Puritan Prayers: Divine Mercies

My Eternal God,
Yours is surpassing greatness, unspeakable
   goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean's 'lip'
   as number your favors towards me;
I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise.
I thank you for personal mercies,
   a measure of health, preservation of body,
   comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food
      and clothing,
   continuance of mental powers,
   my family, their mutual help and support,
      the delights of domestic harmony and peace,
      the seats now filled that might have been vacant,
   my country, church, Bible, faith.
But, O, how I mourn my sin, ingratitude, vileness,
   that days that add to my guilt,
   the scenes that witness my offending tongue;
All things in heaven, earth, around, within, without,
      condemn me -
   the sun which sees my misdeeds,
   the darkness which is light to you,
   the cruel accuser who justly charges me,
   the good angels who have been provoked to leave me,
   your countenance which scans my secret sins,
   your righteous law, your holy Word,
   my sin-soiled conscience, my private and public life,
   my neighbors, myself -
      all write dark things against me.
I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess,
      'Father, I have sinned';
Yet still I live, and fly repenting to your outstretched arms;
   you will not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near,
   you will not condemn me, for he died in my stead,
   you will not mark my mountains of sin,
      for he levelled all,
   and his beauty covers my deformities.
O my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging to his cross,
   hiding in his wounds, and sheltering in his side.

                  (The Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions)

Does Church Make Us Fatter?

I have long told others that persecution is coming for the church.  Those who teach or preach against issues such as homosexuality will soon be prosecuted and persecuted by the government.  We are already seeing this happen in Canada and it will only be a matter of time before it begins here.  I don't desire to create any conspiracies or think that Big Brother is out there (which he probably is), but this story from foxnews.com I believe is just the beginning.  At first it seems silly to think that churches make people fatter.  I have always believed that people make themselves fatter.  But this might be just the study the government uses to attempt to regulate churches just as it has restaurants.  You may laugh, but mark my words.  It will happen sooner than you think.

Evangelism by Penn

Earlier this week I posted a quote by Penn Jillette from the comedy-illutionist group Penn and Teller.  Below is the video that quote was taken from.  He may still not believe that there is a God, but he seems to understand the importance of telling the truth of our beliefs more than we do.  Take a look and let me know what you think.

The Fascinating Battle Between Flesh and Spirit

1 John 2:15 (ESV) 
 Do not love the world or the things in the world.

This is a very plain and simple admonition to seek God first in all things.  The "world" here is a system of rebellion and pride that seeks to dethrone God in my life.  And this world system is a constant threat to a believer's walk in Christ.

It has always fascinated me to observe the battle of my flesh and the Spirit within me.  1 John 2:17 reads,

"And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

The battle within me has been fascinating because as a believer I know that the things of this world will pass away, but the desire of the flesh within me towards the world is strong.  More often than not I give into my flesh and in a way dethrone God from my life at that moment.  But there is One who is greater than my flesh and the desires of this world.  There is no five-step process to defeating the world.  There is only One who can defeat the world.  And one can say that the one-step process is to believe with all my heart, mind, and soul that Jesus is Lord.  Then my life will truly follow.

Biblical Eldership

Over the past year or so I have been working in our church to change the name of our leadership from Deacons to Elders.  During our annual meeting the change was voted down by the congregation.  So, another year or so of talking, explaining, and revealing the scriptural view of some in our congregation (especially those who voted against it) is needed.  When this change will happen, no one can tell.  Perhaps never.  But as the lead sheperd of this flock it is my goal to focus all we do and say as a church on Biblical truth.  If as a leader you find yourself in the same boat as myself or you want to learn more about what an Elder is scripturally then check out here what 9Marks has to say in a great blog posting on Eldership.

Rob Bell's Legacy is Beginning To Take Shape

The Rob Bell topic has gone on for a while and there isn't much new information that can be discussed and debated.  But I read an article at foxnews.com which addressed the legacy that Rob Bell is leaving.  This article addresses his views on Hell and Universalism which are deceiving a number of people within the faith community.  Take a look here and see what is beginning.  Though Bell's words and platform will lead many astray we can be confident that God is still in control and at work in the world today.  This too shall pass.

