"A Climate for Change" by Katharine Hayhoe & Andrew Farley

I don't know exactly what I expected to discover in reading this book but I came away somewhat disappointed with it. The authors, Katherine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley, begin by identifying themselves as Christians with a biblical worldview, purporting to have written a book that addresses the issue of global warming without any political agenda.

Unfortunately this is a bit misleading since throughout the book they declare the importance of educating ourselves about the dire consequences we face with global warming and how the only real solution is to institute "cap and trade" legislation and begin reducing our dependance on fossil fuels. On this latter point I wholeheartely agree, but not because of the imminent natural catastrophe supposedly facing us but because of the real danger from the Islamic nations that mostly control the majority of the earth's oil reserves. To be fair to the authors, their final two chapters do a decent job of providing simple and effective steps we can take to do our little part in being conscious of our environment. They even bring attention to God's command that we are to be stewards of the earth, and base their activism on this. I agree, but recent developments regarding the duplicity of the environmental movement make me take the research they provide with a grain of salt. Frankly, had they written this book mainly about our Christian reponsibility to the planet which God has given us dominion over, I would have been more enthused.

As it is written, however, I cannot fully recommend this book.

Isaiah 1:1-6

I've mentioned on my Facebook account that our family is engaged in a study of Isaiah so I am going to post here the contributions that I am making to the study. The members of the study are pretty spread out, with some of us here in Idaho and some over in the state of Washington so our study is taking place through old fashioned mail! Anyhow, here are the notes for the first few verses!


Tidbits about Isaiah:
 Isaiah prophesized for 40 years
 Tradition states that Isaiah was martyred in 687 BC by being cut in two by a wooden saw.
 Isaiah was a prophet during the division of Israel, with Israel in the north and Judah in the South…
 Isaiah is longest book of prophecy
 In the NT, Isaiah is quoted more often than all of the other OT books except the Psalms

On prophets:
We all know that prophets communicated the words of God to His people, and there are those today who think we still have prophets in our midst. John Calvin provides a good description of what a prophet did…a status by which we may judge those who come to us today claiming to hold to this office.

He referred to prophets as commentators of the Law; “[t]hus when the Prophets inculcate moral duties, they bring forward nothing new, but only explain those parts of the Law which had been misunderstood. For instance, the people thought that they had discharged their duty admirably, when they offered sacrifices and performed the outward services of religion; for the world measures God by its own standard, and renders to him a carnal and counterfeited worship. The Prophets sharply reprove this, and show that all ceremonies are of no avail, when sincerity of heart is wanting, and that God is worshipped by believing on him, and by actually calling on his name. This had indeed been plainly enough declared by the Law; but it was necessary that it should be earnestly inculcated and frequently brought to their remembrance, and likewise that there should be an exposure of that hypocrisy with which men cloak themselves under the guise of ceremonies.”

Calvin goes on to say that “what Moses had stated in general terms they [the prophets] minutely describe. They have likewise visions which peculiarly belong to them, by which the Lord revealed future events, in order to apply the promises and threatenings to the use of the people, and to declare more fully the will of God.”

Read Isaiah 1:1-6

Isaiah was the son of a man named Amoz, and we read in the first verse that his prophecies were given throughout the reign of four different kings of Judah, the Southern Kingdom, finally being killed by a fifth King, Manasseh.

The people of Judah, Israel, have been God’s own special people. Ever since He called out Abram from Ur, they have been a group called out to bear special witness of His nature, both His mercy and His wrath.

Indeed, note the sad quality of verses 2-3

God nourished Israel…He brought them up and cared for them as his special people, His very own children. But have they been faithful to Him? Have they appreciated the care with which He has protected them? No. God says that even an animal can show appreciation towards a master, yet His very own people do not understand Him.

The entire earth is in rebellion against God, yet His concern is that Israel is not obedient…likewise God today desires that His people walk in complete obedience to His Word, and despite the fact that the whole world is a moral cesspool, it is the disobedience of His elect that grieves our Lord. That the elect can sin and remain elect is a testimony to God’s mercy and to His love for if He did not have a special love for us, He would quickly damn us to hell.

And consider just how terrible Israel is that God calls it a sinful nation, laden with iniquity. The word “laden” is the Hebrew ka^be^d (kaw-bade'), which means “heavy.” John Gill comments that it brings forth the imagery of a beast of burden carrying a heavy load. The big difference being that Israel has placed this load on itself and refuses to unload it!

Next, the Lord calls them “a brood of evildoers.” We have to understand this: our sin is not simply something “bad” that we do. It is evil. But let’s be honest…we don’t really look at it this way, do we?

If we did, do you think we would be so quick to lose our tempers? So eager to expose our eyes to images we should avoid?

All of the urges we face, all of the temptations we encounter…they would lose so much of their power if we would do a couple of things: 1) Read our Bibles, and 2) Believe that what we read is true. Not just give it mental assent, but make it a part of us. It is sad to ponder, don’t you think, how terribly we must grieve the Spirit that lives within us?

When you think of a child, what do you think? Innocence? Vulnerability?

Imagine, then, the horror of a child that is evil, and that causes others to do evil. Yet this is what God likens Israel to. They have forsaken God, and by their sin they have aroused God to anger. The Holy One of Israel is now angry at a backsliding Israel!

What about the elect today? Are we children who corrupt? Do we masquerade as lovers of the Word and prostitute ourselves with the world? A world that does not honor our Father? Yet how can we expect the Father to be honored by the world when the children don’t honor Him?

Look now at verses 5 & 6)

“Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints”

The Lord brings correction to those who are His…many times He has indeed stricken Israel and brought them back to Himself, causing them to repent of their rebellion against Him. Yet here He asks…“why?”

In other words…”what’s the point?”

Not one of us here today should fail to be condemned…struck in our very souls, as we read these words to Israel and consider whether they could be applied to ourselves!

God is a loving Father who chastises His children when they err, because He loves them! Now imagine His frustration…imagine the rebellion it must take for Him to say, “yeah I would discipline you, but you’ll only do it again!”

What a rebuke!

Here the object of this rebuke is Israel, but do not think for one minute that we are exempt! Let us make sure we walk in the path of obedience, let us encourage and exhort those around us to do likewise, that our God will be pleased with us. And if we should fall into sin, let us express sorrowful repentance that our God will discipline us for His sake, for our good.

“From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment.”

God, speaking through His prophet Isaiah, continues to compare Israel to a sickened body. The body that is Israel is filled with illness…the virus has taken over the entire body!

(I'll post the next few verses another day!)

The Word of God

We have not had the sword tag group out in awhile but today, on Christmas Eve day, we are hosting the group. I think we are expecting about 7 or 8 teens but I'm not sure how many will actually show up. The following is a little study I wrote up this morning...though really it is more of a directed conversation! :-) I'm hoping it will spark discusssion and further research on the part of these young men.

Here is the study (I will post a p.s. later today!):
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The Word of God

December 24, 2009

Ask: What is the Bible?

It is a collection of books written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, therefore the very Word of God.

Two key passages that substantiate this are 2 Timothy 3:16-17 & 2 Peter 1:16-21

R.C. Sproul writes that it is a fallible collection of infallible books…what does this mean?

• Every book in the Bible is infallible (meaning incapable of error)
• The order of the Bible itself is not infallible, but the content of the books themselves only

The Bible is not a textbook for history or science, but when it speaks on such things it is correct. The purpose of the Word of God is specifically to communicate to man the plan of God and His desire for our lives. By it we are to order our lives and judge the things we do and the things we do not do (see 2 Peter 1:3)

As Christians, the Bible is the ultimate authority for things…we may use the writings of learned men to guide us and help us understand the Truth, but it is the Bible that we turn to in the end. No matter how godly, no matter how intelligent…if anyone tells us something contrary to what the Bible teaches, we are to turn away from them. Paul himself warned Believers of this thing in Galatians 1:6-9. We also hear from Jude that our faith, which is founded on the very words of God, was “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Finally, Jesus the Lord demands our obedience. He says in John 14:15 that if we love Him we are to keep His commandments. Such a command could not be given and then those commands hidden from us could they? No, of course not!

So this is a very basic overview of what the Bible is and what it means to us…it is an affirmation of the term sola Scriptura, one of the five solas of the Protestant Reformation:
• Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)
• Sola Fide (Faith alone)
• Sola Gratia (Grace alone)
• Solus Christus (Christ alone)
• Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God alone)
Are there any questions?

Next time we meet we will discuss the question of how we can trust that the Bible is what it claims to be…or rather, what evidences exist to support our faith in the Word of God?

