Soli Deo Gloria

Boys Read Too!

2010-05-04T22:35:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to give everyone an update on one thing I've been working on. After a conversation with a neighbor in which she was asking me about books boys would like (she has a son who is the same age as my third), I decided to begin a new blog. The title is "Boys Read Too." These will consist of books I have read in the Juvenile and Young Adult category, many of them ones I have presented at local junior and high schools. If you have a chance, please check it out, and be sure to refer to it if you know of any boys in need of a good book.

I only have about three books posted but I will be posting all of the reviews I've already done in the coming days.

God bless!

"Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare" by David Powlison

2010-04-28T19:28:00.003-06:00

The issue of spiritual warfare has always seemed pretty straightforward to me; the enemies of God wage a continuous war against Him, turning His creatures against Him and challenging His power. We see one very vivid of the struggle relayed in Jude 9 where we read that the archangel Michael contended with Satan over the body of Moses! As far as we mortals are concerned, we sometimes witness a manifestation of this warfare in the form of demonic possession and influence.

Throughout my Christian walk, however, I have occasionally come across people who had an unhealthy (and very un-biblical) interest in what I can only term as the occult. Thinking that spiritual warfare consisted primarily of battling demonic possessions and manifestations, they go about seeking demons to rebuke, and every hardship, every coincidence, becomes a demonic attack. I hear of these people walking around their neighborhoods "claiming" a particular block for God and chastising the demonic forces they perceive as being all around them causing havoc...apparently forgetting that God is always in control and that this idea of claiming territory for God is foreign to Scripture.

Unfortunately, this foolish preoccupation detracts from the only true strategy we Christians are to employ; the proclaiming of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, calling people to repent and submit to the only true hope! This book, Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare is about abandoning false notions we may harbor about spiritual warfare and embrace the biblical understanding of it. The book is not a denial of the reality of spiritual warfare, but a call to examine our practices and align them with the teachings of Scripture. I found the premise of his book clearly defined by these words found on pages 71-71:

"...the gospels narrate one long 'truth encounter' between Jesus and the moral evil that contends for or fills the human heart. The titanic moral combat occurs in the classic spiritual-warfare mode- Jesus' temptations in the desert and in the garden of Gethsemane- as the Son learned obedience through what He suffered. Throughout His ministry, Jesus rescued those in moral bondage to Satan by words of truth that claimed authority over temptation, sin, and unbelief. Inhabiting spirits are never in view. The real spiritual warfare engages moral, not situational, evil. The great physician may give medicine to bring down blood pressure- [demon possession] temporarily alleviating situational evil. But he challenges the patient to quit smoking, drinking, and gorging on junk food- moral evil. The latter is the decisive battlefield." (emphasis of last sentence, mine)

What Powlison is saying is that too many Christians are overly obsessed with this idea of casting out demons when we should be totally focused on spreading the Truth! But if you talk too some Christians, every issue involves demonic activity and we need to combat these demons. Is someone an alcoholic? Well then let's rebuke the demon of alcohol! Is someone addicted to pornography? The demon of lust is present! Can't focus on studying the Word? Obviously a demon is distracting you! What silliness! Listen, in the first two examples, the cause is our sin nature and the way to combat this is to be in the Word and to discipline ourselves to live holy lives; in the last example, hey maybe you should rest up or learn to focus! But this morbid preoccupation with demons "grafts Christian elements onto an underlying demonic and superstitious worldview, creating a hybrid perhaps acceptable to premodern minds. But the biblical Christian faith needs to stand alone; it should not be grafted onto any other worldview." (pg. 25)

Among the places where this mis-emphasis on spiritual warfare was popularized, Powlison lists Dallas Theological Seminary, which is sadly not surprising at all to me. Author Frank Peretti is, of course, one who's fiction writing has influenced many as well. In chapter 3 of the book, Powlison examines the writings of Peretti and compares them to that of Tolkien and Lewis, a chapter I found particularly enlightening not only because of this interesting discussion but because the main focus is on interacting with the scriptural text so that we reach the correct conclusion. How fiction writing and this concept relate to one another is something you'll have to read the book to find out! ;-)

Another fascinating chapter was the fourth one, where the author examines the OT, Job particularly, in order to help us understand the concept of spiritual warfare. On page 59 we find the following words: "We learn in the Old Testament that the way to deal with idolatry, astrology, mediumship, sexual immorality, anger- the besetting sins of the demonological jungle- is to repent or die. People need repentance, faith, truth, prayer and fidelity." We go on to read that "Scripture does not ignore evil, Satan, or demons. God fiercely warns against them all, commanding us to flee the abominations...[but] when the prophets speak to idolaters and those involved in the occult, they preach repentance and faith, not EMM. Naaman the Aramean was an idol worshipper who came to faith through a little girl and Elisha. Hosea simply called idolatrous Israel to turn back to God. The Ninevites- members of an occult culture- believed God and repented at the preaching of Jonah. In no case, even with gross and occult sins, was the problem defined as inhabiting spirits needing ekballistic ministry." (page 60)

I should briefly mention that EMM stands for "ekballistic form of ministry," a term Powlison has come up with to describe the practice of those who subscribe to spiritual warfare as consisting of casting out demons, praying over houses and possession for protection against demonic influence, etc... He came up with the term using the Greek word "ekballo" which means to "cast out."

Chapter 5 deals with sin and suffering and in it Powlison examines the ministry of Christ, especially as it relates to casting out demons. In it, he also takes a careful look at the difference between moral versus situational evil. In chapters 6 and 7 we read about the difference between the ministry of Jesus and what we are called to do; we also are confronted with a number of questions which Powlison answers. One very compelling argument found in chapter 7 is that nowhere are we commanded to practice EMM. Examining Mark 16:17-18, we are told how those who advocate EMM rely on this passage as one of their proof texts...but as the author points out, a more contextual explanation is that this refers specifically to the work of the apostles. He spends a number of paragraphs defending his position, and makes a very good case!

The book is a short and fascinating read (only 10 chapters); I encourage everyone to read it and contemplate what the author has written. More importantly, I exhort all readers to examine it critically and test it against the Scriptures. As the author says, everyone has a story to tell. Proponents of EMM always have their experiences to back up what they say!

"'But I experienced...' These are three of the hardest words to argue with in America today, for experience presents itself as indubitable authority...many of the 'demonic manifestations today' are produced by highly charged expectations. An atmosphere of intense expectation can produce almost anything...EMM could actually invoke demonic activity. 'Voices' in the mind are not uncommon..." (from pages 133-135)

The above quotes are a number of combined quotes in which the author discusses a variety of explanations for the perceived experiences of EMM advocates. As he maintains throughout the book, spiritual warfare must be reclaimed by Believers and correctly understood as it is taught in Scripture. Otherwise we dishonor the Truth by subscribing to superstitious nonsense. You may or may not disagree, but read the book to fully understand the message Powlison is communicating.

Link for Today

2010-04-14T10:34:00.002-06:00

I read this post over on Dr. Mohler's blog and had to link to it here. In it, Dr. Mohler addresses an interesting case over an abortionist having his medical license revoked because he aborted the "wrong" baby. The woman was pregnant with twins, one of whom was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome. The abortionist was asked to kill the "damaged fetus" but instead killed the healthy one. Immediately, of course, he was sued for killing the healthy baby!

Read the full post here

Genesis 1:1-3

2010-04-13T15:56:00.006-06:00

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” – ESV

What a magnificent beginning!

One of the first things to notice when reading this passage, a beautiful picture of the Truth to come, is that we see in these verses the TriUnity of God revealed!

1) We have God (Elohiym), the Father, creating the heavens and the earth

2) We have the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters

3) In what I admit is reading into the text, we have the light of the world, who is the Son!

Another thing to notice is the straightforward manner by which creation is presented. It was done by God, not some random force of nature. God alone could have created since God alone is outside of creation…He is eternal by nature and dependent on nothing else to exist. The Bible allows for no other beginning. God created. That’s all there is to it. If you doubt this, reexamine why you say you believe the Bible in any other area!

Not only is creation presented as fact, so is the existence of God. It is our enlightened age that has convinced itself there is no God, Friedrich Nietzche declaring that “God is dead.” He said it, so it must be true. I once saw a bumper sticker showing this quote…right below it was another quote stating “Nietzche is dead.” According to the bumper sticker, this quote was from God! Humorous, yet very true. God does not need our belief to exist, nor is He troubled much by our unbelief…it does not change Him in any way. So God is real. And these first few verses of Scripture declare this truth and set the stage for the rest of the Word…God is Sovereign.

So much more could be said, and has been said by great men of God throughout the ages. I wish to address another thought I have whenever I read through the book of Genesis, and that is the issue of what authority shapes our beliefs, our faith. I first thought of these things when I was a teenager and read commentary by John Morris called “The Genesis Record” (ISBN 9780801060045), a book I highly recommend to everyone.

Morris, as many of you may know, is an unapologetic Creationist and his approach to the book of Genesis is to take it at face value, as it should be taken. I realize that nowadays many Christians are afraid of what others may think of them and so they refuse to admit that they hold to what the Bible actually says about the beginning of all things. Others hide their fear behind a veil of intellectual vanity, raising themselves up as true children of the Enlightenment and scientific reason; thereby setting aside the book of Genesis as a mythical allegory and attempting to reconcile it with the current ideology of the scientific establishment. Unfortunately for these brethren, Genesis says what it does and the only thing accomplished by compromising on the Bible as God’s Word is that Christianity gains further scorn from its enemies. The most dogmatic evolutionists (like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins) will not embrace a faith that accepts evolution…quite the contrary, they reject it as what it is; a foolish attempt to be accepted by mainstream secular thought.

Ultimately, for those among the brethren who embrace anything other than Biblical creationism, the issue comes down to authority. Which source will you trust? What I mean by this is that if you truly believe the Bible is the Word of God, His revealed Truth to us, then it is no problem to accept the doctrine of creationism, to believe in the concept of God bringing about all of the univers ex nihilio. This is not difficult to accept if we believe God and if we believe in God. If, however, you are willing to believe that some of the Bible might not be true, and your source of authority is the modern scientific establishment, then of course you will reject creationism! How could you not when your authority figures consistently prove it wrong (according to their worldview that is)!

I maintain, unapologetically, that you cannot reject any portion of Scripture as untrue and then turn around and defend any of it as true with the argumeent that you believe it is the Word of God. In other words, once you compromise on one part, you have no basis on which to defend any of it. Try it. Jesus is the Son of God? Says who? The Bible? Well then how can you know the part that teaches this is true and not mythology like the book of Genesis? Again and again, your rejection of Genesis will come back to haunt you at every turn. We come back, as mentioned above, to authority. The Bible is God’s Word. It is true in all that it teaches, whether in Genesis, John, Romans or Revelation. I believe this, but it matters little whether I believe it or not because this truth does not depend on my believing it to make it true. However, because I believe it, and it is my authority in all things, then I believe and trust those scholars and scientists who defend a true biblical worldview; including creationism. These men are highly intelligent men with scientific credentials who work for secular organizations as well as Answers in Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research. When they speak on the issue of creationism I listen to them and I believe them…how could I not when I believe in the Bible?

I am, therefore, not surprised when an unbeliever embraces evolutionary faith. Their choice is logical because their source of authority is not God and the Word He has given us! When a professing Christian, however, rejects creation and embraces evolution…I am shocked. I am saddened. And I view them as my weaker brethren in the faith.

Still Alive!

2010-04-13T14:05:00.002-06:00

I have read a number of books since I last posted and am in the process of writing up book reviews for them, which I will soon post. Since, however, my last post of any substance was back in February, I wanted to let whatever readers I might have that I am still here and still planning on blogging!

As with most of you, I have been busy with work and family; in addition I must confess that I have been trying to keep up on my Google reader subscriptions and I now have enough of them that it takes me at least 1/2 an hour just to scroll through them even if I don't actually read each article! I think it's time I edited down my list! On top of all this, I have a Facebook account which I am trying to stay active with...I'm thinking I will just have to post on both at the same time! Honestly, the things that should be most important (next to God and my family) are this blog and the work I do for my church library...but both, obviously, have suffered!

So there you have my confession and my apology! Later today I will post a brief study I'm doing on Genesis 1:1-3 and then in the next couple of days I hope to begin posting book reviews too. The study on Genesis is not deep by any means, just some brief thoughts I have. In case some of you did not know, I received an ESV Bible from a Crossway representative I met at the Public Library Association (PLA) conference in Portland last month! I've never owned an ESV and so I decided to begin reading it from the beginning, and of course I was moved by the opening verses of the Word of God! So, of course, my readers get to put up with my ramblings!

God bless!

Al Mohler on Christians Paying Taxes

2010-04-05T22:03:00.002-06:00

I read a really good post from Dr. Al Mohler of Southern Seminary in which he discusses the Christian response to paying taxes in light of Obamacare and what it might mean for abortion funding. Very profound thoughts, as usual.

Please read the article here.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Discussing Brian McLaren's New Book

2010-03-12T22:25:00.002-07:00

This is a very good discussion! Long but well worth watching!

"The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards" by Steven J. Lawson

2010-02-13T20:53:00.003-07:00

This little gem of a book is the second in Lawson’s “A Long Line of Godly Men” series, the first title being “The Expository Genius of John Calvin.” You can find my review of that first title here (insert link).

In this book, Lawson examines the disciplined character of Jonathan Edwards, a man who was a faithful servant of God, and also a very misunderstood figure. He is best known to the secular world as the author of that much maligned (and probably very rarely read) sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” He is, indeed, often portrayed as a dour man who rejoiced in the thought of people entering the lake of fire and suffering there for all eternity. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. As Lawson clearly reveals here, Edwards was a man who had a passionate love for the Lord and a great desire to see souls come to Him for their salvation.

Another interesting fact about Edwards is that he is considered one of the most brilliant men produced by the United States of America, even by secular historians (insert link here). This is all the more amazing when one considers that Edwards never wrote anything other than theological writings! His chief concern throughout his life was to bring glory to God in all things.

It is this characteristic of Edwards, a burning passion for His glory, which Lawson examines and presents to his readers, doing a wonderful job of introducing us to Edwards and explaining what made him the man he was; the man that all Christians would benefit in emulating. The way in which Lawson does this is by presenting the 70 resolutions of Jonathan Edwards and demonstrating how he sought to be faithful to them all of his life. For those of you who are unaware, Jonathan Edwards wrote a series of resolution when he was 20-21 years old. These were written, as he himself asserted, because he recognized that he was “unable to do anything without God’s help…” and he thereby “entreat[ed] him by his grace to enable [him] to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to [God’s] will, for Christ’s sake.” In this sentence you catch a glimpse of a man whose overwhelming desire was to please God above all things.

The book itself is a very short one, about 166 pages, which includes an appendix listing every one of the 70 Resolutions. It is divided into nine short chapters that examine how Edwards sought to live out the resolutions in his life, using them as reminders to be always faithful to his Lord…making his conscience captive to the Word of God!

Within the pages of this book, we meet a man very aware of his own weaknesses; a man aware of his inability to measure up to God who thereby decided only by His power could he ever hope to be pleasing to the Father. He lived, more often than not, with an awareness of his God and overwhelmed by a burning passion to please the Lord who saved him from his sin. Read this little book and fall in love with the object of his zeal, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Isaiah 1:21-31

2010-02-13T18:16:00.001-07:00

Read Isaiah 1:21-31

In the previous verses the prophet has here relayed the words of God, including the last few 5 verses wherein the Lord promises reconciliation. And what does Isaiah now see? Not the repentance he would have liked to see! Here is the poor fate of the prophets of God, sent to a people that usually would rather take affront than heed a warning. So the prophet writes his inspired impressions down…and they are not good ones. That city which represents the seat of God’s chosen nation…it has polluted itself and committed adultery against its Master.

Of these verses John Calvin writes the following:

“This astonishment of the Prophet was undoubtedly joined with the deepest grief; for we ought to look upon it as something monstrous when men revolt from God, and refuse that allegiance which they have promised to render; nor is it possible that right-hearted men, when they behold such a revolt, can fail to be affected with the most poignant grief.”

How accurate indeed are these words…and how appropriate for every age that has come and gone and which is to come until the return of the Lord. All we need to do is look around at our society to realize that we are indeed in a monstrous revolt from our God…and what should fill us all with grief even more is the ultimate end for those who rebel, for they have no hope of succeeding against our mighty God. All the more reason for us to be like an Isaiah in our generation and warn those around us of the judgment that is to come!

Note what Isaiah says:

· The city which should have been faithful is like a harlot

· The city which should have represented justice is now the den of murderers

· The aristocracy of the faithful city are friends to thieves, thereby no better than thieves themselves

· Bribery is rampant and the magistrates do not fulfill their duty and look after the orphan and the widow

Having noted all this, Isaiah once more speaks the very words of God:

“Therefore…”

Because of the conditions he has just described…as a direct result and in consequence of their behaviors, the Lord speaks the words to follow!

“I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies.”

These are strong words…words that should suffice to strike dread into the hearts of those to whom they are addressed! And to whom does God speak? Who are the adversaries and the enemies of the Lord?

“I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away your alloy.”

These enemies of God are the people who should have been His faithful servants! Imagine the consternation of a people who expect that they are by right His special people…imagine their fear when He groans aloud and declares He will rid Himself of the adversaries and enemies that are among their own nation!

And, yet, the love of God for His people is infinite! His anger and the chastisement He is to bring upon them is for their own good, for note what He will do to rid himself of these enemies:

· He will purge the dross away from the silver: I looked up how dross is removed from silver today and it is done by adding nitric acid…upon which you see the boiling of the silver and the dross (the impurities) come away. Something similar was probably done in biblical times, the point being that it is a violent thing done to the silver but which ultimately leaves us a more perfect and expensive metal! Such is what God promises to do…

· He will restore to them wise judges and counselors of note: So we see that a violent cleansing is to be followed by a restoration of what is needed to remain a worthy nation!

