Moments With Matt

Accountability

2012-01-30T12:40:00.001-08:00

I am still working through Hioliness by Grace, by Bryan Chapell. He was talking about mercy in the chapter I am in, and interjected a unique experience that reminded me of the values of relationships in the church, especially personal relationships that may know the intimate details of our lives.

He writes (referring to a conversation he had with another pastor), "He said he had discovered that his own walk with the Lord could be charted according to his level of accountability to other Christians. He said, “I have discovered in the Christian life that you are moving either toward or away from accountability.” Very few healthy things in the Christian life happen in secret. If you cannot or will not tell your spouse, your peers, or your superiors about something, then accountability falters. Our immersion in and integrity with these patterns of Christian association and accountability are ordinary means by which we grow in godliness."

When I read this, I am certainly reminded of the ebbs and flows in my own life in relationship with Christ. The moments that I seem to have the greatest level of intimacy with him are certainly identified when I am at my most transparent moments, vulnerable, and honest with others in my life.

For over a year now I have been working hard to maintain an accountability relationship with a mentor of mine from my early days of becoming a follower of Jesus by grace through faith. This friendship provides encouragement, stability, strength, and helps to prevent me from wandering away from the Lord into sin. Between my friend, my wife, and my attempts to be transparent with my fellow elders (other peers) I a convinced the flow is in the greater, growing level of intimacy with Jesus. These are the people who have spurred me on to a better relationship with Jesus. I am more inclined to wrestle against my flesh, more resolved to battle every day, and intentional in my efforts for sacrificial living.

I trust that you wil consider your own life, specifically whether you are moving toward or away from accountability. I hope that you will make any necessary steps to instill accountability in your life to afford the means to grow in godliness.

Eyes For You

2011-12-02T07:02:00.000-08:00

I was reading a devotion by C.H. Spurgeon and was reminded of the phrase, "I only have eyes for you.". You might have heard some young man say that to the girl he is courting or to his wife. I have been around a few people in my life who live in such a way with their wives. My Grandfather exhibited that kind of love with my Grandmother, it was incredible to watch. What is more telling though than any earthly relationship though is what the Lord does for us His bride. Spurgen was commenting n a verse in the Song of Solomon, which is a book that many believe is an allegory of the Lord and the church, His Bride. Song of Solomon 4:7 reads, "You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you."

The reason it can be said that the bride is altogether beautiful, and there is no flaw is because the Lord is at work in His Bride. Spurgeon gives reason why . . .

He views her in Himself, washed in His sin-atoning blood and clothed in His meritorious righteousness, and He considers her to be clothed in comeliness and beauty. No wonder that such is the case, since it is but His own perfect excellency that He admires; for the holiness, glory, and perfection of His Church are His own glorious garments on the back of His own well-beloved spouse. She is not simply well proportioned; she is altogether beautiful!she has actual merit! Her deformities of sin are removed; but more, she has through her Lord obtained a meritorious righteousness by which an actual beauty is conferred upon her.

You see, the Lord only has eyes for us, His bride. No matter the flaw of sin, or the deformity we may have, it is covered by his righteousness imputed (conferred upon) to us. With this in mind, I sense that I should respond more as he sees me, I should look down at the garments of grace and see myself as he sees me. It should cause celebration, it should transform living, habits, and thoughts, so that the garments are not dirtied by further disobedience and sin.

As a husband, this picture also makes me think about my call to love Katie as Christ loves the church. My calling is to have eyes only for her so that she fee altogether lovely; that her glory and satisfaction would be secured by godliness in me as I imitate Jesus and His love for His bride. When she finds her beauty to be superlative because I have made much of it (not just outward, but her character as much), I trust that she will find greater strength and be assured of her beauty and our love for one another will be evident to all. So I encourage you, to find yourself with the eyes of the Lord upon you and know His perception of you, and then, live a life that is pleasing to Him for the work He has secured, for you are altogether beautiful and you do have merit and you are priceless to Him.

Across the Bow

2011-10-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

I love movies like Master and Commander, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Mutiny on the Bounty. The impressiveness of the ships holds my attention easily, but even with awe when the battle scenes occur. One of the things that I have learned watching these movies is the proximity that is required when the battles ensue and I am often reminded of that phrase, "fire a warning shot across the bow."

In my studies of Genesis I believe that we "find a warning shot being fired across the bow" for parents. In chapter 34 we have the account of Jacob's sons and daughter. In verse 1 we read, "Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land." Unfortunately, the next verse expresses a tragic outcome to the visit. Scripture says, "When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the area, saw her, he took her and violated her."

This situation sheds light on a variety of principle issues that families face everyday. The first principle is that God's people should make their dwelling where the Lord is, obediently pursuing his plans. Jacob failed to do this for his family. Earlier the Lord had instructed Jacob to go to Bethel (the House of God), but Jacob stopped short, settling in the neighborhoods of Succoth and Shechem. Jacob should have settled where the Lord called him, especially in a location that would have offered the security of God's presence. Jacob wasn't going to serve effectively in a place God had not called him to.

Settling in the wrong place impacts the family in another way, because there is another principle violated. Evidently Dinah was lonely, needing female companionship. Who could blame her, she was very likely the only daughter among 11 boys. She was probably in her early to late teens and thought she was going to be able to handle the world. However unfortunately, she was allowed to go into the world unchaperoned.

Before we are too quick to jump to any conclusions about Dinah's character let's note a couple of things about Jacob at this point. As you continue to read this chapter you will notice that Jacob is very indecisive, he is invisible when decisions are enacted, he is concerned about his reputation rather than his daughter's and he abdicates the responsibility of justice. James Montgomery Boice writes the following in regards to this, "I do not know the source of Jacob's failures (spiritual poverty, weaknesses of character, or something else). But I do know where the failures of many of today's fathers come from. They come from being "too busy" or from being afraid that their children will hate them if they establish discipline and set household laws. If you are a father and have been failing in this area, reverse that failure, whatever your children may think."

The third principle that failed to register for Jacob is to remember that the world is wicked. You might want to argue with me at this point, but I would simply remind you of this truth. We fail to recognize that the evil of "good" people might be even worse - worse because we fail to recognize it as evil and we deny that it is evil. We become much like the frog in the kettle, when placed in when the water is cool it will stay all the while when the water is turned to boiling and it will die. Let us not allow our children to be brought up with this kind of environment, instead let us alert them to the dangers of the world.

Finally, the religious practices of Jacob's sons was not one of devotion to relationship with the Lord, but one of mere practical purposes. You see they abused their neighbors in Shechem by misusing the religious practices of their day. Sometimes we need to be cautious with those who claim to be of God because they can abuse those around them by false understanding and practices. This means that we need to be people who study the Word with care and discuss it with our children so that they possess the truth themselves and will not be abusive as they live out their faith.

I hope that this is a warning shot to all of us who are parenting so that we are committed to, courageous for, careful in, contrasting the world and communicative about our faith with the Lord Jesus so that our children will be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

More Than Gold

2011-09-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

I received an encouraging comment this week from a friend in our church. They referenced the passion I had while communicating a specific point of the message this week. In particular it was the remarks Job made regarding meeting his redeemer (Job 19:25). In thanking them for the encouragement I realized something that I hadn't consciously considered before. My response to their email was this, "I hope that what Job must have felt at that statement was captured a bit. It is one of the most remarkable declarations in Scripture!"

Now I know there is not much in that statement that is very profound, but as I typed it out I began to realize that oftentimes I approach the reading of Scripture without attempting to understand the lives, emotions, and soul impact of the moments that the writers and/or characters must have been experiencing. For Job, the depth of his conviction and his zeal for the LORD in the midst of failing health, friends who condemned, and a contentious wife, must have driven him to be extremely clear. They demanded this clarification, a bold statement, no more than a mere statement, it is a definitive declaration for his commitment to God. It is bold in many ways, theologically (which is where I always focused first), emotionally, relationally, rationally, and philosophically. I really get the sense that it consumed all of Job's being in that moment.

There is a song by a band named the Swift titled, More Than Gold, that captures what I am trying to express, maybe it will help you too. Here are the lyrics.

I heard Your word.
I crossed over to the holy side and saw what You can do.
But now I'm feeling like I could just die.
Seems it takes so long to get it right.

(Chorus)
More than gold, I love Your word. It speaks to me.
More than gold, I love Your word.
More than gold. I want to sing.
You know I do, but I can't sit still and just be in awe of You.

It seems like my fire always dies.
Why does it take so long to get it right?

(Chorus)

Let me draw near to You, then You draw near to me.
I need Your word more than gold.
Because I consider Your word, I hate everything that is without You.
(Chorus)

Surely Job, must have this same thought in mind, that if he had all of his possessions and all of his children but was without the person of God, his kinsman Redeemer, he would have been empty. Thus this unprecedented expression burst forth declaring his alignment, his allegiance, his answer, and his assurance. I hope that this is an encouraging example of how we can read the Word of God and be transformed as it speaks to us in a powerful way because it is alive and active and sharper than a double-edged sword. May the Lord bless you in the reading of His Word!

Reading With Your Children - More Than Reading

2011-08-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

At Christmas time last year Katie and I gave two books to our oldest children (Rebecca and Christian). They are the first two of four in the Wingfeather Saga, a series written by Andrew Peterson. I actually had the privilege of meeting Andrew several years ago when I was doing youth minister in East Tennessee. He is an incredible musician and I was excited to learn about these books from Jonathan Taylor Martin of Mosaic.

Unfortunately our kids didn't decide to jump into the books and even after some encouragement to read them. One of them actually began reading the first book and started complaining about the character development with great frustration. I waited to see if the book would be given a chance only to find it back on the shelf where it had sat for a few months. At that point I got my dander up a little bit and decided I was going to read the series and see if I could build a little encouragement and momentum.

