One bit of Scripture to one bit of life

Transforming our Emotions through our Brain

2009-11-04T13:53:00.002-05:00

Really, I would ultimately recommend getting a copy of the book, Counsel from the Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson. What a wonderful resource in reminding us of how the gospel is really meant to inform life.

As a follow up though to the sermon from Sunday on Grabbing a Peace from God, one area we talked about particularly was anxiety.

Fitzpatrick and Johnson wisely help us see how the gospel can even inform our struggle with anxiety when they say,

"Our experience of anxiety is a good gift when it forces our eyes away from our false treasures onto our true treasure, Jesus Christ."

Our emotions and particularly anxiety can be a gauge on how our hearts are doing in relation to believing God. Is my treasure in this moment of anxiety God or has my heart been captured by something or someone else? But if we admit the answer is yes, what do we do, how do we address our emotions? We can't just say stop being anxious.

Again, as Fitzpatrick and Johnson explain, which is what Paul is getting at in Philippians 4:8,

"The outward transformation of our feelings and actions is accomplished through the inner transformation of our mind."

We get help in changing our emotions when we think about the truths and promises of God. Things like

I am completely forgiven through the cross
Through Jesus I can know and trust God's plan for my life even in the midst of trials and uncertainty
All things in my life are for my good, even though they might not seem or look good in the moment

As I think about these and other truths, my heart can then go from anxiety and worry to trust and peace. The call today then is to seize our thought life so we can transform our emotions and in so doing in greater ways, love God with all my heart, mind and strength.

Declarations and Obligations Leading to Love

2009-10-22T10:55:00.002-05:00

In their book Counsel from the Cross, Elyze Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson help us see how the Scriptures contain both elements of obligations and declarations. Both elements are helpful in particular when we think about Paul's call to accurate self-perception from Philippians 3:12-16.

Without a true understanding of the obligations at work in the Bible that the fact that every time we open God's Word, God is speaking and laying some claim on our lives. If we don't come with this perspective, aware of real obligations of obedience in the Christian life, we can become complacent and not see the call to press on and grow in our Christian walk.

However, the conversely can also be true. When we become aware of the obligations God sets before us, we can become more concerned and even consumed with our failure to live up to these commands.

This is where the gospel declarations become so important. In Philippians 3:12, Paul tells us that we can pursue God's call to press on because, "Jesus has made me His own."

We can pursue God because, through faith in His Son we receive strength to press on. But not just that, because we are owned by God through Christ, His Son's perfect obedience is placed on us and now God does not look at us through our faltering obedience, and instead looks at us and see His perfect Son.

The result in my heart is love for God, recognizing what He has done for me and this love then motivates me to obey Him more and more.

Biblical obligations are there and bring me to my knees as I see the real call to obedience but the gospel declarations build my love for God and keep me moving towards Him.

Infinitly indebted to God and grateful

2009-10-15T18:35:00.009-05:00

Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson in their book, Counsel from the Cross, ask this question in relation to how we view God's love.

"What make me acceptable to him?"1

To help us then understand that our works won't get us there, that it is not about being good enough, later this quote struck my heart,

"Are you trying to avoid the truth that all you can bring to him [God] is debt that must be paid for by another?"2

Everything I do creates debt with God. Whether it is my sin that taints my good works or that next breath where I don't acknowledge the Lord for the gift He has provided, my life accumulates debt with God everyday.

In talking about this with a friend too, it isn't that some days I build up less debt that others because I have read my Bible or gone to church or prayed a little longer. No, my life, my conscious existence creates debt.

But what seems like horrible news is actually great news because through Jesus not only is my debt cancelled, forever, but He creates my account with His righteousness and His perfect obedience. I, in turn am eternally grateful to God because the mountain of debt that I created has been fully and finally paid for by another.

This great news leads me to love God, to appreciate Him and worship Him more because He has through His Son paid a debt I can never repay.

The wonderful hymn from Robert Lowry concludes it wonderfully,

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

1 Counsel from the Cross, Elyze Fitzpatrick and Dennis J Johnson, 77

2 Ibid, 77

Psalm 16 - True Satisfaction

2009-10-07T10:35:00.011-05:00

"The unhappy restlessness of those who go astray is doubtless to be traced to their being destitute of the true knowledge of God." John Calvin

When am I truly happy and what brings that happiness? What brings me real joy? Is it a great dessert, my sports team winning again, finding that deal at the store, a great movie, a great concert? I am too easily amused, too easily pleased, like if I have a weekend filled with [literally] great desserts, then my life is complete. But the reality is as Calvin reminds me from Psalm 16, that happiness is short lived and leads to restlessness. When that cheesecake is digested, the happiness is gone.

We need to, I need to again ask myself the question, am I finding happiness and satisfaction in other things. But if the answer today or often is yes, what is the remedy, how do I learn to find happiness in God alone?

Well, it comes first through having our emotions captivated by something greater than the creation, recognizing though that our sin and our worldview want us to settle for less. Again, as Calvin states to respond we need to,

"...set God before us and keep all our senses bound and captive [to Him] lest they break loose and run after any other object."

We live in a sensory world with a worldview that tells us to be satisfied with the material, to be happy with stuff and the pursuit of stuff. And so we need to remind our souls of the many ways God has provided and again see His unique and abundant care for me, so that my emotions will then be filled with love for God rooted in the tangible blessings He provides.

Second though, as Christians we can rest in the fact that God is helping us with this battle, again as Calvin states from Psalm 16,

"God himself has engaged to exercise His power to maintain us in the safe enjoyment of Himself, a blessing inconceivably great."

God will remind us that nothing satisfies, nothing sustains, nothing blesses, nothing protects like He does and He will not let us be satisfied with less that Himself. And when He reminds us of this we will learn increasingly to see the inconceivably great blessing that He is.

So today, where am I settling for less and how do I need reminding that nothing satisfies like the Lord?

John Calvin on Psalm 12

2009-09-30T10:12:00.002-05:00

From verses 1-2 on how Christians are called to be a reflection of the truth

"We who would act truthfully, therefore, must be like a mirror, in which the uprighteous of our hearts may be clearly seen."

From verses 5-6 and the value of God's Word

"The illustration of silver, though far below the dignity of so great a subject, is appropriate to our limited and imperfect understanding. Yet we rarely set sufficient value on the Word of God, and in our futile thinking we can even obscure or efface the brightness shining in His promises."

Getting Angry at Myself part 2

2009-09-17T23:20:00.004-05:00

Continuing the theme from the previous post, the second way that self-anger can play out in our lives and what it can reveal is

2. The person who is angry at himself may not see or be willing to acknowledge the depth of his own sinful nature.

A few quotes again from Robert T. Jones to help us see how this works. First, in our thought process when we get angry at ourselves, we can be thinking,

"I still can't believe that I-I, a good moral person, I, the great I - actually did such a dastardly thing.", Uprooting Anger, 133

As Jones then wisely points out, this thought reveals,
"Your self-anger may simply be the result of naively believing that you are better than you are really are." Ibid, 133

Sometimes when I get mad at myself, I will hear myself say that I should have known better, but to say that can reveal that I think I can do well enough on my own. My failure reminds me of my need for God's strength again, His enablement and a reminder of my need for the forgiveness Christ provided through His death and resurrection. When I sin, it reminds me again that I'm a sinner, and instead of thinking that I should have known better, I can rest in one who not only knew better but did better, He lived perfection and gave that perfection to me through His death.
My self-anger reveals that I'm worse than I thought but the cross shows me that it can be and is better than I could have hoped for.

Getting Angry at Myself

2009-09-10T09:25:00.004-05:00

I am going through the book Uprooting Anger by Robert T. Jones, and yesterday I came to the chapter about getting angry at ourselves. I was tempted to skip over this chapter because on the surface I didn't think this was an issue in my life. Thank God that He prompted me to go through this chapter, because it has convicted and confronted me about many areas of my life where this self-anger is at work. Over the next couple of days, I will share the lessons from the chapter on where this struggle can creep in.

Today, the first instruction

The person who is angry with himself may simply be expressing his inability or unwillingness to grasp and receive God's forgiveness.

Jones describes that this can happen when, "I'm mad at me because, while my conscience tells me I deserve punishment, in my unbelief I do not see God's judgment and forgiveness concurrently poured out on me." Uprooting Anger, Robert T. Jones, 131.

Later, he says also that, "Perhaps the person [struggling with self-anger] has not gripped the scope and depth of God's forgiving grace and power." Uprooting Anger, 131.

Let me play out how this can work. We sin, we get angry at our spouse or our roommate or a co-worker and then later become convicted of our sin. However, instead of turning to the cross, remembering the forgiveness and grace to obey purchased there, we beat ourselves up, thinking we should have known better and so there is something I need to do to be better next time. Without bringing the cross into view though, this battle and self-anger will repeat itself because there is nothing I can do in myself to remedy the problem and the guilt that ensues from self-anger will lead me away from the only sure remedy, Jesus as I focus more on myself.

