This past Thursday and Friday, we had the honor of going to watch two of our kids perform for a group of churches that came to Lifeway in Nashville to see the 2007 Vacation Bible School program.
On Thursday, the kids performed in 
front of 450 people. On Friday, the crowd was 650, not including parents.
Wow, they did such an incredible job! I am so proud of them!
A group of fathers of boys and I have been reading (well, we finished it) Raising A Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis.
It's a book that talks about Biblical manhood and compares it to stages, training and rites of passage that medieval knights once went through to have a definative mark of the stages of life and when they enter manhood.
Today, we took our boys bowling, but unbeknownst to them, we had reserved a room and had decorated it for the occasion. This day would mark their entrance into the process of Biblical manhood by having the process explained to them capping it all off with signed proclamations .
Rather than retype the main gist of the book, here is a quote from an article at Ledership Universtity
Robert Lewis suggests three major ideals for modern-day knights: a vision for manhood, a code of conduct, and a transcendent cause.
A Vision for Manhood - The author states four manhood principles: Real men (1) reject passivity, (2) accept responsibility, (3) lead
courageously, and (4) expect the greater reward. He suggests that though men have a natural inborn aggressiveness, they tend to become passive at home and avoid social responsibility. These principles, if followed, prevent passivity from becoming a significant problem.
A Code of Conduct - The code for modern-day knights comes from the pages of the Bible. Lewis lists 10 ideal characteristics appropriate for modern-day knights taken from the Scriptures: loyalty, kindness, humility, purity, servant- leadership, honesty, self-discipline, excellence, integrity, and perseverance. Modern-day knights must be trained in three important areas. First, the modern-day knight needs to understand that there must be a will to obey (God's will) if there is to be spiritual maturity. The young man must come to know that life is inherently moral and that there is a God who knows everything and who rewards good and punishes evil.
He must know that absolute values exist and that the commandments of God are liberating, not confining. Lewis states "True satisfaction in life is directly proportionate to one's obedience to God. In this context, moral boundaries take on a whole new perspective: they become benefits, not burdens."
Second, the modern-day knight needs to understand that he has a work to do that is in keeping with his inner design. This work is not just his profession or trade, but refers to work in his home, church, and community. Life is certainly more than a job, and your son should hear this from you lest he get the mistaken perception that manhood is just one duty and obligation after another.
A third realm of responsibility for the modern-day knight is a woman to love. The code of chivalry requires that all women be treated with respect and honor. Sons need to see and hear from their fathers the importance of caring for women in general and loving, leading, and honoring their wives in particular.
The knight in training should be taught the value of work, have summer jobs, do chores around the house, and study hard on his school work. The goal here is to establish patterns of industry and avoid sloth so that a solid work ethic is in place as he gets older.
A Transcendent Cause - Life is ultimately unsatisfying if it is lived solely for self. Jesus said if you give up your life you will find it, so if you live for a cause greater than yourself, you'll be happy and fulfilled. A transcendent cause is a cause that a person believes is truly heroic (a noble endeavor calling for bravery and sacrifice), timeless (has significance beyond the moment), and is supremely meaningful (not futile).
The only antidote to the futility of life is a transcendent cause and a vision for life that "integrates the end of life with the beginning," and connects time and eternity. Obviously becoming a Christian, developing a personal relationship with Christ, and living for Him are basic, irreplaceable elements for having a meaningful life.
I recently heard a sermon from Central Christian College of the Bible and it talked about being aware of people around you and how often people die. The statistics given were that 2 people die every second on Earth.
At the end of the day, that is 230,000 people. Of those who pass away, only an estimated 30,000 are Christians and will go to Heaven.
What an alarming statistic that only 13% of the people who die every day go to Heaven.
It certainly makes me feel my calling to ministry even more. I know that I have to proceed according to God's will and timing, but it seems so much more urgent when I'm presented with those numbers.
Yesterday I took my oldest daughter with me to the eye doctor. We both had appointments. That's something a bit unusual for me since I have't seen an eye doctor in...ohhh... 33 years or so.
We went into each other's appointments. Her vision actually improved greatly from her previous annual visit, now it was my turn. As the doctor turned me into a robot as my daughter termed it (from the huge "thing" they put ofer your face, I sat wondering what was to happen.
The doctor told me that my vision was "normal for my age." Um... "for my age?" She said that most people need glasses between 38 and 42. Well, I'm 38...
She told me that it was due to all of the wisdom that I had stored up and although I knew she was kidding, it still made me feel good :)
What had happened was that I was getting farsighted and my eyes couldn't focus properly between looking at objects up close and then in the distance. She said that this was normal and due to strain.
I'd love to tell you its from hours and hours of in-depth exegetical Bible study, but it's more probably from my current profession as a Computer Network Engineer and the long hours that I have to stare at the screens.
Anyway, my sweet daughter and I will be going for glasses soon. I'm hoping that it'll make me more "distiguished looking" and not "dorky" as Meg says.
On the list of things that I don't understand, I've just added "herchurch", a San Franciscan, Lutheran "church" that incoporates idolatry and pagan mysticism wrapped up in a package that calls itself a church. The site claims...
The Lutheran Feminist Movement exists to celebrate the feminine persona of God/dess and dimensions of the sacred as expressed in worship, learning, mutual care, and acts of justice.
..out of renewed insights into the nature of the Gospel empowered by the risen Christ-Sophia.
I was reading an article (actually, I think that it was a Barna survey) on the spiritual health of churches and what counts as "spiritual health".
Some people point to attendance numbers; others to numbers of people who make confessions of faith or baptisms. I've compiled a list that I believe shows a way to accurately gauge the spiritual health of a Bible-believing church.