Jonathan was absolutely correct in his recommendation and I was thrilled to be reading the series. I quickly finished the first two only to wait on the release of the third (yes now I am waiting on the fourth too, with eager anticipation). As great as the books are, what I noticed was very interesting as I began to drop comments about my enjoyment of Andrew's writing and the story line. Christian began to ask me questions and was amazed that I had finished them so quickly.

He had been dragging his feet to complete the reading I had assigned for the summer (Treasure Island), so I didn't anticipate the response when he picked up the first book and started into it. After about 2 days, maybe 8 chapters in he was coming to me and reporting on his progress in the story and started asking questions about the future of specific characters and trying to make guesses in the outcome of particular circumstances. Never did I give away anything in the story line, but I would drop some hint to cause him to think or just return his question with a raised eyebrow (at least raised to the best of my ability) which would drive him mad with intrigue at the future events for the characters.

He has almost finished the third book in the 4 weeks (Treasure Island took him about 8), and we had an incredible discussion about the characters, their flaws, their likenesses to real people. We discussed the hints of redemption that Andrew brings out through the story and enjoyed a great conversation about the benefits of this in our own lives. It brought a great spiritual lesson home to me.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." My son, Christian, caught the excitement of reading the books after I modeled excitement before him. He started understanding the symbolism and deeper matters of the books when we talked together. This made me realize that the manner in which our children will grasp the Gospel (Good News of Jesus Christ and all that it entails) is for us, as parents, to engage in a walk with Jesus which models the significance of the Gospel. As we are transformed by our friendship with Jesus, by our prayer life with the Father, and by the empowering of the Holy Spirit, our children will see this and most likely model Christ because of the value He holds for us. One day they will possess their own faith, but for now, I sure want to set Christ before them as I imitate Him. That doesn't happen merely by reading a book, but it happens by embracing them in relationship as Christ has embraced us.

So What About Love?!?

2011-06-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since my last blog and I can't seem to get this topic of Love off of my mind. It has been resonating with me for several weeks and God has me circling the issue during these weeks. I want to share a brief outlook on 1 Corinthians 13, but don't think it will be a typical approach and so tune out.

A few weeks ago while at Student Life Camp, the Lord addressed me about a specific attitude that was becoming a source of contention between me and Him. Obviously I was the one who was having the problem and needed the correction. On Monday night 1 Corinthians was read and the Lord subtly said to me, "This is where you are struggling and need to correct a matter in your heart." I was immediately shocked and began taking inventory of some things that I was dealing with.

What struck me is found in verse 7, which describes 4 things that Love does in relationships. First let's look at love bearing all things. The word bears (ESV), can mean to "cover" and when it is used without an object it means to endure. However, because endure occurs later, that is an unlikely interpretation of Paul's intent. Most likely that intent emphasizes the importance of keeping silent about unfavorable matters. That means that when a matter may prove embarrassing or someone is belittled by their actions, our actions should not accentuate and bring notice to it. When the action may prove to be harmful or be habitual sin that indicates hardening should we engage in some manner of public notice to bring amends, providing forgiveness and reconciliation.

I am sure that you have observed someone become exacerbated as their mistake was announced by the bullhorn of someone with little discretion. There was most likely damage done in relationships, hindrance in sanctification, and ultimately harm done to the individual and possibly in a corporate setting as well (either family, church, group, club, etc.).

Then Paul says that love believes all things. allow me to quickly state that this belief is grounded in the context of the truth, mentioned in verse 6. It doesn't afford a license to believe whatever you want, like Oregon was the best football team in 2011, despite their loss to Auburn in the National Championship game. Believing all things means that the one who loves is apt to make the best of things. I must confess that often there are events that have tainted my faith in people and my first inclination is to assume the worst and reluctantly think the best might ever happen. The part that makes this difficult is the candor that is required in relationships. I can only say that the proverbs remind us that the wounds of a friend can be trusted and enemies will multiply kisses. We need to be able to speak with candor, but it must be done gently and with the motivation of love, this biblical love.

The third quality of love is that it hopes all things. This means wishing the best for all men, not seeking vengeance, nor wishing ill or harm. Instead hoping for all things has an eternal perspective and presents an eternal power that they will be offer reconciliation to Jesus and peace among people. This is truly the reward of love.

The final quality that love exemplifies is its ability to endure all things. This means that love holds fast, sustaining injury and ill usage. As a parent this really spoke to me for loving our children often means we have been injured emotionally by their disobedience, our advise misused, our preparations and efforts discarded in their selfishness. In the midst of those moments we may not always appropriately express the love we possess for them, nonetheless the love remains and it is extensive.

In ministry (or the church) these matters can really be overlooked and only maintained as the status quo. I would hope that we, as Jesus' followers, would love like he loved us. I recently taught on the meaning of servanthood. In Galatians 5:13-14 Paul tells us to serve one another through love. He then repeats the command of Jesus to love your neighbor as yourself. Genuine biblical servanthood will exhibit the love of Christ to one another because we are His slaves, obedient to Him (Romans 6), producing an incredible fellowship among believers, which is attractive to those not knowing Jesus.

Mutual Respect Affords Peace and Potential

2011-01-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

In Genesis 21 we discover an interesting encounter between Abraham and Abimelech. Hopefully you recall the earlier meeting between these two in Genesis 20. Abraham had left the area of Mamre and gone to the territory of Negeb, where Abimelech, the king of Gerar lived. Abraham, fearing the heathen king and his people once again presented Sarah, his wife to be his sister. God punished Abimelech during this time for he had taken Sarah to be his wife, However, Abimelech had not consummated the marriage and when the Lord issued a warning Abimelech repented and restored Sarah to Abraham.

So in Genesis 21 when the two have an encounter over a stolen well, there is a potentially volatile situation these men are facing. As followers of Jesus we can learn some valuable lessons as we also relate to people who do not fear the Lord and hold different values from us. We should intentionally engage in relationships with a short-term goal for peace and a long-term goal for the glory of God and the transformation of lives by Him.

First note that these two men possessed a mutual respect for one another. If you read Genesis 21:22-24, you will see that Abimelech acknowledges Abraham's faith in God and approaches him based on that faith. Abraham senses that respect and he responds accordingly. This is especially interesting when we consider the predicament that Abraham placed Abimelech in when he lied about Sarah in their first encounter. Abimelech obviously gained respect for Abraham and the God that he served, despite Abraham's lack of faith and compromise. Evidently despite Abraham's struggle he also gave enough evidence of his faith and the power of God to impact Abimelech. I am sure that people today witness the struggles followers of Jesus experience. One challenge is for us to express the might of our God in a way through our lives that we build respect amongst men.

How we build this respect when we also struggle is key. First it is built through the establishment of peace. Too many times people, especially Christians, want to establish hard and fast boundaries that often times offend. Abraham could have done this very thing with Abimelech. He could have attacked Abimelech for a number of reasons, his lack of leadership, allowance of rebellion, and potential flattery. Instead Abraham takes Abimelech's offer and fortifies it by his declaration to the Lord and further commitment by the covenant he initiates.

I wouldn't always suggest going into a serious agreement with an unbeliever, but this obviously affords a distinct opportunity for the influence of Godliness in Abimelech's life. Abraham seizes the opportunity and openness of Abimelech to engage in the covenant. Can you imagine the further explanation and reasoning Abraham had opportunity to give as they participated together in this ceremony of commitment. He would have had the privilege of sharing the moment that he experienced the covenant with God. He would have discussed the justice that was required to maintain the peace. He could have talked of the child of promise found in Isaac and the future of hope.

I believe that in our culture today there is a greater need to model this type of behavior to gain influence. I am convinced that it will be far more effective than becoming separatists or constantly protesting the ills of the world. Remember, Jesus was accused of eating with tax collectors and sinners. And when approached about it he said that he "came not to call the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9:13)."

So today, might you consider the opportunities that you possess to build relationships with those in need of Jesus. How is it that you can present situations for peace and secure opportunities for justice and righteousness to influence, not in condemnation or judgment through conflict, but in the mark of merciful peace and mutual respect for people created in the image of God?

Nehemiah's Adversaries

2011-01-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

I often visit the book of Nehemiah when considering matters of leadership. This Old Testament account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem provides great insight into what leadership requires, the necessity of clear vision, the accomplishment of the vision and the investment and requirements on people employed in the work of God. As I have revisited the book in light of our church life I asked a question that took a bit of research and growing understanding of the context of Nehemiah. My question is this, why did Sanballat, Tobiah and the Arabs who came against Nehemiah when he began building the wall, not do so before reconstruction began? I think I found the answer.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer for Artaxerxes the King of Persia. The historical context is that Nehemiah was returning to Jerusalem when the land was under the rule of Persian Empire. This was after the rule of the Assyrians and Babylonians, which as you may recall were under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. The Persian Empire was the largest of these empires historically, ruling as far north east as modern Turkey (even into portions of Greece), as far south as Northern Egypt, and as far west as Iran, encompassing Iraq as well.

Sanballat was a Samaritan, a mixed people group of northern Israelites and foreign nationalities. The people of Tobiah were known as Ammonites. These were the descendants of Lot’s incestuous relationship with his youngest daughter. So I believe the reason they weren’t attacking Jerusalem was because they were simply content with her state of destruction. As long as the walls of the city lay in disrepair, it was a victory to them. They were conquered people just as the Jews were, but their status was improved by the shear ruin of Jerusalem. We know that the Samaritans were a people group of mixed nationality, and their religious views were very similar to the Israelites (for a good understanding of this you can read John 4:1-45 to understand Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well). Historically the Ammonites sought to gain strength over the Israelites. Though their worship was vastly different (they worshiped Molech), they were intent on overpowering the Israelites to possess the best portions of land. It is no surprise that they would join forces with Sanballat and others to oppress the Jews.

