forgiven, but I have been set free to a new life. So, it is all because of God's mercy through Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that I can be a faithful follower of him.

Leaving a Godly Legacy

2009-09-09T10:19:00.002-04:00

This is the influence Jonathan Edwards had on his family. I believe that these numbers had been calculated somewhere between 150-170 years after Edwards' death.

An investigation was made of 1,394 known descendants of Jonathan Edwards of which 13 became college presidents, 65 college professors, 3 United States senator,s 30 judges, 100 lawyers, 60 physicians, 75 army and navy officers, 100 preachers and missionaries, 60 authors of prominence, one a vice-president of the United States, 80 became public officials in other capacities, 295 college graduates, among whom were governors of states and ministers to foreign countries.

What should we know?

2009-06-17T11:45:00.002-04:00

This morning I was reading in Ephesians and I was writing a list of the blessings God has given to me in Christ. As I continued in chapter one, I came across Paul's prayer, and there are three things he says he prays that the Ephesians would know:

The hope that God has called us to,
The riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and
The immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.

It's the second one that I want to highlight. In my study Bible, these notes were given:

The "inheritance" here is not the Christian's inheritance but his (God's). This indicates how precious his people are to God. They are, so to speak, what he looks forward to enjoying forever.

Rain City Hymnal

2009-06-16T14:39:00.004-04:00

So, yesterday I downloaded (for free) the Rain City Hymnal CD that Mars Hill Church in Seattle just released. And while it's different, it's growing on me. Most of the melodies have remained the same, but I was introduced to a new hymn as a result of this album. It's called, "We Have Not Known Thee As We Ought." It's powerful and encouraging:

We have not known Thee as we ought,
Nor learned Thy wisdom, grace and power;
The things of earth have filled our thought,
And trifles of the passing hour.
Lord, give us light Thy truth to see,
And make us wise in knowing Thee.

We have not feared Thee as we ought,
Nor bowed beneath Thine awful eye,
Nor guarded deed and word and thought,
Remembering that God was nigh.
Lord, give us faith to know Thee near,
And grant the grace of holy fear.

We have not loved Thee as we ought,
Nor cared that we are loved by Thee;
Thy presence we have coldly sought,
And feebly longed Thy face to see.
Lord, give a pure and loving heart
To feel and know the love Thou art.

We have not served Thee as we ought,
Alas, the duties left undone,
The work with little fervor wrought,
The battles lost or scarcely won!
Lord, give the zeal, and give the might,
For Thee to toil, for Thee to fight.

When shall we know Thee as we ought,
And fear and love and serve aright?
When shall we, out of trial brought,
Be perfect in the land of light?
Lord, may we day by day prepare
To see Thy face and serve Thee there.

- Thomas Pollack, 1889

Trials

2009-05-21T13:16:00.003-04:00

The following is taken from "The Gospel Primer for Christians" by Milton Vincent.

Perspective in Trials

More than anything else I could ever do, the gospel enables me to embrace my tribulations and thereby position myself to gain full benefit from them. For the gospel is the one great permanent circumstance in which I live and move; and every hardship in my life is allowed by God only because it serves His gospel purposes in me. When I view my circumstances in this light, I realize that the gospel is not just one piece of good news that fits into my life somewhere among all the bad. I realize instead that the gospel makes genuinely good news out of every other aspect of my life, including my severest trials. The good news about my trials is that God is forcing them to bow to His gospel purposes and do good unto me by improving my character and making me more conformed to the image of Christ.
Preaching the gospel to myself each day provides a lens through which I can view my trials in this way and see the true cause for rejoicing that exists in them. I can then embrace trials as friends and allow them to do God's good work in me (pp. 31-32, emphasis mine).
----------------------

After a couple of points, the writer puts footnotes where he emphasizes passages of Scripture that go along with his statements. For the bolded statement above, the author highlights Romans 8:28-29, James 1:2-4 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. The passage emphasized in the sentence preceding the bolded statement is Romans 5:1-5.

Opening Eyes Through The Word

2009-04-28T16:18:00.004-04:00

Today I've been awakened to more of the Word, and I want more of it. I feel as though I'm seeing glimmers of light through Scripture, and I pray that the Lord would open my eyes to greater degrees.

I feel what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:18, 27

Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law

Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

What I want to understand more of is the gospel. I want to know the power of Christ and the grace of Christ! After I had read these verses and prayed a little, I heard the words to this song playing on my laptop. I pray that the Lord would grace me more and more by opening my eyes to behold the "wondrousness" of the truths communicated in this song. And, I pray that he would do that as he enables me to seek him through the Word.

Behold Our God

Over land, sky and sea
Over man's great thoughts and dreams
God sits high on His throne
Ruling history.
Nations rage, wars unfold
Men seek power they cannot hold.
God regards their strength with scorn -
Less than nothing.
So when I fear what I don't understand
I'll trust the One who holds the world in His hands.

Behold our God, Sovereign and good
Matchless in power, the King over all the earth
Fear not, my soul. Trust in his plan.
Over all the world, God reigns.
Behold our God!

Over sin's curse on me
Over law's I could not keep
God the Judge has declared all my debt's relieved.
Sin remains close at hand
Pressing in with its demands.
But in my Savior's risen life I find victory.
So when I'm faced with guilt and sin's domain
I'll trust the One who's death has broken my chains!

(from Lu, Sovereign Grace Music)

For Dan

2009-04-27T15:26:00.003-04:00

Because my friend, Dan, said he wanted me to post to my blog, I thought I'd find something to post. I found this a little while back and think it's quite funny.

Out of the Depths

2008-11-25T13:48:00.003-05:00

For a while I've been wrestling with God regarding a theological truth. There are times in my life where these struggles seem to reach a point of intense mental opposition (where Galatians 5:17, or Romans 7, seems to be at a peak in my mind). I must say that I don't prefer these times. They times tend to carry along with them a long of physical, spiritual and mental strain - where I feel as though I cannot bear under the burden of these difficulties. That said, these times are (in some senses) needed in my life.

Last night I explained more to my wife what I was going through. And, our conversation was such a blessing. Tracy displayed so much grace, compassion, truth and wisdom. She challenged me in a way that showed me what faith needs to look like. I am so thankful to God for her!

I'm slowly re-learning (through God's great patience) that I need to exercise faith. This means to take my thoughts captive and fight sin actively and seek to trust God even (and maybe especially) when things do not make sense. So, instead of resorting to worry, I must actively engage in the lifestyle of faith - where I value and depend on who God is and what he says above anything else.

Now, your struggle might be different than mine. You might be facing some horrendously difficult trial. Either way, I hope that you see God's goodness towards you and that you embrace him with all your heart and trust him. "If you can't trace God's hand, trust his heart" (Spurgeon).

Here are some lyrics to a song that are especially encouraging to me, and I hope it is a help to you.