If there is a sin we committed today or one that we committed recently and we are walking around angry at ourselves, condemning ourselves that "it" happened again, might we remember the true remedy for sin, the remedy that takes guilt and judgment away, Jesus Christ.

Dying to Serve

2009-08-26T09:39:00.005-05:00

"We can imagine no higher degree of perfection than that which is here set before us. To take patiently whatever God sends, - to like nothing but what God likes, - to wish nothing but what God approves, - to prefer pain, if it please God to send it, to ease, if God does not think fit to bestow it, - to lie passive under God's hand, and to know no will but His, - this is the highest stand at which we can aim, and of this our Lord's conduct in Gethsemane is a perfect pattern.
"Let us strive and labour to have 'the mind that was in Christ' in this matter. Let us daily pray and endeavour to be enabled to mortify our self-will. - It is for our happiness to do so.
Nothing brings us so much misery on earth as having our own way. - it is the best proof of real grace to do so. Knowledge, and gifts, and convictions, and feelings, and wishes, are all very uncertain evidences. They are often to be found in unconverted persons. But a continually increasing disposition to submit our own wills to the will of God, is a far more healthy symptom. It is a sign that we are really 'growing in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ."
JC Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Mark, from Mark 14:32-42

We learned from Sunday's message that true living consists in serving others. Whenever we find that hard, let us not forget Gethsemane and that Jesus humble obedience in that moment is our great example but also forms the basis for our ability to serve Him and others.

He who finds a wife

2009-08-25T14:28:00.005-05:00

Proverbs 18:22

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord

9 years ago today, the Lord provided me with a good thing, a great thing in my wife Melanie and I have been blessed by favor from the Lord through her consistently through these last nine years.

It is amazing and humbling that Mel has joyfully followed me as we have trusted the Lord through what my calling and ministry life would look like. I am doing what I love and feel called to do, and she is giving up desires, dreams, lovingly and joyfully to follow a sinner like me.

She regularly prays for me, shares how God is using me to teach her and care for her.

She is patient with me as I learn to trust God and grow in being a more godly husband to her and for her. She does an amazing job caring for our daughter, caring for the ladies in our church and is an example to me in numerous ways.

I am convinced that when we meet our Savior one day, there will be many more crowns awaiting her for the sacrifices she has made through these 9 years and for the simple and yet joy filled ways she has served and followed the Savior.

I am blessed she is in my life and I am blessed to call her my wife.

His Presence in our Troubles

2009-08-20T10:56:00.003-05:00

"We make a mistake when we measure our potential to deal with difficulty by the size and duration of the problem. We should be measuring our potential according to the size of God's provision and the promise of his eternal presence. Even in the deepest difficulty, we are never without resources. We are never alone." Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp, Relationships a Mess Worth Making, 40

This quote is given within the context of understanding relational issues and struggles we will face but it holds equally true in all the difficulties of life.

Whatever struggle, burden, trial or hardship we are facing, I pray you remember that God's presence and promises go with you in the midst.

Closing the Gap

2009-08-07T16:16:00.004-05:00

We live in an information age and in many ways it is a blessing. With the click of a button, we can download sermons, order great theological books and end up on blogs [like the one you are reading right now]. All of these tools can be helpful as they give us more information, more insight in the Christian life that we are called to live. But James 1:22 warns us of the problem that can happen when we simply become information gatherers

"But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

So what are we to do? How do we avoid being hearers only. Well, one thing we do at church is provide the context called care groups. Care groups are a mid-week meeting that allows us the opportunity to digest and walk through the sermon together. And really, this is how I would describe the care group context, it is helping us close the gap between theology and practice. Because again being in an information age, the problem is not more information. No, instead it is learning in community to apply what we already know and in doing, help us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.

Because as Iain H. Murray in describing John Calvin's [which is really James 1:22 at work] understanding of doctrine said,

"Truth is only rightly believed to the extent that it is embodied in life." taken from John Calvin, A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine and Doxology, xvi

Or again as Calvin said himself in his Institutes,

"We have given the first place to the doctrine in which our religion is contained, since our salvation begins with it. But it must enter into our hearts and pass into our daily conduct and so transform us into itself so as not to prove unfruitful." [Instititues 3.6.4]

Care groups are simply one of those contexts that help doctrine pass into daily conduct and close that gap from information to practice.

The Human Element of Scripture

2009-07-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

When we read through the gospels, perhaps if you like me, one element of the story that we can overlook is the human element at work.
I was reminded of this recently, reading Mark 7:24-30. There we see the historical account of a woman coming to Jesus to ask for healing for her daughter, and as JC Ryle describes,

"The woman who came to our Lord, in the history now before us, must doubtless have been in deep affliction. She saw a beloved child possessed by an unclean spirit. She saw her in a condition in which no teaching could reach the mind, and no medicine could heal the body, - a condition only one degree better than death itself...She prays for one who could not pray for herself, and never rests till her prayer is granted." JC Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Mark, 145

Imagine being this mother, at the end of her rope, with nowhere else to turn for help.

The Scriptures are full of these accounts of real people, facing real struggles and how God cares for them and loves them in the midst. So let us not forget that element as we read the Bible and see real people facing real struggles and take heart that we are not alone in the trials and hardships we face, others have walked before us, and God continues to walk with us.

Holiness is Hard Work

2009-07-23T10:19:00.005-05:00

"Deep within the American psyche is the 1960's Romantic idea, originally from Emerson and Rousseau, that if something doesn't feel natural, it isn't real. We think spiritual things - if done right - should just flow. But if you have a disability, nothing flows, especially in the beginning."
Paul A Miller, A Praying Life, 222

As we set out our deliberate prayers for the year, there can be this temptation to think that these things should just come naturally or that this work of change and growth is just too hard and too much work. As Miller describes in the context of using prayer tools, the disability we have as Christians is sin and thus everything related to holiness will come with work as we battle against the sin that remains in us.

But as we set out to grow in areas of prayer, encouragement, service and evangelism in the year ahead, remember two things

The battle is proof that God is working in you as the Spirit wars against our sin in the pursuit of holiness
Jesus through His death and resurrection gives us access to His strength and wisdom that will help us grow

But as we go forward, let us not think that this pursuit will be a a cakewalk and let's not give up when the opposition comes and might that form one of our encouragements for each other as we walk through this year together.

Figuring out Prayer Paralyzes Prayer

2009-07-08T14:01:00.003-05:00

Lord willing come the fall we are going to do a book club starting with this book and I hope through these quotes, that I am wetting your appetite.

Paul Miller again in his book, A Praying Life says that one of the reasons that we don't pray more is because we try to figure out prayer and the result is that in trying to figure out how prayer works, we don't pray,

"Prayer is strikingly intimate. As soon as you take a specific answer to prayer and try to figure out what caused it, you lose God. We simply cannot see the casual connections between our prayer and what happens."

He goes on to say,

"The only way to know how prayer works is to have complete knowledge and control of the past, present, and future. In other words, you can figure out how prayer works if you are God."

So today, let us know not try and figure out how prayer works, instead let's pray and trust and rejoice as He answers.

Real Conversations with God

2009-07-01T11:28:00.003-05:00

Wow! I could just fill the blog today with quotes from this amazing, yet wonderfully simple book on prayer, Paul Miller's, The Praying Life. I will roll out a few today but start with this one on how we ask God for things.

" Christians rush to 'not my will, but yours be done' without first expressing their hearts [Luke 22:42]. They submit so quickly that they disappear. Overspiritualizing prayer suppresses our natural desire that our house not be burned. When we stop being ourselves with God, we are no longer in real conversations with God." Paul Miller, The Praying Life, 122

He then wraps up this discussion on asking by stating, "Desire and surrender are the perfect balance to praying."

Believing in the sovereignty of God can sometimes squash our desires in our prayer lives and as Miller points out, the result is that we don't have real conversations about what we want with God. Desire and surrender are the perfect balance, but let us not forget desire in the equation. Let us not think that if we honestly bring our needs and wants to God that we are being selfish. Because when we bring desires to God we are laying them down, placing them as His feet and then trusting that His way, His plan will be better than ours.

So today, what is something you want?

When you think of that, then think and act, how can I have a real conversation with God about that want, laying it down before Him, surrendering that real, honest want knowing that talking to Him is the act of surrender.

Our Sympathetic Saviour

2009-06-25T09:34:00.004-05:00

The heart and mind and will of our Lord has been moulded - shall we not say forged? - in the furnace of temptation and suffering. And it was in virtue of what he had learned in that experience of temptation and suffering that he was able, at the climactic point fixed by the arrangements of infallible wisdom and everlasting love, to be obedient unto death, even the death on a cross. It was only as having learned obedience in the path of inerrant and sinless discharge of the Father's will that his heart and mind and will were framed to the point of being able freely and voluntarily to yield up his life in death upon the accursed tree."

