Noah's Notes

My Bible Reading Plan for 2012

2012-01-06T08:30:00.002-06:00

Daily Bible reading is an essential discipline in the Christian life. Reading the Bible is equivalent to eating food and drinking water. To help me read systematically, I use Bible reading plans.

Over the years, I've used a dozen or so different Bible reading plans. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. Almost always, I fall into the trap of "I'm-reading-just-to-get-through-this" and it becomes nearly unprofitable (reading God's Word is never totally unprofitable, but it certainly doesn't take root in my life the way it should when I'm merely rushing through to make a reading goal).

This year, I'm using a different approach. My goal is to read through the Bible twice in 2012. That means reading 8 chapters a day. However, instead of being a slave to "8 chapters a day," I read as much as I can. I discipline myself to read at least 1 chapter. After that, I read as much as I can. Some days, I can read 12 chapters. Other days I get one chapter in. Most days, I'm somewhere in between (last night was 3 chapters). Whatever I do read, I refuse to feel guilty over what I don't read and rejoice in what I do read.

I am also using a new Bible, underling key or significant verses as I read. When I am done with my reading, I will journal my thoughts and reflections on the day's reading.

I started in Genesis and am currently in Exodus. But I don't feel like I must read through the Bible in canonical order. I will start at the beginning of a book and read it straight through. After being in the Old Testament for a while, I have no problem jumping to a New Testament book and reading it. Ultimately, I want to read every book of the Bible. The order I read them in is not all that important.

I hope you are reading your Bible daily and systematically. What plan are you using?

Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card from Frugal Dad

2011-11-15T11:41:00.002-06:00

Hey everybody, go to Frugal Dad to enter for a chance to win a $50 amazon gift card. While you're there, check out the excellent financial advice on the site. I've been encouraged and inspired to make better financial decisions through it.

Christianity and Liberalism: Chapter 1, Introduction

2011-06-02T13:50:00.003-05:00

I'm following along with Tim Challies' Reading Classics Together. We are reading J. Gresham Machen's oft quoted book Christianity and Liberalism. I've been wanting to read this book for some time. Challies' read-a-long is just the excuse I needed.

Light may seem at times to be an impertinent intruder, but it is always beneficial in the end. The type of religion which rejoices in the pious sound of traditional phrases, regardless of their meanings, or shrinks from "controversial" matters, will never stand amid the shocks of life. In the sphere of religion, as in other spheres, the things about which men are agreed are apt to be the things that are least worth holding; the really important things are the things about which men will fight.
~ J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism, pp. 1-2

While we as Christians shouldn't look to start fights, we must realize that our faith is worth fighting for. Not fighting in the take-up-our-swords-and-hack-our-enemies-to-pieces sense of fighting, but in the sense that the Christian faith (Biblical Christianity) is worth standing for, (literally) dying for, defending, and disputing over. Christians are to be marked by peace, but there can be no real peace if Christians role over and abandon the essential doctrines that make Christianity unique.

Machen's concern in his book is the compromise between Liberal Christianity and scientific naturalism. Liberal Christianity has abandoned Biblical truth in the name of peace with science. In very blunt terms, Machen says that Liberal Christianity isn't Biblical Christianity at all because it has jettisoned the essential core of Biblical Christianity in an effort to reconcile faith and science. Machen writes:

...the liberal attempt at reconciling Christianity with modern science has really relinquished everything distinctive of Christianity, so that what remains is in essentials only that some indefinite type of religious aspiration which was in the world before Christianity come upon the scene. In trying to remove from Christianity everything that could possibly be objected to in the name of science, in trying to bribe off the enemy by those concessions which the enemy most desires, the apologist has really abandoned what he started out to defend. Here as in many other departments of life it appears that the things that are sometimes thought to be hardest to defend are also the things most worth defending. ~p. 6

Biblical Christianity cannot be abandoned. We must remain faithful to the Truth of God's Word.

Review: Desiring God 25th Anniversary Edition

2011-02-28T11:11:00.002-06:00

I'm a bit of a fan boy when it comes to John Piper. I genuinely appreciate just about everything he does. I listen to his sermons, I attend his conferences, I watch his videos, and I read his books. I'm not a blind fan boy. I know he is a sinner. At times he seems inconsistent. I don't always track with him on every minor point of theology. But in the main, I find much I agree with him about. He is a mentor from a distance and for that, I am thankful for him.

When Multnomah made the paperback copy of the 25th Anniversary Revised Edition of Desiring God available, I asked for it. On a purely superficial level, this edition has my favorite cover artwork. From a more substantive level, this book is a real treasure. Of all the books I have read outside the Bible, I think this is the most formative and instructive for me. Piper's vision of Christian Hedonism, the pursuit of true joy and pleasure in God himself, is truly life changing. Piper in provocative language tells us what we should already know as Christians-- our greatest joy and happiness in the world comes only from God. Furthermore, that pursuit of pleasure in God is not bad but ultimately good and even necessary. Desiring God is a must read for every Christian.

Piper's preface is new. It is interesting to read his perspective 25 years after the book originally was published. The new paperback edition leaves out several appendices and a poem written by Piper to his wife that earlier editions have. The paper is cheap and not as nice as other editions.

What this edition does have however makes it an excellent resource. A discussion guide is included at the end of the book. This makes it a great book for use in small group studies, book clubs, or Sunday School classes.

Desiring God is a must read. I'm glad to recommend this revised edition to you.

Burroughs: Sin in the Wicked, Sin in the Saint

2011-01-28T11:15:00.003-06:00

In wicked and ungodly men, sin is with them as their nature, as poison is in a toad; but though the saints have sin in them, yet it is in them as their sickness, and they have a contrary nature besides their sinful nature. They have a sinful nature, but they are partakers of the divine nature, and that opposes the sinful nature as fire does water. The saints have that principle contrary to sin as fire is to water, and it is impossible but that principle within them must be consuming their sin and so purity them.

Jeremiah Burroughs in Hope, pg. 45

Burroughs: Gospel Hope

2011-01-21T17:09:00.000-06:00

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the cause of true lively hope in the hearts of the saints. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ form the dead, God has declared that He is fully satisfied for the sins of man, and that the work of redemption is fully wrought out; otherwise Christ must have been held by the prison of the grave forever. But when Jesus Christ is let out of the prison of the grave, and the bonds of death are taken from Him, this declares to men and angels that the work of redemption is perfect; it holds this out to the soul upon which faith is grounded and hope is raised.

Jeremiah Burroughs in Hope, page 26

A Christian View of Abortion

2011-01-20T17:30:00.001-06:00

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States, by a 7 to 2 vote, declared that abortion was a right granted by the constitution. Since that time, more than 50 million unborn children have been legally aborted (murdered). This does not include illegal abortions that are unreported. An estimated 1.5 million babies are murdered while in the womb each year. Women who have abortions cite three main reasons for having abortions: 1) having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; 2) they cannot afford a child; and 3) they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.[1]

Despite hand-wringing by politicians, cries for the mother’s health by activists, and the insistence of abortion’s legality by jurists, the question is very simple. Is it right or wrong to kill an innocent person? The unborn child is scientifically and biologically a person. And that unborn person has done nothing to warrant execution. He or she has committed no crime against society. In a morally sane society the answer should be obvious. Abortion is murder and killing unborn children is ethically wrong. As Christians, we recognize that murder is sin and that God alone has the prerogative to give life and take life. Murdering children (or anyone else) is always wrong and sinful. As Christians we should stand against the immoral, wicked, and ungodly practice of abortion.

Abortion is legalized murder. It is protected and preserved in our society by greed and selfishness. The abortion industry is a billion dollar a year industry. It is fueled by Satan’s hatred of God and his attempt to kill God in effigy by destroying the little ones created in God’s image.[2] Psalm 82:3-4 calls us to “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” The weakest, most oppressed, most needy, most in need of deliverance from the hands of the wicked in America today are the unborn. Let us work for their survival.

As Christians committed to life, we should pursue all legal avenues to eliminate abortion including voting, petitioning, and peacefully protesting. We should work to raise awareness of the realities of abortion by becoming educated ourselves and then talking with family, friends, and neighbors about abortion. We should support political candidates who are firmly committed to life and justice for the unborn. As Dr. R.C. Sproul has written, “If you care about the slaughter of the innocent, then for God’s sake, speak up. Speak to your family. Speak to your neighbor. Speak to your friend. Speak to your doctor. Speak to your minister. Speak to your congressman. Let your voice be heard in a chorus of protest. Yours is only one voice, but it is a voice. Use it.”[3] Promote a culture of life by supporting pro-life causes, adoption services, and agencies helping mothers and children in need like Peoria Rescue Ministries.

[1] Source: http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ accessed January 20, 2011.

[2] Randy Alcorn, ProLife Answers to ProChoice Argument, Multnomah Press, p. 295.

[3] R.C. Sproul, Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue, NavPress, p. 151.

A Review of "If God is Good" by Randy Alcorn

2011-01-07T14:46:00.002-06:00

Three traits make Randy Alcorn a helpful writer. First he is exhaustive. Second he is readable. Third he writes is a warm pastoral way. Like his previous book Heaven, If God is Good is exhaustive, readable and pastoral. This book may be the best book dealing with the very complex problem of Theodicy (the question of evil and suffering in relation to God's sovereignty) available to the lay-person. Unafraid to address skeptics' and critics' charges and questions, Alcorn lays out a Biblical explanation of suffering.

45 chapters are divided into 11 sections. This makes the book easily accessible for those who want to zero in on a particular question or topic. The Scripture and Topical Indexes are helpful in this regard as well.

One feature (perhaps as an appendix) I would have appreciated is some extended discussion on God's commands to wipe out the Canaanite inhabitants in Joshua.

Young and first time pastors my find the last section of the book, Living Meaningful in Suffering very helpful during counseling situations.

All in all, I highly recommend this excellent book.

Disclaimer: Multnomah provided a review copy to me free of charge.

Burroughs: Hope Higher

2011-01-02T07:00:00.003-06:00

The men of the world have their hopes. One man hopes to increase his estate and grow rich; he has a fair way of trading; he hope for a good voyage, and makes account that if such things return safely home, he must be thus enriched. Another hopes to get a good place; another hopes that upon the death of such a friend he shall get thus and thus. There are a great many hopes in the world, but "he who has this hope," says the apostle. The hopes of the saints are pitched higher than the hopes of the men of the world. They are raised up to high and glorious things, even to the appearing of Jesus Christ, to seeing Him as He is, and being made like unto Him-- he who has this hope.

Jeremiah Burroughs, Hope, page 4

Introducing Jeremiah Burroughs

2011-01-01T20:58:00.003-06:00

The Puritans have been my teachers for several years now. It was through the ministries of John Piper (from a distance) and my seminary president Charley Holmes (in the classroom) that I first became interested in the Puritans. But it was blogger Tony Reinke and his series The Puritan Study in 2006 that really fueled and guided my interest in the Puritans.

One Puritan was mentioned repeatedly as I perused Puritan works and read what others said about the Puritans- Jeremiah Burroughs.

Burroughs was one of the Westminster Divines- a member of the group that wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Longer and Shorter Catechisms. Even for a Baptist like me, the Westminster documents are breath taking. The depth, scope and weightiness of the Confess and two Catechisms cannot be overstated. I have turned to them over and over again over the last 5 years or so to help me think through the implications of doctrine in Christian living.

Burroughs was born in 1599 and faithfully served the Lord in England and Holland. He was known for his winsome and gentle spirit. Burroughs was not only a theologian capable of helping draft some of the most important theological documents in church history, he was a pastor. This makes him of great interest to me. He was no ivory tower thinker, detached from every day life. He was a deep thinker in the daily trenches of average life. He was Gospel rooted, theologically robust, deeply spiritual, and incredibly helpful.

I look forward to spending time learning from Mr. Burroughs this year. I intend to read at least twelve of his books, including the Gospel Life series. Each week I will post a quotation or two from my previous reading.

For more information about Burroughs, visit A Puritan's Mind.

10 Questions for a New Year (and my answers)

2011-01-01T12:41:00.002-06:00

Don Whitney has for quite some time been a helper and coach (through his books and web site) in my quest for Godliness. He offers 10 questions to begin the New Year. His questions are in bold and my answers are in italics.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
Read the Bible daily with the purpose of hearing from God and not merely to accomplish a reading goal or writing a sermon or lesson.

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
Give our church 5 young families.

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
Take time and energy to build my relationship with Sarah... to serve her more this year.

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
Family worship... Be more consistent with it.

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
Surfing the net and chasing down links to time wasters... I am going to stop.

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
By doing more personal evangelism.

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
Abigail

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?
Lose weight and exercise daily... While bodily exercise profits some (1 Timothy 4:8), I think it does make a significant impact on all areas of my life.

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
Use the Valley of Vision to help guide my prayer life.

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?
Disciple 3 guys. I'm working with 1... I hope to start discipling 2 more this year.

2010 Reading and Beyond

2010-12-31T22:55:00.003-06:00

Here is a list of the books I read from cover to cover in 2010. There were a number of other books started and not finished. I finished #50 today driving back from Arkansas (well, technically, Sarah was driving while I was reading).

Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington
Words from the Fire by R. Albert Mohler
Axiom by Bill Hybels
Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy
Twelve Challenges Churches Face by Mark Dever
God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts
Why we Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
The Most Loving Place in Town by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges
Stop Dating the Church by Joshua Harris
The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
The Basis of Unity by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World edited by C.J. Mahaney
A Sweet and Bitter Providence by John Piper
The Power of Words and the Wonder of God edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor
Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft
Christ's Words from the Cross by Charles H. Spurgeon
Raised with Christ by Adrian Warnock
What's So Great About the Doctrines of Grace by Richard D. Phillips
Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers by Graham A. Cole
Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper
Five Who Changed the World by Daniel L. Akin
What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
This Little Church Had None by Gary Gilley with Jay Wegter
C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership by Steve Miller
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus by D.A. Carson
Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Donald Whitney
Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger
Love That Lasts by Gary and Betsy Ricucci
Fear Not! Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective by Ligon Duncan
The Living Church by John Stott
Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
Church Planting is for Wimps by Mike McKinley
From the Resurrection to His Return: Living Faithfully in the Last Days by Don Carson
Tap: Defeating the Sins that Defeat You by Yancey Arrington
The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson
Marks of the Messenger by J. Mack Stiles
Towards Spiritual Maturity by William Still
Radical by David Platt
Think by John Piper
Teach them to Pray by Paul Tautges
Christless Christianity by Michael Horton
A Not-So-Silent Night by Verlyn Verbrugge
My Soul Magnifies the Lord by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer
Holy Subversion by Trevin Wax
When Worlds Collide by R.C. Sproul
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus edited by Nancy Guthrie
The Radical Disciple by John Stott

I'm looking forward to the books I'm going to read in 2011. I've started The Truth War by John MacArthur tonight. I need to read The Transformational Church by Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer & The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne for local book reading clubs in January. And I will be reading and reviewing Randy Alcorn's If God Is Good. January is going to be a busy book month!