Close in prayer

UPDATE:

We had a total of seven boys today, the youngest about 12 and the oldest was, I think, 18. I had a great time being defeated by everybody! :-)

Ashamed of Christ?

"...what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels." - Luke 9:25-26

I hope somebody will soon point out these verses to our supposedly Christian president, Mr. Obama. It appears that the Obama family briefly considered doing without a nativity as a means of being sensitive to those of other faiths. See here for more on that.

Now I know there are many people who deny that we are a Christian nation, and I agree with this sentiment. We are NOT a nation that abides by the teachings of the Word of God. We are, however, a nation founded upon Christian principles and a nation where the majority of people at least give lip service to Almighty God. Only a revisionist would try to deny this (and a silly revisionist at that since it would require ignoring actual historical data!). As a nation founded upon such principles, I think it is silly for us to attempt to minimize any mention of Christianity in the public realm for fear of offending those who believe differently or those who are atheist (who possess their own form of faith as well). Trust me, if we travel to Muslim nations, Islamic teachings will not be obscured for fear of offending our delicate American sensibilities. If we travel to Latin America, Catholicism will be overwhelmingly in our faces! And yet, we in America are so afraid of offending others that we have set aside our own faith in order to appease those who immigrate to our country...forgetting that it is the duty of the one coming here to assimilate to our culture and not the other way around.

The point, however, is this: We have a man who professes to be a Christian as head of our nation (though based on the lack of fruit I question the sincerity of his faith). This man was more than willing to have a Ramadan dinner with Muslims IN the white house, yet in order to appease these very Muslims and all others, he is hesitant to display a nativity? Hmm...it's okay to celebrate the beliefs of others, but not our own? That is foolishness and political correctness run amock!

Saddest of all, however, is what this means for our President. He will one day stand before the Lord and will give an account for all that he had done, is doing, and will do. If he continues to deny the Lord he claims to believe in, then the reality is that he will not be recognized by the Lord of Lords on judgment day.

Let us pray that our President comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that he bears fruit worhty of the Master.

A New Prayer for School

Over on Facebook one of my teen volunteers sent me this and I loved it so I decided to post it here.

I hope you like it as much as I did...and I hope you are troubled as much as I was!

___________________________

Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word "God" is mentioned a kid in Arizona wrote the attached NEW School prayer. I liked it.

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

Freedom in Christ

The following is a brief summary regarding our study on 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 from last night at church:

- "All things are lawful for me" is a uniquely Christian statement in one important sense. All other religions prescribe rules which must be kept for a person to be saved. In God's system of salvation (the only true one) the opposite is true (Ephesians 2:8-9). The truth is that you are free from needing to keep religious laws in order to be saved or to stay saved. [this is directly from the handout the pastor gave us]

- Two heresies flow from a misunderstanding of this passage, antinomianism (using our Christian freedom to justify our sins) and legalism (adding rules to the Bible and imposing them on self and others). Our pastor is fond of stating that we need to obey what the Bible commands us to do and we need to abstain from what the Bible prohibits. Aside from this we are free in Christ to do as our conscience dictates. Again, aside from what is commanded or prohibited, the only limits we should have are the ones we impose on ourselves for the sake of our witness/testimony or out of love for the brethren.

Four rules by which we can judge the things we wish to do (or not do):
1. Does God's word forbid this thing? If not, you are free to do it

2. Is it profitable? In other words, will you be better off spiritually if you do this thing?

3. Has this thing become your master? A thing that is "lawful" should be put away if it keeps you from maturing in Christ. Two Christians may be able to do the same activity with different results. For one it may be joyful, but for the other it may lead to bondage

4. Does this thing edify? Is anyone being built up toward maturity in Christ because of this activity (I would add that we should ask if anyone is being tripped up by this activity as well!).
[This list of four questions is paraphrased in some places and in others I took it word for word from what the Pastor said in his handout...items in parentheses being the main exception]

For my own life, I can think of one main thing off the top of my head: food. I love to eat good food. I don't deny it. So while it is lawful for me to eat heartily, it is not profitable for me and I have allowed it to become my master.

When I think of the words of Paul in Romans 7:14-15 "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do" I think immediately of my own struggles with what I eat. Now I know I am in some ways taking liberties here with the context of what Paul is saying, but permit me to do this for the simple reason that I am using the words and applying them to my experience and not saying this is exactly what they refer to. Anyhow, this indulgence of mine is a master in my life, therefore for me it is sin. So when I think of this passage in 1 Corinthians I know fully well that I am free to eat what I want...and even that I am at liberty to indulge in an excess of food for pleasure on occasion. BUT, since I have no control over my appetites in this area, then I need to repent when I eat more than I should. If I were truly eating enough only to sustain my body and maybe a little extra every now and then I would not be at the weight I find myself at right now.

Another area where I sometimes limit my freedom is in the movies I watch. This is not an area I struggle with since I don't very often watch movies and I prefer to read a good book. Where this comes into play, however, is in deciding what movie to watch. There are movies out there that I am curious to watch but have not watched because I think of how it might impact my witness. Our society has a certain expectation of what Christians should be like (even if they do mock us); and in my opinion the less different we are than they the less likely they are to listen to us. So while there are movies I don't believe would be sinful to watch, I don't watch them for the sake of maintaining my testimony. Does that make sense? I have similar feelings about alcohol. And notice that I don't say anyone else has to abstain from these things, only that for myself this is what I choose to do. I have the freedom to do either.

As an aside, what I do find interesting about this last point is how so many Christians become upset when I say I choose to abstain from things for the sake of my witness. They infer from this that I mean they too should do so. This is not the case. Whether they indulge or abstain from alcoholic beverages is between them and God. In my household, however, we do not drink alcohol, and while I certainly hope my children will always agree with me based on my reasoning, I don't think they will be less than faithful Christians if they choose to indulge. I will certainly be saddened, but they have the freedom to do as they wish (when they are of legal age of course). Drunkenness, of course, is a clear violation of the word of God and not at issue here.

God bless!

Hate Crimes

Just posting this quick link to an excellent article by Star Parker on the passage of the hate crimes law recently enacted:

You can read the whole article here but I want to quote the last couple of sentences:

"We already have a source, which instructs against murder and to love your neighbor as yourself.

But this has been banned from our schools and our public spaces.

So once again, in what is becoming our Godless nation, we mistake the disease for the cure."

Good insight, don't you think?

Let Us Weep for the Lost!

I read one of the most convicting quotes from Charles H. Spurgeon this evening and felt compelled to post it and comment on it. Here's the quote:

"If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."

I have to confess that my heart was pierced as I read these words, thinking of those who I know that don't believe. Do I share with them the words of Scripture regarding their eternal destination? Do I present to them the free offer of God? I don't want to be counted amongst those who relish the thought of someone spending an eternity in hell, I want to be in agony over the thought!

What about it brothers and sisters? Are we wrapping our arms around the knees of those walking to hell? Are we imploring them to turn away from the path of destruction and receive the gift of eternal life by repenting of their sins and submitting to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives? Why not?! As Spurgeon says, if to hell they must go, then let it be over our fallen bodies, over our protests and despite our groans of terror for them! Let us gladly accept the mocking and the accusation of being fools if it means we faithfully proclaim to them the Gospel, the only message they will ever hear that can save them from the fires of hell.

Oh what fools we truly are if we think keeping silent will win us any good will! I don't want the good will of someone determined to go to hell. I want them to think me a Bible thumping fool! I want them to remember that I shared the Truth with them. And o what a joy God uses me as the tool by which He saves even one of these!

Be Ready! A Study of 2 Timothy 4:1-2a

I was contacted yesterday at work and asked whether I’d be willing to supervise a Nerf war we have at our church every other month for the kids and teens. Part of my responsibilities included providing a Bible study and so my panic mode set in immediately because I had to be at church by 6:30pm and I did not leave work until 5pm! Luckily, more likely providentially, I was able to look at some of my notes and come up with a quick study.

The following, then, is what I presented to the young people…I think we had a total of 16 present.
_________________________________

Be Ready!
A study of 2 Timothy 4:1-2

Ask the following series of questions:
• How many of you have ever told someone else about Jesus?
• Why do we share the Gospel with people?
• What kinds of reactions have you experienced from people when you share the Gospel?

It is not always an easy thing to share the Gospel is it?

And yet, we are commanded to do so, are we not?

