Grace and Peace

Thoughts on the Sabbath Part 3

2011-06-22T14:58:00.002-05:00

This is the final part of a 3 part series on the Sabbath. Here is part 1 and part 2.

I wrote these posts before this video by Matt Chandler and Geoff Ashley popped up. I agree with them. I would say that there remains a physical component to the Sabbath command (find a day of rest); nevertheless, I have written this post to express what I believe to be the ultimate meaning of Sabbath that is found in Christ.
How should we think about the Sabbath?

The best clue we get into a New Testament understanding of the Sabbath is from Hebrews 3:7-4:10. The Sabbath is about rest. This was displayed outwardly (as were many New Testament truths) in the Law by resting from physical labor. But the point was to merely stop working physically; rather, it was pointing us to rest from our works. That is, the point of the Sabbath is to rest from our self-sufficiency and trust in Christ.

This sentiment is expressed by Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I was reading this morning in Leviticus 23, which explains the various feasts, and I was awestruck by this statement as I read about the Day of Atonement:

“And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 23:28)

What a perfect illustration of how the New Testament views the Sabbath. Just as the Day of Atonement was a picture of the perfect sacrifice that Christ would be for us, the Sabbath points us to our need to rest from trying to work for our salvation. There is no work required of us at the cross; only rest.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Thoughts on the Sabbath Part 2

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is part 2 of a 3 part series. Click here for the introduction.

How can we think about the Sabbath?

In this post I want to deal with some of the ways that we can deal with the issue of the Sabbath. In terms of action, these actually don’t look very different. However, I hope to shift our focus a bit in helping us understand these things.

Nothing but…

This approach says that only commands that are reintroduced in the New Testament need be observed by Christians. This, of course, leaves 9 of the 10 standing. Can you guess which one is left out?

Everything but…

I guess you could say that this is the opposite. This view is that all Old Testament commands stand unless they are removed by the New Testament. Again, this leaves us with 9 commandments standing out of the 10. CAN YOU GUESS WHICH ONE IS LEFT OUT? (see Col. 2:16, Gal. 4:10)

Church = Sabbath?

Here’s the bottom line. We have been so caught up in moralism, trying to teach kids the rights and wrongs of the Bible, that we missed the point of the Sabbath. It would be nice if the 10 commandments included “Thou shalt go to church” but it doesn’t. So we take the Sabbath, a day of worship and rest, and we turn it into exactly what we do on Sunday. I get my straight command to go to church from Hebrews 10:24-25 (along with the understanding of God’s purpose for the local church and a dash of the 5th commandments for the kids).

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Thoughts on the Sabbath Part 1

2011-06-20T13:06:00.002-05:00

The first time I can remember intentionally going out with the purpose of sharing my faith with someone was when I was in high school in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I had just learned “The Way of the Master” method of evangelism (law to the proud/grace to the humble), and I was excited that I understood how I could show people their need for the gospel. Furthermore, my mentor/youth pastor, Bobby, and my older brother, Jonathan, were there with me doing the same thing.

When the time came, I seized opportunity and approached someone I didn’t know to talk to him about Christ. He was a lot older than me; probably late 30’s. I asked him some questions so that I could gauge his beliefs. He believed that he was going to heaven; that he was a good person. So I tried to take him through the 10 commandments to show him that he is a sinner. As I moved through them he quickly asked me, “what church do you go to?” I told him. “Oh, so you don’t honor the Sabbath?” he replied. Thinking on my feet, I retorted, “well, we believe that the Sabbath is on Sunday.” “I’m Seventh Day Adventist” he replied, “maybe I should be asking you about the commandments.”

That conversation has stuck in my mind for a while now. Sure, I’ve had my share of theological discussions that left me feeling stupid, but I was supposed to get to be explaining the gospel to this guy. I took comfort in the hope that this man was already saved and moved on. What’s interesting is that I don’t usually think about it when I think of evangelism; it’s actually when I think about the Sabbath.

The Sabbath has a strange place in the heart of many Christians (including myself). It isn’t considered one of the many hot issues of contentious debate like Calvinism, end-times, or spiritual gifts. It seems to me that most people don’t think about the Sabbath at all. Personally, my nature is to say that the scholars and theologians of the world can deal with the issue themselves, but that would leave a hole in the 10 commandments; which are supposed to be a means of showing people their sin in order to bring them to repentance and faith in the gospel.

This 3 part series is intended to help you come to a better understanding of the New Testament teaching on the Sabbath. It’s not meant to be heavy or exhaustive. I will simply talk about some ways that I have observed people thinking about the Sabbath, the different ways that we can biblically deal with the Sabbath, and then my view on what the Sabbath is and how we keep it today.

How do we think about the Sabbath?
Done-Away-Withers

Explanation- Sure the Old Testament teaches the Sabbath. But I eat bacon, wear polyester, and occasionally shave my beard. We don’t live like that do we?

Problems- This sounds fine until you consider the context of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is the 4th commandment in what most Christians consider God’s moral Law. Should we stop being monotheists, start making idols, take the Lord’s name in vain, tell our parents to stop telling us what to do, murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet? Then what makes us think that God decided to get rid of just ONE of the ten?

Movers

Explanation- The Sabbath stays the same, but the church has moved it to Sunday (The Lord’s Day).

Problems- Going to church isn’t necessarily the same as honoring the Sabbath. Most people who believe this still do things that would be considered “work” on Sundays (at least occasionally).

Stays-the-Samers

Explanation- What gives me the right to stop obeying the 10 commandments?

Problem- I will talk about the biblical problems with this view in the next post, but on a practical level these people are saying that the majority of Christians throughout church history have totally missed this.

Stay tuned for part 2.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

More Deserving of Hell: Bin Laden, Gandhi, or Me?

2011-05-09T12:41:00.001-05:00

Since President Obama’s announcement of Osama Bin Laden’s death there has been an awakening in the discussion of hell which was first ignited because of Rob Bell’s recently released book, Love Wins. In the book, Bell puts forth the idea that God will eternally give the opportunity for people to repent of their sins and turn to Him for salvation. He will not cause (or force) them to do so (as in universalism proper), but will allow them to choose Him freely. This way- in Bell’s understanding- in the end love wins. What’s interesting about this round of discussion (or proclamation) on the subject of hell is that it comes from those who assume hell’s existence because of such wicked men.

In the first chapter of his book, Bell talks about a rather blunt comment someone at his church made because of a quote from Gandhi, the comment suggested that Gandhi is in hell. Naturally, Bell shows disgust at this comment, because what man could really know the state of a man’s soul? No doubt there are many people who would say that the good works of Gandhi give us hope that God’s work moves beyond the technicalities of naming Christ. They would say that there is room for replacing right faith with right action.

On the other hand we have men like Bin Laden, Hitler, and countless others who have done such horrible deeds as to be deserving of eternal punishment, no questions asked. The argument on this side goes: if Hell doesn’t exist, these men are only held accountable for their actions by the mere finite justice systems of man, which in many cases means they got off the hook completely.

What is so sad to me is seeing so many people being deceived by slight of hand when it comes to this subject. Believe in hell or don’t believe in hell, if your reasoning is focused where Satan wants it to be focused, you’re being deceived. The fact is hell does not exist merely to pay for crimes committed against man, and heaven doesn’t exist to reward good works performed to help man. All sin is first and foremost committed against God. We must understand this; not so that we can figure out who’s going where when they die, but so we can better understand the gospel and the grace that has saved us from our state of wickedness which was just as bad as that of Bin Laden.

When Paul writes out his comprehensive dissertation on the gospel in the book of Romans, the issue isn’t how people have treated fellow human beings; it was whether we have worshipped our Creator. Romans 1:18-23 serves as the foundation for Paul’s argument that man is totally depraved, utterly sinful. It is not concerned with how people treat each other, in fact, sins against other people don’t show up until verse 29, and that is treated as the consequence for idolatry. Throughout the first three chapters of Romans Paul speaks of our treason against the infinitely holy God and finally sums it up in 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

This has profound implications on the topic at hand. It means that Bin Laden’s condemnation wasn’t merely in murdering Americans; it is in hating God and rebelling against Him. However, it also means that if Gandhi was trusting in his own righteousness in order to be right with God, he was just as bad off as Bin Laden; he simply did a better job of hiding his sin*. This isn’t to say that I know the state of these men’s souls before they died. It could be that they put their trusting in Christ before they died, however, I am saying that if they weren’t trust in Christ before they died, we know their fate.

*Though almost no one can claim to know less about Gandhi than me, I have read that his life was much more explicitly sinful than we are usually told (this article contains some content that is not suitable for children).

My encouragement to you is to keep things in the right perspective. Yes, we glory in the fact that God is just as will punish the sins of Osama Bin Laden. But we must also remember that it is only by grace that we did not commit such sin, and it is by grace that God would even save a sinner like me.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Thoughts on Steve Simon's Speech

2011-05-06T15:14:00.001-05:00

By now you have probably seen or heard about Rep. Steve Simon’s speech to Minnesota lawmakers on the subject of homosexuality and, more specifically, “homosexual marriage.” If you haven’t seen or heard the speech, I encourage you to take 3 minutes to watch the clip below.

As you can see, Mr. Simon makes two main arguments: One against those who oppose “homosexual marriage” and one that homosexuality is a gift from God. However, what I find most interesting is the double-mindedness of the two arguments. It fascinates me that someone would suggest that law should not be based on religious debate and then turn around and make a religious argument for the kind of law he endorses.

Now, I understand that Mr. Simon’s second argument was probably directed at those who have been making arguments on the basis of religion. He would probably base his endorsement of law on fairness or equality, but his argument for homosexuality and “homosexual marriage” is still worth examining from a biblical perspective.

In recent times we have seen a shift in the homosexual debate that has been interesting to watch. The argument used to be a pretty standard two-fold argument: 1. Sexual orientation is not a choice; it’s something with which people are born. 2. Arguments against homosexuality from the Bible can only be accepted if those who propose them are also willing to follow the entire Old Testament law by not eating shellfish or wearing polyester. As you could see in the video, Mr. Simon keeps these arguments alive in his speech; however, he also uses what has become a popular line of reasoning that I think we need to examine biblically.

"How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?"

What we have seen more recently- especially since Lady Gaga released her recent tragedy of a “gay anthem” entitled “Born This Way”- is the interpretation of the fact that sexual orientation is something people are born with to mean that God approves, and even celebrates, homosexuality; and, therefore, we should celebrate it as well. What they don’t realize is that by speaking in these terms they actually play out a biblical truth that proves them to be wrong in their interpretation of these things.

The first thing I need to point out is that as a Christian, I admit that I have failed in the past to acknowledge the bit of truth in the pro-homosexuality argument, namely, that some people who practice homosexuality were, in some way, born with that inclination. The fact is we are all born sinners; therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us when a person exhibits a pattern of sin that is deeper than simply choosing that lifestyle over holiness. This truth, however, frees us to understand what is wrong with the “born this way” argument.

If we were to single out homosexuality as a sin that could not be part of the sin nature, we might logically conclude that a person being born with that inclination can pursue their desires. However, because homosexuality is something that one might be tempted with “their whole life”, Christ calls them to repentance just as he calls me to repent of my hatred, lust, dishonesty, or any other sin. This hardly means that the continued “creation” of homosexuals is merit for support of homosexuality; rather, it means that we should love them and show them their need for the gospel.

Secondly, homosexuality is treated by the Bible as an inherently different kind of sin. Now this you might expect a Phelps-like line pointing to things God does to our country as judgment of homosexuality. However, that is not first how the Bible talks about this sin. Consider the first chapter of the book of Romans. This is the ground for Paul’s exposition of the gospel. He does not- as so many Christians do these days- single out homosexuality as the ultimate reason for God to judge humanity. Instead idolatry is given that special honor (see Rom. 1:18-23). But if we look at the verses that follow we find that homosexuality is not merely the grounds for God’s judgment, it is God’s judgment on humanity (see Rom. 1:24-27). Now, to be fair, Paul concludes with a list of sins that come from God judging man by giving him a “debased mind” (see Rom. 1:28-31), but it’s clear that the go-to sin that shows how far we have fallen in idolatry is homosexuality. This is because homosexuality is so against God’s created order of things.

Now, I said earlier that Mr. Simon and others who use his argumentation are actually proving my interpretation to be correct. That is because of the way Paul ends the first chapter. He points out that the ultimate display of mankind’s hatred toward God is not necessarily in doing these things (though he has certainly proven that it is bad enough), but it is shown in that people give applause to such action. It is one thing to hate one’s own sin and yet fall into it way too often, it is quite another thing to love sin and debate, celebrate, or even legislate it that others might love it too.

How thankful we must be for a gospel that saves people from every kind of sin. Christ has been so good to us.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Don't Pass the Roles! Part 2

2011-05-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

This is a continuation of my post from last week on the importance of distinct roles of men and women on the church. My approach has been to focus more on the role of women in the church because that is where the debate tends to take place. If you haven’t read part 1 I invite you to do so in order to better understand where I’m coming from in this post.

So the question is, “if women are not allowed to do certain things, what are they allowed to do?” Of course, that isn’t how I would want the question framed. Instead, I think it’s important to say what women are called to do, rather than making this about restrictions.

The interesting thing is, when addressing the differences between the roles of men and women; the Bible tends to call women to be visually representatives of the gospel. It seems that there is a lot of focus on women being learners, performers, and teachers; but it all revolves around them being a display of the gospel.

Learners

Obviously, if a woman doesn’t understand God’s call to all Christians, His specific role for her in the home and in the church, and what she is supposed to do, it is unlikely that she will be equipped to do it. Paul, however, tells us that God’s word is meant to equip us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17) and that is what he charges pastors to preach (2 Tim. 4:1-5). These things were written to a pastor who had been instructed in an earlier letter what men and women should be doing in the church, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness” (1 Tim 2:11). Now by “quietly with all submissiveness” he later explains that he means that she is not to take up authority over a man. It doesn’t mean that they can’t ask questions, make comments, or even pray; it means that part of their role is to be a “professional student” of the word.

As a side note, this makes total sense to me. Most of the best students of the word I have known in my life were women. Have you ever met a woman who knows an ounce of theology? Wow, she’ll sink her roots deep into that Bible and won’t be able to move.

Performers

This is a tough one for me to describe, because by performer I mean two things:

1. One who does what she is called to do in the Christian life. She performs what she learns.
2. One who performs a part in a play, thus displaying the gospel to the world through her godly character.

I get this from several different biblical descriptions.

Her Costume

“…women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works” (1 Tim. 2:9-10)

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3-4)

These texts appeal to what seems to be that natural love for fashion that most women seem to have. It doesn’t mean that it’s wrong to look nice outwardly, but what really matters is her conduct. Sister, if someone says to you “you always know exactly what to say to encourage me” you should hear that as the equivalent of “I love those ear rings!”

Her Value

“…husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7).

You can learn a lot about what someone thinks about you by how they speak of you to others. In this case, we learn a lot about what the Lord thinks about women by how He instructs husbands. The point here isn’t at all to say “be careful she’s fragile” as if to say that women are defined by being physically or emotionally inferior. Peter is describing women according to their value, being like fine china. The role of a woman isn’t to be cheap or durable, rather, she is to be lifted up as a precious gentle vessel.

Her Part

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord… This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” (Eph 5:22,32).

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct” (1 Peter 3:1-2).

“[women ought to behave in a godly manner submissive to their husbands] that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:5).

Each of these passages is focused on wives. This is because a woman will find that her ultimate ability to do what God has prepared for her is in marriage. He has created you with the ability to display something about his church and how the gospel operates. That is why being submissive to your husband is so important.

Now, I understand that a single woman might be reading this thinking “so I am not included in this until I get married?” That’s not the point. The reason we find all of these descriptions in the context of marriage is because marriage is meant to display Christ and the church. So it makes sense that God has given men and women certain intrinsic roles that are ultimately played out in marriage. But he also calls men to step up and be leaders in the church and the culture, and likewise women are to be submissive to those in authority over them all the time in order to show something about the church.

So Ladies, the part in your performance is to display the effects of Christ’s love for his church in his people by pursuing sanctification (as every Christian should) and being submissive.

Teachers

Finally, you are called to teach younger (or less mature) Christian ladies to fulfill their role:

[Older women are to] train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:3-5)

See, that learning sure does come in handy. You get to teach it through discipleship of other ladies. In some ways you will consider yourself a “student teacher,” however, as you grow as a performer of these things others will see you as an expert teacher (which is like owning a cute blouse I suppose).

I hope that this is helpful, and that you will truly find this calling to be a wonderful thing. It’s sad that so many will attack your role as “just…” anything, because it is truly a wonderful thing.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Don't Pass the Roles! Part 1

2011-04-29T16:36:00.001-05:00

When one looks at Christianity from the outside he can see many debates. The issues in question range from relatively small issues (such as worship style) to very big issues (such as the sufficiency of Scripture). Evolution, predestination, abortion, infant baptism, homosexuality, etc… These are all big issues. Issues which can be understood in light of the gospel with relative ease; however, one issue that I don’t think gets enough attention is the issue of the role of women in the church. Of course, the role of men in the church is equally important, but the controversy always seems to be framed around women.

I want to be careful and try not to be misunderstood on this topic, but I also don’t want to keep you from learning biblical truth. The Bible teaches that God has a specific, high calling for women in the church that differs from the role of men. This goes against our culture, and even the teaching of several denominations. For some of you, believing this may come down to saying “my flesh doesn’t agree with this, but if that is what the Bible teaches I will submit to it” I’ve said that a few times as well, so you’re in good company. Remember, Scripture is supposed to renew your mind, not the other way around (Rom. 12:2).

As I said above, this is really about our roles more than it is merely about the role of women in the church. The reason I am focusing on the woman’s role in the church is because the Egalitarian view opposes the exclusion of women from certain functions in the church, thus belittling God’s high calling for women. This saddens me because I know so many godly women (including my own wife) who are seeking to fulfill their role while being forced to breath the air of feminism.*

I would love to be able to simply spend one post encouraging women to lovingly embrace their calling in the local church, but unfortunately I have to start by showing the flaws in the egalitarian/feminist arguments that seek to make us all exactly the same with the exception of physical differences.

*For men, the issue is the opposite. For example, We are called to the role of Christ-like leadership in our homes while most of us find it much more pleasant either to become chauvinistic or to simply take a back seat and be passive.

Pastoral Ministry

The argument that the office of pastor (or elder) is reserved for men only is pretty clear in Scripture. There are actually several ways you can make this case: there’s the fact that the requirements for a pastor seem to refer to a male**, and the fact that we see no examples of female pastors in Scripture, but I want to focus on Paul’s restriction of women from this biblical office.

**by itself, this case would be weak.

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Tim. 12-14)

First, what is Paul saying here? He is forbidding the exercise of authority (including preaching) of women over men. I believe this refers specifically to pastoral authority, however, it could apply to other roles depending on how they function in different churches***.

***it is my belief that women can serve as deacons provided that the “office” of deacon is one of leadership in service, rather than authority.