John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied

Murray beautifully points out in explaining Hebrews 2:10-18 and 5:8-10, that as Jesus walked this earth in obedience to His father, withstanding temptations, He became more aware of in fact why He was called to die. In other words, when He saw our sinful state first hand, He embraced the call to the cross.
As Jesus walked this earth, He saw the temptations and suffering we face and the many sins we fall into and it was His perfect obedience in the midst of this that made Him the "all-sufficient and perfect Saviour."

Immanent in Suffering

2009-06-19T08:28:00.003-05:00

Recently, in talking with some pastor friends about how to care for people in suffering. Particularly, we were discussing from a book one of them was reading about how to appropriately comfort people who are suffering with God's sovereignty and providence.
Though I agree that both of those provide comfort to those struggling and in trials, I can't explain it any other way other than saying it was perhaps a revelation of knowledge in the moment that the great help and support to the suffering saints around us first is God's immanence.
Yes it is comforting to know that God is in control and that all things happen for a reason and we can get to those things, but to know that God walks with us through every pain and in fact as Christians we can know that God walks in us by His diving presence of the Holy Spirit.
His promise to not leave us or forsake us [Deut. 31:6 and Heb. 13:5] is a great promise to cling to when cares, sins and pain can sometimes leave us wondering where God is in the midst of it all.
If you are struggling today, I pray this truth pours grace and help into your life and if we know of those around us in the midst of agony and hurt, may God use us to remind them of our immanent God.

The Remedy of Hope

2009-06-11T10:05:00.002-05:00

"Neighbors ought to tell neighbors, if they have found an unfailing remedy in time of plague. Christians out to tell others that they have found medicine for their souls, if they see them ignorant and dying for want of it." JC Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Mark - from Mark 4:21-25

No matter how hard this life gets, no matter what trials we face, those who have come to trust in the good news of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection have the sure hope of heaven that awaits them. This is the only real medicine for the soul because everything in this life will leave us empty in the end. Jobs, money and even earthly relationships will let us down. But to know that one day, we can stand face to face with the one who has purchased the blessing of eternal life, receiving bodies that never get sick and never die and to know that we can hope and trust in that day as a certain promise is news that can revive us in the midst of every struggle in this life.
Let us then listen and be aware of how and where we can administer this remedy to those around us. If I love those around me, sharing this medicine will be a demonstration of that love.

Love as the Fruit of Wisdom

2009-05-20T12:01:00.003-05:00

"Let us see that our knowledge has a sanctifying influence on our affections and our lives. Let us not only know Christ but love Him, from a sense of actual benefit received from Him. Let us not only believe that He is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world, but rejoice in Him, and cleave to Him with purpose of heart. Let us not only be acquainted with Him by the hearing of the ear, but by daily personal application to Him for mercy and grace." JC Ryle, Expository thoughts on Mark p.12

From this past week's sermon we learned from Ecclesiastes that mere knowledge does not bring peace and hope but wisdom from above points to God. Specifically today for Christians that wisdom is seen in the cross where salvation was and is revealed. But as we learn about Christ, I pray that it not be mere information about Him, but information that has a sanctifying effect on us, information that would change us. And that we would cleave to Him in the midst of all uncertainty knowing that He will give that daily mercy and grace.

The truth about Angels and Demons

2009-05-20T11:54:00.003-05:00

If we are going to see Angels and Demons or have friends going to see it, Westminster Theological Seminary has set up a helpful website, responding to questions that might come up.

http://www.truthaboutangelsanddemons.com/

HT: J ustin Taylor

Pointing to the Fruit of Grace

2009-05-08T10:19:00.006-05:00

"A few grapes will show that the plant is a vine, and not a thorn." Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed

I don't know about you, but there are times in life when I can be much more aware of failures than of victories. Falling to the same sin again, hurting someone with my words, looking at the end of our day and seeing areas where I wasn't faithful.
Richard Sibbes wisely points out that God is faithful to point out where grace is at work in our lives, even when we are unaware.
One of the primary ways that He does this is through the care and encouragement of others. There may be days in our lives when we are more aware of our sin, the struggles and cares of life and in those moments we can have a hard time pointing out the fruit growing in our lives. And it is the sweet words of a friend, reminding us of God's grace that can be oh, so helpful in those moments.
When we are struggling, we may not be aware of the growth happening in our lives, areas where we are obeying and reflecting God. And the encouragement from a friend can point us to where God is working and bearing fruit in our lives, reminding us of His faithful work in us.

Lord, use me as your vessel in pointing out the fruit you are bearing by grace in the lives of those around me, because Lord knows I need that reminder too.

Inching Towards Agony

2009-04-21T10:24:00.002-05:00

Paul Tripp's little devotional Whiter Than Snow [meditations on Psalm 51] continues to instruct and adjust my thinking when it comes to my sin. I could have quoted all of day 40, but I found this particularly insightful,

"Here's the thing we all need to remember: sin isn't an event; no, it's a progressive movement of the heart that results in disobedient behavior."

This past Sunday, we looked at what it meant to apply the gospel to daily life and the first instruction in doing this was that the gospel reminds us of our ongoing need. The gospel shows us our need for help because there are still these progressive movements in our hearts towards sin. The Bible calls this movement, making provisions for the flesh. As Paul says in Romans 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." [ESV]

To see victory in our battles against sin, we need to be aware of the ongoing battle of making these provisions for sin. The casual glance, the subtle remark, the angry thought, the little worry. Small justifications, small concessions for sin that if left unchecked will lead towards the agonizing pain of a hardened heart. This hardened heart then, will run after sin and in so doing bring harm upon our lives as we live lives outside of God's loving design for us.

But thanks be to God that Romans 13:14 gives us the solution, the remedy, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ" We do this as we acknowledge our need for Jesus' help and trusting His power to help us see the subtle movements towards sin and rest in the strength to move towards Him and not agony.

Costly Treasure

2009-03-27T09:59:00.002-05:00

"A holy despair in ourselves is the ground of true hope." Richard Sibbes

Reading Matthew 6:19-21 and this quote from Richard Sibbes today reminded me of how God's heart is that I find hope, help and joy in nothing other than Him.

This realization that is costly on two levels.

First, it forces me to come to grips with the fact that nothing in myself and my wants and dreams, my desires can bring true and lasting hope. This truth is costly [i.e. it costs me something, turning from what I want] and where this is revealed often is when I don't get those things and this shows me that my hope is being wrapped up in these pursuits.

The second level however, is to rejoice in the fact that as I come to the truth that the ground of my true hope is God, I realize in greater ways that He is the costliest treasure [i.e. the treasure of most worth] Nothing compares to knowing God, and being known by Him.

And so it is coming to the end of myself where I can find true hope and thus pursue eternal treasures.

Patient Listening

2009-03-25T13:07:00.003-05:00

Reading through Ken Sande's the Peacemaker, I was exhorted about the value of waiting being a part of our listening in caring for others. As an application of James 1:19, I pray these instructions provide you with the same helpful and fruitful exhortation they provided me. It focuses on this idea of waiting as we listen, something we often aren't very good at, but if we can learn patience in this department, it will prove quiet fruitful.

"To improve your waiting ability, focus on four commom problems:

Try not to jump to premature conclusions. Even if you think you know where the other person is going with words, don't allow yourself to arrive there before he or she does. If you do, you may miss much of what is being said and read into words intentions that are not actually there.
Discipline yourself not to interrupt others while they are speaking. This is a basic application of Jesus' teaching to treat others as you want them to treat you. Even when someone says something you strongly disagree with, restrain yourself and keep listening until the other person has fully expressed his or her position. [This was sadly a problem for me earlier in marriage until a friend brought it to my attention. I am grateful for that insight today]
Learn to be comfortable with silence. If the other person pauses for a moment to think, resist the temptation to immediately fill the void with your words. Give the other person a while to resume, and if you have any doubt as to whether it's appropriate for you to speak, say something like, 'May I respond to that, or would you like to say something more?'
Do not offer solutions to every problem others bring to you. I learned this lesson the hard way. Sometimes Corlette would pour out her frustrations or concerns to me, and before she was finished I was telling her how to solve her problems. Afterward, I couldn't understand why she wasn't more grateful for all the 'help' I have her. It took me a while to realize that she often already knew the solution to a particular problem - what she wasnted most from me was understanding, compassion and tenderness ." [150-151]

I am mindful that in pride I use my one mouth a lot more than my two ears and through these insights can see how I can use the ears God has given me as more of a blessing in listening to others more patiently that I might care for them more effectively.

Getting to the Bottom of Sin

2009-03-14T12:28:00.003-05:00

A helpful and humbling quote from Paul Tripp's book, Whiter that Snow on the root and beginning of our sin,

"The desire to be God rather than to serve God lies at the bottom of every sin that anyone has ever committed. Sin isn't first rooted in a philosophical debate of the appropriateness or healthiness of a certain ethic. No, sin is rooted in my unwillingness to find joy in living my life under the authority of, and for the glory of, Another. Sin is rooted in my desire to live for me. It's driven by my propensity to indulge my every feeling, satisfy my every desire, and meet my every need."