In no special order, these areas are:
I was doing some studying for a lesson that we are going to have in class this weekend. It's on Romans, chapter 12. It talked about "Supernatural Living" and how each of us has a gift and how we should use that for God. It not only spoke of gifts, but of love and mercy.
Man consists of body and soul and we must surrender ourselves to God. Our bodies must be presented as living sacrifices to His dedicated service.
Later last night, I was doing some recreational reading. I was reading the latest Left Behind book and I came across a section of a book where the saints of God are in Heaven after the Rapture. Let me go on to say that I know that this is fiction, but it does make you wonder.
Anyway, Jesus was speaking to Irene, telling her "...well done, good and faithfull servant." and it made her reflect on how short our life on this Earth really is when compared to "The Big Picture" of eternity.
I know that this life is just a vapor; that it will all seem so short in the grand scheme of things, but sometimes that's hard to see from this side of eternity.
It's little things like these readings and the following poem that really help me to reflect on the more, or I should say, the most important things in life.
Only One Life
Two little lines I heard one day,Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Author Unknown
Do you ever wonder about what God thinks of us as we try to do things of our own accord? This seems to be an issue that God has been dealing with me about.
I have felt the call on my life to ministry and am in lay ministry in our current church, but know that the Lord has called me to preach. I know that I'm supposed to attend school and I have been trying everything in my earthly power to do just that.
Did you get that? "I have been trying everything in my earthly power..."
Yesterday the Holy Spirit spoke to me through a broadcast by Adrian Rogers about Joshua and Jericho. An intersting aspect is that I normally wouldn't have heard Dr. Rogers at that time, but I was running late in getting home from work.
This morning, I was running late in leaving my house for work (see a pattern?) and heard a message on Gideon and doing things according to God's power and for His glory.
This morning in my e-mail inbox was a message from Graced Again stating:
I'm convinced that if the gospel of grace (that God in Christ has forgiven you of all your debt with Him and that He has given you all His 'rightness') doesn't take your breath away, something else will. And this world has lots of 'something else's.' I used to think that what God wanted for me to do was try harder, get more committed, deny myself and keep my sin under control and then I would begin to see change. But I am learning that the fight in the Christian life is the fight of faith; to believe the Gospel of grace really is true; to get the Wow of the Gospel.
~Tom Wood
According to this article in The Christian Post, Congregations that are willing to change to meet new challenges experience greater growth than those less up to the challenge. According to the Faith Communities Today 2005 survey, 46 percent of congregations that said they "strongly agree" with willing to change experienced the highest level of attendance growth.
Congregations that are willing to change to meet new challenges experience greater growth than those less up to the challenge. According to the Faith Communities Today 2005 survey, 46 percent of congregations that said they "strongly agree" with willing to change experienced the highest level of attendance growth. Among those that said they "somewhat agree," 37 percent are growing strongly. And among those who disagree on any level, only 15 percent have the highest level of attendance growth.
Geographic communities also affect congregational growth. Congregations located in newer suburbs are more likely to experience growth than congregations in any other type of location. The second best area for growth is in the downtown or central city of metropolitan areas. Those in rural areas and small towns are least likely to grow.
To me, this makes sense. A higher concentration of people means a better chance of people connecting with a local church. It would be my guess that people in newer suburbs are looking for a sense of community or fellowship; so that could draw them to the church. The fact that the majority of the new communities that are popping up are densly populated probably helps as well.
The composition of the congregation plays a major role in church growth as well. Congregations that are most likely to grow are younger ones, consisting of those founded from 1975 to the present. The survey revealed that the older the congregation is, the least likely it is to experience growth. Additionally, the more older adults a congregation has, the more unlikely it is to grow. And a larger proportion of younger adults also lead to growth opportunities.
"The mere presence of older adults is not problematic in and of itself," the report stated. "But a congregation where a large proportion of the members are older tends to have a cluster of characteristics that inhibit growth."
If this is true, it's truely a sad fact. A lot of younger people often view older people as irrelevant, when they should be looked up to for their wisdom and spiritual maturity.
Such characteristics include no children being born to members, a lack of a clear sense of mission and purpose and a lack of vibrant worship or involvement in recruitment.
Another composition makeup affecting growth is racial diversity. Congregations that are multiracial are most likely to have experienced strong growth in worship attendance. Congregations least likely to grow are predominantly white, non-Hispanic ones.
The survey further found that a higher proportion of women in the congregation is associated with decline rather than growth in the church. Congregations that are able to attract larger proportions of men are more likely to grow.
Declining attendance numbers among mainline denominations is nothing new. But the study noted a surprising finding – a lack of growth among Catholic congregations despite continued increases in the overall Catholic population.
While some say theological differences account for the declining attendance in mainline churches compared to evangelical churches, the survey found that there is very little relationship between growth and theological orientation.
Less conservative churches are also most likely to grow.
"More important than theological orientation is the religious character of the congregation and clarity of mission and purpose," the survey highlighted. "Growing churches are clear about why they exist and about what they are to be doing."
Well, all churches should be clear about why they exist and about what they are to be doing. They should be about the work of God.
Spiritual vitality is also key to growth with 45 percent of congregations that "strongly agree" with being spiritually vital and alive experiencing growth compared to 15 percent who "strongly disagree to unsure."
Additionally, the character of worship largely affects growth. Congregations that describe their worship as "joyful" is more likely to experience substantial growth. At the same time, those that described their worship as "reverent" were more likely to decline. And churches that more often use drums in their worship services have experienced substantial growth from 2000 to 2005. That also applied to the use of electric guitars.
Furthermore, the study found that institutional change including change in worship services is necessary for a congregation to adapt to a changing environment.
Other factors for substantial growth are developing recruitment plans, church members actively involved in recruiting new members, maintaining a website, having support groups, conducting follow-up with visitors, and being in excellent financial shape.