Here, Paul is specifically talking about how things should be in the church, as he makes clear a little later in the context (3:14-15). Having read the text, we can ask the question “is this a timeless command, or a cultural command from which we can simply find a principle?”
The answer is found in the basis of Paul’s argument. If he were to make the command and then appeal to the culture, we could safely say that this was a command specifically to those in the culture; however, Paul actually makes his appeal outside of his own time and culture. Paul goes back to the original hierarchy by which God spoke to man. God commanded Adam, who then commanded Eve. Eve was then deceived and Adam followed Eve’s deception rather than correcting her with God’s word, thus sinning. Paul isn’t saying that Eve is more prone to sin than Adam; he is saying that there is a God-made authority structure which is the normative way by which He speaks to His people. He gives man the responsibility of preaching His word to His people.

The rebuttal from those who do not believe this text to be a timeless command is to go to Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The argument says that if we have a distinct role for women in the church, excluding them from certain offices, we must also have a distinct role for slaves in the church today. As is common with biblical controversy, this argument doesn’t only put the Bible against itself; it puts a specific author, namely Paul, against himself.

So first, what is Paul saying? He is saying that in Christ we all have equal standing. Jews are not privileged over Gentiles, men are not more justified than women, and even slaves find equality with their earthly masters. Complimentarianism (what I am arguing for) doesn’t dispute this. We say that men and women are equal in value and standing before God. We differ, however, in our roles. The context here in Galatians is discussing salvation by grace alone through faith. Paul is demonstrating that we are justified by the righteousness of Christ and not by our own ability to keep the law; and if we all have Christ’s righteousness we are all equal in that sense.

What we can’t do is argue against other biblical positions using this passage. In one sense, the Jews do have some advantages (Rom 9:4), so do masters over their slaves (Titus 2:9). Those relationships didn’t always end, but they did change if the two people in question were both in Christ.

Next week I will give a positive presentation on God’s high calling for women.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Are you being led by the Spirit?

2011-04-25T09:34:00.001-05:00

One of the things that makes me most sad about the state of affairs in evangelicalism these days is the fact that so many people are ignoring what the Holy Spirit is telling them to do. This may come as a surprise to many people, isn’t the idea that the Spirit still speaks becoming more prevalent? Wouldn’t that mean that Christians are able to be more in tune with the Spirit’s leading? Logically, perhaps, however, in reality the Spirit is becoming more of a cover for (I really want to do this) and his actual leading has been swept under the rug.

Let me be clear, I believe that the Spirit still leads us today. I believe that circumstances, desires, and counsel from those around us can all be a part of seeking out God’s leading. But these things can only be helpful in light of God’s revealed will for our life in the Scripture. It seems to me that many people who do things under the guise that the Spirit still speaks to us are, at the same time, making Him appear inconsistent with Himself. The first question we must ask ourselves is not, “does the Spirit still speak?” but rather, “has the Spirit spoken?” According to Peter and Paul, He has.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)

Unless a person wants to claim that the “leading” they are experiencing is identical to that of the inspired writers of Scripture, he or she must come to an understanding of God’s will in Scripture and make sure that they’re desires are in line with God’s revealed will.

If you feel the Spirit leading you toward something, but have to do biblical gymnastics to make it seem right, that probably isn’t coming from the Spirit. This is the most freeing reality we could ever imagine. The Spirit doesn’t merely speak to us by mysterious means, everything we need to know is written out for us.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

What is the Righteousness of God?

2011-04-07T13:03:00.003-05:00

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In life there are many things that take time for us to learn. When I was a growing up I played on a basketball team that was very good (usually not because of my efforts), but only now do I understand many of the intricacies of the game that cause me to love it more than ever. I drive a car pretty much every day but have little idea as to how it works- which causes terror when I have to take it to a mechanic.

The Christian life isn’t very different. We see verses like 2 Corinthians 5:21 and are able to give a hardy “AMEN!” because we recognize that it is the gospel. Christ, who was without sin, took on the penalty for our sin so that we might become…the righteousness of God. Ok, well at least I understand half of that, certainly enough to praise God for the gospel. But when push comes to shove, do any of us have a clue what “the righteousness of God” really means?

We use the term so often. We know that our righteousness is a bloody rag in the sight of God (Isa 64:6). We understand that by faith in Christ his righteousness has been imputed to our account and we are declared righteous in God’s sight in justification. We are able to say that a judgmental or legalistic person is “self-righteous.” But what do we even mean by “righteousness”?

The Greek and Hebrew words we translate “righteousness” are actually the exact same word we translate “justice” what alters the translation is simply the use and context of the word. Righteousness is a legal term which simply means to act in accordance with a law. In that sense, each of us can be righteous at one time or another. However, 2 Corinthians is talking about the “righteousness of God.” Does this mean that there is a law above God which He must obey in order to be righteous? Absolutely not! Even the 10 Commandments- which we would say is “God’s law”- does not sit above Him in judgment, it is a reflection of His righteousness, not the bases of it. Instead, God is righteous because He acts in accordance with His own perfect holiness. In this sense, God is the only one who can truly be called “self righteous.” This means that the righteousness of God is a higher righteousness than we can attain on our own.

This righteousness is at the very heart of all redemptive history. Seemingly, God was acting unrighteous when He declared the likes of Noah, Abraham, and even those of the nation of Israel to be righteous when they had, in fact, been nothing but sinners. But when Christ came, he didn’t merely live a good life according to the law- which would in one sense reveal him to be righteous- he lived in perfect accord with the holiness of God. Thus, imparting to those who would believe in him the righteousness of God. Furthermore, by bearing the penalty for our sin He revealed God to be righteous for declaring the Old Testament saints righteous (Rom. 3:21-26).

Going back to our passage in 2 Cor. 5:21 now, what does Paul mean that we will “become the righteousness of God.” I find it helpful to look at what he says in Philippians 3:3-11 a sampling:

“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more…as to righteousness under the law, blameless…But whatever gain I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…”

If Christ were merely blameless under the law why would Paul prefer Christ’s righteousness to his? Instead, Christ was truly perfect, holy before God. Christ wasn’t merely able to do the outward works of the law the Pharisees accomplished, he had a pure heart and all his actions were guided by his perfect holiness.

In what righteousness do you put your trust? Your goodness, sincerity, and charity, or that of Christ which comes through faith in him?

The Gospel is Proof of Hell

2011-03-01T16:03:00.002-06:00

Allow me to clear up a few things at the outset:

1. This isn’t about Rob Bell’s yet-to-be-published book, “Love Wins: Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived,” the topic is on my mind because of the book but I haven’t read the book and- let’s be honest- I’m not shocked that he would write a book that challenges the orthodox view of hell.

2. This is a little bit about the aftermath (see here and especially here) of the Justin Taylor post about the book. A lot of things have been said- many of which were said by people I respect- that can’t be unsaid. Personally, I think the “young, restless, reformed” crowd jumped on this so quickly because Bell has been so wishy-washy in the past about his views. He is the master of saying a lot without saying anything at all. I think the hope is that, in this book, Bell will lay his theological cards out on the table so we can label him appropriately. If history is any indication, that won’t happen.

It’s easy to get caught up in the details when debating certain issues. Is there a real literal place called “Hell” to which God sends all of His enemies? Is hell actually just separation from God? Does hell last forever, or is it a temporal punishment that leads to the eventual annihilation of the soul? These are weighty questions that cannot be answered by a mere blog post. However, we can look at one truth of the Bible which explains a lot to us about what kind of “love wins” according to the gospel.

So here are some things we can know about hell in light of the gospel:

1. The fact that God was willing to kill His Son shows that hell really does exist.

If someone said to me, “the boss was really serious when he said he would fire the next person who forgets to put a cover sheet on their TPS reports” I would take them seriously. If they said, “yeah, the boss just fired Bill in accounting for forgetting to put a cover sheet on his TPS report” I would take them more seriously. But if they said, “Did you hear that the VP got fired for forgetting to put a cover sheet on his TPS report?” I would know the boss wasn’t messing around about this cover sheet stuff.

That was a pretty lame example but the point is that the Son of God be crushed for sin means something about God’s feelings toward sin. The fact that God would pour out His wrath on Christ, for whom He has infinite love and affection, shows that no sin will go unpunished.

2. Christ went to hell on the cross, not after the cross.

Those who would say that Jesus went to Hell after dying on the cross in order to take on more punishment seriously misunderstand the gospel. Those who say he went to Hell after dying on the cross to preach are wrong in my opinion, but it’s much more of a gray area. At the cross, Christ endured the full weight of the wrath of God, such that it was sufficient to save every human being who has or will ever live. If Christ went to hell in this sense while having sin imputed to him for those who would trust him as their savior, there will certainly be hell for those who choose to bear the weight of their own sin.

3. The fact that Christ’s saving work is tied to changed lives tells us that there are those who will bear the full weight of their own sin.

In case you are not inclined to believe in hell, please accept this argument on the assumptions that: (a) not everyone in history has trusted in Christ as their savior before their death, and (b) there is no opportunity for salvation given to those who have already died.

The Bible clearly ties Christ’s atoning work to the changed life of a believer. Of course, this would make it impossible for someone to make the claim that people can be saved by Christ without knowing he was their savior. Whether this is the argument that some are saved because of ignorance (which destroys missions), or the argument that a person’s devotion to one religion can be another form of devotion to Christ (which destroys sanctification).

To name a few things the Bible says about the results of Christ’s death:

a. Conformity to the image of Christ (Rom 8:28-29)
b. A new heart which is responsive to God (Ezek. 36:26, Jeremiah 31:31-40, Luke 22:20).
c. Freedom from the slavery to sin that we might live to righteousness (Rev. 1:5-6, 1 Peter 2:24)
d. The ability to live by faith in him (Galatians 2:20)

I could say more about this if I need to, but the point is that the gospel tells us that there is a hell, never mind the fact that the doctrine of hell can stand on its own. That is why this is a serious subject. Regardless of what Rob Bell says (or doesn’t say) in his book, this is an important subject to know, and even love, as it drives us to evangelism.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Wimpy Woman

2011-02-17T13:16:00.002-06:00

I know i haven't posted on this blog in a really long time. Rather than write something half heartedly just to fill my thursday slot, i would much rather write something whole heartedly late. So.

I was reading in Focus on the Families magazine "The Citizen" today and something really jumped out on the page for me. There was little article called "Do you have the Courage of Your Convictions?" For most who don't know me, i'm kind of a push over, not very out-spoken (except when i know im right and can back it up very well), i try to avoid conflict as much as possible. Its hard for me to stand up for something that i know is right and there have been countless times when i know i should speak and instead stay silent. Courage is something that i lack and in fact it is something that i am having the ladies in my church pray for in my life.

Well im hoping those prayers are answered over the next few weeks because i lobby for a conservative organization which seeks to protect and promote traditional and family values. Needless to say, im at our capitol daily (in little rock) and it is my job to be bold and talk to legislators. With all this in mind the article that i read was more than uplifting for my wimpy heart. It talked about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (one of my favorite's) and his "civic courage" during Nazi Germany. "Bonhoeffer identified the lack of civic courage-and the collapse of ethics-as being the downfall of Germany." It goes on to say " This is why some Christian philosophers have called "courage" the greatest of of the four cardinal virtues. That's because your convictions and principles are worthless if you don't have the courage to live them out." So so so true. I don't know anything about cardinal virtues, but i do know that courage is hard for me and fear is far more comfortable. Wait no, fear isn't comfortable but i fall prey all to often. That is all for now.

Shattered

2011-02-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

This Weekend I went to a church called Grace Life where I sat in on a prayers service where the members were able to pray together for their congregation, the kingdom of God, and anything that they desired to pray.

As the service began a man named Patrick spoke and began to pray something that blew my mind. It was something like this. I am rephrasing to make this my own prayer but I credit him for the thought and God for awakening it in me.

I thank you God for men like Jonathan Edwards and the work that he did. But the God of Jonathan Edwards is my God. The God of John Calvin is my God. The great work that was done through John Paton and all that his life held was great. And his God is my God. The God of Abraham and Moses is the same God then as I worship now. The God of Patrick Quattlebaum, Paul Loyd, Bobby Markham, Stephen Bean, Tim Kinnard, Tim Allen, Jason Lapp, Billy Etter, Mike Clowers and my dad is the very same God that I worship today.

Why did this shatter me on Sunday? Because it hit me that far too often I credit the man and say “I could never do what he does” and yet I celebrate the same God that caused the molecules to form, the red sea to part and these men mentioned above to obey.

Piper and Lecrea

2011-01-25T08:39:00.001-06:00

Here is an i frame into the youtube world

Questions on the Love of God

2011-01-24T11:19:00.002-06:00

An Arminian blog I read posted some questions from an Arminian perspective to Calvinists. There are way too many to tackle in one post but I will try to do them over a few posts. I hope this is helpful to those who share some of the same questions. I also hope that I come across as respectful, even as I disagree with the person who wrote them. Enjoy!

Does God love everyone in a meaningful sense?

Let’s start with part one of the question, “Does God love everyone…?” The answer to this part of the question really isn’t difficult. We just have to go to the most quoted verse in the Bible, John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (ESV).

There are some Calvinists (such as A.W. Pink) who interpret “world” in this verse to mean “elect,” however, I don’t think that is necessary to reconcile God’s love for all persons with His specific love for the elect. Most scholars (Calvinists included) agree that the intended meaning of “world” in this passage is all people. So the answer to part one of the question is: yes, God loves every person.

Part 2 of the question is a bit of a caveat. We are asked “Does God love everyone in a meaningful sense?” There are definitely some assumptions behind the word “meaningful” but I will deal with that below. I think the easiest way to answer that is to write out a more literal version of John 3:16:

For in this way God has loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that the
believing ones should not perish but have eternal life.

There are two areas where I think we tend to misinterpret. I usually use the word “so” to say “so much.” We might say “I love you so much it hurts,” but in this case the word "so" is really saying “this is how I love you.” So we can assume that the verse will give a pretty straight answer to the question “does God love everyone in a meaningful sense?”

The second thing we often misinterpret is the word “whoever” or “whosoever,” these are words which the translators use so that the sentence will make sense in English. I don’t have any problem with this. I think it’s safe to say that “whoever believes” is going to be a member of “the believing ones.” The problem comes when we think that the word “whoever” is original and try to interpret it differently. We then read back into the sentence that the intention of God was to send His Son in hopes that people would believe, rather than sending His Son for the particular purpose of saving those who would believe.

So I guess it’s up to you whether or not you believe that God loves everyone in a meaningful sense, but John 3:16 does tell us in what way God loves the whole world. He didn’t destroy the world but has allowed it to keep spinning and producing God haters because He is saving a people from within the world.

In what sense does God love those whom he deliberately withholds grace from?

This question gives us a little backward thinking. I would say, “God loves the lost by giving them good things they don’t deserve every day.” Is that withholding grace? Now, He doesn’t give them saving grace, but is He bound to save everyone? Is He not free to withhold grace from some?

God lovingly created every person and gives them all kinds of good things, yet they reject Him and worship other things (see Romans 1:18-32). The fact that He gives more grace to those whom He chooses for salvation does not make Him less loving than He would otherwise be to those who reject Him.

Is God sincere?

God is sincere in His love as well as His hatred. He is also sincere in saying that those who put their trust in Christ will be saved. Would you rather worship a God who you consider the most sincere, or would you rather worship who is Holy, righteous, and yet still saves many for His glory and their joy?

I hope that everyone goes to heaven; does this mean I love more than God does?

In Romans 9:1-3 Paul was inspired to write about his love for Israel and hope that they would be saved:

“I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

I think part of our reflection of God’s image is that we are not capricious in our desire for those outside of Christ to serve justice. Instead, we submit to God’s will that things happen a certain way. Even as an Arminian, you have to ask why Paul was forbid going to Asia to preach the gospel and instead went to Lydia and the Philppian jailor (see Acts 16).

I hope these answers do not come across as contentious. I know that they are genuine, and I really hope to be helpful. Comments and corrections are always welcome.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

2011-01-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

One of the easiest things for a Christian to fall into in is using a particular passage so much that you zoom in on aspects and lose the full meaning. I know that is true for me. That is why it is so enriching to read a passage I have read hundreds of times before and seeing something I missed. In the case of this passage, someone else experienced what I’m talking about and taught me in the process. (Here is a link to James White’s “Dividing Line” in which he discusses it. )

It is popular (and rightfully so) to cite 1 Peter 3:15 when referring to apologetics:

…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a
defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do
it with gentleness and respect…

Here we are given clear instruction to be prepared to give a reason for our faith. We should have the gospel at the tip of our tongues because it is the very power that has changed us and it is the only hope for those around us. We must also have some level of understanding (proportionate to your ability to learn these things) of what kind of objections to the gospel exist and be able to respond to them in a biblical way.

Furthermore, we are given the attitude with which we should do this. Not in a defensive way, not with arrogance that belittles others, but with gentleness and respect. This doesn’t mean that we should allow people to walk all over us but it does mean that we should approach the conversation with the humility of one who understands grace and a willingness to rid ourselves of any snarky elitism so as not to detract of the gospel.

What James White explains in the podcast I linked that I hadn’t really thought through is that there is a reason given in the passage why someone would ask you this question. Consider the context of verses 13-15:

Be passionate for good things.
13 “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?” Peter has just talked about blessing those who persecute you. Now He is saying that there is no reason for someone to harm you if you have a passion for something that is good.

Do not fear evil.
14 “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled…” Some people will be persecuted despite their righteous passion. They shouldn’t fear these evil people (I can’t think of two better definitions of evil than 1. One who defies his Creator and 2. One who does harm to another without righteous cause) but instead, have peace because of the blessings that await you.

Regard Christ as holy.
15 “…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy…” This is why people will ask you for a reason for the hope that is within you. When you fall victim to the evil of the world around you but still have a passion for doing good that is grounded in your love for the righteousness of Christ people will notice and they will ask questions.

This is much different from the evangelistic plan to which we have become accustomed. It is a call to a lifestyle more so than steps, laws, or roads (which are not bad in and of themselves).

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Christmas has its Cradle

2011-01-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

I know the best time to post this song would have been around christmas time, so sorry im late. The lady who plays piano at our church introduced this song to us and i thoroughly enjoyed the lyrics...Enjoy

Christmas has its cradle, where a Baby cried; did the lantern’s shadow show him crucified?

Did he foresee darkly His life’s willing loss?

Christmas has its cradle and Easter has its cross.

Christmas has its cradle; shepherds came to see, Little Son of Mary, Lamb of God to be

Had His Father warned Him, none would grant Him room, save in the Christmas cradle and in the Easter tomb?

Christmas has its cradle, wise men came to bring, myrrh and gold and incense, offering for a King;

Myrrh alone stayed with Him, death’s balm for this Boy, from the Christmas cradle and to His Easter joy.

Christmas has its cradle, where that Baby cried; in the Easter garden, Christ lay, crucified;

When death’s power was conquered, God’s life through Him poured;

Christmas has its cradle and Easter has its Lord!

Grace and Peace
sarah B

Grace Driven Effort

2011-01-12T08:42:00.001-06:00

Below is an article on Grace Driven Effort. You can find the articles before this here if you like but it is not necessary for this one.

