Norris Blog

the love story

2009-02-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

it is good
he declares it
with pride in his work
the perfect bride
his gift to his Son.
glowingly radiant
a beautiful love
untainted by grief
or deceit

yet for all
the perfection
the bride went astray
lust and greed
clouding her face.
loving the world
she greedily pursued it
spurning the love
of the Son

the Son was grieved
and mourned his great loss
wounded by spite
yet still on he loved.
he determined to win
at the greatest cost
but he would not abandon
his bride

he found her amidst
all the wreck and despair
and the miserable guilt
that deceit had brought there.
her face was scarred
her beauty marred
by the lust she
so gladly embraced

in grief so great
he wept tears of blood
compassion and anger
rolled onto one.
he declared he would
rescue her from the
miserable fate
all for the sake
of his love

the price was death
there was no escape
the sin was the bride's
she would have to pay.
but the Son stepped
forward as she was
brought forth to die
"no," he said,
"she is my bride."

but the price
must be paid
justice have it's say
someone had to die.
and so, the Son
gave up his life
taking the place
of his bride

beaten and broken
marred and abused
he looked at his bride
"let no one accuse her,
it is finished!" he cried
and he looked in her face
"forgiven," he whispered
and died

the bride stared
in horror
realizing what she had done
she fell to her knees
and wailed.
she begged for forgiveness
and vowed to be pure
all for the love
of the Son

but then, with a shout
the Son had returned!
his Father had raised him
he's risen, he's here!
they run to meet,
and embrace with a kiss
vowing faithfulness
to the end,
all for love

gloriously radiant
spotless and pure
with unmarred perfection
she stands there dressed
in dazzling white
to pledge herself to the Son.
with glorious love
faithful and true
pursues, wooed, and won
through the great sacrifice
of the Son

- Written by Jessica Norris, age 16, my daughter!
- Originally posted on Facebook on 2/10/2009

Debt - Always a bad thing?

2008-10-04T13:06:00.001-07:00

Recently, a friend at work and I were discussing the current financial and political situation in our land. My friend insisted that we have to pay off the national debt, if not for ourselves, then for our children. I said that would be a bad idea. Then he looked at me like I had just disclosed some horrid moral flaw.
How to explain? Well, here's a very simple explanation I saw on, of all things, Youtube. Watch and learn. (Use high quality mode.)

Looking forward to this new Study Bible!

2008-09-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

HERESY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE IN THE PRE-NICENE CHURCH

2008-05-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Several of my friends have commented on my not posting on this blog. I've been kind of busy taking some classes, and just couldn't get this fit into the mix. BUT, here is a paper I wrote for my church history class.

HERESY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE IN THE PRE-NICENE CHURCH

JEFFREY A. NORRIS

MAY 7, 2008

INTRODUCTION

In the early church, doctrinal clarity developed and solidified gradually, primarily in response to emerging heresies. Within modern Christendom, there is a tendency to think that all Christendom understood and believed common orthodox doctrines that were fully developed by the time the documents of the later canonized New Testament were written, circa A.D. 96. Because we hold to sola scriptura, that the scriptures alone are the authority for faith and practice, and because we have a copy of the Old and New Testaments for almost every room in the house, we forget the depth and breadth of thought that went into formalizing and finalizing the core doctrinal beliefs. What follows is a brief study of the four largest historical threats to the key doctrinal beliefs about God, the Trinity, and Christ, and how the early churches clarified doctrine in response to them. This paper will explore the specific heresies of Docetism, Monarchianism, Subordinationism, and Arianism.

HERESY

A heresy is any doctrine that is contrary to clear biblical doctrine, and that is “sufficiently intolerable” so as to “destroy the unity of the Christian church.”[i] Pelikan points out that the earliest Christian use of the term “heresy” (from hairesis, meaning “party”, from the Latin verb “to cut”) was not sharply distinguished from the word “schism,” since both were divisive in nature.[ii] However, as Augustine would define it, heresy is the holding of false beliefs regarding God that do injury to the Christian faith.[iii] There are four heresies in the first three and half centuries that historically had the greatest potential for injury to the faith.