Read the Scripture found in Nehemiah 4 and notice the attitude of these critics of the Israelites. “Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!”” (Nehemiah 4:1–3 ESV)

Later in the same chapter of Nehemiah we discover how Nehemiah's plan to have every work employed with spear and trowels thwarted the enemies. “When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.”
(Nehemiah 4:15–23 ESV)

Why is this significant for us today? I believe that if we are going to accomplish the purposes of God in the life of Coopertown Community Church, doing our part in God's Kingdom work, we too are going to face similar persecution. We are going to face enemies who are going to attempt to undermine the work of the Lord in His church. They will do whatever is in their power to deter the work of His Kingdom. I would venture to say that the enemies are not going to be formidable foes, like the mighty Persian Dynasty. Rather the enemies will appear to be similar to us in a lot of ways (possessing some of the same religious views and claiming some of the same heritage), yet they will critical of our work, elevating their own purposes. They may possibly promote some of the same values and goals as we have, but it will only be on the surface.

Here is my great concern, as long as we are in a state of complacency, contentment, or ease, we will find our efforts unopposed. However, when we move in line with God’s plan we must anticipate opposition and we must be prepared to labor with one hand at the task and ready with weapons of war in the other.

Therefore, it is appropriate for us to put on the full armor of God to stand firm in these situations. It is neccessary to put our hands to the work engaging in all that the Lord has in store for us in the year 2011. The things that we have celebrated, God's working in our past, and the matters we have proposed for tomorrow, cannot, and will not be sustained if we fail to commit to service together in prayer, in work, in rest, and in the efforts of Christ's Kingdom. My friends and family, may we follow the example of commitment found in the life of the Israelites as they grew in obedience to the Word of God with committed lives to the LORD. By doing this may it be said of us, "the work had been accomplished with the help of our God." (Nehemiah 6:16b)

Patience- It's Not Just Being Still

2010-11-29T12:58:00.000-08:00

Today I began preparing for my next message in the series, Watch for the Light, and in my studying began looking more specifically at Romans 8:24-25. I want to share some of the things I was impacted by as I read Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones commentary on the passage.

The Scripture reads, "For in this hope we are saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." (ESV) This is a passage which you are probably familiar with to some degree. It addresses the matter of hope consisting of that which is not seen, for if it were seen then it would be actual and not something in the future. Hope is about the promise of something coming to fruition. This means that hope is sustained by employing patience.

Most followers of Jesus don't like talking about patience because we think that some test will be quickly upon us. However, I think we are missing the best lesson from the topic. So, allow me to attempt to reshape your thinking.

First here is a definition of impatience. Impatience is expecting the real thing to happen somewhere else - therefore it means to go somewhere else to have that expectation fulfilled. I like this because it reminds me that God has given a multitude of promises in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, yet I often rely on some other means (usually my own plans or schemes) to see that those promises are fulfilled. That can be observed in the lives of Abraham and Sarah as they acted impatiently for God to provide the promised offspring, Isaac, by Abraham procreating with Hagar, the Egyptian servant.

Here is a definition of patience. Patience is nurturing the moment because it is the moment. When referring to Rom. 8:25, Lloyd-Jones says, "If we hope for what we do not see then we eagerly wait for it." What impressed me is that the outlook of patience is not a mere bored waiting, but an active eager anticipation of the promised to be fulfilled. It is finding that moment we are in and making the most of it with eager expectation.

Lloyd-Jones points to the consistency of patience being exemplified by Paul's statements in Philippians. In chapter 1:21ff Paul writes, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (the battle is clear between impatience and patience). If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor form me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the tow. My desire is to depart and be with Christ , for that is far better
(hope), But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account (patience). Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again (THE moment).

Now when you read chapter 3:12-16 let this formative thought on patience help you understand that patience is the pressing toward the mark (the upward call of God in Christ Jesus) while refraining from being captivated by the world. Remember that patience is aligning your affections on the things of the Lord and living out those affections to change the world when the moment presents itself.

I trust that as believers we will practice patience instead of just talking about it as a virtue of our faith. For it is far more than a virtue, it is an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which means we should be engaged in the living of it.

I encourage you to be patient, not bored, not simply waiting, but eagerly pressing toward the hope of who you are in Christ Jesus to make it your own.

Radical - Reading That Challenges

2010-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I last posted, you know life gets busy and I have always said that I can't allow my blog to something that wags my life. But now I have a few minutes extra and want to write on a book I am reading, titled, Radical, by David Platt.

I must admit that overall the majority of what he writes are things that I have considered before. However, there are definitely some things that he remarks on that are poignant for the church of America today. One such statement is found at the end of chapter three.

He writes, "Think about it. Would you say that your life is marked right now by desperation for the Spirit of God? Would you say that the church you are par of is characterized by a sense of desperation? Why would we ever want to settle for Christianity according to our ability or settle for church according to our resources?"

This resonated with me when I read it. I have been in ministry for 20 years in some manner, most being full-time vocational ministry; and I must confess that too many times we (both believers individually and churches corporately) are not marked by desperation for the Spirit of God. Instead we are marked by despondency, debasement, distortion, deception, and denial.

Platt writes, "Our great need is to fall before an almighty Father day and night and to plead for him to show his radical power in and through us, enabling us to accomplish for his glory what we could never imagine in our own strength."

In John 15:5, the Apostle John recorded Jesus saying, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." You are probably familiar with that, but sometimes our familiarity leads us to passivity. Instead this familiarity ought to lead us to radical faith in the one who abides and empowers us.

I encourage you to join me in praying. Pray that those who claim Jesus as Savior and Lord will live abandoned to God's purposes; and in that abandon, they will be open to permanent change because of the obedience of faith (Romans 16:26).

6 Principles to be More Effective Fathers

2010-06-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday we looked at Genesis 16 and 21 considering the transformation that had occurred in Abraham's life as he grew in his faithful obedience to God. From this message I want to remind you about 6 principles from Gordon MacDonald's book, The Effective Father.

1. Sharpen your sensitivity to your family’s needs by committing your inner being to God’s laws, fixing a foresightful eye on opportunities and hazards ahead. Doing so, enables you to make sure that every experience builds up your family and matures them.

2. Be devoted to become an instrument and model of the redemptive experience to your family.

3. Fill your families lives with perspectives and patterns that produce wisdom. Exemplify this by lovingly purging your lives (and theirs) of unwholesome influences and tendencies that impede their progress toward maturity.

4. Deliberately set as one of your life’s highest priorities the creation of conditions in your home that will stimulate the growth of your family to their full potential.

5. Accept and affirm your family for who they are while appreciating them for what they are accomplishing, all the while covering them with affection because they are yours.

6. Always be aware that you live on the edge of ineffectiveness and must continually reach out to God for wisdom and skill to accomplish His purposes.

I pray that Fathers and mothers as well will apply these principles to the parenting and relationships that godliness will increase now and in future generations.

Melchizedek, Jesus of that order

2010-05-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

One of the thoughts entering my mind as I have contemplated writing this blog on Melchizedek is, “Why do we need to carefully consider something in Scripture that gets just a small amount of attention? The name only occurs 10 times afterall.” My answer is that though there is relatively little information on Melchizedek, and though he is mentioned only 2 times in the Old Testament, his person relates to Jesus. Assuming we all want to know Jesus more intimately, understanding more about this Melchizedek who Jesus is connected with, will only help us know Jesus more intimately.

Let’s begin by examining the man Melchizedek as he is introduced in Genesis 14. First we discover that he is the King of Salem. We cannot be sure that his personal name was actually Melchizedek, it may have been a descriptive title given to him. We do know that the name is formed from two Hebrew words, “melek” meaning kings and “zedek” meaning righteousness. Second we find, Melchizedek recognized as a priest of God Most High. Note as well, that this is the first mention in Scripture of anyone being a priest, and in particular the priest of God.

Martin Luther suggests that the blessing given by Melchizedek recorded in the Scripture is only a short record of a much greater message. Luther believes the audience was reminded of the false inferior gods they served and then they were challenged to consider the God Most High, who alone does great wonders (in this instance the wonder was the victory secured for Abram and his 318 men over 4 kings joined in a military alliance).

So as a priest we find Melchizedek performing a blessing, emphasizing the superior nature of God, initiating worship, providing peace by his righteousness. James Montgomery Boice writes, “The trouble with so many people is that they want peace without righteousness. That is they want their sin, but they do not want to be troubled by its consequences.” It must be that peace can only occur when righteous offering is made. When we consider the offering Melchizedek brings, an offering of bread and wine, we ought to begin to understand the great provision that comes from this priestly order. Jesus identified these same elements as he instituted the Lord’s Supper. He told his disciples that the bread represented his body and the wine represented the blood that established a new covenant. Therefore we have in this priestly order a continued offering based on righteousness.

Now Melchizedek’s priestly order is clarified when we read Hebrews 7. The writer of Hebrews identifies similarities found in Jesus and the Melchizedek priesthood. First any priest from the Levitical priesthood is inadequate. It is inadequate because it was inferior to the priestly order of Melchizedek. By Abram, recognizing Melchizedek as priest of God Most High, acknowledges his inferiority. By Aaron and the Levites being offspring of Abram, they by nature are inferior to Melchizedek as well. Second, the Levitical priesthood is inadequate because it was perpetuated by “bodily descent” (Heb. 7:16). Jesus is superior in the line of Melchizedek because he is established as a priest in this order by the promised word of the Lord as recorded in Psalm 110, quoted here in Hebrews 7. The Levitical priesthood was inadequate as the priests were prevented from continuing in their office because of death. Jesus holds the priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Finally, because he is able to continue forever performing his priestly duties, those who draw near to God through him will find that Jesus, as Priest, continually makes intercession for them. Jesus, being without sin, was able to offer himself as a sacrifice once and for all. Through his holy, unstained, innocent and sanctified offering that sacrifice of his life was made, distinguishing him from the Levitical sacrifices and establishing that which is superior.

