Equipping the Saints

Evil a Problem?

2011-04-28T10:31:00.004-05:00

The so called "problem of evil" and the reality of human suffering has long been used by some as proof that God does not exists; or if He does exist He is either not good or not all powerful. But atheists and agnostics are not the only ones who struggle with evil and suffering, many Christians seem to believe that their own suffering is a sign of God's displeasure with them or His inability or unwillingness to help them. In his little book A Primer on Apologetics John Gerstner attacks these charges head on and provides wise counsel for those dealing with evil and suffering. He begins by saying:

"So evil is bad and against God's nature but its existing must be good for the purpose God has. So the evil is bad but not the good God brings out of it. He could not bring good out of evil without evil's existing. So it is good that evil exists though evil as existing is bad. This is the divine method, not divine madness. God has seeming pleasure with evil but actual displeasure with evil. His pleasure is only in what comes out of it and therefore ultimately has pleasure in evil's existing. So God has no pleasure in evil; but more properly and fully stated, God has pleasure in evil-existing-for-the-good-God-would-bring-out-of-it"

He is saying that what we often deem as "evil" is on the one hand bad because it violates God's law and nature but that its existence is good since God uses evil to bring about good. He then argues that since evil is part of God's plan for good that evil does not actually exist. He says:

"This is what I mean by saying that evil does not, cannot, exist. It is all a seeming. Whatever God brings to pass is good. Everything that happens God brings to pass. Or, whatever happens is God's ordaining. Nothing not of God's ordaining ever has, ever does, or ever shall come to pass. In all the vast expanse of time and space there is no time, no space, for evil to be."

That is to say that what we experience as "evil" is not evil at all since God ordained it to bring about good in us and for us; this is what he means when he says that "It is all seeming." The word seeming is the key; we experience it as evil but it is good because God ordained it to bring about some good. Having address the problem of evil (which he calls "The non-problem of evil") he goes on to practically address how this relates to human suffering.

"What of suffering? I ask, What of suffering? You expostulate: That is certainly evil, isn't it? I reply: O course not. It is good, perfectly good, the best, the very best. There would be evil only if there were no evil in this universe of ours. We know there is no evil in suffering because God ordains it (we know this because it happens)...If we do concur in suffering, however, we cannot suffer. Those who approve of suffering, because God approves of suffering, are moral persons and moral persons are free from suffering, of from the pain of 'pain.' They know that such 'pain' is good and are glad to have it. Pain is joyful only for those who deserve it ans that makes the righteous rejoice."

He concludes this discussion with these words. As you walk through this world with Christ, contemplate these words and measure yourself in order to see how you handle suffering and evil.

"Who is the fool? The one who seeks relief but is happy even when he doesn't find it, of the one who seeks relief but is miserable when he doesn't find it?...You hang in there because you'll not give up your misery easily. You say that I must be a masochist who enjoys suffering when it is you who are a hypochondriac. I enjoy not suffering. I have no 'pain' that I cannot spare. Is that so bad? The masochist is miserable, he admits, but will not let his misery go. I gladly let my misery go. I don't even let it stay because I know that all that comes comes from God and is good for me. There is not evil coming the moral man's way. He knows it. There isn't any evil coming the immoral man's way, but he doesn't know it, or at least admit it."

To God be the Glory

Seven Words

2011-04-22T16:58:00.001-05:00

At our Good Friday service tonight I will preach on the final words spoken by Christ before his death. Here are a few things that stand out to me from these seven sayings:

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34 – this is the essence of why Jesus came. Jesus did not come to establish an earthly kingdom but to offer forgiveness of sin.

“Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” Luke 23:43 – because we have been forgiven in Christ we look forward to the day when we will see Him face to face in glory. We have an inheritance that is sure.

“Dear woman, here is your Son.” John 19:26 – at first glance this is one of the most interesting statements. Jesus is bearing the wrath of God for the sin of the world and yet He takes the time to make sure that His mother is cared for. When Christ died for our sins He did not just provide for our future, He provided for our present as well. John was to take care of Mary and Jesus sent His Spirit so that we would not be left alone as orphans.

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me? Mark 15:34 – here we witness Jesus bearing the crushing weight of God’s wrath on sin. The one who lived in eternal communion with the Father is now being forsaken so that sinners could be forgiven.

“I am thirsty.” John 19:28 – throughout the gospels Jesus spoke of the cup that He must drink. The cup was the cup of God’s wrath and it left Him thirsty. Jesus drank deeply from that cup in order that we might drink of the living water that becomes a well springing up to eternal life.

“It is finished.” John 19:30 – simple and yet profound. All that needed to be done to save God’s people from sin has been done. No other sacrifice is necessary and no work is left to be done—it is finished!

“Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” Luke 23:46 – Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father and because of His death we have no fear of condemnation and we too can trust fully in God the Father who has saved us by grace.

Thanks be to God

2011-04-20T11:49:00.002-05:00

In 1 Samuel 15 the newly anointed king Saul is given a difficult command. Here is the command from verses 2 and 3:

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

The text makes it clear that Saul did not obey the command of God, verses 8 and 9 reveal that:

“He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.”

In response to Saul’s actions God tells the prophet Samuel what Saul did and He sends Samuel to Saul to confront him with his disobedience. Saul does two things in response to Samuel’s rebuke. First Saul redefines obedience. In verse 15 he tells Samuel:

“They have brought them (the livestock) from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

He essentially tells Samuel that he had devised a better plan, a means of greater obedience, a plan in which the spoil of victory would be used to honor God. Saul is certainly pleased with his efforts and believes that God would be pleased as well. And thus with obedience redefined Saul then claims to have perfectly obeyed. In verses 13 Samuel meets Saul and Saul boldly and arrogantly declares:

“Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.”

Samuel answered Saul’s arrogance with sobering words. In verse 22 Samuel says:

“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”

God was not pleased and Saul had not obeyed. I believe there much that we can learn from this passage.

1. We have been given a difficult command. Two passages of Scripture perfectly summarize this command:

“…but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am Holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15, 16

“Teacher what is the great commandment in the Law? And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:36-39

God commands that we be perfect. God cannot turn a blind eye to our sin or settle for anything short of absolute perfection. As difficult as it was, Saul’s command seems simple by comparison.

2. We cannot obey God’s commands; we cannot be perfect. Scripture and experience clearly demonstrate this to be true.

3. It is tempting and easy to redefine obedience, the Pharisees are classic examples of this, and on that basis convince ourselves that we have in fact obeyed God. Man is very good at establishing a standard that he is able to keep and equating obedience to that standard with obedience to God. Self-justification is a deadly foe because it cannot be achieved but allows a man to convince himself that all is well.

4. We must embrace the fact that all of our best efforts fall woefully short of the mark. Romans 3 makes this point forcefully and repeatedly:

“There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”

5. We have one, Jesus Christ, who has both perfectly obeyed and made a perfect sacrifice for sin. The good news of the gospel is that His obedience has been credited to us and His sacrifice has taken away our sin. Here are just a few of the promises of Scripture to those who have faith in Christ:

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Galatians 2:20-21

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4

God has commanded that we be holy and in Christ He has made us holy. The very thing He commands He provides. This holiness is not according to our effort or good deeds; it is entirely due to the grace and mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Let the words of Philippians 3:8-10 be our prayer:

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which come from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”

Providential Meeting

2011-04-16T21:22:00.003-05:00

On Thursday I was in Chicago for a conference. At the end of the day I started to walk the 2 ½ miles back to my hotel. It was cold that day and very windy so on the spur of the moment I decided to take a cab. I got into the cab and the driver asked me, with a thick accent, what was going on (there were 5,000 at the conference and they were pouring out of the convention center). I explained that it was a gathering of pastors from throughout the country and that I was a pastor in San Antonio, TX. He responded by saying; I am Kalunga, I am Zulu, I practice voodoo. He then went on to explain that he worshipped the devil out of fear and that he felt that the devil was after him. He said that sometimes he could not sleep because he felt like the devil was choking him. I asked him if he had ever heard of Jesus. His response surprised me; he said no, who is he?

I began by telling him that the fear he felt was actually the guilt of sin and that it was not the devil but God’s wrath that he needed to fear. He immediately told me of all he had to do in order to keep the devil from harming him; he showed me cuts on his arms and his bag full of trinkets that he used to try and appease the devil. I then had the privilege of telling him about the Jesus he did not know. I told him that Jesus took the penalty for sin upon Himself and that He paid the debt completely. I told Him that Jesus had the power to free Him from the power and guilt of sin. He then asked how much it cost and how much he would have to pay. He explained that in voodoo you had to repeatedly pay in order to be set free. He was shocked when I told Him that the forgiveness offered by Christ is free and that Jesus paid the debt in full and that there was nothing more to be done.

