I lost a friend this week. A friend who told everyone he knew about Jesus and many he didn't know too. He had a passion for sharing the Gospel with anyone who would listen. I just heard that the local secular school had a moment of silence in honor of this godly man. He touched the lives of many.
As a Christian, the loss hurts, but knowing the joy, the complete joy he is experiencing now is nothing short of Awesome. I look forward to that complete joy someday!
Peter, I will miss you but I will see you again!
Praise God you are with your Savior!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
1 Peter 5:6-11
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by you brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Well, I have been thinking again. Concern and discouragement often cause that to happen.
I was raised very Arminian. I now praise God for the Doctrines of Grace that through His word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I know to be true. Scripture is the picture of God reaching out to man, not the other way around! If it were not for His Amazing Grace, I shudder to think of the state of fallen man. Were it not for his Sovereign omnipotence, or his infinite wisdom, where would we be?
I used to be a die hard 1 or 2 point Calvinist. I could not see myself as totally deprived, there had to be some good in there somewhere! Unconditional election? Come on! There is no way God picks and chooses! I had, what I thought to be a very biblical understanding of these things. I look back now and see that what I had, was a very man based understanding of what man had created to make him feel more comfortable with who he thinks he is.
OK, OK, so what does this have to do with the above scripture?
Many people have different theology then I do. This difference in theology often makes me uncomfortable. I guess you could say that I allow a ''barrier'' to be built between myself and anyone who may think differently then I do. I think it is safe to assume that there are others like me! I also think that we can agree that this is not a proper response to our differences, especially considering these are fellow believers! We need to humble ourselves, cast our cares on Him because he cares! (v6-7) We need to be sober-minded and watchful in order avoid the schemes of the devil, we need to resist him and be firm in our faith! (v8-9)Take that wall down and live the Gospel!
There can be an is great danger here without the Gospel. Differences whether theological, personality, gender, or color can all tear apart. This cannot be allowed to happen in the church of God!
I don't know that I could call this suffering, as verse 10 states, it is certainly concern though!
We are his children, we are His church. We are here for His glory, let us live that way.
None of this is to say that I have perfect theology, perfection is unobtainable here on earth. You show me through scripture that I am wrong, I will change. I am saying I am human and I struggle, like we all do, with sin. I do indeed look forward to being restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established by my God through Christ! (v10)
To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Well, I have been thinking again. Concern and discouragement often cause that to happen.
I was raised very Arminian. I now praise God for the Doctrines of Grace that through His word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I know to be true. Scripture is the picture of God reaching out to man, not the other way around! If it were not for His Amazing Grace, I shudder to think of the state of fallen man. Were it not for his Sovereign omnipotence, or his infinite wisdom, where would we be?
I used to be a die hard 1 or 2 point Calvinist. I could not see myself as totally deprived, there had to be some good in there somewhere! Unconditional election? Come on! There is no way God picks and chooses! I had, what I thought to be a very biblical understanding of these things. I look back now and see that what I had, was a very man based understanding of what man had created to make him feel more comfortable with who he thinks he is.
OK, OK, so what does this have to do with the above scripture?
Many people have different theology then I do. This difference in theology often makes me uncomfortable. I guess you could say that I allow a ''barrier'' to be built between myself and anyone who may think differently then I do. I think it is safe to assume that there are others like me! I also think that we can agree that this is not a proper response to our differences, especially considering these are fellow believers! We need to humble ourselves, cast our cares on Him because he cares! (v6-7) We need to be sober-minded and watchful in order avoid the schemes of the devil, we need to resist him and be firm in our faith! (v8-9)Take that wall down and live the Gospel!
There can be an is great danger here without the Gospel. Differences whether theological, personality, gender, or color can all tear apart. This cannot be allowed to happen in the church of God!
I don't know that I could call this suffering, as verse 10 states, it is certainly concern though!
We are his children, we are His church. We are here for His glory, let us live that way.
None of this is to say that I have perfect theology, perfection is unobtainable here on earth. You show me through scripture that I am wrong, I will change. I am saying I am human and I struggle, like we all do, with sin. I do indeed look forward to being restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established by my God through Christ! (v10)
To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Lets Do Church
Part 1
I have been spending quite a bit of time lately thinking about how we do church. The worship. The offering. The Bible reading. The prayer. The songs. The evangelical outreach. We all have specific ways we like our church services to be run. You like traditional, you like contemporary, and you like a mix of both.
Why is it that we have these preferences? Are we not at church to commune with our God? Don't we go to church to glorify and magnify His name?
Seems to be lots of folks out there would prefer to glorify themselves. I want this or I want that. How about ''I want God. I am here for Him. I owe Him so much more then I could ever repay. I am here for my God, as much of him as he will allow, I am here for God.'' Everything else should pale.