The Great Commission which Jesus gave to the church is that we were to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:19

A few things about this great passage that we must understand:
1) It is not just to the disciples at the time of Jesus, but to all disciples during all the ages. And who are the disciples of Jesus? We are, if we profess Him as Lord and Savior of our lives.
2) This command is not just for professional missionaries…the phrase “go therefore” can be understood to mean “as you are going.” So in your every day life, as you go about your regular things, do these things!
3) Note how Matthew ends this passage. Amen. What Jesus has just finished saying, he emphasizes…let it be as He is saying.

So we are to go about proclaiming His Truth, when it is easy and when it is hard.

Our text this evening is from 2 Timothy 4:1-2a, or as much of it as we can get done in the time we have.

Let us pray.

Read the following:
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5

This is a very important command from Paul to Timothy isn’t it?

And while Timothy is a pastor, I say that this passage applies to us all. We may not preach the Word from a pulpit, but when we share the Gospel we are communicating from the Word of God. So it is important for us to understand this very serious command.

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom”

Wow…based on this sentence, how important do you think it is for us to pay careful attention? (share example of student teaching and test preparations)

Notice that Paul writes, therefore...what is he referring to?

Look with me quickly at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (read)

BECAUSE of this, BECAUSE the Bible is God breathed! This is not any ordinary book we hold in our hands…it is the very Word of God. If God is real, brothers and sisters, then it is so very important to pay close attention to what He has to say don’t you think?

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season”

Do you think it is possible to preach the Word and it not please God? YES! We know this because of what we read here. Paul encourages Timothy to be ready!

What do you think this means; to be ready in season and out of season? (discuss)

Certainly it means whether people want to hear it or not…but if you are to preach in season and out of season, when people are receptive and when they are not…what must you do to be ready? BE READY!

In other words, STUDY! Know the Bible! You won’t always have the Bible with you, nor will you always have time to study right before you share with someone will you? Especially for those, like us, who share mainly with our friends and family, right? When are we most likely to have to share? Whenever, right? (use examples)

______________________________

This was as far as we got in the study...there were some good questions asked and when I prompted them for discussion the young people participated well. The age range was from 5 to 17. Quite a diverse group!

Personal Update

Well my hope was that by now I'd be able to post that I'd lost so much more weight, but unfortunately this is not the case. I actually remain exactly where I was before. This is not to say that I have not lost weight, only that I have lost and then gained it all back! :-)

I am still, however, planning on being down to 250 lbs. by my birthday so please keep praying that I will have the discipline I need. Yesterday I did limit myself to just watermelon for lunch and dinner because I felt I needed to sort of get rid of all the toxins from my trip to S. Cali where I was treated to alot of really good food...why can't such food help us lose weight? lol

So I will post another update on November 1st and let us pray that the news will be good indeed. In addition, the Lord willing, I have decided to discipline myself to post more regularly as well. I will post once on Monday and once on Friday, which are also the days when I weigh in.

Current weight: 268 lbs.

God bless!

Pyromaniacs: A few pithy thoughts on doubt

Friends and family...you HAVE to go to this link and read the latest!

No excuses! :-)

Pyromaniacs: A few pithy thoughts on doubt

Partiality in the Church: Brief Thought

As the title specifies, today's post is a very brief sharing of some thoughts I've had over the years. These thoughts come to me time and time again and today I thought I'd just let them out and see what others think.

Anyhow, in my church we are studying through the book of James on Sunday morning and our pastor is doing a really good job. I missed out on his messages regarding chapter two but I plan on going back and listening to them since they can be found online (see here). Our pastor has asked us to read through James every week while we study the book so I have been doing so and every time I read a specific passage I come back to those thoughts that refuse to leave me alone. Here goes:

"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should some into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place,' and say to the poor man, 'You stand there,' or, 'Sit here at my footstool,' have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?"
- James 2:1-4

Now then, let me begin by saying that these are, of course, my own personal thoughts. It seems to me, however, that these words appear to be among the most ignored words of Scripture! Experience and observation has shown me that most pastors/churches do the very thing this passage warns against. Rarely do I find that the poorer folk are the ones in leadership or the ones with whom the pastors mingle with the most. And yet the people I've come into contact with who show the most sincere faith and desire to learn are often the ones our society would consider poor.

Before I say anything else I want to share one example. I could, in truth, share examples from most of the churches I've been in but this one will suffice: Many years ago while I was going to school we attended a SBC church that was made up of mostly farmers, students, and para-professionals. One day a real live doctor came and began to attend. Within weeks this man and the pastor were golfing buddies, and within the same amount of time this doctor was teaching from the pulpit. Mind you, my experience with this man gave me no reason to expect that the honor of the pulpit should be bestowed upon him, but this was what happened. Now then, is it just me or was this man shown partiality and made to sit in a good place? And why was this? Merely because the title "Dr." was before his name. Guess what? Within six months or so, probably sooner, this doctor was no longer attending our church.

As I said, I could give examples of this from almost all of the churches I've attended. Why is this? Why do servants of the Lord, those to whom the sheep are entrusted, why do they do this? A man with money comes into a church and within weeks is teaching Sunday school, or even worse, he is addressing the congregation from the pulpit! I cannot tell you how much this hurts my heart.

But hey, maybe it's just me. What do you think? Do you see this happening?

God Bless!

The Death of a Coworker

"...for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."
- James 4:14

One of my co-workers passed away last night at the age of 59. He was a good man, a man of character and one difficult to dislike. I must confess that his death has struck me in a very powerful way. You see, only two days ago on Tuesday I worked with him and he was his usual cheerful self, working hard on cleaning the carpets at the library. Then yesterday I greeted him in the morning and thought nothing more of him until later in the day (at around 10:00am) I went to the employee lounge and saw him sitting on the couch breathing heavily and with his head on his hands. Another co-worker was already calling for assistance and so we walked him upstairs to the main level and had him sit in a staff area until emergency personnel could arrive. I sat with him during that time, rubbing his back since he said it hurt, and just talking to him and trying to encourage him. I even joked with him that he'd be back later in the day or the next day and he could finish cleaning up the library. During that time I felt a strong desire to pray with him but I did not respond in obedience to this prompting and prayed silently instead.

This morning we were informed that he'd passed away in the night and I was in total shock. I feel badly for his family, especially his young children. I have been told that he had a son who is about 8 years old and I already knew he had a daughter in her early teens, along with some older children. I pray that all of his chidlren will be comforted by friends and family and, far more importantly, that the Spirit will comfort them and bring salvation into their lives. I myself was about 8 years old when my father passed away and it was a terrible event in my life, it tore a wound in my heart that has never completely healed. It is never easy to lose a parent, of course, but I can't imagine anything more damaging than to lose a parent when still a child, a child old enough to understand. So while my prayers are with all of this family, I feel a particular need to pray that this boy not go through the bitter feelings that I experienced up until my early twenties.

Ultimately, the death of this man has also led me to contemplate eternity. You see, what saddens me the most about this whole situation is that this man died without Christ. He was a good man, but he did not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life. And you know what? In the three years I knew this man, not once did I share my faith with him. Oh I spoke about my faith, but I never witnessed to him. I never explained the gospel to him. God wanted obedience from me and I offered sacrifice...what wretched creatures we are who call ourselves Christians and don't proclaim the Good News with boldness! But this is not about me, it is about my co-worker. Please pray for his family my brothers and sisters...pray that his death would be the catalyst by which salvation might come into the lives of his wife and children. Times like these can be so confusing, but nevertheless, our God is a holy and just God.

To Him be the glory forever and ever, Amen.

Atheists: The Rascals Do Protest Too Much, Methinks!

One of my Facebook friends is fond of putting up atheistic comments and links on his status, which led me to ponder why he is so militantly "evangelistic" with his faith. To be sure, we as Christians are very vocal about proclaiming the Truth, but this is because we believe and because we are commanded to go out into all the world and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). We have, in other words, a mission.

But the atheist?

I mean, really, I used to have a friend who was of the opinion that man had never truly been to the moon and that it was all some big government hoax. I, naturally, disagreed with him and would good naturedly argue with him at times. But to be honest, his little delusions did not compel me to go out and search all who shared his viewpoint and make them see the error of their way...nor did I take offense at his dearly held belief. Quite frankly, he was wrong.

If, however, I suspected he might be right but was scared by that possibility, then I might try to find ways to rebuke him and offer constant rebuttals to his dangerous views. That's just me. And this is what I think really motivates these militant atheists like my friend. They are bothered by Christianity and Christians not because they think it wrong, but because deep down they suspect we are right, and this truly frightens them. Therefore they MUST attack Christianity and they must find some way to disprove it; otherwise they must face the reality that one day they will face an omnipotent God, not as Savior but as Judge.

