Reforming Pastor

A Diversity of Gifts

2011-05-31T14:48:00.001-07:00

I am 43 years old. I have been in pastoral ministry for about 13 years. This means I have been doing this for over ¼ of my life. You would think I would be pretty settled and confident as to what I’m supposed to be doing by now.

Yet, I find myself in a kind of quandary. I find I am asking the question again “What am I supposed to be doing?”

By this question I’m not asking whether I should be a pastor or not. I love what I do, and so far the local church which I shepherd seems to encourage me in this calling. Perhaps a better way to ask the question is “How am I supposed to be doing what I am doing?”

In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul lays out the fact that there are, in the body of Christ, a diversity of charismatic gifts. In other words, there are varying kinds of skills that the Holy Spirit gives to His Church in order that the Body may be fully nourished, well-balanced, and fully functional. All of those gifts are necessary and important.

I have come to realize over time that the “ordinary” gifts don’t just hang in the air by themselves as miraculously infused abilities. Rather, they are a mysterious amalgamation of elements including upbringing, personality, experience, and physical and mental abilities assembled by the sovereign God into the life of individuals.

As I consider my life as a Christian (for now almost 21 years) and as a pastor, I reflect on how there are some pursuits in my life that God seems to have blessed, and others which He has not.

Let’s start with an example of the latter, specifically what is known as personal evangelism. What I mean by this is what we commonly think of as engagement with a person who is not a Christian with the Gospel and seeing them come to a commitment to Jesus. I don’t simply mean getting someone to pray a prayer (which I have done), but also discipleship and integration into the community of the church.

The bottom line is that in this area I appear to be nearly a complete failure. And it isn’t that I haven’t tried. I have spent countless hours with non-Christians, from pagan variety to the cults, seeking to bring the Gospel of Jesus to them in love. I still have prayer lists of people into which I sought to invest time and life.

How many have come to know the Lord? My memory may be bad, but I can’t think of any. This includes neighbors, family, friends, homeless, and strangers that God seemed to put me into contact with at our local park through very unusual circumstances (I’d love to tell you those stories some time).

Perhaps this lack of Gospel fruit is because I haven’t prayed enough. It could be because of sin in my life that I haven’t repented of. Or, it could be that I simply played a part in investing them with the knowledge of the Gospel which came to fruition after my contact with them. Nevertheless, this doesn’t seem to be something that God has evidently blessed in my life.

As an example of where God seems to have blessed to some degree, I would include preaching/teaching to groups. Our church is not huge, so I don’t mean blessing in the sense that multitudes flock to hear. By blessing I mean the joyful experience of having Christians come to our church over the years who have expressed appreciation for the preached Word. I have also gotten such feedback from classes I have taught in Christian schools, especially related to worldviews and literature.

There are other examples that could be listed in both the “blessed of the Lord” column as well as the “not so much” column. While I would like to be good at all the things, after two decades I am humbled again in asking the questions related to my calling and how to do it best.

I hope that the primary reason I am asking this question is so that I can be focused and intentional in getting better at what I am supposed to be doing, and honoring Christ in it. One of my greatest weaknesses is a kind of spiritual A.D.D., going from one thing to another. The amount of partially read books in my library, and the ever changing books on my nightstand are memorial stones to this reality.

So here I am, before you and before the Lord, asking for wisdom again. Or to at least ask for your prayers.

Sabbatical Check-In

2011-04-11T04:03:00.000-07:00

Brothers and Sisters,

Thank you for your prayers for my Sabbatical. It is hard to believe that it is already ½ over. I miss our church very much, and look forward to our being reunited in a couple of weeks.

I want to give you a quick report on what is going on, and ask for your continued prayers.

My first week was spent, as expected, on doing home repairs. Kimberly has been exceedingly patient, but I finally was able to do the repairs on our bedroom and to a complete repaint job. This is the first one in 11 years, and well overdue. I had hoped to get to the kids’ bedrooms (also their first redo), but it will have to wait for now.

The second week was split between a 3 day visit with our parents and 4 days in Brown County Indiana. The visit with our parents was good. While in our home town we visited a church at which my best friend from 4th grade onward is the music minister.

Brown County is about ½ an hour from Bloomington, and we stayed at the Abe Martin Lodge inside Brown County State Park. We had a great time there, with a couple of hikes, indoor water park, and walking around “Little Nashville. I did get propositioned early one morning by a lady who, after talking with her for a couple of hours, offered to take my resume to the pastoral search committee. I told her promptly that I had no interest, and was very satisfied with and committed to my church…and couldn’t wait to get back.

Yesterday we visited the Axis church in downtown Nashville. It was Gospel-soaked, and we enjoyed our time of worship with them. Afterwards we had Madison church planter Shane England and his family over for lunch and had a delightful time getting to know them.

One of the things I was hoping to do during this Sabbatical was to find spiritual refreshment/renewal. At this point I can say that it has not happened, and with the exception of this weekend I have been feeling spiritually flat, tempted, and far from Jesus. In God’s providence I decided just last night to go to a conference hosted by the Gospel Coalition in Chicago. The major theme of the conference is preaching Christ and the Gospel from the Old Testament. In light of our recent series on Judges/Ruth, and my plan to coast right into 1 Samuel, this is timely. There are also various break out sessions about church planting and special events (including a Thursday night concert with Trip Lee and Lecrae) that I am looking forward to.

Would you please pray that the Lord would bring spiritual refreshment to my weary and sinful soul this week?

Please, and especially, pray for Nana. Pray that God will raise her up from her sick bed for His glory.

I miss seeing your faces, and look forward to our being reunited in a couple of weeks.

Stephen

What is that guy carrying?

2010-12-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

{art by kevin rolly}

One of the most memorable films from my childhood (which I was probably too young to watch) was "Walking Tall." It is the retelling of the story of Buford Pusser of McNairy County, Tennessee. The brief story is that he was beaten up by bad guys, went to the sheriff(who did nothing), and so decided to run for sheriff and clean things up a bit. This cleaning up (at least in the movie) included a 4 foot long club made of hickory. As a kid, that image of the big man with a big stick beating up bad guys had an impact. Perhaps that is why Judges 3:31 facinates me.

I'm currently preaching a series of sermons from the book of Judges, and this week I am planning on covering three of them: Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar. Shamgar is said to have killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad (and I believe it). We aren't given any other details other than that the Lord raised him up as an instrument of Israel's salvation from oppression.

The oxgoad was some kind of long piece of wood with perhaps a pointy end. Not exactly a choice weapon from the armory, but when you are in a state of oppression weapons usually aren't abudant.

So my imagination is invoked. One man...one oxgoad..the Lord's strength...600 living Philistines turned to corpses. Not the stuff of the Hallmark movie of the week.

Now the great challenge, to preach Christ from this chapter. I would appreciate your prayers.

Seeking Wisdom

2010-09-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

How are we to seek wisdom? According to James 1:5, the first step of seeking wisdom is to realize that we lack it. Then, because God is a generous giver of wisdom we are to ask for it with confidence that we will receive it. So far so good.

But then what? Does it merely come? Do we wait for a secret hidden voice? Do we wait for an immediate impression or dream? Does it just then drop down from heaven?

In reading Proverbs 2 this morning, it struck me afresh that praying and waiting is not the full picture.

We are told to receive God's words (found in Scripture), to treasure them, to make our ear attentive to them, to incline our heart to them. Then we call out, raise our voice, and seek for wisdom like hidden treasure. Though I have never literally gone treasure hunting, I think that it is typically a work requiring great effort (or it wouldn't be hidden).

Then we are told God will give it. But the text goes on to say that this wisdom is stored up for the upright and those who walk in integrity. So there is a moral dimension in seeking wisdom. There is both an objective reality to this (being justified by the righteousness of Christ alone) and subjective reality (seeking to walk with moral integrity by the Spirit).

So if I want wisdom, do I merely ask for it and it comes? No. I must trust in Christ's righteousness in the Gospel for my acceptance with God. I must be striving to walk with a conscience void of offense. I must receive the Word of God with eagerness, seeking to find wisdom there with a willing, obedient, and receptive heart. I should dig it out like mining for silver. As I do so I should be crying out to God who gives generously as I do so.

Lack. Word. Prayer. Uprightness. Then...Wisdom.

Are you seeking for wisdom today? Will you merely ask for it, or will you pursue it in God's way?

One on One Ministry

2010-07-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I have come to see more clearly in recent days is that, while the Lord certainly uses larger scale efforts to do good, there is also a much needed place for one-on-one ministry in a community.

Sometimes we fall into the trap of believing that “bigger is better.” We think that if we really want to be used by the Lord then we must do something on a large scale. Sometimes this can be motivated by our selfish desires to be thought of as great. At other times it is simply the influence of American culture in which success is measured by numbers.

In the past few months our church has been more purposefully seeking to reach out to the community of Madison. God has graciously opened up opportunities for two teams of disciples to go into two apartment complexes every week, provide a meal, teach a Bible study, and build relationships as a group. These have been fruitful, challenging, and a blessing both to the “reachers” and the “reached.” There is something energizing about having an apartment full of people, overflowing into the next room, laughing, praying, breaking bread together and hearing the Scriptures taught.

Yet, there is another ministry that should go along with this kind of group ministry, and that can even be done without such a gathering. It is one-on-one relational outreach.

We have seen friendships develop out of these gatherings, and people from our church becoming personally invested in the lives of others. Everything from going fishing with an older man, to giving rides to a woman with new job, to giving a small refrigerator to a man who has literally nothing, to having someone in your home for dinner or simply to give them a place to hang out, these have been the fruits of such relationships.

One relationship that the Lord has given me personally is with a man known as Tattoo. I now know him as Jeff. I met Jeff through one of these outreaches, though he never came to a Bible study. The Lord, through a series of unusual providences, has given me a burden for him and opportunities to serve him and his girlfriend Lisa. This has been harder, and better than I could have imagined. This has been emotionally and spiritually taxing, and rewarding. I have had a unique opportunity to see into a life, a story, very different than mine which has driven me to pray and read my Bible differently.

It is good to give to ministries who are reaching out with the Gospel. It is also good to become personally involved with ministries that are reaching groups of people in various ways. But if you haven’t already, I would encourage you to get involved with someone, even one person, and invest yourself in them. Love them. Serve them. Listen to their story. Sympathize with them. Pray with them and for them. Speak to them of the Good News of God’s Son. You may find that you see not only the influence of the Gospel through you to them, but also that you are being changed and made more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

First Priority?

2010-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Jesus)

Jesus, the good Shepherd. He makes us to to lie down in green pastures. He leads us beside still waters. He prepares a place of prosperity before our enemies. Right?

I've never been a literal shepherd, but it seems to follow that a good shepherd would not send his sheep among wolves. He wants them safe a secure from all alarm.

So the words of Jesus quoted above and found in Matthew 10:16, seem a bit counter-intuitive. He sends his people among wolves. He doesn't separate them from them.

Safety apparently isn't Jesus' first priority. The proclamation of His Name among all people is first priority, including wolves.

What is needed? To have serpent-like wisdom and dove-like innocence.

The result? Delivery into the hands of wicked men, flogging, hatred, accusation of demon possession, death.

If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, and if He doesn't promise resurrection for His people with full reward, then all this is plain stupid. If He has been raised and made such promises, then it is right, and He has called us to follow Him in what will look stupid, but is obedience for the sake of His glory.

The Power of the Gospel...for All

2010-07-13T07:03:00.000-07:00

This past week has been for me a living illustration of contrasts.

The Lord has been gracious to help us to be more missional-minded as a church, which has resulted in more outreach into our community in the last month than has taken place in 12 years of our being in Nashville. This outreach has brought us into contact with folks who are very different, and yet essentially the same. We are different in our privileges and experiences, and the same in our brokenness and need for the Gospel.

Last week I got a call at 1am in the morning from a man who,with his wife, had just been kicked out of the place he had been living. I don't want to paint the picture of a passive victim, as this was a consequence of many things that they are responsible for. Nevertheless, I was able to meet with them on Thursday, take them out for dinner (the best meal they had had in a long time), and hear their story. That story includes decades of abuse, theft, imprisonment, and drugs. That meeting has put us into a relationship with them, and opportunities to serve them in ways that they have not been able to comprehend. Every time they ask "why", I respond "because of the Cross of Jesus." They came to church on Sunday just as they were, and I am thankful that the church reached out and loved despite the challenges.

On Sunday afternoon I had the privilege of meeting with a young lady in the church who has been with us since the first day of our history as a church. She was less than a year old when we began, has been raised in a faithful and godly home, being taught the Scriptures from her youth. She is now professing faith in Christ, and is to be baptized and added to the church. She is very different in her privileges and life experience. Yet, she is in need of the same Gospel.

I am thankful for Jesus. I am thankful for the opportunity to tell His story and to invite people all across the spectrum to believe in Him and to enter the Kingdom.

Suit Up!

2010-06-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I began a new series entitled "Fighting Satan's Designs", taken from 2Corinthians 2:11: "...so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs."

I made three major points from the text:
(1.) Satan is real and is our enemy
(2.) We can be outwitted (robbed of joy, comfort, peace, etc. by being defrauded by his lies)
(3.) The way we can escape being outwitted is be being knowledgeable of his designs (i.e. how he works, primarily by our believing his falsehood rather than God's Truth)

I spent the rest of the sermon looking through Ephesians 6, and how God has given us a suit of armor by which we are equipped for the battle.

The reality is that we are already in a battle. Some of us stand in the middle of the battle being blown to bits by Satan's designs. The question is, are we going to take up the Word of God, especially the Gospel, as well as prayer for the help of the Spirit to fight. To not put on that armor is to expect defeat.

As an illustration I referred to Iron Man 2, particularly the race track scene where Tony Stark is confronted for the first time by Ivan Vanko, also known as Whiplash.

That illustration seemed to catch on with the congregation, and as an upshot a key phrase I am using is "Did you suit up today?" Ephesians 6 makes it clear that the only way we can resist and fight, the only way we will be able to stand against the Devil is by taking on the whole armor of God.

The "means of grace" can be thought of as merely a duty, and sometimes declines into a legalistic responsibility. This is one of Satan's designs.

May we be liberated and realize that the Word of God and prayer (individually and as a community) are God's provision for us to engage in revolution against the Devil and his wicked schemes, and through them to magnify the glory of Jesus Christ in the Gospel

Falling Apart

2010-03-25T11:27:00.001-07:00

I read the most helpful and challenging chapter regarding financial and benevolence issues that I can remember today in Tim Keller's book "Ministries of Mercy." The Lord is taking me apart piece by piece and challenging some of my deepest assumptions about how I live.

This morning I visited, together with a brother from our church, a benevolence ministry in our city of Madison. I have come to realize, much to my surprise, that people don't like where we live very much. Our family has lived here for 10 years, but it is apparently an area of Nashville that people either slightly dislike or downright despise.

In talking to the director of this ministry, she shared with us that the amount of people they now serve has risen about 4x from what it was just a few years ago. She also told us of at least 3 "tent cities" of homeless people within a few miles from our home.

I am trying to process all that I am learning, ask some probing questions, and not hide from the words of Jesus. There are some things I am realizing I wish he wouldn't have said. These are hard. I don't know what it means yet for me. I pray it isn't a passing fad. This is much more radical than anything I have lived in my 19 years as a Christian. Yet, it is becoming apparent to me that this is basic Christianity.

Go and Do Likewise

2010-03-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

There are several books that are messing up my life. They are (in order of my having read or reading them) Total Church (Timis and Chester), Same Kind of Different as Me (Hall and Moore), When Helping Hurts (Corbett and Fikkert), and Ministries of Mercy (Tim Keller).

I have a very high view of the Bible. I have a very high view of the Gospel. I have not had a high view of the need to proactively, intentionally, purposefully, sacrificially love my neighbor.

WARNING!!! Do not read these books. They will probably: mess up your life, make you uncomfortable, cause you to ask yourself how much like Jesus you really are, strike at your self-righteousness, make you re-think poverty, cause you to start paying attention to all those neighborhoods you drive by...and go back to the Gospel for forgiveness and to ask for strength to change.

At least this is what these books are doing for me.

From Reformed to Reforming

2010-01-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

For the record, I am thankful for, and continue to fit into several categories theologically:

1.) Orthodox - I hold to the essential creeds and doctrines of the Christian faith including the truth of the Trinity, the dual nature of Christ, the personhood of the Holy Spirit

2.) Reformed - salvation by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone, to God's glory alone (the Gospel) and Scripture alone as sufficient for matters of faith and life

3.) Calvinistic - yep, all 5 points

4.) Baptistic - the baptism of disciples alone, as a self-confessed witness of their faith in Christ as Savior and commitment to Him as Lord

While I am all of these, the "heaviest" convictions lie at the top of the list, and decrease as you run down the list in regards to my foundational commitments. That doesn't mean that any of them are unimportant, only that there are "primary things" and there are "secondary things."