DOCETISM

Docetism was the first Christian heresy, though it was rooted in Gnosticism.[iv] Gnosticism as a whole predates and was outside Christianity, though it was prominent in the Greco-Roman world before, during, and after the birth of the Church. Kelly points out that Gnosticism “was older and wider than Christianity…the product of syncretism,” taking pieces of “Jewish, pagan, and oriental sources.”[v] Docetism, from the Greek dokeo “to seem, to appear to be,” was the heretical belief that Jesus only appeared to have a human body. This thinking is linked to Gnosticism, since one of Gnostism’s basic tenets is that the material world and the physical body are evil. The reasoning goes, Jesus could not really have had a physical body, because a physical body cannot be good. If Jesus is God, and God is good, then Jesus could not have a fleshly non-good body. To get around this, the heresy says Jesus only appeared to be human, or only appeared to suffer on the cross.

Grudem points out that no prominent church leader ever advocated this heresy[vi], but the essence was prevalent enough even in the first century that the Apostle John wrote that “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.”[vii] One of the main refutations came in pointing out all the human activity attributed to Jesus in the Gospels. As one example, Athanasius mentions Jesus’ eating as an indication of his having a real body, and not just one in appearance.[viii] But the more poignant reality of Christ’s suffering on the cross was frequently appealed to, as Christians faced persecution and martyrdom on a daily basis. Ignatius challenged the falsehood of this heresy by suggesting if Christ only appeared to suffer, then all other Christian suffering was a false witness against the cross of Christ.[ix] In his letter to the Smyrneans, he says, “For if the Lord were in the body in appearance only, and were crucified in appearance only, then am I also bound in appearance only? And why have I also surrendered myself to death, to fire, to the sword, to the wild beasts? But, in fact, I endure all things for Christ, not in appearance only, but in reality, that I may suffer together with Him.”[x]

Irenaeus is by far the most thorough in writing against Docetic beliefs, though he is never known to refer to them by the name Docetist. He refutes the Gnostic teachings of Simon Magus who taught that he was actually the incarnation of both the Father and Jesus the Son, and had only appeared to suffer on the cross.[xi] Irenaeus also refutes the teachings of Basilides, who taught that Simon of Cyrene had died on the cross instead of Jesus. Basilides taught that a last minute switch had occurred and that Simon of Cyrene had been changed to look like Jesus, and therefore suffered in his place.[xii] In many other places, Irenaeus appeals to scripture and shows that none of these false teachers truly believed that Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God.[xiii]

Up to this early stage in Christendom, there were threads of common orthodox beliefs, but they were passed down verbally and informally. The Apostles Creed itself, taken out of the early church baptismal liturgy, is a doctrinal confession and statement of belief that refutes the Docetic and Gnostic heretical ideas that Jesus was either not human, only appeared to suffer, or that once dead, he was freed from a physical body.[xiv]

Docetism undermines the true nature of the Lord Jesus Christ’s incarnation and subsequent atonement, without which we cannot be saved. To suggest that Jesus was neither truly man nor truly suffered denies the propitiation by His blood that purchased our salvation, which is why Docetism is considered one of the more dangerous heresies in the early church.

MONARCHIANISM

Another dangerous heresy in the early church was Monarchianism, which was rooted in the monotheistic conviction that God is one[xv], over against Gnostic and Greco-Roman polytheism. Christianity did not consider itself a new religion, but a true form of Messianic Judaism, with significant history in the Old Testament, which was well known to the early church. But in affirming strict monotheism, Brown points out that two different heresies grew out of it, tightly bound up under the heading of the defense of God’s monarchy, Adoptionism and Modalism.[xvi] Both undermine the triune nature of God, and by so doing, either deny the deity of Christ, or the distinct persons of the trinity.

Adoptionism

Adoptionism is reported to have appeared as a distinct heresy in A.D. 190 in Rome[xvii], as evidenced by Eusebius[xviii]. Theodotus actively proclaimed that Jesus was only a man and not God, but that God had adopted him at his baptism, making him God’s son, but not a deity. Adoptionism was further espoused by Paul of Samosata, who suggested that Jesus was God or God-like, but only in the sense that he had been adopted as such by God the Father, because of Jesus’ moral excellence. Paul of Samosata was formally renounced as a heretic at an assembly in Antioch in A.D. 268.[xix] Irenaeus refuted the teachings of Cerintus who taught that the Christ had come and indwelt the human Jesus at his baptism, but had departed before the suffering leading up to the crucifixion.[xx] Cerintus taught aspects that sound both Docetic and Adoptionistic. In any case, Adoptionism denies the true nature and deity of Christ in all aspects of His incarnation.

Modalism

Modalism upholds the deity of Christ and is actually anti-adoptionistic, but blurs or loses the distinction of the separate persons in the Triune, Monotheistic Godhead. It is the belief that God takes on different forms or modes, depending on His purpose.[xxi] For example, Modalism says that God is the Father in the Old Testament. Later, He is the Son as Jesus in the incarnation. And finally, He is the Holy Spirit after Christ’s ascension.

