Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The Two Witnesses

I'm currently going through the book of Revelation at church on Tuesday nights and am really -- I mean, really -- enjoying my time there! I was just talking yesterday to someone about how Christians (including me before this study) have this idea that Revelation is the last book of the Bible and it's about prophecy, future-events, and such and, consequently, because there are so many differing interpretations that it must be totally incomprehensible for the unscholarly (like myself), so why study it?

Yet during our study of this book, I have come to the exact opposite conclusion. I am convinced that it is a book that must be not only read, but studied, by believers. Yes there are hard points to understand, but the whole point of the book is that Jesus wins!
At any rate, I'm teaching on Revelation 11 tonight and part of the chapter is on the two witnessess that God will choose to bear His witness during this horrific period of the last three and a half years (yes, I know that's debated, but that's what I think) of the Tribulation period.

Revelation 11:3-5 3 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies; and if anyone would desire to harm them, in this manner he must be killed.

But the amazing thing that I've realized is how many commentators who take the book of Revelation in its plain, normal, futuristic sense until they get to these two witnesses and then they propose this is referring to the whole church age, or to Christians during the Tribulation period. I just can't find that in the context. Maybe I'm missing something, but to me numbers are numbers. They are there for a reason. I think the point here is that God will sovereignly call two individuals (whoever they are -- Moses and Elijah or Elijah and Enoch, I think we have NO way of being certain) to be His stalwart witnesses during this time of destruction upon the earth during the future Tribulation.

I think my argument that these two witnesses being two literal humans (and not figurative for a large body of people regardless of the era) is because of verse 8:

Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

These are clearly those who are redeemed, saved, and justified by the Lord Jesus Christ. Sure, it could be referring to "believers at large," but why specifically note two witnesses earlier in the text?

So, that's my morning thought. I must go to my Hebrew class but I wanted to write and say that I believe the two witnesses are two believers who will be divinely empowered to do God's bidding on the earth during the horrific times of the Tribulation. I'll tell ya -- I'm glad I won't be here for the Tribulation, but if there would ever be something cool to see on earth, it'd be these two guys during this future time period!

Blessings...

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Fellowship

How sweet it is to spend time with other believers. I just got back to my office here at church refreshed and rejuvenated for more ministry. Sometimes the Lord uses just an hour of good fellowship to give us some of the encouragement and drive that we need to press on.

One of the highlights of my day thus far has been spending time this afternoon with one of our elders. We went to Jamba Juice (of course!) and had some wonderful fruit smoothies and chatted about Israel, Mark 4 and Jesus' parable on the sower, our upcoming study in 1 Samuel, and on the need for preachers today to preach on eternal judgment.

I was greatly encouraged in these last few hours of fellowship with my dear friend. I praise God for fellowship, encouragement, and brothers who can spur me on toward Christlikeness. Indeed I'm reminded of
Hebrews 10:23-24 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. I must be going, one of the youth just came to my office ...

Psalm 133:1-3 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- life forever.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

What we must strive for

This is not only for preachers, but it served as a needed reminder for me...
“First, strive for practical, earnest, glad-hearted holiness in every area
of your life. One of the reasons is that you can’t be something in the pulpit
that you aren’t during the week - at least not for long. You can’t be blood
earnest in the pulpit and habitually flippant at the deacon’s meeting and the
church dinner. Nor can you display the glory of God in the gladness of your
preaching if you are surly and dismal and unfriendly during the week. Don’t
strive to be a kind of preacher. Strive to be a kind of person!”
HT: Colin Adams/Unashamed Workman

The Guidance of God

One thing I learned in Israel was how God truly leads His own. As David writes, Psalm 31:3 3 For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me. Indeed we experienced this truth; that God leads His people and guides His people.

The past few weeks in Israel have made this verse ever clearer to me as I trusted in the Lord for many aspects regarding our recent trip to Israel. It is true that God is my Rock and my Fortress. Because God is my Rock and my Fortress, I can be confident that He will lead and guide me. This is a pattern in the psalms:

Psalm 27:11 11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes.

Psalm 43:3 3 O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.

Psalm 61:2 2 From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 139:9-10 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

Psalm 139:23-24 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 143:10 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

I found that in trusting God, He had already worked everything out for us -- according to His sovereign plan. He truly paved the way for us. From the important matters even down to the mundane God was our guide. If there is one thing I have reflected on today regarding the character of God, it is the ever-present reality that God is my Shepherd and Guide:

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Israel Update #3

I am writing from the Mt. of Olives as I sit in the apartment of a good college friend of mine! Elizabeth and I have officially ended our "formal touring" of Israel. Today was our 13th day of traveling and touring. We were in the Dead Sea region today: hiked up Masada, went to En Gedi (cf. 1 Sam 24; Psa 63; 121); floated in the Dead Sea (Elizabeth loved it!), and toured around Qumran.

Tomorrow is our last day in the country before coming home on Tuesday. Praise God for His goodness and wonderful faithfulness to us:

"Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting!" (Psalm 136:1).

Friday, June 6, 2008

Israel Update #2

I am writing from the sharp, rocky cliffs of Mactesh Ramon. Including tomorrow, we only have two more touring days. We have been on a whirlwind tour -- literally. Elizabeth and I have enjoyed our time together driving through the land, seeing the sites, reading lots (and lots!) of Scripture, singing together, riding public busses, going through open doors with Hebrew writing that I can't understand and on and on and on I could go.

Things are great. Thank you for praying. Tomorrow is our day we head down to Eilat -- the southernmost tip of Modern Israel. I hope to climb the top of a hill with Elizabeth to see four countries -- Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia! Then we're going snorkeling in the Red Sea!

Then on Sunday we are hiking up Masada, going to En Gedi, Qumran, and then back to Jerusalem to take one of my great Hebrew buddies out for dinner in Jerusalem.

Blessings to you. Please keep us in prayer...

Friday, May 30, 2008

Israel Update #1

We made it safely to Israel and are having a wonderful time. Our first day was in London as we toured the city and went to the British Museum and saw many archaeological artifacts (yes I'm a nerd).

Our first day in Jerusalem was a New Testament day. Then our second day was an Old Testament day. Today was our Jerusalem Approaches/Mt. of Olives day.

Please continue to pray for us and we'll write more as time and opportunities allow.

Blessings...

Monday, May 26, 2008

Prayer for us

You can be in prayer for me and Elizabeth over the next few weeks as we travel around the land of Israel. We'll be going to many (I mean, many) sites and reading the passages which are pertinent to each site. I've made up a note packet for her (only 150 pages) of maps of Israel, Jerusalem, site diagrams, phone numbers, relevant Scripture passages, and of course, some Hebrew words to learn (e.g. "where's the bathroom?").