While there have been, to my knowledge, no major theological shifts in my thinking for many years (perhaps 17?), there has been/is a major shift in emphasis and philosophy of ministry. This is why I am not merely Reformed, but reforming.

[In case you are asking "Why is Batman at the head of this blog post?" Answer: because Batman rocks.]

Behold the Lamb

2009-12-18T13:20:00.001-08:00

[photo by Gretchen Heinecke]

Please hold your boos and hisses, but I'm just not a Christmas kind of guy. Let me say that I love the Gospel and the mystery of the incarnation. Perhaps it is the commercialization of Christmas that originally turned me off as a Christian. But now I am turned back onto it.

I went through a stage where I was not exactly "anti-Christmas", but I had mostly a "non-Christmas" mentality. While I taught that the celebration of Christmas is not explicitly required in Scripture, I also accepted that those who do it for the right reason are not violating Scripture either.

Over the last couple of years I have been increasingly warming up to the idea, though most of what is touted as "Christmas-y" is still not that thrilling to me. I could honestly do with or without the tree, the bells, the mistletoe, etc. There is something about the sound of traditional Christmas music that simply isn't to my taste. But if you like those things, then enjoy!

What has affected me more than anything is a brother named Andrew Peterson. Here is how it fell out.

About three years ago, a man in our church recommended that I listen to an album entitled "Behold the Lamb." I didn't. I heard that it was a Christmas album, and even what I have heard by Christian artists hasn't thrilled me. Quite frankly, after Thanksgiving I won't even turn on Christian radio. Again, it is an issue of taste, as I love incarnational hymns. God in flesh! It doesn't get much better than that (except that God crucified and resurrected).

The following year the recommendation came again. I decided to take a listen. It blew me away. I cried, I laughed, and my heart was ignited afresh with the idea of that "brave little Boy who was God, and made Himself nothing." Even now as I think about that original experience, especially my first listening to "So Long Moses", a biblical/theological unfolding of Christ as the fulfillment of the Davidic King", I have to hold back the tears.

So over the last year I have basked in the blessing of this Christmas album, not just when Thanksgiving has passed, but all year long. I'm not kidding. I listen to it as much if not more than anything else I have.

So last night's concert was wonderful (don't let that word pass too quickly...I was truly caused to wonder). I was surprised by an hour of singer/songwriters taking turns presenting songs covering a variety of expressions of Christian experience in a fallen world. Good stuff.

Then came what I was waiting for. A full presentation of "Behold the Lamb" at the Ryman Auditorium, song by song, with artistic beauty and glory. That was worship. My wife had to gently nudge me at one point to stop singing out loud, lest my fellow worshipers get annoyed.

Today, driving about town, I was listening again, continuing to marvel. Thank you Lord for guiding the hands, heart, mind, and voice of Andrew and His friends.

Even if you have been like me, give it a try. You may just like it. You can listen here for free.

Gospel Primer

2009-12-15T01:55:00.001-08:00

There are a few books that have impacted my life more than others. If I was somehow limited to only one small bookshelf on which to store my whole library A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent, would take a spot there. I cannot more highly recommend this book.

However, this recommendation doesn't come without a warning. It is this: don't be deceived by its simplicity. It would be very easy to read it and say to yourself, "There is nothing profound here, it is basic stuff." I would suggest that if you read this little work with such a disposition, you are guilty of something I am constantly in danger of: assuming the Gospel.

The Gospel has become increasingly precious to me, and there is a deeply encouraging revival of love for the Gospel that is moving through the Church of Christ. This movement, which is at its root a work of the Holy Spirit, is producing fruit of religious affection, deeper appreciation, greater humility, and increased thankfulness among Jesus' followers. How greatly we need this, and how worthy is our Lord of it.

So, if you need some help in stoking your heart with Gospel truth, don't overlook this little book.

Series on the Holy Spirit

2009-12-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

We are now 12 messages into our study on the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the "forgotten Person of the Trinity."

They are all available free on Sermon Audio at this link.

Plans for the New Year

2009-12-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are coming to the end of 2009, and preparing to come into a new year. This is also coming into our 10th year anniversary as a church.

As you know, we are also coming or have come to the conclusion of our current adult Sunday school class and sermon series. We finished “Shepherding a Child’s Heart” last week. I am hopeful that this was helpful not only for parents, but also in studying our own hearts in a Godward orientation and asking deeper questions about why we do what we do.

For any who may have begun to absent themselves from the Sunday school class because you did not think it was as relevant to you (or any other reason), I invite you to return as we begin another study in 2 weeks (remember, this week we will NOT have Sunday school due to our special Christmas celebration in the afternoon). We are going to be looking together at the substance of a book entitled Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel Community by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. As the title implies, there are two things that we deeply need, the Gospel and the Gospel in community. I am hopeful that this sustained attention on the place of Gospel community will be transforming for our church, and bring about reformation in relationships and service within our Body. Lord willing, that will begin on December 20th.

We will also soon be coming to and end on the sermon series on the Holy Spirit. I am hopeful that this sustained awareness and teaching on the Spirit will also continue to have its effects, as we have learned to not only be thankful for the historical work of the Lord Jesus in His life, death, and resurrection, but also the personal indwelling of the Spirit in us as believers. As of right now I plan to preach from another book of the New Testament, and I am leaning either toward Romans or Colossians (or Ephesians). I haven’t decided for sure, but I want to continue to focus our attention on the glory of Christ in the Gospel.

In January I am scheduled to go again to Zambia to teach a class at the Copperbelt Ministerial College. I am planning to teach in the letters of Paul as pastoral letters, trying to understand how he addressed church and personal problems as a servant of the Gospel. Around that same time we will be coming to the remembrance of Roe v. Wade and pro-life Sunday. Around that time there will be some special preaching and teaching about why being pro-life and anti-abortion is important, as well as some practical suggestions of how to pray/give/serve in this cause for the sake of Christ.

So, this is a bit of a “head’s up” of the direction we are planning to head as a church. As always, I cherish your ongoing input (good or bad) regarding how you think the teaching/preaching is going, as well as general church life. I am hopeful that this coming year will see a renewal of the Spirit to bring us out of lethargy and the chase after the American dream (personal peace, prosperity, and safety), and be more Christ-centered than ever before.

Stephen

FREE John Piper Audio Book

2009-11-02T04:49:00.000-08:00

Download Desiring God audio book here.

You can also download the PDF of the book free here.

Desiring God ministries continues to display the free-ness of the Gospel.

That I May Know Him

2009-10-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

For now six weeks I have been preaching in our worship service on the Holy Spirit. The approach I have taken could be called a historical-redemptive approach. What that means is that I am trying to unfold the person and work of the Spirit as God revealed Him, step by step through Scripture. It has been for me personally very enjoyable to study and to preach.

We are presently in the Gospels, and the tension is building for a monumental, historically unique, yet enduring pouring out of the Spirit upon those who believe on Jesus. As I am studying what the evidence and work of the Spirit is as defined in Scripture, I am asking questions in regards to my own heart and in relation to our church.

We will eventually look at John 16:14 where Jesus says “[The Spirit] will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (NKJV). One of the primary things that the Spirit will do when He comes is to announce the person and work of Jesus Christ.

This work begins at conversion. Through the miracle of the new birth, the Spirit grants a resurrection of spiritual life, eyes to see and ears to hear of the glory of the Savior. But it doesn’t end there. While there is this initial work, it is only the beginning.

In Ephesians 1:15ff, Paul lets us in on what kind of things he was praying for the church at Ephesus. These are genuine believers who have come to the saving knowledge of Christ. Yet, he prays that God would give to them “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.”

Later, in Ephesians 3:14ff, Paul again gives the substance of His prayers for the church. It includes that they “may comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.”

In Philippians 3:10 Paul tells us of his desire, in regards to Jesus, that “I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.” He had come to know and believe on the Lord Jesus, but he also had a deep and earnest desire to know Christ.

So…does a true disciple, born again by the Spirit, know the Lord Jesus? Yes, and no. Yes, in that there is an initial, miraculous, Spirit-wrought blessing of seeing and savoring the Savior. But also no, not exhaustively. There is much more we have yet to learn and know of Jesus. This is one of our most desperate needs.

From Paul’s prayers, I suggest that a primary means to know more of Christ is the personal, indwelling, and ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. I would also suggest it isn’t a matter of mere doctrinal instruction. We must not equate additional information with Christian growth. There is a living, personal, powerful dynamic work of the Holy Spirit that we should desire and pray for, as well as feel our desperate need. His work is not automatic. It is not mechanical. He will not be manipulated by techniques.

He is sovereign. But the Sovereign Himself has said, “how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13).

I ask You, heavenly Father, for the promise and gift of Your Spirit’s work in my life and in the life of our church…that we may know Christ Jesus our Lord.

Book Review: North! Or Be Eaten

2009-09-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Just finished it last night. The momentum was building, the tears were flowing, and then hope was given. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I read the first book of Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga entitled On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness in 2008. I enjoyed it, as did my wife and several people in our church. I recommended it to others and looked forward with a relative amount of joy to the next book. The second book entitled North! Or Be Eaten came out a few weeks ago, and little did I know how this one would take me.

In giving a book review, I realize that this is very subjective. I believe I enjoyed North! more than the first book. It could be that I would have enjoyed the first book more had I given more attention to it at the time or some other unknown factor. I want now to go back to reread it. At this time I can most accurately speak about what is newest to me.

So, the sum of it is that I deeply and thankfully enjoyed this installment. There were moments in which I was so taken with the tension and desired to know what was about to happen that I had to literally cover the page with my hand to keep from reading ahead for a hint.

In my mind there are so many resonating Truths throughout, especially in the end, regarding redemption, forgiveness, and mercy, especially when we remember our own evil deeds. My favorite line is “He moved through the days in peace and wonder, for his whole story had been told for the first time, and he found that he was still loved” (you will have to read it yourself to find out who this is spoken about).

So, from the chair of an ordinary husband, father, and pastor, I most highly recommend this unfolding story of the Jewels of Anniera. Prepare for some intense, soaring, and agonizing moments. And…watch out for the Toothy Cows.

Summary: Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby thought they were normal children with normal lives and a normal past. But now they know they’re really the Lost Jewels of Anniera, heirs to a legendary kingdom across the sea, and suddenly everyone wants to kill them. Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies, while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return, along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic talking sea dragons. Andrew Peterson’s lovable characters create what FantasyBookCritic.com says made Book One “one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time,” and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring “themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility.”

Author bio.: Andrew Peterson is the author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book One in the Wingfeather Saga, and The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats. He’s also the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist of ten albums, including Resurrection Letters II. He and his wife, Jamie, live with their two sons and one daughter in a little house they call The Warren near Nashville, Tennessee. Visit his websites: www.andrew-peterson.com and www.rabbitroom.com

The High Privilege of Teaching

2009-09-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

I love to teach. This is, in part, because I love to learn. This is probably one of the major reasons that I am a pastor.

I have also grown to love teaching young people. In the last few years the Lord has opened to me opportunities to teach in conjunction with homeschooling, and now Christian school.

This year has turned out to be the busiest yet in regards to teaching outside of the setting of the local church. However, I don't see these two things as disconnected. By the blessing of God, I hope that my role as school teacher will be a part of the preparation of the students to serve in the Kingdom of God.

For the past two years I have taught a class on Christian worldview. I have used materials from gifted teachers and writers such as Francis Schaeffer, James Sire, and Nancy Pearcy for this class, and I have grown increasingly thankful for the Truth of Christianity.

This year I have taken on three new classes. At a homeschool supplemental program called CHET I am teaching a class called "Journey through the Bible" which focuses on the importance of understanding the Bible as an inspired anthology of literature. I believe that this is significant in properly reading, understanding, and applying the Bible.

At CHET I am also teaching "The Imaginitive Literature of C.S. Lewis." I believe, with others before me, that the exploration and exercise of the imagination is essential to glorifying God.

I have also been given the wonderful and challenging task of teaching (and by necessity learning) Latin to teach 3rd-5th graders at a new school called Jonathan Edwards Classical Academy (here is an article explaining classical education, and here is one on the place of Latin in education).

As already mentioned, one of the reasons I love to teach is because I learn in the process. It is, perhaps, a bit self-serving. But Proverbs speaks of those who water others are themselves watered in the process.

This is a high privilege. It is a blessing. It is an honor. I am hopeful that what is taught will be beneficial in ways that the 25 students in these classes don't yet understand. I am sure that I will be benefited in ways I don't yet understand.

Thank you Lord for the privilege of studying Your Word and Your Works. I delight in them. May it redound to Your glory.

Simplified Missional Living

2009-08-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

by Jonathan Dodson (from theResurgence)

Eat with Non-Christians
We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

Walk, Don’t Drive
If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, carrying along a 6-pack to share, bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.

Be a Regular
Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

Hobby with Non-Christians
Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

Talk to Your Co-workers.
How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

Volunteer with Non-Profits.
Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

Participate in City Events
Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

Serve Your Neighbors.
Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!

Gospel-Centered Reader

2009-08-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

A very helpful list of resources focusing on the Gospel. (thanks Jeremy)

New Blogs

2009-08-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I have started two other blogs, each for the new classes I am teaching at CHET.

Journey through the Bible.

The Imaginative Literature of C.S. Lewis..

Two Kingdom vs. Universal Kingdom of God

2009-08-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

It is somewhat rare that I merely post links to someone's blog, but I do so today for at least two reasons:
1.) It has been quite some time since I have updated my blog (though even yesterday I had started a post, and decided to not comment on what I was going to write without more maturing of my thought on the subject...socialistic education)
2.) Because of the helpfulness of this particular post by Kevin DeYoung

He writes about a tension that I have frequently felt myself, and which is a common topic debate among those who are of Reformed persuasion. I agree with Kevin in that it isn't an either/or answer, and that a middle ground pursuit seeks to takes seriously the full gamut of biblical revelation. I find myself attracted to both positions, and yet believe there are pitfalls to both.

The post can be read here.

Some Marks of Pride

2009-07-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

What are some of the marks of pride? One or more of the following:

01. Usually thinks that he/she is right; knows it all.
02. Easily offended; does not like to be corrected
03. Often complains about circumstances or people.
04. Usually unthankful/ungrateful.
05. Impatient—with God and with others
06. Self-confident in temptation
07. Secretly ashamed of serving Christ
08. Likes to talk more than to listen… quick to offer opinions
09. Desires to be first or best
10. Needs to be noticed or liked; wants to be somebody
11. Obstinate and unsubmissive toward authority
12. Quick to find fault with others
13. Contentious; bold to criticize or contradict others
14. Demanding and hard to please
15. Insensitive to the needs of others
16. Boasts about self – accomplishments…
17. Lives beyond his/her means
18. Outward appearance is everything…
19. Has a hard time forgiving others
20. Pride makes us - covetous, liars, flatterers, and men-pleasers

20 more reasons I am in need of the Gospel.

[from Pastor Bryan Wheeler of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Verona, VA]

Upsetting People

2009-07-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

I have upset a lot of people over the years. There are many of these times, probably most, that I regret. My last years of high school were not good. I was a real jerk to a lot of people. In the military I was also a jerk, doing a lot of things to push the boundaries and break the rules. When I was on the road with a rock band I become not only a jerk, but an arrogant one. During this entire time period I gave my parents a lot of grief.

Sadly, this did not completely stop when I became a Christian. I have said things I regret or said things in a way that I regret. I have not always been a spokesman for the Gospel of Christ in a way that demonstrated compassion and love.

I am thankful that there is forgiveness and grace in the Gospel for these things I have said and done that have hurt people and displayed my folly.

Having said this (and meant it), there are some occasions in which I have caused people a bit of agitation that I don't regret. I was reminded of one one of them this morning in my devotional reading from the Gospel of Luke:

Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. (Luke 12:37)

Jesus is calling His disciples to be ready for His return. They should view themselves as house servants or stewards over His house, ready for the Master to return after an absence. In short, this is Jesus' call for His people to be ready as He has now gone away, and will one day return. There is a pronounced blessedness for those who are not caught unaware, but are faithfully serving Christ at His return.

In this verse Jesus says something astounding. When He (the Master) returns He will gird Himself (in the servant's garment) and serve them. There is a role reversal. Rather than His servants serving Him after His long absence, He will become the Servant and serve them. This would be shocking to the society and culture to which Jesus speaks. It should also be shocking to us.

So how does this tie into my upsetting people without regret?

I have had the privilege to travel to various countries in the world. I have gone places that I never dreamed I would go. It has been an honor to take the Word of God and to preach and teach it among people of 5 other nations. Having traveled such, I have run into things that are very different from our own culture. Some which are simply different, some which I see as antithetical to the Gospel.

In one place I was being served lunch by the sisters in the church. The men from the church were also there being served and talking about "important" matters as the women hurried to and fro. By the time I was finished eating, the ladies had finally had a chance to sit down and to eat. I broke from the conversation, and began to gather the plates of the men and a few of the women who had finished so I could take them to the kitchen. There was obvious shock on the faces of both men and women. That a white Westerner who was a man and the visiting preacher would do such a thing was obviously unexpected. One of the respected men in the church (with a smile on his face) corrected me and told me that that was the woman's job. I said back (also with a smile) that if Jesus could come from heaven to serve me by laying down His life on the cross then I could certainly imitate my Master by helping to pick up a few dishes. Nothing else was said about the scandal of my action.