There are all kinds of implications in Modalism. Patripassianism comes from Modalism, by the belief that there is only one person in the Godhead, so the Father is the Son, and therefore the Father suffered in the crucifixion. If the Father didn’t suffer, but is the Son, then Docetism comes into play, as He only then appeared to suffer.

There were two main heretics identified with Modalism, Praxeas (fl. A.D. 190) and Sabellius (fl. A.D. 200), and both were extensively refuted by the early church fathers. Tertullian wrote an entire volume against the modalistic teachings of Praxeas.[xxii] Athanasius and Hippolytus of Rome were both strong antagonists against modalistic Sabellianism.[xxiii]

Although Praxeas strongly upheld the deity of Christ, he taught that Christ was the Father. Brown says that this rise of Modalism indicates that both Gnosticism (and hence Docetism) and Adoptionism had been defeated by theological orthodoxy by the late 2^nd century, primarily because of the overwhelming evidence of the New Testament witness to the deity of Christ and his co-equality with the Father.[xxiv] Brown also points out that what finally defeated modalistic Sabellianism “was the conviction that [Jesus] Christ really is distinct from the Father [and the Holy Spirit], a conviction that naturally results from all the New Testament passages in which the Father and the Son deal with one another as distinct persons.”[xxv]

SUBORDINATIONISM

If Jesus really was a man, both in appearance and in reality, and really suffered on the cross, and if He is God within the Godhead, Subordinationism suggests Jesus’ role within that Trinity is inferior and at a lower status than the Father. Ultimately, Subordinationism is based on the difficulty in grasping the twofold nature of Christ, being both divine and human, and so relegates Christ to a subordinate position to the Father.

As the early church wrote and thought about the deity of Christ and the triune nature of God, there were subordinationist tendencies in some of the writings of Justin Martyr[xxvi], Origin[xxvii], and Tertullian[xxviii], who all had some difficulties reconciling the mutual submission within the Godhead with the clear humanity of Christ. It is this extreme difficulty in grasping the balance and fullness of the person and nature of Christ that would lead to the most dangerous heresy of all in the early church, that of Arianism.

ARIANISM

Arianism, named for its chief proponent Arius, an ordained presbyter in Alexandria in A.D. 311, was also rooted in monotheism, but it misunderstood the person and nature of Jesus Christ. Arius believed that Jesus was divine, but that He was not eternal with the Father.[xxix] Arius and his followers articulated that God had not always been a Father, that the Word of God was not always so, but that He had been made, and therefore there was when He was not. From this, Arius and others believed that because Jesus was created, He was not of the eternal nature of the Father, and therefore could not be of the same substance or nature as the Father.[xxx] Arius and his followers appealed to an incorrect exegesis of Proverbs 8:22 that they took to mean that God had created wisdom before He created the world, and that since Christ is the wisdom of God, then therefore Jesus was a created being.[xxxi]

This heresy was so divisive and so prevalent within Christendom that Emperor Constantine called a council to Nicaea in Bithynia to settle the issue once and for all. Out of that council, one of the most significant milestones of church history was reached, the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed, though expanded slightly and modified at two other councils, significantly defined orthodox, Trinitarian theology that still holds firm to this day. The Creed of A.D. 325 in its original (translated into English) version affirmed that:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance (ὁμοούσιον) with the Father; by whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth]; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit. But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church. (emphasis added)[xxxii]

There are two reasons Arianism was so dangerous. First, if Jesus was created and not eternal, then He was not unlike all the other polytheistic deities of the Greco-Roman pantheon. Interestingly enough, this appealed to Emperor Constantine, who favored Arianism. Secondly, and most importantly, if the Christ was only a created being, then He could not have saved mankind by taking the sin of the world upon Himself and satisfying the wrath of God upon that sin. Neither could He provide the righteousness that is imputed to our account. Without the co-eternal, same nature, co-equality with the Father, there would be no salvation for mankind, and the Gospel would be lost.

CONCLUSION

Although this is barely scratching the surface of the four heresies of Docetism, Monarchianism, Subordinationism, and Arianism, it is clear that they dramatically shaped the orthodox beliefs of the early church as it was forced to respond to them. These heresies had profound implications on the theological thinking in the early church. In fact, it took two and a half centuries to clearly articulate both the relationship of Christ as deity to His humanity, and the relationship of Christ as deity to the deity of the Father.