Oh if only they would turn to Him now before the hour is past!

White House Celebrates Ramadan

I could not believe it when I read a blurb about the White House hosting a celebration dinner for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, but sure enough if you go to the official White House site you can read the official press release!

I wonder if there will be, as others have asked, a special dinner to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ...or one to celebrate His birth? Imagine that, where I work they won't display Christmas decorations because it might offend people, but our own President hosts a special dinner to celebrate a Muslim holiday. God will surely bring judgment upon our nation, and I'm beginning to think it will come in the form of attacks from the radical adherents of the very religion which now, apparently, is the only one that can be celebrated in America without the liberals crying about separation of church and state.

O Lord, come quickly please!

"If God Were Real: A Journey Into a Faith That Matters" by John Avant

isbn #978-1-4165-8779-8

I tried really hard to give this book the benefit of the doubt, but the more I read of it the more mortified I became by the content. I thought this would be a book on living holy lives and being doers as well as hearers of the Word, but unfortunately the content consisted of criticisms, complaints and whining about the state of evangelical Christianity. Not that I see anything necessarily wrong with a reasoned critique, but Mr. Avant failed to actually support any of his charges against the church with anything other than unsubstantiated stories and hearsay! What is truly sad is that this is not an attack by the typical critics (i.e., atheists), but by one who is himself a pastor and professed Christian, oh excuse me, a Christ follower!

Sadly, Mr. Avant failed to take advantage of an opportunity to address a serious failure among evangelicals to actually make disciples of the nations. I mean, the title of his book is excellent..."If God Were Real." From such a beginning I would have expected a biblical examination of how we as Christians don't live as if we truly believe what we say we believe, and more importantly, from such a title I would have expected a call to arms, a prophetic word about not walking away from the Scriptures without making the necessary changes we see in our lives (you know, the whole man in the mirror thing!).

Instead we get this:
"I like atheists. I've known many Christians I'd rather not spend time with, but surprisingly, I can't think of a single atheist I've known whom I didn't like...I respect conviction--even if it is the conviction to have no convictions." (from the introduction on pages 4-5)

Really? I don't know about you but I want a shepherd of the people of God to actually love the sheep. Not that all Christians are loveable, far from it. But despite our differences we as Believers are called to love one another, to see one another as brothers and sisters. The atheist? They are the ones to whom we must take the gospel, not respect their convictions which deny and slander our Lord and Savior!

Later on in chapter two of this book (which Avant titles "If God were real...We'd all Give up on Christianity"), we read of five reasons why Avant claims he's given up on Christianity...and why we should too! To be fair, it is apparent that Avant is referring to the religious system known as Christianity and not to Christianity itself...though he seems to have a problem with the term and prefers the emergent Christ "follower." No surprise here since his approach to what he considers true Christianity reeks of emergent ideology. What are his five reasons?

1) Christianity Crucifies Christians
Huh? What does this even mean? Its just words formed together with no real meaning! He is clearly making no connection to Jesus and his command for us to daily take up our cross (see Luke 9:23)! No, instead he takes the silliest examples he can find and pretends they actually represent the majority of Christianity! Speaking about what he thinks is the major problem in the evangelical church online, he says that "heresy hunters are everywhere. Personal attacks abound. Gossip is rampant. Reputations are destroyed...[W]e can slander with no shame as long as we can hide behind our screen names of sounddoctrine777 or truthmonitor888." (page 30)

What is he even talking about? Does he bother to cite examples? No! Do such things happen online from those who call themselves Christians? Sure. But isn't it also slanderous to paint all online ministries with the same brush? Are there not online discussions about actual heresy going on? The question that must be asked is "is it true?" We can't just reject all such things unequivocally!

And then, of course, he has to come out with the usual manner by which such discussions are brought to a close. Jesus said to love one another. Umm...yeah, but did He not also say if you love Him you will keep His commandments (John 14:15)? But anyhow, we come to the end of his first reason and I don't even see a connection between the reason and the content as he tries to explain it!

2) Christianity Demonizes Those God Loves
Here is what he says: "In my days at a missions agency, traveling every week to many churches across the country, I saw it over and over. Most Christians are either so sheltered within the religious shell of their churches that they don't really know any non-Christians, or they are actively working to oppose them. Or both." (page 34)

Ah there we go. Personal experience as proof. Well then he must be right, right? But wait, most of the Christians I know are working regular jobs in their towns, talking to their co-workers about Christ when they can and when they cannot they are witnessing through their lives as much as is humanly possible. Not all of them, but many of them. I don't know of any of my close Christian friends who view the lost around us as the enemy. So based on my experience is Avant wrong? Well obviously I think he is very wrong, but certainly not because of my own personal experience! And guess what? This is all that is offered in this section! Avant even shares the personal experience of a young youth pastor he heard about who ministered in Twin Falls, Idaho. He says that "Ted went to the gangs and other marginalized students in the area and invited them to parties at the church. God began to move in phenomenal ways. Attendance doubled each week. The entire youth culture of Twin Falls began to change. But listen to Lauren's [the man who wrote about this youth pastor's experience] account of what happened next. "Church members despised him for bringing these kids into their midst. During one service, Ted reported to the congregation about a major success the night before, the sort of achievement youth workers dream of: a mass of kids had flushed their entire drug stash down the toilets in the church bathroom. Instead of applauding, a parishioner shouted, 'Do you know what that can do to our plumbing?' and walked out, a line of grumbling dissenters behind him." Unfortunately this is not an aberration." (page 35)

Pardon me if my "I doubt it" radar kicks on, but this is completely laughable! I spent about half an hour looking up this youth minister online and in the 10 pages or so that I found on him, not one mention is made of this event. Obviously this does not mean the event did not happen...but to say, as Avant does, that "this is not an aberration"? I don't know what kind of churches Avant pastors, but I beg to differ! This IS an aberration and such a church should not call itself a church! And this is his second reason? Mr. Avant, surely you can do better?

3) Christianity Doesn't Take God Seriously
Ok...anytime a pastor uses Shane Claiborne as an example of someone who takes God seriously above and beyond others, I have to conclude he's bought completely into the emergent church movement! I mean, come on! Is he seriously talking of the Claiborne whose website declares that "Each of us is created for community, and in the image of community. And yet everything in the world tries to rob us of this Divine gift"? THAT Claiborne? Hmmm....zoned out already! Avant acknowledges that Claiborne is "controversial" (you think!?!?), but he says that "at least Shane is trying to take God seriously" (page 36). Ummm...ok. So what? He is sincerely wrong too! Who cares about whether someone takes God seriously in determining their spiritual life or death? Avant goes on to say in that same paragraph, talking about doctrine or living righteously, that he's "begun to wonder which is more important." What? How can you live a life pleasing to God if your doctrine is off base? How can you serve a God you do not know? What do such comments even mean? In citing the Pharisees he says that Jesus was "dismissive of their doctrine when their lives looked like 'whitewashed tombs'" Well yeah, but their lives looked like whitewashed tombs because their doctrine was incorrect!

4) Christianity Has Become Ridiculous
While I would prefer to phrase it as "many Christians have become ridiculous," I found myself almost agreeing with Avant on this point...until he himself became ridiculous! First off, however, he is indeed right that many Christians focus on silly things, arguing in favor of such ideas as homeschooling being the only true Biblical way to educate your children, or fighting over whether hymns or praise music are appropriate in worship, etc...

I even agree that we as Believers can go to extremes over books such as Harry Potter, BUT come on, to say as he does that the books are little different than the Narnia series is a bit silly. He reaches way too far in his defense of the books and his attacks on those who oppose the books. How about instead granting as much grace to his fellow Christians as he does to Rowling? Christianity ridiculous? No. Can Christians be ridiculous? Of course. Ultimately his spending so much of his energy and angst over people's treatment of poor Rowling make him as ridiuculous as he seems her to think her critics are.

5) Christianity Has Become a Monument; I'm Looking for a Movement
Well good for him, but this comments says much more about his own judgmental attitude than it does about the straw man of Christianity he opposes so much!

Okay, at this point I have only looked at about one third of the book, which is not good news because if this was supposed to be his intro it went on for way too depressingly long of a time. What, however, is his solution?

Well beginning in chapter 3 he proposes the following "three steps towards starting a Jesus Movementg that will help us fulfill the Great Commission..." (page 69) What are the three steps?
1) Face the Awful and Exciting Truth
What is this, tell me (as I shake with eager anticipation) please! "The awful truth is that the vast majority of the churches of Christianity are not going to survive." (page 69)? Ummm...what? That's it? But most of us already know that, and we know it without thinking that these are "churches of Christianity." Most of us who know Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives are well aware that most people who profess Christ are not true Believers, and that too many churches stopped being true churches a long time ago!