Out of the depths, O Lord, I cry to You
When I am tempted to despair.
And though I have failed to trust Your promises
You never fail to hear my prayer.
And, if you judge my sin, I'd never stand again.
But, I see mercy in Your hands.

So, more than watchmen for the morning,
I will wait for you, my God.
When my fears come with no warning,
In Your Word I put my trust.
When the harvest time is over,
and I still see no fruit,
I will wait. I will wait for You.

The secret mysteries belong to You.
We only know what You reveal.
And all my questions are unresolved
Don't change the wisdom of Your will.
In every trial and loss,
My hope is in the cross -
Where Your compassions never fail.

So, more than watchmen for the morning,
I will wait for you, my God.
When my fears come with no warning,
In Your Word I put my trust.
When the harvest time is over,
and I still see no fruit,
I will wait. I will wait for You.

(from the Psalms CD, Sovereign Grace Music)

Our Hopes Dashed by Perceived "Imperfections"

2008-11-11T15:47:00.001-05:00

Have you ever anticipated something and had that "something" turn out totally different than you had hoped? Have you ever looked up to someone only to find out that that "someone" failed to meet your expectations? Well, that's what has happened to me today in a small and potentially insignificant way; however, I want to take the opportunity to use my situation to help point all three of my readers (including myself) to the right perspective.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a mailing from some Christianesque company that had an advertisement for C.J. Mahaney's book called Worldliness. The advertisement said that the book was free to a certain number of pastors. Almost immediately I went on-line to take advantage of this awesome opportunity since C.J. is a "favorite" of mine. I received the book and put it on the shelf anticipating to read it in the near future.

Well, today I go on-line and read a blogger's analysis of the book. What was this evaluators final analysis? "...it just isn't that good of a book." My basic desired response is one that wants to defend C.J. But, I have to get off of that horse quickly and admit that C.J. isn't perfect. And, maybe this book really isn't the best book. If I remained on the defensive "for C.J.'s sake", I would quickly be in danger because I'd be putting a human on a pedestal that they were never intended to be on. And, I might soon try to eclipse God with a mere man made of dust.

Well, the story doesn't stop here.

I found out that Sovereign Grace Ministries was giving away a new CD compiled all of hymns. Needless to say, I was pretty excited. I like much of what SGM puts out in music form - especially their recent albums. So, I downloaded the CD and began listening.... Again, I was disappointed. Maybe it's because I'm used to the old style of the hymns or maybe I was expecting something more bold. I don't know what the reason is, but I wasn't impressed. As a result, I became more tempted to "judge" SGM.

Isn't that the likely response from someone who has sinfully elevated something? I have come to EXPECT great things from SGM and I didn't get what I wanted. The reality is that when we elevate things in this way, we will only be disappointed. There is a mixture of selfishness, pride, fear of man (and I'm sure a host of other sins) involved in this scenario. And, the only answer to this problem is to always keep God at the forefront and enjoy him above all things - to keep repenting and trusting in Christ as the only great and glorious Savior. Then and only then can we truly appreciate the gifts he's given to us through humans, music, books, etc.

Now, just because I'M not impressed, doesn't mean others won't love the CD. And, just because the blogger didn't like the book on worldliness doesn't mean others won't benefit. All I'm trying to focus on is how we as humans can quickly elevate someone, and we need to be careful that we understand that no person and no ministry is given completely over to perfection. This can give us hope - knowing that we're all in process. And, this knowledge can rebuke us - calling us to always point our attention towards Christ and not to mere humans (no matter how godly those individuals and ministries are).

Salt on the Meat

2008-10-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

During my message on "The Very Human Jesus", I mentioned that in order to be salt in this world that Jesus called us to be, we need to put ourselves on the meat. My point being that we need to befriend "sinners" - like Jesus did.

After the message, I received a lot of positive comments because people in the business world especially have to make difficult decisions with where they go out to eat, who they talk to, etc. This is difficult for them especially because they want to maintain their Christian testimony. A stay-at-home mom told me the week after my message that she said "yes" to taking time to talk with Jehovah's Witnesses. And, another person told me that they were convicted and needed to find some "sinner" friends because she honestly doesn't have any true friends like that.

That said, there were negative comments wondering how far is too far. Would I say that a Christian should walk into a strip club to witness to people? Personally, I think that's too far and definitely taking Jesus' analogy too far. Although, I can understand a person jumping to that conclusion.

Based on my message alone (i.e. - what I said in the message), how did I show that I don't condone participation in sinful activities? Any comments on this?

Also, do you have thoughts as to what might be okay to do? What have you done in order to be more proactive in befriending sinners?

A Child's Mind on the Return of Jesus

2008-10-07T08:33:00.001-04:00

I received the following story this morning from my sister, Kendra.

After the sermon on Sunday, I have been trying to think more about how Jesus is
coming again. So, this morning I announce, "Don't forget. Jesus is
coming SOON." Lily [Kendra's youngest daughter] laughs and says, "He
doesn't have a car!"

The Returning Jesus

2008-10-05T21:38:00.001-04:00

Read Revelation 19:11ff. Is this what you think of when you hear Jesus' prayer, "Let your kingdom come"?

This morning I was able to delve into the final sermon in my four part series on the true, biblical portrait of Jesus. I pray it was challenging, encouraging and enlightening.

Personally, it's been my joy to be able to preach and study the Word in this way. One thing to note - I've heard a lot of people giving me positive comments on the series and I hope that they know the reason why it was so amazing wasn't because of me, but because of the message - Jesus. When Christ is preached, we can't help but be overjoyed as we see him!

The Prophet, Priest and King Jesus

2008-10-01T09:09:00.001-04:00

This past week I was able again to preach on Jesus. The topic was regarding Jesus' roles that he fulfills perfectly - of him being the ultimate prophet, the Great High Priest and the King of kings.

The tone of this message was different than the last two weeks and I think in part that is because of the message of this sermon. There was not as much confrontation in this message. In a sense, this message was more of a Psalm 23 as opposed to Psalm 35 (I think that analogy works).

Either way, this is an important topic for us on a daily basis in how we relate to Jesus. While the tone was different, it's very important that we all meditate on these important truths.

Sermon or Notes

The Very Human Jesus

2008-09-22T11:35:00.001-04:00

I must say that the message I preached yesterday probably received the most responses of any message I've ever preached. Honestly, it was the power of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit because last week was busy, I haven't preached a topical message like that since I was in my pulpit speech class in college and I didn't feel all that comfortable with it (at least in the 1st service).

Although many people want to thank me for allowing God to work through me, I must give honor to my wife. The statement is true that behind every great man is an even greater woman. I believe that's true and I want to thank her for at least a couple of ways she ministered grace to me.