It was in this thinking and searching of the scriptures that the early church eventually articulated the “twofold” nature of Christ as both fully God and fully man, co-equal and of the same substance as the Father, which we hold so closely to today. And as it was true in the early church, and throughout history, so it is proving true today that Christian orthodoxy has been forced to define itself in response to heretical ideas.[xxxiii]

[i]. Harold O.J. Brown, Heresies, in (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003), 2.

[ii]. Jaroslav Pelikan, The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 1971), 69.

[iii]. E.P. Meijering, Augustine, De Fide et Symbolo: Introduction, Translation, Commentary (Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben, 1987), 10.21.

[iv]. Brown, Heresies, 52.

[v]. J.N.D Kelly, Early Church Doctrines (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1978), 23.

[vi]. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Intervarsity Press, 1994), 540.

[vii]. 1 John 4:2-3 ESV (English Standard Version)

[viii]. Athanasius, The Treatise De Incarnation Verbi Dei, in On The Incarnation, trans. a religious of C.S.M.V (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, n.d.), 46.

[ix]. Ignatius, Epistle to The Trallians, 10.1

[x]. Ignatius, Epistle to The Smyrneans, 4.1.

[xi]. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1.23.

[xii]. Ibid., 1.24.4.

[xiii]. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3.11.3, 3.16.1, 3.18.3-6, 3.22.1-2.

[xiv]. Phillip Schaff, “Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume 1,” http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds1.iv.ii.html (accessed May 7, 2008).

[xv]. Deuteronomy 6:4 ESV

[xvi]. Brown, Heresies, 95.

[xvii]. Ibid., 96.

[xviii]. Paul L. Maier, Eusebius--the Church History: A New Translation with Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1999), 201.

[xix]. Leo Donald Davis, The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology (Wilmington: DE: M. Glazier, c1983; reprint, Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1990), 41.

[xx]. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1.26.1.

[xxi]. Brown, Heresies, 99.

[xxii]. Tertullian, Against Praxeas.

[xxiii]. Kelly, Early Church Doctrines, 121-3.

[xxiv]. Ibid., 101.

[xxv]. Brown, Heresies, 103.

[xxvi]. Kelly, Early Church Doctrines, 146.

[xxvii]. Ibid., 281.

[xxviii]. Ibid., 152.

[xxix]. Jaroslav Pelikan, The Emergence Fo The Catholic Tradition (100-600) (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 1971), 195 (page citations are to the reprint edition).

[xxx]. Philip Schaff, ed., “Deposition of Arius,” in A Select Library of The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of The Christian Church (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark; reprint, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Erdmanns Pub. Co., <1989>).

[xxxi]. Ibid., 112.

[xxxii]. Phillip Schaff, “Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume 1,” http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds1.iv.iii.html (accessed May 7, 2008).

[xxxiii]. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walther A. Elwell, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 550.

Reflecting on Christ

2007-12-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Consider Jesus Christ, the Messiah:

He came from the eternal bosom of His Father – to a region of sorrow and death;
God – manifested in flesh;
Creator – made a creature;
He that was clothed with glory – should be wrapped with the rags of flesh;
He that filled heaven and earth with his glory – should be cradled in a manger;
The God of Israel – fled with his parents to Egypt;
That the God of the Law – should be subject to the Law;
The God that made the heavens – worked at Joseph’s homely trade;
That He that binds the devils in chains – should be tempted;
That He, whose is the world, and the fullness thereof – should hunger and thirst;
That the God of Strength – should be weary;
That His head, before which angels (and saints) do cast down their crowns – should be crowned with thorns;
Whose hands hold the scepter of heaven and whose feet, “like burnished bronze” – should be nailed to the cross for man’s sins;
The Judge of all flesh – condemned;
The God of life – put to death;
That He that is one with His Father – should cry out of misery, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
That He who had the keys of hell and death – should lie imprisoned in the sepulcher of another.

Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. Heb. 12:3

Adapted from Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices, Banner of Truth, p. 36-37.

Our Lives: a Sermon that None Can Escape

2007-12-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

"We cannot live to ourselves only in this world. Our lives will always be doing either good or harm to those who see them. They are a silent sermon which all can read. It is sad indeed when they are a sermon for the devil's cause, and not for God's. I believe that far more is done for Christ's kingdom by the holy living of believers than we are at all aware of. There is a reality about such living which makes men feel, and obliges them to think. It carries a weight and influence with it which nothing else can give. It makes religion beautiful, and draws men to consider it, like a lighthouse seen afar off. The day of judgment will prove that many besides husbands have been won "without a word" by a holy life (1 Peter 3:1). You may talk to persons about the doctrines of the gospel, and few will listen, and fewer still understand. But your life is an argument that none can escape."