2) Moving Into Humility
3) The Church Must Learn to Pray Again
Gasp! These last two sound so original and revolutionary...I think Avant is on to something here! O wait, never mind. This is the same thing that most other people giving advice to the church are saying!

To be honest,the rest of the book is just as lacking in original content...the most original part of it being that someone associated with the Southern Baptist Covention can be so dismissive of those in need of a faithful and discerning shepherd. Chapter titles as shocking as "If God were real...the Church Would be Full of Addicts" and "If God Were Real...He Would Believe in Atheists" are nothing more than his attempt to paint the visible church of Christ as uncaring. His call to arms elicits from me little more than a really long yawn because by the time I made it to the latter chapter I was convinced that Avant's intent is to shock people and falsely represent the Body of our Lord.

I will stop here simply because anything more I say will not be helpful. I will simply add that I think this book will be very well received by those who already dislike Christianity and by those professing Christians who like to accuse anyone who takes their faith seriously as legalists and Pharisees. For the rest of you, don't put yourself through what I did...avoid the book! Quite frankly if you like reading critiques of the modern church there are plenty out there that actually do a good job of confronting us with our apathy and actually providing a Biblical basis for recovering our passion for Him.

Hebrews 2:5-9

We had 6 boys show up today for the boffer/ sword tag group and we had an exciting time with only very minor wounds, including one I gave to one of the kids :-(

Anyhow, today we studied Hebrews 2:5-9 and here are my notes:

**********************************************************

Intro:

The last time that we looked at this book we discussed:

• How chapter 1 focuses on the supremacy of Christ over the angelic beings
• How Jesus is uniquely the Son of God, the second Person of our Triune God
• How the first 4 verses of chapter 2 use the content of chapter 1 as the exhortation to remain faithful in the midst of terrible persecution...if Christ is whom He says He is then salvation can only be found in Him

Today, time permitting, we will examine the next 5 verses

Read Hebrews 2:5-9

Again, we've seen the superiority of Christ to the angels laid out by the author throughout chapter 1...and now we return to this theme in the verses before us. Remember that we have been warned not to neglect our salvation because Christ is real, and now we are told again that to do so is folly. You see, verse 5 starts out, "For He has not put the world to come..." See by placing our trust in Christ we place it upon the one to whom all things belong! The world to come is not under the dominion of the angels, why would we put our hope for salvation upon them? Such a thing would be silly! The answer to the question of who will rule in the world to come is one of utmost importance, for it is to this Ruler that our loyalty must be given.

The author of Hebrews then quotes from Psalm 8:4-6, and under the inspiration of the Spirit makes of it an application that relates directly to Jesus! Now clearly we know from the context in Psalm 8 that this is referring to humans. We are insignificant before an Almighty God, and yet He chose to give us dominion over the earth (see Genesis 1:26). And yet, look closely at verse 8...not all things are under the dominion of man are they? (see 2 Corinthians 4:4 & John 12:31)

We do not yet see all things under the dominion of man because there is one thing that man is not master of...one thing that all men must one day face. What is this? DEATH!

And so the words of King David in Psalm 8 do not find their final fulfillment in man, and this is why the author of Hebrews here identifies the true, ultimate subject of this Psalm 8 passage...and it is Jesus our Lord!

Look at verse 9: only Jesus fulfilled the conquest of death in Himself!

Jesus was:

• made a little lower than the angels, just as man was
• Jesus suffered death, just like all men do

BUT, unlike any other person ever or since, Jesus conquered death by His own power! Read 1 Corinthians 15:40-58

And Jesus conquered death for His people, did He not? Verse 9 tells us that He died in order to "taste death for everyone." In His death Jesus was crowned with glory and with honor, and He truly fulfilled the words of the psalmist!

What can we learn from all of this:

• In Jesus, we too are heirs of the glory promised in Psalm 8
• Because this is true, we must all the more take care that we are truly His...what a travesty to find one day that we were never truly His!
• Though death has its grip on us now, this will not always be the case.

Knowing that we belong to Him means we need not fear death. I am not saying that death is not a horrible thing...of course it is, that is why it is our enemy. We are not to embrace death foolishly like cult members (remember what Paul said in Philippians 1:21), but neither should we have a paralyzing fear of it. I confess that I fear the manner of my dying...but death itself hold no terror for me because I know exactly where I will be the moment after.

Do you?

Close in prayer

Personal Update

Well first of all I'd like to offer my most sincere apologies because it has been quite some time since I last posted. This one will be a short update, so nothing fancy!

As you well know, I have started dieting and excercising a bit more consistently and I have some good news and some bad news to report. The good news first of course:

My weight on:
June 26th, 2009 = 284 lbs.
July 6th, 2009 = 274 lbs.
July 22nd, 2009 = 272 lbs.
July 31st, 2009 = 267 lbs.

The bad news is that the week of August 3rd thru 9th was not a good week and I ended up gaining 2 lbs. My wife was not feeling well and with all kinds of other things going on I was only able to go to the gym one day that week. I am thankful that I only gained 2 lbs. though. I am going to weigh myself tomorrow again and hopefully I am down to 267 lbs. again since I have been hitting the gym every day since Sunday. I did weigh myself on Sunday and I was down to 268 lbs. again. On July 31st I had set myself a goal to be down to 265 lbs. by Friday August 14th and I don't know if I will make it. We'll see, right?

Overall, however, I am very satisfied with my progress considering I have lost 16 lbs. since June 26th. Awhile back I told myself I would try for 250 lbs. by my birthday in December and it looks like if I maintain my discipline I should be able to make that goal...maybe even more!

Well that is all for now...tomorrow I have set aside a couple of hours to focus on writing a review so I will, Lord willing, be able to post that tomorrow evening.

God bless!

The Immensity of the Love of God: A Study of 1 John 4:7-11

Today we had the sword-tag group at and we had one new person visit, the friend of my oldest son. We had a great time although I am now truly starting to feel my advanced age and am quickly defeated by everyone. Still, not only do I get a good work-out, I also enjoy time spent with a bunch of rambunctious teen boys! AND I get to teach! ;-)

Here is the lesson for today:

Read 1 John 4:7-11

Here we see the concern with which John writes...he says to the beloved, to the elect, that we are to love one another. Why are we to do so? Because love comes from God (see Galatians 5:22)! We are not speaking here of what is commonly referred to as love, the infatuation of men towards women and vice versa. No, the love referred to here is that perfect love of God (see 1 Corinthians 13).

Note how verse 7 goes on to say that everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Then in vese 8 we read that if somebody does not love then they don't truly know who God is because God IS love. Here we see why this does not speak of a merely emotional type of love, for everyone alive can claim that and the Bible is very clear that not all people know God nor will all people know God. What we are to understand here is that if there is one among us who does not have love for the saints, then He does not truly know God. God loves His elect! How can one claim to love God and then hate His people? You would be hating yourself!

But look again at verse 8....God IS love.

Not God loves, but God IS love. What does this mean? Well it means that His very nature is love. He is not merely loving, He is love itself. All that He gives to us, His very special people, is out of a manifestation of His very character.

Many people take this verse and say, "see there can be no hell for God is love". The problem with this is that they take this attribute of God and make it all that He is. But God is not some Greek deity like Aphrodite the goddess of love. He is the God of Israel. We are told by John that God is also light (1 John 1:5) and that He is Spirit (John 4:24). He is also holy. Let us never forget that God cannot be boxed into one thing we read in some random verse we can then use as a proof text for whatever thing we want to teach. No. Taken all together, and in context, we see that the love of God is manifest in His love for His people. The holiness of God demands that sin be punished, but His love and His mercy permit us to receive forgiveness!

We see this so clearly in verse 9, where we read that the love of God, the outflow of His character, is manifested towards us. Towards His chosen people. So the focus of His love is clearly defined here. Remember this is the same John who wrote John 3:16! So we can see so much more clearly what he is writing when we read this verse...the love of God, the mercy of God, has an intended target, and it is us! God, being love, made known this love by sending Jesus into the world, that we might live through Him. Jesus came into the world for His lost sheep. In dying on the cross He attained their salvation by atoning for the sins of His people. Truly He was abe to say on the cross that He had accomplished His work, declaring "It is finished!" (John 19:30) Do you see this? The Father sent the Son for a purpose! This purpose is explained here by John. But we also read in Luke 19:10 that Jesus Himself said that He came to "seek and save that which was lost"!