All this is fine in itself as long as the church remains closely tied to the Truth and the Word of God. A lot of churches stray in this regard and almost sell themselves for the opportunity of "guaranteed" growth such as is seem in the emergent and purpose driven movements.
Results from the survey are based on 884 randomly sampled congregations of all faith traditions in the United States. The survey is the latest in the series of trend-tracking national surveys of U.S. congregations sponsored by the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership.
I recently came across this article by John MacArthur that I wanted to post. It's a really good one that sums up the frustration that a lot of us are feeling regarding the seeker-sensitive movement.
Can the church fight apathy and materialism by feeding people's appetite for entertainment? Evidently many in the church believe the answer is yes, as church after church jumps on the show-business bandwagon. It is a troubling trend that is luring many otherwise orthodox churches away from biblical priorities.Church buildings are being constructed like theatres. Instead of a pulpit, the focus is a stage. Some feature massive platforms that revolve or rise and fall, with colored lights and huge sound boards. Shepherds are giving way to media specialists, programming consultants, stage directors, special effects experts, and choreographers.
The idea is to give the audience what they want. Tailor the church service to whatever will draw a crowd. As a result pastors are more like politicians than shepherds, looking to appeal to the public rather than leading and building the flock God gave them.
The congregation is served a slick, professional show, where drama, pop music, and maybe a soft-sell sermon constitute the worship service. But the emphasis isn't on worship, it's on entertainment.
Underlying this trend is the notion that the church must sell the gospel to unbelievers. Churches thus compete for the consumer on the same level as Frosted Flakes or Miller Lite. More and more churches are relying on marketing strategy to sell the church.
That philosophy is the result of bad theology. It assumes that if you package the gospel right, people will get saved. The whole approach is rooted in Arminian theology. It views conversion as nothing more than an act of the human will. Its goal is an instantaneous decision rather than a radical change of the heart.
Moreover, this whole Madison-Avenue corruption of Christianity presumes that church services are primarily for recruiting unbelievers. Many have abandoned worship as such. Others have relegated conventional preaching to some small group setting on a weeknight. But that misses the point of Hebrews 10:24-25: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together."
Acts 2:42 shows us the pattern the early church followed when they met: "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Note that the early church's priorities clearly were to worship God and to edify the brethren. The church came together for worship and edification; it scattered to evangelize the world.
Our Lord commissioned His disciples for evangelism in this way: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28:19). Christ makes it clear that the church is not to wait for or invite the world to come to its meetings, but to go to the world. That is a responsibility for every believer. I fear that an approach emphasizing a palatable gospel presentation within the walls of the church absolves the individual believer from his personal obligation to be a light in the world (Matt. 5:16).
We have a society filled with people who want what they want when they want it. They are into their own lifestyle, recreation, and entertainment. When churches appeal to those selfish desires, they only fuel that fire and hinder true godliness. Some of these churches are growing exponentially while others that don't entertain are struggling. Many church leaders want numerical growth in their churches, so they are buying into the entertainment-first philosophy.
Consider what this philosophy does to the gospel message itself. Some will maintain that if biblical principles are presented, the medium doesn't matter. That is nonsense. Why not have a real carnival? A tattooed knife thrower who juggles chain saws could do his thing while a barker shouts Bible verses. That would draw a crowd. It's a bizarre scenario, but one that illustrates how the medium can cheapen and corrupt the message.
And sadly, it's not terribly different from what is actually being done in some churches. Punk-rockers, ventriloquists' dummies, clowns, and show-business celebrities have taken the place of the preacher--and they are depreciating the gospel. I do believe we can be innovative and creative in how we present the gospel, but we have to be careful to harmonize our methods with the profound spiritual truth we are trying to convey. It is too easy to trivialize the sacred message.
Don't be quick to embrace the trends of the high-tech superchurches. And don't sneer at conventional worship and preaching. We don't need clever approaches to get people saved (1 Cor. 1:21). We simply need to get back to preaching the truth and planting the seed. If we're faithful in that, the soil God has prepared will bear fruit.
Wow, it's hard to believe that Diana and I have been together for 19 years. I can remember the sweet girl that used to come visit me where I worked at a skating rink. She has grown into the wonderful woman that I married a few years later.
Little did I know that she would make me the happiest guy in the world and provide me with an awesome family.
I thank God for His love and plan for providing such an awesome person like my sweetheart.
I love you, Diana!
I recently visited, Tony Morgan's blog. He's one of the pastors at Grainger Community Church in Granger, IN. People were commenting on Granger's recent U2 series as well as their recent "My Lame Sex Life" series. For those who aren't aware, they recently had a Christmas program that used the songs from U2 to look at generosity. Previously, they had a series that looked at sex and rented billboard space with provocative images on it.
I had commented about using worldy methods to evangelize and had my post deleted.
I also commented on a second topic that asked,
"What do you think? Should Christ-followers use music to "speak a bit of life" into those that are unchurched? And, is it acceptable to use that type of music in church services? In case you're wondering...I do."
A recent article from Pulpit Magazine maintained that the resolutions "we make as Christians (whether for the New Year or sometime else) ought to be profoundly deeper, and thus categorically different, than the resolutions made by unbelievers."
What they did was to look at a list of 70 resolutions that Jonathan Edwards made. In looking at these, they are remarkable, especially if one takes into account that he made these in his late teens and early twenties.
Another thing that should be mentioned is that, according to the article, "...the commitments he made were lifelong pursuits; they were not limited to just the next year (as our New Year’s resolutions often are)."