Taking the lead from my friend Josh King, I've committed to reading a dozen or so books by Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs in 2011.

Happy New Year and happy reading!

Top 5(ish) Books I Read in 2010

2010-12-16T17:02:00.005-06:00

Honorable Mention: Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy
This memoir from my favorite (former) NFL coach is insightful and touching. Tony exemplifies all that is good in professional athletics. May his tribe increase.

5a. Christless Christianity by Michael Horton
Do you ever look around at Evangelicalism and think something is wrong? So does Horton. And he shows us what it is... We, like the Laodicean Church of Revelation 3, have forgotten Jesus and left him out in the cold. This book is a strong critique that the church in American desperately needs to hear.

5b. Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer
Like Horton's book, Spencer sees a number of problems in contemporary evangelicalism. He calls us back to a "Jesus-shaped spirituality." In other words, just don't talk about Jesus, actually walk with Jesus and know him and love him.

5c. Why we Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
Are there problems in the church? Yes. But like DeYoung and Kluck, I love the church. Horton and Spencer alone may make you cynical toward the church. DeYoung and Kluck help us see the good and all three together give us a good perspective of what church should be.

4. Christ's Words from the Cross by Charles Spurgeon
This little book complies a sermon or writing on each of Christ's seven statements uttered from the cross. I've read this little book several times in the last 15 years and each time its truths become even more precious to me.

3. Church Planting is for Wimps by Mike McKinley
This little book is powerful. It is encouraging and instructive, hopeful and realistic. Best of all, it it rooted in the Gospel and exemplifies true pastoral shepherding.

2. Radical by David Platt
This book will stir your heart for discipleship and missions on every level. Warning: it will kick you in the gut... but in a good way.

1. Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
This is the first book I read in 2010, and what a book to start the year off with. Keller exposes all sorts of idols and calls us to faithfulness to the Lord. A must read!

Review: Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer

2010-12-10T14:04:00.003-06:00

I was in seminary when I first read Michael Spencer's blog InternetMonk.com. Back in the day, I was working through some major theological truths that were rocking my world. Theology of Worship with Dr. Holmes was challenging everything I had previously thought about church, worship, ministry, and even the doctrine of salvation itself.

Doing some research for that class on organizing and leading a worship service, Google took me to the IMonk's essay on Christless preaching. This essay has shaped my preaching and teaching ministry since that time. I am now and always grateful for it.

In April of this year, Michael died. But before the cancer destroyed his body, Michael wrote Mere Churchianity. What a way to end one's pilgrimage.

In his later years, Michael became disenchanted with what what he called "church-shaped spirituality" or "churchianity." This is the false form of Christianity that pervades much of evangelicalism today. Instead, he called us back to a "Jesus-shaped spirituality." For all his flaws and struggles, Michael consistently looked to and pointed others toward Jesus. That is what makes this a very good book.

I am in the group Michael is criticizing. I am a pastor in an evangelical, (informally) institutional, Baptist church. Much in my life and ministry has distracted people away from Jesus. My work in youth ministry often replaced Jesus with some cool fad. I was (and in many ways still am) enamored with doctrinal correctness and stiff theologizing. And I can contribute to the problem.

But Michael urges me to keep Jesus at the center, in my life and in my ministry. While I may not agree with Michael's solutions, or even his diagnoses of the problems, I do agree that the answer is always Jesus kept front and center. Or, to say it better, Jesus followed and loved supremely.

I urge church leaders to read Mere Churchianity as a diagnostic tool. Is your church and ministry shaped by Jesus, or by the institution of your church? Michael urges me, and I hope you, to make it all about Jesus in a real way.

Some favorite quotes from the book:

Jesus-shaped discipleship produces people whose lives, habits, commitments, and words resemble Jesus more than the cultural ideals of comfort, convenience, and economic prosperity. (p. 15)

When you view evangelicalism from a distance, it becomes clear that almost all the problems can be traced back to evangelicalism's unquestioned commitment to be successful and relevant. (p. 25)

Wrong ideas about God are, themselves, false gods. They are idols just as much as a graven image. (p. 34)

When I first began to think about Jesus-shaped spirituality, I would ask this door opening question: If I spent three years with Jesus, how would I feel about...? The question is appropriate and revealing, no matter what the subject or issue happens to be. How would Jesus shape me in this area if he deeply influenced my thinking and living? (p. 42)

You can't have a Christian experience, in a church or outside one, without Jesus. (p. 49)

It's pointless to be cool, because trying to make Jesus sexy is a waste of time. (p. 79)

Faith is a lack of contentment with what I am, but a sense of satisfaction with what God has given me of himself in Jesus. The mark of saving faith is not just resting passively in the promises of the gospel (though that is exactly what justification does), but it's an ongoing war with the reality of my condition. (p. 146)

...sanctification consists, in large measure, in seeing our sin and acknowledging how deeply and extensively it has marred us. (p. 149)

Review: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series

2010-11-30T11:03:00.002-06:00

The Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament is an exceptional series. I picked up James a couple of years ago and was blown over by it. This series is helpful for those who, like me, have had Greek in seminary, know the importance of the original languages, but through the busyness of ministry have neglected to keep it up. The ZECNT serves as a kind of prompt to help you remember what you studied and ease back into using Greek.

But it does more than that. It offers great exegetical insights into the text. Unlike other exegetical commentaries, it does not overwhelm you with interaction from other critical sources. You don't read page after page of interaction with other commentaries and monographs. That is not to say this series ignores other material. It simply keeps the focus on the Greek text. For this reason, I can't recommend this series highly enough.

Zondervan recently sent me a copy of the newly released Ephesians commentary. I plan on preaching through Ephesians in 2011 and this will be a much used resource. Thumbing through it I can already see this will be a helpful resource to enrich my study and sermon preparation.

This may be one of the best new commentary series available. Even though it deals with the Greek text, those with little to no Greek backgrounds will benefit from it greatly.

A Month of Thanksgiving: 30 Scriptures

2010-11-10T15:24:00.002-06:00

I intended to post a Scripture every day this month. I even have a Scripture selected for each day. But events and negligence ruined that. So instead, I'm going to post all thirty for your thoughtful reflection.

Psalm 69:30 (ESV) I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
1 Chron. 16:34 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 30:4 (ESV) Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.
2 Cor. 9:15 (ESV) Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
1 Thes. 5:18 (ESV) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Romans 6:17 (ESV) But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
2 Cor. 2:14 (ESV) But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
Ephes. 5:4 (ESV) Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Col. 4:2 (ESV) Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Psalm 56:12 (ESV) I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.
1 Chron. 29:13 (ESV) And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
Psalm 92:1 (ESV) It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
1 Cor. 1:4 (ESV) I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
Col. 3:17 (ESV) And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Psalm 107:15 (ESV) Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men!
Hebrews 12:28 (ESV) Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
Jonah 2:9 (ESV) But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!"
Philip. 4:6 (ESV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Psalm 140:13 (ESV) Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.
Isaiah 12:1 (ESV) You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.”
Psalm 9:1 (ESV) I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 35:18 (ESV) I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
Psalm 86:12 (ESV) I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
Psalm 97:12 (ESV) Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Psalm 100:4 (ESV) Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Psalm 118:1 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 75:1 (ESV) We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.
Psalm 118:28 (ESV) You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
Psalm 145:10 (ESV) All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!
1 Cor. 15:57 (ESV) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Think: A Review

2010-11-09T11:04:00.003-06:00

John Piper is a personal hero. I've read many of his books, listened to dozens of his sermons, watched his videos, and attended his conferences. I always learn and am inspired when I sit under the teaching of John Piper.

Think is a good book and I found it helpful. I don't think that Think will end up on a Piper "must read" list. This book will not appeal to a wide audience. In fact, Piper states so much in the conclusion of the book. However, having said that, I do believe this book should be read by college students and other "thinkers" or people being challenged on an intellectual level. It is not so much an apologetic as it is an antidote to blindly accepting humanistic assumptions. And it is a call to Biblical thinking which is sorely lacking today.

The best chapters in the book are:

Chapter 3- Reading as Thinking... for help in how to read and understand the Bible.
Chapter 5- Rational Gospel, Spiritual Light... for understanding the relationship between human comprehension of the Gospel and the Divine unveiling of the Gospel to man.
Chapter 6- Love for God: Treasuring God with All Your Mind... for unpacking the Biblical command to love the Lord your God with all your mind.
Chapter 8- The Immorality of Relativism... for exposing the sinfulness and corruption of relativistic thinking.

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Thinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God." (p. 27)

"...at the bottom of human irrationality ("darkened in their understanding") and at the bottom of spiritual ignorance ("the ignorance that is in them") is hardness of heart. That is, our self-centered hearts distort our reason to the point where we cannot use it to draw true inferences from what is really there." (p. 63)

"What does it mean to love God "with all your mind"? I take it to mean that we direct our thinking in a certain way; namely, our thinking should be wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things." (p. 83)

"...relativism only looks humble but is inherently a cloak of pride. It works like this. Truth with a capital T- Truth rooted in God's objective reality and word- is a massive, unchanging reality that we little humans must submit to. Coming to know this truth is the humble task of putting ourselves under this reality and submitting to it. Understanding is literally taking the humble position to stand under the truth and let it be our rule." (p. 112)

Below is a video of Piper introducing Think.

He's Alive! TBC Sermon Series

2010-11-04T10:53:00.002-05:00

November 7
John 20:1-23
He's Alive! Rejoicing in the Resurrection

November 14, 2010
John 20:24-31
He's Alive! Believing in the Resurrection

November 21, 2010
John 21:1-25
He's Alive! Restored by the Resurrection

Come worship with us at Tremont Baptist Church every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ together.

A Month of Thanksgiving: November 4

2010-11-04T08:58:00.001-05:00

2 Corinthians 9:15 (ESV) Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

A Month of Thanksgiving: November 3

2010-11-03T09:42:00.001-05:00

Psalm 30: 4 (ESV) Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.

A Month of Thanksgiving: November 2

2010-11-02T12:19:00.001-05:00

1 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

A Month of Thanksgiving: November 1

2010-11-01T11:18:00.003-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. It is one of the last (mostly) pure and (relatively) uncommercialized holidays we have left.

For the month of November, I am going to post a Scripture a day related to the theme of Thanksgiving.

++++++

"I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving."
Psalm 69:30 (ESV)

++++++

JK on Prayer

2010-10-28T15:26:00.002-05:00

My friend Josh King has just written an excellent post about prayer. You should go read it.

Radical: A Review

2010-10-27T09:07:00.002-05:00

Radical by David Platt is a challenging and convicting book. The thesis of the book is simple: Christians have abandoned a Biblical calling to carry the Gospel to the nations for the American dream of health, wealth, and pleasure. Platt pleads with his readers to be moved with compassion for the 4.5 billion people who are without Christ and the more than 1 billion who live in abject poverty. Platt interweaves Biblical exposition with personal stories from his life and from his church.

I strongly urge you to pick up this book (you can order it from Amazon right now for about the same price of a fast food value meal).

Be warned though. After reading this book, it may affect your life in a radical way.

Here are some favorite quotes:

"... somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves."

"He created human beings, not only to enjoy his grace in a relationship with him, but also to extend his glory to the ends of the earth. Simple enough. Enjoy his grace and extend his glory. This is the twofold purpose behind the creation of the human race in Genesis 1..."

"...there will continue to be millions and millions of people who do not hear as long as we continue to use spare time and spare money to reach them. Those are two radically different questions. "What can we spare?" and "What will it take?"

Knowing and Obeying Scripture: Verses and Books

2010-10-26T11:32:00.003-05:00

Knowing and Obeying Scripture is basic to living the Christian life. Therefore, it ought to be a priority for every Christian.

Psalm 119:9 (ESV) How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

Psalm 119:11 (ESV) I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:16 (ESV) I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Psalm 119:105 (ESV) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

John 17:17 (ESV) Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Ezra 7:10 (ESV) For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

2 Tim. 3:14-17 (ESV) But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it [15] and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righ teousness, [17] that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Tim. 2:15 (ESV) Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

James 1:22 (ESV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

1 Peter 1:22-2:3 (ESV) Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, [23] since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; [24] for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, [25] but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you. [2:1] So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. [2] Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— [3] if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Books

Living by the Book by Hendricks

Personal Bible Study Methods by Warren

How to Apply the Bible by Veerman

How to Study the Bible by Arthur

Knowing Scripture by Sproul

Ryken's Bible Handbook

Can I Trust the Bible by Sproul

How to Study the Bible by MacArthur

Promises Made: The Message of the Old Testament by Dever

Promises Kept: The Message of the New Testament by Dever

MacArthur Study Bible (Available in NKJV, NASB, and ESV)

ESV Study Bible

NLT Study Bible

HCSB Study Bible

Special Note:
I highly recommend James White's book The King James Only Controversy. Even if you are not interested in the KJV Only debate that exists, this book helps the reader understand how we got out Bible and why we can have confidence in our English Bibles.

I also recommend The Origin of the Bible which explains issues like inspiration, canonization, and translation.

Being Wise: Books and Scripture

2010-10-18T09:45:00.002-05:00

Wisdom is an attribute I highly value. I crave wisdom for myself, for my family, and for those in my church.

Scriptures related to Wisdom

The Book of Proverbs -- seriously, read the whole book regularly. Once a month or so.