Please keep us in prayer these next few weeks.
Blessings...

PS -- The above picture is one of my favorite Tells in Israel -- can you guess which site it is? (Hint: See Jeremiah 34:7)

Friday, May 23, 2008

Ways a husband can treat his wife as his companion

Here are a few ways in which a husband can (and should!) treat his wife as his companion:

1. By being with her and involving her.


The husband must plan time to spend with her alone. He must also develop common interests with her. He must also let her know how she can help him and work alongside of him. He must call her from work. he must tell her about what he does (regularly/on a daily basis).

2. By seeking to understand her and help her.


The husband must ask what she did today and then listen to her. He must inquire as to her well-being and then pay attention. He must plan a regular time to talk about her concerns and then pray/study/and help her find solutions. He must ask her how he can pray for her. He must pray with her. he must assist her when she needs it.

3. By appreciating her.


He must thank God for her. He must think and verbalize specific qualities or deeds that he is thankful for. he must speak well of her to others. He must leave her a note of appreciation to encourage her and affirm his love and affection for her.



4. By treating her special compared to others.


He can open doors for her. He can plan dates with her. The husband must put her "needs" and desires above others' needs and desires. He must show her non-sexual (and sexual) affection. Be sexually intimate with her, focusing most on her enjoyment.



5. By revealing himself to her.


The husband must communicate his thoughts, perspectives, and goals to her. He must also let her know how she can pray for him.



Adapted from Stuart Scott, The Exemplary Husband, 63.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Be warned: Don't forfeit Christ's mind

I am aware of the wise warnings against using words like "all," "every,"
and "always" in what I say. Absolutizing one's pronouncements is dangerous. But
I'm going to do it anyway. Here it is: It is impossible for any Christian who
spends the bulk of his evenings, month after month, week upon week, day in and
day out watching the major TV networks or contemporary videos to have a
Christian mind. This is always true of all Christians in every situation! A
biblical mental program cannot coexist with worldly programming.
From: Hughes, R. Kent. Disciplines of a Godly Man (Wheaton: IL: Crossway, 2001), 71-72.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Interesting updates...

A few things that are on my mind as of late:

First, just yesterday, from San Francisco and FOX news (see also the LA Times' article), "The California Supreme Court overturned a ban on gay marriage Thursday, calling such a ban unconstitutional and paving the way for California to become the second state where gay and lesbian residents can marry."

The justices released the 4-3 decision Thursday, saying that domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage in an opinion written by Chief Justice Ron George.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he will support the decision.

"I respect the Court's decision and as Governor, I will uphold its ruling," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state Supreme Court ruling."

The cases were brought by the city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples, Equality California and another gay rights group in March 2004 after the court halted San Francisco's monthlong same-sex wedding march that took place at Mayor Gavin Newsom's direction.

This is not shocking to me, but it is discouraging to me. I wonder how low we can go. You talk about a patient God...

Second, I am taking a phenomenal course, The Pastor's Home. This is a double-joy because Elizabeth is with me every night for the lectures! We are having such a great time learning about: communication in the Pastor's home, the husband's role in the Pastor's home, the wife's role in the Pastor's home, finances in the Pasotor's home, etc. It's been awesome! Also, tonight is our "date night." So, yes, I get school credit for taking my bride out on a date tonight! Now that's cool

Third, I am preparing to lead an Israel trip. There are hidden motives here. The goal is to do this a number of times and eventually take church groups over there in the future. I presented this to my pastor and to the Elder board and they are all behind the idea!

At any rate, I have been going through a road atlas I have of Israel getting the routes down from every site to the next site and then to the place of lodging at night. It's just been fun! Then, I've been researching some maps from the months of living in Israel, my notes from going to all the sites, and Todd Bolen's picture CD's (as well as my pictures - which don't even measure up to Todd's!).

Alas, It's 6:36AM, I must be getting back to my Israel studies...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Godly Wisdom is Pure

Godly wisdom is pure and clean. That is, it is found where the pollution and defilement of sin is absent. Listen to how the old church father, Tertullian (c. 200AD) wrote regarding this:
Be clothed with the silk of honesty, the fine linen of holiness and the
purple of chastity;
thus adorned, God will be your friend.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Are you trying to "find the will of God"?


Since I finished my class class of my MDiv career on Wednesday, I have been able to do some pleasure reading. One book - which I used as a source for my biblical decision-making paper - which I have been reading is by Bruce Waltke entitled: Finding the Will of God: Pagan Notion? And this book is superb! In a nutshell, Waltke reveals that "finding the will of God" is a pagan notion which has a lot of pagan connotations back to the ancient world of casting lots and inquiring of some pagan "god" in order to find his "will." Regarding this, Waltke says:


In the New Testament, God never calls us to "seek His will," but rather to seek
His kingdom and do His will. We ought to stamp out of our vocabulary the
nonbiblical and misleading expression "finding God's will." Rather than talk
about "seeking the will of God," we ought to speak of following the guidance of God. This is not just semantically different, since He is
calling us to draw close to Himself and to live holy lives. God's will for us is
that we be holy; there is no mystery to His will. As for those questions about
changing jobs, getting married, going to school, and the like, finding answers
will require growing close to God (p.169).

Don't think that because it is Dr. Waltke writing this work, it is some "above-your-head" scholarly book about the nuances of Hebrew (though, of course, Waltke could do this). Rather, this is as practical as theology gets. Along these lines, Waltke insightfully reveals:


We live in a golden age for Christian publishing. Never have so many words been
written nor so many pages published on the Lord Jesus Christ. Every city in
North America seems to have a Christian bookstore, and their shelves are filled
with interesting, helpful, and profound books on the Christian life. The downside
of all this is that I think many people have shied away from Scripture itself.
There is so much out there, and much of it seems awfully interesting to
Christians, so it has become easier to read the latest popular book on God or
the church or the family than it is to read the Bible ... you must
spend time reading God's Word or you will never mature in your Christian faith
... I am simply reminding you that all of those good books will amount to very
little in your life if you do not spend time in the most important book of all,
the Holy Bible (p.63).

Finally, at the end of the book Waltke notes that all this theology that people can (and should!) learn must not be sheer "head knowledge." As he notes, "theology, what we know about God, changes our lives" (p.183). And if it doesn't, then it's a hypocritical ("non-Christian") religion. As he concludes:


Knowing God, which we inadequately refer to as "theology," designates more than
the involvement of a personality in the presence of the Lord. God is known
through doing His will. One author put it: "the knowledge of God is defined
throughout as obedience to His will. The Bible consistently demands action, not
words. God was pleased to validate His own character in the acid test of
history. He was not content with merely propositional truths about Himself
(p.186).