I had a very busy week with sermon preparation and also organizing and leading the largest youth event we have in the year. She graciously took on more in the home while I spent time preparing for these things.
There was at least one part in my sermon that was really challenging. While debating whether or not to say that, and maybe one or two other things (because of fear of man), Tracy said, "Well, is it true?!" Those comments she made really encouraged me and pointed me towards the truth!

Regarding the message itself, I'm thankful to God for Jesus coming as a man. I'm thankful for the truths that come out Jesus' humanity! I hope that you take time to study his humanity. Some good reads on this topic: "Systematic Theology" by Grudem, "Vintage Jesus" by Driscoll, "The Incomparable Christ" by Sanders and last, but most importantly, the Bible! :)

Thanks to all who encouraged me regarding the message. I really appreciate it. It's my joy and to God be the glory!

Christology Series

2008-09-15T11:37:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday, I preached my first message in a series of four on various aspects of Jesus. My series title is Vintage Jesus - taken from the book by that name written by Mark Driscoll.

This past Sunday I was able to preach on Philippians 2:5-11 and focus on the unbelievable humility of Jesus. Many people said it was impacting and I pray the Holy Spirit continues to move in people's lives regarding Jesus and his work.

My main desire is that we all would live out this mantra of Paul's: For I decided to know nothing among you exceptJesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). If we truly focus on him and his accomplishments at the cross, we will be continualy transformed from one degree of glory to another - delighting in all that God is (2 Cor. 3:18)!

Audio or Text

Haitian Slavery

2008-09-09T10:25:00.001-04:00

As many of you may know, I spent one week in Haiti on a missions trip, and God continues to remind me of Haiti through a hurricane and even a blog post by a man I respect - John Piper.

This post shares a quotation from a book on child slavery in Haiti. You can read the section below, but I want to take a moment to comment on the final statistic of the quote. The writer states that 400,000 children are child-slaves (restavéks - the Creole term) in Haiti. That number to me is almost unfathomable!

It's unfathomable for many reasons:

1. Haiti, as a nation, largely has its roots in slavery. Here is a country that has never truly understood how to live like free people and even though they became free themselves, they are now following the same pursuits as their persecutors of ages past. (By the way, this can be an example for Christians of how we are freed slaves. We no longer have to follow the pursuit of sin, but our flesh still wages war on us and we so often continue to go to the past instead of realizing and embracing our total freedom in Christ.)

2. The population of Haiti is only 8.3 million. So, about 5% of the population of Haiti are slaves. If you look at other estimates, that would be about 10% of all children. And, if you take the 2002 number of 400,000, that is roughly half the population of Cap Haitien - which is the second largest city in all of Haiti. It is also ten times the population of Holland, MI. This slavery is sin - against the very nature of God and I pray that it disgusts us all and leads us to some type of action - no matter how "small" it may be.

Honestly, I don't know what a full solution to this problem would look like, but I definitely hope that we would be praying for this situation. This past weekend I watched (for the first time) the movie Amazing Grace, and I pray that Christians around the world would stand up against these injustices in a way that glorifies God. Would you pray about this situation in Haiti and be open to how God moves in your heart?

For more information, read this commend from the Desiring God Blog:

He [Doug Nichols] writes: “Let me share a few paragraphs from the recent book A Crime So Monstrous, by Benjamin Skinner:
…[Slaves] are everywhere. Assuming that this is your
first trip to Haiti, you won't be able to identify them. But to a
lower-middle-class Haitian, their status is 'written in blood.' Some
are as young as three or four years old. But they'll always be the
small ones, even if they're older. The average fifteen-year-old child
slave is 1.5 inches shorter and 40 pounds lighter than the average free
fifteen-year-old. They may have burns from cooking for their overseer's
family over an open fire; or scars from beatings, sometimes in public,
with the martinet, electrical cables, or wood switches. They wear
faded, outsized castoffs, and walk barefoot, in sandals or, if they are
lucky, oversized shoes...
[Y]ou may see their tiny necks and delicate skulls
straining as they tote five-gallon buckets of water on their heads
while navigating broken glass and shattered roads.

These are the restavéks, the 'stay-withs,' (child slaves) as they are
euphemistically known in Creole. Forced, unpaid, they work from before
dawn until deep night. The violence in their lives is unyielding. These
are the children who won't look into your eyes. (-6)
Nationwide the number of restavéks ballooned from 109,000
in 1992 to 300,000, or one in ten Haitian children, in 1998, to 400,000
in 2002."

Was Jesus Funny?

2008-09-05T07:39:00.001-04:00

If you get the opportunity, I'd HIGHLY recommend watching this video by Mark Driscoll. He discusses the fact that Jesus used sarcasm/jokes in order to prove points. He also recommends a book about Jesus being "funny."

Was Jesus Funny?

Originality....

2008-08-28T14:46:00.001-04:00

Okay; so, a friend of mine says that I would be a great blogger especially while using other people's posts. What does that mean?!

Maybe today I should prove that I can be a great blogger despite the usage of other people's blog notes.

This morning I read the story of Jacob and Esau (and how Jacob deceived his father into giving him Esau's blessing). I found this text interesting for a couple of reasons:

1. Esau must have been very hairy for Jacob to have deceived Isaac into thinking he was Esau simply by putting animal fur on his neck, hands and arms. YIKES!

But, on a more serious note.

2. God had told Isaac that the older (Esau) was going to serve the younger (Jacob) at birth. Why was Isaac so persistent in blessing his son - potentially against the command of God?

3. Was Rebekah trying to work God's will through her sinful methods? Meaning, did she know that Jacob was supposed to be blessed and Isaac was blinded by his favoritism as a father? Hence, she did a wrong thing to get the right outcome?

4. Either way, God used deception to bring about good - which just shows that no matter what comes across God's path, he will NEVER be thwarted. His plan of the redemption of humankind through Christ was planned before the foundation of the world and God won't let us tiny creatures thwart what only he can do. AMEN!!

Those are a couple of thoughts regarding my Bible study this morning. Let me know your thoughts. Keep looking to Christ!

A Good Blogger? - "My sweet Lord: Top ten religious treats"

2008-08-27T15:19:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm coming up with all these posts now. Maybe I'm going to be a good blogger someday.... :)

Anyway, I came across the following article from Faith Central. I can't believe what I see here. Honestly, it makes me sick that Christians market the cross in all different ways. Focus on the gospel. Live life for God's glory and enjoy the "secular" candy!

Let me know your thoughts as you peruse these so-called "Christian" treats.

Click HERE to go to the actual link.
April 30, 2008

My sweet Lord: Top ten religious treats

Joanna writes: Scripture candy and Bible bonbons - were these what King Soloman was talking about when he wrote

"Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is
filled with gravel" - Proverbs 20 v 17? Decide for yourselves with our
list of the top ten religious treats available.

These soft peppermint puffs allow you to learn a verse while sucking on a mint.