Finally, I want you to see ways in which Christ ministers like Melchizedek that impact us as believers. First Christ comes to us when we are weary. Can you imagine how weary Abram must have felt after the pursuit and battle with the kings. We too should remember that Christ comes to us and says that his yoke is easy and his burden light. I believe Melchizedek also appeared to encourage Abram to remember the victory is the Lord’s not his (Abram’s) own. We often cry out to the Lord in the midst of the chaos and then when the victory is realized we may forget that he was the source. Paul possessed a thorn in the flesh that was a reminder of his weakness and constant need to depend on Jesus for his strength. For every one of us, there is also more temptation and trial that we will face. Just like Melchizedek fed Abram the bread, Jesus should be our sustenance daily, for without him, we will surely fail. By Abram taking the bread and being strengthened, he was prepared to withstand the temptation in Bera’s offer of worldly success. Finally, Melchizedek offered peace to Abram. Jesus, being of the same order, offers us the same peace.

Grasping a bit of this rich background, we ought to worship differently, and live differently. The priesthood of Christ impacts our salvation primarily, because he secures it. It impacts our prayers, establishing effectual prayer because Jesus is the mediator of those prayers, enabling us to approach God with boldness. Jesus priesthood changes us, because we are now in line with him as his followers to be of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9ff). As Abram was impacted in his encounter with Melchizedek, we too should be impacted to worship with renewed fervor glorifying God.

I pray that you consider Melchizedek and the wonderful principles that can be gleaned as we study the Scripture and gain understanding to the beauty and full measure with which God reveals his nature, character, purpose, and power. For this are most definitely principles here that give us encouragement, peace, and daily provision allowing us to draw near to our God through Jesus our Lord.

Call Upon the Name of the Lord

2010-02-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

As I pointed out briefly on Sunday, In Genesis 4:26 there is this hopeful and redemptive statement that should secure our attention. The Scripture reads, “To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.”

As I was sharing some of my preliminary thoughts on what God is communicating in this passage with a friend he asked an interesting question and began a dialogue that was really exciting, and one I have been most eager to share with you. It began with a comment about the significance of “firsts” in the Bible. And we need to identify that this is the first place it is ever mentioned in Scripture of men’s recognition for the Lord’s intervention in their life.

First let’s notice something about the names of the two characters involved. Seth, the third born of Adam and Eve, means “set in place of.” It affirms the recognition of his parents of the Lord’s sovereign provision for a son to renew the lineage that would provide a lineage of godliness. Then we see that Seth gave his son the name Enosh, which means “frail one,” or “mortal.” This indicates that Seth recognized the weaknesses of humanity. And unlike his distant cousin Lamech, who grew in his pride, arrogance, and self-sufficiency, Seth wanted to emphasize his deep understanding of the insufficiency of man and the all-sufficiency of the Lord. Boice writes, “The line of Seth had recognized that sin was no mere imperfection of human nature but something destined to destroy both the individual and culture unless it should be overcome by the grace and power of almighty God. So these new individuals now threw themselves on God and trusted him wholly for their physical and spiritual salvation.” (James M. Boice – Genesis Vol. 1 pg 275.)

Martin Luther and John Calvin both recognized this as the initiation of the church. Calvin calls it “a miracle, that there was at that time a single family in which the worship of God arose.” (John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis pg. 144.) He further describes it by saying, “the face of the Church began distinctly to appear, and that worship of God was set up which might continue to posterity.” (Ibid) And Luther remarks, in this was “a small church . . . in which Adam, as high priest, rules everything by the Word and sound doctrine.” (Luther’s Works Vol. 1 pg. 327) So we might consider a very unique matter introduced in Genesis 4, the church of the living God is established when people call upon the name of the Lord.

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, employs a word here for the word “called,” which is epikaleisthai. This word occurs in the New Testament only one time in this exact construct. It is in Hebrews 11:16, which says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” If you remember Hebrews chapter 11 is often called the “Faith Chapter,” for in it the writer identifies the heroes of faith from the Old Testament accounts who followed after God in faith and obedience. I find it very interesting that this same construct is used to describe the promise of a prepared place for these faithful people.

So let’s do a little word study on the root of epikaleisthai. It comes from the root word e˙pikale÷w – epikaleo, which means to call on; to attach or connect a name, Acts 15:17; James 2:7; to attach an additional name, to surname, Matt 10:3; pass. to receive an appellation or surname, Heb 11:16; mid. to call upon, invoke, 2 Cor 1:23; to appeal to, Acts 25:11, 12, 21 – taken from The Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament, n.p.

The root word in the Greek is the word kaleo. This word is also the root for the word ekklessia, which is translated “church.” If we were to consider a few instances where this word is used in Scripture we would find the following. The word is used in Acts 15:17, a quote of Amos 9:11-12. It describes people who are identified as being the Lord’s. And in 1 Corinthians 1:2 we see the root used in three formations, once for the church, once for the gospel call, and the other to emphasize the calling on the Lord. Let’s look at this passage a bit more carefully. It reads, “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.” (italics mine)

When we see this word utilized in three different ways in this passage we can begin to get a sense of a comprehensive work of God in redemption. First, let’s deal with the word “church.” We know this to be a group of people believing in and trusting on Jesus death, burial and resurrection for the redemption of their lives. The church is a body of people who have responded in repentance and faith to the redemptive work he accomplished. This is clarified by the terms sanctified and saints, words that are derived from the root word, hagios, which literally means holy or set apart. The use emphasizes people set apart for God’s purposes. God is accomplishing his effectual work in the lives of those who are called to respond.

Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30? It reads, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Wayne Grudem summarizes it this way, “When the New Testament talks about people coming to salvation it speaks in terms of a personal response to an invitation from Christ himself. That invitation is beautifully expressed . . . in the words of Jesus.” Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology pg 694.) Can there be any greater “call” than that extended by Jesus? Can there be for us any greater privilege than to extend that call to any man to “come unto Jesus.”?

So we have seen that calling refers to the church, and calling refers an invitation to respond in repentance and faith to Jesus. Let’s look at the final aspect of calling. This is the calling that extends from men to the Lord. In Romans 10:14 Paul asks a few rhetorical questions, “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” The answer is he gives is “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

It is important to consider the greater context of these questions and the final answer. If we look back at verses Romans 9-13 we gain that. The Scripture reads, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Rom 10:9–13 ESV)

The last verse is a quote of Joel 2:32, which emphasizes the Old Testament view that calling upon the Lord would bring salvation to men. So we can understand this in summary by seeing that the called out ones are the ones who called out. What an amazing truth that saturates all of Scripture! So will you extend the message and call for men to be saved, echoing the words found in Revelation 22:17, “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Rev 22:17 ESV)

And if you are that one, who has never responded to the call of Jesus to come, should you desire to do so now, come, turn from your sin, your self-sufficiency, and your pride and doing so instead turn to God (this is repentance). In repenting, then call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, confessing your belief in him as Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Friend, thus acknowledging his life, death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). When you do, you will be saved, and he will bestow his riches upon you.

Therefore, may it be our legacy, that in our time, and because of our influence, men called upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis 4

2010-01-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

Studying Genesis continues be a rich challenge. It is challenging for a number of reasons, the most significant being the implications for our lives that are evident in the text. These practical lessons are often discovered in obvious ways, at other times they come in some of the most subtle ways through meditation and thorough research (which I really wish I was better at doing).

In the teaching I have prepared this week I noted a progression of sin’s pattern in the generations of men. If you read Genesis 4:17-22 you will find the generations of Cain. In this text there are some subtle, yet important lessons for us to grasp.
If you recall, in Genesis 4:12, the LORD curses Cain for the sinful act of murder. In that Curse he tells Cain, “You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” I have always imagined that Cain wandered throughout the land, a nomad, having no place to call home, having no permanent place that his children could be raised.

However, as I have realized, my understanding was incorrect. The wandering that Cain experienced was one of spiritual wandering, in which the emotional and physical impact emphasized the alienation he experienced when he rebelled against God’s earlier warning (see Gen. 4:6-8). Upon examination of Cain’s dialogue with the LORD we find that Cain admitted understanding that he would never again see the face of the LORD. This may have been an admission of his enmity with God and his continued unwillingness to repent. Logically, if one is at enmity with God, there is a removal of His protective care. Thus, Cain’s concern for his safety was as much a result of his spiritual condition as the physical living conditions he would face.

When we carefully examine Cain’s reaction to the curse he earned by his rebellion we should note that he did everything he could to overcome the consequences of the curse. Notice that it wasn’t as if he merely resigned to nomadic living. Instead we find that he attempted to overcome the curse he faced by physical means. First, Cain moved and settled in a land called “Nod,” which literally means, “wandering.” It is almost as if he called the land he settled in “wandering,” as a sarcastic attempt to dismiss the curse. Second, Cain “knew his wife.” By engaging in this physical relationship, it is possible that he was attempting to prove that he was able to circumvent God’s curse. Not that God said he couldn’t marry, but taking a wife and conceiving a child is an attempt to avoid loneliness and isolation. Do you recall that phrase, “misery loves company?” I believe that this summarizes Cain’s attitude as he leverages his family in denial of his curse.

To further understand his attempts to overcome the curse, consider what Cain names his first son. We read that he gives him the name Enoch, which means “consecration.” One commentator suggests that is “because he regarded his birth as a pledge of the renovation of his life.” Thus he names the city after his son. It is the place in which he will “neutralize the curse of banishment” by settling his family and building a unified people attempting to compensate for the loss of God in his life.

Before we judge Cain too harshly, we should be quick to weigh our own thoughts, hearts, and motives, for we aren’t really very different. In an age of technology, where Facebook and Twitter reign (don’t get me wrong each of these have redemptive purposes when used properly), are we really all that different. We want connectivity in relationships. We think busyness will provide community. We want to surround our lives with people. Let’s face it, if you have a Facebook account, you know you keep track of the number of friends you have, it means something to you. So don’t aim at Cain too quickly with any stones, or any finger pointing, because none of us are really all that different. We all want security from the relationships around us and oftentimes we replace God with imitations though we don’t admit to or recognize them as replacements.