He then wanted to know where he could go to learn more about Jesus. I told him about a couple of churches that I knew of in Chicago and encouraged him to go there. His response saddened me. He said that he was afraid that he could not go to church because he did not have nice clothes and that they would not accept him because he had practiced voodoo. It was sad because he hadn’t heard of Jesus but knew enough to know that the church might not welcome him. I assured him that he could go, that he did not need nice clothes and that he would be welcomed (I pray that if he goes that I will have told him the truth). As we approached the hotel he told me that he had never heard anything like this before and that his heart was pounding in his chest. As I prepare for Lord’s Day tomorrow I am thinking about Kalunga. I am hoping that tomorrow he will find himself in a church and that he will hear more about Jesus.

Pray for Kalunga, he is Zulu, he practices voodoo. Pray that God will pour out His grace and that Kalunga will turn from voodoo and find salvation in our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Faith

2011-03-03T12:15:00.001-06:00

"In this Christian brotherhood no man possesses more than another. St. Peter and St. Paul have no more than Mary Magdalene or you or I. To sum up: Taking them all together, they are brothers, and there is no difference between the persons. Mary, the Mother of the Lord, and John the Baptist, and the thief on the cross, they all possess the selfsame good which you and I possess, and all who are baptised and do the Father’s Will. And what have all the saints? They have comfort and help promised them through Christ in every kind of need, against sin, death, and the devil. And I have the same, and you, and all believers have.

But this also is true, that you and I do not believe it so firmly as John the Baptist and St. Paul; and yet it is the one and only treasure. It is the same as when two men hold a glass of wine, one with a trembling, the other with a steady hand. Or when two men hold a bag of money, one in a weak, the other in a strong hand. Whether the hand be strong, or weak, as God wills, it neither adds to the contents of the bag, nor takes away. In the same way there is no other difference here between the Apostles and me, than that they hold the treasure firmer. Nevertheless, I should and must know that I possess the same treasure as all holy Prophets, Apostles, and all saints have possessed."
Martin Luther

The Lash of the Law

2010-12-02T17:54:00.001-06:00

"A sergeant told a grim joke to his trainees during the Second World War, which shows the real flaw in the Pharisaic understanding of Christianity. A man stopped on a dirt road to help get another man's car our of the ditch. The latter was beginning to harness two small furry kittens to the bumper of this huge car when he was asked, 'Mister, you aren't going to try to get those kittens to pull that car out of the ditch, are you?' His reply was, 'Why not? I've got a whip.' The lash of the Law is used in similar spiritual situations. Without the principle of forgiveness our conscience acquires a quality of cruelty that makes the Gospel of Christ anything but the Good News."

Bishop C. FitzSimons Allison

Road Map?

2010-11-15T09:04:00.003-06:00

This morning I heard a radio preacher say that if you follow Jesus your problems don't go away but you receive a map or a compass for life. That might well be true to a certain extent but that is not the good news of the gospel; even with a map people sometimes get lost. Followers of Jesus don't get a map, they get a Christ. This means that His life of obedience becomes their life of obedience, His resurrection and exaltation is credited to them and His future victory is their future victory. As followers of Christ the life we live is not one of following directions but of living by faith in the only one capable of following directions. Paul beautifully summarizes the Christian life in Galatians 2:20 by saying:

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

Election Perspective

2010-11-05T16:23:00.002-05:00

I have observed that evangelicals tend to overreact to world events (a man in Israel gets a cold and someone will write a book showing how it's proof that the anti-Christ will soon be revealed). While I have purposely avoided subjecting myself to the evangelical reaction to the recent election, I have read and heard enough to know that hyperbole is alive and well in the evangelical community. For some the outcome of the recent election proves that all is right in the world or at least that things are finally going in the right direction. With that being said I want to put forth three important biblical truths that I believe ought to temper and guide our reaction not only to this election but to all of the events that transpire in this world.

Remember the fall – it seems to me that around election time many in the evangelical church seem to forget the utter depravity of man. No politician or political party is going to save America. This even begs the question as to whether or not as Christians we ought to be concerned with “saving” the American way (this is fodder for another post).

Remember the curse – after the fall God cursed Satan and established two kingdoms—the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, or if you prefer the city of God and the city of man. As a consequence we (the church of Christ) did not win or lose anything in this election. The election represented two parties fighting for control over one of the kingdoms of this world; nothing more.

Remember God’s providence – many have made bold claims about what this election means. But ultimately we have no idea what this election means since God puts people in power according to the secret counsel of His own will. This means that this election could bring a blessing but it is just as likely that this election is a form of God’s judgment; we simply do not know.

Finally I think we would do well to remember the simple admonition from John 16:33

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Mockingbird: In Law We Trust

2010-11-04T16:40:00.000-05:00

Great article from Mockingbird, go check it out.

Mockingbird: In Law We Trust

Leerestademoda.com - Did you know the BOOK? English subtitles

2010-09-23T10:41:00.000-05:00

The End of Christianity

2010-05-25T08:36:00.003-05:00

Very thought provoking article published recently in Christianity Today.

The End of Christianity as We Know It

Church Stuff

2010-05-21T12:53:00.003-05:00

This week I came across two posts that powerfully address a couple of issues challenging the church today.

The first is a video from John Piper and addresses the question of church membership:

The other post is from R. Scott Clark, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. In this post he analyzes the recent controversy surrounding Ergun Caner and Liberty University (if you are unfamiliar with the controversy you can find the details here). What is important about this post is not what he says about the particulars of this case but his analysis of what this issue says about the state of the modern evangelical church. You can find R. Scott Clark's post here.

Giving Oneself

2010-05-12T12:17:00.004-05:00

One of the books I am currently reading is "The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline" by Jonathan Leeman. It is formatted in an unusual way and is as a consequence somewhat difficult to read but the content is outstanding. One of the points he makes throughout the book, as he discusses the Christian's relationship to the church, is that as members of a local church we are not called to give of ourselves but rather we are called to give ourselves to one another. He says this:

"...uniting to a local church is not just a matter of "joining" something like a civic society, a country club, of a chess team. It's not about contracting as a self-sovereign with some organization, paying dues and receiving the due benefits in turn. No, such ideas completely miss the connectedness implied in the biblical metaphors for the church such as family, citizenship, temple, vine, or body...joining a church is not about giving of yourself as you might do with another organization; it's about giving yourself, which is an act of submission. It is about identifying your name with all those who belong to the church. It's about being united in heart, mind, and mission. It is, in sum, to submit your discipleship to Christ to a geographically bound, numerically concrete group. It is to submit, it is to be ruled, and it is to rule."

I believe that to our modern ears this sounds somewhat strange, maybe even difficult to digest but I believe that his understanding of the church is soundly biblical. If he is correct in his assessment, and I believe that he is, then I think we would do well to contemplate what this actually means for us as members of Christ's church; here are just a few thoughts.

1. Every decision we make not only impacts us and our children but it will impact our church as well. I would guess that most people don't take their church membership into account when they make life decisions.

2. The consequences of our sin will reverberate throughout the church of which we are a part.

3. We must not look out for our own interests but rather we must humbly, graciously and lovingly put aside our own desires and wants for the good of Christ's body.

4. Membership is important.

5. Church discipline is an act of love.

These are just a few thoughts and I am sure that there are many other ways in which we could apply these principles.

I would encourage you to read the book because I believe that you will be humbled and challenged by it.

Love One Another

2010-04-16T00:03:00.002-05:00

Read John 13 and 17. Francis Schaeffer said this about the injunction given in these passages about believers loving one another:

"Our love will not be perfect, but it must be substantial enough for the world to be able to observe or it does not fit into the structure of the verses in John 13 and 17. And if the world does not observe this among true Christians, the world has a right to make two awful judgments which these verses indicate: That we are not Christians and that Christ was not sent by the Father."

Two things stand out to me about this aspect of the Christian life. First is that it is an essential priority. Francis Schaeffer highlights this when says that if the church fails to love one another it indicates that we are not Christians and that Christ was not sent by the Father. Second is that it is impossible. On our own and in our flesh we will never be able to love one another. Because of this I offer four exhortations:

Pray that God will give you a heart to love people who are difficult to love.
Pray that God will give you grace to forgive those that have wronged you.
Pray for and keep your eyes open for opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ.
Pray for the courage to ask those you have wronged for forgiveness.

We are told that the evidence of our new birth is the love we show for one another. In order to love one another we need the Spirit of God to produce in us the fruit of the gospel. The same gospel that called us must sustain and sanctify us. This is yet another reminder that it is all about Christ.