Going back to Luke, the surprising thing is that Jesus not only is seen as the servant who gives his life, but serves at His return in His glory. I don't know all that that means, but I remember Peter's protest at Jesus washing his feet and the Lord's response, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with me."

Even so, in the mystery of the suffering and glorified Servant of the Lord, come Lord Jesus and serve your people.

Thursday Morning and General Reading

2009-07-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since posting, so I thought I would simply tell what I'm doing on this beautiful Thursday morning.

This week has been quite busy, and I haven't had time in the past couple of weeks to sit and read and let thoughts stew in my mind. After working out this morning I returned and settled down in our screened-in porch for my devotional reading (Psalm 88, Proverbs 7-9, Luke 12) and prayer time. I decided to stay there (photo above), since it is a very pleasant 90 degrees. I caught up on my Calvin's Institutes reading (3 days behind), then read a chapter of Total Church by Chester and Timmis as well as a couple of essays from C.S. Lewis' God in the Dock. I am about to get into some more Lewis, primarily his The Great Divorce in preparation for a class on the fictional literature of Lewis I am teaching in the fall.

I am thankful for this time of reading and reflection. It is too easy for me to get caught up in doing many things and not leave time for this vital discipline. This afternoon will be full with two meetings followed by going to a good friend's house who is out of town and cutting his grass.

We are also gearing up for a weekend of hospitality, with two close sisters in Christ staying through to Tuesday, a church picnic on Saturday, and preparation for the Lord's Day.

I am thankful for God's goodness in my life, and that I have been given the privilege to see the world "Christianly."

Hosea Interview

2009-07-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Interview for Moody Radio on the book of Hosea.

In this interview I connect our sins with idolatry and the reality of our spiritual adultery against the Lord.

The Challenge of Preaching

2009-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Tim Keller has developed several questions for the purpose of evaluating sermons, asking hard questions about a glorious task. I hope particularly for our church, these might be things that you help me to develop and keep on track for a Christ-centered, Gospel-saturated ministry of the Word.

1. The preaching assertions (points) were clearly rooted in the text and squared with the whole teaching of scripture.

2. The central theme was an illustration of Christ – the message was clearly all about Jesus.

3. The speaker seemed in awe of God, not merely focused upon his sermon and the audience.

4. The speaker avoided moralizing or psychologizing, and distinguished these from the gospel.

5. The goal was to get people face-to-face with God, rather than merely instruct.

6. Christ and His finished work were applied as the practical solution to any problem.

Message Delivery and Communication. These questions are related to the preacher’s communication abilities and connection with the intended audience.

7. It was clear where the preacher was driving – and the progression of points was traceable.

8. The points were presented in a fresh, wise, and striking way as opposed to boring & cliché.

9. At the end of the preaching, the main point was both clear and persuasive.

10. It was clear the speaker understood the hearers’ hopes, fears, problems, concerns, etc.

11. The central metaphor or “hook” was gripping.

12. Jesus was made visible, not just taught about.

13. There was a balance of warmth, love and humility on the one hand and force, power and authority on the other.

14. The notes followed the message and enhanced comprehension.

May God grant help for such an awesome task!

[thanks to Jonathan Christman for making these known to me through his blog]

Its Easier, and More Difficult, to Go it Alone

2009-06-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have been blessed for the past several months to have something I have never had before: a workout partner. For years I have endured the lonely attempts, usually in my garage, both in the cold and in the heat, to do some weight lifting for general fitness (with no desire to "Hulk out"). These attempts are relatively short-lived and don't come to much.

A good friend of mine who is a faithful member of our church approached me a few months ago about our working out together. This comes just on the heels of my finally selling my weight equipment on Craig's List this past winter, discouraged that I would really ever do anything with it. I had resigned myself to just being a runner. His invitation took my previous hopes of lifting out of the moth balls, and gave them new life.

So we began. We settled on a 5am meeting time. This meant that I would have to change my normal morning routine that used to begin at 5am so that my alarm now goes off at 4:30am. That's okay, it would be worth it.

There we are each morning, music cranking, sweat flowing, manly grunts echoing through the building (I think they really do help). At the end of each morning we share prayer requests, then pray for those requests as well as that God will help us not to be proud of what we are doing, or of the results we see in our body (which is, despite our great efforts, still growing old and perishing).

Thankfully, things have been going well. We essentially keep the same routine, with Mon/Wed/Fri being lifting days and Tues/Thurs/Sat being cardio days. This is only interrupted or thrown out of whack when he or I go out of town or have something unusual come up.

Due to his leaving town on Thursday, he needed to change up his days a bit to try to get all his lifting in before he left. So he lifted and I was out in the pool. As the time passed, unknown to one another, we were both struggling. It just wasn't the same. When he emerged from the weight room, and I drug my weary and panting body out of the pool, we gave another a mutual look which said "that was hard."

He was the first to speak. It went something like this:
[Robb] "How was it?"
[Stephen] "Hard."
[Robb] "Me too. Did you find it harder to swim without me there?"
[Stephen] "Yep. How about you?"
[Robb] "It wasn't easy without you pushing me and encouraging me."
[Stephen] "I know what you mean."
[Robb] "You know, its the same spiritually."

It is the same in our walk with God. In seeking to live by the Gospel, seeing it bear fruit in our lives by practical obedience, when there is someone involved and are experiencing the same struggles and successes and challenges, you try harder. Though this can be a mere man-pleasing, there is also something in our makeup that the presence of another helps us to work harder. When we don't have someone in that role with us, things may be easier in that we don't try as hard.

So I am thankful for my friend, my partner, not only in working out but also in my walk with Christ. I am thankful for the church, a group of believers who are to be useful to one another in being helps to holiness, perseverance, and faith.

Don't try it alone. Don't lack transparency. Let someone see you sweat, and grunt, and fail, and succeed. It is harder, but it is good. And by it you and I will grow and be strengthened.

One of the greatest gifts of the Gospel is having those who will help and push us in this way. Jesus spilled His blood to redeemer fellow sinners for such a purpose.

[Credit is due to Robb for this post. It was his observation this morning that gave me the idea for this post. Thanks dude!]

The Example of Faith

2009-06-15T04:59:00.000-07:00

As part of my morning devotion I am reading from John Piper's Life as a Vapor. This morning the section is entitled "Thanksgiving for the Lives of Flawed Saints." Piper says that God has given to us the examples of faith-filled, yet flawed saints that we might imitate, be inspired, and gain encouragement. He quotes Hebrews 13:7, “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”

While this verse points to the importance of the Christian to look to leadership within the church as an example of faith, there is also an assumption that the leadership are those who are living lives of faith. As I have been preaching from Hebrews 11, what this means has become more significant to me. It is to live a life being transformed by the realities that are unseen and hoped for. It is to be transformed by the Word of God.

A similar verse is 1Timothy 4:12 which says “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” The word example is the Greek word tupos, from which we get type. It means a mold, image, or pattern. What is assumed in Hebrews 13:7 is explicit in 1 Timothy 4: leadership is to lead the people of God by example, exercising moral influence not by a “do as I say, not as I do” mentality, but rather an “imitate me as I imitate Christ."

So the single most important thing for me to have a positive influence on the people of God is that I would personally be transformed by the Word of God that they can look and say “that is what lived Christianity is to be." Though they will also see my sins and my flaws, yet there ought to be a real example of transformed humanity by the Grace and Word of God.

O Lord, for the sake of Your people and Your glory, transform me by Your Word today. It is my day off, but I am Yours and You are mine. Be my portion, fill me with Your Spirit, and help me to walk by faith. Then, as a result, may they be influenced to trust in you, love you, find You as their All in all.

Marinet or Incarnate?

2009-06-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

"The great thing then is to impregnate the existing mass with truth - moral truth - divine truth. How to do this, should be our question. Many of our old and round-about methods will probably have to be given up....Methinks it were well if some of us old-fashioned martinets in religion and literature, could cut off our pig-tails and work away in the dishabille of the age. Do so we must, or be left in the rear. Learning we want indeed, but not pedant-learning, names and classifications, but good living truths, such as lie deep, and as yet unquarried in the Book of books, which are yet to be brought out for the revolution of the world." (from J.W. Alexander's Thoughts on Preaching)

Alexander was a Presbyterian pastor and teacher at Princeton. His work on preaching is a classic in the field of Reformed rhetoric or preaching (of which he was a teacher).

So I'm reading along to prepare and warm my own heart for preaching, and I come on this quote. It doesn't immediately help me one way or another do to the fact that there are words I don't understand. Three in particular: martinet, dishablle and pedant (though I had a sense of what the third word meant). I quickly pull out my laptop, open my dictionary program, and suddenly the paragraph comes to life. And boy, does it.

So what is he saying? He is answering the question "how are we going to get the truth to the masses?" He confesses that some methods are going to have to be given up. These he calls "old and round-about." He suggest that a more direct method is necessary. He describes these old methods as held by "us martinets." A martinet is one who is a strict disciplinarian who demands adherence to forms and rules. In contrast, he speaks of working away in the dishabille of the age. I typed this into my Google search, accidentally doing so in the "images" feature. Mistake. Don't do it. Thankfully I was in safe search mode, but one meaning is naked (yep, that will show up on my Covenant Eyes report). Another meaning, one I think meant by Alexander, is casual or intentionally careless.

If you aren't getting it by now, and the impact of what he is saying, then probably you should never mind. Otherwise, it is a call for a very straightforward, informal and ordinary use of the treasures of Scripture to confront our own culture(s).

Not an army of martinents, but of incarnates, living and breathing love and truth and holiness in the ordinary to bring about revolution to a needy world.

If it ain't biblical, its optional. Or in the words of the Reformation, Sola Scriptura.

So help us God.

Pastoral Survey

2009-06-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Mark Redfern asked me to fill out a pastoral survey to post on his blog. Here are my answers.

Please describe your morning devotions. What time do you wake up in the morning? How much time do you spend reading, meditating, praying, etc.? What are you presently reading?

I typically wake up at 4:30am and head to a private gym to work out with a brother in our church. After exercising, we share prayer requests and burdens, and have a season of prayer.

When I arrive home, I usually eat and then have my devotional time after spending a few minutes with my family.

My actual time varies from ½ an hour up to a couple of hours, depending on the day and circumstances.

For devotions, I usually begin with a chapter from John Piper’s Life as a Vapor. From Scripture I regularly read a Psalm (consecutively) and the chapter of Proverbs according to the day of the month. I am also reading through the Gospel of Luke, reading as much as is needed until I feel “full.” I journal regularly, reflecting and writing prayers based on what I read, moving into a time of prayer.

What book(s) are you currently reading in these three categories: (a) for your soul, (b) for pastoral ministry, or (c) for personal enjoyment?

For my soul – Life as a Vapor (Piper), Every Man’s Battle (Arterburn and Stoeker), Shadow of the Almighty (Elliot), and Calvin’s Institutes.

For pastoral ministry – Thoughts on Preaching (Alexander) and Seeing with New Eyes (Powlison).

Personal enjoyment – Rora (Huggins) and A History of Reading (Manguel).

Apart from Scripture, what book do you most frequently re-read and why?

I have probably re-read Religious Affections (Edwards) and True Spirituality (Schaeffer), as well as dipping into about anything I have previously read from John Piper and C.S. Lewis. The Lord has used these to stir my affections, to help me to think about the constant presence of God, and to stir my imagination.

When you finish a book, what system have you developed in order to remember and reference that book in the future?

None. Usually, if it has impacted me, I can remember where it is. Actually, the system I use is heavy book marking, which helps me to orient myself within the book.

If you could study under any theologian in church history (excluding those men in Scripture), who would it be and why?

Jonathan Edwards or Francis Schaeffer. I think Edwards got much right in the co-mixture of sound theology and the place of the emotions. Schaeffer had an incredible love and gift for engaging people with the claims of the Gospel.

What single piece of counsel (or constructive criticism) has most improved your preaching?

I shouldn’t try to prepare a message and then deliver it off the paper, but to get the message “inside” me and deliver myself.

What books on preaching, or examples of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?

Books - The Power of Speaking God’s Word (Ellsworth), Preaching and Preachers (Lloyd-Jones), The Power of the Pulpit (Spring), and The Supremacy of God in Preaching (Piper).

Living examples - Al Martin, John Piper, Tim Keller.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?

That what I am doing is at all times effecting my own soul, which in turns effects my preaching and the people of God.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?

That I am to love the people and to minister the Gospel to them in word and deed.

Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

The surprising way that some Christians respond to my attempts to reach out to them, primarily by a sudden cutting off of communication.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

Yes. I lift weights three days a week and cardio (swimming, running) the other three (with Sundays off)…or that is the plan.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

None.

What do you do for leisure?

Read to my family (i.e. Chronicles of Narnia), watch movies with my family, play my drums, do yardwork, go to the art museum.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

Probably computer related, as that is what my degree is in, and what I did before entering full time ministry.

The Importance of the Gospel for Believers

2009-06-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Following Him before Whom Waters Flee

2009-06-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

My devotional reading today included Psalm 77. The writer is in angst over the devastating and reality of God casting off His people and withholding His mercy, grace, and tender mercies. Though this is temporary, it causes great grief and sorrow. The Psalmist’s response is to cry out in incessant prayer, being overwhelmingly grieved.

But he doesn’t stop there. One of the ways that he buttresses his soul against despair is to remember the works that God had done in the past (v.11) to remind himself of how great God is, and what He may yet do.

Beginning in v.16 the writer gives a unique description of the redemption of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, particularly in the parting and crossing of the Red Sea.

The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid;
The depths also trembled.
The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound;
Your arrows also flashed about.
The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.
Your way was in the sea,
Your path in the great waters,
And Your footsteps were not known.
You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

What I love about this Psalm is the expansion of the description of this event which is much more simply described in Exodus 14:21-22.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.

When the waters return and drown Egypt’s entire army, the description is just as matter of fact.

Look more closely at the Psalm and how it describes this event. Personality and consciousness is attributed to the waters (known in literary terms as personification). The waters see what others cannot…the presence of God. They see, and they begin to quake and tremble. Clouds gather, and it begins to rain, really rain. Thunder and lightening begin their noisy and illumined response. The earth begins to quake, and suddenly the waters begin to heap up on themselves in two great walls. They are fleeing and making way for the Glorious One, the Lord God!

And so God passes through the sea Himself, His path is made straight through. Then the people of God follow, with enemies behind, and walls of death pressing in on each side. The only way of safety is to follow the One from whom the waters flee.

There is no path more deadly and safer than following Jesus Christ. It is a walk of faith, and not sight. Obedience to God is supreme, and the danger of the paths He calls us to follow a matter of relative indifference.

May we follow Him who walked the path to the Cross, with the enemies at His heels and death at His door, and there die with Him today. Then, in the humility of the Cross, with the joy set before us, be faithful because of the promises of the Gospel.

Calvin on the Gospel

2009-06-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Audio from RBC Louisville

2009-06-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

The audio is now posted from my preaching ministries from this past weekend. I am thankful for your prayers, and the evident blessing of God on our time there.

"One Man's Story" - my personal testimony of coming to Christ.
"Draw Near, Hold Fast, Consider One Another" (a different title on the site) - from Hebrews 10:29ff.
"I am Not Ashamed of the Gospel" - cultivating a love for the lost out of a love for Christ in the Gospel.

God's Joy in Sea Creatures' Play (and Mine)

2009-06-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

Water was on my mind this morning. This was evident because of three things. First, on the way to the pool, I was listening to one of my all time favorite songs, Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Much of You.” In the first stanza he sings:

How can I stand here and watch the sun rise,
And follow the mountains as they touch the skies,
And ponder the vastness of the depths of the sea,
And think for a moment the point of it all is to make much of me.

Third line…the depths of the sea. So I’m thinking about water.

The second influence takes place as I am swimming. One of the blessings of swimming as exercise is that there is plenty of time to think without distraction. No headphones, no music, no conversation. Simply the peace of the repeated strokes back and forth as my body cuts through the water.

The pool I swim in has a deep and a shallow end. About ½ way through my swim I push off the wall in the shallow end and come over the brink of the deep end. When I started, it was mostly dark. By now it is light and I can see clearly through the water. The words of SCC’s song comes back into my mind as I look “into the depths” of the pool. So this sets me to thinking.

The third influence was the Scripture I began the day with, Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the LORD’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it.” Verse 2 goes on to say “For He founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.”

Now my mind is fully engaged, thinking about water and the depths of the sea. It struck me that as I am there swimming here in a pool in Tennessee, there are literally billions of sea creatures who are swimming and playing in the oceans and rivers and waters of the world. Creatures playing that no one sees…but God.