Let’s continue diving into the idea of “Grace-Driven Effort.” We have already stated that people don’t stumble into godliness. Paul uses great phrases to describe our growth into holiness and reflecting the Glory of God and His reign and rule over our lives. Paul talks about “training ourselves in righteousness” (1 Tim. 4:7), “laboring in prayer,” “running to win,” “counting it all a loss” (Philippians 3) and “beating his body” (1 Corinthian 9:26-27).

Paul’s language doesn’t paint the picture of sitting on the couch and falling into godliness. The problem as I perceive it as a pastor is that most who claim to know and love God want to see sin lose its power in their lives and walk in greater intimacy with Christ, yet they are exhausted and have been trying to mortify sin by promises and threats, rather than through the weapons grace provides.

By promises I mean they believe that they will have life to the “full” and get a great house in heaven if they behave in this manner or that manner. In Dallas, this plays itself out with church attendance and comparing ourselves to others. If I go to church frequently and am better than I was a couple years ago or if I’m better than other people who attend my church then I must be good. We love to compare our strengths to others’ weaknesses and grow confident in our goodness.

By threats I mean that many try to behave and modify their behavior because they fear hell and God’s wrath and so that they can earn their way out of hell. The problem with this is that heaven isn’t a place for those who fear hell; it’s a place for those who love God.

Another very popular sport in the Bible Belt is fighting residual sin with our own vows and resolutions; these become our defense. In the end, as we have already discussed you are simply pitting sin against sin and in that scenario, you lose. We fight sin and grow in godliness by using the weapons grace provides. There are at least three:

The Word of God- 2 Timothy 3:16-17- “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” The Holy Spirit illumines the Scriptures as the “storehouse of weaponry” in the battle against sin and for godliness. All that we need to stand and fight are found within its pages. The reason I think so many people stumble about when it comes to residual sin and maturing in Christ is they have no idea what the Scriptures say when it comes to those subjects. The Scriptures are where we find and are trained to do battle in such a way that victory is found.
The Blood of Christ- Ephesians 2:13- “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” One of the reasons Paul constantly preaches the gospel to people who already know and believe is because it is human tendency to run back to the law instead of trusting in the blood of Christ to cleanse them from all unrighteousness. You see this especially in Galatians 2:20-3:5. When we stumble and fall we run to God, not from Him. This is made possible by having God’s wrath removed from us and absorbed by Christ and Christ’s righteousness imputed to us. A mark of Christian maturity and genuine gospel understanding is not running away from God to clean yourself up and then come back, but a broken and contrite spirit that runs to Him, asking Him for forgiveness and strength.
The promises of the covenant- Hebrews 9:15- “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” I remember singing a song in VBS as a kid about God hating liars; I knew I was in trouble. If the 10 Commandments were a quiz or test, I would have easily failed. I’ve been guilty of every one of them. The law was given to show me I can’t be perfect, that I’m going to fall short, that I am in desperate need of a Savior (Romans 1-7). When we stumble and fall, the Spirit reminds us of the Scriptures that promise that there has been a death for those failures and that there is a new covenant resting on Christ now and not on my ability to obey the law. This allows me to pursue Christ without fear and by “beholding his glory I am transformed.”

We’ll try and finish up this series this week with a blog about going after heart instead of action.

To Be Able to Explain and Apply

2011-01-10T17:42:00.003-06:00

"...personal evangelism, like all our dealings with our fellow-men, should be courteous. And they remind us, second, that personal evangelism needs normally to be founded on friendship. You are not usually justified in choosing the subject of conversation with another till you have already begun to give yourself to him in friendship and established a relationship with him in which he feels that you respect him, and are interested in him, and are treating him as a human being, and not just as some kind of 'case'.

With some people, you may establish such a relationship in five minutes, whereas with others it may take months. But the principle remains the same. The right to talk intimately to another person about the Lord Jesus Christ has to be earned, and you earn it by convincing him that you are his friend, and really care about him. And therefore the indiscriminate buttonholing, the intrusive barging in to the privacy of other people's souls, the thick-skinned insistence on expounding the things of God to reluctant strangers who are longing to get away -- these modes of behavior, in which strong and loquacious personalities have sometimes indulged in the name of personal evangelism, should be written off as a travesty of personal evangelism...

In fact, the rudeness of this sort dishonours God; moreover, it creates resentment, and prejudices people against the Christ whose professed followers act so objectionably. The truth is that real personal evangelism is very costly, just because it demands of us a really personal relationship with the other man....

If you wish to do personal evangelism, then - and I hope you do; you ought to pray for the gift of friendship."

- J. I. Packer from "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God"

The following letter

2011-01-05T09:11:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine sent this to me and I'm not sure where he got it from. If I find out then I will post the source. He did tell me that Albert Mohler reads this letter multiple times a year due to its content. I hope to do the same.

From the Archives: To the Five Prisoners of Lyons
Offered to him in Sacrifice
October 1, 1986
The following letter was addressed by Calvin to five of his colleagues facing execution after Calvin’s efforts to intercede proved fruitless. The five were burned at the stake facing the end with composure, singing psalms, repeating passages of scripture and exhorting each other to courage.
From Geneva, 15 May 1553
My very dear Brothers:
We have at length heard why the herald of Berne did not return that way. It was because he had not such an answer as we much desired. For the King has peremptorily refused all the requests made by Messieurs of Berne, as you will see by the copies of the letters, so that nothing further is to be looked for from that quarter. Nay, wherever we look here below, God has stopped the way. This is well, however, that we cannot be frustrated of the hope which we have in Him, and in His holy promises. You have always been settled on that sure foundation, even when it seemed as though you might be helped by men, and that we too thought so; but whatever prospect of escape you may have had by human means, yet your eyes have never been dazzled so as to divert your heart and trust, either on this side or that. Now, at this present hour, neccessity itself exhorts you more than ever to turn your whole mind heavenward. As yet, we know not what will be the event. But since it appears as though God would use your blood to sign His truth, there is nothing better than for you to prepare yourselves to that end, beseeching Him so to subdue you to His good pleasure, that nothing may hinder you from following whithersoever he shall call. For you know, my brothers, that it behoves us to be thus mortified in order to be offered to Him in sacrifice. It cannot be but that you sustain hard conflicts, in order that what was declared to Peter may be accomplished to you, namely, that they shall carry whither ye would not. You know, however, in what strength you have to fight—a strength on which all those who trust, shall never be daunted, much less confounded. Even so, my brothers, be confident that you shall be strengthened, according to your need, by the Spirit of our Lord Jesus, so that you shall not faint under the load of temptations, however heavy it be, any more than he did who won so glorious a victory, that in the midst of our miseries it is an unfailing pledge of our triumph. Since it pleases Him to employ you to the death in maintaining His quarrel, He will strengthen your hands in the fight, and will not suffer a single drop of your blood to be spent in vain. And though the fruit may not all at once appear, yet in time it shall spring up more abundantly than we can express. But as He hath vouchsafed you this privilege, that your bonds have been renowned, and that the noise of them has been everywhere spread abroad, it must needs be, in despite of Satan, that your death should resound far more powerfully, so that the name of our Lord be magnified thereby. For my part, I have no doubt, if it please this kind Father to take you unto Himself, that he has preserved you hitherto, in order that your long-continued imprisonments might serve as a preparation for the better awakening of those whom He has determined to edify by your end. For let enemies do their utmost, they never shall be able to bury out of sight that light which God has made to shine in you, in order to be contemplated from afar.

Psalm 116

2011-01-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

I Love the LORD

I love the LORD, because he has heard

my voice and my pleas for mercy.

Because he inclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

The snares of death encompassed me;

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the LORD:

"O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!"

Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;

our God is merciful.

The LORD preserves the simple;

when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

I will walk before the LORD

in the land of the living.

I believed, even when I spoke,

"I am greatly afflicted";

I said in my alarm,

"All mankind are liars."

What shall I render to the LORD

for all his benefits to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the LORD,

I will pay my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the LORD

is the death of his saints.

O LORD, I am your servant;

I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.

You have loosed my bonds.

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of the LORD.

I will pay my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people,

in the courts of the house of the LORD,

in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD!

--Psalm 116

If Not for Grace

2010-12-29T08:00:00.004-06:00

Here is a new song by my wife and I

Listen here

There is a right I have not earned
to live a day past sin
The One who turned my death to life
has surely taken me in
If left to me, and my stained self
my garments would be death
Now as I sit restored to life
All promises he's kept

Oh righteous one to whom I owe
my life's eternal debt
The one who grants that I might see
the grace I can not reject
Who angels fear and love to sing
of love they cannot even know
The Holy Might Awesome King
Whose glory must be shown

I sing regret for glory smeared
that which I could not own
The message ever sweet that makes
my work worth less than stone
All good in me is simply grace
bestowed, transformed from shame
I step aside and stand in awe
At he who took my place

If not for grace where would I be
If not for grace how would I know
If not for grace where would I be
If not for grace then I would owe

The best gift of All

2010-12-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

I am girly. And i like things. Even as a kid i remember thinking of how much i would have to work to save up for stuffed animals and all the books i wanted from those traveling book sales people that stop at schools for a week. As a teenager i remember all of the shopping and makeup and all that girly stuff that i wanted. I have a bit of a problem with loving excess. So living minimalistically is sometimes very hard and challenging for me.

Its especially hard around christmas because at least a month in advance im already thinking of things that i want that i haven't been able to save for because its impractical for our families budget. It is all too easy for christmas to become a "ooo i can get what i want now" time rather than celebrating the best gift of all and the only gift that i really need. I go in and out of christmasy phases where some years i have it right and some years im more selfish and don't even take in the splendor of this amazing season.

The bottom line is that we have the best gift of all: Jesus. Our saviour, born to die is the greatest gift to creation. Please don't get lost in the consumer driven craziness of this christmas and instead think of our greatest gift.

Grace and peace
Sarah B.

The True meaning of Christmas

2010-12-22T12:23:00.003-06:00

On ABC Family TMC, and TBS right now here are some of the programs that are currently being advertised for the Christmas day.

A Flintstone Christmas	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 7:00AM
The Shop Around The Corner	TCM	Dec 25, 8:00AM
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 8:00AM
The Year Without a Santa Claus	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 9:00AM
Miracle on 34th Street	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 10:00AM
A Christmas Carol (1938)	TCM	Dec 25, 11:45AM
Santa Buddies	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 12:30PM
The Santa Clause	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 2:30PM
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 4:30PM
King of Kings	TCM	Dec 25, 5:00PM
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 7:00PM
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 9:30PM
Surviving Christmas	TBS	Dec 25, 10:15PM
Ernest Saves Christmas	ABCFAM	Dec 25, 12:00AM

I don't show this to help you plan your tv time on Christmas but I am pretty pumped about A Flinstones Christmas. I do remember sitting and watching Elf though and then looking through Christmas movie titles on Netflix and realized that one of my favorite Christmas movies barely gets played any more. Will my kids ever get to see the message of the Messiah being born on national television as told by Linus?

If you haven't seen it this year... Your welcome.
Merry Christmas.

Being Gospel Centered in a Community

2010-12-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

Probably my favorite show on TV right now (aside from Sports Center of course) is NBC's community. In the pilot episode Troy, a former star quarterback in high school who is now a freshman in community college, isn't sure whether he should continue wearing his letter-man jacket (helping him relive his glory days) or to stop because it makes him look like he's trying too hard to be popular. The advice he receives from Jeff Winger (former lawyer) is that whether he wears the jacket to feel popular or doesn't wear it because people say it's silly- he's still doing it for them and now himself.

A small moral victory (I guess) from the world but it serves as an example for the lesson I learned from the book Marks of the Mesenger by J. Mack Stiles. In the chapter titles "Messengers in a Troubled World" Stiles discusses the balance between social justice and evangelism in a third-world context. Of course, this is a hotly debated topic. How do we serve physical needs of people while trying to keep our focus on the gospel (assuming we are supposed to keep our focus there)?

Stiles makes the point that once we decide that these people are suffering simply because of their physical need we have already made a wrong turn. We are pitying them because of their material needs, not their gospel needs. He writes, "...to be who we are meant to be we must remember any desire to distance speaking the gospel into pain and deprivation is a result of a whole host of misguided impulses, Western guilt for one...We expose how sold out to materialism we've been when material suffering dashes our faith" (65).

The point isn't that physical needs aren't important or that we shouldn't meet them. Stiles makes that clear later in the chapter. But the point is that we have missed the point as soon as we target those people because of they want of material possessions. Help them with their material needs or don't help them with their material needs, either way your focus is on material possessions rather than the gospel.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

milk to meat

2010-12-16T12:18:00.002-06:00

I am in a bit of flux as of late. I'm having some growning pains (not physically) on this whole growing up thing. There are so many ways in which i still feel like a little kid playing on the big kid play ground, which don't get me wrong is AWESOME, but at times i miss being little and not having to have responsibility and make decisions and plan. I miss not having to think through things and getting to do what i want, when i want. I love what knowledge, wisdom, and maturity i have gained along the way (which i know there is still more yet to come) but its just overwhelming sometimes.

When i think about these physical growing pains i'm going through it makes me think of spiritual growing pains ive gone through. For example when i was a new believer i was crazy passionate, but i sure didn't know a whole lot. Now i feel as if i have a nice balance of knowledge and passion, but i still look back at times and think "wow, why can't i be that passionate again?" The verse that comes to mind is Hebrews 5:12 12 "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again(A) the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need(B) milk, not solid food,"

I know that it is all to easy for me to want to be stuck in the past whether spiritually or physically rather than moving forward in life. I can be very content with milk (especially with ovaltine added) rather than moving onto a nice juicy steak (medium-rare). Im really big into idealizing and fantasizing about how things used to be (usually leaving out all the bad stuff) that it makes now and the future look really bleak. Im glad that i know this about myself and that i have a husband who also knows this about me, therefore keeping me in line.

I know growing pains are hard on any level, but it is always worth it in the end...cue korny music

grace and peace
sarah B.

The Non Christmas song song

2010-12-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

The Non
Christmas song
song

Every Christmas the highest point of almost every Christmas cantata, every Christmas orchestra performance, and many children's plays in the Song Joy to the world. Even though Isaac Watts, never intended it to be a Christmas carol it has been a blessing that has sealed itself into being played every year. Joy to the World is inspired by Psalm 98 and the tune to the song is attributed to George Frederick Handel and has similarities to phrases of his great oratorio, Messiah. Notably the first four tones match the beginning of the chorus, "Lift Up Your Heads."

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Couldn't Resist

2010-12-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to read through 2nd Peter for a while now...im still in chapter 1. I have also been using Calvin's commentaries to help me understand what im reading. I got to verse 5 where it talks about "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." I threw that last verse in there just cause its so good but the first part is what i wanted to comment on.

As i was reading through my commentary i came across something Calvin wrote which i could not resist sharing.

"It may, however, be here asked, Whether Peter, by assigning to us the work of supplying or adding virtue, thus far extolled the strenth and power of free-will? They who seek to establish free-will in man, indeed concede to God the first place, that is, that he begins to act or work in us; but they imagine that we at the same time co-operate, and that it is thus owing to us that the movements of God are not rendered void and inefficacious. But the perpetual doctrine of scripture is opposed to this delirious notion: for it plainly testifies, that right feelings are formed in us by God, and are rended by him effectual. It testifies also that all our progress and perseverance are from God. Besides, it expressly declares that wisdom, love, patience, are the gifts of God and the Spirit."

My husband recently wrote a song called "if not for grace" and one of the lines is "all good in me is simply grace. bestowed, transformed from shame" and i love this not just because its truth that i can proclaim but because i know my life testifies to this truth. Any time i think of how wonderful or great of a kind person i am, its not too long before i realize my motives and my selfish heart which then makes me see that all good in me simply IS grace, because my human nature is sin.

Being grateful for unmerrited favor,
sarah B.

Missional Living:

2010-12-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

Missional Living:

There are many times in my life that I have said the term “missional living”. This term has brought great comfort to my life because generally I can explain away not sharing the gospel because “I sharing Christ with my actions”. Am I saying that sharing Christ with your life style is impossible or even wrong? NO! However I wonder how one who is not willing to share the gospel when given the opportunity will do all that they can in action to show the gospel when given the opportunity.

Missional living is still a term that I love but I want to define it a bit more so that if I use it in the future I can check to make sure i'm actually doing it and not just explaining away my fear.

(This is also aided by Jonathan Dodsons blog on Missional Living)

Missional living can be:

Eating with non believers –
Its such a difficult thing for those of us who have grown up in Christian homes to shake the thought that non christian friends are not a good thing. It is good to eat with those who don't share your faith. Conversations are much easier over food. Everybody eats so why not get to know these people that we tend to avoid. Should we be influenced by them? Maybe in some ways but not ever compromising our faith to be politically correct.

Take a stroll -
I meet more neighbors taking out the trash than any other thing that I do. Its funny how a simple trip to the garbage can open up communication. Just last night I had a conversation with a neighbor about his poodle. We find common ground in not liking them. But Gods hand in the cold weather came up. I hope to see him soon in less arctic conditions.

Help -
Neighbors are funny. They don't know how to respond to kindness when they know you are being inconvenienced for their sake. In my apartments there is always somebody moving. They always say no to help moving stuff until you continue to show genuine interest. They will let you help but still wondering where the kindness came from.

Go, then go again -
I have a pretty regular visit to the gas station down the street on most afternoons. The attendants generally don't take notice until you learn their names... then they wonder what your selling. Then they have conversation. Now you have a friend.

Toms -
I get more spiritual conversations over my Tom's shoes than any thing else that i've ever bought (other than my bible or systematic theology). People love what Tom's shoes is doing and they are not threatened by it. However it does open up heart to heart topics on what people over seas need.

Serve your church -
I'm sure your church has some outreach. Go with them.

These arn't tips on good openings to sharing the gospel or how too's. This is an encouragement to make friends, live life, and be intentional. We arn't marketers, we are gospel carriers.

TEA Party- A New Challange for Christians

2010-12-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

Recent political victories by the Republican Party present a new challenge for Christians who seek to be involved in the public square. The challenge comes in sort of a “good news bad news” scenario. The good news is that liberals have lost control of the U.S. House as well as their “super majority” in the Senate. Conservatives are back on the rise and poised to take even more control in 2012. The bad news is that the root of this conservative resurgence is somewhat diluted when it comes to social issues.

This is due mostly to the resent political gains made by the TEA Party. This party is a response to the big government we have seen in recent years. Their point is- quite literally- that we have been taxed enough already. In my opinion we can say that this group is doing a lot of good work. Unfortunately, their means of accomplishing the end of lower taxes is a bit of a moral dilemma for Christians.

The idea is that social issues can take a back seat. Religious people who believe that abortion is wrong and marriage is defined as one man and one woman can combine efforts with atheists who are on the complete opposite side of the fence to achieve the goal of lower taxes and a more stable economy.

This is the kind of thinking that gets things done. It’s called pragmatism and by its very nature it works. However, I believe that it is wrong for myself as a Christian to get too excited about the TEA Party’s popularity (or any political party for that matter) when they are achieving good things by doing what is wrong, namely, making primary issues secondary and vice-versa.