Psalm 51:6 (ESV) Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Psalm 90:12 (ESV) So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 111:10 (ESV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Acts 6:3 (ESV) Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

1 Cor. 1:30 (ESV) He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

Col. 3:16 (ESV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

James 1:5 (ESV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 3:13 (ESV) Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

James 3:17 (ESV) But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Books on Making Wise Decisions

Decision, Decisions by Swavly

Discovering God's Will by Ferguson

Decision Making and the Will of God by Friesen

Found: God's Will by MacArthur

Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? by Waltke

Books on Wisdom

The Discipline of Discernment by Challies

Spurgeon's Practical Wisdom by Spurgeon

Fool's Gold by MacArthur

A Proverbs Driven life by Selvaggio

Holman Bible Commentary on Proverbs by Anders

Gospel Fear by Burroughs

MLB Playoffs 2010: My Predictions

2010-10-05T22:51:00.002-05:00

So, it should be clear a) I am a Rangers fan and b) I think they are going to win. I know, I know... that's just crazy fan talk, right? Well... maybe. BUT, the Rangers are legitimate. They have a very solid pitching staff and bullpen, great offensive players, and pretty good defense. That's not to say there aren't issues and concerns. Injuries have been a damper for the last month of the season. But it seems like the Rangers are getting back to form and so this October should be a lot of fun.

I'm not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet... and I'm not sure prophets care a lot about baseball. Regardless, here are my predictions (sure to go wrong) for the 2010 playoffs.

ALDS
Rangers over the Rays in 5
Yankees over the Twins in 4

NLDS
Phillies over the Reds in 4
Braves over the Giants in 3

ALCS
Rangers over the Yankees in 6

NLCS
Phillies over the Braves in 5

World Series
Texas Rangers over the Philadelphia Phillies in 6

World Series MVP
Josh Hamilton... with Cliff Lee as a close second

However it all shakes out... Go Rangers! It's time!

Loving Others: Scriptures and Books

2010-10-05T11:35:00.002-05:00

The Importance of Love:

Proverbs 3:3 (NIV) Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

1 Cor. 13:13 (NIV) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Loving our families:

Ephesians 5:25 (NIV) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Ephesians 5:28 (NIV) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Colossians 3:19 (NIV) Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Titus 2:4 (NIV) Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

Loving other Christians:

John 13:35 (NIV) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

1 Peter 2:17 (NIV) Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Loving our neighbors:

Leviticus 19:18 (NIV) Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Romans 13:9-10 (NIV) The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." [10] Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Galatians 5:14 (NIV) The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

James 2:8 (NIV) If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

Loving our Enemies:

Luke 6:27 (NIV) But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

Luke 6:35 (NIV) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Books:

Love Walked Among Us by Paul Miller

Love or Die by Alexander Strauch

Charity and It's Fruits by Jonathan Edwards

This Momentary Marriage by John Piper

Gospel-Powered Parenting by Farley

Christian Love by Hugh Binning

Love That Lasts by Gary Ricucci

Leading with Love by Alexander Strauch

Compelled by Love by Ed Stetzer

Love Your Neighbor by Norman Geisler

Maximum Impact by Wayne Mack

20 Biblical Ways to Glorify God

2010-10-05T11:34:00.002-05:00

1. Give God verbal declarations of praise (Rev. 4:8-9).

2. Live a life of noticeable piety (Matt. 5:16; James 1:27; 1 Peter 2:12).

3. Ask God for things in Jesus’ name (John 14:13).

4. Bear fruit and show yourself to be a disciple of Jesus (John 15:8).

5. Declare the truth about Jesus (John 16:14).

6. Love your life less than God (John 21:19; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:16).

7. Worship God as God (Rom. 1:21).

8. Live a life of sexual purity (1 Cor. 6:20).

9. Live a life of generosity (2 Cor. 9:13).

10. Rejoice in God’s glory displayed in creation (Psalm 19:1).

11. Do the works of faith (2 Thess. 1:12).

12. Use your gifts in God’s strength (1 Peter 4:11).

13. Make sure everyone knows you’re not God (Acts 12:23).

14. Live a life of gratitude (Psalm 50:23; 2 Cor. 4:15).

15. In matters of liberty, seek the good of others (1 Cor 10:31).

16. Extend grace to sinners (2 Cor. 8:19).

17. Be a part of a local church (2 Cor. 8:23; Eph. 3:20-21).

18. Tell God you are wrong and he is right (Josh. 7:19; Jer. 13:16; Rev. 16:9).

19. Obey God (Lev. 10:3; Mal. 2:2).

20. Go from a Christ-despiser to a Christ-worshiper (Gal. 1:24).

(HT Kevin DeYoung)

New Sermon Series @ TBC Begins This Sunday

2010-10-04T17:55:00.002-05:00

The Road to Calvary
John 18-19

October 10 - The Arrest, John 18:1-11

October 17 - The Trials, John 18:12-27

October 24 - The Condemnation, John 18:28-40

October 31 - The Cross, John 19:1-42

Glorifying God: Scriptures and Books

2010-10-04T10:23:00.003-05:00

The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question: What is the chief end of man?

The answer: To glorying God and enjoy Him forever.

Glorifying God is the ultimate aim for everything. All other ambitions, goals, and purposes come under this one great end-- to glorify God by knowing Him, loving Him, fearing Him, honoring Him, serving Him, and delighting in Him.

Psalm 34:3 (NIV) Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 57:5 (NIV) Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Isaiah 6:1-3 (NIV) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. [2] Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. [3] And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

John 15:8 (NIV) This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

1 Cor. 10:31 (NIV) So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Ephes. 1:11-12 (NIV) In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, [12] in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Ephes. 3:20-21 (NIV) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Rev. 4:11 (NIV) "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Matthew 5:16 (NIV) In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Books for additional study:

Desiring God by John Piper

The Pleasures of God by John Piper

God's Passion for His Glory by John Piper

A God Entranced Vision of All Things edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor

The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock

No One Like Him: The Doctrine of God by John S. Feinberg

Our God is Awesome by Tony Evans

The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

Pleasures Evermore by Sam Storms

Values and Priorities

2010-10-01T08:39:00.002-05:00

We all have values and priorities. These guide us personally and shape the way we lead and influence others, either in our families, churches, or businesses. As a Christians, husband, father, and pastor, I've given a lot of thought to what is most important, what I value on a personal level and what I want to pass on to others. They are:

Glorifying God
Loving Others (God first, family, friends, neighbors, and enemies)
Being Wise
Knowing and Obeying Scripture
Praying
Making Disciples
Being respectful
Learning and growing

These eight values overlap and intersect. However, it has been helpful for me to think in these categories. Next week, Lord willing, I hope to share Scriptures for each value along with some helpful books for each one.

Some Things You Should Always Pray For

2010-09-29T13:03:00.004-05:00

Your government leaders -- 1 Timothy 2:1-4
The salvation of the Lost -- Romans 10:1
The advancement of the Gospel -- 2 Thessalonians 3:1
More laborers in Gospel work -- Matthew 9:37-38
Anything you are worried about -- 1 Peter 5:7 & Philippians 4:6-7

5 Principles of Biblical Conversion

2010-09-28T04:22:00.001-05:00

1. Conversion is required. ("You must be born again")

2. Conversion requires understanding. (1 Corinthians 2:12)

3. True conversion requires genuine faith. (John 3:36)

4. A radically changed life attests to true conversion. (Titus 1:15-16, James 2:19, and Ephesians 2:8-10)

5. Conversion results from God's action. (John 15:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:13)

from Marks of the Messenger by J. Mack Stiles

Sunday Worship at TBC 9.26.2010

2010-09-27T11:40:00.004-05:00

Songs
Standing on the Promises
Thy Word
Ancient Words
We Believe
How Firm a Foundation

Sermon
Jesus' Prayer and the Word of God
John 17:6-19, esp. verse 17

"Your Word is Truth": The Nature of Scripture- What the Bible IS
1. God's Word is inspired.
2. God's Word is inerrant.
3. God's Word is infallible.
4. God's Word is knowable.
5. God's Word is timeless.
6. God's Word is authoritative.

"Sanctify them by the Truth": The Work of Scripture- What the Bible Does
1. God's Goal- Our Sanctification
2. God's Means- His Word
3. God's Requirement- Study and Application

Listen to the sermon here.

Take the 90 Day New Testament Challenge here.

How to Lose the Gospel in 4 Generations

2010-09-22T14:24:00.002-05:00

Looking at post-Christian Europe, and nearly post-Christian America, it is alarmingly evident how rapidly the Gospel can lost. Mack Stiles, in his book Marks of the Messenger points out the decline.

Generation 1: The Gospel is Accepted

Generation 2: The Gospel is Assumed

Generation 3: The Gospel is Confused

Generation 4: The Gospel is Lost

(Stiles, pg. 40)

NEVER assume the Gospel. Preach the Gospel. If the Gospel is to you nothing more than a means of avoiding Hell, you've already confused it! The Gospel is for all of life.

Don't assume the Gospel. If you are confused, get clear on the Gospel. And, if you are in a church that has lost the Gospel, do all you can to bring it back.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NIV)
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Worship @ TBC 9.19.2010

2010-09-19T08:00:00.004-05:00

Songs
Everlasting God
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
In Christ Alone
How Deep the Father's Love For Us
Blessed Assurance

Sermon
Jesus' Prayer and the People of God
John 17:6-19

1. God's people are peculiar.
v. 14- "they are not of the world"

2. God's people are possessed.
v. 6- "They were yours; you gave them to me"

3. God's people are protected.
v. 11- "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name"

Listen to the sermon

Examine Yourselves

2010-09-18T08:28:00.002-05:00

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV) "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"

Drawing from Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity by Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney, Trevin Wax offers these seven questions for examining one's claim to be a Christian.

1. Do you love God?

2. Do you love the Bible?

3. Do you love living out and sharing the Gospel?

4. Do you love Christians?

5. Do you enjoy church and draw nourishment from it?

6. Does the matter of eternity concern you?

7. Does the Bible shape your morals and ethics?

For an expansion of these questions, check out Kingdom People.

Logos+Apple=WIN!

2010-09-16T15:23:00.001-05:00

Logos Bible Software is giving away thousands of dollars of prizes to celebrate the launch of Logos Bible Software 4 Mac on October 1. Prizes include an iMac, a MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPod Touch, and more than 100 other prizes!

They’re also having a special limited-time sale on their Mac and PC base packages and upgrades. Check it out!

Who should repent?

2010-09-14T16:07:00.003-05:00

He commands all people everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)

Thomas Watson lists 6 kinds of people who should repent:

1. Those in civil or political power

2. The flagrantly wicked

3. Liars and cheaters

4. Good, upstanding citizens; decent, moral people

5. Hypocrites

6. God's own people

Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance, pages 63-69

The Nature of True Repentance

2010-08-21T10:32:00.002-05:00

Acts 3:19 (ESV) "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out."

The Puritan Thomas Watson publish The Doctrine of Repentance in 1668. It is needed more now than ever. What a treasure it is! And what a clarion call it sounds! I commend this little book to you for your careful reading and meditation.

What is repentance? "Repentance is a grace of God's Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed." (p. 18)

Watson lists six ingredients that formulate genuine repentance.

Sight of sin (seeing and perceiving sin for what it is)
Sorrow for sin (for the sin itself, and not just the consequences of sin)
Confession of sin (agreeing with God about the sinfulness of sin and not making excuses for sin)
Shame for sin
Hatred for sin
Turning from sin

"If any one is left out it loses its virtue."

Pick up this little book. Read it slowly and repetitively. Learn how, by God's grace, to repent.

Vacation Goals

2010-07-09T08:30:00.002-05:00

Next week we will head out on vacation. Here's what I hope to accomplish:

1. Rest, recharge, and refresh my ministerial batteries.

2. Enjoy my family and have an attitude and actions that allow my family to enjoy me.

3. Read and journal through the Minor Prophets.

4. Read some great books. I'm packing Mere Churchianity, Sticky Church, The Fading Flesh and the Flourishing Faith, The Radical Disciple, Holy Subversion, Fear Not!, Dug Down Deep, Radical, and Jonathan Edwards: Lover of God. I hope to complete at least five of these.

5. Eat some great Tex-Mex and Chick-Fil-A.

Book Review: Insights on John

2010-07-08T11:31:00.002-05:00

Chuck Swindoll is an excellent Bible teacher. His voice is radio perfect and his "insights" are extremely helpful. His new series of commentaries on the New Testament are a great resource and are vintage Swindoll.

These books will be useful for serious Bible Students, Sunday School teachers, and small group leaders. Swindoll writes in an engaging style without dumbing down the text. Pastors will find helpful points of application that will flesh out their sermons.

Insights on John is the second volume in this series. I received it as a promotion from Zondervan and am very grateful for it. I am currently preaching through the Gospel of John and have found it to be a helpful tool.

This book won't replace the more scholarly commentaries on John, but it will sit very nicely on your shelf next to the the NIV Application Commentary or other "expositional" commentaries.

Win Holy Vocabulary Bible Study

2010-07-06T14:51:00.001-05:00

Go here to sign up to win a new Threads small group Bible study!

I Am Preparing a Place for You: Jesus and the Doctrine of Heaven

2010-06-01T15:03:00.002-05:00

Preached at Tremont Baptist Church
May 30, 2010

John 14:1-6
¹"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ²In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going."

⁵Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

1. Jesus' assurance of heaven should give us hope and peace in life. (verse 1)

This world is temporary. Do not build your life in this world. See Matthew 6:19-20; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Philippians 1:21, 23

When you do suffer in this world, you realize that this life is temporary and God has something far greater in store for you.

2. Jesus is preparing heaven for His disciples. (verse 2)

When we die, our spirits go immediately to be with Jesus. See Luke 23:43; Acts 7:59; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 6:9-11
When Christ returns, our bodies will be resurrected. Our spirits will be reunited with our glorified bodies. We will live in the New Heavens and New Earth. We will have physical bodies, just like Jesus' resurrected body. See 1 Corinthians 15:42-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; Revelation chapters 21:1-22:6

3. Jesus will return to take his disciples to heaven. (verse 3)

4. Jesus is the only way to heaven. (verses 4-6)

A Commitment to Expository Preaching

2010-05-27T15:24:00.001-05:00

My duty as a minister of the Gospel is to “preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:2). Of all the things a pastor can do and should do, faithfully preaching to and teaching the people of God in his care is the most important. The apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). Pastors today are to follow this example today. A myriad of activities compete with the pastor’s attention, but a faithful pastor must be committed to and not dissuaded from this sacred charge (see John 21:15-17).