So, Christian, go and learn God's Word; study it; revel in it; bathe in it; clothe yourself with it; let it find its abode deep in your heart and soul. And then, only then, when that infallible and inerrant Word has deeply impacted your heart and life will you be being led by God!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Monday, May 5, 2008

Brief Biblical and Practical Theology on Sleep

These are some notes I took from class last week. I thought they may be of help:

1. BUT...WHAT DO I DO IF I JUST CAN’T GET TO SLEEP? OR IF I WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND CAN’T GET BACK TO SLEEP?
I must see the inability to sleep in the light of the sovereignty of God. Believe that these times represent opportunities from God.
a. An Opportunity for Examination
(1) Guilt? Sin? Lack of trust in God? Lack of biblical mindset?
-this is where our thoughts should go.
(2) Ps. 139:23-24 – ask God to search our hearts; know my anxious thoughts; lead me in the way everlasting.

b. An Opportunity for Meditation
(1) Ps. 119:148
(2) Ps. 16:7
(3) Ps. 77:6 – think of your favorite hymns and worship songs and sing them (to yourself! J). This is what Asaph does!! J
(4) Ps. 77:11-12
(5) Ps. 4:4

c. An Opportunity for Communication
(1) Ps. 4:1
-this person who has trouble w/ insomnia needs to call on the LORD
(2) Ps. 77:1-2
(3) Phil. 4:6-7
(a) Prayer for your own burdens
(b) Prayer for others’ burdens – gets focus off of self
-keep focus on God!! J
-the bible has a lot to say about sleep and getting good sleep

4. Summary
a. Address the possible spiritual causes of insomnia:
(1) A lifestyle of habitual worry and anxiety and not trusting God
(2) Guilt over disobedience
(3) A lack of hard work...doing all you know to do and can do to solve issues...but doing no more than that
(4) Not having a biblical mindset, a mind so saturated with Scripture that they think biblically as a lifestyle
(5) A lifestyle of discontent – with people, with circumstances, with God
b. And then, when God “keeps your eyelids open,” they can see it as an opportunity for examination, meditation, and supplication.

Blessings to you.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

You think LA is crowded...

Man, I haven't had a good laugh in a long time. This fixed that! I guess you have to know how crowded the NYC subways can be at times, but this blows the NY subways out! :=)

Monday, April 28, 2008

Don't just apply, implement!

If there’s been one thing I’ve learned this semester in my effective sermon delivery course at seminary, it’s been to help people to not only apply the text of Scripture but we are to help them implement the text of Scripture. Let me explain.

It is one thing if from my pulpit I tell my people “Read your Bibles!” That’s application. They know what to do. But we – as preachers – must take this one step further. If we merely stop here that’s still insufficient. We must give them implementation helps. We must tell them how to do what they know they need to do. If we tell them to “Read your Bibles!” we must also tell them “How to read your Bible.”

In a sermon we could say, “Perhaps there is someone here who is struggling with their daily Bible reading. Perhaps the mornings are so busy and the alone time with God is crowded out with the normal engagements of getting ready for work, showering, eating, watching the news and, of course, sleeping late.” But what if we as preachers give them helpful (as practical as it gets) helps as to how they can change:

1) Get up 20 minutes earlier than you usually do and make your coffee and then read the Bible (tell them what to read; start with John, Psalms, etc).
2)Begin your prayer time praying through a psalm, praise God, confess sins to God, thank God, present your requests to God (A-C-T-S prayer).
3)End the quiet time with a prayer thanking God for the clarity of His word and commit the day to Him for His glory. Ask that He may use YOU for His glory in being a witness for Him wherever you find yourself throughout the day.

I hope this helps us bear in mind that we must not only apply the text for our hearers in the sermon but we must also implement it for them (or, show them how to implement it).

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Quote on "simplicity in preaching"

J.C. Ryle notes:
All the simplicity in the world can do no good, unless you preach the
simple gospel of Jesus Christ so fully and clearly that everybody can understand
it. If 'Christ crucified' has not His rightful place in your sermons, and 'sin'
is not exposed as it should be, and your people are not plainly told what they
ought to believe, and be, and do - your preaching is of no use!

Amen.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Can a believer abide in sin?

I found this quote this morning in a colleague's paper; good reminder:

“Whereas the sinner lives in sin and loves it, the saint lapses into sin and loathes it. He cannot, being a sheep, enjoy the filth which the hog rolls in.”[1]

1 John 3:9 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

[1] Douty, Union With Christ, 188.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Thursday, April 10, 2008

What is a preacher?

These are some notes that I took from my professor today in my "Effective Sermon Delivery" class at seminary. This was in response to a student's question as to whether preachers should use the 2nd person "you" in outlines and application or the 1st person "we" (to include himself) in the sermon. Here is what Dr. Jack Hughes said:

A preacher is not someone who is there among his congregation as someone who is just to share some concepts about God. He is there to preach w/ boldness, authority, the authority inherent in the word of God and to command people.

Paul says: “Prescribe (i.e. “command”) these things” – military connotations

Don’t fear using the 2nd person.

Yet, you don’t want to preach as someone totally apart from the congregation.

Cf. JC Ryle’s sermon – tons of “you … you… you… you”

When you’re preaching it is authoritative, bold, one-way preaching to them from the authoritative text.

I am commanded by God to teach w/ all authority, to teach the whole counsel of God and let no one disregard me”

It has nothing to do w/ you looking down upon people. That is not the case. If you are preaching God’s Word, you are speaking DOWN – from God – to them.

If you’re preaching God’s word, then tell them what they need to hear.

In Hebrews it says, “Today if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts…” – well how do they hear? By a preacher.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Marriage and the glory of God

I'm not sure if you saw Dr. Mohler's blog yesterday but it was phenomenal! He wrote on marriage and how it is to be for life and the key components for marriage.

Dr. Mohler says near the beginning of his article:
Marriage is about our happiness, our holiness, and our wholeness--but it is
supremely about the glory of God. When marriage is entered into rightly, when
marriage vows are kept with purity, when all the goods of marriage are enjoyed
in their proper place--God is glorified.
Our chief end is to glorify God--and
marriage is a means of His greater glory. As sinners, we are all too concerned
with our own pleasures, our own fulfillments, our own priorities, our own
conception of marriage as a domestic arrangement. The ultimate purpose of
marriage is the greater glory of God--and God is most greatly glorified when His
gifts are rightly celebrated and received, and His covenants are rightly honored
and pledged.
May we all read and be exhorted and recommitted to our spouses for the glory of God.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

What does it mean to "glorify God"?