God, thank you for the cross that has paid for ever rebel thought and deed.

The Blessing of Counsel

2009-03-13T11:48:00.006-05:00

Last week at church we heard from Jeremy Bell from Acts 20 and Paul's instructions to the Ephesians elders. From that message, we saw that the gospel liberates us from the prison of self to serve God seen most clearly in Paul's example.
One of the ways that we can continue to be imprisoned to self is by not bringing others into decision-making thinking our way is best and we don't need the help of others.
A couple of ladies from our Queens care group brought some great counsel on why this can be a struggle.

There is no accountability if we don't bring people in to our decisions. If I bring people into decision making then I am accountable for the choices I make.
There is a sacrifice of time necessary in bring other people into my decision making. It is easier to just step out and make choices and not ask others for advice.

I was really humbled by both of those answers, as I can look back on my life and the ways I have been selfish in these ways. I pray that these wise words help you in decision making in the days and weeks ahead as we see how the gospel provides us with the gift of brothers and sisters who can help us make wise choices so we can serve God more faithfully and fruitfully.

Zeal in the Right Place

2009-02-25T11:32:00.006-05:00

In relation to this past week's sermon, I came across this quote from JC Ryle's astounding book Holiness,

"We have too often been content with zeal for orthodoxy and have neglected the sober realities of daily practical godliness."

Though, he is talking in reference to the pursuit of godliness, this quote is equally helpful as we consider God's call in us applying His promises in the midst of uncertainty and trial. It is not merely knowing the truth that will help us and guide us in the desperate moments of life. Instead it is living in light of these promises and by His strength allowing these promises to penetrate our minds AND hearts that they might affect our actions, thoughts and words. As my wife and I have walked through this difficult season of losing a baby to miscarriage, it is important that I not just collect verses for my mind, but live in the good of the real promises that God has provided. It is not simply a collecting of information but an application and love for these promises, marked by trust and obedience in which God pours our His grace to all the areas of our lives.

So let us pursue practical godliness with zeal as we learn to love God and His promises more and more in every situation we face.

A Conflict of Interests

2009-02-12T15:46:00.002-05:00

Between reading James and The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, God has really been addressing me in this area of conflict and a short quote from the book by Sande has helped me put the two resources together. Sande writes,

"Every time you encounter a conflict, you have an opportunity to show what you really think of God."

Such a short quote, but it is packed with truth. The book of James is written to help Christians see how God's wisdom affects all areas of life and more than that, not just that wisdom would be gathered but also applied. As it relates to conflict, when tempted I have a choice, I can say God's wisdom [His wisdom as it relates to my speech, my actions towards others, my desires] is good and worth following or I can trust my way. In that moment when conflict arises or even when conflict has started, I can display God's sovereignty and goodness and what I think of it, or I can display my craving for sovereignty in wanting things to go my way.

Oh God, I thank you for this humbling reminder and pray with increasing measure in faith and in the strength that you provide that I would reflect your goodness in the conflicts of life.

The Isolation Age

2009-02-03T16:26:00.005-05:00

I have this sort of love/hate relationship going with Facebook. In some ways I love it because it allows me to stay in contact with people and find out what friends are up to, but in other ways, it can hinder relationships because I can think that because I am reading someone's Facebook wall, I know them. I'm reading David Wells book, The Courage to be Protestant and this quote really made me think about the way I interact with friends using the media around me,

"We are the Wired Generation living in a mostly electronically mediated world. However, have you noticed that while everyone is speaking, no one is really listening? We are swamped by voices. So many want our time and attention that for our own protectin we shut out most of them. And while we are surfing the Internet, emailing, watching television, or playing video games, we are doing it all alone. We are wired, but we are also more lonely and have fewer confidants that ever before. The Putnam thesis of the 1960s is correct: we are in touch with everyone potentially, but we know and are known by almost no one in particular."[31]

In the city this can be a particular struggle. Though we are surrounded by people, we are alone, even though we are contacting people through the media.
Thinking about this, here is the challenge if we are game. Make personal contact with a different person among your Facebook friends each week. This might not be face to face but that is the ideal. Maybe it is leaving a comment or message about a prayer request or a way God is really teaching you right now, but through this is going beyond just information about people to really knowing them and in turn that we might be able to care for each other and display the love of God in more purposeful and meaningful ways.

As you experience this I would also love to hear what you are learning and how it is going, so please do leave comments.

I have also attached a great blog by Justin Buzzard about how we can use Facebook to fuel instead of replace personal interaction.

Facebook for the glory of God

Convicting Grace

2009-01-28T13:21:00.003-05:00

As Paul Tripp points out in his helpful little devotional Whiter than Snow, "We all have a perverse capacity to be comfortable with what God says is wrong."

God's response is to bring conviction and though painful at the time is meant to warn us, protect us and restore us, as Tripp describes,

"God's loving hammer of conviction is meant to break your heart, and the pain of heart you feel is meant to alert you to the fact that something is spiritually wrong inside of you. Like that warning signal of physical pain, the rescuing and restoring pain of convicting grace is a thing worth celebrating." Whiter than Snow, 35

Perhaps you are feeling the pain of conviction, God has used His Word or a faithful friend to point out sin, rejoice today that God is working and pouring out grace to protect you and use this conviction to help you trust and reflect His Son in greater ways. It is God's heart that we grow to see conviction, even though it is painful at times, as true gift from His hand.

Do you really think you are the worst sinner you know?

2009-01-28T00:58:00.001-05:00

Some people have asked in coming to City Church and Sovereign Grace about our application of the doctrine of sin and what this means in terms of how we view ourselves. It is the conviction of City Church that we follow Paul's example in describing himself as the "chief of sinners" [1 Timothy 1:15]

What does this mean practically and how does this play out? Listen to the discussion linked as CJ has a very helpful interaction with another pastor wrestling with this concept. Perhaps you have some of these same questions, I pray this blog and video help provide clarity.

Doing Life Together

2009-01-24T09:20:00.005-05:00

In thinking about our desire for and pursuit of our biblical fellowship, this quote though from a marriage book, clearly and practically describes the Bible's view of care and what we pray is experienced in our care groups,

"Christian fellowship is an expression of both love and humility. It springs from a desire to bring benefit to others, coupled with a sense of personal weakness and need. It has a double motive - the wish to help, and to be helped; to edify, and to be edified. It has a double aim - to do, and to receive, good. It is a corporate seeking by Christian people to know God better through sharing with each other what, individually, they have learned of him already."

J.I. Packer quoted in Love that Lasts

The effects of the Gospel

2009-01-20T17:29:00.007-05:00

A New Year [I know it's January 20th but it's been a crazy month so far] and a new resolve to the blog.

As we walk through our series in Pierced for our Transgressions together, the hope is that it would lead to two major results among us. First, that we would love Jesus more and more as we come to a greater understanding of what He has accomplished on the cross. Second, that it would lead to a greater witness as we recognize our call and the joy in telling people this great news.

As we think about the second result, Ligon Duncan in a blog a few months back realized that a purposeful pursuit of and teaching about the gospel should lead to the following characteristics being lived out among the congregation,

That your whole congregation would be able to articulate the Gospel, personally, in a compelling and understandable way;
That your whole congregation would understand the importance and necessity of their lives, their prayers and their participation in Gospel witness;
That your whole congregation would deeply care about conversions (and I would lay stress here, that we are talking about real conversions, not numbers; disciples, not decisions; changed lives, not merely prayed prayers);
That your whole congregation would earnestly and regularly pray for conversions, talks about their own conversions and the conversions of others, and put a priority on people coming to know God; and
That your whole congregation would be excited about the Gospel itself, and not simply about a method of sharing the Gospel, or a training program.

I pray as we go through this series together, that these characteristics would increasingly mark our people and bear fruit in our lives and draw others to know Him through us, for His glory.

Waiting on Answers to Prayer

2008-09-11T12:14:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but perhaps there have been times when there were requests we made to God again and again and we wondered if He is ever going to answer. Prayers for the salvation of a loved one, requests for help or even victory in overcoming a recurring sin have been uttered again and again with no seeming response from our Heavenly Father. Recently, I have been reading Steve Miller's book, C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership. In the book, Miller highlights the different aspects of Spurgeon's leadership. The first chapter describes Spurgeon's commitment to prayer personally and for ministry and I was particularly caught by these two quotes,

"Frequently the richest answers are not the speediest...A prayer may be all the longer on its voyage because it is bringing us a heavier freight of blessing. Delayed answers are not only trials of faith, but they give us an opportunity of honouring God by our steadfast confidence in Him under apparent repulses."

"God's answers have never come too soon nor yet too late."

