vassal of the King

Notice in Colossians 3:10 " and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him ." "Put on" is the Greek word enduo once again (cf. v.12) which means to "clothe yourself." Here it is in the aorist participle giving the idea that believer have put on the new man. Paul exhorts the believers in Colossae to make certain this is the case. He goes on to say how he wants them to grow. In v. 10 they are to put on the new man by being renewed in the knowledge of the image of Him who created him. In other words, the Colossian believers were called by Paul to (1) put off the old man (v.9); (2) put on the new man; (3) be renewed unto a knowledge according to the image (Lit. "the eikon ") of the One who created him. This is Paul's goal = Christlikeness. This is Biblical clothing. Notice it is not external, but internal. Not outward, but inward. Not from the hips, but from the heart. Paul

In my Marriage and Family Counseling course yesterday, my professor said this, " The bible must set the parameters and framework for which we see all of life. The bible is that which frames our methodology ." Immediately after he spoke this, he said, "Take your Bibles and turn to..." This has become a normal and, shall we say, habitual thing to do in our class. WHY? Why do we make such a big deal out of the Bible? Why are we obsessed with the Bible? Why do we just have to incorporate the Bible into all that we do? Simple. Because the Bible is indeed the very breathed out Word of God. Just like Dr. Street said, it is the Bible - not some other idea, ideology, methodology, postmodern conviction, mythical thought - that alone must set not only the parameters but also set the framework for which we see all of life. This is a statement that I hold dear to because the Scriptures have so gripped my heart and my soul that I want to do nothing in life but know the Word of

Colossians 3:12-14 12 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The verb "put on" is from the Greek, enduo meaning "I put on" or "I clothe." It is used in the NT most often for "putting on clothing" or "putting on the Godly person." So what is the biblical clothing? Is God really, I mean...really , concerned about me wearing a tie in the pulpit? Is God really concerned as to whether I wear baggy jeans or flip flops to church or not? I make the radical answer by saying, "NO." God doesn't care what I wear. This is not to neglect the importance of being a leader and an example to the people of God. But I

External Conformity to the Law of God is NOT enough. A wealthy man once approached the Son of God and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). Jesus answered and said, in essence, "if you would enter life, then keep the commandments" (Matt 19:17). The problem with the rigorous law-keepers of that day, and cultural fundamentalists in our own day and age is that they (and we) focus on the externals ALONE . The problem with the wealthy man was that there was a serious malady in his heart. He lacked one thing. What was it? In essence, the attachment of that one man to his possessions needed to be replaced by an attachment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Could this be said of you and me? We must understand that if we want to keep externals, then the standard of the law is perfection - and nothing less (cf. Matt 5:48). Jesus does not and will not ever lower that standard. So how does Jesus solve that dilemma if we as humans cannot keep that

Alexander Strauch in his book "Leading with Love" has some good quotes that are worthy of mention: Strauch quotes Jonathan Edwards who once said, "[God] delights in little things when they spring from sincere love to himself. A cup of cold water given to a disciple in sincere love is worth more in God's sight than all one's goods given to feed the poor, yea, than the wealth of a kingdom given away, or a body offered up in the flames, without love" (p.15). Strauch continues by saying, "Since love is absolutely essential to the survival of the local church, its leaders must guard their own heartfelt love for Christ and continually monitor and encourage the church's love" (p.23). So how are we doing?

Tonight, I (once again) had Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner. It was a feast. I feel like I've eaten just as much food the past four nights as I had for the Thanksgiving Day dinner! In any case, tonight after my turkey, sweet potatoes and dressing, I had this absolutely fabulous pumpkin cheesecake. I don't know where it came from or who made it (or bought it from someplace), but it was excellent. This leads me to my favorite dessert place in all of L.A. If I could have dessert at just ONE place, I would (no doubt, no hesitation, no second guessing) go to the Cheesecake Factory and have a piece of their cheesecake. A Few of my favorites are: Dulce De Leche Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Peanut Butter One word sums it up: delightful.