"To glorify God means to make His name famous. His honor and His reputation become more important than our own. It is equivalent to the following well-known purpose statements":

Deuteronomy 6:4 4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

Matthew 22:39 39 "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

Leviticus 19:2 2 "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

Galatians 5:6 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

Matthew 28:19 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

So, therefore, my brethren, go glorify God.

Source: Edward T. Welch, "Counseling Those Who Are Depressed," The Journal of Biblical Counseling 18, no. 2 (Winter 2000): 27.

Monday, March 31, 2008

A good day in the "blog-o-sphere"

Here are three excellent blogs I read today that I will post for you to check out. I'm not gonna even try to blog today after reading these three excellent blogs.
First, Chuck Lawless, of Southern Seminary, has a fabulous post today imagining if he were Satan and how he would attack Christians today. You can read the whole post here. It's excellent and sobering.

Second, Michael Patton has a very helpful post (with a picture!) of proper exegesis (that is, biblical interpretation). This is a clip to wet your appetite (and hopefully convince you to read the whole post!):

The problem with the “What-does-it-mean-to-you” approach is that it is purely
subjective. It turns the Scripture into a wax nose that can be shaped into what
ever our our current situation demands. The Bible becomes subjective magic
book through which we serve as mediums to its message.
It does not matter
what it means to you.
It does not matter what it means to
you.
It matters what it means. Yes, there are various ways in which the Bible
can apply to you, but it is not going to apply outside its objective
meaning. It means what it means.
“But the Bible is God’s
word,” you may say. ”It is powerful. You should not limit it. God can
speak directly to me through it.” This is true. The Bible is powerful. It is
God’s word. It can speak to you. But it is not going to give you a different
meaning than it gives to everyone else.

Third, Doug McMasters just gives some notes from Spurgeon which are phenomenal! It is Spurgeon's charge to Trinity Road Chapel. Here's a clip (so, again, you'll read the whole thing):
You need power; not the power of money, or mind, or influence, or numbers;
but “power from on high.” All other power may be desirable, but this power is
indispensable. Spiritual work can only be done by spiritual power. I counsel you
in order to get spiritual power in all that you do to keep the King’s
commandment, for “where the word of a king is, there is power.”
And a little more...
If you want power, keep the King’s commandment, keep close to it in all
things, and make it the law of your house and the motto of your flag. Wherein
you go beyond the word. you go beyond the power, and wherein you stop short of
the word you also stop short of the power. In the King’s word there is power,
and you will have power as long as you keep to it: but real power is nowhere
else to be found. Let us take care that we do not look elsewhere for power, for
that will he leaving the fountains of living waters to hew out to ourselves
broken cisterns which hold no water. I fear that some Christian people have been
looking in many other directions for the power which can only be found in the
word of the King.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

The character of an on-fire Christian

Today I had a great opportunity -- to preach at church. I found great joy in studying Acts 1 all week and unveiling some of its truth to God's people this morning.

As I studied I was confronted with the glories of Christ, the ascension of Christ and the guarantee of his return, the absolute necessity of bearing witness of Christ not only globally but also locally in every life situation that we may find ourselves in, and finally, the need to be absolutely committed to Christ.

In a nutshell, here was my outline of Acts chapter 1. I wanted to reveal three essential characteristics of an on-fire Christian:


1. We must be witnesses for Christ (1-8)
2. We must be watching for Christ (9-11)
3. We must be committed to Christ (12-26)


I trust God and know that He used His Word to accomplish His sovereign will. He sure did His work (still in progress) in my life this past week in my study.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Fighting with spouse can be good for your health

According to Diane Mapes with CNN.com this is so. She notes in her lengthy article:

For many couples, spats are a necessary evil, something to endure or avoid
(for the sake of the kids!). But new research at the University of Michigan
shows that hashing out marital disagreements is actually good for your health.
It's squelching anger, especially when you feel you've been wronged, that's
dangerous.
She continues by noting:
A study published in January followed 192 married couples in Michigan from
1971 to 1988 and found that those who kept their anger in when unfairly attacked
did not live as long as those who expressed their anger, says lead study author
Ernest Harburg, Ph.D., an emeritus research scientist at the University of
Michigan's School of Public Health and psychology department.
"We're all
interested in longevity," says Harburg, who's studied the health effects of
spousal sparring for over 30 years. "We watch our diet, we exercise. Now we need
to add 'express anger constructively' to that list."
So part of the counsel is simple and straight-forward:
...The first step is to let the person know you're mad -- the sooner, the
better.
"You can either express your anger directly or you can say, 'That
makes me angry, but I don't want to talk about it now; let's discuss it later',"
he says. "But in order to solve the problem, you need to first express your
emotions."
Perhaps one more quote will suffice. One lady noted:
"My blog has become my therapy," she says. "When I have issues, I'll write
a blog post and my husband will read it at work. And then he'll come home and
we'll talk about the problem and solve it. If we have issues, they never really
last longer than a couple of hours."
Harburg says both partners have to be
willing to listen and work toward a compromise; otherwise it's a no-go.
Unfortunately, this is what the godless mind is prone to think. Just let out the anger on your spouse -- it's better to do so; and sooner rather than later, and it goes on and on and on.

But is this really what husbands and wives should do? Before we look at what is "healthiest" for the body or what may "promote" a longer life we must see what God has to say about this.

God said through Peter to wives:
1 Peter 3:3-5 3 And let not your adornment be merely external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.
Then to the husbands:

1 Peter 3:7-9 You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 8 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
Listen to what the wisest man who has ever lived had to say about the tongue:

Proverbs 10:19 When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
And Solomon continues,

Proverbs 17:27-28 27 He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is counted prudent.
God says that believers must be those who love their spouses and are selfless rather than selfish. The godly character is that which produces a gentle and quiet spirit - not an outrageous and argumentative one.
Let it not be forgotten that God the Holy Spirit said through Paul to believers:

Ephesians 4:26-27 Though you may be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity (author's translation).
May we be those who take a stand holding firm to the authoritative and clear truth found in God's Word. If this article reflects the average marital counsel people are getting these days, then it is time for us to hold God's Word high with the God-honoring answers to our sinful hearts which can be angry. The answer is not outrage, or expressing your emotions, or to let it out, or to "compromise." Rather, the answer, no doubt, is Christlikeness.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Prayer, Preaching, and Parsonage

If you are a visitor to this blog and are wondering where I've been the last few days, I want to inform you that Elizabeth and I are moving down to the Valley closer to church and seminary to our church parsonage.