So please let this serve as a reminder to continue the fight for the important issues. Don’t rest in a mere conservative leadership if that leadership is only concerned about secondary issues. Do your part in learning about political candidates and what they will be doing with the great power you are giving them. And, of course, trust God who appoints leaders according to His sovereign purpose.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

STEP Conversations

2010-12-02T08:00:00.003-06:00

I get to mentor a bright 12 year old girl through a ministry called STEP. Last night our lesson was on God's Sovereignty. A topic that i love to think and talk about although i know i still have much to learn. It fascinates me to think that the God who created the Heavens and the Earth and tack on the solar system and who keeps everything going perfectly, can also focus in on my life, know my sin, know my struggle, pursue me and cause my heart to love him and seek after him more and ordain things, whether good or bad, to come in and out of my life. and oh yeah he does that for the billion plus people that are on this planet. Its enough to make your head spin.

A verse that was used in the study last night was Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." So we read the verse and the topic of sovereignty quickly changed to "what does that last part mean"? which yes still ties into God's sovereignty. So i proceeded to try and explain that not everyone is called according to his purpose (because there are people who want nothing to do with Christ) without going through total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irrisistable grace, and perserverance of the saints (which is difficult because they all blend so well with one another) all in a less than 30 minute time period. I got to go over once again that we are sinners and we need a savior, and how you can't realize or fully understand sin until the holy spirit starts working on your heart and makes you realize your a sinner. Something that i know she gets in her head but it hasn't penetrated her heart yet. And as we were going over all of this im reminded once again how deep the fathers love for us is and how much i dont' deserve it. Praise the Lord for his unmerrited favor. I know ive been encouraged to preach the gospel to myself daily, and sometimes i forget but it never ever ever gets old.

Grace and Peace,
sarah B.

Thanksgiving for congress

2010-11-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

Congress in our day and age is very good at shocking us with the antics that they do while in session. This also makes it pretty odd and relieving when you seeing something very encouraging froms from the hand of politicians. Which is why I felt it necessary to share this congressional proclimation on the Thanksgiving holiday. I wish this was done in todays congress but its from 1782.

Continental Congress
Thanksgiving Proclamation
(1782)

"IT being the indispensable duty of all Nations, not only to offer up their supplications to ALMIGHTY GOD, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of his providence in their behalf: Therefore the United States in Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these States, in the course of the important conflict in which they have been so long engaged; the present happy and promising state of public affairs; and the events of the war, in the course of the year now drawing to a close; particularly the harmony of the public Councils, which is so necessary to the success of the public cause; the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their Allies, notwithstanding the artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to divide them; the success of the arms of the United States, and those of their Allies, and the acknowledgment of their independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these States:----- Do hereby recommend to the inhabitants of these States in general, to observe, and request the several States to interpose their authority in appointing and commanding the observation of THURSDAY the twenty-eight day of NOVEMBER next, as a day of solemn THANKSGIVING to GOD for all his mercies: and they do further recommend to all ranks, to testify to their gratitude to GOD for his goodness, by a cheerful obedience of his laws, and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness."

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the eleventh day of October, AD 1782.

Sing to the Lord

2010-11-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Psalm 98

Oh sing to the LORD a new song

for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The LORD has made known his salvation;
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
before the LORD, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

The gods of Warmth

2010-11-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!" And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!" (Isaiah 44:9-17)

This passage speaks for itself. What foolishness is our idolatry! I may think I am better because I don't create an idol out of the same log with which I warm myself but I have fallen to the worship of status, money, and comfort rather than worshiping the God of comfort who has all the wealth in the universe and- though being of the highest status that could ever be attained- formed me and knows my name.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Life & Refreshment

2010-11-18T13:07:00.002-06:00

Do you ever get so busy that its hard to find time to intentionally pray or read your bible? I sure do. Its something I have been struggling with for a while now. I know sometimes in my life my lack of devotion to prayer and scripture is because im "hidding" from God because i know that there's sin in my life (ha is if God didn't know already). But this is not the case as of now, i simply run out of time and energy. In fact part of me wishes that we had 25-26 hour days. I titled this post life, because life IS what happens. There is laundry to be done, dishes to be put away, quality time that needs to be spent with your spouse, children, and pets, and the list goes on and on and on...

I also titled this post refreshment because that is what we get when we do get time in the word and prayer. On tuesday i finally got a chance to spend time with God and it was wonderful! I got to "catch up" and just come the Lord relieved that i get to spend time before him. I finally got to read in 2 Peter. And then when i was done reading the few verses that i did, I got to read about what i had just read in 2 Peter from Calvins commentaries. Oh how i long to not wait so long before the next time that i get to spend quality time with God, and i know that sounds korny but isn't quality time with our creator and savior what we need on a daily basis? i know i do.

Grace and Peace
sarah b.

Peculiar Music

2010-11-17T07:57:00.004-06:00

Aften times we assume things about some of our favorite people. I assumed that rap music, though I like it, was looked down on by by those pastors that I respect. This was not based on anything other than what i typically encounter when discussing the issue of music. But I think this promo for a really good cd gives a good indication as to Mark Devers thoughts on a style of music that is often times written off by the general middle class christian.

The Church // Promo 1 from The Lamp Lounge on Vimeo.

Also check out Mark Dever Trying to Earn His Ghetto Card

You might be interested in this as well (Interview)

Expelled: No Revelation Allowed

2010-11-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

My wife and I have been watching the documentary “Expelled” in little bits over the past few nights. In case you haven’t seen it, it follows Ben Stein (“Bueller…”) as he learns of a bias within the scientific community against proponents of Intelligent Design.

One fact that I have to continue to remind myself of is that this film is not what it subtly markets itself to be, namely, Christian. Ben Stein- despite how incredibly likeable he may be- is not a Christian by any stretch of the imagination. He is a politically conservative Jew, which means his worldview comes close enough to make us feel like he is a Christian. Furthermore, the scientists in question do not consider themselves to be Creationists. They simply accept the probability that the universe could not have come into existence merely by natural means. In fact, many of the proponents of Intelligent Design in the film spoke of Creationism as still an enemy, defining it as an attempt to fit the Bible into science. This leads me to two conclusions:

1. We must be careful about how excited we get about the Intelligent Design movement. I believe it is accomplishing some good and that God has used that way of thinking to bring people to Himself, however, many people within the movement are still promoting causes that are against the cause of Christ. Creationism may not be the most compatible view with popular scientific theory but it is important for us to keep Scripture first because of its Divine authority and power to change us (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The fact is Genesis and Romans both confirm that death came through sin, not that God used death as the mechanism for creating man. Even atheist Richard Dawkins was honest enough to say that Darwinism is incompatible with biblical teaching.

2. How biased must science be to disallow for the minimal view that an intelligence of some kind could have possibly started the universe? To think that careers are being ruined simply because some people don’t believe the universe is self-existent just so that there is no possibility of science endorsing the true God is inconceivable in my mind. We see the hatred for God in statements like “If we allow intelligent design in the discussion it opens up the back door for Creationism” and it’s clear just how much God is hated.

These are just some thoughts on a massive subject. Sometimes you see things so clearly and you just have to say (like Mr. Stein) “wow.”

Thoughts and Captivity

2010-11-05T22:42:00.018-05:00

The thought never stays as it begins.
It grows, it changes, it strengthens, it weakens.
It can go from a whisper to a shriek
It warms, it cools, it transforms.

It becomes a word, it becomes an action, it becomes a rebellion.
It is like the wind: sometimes violent, sometimes gentle.
It sometimes produces tears, sometimes a smile.

Some thoughts simmer in the mind, on the back burner, being fed over a period of time with various experiences and new information until they eventually burst into flames.

Some thoughts are gifts. Some thoughts are daggers twisting inwardly deeper and deeper into the thinker’s soul.

Some thoughts are a smile to the entire self.
Some thoughts cause you to reel, to gag.

Some thoughts make you want to end the thinker, or get a new one.
Some thoughts are heaven, some thoughts are hell.

Some thoughts are controlling, some thoughts are controlled.
Some thoughts come from the outside, and I believe that some thoughts spring up from the inside.

So how do you get a grip?

How do you gather, cultivate, and maintain your thoughts?

How do you line them up and decide...

which ones stay and which ones go?

which ones die and which ones grow?

Which ones should be altered and which ones should be pushed further in the direction that they were already heading? How do you pull yourself together and get everything in line?

The mind must be hijacked! There must be a divine mind-hijacking. God must, in fact, inhabit the mind. The Holy Ghost must make our thoughts His slaves, His subjects, His servants. God must take charge and put each thought where it is most effective in the kingdoms of our minds. Heaven must shake our minds and rattle our brains until the bad thoughts fall out and the good ones are slowly lined up in the proper order. The Creator Himself must plant within us that which will grow into fruit to be enjoyed.

Thoughts don't like the thought of being held in captive, but it's only because they don't know that their most joyful, useful potential is found in service to The Master of Thoughts. Thoughts seek to refuse the Holy Ghost's mastery because thinkers are blind from birth. Something must happen that shows the thinker that there is Truth that can conquer, inform, and use every thought for its own good.

There is One who asks that we lay our every thought at His feet. There is One who wants to clean our thoughts and set them in the way of goodness, beauty, and love.

Unlike a typical, hostile hijacking, the divine mind-hijacking is a gift. It is offered freely from Heaven to earth. It is a salvation that must be received. We must choose to accept this hi-jacking.

All rebellious thoughts alike can be forgiven and then slowly changed until eventually one day all the thoughts of God's children reach their final state of pure worship in the presence of the Creator and Master of all things.

On a hill of violence, forgiveness for bad thoughts was brought about.
Because of love's greatest sacrifice, anyone can be healed.
Let us bring our thoughts to the Savior. Let us accept this gift in faith.

The Greatest

2010-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Shhhhhhhhh

2010-10-27T19:33:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 16: ¹²Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.

¹³Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. ¹⁴Let all that you do be done in love.

This verse is a reminder of this week when I found out that a friend of mine and I have alot of common core beliefs. I assumed based on circumstances that my belief would offend him when in reality my irrational thought simply hindered conversation. Too often do we stand back and allow discomfort and fear wreck our lives. On a daily basis I long to have conversations back where I could have more boldly spoken rather than joked to fit in. Being bold is far tougher than it should be simply because we care far too much about what others think about us.

Thomas Watson on Limiting God

2010-10-25T13:12:00.002-05:00

If God be infinite in all places, let us not limit him (Psalm 78:41)
‘They limited the Holy One of Israel.’ It is limiting God to confine him within
the narrow compass of our reason. Reason thinks God must go such a way to work,
or the business will never be effected. This is to limit God to our reason;
whereas he is infinite, and his ways are past finding out. (Romans 11:13) -Thomas Watson

making God famous

2010-10-21T12:04:00.002-05:00

Wait a minute, isn't God already pretty famous? yes he is but he also uses believers to make his name famous as well. My husband suprised me by taking me to the lecrae and 116 clique concert last night. The music was AMAZING but what was even better was seeing and hearing that every word out the different artists' mouth was to bring God glory. They live up to the lyrics " I don't do this for the money, i don't do this for the fame, i don't do this so the industry can know my name." Every single guy talked about how we are all sinners and need a saviour and that saviour is Christ. What a sweet time of fellowship with my husband and other believers and seeing youth be excited about the name of Christ. if they come back next year, def d d definitely go see them.

Grace and peace
Sarah b

wasting time, energy, and money

2010-10-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

I had never listened to Randy Alcorn before this week. There I said it. Its out there.
There is something to be said for a guy who is court mandated to not make more than minimum wage or the extra money goes to people who defeated him in a law suit. With that said he still continues to work (giving all supplemental income from books and ministry to ministry) when most people would take a minimum wage job and just simply exsist knowing that there is nowhere to aspire to.

All that to say that this video struck me and I encourage you to watch this 3 and a 1/2 minute clip of pure convicting thought on not wasting time, energy, and money by a man that I have resently come to respect. (sorry if I'm late in the game)

The Gift of Rest

2010-10-18T21:57:00.002-05:00

At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

--Matthew 5:25-30

Playing Basketball on a Tennis Court

2010-10-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

“I have given [my disciples] your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:14-19)

As a fan of sports I love seeing leagues mix things up. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s pretty cool. For example, I think it is more enjoyable to watch hockey games outdoors (though I’m not a fan of hockey any other time). That’s why I loved seeing that the NBA put on a basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. As you can see in the picture below, it is kind of strange seeing a professional basketball game with nothing but stadium lights and an open sky over their heads.

It does get me thinking about doing things in foreign environments. Imagine this wasn’t the NBA with millions of dollars behind the project. What if some basketball players decided to get a couple of hoops and play the game on the tennis court as-is. The ball seems to bounce ok, it seems big enough for a full court game, there are even people in the stands ready to watch somebody play. The only problem is that there is still a net in the middle of the court, the lines are for a different game, and the fans are screaming obscenities at the players because they came to watch tennis- not basketball.

This is an imperfect illustration for our place in the world. Jesus left us in the world- a hostile environment- to sanctify us. In the language of the illustration, he wants us to play by his rules on the world’s court. But let’s not take the illustration too far. He doesn’t want us to merely demonstrate the beauty of our “game” over theirs; rather, he is showing the world the glory of God and the love of Christ through our love for God, each other and the world.

So next time you wonder why people hate your stance on morals, views on the origin of the universe, and desire for them to know God, just know that it’s because you’re playing basketball on a tennis court- and they aren’t fans.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Un texte difficile...oui.

2010-10-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

I know this is a lengthy scripture to post, but its so good. I also know this is a difficult text and is sometimes avoided and a bit scary because lets face it when you read that "God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie..." that can flip a switch in a great many much amount of people's hearts to not want to believe in God because it makes God out to be mean. But if you read a few verses before that you find that God has continually and persistently revealed himself to his creation through his eternal power and divine nature, so that they are without excuse. You also see after, that he gives some up to "lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves" because they "exchanged the truth about God for a lie." Im sure before God ever gets to this point there is plenty of mercy and grace to come into fellowship with him, but if not this hardening of the heart does occur. But this hardening also shows God's mercy because through it, the Holy Spirit does have the chance to convict us of sin ( since at this point we're wallowing in it shamelessly). When our realization of sin is big it makes our need for the cross and a Saviour so much bigger.

Grace and Peace

Sarah Bean

A Johnny Mac Sermon Part 2

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

On the last post I quoted a sermon by John McArthur where he had some pretty strong words to say about Joel Osteen. I encourage you to go read it here.

We ended last with this quote:
“False religion is the most heinous of all sins because it’s a violation of the great commandment, “Love the Lord your God, the true one, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” and false religion that borrows His name but creates a false God and borrows the name of Christ but creates a false Christ is the worst kind of blasphemy.”
This week I would like to expand on the last post by giving a little context and some of my thoughts as well on this subject. John was talking about Acts 17 before diving into these commentaries on Joel's ministry. He was commenting on Pauls encounter with the believers of the unknown god. His teaching led to today and how our society still does have a tendency to believe in the unknown god even if that god is ourselves. Osteen was brought up along with the prosperity gospel because he called it a pagan pantheistic perspective that has been turned into a spiritual Ponzi scheme. The people named were Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Fredrick Price, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Robert Tilton, a man named Koontz, Oral Roberts, Paul Crouch and finally Joel Osteen.
So how can a pastor of one of the top 100 largest churches in america get away with saying that about some of the other largest churches in america without it seeming like he's just saying his scheme is better than the one that is most popular. Is it similar to when one person tells you that their magic cream that heal all is better than what you considered in the past to be the name brand.
Its different because McAuthur is fine with loosing members if that means that the truth gets out. We can all take a lesson from this pastor as he not only sees that there is a false gospel out there that claims the gospel will get you rich. But he puts more perspective in place by exclaiming that apart from the guy who is making the money the message itself falls apart. Because when the leader falls the foundation has little to no ground to stand on. When John McArthur one day is no longer able to preach the gospel that was taught (the same gospel that Paul taught) will still stand on its foundation. And I would hope that the church that he pastors will continue as though nothing ever happened.
Any good news that is only good news for us and takes the focus from God and places it on us is really not such good news. I know this because I can go into the grocery store and ask any person if the world is flawed, and as a follow up question I can ask if we as humans are flawed. I know the response would be overwhelmingly yes. Thats why barns and nobel has invested a large some of money into its self help section.
One other important thing to realize is that prosperity gospel should not be the focal point of our attention but rather the impurities in the good news of Jesus Christ should be where we keep our guard up. You never know when the prosperity gospel will morph into some hybrid that slightly scews even that message. Or even to take it farther when Opra's open view on christianity would become a full organized church.
We have many battle fronts for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One thing is for sure though. We know that we have to continue to fight for the true gospel, suffer for His names sake, and deny ourselves from falling into the snares of temptation (which is only possible through the help of the Holy Spirit).

Why is John Piper So Popular?

2010-10-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Recently thousands of pastors and lay Christians gathered for the annual Desiring God National Conference. Though I wasn’t able to attend this year, I have been before and it is a fun and enlightening experience. One very special moment of this year’s event was a surprise to the conference’s host, John Piper. His friends, Justin Taylor and Sam Storms presented him with a book of Essays in honor of him titled For the Fame of God’s Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper (Crossway, 2010).

After looking at the number of scholars, pastors, and others who contributed to this book I was reminded of a fact that I am reminded of again and again: John Piper is extremely popular. Usually it is when I haven’t read or listened to anything by him for a while that I am reminded of the sheer impact he has on conservative reformed Christianity. So please allow me this space to write a little on why I think he is so popular, mostly because he has had a great impact on my life.

Faithfulness to Scripture
Piper places great emphasis on preaching the text of Scripture and he does just that in a way few can. We all have our favorite preachers/teachers but let’s be honest, not many of them stick to the text like Piper. And that’s not just in his own pulpit either. I once had the great privilege of attending the Passion Conference in Atlanta. The theme of the conference that year was on Colossians 1-2. Most speakers used Colossians as a springboard to talk about whatever it was they wanted to talk about at the time, but not Piper. Piper took Colossians, explained the text and applied it to an extremely relevant topic for his audience. Furthermore, earlier this year I attended the Together for the Gospel Conference and after Piper spoke he was given the highest of accolades from some of the best preachers in the world, including John MacArthur.

Passion for the Glory of God
John Piper is a tiny man. Short, yes…but also very skinny. He looks his age, he’s balding, he wears relatively large glasses to go with the two suits he owns (bought at Savers). He has a southern accent which has faded since moving to Minnesota and uses hand gestures like his life depends on it. How a man gets a “following” like this is strange, though not unprecedented. In this case I think it’s because everything he does is aimed at getting people to see the glory of God for what it is. He summarizes his entire library of teaching like this “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” He realizes that worship is not begrudging, it is joyful. It comes from seeing the beauty of God and all that He has done for us and putting ourselves in a position to most enjoy Him. That is what he seeks to accomplish from Future Grace to What’s the Difference? Manhood and Womanhood According to the Bible.