Day Two, Part Two

2010-04-14T19:49:00.003-05:00

Better than my summary, here is the manuscript from Dr. Pipers sermon:

Did Jesus Preach Paul's Gospel?

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs

2010-04-14T12:23:00.002-05:00

One of the great things about Together for the Gospel is the singing. This morning we sang two hymns that were not familiar to me but I instantly fell in love with them. Here are the lyrics:

How Deep the Father's Love by Stuart Townsend

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure,

that He should give His only Son to make a wretch his treasure

How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away

as wounds which mar the chosen One bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon the cross, my sin upon His shoulders.

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished.

His dying breath has brought me life. I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no pow'r, no wisdom;

but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer;

but this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.

I Asked the Lord by John Newton

I asked the Lord that I might grow in faith and love and ev'ry grace,

might more of His salvation know and seek more earnestly His face.

'Twas He who taught me thus to pray, and He I trust has answered prayer,

but it has been in such a way as almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour at once He'd answer my request

and by His love's constraining pow'r subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this He made me feel the hidden evils of my heart

and let the angry pow'rs of Hell assault my soul in ev'ry part.

Yea more with His own hand He seemed intent to aggravate my woe,

crossed all the fair designs I schemed, humbled my heart, and laid me low.

"Lord why is this," I, trembling cried; "Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?"

"Tis in this way," the Lord replied, "I answer prayer for grace and faith."

"These inward trial I employ from self and pride to set thee free,

and break Thy schemes of earthly joy that thou may'st find thy all in me."

T4G Day Two, Part One

2010-04-14T10:58:00.002-05:00

Today's sessions started early. The first speaker was Thabiti Anyabwile. He had fun with his name by telling us that Thabiti means "who did I tick off to get the 8 AM spot" and Anyabwile means "thank God they gave you free coffee." His talk was entitled "How Wrongly Engaging the Culture Adjusts the Gospel," and his text was Colossians 1:24-2:23. He started by recognizing that it is not uncommon to hear people talk about engaging the culture or winning the culture. He then highlighted the reasons why that proposition is so difficult; it is hard to define culture, we need to ask at what level do we need to engage culture (popular, ethnic, political, high) and it is hard to define the objective (how do we know if we have won the culture?). He then addressed us as pastors (a good portion of the attendees are pastor) and asked the question - is it the pastors task to engage or win the culture? Using Colossians he showed that engaging the culture is not the pastors task and he then outlined what Colossians puts forth as the pastors task. The pastors task is clearly revealed in Col. 1:24-2:5. It is to make the word fully known and to present everyone mature in Christ. Paul emphasized the importance of this task by revealing that he joyfully suffered for the sake of this purpose. Mr. Anyabwile said that it is easy for churches to embrace something that seems good (like engaging the culture) and in the process lose sight of their true purpose.

He then revealed the philosophy that guides the purpose. The philosophy is the sufficiency of Christ. We have been given the knowledge of Christ, Christ rules over all creation, we have been filled with Christ and are to be rooted and growing in Christ. The sufficiency of Christ and the fullness of His work comes to us only in the gospel. Thus we need to put aside the pressures that weigh on us (worldly philosophy and tradition) and be content to proclaim the gospel.

Next he reemphasized the necessity of gospel proclamation. He reminded us that there is great pressure to measure ourselves by the false standards of righteousness prominent both inside and outside the church. The culture is a poor standard of measure since the gospel is counter cultural. At this point he made a powerful statement, he said that every human culture is fundamentally apostate and that through the proclamation of the gospel God was in the process of creating a new culture. He also told us that the church is multi ethnic but it is not multicultural.

He concluded with what he called the proper pastoral perspective and told us that in order to do any earthly good that we must be heavenly minded. Capitulating to the culture is no way of engaging the culture, the culture needs to be confronted with an unadjusted gospel.

Thabiti Anyabwile was followed by John MacArthur. His talk was entitled "A Theology of Sleep." He started by telling us that his theology helped him sleep well and that if the salvation of soul's depended on him he would not sleep well. He then compared the circumstances facing Jesus and the disciples with the problems facing the modern church. Jesus had spent a great deal of time preaching and teaching and had a number of followers who were drawn in by a superficial fascination but He had very few believers. Dr. MacArthur then put forth that the disciples might have been tempted to suggest a different (better) strategy; Jesus had been preaching and would not allow anyone to talk about the miracles He had done. The disciples might have been tempted to tell Jesus that He wasn't meeting the crowds felt needs or that he was out of touch and needed to adjust his message in order to produce more believers. Dr. MacArthur was obviously making the point that this is what many churches today are doing; they adjust the gospel becasue the gospel does not seem to work.

After establishing this context he pointed to Jesus' teaching in Mark 4:26-29. Jesus compares the work of evangelism to the work of a farmer. The farmer plants the seed and goes to sleep. While he is sleeping the seeds grow and the farmer does not know how. The same is true of the work of evangelism. We must sow seed (proclaim the gospel) and sleep. Once we have proclaimed the truth it is up to God to bring forth truth. Dr. MacArthur then put forth four attitudes that we must have as we contemplate our responsibility to proclaim the gospel. By the way he was not limiting this proclamation to pastors. He pointed out that in the parable of the sower there are no adjectives to describe him, he was simply one that sowed seed. All believers need to be sowing seed. As we sow these are our attitudes:

We sow seed humbly knowing that we do not have to power to change the human heart. In our humility we do not try and improve the message but we proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He warned against appealing to emotion or the will and said that we need to appeal to the mind proclaiming the objective truth about who Christ is and what He has done. He even said that the sharp edge of our proclamation is sin and repentance. He suggested that in our proclamation we need to make acceptance hard and press the foolish message of the cross and resurrection. By doing this we guard against spurious "conversions."
We sow obediently knowing that we possess the light. Even though we do not have the power to change the heart we have the message that God uses to change hearts. Because of this we must obediently sow the gospel.
We go diligently because we are motivated by God's promises and rewards.
We go confidently knowing that God has determined an exponential outcome.

T4G Day One, Part Two

2010-04-13T20:51:00.003-05:00

Next to speak was R.C. Sproul. Dr. Sproul's health did not allow him to travel to Louisville but he presented his talk live via video feed. Dr. Sproul was asked to reflect on his 50 years in the ministry and reveal what he has learned about the defense and confirmation of the gospel. His text was 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1. He said that this passages underscores the two principle problems in the church.

The first problem he identified is syncretism or synthesis. He argued that this has been a problem throughout the history of the church, reaching all the way back to Israel as they sought to synthesize the pagan religion of Canaan with Judaism. Dr. Sproul argued that the modern problem can be linked the 18th century and the philosophy of Immanuel Kant who sought to synthesize Christianity and naturalism. He then outlined how this started a pattern of syncretism that resulted in the loss of orthodox Christianity in some corners of the Christian church. Dr. Sproul argued that the church must embrace antithesis. The truth of Christianity cannot be synthesized; it is radical and the church must declare the unvarnished word of God.

The second problem, according to Dr. Sproul, is the loss of the essential gospel message. He points to a number of different manifestations of this. The first is the lordship salvation controversy that erupted in the 1980’s. He identified this dispute as an intramural debate within dispensational theology but said that what was disturbing was that any evangelical would argue that it was possible for one to embrace Jesus as Savior but not Lord; Dr. Sproul pointed to this as evidence that the gospel itself was under attack. He then pointed to the recent agreement know as “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” Dr. Sproul pointed out that while no essential doctrinal gospel agreement exists between evangelicals and Catholics, a number of prominent evangelicals signed this document which claims that there is in fact essential agreement. Dr. Sproul sees this false unity as a degradation of the gospel. Finally he argued that in recent times a number of evangelicals have sought to improve the gospel by claiming that God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our life or by arguing that the gospel is given to give us purpose that with drive us. According to Dr. Sproul this shows that the gospel itself has been lost to much of evangelicalism.

Dr. Sproul gave two recommendations. He said that we must remember that the gospel has definite objective content. The gospel is about Jesus: who He is, what He has done and how His work is appropriated to sinners (grace alone, faith alone). He concluded by reminding us that if we seek to please men we are no longer a servant of Christ and that we cannot improve the gospel.

After a break for dinner we returned to listen to Dr. Albert Mohler. He looked at the numerous cultural force that press in on the church and, if not rejected, adjust the gospel message. Dr. Mohler identified 8 different trajectories that can produce theological disaster.