You can pray:
  • That the move goes smoothly.
  • That we continue to cultivate solid and deep friendships with people in our church.
  • That I continue to keep up with all the schoolwork requirements (4 major semester papers due in the next three weeks).
  • That Elizabeth finds a new job in the Valley in the next few weeks.
  • That I preach with boldness and accuracy as I have quite a few opportunities to preach in coming weeks (at church and the rehab. center).
Thanks for your prayers,

Blessings.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Good Friday Article

This is a helpful article on the physical pain and suffering of our Lord just hours before He was crucified. It is sobering and, at times, hard to read - but very helpful. Oftentimes the word "crucifixion" can become rote and, even, meaningless because we are so accustomed and familiar with the term. If that is the case with you, then read this article here on crucifixion from a medical standpoint.

Acts 2:24 24 "And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Niagara Falls with a babe

I've been to cold places before, but this was a little too cold for my liking. I guess since I've been in LA my blood has really, I mean really thinned out! In fact, you can see just how cold it was by the fact that the river at the bottom of the falls was absolutely frozen solid.

Regardless, we had a great time together. We also had Tim Horton's donuts - which is a must if you go into Canada or near the Canada border!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Singing Psalm 74

Yesterday in my Psalms class at seminary we sung through Psalm 74. Isaac Watts has some great lyrics (17 stanzas!) on this psalm (some are from the text and others are more, shall we say, interpretive).

At any rate, we sang this song to the familiar tune of "O God Our Help In Ages Past:"

1 Will God for ever cast us off?
His wrath for ever smoke
Against the people of' his love,
His little chosen flock?

2 Think of the tribes so dearly bought
With their Redeemer's blood;
Nor let thy Zion be forgot,
Where once thy glory stood.

3 Lift up thy feet and march in haste,
Aloud our ruin calls;
See what a wide and fearful waste
Is made within thy walls.

4 Where once thy churches prayed and sang,
Thy foes profanely roar;
Over thy gates their ensigns hang,
Sad tokens of their power.

5 How are the seats of worship broke!
They tear the buildings down,
And he that deals the heaviest stroke
Procures the chief renown.

6 With flames they threaten to destroy
Thy children in their nest;
"Come, let us burn at once," they cry,
"The temple and the priest."

7 And still, to heighten our distress,
Thy presence is withdrawn;
Thy wonted signs of power and grace,
Thy power and grace are gone.

8 No prophet speaks to calm our woes,
But all the seers mourn;
There's not a soul amongst us knows
The time of thy return. PAUSE

9 How long, eternal God, how long
Shall men of pride blaspheme?
Shall saints be made their endless song,
And bear immortal shame?

10 Canst thou for ever sit and bear
Thine holy name profaned?
And still thy jealousy forbear,
And still withhold thine hand?

11 What strange deliv'rance hast thou shown
In ages long before !
And now no other God we own,
No other God adore.

12 Thou didst divide the raging sea
By thy resistless might,
To make thy tribes a wondrous way,
And then secure their flight.

13 Is not the world of nature thine,
The darkness and the day?
Didst thou not bid the morning shine,
And mark the sun his way?

14 Hath not thy power formed ev'ry coast,
And set the earth its bounds,
With summer's heat, and winter's frost,
In their perpetual rounds?

15 And shall the sons of earth and dust
That sacred power blaspheme?
Will not thy hand that formed them first
Avenge thine injured name?

16 Think on the cov'nant thou hast made,
And all thy words of love;
Nor let the birds of prey invade,
And vex thy mourning dove.

17 Our foes would triumph in our blood,
And make our hope their jest;
Plead thy own cause, Almighty God,
And give thy children rest.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD

Luke 19:37-40 37 And as He was now approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, 38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." 40 And He answered and said, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"

Monday, March 10, 2008

Good Morning Dallas - NT Manuscript Preservation

Dan Wallace, of Dallas Theological Seminary, was featured on the Dallas News today. Here is a clip of what he said (you can also read the whole thing here):

Armed with high-tech cameras and computers, Daniel B. Wallace travels around the
world to photograph New Testament manuscripts that are many centuries old. The
pages are often fragile and the writing may be faded. His work assures that the
treasured contents will be preserved.

Photos by BRYAN WESEL/Special
Contributor The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts works to
preserve the contents of age-old pieces, such as the Codex Vaticanus B, from the
sixth century.
His goal is to photograph 1.3 million pages of Greek New
Testament manuscripts – a project he expects to take until 2020.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Calvin on the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers

I am doing research for a paper proving exegetically that the righteousness of Christ is imputed (reckoned or credited) to believers at the moment of salvation. Here are some quotes from the great John Calvin that are pertinent to this topic (the numbers at the end correspond to the reference in his Institutes):

“It was superfluous, even absurd, for Christ to be burdened with a curse, unless it was to acquire righteousness for others by paying what they owed.” (1:532) – 2.17.4.

“Paul commends God’s grace in this respect: for God has given the price of redemption in the death of Christ [Rom 3:24]; then he bids us take refuge in Christ’s blood, that having acquired righteousness we may stand secure before God’s judgment (Rom 3:25)” (1:532)

** “For the righteousness found in Christ alone is reckoned as ours. Surely the only reason why Christ’s flesh is called “our food” [John 6:55] is that we find in him the substance of life” (1:533) 2.17.5.

**This is justification according to Calvin: “He who is both reckoned righteous in God’s judgment and has been accepted on account of his [Christ’s] righteousness” (1:726) 3.11.2.

** “Justified by faith is he who, excluded from the righteousness of works, grasps the righteousness of Christ through faith, and clothed in it, appears in God’s sight not as a sinner but as a righteous man” (1:726-27) 3.11.2

**We are justified before God solely by the intercession of Christ’s righteousness. This is equivalent to saying that man is not righteous in himself but because the righteousness of Christ is communicated to him by imputation” (1:753) 3.11.23.

He notes that the Apostle “most clearly asserts this [doctrine of imputation] when he writes… 2 Cor 5:21 (1:753).

“To declare that by him alone we are accounted righteous, what else is this but to lodge our righteousness in Christ’s obedience, because the obedience of Christ is reckoned to us as if it were our own?” (1:753) 3.11.23.

“And this is indeed the truth, for in order that we may appear before God’s face unto salvation we must smell sweetly with his odor, and our vices must be covered and buried by his perfection” (1:754) 3.11.23.