The seven foods of Deuteronomy, Wheat, Barley, Raisins, Honey, Figs,
Pomegranates, Olive Oil, are packed into this Bible Bar providing
"nutrition God's way".

Pass on the word with these breath fresheners wrapped in Biblical text

Or chew over some scripture with Biblegum

You can reach the world one ~~cavity~~ piece at a time with these Heart pops encased in scripture.

David, Samson and Moses rule over a jelly bean tube each

This peanut bar is "inspired by scripture" its name perhaps is less well thought through

The sacred cross dipped in synthetic sugar

Assuage your guilt by indulging in this God is Love Chocolate

And these don't even look appetizing

Haiti

2008-08-26T17:13:00.000-04:00

A little over a month ago, I had the opportunity to go to Haiti and minister to orphans and a missionary family. While there I was able to see poverty at almost it's worse. Today I was told that there was hurricane activity around Haiti (if you want more info, click HERE). In some ways we might think, "Just when it couldn't get worse, it does." And, in some cases, that statement is true. But, I need to remind myself that God is always faithful to his children and even uses these types of circumstances to glorify his glorious name. Isn't that amazing? He takes the sins and hard circumstances and transforms them into something beautiful.

With that knowledge, would you pray for Haiti today? They've been struck a hard blow today with the hurricane. Would you pray that they would truly repent and rely on Christ for their hope and life? Would you pray that God would use this hurricane to bring thousands to himself?

Just to get a taste of what we saw, I recommend you visit one of our team-members facebook pages, if you can. There, the orphan children sing, "Blessed Be Your Name." May the words of these song ring even more true during these circumstances!

The Idol Factory

2008-08-25T12:44:00.001-04:00

Well, I can officially say that I'm not a good blogger. Maybe it's taken me a while to realize that I am simply not going to be good at it, but today I will shout to the hilltops, "I AM NOT GOOD AT BLOGGING!"

Alright, that said, I am going to move on and try another post.... :)

This past Sunday I was able to preach again. Honestly, it was good for me to preach again. This summer has been extremely busy for me with missions trips and a large children's outreach program.

A couple of weeks ago, while on vacation, I realized what I believe God wanted me to preach. He wanted me to preach on idolatry. Thankfully I have already talked on that in youth ministry and I already had resources to help me with this. But, it still took a while to prepare. But, God is faithful (as he always is).

I preached the message in both our services and I believe God used it to reach into people's lives. I don't know if you're struggling with specific sins dogging you, but if you are able, would you take the opportunity to download this message on our hearts being idol factories (or find another message on idolatry), and let this topic ruminate in your soul for a while?

Sick, Tired & Blessed

2008-07-16T14:55:00.003-04:00
I returned home from Haiti almost four days ago! My welcome home present was basically montezuma's revenge!!! (sorry to gross you out)

Anyway, even though I got sick and even though I was tired and sweaty in Haiti, I am immensely blessed. I have way more than I deserve and I hope that I'm more thankful for it today than I was two weeks ago. I could go on and on about the trip via blog, but I only want to take a moment to share this one concept:

People can survive on much less than we think! Before you use the word "need" in the future, think twice. Is it really a "need"? And, since we can survive (and probably even thrive) on less than we have today, how could you maximize your stuff for the glory of God?

"Seek first the Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." ~ Jesus

Been A While And MUCH STUFF!

2008-07-03T09:36:00.000-04:00
Well, I don't have too much time to post today; however, I wanted to make sure that all you faithful blog readers (are there any of you out there?) know what is going on in my world.

Over the past few weeks, I've had the joy of being able to minister alongside many teens in our church as we work with the poor communities in our hometown and also in Chicago. These have been great times of learning and growth and I'm praying that there would be much fruit in all the people who participated in these "trips."

But, tomorrow begins one of the most adventurous journeys of my life. And, again, it's mostly with teens. Tomorrow I'm leaving for Haiti. As most of you probably know, Haiti is the only 3rd World country in the Western Hemisphere. While there, we will be helping orphans and also doing construction projects. It's going to be an exciting, challenging and exhausting time, I'm sure. Would you please pray for us?

- That we would be humble all the time in order to receive even more of God's grace
- That we would be teachable at all times
- That we would be more unified as a team
- That the teens would take leadership roles themselves
- That we would make it to Haiti and back safely
- That we would actively seek to glorify Christ in everything that we do

Thank you for those who are praying! We really need it.

The Ramifications of Na

2008-05-29T10:16:00.004-04:00
I'm back from Na and boy do I need God's grace. Instead of depending more on a spiritual "high", I feel a great chasm between my desire and ability and God's greatness. That's a good thing, but it's also painful and hard. So, I confess that the ramifications of New Attitude are huge because I feel my need for God even more.

- I need God's grace to grow.
- I need God's grace to pursue him.
- I need God's grace to love the Word more.
- I need God's grace to enable me to fight for faith.
- I need God's grace to see him as my great Father.

This conference was enriching and helpful, and I know God is working in my life as a result of this conference since his word never returns void. For those of you contemplating New Attitude in the future, just go! It's worth the sacrifice and time spent.

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. May God be glorified!

New Attitude Conference '08

2008-05-27T09:14:00.002-04:00
WAAAA WAAAA WAAAA!!!!! Why? Why is it almost over?!

I guess this couldn't last forever. All that to say, this is my final post for this trip. We are soon to be checking out of the hotel and then we're going to be on our way to our final session with C.J. Mahaney. Please be praying for us that the Spirit applies all of this Truth and that we take the Word more seriously from this point onward.

Thanks for your prayers and interest in the postings.

Farewell!

New Attitude Conference '08 Session #7: John Piper

2008-05-26T22:32:00.005-04:00
Honestly, there's too much to write down regarding Piper's message tonight.... For notes, you can go to the New Attitude Website.

This message was an honest and helpful approach to fighting the fight of faith! Everyone should listen to this and hear Piper's heart.

Below are more pictures...

New Attitude Conference '08 Sessions #3 - 6: Al Mohler, CJ Mahaney, Eric Simmons & John Piper

2008-05-26T17:20:00.003-04:00
Whoa, I definitely cannot give an overview of each of these messages, but let me say that the conference is growing in its impact. I have personally been learning more about worship and the value of the Word! This has been a challenging/encouraging time for me personally, and I hope the same for all the teens.