The result? They will once more be known for their faithfulness and their righteousness will be made manifest to all!

An obvious application we have here relates to how the Lord uses our circumstances to refine us and mold us into the image of the Son. Whether He acts to reprove us or whether He permits trials not related to any hard headedness in us, the result is a cleansing of the dross that accumulates in our lives and that impedes us from walking day by day at His side!

_________________________________________

The restoration continues as we read in verse 27 that the Lord will redeem Zion, that His justice will take the place inhabited by murderers and that righteousness will abide in the city!

“The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.”

In this verse and in the ones that follow through the end of the chapter we see the fate of those who are the dross…those whose removal is necessary for the restoration of the people as a whole. Truly we see here the truth of the words Paul is to speak, that “they are not all Israel who are of Israel” (Romans 9:6)

God, you see, does that which is necessary to redeem for Himself a people, and quite frankly we should be glad that He does since it maintains the purity of His church…all the more reason for us to daily examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith.

We see in the closing verses the truth of Psalm 2:1-6…for you see how those that stand against God, who do not yield to His reasoning, they are nothing before His judgment! The Lord says they are like an unwatered garden and like tinder…in other words, easily consumed! O pray that when we rebel against our Lord that by His grace we will be reasoned with! That we will be quick to confess and be forgiven!

Paul Washer on Truly Desiring God

2010-02-08T21:24:00.008-07:00

Paul Washer is one of my favorite preachers, a good Southern Baptist who minces no words and who is zealous for Christ our Lord and for the Word of our God!

Isaiah 1:18:20

2010-02-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Read Isaiah 1:18-20

See now what the Lord says…”let us reason together…”

Who is it that will be reasoned with? Only the one who is washed…only the one who has put evil away. Only they that do good and seek justice…in other words, only the elect. See how God pleads, see how He warns. Anyone and everyone is able to listen to the words of the prophet, and yet they don’t. Why not? Simply because they don’t want to.

Although John Gill maintains that these words are addressed to the elect specifically, I do not agree. The words, as all such invitations, are a general call. I think the placement of this invitation between what are two very clear warnings serve as evidence that the invitation and its accompanying promise (sins being made white as snow) are intended to the same group. Where we see election in all of this, of course, is that not one of the hearers will respond favorably to the invitation without the supernatural work of the Spirit of God. This, then, is the great mystery which God in His sovereignty has chosen not to make clear to us. That it is true, however, is clearly shown throughout the Word.

But what of this reasoning together? In our modern way of thinking we might be tempted to think it refers to some manner of debate between two equal sides. Nothing could be further from the truth. The clear implication here is that God is calling people to look at the reasonableness of His offer. Why suffer judgment when He has so graciously offered forgiveness and reconciliation? Our mistake is that we too often hold God to some human standard and we think that our is superior, foolishly forgetting that as God Almighty He is subject to no human standard but IS the standard setter. Knowing all things past, present and future, everything that He does is good and for the good of those whom He has chosen. See Ezekiel 18:25 where God clearly differentiates the ways of man and His. Guess what? His are the ones that matter!

So we see here that this is an open offer to all people, and at the same time it is NOT an invitation to lay out one’s side of the story, if you will. It is an invitation to examine the amazing offer of God.

Note also the contrast in the remainder of verse 18:

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool”

Sin is scarlet, red like crimson. From the very beginning, sin has been associated with the color of blood for the very reason that sin is such an affront to our holy God that it merits death and nothing can excuse sin except the shedding of blood! Something that strikes me particularly is the picture of Adam and Eve when they sinned in the garden and judgment was brought upon them (see Genesis 3:14-24). Recall the innocence in which they lived and the wonderful co-existence between humanity and the rest of creation. Then, after judgment is pronounced, we read this small verse (21), “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” This verse is too often passed over too quickly, so consider what has actually happened: death has entered into God’s perfect creation! In order to clothe those who have just sinned them, in order to cover their nakedness of which they are now so very aware, God killed a living creature. Henry Morris has rightly referred to this as the first atonement for sin. And what a horror it must have been for the first man and woman to witness this! For the first time they saw the blood of a living creature run on the ground…crimson blood, shed for them!

So consider what God is promising here! The foul sin, metaphorically described as scarlet and crimson, they shall be atoned for. What was dirty and an abomination shall be pure and white, the color of innocence. Now obviously this does not mean the sins themselves are declared good as some might erroneously assume. No, this lyrical language is talking about forgiveness of that sin. If only perfection and complete holiness can enter into the presence of God, then we are declared to be such upon the merit of the atonement. And yes, this is exactly what Isaiah refers to!

What is more, having been declared righteous, having been forgiven, those so declared may now “eat the good of the land.”

John Calvin has the following to say about verse 19:

A change of the construction of the words (hypallage) has been admitted into this sentence; for the meaning fully brought out would stand thus: “if your mind be ready, and your will be disposed, to obey;” or, which amounts to the same thing, “if you render obedience to me, and lend an ear to my word.” since, therefore, God places the happiness of men in obedience, it follows that our life is properly conducted, when we hear God speaking, and obey him in all things. How great, therefore, is the wickedness of men, when they refuse to listen to God who is continually speaking to them, and reject the happiness which he has provided and offered!

The teaching, as we have been seeing in this passage, is that he who turns to God does so willingly and without any reservations. Our wills are disposed to obey as Calvin puts it. And since we are taught in Scripture that the natural man despises the things of God, then it follows that until and unless the Spirit awakens from our spiritual death, we will refuse to render God obedience!

And it is to these who refuse Him that verse 20 speaks!

“But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”

God has offered peace towards Judah. He has given them every reason to turn to Him and repent of their evil ways, to begin to do good and wash themselves clean. The offer is there; so to refuse His offer of peace…to rebel against the rightful ruler of the land…this is to spit in the face of our Peacemaker! And God is just. His justice demands that rebellion be punished and so Isaiah communicates this message to Judah, “for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

I know we’ve touched on this subject previously, but it is so important that we understand and teach others that there is NO injustice in God. Those who perish in their sin, those who reject Him, they suffer the consequences of their own willful disobedience. The blame cannot be laid upon God here and it is a false understanding of Calvinism to suggest that it teaches this doctrine. Far from it. Each and every man and woman who has lived and ever will live is responsible for their own actions and for their own submission to or rejection of the command of God to repent and His offer of forgiveness.

Isaiah 1:16-17

2010-02-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Read Isaiah 1:16-17

These next two verses beautifully demonstrate the patience and loving-kindness of God towards those whom He will call. Here He tells them the way of repentance…the only way to return to His good graces! Not that all will repent, but God lays out for them very clearly what He requires of them.

Were their hands full of blood? Wash them and make them clean!

Was doing evil a way of life? Put these things away and stop!

The beauty here, of course, is that the only way this can be done is by God’s grace and mercy! Unmoved by God, the people would continue in their rebellion and not even desire to respond in repentance! Here, then, we see what so many blind people refer to as a paradox: man must respond to God, but He cannot and will not do so unless the Father sends the Spirit to elicit this response! What they cannot do, what they refuse to do, God will draw from them, and when their hearts have been changed, they will then respond with a glad heart!

What else though? If a people repent and turn from their wicked ways, then they will be changed. And here in verse 17 we see a clear rebuttal of that particular heresy known as antinomianism. What will they who turn to God do? They will do good, they will seek justice and stand against oppression. Furthermore, as James 1:27 clearly teaches, they will look after the orphan and the widow.

How clearly we see that salvation WILL result in good works!

Isaiah 1:10-15

2010-02-07T17:18:00.001-07:00

Read Isaiah 1:10-15

"You rulers of Sodom...[y]ou people of Gomorrah..."

1) Recognize that this is a very serious indictment towards those who call themselves the people of God. These cities mentioned are well known and infamous for the behavior they exhibited. Their sin, indeed, let to their complete destruction from the face of the earth. And to such are they compared...to such are they equated.

2) Recall the words of verse 9, "unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom...and Gomorrah." Is their sin any less severe? No! But by the grace and mercy of God are they spared the wrath of God which He visited upon those cities of old. It is not their more honorable behavior that has earned them their mercy, it has been solely the kindness of the Lord.

3) Just as the people of Judah are being called to taks most severely by Isaiah, being slapped in the face and presented with their sin, so do we need to be upfront with a lost world. Repentance cannot come without an understanding of a need for salvation...for from what are people saved? And so it is that Isaiah airs the dirty laundry of the nation; just as we must be willing to confront the reality of sin to our own world. Pastor Jim has rightly said that if all we do is try to reform the behavior of people without showing them the more important need they have of salvation, then all we have done is made people more comfortable on their way to hell. As C.H. Spurgeon said, if to hell they must go, let it be over our bodies as we strive to make known to them the only escape possible!

Notice now in verse 11 that Isaiah returns to speaking the Word of God to the people. The authority by which he brings words of judgment to the people is established by the phrase "says the Lord." It is no great joy for Isaiah to speak so harshly to the people. Indeed it is only His great love for the glory of God that compels him!

And so Isaiah now makes known to the people the great displeasure of God, in His own words! The Law as given by Moses has made clear what manner of sacrifices they are to observe; it has made clear the proper worship of the Holy One. And yet, in observing the letter of the Law, the people have forgotten the spirit of the Law. They have forgotten that the sacrifices were to be a manifestation of adoration and not some kind of ritual to appease God. They were not dealing here with petty and false gods like those of the people around them! No! They are the chosen people of the One True God, the Living God!

And from this Sovereign come the words of codemnation guaranteed to shame any of the people who still possess even a shred of their love for Him...

"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?"

"I have had enough of burn offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats"

Again, what the people have done is make a mockery of what was to be worship and adoration. They have turned the act of loving God into a legalistic ritual! They have forgotten that the sacrifices were not the destination itself but only the road! What I mean by this is that all these things were to be acts of piety; they were tools to help them draw closer to their God...a symbolic act that mirrored the actuality. Instead, the symbol...the tool...the road...they became the entire focus! "Oh look at us" they may have thought! "Look how holy we are that we sacrifice to Jehovah!" And all the while they forgot that he wanted His voice obeyed rather than sacrifices (1 Samuel 15:22). And because of this their sacrifice became empty and useless, nay worthless! Rather than a sweet aroma it became a stench to God. This is what hypocrisy does.

Ultimately, the Lord is asking: what is the point? They cannot appease Him by offering Him sacrifices when their lives are lived in open rebellion against His Word!

But what about us? How do we compare? Is it not painful to ponder how often we've been the cause of a stench? Oh may God forgive us for the times our reverence has been born of something other than pure love of and delight in the Lord!

"When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts?"

So often the prophets have had to bring this question to the people on behalf of God! (see Malachi 1:6-8 & 3:8-10 as examples)

The question is a refutation of false worship! God certainly has not asked them to bring this mockery of worship! He certainly has not commanded them to trample His courts through their hypocrisy! Think about it: when we hear of a rogue cop, one who abuses his authority and even uses his position to break the law himself...why is this such a horror when it happens? Is it not because it brings dishonor to the authority he represents? Likewise, the false worshipper dishonors God.

So, yes, this very question serves to rebuke the one who would divorce true piety from sacrifice. For the one is an expression of the other!

Re: verses 13-14)

These verses drive home the point that mere ceremonial ritual without a true attitude of worship is hypocritical and false. It is a perversion of the purpose for which they were given. Notice, indeed, that the Lord hates their feasts, they trouble Him and He is tired of having to put up with them!

Re: verse 15)

"When you spead our your hands [when they pray in other words], I will hide My eyes from you"

The Lord hears the prayers of His people...but those who do not belong to Him have no special right to call upon Him in anything other than repentance! Here in the spreading of the hands we see another symbolic act of worship being turned into mere ritual. We see even that the constant use of prayer will not help them. Neither their false practice nor their lying words will move the heart of God because absent from all of this is a true love for God and for His majesty.

And so He tells them that their "hands are full of blood."

God may well be referring to some who have actual blood on their hands, but it also includes all those whom He is rebuking. The hands of bloodshed are manifested by those who would use their hands for the holy (again, the spreading of the hands) while also using them for what is an abomination. In other words, in their daily lives. Did they cheat their neighbor? Did they make money in an immoral manner? Whatever the case may be, it is clear that throughout this whole passage God has brought up the fact that all the sacrifices they bring are rejected because it is the total extent of their devotion to Him! In other words, they could live lives of immense immorality but thought that their sacrifices were sufficient proof of their holiness.

Thoughts on Peter

2010-01-27T22:46:00.002-07:00

I have finished reading the Gospel of John and as I finished the final chapter my thoughts were drawn to the Apostle Peter. Of all the men who followed Jesus in his earthly ministry I tend to identify with him very much because he gives me hope that it is quite possible to be a man of many weaknesses and be fervently in love with the Lord at the same time! :-) Indeed, Peter strikes me as a man of violent passions, impetuous and very much led by his emotions. While I don't claim to possess the virtues which were his, I often feel like I am a man like Peter.

It is because of this that I took a moment to think on the last passage of John where we read the following: "So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. (John 21:15-17)

What struck me about this passage is how it relates to an earlier passage. You see, we learn in John 18:15-18 and 18:25-27 that Peter three times denies that he is a follower of Jesus Christ because of his fear of the Jewish authorities. Indeed, so afraid is he that we are told in Matthew 26:74 that he even "began to curse and swear, saying 'I do not know the Man!'" Of course, Jesus had already predicted this very thing and told Peter it would happen (see John 13:38), which is why as soon as Peter denies Jesus the third time he is overcome with sorrow upon hearing the rooster crow...the Scripture telling us he "wept bitterly" (Matthew 26:75).

Returning to the passage quoted above, it is so beautiful to see that, at least from what I perceive, Jesus is manifesting grace to Peter here. Did Peter deny his Lord three times? Well then three times shall he confess his love for Jesus! And, ah Peter...he is so given over to his emotions and so focused on himself that he appears to miss this and instead of weeping with joy he is grieved by the Lord questioning his love, as if Jesus had no call to do so. And yet, we know don't we? We know that the book of John is written for our edification (see John 20:30-31), and so we can see clearly what Peter missed. Jesus manifested grace to Peter here, picking him up spiritually if you will, and setting him on the right path. A path which Peter, apparently, walked well, for this same Peter who was afraid of the Jewish authorities will later declare before the Sanhedrin that Jesus is Lord (see Acts 4:8-12)! And when ordered to shut up about Jesus, how does this man react? He boldly refuses to cease preaching Christ because he "ought to obey God rather than man." (Acts 5:29).

Wow. Peter the one whom the Lord ordered to feed His sheep, the one whom the Lord protected from the Devil. The one to whom much grace was shown...may God grant that I be more like him in standing firm for His truth, because I fear I am too much like the earlier Peter...

God bless

"The Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer" by Arthur W. Pink

2010-01-23T21:07:00.007-07:00

Those of you who know me are well aware that Arthur Pink is one of my theological heroes, so it should come as no surprise to you that I loved this book! :-) In fact, I finished this book quite some time ago but I have been putting off the writing of it until now.

What can one really say about Pink though? He was clearly a man gifted by God and used by Him for His glory. So it is that as with every other book I've ever read of his, this book is filled from beginning to end with the keen insight for which Pink is known and loved.

As implied by the title, this particular book is divided into two segments (The Beatitudes and The Lord's Prayer). In the first part, Pink presents the Beatitudes as a picture of the process of salvation and sanctification, taking each of them and demonstrating the theme as shown in the following examples:

"To be poor in spirit is to realize that I have nothing, and can do nothing, and have need of all things. Poverty of spirit is evident in a person when he is brought into the dust before God to acknowledge his utter helplessness. It is the first experiential evidence of a Divine work of grace within the soul." pg. 16

"The mourning that is blessed is the result of a realization of God's holiness and goodness that issues in a sense of the depravity of our natures and the enormous guilt of our conduct. The mourning for which Christ promises Divine comfort is a sorrowing over our sins with a godly sorrow." pg. 18

"While humility of soul in bowing to God's way of salvation is the primary application of the third Beatitude, it must not be limited to that. Meekness...is that quality of spirit that is found in one who has been schooled to mildness by discipline and suffering and brought into sweet resignation to the will of God." pg. 27

"Hungering and thirsting expresses vehement desire , of which the soul is acutely conscious...Like the previous ones, this fourth Beatitude describes a twofold experience. It obviously refers to the initial hungering and thirsting that occurs before a sinner turns to Christ by faith. But it also refers to the continual longing that is perpetuated in the heart of every saved sinner until his dying day." pg. 33-34

As already stated, these three quotes are samples of the spiritual depth which Pink brings to his subject matter. He does the same with the second section, as you will see in the following passages:

"'Hallowed be Thy name' is the first of the petitions of Christ's pattern prayer...This petition necessarily comes first, for the glorifying of God's great name is the ultimate end of all things. All other requests must be subordinate to this one and be in pursuance of it." pg. 83

"The Father's Kingdom is, first and more generally, His universal rule, His absolute dominion over all creatures and things." pg. 92

"'Thy will be done.' this clause presents a difficulty to a few of our readers, who may ask, 'Is not God's will always done?' In one respect it is, but in another respect it is not. Scripture presents the will of God from two distinct viewpoints: His secret will and His revealed will, or His decretive and His preceptive will." pg. 100

I will leave that last quote unfinished so that my reader will have all the more reason for buying or borrowing this book! Whichever you do, do it quickly because there is a lot to be learned from the teachings of this great man of God.

Isaiah 1:7-9

2010-01-20T22:15:00.002-07:00

Read Isaiah 1:7-9

We have seen how Israel has been compared to disobedient and evil children; we have seen how they have been compared to an illness struck person. Now we see in these verses the reality…

Is this passage a prophecy of future occurrences? Or is it referring to past and current troubles? Albert Barnes believes it refers to the times of trouble before Uzziah but John Gill maintains that it is prophetically speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.