Part 2
We are not needed by God to do his good works. There is no need for music playing softly in the background to convince sinners they need a savior. There is no need for ''every head bowed and every eye closed''. If God is going to save someone none of these things will help persuade them! It is not an eloquent delivery or a disarming smile. It is the Gospel.
I remember attending services as a young man where my emotions were played on. I remember making emotional decisions and promises that were not led by the Holy Spirit but by men, men who seemed to care a little too much about numbers and not enough about life altering decisions. It only takes a simple prayer, a secret look at the evangelist, the raise of a hand, or a quick jaunt down the Isle. Lifestyle afterwards? That matters little, see here, on this little card in the front of my dusty bible is the date the sinners prayer was prayed. It seems that there are many churches and Christian organizations out there who have these techniques down to a science.
All this stuff man thinks he has to do to get folks saved just gets in the way. God is sovereign. He chose each and every believer before the foundations of the world! (Eph. 1).
I can't find one instance in scripture where a musical prayer, or a raised hand was required for salvation. I don't remember Paul praying the sinners prayer and signing and dating a piece of paper for proof of salvation. What was (and is and always will be) needed? The Gospel, period.
Sorry about the rant folks. This is something I am passionate about. God can and does use these things to change peoples lives. They are not the means though. The Gospel is.
I have been spending quite a bit of time lately thinking about how we do church. The worship. The offering. The Bible reading. The prayer. The songs. The evangelical outreach. We all have specific ways we like our church services to be run. You like traditional, you like contemporary, and you like a mix of both.
Why is it that we have these preferences? Are we not at church to commune with our God? Don't we go to church to glorify and magnify His name?
Seems to be lots of folks out there would prefer to glorify themselves. I want this or I want that. How about ''I want God. I am here for Him. I owe Him so much more then I could ever repay. I am here for my God, as much of him as he will allow, I am here for God.'' Everything else should pale.
Part 2
We are not needed by God to do his good works. There is no need for music playing softly in the background to convince sinners they need a savior. There is no need for ''every head bowed and every eye closed''. If God is going to save someone none of these things will help persuade them! It is not an eloquent delivery or a disarming smile. It is the Gospel.
I remember attending services as a young man where my emotions were played on. I remember making emotional decisions and promises that were not led by the Holy Spirit but by men, men who seemed to care a little too much about numbers and not enough about life altering decisions. It only takes a simple prayer, a secret look at the evangelist, the raise of a hand, or a quick jaunt down the Isle. Lifestyle afterwards? That matters little, see here, on this little card in the front of my dusty bible is the date the sinners prayer was prayed. It seems that there are many churches and Christian organizations out there who have these techniques down to a science.
All this stuff man thinks he has to do to get folks saved just gets in the way. God is sovereign. He chose each and every believer before the foundations of the world! (Eph. 1).
I can't find one instance in scripture where a musical prayer, or a raised hand was required for salvation. I don't remember Paul praying the sinners prayer and signing and dating a piece of paper for proof of salvation. What was (and is and always will be) needed? The Gospel, period.
Sorry about the rant folks. This is something I am passionate about. God can and does use these things to change peoples lives. They are not the means though. The Gospel is.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Devout and Righteous
We spent some time last night in church reading scriptures about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will admit that I had a hard time paying attention, and was easily distracted. I few things did sink in though. These things were not what was taught but things that stuck in my mind as Luke was being read. Two names-Simion and Anna the prophetess. Simion was described as devout and righteous. These are terms, in today's American churches, reserved for pastors elders and the like, not common folk. Anna, is what would be referred to today as a freak. Luke 1:37 says that she ''...did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer day and night''.
Scripture is full of people like this. Men and women of whom this world is not worthy. Crazy folks who do not care what others think. The world looks at these people as being a few fries short of a happy meal. This is what real Christians are supposed to look like, never mind what the world or even those you attend church with might think.
Easy believeism will tell you all it takes is a prayer. Live however you want, you have your fire insurance! Easy believeism makes those folks who make fun of those who are devout and righteous.
These ''hero's'' of scripture were not easy believers. Theses were the bread and butter of what it means, what it looks like to be a real Christian. Remember, the gate is narrow and few there are that find it.
Make your calling and election sure. Examine yourselves. Let us be crazy freaks who are devout and righteous, because of all that God did for all of us who do not deserve anything other then the fires of hell.
Be Simion. Be Anna.
Scripture is full of people like this. Men and women of whom this world is not worthy. Crazy folks who do not care what others think. The world looks at these people as being a few fries short of a happy meal. This is what real Christians are supposed to look like, never mind what the world or even those you attend church with might think.
Easy believeism will tell you all it takes is a prayer. Live however you want, you have your fire insurance! Easy believeism makes those folks who make fun of those who are devout and righteous.
These ''hero's'' of scripture were not easy believers. Theses were the bread and butter of what it means, what it looks like to be a real Christian. Remember, the gate is narrow and few there are that find it.