In referring to those objections to justification by faith… Calvin writes: “The father embraces us in Christ when he clothes us with the innocence of Christ and accepts it as ours that by the benefit of it he may hold us as holy, pure, and innocent. For Christ’s righteousness, which as it alone is perfect alone can bear the sight of God, must appear in court on our behalf, and stand surety in judgment.” (1:779) 3.14.12.

“To wipe out the guilt of the disobedience which had been committed in our flesh, he took that very flesh that in it, for our sake, and in our stead, he might achieve perfect obedience. Thus, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit in order that, in the flesh taken, fully imbued with the holiness of the Spirit, he might impart that holiness to us” (2:1341) 4.16.18

Concerning this wonderful exchange: Calvin writes: “This is the wonderful exchange which, out of his measureless benevolence, he has made with us; that, becoming Son of man with us, he has made us sons of God with him; that, by his descent to earth, he has prepared an ascent to heaven for us; that, by taking on our mortality, he has conferred his immortality upon us; that, accepting our weakness, he has strengthened us by his power; that, receiving our poverty unto himself, he has transferred his wealth to us; that, taking the weight of our iniquity upon himself (which oppressed us), he has clothed us with his righteousness.” (2:1362) 4.17.2. (emphasis added)!!!

Monday, March 3, 2008

Helpful Tips For Writing NT Research Papers

I found this to be helpful and wanted to share it with you. It's Piper's "Guidelines for writing NT Research papers."

Not only is this pertinent to academic papers but also to sermon preparation. Even those in full-time ministry who don't "write a 25-page" research paper, when you prepare for sermons you probably do just as much work as those writing this sort of paper.

People say, what do you do all week if you're a Pastor? The best answer is to tell them, the preacher prepares 2-3 25-page research papers (if you preach 2-3 times a week). Then see what their response is! :=)

Hope this is of help! Blessings.

Friday, February 29, 2008

The All-Sufficient Tool to Counsel the Fool

For a counseling paper I wrote on the "fool" in the book of Proverbs and how we as biblical counselors can adequately help them from God's Word. Here is part of my conclusion (and plea!):

It behooves the biblical counselor to take this issue to heart and call the foolish man to turn from his simplicity and folly. Let it never be forgotten that “this ‘turning’ is a turning from loving ‘simple ways’ (1:22), that is, a life apart from Yahweh, to the ‘fear of the LORD’ (2:5) and his discipline (3:11-12). The ultimate motivation is spiritual. To love the Lord for His sake is the core of wise counsel (1:7; 2:5; 3:9-12).”[1] The Scriptures really do contain all the information necessary to “life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3).[2]

May the practical and sobering words of Louis Goldberg be etched on our minds as we remember the centrality of the Word of God in all our counseling sessions:
Folly, however, does not even begin to satisfy the heart hunger of man, and
offers nothing to slake the thirst of the soul. There is nothing at her table to
help the morally inexperienced progress in discernment, understanding, and
spiritual maturity. All folly has to offer are some stale crumbs and scummy
water.[3]

And he concludes by warning,
For guests feeding on what folly has to offer, life becomes a dismal experience
and death a time of horror. Eternity will yawn open to snatch its foolish
victims, and they will be separated from the Lord forever and ever. How can
anyone be so blind as to choose the consequences of such a revolting invitation
to partake of folly’s cursed crumbs?[4]
Notes:
[1] George M. Schwab, “Proverbs and the Art of Persuasion,” Journal of Biblical Counseling 14, no, 1 (Fall 1995): 12.

[2] Wayne Mack explicates by noting, “An in-depth study of its contents [2 Pet 1:3] is rewarded with insights into even the most complicated human experiences. What happens all too often in counseling, however, is that the counselor assumes that the Scripture does not speak to the particular problem of a counselee, and therefore, the counselor abandons the Word prematurely and seeks input from the ideas of men” (“Providing Instruction through Biblical Counseling,” In Counseling: How to Counsel Biblically [Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005], 163).

[3] Louis Goldberg, Practical Wisdom of Proverbs (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications,
1990), 110-11.

[4] Ibid., 111.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Church's responsibility to demon possession today

I had a great class discussion yesterday on the Christian's response and counseling methods in relating to demon possession. Here are a few points as to the church's mode in dealing with demon possession:

1. This is the Lord's work, not ours.

2. Believers do not have the right to take authority in Jesus’ name over the forces of evil (Jude 9, 2 Pet 2:10-11)

3. Only unbelievers can be possessed by demons (Col. 1:13; 1 Cor. 15:54-57).

4. The gospel is the critical tool in dealing with demons (Rom. 1:16).

5. Believers are not immune from the clever satanic temptation and opposition (Job 1:6-2:10; Matt. 16:22-23; Lk. 22:31; 32; 2 Cor. 12:7).

6. Sometimes God uses Satan as an instrument of judgment or chastisement (1 Sam. 16:14-15; Lk. 22:3; Jn. 13:27; 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:18-20).

7. Believers are are instructed not to rebuke Satan and demons, but to resist them (1 Pet. 5:9; Jas. 4:7; Eph. 6:13).

8. In sum, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 16:13-14).

I think this is a significant issue because so often, in today's modern evangelicalism, people attribute nearly every sin issue to a "demon;" "That's the demon of L.A.," or "That's the demon in my refrigerator," or "The devil made me do it."

Listen to how Jay Adams speaks to the issue at hand:
“Demon possession or oppression affords a ready –made cop-out from personal responsibility . . . wallowing for any length of time in the morasses of self-absorption can virtually lead one to convince himself of the truth of what may have begun merely as a suspicion, a fear, a misrepresentation, or as a convenient excuse. In a short while, it can become a dominant theme around which the counselee builds his life . . . Thus, the equipment that God has given to the counselor is adequate both for evangelism (to take captives from Satan’s forces) and for edification (to punish all disobedience among such captives). There is nothing lacking. The enemy is powerful, but the mighty Counselor, under whom the Christian counselor serves, has subdued him” (The Christian's Counselor Manuel, 129-30).

Monday, February 25, 2008

Youth Group Day


Hey CCC Youth!!!!!

This is for you! In case you weren't at youth group last night, we have a 6 flags magic mountain trip planned and we want YOU to come. Here are the details:

Date: THIS Saturday, March 1, 2008
Time: Meet at CCC Parking lot at 9am
How much: $25 (you won't find tickets cheaper anywhere...guaranteed!)
Return time: Back to CCC at 7pm
Lunch info: We will go to our apartment and have lunch there to save $$!