Historic Roots
John Piper would not want me to write in this post that he is a 5-point Calvinist…because he is a self-proclaimed 7-point Calvinist. As much as he believes in the primacy of Scripture he also knows who saw things before him and gives more than adequate acknowledgement to them. Every year Piper hosts a conference for pastors in which the messages are centered on a person in Christian history followed by a biography presented by Piper. Piper has made historic truths (and even some historical figures) more palatable by using his gift of measuring everything by Scripture. In fact, Piper was extremely influential in my own experiencing of learning about Calvinism. While I have found that there are others who give greater depth on some of the doctrines and their founding in Scripture, his explanation of the doctrine of irresistible grace is by far the best I have ever come across.

Commitment to Missions
One of my favorite things about John Piper is that I am 67% sure he will one day disappear from the evangelical lime-light and become a missionary in an obscure African village. Honestly, I hope that’s the last thing I hear from him. He’s the first person I ever heard tell senior citizens that their twilight years are the best time to propagate the gospel, it’s more glorifying to God than collecting shells on the beach. He wrote my favorite book, Let the Nations Be Glad! And has inspired and encouraged countless missionaries around the world.

I could go on and on but I’m sure I have more than sufficiently made my point. I’m not saying the man is perfect, I have disagreed with several things he has taught or done. But we ought not respect a preacher on the basis of how much we agree with them. Instead we should think about how much we trust them. A 2 Timothy 4 preacher won’t always (or sometimes often) be in agreement with his congregation. But if you can trust that what he is giving you every week is as much of the Word of God as he can, you should respect him, pray for him, protect him, and value him.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

A Stolen Throne

2010-10-05T21:32:00.006-05:00

"Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one. A moral being, created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, "I AM". That is sin in its concentrated essence; yet because it is natural it appears to be good. It is only when in the gospel the soul is brought before the face of the Most Holy One without the protective shield of ignorance that the frightful moral incongruity is brought home to the conscience.

In the language of evangelism the man who is thus confronted by the fiery presence of Almighty God is said to be under conviction. Christ referred to this when He said of the Spirit whom He would send to the world, "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment".

The earliest fulfillment of these words of Christ was at Pentecost after Peter had preached the first great Christian sermon. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" This "What shall we do?" is the deep heart cry of every man who suddenly realizes that he is a usurper and sits on a stolen throne. However painful, it is precisely this acute moral consternation that produces true repentance and makes a robust Christian after the penitent has been dethroned and has found forgiveness and peace through the gospel".
--A. W. Tozer

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 4

2010-10-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the 4th and final installment of a series of posts. I encourage you to go read parts 1, 2, and 3 as well as Arminian Today's article, "Did God Cause the Fall of Man."

In the final paragraph of his post Roy writes:

To me it is not a question of sovereignty as much as it is a question of God's love. If God truly loved humanity why would he want to grant by his own sovereign choice that Adam would Fall and that this would plummet mankind into a horrible existence marked by death, destruction, and decay?

This is a fair question that does need to be addressed by myself and others who hold my position that God predestined the fall of man. The question in my own words is, "how can a John 3:16 God predestine such a catastrophic event that would hurt so many people?" Let's look at how the Bible defines the love of God.

As I have written in the past, I do not believe that Calvinists can simply replace the word "world" that appears in John 3:16 with the word "elect." It seems to me that a natural reading of the text indicates a love of God for the world. However, I am troubled at the emphasis that the word "world" gets from so many people when discussing such a Christ centered verse. In light of the context it seems best to understand John 3:16 as a wonderful description of God's willingness to save people from such an evil world. Because the verses that follow 3:16 explicitly disallow for a universal understanding of salvation we must realize the difference between God's love for the world in a general sense and His love for those whom He has chosen to save.

It was important for me to go through all of that to make the distinction between God's love for the world and His love for the elect because I think we can clearly see how God's love fits perfectly with predestining the fall of man.

Here are 5 verses that show the greatness of God's love and the necessity of the fall for that love to be demonstrated:
Red= God's loving purpose.
Bold= Necessary consequence of the fall of man.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." (John 15:13-14)

"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline..." (Revelation 3:19)

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

"I have loved you,' says the LORD. But you say, 'How have you loved us?' 'Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?' declares the LORD. 'Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated." (Malachi 1:2-3)

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25-27)

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

Just to recap. God's love is shown in:
Death.
Reproof and discipline (which doesn't happen without sin).
Loving people who don't love Him.
In contrast to those whom He does not love.
Removing wrath that was meant for sinners (that's what propitiation does).
The Church (the church is a called out assembly of believers in Christ).
Sanctification and cleansing (which doesn't happen to perfect people).
Our Weakness.
Our Ungodliness.
Our Sinfulness.

When we allow God to speak for Himself through the Scriptures it is clear how His love is best demonstrated. I am willing to accept the Arminian claim that they do not hold to their views because of free-will but, rather, because of their understanding of the love of God. However, I disagree that the Arminian understanding of God's love is the correct understanding. The Bible displays God's saving love as amazing for 3 reasons: (1) it is a love for such vile sinners, (2) it is a particular love for those whom He chose to love, and (3) it is a love with an infinite cost, namely, the death of the Son of God.

I think it is good for people to engage in civil debate from time to time. Roy and I would disagree on this subject whether I wrote a response to his post or not so I didn't think it would hurt to voice my disagreement. If you have questions or comments (whether positive or negative) I would love it if you would post them in the comment section.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Waiting for the Bride-Groom

2010-09-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Lately work life for my husband and I has been pretty hectic. More so for him than for me. One thing i appreciate about Jonathan is his work ethic, but with lots of work comes lots of time at the office. I am in the process of learning (i'm almost positive it will take me years) to be content and encouraging when my husband has days of long work hours that keep him from home. I guarantee you my first reaction on long nights is usually anything but enthusiastic (which im sure is a healthy sign, but selfish at the core). Rather than building up my husband with kind and encouraging words i usually add to his stress because now not only does he have tons of work, but a pouty wife who will guilt trip him later. Tonight is one of those not so selfish nights, where im not leaping for joy that i have the house to myself, but i understand and am therefore supportive.

One thing i have realized just in not seeing my husband tonight is how much i miss him and long for him to be here. At the slightest indication that he is home i get all excited and giddy. I'll stop there with the mushy stuff, but in thinking about how much i am anticipating my husband coming home after just one and half days, it makes me think of our longing to be with Christ.

Here we are on earth, saved, justified, and now were being sanctified. How often do i long for heaven or the return of christ to come and claim his bride? The giddyness that i experience just in missing my husband for barely over a day should pale in comparison to how much i should be longing for christ to be reunited with the church. i admit i fall short in this area. I get focused on life here on earth and enjoying God and his creation now that i sometimes forget that i have heaven to look forward to. The great thing about these two parallels is that i have the happy ending of both hope and promise that both my husband and Christ are coming back.

Grace and Peace
sarah b.

A Johnny Mac Sermon

2010-09-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share this excerpt from a John McArthur Sermon I heard this week. This is part one. Next week is a little of my thoughts on the matter.

A few weeks ago there was an event here at Dodger Stadium with Joel Osteen, thirty-five thousand people at Dodger Stadium, something like that. He is now the largest, quote/unquote church...I’m using the word loosely...in America down in Houston. You need to understand that he is a pagan religionist in every sense. He’s a quasi-pantheist. Jesus is a footnote that satisfies his critics and deceives his followers. The idea of this whole thing is that men have the power in themselves to change their lives. In his definitive book, Your Best Life Now, he says...and that ought to be a dead giveaway since the only way this could be your best life is if you’re going to hell. He says that anyone can create by faith and words the dreams he desires...health, wealth, happiness, success...the list is always the same.

Here’s some quotes from his book Your Best Life Now. “If you develop an image of success, health, abundance, joy, peace, happiness, nothing on earth will be able to hold those things from you,” end quote. See, that’s....that’s the law of attraction that’s a part of this kind of system.

Here’s another quote, “All of us are born for earthly greatness. You were born to win.” Win what? “God wants you to live in abundance, you were born to be a champion. He wants to give you the desires of your heart.” “Before we were formed, He prepared us to live abundant lives, to be happy, healthy and whole. But when our thinking becomes contaminated, it’s no longer in line with God’s Word,” end quote. By the way, “God’s Word is not the Bible, God’s Word is that Word that comes to us mystically, spiritually, that tells us what we should want.”

Here’s another quote, “Get your thinking positive and He will bring your desires to pass. He regards you as a strong, courageous, successful person. You’re on your way to a new level of glory.” Hum...how do you get there? “Believe...he says...visualize, and speak out loud.” Same exact approach. Words release your power. Words give life to your dreams.

Here’s another quote. “Friend, there’s a miracle in your mouth.” I think Isaiah might object to that. He said, “I’m a man of unclean lips and I dwell amidst a people of unclean lips.”

Here’s Joel Osteen’s prayer. “I thank You, Father, that I have Your favor.” Wow! Did he meet the Pharisee in Luke 18, or what? “I thank You that I’m not like other people.”

Here’s another quote. “I know these principles are true because they work, for me and my wife.” Oh, so that’s the test of truth. Are you kidding? I know these things are true because they work for me and my wife? Sure, you’re at the top of the Ponzi scheme.

And then he said, “Even finding a perfect parking spot at the mall.” And I ask, “What about the little old lady you cut off to get into that parking? What about her dreams?” Maybe she was born to lose. I mean, it’s so silly, so bizarre.

He says, “God has already done everything He’s going to do, the ball’s in your court.” You have to take that part of God which exists in you and create your own reality.

What is the source of this? Where does this come from? Answer: Satan, this is satanic. This is satanic. This is not just off-centered, this is satanic.

Why do I say that? Because health, wealth, prosperity, the fulfillment of all your dreams and your desires, that’s what Satan always offers. That’s called temptation, based on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That’s exactly what corrupt fallen unregenerate people want. That’s why it works so well, right? You can go right into Satan’s system, make everybody feel religious and turn their desires, their temptations into somehow honorable desires. I mean, what did Satan say to Jesus? Grab some satisfaction, why are You hungry? You need to eat. You need to be healthy, whole. Why would You let Yourself be unpopular? Dive off the temple corner, whew, everybody will be wowed. You’ll be the winner, You’ll be the champion. You’ll be the Messiah. They’ll hail You. And by the way, if You just look over the kingdoms of the world, I’ll give those to You, too.

That’s satanic. So the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, 1 John 2:15 to 17, it’s all a part of the world and it’s all passing away. And why are these false teachers so successful at what they do? Because they’re in cahoots with the devil. Why is Satan successful? Because his temptations, although they might appear noble on the outside, are in perfect accord with all the fallen, corrupt, selfish, proud, evil desires of sinners. This is a false kind of Christianity and a false view of God. God is the one who reserves the right to make you well. “Have not I made the blind and the lame and the halt, He says? Or to allow you to be sick? God has the right to make you prosperous or to give you little. God reserves the right to control the circumstances and events and experiences of your life for His own ends and His own purpose.”

False religion is the most heinous of all sins because it’s a violation of the great commandment, “Love the Lord your God, the true one, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,” and false religion that borrows His name but creates a false God and borrows the name of Christ but creates a false Christ is the worst kind of blasphemy.

May God be Gracious

2010-09-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

Selah

that your way may be known on earth,

your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth.

Selah

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you!

The earth has yielded its increase;

God, our God, shall bless us.

God shall bless us;

let all the ends of the earth fear him!

--Psalm 67

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 3

2010-09-27T08:38:00.001-05:00

Now that I have made myself clear on the issue of whether or not God predestined or decreed that the fall of man would happen I must defend my position by answering Roy’s main question, "Did God cause Adam to fall into sin?" This is not an easy question to answer but I do believe we can look to the Bible for guidance. Continuing the quote from Roy’s post:

“The Scriptures clearly teach that God does not tempt men (James 1:13). Adam fell through the act of his own free will…But if there is really no such thing as free will then Adam fell because God essentially made him sin. This is the only rational response to the problem of Adam's sin.”

Before I can even address the majority of the content previously quoted I must make some distinctions that Roy does not make in his post. He writes, “Now to be fair, there are many Calvinist who would deny that Calvinism teaches that God caused the Fall. Most Calvinist would stop short of saying that God predestined the Fall of humanity…” (emphasis added).

Roy uses several words interchangeably that should be distinguished from one another. To predestine, to cause, to make someone do something, and to tempt are all different things. The fact that God predestined the fall to happen does not negate the fact that Adam willingly sinned against God.

One thing I like about Roy’s post is that he appeals to direct statements in Scripture. Though I certainly disagree with him on many of his conclusions, I want to make it clear that he is most helpful when He goes to the inspired word of God and he does that quite often. It seems to me that his “knockout” verse is James 1:13. For the sake of context we will look at 13-15:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

The seeming contradiction that Roy presents between this text and the idea that God predestined the fall can be resolved when we look at James’ definition of temptation. Look at the text again and you will see that temptation is defined as a luring and enticing which is done by a person’s own desire. This is remarkably similar to Genesis 3:6 which tells us that Eve desired the fruit. I am not arguing that God tempted Adam and Eve to sin against Him. I am arguing that His sovereign will was that the fall would happen for His plan and purpose, namely, to bring about redemption for His glory. So I reject the idea that God’s decree of the fall means He tempted anyone to sin or even forced them to sin.

Undoubtedly many of you are wondering how Adam and Even fell into sin by God’s decree apart from God being the one to somehow tempt or push them into it. My answer is simply that I don’t know what the nature of Adam’s will was in a pre-fall state. But I will say that I don’t think it is helpful to insist that he must have had the ability to go against God’s sovereign plan. I briefly demonstrated in a previous post that free will, as defined by Arminianism, is not described in the Bible. The existence of choices, wills, and responsibility does not necessitate the unrealistic view many hold of ultimate free will. So unlike some Calvinists and Arminians who have thought through these things before me I do not offer a positive explanation of what Adam’s will was like. The Bible is silent on how Adam was capable of sinning apart from being born into sin and so I am silent on the issue as well.

In conclusion, I think the question is too vague for a simple yes or no. In light of my distinctions I will answer this way: God did cause the fall in that He predestined that it would happen exactly the way it happened. It could not have happened any other way or (in the strictest sense) not have happened. He did not, however, cause the fall by being a direct agent in the execution of the temptation or the sin itself. Scripture speaks on the relation of God’s decree of sin and the murder of Christ in this way:

…for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (Acts 4:27-28)

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Prosperity Gospel

2010-09-23T11:12:00.001-05:00

Work

2010-09-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

I recently have gone through Focus on the Family's "Truth Project". It was great being taught a Christian world perspective in different areas of life. One of those areas was work. I loved learning that God did in-fact create us to work. Post-fall it gets tiresome and dull sometimes and may bring on unwanted stress, but overall work is good for us and necessary. God wires each and every one of us different ways (we already knew that) and gives us different passion and talents that hopefully we can use as a means of work and provision. It would be good for me to clarify that we aren't meant to have work fulfill us or let it be just another thing where we place worth, nor should we be work-aholics, but just another outlet that God gets to use in our lives where we can glorify Him by working hard and with integrity.

Grace and Peace
sarah b

Free Bird

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

i recently listened to a sermon by matt chandler that was really challenging for me. it was challenging because as he was asking rhetorical questions i realized there are things that i desire that aren't completely to the glory of God. They aren't bad things, but just at this point in time i can't see how it would be beneficial to glorifying God the most. It's hard when i come to realizations like this.

When i have to give up something that i've been holding onto for so long. and yeah it may be maturity (im really not trying to sound puffed up) but even though i have freedoms as a christian doesn't mean that i always get to exercise those freedoms. And this is where im kinda stuck is that sometimes i still really want to. So im willing to give things up, Im just not jumping for joy about it yet, but maybe i will at some point. Praise God for time and sanctification.

Grace and Peace
Sarah b.

A book to read and a video to watch

2010-09-08T08:51:00.002-05:00

I generally don't like doing two videos back to back but this one was a very close second to the video I put up last week.
I heard this and it has effected me as a church member. I know the book being advertised is for church planters but the video is very applicable to all church members. Step up men. I know I need to.

God and the Psalms

2010-09-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Reading through the Psalms in the Bible can often times be a shocking experience. The violence, the raw confession, the wildness, the dancing, the hatred, the doubt, the despair, the loneliness, the joy, the celebration, the death, the mystery...it is a very exciting and diverse collection of experiences and emotions. One particularly interesting topic that many of the Psalms deal with is sin.

Sometimes it can feel that the Psalmists can be "too honest". Whenever I am reading through a Psalm and I come across a verse that says "my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head, my heart fails me" (Psalm 40:12) it takes me off guard no matter how familiar that experience is to my soul. It is amazing how often and how severely the Psalm writers deal with the struggles and evils in their lives. Psalm 38 verses three and four state "There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me". Psalm 51 shows David lamenting the reality of his sin being ever before him. When I read these passages I always think of Romans 7 where Paul says "For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." (Romans 7:18b-19)

It is amazing sometimes to realize that the people who were living for God back then are just like us in their struggles, temptations, and sin. No Christ-follower misses the war. No one who has been rescued by God is exempt from dealing with the powers of darkness.

But why did the Psalmists write like this? Why did Paul write what he wrote in Romans 7? Because of who God is.

In Psalm 40 David knows His God is the one who "drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock". David knows that God will show steadfast love and faithfulness. The writer knew that our God is the God who gives us a new song to sing.

In Psalm 38 David again comes to the Lord for he believes that God is all knowing. He comes to God for He knows that the Lord "will answer." He calls out to the Creator for the Creator is our salvation. In Psalm 51 David cries out to his Father for he believes that He can give him a clean heart and the renewal of a right spirit. He comes to the Father of Lights because He trusts that this one at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore will be able to restore the joy of His salvation. Paul, in Romans 7, ends by saying "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!". In chapter 8 Paul writes those words that bring so much comfort, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

The writers of these sections of the Bible spoke so honestly about their struggles because of the God they believed in. They trusted that the Lord Jesus who shed His blood for the glory of redemption would cover their sins. They trusted that the Father who loved the world and gave His only Son would forgive them. They walked by faith in the promises of God.

These sections in the Scriptures are very encouraging. They admit the sin, but they point to the gracious and merciful God who loves us. I hope that we will join with the Psalm writers and continue to point ourselves and others to the Maker of the heavens and the earth who offers to forgive sins.

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 2

2010-09-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is part 2 of a series of posts in response to the post on the blog Arminian Today entitled "Did God Cause the Fall of Man?" I suggest you begin by reading Roy's post and my introduction to the series.

Because of the issue we are dealing with I think it would be helpful to begin with a couple of questions that can guide us.

Did God have a purpose in creating man?
If so, what was that purpose?
Did God intend for Christ to come into the world?

If God is a God worthy of our worship (and He most certainly is) He doesn’t just create haphazardly. The Bible clearly indicates that God is a God of purpose. He doesn’t only have purpose in the world now but He had purpose in the world when He created it. In short, God’s purpose in creation was (and is) His glory (Isaiah 43:7). God is most glorified through the work of His Son, Christ Jesus, who is the “radiance of the glory of God” (Hebrews 1:3), for whom and through whom He created everything (Colossians 1:16-18). The glory of God in Jesus Christ shines most brightly in the work that he has done for us in redeeming such vile sinners (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14, 2 Cor. 4:6).