So my mind goes to Psalm 104:25-26 says:

This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
There the ships sail about;
There is that Leviathan which you have made to play there.

The Hebrew word for play can be translated laugh, act clumsily, smile, be happy, joke, amuse, sport, entertain, or dance. Frivolous and joyful movements for no other sake than for feeling free and exuberant. The verse says God has made the sea creature (Leviathan, whatever that may be) to do this.

So as I swim, I say (in the words of Eric Liddel), “When I swim, I feel His pleasure.”

May you know the pleasure of the Lord today as you do what He has made you to do. May the vastness of God’s world, the variety of His creation cause you and me to realize that the point of it all is not to make much of us…but to make much of God.

Not That Simple

2009-05-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29 NKJ)

So there you have it. It is plain and simple, or so it seems at first. Two absolutes set in proverbial form which you can take to the bank. To paraphrase a bit (justified, I think, by the progressive parallelism of Hebrew poetry), God doesn't hear the prayer of the wicked, but He does hear the prayer of the righteous.

And so all the world is divided up into two clean cut categories. The one may pray prayers, but their prayers are ignored by God. They others are heard.

Before introducing the problem that struck me as I was reading this morning, let me say that I believe that Proverbs 15:29 (and all the Bible) is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. No qualifications.

I have no problem with the truth of this verse. I do have trouble with how the verse can be applied by well meaning Christians (including myself in the past). This verse is sometimes taken to distance the sinner from God and to tell them that nothing they can pray will be heard nor answered.

Now the tension. Beginning in Luke 8:26, we have the account of Jesus boating accross the Sea of Galilee and being met by a man possessed of demons. In short, the demons beg Jesus to not send them into the abyss but into the pigs (which is assumed to be a lesser punishment). He hears them and grants their request. Following the man's deliverance, he begs Jesus that he may go with Him. Jesus denies His request and sends him back to his own people so that he can tell them what great things God has done for him.

Do you see the tension? Perhaps this will make it more clear: Jesus is God and prayer is requesting things from God. The demons pray and Jesus gives them their request. The man prays and Jesus denies His request. God, through Jesus Christ, hears and grants the request of the wicked and denies and redirects the request of the righteous (if we assume he is converted through this experience). This is why Proverbs 15:29 is not so simple, though it is true.

How do we then sort this out? The point of Proverbs is not that God has an abosolute indifference to the requests of all the wicked. The point is that when they pray wicked things for wicked purposes coming out of wicked hearts which would have wicked consequences, God does not hear nor answer their request. If their prayers happen to line up with God's purpose to glorify His Son (even in the temmporary suspension of the perdition of demons), then He may hear and answer. Likewise, just because someone is righteous doesn't mean that they get anything they want. Rather, the Lord may deny and redirect them to His purposes.

As the Sovereign Lord of all, Jesus has the right to respond and answer and redirect our requests and petitions in the way that will most glorify God.

We should not discourage those outside of Christ from praying, but we should direct them to pray with the purpose of the glorifying of God, the first and foremost prayer being that of God granting them salvation in Jesus Christ.

Daily Burdens

2009-05-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am greatly burdened this morning. I am so loaded down that it is amazing that I can stand. This incredible burden has been laid on me by the LORD Himself. This load is not only great in its weight, but it is something that the LORD has chosen to lay on me day after day after day.

What is this burden? I read of it in Psalm 68:

Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah (Psalm 68:19 NKJ)

I am aware this morning of God’s wonderful blessings of grace. His mercies to me are far above all I deserve (which is why it is mercy).

Most significant are the benefits God has granted through the salvation of Jesus Christ. Paul writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Whatever may be my present outward circumstances, the Lord has promised wonderful things. In Christ I am forgiven of my sins. In Christ I am reconciled to God. In Christ I have the indwelling Holy Spirit. In Christ I share in the fellowship of the saints. In Christ I have a future hope of resurrected glory. In Christ I have the hope of judgment without condemnation. In Christ I have the anticipation of beatific existence of perfected humanity in the presence of God. In Christ I look forward to everlasting joy.

These are the foundational blessings of my faith. There are also many present temporal blessings of which I am very aware. My family, my church, our home, food, clothing, shelter, physical health, and stuff. Some of these overlap with my eternal blessings, others are merely passing.

I praise the God of grace who has been so gracious to such a wretch. May I live to make much of Christ today, and always find my superior joy in Him as I daily carry this glorious burden.

[Note: This is written based on the NKJ’s translation of this verse. I am aware that the ESV and the NAS translate the verse as “bears us up” or “bears our burden.” I could have written a similar meditation using those translations, speaking of the burdens of the world which are laid upon me, and how I do not carry them in my own strength. The Lord, upholds me by the multitude of spiritual blessings I named above.]

God Justifying

2009-05-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

In response to bog entry entitled “Justifying God”, a reader posted comments asking two questions. These questions were great questions and I would like to try to answer them.

The comment read “Can you demonstrate how you know this is a "courtroom" context and also show me where an alien righteousness is imputed?”

To answer the first question, let me first state what I believe the Bible asserts, and then seek to demonstrate it from the Scriptures. The imagery being used is that of a courtroom, where who we are and what we have done are judged by the Lord using the standard of His law. Outside of Christ we are judged guilty before God, but in Christ we are declared as righteous (or not guilty).

So where is this found in Scripture? Romans 3:9-4:12 sets forth this imagery in regards to a courtroom scenario (as well as the next question about imputation). Beginning in 3:9 we have the words “we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.” The word translated charged (Gk. proaytiasametha) means to bring an accusation, convict, or to accuse beforehand. So part of Paul’s ministry was to demonstrate before judgment the rightness of the charge that all are under sin before God. He then, in verses 10-18 (quoting Psalm 14 and 53) speaks of universal depravity. Then in verse 19-20 we read this:

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

So apart from Christ, Paul says that the entire world is guilty before God, and in like in a courtroom scenario, they will have no defense. Their mouths will be stopped. There will be no advocate. So in His sight, but the deeds of the law (human works and righteousness) no one will be declared righteous.

The following verses explain the glorious reality of the opposite truth. Those why have received a righteousness of God apart from the law (v.21) which is received by faith in Jesus Christ (v.22). In verse 25 we are also told that God set forth Christ Jesus as a propitiation (atoning sacrifice) by His blood. The result of this is that God is demonstrated as the just and the justifier. In the context and flow of this section, the setting is still God as Judge declaring those who have faith in Jesus as just.

The second question is whether the idea of imputation (crediting or attributing the righteousness of Christ to our account) can be demonstrated. Imputation is the concept of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ which includes His every sinless thought, word, and deed, is accredited to my account or record. My actual record is that I am a breaker of the law, and imputation states that Christ’s record replaced my record so that God declares me righteous in Christ.

Continuing in this section (and there is a lot I am needing to pass over), particularly in 4:3, Abraham is said to have righteousness “accounted” to him. This word (Gk. logidsomai) means to charge or credit to an account, consider, reckon, compute, or calculate. There is here more of an emphasis on accounting language than courtroom, thus mixing metaphors a bit. Paul does not consider this faith, by which he is accounted righteous, as a work (v.2), or Abraham would have something of which to boast. Again, in v.5 Paul writes:

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness…

The contrast is working vs. not working. Working does not justify. The one who does not work [i.e. as a basis for righteousness], but believes on God who justifies the ungodly [!], his faith is accounted (same word as v.3) as righteousness.

So where does this righteousness come from which is accounted to one’s account? Does God merely erase one’s guilt and violations? Does he give righteousness out of thin air? No, it is the righteousness of God found in the person of Jesus Christ which is imputed or credited to one’s account.

There is, I would point out, a double imputation, both negative and positive. The first is found in v.6, and it is positive. David, says Paul, speaks of the one whom God imputes righteousness apart from works (he also writes of it in v.11). This righteousness comes from the “One Man’s obedience” (5:19). His obedience, we are told, makes many made righteous.

There is also a negative imputation, or what God does not impute. In 4:8 (quoting Psalm 32) Paul writes “blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” In other words, the reckoning or accounting of the sin that I deserve is not accounted to me. This is, as seen in v.7, equivalent to the Lord forgiving my lawless deeds and covering my sin.

How is this all possible? It is made possible (and sure) by the atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross. There is another element of imputation that is also very important, and one which should cause us to tremble. What about the justice and righteousness of God in punishing my sin? How can God be just and justify a sinner like me by imputing the righteousness of Christ on my account, so that before Him, in His courtroom, I can be declared righteous? It is only by His first taking my sin and guilt and imputing them to Christ, and then punishing Him for them. Oh! Great mystery and glorious truth.

Paul summarizes this double imputation (Christ gets my sin, I get His righteousness) in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

May we live transformed lives in joyful pursuit of communion with this gracious God who has dealt with Jesus so severely for our sakes, so that He could deal with us so mercifully with us for Jesus’ sake.

Justifying God

2009-05-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

It has often been stated, and rightly so, that the biblical teaching of justification is the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls. Fundamentally, this teaching is that a person who is, because of sin, separated from God can only be made right before God by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. This righteousness is received by faith, and at the moment of reception is accepted as righteous in the courtroom of God. This is the Gospel, and that out of which the entire Christian life can be rightly lived.

What about the justification of God? Can God be justified, and if so, in what sense?

Part of my devotional reading this morning I was Luke 7:18-35. This is where John the Baptist is in prison and asking questions through his disciples of the Lord Jesus about whether He is the "coming One." While I won't try to unravel all that was going on here, it is clear that the Lord both commends John (no greater prophet born of a woman) and also ranks him lower than one who is least in the Kingdom.

It is one of Luke’s subsequent comments that struck me as I read. He says "even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John" (Luke 7:29). In submission to John’s baptism, sinful tax collectors are said to have justified God. Just what does this mean?

First, it doesn’t mean justify in the same way that sinners are justified. God is not sinful, but holy. He doesn’t need to have righteousness imputed to Him. All He does is righteous.

There is a hint to the meaning in the following comment by Luke. There it says, “the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him” (Luke 7:30). In contrast to “justifying God”, these men who knew the law so well and who claimed to be keepers of the law are said to have “rejected to will of God.”

So justifying God is the opposite of rejected the will of God. It is to accept the will of God. To reject the will of God is to not justify God. Again, what does this mean?

The word “justify” (Gk. ) means “to declare as righteous.” So how did those who accepted John’s baptism declare God as righteous?

In Luke 3:3 we are told that John was “preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” His basic message was that the Kingdom of heaven was at hand. The appropriate internal response was to repent and the appropriate external response was to be baptized as a sign of that repentance. How does this justify God?

Repentance is an admission and declaration of at least four things. It is first an admission of our own sinfulness. It is born out of a sense of conviction that we have fallen short of God’s glory and broken His law. Second, it is an declaration of God’s righteousness. Because God is holy and His law is perfect, we have been weighed in the balance and found lacking in comparison to God and His righteous expectations. Third, it is a declaration of God’s right to condemn us because of our sin. We are deserving of His judgment, and if he sent us to hell He would be righteous in doing so. Fourth, it is a declaration of hope in the mercy of God through the Gospel. Repentance isn’t born merely out of a desire to lower the degree of punishment, but a grace oriented response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in faith because God has said that if we return to Him that He will receive us.

So how does all this justify God? None of this adds to God’s righteousness or rightness. But it does declare it. Remember, justification is essentially declaring someone’s righteousness. So in receiving the will of God, that we should respond to who He is and what we are by loving and hopeful faith in His mercy, we are (particularly in baptism) making public declaration of God’s “rightness.”

You and I not only do this as disciples at our baptism, but our day by day life with God should be a justification of His righteousness. With our lives and with our lips we should be declaring, unlike the Pharisees, that because we are sinful God would be just in condemning us. Nevertheless, because of the atoning sacrifice of His Son He has opened the new and living way so that we may come to Him in mercy. Every time we go to Him in humility by prayer, admitting our unworthiness, His righteousness, and trusting in His mercy, we justify God.

Therefore, go…and live a life that justifies Him through the Gospel.

No Little People

2009-05-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

One of the temptations in a church is to give into an American and corporate mentality which is driven by personality rather than people. This can be manifested in that the most important person in the church is the preaching pastor, and his name is more on the lips of the people than any other, even Christ.

Using Paul's analogy of 1 Corinthians 12, while the pastor may be the primary mouth of a church, he is upheld, assisted, and enabled to do what he does by many others.

As is evident by several of my posts, I am very thankful for our church. By church I don't mean some kind of abstract institution, a set of beliefs, or even our corporate meeting. Rather I mean the specific individuals whose names and faces I have come to cherish and with whom I expect to spend eternity in the presence of God.

I am definitely a mouth (as evidenced by the length of the sermons I typically preach). I hope I am an edifying and faithful one to our flock. But each week there is a host of people who make our church what it is, and while I admit my partiality, I do believe it is special.

There are those who arrive early to set up for our meetings. There are those who on Saturday night and Sunday morning prepare delicious food for our love feast. There are those who serve by teaching our children's Sunday school classes. There are those watch the younger children in our nursery (and with long sermons, this can be quite a challenge). There are those who are on the hospitality schedule who are responsible for serving and cleaning after the lunch and to put the building back into shape when others have gone by vacuuming a large room, mop floors, and put away equipment. There are those who practice diligently to play music to assist us in singing. There are those who prepare bulletins and sermon outlines to hand out. There are those who run the sound and recording equipment. There are those who prepare for the worship Scripture readings. There are those who take the audio and prepare it for the Internet. There are those who, before the services start, are faithfully praying in a back room for the presence of God. There are those who place their hard earned money into our offering box with the prayer that God would bless it and use it to build the Kingdom of Christ. There are our deacons who set up the schedules, oversee these various matters, and count the money from the offering. All these things, and more, are accomplished by a Christ-loving group of disciples.

This is just what goes on for the Lord's Day. Then there are the multitude of things that happen outside of our corporate worship. There are those who give free babysitting so that doctor's appointments can be made or simply so a couple can have a date night together. There are those who fix meals for mothers who have just given birth or for families who are going through difficulties. There are the expressions of love in baby showers, bridal showers, and surprise birthday parties. There are those who make phone calls to see how others are doing, or to find out if they are okay because they missed a couple of weeks of corporate meetings. There are those who regularly open their homes for hospitality, cookouts, or hosting parties for fellowship. There are those who have loaded and unloaded countless moving trucks as we say hello or goodbye to church families. There are those who send cards of encouragement or give people their personal chocolate cakes the week of their birthday. And I'm pretty sure this isn't even close to being exhaustive.

Francis Schaeffer wrote that there are, in the Kingdom of God, "no little people." I realize that, as the primary pastor-teacher of our church, in one sense I am the face of the church. But there is much more to a person than a face. We have hands that serve, hearts that love, feet that move, arms that hug, fingers that touch, and backs that carry burdens.

When someone visits our church and says they have been listening to our sermons before visiting, I am thankful. Yet, I am aware that I am not alone, and my labors are enabled and fleshed out and made real by the body of Christ.

To my church: I am brought to tears writing this and thinking of you. Thank you. I love you. The Lord Jesus sees your labor, and is well pleased. Well done, good and faithful servants.

Trembling and Trusting in a Storm

2009-05-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

My watch alarm goes off at 4:45am, and I shake off the immediate temptation I have every morning to disable it and roll over to enjoy more slumber. My bag already packed and waiting by the door, I get dressed in my workout clothes and head out the front door. It is raining...hard. So hard that I do what I rarely do, go back inside to grab an umbrella. If I don't, I know I will be soaked to the bone even before I reach my car.

As I back out of our drive and start to pull up Vantrease Avenue I realize that it is raining even harder than I first thought. Another excuse rears its head in my mind. "The driving conditions are too bad. Go back to bed." Not so easily defeated, I keep pressing my foot on the accelerator and take a left at Graycroft Avenue. By the time I hit the expressway the intensity of the storm impresses me even more. There have been probably 1/2 a dozen times in my life when it has rained such a torrent that I had to pull over under an overpass. This is one of those storms, but I don't pull over this time. Usually these kinds of drenches only last a few minutes, but as I continue the 15 minute drive so does this rain.

As I pull into the drive of "the big house" (where my good friend Robb and I work out) and press my fingers against the dripping wet key pad to open the gate, just the few seconds it takes to open and close the window soaks my left arm and torso. There is only one thing that is going to stop me, if the creek is flooded and flowing over the bridge (I have seen enough of those news stories to dissuade me from trying). It isn't...so I continue.

As I drive up the 1 mile stretch of blacktop the road gets more difficult to see. I realize about half way up that the creeks on both sides of the road are seriously overflowing, and I can feel the water under the car. At least three times I realize that I am in a dire situation. I know the road somewhat well, but am having a difficult time seeing and am semi-prepared to go into the creek at any moment.

I usually don’t get scared very easily, and things have to be pretty bad before I feel fear. This is not because I am particularly courageous, just mostly naïve. I am scared. I pray, several times, and after each corner I am thanking the Lord for safe deliverance.