J. C. Ryle, Holiness, 1877, p 50.

Like a mint with your coke?

2007-12-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

A couple of the guys here at work are renown for their mentos in a coke demonstration. Today, I was given this, and it was too funny to keep to myself. These guys are from EepyBird, not the two guys here at work. But it's still fun. If you don't know the science behind it, the mentos (mint) causes massive release of the carbon dioxide that's trapped in solution. The release causes the coke to need to escape. Thus...the experiment!

Strength & Fitness

2007-11-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

Since mid-July, I've been lifting weights and eating better. I've lost over 20 pounds of fat, and gained back much of my youthful strength. I decided to video a lift I did today. It's called a Partial-Deadlift. The idea is to pick up a weighted barbell from just above knee height. So here's my lift. It's 465 lbs. The bar is 45 lbs. On each side, there are 2x45 lb plates, 2x35 lb plates, and 2x25 lb plates.

Spiritual Leadership - Initiative

2007-11-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

“A leader must initiate.

The leader must either initiate plans for progress or recognize the worthy plans of others.

He does not wait for things to happen.

He is a self-starter…eager to test new ideas.

Robert Louis Stevenson called the attitude of safety and security “that dismal fungus.”

More failure comes from an excess of caution than from bold experiments with new ideas.

The frontiers of the kingdom of God were never advanced by men and women of caution.”[1]

[1] Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders, p 128, selected excerpts from Chp. 16, Responsibilities of Leadership.

My Artist Daughter

2007-09-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

My daughter has been blessed with amazing artistic talent. Here is a picture she just finished for a display at a local exhibit. Did I mention the amazing talent!??

Snake Bit

2007-09-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

Once again, I had the privilege of preaching at my church this last Sunday. You can download the message here. The message was only on Numbers 21:4-9, not the whole chapter.

Useful Men

2007-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

"I know that, whenever God chooses a man for the ministry, and means to make him useful, if that man hopes to have an easy life of it, he will be the most disappointed mortal in the world. From the day when God calls him to be one of his captains, and says to him, “See I have made thee to be a leader of the hosts of Israel,” he must accept all that his commission includes, even if that involves a sevenfold measure of abuse, misrepresentation, and slander. We need greater soul-exercise than any of our flock, or else we shall not keep ahead of them. We shall not be able to teach others unless God thus teaches us. We must have fellowship with Christ in suffering as well as fellowship in faith. Still, with all its drawbacks, it is a blessed service, and we would not retire from it. Did we not accept all this with our commission? Then we should be cowards and deserters if we were to turn back. These castings down of the spirit are part of our calling. If you are to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, you must endure hardness. You will have to lie in the trenches, sometimes, with a bullet lodged here or there, with a sabre-cut on your forehead, or an arm or a leg shot away; where there is war, there must be wounds, and there must be war where there is to be victory.”[1] - C. H. Spurgeon

[1] C. H. Spurgeon, Sweet Stimulants for the Fainting Soul, Sermon # 2798, New Park Street Chapel, Winter, 1860.

The Power of the Gospel in the Here and Now

2007-03-28T04:30:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of preaching again this past Sunday. Here is the message, in MP3 format.

Books and Reading

2007-03-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, someone will ask me, "Do you really read all those books?" I guess it's a little out of the ordinary to read 3-5 books at a time. In return, I typically ask whether they are able to have 3-5 conversations in a day, and then the discussion ends. Sorry. That sounds rude, and I don't think I sound rude when we talk about it. But I do try to explain that I read a little in each one, perhaps 3-10 pages a day. On a good day, I might get 2 hours of reading in. Most of the time, people just can't fathom reading that much. It's too bad, too. I just think people watch too much television, or engage in other mindless activity, and so waste the time that's been given to them.

To give just a little more insight into my reading, I thought I would show how I also mark and digest my books.
Before I begin a book, I will prepare two things, a highlighter (mostly yellow), and the Post-It tabs that I'll use to "highlight my highlights." Here's a picture.

I then cut these useful little flags in half, to get twice as many.

After I have all the flags cut, I "stage" them in the back of the book.

This is really useful, because as I read, I like to highlight significant passages, words, sentences, paragraphs, that really resonate with my heart. Sometimes, those highlighted passages are things I want to be able to find quickly, so I'll take one of these prepared flags, and tape it next to the highlighted section. I let the flag just barely stick out of the book when it's closed, that way I can turn to it quickly.