Whichever it may be (and I tend to agree with Barnes on this one), the main point is that we move away from the examples and turn here to the reality. Whereas the Lord has referred to a body infected with wounds and bruises, here he clearly identifies Judah. “Your” country and “your” cities are the object of God’s wrath…of His judgment.

Think about it: with what joy and exultation must Israel have entered the land of Promise so many years before. Oh what a joy to walk with the Lord and see with one’s own eyes the mighty works of God on behalf of the nation. But as we are told in Judges 2:10, “another generation arose after…who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.”

Contrast the wonder with which the Israelites entered Canaan, secure in the knowledge that the Lord walked with them; contrast that with the terrible words we read here in verse 7. What has caused this drastic change? Disobedience.

Sometimes we too encounter times of chastisement from the Lord. It would be well for us to think about our own walk before we dare to ask God why He allows certain things to come into our lives. Do we walk in obedience? I have heard people compare their own afflictions to those of Job (I have done so myself), yet in doing so, can we truly claim to be the spiritual equals to a man like Job? A man whom God specifically pointed out to Satan as an upright man? I understand that complete obedience to God is a huge challenge because we still dwell in the body of death, but let us strive to live obediently as much as possible…not to avoid punishment but because we love our God. And then, when we experience tribulation, we can boldly proclaim that we suffer evil and praise God for it. The alternative is to suffer chastisement for wounding the heart of our precious Savior through our sin.

In verse 8 we read of the daughter of Zion’s predicament…meaning the city of Jerusalem (see John Calvin’s commentary on this, also John Gill.)

Here the city is compared to the lonely place where the watchmen stood, whether in the vineyard or in the fields. The hut, or cottage, is the place where the workmen store their tools. It is where shelter from the elements is taken. It is a place of refuge but also a place of loneliness. The city of Jerusalem, then, is likened to this poor place.

The capitol of the chosen nation, likened to the meanest of buildings!

John Calvin wrote the following: “This may be explained in two ways; either that the whole country will be wasted, with the solitary exception of the city, which shall be left standing like a cottage, or that the city itself will be destroyed. The former interpretation is adopted by the Jews, and they understand this passage to relate to the siege of Sennacherib; but I think that it has a wider signification, and embraces other calamities which followed afterwards. This may indeed refer to the neighboring country, from the misery and devastation of which it was impossible but that the city should sustain much damage; but I consider the Prophet’s meaning to be, that the evils of which he speaks shall reach even to the city itself, until, broken and ruined, it shall wear the aspect of a mean cottage”

Again, whether this speaks of past or future calamities (or both!), one of the things we must always bear in mind is that God has made promises and He will keep them. The Jews are a chosen people, and in the new covenant, the elect of all the nations are His royal priesthood. So when times are tough and we encounter troubles, even those of our own doing, we need to remember that God is the covenant keeper of our relationship (see Genesis 15). And so, we now read some beautiful words in the midst of this terrible passage:

“Unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah.”

Wow. Praise God for His mercy and grace! (See Lamentations 3:22)

This verse touches on His sovereignty and His special love for the elect of Judah. We all know what became of those cities mentioned, we all know of the disgusting practices of its inhabitants…yet were it not for the sake of His remnant, Judah would suffer the same fate!

Let us think about ourselves for a moment. Do you not realize that God’s judgment upon this sinful world we live in today is also deferred for the sake of His elect? Just as Paul was told not to be afraid because God had His people in the city (Acts 18:9-11), so we are not to fear witnessing for His sake in our time. And witness is something we must do, because we love the Lord and want to see the lost sheep brought into the fold.

Above all, however, we should remember the long-suffering of the Lord when we wonder why He allows evil to endure. People act as if evil is some force of its own that stands in opposition to God, but this is not the case. Evil is sin and disobedience practiced by every man, woman and child on the planet! So why does God allow evil? Because of the great love He has for His elect. Until they are all gathered up, for their sake He will withhold His judgment. Let us, then, take this time to declare His goodness and His mercy to the entire world, that those who have ears to hear will listen and respond.

Judges 4

2010-01-07T21:16:00.002-07:00

About three weeks ago I substituted for the teen Sunday school class at church and the following is the lesson I presented. I'd planned to post it the same day but I completely forgot! Better late than never right? Here you go:

Read Judges 4:1-3

First I want to begin by pointing out that terrible verse we see over and over in Judges, “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

I’m sure by now you have picked up that this is a continuation of a theme we find throughout this book…Israel sins, God chastises, Israel cries out, God delivers. And yet, I would say to this that the major theme is not necessarily about the sinfulness of Israel but about the mercy, the love, and trustworthiness of God!

You will note, I am sure, how after God delivers Israel through a judge, there is a period of rest…after which Israel forgets what God has done for them and reverts back to evil behavior.

Here in the first verse we see a reference to the death of Ehud as the catalyst for Israel’s sin…in other words, without him around to remind them of their obligations, they quickly forgot God. As for why it is Ehud that is mentioned rather than Shamgar (who was judge after Ehud), there are two opinions on this matter. The first is that during the judgeship of Shamgar Ehud was still alive and that it was not until his death that the people turned away from God once again. The other opinion is that Ehud was already dead during the judgeship of Shamgar but that after Shamgar Israel was delivered but did not turn away from their sin and that this is why in chapter 4 the verse begins by identifying at what point their sin began. Both of these views are good, and the Bible does not tell us any details so what is important is that at one point following the death of Ehud, Israel forgot her God.

So we have in verse 1 a reminder that we must never allow ourselves to grow slack in our devotion to God…for out of our slackness comes sin.

Ask: How does slackness lead to sin? (discuss)

Look now at verse 2: We first came across Hamor in Joshua 11, where we witnessed its destruction, so at some point it has apparently been rebuilt and a new king sits at its throne. And so we hear in verse 3 the familiar cry from the lips of Israel! Again and again they have sinned…but again and again they have cried out to God for deliverance. And once again, God says NO, right? NO!! He delivers them! Remember that the pivotal teaching throughout this book is that God is the covenant keeper! He is the only One that we can trust completely!

Ask) How can we take this thought and use it as an encouragement for our own times and in our own lives?

When we sin, when we transgress the law of God, if we are remorseful the Lord forgives us…we too are His special people and we can count on His mercy…but His people are not those who sin BECAUSE they think they know that they will receive His forgiveness! Do not think for a minute that we can plan to sin with the comfort that we will receive forgiveness. Show me the professed Believer who lives this way and I will show you a man in need of salvation!

Before we move on, notice why the people are so afraid (in verse 3). Those iron chariots!! Think about it…God has shown Israel over and over again, throughout the generations, that He is El Shaddai, God Almighty! And still they fear these man-made instruments of war! Let me suggest to you that the reason they fear these things is because they forgot to fear God more!

Read Matthew 10:28

Israel feared men because they did not fear God! Likewise, I would confess to you that the times when I have feared situations, or people, it has been because I have forgotten how awesome and fearful God is! That He is so awesome He can get me through these problems…that He is so fearful that Satan is on His leash and is NOT God’s equal not His true rival! Little brothers and sisters, what Jesus tells us in Matthew and what Israel did not keep in mind is that the God we serve is the CREATOR of EVERYTHING! Therefore, when we trust in Him we need NOT fear that which He can control! When we fail to trust in God we are suggesting first that He is unable to keep His word to us, and secondly we dare to equate any created thing with the power of the One from whom everything flows! The self existing, Omniscient, Omnipotent God of the Bible! The knowledge that this is the God whom we serve should make us bold and secure!

Are there any questions or comments?

Read Judges 4:4-9

Who was Deborah?

The Word tells us that she was intimately acquainted with God, for she was a prophetess. As such, she was one to whom the Lord gave visions, which we see very clearly in verses 6-7. She was a judge during a difficult time, for she was an acknowledged judge during the time that Israel was occupied. She was one who loved the Lord and was devoted to Israel, for her concern is that Barak go about the business for which God had appointed him.

Note therefore, that she passes onto Barak the instructions which the Lord had given to her. Note also Barak’s response…

Ask) What do you think of Barak’s response? (Discuss)

There are two schools of thought regarding his reply:

1. One holds that this shows Barak’s lack of faith…that he was unwilling to proceed without the prophetess of God to accompany him. In other words, that he was weak.

2. The other holds that this shows the immense respect with which Barak and all of Israel held Deborah. The thinking goes that Barak wanted Deborah to accompany him so that Israel would see that he was indeed carrying out the commands of God and that they would more readily follow him against the huge army awaiting them! This is supported to some extent by Hebrews 11:30-34, which offers no condemnation of Barak…on the contrary, his faith is commended!

Note verse 9. While Barak would head the army…God would receive the glory for He would hand over the true victory to a woman!

Ask) What can we learn from this?

First and foremost, that the Lord uses whom He wishes to use! (discuss Genesis and the chosen line)

Application: Men should be willing and eager to be about the business of the Lord…for the Lord will not be held back by our inaction!

Read Judges 4:10-16

The call to Israel is made, or at least to two of the tribes…and the people respond. Through verse 11 we see that Israel is being observed…what is happening is that Barak is preparing his army to free Israel from the oppression of King Jabin…and of course general Sisera notices and responds by calling out the occupying army…likely he plans to quickly put down this rebellion…but little does he know that he faces not an army of men but the power and judgment of God!

Note Deborah’s cry in verse 14. She does not encourage Barak by telling him that he has raised up a powerful army and surely they will defeat Sisera…on the contrary…upon what basis is she confident of the victory? Her confidence rests upon the One whom she serves! The confidence that God’s words to her would come true for no other reason than that it is He who has spoken them! Likewise, our trust in His word rests solely on the character of He who gave it to us, is it not?

Now note verse 15...who routes Sisera? God Himself! Iron chariots, no matter how numerous, cannot stand against the Lord! Pity the man who arms himself against God! Think of those fools who even today make war on God, denying His very existence! Will they win? No! The day that God can be defeated will NEVER come!

Note just how total is the defeat! The army of Sisera is destroyed completely! Verse 16 tells us that not one man survives! These men either died by the sword or drowned (remember from verse 13 that the battle takes place near a river…and Judges 5:21 testifies to the fact that many were swept away by the river) Their iron chariots did them no good! Likewise, let us remember that the enemies of God today can do us no harm other than that which the Lord permits…therefore let us be confident in our walk with God. So yes, it is possible, even likely, that God’s people may be killed and His houses of worship destroyed…but His people CANNOT be defeated because they are not fighting the battle…He is!!

Points to consider:

· Israel feared the terrible iron chariots of the enemy because their reverent fear of God was missing! As Matthew 10:28 tells us, we need fear ONLY the One that can destroy the soul as well as the body…and that Someone is God and nobody else!

· We see from verses 10-16 that it was God and nobody else…not Barak…not the armies of Israel…it was God alone that defeated Sisera!

Read Judges 4:17-24

In this passage we see how God brings down Sisera the mighty warrior. As He had spoken through Deborah, the mighty general dies at the hand of a woman…dies not gloriously in battle but as he slept and hid from those whom he now feared.

Verses 23 and 24 tell us again, in case we choose to forget, that God brought about this victory…that He strengthens the arms of Israel to the point that after this battle Israel goes on to destroy a mighty kingdom that had oppressed them…a kingdom that they were powerless against until God delivered them!

Application: As we face our daily challenges and ponder the many hardships we may face…we must always remember that God is the Master…and we His servants should eagerly seek to please Him rather than complain about what our circumstances are!

Are there any questions or comments? If not, close with prayer

"Rules for my Unborn Son" by Walker Lamond

2010-01-01T16:08:00.004-07:00

I received this book and on the same day I finished reading it...it was THAT good! Now, this is not your typical book that you read from cover to cover (though that is exactly what I did!). As you might imagine, it is written in the form of snippets of advice by Mr. Lamond to his son. As he says in his introduction, many of these are sayings he picked up from his own father, though he has taken the liberty of modernizing them to include internet etiquette ("Never post a picture online you wouldn't feel comfortable showing your mother, your boss, and the dean of administration" from page 100). Yes, many of these are common sense...but isn't that exactly what we need to hear over and over?

In his introduction, Lamond says that boys need rules and that "somewhere along the way, rules got a bad name...[r]ules were seen as antiquated obstacles...and the game of life suddenly got a bit sloppier, more uncertain, and even a bit less fun." Which, in my humble opinion, is quite profound!

On the day I received the book, before I even read the introduction, I opened it up to the first little entry and read the following: "When in doubt, wear a tie." I knew from that moment this would be my kind of book...and it was! This is the kind of book every male should read. Not that every entry is necessarily true for everyone, but the simple idea that rules are there for a reason is something the men of our society need to understand. If only we could return to a time when men were men not because they cussed or had sex with lots of women, but because they took responsibility for their own actions and understood that sometimes we have to do what is right...even when we'd rather just do what is easy.

Do I recommend this book? Without any hesitation! This is a keeper and belongs on the bookshelves of every home!

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

2009-12-28T16:09:00.003-07:00

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

2009-12-26T17:42:00.003-07:00

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

2009-12-24T12:53:00.003-07:00

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!):
__________________________________________

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?

2009-12-08T16:22:00.003-07:00

"...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

2009-11-16T15:33:00.001-07:00

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

2009-11-12T15:44:00.004-07:00

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

2009-11-02T22:15:00.002-07:00

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!

2009-10-14T22:38:00.003-06:00

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

2009-10-10T22:12:00.002-06:00

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

2009-10-05T17:32:00.002-06:00

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

2009-09-23T10:36:00.000-06:00

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

2009-09-22T22:17:00.002-06:00

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

2009-09-10T23:05:00.000-06:00

"...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!

2009-09-02T22:54:00.002-06:00

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

2009-09-01T23:14:00.003-06:00

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

2009-09-01T19:06:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-15T16:50:00.004-06:00

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

2009-08-11T22:46:00.002-06:00

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

2009-07-21T17:53:00.003-06:00

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

2009-07-21T11:23:00.003-06:00

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

2009-07-21T09:29:00.002-06:00

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

2009-07-15T23:18:00.003-06:00

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

2009-07-11T22:45:00.002-06:00

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

2009-06-27T21:03:00.002-06:00

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

2009-06-24T21:52:00.002-06:00

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

2009-06-17T23:50:00.001-06:00

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)

2009-06-10T23:15:00.002-06:00

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!

"Hero: Becoming the Man She Desires" by Fred Stoeker and Jasen Stoeker

2009-06-08T20:28:00.001-06:00

ISBN #978-1-4000-7109-8

"Hero" is a book about how a man can maintain purity in his relationships with women. The book is aimed at single men and offers up the argument that a real hero cares about physical purity not only to protect the woman in his life but also to be obedient to God. The authors are correct, of course, and one thing I was happy to see was that the elder Stoeker mostly avoids making the same mistake in this book that he made in "Every Man's Battle," a book I put down early on because it included too much of what Stoeker was calling on men to avoid. There is one section on page 71 where Stoeker warns his reades of graphic content then proceeds to share some pretty explicit things one will find in certain movies. I was saddened to see this but glad that it is the only place in the book where the authors do this. Although quite frankly their message that men and teenage boys need to be open about their struggles with lust should be shared in group settings is a tad much...not that the sharing itself is wrong but that the manner in which they recommend it should be done is buying into the world's standards...the very thing they want us to avoid doing.

Among the things that bothered me about the book, as mentioned above, are the constant contradictions between the message of the book and the style in which it is delivered. For example, after pointing out how his son Jasen remained pure until marriage, never even kissing his wife until that day, he says "[m]y son was a stud." What a poor choice of a word to describe his son! In an earlier part of the book he talks about what he feels was a hereditary sin among the Stoekers with pornography and how he hoped one day his descendants would say "We don't look at pornography because our father Fred didn't look at porn..." My immediate thought regarding this sentence in a book that wants to point to God as the source of our strength when confronting sin was "what about we don't look at pornography because it grieves the Spirit?"

Another thing that disappointed me about the book is the poor use of Scripture. In one chapter the elder Stoeked quotes 2 Chronicles 16:9 and then says we should stand up so God can see us as He searches to and fro. I'm like, "what?!?" This is certainly not what that passage teaches and while it may be nitpicking, I believe that when Christians use Scripture to communicate a point they should not misuse the Word of God. Use it by all means, but do so appropriately!

As negative as this review is so far, I cannot deny that there are some good things the book brings up. The Church certainly needs a call to purity...and we men especially need to take this very seriously, for as Stoeker says, "if you're not her hero, you'll be her nightmare." True. We as men bear a huge reponsibility in how we interact with women...and we should not make excuses for ourselves either (oh she was dressing indecently!). Let us be men!

Ultimately, however, I cannot truly recommend this book. I'm sure the Stoeker name assures it will be hugely popular, but if you want something better written, then go to Joshua Harris' "I Kissed Dating Goodbye." Quite frankly, to all you men out there...how about opening up the Bible and leading a life of obedience?

"Spurgeon: Heir of the Puritans" by Ernest W. Bacon

2009-06-06T16:47:00.001-06:00

ISBN not available.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon is one of those men whom I look forward to meeting when I pass on. If the great teachers of the faith will still be permitted to teach (and why would they not?) in heaven, then it is at his feet that I will sit for a few thousand years. He is a titan of the faith that we would do well to emulate. Mr. Ernest W. Bacon, now present with the Lord for over 15 years, has done his fellow Christians a grand favor in providing his wonderful biography...one that will help us to know Spurgeon better and to appreciate the ministry that the Lord gifted him with. Bacon is a sympathetic Spurgeon biographer, one who obviously loved the man of whom he wrote and who did his best to present the Christian warrior in as favorable a light as possible. This is not to say that the biography is diminished because of it...far from it. Spurgeon had and has enough detractors that this biography is a breath of fresh air, one that gives Spurgeon the benefit of the doubt and this helps us to meet the man on the terms which he himself might have wanted.