My verse while working in a leadership sort of position at Christ Community Church is this: 1 Timothy 4:12 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Because I am a young guy on staff, I need to constantly remind myself of this verse. I am in a similar position to young Timothy - whom Paul wrote this letter to. Paul commanded Timothy to be a man and to be an example (a tupos ); literally, a type for the believers there in Ephesus. Furthermore, the context of this verse is worthy of mention: 1 Timothy 4:13-16 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yo

This is a must watch here . Special thanks to Todd and Bob for making this post known to me. Watch the whole video- it is only 11 minutes. It'll be an encouragement to you.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. The Sacred vs. Secular is an ever-present schism in the Christian community today. It is - let me say - a false dichotomy. There is nothing that is secular that can be divorced from something else that is sacred. We were saved out of the world when we were saved, but we were left in it. It is our responsibility as NT believers to neglect this ideology that everything that I do in life is secular except for my religious activities . I am convinced that this philosophy is not honoring to the Lord. If I say that I have to drop a class because my life is too busy with ministry activities - bible study, youth group, worship band practice, youth retreats, small groups, accountability groups and my personal bible study time - then I have completely categorized all of these activities in a spiritual sphere while everything else is left in the secular sphere. Do

In an article today posted here entitled "Woman Tells of Forced Marriage at Polygamist Hearing," it reads: ST. GEORGE, Utah (Nov. 21) - A woman who says she was forced to marry her cousin when she was 14 told a judge Tuesday that she sometimes used sex to get favors from her husband, such as money and the freedom to see friends. And more, I would just try to be a willing, submissive wife so that he would feel good about letting me do these things and have these things," the woman, now 20, testified under cross-examination...Jeffs, 50, is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice for his suspected role in arranging the marriage between her and her 19-year-old first cousin. The woman was testifying at a hearing for the judge to decide whether there is probable cause to send Jeffs to trial. Finally the wife said, The ceremony at a Nevada motel in 2001 was "one of the most painful things I've ever been through. I just want to move on with my life and forget i

Last night I was at the University of Judaism here in L.A. for a Lecture. Avi Faust was the lecturer on the topic of Biblical Archaeology, the prophets of Israel, and the poor. It was a good lecture, but I was floored when I heard something that the introductory speaker said. Before Avi came up to lecture, a man recapped what last week's lecture, talked about next week, and then gave some background information of Avi. Then the introductory speaker read a Scripture from the OT on loving the poor, fatherless and widow and then he quoted a verse from the "Christian Bible" (or the NT) about loving your enemies and when Jesus said that the "poor you will always have with you." Then just as he introduced Avi to speak, he concluded his introduction by saying, "Please forgive me for quoting either from the Hebrew Bible or from the Christian Bible." What? Are you serious? Is this man apologizing for the Bible? Is he ashamed? Does he think the Bible will offe

Thou Great I AM , Fill my mind with elevation and grandeur at the thought of a Being with whom one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, A mighty God who, amidst the lapse of worlds, and the revolutions of empires, feels no variableness, but is glorious in immortality. May I rejoice that, while men die, the Lord lives; that, while all creatures are broken reeds, empty cisterns, fading flowers, withering grass, he is the rock of ages, the fountain of living waters. Turn my heart from vanity, from dissatisfactions, from uncertainties of the present state, to an eternal interest in Christ. Let me remember that life is short and unforeseen, and is only an opportunity for usefulness; Give me a holy avarice to redeem the time, to awake a

Do YOU have a philosophy of ministry? This is of utmost importance in the local church. Do you even know your church's philosophy of ministry? Every church (and ministry) is in desperate need for a philosophy of ministry because it will help keep the main thing the main thing. Paul says in 1 Cor 9:26, “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air.” He understands the necessity of running with an aim or a purpose in mind. If you aim at nothing, you will surely hit it. The necessity of the philosophy of ministry is crucial. If the church does not have a purpose or a goal, and especially a means of attaining and reaching those goals, then it is probable that the church will become sidetracked with other issues that will either divert from the correct path or slow down the process of attaining the goal. A philosophy of ministry will keep the ministry focused on the core elements of the church and it will determine the respective pros an

Literally. I have a friend from church who is getting his pilot license and he took Elizabeth and I flying - though it was a surprise to her :=) We went to the El Monte airport (down near Pasadena) and then hopped on a four-seater and flew to Santa Barbara. We walked to the pier, had lunch, played on the beach and then went back to the plane and flew home. It was amazing weather. Here are a few pics capturing the day: We had a sand-castle building contest. Now tell me - honestly - who's castle is better? OR But the best part of the day, I got to spend the whole day with my best friend. We had a blast. We were able to see the glory of God's creation: Psalm 36:5-6 5 Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies. 6 Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are like a great deep. O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast.