Modern trajectory - in this it is argued that what is presented in Scripture does not fit with what we know in the modern world. Those who embrace this believe that the church must demythologize itself if it is to be successful in this world. The modern mind thinks in terms of true and false and so must find a way to embrace Scripture without embracing what the believe to be untrue, such as the miracles of Jesus.
Postmodern trajectory - the postmodern mind argues that truth doesn't matter and that truth can be whatever you want it to be. They see doctrine as relevant for a community but not absolute.
Moral trajectory - those in this category believe that since the morality of the Bible does not fit our modern ethic that it must be abandoned. To the moral mind things like hell, depravity, wrath and judgment are untenable and must be rejected.
Aesthetic trajectory - these argue that many of the images in the Bible are ugly and must be rejected or modified (the cross is and example of ugly truth). Dr. Mohler argued that because of the fall man has lost the ability to truly understand what is beautiful and more often than not settles for what is pretty or gaudy. Thus much of Scripture does not measure up to their aesthetic ethic and is rejected.
Therapeutic trajectory - those who embrace therapy redefine sin as sickness and believe man needs treatment not redemption. For those one the therapeutic trajectory the Bible is turned into a self help manual.
Pragmatic trajectory - the pragmatic theologian judges doctrine by what works.
Emotional trajectory - there are many who judge doctrine on the emotional satisfaction it gives. Thus only those parts of Scripture that are emotionally uplifting are preached while those doctrines that might be deemed negative are ignored.
Materialist trajectory - this system uses Scripture and doctrine as a guidebook for achieving material fulfillment.

With all of these trajectories it would be easy to point to extreme examples, but Dr. Mohler warned that over time it is possible for all of us to experience "theological fatigue" (growing weary at having to preach the same truth over and over again with seemingly no affect) or simple embarrassment. One experiencing fatigue or embarrassment might give in to these trajectories. Dr. Mohler concluded by reminding us that it is not our task to convince the secular world of the reliability of the gospel, we are commanded to simply preach the word.

T4G Day One, Part One

2010-04-13T17:47:00.002-05:00

Here is the first of my promised T4G updates. After I registered, which took awhile since there are 7,000 attendees, I visited what could be called Shangri la (the bookstore). It takes up about 10,000 sq. ft. and the selection is unbelievable. I am currently trying to convince Aubrey that we don’t need groceries for the next two months.

Ligon Duncan opened the conference by telling us that here God speaks first and he then read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33. He summarized the reading by telling us that Paul was not great, God is great and that Paul was not glorious, Christ is glorious.

CJ Mahaney then led us in prayer. Before he prayed he asked us to pray. He asked us to thank God for the many volunteers, to pray for our families that had sacrificed to let us attend and finally he asked us to cast all our cares on Christ so we could fully appreciate what God would reveal to us over the course of this conference.

Al Mohler then welcomed us to the conference by emphasizing that it is the gospel that unites us together.

Then we sang. It was unbelievable. I cannot begin to explain the power of 7,000 Christians praising God together; certainly it was a small taste of heaven.

The first speaker was Mark Dever, the pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Christ and the founder of Nine Marks Ministry. His talk was entitled “The Church is the Gospel Made Visible” and was based on Ephesians 3:10. He started by asking the question, how does your church make the gospel visible? Or to phrase it differently, what kind of gospel does your church make visible? His point was that Jesus’ evangelism plan is the local church because the church is the proof of the gospel. He went on to say that the gospel we proclaim must also be displayed in our life together. Dever then gave four ways that the gospel needs to be manifested in our church.

1. Our lives need to reflect God’s nature and character. He emphasized three specific aspects of God’s nature that the church needs to display:

• Holiness – we are sinners but we must make it clear that we are “repenting sinners.”
• Love – we must inconvenience ourselves for the glory of God and the good of others.
• Authority – he explained how authority is life giving and that elders need to exercise godly authority and that those under authority must submit out of godliness.

2. Our lives need to reflect the truth about human beings created in the image of God:

• Because all mankind was created in the image of God we must break down natural barriers (race, age, etc.)
• But we must also not minimize the reality of human depravity. He made one point here that I believe is particularly important, he said we need to interact with one another as sinners. What this means is that we need to learn how to confess our sins to one another and we must learn to lovingly forgive.

3. Since we are the body of Christ and His temple we must manifest Christ in all that we do. He gave some specific ways in which to do this:

• Christ must be at the center – we are called to be His witnesses.
• We must extend grace since grace has been extended to us.

4. To manifest the gospel we must be people of repentance and faith.

• The church is not a club for the righteous.
• Since our Christian life is personal but not private we must live selflessly and in loving unity. The gospel is more visible in our togetherness.
• We must hold out the promises of God to one another.

His bottom line was that the cross is just an abstract idea if we don’t live the gospel.

After tonight’s sessions I will summarize the talks given by R.C. Sproul and Albert Mohler.

Lectures to His Students

2010-04-12T18:24:00.003-05:00

This morning I left home and traveled to Louisville, KY to attend the Together for the Gospel conference. The theme for this year’s conference is “The Unadjusted Gospel.” The sessions begin tomorrow morning and it is my goal to post some highlights here on my blog.

I will begin with highlights from my flights to Louisville (I had to fly from San Antonio to Baltimore in order to go back to Louisville). On the flights and in the airports I read Charles Spurgeon’s “Lectures to His Student’s.” Spurgeon’s primary audience was his divinity students, but there are a number of wonderful nuggets of truth that I want to share because I think they can benefit a much broader audience since all believers are ultimatley set apart to proclaim the gospel of Christ.

"Those who praise us are probably as much mistaken as those who abuse us, and the one may be regarded as a set off to the other, if indeed it be worth while taking any account at all of man's judgment. If we have the approbation of our God, certified by a placid conscience, we can afford to be indifferent to the opinions of our fellow men, whether they commend or condemn. If we cannot reach this point we are babes and not men."

"The minister who does not earnestly pray over his work must surely be a vain and conceited man. He acts as if he thought himself sufficient of himself, and therefore needed not appeal to God."

"We dare not flatter our hearers, but we must continue to tell them that they are born sinners, and must be born saints, or they will never see the face of God with acceptance."

"Standing as we do in a position which makes us choice targets for the devil and his allies, our best course is to defend our innocence by our silence and leave our reputation with God."

"The fair maid of truth does not paint her cheeks and tire her head like Jezebel, following every new philosophic fashion; she is content with her own native beauty, and her aspect is in the main the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Facebook Phenomenon

2010-04-09T12:20:00.005-05:00

I am relatively new to the world of Facebook. For a number of years I hesitated joining because I was not sure that it offered the best means of communication. Not long ago I joined ranks and have enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and maintaining greater contact with those who are currently a part of my life. While there is much to be appreciated about Facebook I have learned that my initial concerns were valid. There is potential danger inherent in the communication produced by these social network users. These dangers are revealed in two particular types of status updates; they are what I call the vague or mysterious status and the “message” status.

I am sure you know what I am talking about. After reading the vague status you come away knowing less than you did before reading it. This type of status suggests a dire circumstance or a life changing event. Usually the reality is far less significant. The mysteriousness of this type of status can produce unnecessary speculation or apathy – neither is healthy in communication. The other type of status is far more nefarious; I am talking about the “message” status. These updates are designed to deliver a message (usually negative) to a person or group and yet neither is identified. This type of status generally portrays the unidentified individual or group as despicable, ignorant and worthy of scorn. These status updates also have the power to leave one wondering whether or not they are in fact the object of derision. These status updates are relatively common and have the power of hampering fellowship, destroying trust and generating antagonism.

When contemplating our use of social networks such as Facebook, I believe that there are four important biblical principles that ought to guide not only the things we post but the way we handle the frustrations that produce such posts.

1. We are called to be people of integrity and our words must be measured and true.

Matthew 5:37 “But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.”

2. If the issue is sin, Scripture directs us to deal with it directly and discreetly.

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won a brother.”

3. As we seek to live together in Christian community many times we must silently and joyfully bear with one another.

1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

4. Sometimes silence is better than words.

Proverbs 11:13 “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.”

Proverbs 12:18 “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Bizarro Church

2010-04-09T09:35:00.000-05:00

Throughout Scripture we find that those weighed down by sin are shown overwhelming grace while the self-righteous and unremorseful sinful brethren are forcefully rebuked. Yet in our churches it is not uncommon to see sinners rejected (after all they might corrupt us and our children) and self-righteousness celebrated – is it possible that we’ve gotten things backwards?