In the post to which I am responding Roy states,

“God did foreknow that Adam would fall but he did not force the Fall (1 Peter 1:20). God foreknew that Adam would transgress but he did not predestine the Fall.”

Sandwiched between two statements is his reference to 1 Peter 1:20,

“He [Christ] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1:20-21).

In no way does this text give the impression that God did not predestine the fall. One cannot separate what God foreknows from what he decrees, especially in the case of Christ. If Christ was foreknown in the same way that Roy says the fall of man was foreknown then God must not have even planned the incarnation. But I suggest to you that Christ was foreknown as the one who would come to save us from our sins. I suggest to you that God not only knew the fall would happen but that this fallen world is leading to the best of all possible worlds that will glorify God because of what He has done through the God-man Jesus Christ.

My confidence in this belief that God's purpose in creation was the same before and after the fall is not merely derived from logic or what I believe about God. What seals this belief for me is the continuity of the existence of the gospel before and after the fall. If this is true we can confidently say that the fall did not alter God's original intention in creation in any way. Here are a couple of examples:

Genesis 2:24 gives us a pre-fall institution of marriage. Certainly marriage was affected by the fall because Adam and Eve and all of their descendants would be marred by sin. However, the purpose of marriage was not changed by sin. Rather, the purpose of marriage was fulfilled because of the existence of sin. In Ephesians Paul tells us exactly what God's purpose has always been for marriage. After quoting Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:31 Paul gives this new understanding to an old institution, "This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." The word "mystery" can be interpreted in the light of Ephesians 3:5 as something that was hidden to previous generations but now revealed.

In order for the argument that God "foreknew but did not predestine" something to make sense it should be demonstrated that God was not actively "predestining" something that was directly affected by the event in question. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the Book of Life was written before the foundation of the world. Not only that but it is the Book of Life of the Lamb who was Slain. For what purpose was the Lamb slain?

God's foreknowledge is not a passive taking in of the future. In fact, every instance of the word imply God activity and contradict the thought that He was passive.

Next week, in part 3, I will deal with the difference between God's decree of the fall and the charge that this would mean He "caused" the fall. In part 4 I will defend the Biblical concept of God's love in view of the fact that He predestined the fall of man.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Tim Keller On Hell

2010-09-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Idolatry

2010-08-31T19:20:00.003-05:00

I have been reading the book "Counterfeit Gods" by Tim Keller recently and it is kind of kicking my butt. The more I've read it the more I've realized my tendencies towards idolatry in areas where I didn't think I struggled. I am glad our God is a merciful and forgiving God!

I would like to post an excerpt from the book where he is dealing with "hidden idols in our lives." Specifically, Keller goes after different idols that we have in religion. For a wonderful example of not doing what Keller is warning against, please see Steven Bean's post from yesterday. Steve's post was filled with grace, humility, and a desire for God's truth to be honored; which I really respect and I am looking forward to reading that series.

"An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God himself and his grace. It is a subtle but deadly mistake. The sign that you have slipped into this form of self-justification is that you become what the book of Proverbs calls a "scoffer". Scoffers always show contempt and disdain for opponents rather than graciousness. This is a sign that they do not see themselves as sinners saved by grace. Instead, their trust in the rightness of their views make them feel superior"."

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 1

2010-08-30T10:56:00.003-05:00

Theology matters. It matters because it is the study of God. It matters because all of human history is tied up with the true God of the universe. Within Christian theology there are several disputed doctrines. There is hardly a doctrine that is not vital for saving knowledge of the gospel that has not been debated by faithful Christian men and women.

However, the fact that theology matters and that debate is important in settling issues does not negate the fact that humility, grace, and love should be characteristic of those debates. My attempt in this series is not to be mean spirited or hateful but, rather, loving and honest.

Roy, who writes the blog Arminian Today, is a good Christian guy. I discovered his blog after he commented on Jason Lapp's blog and Jason told me I had to look it up. I found Roy to be a good writer with a high view of God and Scripture and a gracious and loving tone. One thing about the blog struck me as odd, it was Arminian. Many of you have probably never heard a positive definition of Arminianism. Most probably know it as "not Calvinism" which is a good start but not a fair summary. However, rather than using this post to define Arminianism for you I simply commend Arminian Today for your research. I agree with many of the things Roy writes and appreciate even the things with which I would respectfully disagree. The point I want to make is that I had never read an Arminian that writes so much like my Calvinist friends and influences. It's great! I hope that you will read Roy's writing with the same discernment I expect you to use when reading my writing (which should be a lot!).

My next three posts will be a response to his article, "Did God Cause the Fall of Man?" Please read my tone as loving and honest. I will occasionally say that I flat out disagree with his interpretation or use of particular passages of Scripture. That does not mean that I am trying to be hateful or mean, it simply means that I disagree with him. This is a true response to him because he is fully aware of it. I hope that he can get the time to read this and respond a little but I have told him that it is not expected of him because he has a lot on his plate right now.

The fall of man is described in Genesis 3 and Romans 5:12-21. This is important stuff because I am making the case that God predestined the very event that put this world in a tailspin of sin and death. However, I see the Bible as presenting a God that decrees this kind of world so that He can rescue it for His glory.

Here is how the series will go:
Part 2- God Predestined the Fall
Part 3- Did God "Cause" the Fall?
Part 3- The Demonstration of God's Love After the Fall

Please read Roy's article before reading my response.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Ya just missed it!

2010-08-26T08:00:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend my husband and i watched an incredible movie. Like most dramas, i was not interested but knew that once i saw it, i would be sorry i hadn't seen it sooner. I was correct. When the movie was over and a very important fact was revealed i wanted to watch it all over again. The movie...The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington. Now im not going to try and relate this movie to the gospel, far from it. And im not going to give the plot totally away, but i will say this...

Some catacalismic event has happened to the earth and populations are low. The "bad guy" send illiterate (yes, hardly anyone knows how to read) motorcycle gangs out to look for this book. Having the book will give him great power and make people do what he wants them to do. Guess what book he is looking for? You guessed it! The ONLY surviving copy of a King James Bible. Coincidentally Denzel aka Eli, has said book and is taking it somewhere that he believes he has to go to. I'll stop here to interject a few things.

1. You can gather from the movie that the bible is precious and very worthy to be protected. This is awesome but made me think seriously about how sad it would be if there were only 1 copy of God's work in the whold world and how often i forget to treasure the fact that i get the honor of carrying a bible with me everywhere i go.
2. At one point a scripture from Psalms is read aloud to someone and they are shocked at how beautiful and uplifting the words are. I would love to get back to that point. To be absolutely floored anytime i read in my bible.
3. the "bad guy" wanted to use this book to control people. It made me think how over time the name of christ has been dragged through the mud by people who wanted power and control and got it by falsely using God as a shield. I really don't like that.

Overall i was impressed with how the movie portrayed the bible as being such a good thing that was precious and worth fighting for.

What i did not like was when another character asked Eli what was so special about this book or why was is so meaningful to him. He replies "to do unto others as you would have done to you, that's what i got from it anyways" or some variation of that statement. WHAT?! Way to go Hollywood, once again you completely MISS what the gospel is about and just how truly precious the word of God is. No mention of Jesus, or the cross, nothing period!

I still enjoyed the movie, but what is the point of protecting God's word, and reading it everyday (because Eli did) if all you get from it is "do unto others...." yes that is a good point, but what about i am a sinner and i need a savior and the only chance of atonement i have is in christ? Huh hollywood, how about that for a movie?

grace and peace
sarah b.

The alter

2010-08-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

This Sunday evening our pastor went through Psalm 26. The discussion over that passage was great and it was mentioned by our pastor how foul and amazing the alter must have been. Knowing how livestock smells and how an alter with multiple sacrifices would look like and smell like is quite discusting. And yet atonement is such a beautiful display of grace it makes you celebrate Christs sacrifice all the more. It brought this Spurgeon quote to mind.

Did it never strike you how the whole tabernacle must have been smeared with blood everywhere? Blood was on every side. The priest himself, when at his work, with garments on which showed every stain, must have looked as though all besmeared with gore. You could not look at his hands or at his vestments without seeing everywhere blood; indeed, when consecrated, he had blood on his ear, blood on his foot, blood on his hands; he could not be made a priest without it. The apostle says, “Almost everything under the law was sprinkled with blood.” It was blood, blood everywhere. Now, this could have been very far from a pleasant sight, except to the spiritual man who, as he looked at it, said, “What a holy God is the God of Israel!
How he hates sin! See, he will only permit sinners to approach him by the way of blood!” - Charles Spurgeon

Thoughts on the Salvation of Infants

2010-08-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago I was asked about what happens to children and others who lack the mental capacity and/or awareness to believe in the gospel when they die. I also read a post from a blogger which criticized all those (which would include me) who don’t go as far as to say that absolutely every infant who dies goes to heaven without exception. In light of these things I thought it would be a good idea to repost some thoughts I had on the subject a while back. It doesn’t come to a total conclusion to the question but gives some known things from Scripture that can help guide one’s opinion:

1. When a person dies it is proof that they are guilty of sin. This is an unavoidable reality that there is no such thing as a truly innocent child before God.

2. There is Biblical reasoning to believe that God does not hold infants accountable in the same way that He holds one accountable who has not heard the gospel. Romans 1 is a clear indictment of all men whether they have heard the gospel or not. However, because Romans 1 focuses on creation and conscience it is reasonable to say that God may not hold infants accountable for their sin in the same way.

3. There are (though few) examples of the salvation of infants in the Bible. The first is in 2 Samuel 12 when David seems to indicate that his child who had just died would be in heaven. The second example is that John the Baptist was regenerate from the womb (Luke 1:15). These are not examples that should be taken universally but we can say that God seems to have saved infants in the past.

4. Jesus had much affection for Children and sought to protect them (see Matt. 18). Jesus loved to use children as an example of saving faith. The fact that children are unable to do much of anything apart from outside help is a great example of man's inability to come to God apart from the new birth. This is only helpful to us in knowing something about God, we cannot reach a conclusion based on this fact alone.

5. God is good and I trust Him. Was it man that first saw the need for salvation and devised a way for God to save us? Is man capable of coming to God on his own anymore than an infant? The answer to these questions is surely not. So I concede to God the right to decide what is most glorifying to Himself in this case.

The most important thing is that we cannot assume that God must save all infants. God is just to condemn any sinner. So ultimately we must say that we don't know if God saves all infants. People have their opinions and their interpretations of different Scriptures but the fact of the matter is that this is a gray area in Scriptures and we must cling to God's goodness and rightness in all things.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

churchy churches

2010-08-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

I share another blog with some close girlfriends of mine where we can catch-up, vent, tell what good and bad things are going on in our lives and what prayer we need. its really refreshing and been such a blessing to still get to be a part of their lives even though we are all far away from each other.

Recently one of the gals posted on a church that her and her husband have been visiting and she was quite upset and saddened at the direction this pastor is taking his church. This pastor was really focused on "creating an environment"to bring people in and make them comfortable. I completely agree with her when she says that church is for believers and were christians go to be filled and gather together and grow, then we go out to make disciples. Please don't misunderstand, i am not in any way opposed to bringing the lost to church, but the service and programs don't need to be centered around making them happy, not hurting their feelings, or offending them. Services need to be centered around the gospel.

This pastor also talked about how he didn't like that christians have a "feed me" mentality and impersonated someone in a whiny voice, walking around all droopy and pathetic. What is pastors role if he isn't feeding his flock? I understand how some pastors get tired of people just coming to listen and be fed, but then don' t do anything which is a bad thing. But a pastor needs to be able to teach and feed the church members. there were a few other things that were bothersome, but it makes me realize that i dont' need to take my church and the teaching there for granted. and also that not every church is preaching the gospel. some churches are really just social justice projects cloaked with the "gospel" others fall under the all too common prosperity gospel and dont even mention sin and our need for the cross.

If you belong to a church that gives the whole gospel, be grateful and thank your pastor. If your searching for a church, be picky and find one that does give the whole gospel.

grace and peace
sarah

Does anybody know what Tim it is?

2010-08-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

(This is no doubt the corniest title I've done. I'm not even going to justify it with artwork)

On my first time visiting the church I am a member of Timothy Allen was one of the last people that I met. I’m not exactly sure why but I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to get along with him. Since then Tim has become a close friend and brother to me and continues to check in with me on my different aspects of life. Purity being the the foremost. He is always encouraging and wants to be right next to me if I’m going to go evangelize, pray, eat or get in trouble. He’s up for it all. If anyone in the church needs something he’s there. If there is an event going on he is there unless he has already promised that time to his wife.
As a guy who got married one week before him and am very close in age I’m blessed to have someone that God has placed around me like Tim. It might seem odd to randomly post about my friend but I believe that Godly men should be recognized not for what they have done but what God has done in them.
I enjoyed seeing how Tim has been given the opportunities just in the last year to be a leader at church, start seminary, buy a house and he and his wife are soon to have a new addition to the family. Please pray for Tim Allen of Little Rock... You can pray for the movie start too.

A lil Lewis

2010-08-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Most people, if they have really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.

The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy.

I am not now speaking of what would be ordinarily called unsuccessful marriages, or holidays, or learned careers. I am speaking of the best possible ones. There was something we have grasped at, in that first moment of longing, which just fades away in the reality. I think everyone knows what I mean. The wife may be a good wife, and the hotels and scenery may have been excellent, and chemistry may be a very interesting job: but something has evaded us.
-C. S. Lewis

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8 Part 2

2010-08-16T15:33:00.004-05:00

Last week I discussed how changes in America’s understanding of gender contributed heavily to a federal judges ability to overturn California’s proposition to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. This week I want to move to a discussion on how divorce has also contributed.

The word divorce shows up 25 times in the ruling document, which is a little ironic seeing as how it is a ruling on marriage. Some quotes:

“Blankenhorn identified changes [in the institution of marriage] that to him signify the deinstitutionalization of marriage, including an increase in births outside of marriage and an increasing divorce rate.” (14)

“Blankenhorn identified several manifestations of deinstitutionalization: out-of-wedlock childbearing, rising divorce rates, the rise of non-marital cohabitation, increasing use of assistive reproductive technologies and marriage for same-sex couples.” (45)

“The development of no-fault divorce laws made it simpler for spouses to end marriages...” (64)

Before I begin much commentary let me say that divorce is a difficult subject in the Bible. Many Christians have differing views on when it is permissible and whether or not remarriage can occur. But let me be clear, divorce is a horrific but not unpardonable sin. I also realize that there are so many different stories of how divorce occurred, many of which amount to one person having no choice in the matter, I do not place blame on those people for being victimized in this way.

There is no question that divorce is prevalent in our society. It is not merely a fact of life, it is a lucrative business. Some have divorce parties, some go for the “quick and painless” route, while others acknowledge it as a probability by creating a document to protect their things in case they can’t protect their marriage.

As one who is getting married in just under a month, I’m terrified of divorce. I hate everything about it. A 0.111111% chance that I could end up divorced is too much for me to handle. In my mind it’s not an option, but I have heard enough stories to know that I have to fight for my marriage from the first day.

I think the liberal side of the so-called “homosexual marriage” debate is correct when they say that the institution of marriage is under as much attack by straight people than it is by homosexuals. Homosexuals didn’t create no-fault divorce, they haven’t forced us to divorce, and they certainly aren’t responsible for the fact that those who claim Christianity get divorced at nearly the same rate as everyone else. That’s on us. It doesn’t make so-called “homosexual marriage” right, it just makes their case look better.

So, like last week, allow me to give some biblical points on marriage and divorce to encourage you to hate it as much as our Lord does:

God created the institution of marriage.

"Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male
and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?” (Matthew 19:4-5)

Divorce is the enemy of God’s purpose for marriage, namely, the display of the gospel in the relationship between husband and wife.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

God has very harsh things to say about divorce.

“For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD,the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.” (Malachi 2:16)

What do these texts tell us? I believe they tell us that God created marriage with an explicit purpose- one that cannot be fulfilled by so-called “homosexual marriage”- and that the act of divorce works against that purpose. Notice the harshness of the words in the last text I cited from Malachi. Many will look at this as being merely a hatred of an act, but we must accept the complex fact that God sees a man who has just divorced his wife like O.J. Simpson running from a crime scene. It’s not clean, it’s messy, and it’s selfish.

Thankfully there is another thing that God has to say to those who are divorced:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may
not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John
2:1-2a)

These things should encourage us to hate divorce but if you have been divorced you are still not beyond the reach of Christ’s love and grace. As unrighteous as we are Christ is still more righteous. So trust him, love his gospel, and love the display of the gospel that is biblical marriage.

Grace and Peace…

Cordially,
Stephen A. Bean

Dietrich Delights

2010-08-12T12:32:00.002-05:00

I have been reading through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship, well im only on chapter 4, and it has been utterly delightful. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to understand, but good substance.

I came across this one quote that is talking about the call to discipleship, Bonhoeffer write:
"Peter knows he dare not climb out of the ship in his own strenth-his very first step would be his undoing. And so he cries, "Lord, bid me come to thee upon the waters," and Jesus answers: "Come." Christ must first call him, for the step can only be taken at his word. This call ishis grace, which calls him out of death into the new life of obedience. But when once Christ has called him, Peter has no alternative- he must leavethe ship and come to him. In the end, the first step of obedience proves to be an act of faith in the word of Christ."

Bonhoeffer's main point throughout this chapter is that obedience and faith go together. And its seen even from the above quote. Peter desires faith, and its given, and with that faith comes obedience. But i love the last line in that peters first step of obedience towards christ, my first step of obedience towards christ was an act of faith that didn't come from me, but from God.

Grace and peace
sarah b.

comforts over rated

2010-08-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

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Mars Hill Church in Seattle had a blog post recently entitled "

You could have God! And you chose light beer."

This might seem weird for me to say I took much from the article but it was pretty good. There was one line that impaled through my gut that I've heard before but just passed it off. "We worship a Guy who dies in His early 30's. We may not live a long life." That phrase made me realize that Christ not only lived a perfect life but did have a live that was much shorter than I have alway hoped to live. Peter, James and John all had lives cut short and its because they were living a life spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul states the meaning of his life when he greets the church "¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ²which he promised beforehand^E)">through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴and was declared to be the Son of God^I)">in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶including you who are ^N)"> called to belong to Jesus Christ,"

Why must I sit back back and read this and complain when my air conditioning isn't quite as fast as my neighbors? Don't get me wrong... I love technology, but lets face it, I have perfected the art of complaint and am in desperate need of speaking the Truth all the time to anyone one with ears.
Being Created for the glory of God and not for the pleasure of myself is hard to get over. And I tend to forget that is the case. I pray that I pursue a life of joy glorifyinf Christ rather than joy filling time for 30+ years.

1. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
 no tender voice like thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
 I need thee, O I need thee;
 every hour I need thee;
 O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

2. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;
 temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.
 (Refrain)

3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain;
 come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
 (Refrain)

4. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will;
 and thy rich promises in me fulfill.
 (Refrain)

5. I need thee every hour, most Holy One;
 O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son.
 (Refrain)

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8

2010-08-09T05:00:00.002-05:00

“PROPOSITION 8 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT DENIES PLAINTIFFS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE (MUCH LESS COMPELLING)REASON”

This was the decision passed down by a federal judge in California on August 4th, 2010 which overturned the voters’ decision to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. When the law was initially passed there was a huge backlash from many social liberals, most prominently coming from Hollywood. Back in December of ’08 I wrote a response to the tone that was coming back at those who believe in a biblical view of marriage. (see Part 1, Part 2)

As I read the judges official statement I was surprised to find how easily I followed his logic (though I disagree with him on fundamental things that led to that logic). Setting aside the fact that he clearly has a bias that should have caused him to recuse himself from the decision, I felt like he has a good eye for how society has changed and he put together a very well written document. I would summarize the judges conclusion in this way:

Society has evolved in such a way that the only real difference between the genders is anatomical. Because marriage has never required the two parties to have the capacity of bearing children, and there is no difference in the roles of men and women in marriage, there is no reason to exclude homosexual couples from partaking in the institution.

Some quotes:

“The evidence shows that the movement of marriage away from a gendered institution and toward an institution free from state-mandated gender roles reflects an evolution in the understanding of gender rather than a change in marriage.” (113)

“As states moved to recognize the equality of the sexes, they eliminated laws and practices… that had made gender a proxy for a spouse’s role within a marriage.” (112)

“Rather, the exclusion exists as an artifact of a time when the genders were seen as having distinct roles in society and in marriage. That time has passed.” (113)

“Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.”
(113)

It is easy to see what the judge describes in American society. Complimentarianism- the view that men and women are equal in value but different in role- is now considered sexism. Egalitarianism- the view that men and women are equal in all things save some anatomical differences- is the norm. The latter view has infiltrated all areas of society including the home and the church.

In light of this let’s take a quick look at some important biblical truths:

Men and women are of equal worth in the sight of God.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27)

Men and women differ in their roles…

…in marriage
“…the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit everything to their husbands.” (Eph. 5:23-24)

…in the church
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior…and so train the young women to love their husbands and children…and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled…so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (Titus 2:3-8)

The attempt by men and women to reverse or exaggerate their roles is a result of the Fall.
“To the woman he said…Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (Gen. 3:16)

Next week I will discuss the role of divorce in this attempt to redefine marriage.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Valley of Vision Prayer on Desires

2010-08-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

O thou that hearest prayer,
Teach me to pray, I confess that in religious exercises the language of my lips and the feelings of my heart have not always agreed, that i have frequently taken carelessly upon my tongue a name never pronounced above without reverence and humility, that i have often desired things which would have injured me, that i have depreciated some of my chief mercies, that i have erred both on the side of my hopes and also of my fears, That i am unfit to choose for myself, for it is not in me to direct my steps.

Let thy Spirit help my infirmities, for i know not what to pray for as i ought. Let him produce in me wise desires by which i may ask right things, then i shall know thou hearest me. May i never be importunate for temporal blessings, but always refer them to thy fatherly goodness, for thou knowest what i need before i ask; May i never think i prosper unless my soul prospers, or that i am rich unless rich toward thee, or that i am wise unless wise unto salvation.

May I seek first thy kingdom and its righteousness. May i value things in relation to eternity. May my spiritual welfare be my chief solicitude. May i be poor, afflicted, despised and have thy blessing, rather than be successful in enterprise, or have more than my heart can wish, or be admired by my fellow-men, if thereby these things make me forget thee. May i regard the world as dreams, lies, vanities, vexation of spirit, and desire to depart from it. And may i seek my happiness in thy favour, image, presence, service.

A whole new way of seeing God

2010-08-04T07:56:00.002-05:00

I read this this morning by Tim Keller and it changed what I was going to write. So this is Tim Keller on A whole new way of seeing God.

"But Christians are those who have adopted a whole new system of approach to God.
They may have had both religious phases and irreligious phases in their lives. But
they have come to see that their entire reason for both their irreligion and their
religion was essentially the same and essentially wrong! Christians come to see that
both their sins and their best deeds have all really been ways of avoiding Jesus as
savior. They come to see that Christianity is not fundamentally an invitation to get
more religious. A Christian comes to say: "though I have often failed to obey the moral
law, the deeper problem was why I was trying to obey it! Even my efforts to obey it has
been just a way of seeking to be my own savior. In that mindset, even if I obey or ask
for forgiveness, I am really resisting the gospel and setting myself up as Savior." To
"get the gospel" is turn from self-justification and rely on Jesus' record for a
relationship with God. The irreligious don't repent at all, and the religious only repent
of sins. But Christians also repent of their righteousness. That is the distinction
between the three groups--Christian, moralists (religious), and pragmatists
(irreligious).
Summary. Without a knowledge of our extreme sin, the payment of the cross seems
trivial and does not electrify or transform. But without a knowledge of Christ's
completely satisfying life and death, the knowledge of sin would crush us or move us
to deny and repress it. Take away either the knowledge of sin or the knowledge of
grace and people's lives not changed. They will be crushed by the moral law or run
from it angrily. So the gospel is not that we go from being irreligious to being
religious, but that we realize that our reasons for both our religiosity and our
irreligiosity were essentially the same and essentially wrong. We were seeking to be
our own Saviors and thereby keep control of our own life. When we trust in Christ as
our Redeemer, we turn from trusting either self-determination or self-denial for our
salvation--from either moralism or hedonism."

Lead Me to it Soon

2010-08-03T21:34:00.003-05:00

O LORD,
I live here as a fish in a vessel of water, only enough to keep me alive,
but in heaven I shall swim in the ocean.
Here I have a little air in me to keep me breathing,
but there I shall have sweet and fresh gales;
Here I have a beam of sun to lighten my darkness,
a warm ray to keep me from freezing;
yonder I shall live in light and warmth for ever.

My natural desires are corrupt and misguided,
and it is thy mercy to destroy them;
my spiritual longings are of thy planting,
and thou wilt water and increase them;
Quicken my hunger and thirst after the realm above.

Here I can have the world,
there I shall have thee in Christ;
Here is a life of longing and prayer,
there is assurance without suspicion, asking without refusal;
here are gross comforts, more burden than benefit,
there is joy without sorrow,
comfort without suffering,
love without inconstancy,
rest without weariness.

Give me to know that heaven is all love, where the eye affects the heart,
and the continual viewing of thy beauty keeps the soul in continual transports of delight.

Give me to know that heaven is all peace, where error, pride, rebellion, passion raise no head.

Give me to know that heaven is all joy,
the end of believing, fasting, praying, mourning, humbling, watching, fearing, repining;

And lead me to it soon.

--From The Valley of Vision: "Earth and Heaven"

Tiger Woods, Michael Vick, Ted Haggard?

2010-08-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

This article was originally written for Jason Lapp's blog last week. I thought it would be helpful here as well.

It is difficult to put into words the emotions I felt as I read about Ted Haggard’s return to leadership in the local church. This article gives a summary of why Haggard was forced to leave his position as President of the National Society of Evangelical as well as pastor of his church. In this post Jason has asked me to respond to the sad picture painted in the article.

First of all let me say that reconciliation and restoration are both major themes in the Bible. D.A. Carson writes, “At the heart of salvation lies reconciliation to the God who made us and under whose just judgment we lie.” If we are to believe that the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Bible, and that the gospel is where that glory is most vividly expressed, it isn’t hard to say that reconciliation is EVERYWHERE in the Bible.

Restoration, on the other hand, is one of many applications of the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Paul encourages the Corinthians to restore someone (presumably the sexually immoral person he told them to discipline in 1 Corinthians). We also have the example of Paul in 2 Timothy 4:11, in which he affirms Mark as useful after previously having argued against him going with Paul and Barnabus on their second missionary journey because he deserted them on the first journey. This tells us that there isn’t a “one strike and you’re out” rule in ministry.

The fact is there are many variables when it comes to faithfully applying scripture to a situation. In this case I think it is wise to observe some of the facts found in the article and see if they line up with what we know from Scripture. I want to look at three things in particular: Haggard’s view on his own repentance, the circumstances of his return to ministry, and the vision for his future ministry.

When it comes to repentance often times actions speak louder than words. Repentance isn’t easy. In fact, I can’t see myself writing about Mr. Haggard if he were still outside the ministry dealing with these things even if he admitted it’s still a struggle. Instead we see Haggard returning to what he considers his calling after a short time away. The article paints a sort of then-and-now picture. After all of this happened Haggard is said to have taken responsibility and committed himself to what his church saw best for him. Now that he has returned to the pulpit (or stack of buckets) he says his past self “over repented…” This term alone should be enough to consider Haggard unfit for gospel ministry. To assume that over-repentance is possible is to say that our sin is less than infinite treason against a Holy God. To repent carries the idea of having a change of heart and mind causing you to turn from sin, there is no overdoing that. Of course, if Haggard is unwilling to recognize the weight of what he did four years ago that doesn’t make him four years removed from the problem, it puts him right where he was then, unfit for ministry.

As Haggard returns there are just as many new concerns as old ones. The first concern being, his old church didn’t ask him back and doesn’t want him back. Their words, “we cannot endorse his return to vocational ministry.” So we know it must not have been his former church that commissioned this new plant and there is no evidence that any other church is behind Haggard’s efforts. If this is the case Haggard is going outside of the biblical example for church planting. His reason? Not reaching a community that doesn’t have a healthy church but leading a church is what he wants to do. His explaination, "Tiger Woods needs to golf. Michael Vick needs to be playing football… Ted Haggard…needs to be leading a church." Mr. Haggard made an interesting choice of examples, but he misapplies the comparison. Tiger Woods and Michael Vick both did things that have very little to do with their profession. What Mr. Haggard has done is better compared to Pete Rose and Tim Donaghy, who disqualified themselves from what they “need to be doing.”

Unfortunately we don’t only see problems that got Haggard to this point, but it seems that he will be moving forward in the wrong direction. The article concludes by telling us how Haggard now has an Joe Anybody image with his congregation. He uses the word “hell” in a cooler way than most preachers and makes people feel comfortable talking about their sin. I’ll leave those individual issues for another day. The big problem is what’s missing, namely, a commitment to proclaiming the gospel. Not only is the gospel not there but it can’t be there. As long as Haggard ignores the gospel, goes rogue in his approach to church ministry, and considers sin to be no big deal, he won’t be able to have much to do with the gospel.

Please Lord save Ted Haggard and protect us from the same sad state that he is in.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Steadfast Love in Forgiveness

2010-07-27T21:47:00.005-05:00

Blessed is the one whose transgression are forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Selah

I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Selah

Therefore let everyone who is godly

offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

they shall not reach him.

You are a hiding place for me;

you preserve me from trouble;

you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,

which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,

and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

be great

2010-07-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

i remember a time in my life when i wanted to be remembered. i wanted to live a great life and do something incredible and be remembered for my greatness. it was absolutely selfish of me because i wanted to be remembered for me, for being Sarah not for living for the glory of God. Thankfully God has been merciful and taken that silly idea out of my heart and replaced it with wanting to live for him. To lose my life for his sake rather than gaining the world and losing my soul.

I am still reading through the 5 points of calvinism and came across another wonderful quote in the appendix called "the practical importance of predestination" by loraine boettner. It has much to do with God's sovereignty but also with making our lives count for the glory of God:
"When a person sees himself as one of the Lord's chosen and knows that every one of his acts has an eternal significance, he realizes more clearly how serious life is, and he is fired with a new determination tomake his life count for great things." I can't make my life count for anything, there is nothing that i can do that people will remember for forever and ever and ever and if i lived for myself what a waste that would be. But when i give my life to let God use for his purposes and trust that he is sovereign that opens up so many doors for God to do whatever brings him most glory. i can only pray that i will be open to where the lord guides and directs, no matter what the circumstance. and i definitely hope that my glory doesn't ever get in the way of that. don't be great for you, be great for God

Grace and Peace
sarah B.

O Lord of hosts, to Thee I cry

2010-07-21T21:28:00.001-05:00

O Lord of hosts, to Thee I cry,
Our fathers’ God, to Thee;
Let my petition reach Thine ear,
My prayer accepted be.
O God our Shield, look Thou on us,
Reveal Thyself in grace,
And let Thine own anointed one
Behold Thee face to face.

A single day within Thy courts,
Where I Thy beauty see,
Is better than a thousand days,
My God, apart from Thee.
A lowly station in Thy house
Were dearer to my heart
Than in the tents of wickedness
To claim the chiefest part.

A Sun and Shield is God, the Lord,
To lighten and defend;
The Lord to such as look to Him
Will grace and glory send.
To those that walk in righteousness
No good will He deny.
O Lord of hosts, how blest are they
Who on Thy grace rely!

Carry Them Forever

2010-07-20T17:30:00.004-05:00

To you, O LORD, I call;

my rock, be not deaf to me,

lest, if you be silent to me,

I become like those who go down to the pit.

Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,

when I cry to you for help,

when I lift up my hands

toward your most holy sanctuary.

Do not drag me off with the wicked,

with the workers of evil,

who speak peace with their neighbors

while evil is in their hearts.

Give to them according to their work

and according to the evil of their deeds;

give to them according to the work of their hands;

render them their due reward.

Because they do not regard the works of the LORD

or the work of his hands,

he will tear them down and build them up no more.

Blessed be the LORD!

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;

my heart exults,

and with my song I give thanks to him.

The LORD is the strength of his people;

he is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!

Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

-Psalm 28

5 Reasons I Love Hymns

2010-07-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

1. "Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die."

2. "My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;"

3. "And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"

4. "Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

5. "Here is love, vast as the ocean
Lovingkindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heav'n's eternal days"

Had I not joined a church that sings mostly hymns I would not have learned many of these precious words. I thank God for the many hymn writers of the past who expressed so beautifully truths which make my heart sing. My favorite thing about a good hymn is that much of the stirring of my emotions is done by the lyrics rather than the music.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

thankfull

2010-07-15T14:04:00.002-05:00

Its easy to get caught up in the daily grind and take things for granted. Sometimes i get so focused trying to get in a routine that when i get in one i forget to enjoy the small things in life. If i stop and think about it, i have A LOT to be thankful for number one being salvation and number two my sweet husband, but what about the breath that fills my lungs and that i get another day to live ( and hopefully live to the glory of God), or the fact that the sun actually came up. There's alot to be thankful for just in the fact that the order of the universe is still orderly and God is faithfull to keep it that way. anyways i know this is short and im sorry im not posting until after lunch, but what are you thankfull for?

grace and peace
sarah B.

Almost Thursday

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I attended a wedding one time where one of the men who gave a speech started by saying that he loves to google stuff before he gives a speech or advice. For this post I thought I would try this method by “googling“ “the perfect woman“. Unfortunately the results wern’t very helpful or useful toward what I’m hoping to say.
Its almost Thursday July 15th which is the day we celebrate my wife Sarah’s birthday(because its her birthday). I want to take the time today to tell about the way God has blessed me with this woman.
Proverbs 31:10-31 since I was a young teen was what I was always told to seek in a wife. It seemed a bit strange to look for a girl that “is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar”. I now know that this means the ability to shop at walmart while staying in budget. But seriously I’ve discovered that over the last year and (caugh) months that though my wife is a great cook (too good), a bright studier, great with money, beautiful, and a hard worker. The qualities that stick out the most that I never knew the weight of is her desire to read the word, theology books, and literally has the truth on her lips as well as speaking the truth constantly.
Just this week I realized that the only requests that she has asked of me in the last couple of months have simply been to spend a little bit more time together and to have a few more theological conversations. I think I can handle that. I pray that my wife never loses the love that she has for Christ and the cross.

She’s a blessing, my better half, and I hope you’ll wish her a happy 25 years of living.

So Shall Your God Rejoice Over You

2010-07-13T20:23:00.006-05:00

Some thoughts from James Smith. I thought this was great.

"As the bridegroom rejoices over his bride--so shall your God rejoice over you!" Isaiah 62:5

That God should save a sinner at all--is a surprising display of unmerited grace! But that He should bring that sinner into the closest possible relation to Himself, and rejoice over him--is indeed most astonishing! And yet it is most true! For our Maker becomes our Husband! And as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride--so our God rejoices over us!

He set His heart upon us!

He encircled us with His infinite love!

He determined to raise us to His glorious throne!

He purposed to make us one with Himself!

He sent His only begotten Son to redeem us!

He sent His Holy Spirit to regenerate us!

He intends to raise us from the dead, perfect in holiness, and robed with immortality!

He will present us before His glorious presence with exceeding joy!

"He will rejoice over us with singing!" What exquisite joy will this impart! Jehovah singing with joy over His ransomed and restored creatures, as though their salvation could increase or perfect His happiness!

Let us meditate on this glorious fact, and prepare for the stupendous event!

"Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" Revelation 19:9

"Come, I will show you the bride--the wife of the Lamb!" Revelation 21:9

An Infinite Sacrifice for an Infinite Crime

2010-07-12T10:20:00.003-05:00

I tend to think that a person who has never question some aspects of their beliefs doesn’t have a very good understanding of their beliefs. This applies to faith, politics, business philosophies, etc… By that I am not saying that a person should doubt everything they believe, thus becoming a skeptic. I am saying that we should ask questions and be honest about things that we don’t understand very easily.

For example, last week Jonathan B. posted on the incommunicable attributes of God. I for one have often thought of the concept of eternity and it hurts to think about. I mean, I can’t imagine not existing because I’ve never done that before, but something about always existing is impossible for my brain to comprehend.

If we don’t ask ourselves and others these questions how will we ever “be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us” (see 1 Peter 3:15)?

One of the questions that I had to think through and study long and hard was how the chronologically short-lived suffering of Jesus could atone for my sin which is deserving of eternity in hell. There isn’t a category in my brain for peculiar justice that immediately makes me understand God’s ways in redemption.

Could it be true, as Shai Linne says, that “forever will I tell in 3 hours Christ suffered more than any sinner ever would in hell”?

Because I asked the question, put in the time, I feel confident that “there is only one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 2:5)

My answer to this question is that finite punishment cannot satisfy the demands of an infinite sentence. Allow me to explain:

I. Why is Hell Eternal?

1. The honorability of the offended party increases the magnitude of the crime, the magnitude of the crime increases the level of punishment.

Is there a difference between the punishment for lying to an infant and lying to the President? Absolutely there is. Because we sin against the Holy God of the universe we deserve to be punished for an infinite crime, namely, cosmic treason.

2. There is no biblical evidence of the sinful nature being reversed when a person goes to hell.

We tend to assume that people repent in hell but it seems that their hearts are still hardened toward God (example, Luke 16:19-31 the rich man still sees himself as greater than Lazarus). Therefore, there is no reason to believe that cosmic treason ceases to be committed in Hell. A person cannot fulfill their sentence if they don’t stop committing punishable crime.

3. There is no biblical reason to assume that we can bear the full wrath of God.

This is where I believe many who believe in annihilationism get it wrong. They assume that a finite number of years (even in the millions) will eventually lead to a person bearing the full weight of the wrath of God for their sin. Even forgetting the first two points I just made, do we really believe we have that capacity? We can’t even look at God in the face without going blind, how will we bear His wrath sufficient to save ourselves?