Last night Elizabeth invited a professor of ours and his wife over for dinner and I helped her set the table while she did all the hard work in preparing the delicious food :-). It always strikes me when I'm spending time with people over a meal (or whatever) in someone's home as to how wonderful and sweet fellowship really is. Great conversation. Great fellowship. Great stories. Great laughs. Great food. After dinner, we talked for awhile and then played some rounds of "UNO." I hope everyone knows what this card came is. We played guys vs. girls first (and the guys one - of course) and then we played individually (and I won - of course :=) ). As Elizabeth and I were cleaning up after they left, we were talking about how wonderful it is to have people over and enjoy the privilege of serving others by inviting them into my environment. There is something personal, intimate, and vulnerable when we invite others into our territory. Paul knew this and he expressed

This is a must see. Al Mohler has been invited to dialogue with a panel of individuals undertaken by the Washington Post and Newsweek magazine. The issue is entitled, "Visit on Faith: Arrive with one perspective. Leave with many." The webpage is here . May we all be as bold as Mohler is in declaring the truth about the truth to this soceity that is afraid of the truth. The blog has only been up for three days and it already has over 150 comments - most of whom are hostile to the truth - it is worth perusing.

I was talking with a friend yesterday and the issue of eternal security came up. My heart has been drawn to the book of 1 John because that is what I have been preaching through the last year at a rehab center. I go to this rehab center to preach, I am not actually in the rehab center :=) ). In any case, we finished the book last week from 1 John 5:13-21 and i was amazed at verse 18. Here is what it says: 1 John 5:18 18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. I am convinced from this verse (and a host of others) that no person can ever, EVER lose their salvation after truly being regenerate. Yes I take a Calvinistic view on eternal security, Lord-ship salvation and the like , but here is the issue: This verse says that "he who was born of God keeps him." Let me make a few observations that may help out: (1) He who was born of God = this is the second member of the triune God, the Lord Jesus

I was in the Jaguar dealership today cause there is a Starbucks there doing some studying because one of my classes was cancelled today. As I was sitting at a round table with nice, leather, comfy chairs surrounded by people with loads of more money that I’ll ever have, a man walked in who was obviously homeless and he walked in and sat down on a chair in front of the TV in the Starbucks section of the dealership. Within one minute, two security officers came up and escorted the man out. He didn’t do anything wrong. He didn’t bother anyone. He just came in and sat down. Yet simply because of his appearance and the realization that there is a “lower-class citizen” in the “upper-class citizens” turf, he was immediately escorted out. Is this right? Is this wrong? Was it safety precautions? Was it for the sake of preserving the professional appearance of the dealership? But I was surprised how quickly the situation unraveled. May I not be one who judges on the outward appearance bu

One does not have to go back very far in history to recognize that the pastor was once a highly esteemed and respected figure in society. Yet today, the pastor, I would venture to bet, is barely on par with a car salesman. Why is this the case today in our 21st century post modern culture? I think it is because we as Christians (those who are truly regenerate and those who claim the title “Christian” but who are truly unregenerate) do not live a life that is worthy of the calling to which we have been called (Phil 1:27; Eph 4:1; Col 1:10; 1 Thess 2:12). Take one of these verses for example: Paul’s prayer for the Colossians is “that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10). If we truly took this verse to heart and we, as born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, would truly make it our passionate pursuit in life to walk worthily of the Lord. Remember the biblica