My commitment to the church I pastor is to preach the Word each and every week. I do this through “Expository Preaching.” Expository preaching is the method of studying a particular passage of Scripture, discovering the main point or big idea of that passage, explaining that point to the church and making points of application from that passage’s big idea.

It is my conviction that all sermons should be expository sermons in order to be faithful to the Word of God. When a preacher chooses to preach on a topic or a theme, he runs the risk of injecting his personal opinions or agendas into the sermon and neglecting the main idea of the Biblical text. Every expository sermon follows the same format: the text is read, the text is explained, and the text is applied.

This is why I normally preach through a book of the Bible in a consecutive fashion (like I’m currently doing in the Gospel of John). However, one does not have to preach through an entire book to preach an expository sermon. The key in expository preaching is to take a passage of Scripture, discover its main point, and shape the sermon around that main point.

This approach is exemplified by the great Old Testament priest Ezra. In Ezra 7:10, we read, “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” Ezra committed himself to studying God’s Word and applying it to his life on a personal level. He then read the Word, taught the Word, and applied the Word to the nation of Israel.

Book Review: C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership by Steve Miller

2010-05-15T23:35:00.002-05:00

This little book is a gem. Steve Miller has served us all well by cataloging and synthesizing eight leadership lessons from the Prince of Preachers. We are living in an era where spiritual leadership is sorely lacking in many areas of the church. The wise counsel collected from Spurgeon's writings, lectures, prayers, and sermons in this book will help strengthen true spiritual leadership. We need fewer worldly ideas about leadership and more Biblical, Christocentric ideas about leadership.

Chapter One covered a passion for prayer. Spiritual leaders must be committed to walking and communing privately with God.

Chapter two took up the theme of faith that endures. Without bold confidence in the Lord, a minister will give up quickly.

Chapter three focused on a commitment to holiness. I looked over this chapter a couple of times, and feel the need to return to it. We face a famine of holiness in our day.

Chapter four pointed out Spurgeon's lifestyle of service and offered wise counsel in this area.

Chapter five urged us to love the Lord and His word in ever greater intensity.

Chapter six reminded us that a willingness to suffer is a key to spiritual growth and effectiveness in ministry.

Chapter seven called us to zealously proclaim God's Word and chapter eight drove home a passion for lost souls.

Miller concludes the book by noting that Spurgeon, although he was involved in numerous activities and developed dozens of large and significant ministries, ultimately had only one driving purpose and aim in his life. Everything Spurgeon did was to glorify God. God's glory was his motive. There was nothing else.

As Spurgeon said, "We must see to it that His glory is the one sole object of all we do." (Miller, p. 181)

The Book of Job in Five Words

2010-05-10T16:01:00.000-05:00

I'm God. Who are you?

(ht Strangers & Aliens)

When Christianity is Illegal

2010-05-04T10:55:00.004-05:00

Al Mohler is reporting that a street preacher in London, England has been arrested. His crime, preaching the Gospel and telling people that homosexuality is sin.

We are living in dangerous times. In an age of so called "tolerance" and "pluralism," the only worldview and belief system that is out of bounds is a Biblical one. In Europe, Christianity is slowing being criminalized. Is the US far behind?

In 2 Timothy 3:1, the Apostle Paul warned "There will be terrible times in the last days." Jesus told us that the world will hate us because it hated Him (John 15:18) and we will face persecution (John 15:20).

What will we do when Christianity is declared illegal? I pray we will remain faithful to the Word of God, not matter the cost.

2 Timothy 2:1-3 (NIV) "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. ³Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."

Acts 5:27-32 (NIV) "Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."

²⁹Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! ³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. ³²We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

May God grant the grace to be as bold as Peter and as faithful as Paul in the face of persecution and opposition.

Must Read-- The Glory of God: Our Supreme Passion

2010-05-01T19:14:00.002-05:00

[Note: This article was originally posted at http://www.founders.org/journal/fj42/article3.html I came across it as I was preparing to preach on the Glory of God.]

---------------------------------
The Glory of God: Our Passion

[This article is written by a missionary for other missionaries working in the "Last Frontier." For security reasons, the author must remain anonymous.]

This is the first and most important of the basic principles of our work. Real Christianity is God--centered. Real Christianity recognizes, as Jesus Himself said, that the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind. Those who have glimpsed the greatness, the grandeur, the majesty and the excellence of our God through the eyes of trust in Jesus never get over that vision. An obsession with the glory of God is the hallmark of true knowledge of God.

What is the glory of God? The original meaning of glory has to do with weightiness. The glory of God summarizes the seriousness, the perfection, and the infinite significance of all of the attributes of God. It sums up who He is, in the awesome brightness and weightiness of all His perfections. What does it mean then for us to glorify God? We cannot add to His glory, for He is already perfectly and infinitely glorious. Rather, for us to glorify God means for us to ascribe the glory that is due His Name in worship. It means that we acknowledge His glory by living as though His perfections are as serious and significant as they really are, so that we reflect His glory through a pure mirror. It means that nothing horrifies us more than the thought of bringing dishonor to His glorious Name, and nothing delights us more than to feel His pleasure as we live to the praise of His glory. It also means that we declare His glory among the nations, inviting others to join us in our love affair with His glorious perfection. Glorifying God thus consumes and defines every aspect of our life and witness as well as our worship.

We urgently need to recapture the centrality of glorifying God in our lives and work. Too much of what passes for evangelical Christianity in America is man-centered or even self-centered. God is reduced to a means to some other end, whether it be my own self-fulfillment or the welfare of others. The results are disastrous for worship, for discipleship, and for witness. Worship either becomes tepid, or it becomes an experience we offer to people as a sort of consumer product rather than adoration and consecration we offer to God. Discipleship becomes a self-help program that leaves huge areas of life untouched, rather than a life-long love affair with God that lays every area of life on the altar to be consecrated to Him and to be conformed to His image. Witness becomes an invitation to sample a product rather than a royal summons to flee to a sovereign Savior. In effect, we reduce the Good News to mere good advice.

If the glory of God is our supreme passion, this will redefine both the goal of our task and the manner in which we pursue that task. The goal of our task is that the earth be filled with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the sea. Our passion is to see Him receive the glory that is due His Name from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Everything else is simply a means to that end. We are not seeking to add numbers that we can report to the organization; we are seeking to add worshippers to the choir of heaven, who will live every area of their lives to the praise of His glory. This focus invests a new, holy seriousness to discipleship and the life of the church. We are not content unless His glory is proclaimed, reflected, upheld and adored among the people to whom He has called us. The task is not about us, and it's not even ultimately about the nations. The focus is on Him.

A passion for the glory of God will also redefine the manner in which we pursue our task. If our supreme goal is to glorify Him, we will not be able to separate our personal lives from our work lives. The way we treat our families, the way we entertain ourselves, the way we spend our money, the way we relate to others, the way we treat our bodies, the hidden attitudes of our hearts, the time we spend nourishing our own relationship with Him, cannot be compartmentalized away from our "work." It is our job to glorify Him in every area of life, not just through the tasks written on our job descriptions. Failure in the former will mean failure in the latter as well. We also cannot accept any means to the end that does not equally bring glory to God. This passion thus has a purifying effect, safeguarding us from the temptation to take shortcuts or utilize worldly means in the pursuit of our work.

As I read over the words I have just written, I get overwhelmed with the conviction that I fall very far short of my own counsel. That brings me to my final point. We can only live for His glory by His grace. Apart from His enabling, I can do nothing. And even what I do by His strength is still tainted by my sinfulness, so that it must be covered by the blood of His sacrifice to be acceptable to my holy Father. Bless His Name that both His power and His grace are infinitely sufficient to meet all my need! Brothers and sisters, I plead with you to seek His grace to make the glory of God your supreme passion. It is His supreme passion, and the pursuit of anything else would constitute failure to fulfill our calling.

Sermon Summary: Authenitc Worship vs. False Worship

2010-04-19T10:50:00.000-05:00

In John 12:1-16, I see one expression of authentic, God-honoring worship and three forms of false worship.

Mary and Costly Worship

The first comes from Mary in verses 1-4. Mary brings a bottle of expensive (about a years wages worth) perfume. She breaks the bottle and then pours it out over Jesus as an act of loving devotion toward Him. Her act of worship is: 1) Physical, 2) Emotional, 3) Humble, 4) Spiritual, and 5) spiritual. All acts of true worship (presenting our lives to the Lord in loving devotion) will have these five marks. Mary’s worship was connected to the cross (v. 7), as will ours be. We worship Christ because he is the crucified, buried, and resurrected Lord and Savior.

Judas Iscariot and Contested Worship

In verses 4-8, we find Judas Iscariot objecting to such an extravagant display of worship. He suggests selling the perfume and giving the proceeds to the poor. He sounds pious, but he is really a thief. Beware of robbing from God.

The Religious Leaders and Corrupted Worship

In verses 8-11, the spiritual leaders of the people plan to kill not only Jesus but also Lazarus because Lazarus’s testimony is turning more people toward Christ. These leaders have a zeal (Romans 10:2), but it is ultimately not for God or for the truth. They are serving their own religious system and not the Lord.

The Crowds and Confused Worship

The crowds gather and celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (vv. 12-16). Although they say the right things (they are quoting from Psalm 118), and have the right outward actions, ultimately they are confused about Christ and in less than a week’s time, they will by crying out for Jesus’ crucifixion.

Application

We are to give ourselves in worship to the Lord. However, we must worship rightly. May our worship be Christ-centered and Gospel-tethered, just like Mary’s was. Otherwise, our worship becomes false and an abomination before God.

Book Review: Five Who Changed the World

2010-04-16T22:09:00.002-05:00

by Daniel L. Akin
published by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008

Summary:
This little book collects in print five biographical sermons preached by Dr. Akin in Chapel services at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Using the lives of five missionaries, he preaches/writes about five great texts to encourage us to give our lives to the cause of global missions.

The sermons are:

The Great Commission & William Carey: A Passionate Global Vision from Matthew 28:16-20

Marked for Death, Messengers of Life: Adoniram & Ann Judson from Romans 8:28-39

Jesus is Everything to Me!: Glorious Truth in the Life and Death of Bill Wallace from Philippians 1:21

The Power of a Consecrated Life: The Ministry of Lottie Moon from Romans 12:1

Let All the Nations Give God Glory!: A Passion in the Life & Martyrdom of Jim Elliot

Reflections:
Dr. Akin has done us a great service by publishing this little book in at least two ways. First, he models for us preachers an excellent way to blend church history and Christian biography with expositional preaching. He deals faithfully with the text and uses the life stories of these great missionaries to illustrate the Biblical points.

Secondly, and more importantly, he challenges us through the Biblical text and the lives of these five great missionaries to give our lives to the work of missions and global evangelization. A true child of God cannot read God's Word and the testimonies of great missionaries without being stirred to do more.

Great Quote:
"[These missionaries] are a reminder that God can take our little and do a lot. He can take our weakness and show Himself strong. He can take a short life and have it make an impact for all eternity. Jim Elliot said it so well: we are just a 'bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody.' May God by His grace and for His glory multiply the 'nobodies,' who have as their life's passion a desire to exalt the 'Somebody' whose name is Jesus." (p. 100)

I recommend this book to every Christian to read.

Buy It
Call 919-761-2270 to order the book.

Some Sentence Prayers from the Bible You Can Pray

2010-03-25T13:18:00.000-05:00

A Prayer for When You Don't Know What to Do
"O our God...We do not know what to do, but your eyes are on you."
2 Chronicles 20:12

A Prayer for Mercy
"God, be merciful to me, a sinner."
Luke 18:13

A Prayer for Faith
"Lord, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
Mark 9:24

A Prayer of Praise
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."
Psalm 103:1

A Prayer for Guidance
"Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths."
Psalm 25:4

A Prayer for God's Will
"Your kingdom come, your will be done."
Matthew 6:10

"Not as I will, but as You will."
Matthew 26:39

A Prayer of Hope
"My hope is in you."
Psalm 39:7

A Prayer for Christ's Glory
"May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in you."
2 Thessalonians 1:12

The Shortest Prayer
"Lord, save me!"
Matthew 14:30

Should I Listen (or read, or watch, or play)?

2010-02-21T16:39:00.003-06:00

Two questions:

1. Does the music (or book, or magazine, or TV program, or movie, or game) you listen to lead you to love the Savior more or cause your affections for Christ to diminish?

2. Does your music (etc.) lead you to value an eternal perspective or influence you to adopt the mindset of "this present evil age"?

from Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World (p. 81)

What is Sin?

2010-02-15T13:48:00.000-06:00

What is sin?
The Glory of God not honored.
The Holiness of God not reverenced.
The Greatness of God not admired.
The power of God not praised.
The Truth of God not sought.
The Wisdom of God not Esteemed.
The Beauty of God not treasured.
The Goodness of God not savored.
The faithfulness of God not trusted.
The Commandments of God not obeyed.
The Justice of God not respected.
The Wrath of God not feared.
The Grace of God not cherished.
The presence of God not prized
The person of God not loved.
That is sin.

- John Piper

(ht: Already Not Yet)

Sermon: The Secret of Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T13:56:00.002-06:00

Tremont Community Thanksgiving Service
Tremont United Methodist Church
Sermon by Noah D. Lee
November 22, 2009

The Secret of Thanksgiving
Philippians 4:4-13

Introduction
First of all, I want to say how happy my family and I are to be in Tremont. After 9 years of ministry in Texas, we decided we wanted to know what winter was and moved here. I accepted the call to be the minister of Tremont Baptist Church, effective July 1. We are thankful for the kindness and warmth we have received from the good folks here in Tremont.

I am particularly delighted to be involved in tonight’s service. It is very good and fitting for Christians who love the Lord Jesus Christ to come together and express our common commitment to the Lord, to pray for our community, and to demonstrate sincere thanks to our God for all the good he has done for us in the past year. I am grateful for all the preparations made by Reverend Travis and the good folks here at Tremont United Methodist Church. I’m also glad to see many of my friends from the Tremont Baptist Church as well as others from the community.

I’m a list maker. I’ve made it my custom for several years now to make a list of things I’m thankful for during the Thanksgiving season. At some point this week, I will find a quiet corner and write down things I am particularly grateful for over the last year. I won’t share my personal lists with you, but I did come across one you might find interesting.