I've been doing this for just over a year now, and it works really great for me. Let me know what you do.

Puritan Library

2007-03-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

I would love to build a library someday, for one purpose: To fill it with books!

I came across this site today and was even more motivated to work on filling my own library with good books. Take a look at his plan.

Mortification of Sin

2007-02-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago, I shared with a group of men that I desired to get at the heart of my sin, more than I desired to just "stop" sinning in any particular category. To be sure, I desire to stop sinning, but ultimately, my sin comes up and out of my own heart. It seemed that a few didn't understand me, thinking perhaps I was not serious about sin. In fact, I'm deadly serious about it, since Jesus Christ my Lord DIED because of it.

Yesterday, as I was reading in Overcoming Sin & Temptation by John Owen, I read this quote. It is puritan-ese, so re-re-reread it as necessary. It is profoundly powerful.

"A man may beat down the bitter fruit from an evil tree until he is weary; while the root abides in strength and vigor, the beating down of the present fruit will not hinder it from bringing forth more. This is the folly of some men; they set themselves with all earnestness and diligence against the appearing eruption of (sinful behavior), but, leaving the principle and root untouched, perhaps unsearched out, they make little or no progress in this work of mortification." [1]

[1] Overcoming Sin & Temptation, John Owen, Crossway Books, 2006, p75-76.

Desiring God - The Holiness of God

2007-02-16T11:35:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of going to the 2007 Desiring God Pastor's Conference last week. Here are all the sessions audio, video, and print from the conference.

First Response

2007-02-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

On Monday morning (2-4am?), I had another difficult attack of my ulcerative colitis. It got so bad I passed out quite loudly in our one functional bathroom. My three little boys sleep at that end of the house, so they heard me go down, moaning, and then become quiet. They said later they thought I had died. Bless their hearts. My wife came running and calling to me, with no response.

The thing I wanted to relate about this isn't my pain, but the thing that happened while I was out cold. Those three boys, ages 11, 9, & 7, huddled together and prayed!

If you have little ones, or even medium or large ones, you can imagine how very touching and moving that is, to have your young children seeking the Lord immediately, without prompting, and without adult involvement.

C. J. Mahaney - Blessings

2007-02-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

For the last month, I have had the privilege of meeting as part of a group of men at our church for Elder training. Our Pastor is taking us through a year of study and examination to explore the possibility of our becoming Elders, following the Biblical model of church polity. 1 Tim 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pet 5:1-4.

Not quite two weeks ago, as part of the training, we were listening to a message by C. J. Mahaney, called Watch Your Life and Doctrine. I got to hear it live at the Together for the Gospel conference last year, but it's one of those messages that needs to be listened to over and over again.

Anyway, one of the guys in our group knows someone who works at Sovereign Grace Ministries, and so as we listened to C. J., he emailed his friend and said how good it was, and how much it was ministering to us. The next day(?) he got a reply that C. J. had heard about our little group and wanted our names.

Well, he sent us all autographed copies of his books "Living the Cross Centered Life", "Humility", and a book on what every Christian Husband needs to know!!

What a blessing! And what an amazing thing, that this man could and would take the time to bless our little group of men in snowy Michigan. Having heard him preach, and listened to him interact with his friends Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, and Al Mohler at TFG, I think he really models humility and Christ-like love that is inspiring.

Thanks C. J.!

African Mission Trip

2006-12-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

I really did return from my trip to Africa. I know it’s been awhile since I posted anything. I’ve just had a hard time getting back into the right gear.

This year, our church made it’s second visit to the Back to the Bible Training College, in Barberton, South Africa, where over 80 students from all over Africa (and other continents) are studying and preparing for ministry. Many of them are already itinerant preaching and ministering while attending the school. The college is very poor, and they have very few resources. So the purpose of our trip was to provide teaching, training, encouragement, study resources, and service to the staff and students of the college so that they could more effectively proclaim the name of Christ.

With the cooperation of the college, and following the model of Christ training His disciples, our church here in Michigan adopted twelve of these students. Our pastor is training them in expository preaching, Biblical leadership, theology, etc. On this trip, we took each of these 12 students and the college library 20 books each, including Bible dictionaries, commentaries, a systematic theology, and other study tools. We also took each of the 80+ students a book called Peacemakers, by Ken Sande.

What a blessing it was to see how God provided these resources so we could take the 700 lbs of books to Africa for the students of this college.