So I go through a pound of coffee really fast. I don't know how I do it. But it just sorta happens! My roommate works at Starbucks full time and so I always am on his case about bringing his "free pound of coffee" home each week for the "roommates." :-) Just to give you a taste as to what goes IN my coffee: In my refrigerator I have 5 creamers - not the small dinky ones, but the real manly ones: (1) Vanilla Chai Latte (this is my new favorite one) (2) Hazelnut (3) French Vanilla (fat free) (4) Gingerbread (5) Pumpkin Spice Folks, I normally don't boast about my addictions, but I felt that this was a necessary issue to bring up. I am a proud lover of Coffee-mate creamer as well as Starbucks and Trader Joe's coffee. Elizabeth helps me drink it too, so it makes it all the more worth it :=)

May we never forget that anywhere we go, we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20). We are not our own, but we have been bought with a price, therefore [we must] glorify God with our body (1 Cor 6:20). So then why is it that we as Christians can go into a restaurant and, for the most part, be surrounded by many people lost and on a one-way road to hell feel that we can "lay aside" our Christian conduct and treat other people with contempt? My teacher, mentor, friend and hero Todd Bolen posted this link in his blog here . Here is the link that we need to read. It is about some Christians who came to a restaurant and forfeited their Christian witness because of the lack of respect, honor, generosity and the excessive amount of pride that was manifested. The link is here . We all need to read this, be convicted and then read 2 Cor 8-9 and the whole Bible again and find out that Christ didn't hold anything back, he gave himself to the utmost. How much more should we as

I do not ever foresee this happening someday in the future when I am pastoring, but who knows, crazy things do happen. If you have a minute and a half, this is definitely worth it. It's a good laugh! http://youtube.com/watch?v=q31nA6LCMxE

Does this verse just rock your world? Ephesians 3:12 in whom [Christ] we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him [Christ]. . There are a few points here that are worthy of mention: (1) There is an inclusio here. An inclusio is a sort of "book-endings" way to emphasize a point. For example, in this verse, we have two pieces of bread and the meat is in the middle. Christ is mentioned at the beginning and at the end of the verse. This rhetorical device was common in the first century Greek writing (and especially among the Pauling writing) to emphasize not only the bookends but what is sandwiched in the middle. (2) The reality that Paul says "we." Paul doesn't just say "Christians," or even "I." We often think that Paul is a super-Christian who had special access to the presence of Almighty God. However this is not the case, Paul says "we." That means that all believers - men or women, Jew or Gentile, rich or poo

In our Hebrew class at the college yesterday we studied the song of Hannah. We have been going through the book of 1 Samuel - but we only have four weeks left in the semester and we are just beginning chapter 2 - we must pick up the pace if we want to finish the rest of the book in four weeks :-) In any case, in 2:10 it reads: 1 Samuel 2:10 "Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed." When Hannah sang this she made two comments that the liberals are desperate to redact: (1) The mention of a "KING" - because when Hannah sang this, there was NO king in Israel. In fact, this is the time of the judges - Judges 21:25 5 In those days there was no king in Israel ; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (2) The mention of the "Anointed" - in Heb - m'schicho . It literally rea

Galatians 3:22 22 But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. This verse has the Gospel. All of it. In this short verse is contained: (1) The Sufficiency and Authority of the Scriptures (2) Total Depravity - that all men are "shut up" under sin (3) The Faithfulness of God - by bringing out His promises (4) The Savior - the Lord Jesus Christ (5) Vicarious Substitutionary atonement - is implied here when the promise of faith is given by those who trust in Jesus Christ and NOT in their own merit (6) The Neccesity of true and Saving Faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ (7) Salvation offered as a free gift - no works salvation here; it "might be given" (8) All who come to Christ will receive Him. He will in no way ever cast any out. This is seen by the phrase "given to those who believe." The Gospel is basic enough for a child to understand, yet so complex (and inexhaustib

Last night I went up to the mountains and saw perhaps one of the best and clearest nights of the billions and billions of stars in our galaxy. And I was reminded of Psalm 8:3-5 3 When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him? 5 Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, And dost crown him with glory and majesty! The thought that the Biblical text says "16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth" (Genesis 1:16-17) is amazing that God created every single individual star. May we never lose sight of the greatness of our God. This God who created the universe, the billions of stars and galaxies is in a personal and immanent relationship w