Finally I reach the top of the drive and pull in front of the garage. My arms and hands are shaking. I thank you Lord for delivering me through the deep waters.

I work out (alone, as Robb is catching up on much deserved sleep), run 3 miles, and then jump into the pool, still thinking of the Lord’s mercy. I take a shower, get dressed and jump into my car. The sun is beginning to break through and the sky is still. A wonderful day to be a God-follower.

There is debris in several spots on the road. As I round the last corner before breaking into the openness I see before me the entire field flooded with at least a couple of feet of water. I am at an impasse. For a couple of hundred yards from the road right in front of me to the other side of the bridge there is a new river with debris floating in it that is visibly dangerous. I think now of Gandalf’s words, “You shall not pass!” Don't even try it.

I drive backwards all the way up the hill to the big house again and am thankful that I brought a Bible in my gym bag this morning. I call Kimberly and tell her I won't be home for a while. I fix some coffee, sit on the leather couch, then read and pray.

About two hours later I decide to drive back down to see if I can pass, stopping a couple of times to clear some of the larger debris from the road. The impromptu river is gone, and I am able to pass.

I arrive home and now sit in my study, with water still visible in puddles in our back yard, the sun shining through, and the children drying off from a brief swim in our pool (the water is too cool to swim in, but they enjoy it anyway).

I take this time to reflect, to praise, and to remember that my life is but a vapor. All flesh is but grass, including mine. The Lord has delivered me for yet another day.

May I not waste my life.

Marveling Jesus

2009-05-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

When Jesus heard these things, he marveled... (Luke 7:9)

(English) marvel - evoking suprise, admiration or wonder; to feel amazement or bewilderment about.

(Greek) thaumadzo - wonder, marvel, astonishment...to be amazed.

Whether from the Greek or the English translation, Jesus is said to respond to the faith of the Centurion in a way that is itself a marvel to me. I wonder at Jesus' wonder.

What is it that Luke records caused the Son of God, who created the world, who sustains it by the Word of His power, who from the beginning was able to take in the massive size and wonder of the universe, who alone knows the infinite God exhaustively? Faith.

So what was this faith that caused Jesus to respond in this way? At least two things. First, faith that was humbled in the presence of the Savior. This centurion has a good testimony with the Jewish leaders. They say about him that he is worthy. He believed in the God of Israel, and out of that faith loved the people of God (our nation) and sought to promote the worship of God (he is the one who built us our synagogue). The plea of the Jewish leaders is "he is worthy to have you do this for him", referring to the healing of his sick servant.

When Jesus goes to see him in person, what is the Centurion's response? Does he think himself worthy? No, but rather states plainly "I am not worthy." Though he had good works, he did not count on this as any merit in presence of Jesus.

The second thing in addition to his humility was his belief in the worthiness and authority of the Lord. This is expressed in his statement that Jesus can merely speak a word and his servant will be healed. He has beleived that Jesus is sent from God and has the ability to banish sickness and death.

These two things, humility in the presence of Christ and belief in the authority of Christ, constitutes that faith which caused Jesus to respond internally with astonishment and externally with the words "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."

Does Jesus, as the ascended and glorified God-Man still marvel in this way at this kind of faith or has He somehow risen above such a response? I am not certain, but I think He still marvels. But what I am certain of is that such faith is still pleasing to Him. Hebrews 11:6 states that without faith it is impossible to please God. It assumes the opposite, that God is pleased with faith.

May the Lord help me, and you, to cultivate this kind of faith so that Jesus may look upon us and be well pleased...and even amazed.

Spiritual Adultery

2009-05-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

This past Lord's Day I taught an overview of the book of Hosea in our adult Bible class. One of the points I sought to emphasize that Hosea is commanded to take a wife of whoredom as a representation of God's relationship to His people. Whoredom...a somewhat innocuous word. A whore is a prostitute, one who is sexually active with someone who is not her covenant husband, especially in this case an adulteress because she is already married.

Essentially, the message of Hosea is that through Israel's idolatry she has become and adulterous. She sells herself into sexual slavery and then returns to her husband after an all night bacchanalia, breath reeking from her drunkenness, dress stained with all kinds of filth, exhausted and thrown away like an old rag by her paramours.

This is strong stuff, and not considered by some to be "family friendly." The analogy should only be pushed as far as necessary to get the point deeply embedded into our hearts (and some need it pushed further than others).

This represents us as God's people. Idolatry is adultery in biblical terms. While we may not bow down to physical idols (the mirror and the car lot may be very close), there are what are the idols of the heart (Ezekiel 14:3). These include the idols of pleasure and prosperity, comfort and ease, education and career, relationships and family, fame and reputation, sexuality and food. Our hearts, as Calvin rightly observes, are idol factories. Every single thing that is created is a potential idol, even (and especially) those things that are gifts of the Lord.

When we identify our idols, it is not enough to stop there. We must recognize that all sin is spiritual adultery. In the words of Derek Webb, "I am a whore, I do confess."

This is what we are by nature. May God receive praise that he does not leave us in this condition. He is committed to purifying us, and clothing us with the spotless garment of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We treasure His mercy, we seek to keep ourselves pure and holy, looking for the day when He will fully and finally present us before Himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, and we shall be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27).

Not only do we have this hope of real transformation in the future, but the essence of the Gospel is that we have that righteousness now! I am now, through the merit of my Savior, considered perfectly what I will one day be perfectly.

There is a relatively recent practice called "trash the dress." The idea is that after a wedding, the bride does various things to make the dress filthy and ruin it. As believers, let us do the opposite. Let us be in the process of being transformed and purified by the grace of God so that our lives are increasingly cleansed by the Word, that we might live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, awaiting anxiously for the appearing of our Savior (Titus 2:12-13).

[as a P.S., I read some reasons that this "trash the dress" ritual is done. One is as an alternative to merely packing it up in a closet forever. Another was as a symbol of the bride to her husband that she would never need it again. I was wondering a better alternative would be, rather than wasting the money either by eternal storage or destruction, to donate it to an organization that could collect them for women who could not afford a dress of their own. This could be a blessing to a woman who could not pay that price for something so nice]

Oh, death...

2009-05-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have been privileged to share in some very special experiences with the people of God as their shepherd that cause me to feel a weight to my responsibilities and a sense of awe that God has called me to such a task.

In a decade of pastoral ministry I have been privileged to perform marriage ceremonies, joining together two people in a glorious union reflecting Christ and the church. I have made hospital visits to celebrate the birth of a new child and watch the glowing smiles of the father and the exhausted sighs of the mother. I have been the one to receive the first news of the loss of an unborn child. I have sat through hours of counseling sessions with couples seeking to guide them from the Word in how to bring about the glory of Christ in their family. I have been at the first meeting between two spouses after betrayal and infidelity. I have baptized individuals who have passed from death to life, and publicly identified them as disciples of Jesus Christ.

These are just some of the events that I have had a special "all access" pass into the lives of the people of God.

Last night I experiened another. I received a call that the father of one of the men in our church had passed away. This man and his family are a treasure to our church. When they first came to us they were relatively newly married. I have had the privilege of watching them grow in Christ as well as bring two new lives into this world. This man is hard working, faithful to his wife, committed to the church.

I drove immediately to the hospital and then drove the couple first to his mother's, and then to his sister's. These are two women I have never met and about whom I know almost nothing about. So I stood on the sidelines, watched, and prayed. God have mercy. Give them consolation by the Gospel. Use this in their lives to draw them to Yourself.

I struggle with what to say. Mostly I say nothing, but pray more. Give him strength and trust in you. Help him to be a guiding light to his remaining family. Do not allow his soul to be overwhelmed with grief and regret. Have mercy, O Lord.

I then drove the family to the hospital, mostly silent, with an occassional humorous interaction, pat on the shoulder, and more prayer. While I am with the family one of the dear sisters in the church is watching the children for them. The love of Christ in action.

I walked into the room behind the family as the waves of grief crashed on their souls and they saw the clay vessel of the man whom they had loved, and now have lost.

Death is both the most natural and unnatural thing that happens to us. It happens to every one of us, and from the moment we are born there is a reality that hangs over our head at every tick of the clock. I am closer to death than one moment ago. Yet, something so inevitable and certain has such a deep and shocking impact on those who are left behind. Almost as if it had never happened before to anyone.

The world is cursed. Death is an intruder. The intruder was brought in by sin. I am a sinner. I will die. You will die. Life is a vapor.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be present, even if mostly silent, in this significant event in the life of this dear family. Even now there are families in our church who are seeking ways to serve as well as already in the process of serving by praying for God's glory in the midst of this situation.

In two days I will stand before friends and strangers and have an opportunity to share in another glorious event, the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. O Lord, help me to feel the weight of glory as I do so.

Evangelism and the Glory of God

2009-05-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

A reality has dawned on me afresh over the last several days. It is the reality that my heart has grown cold toward the lost.

I love the people of God in my life. I enjoy being with them. I enjoy ministering the Word to them. I love worshipping with them. I love having them in our home to fellowship and spend time together. And so a shepherd should.

When I think of my neighbors, acquaintances, extended family and others who are without Christ, I am living with a relative indifference to their spiritual condition. There is no self-denying passion to see them come to know God through Jesus Christ.

Be clear that if any of these folks were in the least bit interested in the Gospel that I believe I would be willing to spend any amount of time with them and do everything I could to get them the resources necessary to come to know and grow in Christ.

But when it comes to courageous and proactive attempts to bring the Gospel to others, I am in a state of relative indifference. This is most especially true in regards to my prayer life. I cannot remember when I was last broken over the eternal plight of those I know who will go into a Christless eternity. The fact of the conscious and eternal torment of those without the righteousness of the Savior is something that does not move me.

But there is a more fundamental problem in my heart. More important and significant than the reality of Hell (as important and significant as it is) is the glory of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This condition not only is indicative of my disposition toward the lost, but also of my lukewarm-ness to the greatness of God. Here is how I think it works.

No matter how much I might be motivated by the condition of those who have not bowed the knee to the Savior, I can be easily de-motivated by their lack of concern and indifference, or even resistance. So, I think to myself, I’ll wait and make myself available and if the time comes when they are interested, then I’ll be glad to help. Until then, what else can I do? So the motive is not sustained. It is fueled merely by their attitude and concern.

But this isn’t the whole story, and it certainly isn’t the main the main thing. The main thing is God and His glory. It is about God and His rights over all, His love and mercy in the Gospel of His Son, and His call for everyone everywhere to repent believe the glorious truth that will set them free and give them eternal life.

The driving passion for evangelism is the glory of God. If this is increased in my heart, then the necessary concomitant (that which co-exists) is a deep desire for people to be converted to Christ so that they too may treasure Him and bring Him glory through His grace.

The upshot is a deep, abiding, self-deny desire to confront and engage people with the Gospel. It is of great interest that just after Paul writes the church in Rome some of the most straightforward words about the doctrine of election (which I believe and the Bible teaches) that he expresses his desire for those of his own nation to be saved.

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren (Romans 9:1-3 NKJ)

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. (Romans 10:1 NKJ)

What drives all of this is found in 11:36, “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

What do I need in order to see a renewed love, desire and zeal for the lost to come to know Jesus? A renewed stirring in my own heart for the glory of God. A real and radical transformation by the Holy Spirit in me for Him.

What can I do to assist this renewal? Cut away, as much as possible, those things that deplete my spiritual health. Pray with desperation for the reviving work of the Spirit in me. Fix my eyes on Jesus, and pray for the grace to be willing to become a fool for His sake.

Re-Boot

2009-05-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

I return with another effort to restart, and to be consistent with some kind of regular blogging attempt.

I'll start this one by saying that I am so thankful for and in love with our church body here in Nashville. I'm a bit partial (to say the least...kinda like a grandparent with grandchildren), but this group of believers is awesome.

We had a wonderful day of worship yesterday, with exuberant singing, Christ-filled Scripture readings and sermon, and blessed fellowship around the table. Afterward, my fellow elder and our three deacons met in my study and had a good and challenging meeting as we considered the future of the Lord's church among us. We then had an evening meal at our home with all the leadership's families. It was a full day in which the blessings of the Gospel were clearly on us.

To my church body...thank you for being so wonderfully accepting of me, my faults, my changes, my sins...you are a clear illustration of the love of Jesus toward me.

For those who were missing, we missed you.

For those who don't have a local church to experience the love of the brethren, Oh! may you never stop searching until you find such a place.

An Airplane and a Ferry - the Mystery of God

2009-01-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

One of the phenomenons of my trips to Zambia is that my exposure to news is limited. Some of this is because of the lack of ready availability of technology, the other a self-imposed fast from distractions. When I return, it seems that true news has a deeper impact on me.

Having spent over 20 hours on an airplane on my return trip Monday and Tuesday, the news of the emergency landing of US Air flight 1549 stunned and amazed me, resulting in praise to God for His goodness. That a plane could suffer a double engine failure due to the apparent impact of birds in both engines (!) and then land safely in the Hudson river with relatively minor injuries is amazing. The goodness of God, despite the assumed presence of both believers and unbelievers, is clearly displayed. 150 passengers...safe.

No sooner had a read the latest on this story that I came upon another story of a ferry in Indonesia sank due to a storm. The severity of God, with the likely presence of both believers and unbelievers, is clearly displayed. 200+ passengers...perished.

Were those on the airplane who survived more righteous than those on the ferry who perished? No. Unless we repent, we will likewise perish.

The mystery of God in the providence of unfolding human history.

Reading Calvin's Institutes

2009-01-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

There are works by post-biblical writers who are on the short list of must reads for those who are interested in deeper thinking about the Christian faith. These include authors such as Aquinas, Augustine, and Calvin. 2009 is the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth, and his monumental work Institutes of the Christian Religion in considered by serious readers as one of the most important writings in Protestant Christianity.

Part of my general reading plan this year is to read (for the first time) through this seminal work. Below is an introduction and the link for the 5-day a week reading schedule I will be using.

John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509. His Institutes of the Christian Religion forms one of the greatest articulations of the faith in the history of the church. The Foundation for Reformed Theology invites you to celebrate the 500 anniversary of his birth by reading th this work entirely.

Reading schedule.

Reading in Africa

2009-01-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

On my two week trip to Africa I purposefully left behind all my technology (i.e. laptop and Palm) and limited myself to four books. Those books included a Bible, an English dictionary, Perrine’s book on literature, and C.S. Lewis’ book entitled The Great Divorce.

My purpose in not taking the technology was to be less distracted. My purpose in limiting myself to take only the four texts was focus. This strategy worked. I was able to think more deeply about fewer things. One of my greatest weaknesses is thinking too shallowly about too many things.

My morning devotions, as I sat and enjoyed the creation and the Word of the Lord, consisted in engaging in Sacred Reading of several Psalms. My free time included reading several short stories and poems found in Perrine’s work as well as reading The Great Divorce once through on the 15 hour plane trip over, and about ½ way through again during my visit. It is on Lewis’ work that I want to comment.

The piece is an extended “dream” of Lewis finding himself in hell and being taken to heaven on a bus ride together with several characters who are revealed in the story. The supposition of the account is that those in hell have an opportunity to choose to leave the confines of hell and enter into heaven. I don’t agree with this theologically, but it affords Lewis a framework to diagnose the reasons which some choose their own ways over God’s. I believe that he is a master at this approach, and the characters are masterfully opened up.

I find it difficult to describe the wonderful ways that Lewis uses images to open up the wonders of heaven, and they cause me to long for Glory more deeply and with greater anticipation. I highly recommend a joyful reading of the book to stir the imagination to something of the glories of everlasting life. Listen to how he describes men and women who come out to meet the passengers of the bus:

Long after that I saw people coming to meet us. Because they were bright I saw them while they were still very distant, at first I did not know that they were people at all. Mile after mile they drew nearer. The earth shook under their tread as their strong feet sank into the wet turf. A tiny haze and a sweet smell went up where they had crushed the grass and scattered the dew. Some were naked, some robed. But the naked ones did not seem less adorned, and the robes did not disguise in those who wore them the massive grandeur of muscle and the radiant smoothness of flesh. Some were bearded but no one in that company struck me as being of any particular age. One gets glimpses, even in our own country, of that which is ageless – heavy thought in the face of an infant, and frolic childhood in that of a very old man. Here it was all like that. They came on steadily. I did not entirely like it. Two of the ghosts screamed and ran for the bus. The rest of us huddled closer to one another.

Each of the glorified ones proceeds to engage with the passengers of the bus, and the various characters are unfolded and exposed to the reason that they choose hell over heaven.

The characters include an apostate, a woman who loves her son over God, a man who demands his “rights”, an artist who will not enjoy heaven but insists on trying to paint it, a woman who can do nothing but grumble and several others. Like another of his writings, The Screwtape Letters, Lewis sees deeply into human sinfulness.

He also describes the place of our senses in enjoying not only the God-given pleasures of earth, but also those of heaven (in a greatly expanded way).