Prayer Requests
That the Holy Spirit would speak through John Piper as he preaches again tonight
That the Holy Spirit would overpower any sleepiness and other distractions
That the Holy Spirit would reach deep into all of our hearts to grow our faith and repentance
Quotes/Paraphrases from Mohler's session:
Revelation is God forfeiting his own personal privacy so that his sinful creatures might know him.
The Law is important to show us our need of grace
...from CJ Mahaney's session on Psalm 42:
The psalmist doesn't constantly evaluate the state of his soul, he interrupts himself.
Troubled souls become hopeful souls when we sing truth to our soul.
"When we cannot trace God's hand, we must trust his heart." ~ Spurgeon
The psalmist felt forsaken by God. The Savior was forsaken by God.
...from Eric Simmons session from 2 Timothy 3:14-17:
If you love Christ, you will love the Word. If you are bored with the Word, maybe it's because you find Jesus to be boring.
The Word will not submit to my idolatry, but by God's grace it will reveal my idolatry.
When God breathes, life happens.
We easily forget the mission of God through the gospel when we focus on the day-to-day stuff of life.
Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed!
...from John Piper's session on the life of William Tyndale:

This session was simply convicting an so challenging (in a great way). I saw, in a more personal way, how I should value the Word. There's honestly too much to type about this message. But, if you're interested in listening to this one (or any of the other ones), you can download it on the New Attitude Website.

Just some fun pictures

2008-05-26T09:36:00.005-04:00

Justin & TiKayla getting C.J.'s signature
SERIOUSLY, this is the lunch line for the three (maybe four) restaurants in this area....

You've gotta love Elisha's hair. :)

New Attitude Conference '08 Session #2: Mark Dever

2008-05-25T13:59:00.002-04:00
Before I talk about the session, just want to make sure you all know that I'll put up pictures at a later post....

The Reliability and Authority of Scriptures

I personally thought this message was wonderful! Mark Dever clearly explained God's preservation of His Word and how the Word is authoritative and reliable.

Main Question: What do you believe about the authority of the Scriptures?

Proposition: Christianity is based on Truth about the gospel of Jesus.

Instead of me giving you more overview of the message, I'll just give you some quotes/thoughts from the message:

1. The authors of Scripture, over and over, have great concern for historical accuracy.... God is a God of Truth and is concerned about historical accuracy.
2. Just because I don't know everything, doesn't mean I don't know anything.
3. Bible study is one of the main ways we get hope!
4. There are mysterious, active things that happen to us whenever we read the Scriptures (Heb. 4:12)
5. If I am a disciple of Christ, I must treat the Scriptures as Jesus treats them!

New Attitude Video (waiting)

2008-05-25T08:15:00.000-04:00

New Attitude Conference '08 Session #1: Joshua Harris

2008-05-25T00:34:00.000-04:00

Title: "Ripping, Burning and Eating"

This evening we had our first session. The excitement level was high and we raced to find good seats. Needless to say, we found some pretty good seats. The worship was wonderfully God-focused and the message was challenging and a great kick-off to the conference.

The basic question that was asked during this session was, "What is your attitude towards God's Word?" The challenge was that we should respond logically and emotionally positive towards God's Word (i.e. - if I say that the Bible is from God, then I should revere the words of Scripture and respond accordingly whenever I read the Scriptures).

Joshua Harris exhorted us by using three examples from Scripture (two positive, one negative) on how to respond to the Word.

1. Josiah (2 Kings 22) - when Josiah was confronted with the Scriptures, he tore his robes and repented. God granted forgiveness and Josiah followed the Lord all the days of his life.

2. Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36) - Josiah's son who didn't follow his father's footsteps. When confronted with the Word, he burned each page.

3. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15:16) - Jeremiah, during a time of complaining, basically says that the only place he finds hope is in the Word. When he found the Scriptures, he "ate" them.

Below are some quotes that I thought were convicting and encouraging:

Subtle Ways We "Burn" God's Word:
1) Through ignoring it
2) Through ignoring parts of it for application (ex: focusing on passages of hope and neglecting passages that mention God's righteous anger)
3) Through how we listen to God's Word preached (ex: we focus more on the person preaching than we do the words of God being proclaimed)

Truths From Jeremiah 15:
1) God's Word meets us right where we are
2) Delighting in God's Word is sometimes something we must fight for
3) We don't love God's Word so that we can earn a standing before God. We love God's Word because he's given us a standing before him (v. 19)

2008-05-24T10:57:00.000-04:00

Well, as you can see, we were able to spend some time with Pastor Mark and his family as we were on our way to Louisville, KY.

Our trip was uneventful, but definitely enjoyable. We left the church around 12:15 p.m. and arrived at the Galt House Hotel around 9:30 p.m.

Our rooms are great, and all the guys (right now) are just relaxing in the room. We'll be taking it easy during the day today to help keep us energized for the conference.

This afternoon we'll be signing in for the conference and this evening the first session with Josh Harris begins at 7:30!!!

For an overview of the conference, click HERE.

Mother's Day Fears

2008-05-15T15:13:00.003-04:00
I preached this past Sunday's Mother's Day message and I have to admit that I approached it with some fear and trepidation. Let me explain....

Think about the more common Mother's Day messages that you might have heard in the past. The message usually seems to be something like this: "Mom's, you're great! You do so many great things. Way to go, moms!" Many times the mother's day messages - at least in my recollection - target the mom's at the expense of magnifying God's glory primarily. So, this Sunday, I preached a message that was different. Not that I didn't encourage mom's and lift them up as integral and valuable in Christ's Kingdom, but I preached from a different point of view - the point of view that all messages must be preached from - Christ being central and God's glory being the aim.

It was interesting how I had moms talk before this past Sunday about how mother's day messages are usually so trivial, and how they wanted more. That encouraged me, but I still was concerned. I felt like I was going to convict them too much (or unnecessarily). But, God is gracious. I preached the message from Titus 2 and I believe God was glorified. Here's one response that I received from a mom:

I just wanted to encourage you and tell you how much I appreciated the message you gave out of Titus.... I was encouraged greatly as a mom and challenged, too. You didn't say anything so fluffy and nice for mothers, but taught from God's Word and focused on God being the One to get the glory. I appreciate that so much. Thank you.
The encouragement to all of you: always preach with Christ-centeredness and for God's glory! In the end, everyone who hears with faith will be truly satisfied! This one response was only that - one response. I had many more even from men. The fact of the matter is that we need not be afraid to speak the truth. We need to be bold in the proclamation of truth for the glory of God - even, and especially, when it relates to mom's, dad's, husband's, wives and children.

So, keep proclaiming Christ ensuring that God's glory is the aim of preaching by the power of the Spirit!

"Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness to me in granting me clarity of speech and passion for you. Without you, I wouldn't have gone the direction I did. But, thank you, Jesus! And, thank you that you will continue to teach me and other pastors about the value of your Word and it proclaimed accurately to the people around us."

The Sermon Stint

2008-04-14T13:03:00.002-04:00
Yesterday I preached my third week at my home church. I preached on Counting the Cost (from Acts 5:17-32).

As I reflect on the messages that God gave me and the process that I went through in putting those sermons together, I am reminded of some key truths concerning preaching. I hope that this will be an encouragement to your soul, too.