You might be saying to yourself, “This assessment is a bit critical of Cain’s spiritual condition.” Please read a little further and allow me a chance to express why I believe my assessment is right on about his continued attempts to overcome the curse, revealing his spiritual condition and enmity with God as his motivation for his actions.

About 5 generations later in Cain’s lineage the Bible tells us about a man named Lamech. The account first identifies him as a bigamist (evidently uncommon at this time for it is noted and must be an exception to what is right norm). Both of his wives, Adah and Zillah, were evidently very beautiful (evidenced by the meaning of their names, Adah – pleasant, ornament, or beauty; Zillah – shade – perhaps for her lovely hair; even his daughter Naamah, means loveliness). It is prideful community focused on vanity of outward beauty, for inwardly they were promoting sin and vain religion.

Lamech commits a crime that he boasts of by writing a song or poem to memorialize the action. I imagine that he had heard the accounts of Cain’s acts, had seen his ancestor, and possibly as a young boy even asked Cain about the unusual mark that kept him safe from harm. When he did he probably heard the account of the cursing followed by Cain’s assessment of his ability to overcome the LORD’s promise of curse. Lamech lived in a city that was an ongoing attempt to establish the goal of Cain’s overcoming life according to a worldly plan.

And so, Lamech, raised to believe himself invulnerable, just as his ancestor, murders a young man who wounded him, possibly as they were wielding the weapons fashioned by Lamech’s own son. And in testament to his lineage, Lamech boasts of his ability in a song, most likely played on the instrument his son fashioned. Do you sense the pride of this man? Can you sense his denial of the sovereign God? Do you understand how he all but establishes himself as a god?
Thus ends the account of the lineage of Cain. The Lord evidently wants us to understand the disparity between ungodliness and godliness. For Scripture introduces us to a new son of Adam, Seth, and a phrase that describes Seth’s heritage, “At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.” This phrase quickly distinguishes the two men and their progeny.

For us the question remains; do we pattern this same behavior and attitude that Cain possessed? Does pride get the best of us? Or, do we call upon the name of the LORD in humility, acknowledging the point that sin lies in our heart, so that we repent and rely on the cleansing work of God in our lives. As a parent, I sure hope that I train my family in godliness so that the severity of sin’s progress doesn’t impact more generations.

Stay Tuned … the next blog installment will be an examination of the meaning of this phrase and its significance for us today.

Thoughts on Genesis 1

2010-01-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

I am currently studying the book of Genesis and teaching through this book on Sunday mornings at Church. I must say, as excited as I am at this opportunity, so am I equally overwhelmed at the incredible responsibility, and intricacies of the book. The greatest solace in my conflict comes in the fact that we serve a sovereign God who knows my inadequacies and I simply trust that in His presence through the person of the Holy Spirit, those inadequacies will not be hindrances to people’s faith and maturity.

That is not a cop-out in any way, rather it is a motivation to pick up my blogging efforts once again, because I believe it necessary to improve my stewardship over the information that I believe necessary for you my church family, and any one else interested in the Word of God.

This week I will be teaching on Genesis 1. As I was studying I turned to Wayne Grudem’s book, Systematic Theology to see what he has written about creation. Interestingly he quoted Francis Schaeffer, a theologian and philosopher of the early 20^th Century. This caught my attention and I believe it will benefit believers to consider his statements (unfortunately I do not yet possess Schaeffer’s work and am trusting the quote from Grudem’s work).

Grudem quotes from Schaeffer’s book, No Final Conflict and says:

Regarding questions about the creation of the universe, Schaeffer lists several areas where, in his judgment, there is room for disagreement among Christians who believe in the total truthfulness of Scripture:

1. There is a possibility that God created a “grown-up” universe.

2. There is a possibility of a break between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 or between 1:2 and 1:3.

3. There is a possibility of a long day in Genesis 1

4. There is a possibility that the flood affected the geological data.

5. The use of the word “kinds” in Genesis 1 may be quite broad.

6. There is a possibility of the death of animals before the fall.

7. Where the Hebrew word bara is not used there is the possibility of sequence form previously existing things.

Now why do I draw attention to this? I believe that Schaeffer has succinctly and effectively identified areas of conflict that confront Christians today when we engage in discussions, study, and comparison to modern science. Unfortunately, I believe that the conflicts are even more tedious to navigate in our day than in Schaeffer’s. Of the possibilities that are identified by Schaeffer there is none that he claims to be his own. And though you may possess reason for your position developing deep convictions, it is important to acknowledge that there is not one of us as humans who will definitively possess the certainty when Scripture is unclear, though we also must come to an interpretation. Grudem concludes, “But we can approach both scientific and biblical study with the confidence that when all the facts are correctly understood, and when we have understood Scripture rightly, our findings will never be in conflict with each other: there will be “no final conflict.”

As Christians we must not fear to investigate creation scientifically, nor fearful that scientific evidence will somehow contradict Scriptural revelation. Let us therefore continue to be people of faith, for “by faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” For, as people of faith, we serve a sovereign, omniscient, ominipotent God who is able to do as he pleases. The wonderful news is that Genesis 1 conveys that he did that very thing and he “saw that it was good . . . And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. (Genesis 1:10,13, 18, 25, 31).

Covenant-Keeping Marriages

2009-06-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I referred to the need for married couples to focus on the necessity of covenant-keeping should they keep their marriage healthy. It is that covenant that is the foundational element for keeping their marriage strong, healthy, and vibrant. We don't often tend to talk about covenant anymore, because the concept has been supplanted by that of contract. So today I want to share some thoughts on the essential aspects of the covenant so that we are encouraged to consider the Biblical principles of relationship over the cultural aspects.

A covenant consists of several elements. 1) A clear definition of the parties involved. 2) a legally binding set of provisions that stipulate the conditions of the relationship. 3) the promise of blessing for obedience. 4) the condition for obtaining the blessings. (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology)

The covenant of marriage is a unique covenant in that it is entered into by three parties. The couple themselves engage in covenant together, and as Christians the covenant is entered into with God. We find in Scripture the statement by Jesus in Mark 10:10, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." This emphasizes the relationship of the Lord as a party in the marriage covenant.

The word "chesed" is used in the Old Testament to describes God's loyalty to his covenant obligations. That word is often translated "lovingkindness," "mercy," and "love." However, this word carries some specific theological implications. First it emphasizes fidelity to covenental obligations. Second it includes the element of love. This love is not only emotional, but contains the elements of grace, mercy, kindness and is descriptive of the acts of love, not just the attribute.

When we refer to God's love, it should be noted that there is nothing in and of us that demands His love. No amount of work, no amount of goodness, no amount of self-righteousness can qualify us to be deserving of His love. We are loved simply because of His grace and His mercy out of His goodness, and His will. This means for couples, there will be moments, maybe even seasons, when the loveliness of your spouse is not so great. Can I encourage you, love because He first loved you. Make every effort to imitate this covenant-keeping God we know.

Covenant also consists of a third element, the element of freedom. It is the freedom of all parties when the covenant is entered into that makes this such a wonderful commitment. When reciting vows during a wedding, the groom and the bride each covenant to keep their relationship inviolably with one another before the Lord. The vow may go something like this, "I, Matthew, take you, Katie, to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward. To love, to honor, to cherish, in sickness, and in health, 'til death do us part." When that vow is entered into, it is done so freely by each person, and done so with a commitment to maintain. The covenant is then what binds them together, never to be free from one another, but free with one another.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:

God makes your marriage indissoluble, and protects it from every danger that may threaten it from within and without; he will be the guarantor of its indissolubility. It is a blessed thing to know that no power on earth, no temptation, no human frailty can dissolve what God holds together; indeed, anyone who knows that may say confidently: What God has joined together, can no man put asunder. Free from all the anxiety that is always a characteristic of love, you can now say to each other with complete confident assurance: We can never lose each other now; by the will of God we belong to each other till death.

As God is effectually involved in every marriage (Mark 10:10), He is the only one who has the right to break a marriage. He does this by death. (I also recognize that there are exceptions to this statement when unrepentant people, specifically unbelievers, pursue the specific action of infidelity and seek divorce). For married couples our greatest desire should be to build every aspect of our relationship on this foundation of covenant. It should be at the core of our communication, our friendship, our conflicts, and our intimacy. As we accomplish this, the testimony of a covenant keeping God is displayed for a weary, weakened, worried, wondering world to see.

And as couples emphasize this covenant-keeping attitude with one another, the blessings of your married life will increase. Katie and I have learned in 16 years of marriage, that we will have conflict, stress, struggles, doubts and questions. But, we have also learned that the commitment to our covenant together and covenant with God enables those moments and circumstances to be redeemed for our sanctification. Therefore we have peace, joy, contentment, happiness, hope, laughter, and love. May you find this same type of economy as you elevate your covenant of marriage.

Submit To One Another - Really ?!?

2009-06-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

B.F. Westcott, commented on Ephesians 5:21, “In mutual subjection all realize the joy of fellowship. Such harmonious subjection of one to another is the social expression of the personal feeling of thankfulness.”

Having just taught on the consequence of thankfulness being one of the results of “careful living,” this quote grabbed my attention. Doesn't it make sense that when we “always” express thankfulness to God “for everything” the result will be mutual subjection that produces harmonious relationships as we mutually interdependently serve and worship the Lord?

The importance of “getting this right” (that is mutual submission), is that it is the foundation for specific principles that guard all of our relationships. The principle of mutual submission can only begin with the proper motivation. Paul defines this proper motivation to be out of reverence for Christ. This is consistent with Paul's earlier statements in verse 15 when he utilizes the Greek word oun, which is often translated "therefore." Remember, Paul has previously instructed his readers in regards to their identity in Jesus and the necessity of imitating God as beloved children. The consistent goal Paul has in mind is the exultation and renown of Jesus Christ.