5 Things Housewives are Thankful for During Thanksgiving

1. Automatic dishwashers. They make it possible to get out of the kitchen before the family come in for their after-dinner snacks.
2. Husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house. They usually make them big enough to call in professionals.
3. Children who put away their things and clean up after themselves. They’re such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents.
4. Football. They provide an opportunity for afternoon naps.
5. Smoke alarms. They let you know when the turkey’s done.

Thanksgiving is more than a day
I love Thanksgiving Day. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while the aromas of lunch waft in from the kitchen… Eating a delicious meal with family… Watching football… afternoon naps… playing football in the backyard… eating leftovers… laughing… playing games… being with people I love the most in this world… What joy it is.

But for Christians, Thanksgiving shouldn’t come just one day a year. We may not have the elaborate celebrations or meals. But the spirit of thanksgiving ought to permeate our very souls.
The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Thanksgiving it a perpetual attitude and disposition all Christians are to have.

Question: How can we develop an attitude of perpetual gratitude?

The Secret of Thanksgiving
Tonight, for just a few moments, I want to share with you the secret of thanksgiving.

We find the secret in Verse 11 of our text.

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Contentment is the secret to thanksgiving. Until you and I learn to be content, we will never be thankful.

Author and speaker Steve Brown writes in his book Jumping Hurdles:

“The most unhappy person in the world is not someone who didn’t get what he or she wanted. The most unhappy person is the one who got what he or she wanted and then found out that it wasn’t as wonderful as expected. The secret of a happy life is not to get what you want but to live with what you’ve got. Most of us spend our lives concentrating on what we don’t have instead of thanking God for what we do have.” (pg. 150)

How many of us have closets, garages, basements, and storage buildings full of stuff we thought might make us happy only to discover it didn’t.

But the issue is not just related to things. It is related to the circumstances of our lives. We are unhappy because of our job situation. Or we complain about the situations we find ourselves in.
Before we will be truly thankful in all circumstances, we must learn contentment in life.

Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs wrote a wonderful book on the subject of contentment titled The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. Burroughs, who died in 1646, was very insightful when he called contentment a rare jewel.

• Contentment, like a jewel, is a precious, priceless treasure. It is to be prized by every Christian because God himself values it so much.

• And like other costly jewel, contentment certainly is rare. It not only was the case in Burroughs’ day, but ours as well. In fact, an argument might be made that we, living in the 21st century, who benefit from and have much more than any other generation in history, are less satisfied and less content now than ever before.

Burroughs defines contentment as “the inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, freely submitting to and taking pleasure in God’s disposal in every condition.”

How can you and I develop such a spirit about us? How can you and I become content in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in?

Happily, it is something we can learn. Paul said, “I have learned to be content.” I am delighted to find a saint of Paul’s spiritual stature saying, “I had to learn something. Here is an area where I had to grow” because I have to learn it and grow in it too.

Background of Philippians and the Surprise of Contentment
Now it is one thing to be content when you have everything you need or want. It is easy to learn to be content when you are comfortable and free. It is easy not to complain when everything is going your way. We might be tempted to think that Paul was on easy street when he wrote Philippians. But we would be mistaken.

Paul wrote this letter while in chains. He was under house arrest. He had limited freedom, but he was not permitted to leave his house. He had guards with him 24 hours a day. He was dependent upon the kindness of others to provide for his needs.

When Paul wrote “I’ve learned the secret of being content in any and every circumstance” he was not sitting under an umbrella on the beach sipping lemonade watching the surf roll in. He was experiencing real hardship.

In fact, Paul’s entire Christian life was marked by hardship. In 2 Corinthians Paul chronicles some of the hardships he endured.

2 Cor. 11:23b-28 (NIV) …I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. [24] Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, [26] I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. [27] I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. [28] Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Let’s be honest. How many of us would have thrown in the towel with just a couple of those things happening to us?

Instead, Paul can write to the Philippian Christians, while in jail, “I’m content.”

How in the world can you and I learn to be content and by extension learn to be thankful? The same way Paul did.

I see Five practices Paul engaged in to learn contentment. They are the same practices you and I need to learn to develop contentment in our lives.

First, we must rejoice in the glorious presence of God.

Philippians 4:4-5

Paul says “Rejoice and be gentle.” The way we are able to do these things is by recognizing God is with us.

Jesus promised in Matthew 28, before returning to heaven “I am with you always, even until the end of the age.”

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

When you are going through the best or the worst in life, you ought to always remember that the Lord is with you.

And let’s be honest, if the Lord is with us, what else do we really need?

Discontentment for a Christian is essentially declaring, “Lord, you are not enough in my life. I need and want something more than you. You are insufficient for my needs.” How blasphemous such an attitude is.

Content Christians are people who are keenly aware of the presence of God in their lives. They continually rejoice. They do not get stirred up or distressed with others. Instead they are gentle and calm of spirit because the Lord is near.

So first, we must rejoice in the glorious presence of God. Secondly, we must rest in the prefect peace and provision of God.

Philippians 4:6-7, 9

One of the greatest privileges we enjoy as Christians is the privilege of prayer. And oh how shameful it is that we would neglect such a precious gift. But for the Christian who is committed to prayer instead of worry, supplication instead of anxiety, what a gift of peace awaits!
Friends, contentment doesn’t mean we ignore pain, sorrow, or difficulty in life. Rather, it takes those things to the Lord and gives them to Him. We present our requests, our grief, our sorrow, all of it to the Lord and we lay it at His feet. And in exchange, he gives us his peace.
One reason so many Christians are not content is they are too busy with worry. And the reason they worry is they think God is going to fail. Or God is too small to handle their problems.
Peace of mind and spirit go hand in hand with contentment. And we will not be content until we lay our burdens at the feet of Jesus.

Dear friends, one of the many precious gifts we have from Christ through is cross is his continual, divine intercession for us. Jesus even now prays and intercedes for you while he sits at the right hand of the Father. So don’t hold on to your worries any more. Give them to Jesus. Get peace and learn to be content.

First, we must rejoice in the glorious presence of God. Second, we must rest in the perfect peace and provision of God through Jesus Christ.

Third, we must refocus on the beautiful things of God.

Philippians 4:8

It would do a world of good for some of you to not watch the news or read the newspaper for a week. Bad news sells and we can get fixated on all the bad news out there. It becomes like a toxin in our souls. Soon we have lost faith and we despair.

Instead we ought to look into that which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. This means we ought to begin in the Word of God and spend more time there, listening to his voice through Holy Scripture.

We should focus on the good things and beautiful things God is doing. Even in the worst of times, circumstances and situations, we can find the good of God at work.

As the old hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

First, we must rejoice in the glorious presence of God. Second, we must rest in the perfect peace and provision of God through Jesus Christ. Third, we must refocus on the beautiful things of God.

Fourthly, Let us recognize the kindness of God through his people.

Philippians 4:10, 14

The Lord has not created us to be alone. We are a family of believers, brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to love and care for one another. As the Lord so allows, we are to watch for and help each other in our times of need.

Galatians 6:10 (NIV) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

God works through us to care for each other.

Sometimes we let pride prevent us from caring for each other. Don’t rob yourself of this blessing.

Be humble and be willing to be blessed by your brothers and sisters. And see the hand of God in all of it.

Finally, we have seen that to learn contentment like Paul, we must: rejoice in the glorious presence of God; rest in the perfect peace and provision of God through Jesus Christ; refocus on the beautiful things of God; recognize the kindness of God through his people

And fifthly, we must rely on the powerful strength of God.

Philippians 4:13

This is a very popular verse, used by many. Often, Christian athletes will use this as a life verse. It is the motto verse of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. But this verse isn’t about athletic ability or other forms of achievement.

This verse means, in its context, that you and I can do all that God would have us do, go through all God would have us go through, be all God would have us to be, because His strength is at work in us.

Again, Jeremiah Burroughs in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment writes:

A Christian finds satisfaction in every circumstance by getting strength from another, by going out of himself to Jesus Christ, by his faith acting upon Christ, and bringing the strength of Jesus Christ into his own soul, he is thereby enabled to bear whatever God lays on him, by the strength that he finds from Jesus Christ… There is strength in Christ not only to sanctify and save us, but strength to support us under all our burdens and afflictions, and Christ expects that when we are under any burden, we should act our faith upon him to draw virtue and strength from him. (p. 63)

I’ve heard it said, “The Lord won’t give you more than you can bear.” It is a pleasant idea, but it doesn’t find support in the Bible. In fact, I think the notion that God won’t give you more than you can bear is completely unbiblical.

Jesus said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

No friends. You will have more than you can bear and the Lord will give it to you. But the Lord will never give you more than He can bear for you.

When we rely on his strength and power, we can be content in whatever we face, because we know He is sustaining us through it.

Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters, let us learn the secret of thanksgiving. Let us be content. Let us delight in the Lord and in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Let us find joy, peace, beauty, kindness, and strength in him.

He supplies all our needs. He gives us our daily bread. He is the satisfaction of our soul. He is our savior. Let us therefore be happy with Him and give thanks.

In Appreciation of Veterans

2009-11-11T09:24:00.002-06:00

John Rusk, Jr. (deceased) - US Navy, World War 2
Roy Lee (deceased) - US Army, World War 2
Frank Lee - Arkansas National Guard, Operation Desert Storm

I am proud to call these men my family members. They were pretty ordinary guys who had families and served their nation in times of need. Thank you!

I am also thankful for Grandma Lou, Granny Lee, and Aunt Belva for their loving support of their husbands during most difficult times.

And for all the other veterans out there. Thank you for your service.

God bless you and God bless America.

Shameless Advertizing Worked!

2009-11-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

I won the NASB Large Print Ultrathin Reference Bible in Black Calfskin leather! How cool. Thanks Logos!

Shameless Advertizing for Logos Bible Software in an Effort to Win a Premium Bible

2009-10-24T00:25:00.001-05:00

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

22 Great Devotional Resources

2009-10-23T08:43:00.003-05:00

Here is a list of 22 great devotional books. The really cool thing is you can win them... for free! Details at DevotionalChristian.com. Whether you enter the drawing for the giveaway or not, these are excellent titles for the nourishment of your soul.

Three Ways to Improve Preaching

2009-10-20T14:09:00.002-05:00

T. David Gordon concludes his book Why Johnny Can't Preach with three great suggestions to improve preaching.

Have an Annual Review of your preaching. Ask some trusted people to evaluate your preaching and suggest ways to improve.
Read poetry. Reading and understanding poetry requires close examination and consideration of a text. Honing this skill is crucial to reading and understanding the Bible. As an added benefit, this practice will increase your vocabulary and help you verbally paint vibrant pictures in the minds of your listeners.
Write letters by hand. The discipline of thinking through thoughts and carefully composing them without the benefit of a delete button will help you craft your thoughts more carefully as you preach.

The Kind of Pastor I Want to Be

2009-10-12T23:33:00.001-05:00

If I am the best, most learned preacher in the world, but I do not truly love my parishioners, I might as well read the phone book to them in place of the sermon.

If I am able to forecast social and political trends, if I am a walking encyclopedia of biblical trivia, and if I am a man of faith who can work miracles, but I do not love my parishioners, I am totally worthless as a pastor.

If I give all my possessions to charity to demonstrate a life of total reliance on God, and if I carry an organ-donor card, but I am not known for my love, there’s no point to it at all.

I must be patient with my parishioners. I cannot ever be envious of pastors with larger churches, or businessmen with larger incomes, I cannot brag about my personal accomplishments, I cannot be full of myself, and I must never run roughshod over the “little people,” or even perceive that anyone fits in that category. The phrase “advancement in my career” does not mean climbing the ecclesiastical hierarchy, or becoming famous or even conspicuous. It means perfecting my love.

I must never insist on having my way. It is their church, I am their servant. I cannot be irritable or resentful in front of my congregation, however appropriate those emotions may be.

I cannot gloat over the errors of sinners, but must regard the sinners as loveable, and the errors as tragic.

I must rejoice only in the truth.

When it comes to my congregation, I have to put up with anything. I have to truly believe them every time they make a promise, no matter how many times they’ve failed to keep promises in the past. I have to allow any personal indignity that comes my way to slide off my back.

My parishioners must feel that my love has no boundaries, no conditions, and no end. They should feel free to confide even the most disquieting, painful, embarrassing, and humiliating experiences in me, because they know I am always on their side.

When I get old, my preaching will stop. When I am old, my abilities will fade. When I am old, I won’t be able to remember all the clever things I know. But my love can survive even the greatest disability of age or disease.

I cannot know all things. I should never pretend to have all answers. “I don’t know” is always a proper answer to a question if it is true; it is humble. God is too great to fit in my brain.

My faith in Jesus Christ, my hope for the resurrection on the last day, and my love for others are all important things, but the most important one is love.

Based on 1 Corinthians 13

From http://www.kencollins.com/pray-29.htm

TBC Sermons On-Line

2009-09-28T23:55:00.002-05:00

You can listen to my sermons at tremontbaptist.org

Long TIme, No Blog... Here's Why

2009-09-03T20:42:00.003-05:00

So, big changes since the last time I blogged. Here's whats been happening in my world.

June 30, 2009 was my last day as pastor of Longview Missionary Baptist Church. I love that church. They are wonderful people of God who showed great kindness to me and my family. I spent nine amazing years of ministry there, for which I give thanks. Though we are separated by geography, I still have them in my heart (Philippians 1:7).

On July 3, 2009, I kissed my family good-bye and drove to Tremont, Illinois. For the next 9 days I lived in Carroll and Phylis Imig's travel trailer. I woke up to the roosters every morning. I hated being away from my family, but enjoyed getting to go know the great folks at Tremont Baptist Church.

On July 5, 2009, I preached my first sermon as Pastor of Tremont Baptist Church. We had a "passing of the baton" from their interim pastor, Dr. Adrian Lampkin, to me. The service was a "God and Country Day" service in the park. We had a great crowd of more than 140.

On July 12, I preached my first sermon in the church building. After preaching, I left to make the 12 hour drive back to Longview.

We packed up our house. A great group of guys from Tremont made the trip down to help us load a Penske truck and a 26 foot enclosed trailer (side note: I can't believe we have that much stuff!). On July 14, Sarah and I said good-bye to Longview by eating lunch at El Sombrero (really missing that place) and stopped in at Lifeway for one last perusal. Sarah and I made it to Cape Girardeau, Missouri for the night.

We closed on our house on July 15 and started unpacking. And then there was more unpacking. And still more unpacking.