Here are the primary areas in which Jonathan Edwards was resolved:
1. To live for God’s glory (see resolutions #s 1, 4, 27)
2. To make the most of this life, in terms of eternal impact (see #s 5, 6, 7, 9, 17, 19, 23, 52, 54, 69)
3. To take sin seriously (see #s 8, 24, 25, 26, 37, 56, 57)
4. To become theologically astute (see #s 11, 28, 30, 39)
5. To be humble (see #s 12, 43, 68)
6. To exhibit self-control in all things (see #s 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 40, 44, 45, 59, 60, 61, 64, 65)
7. To always speak with grace and truth (see #s 16, 31, 33, 34, 36, 38, 46, 47, 58, 66, 70)
8. To constantly develop an eternal focus (see #s 10, 18, 22, 50, 51, 55, 67)
9. To be a faithful Christian, in prayer and dedication (see #s 29, 32, 35, 41, 42, 63)
10. To daily pursue a fervent love for Christ (see #s 48, 49, 53, 62)
* Edwards also committed himself to keeping his other resolutions (see #s 2 and 3)
As we consider the resolutions that we make for 2007, we can definitely learn something from the man widely recognized as America’s greatest theologian.
Even when Edwards resolved to use his time wisely (see #5), to eat properly (see #20), or to maintain healthy relationships with others (see #31)—resolutions that seem to coincide with the secular “top ten” list—his resolve flowed out of a God-focused perspective that was eternal in its scope. Thus his resolutions were not merely temporal lifestyle adjustments designed to solve a perceived bad habit. Instead, they were earnest spiritual decisions made for the purpose of combating sin and living a God-glorifying life.
Moreover, Edwards did not solely rely on his own willpower or clever scheming to stay true to his resolutions. To be sure, his resolutions required a tremendous amount of personal discipline and hard work. Yet, unlike the self-made commitments of the world, Edwards ultimately relied on God’s grace to help him accomplish what he knew to be humanly impossible (cf. Php. 3:12–13). In the preamble to his resolutions, he wrote: “Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.”
So what kind of resolutions will you make this year? Will they be those that accord with biblical priorities? Will they be those that necessarily depend on divine grace to accomplish? Will they be those that accord with the will of God and the glory of Christ?
I for one hope to follow Jonathan Edwards’s example and answer “yes” to those questions. If I can’t, then what makes my resolutions any different than the good intentions of the unbelieving world? But, if my perspective is eternal and my priorities are biblical, than my resolutions will be categorical different than those of the world—even if both of our lists include things like better time management, greater self-discipline, and more love for others.
After all, as a Christian, good intentions aren’t enough … only godly intentions will do.
Happy New Year!
As 2006 comes to a close, I'm sitting here thinking about 2007 and the future. This upcoming year is one in which I want to get closer to my Lord, my wife and my children.
I know that Jesus gives us all new starts and is gracious and merciful to us, but for some reason we only think that this is possible or only happens during New Year Day.
One of the most popular resolutions during this time of year is to lose weight. I've heard a statistic that in January, gym memberships are among their highest, but by summer, the parking lots are all but empty. Meaningful ideas that we start out with under our own power often fall short. I want to mention one thing that you can resolve to do that won't. Give or rededicate you life to Jesus. It will succeed because it will be something done under His power. It doesn't depend on our wilpower to be effective. That is the beauty of it!
So, if you haven't already done so, come to the tree and open the best gift of all; the one of eternal life.
For those of you who have languishing gym memberships, remember God is a God of second chances. If you are really looking to make a New Year's Resolution, make a commitment to God to be faithful and obedient to Him and for His glory.
Have a blessed new year!
I hope that everyone had a great and blessed Christmas! I know that we did. I just love spending time with my family and the holidays give us such an incredible opportunity to take advantage of that.
I wanted to mention some books that I received, not for the sake of their importance, but for the sake of edification and education. In addition to the books, I received some really cool clothes and radio from my wife. My kids made awesome personalized ceramic tiles in school that were meant to be used to coasters, but I can't bring myself to set anything on them :)
I haven't read these books yet (since I just received them), but have heard a lot about them and have read innumerable reviews to know that they are a valuable resource, not just to someone aspiring to a become a preacher, but to any Christian who is serious in his or her walk with the Lord.
Anyway, these books are The 21st Century Pastor, Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God and The Reformed Pastor. The following are reviews for them from Amazon.com's website.
The 21st-Century by David C. Fisher
In the 21st Century Pastor, David Fisher explores the apostle Paul's concept of ministry to offer a paradigm that is both biblical and relevant. Paul's view is fleshed out with examples from Fisher's own twenty-five years of pastoral experience, presenting a roadmap for today's pastor that is scholarly, practical, dynamic, and inspiring. The 21st Century Pastor first addressees crucial issues of pastoral identity, the significance of geography, time, and ecclesiology. It then explores Paul's metaphors for ministry (jars of clay, farmers and builders, servants and stewards, and others) to reveal an accurate portrait of an effective, biblical pastor--the kind who will speak to the heart of modern culture rather than languish on its fringes. Filling the rare role of a pastor to pastors, Fisher's sage insights help pastors answer their own identity questions, empowering them to minister to a deeply needy society. Says Fisher, "Pastors who know what time it is will, in the name and power of God, create communities of faith where the values of the Gospel are embraced, taught, and lived out."
Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer
In Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer reveals that a faulty understanding of the Bible leads to the assessment that these doctrines are foes rather than friends. By debunking the erroneous view that "robust faith in the absolute sovereignty of God is bound to undermine any adequate sense of human responsibility" toward evangelism, the author adeptly moves through the obstacle course of tricky theology with ease and grace, allowing the reader a more complete understanding of the mystery of salvation. Packer manages to tackle an overwhelming piece of doctrinal truth and contain it within the subject of evangelism by concisely determining what evangelism is and what it is not. "It is our widespread and persistent habit of defining evangelism in terms, not of a message delivered, but of an effect produced in our hearers." This error is corrected when one is renewed in his or her knowledge of the sovereignty of God. Of course, fault is found on the other side as well, with those who so heavily rely on God's sovereignty to save the lost that they are lazy in obeying God's command to share the Gospel. Packer insists that love for God, at the very least, should draw one out of this stagnation and that the coupling of these seemingly diabolical doctrines will make one bold in speech, patient in God's timing, and prayerful for the salvation of others.