Please call or email me today if you want to go!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Learning from the Master

One of the things that always intrigues me when I read the gospels is the compassionate nature of Jesus. Not only is this instructive and thought-provoking, but it is also convicting. In Matthew 9, we have another such occasion where Jesus demonstrates his compassion:

Matthew 9:36-38 36 And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

The three principles I glean from this text are as follows:
I. We must have compassion for lost people.
I notice as I read Matthew's gospel that Jesus had compassion (9:36; 14:14; 20:34) on people who were in bondage to illness, distress, and, most of all, sin. It says in v.36 that Jesus saw the peopel and he felt compassion for them.

How often do we see people living in distress, caught in the grasp of their sin, struggling to live life without the gospel of Christ and yet we neglect to show compassion on these people who are in desperate need for the saving gospel of Jesus Christ?

The second principle I see from the text is:
II. We must shepherd the confused people.
How often we forget this -- even as "professional shepherds" by vocation. People that are in distress and dispirited are those whom Jesus had compassion on. How quick we are (speaking from personal experience here, sad to say) to neglect a helping hand, a gospel-driven conversation, a sacrificial gift to those who are in confusion.

Jesus recognized that he was the true and ultimate shepherd for the people. Shouldn't we do the same? Shouldn't we model the actions of our Master Shepherd and have compassion and pity on those in distress rather than a self-righteous and prideful arrogance refusing to associate with such sinners?

And finally:
III. We must be willing for God to send us into His harvest.
How quick we are to say "Amen" to the first few principles, but how many of us are really willing to go into the Lord's harvest? The harvest does not have to mean "overseas missions," though it can. It does not have to mean "Bible translation work," though it may. But what it means is that in your day-to-day life, you are going about in the Lord's earth showing this kind of compassion and shepherding by pointing (and warning!) people to the True Shepherd and His work done on Calvary for sins.

One thing I've been convinced at my time in seminary is this: I want to plan to go abroad and do missions but be willing to stay. It seems that oftentimes we have this reversed: I must plan to stay in America (comfy Christian lifestyle!) while willing to go abroad. I am convinced that the former is what us seminary guys ought to be convinced of.

May we look at our Savior and learn from our Master as to how we ought to have compassion for the lost, shepherd the confused and, finally, be willing for God tos end us into his harvest - anywhere.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

A compliment for a preacher

One of the worst things a preacher can hear after a sermon is a mere "that was the best message you've ever preached" because after a few weeks of saying that same familiar line, the preacher doesn't believe you anymore. On the other hand, one of the best compliments a preacher can receive is one where the person comes up and says, "I now understand God's Word clearer now because you have told me what the text means."

This happened to me last night. I went to a local rehabilitation center where I often go to preach (yes, only to preach, not to enroll for rehabilitation!) and preached last night on Mark 15:42-16:8. This was the same text I preached from Sunday night at church. I told them I had the joy of preaching through the whole book of Mark and wanted to give them the climactic event of the life of Christ.

At any rate, at the end of the hour-long sermon, one guy raced up to me and, after introducing himself, said "I have never heard the Bible taught that way before." I responded by saying, "What do you mean?" He replied, "You taught the Bible and made it very clear and understandable to me. You took each section and broke it down so I understand why God had that text there and what He requires of me as a result of that." I thought to myself, "that is the best comment I could ever receive."

How cool it is when we as preachers give God's Word in such a way that His Holy Spirit takes our frail words and makes them understandable to the listeners. Isn't that the duty of the preacher after all? It was a great reminder to me so that next time I hear a good sermon and am tempted to simply tell the preacher in passing, "Great sermon," that I would tell him that God's Word has been made clear to me and my responsibility to act upon what God requires of me is clearly imprinted upon my heart and mind. That is a memorable compliment for a preacher.

Nehemiah 8:8 They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Spurgeon on preaching

“Keep to the gospel, then, more and more. Give the people Christ and nothing but Christ….We have only one remedy for them; preach Jesus Christ, and let us do it more and more. By the roadside, in the little room, in the theatre, anywhere, everywhere, let us preach Christ. Write books if you like and do anything else within your power; but whatever else you cannot do, preach Christ.”

~Charles Spurgeon

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Friday, February 15, 2008

One of my greatest joys

This Sunday I have a precious opportunity. I have the privilege of finishing up the Gospel of Mark at church this Sunday evening. What a joy it has been for me to preach through this magnificent gospel. How many glorious truths are revealed in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It truly is mindboggling when we consider the humanity and the deity of Jesus side by side. These truths are found in this gospel (and in the whole Bible, for that matter). It has been a delight to delve deep into the glorious riches of the person and character of Christ.

There have been hard passages to preach - total commitment to Christ, denying self, the crucifixion of our Lord, the literal and physical resurrection of our Savior and the myriads of miracles that He performed. Yet I am more convinced of the truth of this statement now more than ever before:

It is better to drive people away with the truth than to keep them
comfortable in their sin ... It is better to have them leave because they can’t
handle the heat when under conviction from the Holy Spirit than have
them sit in the pew living in rebellion being comfortable week after week year
after year only to end up in the unquenching heat of the flames of hell.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Take the time to teach and train

Today in my advanced biblical counseling course we discussed the all-too-common problem in today's culture of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; or known as ADD). In discussing the problem, I was surprised at the symptoms that can cause a teacher, a parent, an administrator or whoever to put a child on this medication - from making a careless mistake in homework, to having difficulty maintaining attention in something, to difficulty in organizing, or forgetfulness, or a child who often runs or climbs. Most of these sound like normal childhood situations to me. The issue is not which drug to prescribe to the child but rather how parents should deal with these situations.

One quote from my professor stuck out to me. He said this (in the context of the parents properly disciplining their children to teach them): Make every disciplinary event an opportunity for the Gospel!

Oh how true this is. May we be true to this calling.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Practice what you preach

How hard it is for the preacher to apply everything he studies. Moreover, how hard it is for the preacher to apply to his own life that which he expects his people to practice.

This weekend I spoke on Godly living from 1 Peter 3. One point of application I really attempted to drive home is the idea of being harmonious with one another; not retaliating; not paying back insult for insult. Listen to how Peter says it:

1 Peter 3:8-9 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

It was my goal this weekend to try and live this application out. I knew I would boldly proclaim it to the youth group at our retreat, but I wanted to practice what I preach. If there is one season in life - I believe - in which people need a godly example, it is none other than Junior and Senior high. It is such a crucial time in life. Friends, culture, acceptance, reputation, family, school and looks are among a myriad of "issues" that these young people come face to face with daily.