John Piper, in his recent work What Jesus Demands from the World has an excellent introduction entitled, "A Word to Biblical Scholars (and those who wonder what they are doing). In this chapter Piper speaks on the Quest for the Historical Jesus. One may wonder, "what is wrong with questing for the historical Jesus?" Nothing, if the information gathered is from the NT Gospels. But unfortunately, in recent centuries, scholars have gone elsewhere to search and gather information on the "historical Jesus." Piper says, "The quest for the Historical Jesus is not that nothing sure can be said about Jesus, but that the effort to go behind the four New Testament Gospels launches one onto a sea of speculation that has arrived at no island that could be called a reliable portrait of Jesus" (p.30). It is commonly agreed among scholars that there have been (even up to the present) three historical "quests" for this Historical Jesus. The First began

If someone were married and said, "God does not want me in a bad marriage, therefore it will be OK if I divorce and get remarried and then be happy." What do you do? The answer to this scenario MUST be "no." It is NOT OK to divorce because one spouse is unhappy. This is NOT acceptable. The Scriptures teach that God commands us to be Holy. No where does he ever say that He is seeking our happiness. We must remember one statement, God does not want you to be happy, but holy .

Yes the God of the Bible is BOTH a Transcendent God and an Immanent God. That is to say, when we speak of God's Transcendence, we speak of his "otherness." On the other hand, when we speak of God's Immanence, we speak of his "nearness" and "actions" in our lives. The open theism movement in our modern day stresses the immanence of God - that is, that God is personally involved in human relationships and He lures us, by his love, to respond in different ways - and yet deemphasizes the transcendence of God - that is, that the Holy, Righteous and Merciful God is so "other than" human beings. The Scriptures affirm both of these doctrines all over the Scriptures. It may be an interesting study to search the Bible for verses that affirm both of these theological doctrines about God. For example, here is one that must not be overlooked: Hosea 11:9 9 I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man, t

So this should sum up the day that Elizabeth and I had on an absolutely fabulous November day in sunny L.A.... We did see some elephant seals... they were noisy and entertaining. Then we had an excellent Tri-tip sandwich and Clam Chowder lunch at Pismo beach... We concluded the day with a beautiful drive of the scenery... So it was a great day. Great weather. Great sites. Great animals. Great food. Many laughs. Most of all, I was able to spend all day with a great girl!

Today I am going to have some fun. Elizabeth and I are driving up Highway 1 - the coast out here that would take you from L.A. to San Francisco. Though we won't be going that far north, here are a few sites we will see. Then we will also see We will also take a look at some elephant seals: The greatest part is that I get to do all of this with my favorite girl, Elizabeth. May the Lord be honored today in all the fun that we have :-)

What kind of example could this possibly set for the world when someone in this leader's church said, "It made me angry that here's someone preaching about gay marriage and going behind the scenes having gay sex." Furthermore, "The acting senior pastor at New Life, Ross Parsley, told KKTV-TV of Colorado Springs that Haggard admitted that some of the accusations were true." And again, the fact that talk about a pastor is, "People are always saying stuff about Pastor Ted," she said. "You just sort of blow it off. He's just like anyone else in the public eye." It is disturbing to hear, "I just want people to step back and take a look and say, 'Look, we're all sinners, we all have faults, but if two people want to get married, just let them, and let them have a happy life,'" So what kind of example are we, as evangelical Christians setting in our culture today? For it is - truly - a lost and dying world that we li

In 1 Corinthians 13, known as the "love chapter," Paul lays forth three characteristics of love: I. The Demand for Love (vv.1-3) II. The Definition of Love (vv.4-7) III. The Durability of Love (vv.8-13) I. The Demand for Love (vv.1-3) 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Paul here lays forth how love is the absolute core of the Gospel. If we have everything in the world, yet lack in love, we have nothing. In Paul's terminology, if I have the tongues of men and angels, if I have prophecy, if I know all mysteries and have all knowledge, even if I have al