Since July 15, we have painted everything but the kitchen and the hall that goes to the front bathroom, put in new carpet in the bedrooms and living room, and put in new vinyl flooring in the kitchen. We also put up a chain link fence so the kids could play in the backyard and not escape.

We've met several of our neighbors and really like all of them. We love our new little village. Sarah and the kids love to ride bikes to the market to get a free sample of cheese before going to the library. We've made some new friends. They don't replace our old friends, but they are nice additions to our lives.

In the church, we've had three people join by statement/letter, one by baptism, and I'm working with another one for baptism. The church is remodeling office space for me and the staff (it was much needed and the work they are doing is beautiful). Attendance is trending upward (in July, we averaged 127; in August, we are averaged 136 for worship). I'm starting a new Young Adult Sunday school class this Sunday.

As of this week, every thing in our home is pretty much settled. All the furniture is in place. We still have a few boxes in the garage, and a few more at a friend's house. And I still need to hang a cabinet in the master bathroom. But other than that, we are getting settled in our home.

The kids are adjusting very nicely. Abigail still talks about her Longview friends. We all wish there was some good Tex-Mex here. And I am sure this winter, I will miss the Texas winters.

But God has been very kind to us. Our lives are slowly being weaved into the tapestry of fellowship here in Tremont. We are excited to be a part of the community and looking forward to what God has in store for us.

Celebrating Calvin's 500th Birthday

2009-07-10T13:28:00.002-05:00

500 years ago today, John Calvin was born. If you don't know who he is, just google his name. To celebrate his birthday I was going to list 500 things I appreciate about him... but that would take a long time. So instead, here is a list of 5 :-)

1. I appreciate the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Love him or hate him, Calvin's systematization of theology has had profound influence on every theologian since.

2. I appreciate Calvin's Commentaries. This is a rich set of studies over many (not all) of the books of the Bible. Great devotional material here.

3. I appreciate Calvin's Sermons. Similar to the commentaries, but much more pastoral.

4. I appreciate Calvin's love for Scripture and high view of God.

5. I appreciate how Calvin has discipled me five centuries later.

Ministry Question(s) of the Day

2009-07-09T16:36:00.000-05:00

1. What attracts young families (families with younger children) to a church?

2. What are families with younger children looking for in a church?

Recanting my previous Facebook declartion

2009-07-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

I was not allowed to leave Texas until I promised to have a Facebook account. So, ignore my previous post about not having Facebook.

What I'm Reading

2009-06-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon
I'm reading this a few pages at a time each day. It is rich in its devotional wisdom and practical applications for pastors. (Read 30 pages.)

The Disappearance of God by Albert Mohler
This is a reworking of some of Dr. Mohler's essays and articles that appeared on his blog a few years ago. Some very important concepts are presented, especially in his article on doing Theological Triage. A must read for every minister and Christian. (Read about 50% of the book.)

Why Johnny Can't Preach by T. David Gordon
An very cutting, but necessary, book on the weakness of preaching today. Gordon argues the problem with preaching isn't with the seminaries' failures to adequately prepare preachers or even with the shortened attention span of congregations, but the fact that preachers don't know how to read the text of Scripture and then prepare a sensible sermon directly from the text. This book will step on your toes and challenge some of the more common ideas about preaching today. (Read about 60% of the book.)

Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll
Based on a series of sermons Driscoll preached addressing the nine biggest questions his church was asking, this book is typical Driscoll. Some solid theology mixed with biting sarcasm and humor, sprinkled with a good dose of pastoral affection. Driscoll is a pretty polarizing figure, but if you can work past the stuff that annoys you, I have found some very good teaching and application. (Read the Introduction and first chapter.)

Happy Birthday Matthew!

2009-06-26T13:00:00.001-05:00

Today is Matthew's second birthday! My little buddy is growing up fast.

Recently, my little man has been carrying a ball and a Bible everywhere.

Maybe he will be a baseball playing preacher?

Whatever the Lord has in store for him, I'll always love him!

My prayers for my children

2009-06-25T17:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Abigail's birthday. Tomorrow is Matthew's. If (when Lord willing!) we have child number 3, I hope he or she will be born on June 25. That would be fun, right?!

Here is what I pray daily for my children.

That they would be saved.

That they would love God.

That they would love others.

That they would be wise.

That they would live according to God's Word and faithfully serve Him.

For myself, I pray:

That I will be a faithful husband and father.

That I will be a consistent example of Godliness.

That I will disciple and train them in the way they should go.

That I will have wisdom to raise and guide them.

Happy Birthday Abigail!

2009-06-24T18:24:00.003-05:00

Today is Abigail's birthday! She is four years old.

Four years of amazing blessings.

Four years of a deeper understanding of life.

Four years of joy.

Four years of hard work.

Four years I cherish.

Four years of Abigail.

Thank you God!

Adrian Rogers on Church Growth and Progress

2009-06-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

In reflecting on Acts 6:1-7 in his book The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority, the late Dr. Adrian Rogers makes the following points:

Where there is life there is growth.

Where there is growth there are problems.

Where there are problems there are solutions.

Where there are solutions there is even greater growth.

Goodbye Texas, Hello Illinois

2009-06-23T12:06:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, June 28, I will preach my last sermon as pastor of Longview Missionary Baptist Church.

I have accepted the pastorate of Tremont Baptist Church in Tremont, Illinois.

I love my LMBC family and will miss them deeply. I have been honored to serve as their pastor for 6 years and on pastoral staff for three years before becoming pastor. But I believe God is leading me to a new ministry. This is a bitter-sweet time for me. I am sad to leave so many people I love. But I am excited at the new possibilities and oportunites in Tremont. Following God's will for our lives may not be easy, but it is always exciting and obedience is always the best choice to make.

Please pray for Longview MBC and their search for a new pastor. Pray also for Tremont Baptist as they prepare to receive us. And pray for my family as we make the move and transition.

No Facebook or Twitter for Me

2009-04-27T11:59:00.001-05:00

Occasionally, one of my buddies will send me an email invite for Facebook or Twitter. Just so you know, I'm not ignoring you. I just don't do either. Knowing me, I would waste entire days with those things. So, for my sanctification and self-discipline, I'm staying in the stone ages and staying away from Facebook and Twitter.

I will continue to blog.

Occasionally.

The Connection Between Godly Thinking and Godly Living

2009-04-23T15:28:00.002-05:00

Godly living flows from godly thinking, and godly thinking comes from a vital, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

-- Colin N. Peckham in Resisting Temptation, p. 61

Books Coming Soon from Crossway

2009-04-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

Crossway is one of the best publishing houses around. They publish some really solid and useful books. Here are a few they are planning to publish in 2009 that I am looking forward to.

The Gospel in Genesis by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Proclaiming a Gospel Centered Theology from T4G 2008
the previously mentioned Ashamed of the Gospel
R.C. Sproul's massive, two-volume passage by passage exposition of Romans
The Power of Words and the Wonder of God by Desiring God National Conference 2008
Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ: The Cost of Bringing the Gospel to the Nations in the Lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton by John Piper
Let Not Your Heart be Troubled by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

New Edition of Ashamed of the Gospel Coming

2009-04-20T09:57:00.003-05:00

Word comes today that Crossway is publishing a new edition of John MacArthur's Ashamed of the Gospel (buy the original here or here). God used this book to literally change my life and ministry. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I'm really excited about the second edition and the new material in it. This book is must reading for everyone in pastoral ministry and church leadership. Here is a link to the new edition so you can add it to your wishlist.

Lessons from the Apostle Andrew

2009-04-08T20:47:00.002-05:00

Scripture doesn't have much to say about Andrew. He is is mostly a background character, usually in the shadow of his brother Peter and his friends, James and John. But when Andrew acts and speaks, it is pure gold. John MacArthur, in is great book Twelve Ordinary Men notes the following attributes about Andrew:

He valued individual people. He was always bringing others, including his own brother, to Christ (see John 1:40-41 and John 12:20-22).

He valued insignificant gifts. He was the one who brought the boys lunch of five loaves and two fish to Jesus when it was time to feed the 5,000 (see John 6:8-9)

He valued inconspicuous service. He was happy to stay in the background, playing second fiddle. He didn't need to be the center of attention, but faithfully served Christ, giving Him all the glory.

For these reasons, he was an effective personal evangelist and a great model for us to follow.

Oh Lord, raise up more Andrews in the church!

The Bible Kind of Salvation: The Effectual Calling of God by W.A. Criswell

2009-03-12T13:31:00.001-05:00

This is the transcript of a sermon by the late W.A. Criswell. What a powerful, truth packed, Scripture saturated sermon. Enjoy.
====================

THE EFFECTUAL CALLING OF GOD

Dr. W. A. Criswell

Romans 9:15-16

6-05-83 10:50 a.m.

The title of the message in the published bulletin here is: The Bible Kind Of Salvation. It is actually a sermon on election, on the calling and choosing of God. And, as a background text—not as an expository passage, but as a background text, I read Romans 9, verses 15 and 16. Romans 9:15 and 16:

For the Lord said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

So, then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

If we are saved, we are saved by His mercy and by His grace, not by our deserving or by our striving. It is God who saves us and God alone. Our salvation begins in Him, not in us. The initiation is in His mercy, in His elective choice, in His calling, in His will.

We are saved in His grace. The Scriptures say such, as in Ephesians 2:1: “All of us are dead in trespasses and in sins.” We are corpses in God's sight, in the presence of His holiness. We are dead; we are corpses; we are dead. We are born in that death; we are born in sin—even conceived in sin. All of our propensities and affinities flow in the direction of sin. We are by nature set in a fallen direction.

Have you ever stood by the mighty Niagara? The great River falls over that precipice. It naturally does; it is uncoerced; it falls by nature. It cannot rise, it does not rise—it falls. And, each drop of water pushes the other over the rim of that great Falls. We are set in a fallen direction. Jeremiah 6:7 says we're like a fountain gushing forth water, a fountain of wickedness, all of us.

I am bound, paralyzed between two steel rails: One, my fleshly lusts and the other, my fallen will. And, I stand in the path of an inevitable judgment, inexorable death. I'm like a man paralyzed between two steel rails. And, thundering down upon me is a great chain of cars. I can look at that locomotive and seek to argue with it, “You're going too fast!” or, “You’re following too precisely these rails!” or, “Don't you have pity or understanding or sympathy?” The only thing I can do is to drop, is to fall flat on my face as the great juggernaut rolls over me. I cannot save myself. I, with you—we are dead by nature in trespasses and in sins. We are corpses before the holiness of God and a corpse cannot raise itself, it is dead. A corpse cannot will itself to be born anew; it is dead. A corpse cannot raise itself to a quickened life, it is dead.

And, I can stand and preach to a dead corpse and say, “Don't you see?” But, a corpse doesn't see. And, I can lift up my voice and say to a dead corpse, “Don't you understand?” But, a dead corpse does not understand. And, I can say to a dead corpse, “Don't you hear?” But, a dead corpse does not hear. It cannot will itself to a quickened life. It cannot choose; it cannot see; it cannot hear; it cannot think; it cannot understand; it is dead!

We are shut up, like Nicodemus, to the power of the generating Spirit of God to born us anew. We are shut up, like Lazarus, in the tomb to the power of Christ to raise us from the dead. We are shut up, like those dry bones in the vision of Ezekiel in Chapter 37: “O breath of God, breathe upon these dry bones.”

The initiation of our salvation, of our calling, of our regeneration, of our new birth, of our salvation, is in God and not in us. Consequently, our new birth, our regeneration, our calling is a gift of God. It comes, in the mercy and grace of heaven, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, God saves us.” So Paul wrote in Titus 3:5. If I am saved, if I am regenerated, if I ever see God's face in heaven it is because of His election, His mercy, His grace, His effective call.

Up there in heaven, I look down into the abyss, into the burning hell of those who have committed just the sins that I have committed. But, they are in damnation and I am with God in heaven. Oh, the grace and the mercy of our Lord that reached down even to me. I deserve to be damned but God has had mercy upon me.

A monument of grace,

A sinner saved by blood.

The streams of love I trace

Up to their fountain, God.

And in his mighty breast

I see eternal thoughts

Of love for me.

[“Ready, Aye, Ready”; C.H. Spurgeon]

It is God who saves me. That is not an afterthought of the Lord. In Ephesians 1:4: “According as God hath chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children.”

And, as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1: “Elect, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” It is not an advantitious, a peripheral, an afterthought, thing that God has done. Before He threw these worlds out into space, God knew us, called us by our names and wrote them in the Lamb’s Book of Life in heaven. “Foreordained before the foundation of the world,” the mercy of God extended toward us. All of these steps, and all of these virtues, and all of these glories of our salvation are in Him. He has done it, God has done it.

In the sixth chapter of the Book of John, it is Jesus who has chosen us. John 6:37: “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me.” And, Verse 44: “No man can come to Me except the Father which has sent Me draw him.” In Verse 65: “Therefore said I unto thee, No man can come unto Me except it were given to him of the Father.” And, in that great high priestly prayer of John 17: “As thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to whom to as many as Thou has given Him.” In the sixth verse: “Thou gavest them Me.” In the ninth verse: “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou has given Me; for they are Thine.” It is God who reaches down, to save us in His grace, in His mercy, in His elective choice.

In the fifth chapter of the Book of Acts, we're introduced to a great truth: When I repent, my repentance is a gift of God. In the fifth chapter of Acts, 31: God, who exalted the Lord Jesus, a prince and a Savior, to give repentance. He gives repentance to Israel and the Holy Ghost whom God gives “to them that obey Him.”

In the eleventh chapter of the Book of Acts: God gave them, says Simon Peter to us Gentiles—“God gave them the like gift as He did unto us.” And, “when they heard these things, they glorified God, saying, “Then [hath] God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” God did it, God gives the heart repentance: the spirit of turning. We are, by faith, receiving the gift of God and that faith is a gift from God Himself.