Make your calling and election sure. Examine yourselves. Let us be crazy freaks who are devout and righteous, because of all that God did for all of us who do not deserve anything other then the fires of hell.
Be Simion. Be Anna.
Friday, November 26, 2010
When Tempted
[The Temptation of Jesus]
[4:1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
[7] Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” [8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” [10] Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
(Matthew 4:1-11 ESV)
I have a tendency to read this section of scripture and think to myself, "This is God being tempted here, how hard could it have been." God cannot be tempted, right? I tend to forget that this God who come to earth to destroy death and sin was also a man. I don't know about you but I have a hard time understanding what exactly the God\man is.
I am thankful (though not thankful enough) for what this God\man accomplished for me on the cross! I am thankful that He was tempted. I am thankful that He was victorious over sin, and temptation! I am thankful that He can relate to me!
[14] Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, [15] and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. [16] For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. [17] Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. [18] For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
(Hebrews 2:14-18 ESV)
[4:1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
[7] Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” [8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” [10] Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
(Matthew 4:1-11 ESV)
I have a tendency to read this section of scripture and think to myself, "This is God being tempted here, how hard could it have been." God cannot be tempted, right? I tend to forget that this God who come to earth to destroy death and sin was also a man. I don't know about you but I have a hard time understanding what exactly the God\man is.
I am thankful (though not thankful enough) for what this God\man accomplished for me on the cross! I am thankful that He was tempted. I am thankful that He was victorious over sin, and temptation! I am thankful that He can relate to me!
[14] Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, [15] and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. [16] For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. [17] Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. [18] For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
(Hebrews 2:14-18 ESV)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Very Word of God
Scripture. Breathed out by God so that we, men and women of God my be competent and equipped to do every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16.)
Scripture. Living, active, convicting, life altering, sharp, pointing, discerning. (Heb.4:12)
Scripture is God's very word to a world that is lost. It is the history of God reaching out to his people. It is the gospel, the good news that Jesus the God/man, lived, died, rose again to conquer sin and death!
Yet, we have a tendency to soften what it says. 1 Pet. 1:15b that we are to be holy in all of our conduct. I tend to think sometimes that I am OK in the area of holiness, especially when I use the world as a lens to interpret this scripture. When faced with a holy God who hates sin, my mind quickly turns to the wretch that I am!
How about Romans 13:14, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires". I don't know about you but sometimes I like to change that ''no provision" to ''a little provision is OK''. I know that is not what scripture says, I'm born again, how bad can a little provision be anyway!?
I have been singing to myself "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". I love that song just a little more then I hate it. "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love". That's me. Scripture comands me to be holy, to make no provision for the flesh. Fail, flee, hide.
Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."
We (I) need to pay closer attention to what scripture says and not so much to what the world says we (I) may or may not need.
Scripture. Living, active, convicting, life altering, sharp, pointing, discerning. (Heb.4:12)
Scripture is God's very word to a world that is lost. It is the history of God reaching out to his people. It is the gospel, the good news that Jesus the God/man, lived, died, rose again to conquer sin and death!
Yet, we have a tendency to soften what it says. 1 Pet. 1:15b that we are to be holy in all of our conduct. I tend to think sometimes that I am OK in the area of holiness, especially when I use the world as a lens to interpret this scripture. When faced with a holy God who hates sin, my mind quickly turns to the wretch that I am!
How about Romans 13:14, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires". I don't know about you but sometimes I like to change that ''no provision" to ''a little provision is OK''. I know that is not what scripture says, I'm born again, how bad can a little provision be anyway!?
I have been singing to myself "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing". I love that song just a little more then I hate it. "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love". That's me. Scripture comands me to be holy, to make no provision for the flesh. Fail, flee, hide.
Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."
We (I) need to pay closer attention to what scripture says and not so much to what the world says we (I) may or may not need.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Divine Parentheses
This morning as I was reading in Galations I was struck by a verse that is bookended by parentheses. "Odd.", I thought to myself. Usually, when I use parentheses, I use them to enclose an afterthought. I don't know if this is the proper use of them or not, I was never very good in English (just don't tell my son! (see, an afterthought)). I am not sure that the parentheses used here by Paul are an afterthought or not. I am sure that it does not matter because these parentheses are contained in the word of God and therefore, true.
I was very encouraged and excited once again to be spoken to by the word of God! Galations 2:8 says
(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles).
That same ''he'' is also working in modern day believers! That same ''he'' is working in you Christian! Let us live that way! I praise God for his triune ministry to us as believers, for He who has began a good work in us WILL complete it! (Phil. 1:6)
I was very encouraged and excited once again to be spoken to by the word of God! Galations 2:8 says
(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles).
That same ''he'' is also working in modern day believers! That same ''he'' is working in you Christian! Let us live that way! I praise God for his triune ministry to us as believers, for He who has began a good work in us WILL complete it! (Phil. 1:6)
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