This wonderful little biography (only 177 pages) focuses not on the day to day details of Spurgeon's life, but on his theological views and the works which he did. Sprinkled liberally throughout the text are passages from Spurgeon's sermons, which help the reader to get into the mind of this wonderful man. Another thing I enjoyed about this biography is how Mr. Bacon focuses on primary sources to show us what the contemporaries of Spurgeon thought about him...both those in the secular world and those from within the body. Bacon also spends a whole chapter discussing the down-grade controversy and how it came about as well as what prompted Spurgeon to take such a strong stance that led him to resign from his denomination and that put him at odds with so many. This controversy in which he bravely fought for the Truth, we now know needed to be opposed. Indeed, John MacArthur has said in "Ashamed of the Gospel" that modern day England today suffers from the failure of so many evengelicals to align themselves with Spurgeon. The spiritual barrenness that is England is a direct result of the embrace of heresy back in the day of Spurgeon. What a lesson this is for us who now face the same type of challenge to biblical truths!

Ultimately, as Bacon tells us, Spurgeon's life was devoted wholly to his Lord. His entire ministry was dedicated to the championing of the name of Jesus and a desire to point the lost to Him and see them come alive through His grace. When the Metropolitan Tabernacle was opened, Spurgeon said during his first sermon that he hoped within its walls only Christ would be preeminent. This sole focus on Christ was his passion and it was for this cause that he gave his life and risked everything. What a man! What a saint! In one sermon, Spurgeon said, "Remember, sinner, it is not your hold of Christ thast saves you- it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you- it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, thought that is the instrument- it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not to your hope, but to Christ the source of hope; look not to your faith, but to Christ, the author and finisher of yhour faith; and if you do that, ten thousand devils cannot throw you down."

The life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a life dedicated to his Lord and Master. A life that loved Christ so much it was his joy to focus himself entirely upon that object of his love. And those that loved him realized this. A Dr. A.T. Pierson gave the eulogy at Spurgeon's funeral...these were his words:

"Beloved President, Faithful Pastor, Prince of Preachers, Brother Beloved, Dear Spurgeon- we bid thee not "farewell," but only for a little while "Good-night." You shall rise soon at the first dawn of the Resurrection- day of the redeemed. Yet is the good-night not ours to bid but yours; it is we who linger in the darkness; thou art in God's holy light. Our night shall soon be passed and with it all our weeping. Then with yours, our songs shall greet the morning of the day that knows no cloud nor close; for there is not night there.

Hard worker in the field! thy toil is ended. Straight has been the furrow thou has ploughed. No looking back has marred thy course. Harvests have followed thy patient sowing, and heaven is already rich with your ingathered sheaves, and shall still be enriched through the years yet lying in eternity.

Champion of God! your battle, long and nobly fought is over; your sword which clung to your hand, has dropped at last; a palm branch takes its place. No longer does the helmet press your brow, often weary by its surging thoughts of battle; a victor's wreath from the great Commander's hand has already proved your full reward.

Here, for a little while, shall rest thy precious dust. Then shall thy Well-Beloved come; and at His voice thou shalt spring from thy couch of earth, fashioned like unto His body, into glory. Then spirit, sould and body shall magnify the Lord's redemption. Until then, beloved, sleep. We praise God for thee, and by the blood of the everlasting covenant, hope and expect to praise God with thee. Amen."

O that my life would merit even a small portion of such words!

Please, read this book and know the man who is even now lovingly called The Prince of Preachers.

God bless!

Quotable

2009-06-02T10:45:00.002-06:00

I am currently on my break at work and just had to take a moment to put up the following quote. It is from a biography I am reading on CH Spurgeon, and the chapter I am reading is on his theological convictions. These are Spurgeon's words regarding holiness:

"Christian men are not to be used for anything but God. They are a set-apart people; they are vessels of mercy, they are not for the devil's use, not for their own use, not for the world's use, but for their Master's use. He has made them on purpose to be used entirely, solely and wholly for Him. O Christian people, be holy, for Christ is holy. Do not pollute that holy Name wherewith you are named. Let your family life, your personal life, your business life, be as holy as Christ your Lord would have it to be. Shall saints be shams when sinners are so real?"

No wonder he is called the Prince of Preachers!

Personal Update

2009-06-01T22:36:00.003-06:00

Hello friends and family!

I wanted to take a moment to give everyone an update regarding where I'm at. As you know, I have been trying to lose weight for quite some time...well I should say I have been trying to seriously lose weight now, because I have dieted and exercised regularly most of my life but rarely at the same time!

Not only that, but in the last year I have been pretty much like a yo-yo. And by this I don't mean just my shape, but that my weight has gone down and up pretty regularly. One year ago I weighed 294 lbs. and then I went down to 275 lbs. in a matter of three months. Well, I gained most of that back, so that on May 5th of this year I weighed in at the gym and was up to 287 lbs. Since I am now 36 years old and closer than not to going home to my Lord, I decided I should begin actually disciplining myself to exercise AND diet at the same time (who would have thought, huh?). Well today I asked to weigh myself at the gym and I am down to 278 lbs.! This is since May 5th so I am really excited 'cause I have been using the scales to weigh myself every Monday and Friday but until I had them weigh me on the machine thingy I did not know what the official reading would be. Anyhow, I have set myself a modest goal to lose 5 lbs. every month until I get down to where I need to be for my health, but for the month of June I have decided I'm going to get down to 275 and then pick up on the 5 per month in July. Please pray for me as I continue to discipline myself to exercise every day. Since being married, the lowest weight I have been is 265 (I think)...and that is only 13 lbs.! If I maintain the weight loss I have set for myself then I should be there by September 1st of this year.

Now, I know that I will never be thin...I never have actually been very thin. So my goal is to measure by the pant sizes I go down and by hopefully losing the cute belly I have. I know this will devastate my wife, as she finds me immensely attractive as I am (and who can blame her?), but she will just have to understand that my health comes first!

Well that's the update! Keep me in prayer and hold me accountable!

God bless

1 Corinthians 1;20-25 (Devotional Thought)

2009-05-27T23:41:00.001-06:00

“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:20-25

As I read this passage this evening I just had some thoughts I briefly wanted to share with my friends and family. As you know, we are commanded by the Lord to be witnesses for Him, to declare His Truth to the world around us. In doing so, I think we too often take upon ourselves a responsibility that is not ours…and that is the conversion of the lost. The task set before us is to call the nations to repentance, to share about Christ, how He came into the world for the sole purpose of dying on the cross that our sins would be forgiven. The Word tells us that it is God who will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6), so let us not torture ourselves over the response of the person…not that we should not care for if we love God we will love people. But our love for God is much greater than our love for people, and so when someone mocks our Lord, when someone rejects the offer of grace (freely doing so!), then we can continue to witness but it is not necessary for us to beat ourselves over the head about this…we did not fail. They have embraced the foolishness of this world and rejected as foolish the Truth of God. Again, you have not failed…IF you presented the Gospel.

Look to this passage and note how Paul clearly states that the preaching Christ crucified is a stumbling block!! What does this mean? It is offensive to them. It causes them to stumble…to trip over. It’s in their way! So go out and proclaim the truth of Christ crucified…do what we have been commanded to to…then get out of the way and let the Lord do His work.

God bless!

"How Should I Live In This World?" by R.C. Sproul

2009-05-27T13:31:00.002-06:00

No ISBN available

This work is actually a short 104 page booklet written by R.C. Sproul. As such, I had high hopes for this booklet and I was not disappointed. In it, Sprould tackles the issue of ethics and morality as it relates to being a Christian. Towards the end of the booklet he tackles the issues of abortion, warfare, the death penalty and others.

As usual, Sproul does an excellent job of taking us to the Word of God to address the issues that we encounter. What I really like, however, is that he does not subscribe to the cop-out I hear too often that if the Bible is silent on an issue then we can just follow our conscience. This is not to say that I don't think there are issues upon which we must do our best to follow what we feel is right, but on most issues this is not the case. As Sproul says, "God has not given us specific instructions for each and every possible ethical issue we face, but neither are we left to grope in the dark and to make our decisions on the basis of mere opinion." No indeed.

In any discussion of how we should live, of course, we come across the extremes of legalism and antinomianism. Trust me, I know. Anytime you talk about what the Bible says about how we should live our lives, you will have at least one person who accuses you of being legalistic. It does not matter how clear the passage is, this person will declare that you are forcing your views on someone, completely ignoring the actual definition of what legalism is! Sprould defines legalism as "concerned simply with external conformity and is blind to internal motivation." I would add that legalism is when you add to what the Bible says and require something of them the Bible does not require.

Anyhow, whenever someone accuses you of legalism, rest assured it is usually the antinomian in the group (unless, of course, you actually ARE being legalistic!).

Overall, the booklet is well worth the read, and you can probably finish it in an afternoon. It took me a little bit longer than that to read it but that was only because I overloaded myself with three other books at the same time! Don't make this mistake and you should be able to read it quickly! ;-)

This Is How We'll Soon Be Treating Those Who Hate Americans!!

2009-05-27T12:36:00.001-06:00

"The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture" by Scott Klusendorf

2009-05-22T16:51:00.001-06:00

ISBN 978-1-4335-0320-7

Have you ever had a conversation with a fellow Believer and the topic of abortion comes up? Have you then been shocked by their assertion that while they personally believe that abortion is wrong, they dare not question someone else’s choice to have an abortion?

Well Scott Klusendorf begins his book by introducing just this dialogue between two Christians…and the inability of the firmly pro-life Believer to respond adequately to the other. And just as the subtitle proclaims, this is the main thrust of this excellent book: to equip Believers not only to engage the culture but the confused and even false converts among us who still look at abortion as one of many options in family planning.

I myself have had many experiences in discussing this topic at work, where the majority are not Christians and among those who do profess Christ the majority even of them believe abortion is a constitutional right so sacrosanct we dare not tamper with it. Klusendorf, through this very valuable book, does indeed provide the rest of us with the information we need to combat this error.

One of the things I like most about this book is that the main theme keeps coming back to whether the baby in the womb is human or not…a question many (but not all) of those who are pro-abortion try to avoid. As Klusendorf insists, if the baby in the womb is not human, why do so many abortion rights supporters insist we need to focus on educating people on proper birth control so that we have less abortions rather than making the procedure illegal? If it is just tissue devoid of human value then who cares? Chapter 3 of his book focuses on the inherent value of humans…read it!

Throughout his book, Klusendorf combats many of the common arguments that the pro-abortionists use, including the most silly one of asserting that the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion and, even more foolishly, that the Bible condones abortion! As he responds in his book, this begs the question once again of whether the baby is human or not, because the Bible happens to frown upon the act of murder, and if the baby in the womb is human then guess what? That’s right…abortion is the act of murdering the baby! As for the Bible condoning abortion, such a misunderstanding of Scripture is common among those who use it for their own ends without actually believing it to be the Word of God!

Since this is a review I will share only one quote from the book and this from chapter 13 of the book, where Klusendorf takes on the argument that abortion should be permitted in the case of rape. He relates how he is commonly asked whether women who are impregnated during rape should be “forced” to carry the baby of their attacker to term. He says that the abortion crusader uses this particular argument only to score points:

“…He appeals to the hard case of rape, but his appeal is flawed because it is not entirely truthful.
Here’s why: The abortion-choice position he defends is not that abortion should be legal only when a woman is raped but that abortion is a fundamental right she can exercise for any reason she wants during all nine months of pregnancy. Instead of defending this position with facts and arguments, he disguises it with an emotional appeal to rape. But this will not make his case. The argument from rape, if successful at all, would only justify abortion in cases of sexual assault, not for any reason the woman deems fit. In fact, arguing for abortion-on-demand from the hard case of rape is like trying to argue for the elimination of all traffic laws because a person might have to break one rushing a loved one to the hospital. Proving an exception does not prove a rule.
To expose his smoke screen, I ask a question: “Okay, I’m going to grant for the sake of discussion that we keep abortion legal in case of rape. Will you join me in supporting legal restrictions on abortions done for socioeconomic reasons that, as studies on your side of the issue show, make up the overwhelming percentage of abortions?”
The answer is almost always no, to which I reply, “Then why did you bring up rape except to mislead us into thinking that you support abortion only in the hard cases?” (page 175)

Ultimately the response to the issue of rape takes us back to whether the child is human or not…because if the baby is human then why would we say it is ok to kill him or her because s/he reminds us of a painful event? Would it be okay to murder a 1 yr old child for the same reason? See how it all takes us back to the humanity of the child and what being human means?

Once again, this book is very valuable…and it keeps its promise! I say this because it truly serves as an excellent resource for equipping Believers to engage the culture and stand firmly against the murder of so many children. Interestingly enough, just this morning I read about a homeless woman in New Mexico who killed her 3 yr old child and buried him in a playground. Her reason for murdering her child is that “she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him the same way that she had grown up…” (Read the whole story HERE)

As for the response from the authorities, an officer said that “[f]or a mother to kill her own child is unfathomable. Most people can't even imagine how you could even think about doing something like that.”

Interesting isn’t it? Kill your child in the womb and you are legally protected…kill him or her outside the womb and people are shocked.

So get your hands on this book…buy it or borrow it, but you have to read it because it will truly provide you with the information you need to defend your pro-life convictions. Hopefully it will also lead you to be more proactive in ending this wholesale slaughter of our children.

God bless!

Quotable

2009-05-11T22:45:00.002-06:00

"People tell me judge not lest ye be judged. I always tell them, twist not scripture lest ye be like satan.”

I love this quote by Paul Washer! How many times have you heard the "judge not" quote thrown at you when you are trying to exhort someone or when you happen to mention that what they are doing is, quite frankly, unbiblical. It seems to me that this response is more often than not thrown at one by someone who is resentful that you would dare try and point out their biblically indefensible comment, action, or whatever!

Anyhow, if you don't know who Paul Washer is, look him up on YouTube or at his ministry. He is an awesome preacher.

Exodus 14:10-12

2009-05-09T22:18:00.002-06:00

Here we pick up with the approach of Pharaoh's army.

Think about this:
The people of Israel had been led by a pillar of cloud and fire...God made manifest in their midst, and what is their response when the first challenge comes their way?

They turn on their deliverer! They fail the test.

As we have seen, God had worked many miracles among them, they had seen His power used against the might of Egypt, and He had spared them from the Angel of Death, but still the people are overwhelmed by their apparent fate.

Before we become too involved in chastising them, however, let us remember that we are often just as pig-headed and rebellious as they!

How often has the Lord delivered us from trials?

And how often do we become despondent when new trials appear? Do we not also forget that God will see us through our resent trials just as easily as He did the others? Do we not also lack faith?

Why did Israel react as they did? Why do we?

Do you not suppose it was because rather than keeping focused upon the Lord, the Israelites gaze at the approaching danger and were overcome by their fear.

Read Matthew 14: 22-31

Isn’t this the same thing happening here? Peter, so long as he kept focused on the Lord, walked on the water, but when he began to look around, he lost confidence and began to sink.

Let us remember then to always remain focused on the Lord.

Exodus 14:10 goes on to say that the people were very afraid, and that they cried out to the Lord.

Realize this:
It is good for the Lord’s people to turn to Him in times of distress, if they do so in humbleness and with trust in His strength.

But when it is in bitterness and accusation, then sin has entered the picture. As we see in the next verses, this was the attitude of Israel.

We too should turn in repentance and humility before the Lord when we realize we have brought false accusations before the Lord. And we need to examine our attitude towards God, making sure we always approach Him with reverence and respect.

vs. 11)

Recall that God had told His people they would worship Him before Mount Horeb, how then could the people think for a moment that He would allow them to be destroyed when they had still not done so?

Or, why would God save them from destruction in Egypt and then lead them directly to their deaths in the wilderness?

What is the weakness revealed here?

Frankly, where there is no faith and trust, the promises of God seem empty!

Brothers and sisters...we are not promised an ideal, restful life. We will be tested...and if we are truly His, then we will remain in Him until the end!

Vs. 12)

This verse shows us something more of the character of Israel and also of ourselves.

What do the people say?

They prefer to serve Egypt rather than the Lord because they figure that at least then they had some semblance of life. Foolishly, they forget their true situation in Egypt, where they were slaves and their lives were at the whim of their masters...

Here, then, we see that Israel is trapped before the Red Sea, and apparently at the mercy of Egypt. Destruction or enslavement is at hand.

Who would rationally believe escape possible?

What Israel forgot, however, and what we too often forget as well, is that God fights His people’s battles! And who can stand against the Lord?

Nobody! We will see this in our next study!

God bless!

Quotable

2009-05-07T15:28:00.002-06:00

I found this quote online today and I loved it so much I had to grab it and post it on here. :)

I agree with the sentiment...but if it's a bee, I'm sorry but my wife is gonna face it, not me!

If there is a sound downstairs during the night and it might be a burglar, you don’t say to her, “This is an egalitarian marriage, so it’s your turn to go check it out. I went last time.” And I mean that–even if your wife has a black belt in karate. After you’ve tried to deter him, she may finish off the burglar with one good kick to the solar plexus. But you’d better be unconscious on the floor, or you’re no man.

- John Piper, This Momentary Marriage

Quotable

2009-04-30T12:31:00.002-06:00

Re: The Bible

"Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy."
- R. C. Sproul

"You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil, if you do not desire to live according to it."
- Martin Luther

"The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts."
- AW Tozer

Exodus 13:11-16

2009-04-30T10:34:00.003-06:00

This particular study is a 1st draft...I am thinking my way through this passage but here goes:

Read Exodus 13:11-16

We note first that just as with verse 2, the command is given that the firstborn of the people and of the animals is to be consecrated to the Lord.

Note, however, that verse 13 makes a distinction for the donkey...either it is redeemed by the blood of a lamb, or it is to be killed.

What is the significance of this?

If we look at verse 15, we see that the donkey is representaive of the natural state of man!

Israel, like the donkey, would have been destroyed were it not for the substitution of the lamb, the presence of which caused the Angel to pass over those households stained by the blood of the lamb!