The Spirit Helps our Weakness

2010-02-15T08:57:00.002-06:00

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

This passage was part of a study I just completed and its truth resonates and comforts. Here is what it teaches:

We are weak and don’t know how to pray. I believe that every Christian can relate to this. In fact I don’t think that it is an exaggeration to say that in most instances we don’t know how to pray. We may know what we would like to see happen or we may think we know what is best, but when it comes down to it we are limited in our knowledge and shortsighted in our perspective. This weakness can, and often does, result in frustration and apathy. We know that we don’t know what to pray and so we don’t pray at all or we pray reluctantly, constantly hedging our bets. This in turn only reemphasizes the fact that we are weak and don’t know how to pray. That was the part of the verse that resonates—here is where it comforts.
The Spirit intercedes for us and His intercession is far more passionate than our own. We are told in vs. 26 that the Spirit intercedes for us and His groanings are too deep for words. This reveals to us that the Spirit of God passionately intercedes for the people of God. The Spirit of God was sent to be, among other things, our helper and our comforter. There is no depth of despair or frustration that we experience that He does not know. And because of His perfect knowledge of all circumstances and His abiding love for us, He goes before us to the throne of grace and intercedes on our behalf. We are assured by this verse that this is not half hearted intercession but rather it is intense and ardent. On its own this is certainly a nice sentiment and a great comfort, but the story gets even better.
He intercedes for us according to the will of God. In verse 27 we are introduced to another; one who searches the hearts (the hearts of believers) and knows the mind of the Spirit. This is Christ. It is by His righteousness that we are allowed to approach the throne of grace and He is the one who directly intercede on our behalf (Romans 8:34). We are told that He knows our heart and he knows the mind of the Spirit. This means that He understands not only our desires but He also understands our weakness and inability to pray as we should. But He also knows the mind of the Spirit who intercedes for us. The Spirit certainly knows what ought to be prayed and when He intercedes for us He prays what should be prayed. The outcome of this dual intercession is remarkable and it is revealed at the end of verse 27. Our prayers, offered in weakness and ignorance, are brought to God, through the ministry of the Son and the Spirit, in accordance with the will of the Father.

I think that it is safe to say that every Christian, when they pray, wants to pray according to God’s will. But the trouble is that we aren’t always able to know God’s will in the specific circumstances that we face. How then do we pray in accordance to the will of God? We pray. And when we pray we pray knowing that the prayers offered by us in weakness and ignorance are brought to the throne of grace by the Spirit of God in accordance with God’s will.

Currently Reading

2010-02-13T09:44:00.005-06:00

Pro-Choice?

2010-01-27T14:40:00.003-06:00

I hope that the controversy surrounding the pro-life commercial to be aired during the Super Bowl will finally provide us with some linguistic clarity. The "pro-choice" crowed is incensed that CBS is allowing the story of someone who chose life to be aired. If it is not already clear this should leave no doubt about the fact that they are not pro-choice, they are pro-death.

Currently Reading

2010-01-24T13:16:00.005-06:00

The Gospel

2009-12-10T07:54:00.001-06:00

When will we learn that the gospel is enough?

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20091128/NEWS/911279977/1005?Title=Church-sermons-include-time-place-for-congregants-to-get-tattoos

The Church

2009-12-08T16:46:00.002-06:00

Here are parts 3 and 4 of Michael Horton's series on the church.

http://www.whitehorseinn.org/archives/231.html
http://www.whitehorseinn.org/archives/260.html

Church Membership

2009-11-17T08:51:00.001-06:00

Here is part 2 of Michael Horton's series on evangelicalism.

http://www.whitehorseinn.org/archives/216.html

Common

2009-11-09T17:02:00.004-06:00

If you don't read Michael Horton, you should. He is currently a professor of theology at Westminster Seminary in California. He is a profound thinker, an excellent theologian and seems to enjoy all that life has to offer. What I appreciate most about him is that he is a theologian to and for the church; everything he writes is intended for the edification and growth of the church. He understands that theology is not an academic exercise; it is the examination of a beautiful and divine drama. He has just started a four part series in which he looks at some of the common misconceptions people have about the church. Here is the first; I will post the rest as they become available.

http://www.whitehorseinn.org/archives/203.html

The Glory of God

2009-10-27T18:36:00.000-05:00

While preparing for my Reformation Day message I came across a quote by Calvin that could serve as necessary corrective to the narcissism prevalent in the church today. Calvin said:

“It is not very sound theology to confine a man’s thoughts so much to himself, and not to set before him, as the prime motive of his existence, zeal to show forth the glory of God. For we are born first of all for God, and not for ourselves.”

Indicatives and Imperatives

2009-10-19T11:33:00.001-05:00

In communication, we distinguish between indicatives and imperatives. Indicatives are statements of fact; describing what is. Imperatives are commands; describing what must be done. The gospel is an indicative; it reveals the historical fact of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection and it reveals God’s purpose in Christ; saving the elect from their sin through no work of their own. The gospel could not be clearer in its insistence that we are saved by grace apart from works. There is nothing we must do in order to be saved; even faith is a gift from God. But along with the indicative of the gospel, the New Testament contains a number of imperatives that reveal how Christians must live. A critical question is this – How do the New Testament imperatives fit together with the indicative of the gospel? Are we saved by grace and sustained by works? In answering this question we must be careful to rightly consider and apply these New Testament imperatives. Failure to do this will result in a gospel of salvation by grace, sustained by works and the church will be guilty of an ecclesiastical bait and switch; drawing people with a message of grace that then becomes a list of works that must be done to sustain grace. I believe that we must see that the imperatives of the New Testament are in reality “gospel imperatives.” They reveal to the church the fullness of the gospel’s transformative power. They declare to us what we are in Christ and explain what He is making us. The imperatives of the New Testament are a part of the gospel of grace. We obey because of Christ and we do good works because God has prepared them for us that we might walk in them. Certainly Christians must be concerned about growing in maturity, putting away sin and embracing righteousness. But how is this to be done? Do we need a steady diet of imperative preaching? I believe that the answer is no! What we need is more of the gospel – the indicative message of what God has done in Christ Jesus. We are not made holy by dedicating ourselves to holiness but by being immersed and transformed by the gospel. The new life we have in Christ does not come naturally to us; we are like an inmate leaving prison after a lengthy confinement finding it hard to assimilate to life on the outside. The gospel imperatives reveal to us the new life the gospel is producing within us. I believe that the best illustration of this is found in Romans 7:14-8:8:4.

In 7:15 Paul laments his condition:

“For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

Paul was apparently not very good at obeying the imperatives of the New Testament. He had been saved by grace but he was not very good at obeying God’s commands; does this sound familiar? What if Paul found himself in the modern American church; how would his lament be addressed? I imagine that he would be told the steps he needed to follow in order to have his best life. He would be told to pray more, fast more, meditate more and get an accountability partner. He would be told to find his purpose and get serious about his quiet time. In short, he would be given more imperatives – new laws. Is law the answer to our inability to obey? No! The answer to our failure to obey the law is the gospel. The gospel is not something Christians grow out of, it is the warp and woof of our very existence. When we go back to Romans we see that Paul provides the answer to his own dilemma, in 8:1-4 he says:

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

In response to his lamentable condition Paul does not look for a better strategy of obedience. He instead returns to the gospel. What then is the answer to our rebellion and inability to put away the sin that so easily entangles us? It is the gospel! Our problem is that we have underestimated the power of the gospel and overestimated our own ability to obey.

Sin

2009-10-13T19:36:00.003-05:00

"The whole world consists of two classes, different in many things from each other but alike in this, that both are obliged to labour all their days: they are those who serve sin, and those who fight against it. Both experience pain and weariness; sin is a hard master, and a formidable foe. If you do its bidding, you are a miserable drudge; if you war against it, you will receive many wounds in the conflict. It would be hard to tell whether of the two is the more wearied-the carnal who obeys the flesh, or the spiritual who crucifies it. Both are compelled to labour. Both are weary: the one is weary by sinning, and the other weary of sin. One of these strifes will soon be over: the other will never cease. If sin be your antagonist, there will soon be peace; for if sin cannot be taken wholly away from you, you will ere long be taken away from sin. But if sin be, and till death abide, your master, there is no deliverance from the yoke."

William Arnot

Kingdom or Church?

2009-09-29T09:52:00.003-05:00

"'My passion isn't to build up my church. My passion is for God's Kingdom.' Ever heard someone say that? I have. It sounds large-hearted, but it's wrong. It can even be destructive. Suppose I said, 'My passion isn't to build up my marriage. My passion is for Marriage. I want the institution of Marriage to be revered again. I'll work for that. I'll pray for that. I'll sacrifice for that. But don't expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani. I'm aiming at something grander.' If I said that, would you think, 'Wow, Ray is so committed'? Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind? If you care about the Kingdom, be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church. Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, participate in your church every Sunday with wholehearted passion.We build great churches the same way we build great marriages -- real commitment that makes a positive difference every day."