What, then, is the clearest expression of the love of God? The death of Christ on the cross! Such a horrible event, the second Person of the Trinity suffering and dying for a sinful people. What a travesty! And yet, it was the eternal decree of God that this should happen. It was necessary for the Shepherd to die in order for the sheep to be redeemed. This is love, not just that He died for us, but that such a Perfect Being died for such filthy creatures as us. The Creator of the universe died for that which He created! This is love!

And to understand even better what an amazing thing this is, we read in verse 10 that the picture of love is NOT that we loved God...but that He loved us enough to send His Son to pay the penalty for us! This is exactly what Paul teaches in Romans 5:8 where he says that "God demonstrates His love own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

You see, in our fallen state, we do not love God. And even though the Lord could see the evil of our hearts, He chose to die for us. He loved us even though we were in rebellion against Him...He loved us even though we were unworthy of Him. Can you imagine that? Our natural inclination is to turn away from those who dislike us, let alone those who hate us! But God died for those who hated Him. Truly John will later declare that "we love Him because He first loved us"! (1 John 4:19)

Ask: What do you think of this kind of love? (discuss)

This is a type of love so immense that it can only come from God. And do you know what? There is a reason why John tells us these things...we read it in verse 11 where John now concludes this passage with the following: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Wow.

Can we live up to this? If God loves us so much that since eternity past He decreed the death of Jesus on the cross, how can we measure up? Is it possible? Well it must be because we are commanded to love one another in the same manner!

How can this type of love be manifested by the saints towards one another? (discuss)

Think about this: God's love was not prompted by anything praiseworthy in us.

In fact, read the following:
-Deuteronomy 7:6-7
-2 Timothy 1:8-9

Nothing in us deserved the love of God. He gave it for His own reasons, because it pleased Him to shower us with it. It is undeserved.

With this in mind, I ask again, how can we manifest this type of love towards one another?

We are to love the people of God even when they are unloveable. We are to forgive the people of God when they offend us, even if they don't ask us for that forgiveness. We are to bless His people even when they sinfully curse us. And, yes, we are to die for them if need be.

I dare not say that any of this is easy, but it is commanded of us. The best way to cultivate this love is to seek Him first. To be so focused on Him and His love that this world means nothing by comparison. When we are in constant awareness of His love for us, of the immensity of the love of God, then exhibiting such a love towards others will come more naturally. I pray we all desire this.

Close in prayer.

"Counsel From the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ" by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Dennis E. Johnson

ISBN: 9781433503177

This is the first book I've read on biblical counseling and I have come away from this experience with a deep appreciation for the authors and their devotion to the Word of God as the only true remedy for people who are struggling. Their attidude is best summed up in the preface, where they write that "[w]e believe that when God the Creator provides a cure-all, it really cures all, and that when He sent His eternal Son as Redeemer, He set in motion a new creation power that will eventually eradicate both the sin-twisted self-centeredness of our hearts and the sin-infected wounds that we have inflicted on one another." (page 13)

The cure-all, of course, is the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ...and this is the thrust of the book. The book is helpful in many ways, including the examples included and the study questions at the end of each chapter. In addition to this, there are three appendices included, one of them a very helpful list of issues and the Scripture one might use when counseling people dealing with it. Ultimately, what I loved most about this book is that the authors take the issue down to its basic element of sin. Why do people commit adultery? Why do they abuse family members? Because they are sinners in need of the Gospel! And why do Believers engage in such behaviors? Because they have forgotten the gopel! Personally, I think that it is also because too many who profess Christ are not truly saved!

There are many excellent examples throughout the book of how to counsel people, but my favorite one characterizes how this book uses the Word of God as its foundation. In the chapter entitled "The Gospel and our relationships" we find the following:
"If we forget that we are sinful and flawed, it will be easy to become self-righteous and harsh with our spouses; [p]arents who forget that they are law breakers expect their children to keep the law and to make them look good; Even children can forget the gospel. If they forget that they are sinful and flawed, they are quick to judge their parents' inconsistencies and failures." (page 158-159)

I cannot recommend this book enough! I think that for the layperson like myself it can serve as a useful tool not only in relating to our brothers and sisters but in ministering to the lost. So buy this book and read it over and over. This is the book you will want close at hand for easy access, the kind that will soon need to be replaced from excessive use!

Teen Studies

Today we are having the sword-tagging group over and as I'm getting a study ready for it I realized I did not post the last two studies we did! Here for now are those two, and later tonight I will post the one from today.

This first one is from June 30th of this year:

Read Hebrews 2:1-4

The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians who were converts to the faith during a time of intense persecution. From the text, it appears that there were some who thought it might be easier to return to the Jewish faith rather than remain Christians (comment on the irony of this). So the author of this letter, some think Paul, is providing exhortation and even chastisement for these people. We know, of course, that ulimately the Author is God.

So keeping this thought in mind, let us quickly discuss what has come in the 1st chapter of this letter:
1) God speaks to His people in diff. ways
2) The Son is higher than all created creatures, indeed, the Son is the express image of the Father, and is called by God by the Psalmist (herein we see the teaching of the Triunity of God).
3) The Son is He through and for whom all things have been made.

We see also that He is worshipped by the angles themselves! Notice Hebrews 1:14 "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" Who is that? The elect of God, all those who are saved by the blood of Christ!

So all these verses focus on what?
On Christ!

He is the object of chapter 1...it is to His awesomeness that the author is pointing. Why do you think this is? (discuss how if Christ if whom He says He is then why go elsewhere?)

Having learned all this, we can look again at the 4 verses in chapter 2.

"Therefore..."

because of all that has been discussed!

"we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard"

pay close attention to because it is worth paying attention!

"lest we drift away"

What does this mean?

the KJV renders this as "to let them slip" and this is a correct reading of the Greek, which is the word pararrhueo, which literally means to flow by.

So unless we pay careful attention to the Word of God, we stand in danger of letting it slip away, of drifting away from that which is true!

How does this work out in the life of a Believer? (discuss lack of Bible reading, lack of church attendance, lack of a consistent prayer life)

But the warning is much stricter here too...

Note verses 2-3
What do these refer to?

The Word of God, the gospel of our salvation, came to us from Christ Himself! He IS the living Word! Not only this, verse 4 tells us that the miracles of the day, the wonders and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, were done as testimony to these truths!

And guess what? Every sin, every transgression of the law will be justly punished by God! All those who live their lives apart from Christ will stand under condemnation. So the warning is here. We have all heard the gospel...the question is how will we respond to it. Human accountability and responsibility stand here exposed to the call of the gospel.

One final thing...Note that verse 4 says all the miracles and signs were done as testament, but according to the will of God. It is never for us to test God by demanding a miracle in exchange for faith. He grants miracles and gifts and healings according to His own will, nothing else.

Read and briefly discuss Hebrews 11:32-40, then close in prayer..

This next study is from July 7th:

Acts 15
The Law & Grace

Read Acts 15:1-5

What's going on here?

There were those men who were saying in order to be saved you must be circumcised right? That, in essence, you had to become a Jew! Here we have the gospel coming to the Gentiles and immediately there are those who would add something to the Gospel. Note that in Romans 10:9 we read that "if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

But these men from Judea were adding to this...and adding what is not in the Scripture! In Jude 3 we are told to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." So obviously there are various biblical doctrines to which a true Believer will hold, but in this passage we are seeing true Christians (the brethren) being unfairly judged and held to a false standard by other Christians.

Note that Paul and Barnabas both rightly engage in probably very heated discussion with these men...and so it was decided that the church should hold a council and decide this matter.

Read Acts 15:6-29

We see that the elders and apostles rule in favor of what? Freedom in Christ!

Note verse 10)
Strict adherence and obedience to the law was something impossible to do! The Law itself could save nobody because not one person except the Lord Jesus could actually keep it! And so the Jerusalem council decreed that circumcision was NOT necessary in order to be saved.

What does this mean for us?

If we are no longer bound by the law does this mean we can do anything we want? Of course NOT! (discuss the heresy of antinomianism)

Look with me at Acts 16:1-5

What in the world is going on here?

Paul had Timothy circumcised!

Why?

For the sake of the gospel, but NOT for the sake of salvation (discuss)

Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

How do these verses relate to what we've been looking at in the book of Acts?

(Discuss)

Realize this brothers:
Whatever the Bible tells us to do, we must do
Whatever the Bible tells us not to do, we must not do

Aside from this, we are free in Christ to do as we feel right, keeping in mind always to be loving towards those among us who are weaker. But we dare not add to the Scripture and become legalists when the Bible has remained silent on the issue.