Before me the green slopes made a wide amphitheatre, enclosing a frothy and pulsating lake into which, over many-coloured rocks, a waterfall was pouring. Here once again I realized that something had happened to my senses so that they were receiving impressions which would normally exceed their capacity. On earth, such a waterfall could not have been perceived at all as a whole; it was too big. Its sound would have been a terror in the woods for twenty miles. Here, after the first shock, my sensibility “took” both as a well-built ship takes a huge wave. I exulted. The noise, though gigantic, was like giants’ laughter: like the revelry of a whole college of giants together laughing, dancing, singing, roaring at their high works.

Here I am at a loss for words…Lewis at his best.

Take up, and read!

The Eagle

2008-12-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

I really don’t know why it has taken me so long to realize something so simple. The Bible is an anthology of literature. To be sure, it is more than this. It is also the inspired and authoritative Word of God.

Having made that clarification, it has taken me a long time for it to sink in that the Scriptures are literary in nature. I am still trying to get this in my gut. The Bible is both inspired as well as written by human beings who were…well, human.

The Bible is not merely written for information or moral direction (thought it most certainly has plenty of both), but also enjoyment. In this sense, our Holy writings are imaginative in nature.

For this reason, one of the most helpful ways to increase in our ability to comprehend and interpret the various writings of the Bible is to increase in our understanding of literature and particularly poetry.

It has be frequently lamented that one of the marks of our declining culture with the dehumanization of our humanity is that we have lost the ability to read and enjoy poetic writing. Poetry is considered either as too antiquated, flowery, or abstract. Some modern poetry revels in being nonsensical.

Yet, poetic language is intended to broaden and deepen the human experience. Laurence Perrine writes “Its function is not to tell us about experience but to allow us imaginatively to participate in it. It is a means of allowing us, through the imagination, to live more fully, more deeply, more richly, and with greater awareness." (Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense)

Perrine cites the difference between informative use of language intended to give facts and the literary use which seeks to communicate experience by contrasting an entry in an encyclopedia about eagles and Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Eagle.” The encyclopedia gives information about the makeup, diet and habits of an eagle. But poetic language goes beyond this.

THE EAGLE

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

These words are written to be savored, considered, relished and enjoyed. They are to be turned over in the mind with the result of entering into the scene through the imagination. The feeling of the grandeur of the eagle itself as well as its surroundings can be felt in a distinct way.

As an Internet saturated people who have learned to glance and browse, we have not ordinarly cultivated the necessary mental habits of reading in this way. It is no wonder the Bible is so boring and irrelevent to many.

If you want to read the inspired Scriptures with more benefit (and enjoyment), try cultivating a love for poetry. I'm just starting to attempt this.

Simplicity...the Road to Freedom

2008-12-16T13:22:00.000-08:00

It is only 16 days until I am scheduled to depart for Zambia for about two weeks. This is to be my fourth trip (in as many years), and the bulk of my time is to be taken up with teaching 15 sessions on "Spiritual Formation."

In preparation for this module there are several books that I am trying to finish reading (or re-reading). The first is Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. This is a very helpful book from a brother who is solidly Protestant and Reformed.

The second book is by Kenneth Boa and is entitled Conformed to His Image. This is a very book highlighting some of the various approaches that Christians (more broadly defined) have taken throughout church history. He seeks to strip the errors of the approaches from any unbiblical imbalances, and mine the riches of the truth that God has revealed to those from various Christian traditions.

The third book is Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. In my estimation, this book is not as discerning as Boa's, and tends at times toward a more mystical approach to the Christian life. He quotes Christian writers that many Reformed folks would (rightly) be concerned about theologically. However, using Boa's strategy of mining the riches of truth and setting aside the dross of error, there are some things that he has written I find personally very challenging.

I read two chapters from this third book today, one on the discipline of simplicity and the other on solitude. Foster warns of a false or legalistic asceticism that is actually contrary to these disciplines. Having given this warning, he then gives 10 personal suggestions (not biblical laws) as to cultivating simplicity in our lives.

1.) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2.) Reject anything that is producing an addition.
3.) Develop a habit of giving things away. (i.e. de-accumulate)
4.) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5.) Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6.) Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7.) Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.
8.) Speak with plan, honest speech.
9.) Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10.) Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.

He slightly expands on each of these principles in his book in a way that I find challenging. I realize that I (and perhaps the church) am much more influenced to the anti-biblical spirit of the age in our culture than I realize. Instead of cultivating simplicity which leads to freedom, we just switch from non-Christian consumerism to a Christian-consumerism.

Rich Mullins wrote about...

How love is found in the things we've given up
More than in the things that we have kept.

Lack of simplicity is often the evidence of lack of contentment. May Jesus be our All in all.

...Where Thieves Break in and Steal

2008-11-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

Jesus' words in Matthew 6:19-21 are pointed and unmistakable. There are Kingdom treasures and earthly treasures. I am to store up one kind, but not the other. The first kind lasts forever, the second kind do not. There are three things that Jesus names that make earthly treasures perish: bugs, rust and thieves. The first two are typically more common, the third less so. But not yesterday.

As I pulled the back door closed behind me I paused. A kind of premonition, if you will allow, came over me. "Well, even if I lock the other lock, they'll just bust the door jam." It was 11 o'clock, and I was headed out to have lunch with my good brother and fellow pastor Ben.

Lunch was fairly normal. Mexican...lunch special #3...water with lemon. After eating we went to the parking lot at Ben's work and sought God's face. Blacktop sanctuary. Many burdens for the people of God. Why don't they read their Bibles and pray?

Off to Christian Worldview Class. Almost late, but excited to cover the creation-evolution debate. They didn't seem as excited to receive. Some interest, but they were probably tired from staying up too late trying to get the procrastinated Unit 1 exam completed to turn in to me by class time.

Joshua asked to ride home with me. Some extra father-son time. As we arrived home and I went to unlock the back door...I was right. They just busted the door jam. I told Joshua to wait at the door as I walked through the house, asking the Lord for courage in case they were still there. All clear.

Time to assess the damage. It appears they went straight to our room, dumped out a couple of small drawers, pulled some stuff out of the top of my closet. They took Kimberly's entire jewelry box this time. Nothing of much value, mostly cheap Wal-Mart stuff. To add insult to injury, they took her pillow case apparently to make off with their stash. I am most offended by this. They took the very material my sweet, diligent and honest wife lays her weary head at night.

I police through the house, nothing else seems to be touched. They left the children's banks this time. They probably didn't recognize they were banks or they would have taken them as well.

I wondered if they took our broken DVD player. They didn't. The TV is much to bulky and antiquated to worry about. The laptop looks old, so they didn't bother with that. At the end of the day they can't take much if you don't have much. A kind of anger rises up and I inwardly speak words that the intruders will never hear: "Didn't get much for your work, did you?"

I walked back out to tell Joshua he could come in. He was curious, but I didn't want to spook the children by telling them someone had violated our personal space again and been there when we weren't.

We love having people in our home. If they would have asked, we probably would give them about anything they wanted. It would save me having to fix the door jam.

My family is safe. God is gracious. My treasure is in heaven. Christ is everything. Thank you Jesus.

To Work or Not to Work

2008-11-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life... (John 6:27)

If anyone is not willing to work. let him not eat. (2Thessalonians 3:10)

It is our sacred duty and responsibility to read Scripture well. God does not intend for us to be lazy, easy-answer , quick fix, slogan-driven followers of Jesus. We are to read carefully and reverently. One of the great erros in reading Scripture is to have a myopic perspective regarding certain texts which we tend to emphasize to the neglect of other Scriptures. Many times this has to do with our personality or personal bent.

This is one reason some find so many problems and "contradictions" in the Bible. Instead of a kind of dialectic interaction (a method of argument or exposition that systematically weighs contradictory facts or ideas with a view to the resolution of their real or apparent contradictions) to move more closely to the truth, there is a piting of texts against one another or simply ignoring those texts contrary to one's favorite ideas.

In the two Scriptures cited above each is the Word of God. Each are true. Each are a command to submit to in loving obedience to the Savior.

So, do we labor for temporal food or not? At face value, Jesus says do not labor for physical food and Paul implies that we must (or we shouldn't eat). This appears clearly contradictory. But they aren't, because of assumptions and contexts and intended recipients.

In the end, Jesus is saying that temporal physical food is not our ultimate goal, and should not be the primary reason we come to Him (though we are to ask for daily bread from Him). There are greater things to seek, such as the Kingdom of God. Jesus will not be used by people simply to meet their temporary needs. He is offering to meet their great need of eternal life in the Gospel.

Paul is addressing Christians who have taken something of Jesus' idea literally, and have decided that they won't work for their food because they are more spiritual. However, food must be had. So what do they do? They let other people labor for their food and then, in the name of Christian charity, expect a handout. Paul says such a person should let their hunger pains instruct them that their biblical interpretation is incorrect.

So in answer to the question, "Should we labor for temporal food" the answer is "yes" (according to Paul) and "no" (according to Jesus).

Why do I spend this time to work through something that will be so immediately obvious to many? I am using this as an obvious and simple example of other issues in the Christian life, and how simply quoting our favorite passages in answer to a dilemma isn't always the right way. Sometimes, it just isn't that simple. We need to be sure we are taking in a fuller bibilcal witness to questions that are raised.

Consider some questions: Should we love the world? Is sanctification our work? Is justification once and for all? Is justification by faith alone? Are we to love other people? Has the Kingdom of God come? Is there equality between men and women? Are all people the children of God? Do all men know God? Does God love all people? Does God desire all people to be saved? Will all things be reconciled to God?

I suggest that all of these questions have a "yes AND no" answer, not in the Post-Modern sense of words not having any real meaning, but rather that there are biblical nuances to those answers which are not properly understood by simplistic answers. In some caseses answering with a simple yes or no is error. At other times, it is heresy.

Words are important, very important. Let us use them carefully and thoughtfully. Let us make sure we are thinking through our answers to difficult questions. Let us walk humbly before our God and others what ask such questions. Let us read carefully and think deeply.

the Power of Word

2008-11-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.
- Emily Dickenson

Words are enduring. They continue to shape and impact the soul of others long after they are spoken. For this reason, our speech is an incredible gift and responsibility that we should not take lightly.

This is true whether they are the words we craft by careful forethought or the spontaneous words which flow in the moment.

May we speak well, as those uniquely granted with a power of death or life in what we say. (Proverbs 18:21)

He is Laughing

2008-11-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

The ballots have been cast. The voting booths are closed. We have a new president-elect who is arguably the most pro-death, socialist, anti-family president we have known. Noisy post-election parties are being held as the "savior" of America's economics, politics and culture prepares to ascend his seat.

What now? How should the Christian respond? A more fundamental question is "how is God responding?"

Psalm 2 gives us a very pointed answer to such a question. While our nation and rulers continue to set agendas contrary to the Lord and His annointed One, seeking to burst the bonds of such "narrow" and "religous" agendas, God sits in heaven and laughs.

Why the laughter? How can God laugh (even if in derision)? Because He says "I have set my King on Zion, my holy Hill."

God has sworn by decree that the Lord Jesus Christ will have the nations for HIS possession. His rule is absolute...and gracious.

What should our rulers (and we) be doing? We should be kissing the Son. We should be taking refuge in Him. We should be acknowledging that even in the midst of disappointment and concern for our nation that they are blessed who take refuge in Him.

The Language of Religion

2008-11-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

This morning, before going to have lunch with my fellow pastor and good brother Ben, I decided to read an essay by one of my increasingly favorite Christian authors, C.S. Lewis (some time in the future I may write a post regarding what I consider the many strengths and a few problems of Lewis). I was looking for something on language and communication, and found his work "The Language of Religion" from Christian Reflections.

He believes there are perhaps three major kinds of language: (1.) Scientific, (2.) Ordinary and (3.) Poetic. As he describes it, scientific language is precise, verifiable and abstract (in the sense that it is more separate from concrete/realized experience). Ordinary lanuage is moving on the continuum toward poetic, and is more referential to common experience. Poetic language (not to be confused with poetry) uses more adjectives and seeks to convey not only facts, but expressions which enable the "receiver" to use their own experience to share in the experience of the speaker/writer.

It seems to me a modernist tendency to strip Christianity of its poetic communication in Scripture to "get to the facts", the more abstract and scientific (or theological) things.

Lewis writes:

This is the most remarkable of the powers of Poetic language: to convey to us the quality of experiences which we have not had, or perhaps can never have, to use factors within our experience so that they become pointers to something outside our experience...

I find this an wonderful insight. To say "I really like my wife's affectionate" is scientific, but abstract and borders on the edge of non-meaning. To say that her love is "better than wine" (Solomon 4:10) has the power of pulling one into how I feel about her affection and love. If you have had the experience of good wine (which Jesus creates according to John 2:10), the hints of flavors like berry or hickory or the warmth it creates as it washes slowly down your throat, then when I say its "like that" then you share in an experience with me and understand more of what I mean. This is poetic language, which is less "accurate" (i.e. my wife's love doesn't come out of a bottle) but in one sense more accurate in that you can experience my joy by your shared experience.

Keep your eyes open for such language in Scripture which is not less true because it is non-literal or poetic, but actually more true.

Mind on Fire!

2008-10-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Scripture almost daily for almost 18 years. I became a Christian in December of 1990, and up until that time the majority of my reading consisted of drumming magazines and Stephen King books. I was not raised a reader, but rather as a virtual vegetable sitting passively and taking in massive hours of TV, movies and video games. I was one of those kids (and young adults) that helped tip the scales and skewed the polls for the creation of those statistics of just how bad things are in regards to entertainment.

After my conversion I was greatly interested in the information found in Scripture. I went to Bible School and eventually (through the influence of two men in my church) came to embrace Reformed Theology. My tendency was, from very early on, to systematize everything. I was interested from almost the beginning in systematic theology, apologetics and polemics. The seminary I attended also gave great attention to systematical theology.

I am very grateful for this conceptual framework. I believe there is a very important place for what is called "the analogy of Scripture." However, I believe for many years I have so focused on that approach that I have missed the majesty and grand vista of the Scriptures. I have tended toward a minimalist perspective which seeks to try to strip away the details and "messy" things to find out "what God really want me to know."

I have come to realize that this way of thinking has a modernist tendency. It treats the Scriptures as a kind code book in which we need to break the code, pull out the really important things, and try to merely discover the facts and morality of the Bible. In the process I have frequently lost my imagination, and in one sense lost my mind.

As I mentioned in my previous post, men like Eugene Peterson (and Leland Ryken) have helped me to come to understand more of the grand scope of our Holy Scripture, not only as a work of theology and morality, but also an anthology of varied genre of imaginative literature. As I continue to try to press in to realize this, I have found a certain "lostness" as I read Scripture. I mean this in the best possible way.

So, this really is igniting my creative and moral imagination. I am trying to think about my story in the context of this great Story of Spirit-inspired and Jesus-authoritative Truth. It is only as I am lost in this great Story that I can understand my place, purpose and meaning.

Immersion...in the Text

2008-10-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

I recently read Eugene Peterson's work Eat this Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading. In it he suggests that we often come to the Bible for one of three primary reasons: (1.) To get information, (2.) to get moral direction, or (3.) to get inspiration.

Peterson suggets that when we merely come to read Scriptures for one of these reasons, we are coming more with a disposition of "using" them for our own purposes. While we certainly do get information, direction, and inspiration, our more fundamental approach should be to immerse and submit to whatever the text says, even if it doesn't fulfill one of these purposes (at least obviously so).

He quotes C.S. Lewis

When we "receive" it we exert our senses and imagination and various other powers according to a pattern invented by the artist. When we 'use' it we treat it as an assistance for our own activities. The one, to use an old-fashioned image, is like being taken for a bicycle ride by a man who may know roads we have never yet explored. The other is like adding one of those motor attachments to our own bicycle and then going for one of our familiar rides. These rides may in themselves be good, bad, or indifferent.... 'Using' is inferior to 'reception' because art, if used rather than received, merely facilitates, brightens, relieves, or palliates our life, and does not add to it.

In thinking about this, it has greatly enriched my Bible reading over the last couple of weeks. Instead of coming to the text looking (primarily) for information or moral direction, I try to think about entering into the world and immersing myself into it for the purpose of losing the particulars of my life and being absorbed in God's Word. Then, when I emerge again from it, I can begin to ask the questions that need to be asked (about instruction and direction).

So this morning my Bible reading included 1 Kings 21. This is the narrative of Ahab's obtaining of Naboth's vineyard. It really came to life for me, so much so I am thinking about preaching it this coming Lord's Day. I tried to take my time through it, uncaging my imagination, and envisioning the various scenes. My response in my journal? "WOW!" I was particularly struck by the Lady MacBeth-like wickedness and manipulation of Jezebel.

I am re-amazed at the richness and variety of Scripture. In the Bible reading schedule I am following, this morning I read in the Psalms, 1 Kings, Zecharia, and James. What a mix! It was good to end in the pointed passage on the tongue, seeing the various images of it, both good and bad. It is like a bridle (to a horse), a rudder (to a ship), a spark (to a forest fire) and poison (to the body for sickness death). Even in these images are more worlds of imagination.