1. God gives great strength to those who preach the Word when they truly study the Word. This is a great reminder to all pastors to be truly seeking God in the Word and seeking to have him minister his grace to you as you hear his voice through the pages of Scripture. Note the key point: you must be "hearing" (studying). God's Word is a means of grace to his children. Don't take it lightly. Study it with intensity and fervor and rely on God to change your own heart through this process first.

2. When depending on God, you "loose yourself" while preaching. This doesn't mean have some out of body experience. What I mean by this is that you should be so focused on God and his glory that you are not worrying about your next line of argument or how good your illustration is going to be. "Loose yourself" in God means to be primarily and solely focused on him throughout the time you're preaching. Fear (worship, adore) God, not man.

3. When the Word is preached rightly, you encourage your own soul even though you're preaching to others. In a sense, it's not just that you're preaching to others. You are God's mouthpiece. He's using you to communicate his truth to everyone (including you).

Sermons

2008-04-08T17:27:00.002-04:00
Just wanted to let all of you know that I've been (and will be) preaching more often at my church. As a result, I wanted to post the most recent sermons. Last week I spoke on Acts 5:12-16 and on March 31st, I spoke on the story of Ananias and Sapphira. I will also be speaking this Sunday on Acts 5:17-32. If you could pray for me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

If you want to listen to either messages, you can click HERE (for Ananias and Sapphira) or HERE (for the text on Miracles and Fellowship).

Why do you praise God?

2008-03-10T15:42:00.004-04:00
These are some thoughts I've been having. If you can, give me your thoughts on this....

I was recently talking with one of the other pastors at my church and he told me about an encounter he had with another individual regarding a certain song. The song is entitled "That's Why We Praise Him." Some of the lyrics are below:

He came to live, live a perfect life
He came to be the living Word, our light
He came to die, so we'd be reconciled
He came to rise to show His power and might

And that's why we praise Him, that's why we sing
That's why we offer Him our everything
That's why we bow down and worship this King
'Cause He gave His everything
'Cause He gave His everything

The person's comments were interesting and thought-provoking. This individual had said that the song does not give a good enough reason for why we praise God. This individual said that the greatest reason we praise God is because He's God. Basically this man was saying that we don't praise God because of what He does. We praise God because of his ultimate right to be praised.

While I agree that God has the right to be praised because he alone is God, I don't fully agree with the person's statement. My first response is to run to the Scriptures where John says that we love God because He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19).

The fact is that I don't believe a religion simply because it claims that it leads me towards deity. I believe the true religion that teaches about an infinitely great and infinitely good God. I do agree that God uses creation to point us to the fact that there is a Creator. However, to say that I worship God because of his position is not enough. That statement doesn't define who or what God is like. And, you cannot separate him from his character and his actions.

For example, my wife could say that she enjoys the fact that I'm her husband, but what does that mean? Would she say that she enjoys me if I was a tyrannical husband who beat her? I would imagine not. In the same way, would you praise God if he were a mean, devil-like being? Probably not. The reason my wife enjoys and loves me is because I exemplify character traits and do things that bring joy to her heart. In the same way, the reason I enjoy the fact that God is my God is not simply because he's the Creator. I enjoy the fact that God is my God because he is the source of all things and I can take ultimate pleasure in him!

So, let me ask you something. Why do you praise God? Do you only praise him because he's the Creator and he deserves it (is that really praise)? Or do you know him at a more personal level? Has God changed you from the inside out and given you a deeper and more profound appreciation not only for his greatness, but also for God's goodness?

In closing, here's a quote from John Calvin (from Institutes of Christian Religion, 1.2.1)

...it will not suffice simply to hold that there is One whom all ought to honor and adore, unless we are also persuaded that he is the fountain of every good, and that we must seek nothing elsewhere than in him.... Thus we may learn to await and seek all these things from him, and thankfully to ascribe them, once received, to him. For this sense of the powers of God is for us a fit teacher of piety, from which religion is born. I call 'piety' that reverence joined with love of God which the knowledge of his benefits induces. For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by his fatherly care, that he is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond him - they will never yield him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to him (emphasis mine).

Piper on Suffering and the True Gospel

2008-02-29T13:07:00.002-05:00
I recently came across this video. Every time I watch this it brings tears to my eyes. May the truth in this video lead you to greater repentance and may your faith grow so that you will pursue Christ with greater vigilance.

New Attitude Conference '08

2008-01-30T14:46:00.000-05:00
I cannot wait for this conference. I went to it last year as was blessed in innumerable ways. This year it's my hope to bring several new and "old" teens to the conference. The video below is last year's promo. video, but I think it does a great job expressing the heart of Na. For more information visit the New Attitude website.

Huckabee's Christmas Ad

2007-12-18T16:50:00.000-05:00
Watch this. Seems refreshing to me. While some people think that Huckabee is "using Jesus", I can't help but think he knew this was going to bring him flack and he was willing to do this anyway. So, instead of being pessimistic, I choose optimism. Hope you do, too.

The Dangerous and the Deluded

2007-11-26T09:59:00.000-05:00
This past Sunday, I preached in our morning services. I spoke on Matthew 7:15-23. This is an intense passage - scary and comforting at the same time.

I trust that it would be a spiritual benefit for you. If you're interested in the sermon, you can either read the notes or listen to the sermon on-line.

Interesting Stuff

2007-11-08T11:04:00.001-05:00
The Local Church: Take a look at the New Attitude Website for the new "series" they're doing on the local church. I'd encourage you to listen to the message they recommend, too. It's convicting and refreshing!

Movie: Bella: Have you heard of this new movie? Their website gives basically all the information you'll need. One of the actors was interviewed on Family Life Today. And, there's a good review of this on therebelution.com. For a background of the movie, click HERE. Below is a trailer of the movie. (Hopefully I'll get a chance to watch this movie soon. Let me know if you go see it).

Free Switchfoot: Not sure if you're a switchfoot fan, but if you are, they are giving away a free song. Read the article. They're trying to collect money for the recent homes that were destroyed by the fires in California.

Living Theology

2007-11-05T11:57:00.000-05:00
This is a recent blog post that I found (the link to the original post is in the title). I hope it is encouraging to your heart!

I have read about and heard of people who cringe at the idea of ‘studying’ God, as if learning theology is clinical, like some kind of divine autopsy. But Scripture consistently calls us to grow in our study and knowledge of God and says there is an important connection between what we know about God and how we should live.

I recently spoke at a retreat entitled – "The Ology." The idea was that of all our learning, studying and knowing God is most critical to all of life. God is the most important thing we can study, the most important "ology". In 2 Timothy 4, Paul presents this as he talks about the importance of “being trained” in “good doctrine." He directly connects theology to growing in godliness. Theology is not just book knowledge or head knowledge, it is heart and life knowledge. It is not just about what you know about God, but living in a way that is dictated by what you know. In their book, Let the Reader Understand, Dan McCartney and Charles Clayton say, “Doctrine has not been known properly until it has been lived out.” Wayne Grudem agrees in his definition of Systematic Theology when he says, “Defining Systematic Theology to include 'what the whole Bible teaches us today' implies that application to life is a necessary part of the proper pursuit of systematic theology (emphasis mine).” For Paul, having “good doctrine” is important because it causes us to grow in godliness – it affects the way we live.