Be encouraged today that if there are prayers that have been uttered 10, 100 or 1000 times, God has heard and He will answer in His perfect time and in His perfect way. He simply calls us as His children to trust Him and to call out to Him in dependence.

Avoiding Extremes in Missional Thinking

2008-08-08T09:27:00.003-05:00

Recently, Justin Taylor posted this excerpt from Tullian Tchividjian's upcoming book, Unfashionable

"There’s a major difference between having a tribal mindset and a missionary mindset. The highest value of a tribally minded person is self-protection. They ask questions like: Since I feel the safest around those who are just like me, how can I protect myself from those who are different than I am? So they intentionally surround themselves with people who think the way they think, like the things they like, and despise the things they despise. As a result, they live with a sense of superiority, looking down on those who are not like them (for half my life I was convinced that surfers like me were far cooler than anyone on the face of this earth).

In contrast to a tribal minded person, the highest value of a missionary minded person is not self-protection but self-sacrifice. A missionary minded person is a person that exists, not primarily for himself but for others. She is a person that is willing to set aside personal preferences in service to those whose preferences are different than hers. Missionaries are people who are willing to be inconvenienced, discomforted, and spent for the well-being of others. The Gospel of Jesus Christ demands that we be missionary minded, because the gospel is the story of God sacrificing himself for others."

Here from my cheap seats is the problem in dividing the two groups and talking in extremes. First, the Bible talks at length about our necessity to be connected to other Christians. Jesus says that others will know that we are His disciples if we have love for one another, this meaning primarily other disciples [John 13:35]. Paul agrees saying in Galatians 6:10 that, "as we have opportunity to do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

We are called to be tribal in gathering around ourselves other believers for our encouragement, support and in loving them we display our Savior to the watching world. However, there should be no sense or thought of superiority because it by grace expressed through the Cross that Christians can experience relationship with one another and reflect the love to which we are called. And when this happens, Christians should realize the call and joy to share this great message with those around them that don't know this.

It really is about avoiding extremes in this discussion and really it's about being a tribal missionary. Tribal in being connected first to the church [the tribe] for instruction, encouragement and support and then being a missionary in going out everyday realizing the joy of sharing about the tribe and how to get connected to it through the Master.

Sweet and Sour Words

2008-07-17T09:50:00.002-05:00

My wife and I had the opportunity to go and hear one of our favorite artists at Prospect Park on Saturday night [essentially for free, what a blessing!]
This woman is not a Christian, but is a great songwriter that writes and sings great stories. She is a rather unassuming and gentle singer, sweet really. But here is the lesson in opposites, this sweet singer who sings with a soft voice between songs would fill the void with profanity laden discussions. While it was disappointing, it brought to mind this verses,
"From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water." [James 3:9-12 ESV]
The humbling reality is that as I considered those verses, it struck me that my tongue still needs much work. How often do I pray and thank God and then speak in a harsh tone to my wife? I need to be aware of the battle of sweet and sour words coming forth from my mouth and recognize that I need Jesus to help me guard my tongue, day by and moment by moment so that I am pouring out fresh words instead of salty ones.
The question today is how is our tongue doing?

Where is legalism creeping in?

2008-07-11T14:25:00.002-05:00

CJ Mahaney in his book the Cross Centered Life defines legalism as

"..seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God."

and this thought can creep in so subtly, whether it's missing a Bible reading in the morning or committing that same sin again, we can think in those moments that God loves me less. But the reality is, when we come to Christ, repenting of our sin and trusting in Jesus full and final payment for all my sin, the wonderful truth is that God sees me in Christ as one who has always obeyed. As Jerry Bridges describes in his book, the Gospel for Real Life,

"...all that Christ did in his life and death is effective for us because we are legally united to Him."

And so instead of looking at obedience as our way of keeping our righteous standing before God, let us consider it instead our obedience as opportunities for us to express our love to God for His Son with our lives. Legalism sees Christ's death as insufficient but Christ calls us to remember His cry from the cross. "It is finished!" Our full and final forgiveness is settled through the death of Jesus and through His perfect sacrifice, His perfect life is transfered to us.

So, where is legalism creeping in for us?

Lawlessness

2008-07-08T15:39:00.002-05:00

As I watched a guy in the subway station sneak through the ticket lane [or as they call it in the city fare hopping], my first thought was anger, "Doesn't he see the signs everywhere telling us that's against the law? Doesn't he know that's going to cost us more money now so the law can go after people like that?" Then I realized, I break the Law all the time even though God give me clear signals and warnings that it's going to cost me. Like when I look down a sweet pair of shoes on another person and covet or when I desire sleep instead of reading Scripture putting myself before God.
Thanks be to God that His son's perfect obedience to the Law is transferred to me at salvation, without that I would be guilty a hundred times over.
So before we get angry at another breaking the law, we must ask ourselves where am I tempted or where I am right now a Law breaker?

The Good and the Helpful

2008-06-17T20:58:00.002-05:00

I'm back and hopefully will be posting here 2-3 times a week [better to be realistic]

The Good

Being in the city provides amazing opportunities to meet people, whether standing in line in a busy Target, sitting on the subway, getting off the subway as Ellie has a meltdown only to meet a man who buys you a delicious frozen yogurt, to walking in Park Slope and being welcomed by many new neighbors. It is great to be in the city and to have the opportunity to meet so many people.

The Helpful

While it is great, nothing has come easy this first week and in this [whether the four trips to Staples in one day, being rejected for a cellphone, or having to prove the church is a legitimate thing to the cable company] but in all this it has a wonderful way of revealing idols of the heart, control, ease, finding peace in things other than God and that is just a start. In the fast pace of life and many things being out of your control, we can look for peace and security in other things but thanks be to God that in these times God shows us where our treasure is, which shows us where our heart is.

God thank you for the city

Do I Know my Neighbour?

2007-12-05T20:33:00.001-05:00

As Christians learn to interact with the culture as us Joe Thorn as a good question

"Do you know the people, the local issues and struggles, the values, practices and interests of your neighbors? There will be no cultural engagement unless you are there, hanging out, interacting with the world outside of the church. Need a place to start? Introduce yourself to your neighbors and invite them over for dinner, read the local paper, participate in local events, let your voice be heard when appropriate, be a regular at local establishments."

As Mel and I have moved around in my exploring pastoral ministry and particularly in the last few years with Sovereign Grace, it has been very hard to get to know our neighbors and it has been hard inviting them over when we haven't had a house to invite them to. However, it has been a longing for both of us, that if Lord willing we would plant a church back in Ottawa, [or wherever we end up] the practice Thorn is talking about is something we want to do. Not only to engage the culture, but to by God's grace build the church.
But in the meantime I need to be creative and not allow the challenges to be excuses from this call to be salt and light to those God has placed me around.

So I leave the question for you today, do you know your neighbour?

Love and Good Deeds

2007-12-05T20:20:00.001-05:00

Man, props to guys that do this every day and multiple times a day.

A truly Christian faith is that which produces good works; but all good works which it produces are by love [13]

If I love God [a truly Christian faith] I will be producing good works and this good works will be produced because I love God.

It can seem like circular reasoning but I need both sides.
The first is a check that if I love God, it will be evidenced through good works expressed towards others. My wife, my daughter, my family and my friends should see that I love God through my actions towards them.
The second half is a reminder and challenge that I don't do the good works to be seen by these people or for people to pat me on the back or impress them. Instead they should grow out of a love for God and a desire to honour and please Him.

Music

2007-11-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

I was talking to someone today at school about my favorite concerts and I thought I would share then with you.

Tortoise [both times] - The first time I saw them with Isotope 217 and at the end of the show they all came out and played together. The second time they had the drum kit at the front of the stage and to see John McEntire drumming away was a sweet experience. Tortoise is an ambient free jazz band from Chicago, great chill and studying music. You can hear them hear http://thrilljockey.com/splash.html

Sunny Day Real Estate - I never thought I would get to see this band, but when they released the Rising Tide, Mel and I went to Montreal to see them. It was sort of a surreal experience being able to see some of my favorite songs of all time performed live. If you like "emo" or indie rock check them out.

Godspeed you Black Emperor - This band is a total experience. They set up a screen behind them to match what was going on musically. They would progressively layer old reel movies as instruments were added to each song. The second time I saw them, they played one song where the drummers [two of them] slowly built in the song towards the same beat.

My advice to you today, get out there and enjoy live music!

Loving God

2007-11-09T17:25:00.000-05:00

"Without love, there can be no hearty submission to the will of God." [10]

Until I come to a place of loving God's ways I won't submit to Him or to His ways. And even as I come to Christ, I need the Holy Spirit and the Bible to help me understand and love God's ways and remind me that they are perfect, from a God who loves and worthy of surrendering my life to. I desire ease while God desires me to serve and put my wife and child's needs before my own. I want people to notice me, but God wants me to remember that the only person who I should be aware is watching is God. My ways lead to strife, hurt and destruction but God's will leads to a life increasing reflecting Jesus and eternal life. But, until I come to love God's ways and see them as perfect and beautiful, I will not surrender to them.
God help me to love you more that I might love your ways and surrender to them daily.