May the Lord help us to keep from viewing Scripture as irrelevent or boring. Take, and eat!

Returning to Writing...

2008-10-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

It has been several months since I have blogged, and so I hope that this might be a post that will kick start my heart into action and writing.

Things have been busy (as always...almost an unnecessary thing to say about anyone), and there have been spiritual ups and downs since my last post. God has been very faithful, and I am increasingly thankful for every day of persevering grace, now going on 18 years.

I returned to my study a bit ago after teaching my Christian Worldview Class and then going to vote at our library. In the worldview lecture I covered the New Age movement. I was particularly struck at how desperately people want peace, prosperity, and love, but they want to obtain it in rejection of the personal God who requires their life and instead to accept the idea that they are (or will become) the world's greatest of beings.

There are several young people in the class who are very engaged and interested. Others are apparently along for the ride, and occassionally awaken from their open-eyed slumber to make comment before retreating into their disengaged and private world. I say this not as an insult, but wondering what kind of life they have in their home, and my heart breaks.

So...here is a new post (finally). We'll see where it goes from here.

The Weight of Preaching

2008-06-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Each proclamation of the gospel by the minster either leads souls toward life immortal or sends them downward toward a deeper hell. It softens hearts or it hardens them. It brings men upward toward Jesus, or it will justify God in consigning them to the regions of deepest woe. Is it not, then, an awful thing to preach? Who shall attempt to do it until his heart is bathed in the atmosphere and the blood of Calvary?
- Thomas Murphy's Pastoral Theology

One of the things that I lost over the past couple of months (see previous post) was the very thing that Murphy writes of here. I remember days in which my preaching was in earnest, and the weight of heaven and hell affected me to a greater degree. I am seeing the Lord slowly restore that sense in my heart, and my desire is that it more deeply weigh on me as my spiritual state is recovered.
One of the things I think I slipped into was the lack of realization of the high privilege and responsibility of my calling as a pastor/teacher. Part of this was lost by a varied and scattered interest in some other things. Thankfully, none of these interests were in and of themselves sinful. For some, they would be legitimate callings and pursuits. However for me I believe they had become distractions and not kept in their proper place.
So here I am again, at the foot of the Cross, confessing my failures and looking to the Lord's mercy. God forbid that I should boast in anything but the cross of Christ. May the world be crucified afresh to me, and I to it.

Out of the Wilderness

2008-06-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

The last couple of of months things have not been good for my soul. While remaining orthodox and being kept from any scandalous sin, I have had a creeping worldliness which has infected my heart and a decreasing relish for God and the Gospel.

By God's grace I have maintained the means of grace, reading the Bible every day, having family worship regularly, having times of prayer and thinking about the Truth of God's Word. However, things were not good.

There was the harboring of sin in my heart, and probably the biggest trouble has been indulgence. Sometimes indulgence in things unlawful, but often just not denying myself any of my lawful pleasures. Not being willing to pinch my flesh for the sake of the Kingdom.

I'm not an ascetic, and believe that God has given us all things richly to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17). There are self-made regulations that have no value against the indulgence of the flesh (Colossians 2:23). That being said, the constant saying "yes" and not saying "no" tends not to be the most beneficial soil in which the hope of the Gospel grows for me.

There are several things that have been used of the Lord to awaken my soul and see a reawakening in it. One was the Together for the Gospel Conference. Another was several opportunities to minister to people, and as I spoke words I felt myself hollow inside. There was little conviction or power in my own heart as I spoke them. Then there was the weekend stay of a dear brother in Christ in our home. He had recently found an awakening in his soul, especially in relation to prayer, and his presence convicted me.

I began to confess my state to several of my close companions, and to seek the Lord more earnestly. Two books were also great helps, both by C.J. Mahaney. One is Humility, and the other The Cross-Centered Life.

I praise God for His goodness, in opening my eyes afresh to the glory of the Gospel. I am still sorting through what God has been teaching me. There is a newness in my walk with the Lord and a fresh sense of His presence in my preaching.

I am very grateful for my church, and the many individuals I know pray for me in earnest. It is through their prayers I am sure that I have been kept from utter abandonment to the world, and now I want to bless them with more earnestness in my labors for them. May my Lord receive much glory in it.

Sharing a Burden

2007-12-13T12:53:00.000-08:00

[written to our church body]

Dear brothers and sisters,
I am sitting in my study working on the Bible class for this week. I must confess that I am burdened.

Why am I burdened? I am concerned that some who need this most probably won’t even be there. I’m not primarily thinking about those who will be sick (I am sorry that will be the case) or those who will be traveling (I will miss you). It is because some of you who won’t need to miss will.

Why would this be a burden to me?
Perhaps its because I want as big an audience as possible, and to see so many empty chairs in the morning hour is disappointing.
Perhaps its because I usually work as hard on the Sunday school as I do the sermon, and there is frustration that such work will not be a benefit because of your absence. These two things could either be righteous or sinful things on my part. If it is sinful, I pray God would purge me of it and help me to think rightly.

But there are two reasons that are first in foremost in my mind for those who regularly miss this time.

First, some of the most practical and particular instruction is given during this hour, and some of you who most need this help will be not be there.
Second, to regularly miss this hour (or habitually come in late) means you miss 50%, or ½ of the instruction that God is giving to us as a church.

I realize that in other churches you have come from that the Sunday school hour is considered as an option or add-on. In our church this is not the view. We pray for and believe that the Lord Jesus is present with us as I think about our congregation and prepare messages to teach and preach. This is one primary way God shepherds His flock, and many of the problems that we deal with regularly are addressed in this time in a more intense and practical way than is done in the worship hour.

I realize that there are necessary reasons for missing. But if you miss regularly (or are presently dropping off) would you take a moment and ask if you are doing so out of necessity? If before God it is necessary, then have a good conscience before the Lord and ignore this message. I would encourage you, however, to take advantage of the messages that are posted free each week on SermonAudio. This is the primary reason we began to put them on the Internet, not to “reach the world” but to be a service to you when you have to miss.

If you examine your reasons and they are not out of necessity, but laziness (I’ll hit the snooze just one more time), lack of discipline (not going to bed early enough Saturday night), lack of preparation (running around Sunday morning looking for shoes and socks), or lack of commitment (that hour isn’t as important as the worship) then I would beg you to make the necessary changes to be present in the Lord’s House to be ready to receive all the Word that the Lord has for you. If you make it a priority, you can make it (and on time).

Your undershepherd in Christ,
Stephen

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

2007-09-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Brothers and sisters,

As you have heard me say often, “we live in a fallen world.” There are many things that befall us that are difficult, and maintaining a God-centered focus is an act of faith in the face of visible trials.

We have known this as a church and with those that we know. There are the difficulties of marriages, miscarriages, cancer, murdered missionaries, wayward children, failed relationships and a host of other events and circumstances that cause us to groan inwardly and outwardly.

Only a faith-filled belief in the “meticulous providence” of God is sufficient to support us in the midst of such circumstances. I have borrowed this term “meticulous providence” from Ronald Nash, a Christian philosopher and writer. This term conveys the belief that God is in sovereign control of every single detail of the world and of our lives. As such, there is no such thing as gratuitous (unnecessary) suffering.

One of our dear brothers in the Lord, Johnny Farese, has been one that has lived with what appears to be physical affliction that most of us would consider faith-crushing. Yet, God has used it to increase His faith in God’s meticulous sovereignty.

If you are not familiar with Johnny, I would encourage you to watch this video of his own testimony.

Laboring for your joy in the midst of trial,

Stephen

Trampolines and Front Porches

2007-06-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

My fellow pastor and I were meeting with one of the men in our congregation the other day, and we were discussing the differences between fellowshipping with the Lord just after our conversion and after one has been a Christian for several years. In the early days everything is new, and has a certain tinge of excitement. Every page of Scripture is seen through new eyes, and the amount of information one takes in is thrilling. Telling others of the Lord is a new endeavor, and one feels like they are on the "front line" of Kingdom work. Christian music gives an ability to express one's love to their newfound King, and worship itself is a new activity filled with wonder and awe.
Then something happens. The newness begins to die down, and one struggles with a faith that seems to be growing cold. Then comes a crucial point (though it probably isn't a specific "point", but more of a gradual process). There are at least three options that one can choose. The first is to look for increasingly exciting things to keep up the adrenaline of the Christian life. New books, new doctrines, louder worship, etc. Even this can only be sustained for so long, and the law of diminishing returns kicks in and one finds themselves in the same place. A second option is to accept the coldness, and learn to live with it. This is a kind of quiet resignation that things just aren't as they once were, that living the Christian life is just dull. But I believe there is a third option, which can be illustrated by trampolines and front porches.

A couple of years ago we purchased a trampoline for our family. I thought it would be something that I could enjoy with my two children (while I'm still able). It has been fun to jump with them, and a delight to see them go from barely being able to stand to doing their own special performances. We also purchased a 3" x 12" pool on our back deck. One of the things I've noticed about both of these activities is that my children thrive on increasing excitement. They constantly want me to throw them, jump higher, swirl faster, and other superhuman feats. They wear me out. This is what is to be expected from children. But this will not last forever.

One day our relationship will mature (as well as our bodies). The day will come when our communion with one another will not be primarily these exciting times of physical activities, but will settle down into heart conversations. I think of the day when our relationship will be most mature, when we will simply enjoy one another, and be able to sit on a front porch with a cup of coffee and talk. The child looks at this and cannot imagine how it can be enjoyable, but the mature relishes in the opportunity for deep and pleasurable conversation.

I think this is the third option we face as Christians. As we mature with the Lord the "exciting" things are replaced with the deeper expressions of love and fellowship with our God. Meditation on the Word, amazement at the beauty of a sunset, times of peace filled prayer, these become the front porch pleasures that as children we could never imagine we would enjoy. But we do, and our enjoyment is extended by a refill of our coffee cup.

Conform...or Be Cast Out

2007-03-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Back in 2003 I read a book by Os Guinness entitled Fit Bodies, Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Think and What to Do About It. Out of that study I did two messages for our church (Pt.1 and Pt.2). The essence of this book is the problem within conservative and fundamental Christianity of anti-intellectualism. Os deems this to be a scandal (stumbling block) and a sin (failure to love God fully). He warns that being intellectual regarding our faith is not the same thing as intellectualism. He says, "Our passion is not for academic respectability, but for faithfulness to the commands of Jesus."

Later in the book, after giving several reasons he believes that this is a problem in the church, he gives suggestions as to what Evangelicals can do to fight anti-intellectualism. Under one of the suggestions he makes a statement that, more than any other in the book, has stuck with me for these 4 years and is the phrase that most impacted me. He states that we must distinguish between unity and uniformity. In other words, the two are not the same thing.

For instance, there can be a body of Christ in which there is true unity, and yet there is not uniformity. Also, there can be a church of people who are more or less uniform, and yet don't have true unity. This is something I have fought hard in my own heart in my 7 years as a pastor.

Proverbs says, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes..." (Proverbs 21:2). This means that when I come to a judgement about something regarding myself or my family, having worked through the principles of Scripture to some application, I think it is right. I am convinced of it. If not, I would do or think something else. This is a right thing. But what happens when I move from my application of it to then saying (in essence), "Well, if other people think biblically, they too will come to this conclusion." Then, it is only a small step from this to, "If someone doesn't come to this same conclusion, then they clearly must not believe Scripture." This reads awful raw, but it is the truth.

This works not only at the level of the individual and family, but also at the level of the local church. Having seriously prayed and worked through an understanding and application of Scriptural principles, then coming to a decision, there is a sense of conviction and commitment. From this it is only a short way to the estimation of churches that do things differently (even if working from the same principle) that they must be unfaithful and compromisers.

We certainly don't want to handle Scripture with the "every man does what is right in his own eyes" subjectivity. But neither should we seek to become the Lord over others. Romans 14:4 says, "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."

This isn't easy, deciding what things are essential (and there are essentials), and what things are particular matters of judgement. It is just plain easier to come up with a list (even a mental one) of who comprises the "us", so we can distinguish from the "them." But the body of Christ, it seems to me, is a unified, but not uniform mixture of people.

In an earlier day I envisioned a more uniform group of people I would be pastoring. Surely (I thought) I could convince them of how to be really spiritual. Instead, I have learned so much from them, and I love them as much as I know how, which is a dismal amount at times. And so we change, and influence one another, seeking to know how to love God with all we are and all we have.

Beware!

2007-03-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have written already in this blog about the dangers of the formal religion of the Pharisees which generates loads of man-made rules to keep the believer "safe" from the world. It seems a good time to warn of another danger, that which someone who has discovered Christian liberty may be particularly prone to.

It is the heart of the believer to seek to walk in the paths of righteousness.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake. (Psalm 23:3)

Imagine someone walking down a path. On each side of the path is a precipice which threatens their very life. As long as one walks in the center of the path, there is no real fear of falling. Even if one does fall, they fall ON the path. However, if one walks on the edge, when they fall they risk falling off of the path completely.

One of the ways that Christian liberty can be abused is by continually "walking the edge." In doing so, there is a bit of a thrill. There is a sense of danger. And the longer one walks on that edge, further from what is clearly the center of the path, there is increased danger.

And some fall...devastatingly. We can keep pressing the boundaries, leaving off watching and praying, and become presumptuous. Where there is a slip, the recovery is hard, and at times nearly impossible. The repercussions are immense, and lives are ruined.

Holiness is not isolating ourselves from the world nor creating a detailed list of "safe" things. Neither is holiness always walking the ledge, flirting with disaster. Safety is in what we know for sure, then we cautiously and prayerfully seek to walk in the freedom with which Christ has liberated us.

In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death. (Proverbs 12:28)

Who Am I?

2007-03-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Many books have been written from a Christian perspective critiquing the modern "self-esteem" movement. They rightly point out that when we put ourselves at the center of the universe, we commit idolatry because we exchange the worship of the true God, the One who alone is worthy, for the worship of ourselves.

It seems to me that this whole movement of self-help, self-fulfillment, and self-satisfaction comes out of a context in which philosophically our culture and our education systems are pumping into us that as humans we are really nothing special. If evolutionary theory is right (at it is mostly assumed that it is), then we are a part of the machine of the material world, and there is nothing beyond or above that. Even love and creativity are explained away as chemical functions within the brain.

This being so, we have no more "meaning" and "purpose" than anything else does. Whatever thoughts we have that there is something else is itself just a mixture of chemicals within our brain.
How do people respond to this? Because they are created in God's image, they will simply not settle for it. If we did, the suicide rate would be much higher (non-existence is better than difficult existence). So what happens? People at large take a blind leap of faith. Though I have no purpose (beyond functionality), I will live as if I do. Though I have no meaning, I will live as if I do. Though there is nothing that makes me unique, I will say that I am anyway, and rally around me books and people that assure me that this is true.

We should expose this for what it is: idolatry of self. However, in doing so, might we help people to see the point of tension? In the process, might we show compassion that they are reaching out for what they know to be true, though it is distorted? We can give them a Christian answer that they are unique, created in the image of God. They are special, because they are a personal being unlike any other. They are not an evolved animal, but God intends real purpose, and that purpose is not to glorify themselves, but embrace their uniqueness and glorify God with it.

The Embrace of Death

2007-03-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, and all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; All her idols I will lay desolate, for she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, and they shall return to the pay of a harlot. (Micah 1:7)

Idolatry is fundamentally found in the heart. Those things that are outward are merely objects of that worship, and not necessarily sinful of themselves. This makes idolatry particularly difficult to address, because it isn't just about smashing or ridding ourselves of certain external things, but dealing with our desires, hopes, trusts, and satisfactions.

The picture above is an interesting illustration of what happens to our idols if we don't let them go. In Scripture God often likens idolatry to adultery, and to embrace false gods is to embrace a harlot. In the Micah passage quoted above, Jehovah threatens to lay Israel's idols desolate.

This image reminds me of several of these things. Notice the two embraced. There is a relationship of love and adoration. But they lay in the dust. Their life is over. They lived together, and are desolate together. So with our idolatry.

If we trust, love, hope, and live for things that are temporal, and not for the eternal God, then we will perish with our idols. Ecclesiastes speaks of the pursuit of things "under the sun" as vanity of vanities. I once heard a pastor preach on Ecclesiastes, and he made a memorable statement. "It is like chasing after the wind: you can't catch it, and if you did, what would you have?" Later that same man was found out to have embezzled money that was supposed to be going to the needs of a poor pastor, and wound up in jail. Vanity of vanities.

Thankfulness...for the Basics

2007-03-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

As Christians, we have much to be thankful for. We should be thankful for those things typically considered "spiritual", such as peace with God, the privilege of prayer, the atoning work of Christ. But thankfulness should really cover every sphere of life, and every situation. We are called to give "thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20).