Then in the familiar passage to not allow people to look down on Timothy’s youth, Paul calls him (and us) to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim 4:12). Paul says when we believe rightly it should cause us to live in such a way that we are examples to other believers. There should not be anyone looking down on us because of our age, but rather they should find themselves impressed, challenged, encouraged, and inspired by our speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. Paul is telling Timothy that even though he is young, his pursuit of God and passion for the Savior should be an example for those around him. And, in like manner our pursuit of God and passion for the Savior should be an example for those around us.

I see this everyday in the college students I serve.

Colin is a guy I know who is determined to spend time daily in the scriptures to study hard and know God. When I see him lead a morning prayer meeting on campus at 7am every Wednesday, I know he is not just doing it because he is a morning person. He knows that in the gospel, Christ has not only redeemed him but given him access to the Father in prayer. He knows God gives us prayer as an essential part of life and that God will answer our prayers (1 Thes 5:16-18; John 14:13). And so he prays and leads others to pray. When he takes a few hours on a Tuesday evening going out on campus to specifically start conversations about the gospel, it is not because he is finished all of his studying or has nothing better to do. He knows that eternity is at stake for students on the campus of West Chester University—that Christ died to save them in their rebellion and that hearing the Gospel can bring them from death to life (Rom 1:16-18; 2:5; 5:8 ;1 Cor 1:17-24). He does these things because of what he knows about God!

Another guy, Mike, has done a great job of honoring his Dad as he makes decisions about everything from jobs to school to how to spend his free time. As Mike looks at the gospel he realizes that Christ’s death for his sin frees him to honor God by honoring his father and provides him with the grace to do so. Even when his Dad’s perspective has differed from what Mike was hoping, it has not only been Mike’s keen sense of humor that has helped him to cope. Mike has also been able to see how his heart, though free from the dominion of sin, is still influenced by remaining sin. Knowing this helps him to seek God’s grace to be humble and receive input from his dad. This has served Mike all the more in his relationship with his girlfriend as he is not only open to his own father’s perspective, but also the thoughts and perspective of his girlfriend’s father.

Eszter is an au pair from Hungry. As she grown in her understanding and experience of the gospel, she sees how Christ’s blood has purchased her to be included among the people of God. Becoming more involved in her local church, she is constantly telling me how she finds joy in the word of God preached, in her friendships and in seeking to serve. Because coming to America can be a big adjustment, Eszter is often contacted by other au pairs who are moving to the Philadelphia area. What Eszter has learned about God in the gospel gets lived out not only in her own involvement, but in her enthusiasm to bring other au pairs to experience the same thing. Because she knows God has called her to be part of a local body of Christians, she wants others to experience the blessings of this kind of community.

Like so many other students I serve, what Colin, Mike and Eszter have learned in studying God (theology) has affected the way that they live (i.e. prayer, submission to parents, commitment to a local church). And this is an example to me and to our whole church!

The same needs to be true in every area of our lives: the way we run after godliness, the way we choose entertainment, the way we serve a friend, the things we say or don’t say, the way we give money or time to help those who are hungry, or sick or in need. How we live must be rooted in what we know about God. Knowing God will affect the way we live. Getting to know God is not about performing a divine autopsy; rather, it is the Living God making Himself known to us and then changing us by his grace to live out what we know. Study hard.
_______

Joseph Stigora serves Covenant Fellowship Church as the College-Age Pastor as well as by overseeing music and leading worship.

Prayer and Praising

2007-10-23T15:26:00.000-04:00
In order to continue to let you in on my personal, spiritual growth, I'm making yet another post.
The past few months have been interesting in my relationship with Christ - times of dryness and laziness and fighting and struggling. Yet, the Lord continues to be faithful. I can be completely confident that "he who began a good work in [me] will bring it to completion" (Phil. 1:6).

This morning was a pretty usual morning. I entered my prayer time realizing my sin and how I needed God to help me. I sought forgiveness first and then went on. You know how it is sometimes. You just start praying - saying words but you don't really know what you're saying because you're mind isn't behind it. Thankfully, by God's grace, I caught myself and re-focused. In the course of my prayers (I can say this now) the Lord gave me a phrase to begin every request. The phrase was "Praise Your Name in...." It's interesting how that phrase totally oriented my attention on the right things. At that moment, I began to see my prayer life not as just a list of things to pray for - as so many people view prayer to be. Instead, when I prayed that phrase, I was helped to realize that I'm praying for God's glory to be known by all in all circumstances of life. I was praying for Him to be exalted in all my prayer requests. Through this phrase, my prayers took a turn for the better. I went from having my mind disengaged to realizing the utter importance and vital nature of my prayers at that time. I went from viewing prayers as something that focuses around me and others to something that focuses on the beauty and majesty of the great God that I get to serve. I went from being lethargic in my prayers to being enthusiastic. And, all this happened because God reminded me that I must be praying for His glory to be known by all in all things.

In reality, isn't that just how we're commanded to pray (not that we are required to say the phrase "praise your name in...', but that we must be seeking His glory first)? When we read in Scripture that we are to pray in Jesus' name, doesn't that actually mean that we are to pray in the power and for the glory of Jesus? Yes, it does.

So, I encourage all of you with my personal experience today - move forward in your prayer life. If you're struggling, fighting or lazy in your relationship with Christ, pray! Pray that God would be praised in and through your life. Pray that He would help you to see that His glory is the ultimate aim of life. And know that even in your prayers He wants to fill you with His fullness as you delight in all that He is and all that He promises to do!

Praise His Name!

Willow Creek Repents?

2007-10-18T15:19:00.001-04:00
The following is an article on Christianity Today's blog regarding Willow Creek and their discipleship process. Hybels says that their church has made a mistake and they need to re-think their ministry model.

The article is fascinating, and I'd also recommend that you listen to the video clip by their executive pastor and also Hybels himself.

While I'm not sure I totally agree with Hybels conclusion on what they think is going to "fix" the problem, I do think that what is happening here is a very positive thing!

2007-10-11T09:49:00.000-04:00
I've seen this particular skit multiple times now and it still brings me to tears. I hope that it points you to Christ also!

Prayer/Desperation

2007-09-25T10:21:00.000-04:00
(a repost from early this year)

The Scriptures say that we must pray without ceasing. God tells us that prayer is our communication to Him, our communion with Him, and that He always listens. I don't know about you, but my tendency is to become despondent - looking at myself more than Christ. There's a certain aspect of that tendency that's good in that I'm constantly reminded of my need of a Savior. With that tendency and other circumstances in my life, I've seen more of a need to pray.