The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter
Baxter's time was not too unlike our own. Despite there being a large theological agreement that there must be discipline within the Church, very few leaders in the church are willing to carry it out. Baxter reminds us, and convincingly so, that we must do so for not only the good of the soul of the individual, but for the rest of the Church, and even ourselves. Most of the book rotates around the subject of discipline in the pastoral ministry. It also contains many other details concerning the ministry that would be good for any aspiring, or current pastor to read.
Happy Birthday Jesus!
Glory to God in the highest for His wonderful gift of our Saviour! I pray that everyone stops for a moment to reflect on this beautiful gift of life that our loving God had provided.
Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem (from Luke, Chapter 2)
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
"This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
This morning, we had an incredible Christmas service. It involved traditional carols as well as a complete presentation of the birth of Jesus tied into the Gospel message.
Sometimes during the holiday season, I think that some pastors or churches present the "Chirstmas message", but are guilty of not presenting the message of hope or the reason for Christ's birth that accompanies it.
Statistics tell us that Christmas and Easter are the two greatest times when unbelievers visit a church. This could be due to a child or grandchild in a play or simply due to tradition. I remember that my parents, who were non practicing Roman Catholics would make sure that we went to Easter and Christmas service at the church. It seemed that God was OK with us not attending the rest of the year if we could just make it on the big two.
Anyway, I digress. Our pastor's message was rich with the hope and joy of the message of Christ's birth, but was as equally balanced with the reason for the need of a Saviour.
Well done, Brother Pat!
I recently read an article in Christianity Today that included an interview with Rick Warren . I was interested in it because it referrenced the upcoming Saddleback Christmas special, "The Purpose of Christmas with Rick Warren." In sifting through the content, I came across the question...
What's the text you're going to be preaching on during
Christmas services?
Rick Warren's answer was...
This year, I'm going to preach on the purpose of Christmas. The three purposes of Christmas are in the three statements that the angel made at the very first Christmas.
First, he said, "Fear not for I bring you good news of great joy." Then he said, "For unto you is born this day a Savior who is Christ the Lord." Then he said, "And peace on earth, goodwill toward men."
Now that's the three purposes of Christmas. The first purpose is celebration, the second purpose is salvation, and the third purpose is reconciliation. At the end, I'm actually going to talk about the PEACE plan and how to keep Christmas going all year—just do the 5 things Jesus did.
There's peace of God and there's peace with God and then there's peace with Man, once you have the first two.
Hmm... it'll be interesting to see how this plays out, but the all-inclusive P.E.A.C.E plan sends up a red flag for me.
In church last Wednesday, one of our pastors passed out a 1/2 page flyer on the 12 Reasons for Christmas. I think that it's helps people (myself included) to look beyond the "child in the manger" to comprehend the fullness and totality of what that night really meant.
It's from John Piper's Desiring God website and is pretty cool, so I wanted to post it here.
"What's that?," you say. It's a traditional French Christmas Carol that I learned in High School. Yes, I took French and yes we were "allowed" to sing songs about Jesus.
For some reason, this song pops into my head at Christmas time. It's very catchy (OK, you'll have to trust me:) )
The chorus goes:
Il est ne, le divin Enfant,
Jouez, hautbois, resonnez, musettes;
Il est ne, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avenement!
He is born, the divine Christ Child.What a glorious thing it is to think upon the graciousness of our Holy God and of His love and mercy for us that He would condescend to be born in a lowly manger and give His life as a ransom for our sins.
Greet Him with gaily resounding pipe and drum.
He is born, the divine Christ Child.
Join in song, for the Lord has come.
From what I've been reading, it looks like the current Small Group model is having some problems. As a result PD churches are now turning to "neighborhood small groups"
Before, I continue, I would like to say that we used to be involved with a small group for some time, but now I teach adult Sunday School at our church. I love the concept of getting to know a group of believers and "doing life" with them. Heck, our class motto is "Doing Life Together, Not Just Church". We laugh together, cry together, go to birthday parties and baby showers, etc.
One other thing that we also do is learn together. We are a Sunday School class and we have biblically based lessons, not topical conversations based upon the general consensus of "truth". The Bible is the final authority, period.
OK, I'm off my soapbox, but with that being said, here is why they have problems:
Time - In church, there are set times. People that are there are people that can generally be there "at that time" to meet. Outside of church, not everyone gets off work at the same time; then there is extracurricular activities and travel leading people to generally have a group meet at 7:00 or so at night. If a group meets for 2 hours (1 for study and 1 for fellowship), as it gets later, children get fussier, still have to have baths, do homework, etc.
Granted can be made to work during Friday or Saturday evenings or Saturday or Sunday afternoons, but even then, there are the other factors mentioned below.
Space - When we had a small group, we had 20 people with 20 kids. Where can that size of group meet? Our houses were swamped, families rushed to clean house before and after meetings and were left tired after "hosting".
Location - This is actually a combination of things. In drawing people from a large church into a small group environment, people come from all over the city.
Does the small group rotate from member's house to member's house?
Do they live at opposite sides of the town?
A comment from Evanston Vineyard Pastors Blog says a lot...