One of the ways we can cultivate a spirit of thankfulness is by saying "thank you" to God for even little things. This may sound somewhat odd, but I frequently think about the blessing of being able to flush a toilet. The reason for this is that I have had the privilege of traveling outside of the U.S. a bit (including the Philippines, Cuba, Haiti, and Zambia) and this has helped me realize that it really is a blessing to flush a toilet (having been in places where I can't).

Another thing those trips has helped me to be thankful for is clean water, something that simply comes gushing out when we turn our faucet on. In these other countries I have always had to buy bottled water, not because I was trying to be trendy and cool, but because otherwise I would have contracted something that would have ravaged my body.

In Haiti I saw a stream running down a mountain through a concrete canal built by the government. In that same stream I saw people washing their clothes and dishes, taking a bath, swimming, and washing their cars. While walking along one afternoon I saw an old man reach down with his bare hand and scoop up water and put it into his mouth.

The photo above is of a little girl getting water out of the bottom of some kind of hole. It is a reminder that even what we consider basic is a great privilege and blessing that we don't deserve. Let us give thanks to the Lord.

Externalized and Self-Centered Religion

2007-03-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

I have just finished up preparation for the message I am planning to preach this coming Lord's Day. It is based on Luke 20:45-47, and is Jesus' warning to His disciples about the scribes. My focus of application will be to those things found in the scribes which can be a temptation to Christians in general, but as I studied through it I thought about how it particularly relates to those in positions of leadership. I've seen the enemy, and the enemy is within me!

There are three primary areas that Jesus warns about the scribes' behavior. The first is the use of religion for the purpose of personal reputation. This manifested itself in several ways: the wearing of "religious" garb, the desire to be identified by special titles, the desire to sit in special places in the worship of God and the informal gatherings of people. The second is in using people for their own benefit. The third is using the means of grace as a cover up for what is on the inside.

These are all particular temptations for the ministry, and I must beware. I come from a background of performance expressed in music. Most of what I did and how I lived was based on pleasing myself by pleasing people so that they would in turn please me. More than once (and in an ongoing way) I have to ask myself the hard questions of "why am I doing this?" There are times where the sheer joy of pastoring people, seeing God work in their life, reading Scripture, and a host of other things are done and I forget myself and I see the glory of Christ more clearly. There are other times, especially when I am disappointed by something or someone, that I am brought to a reality check.

Am I zealous for the Lord's glory or my own? Is this about what God deserves, or my reputation, my effectiveness, my will?

This passage is a good medicine as I ask myself these questions afresh. I pray that it may do good to all of God's people as I hope to deliver it this Lord's Day.

Being Human (Book Summary)

2007-02-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

I've just completed Being Human by Ranald Macaulay and Jerram Barrs. Here is a summary and overview of the book.

Chapter 1 - In the Likeness of God The organizing principle for living the Christian life is the truth of our being created in the image and likeness of God. This includes our that we are personal, reasonabile, moral, and creative, which give us real purpose and the capacity to love.

Chapter 2 - The Biblical Framework and Two Alternatives There are two faulty views which influence Christian thinking in our day. Materialism sees our world as mechanical, and influences Christian thinking by spoiling our view of God, prayer, and the significance of our choices. This moves into fatalism, and is an over-emphasis on the sovereignty of God to the neglect of other biblical truths. Platonism influences Christianity by seeing a secular/sacred division, and "other worldly" thinking to the neglect of living Christianly in our present world. Biblical Christianity, true spirituality, is living lives restored in the image of God, having a relationship with the infinite/personal God, and doing this in the context of the present physical world which, though fallen, still displays God's glory.

Chapter 3 - The Centrality of Christ Spirituality is not asceticism, the purposful neglect of our physical existence and of the physical world, but a life reconciled to God through the death of Christ. His death has meaning not only at the beginning of the Christian life, but also as we live in conscious dependence on His righteousness day by day.

Chapter 4 - Active Obedience The Christian life is neither activism nor passivism. Activism is the view that living a life pleasing to God is all up to us, in our own strength and determination. Passivism is the view that we can do nothing, and we must let go and let God live through us. The biblical view is a dependant activity. We trust in God as we do what He says. We do what He says as we trust in Him. He gives us the strength to do, and we do with the faith that He will give us the strength.

Chapter 5 - The Holy Spirit and the Self: Sovereignty and Responsibility The Holy Spirit is not just some kind of impersonal power, but personal and one of the three members of the Trinity. He is sovereign in salvation, and at the same time works through our choices, thinking, and action. God's sovereignty and our responsibility are not competing nor contradictory, but two truths affirmed in Scripture. Yet, they are a mystery in how they work together, which must be the case seeing that we are finite.

Chapter 6 - Affirming the Self and Denying the Self What do we do with the Scriptures that seem to say that we should deny the present world, comfort, and ultimately ourselves? We should take a close look at those passages and see that it is not "the world" or our "humanness" that is to be denied, but "wordliness" and "self" both in the sense of what is sinful. We should see the legitimacy to enjoy those things which God blesses us with, and also be willing to forego those blessings for the sake of helping others. There is no mechanical formula of how much or when to do this, and each one must live before God in making those decisions.

Chapter 7 - The Mind We should not be rationalists, but should believe Christianity is rational. Rationalism sees man as the starting point of truth, and starting from himself he can come to judge all things. Being rational means holding to the truth that those made in God's image, even fallen men, yet have the capacity to think logically. None do so perfectly because of the effects of the fall on the mind, yet God works through the mind even of the unbeliever in bringing them to faith. There should be no mindless Christianity, and rational thinking, and the renewing of the mind is essential to living Christianly. Becoming a Christian not only involves the mind, but also the will.

Chapter 8 - Guidance The way that Christians should make decisions in their lives is not mechanical. Decisions are to be made within the relationship of the living God, informed by the truth of Scripture, believing that God continues to work through providence. Decisions must be made in faith that God cares and will not abandon His child. There should also be an openness to the Holy Spirit leading in some unusual ways, though this is not the ordinary.

Chapter 9 - The Family While rules and authority are needed, this is not to be the central focus in a family. The relationships are to be personal, and movitivated by love. There are no perfect marriages, parents, or children, and the dynamics of grace must be always present. The primary goal of raising children is winning them to an acceptance of God's immediate authority over them.

Chapter 10 - The Believer's Judgement Those who have the righteousness of Christ will not be punished for their sins on the day of judgement, but their works will be sorted out. Bad works will be burnt up, good works will remain. The demonstrates the significance of what we do in the here and now, that those works will endure for eternity.

Love and Art

2007-02-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

On my Yahoo! home page today there was a story about another two of Picasso's paintings having been stolen. The picture of one of the paintings posted with the story got me to thinking about something I have read in Schaeffer's works:

It is true that the great modern artists such as Picasso never worked for only art for art’s sake either. Picasso had a philosophy which showed through in his paintings. - Francis Schaeffer

He also makes the observation that Picasso often reflected his formal philosophy in his art through cubism, yet when he was in love or painted something he loved his informal philosophy was reflected. The first is a woman he loved, and the other his mother.

While this may be a generalization, I did a quick search on the Internet for some of Picasso's work (what an amazing age we live in), and found a couple of images that, contrary to the image above, truly reflects things beautiful and demonstrates the essence of this observation.

Important to understanding people and reaching them with the Gospel is to find those places where their "formal" worldview (what they say they believe) and their "informal" worldview (how they truly live as created in God's image). We can then show them how the two conflict, and they must either (1.) live in known contradiction, (2.) move to despair (3.) or recognize the reality of God's Truth.

Battle Faith

2007-02-27T14:51:00.000-08:00

I have only 30 pages remaining of the book Being Human, and I have being enjoying it very much. It may become one of my top recommended reads regarding living the Christian life. I am in presently in chapter 8 dealing with the topic of guidance. The authors are explaining that one of the principles by which we make decisions is rooted in what they call "battle faith", explaining the meaning of the statement in Hebrews about pleasing God by living by faith.

In the context of guidance, however, we want to use the phrase "battle faith." We are not implying by this that faith changes its meaning [i.e. trust] at a certain point. "Battle faith" is faith exercise in a battle situation. Believers literally are caught up in a battle situation. Believers literally are caught up in a battle. Just as soldiers, who cannot see all the details of the battle or why certain commands are given or why relief has not arrived, nevertheless put their confidence in the commanding officer, so believers, warring against the world, the flesh and the devil, trust God even though they may not understand what is happening at a given moment (p.163).

How wonderful it is to know, as we seek to live the Christian life faithfully where we are, in our own particular situation, our family, our church, that there is something much larger going on that is overseen by our Sovereign God. Our responsibility is not the whole (what human could bear such a burden), but those things God calls us to do in our own sphere. God is working in the lives of all His people, and in all the events of the world, to bring about the consumate display of His glory and the good of His people.

A Better Man

2007-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

Genesis 14

Abram (later Abraham) had been very generous. There had been a rising conflict between his herdsman and his nephew's, Lot. Rather than claiming his rights, Abram graciously offers Lot whatever part of the land he desires. Lot takes full advantage of this offer, and chooses the best part. It was best only agriculturally, but the worst morally.

Then it happened that the five kings moved through the land, and together with others took Lot and his family captive. Abram's response? "Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed...."

What a temptation it would be to respond differently. Hadn't Lot chosen his way? Hadn't he removed himself from the protection of Abram, and of God? Hadn't his greed and lack of moral purity brought him to this point? Perhaps this was God's judgment on him, and he should be left to suffer the consequences. This is what I initially think.

Abram doesn't respond this way, but when he hears that his brother, his close relative, one bound to him and still his keeper, he arms. To the threat of his own life, the moving out of his place of safety and comfort. God blesses him in the task, then blesses him through the meeting with Melchizedek.

When there are divisions and disagreements between believers, it is easy to take an "us or them" attitude. We are concerned about somehow "lifting the consequences" of their decision. Abraham is a good example in these chapters of a peacemaker, and one who recognizes his bound duty and serves with the potential of the loss of his own life. God help me to be a better man.

Mondays

2007-02-26T14:54:00.000-08:00

Family Day

We have made it our practice, and try to guard it carefully, to have Mondays as our family day. Our weekends can tend to be hectic, and so we seek to have this time as especially ours. We try to do something special, but even when we can't (both of our children have been sick) we hang out at home together. Today we did some general cleanup and organization around the house, read some of The Hobbit, engaged in very important sword fights, and sang and read Scripture in family worship. These can be blessed times when dad doesn't let the weariness to allow him to be grumpy or disconnected. I hope that our children will remember these times as special, and in which we deepened our relationships with one another.

Troubles in the Early Church

2007-02-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

Acts 15

In some ways, this isn't a pretty chapter in the history of the church. It speaks of the reality of zealous, but misdirected teachers going around causing trouble by adding to the Gospel by works. One of the interesting things to note is that these teachers, though they were "from" the church in Jerusalem, were not sent out by them. It is also important to note that the solution to this problem was sought through the means of the local churches in both Antioch and Jerusalem. Even during the days of living apostles, Peter didn't just make an independent declaration, but went through local church leadership. After they work through the issues, it was then the local church who selected messengers to Antioch to clear up the situation.

Later, when there is a strong disagreement between two dear brothers, it is Paul who is commended by the church to be sent out, and Barnabas ceases to be followed in Luke's account.
One application from this text is the reality of the church in the fallen world. There are no perfect churches, even in the early days. The church is made up of sinners, though redeemed, yet imperfect.

There is a lesson here about the place of the local church, and its leadership, in God's purposes.

There are many systems of church government, but that of the early church was relatively simple. And in the recorded history, this simple structure was seen as sufficient to do the work of the Gospel.

On Reading Fiction

2007-02-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

I'm one of those guys that could have done a lot better in school, but didn't pay much attention. My mind was set on pursuing things that I thought the world was about, and later came to see were shadows and lies. One of the things this robbed me of was a good education.

I went to a public school, and likely could only have done so much with what I got (from a non-Christian perspective), but tools and resources were available that I could have pursued and received much, if only I had known.

We had a school library. I don't know how good it was, but I assume it carried classic literature. There were a few interspersed interesting reads, such as early contact with Encyclopedia Brown, Orwell's 1984 (due to interest from Van Halen's record) and Ayn Rand's Anthem (connected to Rush's 2112...now you see just how much music influenced everything in my life). After high school, I can only remember reading Stephen King books.

One of the things I feel like I am trying to do, and haven't been very good at doing it, is catching up on some reading that I would have gotten with a greater interest in literature. I find this challenging for several reasons. One is I'm 39 years old. Hopefully, I'm not ready to be pushed into the grave, but I have almost 4 decades of almost non-existent cultivation of this dimension of my intellectual life. Since becoming a Christian (and studying for ministry), I have spent a lot of time reading theology books, commentaries, and Christian biographies. And I am grateful to have read them. I trust they have rooted me in the Word.

But over the past couple of years, there has been an increased desire to read some things that I have never been able to explore. Some of this desire was stirred with the Lord of the Rings movies, which sent me to Tolkien's books. Then there is Narnia, which I still haven't completed.

I have read and listened to more about the importance of reading than reading itself, and I am trying to change that. So what am I doing now? Well, I'm reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

I assure you, I am in no way a literary connoisseur, and I am just starting out, but I am enjoying this book. Let me say, it has very little in common with the bolt-necked, flat headed, grunting creature that I grew up watching on movies. There are some interesting themes connected to medical ethics, the responsibility of creation, and the repercussions of our ill-treatment of others.

What is amazing, as I am just beginning to do some of this exploration, is seeing those themes that so resonate with the truth of God found in infallible Scriptures. It is truth spoken in these fresh ways that stir me to see and understand and apply the truth of God.

P.S. My wife Kimberly is on the couch reading Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Sowing in Tears

2007-02-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

Psalm 126

There are periods of time, both in the lives of individuals and groups of believers, that are dark and difficult. There are times which are times of scattering, confusion, labor. These are times that are more difficult than the ordinary. When God sovereignly brings relief, there will be times of joy and celebration. It is a time to recognize God's hand of restorative mercy.

The imagery in this Psalm is that of labor, toil, and loss. The sweat of sowing seed, losing it to the ground for a time. But later there will be blessing. There will be harvest. The sheaves will be brought in with joy.

Now, generally speaking, is the time of sowing for the Christian. The day will most surely come when we will reap. We have, in God's mercy, tokens of his goodness now. Yet, the full blessing awaits Jesus' return. Then there will be a return to joy and a full enjoyment of the fruit of our labor.

What is a Reformed Pastor?

2007-02-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

I recently heard an observation that the term "Reformed" has usually carried a different emphasis in America than it has in Europe. It was said that in America, the emphasis is often in the sovereignty of God in salvation. In this sense, it is almost synonymous with the term "Calvinism." In Europe, however (particularly in those parts most heavily influenced by the Reformation), the emphasis has been on the sovereignty of God in all of life. This means more than his sovereign control of all things, but his Lordship or dominion over every area of life.

Richard Baxter, in classic work on the ministry The Reformed Pastor, used the term to mean something akin to "renewed" or "transformed." He wanted to convey the need for pastors in his day to change their habits regarding their care for the flock of God and be more involved with the informal care of the church.

In entitling this blog, I intend it in all three terms mentioned above. I am Reformed in my understanding of God's salvation of fallen man. I am (increasingly) Reformed in my desire to see the Lordship of Christ in every area of human life. I want to be Reformed in being renewed by God's grace to be more of what the Holy Spirit wants me to be in service to God.

Reformed, and ever reforming!

Being Human

2007-02-20T15:04:00.000-08:00

For several years, one of the people who God has most used to influence my thinking about the Christian life is Francis Schaeffer. I am not alone in this. The impact that Schaeffer has had on Christians from all over the world (and on the more positive elements of broad Evangelicalism) is immeasurable.

In reading Schaeffer, doing research on the Internet, and following various "trails" I have come into contact with other names of people that have done much to impact the thinking of many Christians who were themselves influenced by Schaeffer. Among these are such people as Os Guinness, Nancy Pearcy, and Jerram Barrs.

I recently come upon a series of lectures by Barrs on the life of Francis and Edith Schaeffer. I have been listening to these while I exercise. I have read several books about the Schaeffers and their work at L'Abri, and these lectures help fill in many of the details.

As a result of the appreciation of Barrs' lectures, I ordered a couple of books of his to read on other subjects. One is entitled Being Human (co-written with Ranald Macaulay). These books represent to me thinking at a "different angle" those very truths I have loved for the 17 years I have been a Christian. I am only beginning each one of them, but have been very challenged in what I have read so far in the. I will keep this blog updated with my process.

The Dignity of All Human Life

2007-02-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

There is something precious about human life, regardless of what age, race, or physical capabilities. This is something generally held to in our culture in principle, but contradicted in its policy regarding unborn human life.

There is a dear couple who are part of a sister church not far from our own whose son was born prematurely. But one can see from the blog, and the photos , that this little one is cherished. It is overwhelming to think of the amount of technology and effort being expended (and rightly so) on this little one in the midst of his fragility.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to look around on these sites and be thankful for your health or the health of your loved ones, and remember how we are created in teh image of God, and for that reason are to be treated with dignity and honor.