Matthew Henry describes this submission as “a mutual submission that Christians owe one to another, condescending to bear one another's burdens: not advancing themselves above others, nor domineering over one another and giving laws to one another.” It is born out of an understanding of our proper position before God, a reverential fear of Him for His sake. Every individual can only properly align their relationships when they have a correct biblical understanding of their status before God. John Calvin wrote, “It is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.”

If we are going to be successful in any relationship it must begin with the consideration of our position before God, a humility before Him that identifies our equality with every individual, especially other believers, and therefore begins with mutual submission to one another based on this principle. This mutual submission is the basis for healthy individual relationships among believers. (Hopefully as you read this there is not a tendency to interpret this to mean submission at the expense of other principles as outlined in Scripture).

It is essential to understand that mutual submission does not negate the importance of structure within organizations that also requires us to be submissive. Paul continues his teaching by outlining some of these relationships. He begins with an examination of the marriage relationship, then addresses children, and concludes with instructions to slaves and masters. In relation to this, MacArthur notes, “A nation cannot function without the authority of its rulers, soldiers, police, judges, and son on. Such people do not hold their authority because they are inherently better than everyone else but because without the appointment and exercise of orderly authority the nation would disintegrate into anarchy.” He continues quoting Hebrews 13:17, “Likewise within the church we are to “obey” [our] leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over [our] souls as those who will give an account.”

If there is going to be success in any organization there must be a system in place for people to work in an orderly manner for the efficiency of that group. As individuals, leaders are no more superior, however, in the organization there will be those who hold positions of authority; there will exist structure, hierarchy, authority and the need for submission from members in the organization. MacArthur says, “As with leaders in government, it is not that church leaders inherently superior to other Christians or that men are inherently superior to women, but that no institution – including the church – can function without a system of authority and submission.”

As we consider our relationships, it is necessary that the role each individual fills in that relationship be carefully determined so that the matter of submission is handled biblically. For marriage there are instructions regarding roles given in Scripture for the man and the woman to fill respective of their genders. Their should be mutual submission in some matters and in others there will be a need for submission according to Biblical principles. As noted earlier the key to thriving in relationships, as a couple in marriage, as parent and child, government to civilian, or church leader to layperson, there must be a clear understanding of the roles and a fervent desire for following in righteousness so that Jesus be magnified by your living.

Cautions About Division

2009-05-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier I wrote about the importance of unity in the church. There were several areas that were considered to be of great importance. Today I want to focus on a few areas that could create and/or allow division to impact a church.

One matter that can divide a church is heresy, that which is against the generally accepted beliefs. Throughout the New Testament one of Paul's repeated instructions regarded a caution against false teachers. 2 Corinthians 11:13 reads, "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen disguising themselves as apostles of Christ." (ESV) Paul writes the following in Galatians 1, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 1:6-8 ESVS) Then in 2 Timothy Paul warns this young pastor with the following statement, “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.” (2Timothy 2:16-18 ESVS) (I am not going to examine the many heresies that exist, there are several addressed in Scripture itself, and more that have crept into the church throughout history. A study of church history and the numerous councils that have met regarding doctrinal matters would be a worhty pursuit if this interests you.)

There is no doubt that the truth of Scripture and the orthodox message of Jesus has always been under attack. Sometimes this attack is a result of a low view of Scripture and an uneducated church. Michael Craven writes, "The church in America is in crisis . . . This crisis is quite clearly the natural consequence of biblical illiteracy, theological ignorance, doctrinal apathy, and our subsequent conformity to the spirit of the age." The church today must be committed to the sound teaching of the Bible. Leaders are called to teach the Word, so that unity will be protected. When orthodox matters are taught the result is a people who will be equipped for every good work. Timothy was instructed consistently to teach the Scriptures (1 Tim 1:10; 2:13; 5:17; 6:3-5; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:14-17). The most sobering warning is given to Timothy in chapter 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2Timothy 4:3-4 ESVS)

We must pay careful attention to the message of the gospel and protect it with great care. The leaders among the church are given a serious charge to teach truth and avoid error. Therefore, carefully consider the lives of those who are the leaders in your church, for one of their foremost responsibilities is doctrine. This means the leaders in the church are to be considered carefully, they must know the Scriptures and as Paul says, be able to teach.

In 3 John 9 a man named Diotrephes is introduced. Unfortunately there is not anything positive shared about this man. Evidently he was able to influence those around him. He may or may not have held a position in the church, but his influence over people is noted by John. He is described as a man who likes to put himself first; he was a prideful man. In his pride he also failed to acknowledge the authority of the Apostles. Recently a friend made a wonderful assesment regarding the danger of authority without accountability, it leads to pride.

Mark Driscoll said this about proud people:

Proud people think they are very important and delight in airing their opinions, expect to be consulted regarding their opinions, and get very angry when they are not obeyed. Proud people love the church because in it they are prone to find nice polite people who are easy to take advantage of and push aroudn. Proud people act like leaders whether they are or not. Proud people like to say things such as "God told me," as if they are the mediator between God and people areoudn them. Proud people only think aobut themselves and their family and conveniently overlook the fact that the earht has other people, some of whom even have different last names than theirs. Lastly, proud people love to tell others what to do, but when conronted about the own sin of prid, they welcome correction as warmly as a cat does water. The most special kind of proud people talk about how you hurt their feelings, and they get really sad, sometimes even cry, so that you will talk about their feelings instead of their pride.

Unfortunately we all have some of those tendencies and we must be quick to discipline ourselves, putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and instead we should pursue humility before the Lord and others. When pride is the norm for people in the church the result will be division; it will be division of friendship, division of families, and division of mission because the glory due Jesus is being divided between himself and his followers.

Another matter that can cause division is the loss of the mission. Have you ever listened as the players in an orchestra warm up before a concert. It is one of the most awful sounds. I have at times even thought to myself, "Why do I sit and listen to this, its simply awful?" The obvious answer is the eager anticipation of the sound that will result at the cooperative effort as all of the instruments play. However, could you imagine listening to a violin concerto only to have one of the players suddenly break out into the climactic fiddle solo of The Devil Went Down to Georgia. It would be a most jarring experience, one you would talk about the rest of your life, but probably not for the masterful decision on which the lone player acted.

Often there are people in the church who pursue a mission that is contrary to that of the local church. They would be much like that lone musician. When they pursue something contrary to the overall plan, they are creating division. It can occur on a large scale as they might pull people into programs and insist on things that the church is not able to accomplish. It can occur on a small scale when an individual choses to teach a different lesson than what was scheduled for the week in the area of Sunday School. For the mission of the church to be protected there must be a commitment to communication, clarifying questions, a genuine understanding of roles and responsibilities, and a submission to one another for the glory of Christ. This means we must be committed to the character qualities that were already outlined in Ephesians 4.

Finally, division can occur when change is avoided or prevented. Mark Driscoll writes, "A living church must change in the same way that a living person gorws and changes, hopefully toward maturity." This means that individuals must realize that the church is dynamic, it is the body of Christ. People should be reluctant to take ownership of anything in the church, whether an object or a program, for we are only stewards. A healthy church will possess a willingness to change, just as a healthy exercise regiment consists of a varying routine. Later in Ephesians 4:13 we discover that the goal of the church is for people to mature in Christ. When maturity is occuring the body grows and builds itself up in love.

My prayer is that our local church be devoted to pray in these matters so that division will be prevented and unity fostered; the glory be given to Jesus and not any man; that the mission of sharing the love and good news of salvation in Jesus be our banner; and that our maturity be the result as our love for one another grows.

Maintain Unity - Furhter Thoughts on "one" from Ephesians 4

2009-05-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

In Ephesians 4 Paul uses the word "one" seven times following an important statement about maintaining unity. I can't express how significant the theme of unity is for the church. This week I am going to be writing some further thoughts on this passage in anticipation of the Word bringing transformation to each of our lives as we submit to its authority and learn more regarding the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

We might ask why unity is so important. The answer is simple in some regards and extremely complex in others. Simply put, when there is unity there is health. That is the goal for any local church, the health of its members and thus the health of the body. However, consider for a moment the opposite of unity - disunity. Disunity can be defined by using words like conflict, disagreement, and opposition. It might even be described as division. Describing the lack of unity of a church with terms like these creates a sense of stress, anxiety, and possibly even despair, for disunity drains emotions and energy; it is continually damaging and destructive; it is not the goal that the Lord has for His church, as we read in Ephesians 4.

In his book, Vintage Church, Mark Driscoll lists 5 reasons to pursue unity. (1) Jesus prayed for it often. (2) As the leadership goes, so goes the rest of the church. (3) Without unity spiritual health and growth cannot be maintained because the church gets diverted from Jesus and his mission for them. (4) Unity is fragile because it is gained slowly and lost quickly, which requires that it never be assumed or taken for granted. (5) Paul repeatedly commands unity in churches.

If these are valid reasons to maintain unity (and I am committed to thinking that they are), and Paul instructed the church to be eager to maintain unity, then it is important for us to consider the ways to maintain unity that disunity be prohibited. For today I want to present some specific areas to maintain unity (these areas are taken from Vintage Church, by Mark Driscoll)

First we must maintain theological unity. This means that the leaders and members of the church agree on what they will count as negotiable and non-negotiable. Those things that are non-negotiable will be things that are most closely connected to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Things like the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the inspiration and authority of Scripture are non-negotiable. An example of something negotiable would be found in one's view of styles of worship music, or which Bible translation to use. It is important to look at the doctrinal statements of the church and understand what is considered non-negotiable and what is negotiable. Each denomination will be distinct and potentially individual churches within denominations will be distinguished by certain beliefs.