In the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts: “God giving them the Holy Spirit,” in their hearts, purifying their hearts by faith. The faith that purifies us is a gift of God. In the Book of Romans, chapter 12: “This I say through the grace given, to every man… God deals to every man the measure of faith.” Our faith is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 and 9:

For by grace are you saved—by grace, the goodness and mercy of God—by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God—it comes from God—not of works, lest any man—say, “I did it, look at me! Look at me, I achieved my salvation, I did it!”—Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Our salvation, our calling, our regeneration, our quickening, our being presented someday to heaven is a mercy, and a gift, and a grace of God. Now, when I read this in the Bible, I look in my heart. Is it confirmed in my experience? It is, and, not only in mine, but in every man who has ever come to know Jesus as his Savior: A man or a woman, every one of us. When we look back into our experience, our experience confirms what the Bible avows: that it was God who touched me. It was God who called me. It was God who reached for me. And, it was God who saved me. It was His mercy and His grace that I came to know Jesus as my Savior and in Him I was born anew.

I look back over the years of my own life. One of the young men with whom I went to school, in high school, twice he was sent to the penitentiary and, the last time, one of the convicts took a baseball bat and beat his brains out. He grew up in a beautiful Christian home, as I did. Why was it I was called and the grace of God touched me? Oh, the mercy of the dear Lord in heaven.

In my home, there grew up with me my brother, two years younger than I. I felt called of God to be a pastor when I was a small child in the elementary school. Why didn't he hear the call? He never did, I did—God called me and, I heard it.

In my home, my mother taught me to say, when I was a little child, when people would put their hands on my head and say, “Son, what you going to be when you grow old, when you get grown?” My mother—my mother's father was a physician. He was a physician in the Confederate Army, my mother's father was a doctor—she taught me to say, when I was a little bitty kid, “What you going to do when you grow up?” She taught me to say, “I'm going to be a doctor, like my grandfather.” My father and mother were deeply disappointed when I gave my life as a child to be a preacher.

I love the medical profession. When I was in Baylor, I took half a dozen premed courses, made the highest grades in all six of them—I loved it. I love a physician because of the marvelous open door he has to witness for Christ but, I disappointed my father and mother when I avowed: “God has called me and I've given my life to that call of heaven.” God did it! In the story of in 1 Samuel, old Eli and the little boy, Samuel, lived in the same tent, in the Tabernacle of the Lord. But, it was the little boy that heard the call of God. Eli didn't hear it—he did! It's in the mercy and grace of our Lord that we're chosen, elected, called. It's God, in His mercy that does it. And, every man's experience will confirm the avowal of the Holy Scriptures.

When we move toward God, we later learn God first moved toward us. When we love and trust the Lord Jesus, we learn later that it was He who first loved us. When we answer the call of God, we later learn it was God who first called us.

Those old, great hymns of the long ago were just like that. Isaac Watts—you sang a song by Isaac Watts just a moment ago: “Alas! And did my Savior bleed, and did my sovereign die… .”—Isaac Watts wrote this hymn, in 1748:

Why was I made to hear Thy voice

And enter while there's room,

When thousands make a wretched choice

And rather starve than come.

T’was the same love that spread the feast

That sweetly forced [us] in;

Else [we] had still refused to taste,

And perished in [our] sin.

Pit y the nations, O, our Lord!

Constrain the world to come;

Send Thy victorious Word abroad,

And bring the wanderers home.

[“How Sweet and Awesome is the Place”; Isaac Watts]

In like manner, long years ago, Josiah Conder wrote this hymn:

‘Tis not that I did choose Thee;

For Lord, that could not be;

This heart would still refuse thee

But Thou has chosen me.

Hast from the sin that stained me

Washed me and set me free.

And to this end ordained me

That I should live for Thee.

T’was sovereign mercy called me

And taught my opening mind

The world had else enthralled me,

To heavenly glory's blind.

My heart owns none above Thee;

For Thy rich grace I thirst,

This knowing if I loved thee

Thou must have loved me first.

[“Lord, ‘Tis Not that I Did Choose Thee”; Josiah Conder]

It is God who saves us! It is in His mercy that He reached down and touched us, and called us, and regenerated us, and saved us, and washed us, and cleansed us, and forgave us—it's God who did it!

I think of a man struggling in the river. And, he goes down for the third time, unconscious. And, he finds himself on the bank of the river, safe. And, as he lies there and looks up, he says, “Great, wonderful. In my struggling, I made one last effort. And, I threw myself on the bank. And I'm saved.”

But, the explanation doesn't satisfy the heart or the mind, does it? Instead, as he lies there on the bank, and he opens his eyes and awakens, he looks up into the face of a man standing over him, wet, exhausted from the struggle. And, the man says, “I saw you struggling in the river, going down for the third time, and, I rescued you.” That explanation satisfies my heart. I understand.

It is the same with my soul. When I say to my soul, “Soul, you did good. You strove and you tried and you struggled and you worked and you achieved and, you've saved yourself!” Somehow, it doesn't satisfy my heart and it doesn't satisfy my mind but, when I look up into the face of the Lord Jesus, and I say, “Lord, in Your mercy, and Your goodness, and Your grace, and forgiveness, You did it! Thank you, Lord—You did it! When I do that, it satisfies my heart and my mind. I have come into the great truth of the mercy and grace in the elective calling of God. And not only is that true when I look back through the years of my life, confirming what the Book says; but when I look forward to the age to come when with you, God's blood-bought redeemed, I stand in heaven.

We have in the Revelation, the Apocalypse, the songs that we sing. What are they? Are they, “All Glory to me, I did it!” or are the songs like this: Revelation 1:5— “Unto Him who loved me and gave Himself for me and washed me in His own blood, unto Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen.” Or, in that wonderful, wonderful song I love to hear our people sing: in Revelation 5:

Worthy is the Lamb who hath redeemed us by His blood, out of every family and tribe and nation.

And the whole creation fell down and worshipped Him who liveth forever and ever.

It is God in His grace and in His mercy Who saves us; there is an effectual calling of the Lord. There is a general call, a universal call. You find an illustration of it in Revelation 22:17, the last invitation of the Bible: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’”—The Holy Spirit of God and the church:

The spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth repeat the glad refrain, just let the passer by say, Come. Let him is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

There is a general call. There were thousands who heard Jesus, in His day, saying: “Come unto me.” The general call: thousand heard Him. There are thousands who heard Martin Luther preach, John Chrysostom, Savanarola—thousands. There are uncounted thousands who heard George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. And, there are thousands today, who listen to these great evangelists like Billy Graham.

The general call—some of them heard and really heard. Some of them, in the day of Jesus, responded. Some of them did in the days of Luther, of Chrysostom. Some of them did in the days of Whitefield and Edwards. But, the great vast majority of them refused. But, some heard and some responded; the effectual call of God. It is so today; many, many hear, but some will always respond. In the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Acts, forty-eighth verse:

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the Word of the Lord—and, listen—and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, as many as were “ordained” to eternal life believed.

Look again in 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, beginning in verse 13:

Brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation… whereunto He called you by our gospel.

There is a general call heard by thousands, most of whom will refuse. But, there is an effectual call, an elective call and there will always be some who respond with their lives. They hear God's call and, they answer in commitment, and in glory, and in gratitude, and in love, and in trust, and in faith. God always has His own—always.

As you so well know, I read Spurgeon, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great London preacher. I just read him all the time. When Spurgeon was twenty years old, he was pastor of the New Park Street Baptist Church in London, England. It seated 1,200 people. And, when he came there, there were 85 in the congregation—wasn't long until the throngs couldn't get in the house. They knocked out the back wall, rebuilt it and they still couldn't get in the house. One day, he held his service out in the field. There were over 12,000 there and the service ended with a vast multitude bursting into song; they just burst into singing.

And, Spurgeon later wrote of that meeting—He wrote: “That night, I could understand better than ever before why the Apostle John, in the Revelation, compared the new song in heaven to the sound of many waters. In that glorious hallelujah, the mighty waves of praise seemed to roll upward toward the sky in majestic wonder, even as the billows of the great ocean break upon the beach.”

A reading of the words of that sermon that was preached that night makes it easy to understand why the service just ended with hearts being raised heavenward in wonder and praise, just burst into song. He was preaching—and, I dug up the sermon that he preached that night in that field, 20 years old—He was preaching on the text in Matthew 8:11: “Many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” And, the young preacher was glorying in the triumphs of grace. And, here is what he said:

Oh, I love God's “shalls” and “wills”; there is nothing comparable to them. Let a man say “shall”, what is it good for? “I will,” says a man and he never performs. “I shall,” says he and, he breaks his promise. But, it is never so with God's “shalls.” If God says “shall,” it shall be. When God says “will,” it will be. Now, God has said here: “Many shall come.” The Devil says: “They shall not come.” But, God says: “They shall come.” You yourselves say:”‘We won't come.” God says: “You shall come.” Yes, there are some here who are laughing at salvation, who scoff at Christ and mock at the gospel, but I tell you, some of you shall yet come.

“What?” you say, “Can God make me become a Christian?”

I tell you, “Yes!” For herein rests the power of the gospel; it does not ask your consent, but it gets it. It does not say: “Will you have it?” But, it makes you willing in the day of God's power.

You say, “I do not want to be saved.” Christ says, “You shall be saved.”

He makes your will turn around. And, then, you cry, “Lord, save me or I perish.” Heaven then rejoices over you, because Christ has changed your will. If Jesus Christ were to stand on this platform tonight, what would many people do with Him? If He were to come and say: “Here I am, will you be saved by me?” not one of you would consent, if you were left to your own will. Christ Himself said: “No man can come to Me except the Father who hath sent Me draw him.” Oh, we want that drawing and here we have it, “They shall come, they shall come!”

Ye may laugh. Ye may despise us. But, Jesus Christ shall not die in vain. If some of you reject Him, there are some that will not. If there are some that are not saved, others shall be. Christ shall see His seed. He shall prolong His days. And, the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hands. They shall come; they shall come, and naught in heaven, nor in earth, nor in hell can stop them from coming.

No wonder that vast throng burst into singing and to hallelujahs—the grace of God, the effectual calling of God. Do I want to be saved? Then I can be, I'm one of God's elect. Do I want Jesus in my heart and in my life? Then, I can have Him, I am chosen in the Beloved. If I want to give my life to God, I can! He has chosen me, written my name in the Book of Life before the worlds were flung into space. O the grace and the mercy of our wonderful Lord!

Now, just once again, and I must close: May I confirm that in experience? When I came to be pastor of this church, soon to be 40 years ago, the church had ebbed over a period of many, many years. The great pastor was sought by the world and he was gone most of the time. And, no man can build a church, being gone.

And Dr. Truett was invalid, dying for a full year. And when I came to be pastor of the church, 43 years younger than Dr. Truett—when I came to be under -shepherd of this congregation, I fell on my face. I got down on my knees and I said, “Lord, dear God, if I am faithful in preaching Thy Word, and if I preach it as zealously and as earnestly and as fervently as I know how—Lord, if I am faithful in preaching Thy Word, will you send me souls? Will you?” And, as though He had spoken audibly in my ear, I heard God say to me in my heart, “If you are faithful in preaching the Word of God, I will send you souls. I'll do it.”

Nor can I tell you the thousands of instances in which I sit down with families, pray with them in my study, and they will say to me, “When we came to the city of Dallas, we never intended to join the First Baptist Church.” Or, “When we came to the city, and found our home located miles and miles away, we never thought to drive so far down to that church in the heart of the city of Dallas. But, we're here. God put it in our hearts. God spoke to our hearts and we have come.”

And, when I hear them say that, every time, my heart goes back to that promise of God: “If you are faithful in preaching the Word, I will send you souls.” God does it. The Lord did it. God does it, He speaks, He calls. And He gives us these precious families and these immortal souls.

Dear people, I've been preaching here all these years and years and years. I have never preached at a service here yet but that God has given us souls. At the 8:15 o'clock service this morning, we had a bountiful harvest. God will do it again this hour and He'll do it again tonight.

“If you're faithful,” says the Lord—“If you're faithful, I will send you souls.” It is the calling of God. It is the effectual choosing of our Lord. It's the most comforting thing in the world.

Somebody said to Spurgeon, “If I believed that doctrine you preach, ‘God's going to call, God has elected…’ then I wouldn't even try. If they're going to be saved, they're going to be saved anyway. And, if they're not going to be saved, no matter what you do, they're not responding. It would be the most discouraging thing in the world,” said this man to Spurgeon.

And, Spurgeon replied, “My brother, it's just the opposite. It's just the opposite. When I stand to preach, I know that not all will respond. But, God will always give me some. Some will always hear. Some will always turn. Some will always respond. God will always give me some. That's the most comforting assurance in this earth. God will not let His Son die in vain. God has a people He has elected and chosen for His glory. And, God will not let His minister, who preaches the gospel faithfully, lift up his heart and lift up his hands and make his appeal in vain.”

God will always answer from heaven and give us souls. It's the most precious assurance in this world. And we praise God for the mercy, for the love, for the grace that reaches down, even to us. May we stand together?

Want to Win a Calf-Skin ESV Study Bible?

2009-02-24T09:44:00.002-06:00

Me too! That's why I putting this post up. Go visit Boomer in the Pew to discover how you can win your very own ESV Study Bible. But, if you beat me out, you should at least buy me one :-)

Preaching Granny Lee's Funeral Service

2009-01-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

My Granny Lee passed away Tuesday. This morning I will preach her funeral service. Please pray for me that I will faithfully share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with my family.

I'm soooo prepared for this...

2009-01-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

I love living in Texas because of cool stuff like this.

Everyone knows that if Zombies invaded Texas, they would not stand a chance. Zombies are by definition slow and dumb. And every Texan carries at least one gun and has three in the truck and 4 more back at the house. The fight would be so lopsided, I actually feel sorry for the poor Zombies.

Holy Resolve

2009-01-28T10:24:00.002-06:00

We shall go on to the end,
We shall fight for the gospel in our own hearts and the hearts of our children and fellow believers,
We shall fight to believe God is sovereign and good and loving at all times, even in tragedy,
We shall fight with growing confidence and strength in Christ, the power of God,
We shall fight to forgive and do good to those who sin against us,
We shall fight to not forsake fellowship, even when we feel like quitting,
We shall fight to keep pursuing God in his Word and prayer,
We shall fight to put sin to death in our lives,
We shall fight to keep the simplicity of devotion to Jesus,
We shall fight for the glory of God, whatever the cost may be,
We shall never surrender…

(ht: The Blazing Center)

Piper's Pro-Life Talking Points

2009-01-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

As President Obama continues to make good on his campaign promises to support the murder of children in the womb through the act of abortion, John Piper provides 15 taking points for us to consider and share.