Remember that the faith has been delivered once and for all. We have our Scriptures, let us live lives of obedience without adding to the perfect revelation of what God has given us!

Close in prayer

Be Transformed by the Word Rather Than the World

Most of you will immediately recognize that the title of this post is a paraphrase of Romans 12:1-2.

Even so, my plan here is not so much to present my dear readers with a study of these verses as to use them as a foundation to some thoughts I wish to share. Since I cannot resist, I will say that I am allowed to do this because I am not one of those fortunate ones who have the opportunity of presenting the Word of God from the pulpit! Those of you who know me will no doubt share my feelings, for the rest I should explain that what I mean by this is that the one who is called to be a minister of the Word of God has a duty and an obligation to exposit the text for the people in his church (and yes, I unabashedly maintain that it must always be a “he”). The minister who takes verses and uses them as a spring board for his own opinions fails in his duty.

I, however, am neither a minister nor am I expounding from the pulpit, so I am at liberty to confess to you that the inspiration for this post is the aforementioned verses; yet this post is not an exposition of those verses.

I should also mention that this post has been on my mind for a very long time but it has not been until now that I have had a chance to sit and contemplate how to put into words the thoughts that have been filling my mind. Before I discuss what is on my mind, however, let us read the relevant verses as they appear in the ESV:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
–Romans 12:1-2

When I read these verses I cannot help but wonder how we measure up to them. The words are pretty straightforward: in light of the truth that we are saved by the grace of God, in light of the fact that we profess to be Christians, in light of all of this, therefore our bodies are to be presented upon the altar as a sacrifice to God. A living sacrifice!

What does this mean?

Well think about it: a poor animal laid on the altar soon had its throat slit and was dead. Whatever effectiveness God attributed to its shed blood was temporary. We, however, are purchased by the blood of Christ! The blood that atones for our sins is eternal and able to cover all sins. What is more, because a sacrificed animal by necessity perished on the altar, the one who offered it did so without any reservation. You could not change your mind once the sacrifice had been made! The animal could not be resurrected and returned to you! It was dead! And so a sacrifice, whether of atonement or thanksgiving, was given up completely. There was nothing to hold back was there? The sacrifice was set aside and given over to God.

Do you see the connection?

As living sacrifices, we are set aside for God! We are no longer our own, we have been offered up completely and without reservation! What claim do we have on self when we are the purchased possession (Ephesians 1:14)? Brothers and sisters, we belong to Him!

And so this is what Paul beseeches us to do…to present our bodies as living sacrifices totally set aside for His service. And what is more, we are to be holy. We are to be set apart for Him, we are to strive to be without blemish. Just as the sacrificial system demanded a perfect animal, so we are to be perfect for Him…so that we might be acceptable. Now you may well ask how it can be that we need to be perfect and without blemish in order to be acceptable to God when we have been told over and over that we come to Him as we are! That we do not perfect ourselves! How can this be? Well, all I can say is that you should take it easy and not forget that we are not speaking of salvation here but of sanctification. If you take the time to read the context of this passage you will quickly see this. For now, all I say is that we are speaking here of one who is redeemed…we are speaking of bearing fruit.

Let’s get back to this being acceptable to God issue though. Do you remember what Samuel told Saul?

“And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” – 1 Samuel 15:22

Sacrifice all you want buddy…but if all it is to you is meaningless ritual then God rejects your offering! A living sacrifice, an acceptable sacrifice, is that one that is motivated by a love of God which is made evident through the desire to be obedient! Lose sight of this and you miss the mark! Your sacrifice will be no more acceptable than that of Cain, than that of Saul! And so look again at what Paul is telling us…THIS is the way to be acceptable!

I love the way the NKJV ends verse 1, it says that all of this is your “reasonable service.” I love it. Not that “your spiritual worship” is wrong of course! Don’t get me wrong! To be living sacrifices, to be holy and acceptable is an act of worship, no doubt about it! But the NKJV translation satisfies my soul…our “reasonable service.” God is not asking something of us that is unreasonable! It is only right that this be the manner that the redeemed live! As living sacrifices!

But okay, now we come to the nitty gritty!

“do not be conformed to this world.”

Wow.

Allow me a rabbit trail here please. For my beloved Arminian brethren, how do you reconcile the use of the word “world” here with your dogmatic interpretation of John 3:16? I mean, if in the gospel the word MUST mean every man, woman and child, why must it not mean the same here? Simply put, the word can mean what you take it to mean in the gospel, or it can mean this rock upon which we live, it can mean what it does in Revelation 5:9, or it can mean what it clearly means here: the secular mindset, that which stands in opposition to the Word of God.

End of rant.

Okay, on not being conformed to this world. Wow. This is what has been most on my mind…primarily because it saddens me so much to be among people who call themselves Christians and live no differently than the world. How is this possible? I know of people who don’t go to church and feel no remorse over this! I know of people who deny that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and profess to love the Lord! I know people who listen to voices in their heads that tell them things contrary to the Word and they attribute this to God! Sadly, I am speaking of people who say they are Christians. What transformation do we see? None.

In fact, these people look exactly like the world in every respect except that they say they are Christians! And for those who outwardly conform to some semblance of what they think is a “Christian” lifestyle, they go to extremes as well!

Do you send your children to public school? Then, to them, you are obviously some evolutionist wolf in sheep’s clothing!

You see? We are surrounded by libertines or by legalists everywhere we turn! Both the antinomians and the legalists are the same in that they ignore the law of Christ! The antinomian takes grace to an extreme that shows they don’t understand the Scriptures (how can they when they usually don’t even believe them to actually be the inerrant Word of God?); the legalist offers up his unacceptable sacrifices full of blemishes out of a desire to keep the law…not out of love. If the legalist offered up the sacrifice in love he would take the time to actually understand the Word also and apply it out of a desire to please the Master! This last Sunday our pastor rightly pointed out that all of these “righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” –Isaiah 64:6
Guess what the words are that are translated as “polluted garment”? Let’s just say it refers to a woman’s menstrual cycle. T he righteous deeds of the one who does them out of ritual rather than love are dirty and polluted indeed, wouldn’t you say?

And this is exactly what I see all around me…and it makes me so sad.

Now, don’t think I am sitting here in judgment and asking you to look upon me as a holy acceptable sacrifice upon which to model yourself. Far from it! The only example we should look to when trying to figure out how to be holy and acceptable is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I am not saying I am “there.” I fail miserably all the time! What makes me sad, however, is that the ones I refer to boast in their acts! There is no repentance! There is no “oops, I’m sorry” involved.

Brothers and sisters, will you join me in committing to renewing our minds and being transformed from within? We must be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God! We must do it because we love our Bridegroom! Let us long for Him, let us go to His Word in order to know Him. Let us prepare ourselves to welcome Him when He comes to claim us!

“…choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
–Joshua 24:15

Personal Update

Well I wanted to write this quick post to let you all know I'm still alive! I have been a tad overwhelmed lately and by the time I get on the computer at night all I want to do is veg out and read other blogs instead of writing on my own!

I do, however, want to do this quick post and give you all some good news. I am down to a weight of 273 lbs., which means I lost 11 lbs. in 13 days! :-) It is so nice to be wearing clothes again that I'd been avoiding in quite some time because of how tight they were! Anyhow, I have messed up a bit in the last few days by eating some things I should not have and by easing up on my exercise, but tonight I started my work out again and though I dreaded doing it I can honestly say it felt GOOD once I did it. Please continue to pray for me as I seek to lose more weight...though I may never be thin (I never have been), I want to get to a weight where I'm comfortable. Some people may find this hard to believe, but my cholesterol and blood pressure are pretty good.

In case I have not mentioned it before, I have set myself a personal goal of being down to 250 lbs. by my birthday so that's why I need so much prayer!

On the posting issue, I'll get on that tomorrow...I have a couple of studies I'm ready to post and one book review I hope to finish tomorrow.

Good night and God bless!

Watching Movies

I just read a really good article by John Piper in which he discusses why he does not have a television and why he rarely catches a movie. Read the whole article here. For now, I just wanted to quote him on a distinction he makes between violent movies, profanity, and nudity/sex...I found it quite interesting, even if I don't completely agree with him on all of it. Still, he is a voice to be listened to and I respect him immensely, so here goes a part I found fascinating!