Second we must maintain relational unity. This means that people love one another in demonstrable ways. A church that is healthy will prove to be biblical in its fellowship, which is evident in cordial, friendly, respectful, and honoring relationships. People who demonstrate this type of relational unity will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in their relationships. They will prioritize Paul's instruction to maintain unity, by constant evaluation and pursuit of biblical relationships. These people will not allow division, bitterness, hurt, offense, gossip, or disagreement to be fostered in their relationships. Instead, they will be eager to pursue the unity, established by the Holy Spirit in the church, and guard it with passion as they live in integrity, honesty, forgiveness, humility, and Christian character as they trust in and strive for every member's sanctification.

Third it is essential to pursue philosophical unity. This means that ministry methods, styles, and government that have been established by the church are to be pursued without criticism which often develops factions of dissatisfied people who undermine the health of those in the church. This doesn't mean that there is not an appropriate time and way to think critically about these matters in the church. The opportunity for critical thinking occurs when faithfulness and trustworthiness are the foundations for the dialogue that will ensue. It is important to note that critical thinking is best when it brings potential solutions not solely focusing on the problems that need solving.

Fourth it is esental for the church to be focused on missional unity. Agreement on the objective of the church is essential. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 contains only one command, "Make Disciples." All other things that the church does should lead to this. One might ask, what does a disciple of Jesus look like? Put simply, it is a person who glorifies God through a life committed to biblical principles and is being transformed by the truth of God's Word (that which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments). Individual churches will most likely have a purpose statement that describes this in contemporary terms to assist her members in the assimilation and practice of her particular values.

Finally it is essential to maintain organizational unity. This is both governmental and practical. Church government will be formed largely by theological matters and may be influenced by mission and philosophy. Whatever the government of the church you will need to practice unity by working within the bounds of that government. There is also the matter of organization in which job descriptions, policies about spending, the operations of facilities, and more will be necessary. Again it is important that people recognize that these matters of organization be guarded and embraced so that the daily operations of the church be successfully promoted and not hindered frustrating or inhibiting those resposnible for the day to day functioning of the church.

Some final questions: If you were to evaluate your eagerness to maintain the unity of the church in these areas how would you rate? Which area would you need to improve? Is there anything that you have done that would bring disunity to the church instead? If yes, what do you need to do to correct that?

Christian Character - Ephesians 4

2009-05-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

The text for Sunday morning is Ephesians 4:1-6. What an incredibly rich passage! I thought it of extreme importance to highlight the character qualities that Paul was inspired to communicate in this passage. These qualities are essential for every believer's possession and practice if the church is going to truly and effectively glorify God. MacArthur says these are "five essentials for faithful Christian living." If he is correct the question for us then is this, "Do we possess and employ, these essential character qualities?" If we don't, then we need to assess the reason for the absence of, neglect and/or failure to employ them.

We will begin by examining HUMILITY. This is a compound word that literally means to think or judge with lowliness. It has been described as the foundational Christian virtue; for by it we recognize our need for salvation, admitting the inadequacy of our own abilities, good works, and self-righteousness. Jesus taught a similar concept to humility in Matthew 5, when he said, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit." The problem is that humility is very elusive in our world. The world instead exalts pride and establishes principals that elevate self: self-esteem, self-help, and self-actualization.

In contrast to the world's view, the Scripture teach, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). In Proverbs 15:33 we read, "humility comes before honor;" and in 22:4 the Scripture says, "The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life." James Montgomery Boice summarizes the practice of humility by saying, "It is refusing to insist on our rights and actually putting our neighbor's interests before our own."

Humility is important and quite possibly the foundational Christian character quality because it allows us to see God for who He is and ourselves as we truly are. By it, we are able to identify our need for Christ and His righteousness, because our righteousness is inadequate to provide us just before God. Humility enables us to approach God with appropriate penitence and enables us to be accepted by Him. Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector and concludes (Luke 18:9-14), "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Having considered humility, Paul then lists GENTLENESS as the next quality a Christian should possess. Gentleness, produced by humility, is described as mild-spirited and self control. It is the opposite of vindictiveness and vengeance. Gentleness is listed in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:5 and is also one of the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. One who exercises gentleness is a person who uses the power of their position, office, or gifts under the influence and control of the Spirit of God.

An examination of most of the godly leaders in Scripture would reveal their practice of gentleness (sometimes even their failure to be gentle and the resulting consequences). David showed gentleness when he refrained from killing King Saul while in the cave of Engedi. Moses confronted Pharoah with gentleness in the Lord's name. He also confronted Israel regarding her rebelliousness and sin. The gentle person is governed by the standard of God's Word and lives as a peacemaker, having the right attitude towards a sinning brother and the unsaved.

The third character quality Paul writes about is PATIENCE. This word is sometimes translated "longsuffering." I read of a pious man who came to his pastor and confessed that he lacked patience. He then asked the pastor to pray that he would gain patience. The pastor responded by immediately praying, "Lord, please send great tribulation into this brother's life."

The man interrupted the pastor trying to clarify any confusion. He said, "I asked for patience, not tribulation." The pastor quickly replied, "I heard what you asked for, but surely you have read Romans 5:3, which says, "suffering produces endurance." If you are going to possess patience you will also experience suffering. I have only prayed that God would give you what is needed for you to recieve your desire."

Patience requires a great dependence upon God and an unwavering commitment to accept his plan for everything. For patience will be gained through trials and suffering. Therefore, patience requires a willingness to endure God's plans without grumbling and complaining and instead one must maintain an attitude of joy in the midst of one's circumstances (James 1:2-4)

There is a fourth Christian character that Paul acknowledges, BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER IN LOVE. MacArthur describes this love as that which "throws a blanket over the sins of others, not to justify or excuse them but to keep the sins from becoming any more than necessary." This forbearing love is the place where the attitudes of humility, gentleness and patience are expressed.

A Chinese believer had a problem with his neighbor who was stealing the water from his retention pond where he watered his rice fields. The believer had to pump water to his property, which was at a higher elevation that his neighbors field. One morning he awoke to find a breach in his wall that allowed the water to flow to his neighbors field. After repairing the breach he then watered his own. However, the wall continued to be breached and his supply limited. He told his fellow believers of the situation, consulting them for wisdom. He said, "I have tried to be patient and not retaliate. Isn't it right for me to confront him" His counsel replied, "If we only try to do the right thing, surely we are very poor Christians, we have to do something more than what is right."

The Christian field owner awoke early the next day and pumped water to the fields of his neighbor and then labored through the afternoon and watered his own. After this the wall was never again breached and the Christian won an audience with the neighbor sharing his reason and motives for his actions. Bearing with one another means employing these qualities to show a way of life that is superior to the world.

There is a final character quality of the Christian that Paul describes, UNITY. Unity is the ultimate outcome of Christian living. This unity is created by the work of the Holy Spirit and fostered by the responsible living of the individual membes of the church. Unity is bound by peace as followers of Christ live with one another. Unity requires an eagerness or zeal on the part of believers to maintain this.

Apathy, and half-hearted pursuit of unity will lead to a visible reduction of unity in the church. Emphasis on matters of less than utmost importance will lead to division, unrest, and disease in the church. When this occurs there is a veil cast over God's glory as should be revealed in the church. Mark Ross said, "We are one of God's chief peices of evidence . . . Paul's great concern for the church is that the church manifest and display the glory of God, thus vindicating God's character against all the splendor of demonic realms, the slander that God is not worth living for . . . God has entrusted to His church the glory of His own name."

My dear friend, if you are reading this post, I pray that your life be lived in a manner that expresses the glory of God by self-examination and self-awareness tleading to repentance and great reliance upon the work of the Holy Spirit, that your life be an exhibit of these Christian characeristics. When it is your investment, involvement, and engagement in the church will bring glory to God.

Reconciled - Ephesians 2:16 - How I love Greek!

2009-04-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

While preparing for the message on Ephesians 2:11-22 I came across an important word in the original Greek. I hope that the brief analysis and some highlights of this word's occurrence in other passages enriches your faith and love for our God.

Paul is addressing the Gentiles in Ephesus and encourages them to remember their former conditions. In contrast to the description of that previous condition, being separated from God, aliens, at enmity . . . they are now reconciled. The Greek word, translated "reconciled," is incredibly rich. The word denotes a transformation of the state between God and us, since God does not change, it is therefore clear that our state is that which is changed. The Greek emphasizes an exchange that takes place. Believers, in Jesus, have their guilt and sin exchanged for justification and righteousness. It is those things that are imputed to us.

The Greek word is a compound word formed from apo - meaning from or source; kata - meaning down from; allaso - meaning change or exchange.

So literally the word describes a change or exchange that is initiated from a superior source. I hope you grasp the implications of God's riches grace afforded by Christ to change our relationship with Him. What is interesting as well is the context in which this word is employed by Paul in two other places. In Colossians 1:20-21 Paul uses "reconciled" twice (Ephesians 2:16 makes the only three times it is used in this form in the NT) and it occurs with an emphasis on the Cross in its context.

John Calvin writes, "This, also, is a magnificent commendation of Christ, that we cannot be joined to God otherwise than through him. In the first place, let us consider that our happiness consists in our cleaving to God, and that, on the other hand, there is nothing more
miserable than to be alienated from him. He declares, accordingly, that we are blessed through Christ alone, inasmuch as he is the bond of our connection with God, and, on the other hand, that, apart from him, we are most miserable, because we are shut out from God. Let us, however, bear in mind, that what he ascribes to Christ belongs peculiarly to him, that no portion of this praise may be transferred to any other."

Reconciliation between God and man can only occur because of what Jesus accomplished through his sacrifice on the Cross. It is only by the blood of Jesus shed on the Cross that peace and other distinctive marks of reconciliation can be ours.

I am incredibly encouraged today as I was remembering who I was formerly and what God has done in me as I have been changed by His workmanship. I hope that encourages you too. It is no wonder Paul pours forth "to the praise of His glorious grace." earlier in chapter one of Ephesians. As you consider the power of Jesus blood may you find peace, strength, friendship, adoption, and the greatest blessings of our God.