Humility before God

2007-11-07T22:52:00.000-05:00

"A true Christian delights to have God exalted on his own abasement because he loves him." [7]
Humility towards God comes from thinking charitably towards Him, i.e. thinking the best about God. When I think the best about God in terms of how great and awesome He is, it should have the intended effect of humbling me because He is so much greater than me.

On that note, go and watch this sermon. This is a testimony of what being humble and humbled before God looks like http://www.marshillchurch.org/sermonseries/philippians/week_05.aspx
If you know who this man is, you will be profoundly affected by this sermon as I was.

Simple man, simple truths

2007-11-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

I have tried to do too much with this blog in recent months and because of it, I've left it thinking it was too much to do. Recently, I was thinking about David Powlison's thoughts on preaching and counseling from his article Think Globally, Act Locally [The Journal of Biblical Counseling Fall 2003] and the new tag is a reflection of his thoughts.
In essence, the goal going forward will be to have one bit of truth and one bit of life. The one bit of truth will, for the next while come from Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards because this book has had a profound effect on me.
Then I will aim to share one bit of life, something more lighthearted to give you a window to my life on a more practical level.

So come along for the new, more focused ride. Hope you enjoy

Amazing!

2007-08-27T13:00:00.001-05:00

It's still sort of surreal that I have a daughter and now tomorrow I begin classes at Sovereign Grace Pastor's College.
God has blessed us beyond what I ever imagined

New life

2007-08-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

It is hard to explain the joy I felt when Ellie joined us. The day of her birth, the doctor came in and asked who was going to announce the sex of the baby (because we didn't know going in) and I quickly volunteered. When she came out and I announced to everyone that it was a girl, I broke down into tears. It is hard to put into words the joy I felt in that moment at God's blessing through this wonderful gift of a daughter.

Well, here are some pictures from that day

Enjoy

Eleanor (Ellie) Rachel Martin

2007-08-14T23:03:00.000-05:00

I can't put into words how amazing it feels to watch your first child be born!
More info to come with pics

The Beard and the Hair

2007-07-19T07:37:00.000-05:00

I will start more regular post tomorrow. Things have been crazy the last couple of weeks. Here are the latest pics of the beard and hair a day early and three weeks late. Unfortunately after this pic I am going to trim it.

Hair Growth

2007-06-22T22:29:00.000-05:00

Fridays, for fun I will post pics of my hair and beard growth. I should have started earlier, but here's week 3

Clinging to the Word - pt 2

2007-06-21T16:20:00.001-05:00

The Message and 2 Timothy 1 adds to what I was saying earlier today about the message being plain,
"Since the appearance of our Savior, all through the work of Jesus.", life vindicated in a steady blaze of life, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of life, all through the work of Jesus."

Music overhaul

2007-06-21T14:51:00.000-05:00

Mel and I were sitting on our bed in front of the computer last night and we came to the same thought, "We need a music overhaul!" We have both become so sick of the music we have on her I-Pod right now and we are looking for new artists to cleanse our ears.
Here's what we've got so far

The Besnard Lakes
The National

And I'm drawing a blank on the rest. But here's the deal, we would love suggestions on music to check out and preferably stuff we could get on I-Tunes. This is a short list of the stuff we are into

Mice Parade, Sunny Day Real Estate, Pinback, Digable Planets, Duke Ellington, Promise Ring, As Cities Burn, Norma Jean, Underoath, M.Ward, Jeremy Enigk, Mu-Ziq, Squarepusher, Luke Vibert, The Cure, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene

Let the suggestions begin

Clinging to the Word

2007-06-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

Paul gave his prodigy Timothy some very wise counsel that we would do well to listen to today. Paul warned Timothy that a day was coming and I believe that day is here today where people would turn away from the truth and instead follow after teachers that would "tickle" their ears, telling them what they want to hear and follow after teachers that suit their own passions. These teachings Paul warned would be myths and false teachings that would lead people to be lovers of self, proud, arrogant among other things and yet would have the appearance of godliness.

And so what did Paul tell Timothy to do?

Cling to God's Word, the Scriptures breathed out by God and the simple, clear message that it brings of sinners in need of salvation through God in the flesh (Jesus) who died to pay the punishment we deserved for our sins and then rose from the dead to in fact prove that He was who He said He was. This message isn't hidden or in need of being deciphered to find some hidden meaning. Instead it is this simple message that Timothy (and we) must cling to, so as to avoid being led away by myths and teachings that aim to change this message or disregard it altogether.

Man they are Lifesavas!

2007-06-18T19:30:00.000-05:00

A while back I wrote that I had been looking for a good Christian rap crew that I could get behind and nod my head to. Well, I think I've found them in Lifesavas! In an interview with Rhapsody there seems to be evidence of faith for some members of the group

http://www.plugonemag.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=145

And to my thoughts from before,
"So, my conclusion is not to abandon the message because there is no message with those "hits" and yet they stick in my head because of the beat. Ah, and there it is, if Christian rappers could craft the sick, dope, funky (whichever word you want to use)beats, then think of the power of that, because clear lyrics about the gospel would then be boppin' in people's heads. What a match that would be!"

I think Lifesavas are onto something. With Quannum Records and DJ Shadow on their side, matched with lyrics about everyday belief in God, it is a sweet, sweet sound.
So, good in fact that Pitchfork took notice,

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/43450-gutterfly

Listen and enjoy

The Foolish Cross

2007-06-18T19:14:00.001-05:00

Ok, so it wasn't the next day...

The other side of what we learn and see in Romans is 1 Corinthians 1. There Paul says that the cross is foolish (moronic) to those who are lost. What we must wrestle with and understand because the Bible is clear, it is that until God opens someone's eyes to who Jesus really is, He, His life and death will remain foolish to them.
It is not in the philosophy of men, or academic knowledge or in anything of that nature that will allow people to come to an understanding of who Jesus is because until God does the work of lifting the veil from their eyes (2 Cor 4:3) Jesus just won't make sense.
God has revealed Himself in creation but the Bible is not simply about belief in God, it is the true story of God's redemptive history culmulating in Jesus.

My concern today is that there are people out there that are trying to make Jesus more accessable to people by changing the message of Christ or by changing who Jesus really was and is. And yet again Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians are clear that if Jesus is not God, if Jesus was not resurrected then the gospel is not powerful, in fact it is useless.

In saying all this, I am humbled that God would open my eyes to the gospel and echo the words of Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15, "...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." Praise be to God that He has lifted the veil from the eyes of this sinner so that I might behold His ultimate love in the purpose of the cross.

Foolishness and Reason

2007-06-14T09:13:00.000-05:00

There have been many attacks in recent years of the belief in God, particularly attacking the belief in the God of the Bible. These attacks are not new and have been going on for centuries and God through His Word has a response to those who say that He is fake or irrelevant. Today we look we look at the first of two sections that help us understand what believe in God and Christ are all about.
Romans 1:18-32
Here we see that God is telling us through Paul that God and His invisibles qualities (omniscience, omnipotence, immanence and transcendance) can be clearly seen and the section goes on to say that it is not only that they are clearly seen, many people refuse to acknowledge these pointers. These verses tell us that they know God (verse 21) they didn't think it was worthwhile to retain this knowledge (verse 28) and they again know God's righteous decrees (verse 32). But instead of acknowledging the clear pointers of God around them, they suppress it and deny it.
The universe's clear makeup, the human eye and the conscience are three such pointers that people suppress. The planets' alignment is perfect and cannot have come about by accident. The irreducibly complex makeup of the eye points to an intelligent Designer. And finally, God's Law is put on the heart of every person. Every person in the world has a sense that murder is wrong, that theft is wrong and that is because God's Law is placed on their heart. These are but three simple pointers that Romans 1:18-32 people suppress. The result God tells us in Romans 1:30-32 is that they invent ways of denying God and approve of others that do the same.
Romans 1:20, "For since the creation of the world God's invinsible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men were without excuse."

Tomorrow, we look at the other side of the coin and the foolishness of the cross.

Christ and Culture - Transforming Culture

2007-05-31T20:18:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm not going to deal with the weaker brother idea, but if you want my thoughts on that, fell free to ask.
I heard a preacher once (Greg Laurie) once talking about how when it comes to Christians and culture, what happens a lot of the time is that we just copy popular ideas (and often way too late) in an attempt to reach the culture. What ends up happening is that we end up producing a washed up lame imitation that only Christians find appealing.
But here's what we need to remember. As Christians, we have access to the most creative Artist ever.
This relates to a second portion of the blog that again I recommend to you http://theologica.blogspot.com/2007/05/willson-christ-and-culture-in-light-of.html

As Christians interact with culture these have been the approaches through the years

1. Christ against Culture.
2. Christ of Culture. Christ is revealed in every culture. Sort of a gnostic view. D.A Carson says that this is not even a Christian option. Reinhold Niehbur who developed these categories has allowed a gnostic view to be considered a legitimate option.
3. Christ over Culture. Roman Catholics, Thomists, Christian Right. The church takes charge of the culture.
4. Christ and Culture in Paradox. Lutheran. Christians are to be in the world, but no confidence the world can be transformed, so we overwhelm it with salt and light. But there's no clear definition of what you do once you're in the culture from a worldview standpoint.
5. Christ Transforming Culture. Augustinian, Calvinistic. We are to reshape the world, creating fields of discourse in every discipline.