But think about when the average housegroup takes place: about 7:30 at night, right around when kids need to go to bed. Unless you’re holding a sleeping baby, only one parent can make it to a housegroup with any consistency, while the other one watches the kids. So on a typical night, one or both parents come home from work about 5-6 p.m., dinner is made and served, dishes need to be done and kids need help with homework, and if you have any outside of family hobbies or interests, the only time to pursue them outside of the house is after dinner, and little kids seem to not like their parents being gone several nights a week before they go to bed. Whew!Who has time for a housegroup where you can’t bring your kids? When would you have a housegroup where you could bring the kids? Not on Saturday afternoon, which is often the only time the whole family can do things together. Not on Sunday afternoon; you already had church in the morning and any errands you didn’t get done on Saturday have to get done.
My two year old is on my lap as I’m writing…our kids like to have us around, go figure. The only way they would tolerate (by tolerate I mean not be in tears when we left) an average housegroup (starting at 7:30 p.m.) was if it were at our house after they went to bed…which for us means ensuring a clean house, having a late night of clean up, nothing loud (no singing!) so they could sleep, and kicking people out at a certain time so we could get to bed to be ready for work (I get up at 4:30 a.m.) and for school (Cindy gets up at 6:00 to get our daughter ready). It’s too much.
A quick word about babysitters: They cost at the very bottom end $5 and hour. So a night with a sitter will cost you $15-20. That’s $45-60 a month for three housegroups. For us, especially when we hardly have any dates as it is, it’s a lot of money.
What we end up doing is what it seems all parents of small kids end up doing wherever we have been going to church: We get together on our own with other parents of small kids, on an irregular basis, with our kids, sometimes the whole family, sometimes just one parent and the kids. We hope the kids play togteher so the grownups can talk. Or we call each other on the phone in hushed tones at night, usually after a few nights of phone tag, and talk and pray together. We email a lot. We DON’T talk at church, which is too crazy. But we do many of the things Steve mentioned above, like celebrate (usually kid) birthdays (or marriage anniversaries!), go on family-oriented outings, eat together.
No, I'm not text messaging. This past Sunday, our "worship" team led the congregation in "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", a U2 song. When it was sung, something didn't seem right in my spirit. In reviewing the lyrics and taking into account the lives that Bono and U2 lead, although several of their songs are "spiritual" in nature, they don’t glorify our holy God in the least.
It seemed out of place to have a secular song with it's worldly undertones, being used for a message of hope for the world.
Our worship team usually does an awesome job in leading us into the presence of the Lord. It's the highlight of Sunday for us, but this was disconcerting to say the least.
For those not familiar with the words, here they are...
I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I'm still running
You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
The fact that we are overrunning ourselves seems to be a very present issue that the church is currently facing. We gather people, connect them in community and live life, but are we missing one VERY IMPORTANT aspect of all of this? We help out, are there for each other, etc., but how are we doing on God's report card when we look at our passion for Him, His Word and Truth?
I'm not saying that we should not be concerned with people, by no means. Jesus died for us. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves, but are we more concerned with the business of "God's kingdom" and not concerned enough with God Himself?
Benjamin Warfield said, "The grounds of religion must be taught and learned as truly as the grounds of anything else. Let us make no mistake here. Religion does not come of itself; it is always a matter of instruction. The emotions of the heart, in which many seem to think religion is too exclusively to consist, always follow the movements of thought. Passion for service cannot take the place of passion for truth, or safely outrun the acquisition of truth, for it is dreadfully possible to navigate sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, to find we have made him only a "son of hell".
This is why God establishes and extends his Church by the ordinance of preaching; it is why we have Sunday schools and Bible classes. This is why God has grounded his church in revelation. He does not content Himself with sending His Spirit into the world to turn men to Him. He sends His Word into the world as well. Because it is from knowledge of the truth, and only from the knowledge of the truth, that under the quickening influence of the Spirit true religion can be born."
From: The Chief End of Man (book intro, 19th century)
I recently came across a blog post that talked about the way to be a Christian is to leave the flesh and the world behind. The article talked about entertaining practices of some churches to make church seem more relevant, especially to younger people who may view "traditional" church as lame.
The article has well said that "In these churches, Christ doesn't call us to die to ourselves and the flesh, he comes to make the flesh happy. There is no call to a holy life through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not a movement that produces martyrs."
Last night I was reading a little through Foxe's Book of Martyrs and in reading through some of the persecutions that those saints of God went through, I wondered where people like these are today. It made me think, "Would I have the courage and conviction to stay true to my beliefs when faced with uncertain and unexplainable persecution and death?" I pray that the Lord would keep me strong enough in the faith and in Him to glorify Him should I ever be in a similar situation.
But I digress a bit...
Is this the generation that we are raising in church?
Is this the generation that we are?
...if not, we need to be.
There's an old song that goes like this...
I'll go with God and leave the world behind,
I'll go with God, in Him all things I find.
I've made my choice, His will I must obey,
I'll go with God and walk the narrow way.
Amen!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Our God is very merciful and gracious. I am glad that this time of year exists so that we have a special time of reflection on His many blessings.
May we all take time out of the hustle and bustle of "gearing up for Christmas" and give thanks to our Lord for His many blessings.
In thinking about what Ted Haggard did, I have to admit that I was dismayed that Christians may get another black eye from this.
I was reading what Ted Haggard's son, Marcus, who is also a pastor said in an article regarding his dad's predicament.
"The world is watching," he said. "That, my friends, is opportunity. To demonstrate what our love is like."
Later, he added: "Let's not get caught up thinking about ourselves. Let's take the time to heal. But let's remember we're still serving God," he said. "We're still the light. None of that has shifted or changed."
I'd like to add that sin is sin. I think that a lot of people make homosexuality out to be the biggest or unforgivable sin. That simply isn't the case. All people sin, even Christians because we aren't perfect yet. Just because one's sin may be more public than another's doesn't necessarily make it worse, just more viewable.