Romans 8:28-33 (ESV) ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

Faith in Action

1 John 2:5-6 (ESV) ⁵ By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Legalism is the strict adherence to law which in turn will bring salvation.  This is where the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' time got it wrong.  The Law of God had become a list of requirements (some of which were added by man) to show or prove their "holiness."  Spirituality had become a set of regulations.  The better one held to the regulations the more spiritual one was considered.

Christ's coming flipped this thinking upside down.  Jesus did everything different.  He spent time with tax collectors, Samaritans, women, and prostitutes and spoke against the legalism of the spiritual leaders of the day.  So how should we take the verse above?  It seems as if John is promoting legalism in saying that whoever abides in him ought to do what Jesus did (works).

John Calvin has a wonderful commentary on this passage.  He gives a few passages from the words of Moses to the people of Israel concerning the Law of God.

Deuteronomy 10:12 (ESV) And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (ESV) ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, ²⁰ loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Moses is calling the people to "walk in all his ways" and "obeying his voice."  But there is a deeper sense beyond works based love.  Calvin adds in his commentary, "For the law, which is spiritual, does not command only external works, but enjoins this especially, to love God with the whole heart."  Obeying God's precepts cannot be disconnected from the heart.  The Apostle John is pointing out that if I say I love God then my works and actions will follow suit.  If I love Jesus then I will walk as he walked.  I will obey his commands.  This is not legalism.  This is faith in action.

Do I Hate Unbelievers?

Is every Christian a missionary?  This is just one of many questions posed by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne in their book The Trellis and the Vine.  Here is a short excerpt of their answer.

"The Christian without a missionary heart is an anomaly.  The missionary heart will be seen in all kinds of ways: in prayers for the lost, in making sure our behaviour offends no one, in gospel conversations with friends, and in making every effort to save some.  We are slaves without rights, even though we are free (cf. 2 Cor 4:5; Phil 2:7)."

There is a great struggle within the church in the Unites States today.  We desire for others to come to know Christ but it seems too socially awkward to approach them and tell them about Christ.  I recently led a Bible study on evangelism and stated that we are given opportunities each day to share our faith with unbelieving neighbors, friends, and family.  How often do we meet an unbelieving neighbor in the grocery store and only say hello?  Why do we resist getting beyond the surface conversation, pray for them right there, and telling them about the love of Christ?  Someone answered with, "But we don't want to ruin any type of relationship that has been built up.  Telling them about Christ at the grocery store would make us both uncomfortable."

My father used to tell me that if something was important to you then you would do it.  For example, if you say that prayer is important to you then you should be praying consistently and with power.  If following the commands of Jesus Christ means sharing the truth of His Gospel with others then I should be sharing the Gospel with others.  It's not rocket science.  In fact, Marshall and Payne write about Penn Jillette, an avowed and vocal atheist, and one-half of the famous comic-illusionist act Penn and Teller.  "He was evangelized by a polite and impressive man, and had this to say about the experience:

'. . . I've always said, you know, that I don't respect people who don't proselytize.  I don't respect that at all.  If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward . . . How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?  How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?  I mean, if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn't believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you.  And this is more important than that . . .'"

Atheists get it.  Why don't we?  Any reason given for not sharing Christ with others is given to excuse our lack of missionary heart.  And in the words of Penn Jillette, "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"

Spiritual Forces of Darkness

I often repeat a phrase that I heard a number of years ago.  "Ministry would be much easier if people weren't involved."  People are messy.  People are dirty.  And it's difficult to do ministry when messy, dirty people get in the way.  There are times when things don't go as planned which often happens when people get involved.

But there is another side to the above statement that I also often repeat.  "But without people there would be no ministry."  It is a good reminder that one reason we are here is to love and serve Christ by loving and serving those around us.  It is a greater reminder that people are not our enemy.  Ministry can be frustrating because the people are frustrating, but our fight is not with people.  Paul says this very clearly to the church Ephesus.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil int he heavenly places."  (Ephesians 6:12)

When ministry become messy or dirty because of the people involved (including myself) I must remember that my battle is not with people but with the Enemy.  People in my church, town, and area are enslaved to the dark spiritual forces of this world.  My fight is with these forces.  And this allows me to see people not as burdens but as people fighting temptation and sin.