Look at it this way:

What are the characteristics of a donkey?
• stubborn
• stupid
• rebellious
• defiant

Now read John 5:37-40
can we say stubbornness?

Read Ephesians 4:17-18
stupidity?

Read Romans 1:18-23
rebelliousness ?

Read 2 Timothy 3:1-9
defiant?

So what does the comparison mean for us? Well, for one, it speaks to God’s love and compassion!
Read Romans 5:6-11

Can we agree that the attributes of an ass and of the natural man are similar?

Do we see ourselves in it?

And what, then, do we deserve from God?
A broken neck? Death!

But what have we received?
Grace!

Read 1 Timothy 1:12-15

Read Luke 18:11-12

With which of these two do you align yourself?

We should be thankful that a lamb, THE Lamb, was provided for our salvation, and until we acknowledge how unworthy we are, we cannot be properly grateful to our Lord and Master!

God Bless!

Paul Washer Sermon

2009-04-28T12:30:00.004-06:00

I found this sermon posted on The Reformed Gadfly and liked it so much I felt the need to "steal" it and post it here! :)

I do hope at least some of you take the time to watch it because it is well worth the 15 minutes it will take.

Enjoy!

This is War - Paul Washer from I'll Be Honest on Vimeo.

"Album of the Damned: Snapshots From The Third Reich" by Paul Garson

2009-04-24T10:29:00.005-06:00

ISBN #9780897335767

I read this book about 2 weeks ago but I just came across it at work again and thought I'd post a quick review while I'm on break.

As you can tell from the title, the book is made up mostly of pictures with some text. These pictures were taken by everyday Germans; soldiers, Nazi party members, housewives, children, etc...

It is this aspect that makes the pictures so powerful because it shows everyday people doing everyday things. Normal people like you and I. But then you think about what some of these people did...and the author provides details that are haunting when compared with the idyllic represtation of the photos. Like the middle aged men in uniform smiling at the camera. Could be our neighbors, our family members. They seem like the kind of people you'd like to know. Then you realize the uniforms they are wearing are those of the police battalions assigned to the cleansing of Jews and other undesirables from Poland and other conquered territories. These smiling happy men killed other men, women, and children because they felt it was the right thing; it was necessary.

Take a look at the book...sometimes the author can get a tad melodramatic (for example in a picture of a pre-war matronly woman photographed before some trees he points out the shadows cast and comments that they bring to mind the shadow of war looming!); overall, however, it is quite an experience.

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them"
- Romans 1:28-32

Quotable

2009-04-22T22:35:00.003-06:00

"If Christ is to be our life we must look, in the first place, at Christ before us as our Example. When I speak of Christ as my life, it must not be a vague indefinite thing, but I must know. Life always works itself out in conduct and action, and if Christ comes into me as my life, it must not only be something hidden in my heart, but something that proves itself in every action and in every moment of my existence. And if I want to know how it will show itself, what my sentiments and words and actions and habits will be if I have Christ's life, I must go to the life of the Lord Jesus upon earth and study that. And as I study the life and walk of God's own beloved Son, I must remember that before God took Him up to heaven, God let Him live here upon earth, that in His life I might have a picture, a revelation, a complete representation of what my God wanted me to be, and was willing to make me. That is the light in which you must study the life of Christ in the Gospels- not the only, but one most important, light."
- Andrew Murray in "Absolute Surrender" page 77

As I contemplate these words this evening I think to all those whom I know that profess to be Believers but who do not hold to any of the basic doctrines of the faith. They claim that Christ is their Savior, but deny that the Bible is actually the Word of God...or if it is, then it is certainly not inerrant or infallible. How can they claim to know the One that is proclaimed only in the Bible which they don't believe? Or they claim to have a relationship with the Lord and go without gathering together with other Believers in church for corporate worship. How can they relate to the One that loves the church if they forsake the assembly? Can they love Christ and be apathetic towards the local body that is His Bride?

How true Murray speaks when he says that "if Christ comes into me as my life, it must not only be something hidden in my heart, but something that proves itself in every action and in every moment of my existence."

I hear echoes of James 1:22 here, where the brother of the Lord exhorts us to be doers and not just heares of the Word of God.

Oh for a people of God zealous to exercise their faith in deed AND word!

God bless!

Exodus 13:1-10

2009-04-21T22:39:00.002-06:00

Read Exodus 13:1-10

"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens th womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine."

With these words, we see that God lays a claim upon the people of Israel. He sets apart the firstborn all the nation for Himself.

What do you suppose is the significance of the firstborn being consecrated to God?

Remember that all of these are the very ones whom God spared from death in Egypt!

So God claims Israel as His own, again, not because of any implicit worth in them, but because of what He did for them! He redeemed them, meaning He paid a price for them. This being the case, He has set them apart for a particular purpose. For His purpose, for His glory.

In verses 3-7 we see how God demands they remember what He has done for them...and a part of this remembering involves the unleavened bread.

Read 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

The fact that we are saved and that we have been bought by the blood of Christ, just as Israel was redeemed by the blood of the lamb, does not free us to sin without fear of eternal punishment. On the contrary, our redemption imposes upon us a higher duty to keep away from evil, to not indulge the desires of the flesh, and to not keep worldly company.

What does it mean that we should not keep worldly company? This is not saying we need to avoid people who are not Believers, for how else could we "win" them to Christ? No, to understand the meaning behind this, ask yourself the following:

Who are the people you have the most contact with?
Who are those whom you spend the most time with recreationally?
Who do you seek out for friendship?

If you are a Child of Christ, then the answer to all of the above should be that it is other Christians! If we find that the people we most seek out, whethet at work or wherever else, are not Believers, then we should ask ourselves why! How could we say we love our Risen Lord and not love those for whom He perished and rose again?

Read Matthew 16:6-12

Note the warning which Jesus gave to His disciples:
To impose upon the Word something that is not there, to impose traditions that supersede the Scriptures, and to put ritual ahead of true faith is the essence of what Jesus warned about. This is the leaven of hypocrisy.

In Mark we also read about the leaven of Herod. What do you suppose this speaks to? The leaven herein speaks to friendship with the world!

So that when we join the world in mocking our Lord, we sin.

When we allow ourselves to compromise our standards for the sake of being friendly, we sin.

And when we keep silent and our Lord is being degraded, we sin.

Basically then, we as Believers have the obligation of obedience to our Lord. He has the right to expect us to live lives differently than the unbeliever does. And He has the right to expect us to remember His sacrifice for us.

It can be said, then, that the Passover for the Believer is now the Lord’s Supper. We must remember this and we must do so regularly.

You see, as Believers, our lives were saved from eternal damnation, and we no longer belong to ourselves, we are slaves to Christ. It is not for some simple reason that Luther taught on the bondage of the will...and it was not out of thin air that Luther spoke on this, for look to Romans 6:15-23 and you will see that Luther did nothing but echo the inspired words of Paul!

One final comment...note Exodus 13:8

"And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, "This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt."

The most important thing for us to do is to tell our children about the hope that is in us! What the Lord did for me!!! Oh that all of us parents would make this a priority instead of leaving it to others!

"Heaven Misplaced: Christ's Kingdom on Earth" by Douglas Wilson

2009-04-21T21:11:00.005-06:00

ISBN #9781591280514

I have been meaning to do this review for some time but I was unsure of how to go about it since while I disagreed with the premise of the book and the theological conclusions...it was very well written and the author came across in a very loving manner. As an alumni of the University of Idaho, I am familiar with Mr. Wilson though I do not know him personally, so it was a genuine pleasure to read the book and find out in more detail what he believes regarding this issue.

But what is the verdict? Well I can certainly not recommend it in the sense that I was overcome by his logic and his arguments, but I CAN say that those who already believe in Wilson's type of eschatology will love this book. As a premillenialist however, I was unconvinced by the arguments. If, on the other hand, you believe that Christians will "conquer" the planet and prepare it for the return of Christ, then you will like it. :)

If there is one criticism I would offer in regards to the interaction of the author with the premillenial view, it is that he seems to deride it as a pessimistic view whose supporters view this world as "God's Vietnam," which is simply not true and nothing more than a caricature of the position. He refers to his position as "historical optimism" and that post millenialists actually believe the Great Commission will be "successfully completed." Well, I know that I don't hold to his eschatology and yet I too believe the Great Commission WILL be successfully completed too! :)

I guess this is not the best book review ever...I can't really interact as much with any points or this would be a very long review, and to be honest I simply feel that while the book is aimed at convincing people that the author's view is correct, it does not achieve that desire. Anyone who has studied the Word for any sufficient length of time has probably arrived at their view through careful study. I confess I am biased, but all I can say is that such careful study will not lead to the position of the book. If it converts anyone, it will be someone either new to the faith or a professing Christian for whom study of the Word is not all that important and is quick to be convinced by any argument. I do want to be quick to point out that while I think Mr. Wilson is wrong, I do not consider him guilty of any damning heresy. A Christian can be saved and yet hold to his erroneous view! :)

So there you go. Read the book to find out what others believe or to be further assured of your own convictions if you already hold to the view it advocates. For myself, I am glad to have it as a reference source, but that is all.

Quotable

2009-04-17T21:08:00.000-06:00

“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”
-C.S. Lewis

All I can say to that is AMEN! :)

Genesis 15:6

2009-04-16T23:14:00.003-06:00

"And he [Abram] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness."

The faith that justified Abram was a faith in the Lord. He understood that God is worthy of our complete trust because He is trustworthy and merits our devotion and our obedience. His was not a faith like demons have (James 2:19), where they understand and believe in God but don't believe unto salvation. To say I believe in God means nothing if I don't submit to Him as Lord and Savior. To say I believe in the Lord must be accompanied by obedience to Him. May God reckon unto us this righteousness!

May we exhibit such faith!

Living Like We Believe What We Say We Believe

2009-04-16T21:13:00.005-06:00

If it were not for the fact that I write mostly for my family and close friends, I would just give up on writing and post a permanent link to the Pyromaniacs site!

Go there are take a look at the latest post by Dan Phillips and get ready to be challenged!

Exodus 12:7-8

2009-04-15T23:00:00.002-06:00

Read Exodus 12:7-8

Here we have the instructions to Israel regarding the blood of the lamb. The blood which was to be placed on the doorposts and the lintel of the houses so that when the Destroyer came He would pass over and not kill the first born.

Regading the placement of the blood, note that it was to be placed in a very visual place, the above mentioned doorposts and the lintel of the house. Again, this was so the Angel of the Lord could note clearly which houses were marked for mercy, but what is the symbolic representation?

The blood on the outside of the house may be seen as apicture of how the blood of Christ, when applied to the sins of people, transforms us so that people know we are marked by something! It also points to the trust that God’s people have! We know, without a shadow of a doubt, that because the blood of Jesus was shed for us that God will someday welcome us into His arms with the greeting, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”!

Similarly, the Jews had this trust in God. They knew the Angel of Death was to pass their home seeking the firstborn to kill, yet they also knew that the simple act of sprinkling the blood was sufficient to keep the angel away. The Jews trusted and believed God. Still, remember what we we've already discussed...despite all of this, they continued to worship false gods, even in the Promised land!

Do you not realize that we too behave as the Jews? Having been purchased by the blood of the Lamb, we continue to sin against our Lord!

Now look at how verse 8 says that the people were to eat the lamb with unleavened bread. What does this represent?

Is leaven good?

That depends.

Leaven is, of course, what was (and is) used to make dough rise. In Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, it says that leaven was often “a piece of fermented dough retained from a previous baking that was placed in the new dough to cause it to rise.” The Bible uses it as examples of a substance that can permeate whatever it touches, and it is used as an example of both good and evil.

In this example, I think it is properly used as a form of something unwanted, something bad, which is why it is to be left out of the meal.

Let us look at an application for this metaphor of the leaven.

How does it apply to us?

The leaven, you see, is something that takes control of what it is immersed in, so we must discard the leaven of sin in our lives. Whatever practices we have, whatever things we contemplate that we know keep us from being totally devoted to Godd...then we are to root them out of our lives. We all know what these things are in our lives...so let us strive to daily examine ourselves and make sure such leaven does not corrupt us!

God bless!

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

2009-04-14T22:44:00.005-06:00

I recently was pointed towards a blog written by an Episcopalian "bishop." This man is a life-long friend of someone with whom I work and in reading over the contents of the blog I can truly see why it is that the Episcopalian church is having so many issues nowadays. Considering that a man who professes faith in Christ can write some of what I've read is truly sad. That such a man would be elevated to the position of bishop is appalling.

I want to interact with something this man wrote considering the death and resurrection of our Savior, but since it's late and I need to get to bed I will just share the following:

"We have a special mission on the Reservation. There are practioners of tradtional Native Spirtuality, and there are Protestants who insist that the Native traditions are pagan evils to be deplored by Chrstians. We are the place where First Nations people can stay true to their culture and the ways of their ancestors and follow the gospel of Christ. The gospel is not about European culture. It is a flower that can grow in different soils. Seeing the gospel in these different contexts reaveals its essence and keeps us from confusing it with the social norms of our own backgrounds."

Hmm...so the Episcopalians are emergent? You can be Muslim AND Christian? You can be Buddhist AND Christian? I think not. Therefore you cannot cling to a spiritualist religion AND profess Christ. And any man who claims to be Christian and yet embraces such people as fellow Believers has absolutely no understanding of his professed religion. First of all, it is foolishness to utter a statement such as "The gospel is not about European culture." Okay. Who says it is?
The gospel came first to the Jews, then the Greeks, the Africans, etc...it took some time to get to central and northern Europe. This statement is nothing but a red herring intended to distract the reader from thinking through the implications of what this "bishop" has just written. The gospel, dear brethren, is radical. It calls us to repentance and to submission to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. There is no repentance without the knowledge of our sin...and there is no repentance without the realization that we need a Savior to save us from the just penalty for our sin.

So let others try and hide this uncomfortable truth behind poetic language about the gospel being some kind of flower that will grow in all kinds of soil. Maybe this "bishop" needs to read the words of Jesus in Matthew 13:1-23 instead of trying to create some new kind of gospel. As for "confusing it with the social norms of our own background," it seems to me this is exactly what that writer is trying to do...confuse the gospel with the social norms of his own background. He obviously comes from a religious tradition that has rejected the Bible as the authoritative Word of God. He rejects the doctrine of substitutionary atonement (more on that in a different post), and so he must make things fit into the worldview of what he has accepted as normal. Out of this is produced a clergyman who does not call a people to repentance but to embrace his idea of Christ and mesh him with what they already have. This, you see, is nonjudgmental and accepting.

Who cares that it leads them straight to the pit of hell.

Atheism & Evolution: Yup...They Make Total Sense!

2009-04-14T22:16:00.002-06:00

Once again I am completely unable to give credit where credit is due here because this picture was on my computer but I cannot remember where I downloaded it from! Enjoy!

Exodus 11:4-7

2009-04-14T20:42:00.004-06:00

I was looking over my notes from 2006 and I found this study in Exodus. I made some slight revisions and here are the results! I hope you enjoy it and that it blesses you.

Read Exodus 11:4-7

Remember that the context here is that Moses is about to confront Pharaoh with that final plague to be visited upon Egypt.

The first words we read are, "Thus says the Lord!”

This phrase should fill us with awe because they signify the beginning of the work of the Lord. It is at this point that God begins to pour wrath on the depraved and mercy on His people!

The distinction which the Lord makes between His people and the Egyptians should serve to remind us that there will come a day when God shall indeed pour out His anger upon the world, a day when there shall be tears of regret on many eyes, but not on those of the Believer! On that day, however, seeing the lost go to their punishment, do you think we shall we stand there and gloat? I certainly don’t think so.

I think we’ll be remembering those opportunities we squandered. Those times we could have shared the gospel of Christ but did not because we were too shy, or too worried about what others would think of us! Now then, rest assured that I am not so foolish as to think that any one of God’s elect people can be lost, for I am convinced through the study of Scripture that all those who are of God shall be saved, but I am speaking of the opportunity to have been used by God to accomplish His holy will!

We should take the time now to make ourselves available to Christ. Do the work of the Lord, not thinking of rewards but of service to Him!

One other thing to think about. In verse 4, God says He will go out into the midst of Egypt. Brothers and sisters, when God says this, rest assured it probably did not make the Egyptians happy. For you see, when the Lord goes into the midst of a people, it is a blessing for those who are His servants, but woe unto those who are not, for God cannot stand the presence of sin! And those who are not His will experience only His judgment.

Why would God strike at the firstborn of the Egyptians rather than at the Egyptians themselves, or just at Pharaoh?

This can be answered in many ways, but a few of the answers are as follows:
In withholding this plague from Israel, God demonstrates His mercy and His goodness, whereas in His destruction of the Egyptian firstborn He demonstrates the “severity of His judgment.”

Read 1 Peter 4:14-18

Note the importance of this verse…how severe shall the judgment be upon the unbelieving? Very much so, for He will be as severe as He is merciful to the Believer! Arthur Pink maintains that the death of the firstborn also represents the manifestation of all that comes from the natural man. His first-fruits are a sample of the issue of sinful man, therefore meriting destruction from the Lord.

Finally, the judgment was on all of the Egyptians because of the reasons we’ve discussed before. Pharaoh was the protector and representative of Egypt. In his arrogance and sinful pride, he doomed his people to the judgment of the Lord. Likewise does the head of the household doom his family when he refuses to turn to the Lord and lead his family in the ways of God? To some extent yes. This is not to say that the individual Egyptian, just as the individual today, could not turn to the Lord for protection and forgiveness. Not one person who turns to the Lord in sincere repentance will be turned away!

But also, we must realize that ultimately it was God’s decision to include all of Egypt in this judgment and we do not need to seek reasons for Him. He does as He will and all that He does is right, whether we understand it or not.