Did it hurt his effectiveness as a witness? Yes.
Did it affect the church where he pastored? Yes.
Did it hurt the cause of Christ? Yes.
Does Ted Haggard deserve forgiveness? If he's sincere and repentant, yes.
He is a brother in need. He needs time to heal. He needs time with the Lord, but then again, don't we all.
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone..."
I was listening to this sermon by Paul Washer. He is a preacher and the General Director for HeartCry Missionary Society He was talking about people who love the world compared to people who love Jesus.
He was saying...
"You have not sinned against an inferior prince. You have not sinned against a small mayor from a small village; you have sinned against the Lord of glory, the King of Kings, the Lord of lords. You know not what you've done."
"Imagine this... Here stands God on the day of creation. He looks at stars that could swallow up a thousand of our suns. He looks at them and He says, "All of you stars, move yourself to this place and start in this order and move in a circle and move exactly as I tell you until I give you another word." and they all obey Him.
He says, "Planets, pick yourself up and whirl. Make this formation at my command until I give you another word."
He looks at mountains and He says, "Be lifted up." and they obey Him.
He tells valleys, "Be cast down." and they obey Him.
He looks at the sea and says, "You will come this far." and the sea obeys... and then He looks at you and says, "Come." and you say, "No!"
Look at the horrid wretchedness of sin. The vulgarity. The prostitution of sin. It is a horrid thing, not something to be triffeled with. It is a beast and it is waiting at the door and it's desire is to have you.
Anyone who practices sin practices outright, open, clentched-fisted rebellion against the Lord of glory.
What do you think about most? ...because that's what you love."
Amen and amen! What a powerful statement about the condition of peoples hearts. I pray that the Holy Spirit would draw people to a true relationship with Jesus and that we would stop playing Christian.
In thinking about this time of the year, the Lord impressed on my heart something very common; something that I see everyday. I live near cornfields; acres of corn.
A month ago, while driving I looked out my window to admire God's creation. The fields were green and lush and although they were interesting to look at, I wouldn't pay too much attention to them. Over the past month however, the crop started to turn brown. While driving to work last week, I saw people in the fields and equipment harvesting the corn. It was really interesting watching this all happen. Today while driving by, I noticed that the people and equipment were gone. The corn was gathered and taken to be used. I stopped and looked. In looking at the fields, though, I saw that in their haste that there was some corn that was still left on the stalks.
This whole process made me think about fall and this time of year and about God's kingdom. How many people are out there that are ready for us to invest in? Luke 10:2 says "The harvest is plenty, but laborers are few, beg the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers."
This month is Breast Cancer Awareness month and as I reflect on the people that I know who were and are affected by it, it seems to bring a deeper urgency to the harvest. There are people like our mothers, wives, sisters, friends and neighbors who need us and depend on us being faithful to God's call. During this harvest time, I pray that we will be open to the Lord's leading in our lives to invest in the lives of others. Please pray for the workers and for the people that they will touch and let's not leave anyone in the fields.
While sitting in traffic on my way to work, I looked out of my window to some cars that were to the left of me. One of them caught my eye. It said "UB Hot or UB Cold, Rev. 3:15" This immediately caught my attention, because I had previously been telling a close friend of mine who is going away to Bible college that I was feeling lukewarm and that I didn't like feeling that was, because I know what God says about the lukewarm.
My friend said that he would pray that God would "fan the flame" in me.
While I'm writing this post, I'm within my final two weeks at my current job. While on hold with a support center, a song was playing on the radio that talked about leaving and flying and it reminded me about something that my boss had said. He mentioned that when I had earlier talked about leaving that it would probably be good for me; that it would give me a chance to spread my wings a little. I found the song (it was by Richard Marx, BTW) very apropos while sitting here reflecting on my departure.
Well, it's been a while since my last post, hence the topic :) I was originally going to call it "Consistency", but opted for "Discipline". This is because I realized that I was consistent... Consistently not posting regularly.
Anyway, this morning, as I was driving to work at 4am (yes, 4am!), I felt the Lord impressing on my heart the need for discipline in my life. I need to be open to His discipline regarding my calling and my walk with Him.
Mark W. McCloskey, in an article on ministry preparation says, "The call of God draws from us our highest and best contribution. Our calling is our North Star. It is not so much a destination as it is a point by which we set the compass of our lives."
This made me reflect on my ministry path. In order to reflect, one has to do a few things:
1. Stop what you are doing.
2. Remember from where you started.
3. Look around at where you are.
4. Review where you are supposed to be going.
5. Make neccessary adjustments.
In doing these things, it was apparent that while I had the "North Star" in my mind, it wasn't at the set point of my compass recently. That being said, I repented of the time wasted in my calling. I started thinking, of all of the things that God could've been using me for during that time. I was then comforted. The Holy Spirit impressed on me that while I shouldn't trivialize my repentance, my contrite heart had served it's purpose and that I shouldn't dwell on the issue in that I shouldn't give Satan any leeway by having a pity party for myself. I need to focus on God and His awesome mercy and love.
So, with the course laid in, we're off...
DaVinci Deception... DaVinci Delusion... Whatever you call it, it's been the talk of the Christian and secular communities for a while now. Of course, I'm talking about the new movie, The DaVinci Code.
I believe that the movie provides Christians with the opportunity to engage the culture. This movie is going to have people thinking, questioning and seeking after the truth.
I think that some people are afraid that Christianity won't stand up to the test of scrutiny. It will. There have been many people who have tried to discredit the Bible and Jesus. The Bible is 100% correct, 100% accurate and Jesus is 100% God, Lord and Saviour!
Back to the search for truth... it's an age old issue. Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?"