Bashir Defends Interview of Bell

Martin Bashir recently did an interview with Rob Bell on his new book.  Many questions have arisen as to the faith of Bashir.  Is he an atheist, Christian, or something else?  What is his background?  Why did he ask the questions he did of Bell?  Denny Burk posted an interview Bashir gave on a radio station where these questions are answered.  Feel free to check it out.

This Too Shall Pass

God's Word lasts forever.  No matter the circumstances.  No matter what false teachers may raise their voices.  The Word of God and the truth of His gospel will never end.  Truth is truth and it is the truth which sets the captives free.  Free from sin.  Free from themselves.  Free.  But only through the blood of Jesus Christ and His sovereign grace.  Amen.

Rob Bell in His Own Words

If you haven't yet seen it, Rob Bell did an interview with Martin Bashir from MSNBC.  He is asked some very candid questions and his answers do reveal quite a bit about his belief on God, Heaven, Hell, and Love.

My Hurting Heart

Last night I struggled to fall asleep.  As usual there was too much on my mind.  The new song the worship team will be singing on Sunday morning was running through  my head, thoughts about meetings from the day and future meetings for this week.  But most of all the topic of Rob Bell was on my mind.  I can say that right now my heart hurts.  It hurts for Rob being mislead and misleading so many others.

The other day I read a post by a two friends accusing those who are questioning Rob Bell's "new" thoughts in his book to being in the same theological boat as Joel Olsteen.  How can two friends, who are seminary trained, be so caught up in Rob Bell's words that they forget what scripture says about Heaven, Hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived?  But scripture makes it clear that people will be decieved and stray from the truth.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV) ^"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."

But we are not to be dismayed.  We are given a command to preach the gospel in the midst of deceit.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 (ESV) I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

It is the gosopel that is our solid foundation in times of crisis.  God is still in control and no matter how many people speak against the truth it does not make the truth irrelevant or false.  God is still God and the elect are still His children.  So, in the midst of this seeminly dark time in the history of the truth, God's word endures.  His church will still be known and the true Gospel of Christ will be heard.

Albert Mohler on Rob Bell

Justin Taylor placed a link on his page to a review by Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  I thought it would be helpful to deal with Rob Bell's new book.  So, here it is.

Restraining the Lips

Proverbs 10:19 (ESV) When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

As a pastor I must confess that I enjoy hearing myself speak.  This enjoyment tends to get me in trouble at times because I don't think before I speak.  This is nothing new for me.  As a young boy I was known by my other to be honest with what comes out of my mouth.  She would frequently come to me and ask the same question, "How does this shirt/dress/outfit look on me?"  And being the young, inexperienced young man that I was I would answer honestly.  Many times the answer was positive, but every once in a while it would be negative.  Where my father, the wise man as he is, would refuse to answer I would jump right in and give my opinion.  Well, why not?  She wouldn't ask me if she didn't want the truth, right?

Years have passed and though I have grown to hold my tongue more often, it continues to get me in trouble.  A man who restrains his lips is prudent or wise.  But the man who uses many words will only allow his sinfulness to rear its ugly head. 

God, may you give me the ability to hold my tongue.  Restrain my sinfulness and let my words be few.  For Your glory, Father.

Imitation of Christ

Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) ¹ Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

When it comes to my fellow believers do I follow the example of Christ?  Christ gave his life up, sacrificed all he was, for his children.  Paul urges us to act the same for our fellow believers.  This goes beyond being cordial on Sunday morning or waving hello when we pass in the street.  This is a deep, intimate, sacrificial love for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

There are so many times in life where my focus is on my needs and desires above anyone else's, including Christ's.  I'm not proud of it, but it is reality and I must be honest with myself.  This can especially be a struggle for anyone in the ministry.  You are on call 24/7 and when there is a need (whether it be unlocking the front door of the church building or visiting a family who just lost a loved one) you are expected to jump up without complaint or problem.  After all, isn't this what we are paid to do?  Yes, I get paid for being a pastor and the expectations of people are always there, but I am also human and being pulled away from my family time or sleep time can be hard to bear at times. 

How would Jesus react to such a situation?  How did Jesus react to such a situation?  Time and time again Jesus made time for the people seeking healing or asking questions.  Yes, he did make time for himself, but even much of this "alone" time was in prayer with his Heavenly Father.  We are implored by Paul to love as God loved, giving himself up for the sake of his glory and his children.  Am I willing to do the same?