"You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." - Jesus Christ

1. Existing fetal homicide laws make a man guilty of manslaughter if he kills the baby in a mother's womb (except in the case of abortion).

2. Fetal surgery is performed on babies in the womb to save them while another child the same age is being legally destroyed.

3. Babies can sometimes survive on their own at 23 or 24 weeks, but abortion is legal beyond this limit.

4. Living on its own is not the criterion of human personhood, as we know from the use of respirators and dialysis.

5. Size is irrelevant to human personhood, as we know from the difference between a one-week-old and a six-year-old.

6. Developed reasoning powers are not the criterion of personhood, as we know from the capacities of three-month-old babies.

7. Infants in the womb are human beings scientifically by virtue of their genetic make up.

8. Ultrasound has given a stunning window on the womb that shows the unborn at eight weeks sucking his thumb, recoiling from pricking, responding to sound. All the organs are present, the brain is functioning, the heart is pumping, the liver is making blood cells, the kidneys are cleaning fluids, and there is a fingerprint. Virtually all abortions happen later than this date.

9. Justice dictates that when two legitimate rights conflict, the limitation of rights that does the least harm is the most just. Bearing a child for adoption does less harm than killing him.

10. Justice dictates that when either of two people must be inconvenienced or hurt to alleviate their united predicament, the one who bore the greater responsibility for the predicament should bear more of the inconvenience or hurt to alleviate it.

11. Justice dictates that a person may not coerce harm on another person by threatening voluntary harm on themselves.

12. The outcast and the disadvantaged and exploited are to be cared for in a special way, especially those with no voice of their own.

13. What is happening in the womb is the unique person-nurturing work of God, who alone has the right to give and take life.

14. There are countless clinics that offer life and hope to both mother and child (and father and parents), with care of every kind lovingly provided by people who will meet every need they can.

15. Jesus Christ can forgive all sins, and will give all who trusts him the help they need to do everything that life requires.

5 Bible Translations I Love

2009-01-26T00:01:00.000-06:00

1. English Standard Version -- this is my first choice when it comes to reading and studying. I love the ESV. The ESV Study Bible is a must have resource.

2. New King James Version -- I've used NKJV so long now, it feels natural and normal. It's like an pair of old shoes that fit just perfectly.

3. New Living Translation, Second Edition -- The NLT2e is far and away better than the original Living Bible or even the first edition of New Living Translation. There are areas that I think are problematic, but I love reading NLT2e. NLT Study Bible was released last year and it is a good study Bible.

4. New International Version -- I used NIV throughout college. It is an old friend I enjoy spending time with. I've recently started using Today's New International Version and so far, I really like it.

5. New American Standard, 95 Update -- NASB is the most literal Bible available. Excellent for serious, in depth study.

Honorable Mention:

King James Version -- although I don't use KJV on a regular basis, its beauty is unsurpased. I grew up with KJV and deeply apreciate this version.

My Definition of the Gospel

2009-01-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

The Gospel is the glorious truth and reality that Almighty God, in incredible love toward us sinners, sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the God-Man, who lived a sinless life, died a sinners death, was buried and rose on the third day to make atonement for our sins and make peace between us and God.

All who, in genuine repentance and faith, confess that Jesus is Lord and believe He has risen from the dead, are saved.

------------------------

What do you think?

Is this a good definition of the Gospel? Did I leave anything out?

One of My Favorite Pictures

2009-01-24T15:52:00.000-06:00

I took this photo at the Oklahoma City Zoo a couple of years ago.

A Cause for Weeping and Much Prayer

2009-01-23T10:23:00.003-06:00

Update: Justin Taylor offers this incisive commentary.

President Obama is moving to keep some of the worst promises he made during the campaign. His actions will result in the murder of countless innocent lives. Unfortunately, this will probably only be the beginning.

God help us.

Obama to Lift Ban on Overseas Abortion Funding

A Lack of Gifting is No Excuse for Disobedience

2009-01-21T20:08:00.003-06:00

I believe God has gifted different believers in different ways.

My friend Jason is a gifted evangelist. I've been with Jason when he struck up a conversation with a stranger and turned it to the Gospel smoothly and easily.

Marilyn is a wonderful woman in the church I pastor. She has the gift of mercy. Several years ago her husband committed suicide. By God's grace, she persevered through it and grew through the experience. Now, she has a vibrant grief support ministry helping dozens of people throughout Longview because she is gifted at showing mercy to those in need.

Johnny and Michelle are two of the most generous people I know. They give freely to bless God's people and help missionaries. They aren't rich but they give richly.

And I could go on naming people and their gifts. We all are gifted differently and we should maximize the abilities, resources, skills, and gifts God has given us for His glory and His kingdom.

I admire and at times have a holy jealousy for these and other people. I wish I could do these good works like they do. God in His wisdom did not see fit to gift me in those ways.

But a lack of gifting is no excuse for disobedience.

As a Christian, I am to be faithful to share the Gospel. Even if I do not have the gift of evangelism.

As a Christian, I am called to be merciful to those around me. Even if I do not have the gift of mercy.

As a Christian, I am called to be a good steward and give to those in need and for Kingdom work. Even if I do not have the gift of giving.

Whatever gift God has given us, we should maximize our use of that gifting. If you have any talent or ability, use it all for God's glory.

But if you aren't gifted in some particular area-- like evangelism, showing mercy, giving to those in need, being a peacemaker, giving exhortation, being an encourager, being a prayer warrior, or any number of other things-- you still have no excuse for not obeying God and doing what He would have you do as a Christian.

Paul told Timothy, "Do the work of an evangelist." I think Paul wrote that to Timothy because Timothy wasn't very good at evangelism. And if you aren't good at something, it is easy to leave it off. But Paul didn't say, "Just do those things you are comfortable doing. Just focus on that little area you really excel at." No, Paul told Timothy to be obedient to Christ and do his Christian duty, whether it was easy or not.

There are many things in the Christian life that don't come easy for me. But my lack of gifting is no excuse for disobedience.

My Prayer for President Obama and the United States

2009-01-20T13:05:00.002-06:00

Almighty God, Heavenly Father,

You alone are the one true God, the maker of heaven and earth, the giver and sustainer of life. All things exist for your pleasure, purpose, and glory. Let all creation bow down before you alone, One God in Three Persons-- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You have made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth. You have determined the allotted periods and boundaries of our dwelling places. In your mercy and for our good, you have established governing authorities to provide order in society and protection from the wicked. No nation comes into existence and no authority has power unless you grant it.

On this day, as we the citizens of the United States of America witness the inauguration of our Forty-Fourth president, Barak Obama, we ask that you would bless our nation and our president and his family.

Bless our nation with the conviction of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come.

Bless our nation with genuine revival.

Bless our nation with Gospel preaching churches and Gospel living Christians.

Bless our nation with men and women of prayer.

Bless our nation with protection from Satan's vile work.

Bless our president with heavenly wisdom and a humble heart.

Bless our president with righteous advisers and godly counselors.

Bless our president with a holy heart devoted to Jesus Christ. May he seek the Lord all of his days and govern with justice.

Bless his family with protection from those that would destroy them.

Let all of your people who are called by your name humble themselves, and pray, and seek your face, and turn from our wicked ways.

Let innocent lives be protected in the womb and among the aged and infirm.

Let laws be enacted that are righteous, just, and fair.

Let the Gospel light shine brightly and boldly as Christians pray and embody the commands to love you with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Some trust in horses, some trust in chariots, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

In the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Inauguration Bibles

2009-01-15T13:30:00.000-06:00

The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating interactive graphic showing various Bibles and Bible verses used during Presidential Inaugurations. Very cool.

I pray that all our presidents would not only use the Bible as Inauguration decoration and symbolism, but actually read and govern according to the Scriptures. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent, God is very clear about our duty to the ruling authorities.

1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV)
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Praying Ezra 7:10

2009-01-14T17:19:00.000-06:00

Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel."

Like Ezra, I want to devote myself to the study of the Word of God.

Father, help me be devoted and disciplined to read, meditate, and study your word that I might know You and Your will.

Like Ezra, I want to devote myself to obeying the word of God.

Father, help me put into practice what I learn from Your Word. Help me to obey You, forgive me when I fail, and encourage me to never give up.

Like Ezra, I want to devote myself to teaching the Word of God to the People of God.

Father, thank you for calling me into ministry. By your grace, help me to preach and teach boldly and correctly. Guard me from all error. Help me to be clear. And help your people to hear, receive and believe the Word.

For Your glory and Your Kingdom, I pray in Jesus' name with the help of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Misc. 01.13.2009

2009-01-13T02:01:00.000-06:00

The Rangers management is about to ruin my summer. Listen up Hicks and Daniels... DON'T MESS WITH YOUNG!!!!! He is the heart and soul of the Texas Rangers and he does not deserve to be treated like this.

All my hopes for a good NFL playoff season are now resting with the Arizona Cardinals. I hope they win it all and Kurt Warner rides off into the sunset (even though he beat the Titans 10 years ago... I've forgiven him). I'm an AFC South guy, and the Colts sputtered out and the Titans threw it away. Very disappointing. I'm just trilled the Steelers crushed San Deigo. Steelers/Ravens will be some smash-mouth football. Cardinals/Eagles could be some high-flying fun. My picks, Steelers v. Cardinals in the Super Bowl.

Speaking of football, the classiest coach since Tom Landry, Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts, announced he is retiring to spend more time with his family and make a difference in the lives of teenage boys. The NFL and every professional sport needs more men like Tony Dungy. You go Tony!

Our washing machine is broken. This is the third major appliance in less than a month we've had to have repaired. The joys of home ownership.

The new season of 24 is underway and waaaaay better than last season.

I'm preaching through the book of James on Sunday Morning, Baptist Beliefs on Sunday Evening, and teaching Warnings and Cautionary Tales from Villains and Scoundrels in the Acts of the Apostles on Wednesday Evening. I'm having a blast! I love preaching and teaching God's Word to God's people.

We had 291 in Sunday Morning Services and the Lord added a couple to our church family! Praise God!

Five Hymns I Love

2009-01-12T02:01:00.000-06:00

1. A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Written by Martin Luther, this song stirs me to trust God and be bold for the cause of the Gospel. I could sing this hymn every Sunday and not grow tired of it.

Most powerful line line: "Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever."

2. Great is Thy Faithfulness
Based on Lamentations 3:22-23, this is a faith-building, soul-stirring song.

3. In Christ Alone
This modern hymn is amazing in it's doctrinal depth and ability to move the affections of the singer. It is becoming very popular and has been recorded by several folks. I hope the doctrine expressed in this song takes root.

4. All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
A call to worship and adore our Lord Jesus Christ.

5.(tie) How Great Thou Art
5. (tie) Holy, Holy, Holy
I remember singing both of these great hymns from the green Broadman Hymnal sitting in Calvary Baptist Church with my grandma and grandpa.

What are your favorite hymns?

Five Hymn Albums I'm Enjoying

2009-01-11T16:42:00.000-06:00

1. Fernando Ortega -- Hymns of Worship

2. Michael Card -- Hymns

3. Chris Rice -- Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project

4. WOW Hymns (good compilation of hymns from a variety of artists and styles)

5. Bart Millard -- Hymned Again

Five Reasons I Love Hymns

2009-01-10T16:39:00.001-06:00

1. Hymns contain rich expressions of doctrinal truths.

2. Hymns connect me with generations of other Christians from all over the world.

3. Hymns encourage and strengthen my faith.

4. Hymns support and give voice to my prayers.

5. Hymns are generally God-focused and Scripture-saturated, two things I desire in increasing measure in my life.

Destination: Minneapolis

2009-01-09T02:01:00.000-06:00

I'm heading to the DG Conference for Pastors hosted by Bethlehem Baptist Church next month. I am really excited. Commending Christ: The Pastor, The Church, The Perishing. Mark Dever, Matt Chandler, Michael Oh, and John Piper will be preaching. It's going to be awesome.

Is anyone else going? If so, I'd love to connect with you.

10 Lessons on my 10th Anniversary

2009-01-08T15:19:00.000-06:00

On January 2, 1999, Sarah said "I do" and my life has never been the same. I am so thankful for my wonderful wife. Proverbs 18:22 says "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." The Lord gave me a wonderful woman-- a far better woman than I deserve. I often think that I am blessed and Sarah is being punished!

Though it is a few days late, I wanted to publicly say I love my wife and am thankful for her. I am looking forward to many more years with her.

Here are 10 lessons I have learned over 10 years of marriage.

1. The home is a happier place when Christ is at the center of everyone's life.

2. You can never say "I love you" too much.

3. The nine words you ought to say frequently and mean it from the bottom of your heart: "I am sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me."

4. Commitment is more important than romance.

5. Commitment is always stronger when romance is present.

6. Loving your wife more than your kids is good for your kids and essential for your wife.

7. Praying together, reading the Bible together, eating dinner together, laughing together, making decisions together, watching TV together, shopping together... basically, just being and doing things together makes everything better.

8. I am happiest when I care more about her happiness than I care about my own happiness.

9. I don't mind sweeping the floors for her and I am really glad she does the dishes.

10. My wife is my best friend which is really cool.

Pleasing God, Not Man

2009-01-05T16:17:00.000-06:00

"Unless I remained content with the approbation of God alone, and despised both the foolish and perverse judgments of ignorant men and the wrong and malicious ones of the wicked, things would go ill for me. God has filled my mind with zeal to spread his Kingdom and to further the public good. I am also duly clear in my own conscience, and have God and the angels to witness, that since I undertook the office of teacher in the church, I have had no other purpose than to benefit the church by maintaining the pure doctrine of godliness."

~ John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

As ministers of the Gospel, we will be attacked and assaulted from every direction by those who do not submit to the truth of God's Word. If we aim to make people happy, we will fail God. If we aim to please God by remaining faithful to Him, having no purpose other than His glory manifested in the good of His people, we will be successful in our ministries.

2009 Reading Goals

2009-01-03T13:22:00.000-06:00

1. Read through the ESV using the M'Cheyne Bible Reading Calendar.

2. Read through the ESV Study Bible Articles and Book Introductions.

3. Read through the Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin following the Reformation21 reading schedule.

4. Read David Well's five (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) volume series on Evangelical Theology, Anthony Hoekema's theology trilogy (1, 2, 3), and Michael Horton's series on Covenant theology (1, 2, 3, 4).