Faith's most primary outworking is prayer. If you have strong faith, you'll have a strong prayer life. If your prayer life is weak, your faith is the same. Calvin once said, "...learn that true faith is only that which brings forth prayer to God; for it cannot be but that he who has tasted the goodness of God will ever by prayer seek the enjoyment of it" (Calvin's Commentaries, Romans 10:14).

We must be driven to our knees before God - not to try to prove to Him that we love Him. Instead, we must go to Him because He loves us and He delights in communion with His children. Hence we delight in communing with Him.

Do you believe He'll answer your prayers?
Do you believe He'll do exceeding abundantly above all that you could ask or think?
Do you believe He cares for you?
Do you believe He'll change you as you seek His face?

Seek the Lord. Be bold. Cast your cares on Him. When you fail, trust Christ and run to God.

Praise the Lord for His everlasting mercy and grace. While we're children of the King, and our prayers probably sound more like the googoo gaga's of children, God still calls us to draw near to Him. He'll change you through your relationship with Him. Run to the basics. Run to the Truth. Glorify God.

God's Grace and Creation (modified from Mar 22, 2006 post)

2007-08-23T15:46:00.000-04:00

These pictures give us a view of Hayden Lake (the lake where Tracy's grandma owns property). Isn't it beautiful? I can't imagine someone really looking at creation and thinking about either denying the existence or even the capability of the God who created all of this, can you? Take some time to ponder on creation and how awesome it is then give me your thoughts (based on the Bible) on why people reject the Creator (hint: read Romans 1)....

Thinking of this picture reminds me of one of my favorite hymns. I'll type out two of the stanzas.

"Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy pow'r thro'out the universe displayed. (chorus) Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my sou, my Savior God, to Thee; How great Thou art! How great Thou art! And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. (chorus) Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee; How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my sou, my Savior God, to Thee; How great Thou art! How great Thou art!"

God's Judgment

2007-08-02T10:08:00.000-04:00
I am currently studying the book of Romans. And, I'm trying to do this slowly - savoring words or phrases that God brings to my attention. This morning I was thinking about how I haven't savored Romans 2 like I did the beginning of Romans 1. I knew why. It's because Romans 2 talks so much about judgment. I personally didn't see anything "savory" about the judgment of God. So, this morning, I decided that I would look to God's perfection as I read Romans 2, and this morning I savored specific things from this chapter that I hope will also be an encouragement to you.

"...you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed" (Rom. 2:5b, ESV).

Think about the phrase "righteous judgment". When you think of God's judgment, what emotion does that evoke in you? Fear? Anger? Joy? Most people would probably tend towards the first two choices. But, think about the original phrase again. Paul says that God's judgment is righteous. All conservative Christians would agree with that statement, but I wonder if they sincerely delight in that truth.

Here is some help in understanding this phrase:

When the Word tells us that the Father's judgment is righteous that means that it is perfect, holy and satisfying. When people are judged and sent to Hell for all eternity, while there might be tears running down God's cheeks (so-to-speak; Ez. 18:23), He will also be satisfied because of His judgment was pronounced in ultimate perfection. And, we saints will also rejoice in the God who executes judgment righteously. On that day, we might have tears with the Father, but we will also praise the One Who knows all and does righteously. There will not be one person on that day who says, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Take comfort in that fact.

I trust that knowing this will drive you to the cross of Christ - realizing that you (and this whole world) deserves God's wrath, but instead grants grace to those who trust in His perfect righteousness on their behalf.

Dear Lord, if it wasn't for Christ, Your righteous judgment would be against me. I would be storing up wrath for myself thinking that your patience is a license to sin. But, because of Your great grace, you have lifted me up to be in Christ. Thank You. And, Lord, thank You for allowing me to also rejoice in the way You execute judgment. You are truly the only righteous One, and I praise You for blessing me in Christ.

The Love of God

2007-07-02T11:17:00.000-04:00

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Romans 1:7

Last week I wrote about the great grace of God working out an obedience with which God is satisfied.

This week I want to focus on one phrase: "loved by God". This verse clearly shows us that there is a special love that God has for those who are saints. While we would agree that God displays love to all humanity, we must also admit that God's love varies depending on the people. Here's an example of this in our own lives: you might be able to say that you love everyone in this world; however, you love your parents, wife, or children more than the person down the street. Now, you would certainly not say that your love for the person down the street is defective simply because you love your spouse or parents more than he or she. This type of varied love is natural.

God displays similar love. And, as you're reading this post, I'm wanting to focus your heart on the Father's love towards those who believe. This love is so grand love that it enraptures His children and radically changes their entire being.

1 John 4:19 says, "We love because he first loved us" (ESV). Let us not dare think that we are the initiators in a relationship with God. No, in fact, God, out of His great love, initiated our relationship. If He hadn't begun our relationship, if it were left to the saints to initiate, we'd still be reveling in our sin. And, despite our deserving eternal, holy wrath, God decided to display His love towards us.

So, we not only experience a loving pity that God displays to the entire world, but we also experience all the benefits and blessings of being in the family of God. We are loved as a friend and child. We are adopted and that can never be revoked.

To say you are loved by God (in the ultimate sense) is to say that you are eternally secure in Jesus - having been given an all-satisfying relationship with the Father because of Christ through the power of the Spirit.

Oh what comfort and joy in knowing we are loved by God! Savor this truth today and the rest of your life.

Grace and the Obedience of Faith

2007-06-26T11:18:00.000-04:00
^{Romans 1 -

5}through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,⁷To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What an encouraging few verses! Paul is writing to the Roman church - explaining to them a beautiful picture of grace in these first few verses. Paul shares that God has given him (and others) grace in order to bring about the obedience of faith for God's glory!

Think about the phrase "obedience of faith". Usually, humans tend to think of obedience as something we conjure up inside of our selves. That obedience then boosts our self-esteem (makes us feel better about what we can do). However, this is not how Paul describes true obedience. From God's perspective, obedience is only that which is birthed through faith (dependence/reliance on Christ's life, death, resurrection and promises to grant you strength and joy today for God's glory). Then, the obedience that flows doesn't cause us to turn in-ward, it instead focuses our hearts on God's name in this world.

If you were to depend on your own merit to fulfill the Law, you know you'd fail. You aren't good enough. But, God is pleased in Christ and you can grow in your joy-filled obedience to Him because Christ has fulfilled all the Law in your place!

Oh, isn't God merciful? How beautiful that God would grant His children the grace to have faith and then He also accepts that faith as true obedience - that faith which we live by (Rom. 1:16-17)!

So, don't turn to your own will-power. Turn to Christ and pray (as Paul prayed for the Romans) that grace would be with you. And, if grace truly is towards you, you possess real faith and obedience.