The Church and Jesus

2009-03-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

I remember sitting in Dr. Brian Richardson's class, while attending Bryan College, and being asked a question about the persecution of Jesus. It was similar to this, “Is Jesus still being persecuted today?” My initial response was “No, how can Jesus be persecuted today while He is seated beside God the Father in Heaven.” I want to encourage you to carefully consider this matter, because it bears great consequence on every relationship among believers.

In Acts chapter 9 we find the account of Saul's conversion. In verse 5 there is a special statement made to Saul by the Lord, who appeared in a light which flashed around Saul. Jesus said, “I am Jesu, whom you are persecuting.” G. Campbell Morgan writes of this situation, “Then there broke upon his consciousness, dimly and indistinctly, more perfectly apprehended in after days, the great truth that Christ and the Church were one.” Saul recognized his sin, repented and confessed allegiance to the Lord. Because of his conversion he became known as the Apostle Paul.

This persecution of believers being directly related to the persecution of Jesus is incredibly significant. First, this truth is evidenced in the rest of Paul's writing. I think that it must have been one of those foundational truths that so convicted, transformed, and impacted him, that he included it in most of his letters. Second it should challenge us in relationships today. We should be slow to accuse and persecute others, whether through words or by actions for these are believers we fellowship with and part of the body of Christ. Allow me to quote Morgan again, “It is as though Christ had said to him, Those men and women whom you have haled to prison have suffered; but it is I Who have suffered in their suffering, Saul. The brutal stones you saw hurled upon Stephen, cutting into his flesh, and giving him physical pain, reached Me, hurt Me. I felt every throb of Stephen's pain.”

So to put it simply: when believers suffer, so does Christ.

The instructions are not just about the suffering of Jesus. It is as important to note that Saul was attempting to thwart the march of God through human history. It is great news to recognize that march can't be halted.

Allow me to encourage you to ask an evaluative question in order to check your motives, words, actions, and attitudes. Ask, “Will what I am doing, potentially harm the body of Christ and/or its members – thus bringing suffering to Jesus himself?” If the answer is not a definitive no, then evaluate another approach, consider your true motives, continue to pray and seek the Lord regarding His will for the matter instead of your own.

Like People, Like Priest

2008-11-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

The last 4 weeks I have been teaching through the prophecy of Hosea. It has been incredibly rich, much more than I ever imagined. In chapter 4 there is a verse that struck me as most profound during my studies. In verse 9 we read this short statement, “And it shall be like people, like priest;” (Hosea 4:9 ESV) How telling that is for our times. We live in an age when Pastors and Teachers compromise the truth and people are compromised in the truth.

Though there are a lot of incredible ministries and pastors who acknowledge there is a need for expository and exegetical preaching, the move to topical teaching has overtaken our modern churches. In seminary, one of the Greek phrases that I learned was "keruson ton logon," translated, "preach the word." I recognize that Scripture can be utilized in topical preaching, howeve, it does present difficulties and the temptation of proof texting - making the text mean what you want it to mean.

Over the course of the last several years I have become more convinced that there is a need for pastors to return to biblical exposition over and above topical messages. This doesn't mean that we exclude topics from our teaching, but we must teach the Word of God, as it is the power by which lives are transformed.

I was listening to a podcast of Alistair Begg, when he said the following:
It's interesting that the shepherd's responsibility is not actually to feed sheep in the sense of taking grass and sticking it in their mouths. You don't find shepherds, sitting with big ewes on their laps, sort of moving their horns out of the way so they can read the newspaper. Saying, "Come on now, eat your grass, eat your grass." The responsibility of the shepherd is to lead the sheep into the pastor, and they eat, they eat. So the real question is whether the shepherds in this church are leading you into the pastures. Then the question is, "Are you eating?" He goes on a bit further and says, "The real question is, "Is the message that is being proclaimed, the ideas of a man, or the very truth of God's Word?"

Let's return now to Hosea. "Like people, like priest." As the pastors of churches compromise on the Word of God and fail to teach it appropriately, the people will be compromised. If we are going to be a church that is full of healthy people, then we must be a people led to the best pastures, the best pastures will be the Word of Truth. My prayer is that you find your strength from God's Word and it transform you into the likeness of Jesus Christ!

Breath, Bread, and Being

2008-09-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about several things over the course of the last week. Reading Jesus Among Other Gods, by Ravi Zacharias, prompted these thoughts with the weekend's events at the Tomato Show in Fredericktown, Ohio bringing it to the forefront of my attention.

At the Tomato Show, Mark Raley and I pushed Lou Jarratt, the church planter of New Song Community Church, who was seated in a porcelain tub mounted onto a steel frame which formed a cart. We sprinted a 40 yard course around a cone and back, taking about 38 seconds. By the last 15 yards my legs felt so heavy that I couldn't lift my feet to run; they felt so heavy that I was merely dragging them over the asphalt with every bit of effort I could manage just to cross the finish line. When we finished, the only thing I could think about was regaining my breath. As we were representing New Song in this race my mind also stayed on Jesus in an effort to maintain a witness for Him in the midst of a seemingly silly event. My thoughts went immediately to this, Jesus is the giver of "life and breath and everything (Acts 17:25)."

As I mentioned earlier, I have been reading this book by Ravi Zacharias and noted that there was a section for me to blog about. In the chapter I was reading he refers to the difference between the heart of world religions and that of Christianity.
This is what he says:
There comes a bifurcation, or a distinction, between the person and the teaching. Mohammed, to the Koran. Budda, to the Noble Path. Krishna, to this philosophizing. Zoroaster, to his ethics.
Whatever we may make of their claims, one reality is inescapable. They are teachers who point to their teaching or show some particular way. In all of these, there emerges an instruction, a way of living.
By contrast, Jesus did not only teach or expound His message. He was identical with His message. "In Him," say the Scriptures, "dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily." He did not just proclaim the truth. He said, "I am the truth."

Having read this prior to the weekend, the Holy Spirit reminded me of this as I reflected on the events. You see, I had a desperate longing for breath after that race. Though it was a physical longing, I realized very quickly, how much more I am desperate for the breath of life in my life in a spiritual sense. Sin is debilitating, like that run, it weighs me down and inhibits me in every way. I am desperate for something transforming, that I might worship God in a manner that is deserving of Him.

Ravi Zacharias continued:
In a very simple way Jesus drew the real need of His audience to that hunger which is spiritual in nature, a hunger that is shared by every human, so that we are not human livings or human doings but human beings.

It is no accident that Ravi Zacharias uses this terminology. Paul identifies this very concept in Acts 17:28, when he quotes a Greek poet in his apologetic to the crowd in Athens. He says, "In him we live and move and have our being." You see, it is our spiritual hunger that must be fed, it is that aspect of being that can only be satisfied by Jesus Christ and a relationship with Him. That is why we must partake of Jesus, the Bread of Life, that sustains eternally. This doesn't mean that we are to eat once and find that enough. It does mean that we continue to sup, nourishing on the Word of God so that we possess an ongoing communion with Him.

Now, I must ask this of myself and of you, will we be more than human livings and doings? Will we instead be transformed in our hearts and in our wills to do the will of God and thus become human beings fulfilling what we were originally designed to be, worshipers of God? (For further study you might look at Romans 12)

Prayer: Following Message on Sunday, August 24th

2008-08-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

The goal of this blog is to expand the thoughts about praying by the Holy Spirit. Sunday I referred to the "How" of praying being built on the relationship to the divine. That we pray to the Father, through Jesus, the Son, by the Holy Spirit.

The question arose in my mind, "What does it mean to pray by the Holy Spirit?" I am going to answer this but will use some terms interchangeably: "by the Holy Spirit" and "in the Holy Spirit." Here is a brief summary statement of the meaning of this term, "to pray in a manner that the Holy Spirit is the moving and guiding power. In other words, when you pray in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God is "moving" you to pray. That is, He is the one who motivates and enables and energizes your prayer. And when you pray in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God is "guiding" how you pray and what you pray for. We pray by His power and according to His direction."1

In Ephesians 6:18 Paul concludes the teaching on the armor of God by saying that all prayers should occur by this method, "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." (ESV). Therefore, praying by the Holy Spirit is not one method among many, it is the essential form or means for every prayer.

Sunday I referred to the necessity of prayer being done in faith. Romans 8:26 further emphasizes this dependency on our part in the area of prayer. "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." It is because of this verse that we must admit that without the help of the Holy Spirit we could not pray as we ought to. This emphasizes the earlier point about the necessity of the Holy Spirit guiding us in our prayers as well.

In Galatians 3:1-5 Paul addresses the conflict of the flesh versus faith. "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?" It is easy for us to identify from this passage the need for us to respond in faith in what God is doing through the person of the Holy Spirit, rather than build our prayers with an an attitude of independence, trusting our own abilities. The flesh will leave us wanting.

There is one final encouragement that I want to share about praying by the Holy Spirit. It is essential to pray in conformity with the Word of God, which the Holy Spirit inspired. So the goal is to meditate on the Word of God, day and night, memorizing portions so that you can carry it with you all day. This affords the Holy Spirit the opportunity to shape your thoughts by that Word, moving you and guiding you. Then when we find this economy at work in our lives we take what we know of God's will from the Word and saturate our prayers with it.

So my appeal to you is this. In your prayers, wherever you are, pray by the Holy Spirit, counting on His help as you live out the teachings of the Bible. It means you will need to stay in study of the Bible and time in prayer.

Thanks for checking out my blog! Know that I love you all and look forward to the next time we are together.
1. John Piper, January 7, 2001: Learning to Pray in Spirit and the Word - Part 2

Shouting Out To Eric Reed

2008-08-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

Eric,

You have inspired me to finally go for this. I am in the midst of taking an E License for Soccer Coaching so I will get back to this sometime this week. May this provide hours of enjoyment for you and the many others across this wonderful planet who have nothing better to do than think about the things I am thinking about.