We left the United States on October 30th at about 7am, with a couple of hops, from South Bend, to Detroit, to D.C. The flight from D.C. to Johannesburg took 15 ½ hours. From there, we traveled another 5+ hours to the college in a little van. The flight back to D.C. from “Jo-burg” took 18½ hours, with a short stop in Dakar, Senegal. The return trip back was the toughest, taking 36 hours of combined driving, flying, and layovers.

There were my four main highlights: The spontaneous praise and worship that erupted as we handed out the books, the opportunity to preach at a tiny church in Barberton on Sunday (translated into Zulu!), the opportunity to preach to the staff and students of the college on Monday morning, and the sweet fellowship of the team during the whole trip. Here's my pastor's blog post on the trip.

The college has an awesome mission, to reach Africa for Jesus. We believe the best way we can contribute to that mission is to equip and train native pastors and leaders for their work of ministry.

Barberton, South Africa & Strategy 1-12

2006-10-29T18:01:00.000-08:00

This Monday morning, I will be travelling with 3 other men to Barberton, South Africa. We're going to a Bible College there, where our pastor will be training 12 pastors/bible students. We're taking 700 lbs of books for these 12 pastors/students! This is a huge treasure for these guys, but what a priviledge for us.

Pray for us, and for our families, these next days, Oct 30th thru Nov 8th.

Pisteuotheosphobia

2006-10-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

"In war men will adventure their lives, because they think some will escape, and why not they? In traffic beyond the seas many adventure great estates, because some grow rich by a good return, though many miscarry. The husbandman adventures his seed, though sometimes the year proves so bad, that he never sees it more. And shall not we make a spiritual adventure in casting ourselves upon God, when we have so good a warrant as His command, and so good an encouragement as His promise, that He will not fail those that rely on Him?" [S]

[S] The Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 1,Richard Sibbes (1577 - 1635), Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 266.

Pisteuotheosphobia is a word I made up from three greek words, to mean Fear of Trusting God.

Christ Our Righteousness

2006-10-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading Iain Murray's The Old Evangelicalism, and am finding it thrilling, enthralling, and encouraging. As my normal custom, here is an excerpt, without comment.

In light of the history of (the doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness) there is good reason for us to ask whether the weakness of our evangelistic preaching is not related to our contemporary deficiency in its presentation. It is true that the consequences of faithful preaching are with God and not with us, but are we sure that we are faithful in making salvation by Christ's righteousness as clear and prominent as it ought to be? Here is the only message truly relevant to the reality of the condition of fallen men and women. Every offer of hope to individuals which is based upon moral education, self-improvement, or religious devotion, is an empty hope. It needs divine power to change human nature and it is this teaching alone which is "the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes" Rom. 1:16.

To the most degraded, to those upon whom even an immoral society looks with shock, the gospel speaks not of the possibility of gradual improvement but of an immediate reconciliation for the very worst, through receiving the righteousness of Christ. The dynamic of evangelism lies with this truth. It was the preaching of Christ's righteousness which brought salvation into the moral cesspool of the first century and it has ever been the same. We have therefore good reason to ask whether the small results of preaching in the present day are not connected with our weak hold of this message.

Of one thing we can be sure: every new flood-tide of spiritual blessing has been brought in by the fervent proclamation of the righteousness which Christ has secured for believing sinners by his death. Today men and women live as they have always done in the fear of death, possessed with the suspicion that the deeds of this life may follow them and be found displeasing to God. They fear that there is more that they ought to have done or to have been. The thought which came to the dying king, Louis XIV of France, is by no means uncommon. Amidst shortening periods of consciousness he looked back on his pleasure-seeking life, and asked his priest, Père Tellier, to give him absolution for all his sins. "Do you suffer much?" Tellier asked. "No." replied the king, "that's what troubles me. I should like to suffer more for the expiation of my sins." Such is the religion of the natural man, looking to himself to the last.

What a difference we see in the final hours of J. Gresham Machen who died of pneumonia in a North Dakota hospital on January 1, 1937. The previous night he had spoken to a friend of a vision he had enjoyed of being in heaven, "Sam, it was glorious; it was glorious." And on the very morning of his death he sent a telegram to another friend, John Murray, repeating the grounds of his assurance, "I am so thankful for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it." This is the way of salvation. It leaves every believer saying with Paul, "God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ"; "Not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith" (Gal 6:14; Phil 3:9). [1]

[1] The Old Evangelicalism - Old Truths For A New Awakening, Iain H. Murray, Banner of Truth Trust, 2005, p.95-96.