Verse 7 is a beautiful picture of God’s Sovereign and Divine grace! Not even “shall a dog move its tongue.”

These were a people chosen by God…they were His to love.

A question remains. Knowing what we know of Israel, we are aware that they were extremely sinful and would continue to be so. What was it, then, about them that made God look down and decide these were to be His people, favored above all others? Were they more righteous than Egypt? Were they holier?

NO!

What was the spiritual condition of Israel at this point? Remember: this is when God is doing a mighty work for them!

Leviticus 17:7 reads as follows: “They [the Israelites] shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”

Note the words no more…this worship was going on at the time, and God says, it must stop here!
Where had the Israelites picked up this worship of demons?

Joshua 24:14 reads as follows: “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!”

The people of Israel brought the worship of demons with them, out of Egypt! The implication is that at the time when the Lord was acting on their behalf, they were engaged in idolatry! Before we react with shock...how often do we engage in sinful behavior? Guess what? God is doing a mighty work in us right now!

One more reading and we’ll move on. Read Ezekiel 20:1-9

What can we learn from this awesome passage?

Without a doubt, Israel was involved in the worship of false gods. God commanded them to stop, and they refused. Furthermore, it hints at the fact (note verse 8) that some of the first plagues were punishment on Israel as well as Egypt. It shows without a shadow of a doubt that God delivered Israel not for their worthiness, but for the sake of His precious name!

Another thing is this, Israel has not responded to God in the way we would expect. Remember back in Exodus 2:23, it says, “…the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of their bondage.”

This says they cried out, but did they cry out to the Lord? No. The context suggests they merely cried out. But still God heard them, and the next verse says, “God remembered His covenant”. What does this tell us?

It was His Word God was keeping…this was the basis for His action. Israel had no faith, and many other in the world were suffering, but God chose to reach down and intervene for Israel! For His covenant’s sake!

God also made a covenant with Christ, “before the foundation of the world,” to deliver His people once again.

Read Ephesians 1:4&5.

Who is Paul speaking of? He is speaking of the people of God...he is speaking of us!

This, then, is the beauty of God’s grace!

We should marvel that we, like the Israelites, being totally depraved and without hope of heaven, were benefactors of God’s love and mercy, and we should remember to thank Him daily and never stop wondering at the immense and fearful Sovereignty of God!

Having gone through all that, what did Israel do to merit God’s making a distinction between them and Egypt, and what had they done to earn the favor of God? They had done absolutely nothing to earn God’s favor! It was God’s good pleasure to call them out to be His people. He has not yet asked (nor will He ask) if they want to be His people…He has chosen them and they shall be His!

Romans 9:15 shows God declaring that He will have mercy on whom He will!

Realize this: The actions of God in regards to His calling and choosing are characteristic of Him (Pink) throughout the ages. Even unto today. We as Believers were not more discerning than those who did not turn to God, neither were we more open to Him when we were yet “dead in our trespasses.” For if we were spiritually dead, then we were unable to seek after spiritual matters until we were made alive by the work of the Spirit! When Paul therefore asks, “For who makes you differ from another” (1 Corinthians 4:7), the answer is: God!

Let us always make sure we give God the full glory in everything, and not make the mistake of assuming we had even a small measure in accomplishing our salvation.

Another thing verse 7 shows us is that God is in control of everything. Not man or beast has the ability to harm the people of God unless he gives assent. And rest assured that when the Lord does give assent, it will be to His glory!

Therefore, consider this:
God is in control in the bad times and in the good times!
He sometimes allows misfortune and death and illness to reach the Saints!

But how do we react when this happens? How should we react when this happens?

Certainly not in anger and resentment against Him! How about if we work on responding like Job did when he blessed God for his misfortune?

Ultimately, God owes us nothing...yet He has given us everything!

What a wonderful God we serve!

Good Friday 2009

2009-04-11T15:16:00.006-06:00

"I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered."
-quoted from Zecharaiah 13:7 by Christ in Matthew 26:31

As I contemplate what yesterday reminds us of, I was drawn to these words of our Lord. He is that great Shepherd, of course, and He was struck down for our own transgressions...for our sin. Indeed the Word tells us that it was necessary for Him who knew no sin to be made sin for our sake, so that we could partake of His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). But why was this necessary? Have you ever asked yourself this? Why is it that a Perfect One, a divine One, THE divine One, had to come down, clothe Himself in our humanity, for the sole purpose of dying horribly on the cross?

Well for those of us who believe in the Bible as His authoritative Word, then we know it is because of how holy our God is...and how terrible an offense sin is. When we look at that marvelous epistle written to the Romans we read that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23) and that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). I know that this is Christianity 101 to many of you, but don't let this truth become something you know but don't really think about. You see, brethren, God is a holy God. So great an offense is sin to our God that the psalmist tells us that He hates the "workers of iniquity" (Psalm 5:5). Furthermore, humanity is referred to as "children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). This places us in such a terrible position...you see God would be just in condemning all of humanity to the pit of hell which is reserved for Satan and his demons. Nobody could bring a charge against God if He chose to do this, for He would be completely within His rights as Creator to do so.

So think about it. Morally, legally, in any way possible, we were condemned sinners fit only for execution. And yet, to satisfy His holy justice, God declared that what we now refer to as Good Friday should come about. Good Friday. The day on which God Himself, in the Person of the Son, was put to death...for us! He paid the price for our sin and died the death that should be ours! God did this. The Creator, the Shepherd. He died that the sheep might live. What a terrible price for our Lord Jesus to have paid...but He did it willingly because He loved us. There was a moment on that cross where the Father turned His face away from the Son. There was a moment when the sin that Jesus took upon Himself turned Him into something reviled by the Father. He became sin. And our great Savior, knowing that the perfect unity between the Godhead was at this moment temporarily ruptured, cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) He was forsaken. As terrible as the physical suffering of Jesus was...this being forsaken was what He came to do. Look at yourself now. You who have bent the knee to Christ and received Him as Lord and Savior of your life. Look at yourself. You are NOT forsaken...because He was. And so now we are saved from the wrath of God because of the spilt blood of our Savior (Romans 5:9). Our spotless Lamb was placed on the altar and our sin was attributed to Him, and became His, and so His righteousness is now attributed to us.

If this does not swell your heart with love and gratitude towards our Lord then I must question why you feel you are His.

So take some time today my brethren, take some time to meditate on His Word. And let us strive to live in such a way that we bring honor and glory to His name. And then let us go and tell others about His sacrifice, and let us exhort them to turn to Him in repentance.

God bless!

Unending Service to Christ

2009-04-05T16:59:00.004-06:00

Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Seminary, was asked about John Calvin and what we might learn from him. Here is his reply:

"Calvin was...a teacher and he understood the necessity of the church to be a school. We want the churches to again be the schools of Christ. I want to die like Calvin died, studying and teaching and preaching to the end. Calvin didn't retire; he died."

I love this quote. It reminds me of the John Piper book "Don't Waste Your Life" where Piper contrasts the lives of two separate missionary groups. The one, a couple who reaches middle age and then retires to enjoy the last years of their lives; the other consists of two older ladies, missionary widows whose husbands are long dead...yet they remain in service. As they travel along a mountain road in the country where they serve, their car runs off the road and they are killed. Piper says that the retired couple wasted their lives whereas the old ladies did not. You understand what he means don't you?

He means exactly what Mohler does when he says he wants to die studying and teaching and preaching to the end. Considering that we will spend an eternity serving our Lord then we have to wonder why it is people feel we need "a break" from the study of God's Word. From service to Him. I attended a church many years ago where during the Summer they would not have Sunday school....when my father in law was told it was so that people could take a break, he replied that Satan does not take breaks! :) How very true!

"Calvin didn't retire; he died."

Oh for ministers, missionaries, and laypeople who want to die doing the work which the Father has prepared for them!

When Pride of Learning Exceeds Actual Learning

2009-04-04T23:06:00.006-06:00

In the most recent issue of "The Intermountain Christian News" there is a really good review by Dr. Youssef Shared of "The Shack." Most of you who know me well are aware that I am no fan of this book, and so it should be no surprise to you that the article in question is a critique of the book. You will find this review on page 1 of the paper, and it continues on page 5, along with a list of 13 heresies the author finds in the book. As exciting as it would be for me to share these with you, I will let the reader follow the link above and read it for him/herself.

What I want to actually share with you in this post is actually in the letters to the editor section of the paper...found on page 4. Apparently, the article is republished along with a couple of letters regarding it, one of them a positive and one of them a negative letter. Here is the text of the letter I wish to make a comment on:

"It saddens me that you have lost your own bearings. I know you to be educated but I’m pretty sure my theological credentials exceed yours. I have read The Shack twice with a careful attention to the story, the theological underpinnings and the fictional expression of exceptionally difficult but exceedingly critical personal issues.

Your adoption of this shallow (at best) and probably disingenuous critique of The Shack is disappointing and makes me think that you would have been one of the myopic critics of C.S. Lewis as well.

I recommend that you retract your endorsement of Youssef’s spurious and anxious critique as soon as possible lest you find yourself in the company of the Pharisees our Lord had so little regard for. You might discover that you have done a great deal of damage to the Kingdom of God in your zeal.
– John F., Boise, Idaho (Submitted 03/15/09)"

What struck me first about this letter is that in commenting on the article, the writer (who apparently challenges the editor to a war of theological credentials...such humility!) fails to address even one point brought up by Dr. Youseff. There is no "here is why he is wrong..." No, far from it. Instead the letter is filled with attacks that seem determined to make the issue one of opinion rather than facts. For someone bold enough to assert the supremacy of his own knowledge, Mr. John F. fails to demonstrate it through any interaction with the actual content of Dr. Youseff's article.

Furthermore, you'll notice the choice words used throughout..."shallow (at best) and probably disingenuous critique..." Okay, but how is it shallow? The article brings up 13 heresies and the reasons why the author thinks them heresies. Yet our theological warrior here instead says that the article makes him think "that you would have been one of the myopic critics of C.S. Lewis as well." Now how does that address anything in the article? Oh yeah, it doesn't. And what if you disagree with Mr. John F.? Why then you must be, as he says, "in the company of the Pharisees our Lord had so little regard for. You might discover that you have done a great deal of damage to the Kingdom of God in your zeal." Wow...strong words. And all they do is confuse the issue and, yet again, fail to actually have any meaningful dialogue with the content! You disagree with me? Pharisee!!! You dare critique an author I like? You damage the Kingdom of God!

Obviously I dont' know who Mr. John F. is...but I pray whatever lofty school he received those theological credentials from normally does a better job of teaching its students how to properly critique the writings of another person. Maybe he should read Dr. Youseff's article again...'cause that was a good example right there!

A Picture Says It All

2009-04-03T21:02:00.002-06:00

I found this picture online...don't remember where so if you know tell me so I can give appropriate credit!

I thought this picture was a good commentary on the surface and simplistic beliefs of too many Christians! God does love us...but it is foolish to give voice to the words in the caption if you don't believe the picture also represents God's will for the lives of some of His followers.

Reputation vs. Character

2009-04-03T18:48:00.002-06:00

I was finishing up reading the book "Dominion" a couple of weeks ago when I came across a quote that was pretty profound. Dominion is a Randy Alcorn book (isbn# 1-57673-661-x), so you know it's going to be really really good! :)

I confess that this is the book I like least written by Alcorn, but it is still a good book. In the book, Clarence Abernathy is investigating the murder of his sister and his niece, and when he gets a bit too close to the truth he is set up. He is accused of rape and everyone but his close friends and family believes him to be guilty. There is a powerful scene where Clarence is speaking to his father and he breaks down and tells him all a man has is his reputation...and his has been ruined. His father looks at him and says, (i'm paraphrasing) no son, all a man has is his character, and nobody can take that away.

I was struck by the truth of this statement. The world can believe what it wants of us, but as Christians our worth rests upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let the world mock us, let it accuse us falsely of crimes...our true brothers and sisters in Christ will stand by us till the end. And even if not...what does it matter if the Lord is for us?

No matter what befalls us, let us continue to serve Him with zeal. And if we are truly His, then if we ever find ourselves falsely accused we will be ultimately vindicated by our Lord...maybe not in this life, but definitely in the next. That life, dear brethren, is so very real. And you know what? When troubles come our way, those who truly know us...who know our character, they will stand by us.

Praise God!

Galatians 4:16

2009-03-24T22:24:00.002-06:00

"Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?"

Not much I want to write about tonight, but I am feeling a little bit melancholy because it seems to me that there are so few people out there who truly hunger after the things of God. I have found it so difficult to have friends within the church because those who I have identified as having a zeal for the Lord turn out to have it...in church. Outside of church, it seems the last thing on the minds of people is to discuss the Word and what we have been learning about it. Even within the building where we gather to worship it seems like one annoys others if you speak of the Bible outside of the Sunday school class or the sanctuary. I remember one time heading towards a group of "friends" at church, among them one who I felt was a true friend, and as I approached one said, "look out, here comes the Bible thumper." All of the others laughed. I responded with some comment or other...don't really remember what it was. But I admit I was hurt. Among them, I felt like an outsider because all they talked about was sports or their jobs. While I love discussing my job (though I confess I detest talking about sports), it seems like among my brothers in Christ there is one thing above all we'd talk about...don't you think?

I don't mean to say we Believers should never speak about anything else. Don't make that assumption. What I am saying is that in church, and among our brethren, we are free to speak without reservation about spiritual things, so it seems to me this is the natural direction in which our conversations head. But alas, this is not the case.

About my header. Along with being called a Bible thumper, I have found that these words of Paul are so on target. It seems like people are willing to share their opinions on spiritual matters, but if you disagree with them, and voice that opinion, then you offend them. You may even become their enemy. I have lost "friends" in this manner before, and it is always a very painful experience.

One thing that keeps me cheerful, however, is the thought that despite all this I would rather have a falling away with anyone and everyone rather than compromise on the teachings of the Word. As Paul said elsewhere, "...let God be true but every man a liar." Romans 3:4

God Bless!

Psalm 4

2009-03-17T22:54:00.003-06:00

I've been studying through the Psalms with my 10 year old son and tonight we completed about half of chapter 4. Unfortunately I was not writing out my studies until the 4th chapter so I cannot post those, but as I complete each of the chapters from now on I will post them here. We are not studying every night unfortunately, sometimes because before we know it it's time for his bedtime, and other times because I cannot be at home in the evening in time. And then there are the times when we don't do it because I simply fail in my duty towards my son. May God help me to be more consistent in my study time with my boys!

Well here is the lesson from chapter 4:

Read Psalm 4:1
"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer."

The psalms are such an encouragement and a reminder that we are never alone. No matter how difficult a time we are experiencing, others have gone though the same or through much worse. What is more, even if we were going through something that nobody ever has gone through before (which is highly unlikely), even then the psalmist reminds us that God is with us.

Here in verse one we see David's words: "Hear me when I call..."

David is pleading with God to listen to him carefully, to listen to him in a favorable manner. He calls out to the God of righteousness, to Elohym, the living God. David does not call out to false pagan gods because only Elohym is the One True God...only He is able to deliver us from our distress. And here David also shows why He is so willing to cry out to His God. God is faithful to us, and in previous experiences God has already delivered Him, so he asks God to deliver him yet again, to be merciful to him, to hear his prayer. Upon whom else can we so confidently place our trust? Nobody. All men will disappoint us, but God will never do so. His promises to us are eternal, and as His children we know that one day all the sufferings of this world will pale before the majesty of His kingdom.

Read Psalm4:2-3
"How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."

This psalm may also have been written during the rebellion of Absalom, and so David now calls upon these men, including his own son. These were men who should have been loyal to him as the annointed King of Israel. These are men that should have been at his side defending him instead of rebelling against him. And so he asks them why they shame him...why they want to cast him down from the throne. How much time will they persist in rebellion against the King whom God chose? He calls them lovers of that which is worthless and seekers of that which is not true. Notice that he compares them to those who plot a vain (or worthless) thing in Psalm 2:1.

It does not matter though, what these plotters think. God sets apart for Himself a particular group of people. These worthless men who plot against their King show by their actions that they are not godly...that they do not belong to God. But David is confident that He belongs to God, and that His God will hear his call!

What a comfort it should be to us that God will hear us. As His people, we can call to Him whenever we want, and He stands ready to listen. When we are confident that this is the God whom we serve, then the trials of this world become more and more insignificant when compared to the heavenly home that awaits us!

Read Psalm 4:4-5
"Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD."

The word translated as "angry" is the Hebrew "ragaz." It means to tremble to quiver with violent emotion. The NASB translates it as "tremble," the NKJV and the ESV as " be angry," and the KJV as "be in awe." The sense we get here is of a person feeling strong emotion. To quake with this emotion makes us understand that this is not merely a passing fancy. And yet, experiencing this emotion is not sin itself. For note that the psalmist says, "ragaz" and do not sin. (see also Ephesians 4:26 to see how the inspired author uses the word).

Note carefully what David is calling for from these wicked men. Whatever emotion they may be feeling, fine. Let us deal with it. But sin not. They were sinning by rebelling, he is telling them not to sin. Be angry with him, be upset at him, tremble with emotion, but do not let it give way to sin!

What a helpful reminder this is to all of us who call ourselves by the name of Christ! We will encounter many things that give rise to strong emotions, but in all things, we must comport ourselves with grace and love. If we allow these emotions to lead us to sinful actions or thoughts, then we bring shame upon ourselves and we stain our testimony before the world. Let us instead make sure our trust is always in God, in the Lord who is the only One that can rightfully take vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35).

Read Psalm 4:6-8
"There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."

Here David speaks to the condition of the world in general. What do they mean when they ask who is there to show them any good? If you look to verse 7 you will see a hint. David speaks to his own happiness, a gladness born of trust in Him. Their gladness comes from prosperity, from worldly increase. True rest comes from knowing God and being His servant. Who does David say helps us to dwell in safety? God. This does not mean temporal safety, or else Stephen and the other martyrs would not have perished. No it refers to peace. To dwell in safety is to know that no matter what happens here in this world, our heavenly reward is secure. Nobody can take this away from us. Nobody!