Ray Ortlund

Christian Christianity

2009-05-13T12:29:00.001-05:00

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the role of Christians (as individuals and united as the church) in society – this is a difficult and multifaceted issue that certainly cannot be adequately addressed in this format; but as I was catching up on the news this morning a couple of things struck me. To clarify, let me begin by saying that I am not thinking of one particular news story or incident; I am looking at the big picture. Next, in referring to the news I am talking specifically about the news that relates to the government and politics. My basic premise (which is not at all unique or insightful) is that our government as a whole is criminal, immoral and lacks civility. I don’t deny that there are a few that do not fit this generalization but I believe they are the exception not the rule. By the way, this is not limited to one party or ideology; it is true of every party and branch of government and can be found in every sector. I think it is also important to state that I am not arguing for or advocating a “Christian” America (Christian nations are unobtainable and unbiblical – the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent will always be in conflict). In fact this is not even a political discussion. What I am concerned about is the church. I don’t want a Christian America, what I hope for is a Christian Christianity. The decline of our nation was certainly foreseeable – I am sure that most of us are familiar with this quote by John Adams:

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

— John Adams, October 11, 1798

Those things that Adams claimed would break the strongest cords of the Constitution, avarice, ambition, revenge and gallantry, are certainly the rule of the day and they continue unchecked. Why? I believe that it is time for the church to take some responsibility for the decline. Moral people are not produced by a government agency – they are sinners remade by the justifying grace of God. But the gospel proclaimed by the church today is one that deals lightly with sin – it is even increasingly difficult to find morality in our churches. No longer are we told of the wrath of God against sinners. In fact our rebellion against God and His anger at our rebellion is generally not even put forth as our greatest problem, producing our greatest need. Churches have replaced the message of the gospel (man’s sin, God’s wrath, Christ’s death) with messages that are “relevant.” People listening to these sermons believe that their greatest needs are practical needs – the need to learn how to be better parents, a better spouse or better employees – some churches have even preached that what they needed was really a better sex life. In trying to be practical churches have made themselves irrelevant. What is needed is a Christian Christianity, where Christ and His gospel once again take their rightful place. John Piper says it well – “I do not aim to be immediately practical but eternally helpful.” We will do the greatest good in society when we stop taking the world’s concerns and wrapping them in Christian garb and start telling the world about its greatest problem – God is angry with sinners and He sent His Son as Savior. I know that I have not even begun to address the specific questions about Christians and their role in society – but this is a start; we must begin by recovering and proclaiming the gospel of Christ.

Good Works

2009-05-08T10:24:00.003-05:00

"In all ages this irreligious affection of religion, because it is rooted in man's nature, has manifested itself and still manifests itself; for men always delight in contriving some way of acquiring righteousness apart from God's Word. Hence, among what are commonly considered good works the commandments of the law are accorded too narrow a place, while that innumerable throng of human precepts occupies almost the whole space."

John Calvin

Covenant and Eschatology

2008-12-23T14:43:00.003-06:00

"The biblical story does not simply illumine our existence: it throws our whole existence into turmoil. It does not merely answer our questions: it reveals the banality of our questions and gives us new questions that set us on a path to profound discovery. It is not supplemental, but subversive. Thus, the goal is not to relate the Bible to our experience (which is really to say, judge the Bible by our experience), but vice versa. We must set out to make our lives relevant to the biblical story, not the biblical story to our lives." Michael Horton

Relevance

2008-11-12T11:01:00.001-06:00

“The purpose of too many evangelical churches has fallen from one of glorifying God simply to growing larger, assuming that that goal, however achieved, must glorify God. One problem, theologically and even practically, with such a lowering of our vision is the self-defeating pragmatism that results:

‘If the aim of the church is to grow, the way to do it is to make people feel good. And when people discover that there are other ways to feel good, they leave the church they no longer need. The relevant church is sowing the seeds of its own irrelevance, and losing its identity to boot.’”

Mark Dever - Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

Currently Reading

2008-11-07T10:19:00.004-06:00

God Bless Barak Obama

2008-11-05T11:33:00.002-06:00

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 we are told to pray for all men, and in particular we are told to pray for those who are in authority over us (this would include kings, presidents, senators, etc).

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

These verses are always relevant, but given the results of last nights election, results that will disappoint many within the evangelical community, these verses are particularly pertinent for us today. Before looking at the message of these verses it is important to begin by reflecting on another biblical truth that will help us understand the application of this particular passage; this truth is summed up in 2 Timothy 3:12:

“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

This is an absolute. The desire to live a godly life will result in persecution. There is nothing in Scripture that leads us to believe that this will change until the return of Jesus Christ. Christians ought to expect the world to reject God’s Word and His people. So how does that apply to 1 Timothy 2:1-4?

It would be easy to read the first part of verse 2, (pray) “for kings and all who are in authority,” and assume that the remainder of the verse, “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity,” is conditioned upon how God answers the prayers we make on behalf of those in authority. The reasoning is as follows: if God favorably answers the prayer I am offering for my leader and that leader legislates in a way that encourages godliness, then I will be able to lead a quite and tranquil life. On the one hand I don’t believe that is the message Paul is trying to convey, and on the other hand I don’t believe that reasoning is consistent with the fact that we are aliens and strangers who ought to expect persecution for the sake of righteousness. So what is Paul teaching?

We must intercede on behalf of all men, even kings and those who are in authority. We must thank God for them as well as petition God on their behalf. These are not prayers that are offered in the hopes of receiving something, but rather they are made with the hope that God will save those for whom we are praying (2:4). We as the people of God must intercede on behalf of the world for the sake of the world. Remember, this is the same world that will persecute us for our desire to live a godly life. So Paul is not saying that we are to pray because of the benefit we will receive, a tranquil and quiet life, but rather that we are to pray for the world because they stand condemned before the judgment seat of a holy God.

When we pray for the world and those who are in authority, God will grant to us a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. The outcome promised is not conditioned upon the action of those we are praying for; God may not grant them repentance and they may continue persecuting the people of God. But as we pray for them God will be at work in us, transforming us in the image of Christ. God causes us to grow in godliness despite the conditions in the world that might war against us. Our living in tranquility and growth in godliness are the outcome of our obedience to Christ. Our obedience is the result of the grace of God, it is not based upon our own fortitude and desire.

Let me conclude by applying this to our current situation. We must pray for president elect Barak Obama. We must thank God for him and petition God on his behalf. We must pray that he comes to a knowledge of the Truth. He may govern well or he may enact policies that are antithetical to God’s truth. What he does as the President of the United States does not determine our lot in life, the progress of the gospel or the growth of the church. As people of prayer, God will grant us peace and tranquility, even if it is achieved in the midst of persecution. In praying for Barak Obama, God will grant us godliness and dignity. This is not conditioned on his policies but upon God’s grace who gives to His church every good and perfect gift. Presidents come and go but the Word of God and His church will endure forever.

Sin

2008-11-04T12:25:00.003-06:00

"Without a serious recognition of original sin we can easily become passive pawns in the game of dictators and democrats alike. It is the doctrine of human perfectability that has brought tyrants to the world stage with the worshipful applause of the masses, but biblical teaching awakens us from our moralistic slumbers, identifying God as the only reliable object of our faith."

G.K. Chesterton

Church Membership

2008-09-11T08:16:00.003-05:00

"The Christian life must be lived through the local Church because that's what Christ has made us--members of His body. To claim that I belong to the church without belonging to a church is equivalent to claiming that I have been granted Christ's righteousness without seeking to put on that righteousness in ethical living. The imperative necessarily follows the indicative. We're called to the authority and discipline of a local church because we have submitted to the authority and discipline of Christ (e.g., Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5; Heb. 13:17). Indeed, to say that Christians should belong to a local church merely because it's advantageous to living the Christian life misses the point that the church body is now part and parcel of a Christian's very identity. An adopted son attends the family dinner table with his new brothers and sisters not just because it's good for him, but because that's what he is--a member of the family."

Jonathan Leeman-9 Marks Ministry

Deacons

2008-09-10T10:09:00.003-05:00

Next Sunday morning at Covenant of Grace we will be receiving deacon nominations in anticipation of calling and ordaining our first deacons. This post is in anticipation of that exciting event.

God is a God of order and purpose. This is not a remarkable statement; the evidence for this is clearly revealed in creation (Rom. 1:19, 20). His design and purpose is not limited to the act of creation; it permeates every facet of human life from government to family. As a part of God’s design He has provided order for His church. God’s design for the church, when obeyed, effectively provides for both the spiritual and physical nurture of the body. Today I want to look at the way in which God provides for the physical needs of His people through the office of deacon. Certainly we must all look for opportunities to care for one another but God has also established this particular office to ensure that the practical needs of the body of Christ are being met. Today I will look at the establishment of the office and I will consider the kind of men that are equipped and called to this glorious mission.