"I have a high tolerance for violence, high tolerance for bad language, and zero tolerance for nudity. There is a reason for these differences. The violence is make-believe. They don’t really mean those bad words. But that lady is really naked, and I am really watching. And somewhere she has a brokenhearted father"

Thoughts from anyone?

"Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung

ISBN #978-0-8024-5838-4

I want to start out by saying that Joshua Harris makes me mad. I'm not mad at him for anything bad but because he gives this book a great review in the foreword, almost taking the thoughts right out of my mind! ;-)

Really though, this short book (122 pages) is a quick and excellent read. I don't know that it is necessarily unique since John MacArthur has written similar thoughts in his book "God's Will Is Not Lost," but what makes this book such a great resource is that DeYoung has a talent for bringing this topic down to where even a layperson such as myself can fully understand what he is talking about. His writing is clear and concise and he has a knack for bringing humor into a very serious topic. I am sure, in fact, that even those who hold to the view he is critiquing will find the book useful.

And what view is he challenging here? The view that God's will is some mysterious thing we need to fret about. He credibly maintains that so long as you are not violating God's commands, then you are free to make decisions as you desire...to use your freedom in Christ! Again, what God commands we must do and what He forbids we must not do, but apart from this, do whatever you think is right to do!

But let me share from the introduction by Joshua Harris so that you will get an even better idea of what exactly this book is about:
"It is God's will for you to read this book. Yes, I'm talking to you. What are the odds that you would "just happen" to pick up this book and flip open to this page and start reading? Obviously it's a sign. Of all the millions of books in the world, you found this one. Wow. I have chills. Do not pass up this divinely orchestrated moment. If you miss this moment there's a good chance you will completely miss God's will for the rest of your life and spend your days in misery and regret...

If you're prone to think of God's will in the way I so threateningly described it, this book will help set you straight..."

Classic don't you think? Well I think so, and this little book is definitely a keeper, one I will no doubt consult every so often. Buy it and read it, you will not regret it!

"The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon" by John Ferling

Okay...I won't usually post book reviews on my history books, but I loved this book so much I am posting it, so please forgive me this once!


ISBN #978-1-59691-465-0

Every now and then a phrase from some movie or other captures the imagination of the general public and before you know it everyone is repeating the line over and over. "I'll be back" from The Terminator comes to mind, or "You had me at hello" from Jerry Maguire. Well I hate to use such phrases myself but this one time I have to do so and say that with this latest title, author John Ferling had me at "There were differences in the politics of eighteenth-century America and those of today, but not as many as might be thought." (1st sentence of Preface)

This captivating beginning sets the tone for the entire book and from start to finish I simply could not put this book down...indeed Mr. Ferling now owes me many hours of sleep, a debt I am happy to forgive if he promises to keep writing non fiction of this caliber. The beauty of this book is that while it is indeed a book of history (political history at that!), it reads like a modern thriller. I dare say that I absolutely would recommend this book to everyone I know, and if it was within my power, I would make it required reading for high school students.

Well with such nearly sycophantic praise one would think that Mr. Ferling was paying me for this review, but I assure my readers that this is not the case (if, however, Mr. Ferling should read this and feel the uncontrollable urge to send some cash my way, I will happily accept). No, this book is well deserving of praise without needing to resort to base bribery!

At any rate, this book brings our illustrious first president down to a human level...portraying him as the ambitious and self interested man that he was, warts and all. In no way, however, does this make him a less heroic figure. Instead it helps us to see him as the fallible human that he truly was, a man who felt like he was meant for great things (and apparently he was) and stopped at nothing to achieve this greatness. Ferling correctly points out that it was quite surpising that Washington became the man he did considering his many military blunders; at the same time this is no big surprise when we understand his political savviness and his ability to deflect criticism. This, indeed, is the theme of this book, and Ferling does a wonderful job of proving his thesis and convincing the reader not only of this truth but assisting us to retain our hero worshipping attitude towards the father of our country!

So my final thoughts are as follows: this book is well written, surpisingly respectful of its subject, and quite humorous in some places (three French generals coming to America; three major general positions available; American officers wanting one of those positions; problem solved satisfactorily for everyone when one of the French generals obligingly drowns...Ferling points out this was satisfactory for everyone except, of course, the drowned general!). I would give it three thumbs up if I could, but since I cannot do so I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!

1 Corinthians 1:1-3 (a devotional thought)

I believe it was Spurgeon who was once asked how to know if one had received the call to pastoral ministry. He responded that if you felt like you would die if you could not preach then you had the calling...otherwise no.

Well I know what he meant...I don't feel like I would die if I could not preach but I do feel like I will die if I cannot teach. There are few things I love more than teaching what I have learned, but unfortunately I have had limited opportunities in the last few years and there appear to be none coming up soon. Which is why you dear readers get to put up with the studies I post here! ;-)

I do confess that I am so much like all those who say they believe something but don't live like they actually do. What I mean by this is that I have not been the best of fathers in teaching my children. I am so undisciplined and have not taken advantage of the opportunities to have regular devotions with my sons. This is something that has eaten away at me for some time because I would love to just sit down with them and have spirited discussions about the Word, and yet I don't do it as often as I should (I believe it's been about a month, maybe longer, since we sat down to discuss what we'd been reading and hold a question/answer session).

Well, today while my sons were at youth group I began my long planned study of 1 Corinthians and so here is the first part of it. I hope you all enjoy it and please pray that I might be a more faithful spiritual leader in my home. Maybe this is why the Lord has not opened doors for me to teach...after all if I cannot be faithful in what He has given me, why should He give me more right?

Here you go:

Read 1 Corinthians 1:1-3

“Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus,”

We have here the typical greeting of Paul throughout his letters...a humble, even amazed, declaration of his apostleship. While some in the modern era sometimes refer to others as apostles, the office of an apostle left us with the death of those who were called to that specific office by Christ, and Paul was one of these. Recall that he’d been called to the office by the Lord Himself, while he was on the road to Damascus…to persecute those within the church. A supernatural visitation by the Lord, however, awakened the spiritual deadness of Saul (as he was then known) and caused the scales to fall away from his eyes.

So truly he was called by the will of God, for remember that in Acts 9:15 and Acts 13:2 God Himself declares Paul to be a chosen instrument. He was called specifically to suffer much for the gospel, and was thereby a powerful tool in the hands of the Almighty!

It could also be said that those of us who have been reborn spiritually, who are awakened to the Truth of God, that we too have been called by the will of God (Ephesians 1:4-5), and we too are now instruments to be wielded by the Lord. We have a work before us, and we should take care to focus our full attention upon that work (Ephesians 2:10). And yet, our calling is different than that of Paul…for as we see in the book of Acts, he had a specific ministry to accomplish…proof of which we have by opening our Bibles and looking at the large portion which he was inspired to write!

“and our brother Sosthenes”

This is possibly the same Sosthenes of whom we read in Acts 18:17, who was beaten in the very city of Corinth. If it is the same man, then it is interesting to note that here we see he is accompanying Paul, for during his beating he was the ruler of the Jewish synagogue! Obviously, if it truly is the same person, then he came to a saving knowledge of Christ at some point after the incident described.

“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours”

I love the simple clarity of this declaration. The church of God that is in Corinth is made up of those sanctified in Christ Jesus! The letter here is addressed to these saints! And notice what else…those saints are such WITH every other one, in every other place, that calls upon the name of our Lord!! I don’t think it is presumptuous to add that this includes not only in every place but in every time! Brothers and sisters, the church of God is made up of all true Believers throughout all of time and throughout the world today. Those in China, in Iraq, in Peru, EVERYWHERE, if they are Believers then they stand together with us today.

Do this: next time you are praying, take a moment to consider that at that same moment there is a Believer in the next block and across the world who is raising his voice/thoughts to Him at the same time. What a mind blowing thought, amen?

Another thought: there are many out there who call themselves Christians but who don’t even believe in the Bible as the Word of God. This verse in no way tells us that we are one with them, for we are not. How could we be? If they call upon a false Christ then they have nothing to do with us. They are lost and in need of the gospel. But to all who confess Christ AND believe in their hearts that He is exactly as He is revealed in the Scriptures…then they are our brothers and sisters. We’ll discuss this a tad more later on in verses 10-17.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is a benediction from the great Apostle to the church at Corinth. We who know what the rest of the letter consists of are well aware that they are in for quite a tongue lashing from Paul, but notice how he first takes care to assure them of his love for them…and of his sincere desire for them that they truly know the peace that comes only from God. This is the grace he desires for them. Such is his love for this church body he established by the grace of God that even as they begin to show disobedience he has a great concern for them.

God bless!