This then is the major lesson for us today. Note that David starts out with calling upon God for relief. Yet even as this psalm progresses he begins to experience the relief he asks for. How did God give this to him? By David's meditation upon Him. So turn to the Word in your times of distress, focus on our future home when this pilgrimage takes us through hard times!

"Deadline" by Randy Alcorn

2009-03-16T21:57:00.005-06:00

isbn #1-57673-316-5

Randy Alcorn is one of my favorite Christian novelists and this is the book that first exposed me to his writings. The book deals primarily with one Jake Woods, a liberal newspaper columnist in Portland whose life is turned upside down by a tragic car crash that takes the lives of his two best friends, Doc and Finney.

The book revolves around the challenge of the two worldviews represented by these two men and the battle for Jake's ultimate destiny. Doc, the successful popular doctor with no need or time for God, and Finney, the Christian businessmann whose entire life was devoted to serving God. When Jake discovers that the accident that took their lives and left him injured was not quite the accident he thought it was, he launches into a personal investigation wherein he discovers exactly who his friends truly were. With the help of such memorable characters as Clarence Abernathy (a fellow columnist at the newspaper) and Ollie Chandler (a police detective), Jake puts all the pieces together. Far more importantly than the crime, however, Jake comes face to face with himself...with the man he has become. As he compares himself to his two friends he begins to question everything that he has believed, and he begins to see how his actions have affected everyone around him, from his daughter to his ex-wife, to his coworkers.

Ultimately, the book is a very satisfying read. Alcorn's depictions of heaven are beautiful. If you are familiar with his non-fiction book "Heaven," you should know that it was from writing this novel and its sequel that Alcorn was inspired to write it. In the novel, Finney dies and is taken to heaven, where he meets His Savior and all the saints that have gone before him. As Jake deals with his life on earth, Finney prays for him and roots for him from heaven. Doc, however, dies and finds himself NOT in heaven. While Alcorn's depictions of heaven are wonderful, his depiction of hell is terrifying. Alcorn does not seem to believe in a literal hell of undying fire, but there is nothing in his version of hell that minimizes the truth that it is not a place where anyone wants to find him or herself!

So pick up a copy of this book and read it. A quick aside here...in the newer versions, it is a bit misleading that they refer to this book as the first in the "Ollie Chandler" series. Ollie Chandler is certainly an important character, but to refer to this book as the first in an "Ollie Chandler" series is to suggest he is the main character...and he is not. His is a support role in this book, as it is in the second book, where Clarence Abernathy is the main character. Ollie Chandler does not become the main character until the third book. Still, don't let that affect whether you read this book or not. Read it and you'll find yourself wanting to read the next two. And by the time you read the third one you'll certainly have become a fan of Ollie Chandler! I certainly hope that Alcorn writes more books revolving around this character!

Random Thoughts for Today

2009-03-15T22:12:00.002-06:00

Well it's been almost a full week since my last post so I wanted to take some time to let all of you know I'm still alive and kicking! ;-)

I had a good week and there are a number of things I want to share, among them:

1) Unless you live under a rock you are probably aware that in the December 15th, 2008 edition, Newsweek magazine featured an article called "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage." This article, written by a Ms. Lisa Miller, attempted to do exactly what the title suggests, argue that there is not any religious reason for opposing gay marriage. The cover of the issue has a picture of a Bible with a rainbow colored bookmark, ironic enough since there may be some religion which can be used to show support for gay marriage, but Christianity is not the one. In addition to this, using a Bible on the cover is disingenuous for the simple reason that Ms. Miller's premise fails in it's attempt to show a biblical case for gay marriage. Well, I would have much more to say on this issue, except that Citizen magazine has done an excellent job of responding to Newsweek. In its February 2009 issue, Citizen asked a number of sound theologians to rebut the article point by point. Among the men asked to write a rebuttal was Albert Mohler. Please pick up a copy of both these articles and read them!

2) Yesterday I went to a men's breakfast at church and the speaker was the youth leader. My sons are very fond of this young man and I was very impressed by what he had to say. The topic of his talk was "What we Value: Christ." His text was from Matthew 13:44-46. I just want to share one quote from him, which I hope will give you a glimpse into his heart, as it did for me. He said, "My weakness is a serious lack of ability to please God through my works." Just so you understand, he did not mean this as in it is a weakness he wants to remedy, but that in this weakness He can turn to Christ and trust totally in Him. He understands what it means when the Bible says we are "dead in our trespasses and sins"! Ephesians 2:1

3) On a personal note, I began memorizing the book of Ephesians quite some time ago...about a decade ago to be honest! How much have I memorized? 1 1/2 chapters! Pathetic. So remember this and help keep me accountable ok? ;-) And since I know so many always respond in this manner, I want to assure you I am not wanting to memorize Scripture in a legalistic manner, or in a prideful manner. I simply want to have this book in particular in my mind because I love it so much. It's as simple as that.

Well that's it for now. I am eager to finish up a couple of books I've been wanting to review and I should have one of them done within the next few days. My reading is taking so much longer than I thought because there is SO much to read. Not only do I have the books I want to review, but I also have some books I read for work...ones that I present to teens during outreach events. And no, I don't get paid to read so all my reading has to be done during my lunch hour or at home! :-) On top of that, I try to read the newspaper every day and there are a number of blogs that I follow, among my favorites being the Pyromaniacs and the Pulpit magazine blog which has been incorporated into the Shepherd's Fellowship website. Then there are blogs from friends and family that I like to read in order to keep up with what is going on in their lives, spiritually and otherwise. There's something else I like to read...let me see,what is it? Oh yeah, my Bible! ;-) So anyhow, all that to apologize for not posting my book reviews in a more timely manner. Then, of course, I have not posted a Bible study in some time, so I will work on remedying that situation as well.

God bless for now!

President Obama & Stem Cell Research

2009-03-09T14:43:00.002-06:00

I hope that all those self professing Christians who overlooked Obama's pro-abortion stance and voted for him are ashamed of themselves now. I hope they look in the mirror, and if they are truly saved, that they beg God's forgiveness for their sin. I'm sorry if I sound unduly harsh, but I don't know how else to call it when someone professing to be a Believer, one who considers him/herself redeemed by the blood of Christ, when this person sets aside moral issues in favor of economic ones. To have been willing to be taken in by charisma and "hope" outside of Scripture and willingly, nay joyously, vote for this man who is now our President is a travesty. All of you, if you are my brothers and sisters in the Lord, I pray you will seek Him in the Word and not justify the actions of this man.

You surely all know by now that just today our President reversed a ban on federally funded embryonic stem cell research. Yes, our country has slipped down the moral slide even more. According to President Obama, ideology has driven science for far too long, and his actions will somehow protect science from being bullied by nasty ideology. Except for one thing: science has shown that it is adult stem cell research that has shown promise, NOT embryonic stem cell research. So, based on his own ideology, President Obama has ensured the killing of even more babies. Great. This is what you voted for, O Christian man and woman.

In my local newspaper, the Idaho Press-Tribune, I read how one Dr. Curt Civin made the following statement: "We've got eight years of science to make up for,...Now, the silly restrictions are lifted." Silly restrictions? Yes, how silly to believe that when an egg is fertilized by a sperm it should receive protection. How stupid to believe that this life has value. Ah, you might reply, it is only a potential human! Well, yes, and as one author I once read so eloquently put it, this is certainly not a potential dog or cow! Lie to yourself all you want and call this life potential anything, but until the day comes when you know without a shadow of a doubt at what point the transformation takes place that makes this life fully human, you are supporting murder.

Civin's reply to this? "This was already life that was going to be destroyed, the choice is to throw them away or use them for research." Can we make an apology now to the Nazi concentration camp doctors who experimented on inmates? I mean, that was life that was going to be destroyed anyhow right? Why did we hang those doctors? As for choices, Christians have been offering up another one for years, how about placing those embryos in willing mothers who are unable to have their own children? You know, that thing called adoption? And did Civin just call fertilized embryos life? There you have it. It's life. Who cares though when millions and millions of dollars are on the balance?

I had hoped during the election that Christians cared.

"Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." Matthew 18:5

And yes, I know the context is different for that verse, but it applies here so very well.

"The Cross: The Pulpit of God's Love" by Iain H Murray

2009-03-02T21:25:00.002-07:00

isbn #978-0-85151-974-6

This is going to be one of my shortest reviews for two reasons: 1) It was a small booklet (a total of 40 pages), and 2) it left me with no clear understanding of the author's intent in writing.

First off, while the book was edifying in many ways, I was left with a dissatisfaction overall. The author never made clear exactly who held the position that he was addressing, was it hyper-calvinists? I'm still not sure. To be fair, Murray does a wonderful job of presenting the fact that we are to preach the Gospel to all men without any distinction. But where I came away confused is in his embracing of this idea AND the idea that in presenting this Gospel we are to assure all men that Jesus died for all men. Now I know that Murray is no emergent...on the contrary he is a sound Reformed man. He is certainly no Arminian. But still, while I agreed with him on many issues, I disagreed with him on others. Mainly, I guess, it was a matter of semantics...and maybe I need to read the booklet a couple more times. All I know is that two men I highly respect love this booklet (in fact I received this from one of them). So I must simply say that I am not satisfied with Murray's conclusions in this booklet. I am sorry, dear reader, that I am being so vague, but I am struggling here because I cannot say anything truly negative about the booklet, and certainly it is very valuable...but, again, I was unable to follow the logic employed by Murray here. This could be entirely my own failing, of course. I am sufficiently aware of my own deficiencies to acknowledge this, so if anyone reading this has any thoughts to enlighten me with I would surely welcome them.

For now, I would say this would be a good read if you have no other theological work to get through...but it is a secondary work as far as the value of the contents. This is my opinion and you can take it or leave it of course! ;-)

God bless!

Pray Fervently...But Ask Permission First!

2009-03-01T21:14:00.005-07:00

I just finished reading from Al Mohler's blog and it left me irked, not at him but at the subject he addresses. Please read it, I'd be interested to know what some of you think. I agree with Dr. Mohler that the implication is pretty ominous. Read it HERE.

The Impeccability of Christ

2009-02-23T22:46:00.002-07:00

THE IMPECCABILITY OF CHRIST:
DID THE LORD POSSESS A SIN NATURE?

I humbly present this short post to my brothers and sisters in the Lord with the desire that it will challenge them to think deeper on an issue that is very important for our understanding of our Savior, and thereby our better appreciation for His sacrifice. I know that people have been arguing over whether Christ was able to sin for a very long time. Until recently, however, I did not realize that this was a belief held by people who in all other ways seemed committed to sound doctrine.

The question of whether Jesus could have sinned, of course, goes hand in hand with the question of what it means when the Scripture says that Jesus “was tempted as we are.” I hold to the view that the temptations of Christ were not as ours and that at no point did He ever struggle with the question of whether or not to give in to sin. In addition, I stand firm upon the doctrine of the impeccability of Christ and as such I reject the claim that He could have ever sinned.

A quick word before we move on. First, the doctrine of the impeccability of Christ does not just teach that He did not sin...that there was no sin in Him, but that He could not sin. Not that He ever desired to do so and was unable to do it, but that He never sinned because His very nature made it so that He had no desire to sin!

The other thing I wish to mention is that while I hold fast to my conviction that Jesus was not tempted in the same manner that we are tempted, this is not a doctrinal matter for me. I admit that I could be wrong on this issue, but I have yet to see any overwhelming biblical evidence that contradicts what I believe. I see no reason why my holding to this belief should put me outside the boundaries of Scripture any more than it should do so for someone who disagrees with me on this issue. On the doctrine of impeccability, however, I maintain that the only biblical option is to embrace it. I say again, Jesus never sinned nor could He have sinned.

Before we turn to Scripture, I want to make one quick point...and I will do so by asking this question. Thinking back to the title of this post...did it offend you? I certainly hope it did. I hope that to ask the question of whether or not Jesus possessed a sin nature makes you upset because this addresses one of the key points that I wish to make. For Jesus to have been able to sin, He would have required a sin nature, would He not? And was Jesus not born of a virgin in order that He might be born free of the curse of man? Was this not prophesied from the very beginning (Genesis 3:15)? One might hear the rebuttal that Adam and Eve were likewise not born with a sin nature and yet they still sinned, and that therefore Christ also could have sinned. I would reply, however, that neither Adam nor Eve possessed the divine nature of God...neither one was God made man. Jesus was fully human, without a doubt. But He was also fully God. His two natures were not in conflict, but completely and perfectly united, so that even while wrapped in frail humanity, He was infused with the power of divinity...nay, He was and is divinity! Remember that we are not speaking of Greek mythology here, where demigods possessed were half man and half god...no, Jesus was the God-man. God in the flesh. The mistake too many people make is that they want to treat each one of His natures as if they are separate and unable to influence each other. Jesus' divine nature was there along with His human nature, so that were we to assume that His human nature could have desired to sin, His divine nature would not have permitted it! As one author said, whom I am unable to credit due to my inability to remember who it was, Jesus' human nature did not act independently of His divine nature! And yes, Adam sinned in the garden, but assuming he received forgiveness for his sins and we will see him in heaven (which I think is true), will he be able to sin then? Will we? When we inhabit our resurrected bodies or live in our glorified ones, will we have the ability to sin? If not, why not?

Do you see that it is our messed up view of what it means to be truly human that confuses us? We look at ourselves and think Jesus had to have been able to sin because He was like us...but we should instead look to Him and realize that we will one day be just like Him in His humanity! Perfectly human. To sin is not a natural trait of humanity, only of fallen humanity. Jesus was born human, but brothers and sisters, take care that you do not suggest He was born with that nature common to fallen man, for He was not!

Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

This is one of those verses that supports the doctrine of the immutability of Christ. In other words, Jesus never changes. Think about it. Was Jesus able to sin before the Incarnation? Can He sin now? Well then why would you even want to suggest that He could sin when He walked upon the earth? Especially in the light of the absence of any passage that specifically says He could have done so? The inspired words of Scripture clearly state that He's always been the same from the very beginning. In other words, from before the foundation of the earth! Dare we contradict the Word itself?

Hebrews1:1-4

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the
express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

Again, this verse speaks to the very nature of Christ. He was, throughout time, the very brightness of the glory of the Father and the express image of His person! In all ways He is the Person of the Triune whom we can look upon without any fear of dying. Such a countenance as is His is free of any desire to sin...

Brothers and sisters, let us be clear. What dare we suggest when we state that Jesus could have sinned? Do we suggest he lusted after women? If the ever misunderstood Hebrews 4:15 says what the defenders of His peccability maintain, then does that mean that the pedophile can turn to Christ in the full confidence that our Lord understands his weaknesses because He experienced it? How hateful a thing to say, yet in some way it must be believed since the one who holds to that position maintains that this is the clear meaning of the verse! But what if instead of this, the verse speaks in respect to the weakness of the human flesh as Jesus knew it...in the things that are common to man. The weaknesses thereby referred to would be the weakness of the body, for He tired as easily as the next man. The weakness of hunger, for He knew pangs of hunger just as we do, and the devil tempted Him through this weakness. Does it follow, however, that Jesus must have wanted to give in to temptation? What if it is as A.W. Pink says, that “[t]his text teaches that the temptations of Christ were 'without sin' in their source and nature, and not merely, as the passage is sometimes explained, that they were 'without sin' in their result. The meaning is not, that our Lord was tempted in every respect exactly as fallen man is-by inward lust, as well as by other temptations—only He did not outwardly yield to any temptation; but that He was tempted in every way that man is, excepting by that class of temptations that are sinful, because originating in evil and forbidden desire.”

In other words, we may be tempted and consider giving into the temptation because our very natures are sinful, not yet fully sanctified. Christ, however, did not have this sin nature and
thereby did not ever consider giving into temptation.

Look at it this way: James 1:13 says that we should “let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

So Jesus, being God, could not be tempted by evil. This verse reveals a tension that exists in the very concept of temptation. For you see, I can easily say that I am tempted to lust by a beautiful woman. I must struggle to not sin when the temptation of a provocatively dressed woman comes before me. So I am being tempted by her presence, and am being tempted in my desires. This is exactly what James continues with in verse 14, where we read that “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”

You see in this a clear distinction in the concept of temptation. If I struggle to overcome a particular temptation to sin, it is because of my base desires! If, however, somebody places a magazine of nude women within my reach, I may be tempted in the sense that something or someone is attempting to entice me, but I am NOT being tempted in the sense that I must struggle within my being. There is no inward struggle simply because this is not one of
the temptations with which I can be actually enticed. So in this sense, I have not been tempted...while being tempted! Another way of phrasing this would be to say that I can be tempted and not succumb to temptation in any form whatsoever.

Jesus, being God in the flesh, was dead to sin, and could not sin.

A final thought: Returning to the concept I introduce above regarding temptation, I found two definitions in the dictionary:

1. Temptation is “an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological (including feeling guilt), health, economic, etc.”

2. Temptation “also describes the coaxing or inducing a person into committing such an act.”

I have no problem stating that Jesus was tempted in the second sense...but I stand firmly against the idea that His temptation falls into the first category!

This is all I have time to write for now. I think I shall continue to study and flesh out a longer paper on this issue, but I wanted to take the time to write this brief thesis in order to put it up on my blog tonight. I welcome any questions or concerns regarding this, and I hope everyone takes it in the spirit of love with which I have written it.

God Bless!

"Preaching for God's Glory" by Alistair Begg

2009-02-18T22:01:00.002-07:00

ISBN #978-158134-123-2

Preaching is something I've always wondered about...wondered in the sense that I ask myself whether this is something I feel called to do. I know that I love teaching the Word, and every day when I read the Bible I ask myself how I could present what I've read to somebody else. I've never yet been able to provide myself with an answer to this important question though. Until now.