II. How is the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Sufficient to Save us from Eternal Punishment?

1. The value of the sacrifice (Christ) is equal to the value of the offended party (God).

It’s not easy to get my mind around this. In the same way that my crime against God is worthy of greater punishment than a crime against a person, Christ’s sufferings are worth more than my sufferings. Christ’s value makes him the sufficient savior for my sins, and not for mine only…(see 1 John 2:2)

2. Because Christ’s death purchased righteous standing before God, and eventual glorification for the saints, our crime against God has a stopping point.

Though we sin as Christians (more than we realize), and that sin can only be atoned for by Christ, we will eventually be given a new nature in which we will not sin. Therefore Christ’s infinite sacrifice atones for a finite number of sins.

3. There is every biblical reason to believe that Christ did bear the full wrath of God.

From the garden where he felt the weight of the cup of God’s wrath (see Luke 22:42), to his cry “it is finished” (John 19:30) Jesus suffered through what we are fully incapable of bearing, the wrath of God.

For these reasons and more we can be certain that Christ is the fully sufficient savior for the sins of mankind.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The Wonder of the Cross

2010-07-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

We sang this song in youth group on wednesday. It is one of my favorites and I wanted to post the lyrics, because they share the story of the gospel.

O precious sight, my Savior stands
Dying for me with outstretched hands
O precious sight, I love to gaze
Remembering salvation's day
Remembering salvation's day

Though my eyes linger on this scene
May passing time and years not steal
The power with which it impacts me
The freshness of it's mystery
The freshness of it's mystery

Chorus:
May I never lose the wonder
The wonder of the cross
May I see it like the first time
Standing as a sinner lost
Undone by mercy and left speechless
Watching wide eyed at the cost
May I never lose the wonder
The wonder of the cross

Behold the God - Man crucified
The perfect sinless sacrifice
As blood ran down those nails and wood
History was split in two
Yes, History was split in two

Behold the empty wooden tree
His body gone, alive and free
We sing with everlasting joy
For sin and death have been destroyed
Yes sin and death have been destroyed

My Lord i did not choose you

2010-07-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Unconditional election and limited atonement are difficult concepts to grasp. just when our human, finite minds think we've got it's back to square one and going over basic principles of who God is, who we are, the cross, and how we are dead in sins and can't nor wouldn't have chosen grace even if it bit us in the butt. It is only by Gods grace that we believe in Christ and we believe in christ by election.

I've been reading through The Five Points of Calvinism by David Steele, Curtis Thomas, and Lance Quinn and one of the appendix's is A Defense of Calvinism by Charles Spurgeon. There is one part that i keep going back to because it is so clear and rich and just good. Please enjoy this.

"John Newton used to tell a whimsical story, and laugh at it, too, of a good woman who said, in order to prove the doctrine of election, ' Ah! sir, the Lord must have loved me before i was born, or else He would not have seen anything in me to love afterwards.' I am sure it is true in my case; I believe the doctrine of election, because i am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before i was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unkown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love."

Praise God that he loves us just because and not for anything that we could do, for surely we are only capable of sin without Him.

Grace and Peace
sarah B.

No Comprende

2010-07-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today I was reading some of my good buddy Wayne Grudem (and by good buddy I mean I enjoy reading his stuff and he seems to enjoy writing). The topic was on the Incommunicable attributes of God. It got me thinking about some of the things that we mention all the time that are not only indescribable but are typically unfathomable. One of the topics was time. Time is impossible to comprehend when you bring in the element that God is outside of time. There was no beginning nor will there be an end to God. Obviously I’m not the only person who has thought through time as it relates in eternity. But it does make history books seem like the snap of a finger in relation to the grandness of God. Back to the future suddenly has lost some excitement in the plot line. Even right now my mind is melting tying to type this.
The Unchangeableness of God was also difficult to think through. Psalm 102:25-27 was helpful here but just the fact that God never changes is weird to think through. This is defined as: God is unchanging in His being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations.

I recommend reading this chapter by My buddy http://books.google.ca/books?id=DA8xl4eagDcC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false but more than anything I’m curious to know some things that are mind meltingly hard to grasp in relation to the attributes of God.

God is Love

2010-07-05T16:34:00.018-05:00

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
--1 John 4:7-9

God is love, and He has poured out His love upon the world in an amazing way. The Gospel shows us that God's love for the world is so strong that He came and died for the sins of the world! Sacrificial love is what brought deadness into life. And now (it should be no surprise) our perfect Father calls His children to be imitators of Him. His desire is that we walk in love (Ephesians 5:1-2). We are liberated so that we can be copy cats of God. We are given new life so that we can love. We are graced with freedom so that we can lay down our lives for our brothers. God calls His family to operate in a framework where love is our constant, consuming, joyous pursuit. We are called by God to love in such a way that baffles those who are not in Christ. Yes, they ought to know that we are Christians not by how smart we are, not by how well we can argue, not by how sinfully judgmental we are, but by our love!

Does this mean that we should love those that we disagree with?

Yes.

What if they are Christians but they don't line up with our theology like we think they should? Should we look down upon them? Should we mock their beliefs or interpretations of the Scriptures? Should we make their ideas or their concerns the butt of our jokes? Do we spend more time trying to defend our particular denomination or branch of theology than we do trying to creatively and affectionately serve our brothers and sisters? If so...why? Who are we really helping?

I believe that love ought to be the defining motive and mark in all of our interactions with those in the family of God. I think that friendly, helpful, and passionate debate is a wonderful thing; but if done without love, what is it really being done for? In 1 Corinthians chapter 13 we see some amazing thoughts. Paul writes to the believers in Corinth that if someone has prophetic powers, understands all mysteries, has all knowledge, or has a mountain-moving faith, but doesn't have love, that person is nothing. This is crazy! If you win the debate, but you don't have love, you are nothing. If you understand everything there is to ponder but you don't have love...you are nothing! It goes on to say that even if we give up everything to the point of giving up our body to be burned but don't have love, we are nothing. Romans chapter 12 also tells us that our love should be genuine as we seek to pour out brotherly affection. In fact we are instructed to "outdo one another in showing honor"!

In the book of Colossians we also see a huge emphasis on loving others. It commands the chosen ones of God to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Paul continues on to say, "Above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3). Love for the family of God is absolutely not a side issue in the Christian life. Any theology that fails to put love front and center ought to be abandoned for the truth of God's Word. This is not some sort of thought that is trying to diminish the necessity or the importance of sound doctrine, rather, it is a sort of thought that is trying to flesh out the precious doctrines of the Bible into day-to-day living! I have heard it said, and I believe rightly, that "love is truth with legs on it". Biblical theology rightly understood ought to result in a greater love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

These are not easy commands or concepts, but God continually shows His love towards repenters in forgiveness when we fail. I am so thankful that He continues to forgive when I don't love how I ought to. May it be our prayer that He strengthens us with supernatural love so that we might pursue this privilege and command to love all the more. What a beautiful way of living the Lord calls His children to.

God's Long-Steadfastness

2010-07-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tonight at 2:22, Aaron Wilson taught on the parable of the weeds and the grain. To read this passage, click here.

After he read the passage, he asked us a question: Why are there still evil people in the world/church?

The passage does say that those evil people will be destroyed, and we see it many other places in the bible as well.

Jeremiah 33:15-16 says,

"In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.'"

So we know that "in those days", those whom Jesus has credited as righteous will be forgiven and will live with God forever, and those who rejected Christ will be judged and punished. But why would God let the weeds grow up with the wheat? Why wouldn't He just pull them up and destroy them now?

Matthew 13:28b-29 - "So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.'"

God would rather permit the weeds to grow and live for awhile than to uproot the wheat. If God had decided to pull up those weeds four years ago, He would have pulled me up and thrown me straight into hell where I deserved to go. There are other people who look like weeds, but God will work in their lives and they will grow to be wheat. That is why the wicked are still here and sometimes seem to prosper. God is gracious and steadfast to those who are still enslaved to their sin, because He wants to save them.

Don't be discouraged by the wickedness of the world, but rather thank God for His steadfastness towards those that will be saved and those who have been saved. Sometimes the wicked seem to thrive, but we know that in the end times, only those who have been gifted with Christ's righteousness will live. The wicked will be judged, but God is a loving merciful God who desires to save.

Thank you, God, for your steadfastness shown to me and all you have saved. Lord, you hold back your judgement to save sinners like us and for that you should receive our unending praise. Help us to be humbled by this, Lord, and to show others the steadfastness and mercy you showed us. Let us proclaim the good news that you allowed us to hear to others while You still hold back your holy wrath. Comfort those who are persecuted, because you will destroy all evil and will restore righteousness in the world to come. Amen

the truth about man

2010-07-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Confession: for a very short time in my life i really really liked communism/socialism. the idea of people working together and taking care of everyone's needs and looking out for the greater good was just so wonderful to me. i was even tossing around the idea of living in a commune minus all the drugs and different sexual partners. But God in his sovereignty had me take a comparative economics class for my degree where we learned about different communist nations and different capitalist nations. And even better was just learning the ideals and where these two very different systems came from. I remember sitting in class and looking at the basic structures of communism and as i read "man is inherentely good and will work for the good of his fellow man" i knew that was wrong. All i could think was yeah "Romans says the complete opposite and im go with God on this one not Karl Marx."

i don't mean to start any kind of political discussion but rather write abou tour depravity and that man is not inherently good. Were not, lets face it we are evil fallen people capable of all kinds of sin if given the opportunity. We couldn't even choose God if we wanted to because we are dead in our trespasses and the uncircumsision of our flesh (colossians 2:13). If something is dead can it choose anything at all? No, therefore we certainly cant choose what is righteous and true. Our nature is sin thats why there is evil in the world because it is post genesis 3.

As bad as this is, our depravity, there is still hope that we have in christ. He rescued us from our fallen state and has paid the price for our sin and though we will still struggle with our flesh, we are reconciled to God and able, by the holy spirit, to be changed from the inside out and be more like christ.

anyone who says that man isn't inherently evil needs a reality check i would suggest either turning on the news to look at stories of who is killing who, or just watching children play. Both will prove that man is selfish and seeks his own desires when not ransomed to christ.

grace and peace
sarah B.

I Have No Good Apart from You

2010-06-29T22:04:00.003-05:00

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

--Psalm 16

"That's a nice testimony you have....Wanna swap?"

2010-06-28T10:15:00.003-05:00

Recent events concerning Dr. Ergun Caner, Dean of Liberty Theological Seminary have reminded me of a great joke by Tim Hawkins. It’s at around the 3:10 mark on this video but the rest is just for you to enjoy:

We laugh about this until we see how true it can be. I remember being in Peru and thinking that I shouldn’t have to share my testimony because I was so young when I was saved. In fact, the great majority of the sin in my past is post-conversion, not pre-conversion. But this really is a problem. The value we place on “better” testimonies. Sure we can think, “if God could save him He could save anyone” just as long as we are thinking, “if God could save ME He could save anyone.” Because that’s the truth.

Moreover, we tend to think of the grand testimonies in the Bible thinking that they are the norm, and let’s face it there are some good ones. Paul goes from being a church persecutor to the greatest theologian we’ve seen since the ascension of Christ. The thief on the cross turns to Jesus for mercy in the last hours of his life. The Philippian jailor was about to commit suicide when he found out Paul and Silas hadn’t left so he asks them for the gospel. But we forget just how many testimonies there are that look like ours (assuming you don’t have one of those “spectacular” ones).

Take Lydia for example:

One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us. (Acts 16:14-15)

Here’s a woman who is hard working, financially stable, and religious. Chances are she isn’t a murderer or drug dealer. She simply pays attention to Paul’s words, gets baptized, and shows hospitality. Big deal right? RIGHT! What she probably didn’t even realize was the fact that the Holy Spirit was leading the evangelists to her (Acts 16:6-10), that her prior status as a “worshiper of God” was not enough to save her, and that the Lord opened her heart to hear the gospel. Now things are starting to sound more like 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.

We are all in the same boat. No matter how your sinful heart manifested itself, you needed Christ. So there is no need to embellish your testimony or covet someone else’s. So to all who have done so, or been tempted to do so (including Dr. Caner) just know that Christ is still as powerful a savior for that sin as he is for any other sin.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Truth Project

2010-06-24T12:40:00.002-05:00

At work we are going through Focus on the Family's "Truth Project." This is a series that seeks to give christians a biblical worldview because lets face it not all believers have that. Today we covered Philosophy and Ethics. I absolutely loved it although there were alot of sad realities that were shown in the video. When people take God out of anything you get a shell of what used to be truth that is now a lie. When people take God out of philosophy you get pathetic attempts of people trying to explain big questions like "why are we here" and "what is the meaning of life" and "what is reason". they get answered with all these different "ism's" like idealism, rationalism, naturalism, relativism, mentalism, etc that are all wrong.

When God is taken out of life people end up depressed, lonely and trying to fill voids. They turn to pleasure (hedonism) because "if im not going anywhere when i die i better seize the day"

Ethics and morality get tossed out the window because there is nothing firm to base it off of. People end up going with statistics to determine what is right and wrong. "Statics show that people are more linient towards homosexuality and abortion" therefore it must be ok since 56% (the majority) of the population is ok with these practices.

Please do not let God be taken out of your life and worldview. Crazy, wait sinful and God belittling, things happen when God is taken out of any area of our lives.

Grace and Peace
sarah B.

Made to Worship

2010-06-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Over the last week or so I have heard several references towards the fact that creation is made for a purpose. My favorite was Dauglas Allison who said that if cars had an attitude they would not be happy if they wern’t driven. that conjured up the image of the movie cars. A movie by pixar where the main car lives for going fast.
This weekend I also saw Toy Story 3 which is about toys that desire to be played with. Thats when they are happiest.

It might be cheesy examples but the song made to worship kept playing in my head. We are made by God for God Colossians, 1:16, Everything we do is supposed to be for Him 1 Corinthians 10:31, God wants us too John 4:23.

The Valley of Vision

He is my mediator, brother, interpreter, branch, daysman, Lamb;

Him I glorify, in Him I am set on high.

Crowns to give I have none,

but what thou hat given I return,

content to feel that everything is mine when it is thine,

and the more fully mine when I have yielded it to thee.

Let me live wholly to my Saviour,

free from distractions,

from carking care,

from hindrances to the pursuit of the narrow way.

I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus-

give me a new sense of it,

continue to pardon me by it,

may I come every day to the fountain,

and every day be washed anew,

that I may worship thee always in spirit and truth.

The Message

2010-06-22T20:30:00.005-05:00

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

-1 John 1

A Purpose Driven Death

2010-06-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

"Once I attended a pastors’ gathering with Richard Wormbrand. He asked questions like, 'Will you choose to suffer?' If suffering were offered to you as a gift, would you accept it?

He told a story about an abbot. A reporter asked him about what he would say if found out at the end of his life that there was no God. He said, 'Holiness, silence, and sacrifice are beautiful in themselves. I still would have used my life well.' Does that sound noble? Right?

Here’s what Paul said: 'If for this life only, we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.' Why did Paul say that? Because his life was a life of consciously embraced suffering. Read the list in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Most of us define the benefits of Christianity with how it makes our life better now: 'Your best life now." -John Piper (Sermon- Filling Up What is Lacking in the Afflictions of Christ) Listen Here.

Before the Throne of God Above

2010-06-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we had the opportunity to go to the detention center. I had the privilege of helping lead worship with Jonathan Danforth and Jason Lapp, two guys that I really look up to and admire. There we played "Before the Throne of God Above" and I love this song. So today I'm going to post the lyrics.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

Rod sparer

2010-06-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

We have a new addition to our family. A sweet ball of fur named Peter. Although there has been less responsibility taking care of him than there would be for a kid, im still learning, kinda sorta about parenting (on a very small scale).

This cat is pretty good...for the most part. Why even as im writing he's entertaining himself with a rubber band, but there have been a few instances of "discipline" that have had to be enforced. The first time was when he wanted to play with one of my candles. Now it wasn't lit then, but someday it will and i really don't want to test out renters insurance any time soon. I told him no, he kept on so i did it again, still kept on, then i popped him on the head and that got through. The same situation happened with my wedding rings. I really don't want to have to go on a search for them. I had to tell him no a few times and eventually get smack him on the head.

why is discipline so important? what good could it possibly do? i remember certain rules that my parents had that i didn't understand that now i can see why they instigated them. Discipline is for our good. In the same way that i don't want my cat playing with candles so that our chances of having an apartment caught on fire goes way down, God disciplines us so that we don't ruin our lives, but instead learn to enjoy him and the way he set certain orders to this world. He disciplines us for his glory. You don't love your kid by letting them play in the middle of the street, you love them by making them play in the yard and taking proper action when disobeyed.

Discipline is hard for me. I have a kind of rebellious nature, well were all sinners and aren't naturally wanting to live for God, but God is slowly and sometimes painfully showing me how important and beautiful and glorifying discipline is.

Grace and Peace
sarah B.

O LORD my God

2010-06-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

²O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
³O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

⁴Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵For his anger is but for a moment,
andhis favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

⁶As for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I shall never be moved."
⁷By your favor, O LORD,
you made mymountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.

⁸To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
⁹"What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
¹⁰Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!"

¹¹You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
¹²that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Grace and Peace

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Thoughts on the Sabbath Part 2

Thoughts on the Sabbath Part 1

More Deserving of Hell: Bin Laden, Gandhi, or Me?

Thoughts on Steve Simon's Speech

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Don't Pass the Roles! Part 1

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What is the Righteousness of God?

The Gospel is Proof of Hell

Wimpy Woman

Shattered

Piper and Lecrea

Questions on the Love of God

Christmas has its Cradle

Grace Driven Effort

To Be Able to Explain and Apply

The following letter

Psalm 116

If Not for Grace

The best gift of All

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The Non Christmas song song

Couldn't Resist

Missional Living:

TEA Party- A New Challange for Christians

STEP Conversations

Thanksgiving for congress

Continental CongressThanksgiving Proclamation (1782)

Sing to the Lord

Psalm 98

Oh sing to the LORD a new song

for he has done marvelous things!

The gods of Warmth

Life & Refreshment

Peculiar Music

Expelled: No Revelation Allowed

Thoughts and Captivity

The Greatest

Shhhhhhhhh

Thomas Watson on Limiting God

making God famous

wasting time, energy, and money

The Gift of Rest

Playing Basketball on a Tennis Court

Un texte difficile...oui.

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Why is John Piper So Popular?

A Stolen Throne

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Waiting for the Bride-Groom

A Johnny Mac Sermon

May God be Gracious

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Prosperity Gospel

Work

Free Bird

A book to read and a video to watch

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Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 2

Tim Keller On Hell

Idolatry

Did God Cause the Fall of Man? A Response to Arminian Today Part 1

Ya just missed it!

The alter

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churchy churches

Does anybody know what Tim it is?

A lil Lewis

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8 Part 2

Dietrich Delights

comforts over rated

You could have God! And you chose light beer."

The Role of Christians and Heterosexuals in the Overturning of Proposition 8

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A whole new way of seeing God

Lead Me to it Soon

Continental Congress
Thanksgiving Proclamation
(1782)