And number 5 I believe is the goal. Since we have access to the greatest Artist, we have the ability as Christians to develop things that are unique and beautiful. Christians should be the most innovative scientists, writers, musicians, etc. We need to be in every avenue creating things that are amazing as a demonstration of the creative power at work within us in the Holy Spirit. Practically, there are a few ways this has worked. Some might disagree with me on this one but in the whole hardcore/screamo music genre Christians have for years been leading the way. Artists like As Cities Burn, Means and Life in Your Way talk about real issues and yet bring hope and great music to the table. Many artists have been trying to copy what Underoath and others have been doing because it is something unique. Now, even if you don't like that music, the point is that they were out not to find some secular idea to copy, they were out to honor God and do something different. Instead of being a Christian version or knock off of something, if Christians could just go out and do awesome things resting in the power of the gospel as they do, it could be a wonderful way of opening the door to the gospel in so many venues. Again remembering that the goal is not about conforming to the patterns of this world, but instead being transformed by God and allowing Him to work through us to create things that point to the greatest Artist. We aren't against culture, withdrawing because Jesus calls us to be light in all sorts of dark places. We aren't Christ of culture because what we are portraying is something unique, Christ and Him crucified. We aren't Christ over culture, making everyone bow to our way of doing things because until hearts are opened to the gospel, transformation cannot happen. We are not in a paradox with culture because that is not resting in the power of the gospel to transform culture. Instead, we transform culture as we rest in God's power at work in us to create things that are beautiful and unique and in turn provide a picture of a marvelous, holy God to a dying world.

Tomorrow we interact with some ideas about the gospel allows us to interact with the culture around us as we remember the idea of common grace.

Christ and Culture - Living with the Culture

2007-05-30T20:52:00.000-05:00

This is a post I noted from Justin Taylor's blog a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to post and comment on because it gets to the heart of some ideas that I have been wrestling with for years.
For the original thoughts go here and read it http://theologica.blogspot.com/2007/05/willson-christ-and-culture-in-light-of.html

Culture in the post is defined as
"a social environment in which we define the meaning of life (including the meaning of truth, goodness, and beauty) through the means of worship, beliefs, values, traditions, language, social and political organization, art, technology, and social customs."

And so as we think about culture, we have to be aware of two extremes: assimilation and withdrawal. You see there is a culture out there, that we have to realize is heavily influenced by Satan and so as a Christian, we have to filter everything that comes in your eyes, ears, hands and mind through a Christian worldview. What can happen though is that some will not filter ideas and wind up looking no different than the world. Others will throw their hands up in defeat saying that there is no winning and withdrawl from culture completely.

But you know what, neither of these extremes display the power of Christ. Assimilating doesn't show anyone that Christ is different and worth following and doesn't display the power of a changed life to a dying world. Withdrawing in defeat does not rest in the power of the gospel, trusting that Jesus has overcome the world and so as we rest in that power to relate to the culture around us.

So what do we do? Well, as we live in culture, we aim to reflect Christ through the way we live. Where the Bible is clear (ie sex outside of marriage, drukenness, profanity, etc) we submit to God's Word to guide us in displaying the life of Christ. But inevitably, people in this discussion will point to the "gray areas", areas where the Bible does not give clear instructions when we ask questions like, "Is it OK just to fast-forward the sex scene and watch the rest of the movie? Should I smoke a cigar with my unbelieving father? How tight is too tight? Can a Christian play poker? Can I have a beer with dinner? And so, a second post, which again I highly recommend to you, will help in this area. http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001494.cfm

When we ask those sorts of questions and any other "gray" questions we have in mind, these ideas can guide us

Imitate God
Distrust Your Heart
Think Biblically
Involve Others
Decide to worship

To give you a practical example of how all this works, I got a few tattoos. As I was thinking and praying about whether or not to do it. I tried to do these things. First, I went to God's Word to see if there was anything clear forbidding tattoos (which there isn't). But I didn't want to stop there, as a sinner, I have to distrust my heart and so I wanted to make sure this wasn't just about impressing people and doing something to be "cool". Next, I involved other Christians that I trust and finally decided I was going to worship God and trust that through these lessons, I could trust that God was leading me through this decision.
There have been other times where I haven't done so well when it comes to those lessons, but I did want to provide you with a practical example of how this can work.
As we live in this culture as Christians we have to be aware that our actions reflect God to others and so we need to learn to ask serious questions when it comes to relating to the culture around us and how it affects the way we live.
Christ wants us to be in the world not of the world and so I pray these thoughts have given you more food for thought as to what that means.

Tomorrow I will follow up with some more key thoughts, especially as it relates to being a leader and remembering the weaker brother.

The Ducks just scored, that sucks!

What do you think?

2007-05-17T15:49:00.000-05:00

If you do read this blog, I would love to hear from you and know how God has met you or what He has taught you through it. So, do let me know.

Devotion and summary

2007-05-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

Went golfing today 60 on the front 9 and 49 on the back 9. The game is starting to come around.
Since I haven't posted in a couple of days, I will summarize Judges 10-18 and then post comments from today's devotions.
It is amazing to me how quick the Israelites are to turn away from God and worship other idols but before I sound condemning I am reminded that I am the same way. I set up all sorts of idols in my heart. This brings me to a place of being awestruck by God's mercy to Israel and me. In general, Judges and recent readings in the Psalms (Ps. 112) remind me that God blesses by His grace because we certainly don't earn these blessings.
The Psalms and today's reading (which I'll get to) portray God as being utterly unique and that grace is one mark of that holiness.
1 Corinthians is just such a great book about remembering the main thing and to not get sidetracked by following people, the world or our sin instead of Christ.

And now today's reading

Judges 19
A fresh reminder that our wickedness has consequences. I am glad, in fact humbled that these dire circumstances aren't always the result but it is a warning. Forgetting God cost Gibeah's concubine her life (rather gruesomely) and Ephraim's daughter and the horrific situation she went through.
Sin is horrible and this chapter highlights its results.

Psalm 116
God alone deserves our praise
The Lord preserves the simple (those who don't think too highly of themselves and try and figure everything out about God)

1 Corinthians 9
Surrender your rights and don't put a stumbling block in the way of the gospel. As we mature, we come to realize our freedoms in Christ and yet hopefully understand by the Spirit that our actions are being watched by other less mature Christians. It is a matter of laying down my life for God (cravings and desires that are not even wrong) for the gospel to bear fruit in others.

God wanted me to remember today that He called me when I was wicked, when I was off sinning horrifically in His sight and so the least I can do now is lay down my life (my rights) for Him.

May God bless you as you read His Word and are reminded of His living word today.

Summer music

2007-05-11T14:47:00.000-05:00

If you have never heard the Sea and Cake's album the Fawn, go and do that now! Sam Prekop's sweet voice makes for some stellar summer tunes.

Devotional for today

2007-05-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

I forgot to post for the 9th (it was a great time in the Word so let me know if you want me to post it) and then didn't read my Bible yesterday so here it is today.

Judges 9
What a mess! Abimelech leads Israel without trusting or talking to God and leads them into crazy wars and a bloody mess. It is a wonderful challenge taken to the extreme of what forgetting God and venturing out looks like and how wicked leaders can make a big mess.

Psalm 111 - Praise God for His sovereign (possessed of supreme power) and personal work
God's sovereign work in this psalm is highlighted by His creation and that amazingly, He causes us to remember His goodness and provision. The warning from the OT continually is that Israel (and we) need to remember what God has done in the past to encourage us in the present. And here we see the amazing truth that God helps those who love Him remember Him.
God's personal work in this psalm is simply redemption (111:9). This redemption is a promise, a covenant sealed in the blood of His Son.

Romans 16
I am consistently challenged by Paul's final greetings in his letters because in these simple greetings are words that reflect real care for people. May God continue to encourage and challenge me to love people like that, that they may know that I care and that God cares for them even more. Finally, in the simple doxology Paul reminds us that God wants to
1. Strengthen us in the gospel (v.25)
2. Help us obey Him (v.26)
3. Remind us that He is the only wise God as evidenced through Christ (v.27)

May you be encouraged by God's Word today and provoked to read it for yourself and discover the truths there that will guide you through each day.

Devotional for today

2007-05-07T10:52:00.000-05:00

One thing I've decided for this blog is that I will post what God taught me/showed me from my reading in the one-year Bible plan. So, here goes.