The office of deacon rose up out of practical necessity; the church was growing both in number and diversity. The gospel was spreading and people from every tribe, tongue and nation were being united together by faith. As all of this was occurring it became evident that someone needed to ensure that those who had physical needs were being cared for. The particular problem facing the church was that the native Hebrew widows were receiving provisions while the Hellenistic Jews (those who had adopted the Greek language and culture) were not (Acts 6:1). We are not told why this oversight occurred only that it did. We also know that caring for widows ought to be seen as highest priority within the church (1 Timothy 5; James 1:27). The apostles respond to this situation by affirming the responsibility of the church to care for these widows. But they also taught the congregation that they themselves needed to be about the business of preaching and prayer not serving tables (Acts 6:2, 4). The apostles then managed this situation by instituting the office of deacon (Acts 6:3). It is true that the term deacon is not used in this context but the word deacon, “diakonos,” means servant and service is clearly what is being discussed. What kind of man was qualified for and appointed to this duty? What kind of man should we look for today as we seek to appoint deacons?

Members of the body (Acts 6:3) – as the body of Christ, the church needs to care for one another. We should not expect someone else to care for the members of the body in need nor should we farm this responsibility out. It is the body that needs to care for the body.

Men of good reputation (Acts 6:3) – there are a number of ways this could be understood, but lets just consider a few. These are men who are respectable, upright and just. I also think this means that they have to have a good track record of caring for the needs of the body. They need to be men who are clearly interested in serving their fellow believers.

Full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3) – obviously this indicates that they need to be Christians. But is goes farther than that, they are not to be novices to the faith nor lacking understanding. They are men of spiritual maturity and discernment.

Men of knowledge and understanding (Acts 6:7-7:53) – one of the deacons highlighted in Acts is Stephen. Stephen demonstrated a tremendous knowledge of the word of God. In fact, Acts 7 is a wonderful Old Testament survey. While the primary responsibility of deacons is to look after the physical needs of the body they must also be men who are accustomed to the word of truth.

Men who are committed to Christ and His kingdom (7:54-60) – ultimately Stephen gave his life for the cause of Christ. Deacons are men who are committed to Christ and commitment to Christ is clearly seen in commitment to His church.

May God grant to His church men of godliness and integrity, willing to serve the needs of the body for the glory of Christ and the good of His kingdom.

“The Courage to be Protestant” by David Wells

2008-09-09T10:41:00.002-05:00

I have always appreciated David Wells; he is a skilled theologian and an insightful observer of the society and church. His acumen is most clearly revealed in his four volume work, beginning with "No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology," chronicling the changing face of American evangelicalism. These books are insightful and one could argue that they have even proven to be prophetic. His newest book, “The Courage to be Protestant” lives up to his previous works and ought to be required reading for every Christian. He explains that it started as a summary of his previous four volumes, but took on a life of its own. It does indeed stand alone as a book that must be read.

The opening chapters are a survey of the historic development of the modern evangelical church. He begins by demonstrating how “classical evangelicalism” has faltered due to “two inherent weaknesses.” The first weakness he identifies is the church’s shrinking doctrine. He argues that the church is no longer defined by what it believes but by what it does. He states that Christianity has been “reduced simply to private, internal, therapeutic experience.” He also identifies a number of reasons for this, they include a desire for relevance, an adaptation to culture and finally simple pragmatism. He believes that this loss of doctrine has lead to a second weakness in classical evangelicalism, the loss of knowledge concerning what it means to be the church. The church, he insists, has been replaced by various para-church organizations that are targeted to reach the needs of religious customers.

He goes on to explain how the decline of classical evangelicalism has resulted in two divergent strands within evangelicalism: the marketers and the emergents. He believes these two groups are a consequence of and a reaction to declining evangelicalism. Both groups are seeking to fill the void left by classical evangelicalism. He does not believe that these represent good developments. Both groups only serve to further drive the evangelical church away from its biblical and historical roots.

The majority of the book is an analysis of these three divergent groups in light of five doctrinal themes: truth, God, self, Christ and the church. Wells seeks to explain how each of these streams of evangelicalism understands these five doctrinal themes. It would be far too difficult to summarize all of his arguments so instead I will close by highly recommending this book. It is not written as a lament but as a call for the church to strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble (Hebrews 12:12). I strongly encourage everyone to read this book. It will change the way you understand your calling as a member of the body of Christ.

Clearing things up

2008-09-05T13:02:00.002-05:00

I have had a couple of dear brothers express concern that I might be going too far in my analysis of Sarah Palin’s nomination; so out of respect for them and the wisdom they have provided let me make a few things clear: You need to know that these posts do not constitute the official church position of Covenant of Grace. I am also not trying to tell people how they need to vote—your conscience must be your guide (the principles of liberty and charity must be upheld). However I am trying to faithfully exercise my calling as a preacher and teacher of God's word (you won’t however hear me comment on the presidential election from the pulpit—that time is reserved for the exposition of Scripture). But as a preacher and teacher I believe that I have a duty to speak up and provide biblical answers to the questions of the day; Luther once said that if we do not speak to the issues facing us we are not being faithful. Sometimes I may say things that are unpopular and controversial – I am not trying to stir up dissension; I’m interested in the church being a light in this culture and that is going to require doing some hard work and asking some hard questions. And finally I understand that I may be wrong, you need to know that these posts are presented in humility and godly fear.

All of that brings me back around to the principle question I have been asked by these men; is this a biblical issue? I believe that it is. When I read Scripture I see that God has ordered society a certain way; this order was not coincidental, but a part of God’s design. I also see that our responsibility as Christians is to hold to this design and pass it on to future generations. There are a number of passages that I believe confirm this truth but let me just highlight one. Paul tells Titus:

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

This passage certainly seems to teach that God wants woman to be workers at home; loving and submitting to their own husband and loving their children. The consequence tied to this passage is profound; that the word of God will not be dishonored. I know that there are certain circumstances that require women to work outside the home and I do not believe that these women are sinning in doing so. But I don’t think that is the case with Sarah Palin – she is not doing this out of necessity but by choice. We have to admit that that the office of Vice President is both important and time consuming—I believe it is naive to assume that this won’t affect her ability mother her children.

My primary concern however is with the overwhelmingly enthusiastic evangelical response to her nomination. This seems to be an indication that we in the church don't understand or affirm this basic design and are drifting further and further from the biblical standard as articulated in passages such as Titus 2:3-5. Not only that we don’t seem to know that we are drifting. This is why I believe it is a biblical issue that is too important to be ignored. I understand that many are voting for McCain/Palin because of their desire to vote for a pro-life ticket that has a chance to win. But for me this brings up another issue (I’ve always been a bit inquisitive) isn’t there a deep seeded and unbreakable tie that exists between feminism and abortion? Isn't on demand abortion a consequnce of the feminist movement? To be clear I define feminism as a desire to move away from “traditional” standards. I would see these standards as the ones articulated in passages like Titus 2:3-5. Sarah Palin is a member of a feminist group (albeit a pro-life one) and has shown that she does not feel bound by “traditional” standards; that being the case is it possible to embrace (or even begrudgingly accept) feminism in order to affirm ones commitment to the pro-life movement? Is it possible that this position will eventually crumble under the weight of contradiction?

I firmly believe that it is possible for the church to actually change the world and put an end to the culture of death propagated through abortion, while at the same time affirming God’s design for the home. The great news is that it is something that cannot be deterred or influenced by those in political office. We simply must obey and wait. God will put an end to abortion—in fact one day He will make everything right.

Is Sarah Palin the next Deborah?

2008-09-04T11:07:00.002-05:00

Let me begin by affirming that God can and has put women into positions of highest public authority. However it seems to me that this fact of providence has clouded the judgment of many evangelicals regarding the nomination of Sarah Palin. A number of prominent evangelicals are raising their arms in triumph over her nomination. They seem to believe that she is the answer to all that ails America; she has been lauded as a tough-minded reformer, pro-family and even pro-Christian. Their logic seems to be:

God has appointed women to positions of highest authority in the past
The best (most like us) candidate in this years election is a woman
Therefore we have the responsibility of supporting this ticket so that she will be elected as the next vice president

I do not share their enthusiasm. We cannot control or even know God’s providential will; and it would be dangerous to presume anyone as God’s anointed. As I see it, my responsibility is not to try and divine God’s sovereign hand, but to vote according to the principles clearly articulated in Scripture. For the church this election, as far as I am concerned, is a referendum on sola scriptura. Will we as the people of God make our decision based solely upon God’s word or will we allow our pragmatic presumptions to win the day? God has given clear direction concerning the nature and responsibilities of men and women and how we fit together in the order of creation. He has the right as creator to override those basic distinctions but we do not – we must live before the face of God obeying what He has revealed. What has God revealed that is pertinent to the nomination of Sarah Palin? Today I will provide what I believe is an important fact that must be remembered when considering why God might put a woman in a position of national authority. Tomorrow I will articulate the two truths from Scripture that have led me to the conclusion that I cannot in good conscience vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. As an aside I want to make it clear that I will also not be voting for Barak Obama—as far as I’m concerned the issue of life trumps all other political considerations.