The quick and easy answer is found in John 14:6 " Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (NASB) Amen!
This book and movie can be used as a great witnessing tool. The key is to know what you believe and why.
Today at work, a Christian friend of mine came up to me and stopped me in the hall. He said, "God placed you on my heart. What's going on?"
He said that he had to tell me about a series that he heard on 1300am and proceeded to tell me about making righteous decisions and that it's important to rely on God's will and not my own. That I shouldn't try to make things happenbecause if it's God will, He will remove the obstacles.
I was floored! God really got my attention through this guy. It's at times like this that God seems so real. I think that often we (well, I speak for myself) take God for granted. I mean that I know that He's there, but when something like this happens, it really solidifies that god is actively involved in my life.
We talked for a bit and I told him that he was a real blessing to me.
God is awesome!
If you recall, we looked at the idea that "great observation leads to good interpretation." Expanding on that, "great observation leads to good interpretation which leads to proper application"; which is what we are going to be discussing here.
Remember, the goal of Bible study is obedience, not knowledge. The pharisees had knowledge, but no obedience.
It's vital that as one in a ministerial position that you "observe" scripture often.
Let's look at application. How do you know what you're supposed to do with the passage that you read? You need to apply 9 questions to them.
1. Is there an example to follow?
Keep in mind that there is 1 correct interpretation, but there are many applications of the text. That's how differrent preachers can read the same passage, but preach on different topics.
2. Is there a sin to avoid?
3. Is there a promise to claim?
For example, in Nehemiah 1:8-9, Nehemiah is speaking and is recfalling the Word of God given to Moses. If you follow God, you receive blessing; if not, you receive discipline. We'll look more at conditions in a bit.
| "Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples; | |
| but {if} you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.' |
A = Adoration:
We put aside all our thoughts and troubles and come into the presence of God.It is a time for "turning our heart home...," a pause in our activities to focus on God, and God alone.
For many this is a time of praise for all the glory of God revealed around us. For others it is a time of quiet listening, putting all other thoughts aside and seeking a clear focus of our love for God.
It is a time to put things in perspective, to remember "who we are and whose we are." It sets the stage for all that is to follow.
C = Confession:
This is the time for truth telling. Even as we know God is aware of all our faults and failures, it is important to let God know that WE are aware of them as well.
Too often we can hide and deny the places that hold the most pain. Too often the world rushes us on and we allow situations to fester.
Truth telling involves honest appraisal both of the good and the bad in our life. It is a time to speak to God with the deepest trust that these circumstances need attention, healing and resolution.
Often this honesty needs to be spoken aloud, shared with a trusted friend or spiritual director for in the speaking, insight often comes.
Being honest before God may lead us into some painful realization as to our need for seeking help, reconciliation or guidance.
Such Honesty is the most direct and powerful way to resolve the situations of our life.
T = Thanksgiving:
In the context of adoration and with ourselves being very honest before God, we are then able to give thanks.
We "count our blessings" as we recognize all that God has done for us. From the smallest gift of a flower blooming on a concrete sidewalk, to the awesome love of God in the Grace and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ... we give thanks.
We give thanks for the food we have, the shelter provided, the family and friends, the church family and its support.
We give thanks for hope and healing, claiming all that God has promised to us. We give thanks for the opportunity to be in prayer, to speak with the everlasting God of creation.
We give thanks for the opportunity to worship in freedom, and without coercion. We give thanks for love, and for our Lord.
S = Supplication
Supplication is simply the sharing of our needs. They are different than our wants and desires. God has promised to care for our needs.
We may recognize the shallowness of some of our desires. We may uncover a deeper need long ago buried. We may discover God has placed in our life new solutions and answers to our prayers.
As we go over our concerns for others, we may be given insights into how best to minister to others. At times, names may come to us "out of the blue." And perhaps a phone call is needed, a card, or a visit or a deep word of prayer for them.
God has a way of using our supplications to become occasions for our own growth in our spiritual journey. We are often confronted with actions and opportunities which, if followed through, enrich us greatly.
ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
As you begin, go through the letters, first with A (adoration), pause and consider how great God is. Then after a few moments, move on to C (confession), and do the same. Then move on to T (thanksgiving) and end with S (supplication.)
Well, it sounds a little like that old children's poem, except God comes first :)
Anyway, this posting is the result of my wonderful wife and I going to see the Minister of Marriage and Family Enrichment at our church. No, nothing's wrong. We just wanted to make sure that we're keeping everything in it's proper perspective and seek advice to help us grow as a couple.
Balancing the stress and pressures of work, homelife, kids, Sunday school class and my calling to ministry can be a very difficult job. Diana and I talked to Rodney about life, separating ministry from our daily lifes and how to, for lack of a better term, disconnect the two.
Rodney told us that we have to be able to be compassionate, while at the same time being able to "leave it at the door". Making the time for our spouses is of vital importance as is the ability to be able to "not be all things to all people" and to gently let people know where your priorities are.
He said that Jesus set a good example for us. He accomplished what God had intended for Him to do. He retreated from the crowds and spent time alone with God as well as a few close disciples.
God needs to come first in our marriage, then our spouses, then children, then ministry and others.
It's getting late, so I'm not sure if this is sounding like it should. I may have to edit it in the morning.
This is a Bible... Ok, just kidding. Here is what we covered in the introduction to Bible Study.
Why People Don't Study The Bible
"I need something that works."
"I don't know how to study."
"I'm just a layman."
"I just don't have the time."
"I have my doubts about the Bible."
"I can't seemto make it interesting."
Question: What is your excuse?
Why Study the Bible
How This Book Can Help
What to expect:Proven success
Cost - Ok, so what does this cost me?
The process is...
We were then given an assignment for next class to observe Acts 1:8 and write down as many questions as we can about it.