Judges 4-5 /Psalm 108/Romans 11

Judges 4
The story of Deborah leading the Israelites out of bondage. The book of Judges is a cycle of Israel's disobedience and God's mercy. What is amazing to me is that God allowed / the Israelites put up with 20 years of opression and cruelty (4:3). It sure took them a long time to learn their lesson about what walking away from God looks like (aren't we so much like them)Here we learn to the shame of the men that there no righteous ones that God could use to lead them out of bondage so God used a woman.

Judges 5
Here we see the record of Deborah's and Barak's prophetic song reminding Israel of God's intervention, reminding them of why they were oppressed and finally that God lead them to victory (a lesson they and we need to be reminded of again and again, that God is the one bringing victory. We are so quick to take the credit and forget God)

Psalm 108
Simply put this psalm reminds us to exalt (magnifty, honour, praise) God for his faithfulness and steadfast love

Romans 11
This is a difficult chapter for many in understanding God's current relationship with the Israelites but I think one verse in the section can help us. In Romans 11:1 Paul pleads based on his example of being a Jew and yet coming to a place of belief in Jesus as Messiah. As a believer in reformed theology, I am reminded that when it comes to the Jews, the ones God has called from the beginning of time will come to that same belief that Paul came to.
I am also reminded in these verses that salvation is by grace (11:6) and so I'm reminded that I didn't deserve to be chosen and did nothing to earn my new righteous standing with God.

I hope these posts encourage you to read not just these posts but discover for yourself that God's Word is living and active and desires to speak to you each time you open it, to guide you and help you through each day.

Christians and rap

2007-03-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

Today as I was running an errand I flipped on the radio to listen to the lunch time rap show on one of the Philly stations and then I got back to the office and was looking at an old Relevant (do I see a trend here) and noticed ads for new hip-hop albums from the Grits and others. These two situations reminded me of my struggle. When I was younger I loved rap, but as I was listening to the radio today I remembered how derogatory the lyrics were in all that rap I listened to when I was in high school and younger. But I'm equally aware of and I'm sorry to say this, but how bad much of Christian hip-hop or rap is. What comes to mind with this subject are words from Derek Webb to Christian artists reminding them that musicians are artists and some Christian musicians are only concerned with getting their message out and forget that there is music, and in rap a beat that accompanies those words. It is an art form and this is where most Christian rap drops the ball. They bring a strong message with a weak beat. You see this is what made Pete Rock and CL Smooth (a rap group from the 80's and 90's) so good. While I don't agree with religious views (being nominal Muslims) what made the rap good was a strong message from conviction with an amazing dj droppin' some funkay beats under those vocals. It is that match that makes a hit in my opinion. And Christians have the greatest message to share, about us moving from dark to light, from death to life. Man, if Christian rappers could spend the time on the music that they spend on the message, the hits would flow.
Now, to be fair I must say that on the other end of the spectrum is popular rap of the day that are only focused on the beat and evidently not the lyrics. Here is just a small list of hits in heavy rotation on the Philly rap stations

1. Put Some D's... (where I'm sorry most of the song I don't know what they are saying)
2. This is why I'm Hot (where the chorus is, "This is why I'm hot (3x) This is why you not, you ain't cause you not." Are you serious?)
3. Walk it Out (Where the chorus is Walk It Out again and again and again, it drives me nuts)

So, my conclusion is not to abandon the message because there is no message with those "hits" and yet they stick in my head because of the beat. Ah, and there it is, if Christian rappers could craft the sick, dope, funky (whichever word you want to use)beats, then think of the power of that, because clear lyrics about the gospel would then be boppin' in people's heads. What a match that would be!

That's my two cents, Audi 5000-G

Amen

2007-03-15T15:09:00.000-05:00

I was reading an old Relevant Magazine yesterday and came across this quote

"The great Christian revolutions come not by the discovery of something that was not known before. They happen when somebody takes radically something that was always there.”

The magazine credits Philip Yancey but it originally came from H. Richard Niebuhr who Yancey quoted in one of my favorite books, "What's So Amazing about Grace?" If you have not read that book, GO AND READ IT!

That quote is as true today as when Niebuhr said it in the 50's. Many theologians today are out to discover some new truth, some new way of explaining or understanding God, but Yancey and others and really God are pleading with us not to set out to discover new things, but instead to re-discover old things. This is where revolution happens because when we radically re-discover the old, old story and it's implications on our lives, it is then that we have access to the greatest power the world has ever seen.

Here's to re-discovery, Cheers.

Jesus is under attack

2007-02-28T22:10:00.000-05:00

I know it's a cliche statement but it's so true. One of the reasons that I wanted to start this blog was because the question Jesus asked Peter in Matthew 16:15, "But who do you say that I am?" (ESV) is still being asked by many today. Some teachers believe that the Jesus of the Bible and Jesus of history are two different people, that the gospels are figurative accounts of the life of someone who idealized the Christian life. This is sad because it is not Christianity. If Jesus is not God, then our sins are not fully and finally paid for because he was just a man, and one mere man cannot pay for every sin for all time. And if Jesus is not man, then He is no example to us and not the sympathetic high priest able to sympathize in our weaknesses and temptations. I do not say any of this arrogantly but confidently because I believe the Bible is God's unchanging Word to humans and believe Jesus when says He is the only way to heaven.
There are teachers out there, that say all this is figurative not literal. They teaching that when Jesus said He is the door to heaven He didn't really mean that literally. But Jesus said that a day was coming when what He said would be made plain to us and that day came when the Holy Spirit came to live in the hearts of those that believe in Him. (John 16:25). Paul tells us that God has made His way plain to us (Romans 1:19), there is not some hidden meaning that we are now discovering, the way of salvation by believing that Jesus was fully man and fully God and that He died on the cross to pay for our sins and that He rose from the dead overcoming the power of sin for those that believe in Him.

Friends, this is the gospel and this does not change.

Jesus is also under attack from a little box that was "discovered" recently. When I heard that this box could be the grave box of Jesus of Nazareth, there was a moment of unbelief in my heart, "What if it's true?" But then God whispered and reminded me of what Dr. Al Mohler told the world on CNN, the disciples wouldn't have died and been martyred for a lie. If they knew that Jesus didn't die on the cross, escaping it and living on or that He did die and did not rise from the dead, then when questioned and threatened with death they would have confessed that it was a lie. But they did die for what they believed because they knew that Jesus died brutally on that cross and that He rose from the dead and that is what compeled them to spread the gospel.

I don't say any of this in anger, instead it is sad to me that people are being led astray by lies about the Saviour. Emerging movements that are to be commended for reaching out to a new mindset are chipping away at the foundation, chipping away at the Rock, the chief Cornerstone.
And men with movie cameras are trying to make a boatload of cash through controversy at the expense of attacking Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter son who is the Saviour of the world.

Friends, Jesus is still asking who we think He is and the answer is the same one that God gave Peter in Matthew 16:16, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (ESV)

Welcome

2007-02-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

This blog will serve many purposes over the next days, weeks, months and years. First, it will provide me an opportunity to spew out random observations about life, one that I will follow with momentarily. The second, perhaps more important purpose will be to share ideas and thoughts about God. I have a concern and a burden that Jesus is being attacked and it hurts my heart to think there are people out there being deceived about who God really is. Most of those blogs will be longer, so bear with me, but please do read along as God reveals Himself to all of us. A term comes to mind with this second purpose and that is "humble orthodoxy". My goal over the course of this blog is to embrace and explain what that means clearly because it is a conviction of mine, to make much of God and His one true gospel and yet do this with humility and in love, because it is love for others and them hearing this message of life that motivates me. So do read, and do comment and let's rediscover the old, old story again.
Tonight at our men's meeting, through a book, "Lost in the Middle" and through a friend's humble sharing of a struggle, I was reminded of the battle that rages in our hearts, in my heart with sin. We talked about regrets and how in our lives these regrets can lead us to do one of two things. One, we can put the blame elsewhere, thinking that everyone else is to blame for our troubles, our sins. Or, we can look inward at our own hearts, realizing their is a battle going on.
When we get angry at our wives or friends, we can often regret words or actions that come out from a moment of anger, and it is in that moment of regret that we can learn. We can say, "I'm just frustrated with life right now," or we can admit that we are angry, even angry at God and ask the God of the universe for help in overcoming anger, in helping us understand what the root cause of the anger is (pride, fear of man, etc) and even what lesson He is trying to teach us through this trial.
I am a sinner, but I am a sinner that knows that God is for me, that He will in HIs mercy show me my sin so that I can grow to look more like His Son, but He will also give me the power through His Holy Spirit to help me change.
Consider what God is saying to you right now. Are there regrets in your life? Know this, that God even uses our mistakes in His plan, but that He wants to teach us in those mistakes and He wants to help not make those mistakes again.
Thank you God for your love for us and thank you for a friend's humility in sharing to help me see this tonight.