I believe we must recognize the fact that sometimes God put a woman in power as a sign of national decline or as an outright judgment. I believe the story of Deborah is actually an example this. She lived during the time of Judges, a time of great rebellion and ignorance. I don’t think we would consider this time a great representation of a godly nation or people. The story of Deborah is not just a story of God working through a great woman, but God working despite the cowardice and weakness of a man. Barak was called by Deborah to go out and fight on behalf of his people but he refused. Instead he indicatied that he would not go unless Deborah went with him. Deborah agrees but says to him:

“I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be your on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.”

I see great contempt in the words of Deborah. Here is this man refusing to go to battle on behalf of his people. God then magnifies his cowardice by allowing a woman to defeat the enemy of God’s people. Yes, Deborah was put in a position of power but I think we must recognize that all was not right in the world. We could rejoice in her great leadership but we should also lament that there were no men to stand up and fight for their nation.

I want to make it clear that I am not saying that if Sarah Palin is elected it is a sign of God’s judgment. I am saying that before we uncritically rejoice in her nomination we ought to at least wonder why God would divert from the order (we will look at this tomorrow) He established in creation. Could it be that we have reached the point as a nation where there are no men of character left to lead us?

Preliminary thoughts in anticipation of the upcoming election

2008-09-03T13:05:00.002-05:00

I have been asked by some parishioners to comment on the candidates running for election this year. In the past I have made it a rule not to delve into the political realm, but given the unprecedented nature of this year’s election I believe the church needs heralds not pundits (those willing to proclaim what is true not politically expedient). It is my plan to write some pointed assessments of the candidates in the coming days. But first I want to begin by laying a foundation. The following post contains 6 truths I believe to be biblically accurate and theologically necessary given the current political climate. Hopefully their relevance will be more clearly seen in the coming days.

1. We do not chose our leaders. God puts leaders into power according to His wishes (Proverbs 8:15; Daniel 2:21; 4:17)

2. Sometimes rulers are put in place for our good (Romans 13:3-4), and sometimes as judgment(1 Samuel 8:9-18)

3. God possesses a secret will (what he will accomplish) and a revealed will (what we are commanded to do)

4. We cannot predict or control the means God will use to fulfill His secret will (Genesis 50:19, 20; Deut. 29:29; Eph. 1:11)

5. There is no such thing as a lesser evil, only different manifestations of evil

6. Our decisions must be made in accordance with the revealed will of God (Matthew 4:4; Deut. 32:45-47; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

A Church Under Age

2008-08-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

Recently I’ve had a lot of questions about the Law of God. Questions such as: what is the relationship between the Old and New Testaments; how does the Law apply to us today; what is the relationship between Israel and the church? These questions are theologically essential because our answers to them will determine how we understand God’s providence, His work in history and His plan for the future. These questions are not just theologically significant but how we understand these issues will also motivate how we live as followers of Jesus Christ. In beginning to think about these questions it becomes clear that this is a tree with multiple branches requiring a great deal of thought, discussion and application. In the coming days it is my desire to investigate a number of these branches. I believe the best place to start is with the Westminster Confession of Faith’s description of the nation of Israel as “a church under age.” (XIX:III) This simple statement is exceedingly profound, biblically accurate, theologically significant and practically helpful.

This simple phrase helps us to see the Bible as a unit that reveals God’s plan for His people. It is not two books telling two different stories, but rather it is one story: a biography of God and His people. It tells of birth, growth and maturity. The nation of Israel encompasses the first part of the story – the people of God in their infancy. The infancy of the church is seen in the way God addressed and cared for them. The Old Testament could be said to be childlike (not childish) because in it God speaks to the people in stories, illustrations and pictures. Westminster says:

“God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament.”

Everything about the ceremony of the Old Testament was to serve as a picture or illustration of what was to be accomplished in Jesus Christ. The theological reality of substitutionary atonement (a truth that is difficult to explain to children) was revealed on the Day of Atonement by the sacrifice made in the holy of holies. The incarnation of Christ was pictured in the tabernacle the place where God came to earth to meet his people. Freedom from the bondage of sin was prefigured in the Egyptian slavery and Exodus. These examples could go on and on. The Old Testament is a picture book intended to teach the children of God (Israel) about his great work in anticipation for the maturity that would be experienced by those who received the Spirit of God and a law written on their heart.

This brings us back to the Law. The Law was intended for the immature (there is more that will need to be said about the Law in future posts so please don’t think this is the final word on the matter). Paul is clear in Galatians when he says:
“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
Children, because of their ignorance, need much greater supervision than those who have grown to maturity. One of the benefits of maturity is the understanding of how important it is to do what is right even if there is no law forbidding what is wrong. The same is true for the church under the headship of Christ; it has grown, by the grace of God, to maturity and so its relationship with the pictures and laws of an immature church has changed (Galatians 2:19).

If God’s providence permits we will investigate some of those changes in the days and weeks to come.

Slow Drift

2008-06-12T11:23:00.001-05:00

The book of Hebrews was written to a body of believers struggling to walk faithfully with Christ. Throughout the book, the writer of Hebrews (I don’t believe it was Paul) exhorts them to grow to maturity. Over the next few weeks I will examine a few of those commands. I think this is important because these commands are just as necessary and relevant for us as they were for them. The first of these exhortations is found in 2:1:

“For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

We must begin by asking, what is the reason for the command? In chapter one the writer began by explaining Christ’s superiority. He shows, first of all, that Christ is superior to the prophets and the angels. His superiority is seen principally by the fact that God revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ. Christ was not the messenger of God’s truth; He is God’s truth. To see Him is to see the Father. But the author does not stop there. He goes on to reveal that all things belong to Him. He is the creator and sustainer of all things and He is the redeemer and the ruler of all things. This is the reason for the exhortation in 2:1; Christ Himself is God and has revealed the Father to man, therefore the people of God must pay particular attention to the truth revealed in Him.

He then goes on to say that they must pay much closer attention to what they had heard. He is speaking to professed believers and he is commanding greater faithfulness and diligence. He indicates that they were already in fact paying attention to what they had heard, what they had heard was the word of God revealed in Christ and by Christ, but they needed to give greater heed. I believe that paying greater attention can be applied to us in two ways. First, it can simply mean that we need to study more. This can be in reference to the amount of study we are engaged in (I am obviously referring to our study of God’s word) or it can be in reference to the depth of our study; we may need to get more out of what we are studying.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Romans 11:33

Second it can mean that we need to work harder at applying the truth we have learned. The study of God’s word is not simply an academic exercise but rather it is covenantal: diligent study and application of the Word of God results in faithfulness.

The danger that awaits those who do not persist in paying closer attention is not immediate, visible, outright apostasy but a slow drift away from the truth. Imagine a fisherman that does not properly anchor his boat and returns the next morning to find his boat floating aimlessly, driven by the current. The writer of Hebrews is not making a judgment regarding the salvation of his readers; this drifting away from the truth could be evidence of an individual that never experienced regeneration or it could be that it is a believer that is simply not living in covenant faithfulness. The reality of the person’s condition is determined at a later time.

I believe much of what is done in the church today indicates that we are drifting. The consumerist, individualistic, therapeutic culture of America is the current that is steering the church because we are not sufficiently anchored to the word of truth revealed in Christ. What must be done? We must pay much closer attention to what we’ve heard and we need to hear much more of the word of Christ.

Suffering and Glory

2008-06-12T08:49:00.000-05:00

“No one would dream of seeking God in the disgrace, poverty, death and everything else that is shown to us in the suffering of Christ—nevertheless, God is there, hidden and yet revealed, for those who care to seek Him.”

Alister McGrath – “Luther’s Theology of the Cross”

Giving it a try

2008-06-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

Recently I read an article by John Piper in which he encouraged pastors to have a blog where they could write, teach, recommend and interact with their congregation. After much consideration I have decided to take his advice and start my own blog. Those of you who know me understand that I do this with much trepidation (I have never been a huge fan of blogs). I plan to use this blog to review books, share my thoughts on Scripture and the Christian life and to discuss God's truth with those who are interested in doing so. Please pray that God will use it as a useful tool in the life of Covenant of Grace church and that it will be to the glory of Christ and for the good of His Kingdom

To God be the Glory