After reading reading this little booklet by Alistair Begg, (there are only 47 pages) I have discovered that while I love the Word of God, it is the teaching aspect I love most of all. I do not, however, have the temperament to be a true under-shepherd for the people of God. More on this later.

In this very helpful book, aimed at those in the ministry, Begg makes a strong case for expository preaching being the most biblical manner for pastors to teach their flocks. And by expository he does not necessarily mean that week after week one should teach verse by verse through books of the Bible. In fact, he says that “[t]eaching the Bible in this way should not mean a lack of variety. In fact, the variety inherent in the Bible itself should be present in our preaching. Expository preaching need not be limited to exhaustive and exhausting studies through books of the Bible. Ninety percent of what I do is careful study of particular Bible books, but we can also do character studies or a series on the parables in Luke or on key Christian doctrines and tackle each of them in an expository form. For example, in preaching on the matter of temptation we can expound the first half of James 1 rather than pulling together material from all over the Bible. We serve our people best when we make clear that we are committed to teaching the Bible by teaching the Bible!”

This practice he refers to of pulling verses from all over Scripture in order to fit the message of the preacher is something that particularly annoys me personally. It is the message of our God that I want to hear, and I will hear it best when the Word is put in its context! When preachers use the method of “cherry picking” it is too often because they themselves have a message they want to impart rather than because of wanting to present what it was they learned through their careful study of the Word.

There are benefits too, in preaching the Word in an expository manner. In chapter four, Begg mentions the following:

It Gives Glory to God Alone: Expository preaching gives glory to God, which ought to be the ultimate end of all we do.
It Makes the Preacher Study God's Word: Expository preaching demands that the preacher himself become a student of the Word of God.
It Helps the Congregation: Expository preaching enables the congregation to learn the Bible in the most obvious and natural way.
It Demands Treatment of the Entire Bible: Expository preaching prevents the preacher from avoiding difficult passages or from dwelling on his favorite texts.
It Provides a Balanced Diet: Expository preaching assures the congregation of enjoying a balanced diet of God's Word.
It Eliminates Saturday Night Fever: Expository preaching liberates the preacher from the pressure of last-minute preparation on Saturday night.

One of the things I appreciated about that very last point was that Begg pointed out how liberating it can be for a preacher to always know what he will be preaching..and preaching in an expository manner insures that the preacher never lacks material! I remember how at a church I used to attend, the preacher and his staff would go on a yearly retreat where they would plan out the series for the coming year. Why they needed a whole week of camping to determine this is beyond me, but I suspect a weekend (if that!) would have been sufficient if expository preaching had been the norm rather than the exception!

Begg's booklet also points out the types of preachers that too often arise when a preacher does not practice expository preaching, including the cheerleader, the psychologist, and the entertainer. He discuses these and others briefly...and unless you are so privileged as to attend a church where the pastor is commited to expository preaching, you will too readily recognize your own preacher on this list!

Although written for those in the ministry, I highly recommend this book to everyone! After all, us laypeople are called to be students of the Word also, and to study it carefully we should approach it with all of the reverence it deserves.

So how do I know I am not called to the ministry? Simply because in teaching the Word of God I already have my ministry. I may not be currently teaching in a Sunday school class, but I am privileged to teach to my kids and their friends once a month during our sword-tag events. I also have started teaching my younger son through the Psalms as often as possible in the evenings, and by the grace of God I am able to teach through my interaction with co-workers and through my blog. Pastors, however, have a more distinct calling than teaching...though that is it's most important function in my mind. In addition to their teaching, pastors must also minister to a myriad of other spiritual needs among the flock. They must be gentle as needed and stern when required to be. Above all, and I may be wrong here, they have to walk gently and be somewhat political. I know myself too well to think that I could do all of these things! Whether right or wrong, I see things pretty much in black and white. So I conclude that I am not called to the ministry in this sense, but I still must fulfill my own calling as best as I can...as should we all!

Please, my brethren, read this book. It will only take you a couple of days if not one day...and you'll be blessed by it and come to appreciate your pastors if they practice expository preaching. If they don't, then you will be able to exhort them to do so! Good luck with that. :)

God Bless!

"The Life of Arthur W Pink" by Iain H. Murray

2009-02-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

isbn #0-85151-883-4

I have long been an admirer of the works of AW Pink and after reading this biography on him I have become an admirer of the man himself. The biography itself was exceptionally written, as one would expect from any work by Mr. Iain H. Murray. What I like most about the biography, however, is the fact that while Murray has written very respecftully of his subject, he cannot be said to have written overly admiringly of Pink. On the contrary, he has painted a complete picture of the man, warts and all. In areas where Murray felt the need to point out possible mistakes that he felt Pink made regarding decisions in ministry, he still presented all the facts of the situation, allowing the reader to come to his or her own conclusions.

I have always felt that we as Believers should spend some time reading biographies of godly men and women, that we might be encouraged in our own walk and grow in our appreciation for the saints of God that came before us. The life of this particular man is one I maintain should be studied by the saints...and this specific biography is the one to begin with. I highly recommend it.
Having said this, I would like to share some of what I read, just to provide you with the necessary inducements! :)

The first thing, the best thing, is the narrative of Pink's conversion. It is a beautiful account, and all such accounts should fill the people of God with thankfulness over the mighty Sovereign work of salvation. We should always rejoice when a soul is redeemed! Here, then, is the account:

"He was now twenty-two years of age, and ...deeply involved in the occult..." Murray goes on to say that "[h]is father always waited up until his son returned from meetings late in the evening and to Arthur's annoyance often accompanied his 'Good-night' with some brief but telling word of Scripture. ONe such evening, in the year 1908, as Pink hurriedly passed his father and dashed upstairs to his room, the text which he received was, 'There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death' (Prov. 14:12). As he shut the bedroom door...the text remained with him and so disturbed his concentration that work was impossible." Murray next goes on to quote from some very good friends of Pink: "He, A.W.P., told us that he could no longer reject the God of the Bible and began to cry unto the Lord in prayer, convicted by the Holy Spirit and his power to bring a soul to see his lost condition and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. His early training [from his parents] taught him about our Lord, but now, like Paul of old, was the appointment with a Holy Sovereign God. For almost three days he did not leave his room to join the family, but his father and mother prayed, and in late afternoon on the third day A.W.P. made his appearance and his father said, 'Praise God, my son has been delivered.'" (from page 10-11)

Two things on this passage: 1) What a testimony to the love of parents! His father never gave up praying for his son, despite the fact that at this time Pink was involved in spiritualism. What a reminder for those of who have children to remain faithful to the teaching of our children. And when the teaching is done with and they have entered adulthood, if thay have not come to faith, then we must pray for their salvation regularly. Only the Calvinist has the full assurance that God can answer such a prayer, for the Arminian must of necessity believe that all God can do is plead with the sinner. 2) This passage also provides a cautionary note for those who have attacked AW Pink for his strong beliefs. I know of some who refuse to refer to him as a brother in Christ, and who post hateful videos against this saint on YouTube. Why? Because he was a Calvinst and not ashamed of it. O what a divisive thing is this Calvinism...its very existence infuriates those who love their free will more than the holy God of the Bible! If after reading this narrative of Pink's conversion, and knowing about the stalwart life he lead in the service of Christ, one can still deny that he was a true servant of the Most High...then there are serious heart issues with that person!

As I've already mentioned, Murray is a very fair biographer with no axe to grind. Although he opposes many of Pink's doctrinal conclusions (though he is quick to suggest many of these were due to Pink's early misunderstandings) and his final almost hermitical existence, he praises his subject where he feels it is merited. Ultimately, he concludes with this passage, in which he begins with a letter received by Pink:

"Your own history is very staggering," a friend once wrote to him. "It is most mysterious that your mouth should be closed as to a public oral ministry." Now, half a century later, we may see alittle more of its meaning and give thanks to God. The present write [Murray] can do no better than concur with the opinion that Dr. Belcher gave at the conclusion of his biography of our subject:

He feels he is not worthy to tie the shoe strings of a man such as Arthur W. Pink. That was not the conviction of this writer when he began his long study of Pink, though even then he had a respect for him. That is the conviction of the writer now as he has got to know the man and his heartbeat through his many writings."

I can now certainly add myself to this conviction. The man I knew as an author of worthy writings I have come to love as a brother in Christ...no, as a superior in the faith. To think that God has periodically given us men such as Pink is a measure of His love for the church.

Ultimately, the best I can say as to the power of Murray as a biographer is that he managed to bring to life the man he wrote about. When I came to the last days of Arthur W. Pink, just yesterday morning, I cannot deny that I shed tears. I actually felt as if a dear loved one had passed on. Throughout the day, as I thought over this peculiar response on my part, I realized that it was because Pink came alive for me in this biography. Though I knew he had passed on to be with the Lord in the year 1952, still I had followed the path of his life from his younger days, and so when the moment came I felt such a loss. I have now added his name to the list of men I plan to spend some time chatting with when I reach heaven myself!

Our Faith & Our Works: A Study of James 2:14-19

2009-02-14T17:12:00.003-07:00

Today was our sword-tag meeting and aside from my two older boys we had 4 additional teens show up, one of them a new one who came with another member. He enjoyed himself and wants to come next time! Three other boys who normally come were not feeling well and did not make it, and then two others have stopped coming...I'm not sure why but I suspect it has to do with parental dislike of my teaching and/or company!

Regardless though, the following is the lesson I presented today for the boys who came. The teaching period went really well, with questions asked and most of the kids taking part in the discussion. I pray the Lord will use what I present to lead these kids to a faithful walk.

Well, here is the lesson:

Our Faith & Our Works:

A Study of

James 2:14-19

Our text today is from James 2:14-26, but first I'd like us to look at a very powerful passage found in Matthew 7:21-23. Here we read the following:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"

Jesus is emphatically saying that there are and will be people who do things in His name, and even appear to believe themselves His followers, who are actually headed straight into everlasting hell. Indeed, He refuses them entry into heaven and they complain about this...His reply? I never knew you! Note the ending of verse 23..."you who practice lawlessness!" The works they did, the wonders of which they speak, it was all lawlessnes!

Ask: Why? (Discuss)

Let us set this passage aside for a moment. We will return to it soon, but let us now look at our main text.

Read James 2:14-17

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

James appears to be questioning the idea that faith alone can save you, doesn't he? Yet one of the battle cries of the Reformation was Sola Fe! (Faith Alone). This was a clear cry for a return to the biblical concept that your works cannot save you, that only the work of Christ on the cross is able to save anyone. This is one of the principles upon which the Protestant churches (the true ones anyhow) base their teachings. How do we reconcile these words from the pen of James, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself! First of all, remember that there are no contradictions in the Word of God. One of the most important principles of Bible study is that the Scriptures interpret the Scriptures. In other words, we rely upon the whole Bible to help us make sense of any particular passage.

It has often been said that the simplest reading of Scripture is the best. And while there is much truth in that, I say to you that it is the reading of Scripture that aligns correctly with the "whole counsel of God" which is the best! Simplicity is not always best, and such readings often lead to some pretty serious error, including the idea that you can lose your salvation and that Jesus was divine but not God. No, little brothers, when you study any passage of Scripture, seek to understand it in light of other passages. Test it against other portions of Scripture, and then you will find its meaning.

Let us then examine these words of James. You have likely already picked up on it, but one clue is found within this very passage.

The question is asked, what good is it to say you have faith if there is no proof? Encountering people in trouble and saying "I will pray for you" but not doing anything to help them here and now, when you have the ability to do so, is not very helpful. It may give you a pious feeling to say it, but it has not really been helpful! Note that James likens this to a faith without any works. It is as useless to say "I will pray for you" to a naked hungry person as it is to say you have faith but no fruit. You have a faith that is not genuine...it is dead.

Saying "be warmed and filled" does not actually warm or fill a person does it? So saying you have faith but never doing the works that MUST come from a saving faith actually fails to save you. In other words, faith WILL produce works...a lack of works is a pretty good indication that your faith is pretty dead.

Before we proceed, do not misinterpret what I am saying in regards to prayer. I am not saying it is useless to pray. Neither am I saying that if you come to faith but have no works you lose that faith. On the contrary, I want to show you that James is teaching that if your faith produces no works it was never true, genuine, and saving faith. We will see this much more clearly in the next few verses.

Read James 2:18-20

"But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

Interesting narrative here. Someone may well object to James and he has the rebuttal at hand. He has said in the previous verses that faith must be combined with works in order to truly save. Again, not that the works assist the faith in saving us, but that the two must exist together. He has addressed those who say they have faith, even as they fail to produce any works. Now someone may say "I have works!" Yay. They think this has saved them...that good works aside from trust in God is sufficient. Now comes the classical reply:

"Show me your faith without works"

Ok...you say you have works. Where is your faith? How come you to know what faith is? And don't point to works as proof of your faith!

"and I will show you my faith by my works"

Tit for tat. Try to show me that faith without pointing to any works...I will rest upon my faith because of my works!

Little brothers, it is important that you understand this distinction. It is crucial. You see, on the one hand there is someone who says they are doing works because it might save them. But what are they lacking? Faith! Now James says to them that point to his works and replies that his works are a manifestation of his faith! Just as having faith without works points to a dead faith, so works without faith points to a useless labor!

In fact, he then says:

"You believe that there is one God. You do well."

If you are basing your eternal security upon believing, generally, in God, you are acting foolishly! It is not believing IN God that saves you, it is believing HIM!

"Even the demons believe- and tremble!"

Oh what a relevation is given here to us! What a warning about what our faith must rely upon! The demons know Jesus! Remember that the demon possessed man in Acts 19:15 knew Paul and knew Jesus! But what does it matter if they believe? Are they saved? Of course not! Why not?

Their belief, their faith if you will, is an acknowledgment of their existence but NOT of the authority of God. There is no faith that God is true! There is no rest in His promises!

Let us look again at Matthew 7:21-23

Ask) Can someone address this passage now, in light of what we've learned today?
Ask) Why does Jesus say to these workers of wonders that He does not know them?

(Discuss)

I urge you, little brothers, examine your lives that you might not find yourselves someday wondering why Jesus does not recognize you. Do you claim to have faith? Then make certain that it is a living faith!

Close in prayer

Challenging Assurance & Contextualizing Scripture

2009-02-13T12:46:00.003-07:00

I hope the title here did not startle and make you think I'd started embracing heresy! :)

I found these videos during my break and thought I'd post them. They are really really good so I hope you take the time to view them and to be challenged by them.

Arthur W. Pink: Various Quotes

2009-02-11T22:54:00.005-07:00

Some of you dear readers know that I am reading Arthur Pink's biography written by Iain H. Murray. I am on page 247 but wanted to share some of what I've read. This book is taking me longer to read because it is so good I find myself re-reading chapters! :) In addition to this, much of what Murray relates about Pink just makes me pause to meditate on the Word...yes, it's that good!

Anyhow, here are just a few quotes from yesterday's and today's readings:

"In preaching to the unsaved I never did anything more than I do in my articles: presented the truth of God so far as I knew it, and left the Holy Spirit to applyh and bless it as he saw well." - from page 174

This quote struck me powerfully because when I was teaching Sunday school at a SBC church a couple of years ago, the Sunday school director told me I needed to start my studies out with a joke in order to get people's attention. That I was just jumping into review from the previous week and right into the passage for the current week and this was not a good way of teaching. He also said it was MY job to provide application...NOT the Holy Spirit!! I wish I could go back to that time and been more forceful in my reply to him.

"...Christendom is reaping today the evil sowings of the last two or three generations, particularly the unscriptural 'evangelistic' methods that have been employed- the demand for visible 'results', the lusting after numbers. Thousands have been pressed into 'making a profession' and rushed into 'joining the church'." - from page 175

"We have no sympathy whatever", he writes, "with the bald and unqualified declaration, 'Once saved always saved.'" To illustrate the reason for his disagreement he quotes " a publication by a widely-known Bible institute" in which the writer speaks of his visit to a murderer in prison awaiting execution, in the following words: "I had no right to offer him a pardon from the State...but I could tell him of the One who took his place on Calvary's cross. Thank God! I found that man clear on the plan of salvation, for years ago under the ministry of ...he had accepted Jesus as his personal Saviuor. But through the years he had grown cold and indifferent: he had lost his fellowship with his Lord, not his salvation. And the result was a life of sin." Such a statement, Pink argued, was a flat contradiction in terms. "The Saviour is the Holy One of God who saves His people "from their sins" (Matt 1:21) and not in their sins: who saves them from the love and dominion of their sin...Divine salvation is a supernatural work which produces supernatural effects. It is a miracle of grace that causes wilderness to blossom as the rose. It is known by its fruits. It is a lie to call a tree good if it bears evil fruit. Justification is evidenced by sanctification. The new birth is made manifest by a new life." - pg. 178

Following this, Murray quotes A.W. Tozer, who was a contemporary of Pink.

"The doctrine of justification by faith - a biblical truth,and a blessed relief from sterile legalism and unavailing self-effort- has in our time fallen into evil company and been interpreted by many in such a manner as actually to bar men and women from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may now be "received" without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is "saved" but he is not hungry and thirsty after God."

Imagine the anguish Tozer and Pink would be in were they to see the church of OUR age!!!

One final quote, this one on God's sovereignty. This was written to a man who accused him of spending too much focus on the issue:

"Probably 95% of the religious literature of the day is devoted to a setting forth of the duties and obligations of men. The fact is that those who undertake to expound the responsibility of men are the very ones who have lost the "balance of truth" by ignoring very largely the Sovereignty of God. It is perfectly right to insist on the responsibility of man, but what of God? - has He no claims, no rights? A hundred such works as this are needed, and ten thousand sermons would have to be preached throughout the land on this subject, if the "balance of truth" is to be regained...Surely there is far more danger of making too much of man and too little of God, than there is of making too much of God and too little of man."

I hope these quotes convict and exhort us to greater study and reverence of God.

God bless!