This weekend I was reminded, yet again, that it is absolutely crucial for me - as their youth pastor - to practice what I preach. It is a simple concept. Yet I struggle with it. Praise God that He has given us the ultimate example to follow in His Son, Jesus Christ:

Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

A witness for Christ in our culture

I'd covet any prayers from those who read this blog. I leave this afternoon to take my youth group on our annual winter retreat. We're going skiing at Big Bear Resort this weekend. It should be a fun time. But most of all, pray for me because I'm teaching four times on what it means to be a light for Christ amidst this dark godless culture in which we live. I am teaching from Matthew 5:13-16 tomorrow, a Jet tour of Jeremiah on Saturday morning, 1 Peter 3 Saturday night and 2 Corinthians 2-3 on Sunday morning.

Thanks for your prayers.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Seminary Life

Before I begin, this picture just made me laugh so I had to post it here. It in no way reflects my theology or is in support for what I'm going to say on this post. But I thought it was humerous.

The more I go to seminary, the more humbled I am. More often than not, I wonder as I'm driving to class, "Am I crazy?" I say that to myself because I am investing many hours of study, hard work, class time, and sacrificing brutally on sleep to be reminded each day of how much I do not know. Now I don't say that in a negative way. Just the opposite is true. I am humbled each day that I go to class that God has entrusted to me a monstrous stewardship. And I think that is the correct word for seminary - stewardship. I say this for a number of reasons:

1) I go to many classes to be reminded of how much I don't know in that specific field of study. For example, today I was in Exegesis of Psalms with a brilliant professor and was reminded of how much theology, grammatical and syntactical nuances, wordplays and literary devices are employed in the short six verses.

However, let me be quick to add at this point...

2) I go to seminary classes because I have an insatiable hunger for God's Word and for Divine truth. I don't go to seminary to be puffed up (haha -- far from it, I'm humbled nearly all of the time!). I don't go to seminary simply to learn Greek or Hebrew; to read mounds of books; to memorize lots of theology; to have more letters attached to my name to look nice on a resume. No. That's not why I go to seminary. I have this burning desire in my heart to know God (cf. Phil 3:10).

Here is my heart as I pray before school in the mornings:

Psalm 119:97 O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:113 I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Thy law (cf. 119:163).

Psalm 119:127 Therefore I love Thy commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold.

Psalm 119:167 My soul keeps Thy testimonies, And I love them exceedingly.

This is seminary life. Is it hard? Extremely. Is it draining. Every day. Is it mentally challenging? Every time I step foot in a classroom this is made evident to me. Is it exciting? More than words can say. Is it worth the cost of sacrificing beauty sleep? Without a doubt.

What is the greatest part of seminary? Here's my answer in brief: The greatest part of seminary is being immersed in God's Word every day and having my life be constantly consumed with areas and issues that pertain to the Bible. Am I still crazy every time I drive to seminary and sit in a class under such godly and knowledgeable men? Absolutely. But praise God that this is a humbling and sobering time in my life while, at the same time, teaching me more about God and giving me the merciful opportunity to fall more in love with my Savior as each day passes.
Soli Deo Gloria.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Is Driscoll really a heretic?

According to some missional churches and pastors, he's approaching quickly. What is the issue? According to some emerging and missional guys, he is using a Dell computer from the podium while teaching. Hahaha.

"You're kidding!" you exclaim.

"Not at all!" I respond.

Darrin Patrick, pastor of The Journey church in St. Louis said this: "Yeah, I knew he used a Dell, but I never thought he would in public. It has really devastated many of our church planters."

Haha. It's just interesting that the guys are making jokes saying that the pastor is not cool or hip because he's using a Dell.

Brothers, beware.

What I learn from the Russian Church

We had a speaker in chapel who is the founder and president of Slavic Gospel Association, Dr. Bob Provost. He shared his heart regarding the need for men to be biblically trained to teach and preach because there is an insatiable hunger in Russia for Bible-teaching pastors and churches!

He mentioned some of the stark differences between the American church and the Russian Church with some applications that we can glean from them. Here they are:

1) We must develop a stronger appetite for fellowship.
What an amazing concept! Scripture says:

Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

It is a relality, as sad as it may be, that when the preacher gives the benediction, the church literally empties in no more than five minutes. In Russia, it's not this way. In fact, in Russia, the average church meets three times per week for five hours each time. In each of those five hour worship services, they may hear 3-4 sermons, sing hymns, pray and fellowship.

And, during the prayer time, it is not the pastor who is waiting in an awkward silence to see if anyone is going to pray before he closes, rather, it is the pastor who is trying to gain control of the prayer time because so many people are zealous to pray!

2) We must teach children to sing properly and have children's choirs.
Some may think this is not as important as it seems, but to train children to sing and how to sing is very important. This will go with them for the rest of their lives. This, in turn, will allow the children as they grow up to be leaders in the music time in church. They will sing to the Lord "with all their strength." Not merely fold their hands, close their mouth, and stare at the guy playing piano as he leads in worship.

3) We must work with young men to find out who is gifted to preach and teach. Here's what they do. The Russians take every boy when he turns 15 years old and allows them to preach and teach in order to see if they are gifted in this area or not. For how else would you know if he is gifted to preach or teach? Notice here it is the church and the elders who are calling and affirming the giftings and talents of these young men into the ministry.

4) We must work in establihsing the practice of lovingly confronting sin.
It is a reality that in Russia, much of the need for biblical counseling is minimized simply because church discipline is enacted so regularly and biblically. Think about it. If church discipline, loving confrontation, is done often and aggressively, then this would severely decrease the need for counseling.

5) Slow down the pace of rushing men to leadership and ordination.
The Russian church is not quick to ordain men to the ministry straight out of high school. They give them plenty of time to show themselves approved and evidence the godly and "above-reproach" kind of life.

6) We must stop letting Bible Colleges, Seminaries and Organizations determine who is to be in full-time ministry.
This is the job of the church, the leaders, the elders and the body. This is not the missions organization to determine this. Yes the missions organization can approve and can affirm the calling. But it is the local church who is to call the men to ministry.

7) We must work on emphasizing the precious nature of the body of Christ and strive for unity.
The church is not a social gathering. It is not to be cool-like-culture. It is not to share opinions. It is not to give people a little dose of pep-talk encouragement that makes them feel good yet at the same time damns their soul. Rather, the church is to be a place where the Word of God is taught accurately, boldly and persuasively while the people are enjoying solid and encouraging fellowship together - not only in church but, most of all, outside the church building as they go through their week. We have lost a sense of the precious nature of the body of Christ and the unity and joy and fellowship that this ought to bring.

Let us learn and strive to be more biblical where we are lacking. To God be the glory.
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