My Righteousness in Heaven

2006-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Another excerpt from Iain Murray's The Old Evangelicalism, quoting John Bunyon:

One day, as I was passing in the field, and that too with some dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not right, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, Thy righeousness is in heaven; and methought withal, I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God's right hand; there, I say, as my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was adoing, God could not say to me, He [lacks] My righteousness, for that was just before Him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, not yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, the same, yesterday, and today, and for ever.

Now I could look from myself to Him, and should reckon that all those graces of God that were now green in me, were yet like those cracked groats and fourpence-halfpennies that rich men carry in their purses, when their gold is in their trunks at home! Oh, I saw my gold was in my trunk! In Christ, my Lord and Saviour! [19][20]

[19] The Old Evangelicalism - Old Truths For A New Awakening, Iain H. Murray, Banner of Truth Trust, 2005, pp 97-98.
[20] Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), John Bunyan, Vol 1., Banner of Truth Trust, 1999, pp 35-36.

Contentment Sermon

2006-10-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of preaching again at my church, on October 1, 2006. Here is the mp3 file if you’re interested. It’s a message on contentment, from Philippians 4:10-13.

Contentment - Phil. 4:10-13 - 37.5 mins - 8.8 MB

True Praise of God in our Deeds

2006-10-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Our time is here is short, and we shall all ere long be called to a reckoning; therefore let us study real praises. God’s blessing of us is in deed, and so should ours be of Him. Thanks in words is good, but in deeds is better; leaves are good, but fruit is better; and of fruit, that which costs us most. True praise requires our whole man, the judgment to esteem, the memory to treasure up, the will to resolve, the affections to delight, the tongue to speak of, and the life to express the rich favors of God. What can we think of!? What can we call to mind!? What can we resolve upon!? What can we speak!? What can we express in our whole course better than the praises of Him, “of whom, and through whom, and to whom we and all things are!” Romans 11:36 [1]

[1] The Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 1,Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 255.

Institute of Biblical Greek

2006-09-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

Over the last two years, as our family has transitioned from working for Motorola in Texas to being full-time missionaries in Michigan, living on support, I have had a desire to go to seminary. Why? Because I want to learn more. I've been reading a lot and studying too, but I know I do better when I have a structured program to follow.

Recently, as my wife and I have been praying about our future and what we should do, it became clear that I should pursue this dream, while still working my "job" at Life Action Ministries. Each program I'm interested in starts with Greek, which I really want to pick up.

So...step one, I've signed up for an online greek course through the Institute of Biblical Greek. It's taught by John Schwandt, who happens to be one of the editors of my new English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament!

The class starts this month, so I'll keep you posted!

18 Year Anniversary

2006-08-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

My wife and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary yesterday. God has truly blessed our family and our marriage!

For our anniversary, we rode my motorcycle for just over 100 miles around the area. God gave us a beautiful day, with warm breezes and sunny skies. He also provided a dear young lady who watched over our kids during the day. What a blessing she was to us, as she needed her rest before she took on that task.

And where did we eat? At Steak-n-Shake, a 50's style hamburger joint, where the burgers are greasy and the malts are very good. And we enjoyed one another's company like we did almost 20 years ago when we were first dating. Now, is that NOT God's blessing or what!!!?

Scorned as Foolish

2006-08-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

Over the last two years, as my wife and I have gone from a six figure income to one of living by faith on the gifts given on our behalf to serve the Lord in full time ministry, there have been several who think we've lost our minds. Indeed, we must look foolish to some, as we now live well below any income I could earn in the secular world with a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Indeed, we must also look foolish raising four kids with this lower income and different life.
So when I read the quote (below) in Sibbes this morning, I was indeed encouraged as I was reminded again of these verses in 1 Corinthians...

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-31

Sibbes quotes this similitude, where an Italian marquis listened to Peter Martyr preaching on 1 Corinthians in the late 1500's...

"If a man be walking afar off, and see people dancing together, and hear no noise of the music, he judges them fools and out of their wits; but when he comes nearer and hears the music, and sees that every motion is exactly done by art, now he changes his mind, and is so taken up with the sweet agreement of the gesture and the music, that he is not only delighted therewith, but desirous to join himself in the number. So it falls out with men, whilst they look upon the outward carriage and conversation of God's people, and see it differing from others, they think them fools; but when they look more narrowly into their courses, and see a gracious harmony betwixt their lives and the word of God, then they begin to be in love with the "beauty of holiness," and join in conformity of holy obedience with those they scorned before." [1]

[1] The Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 1,Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 184.

Thanks, Mom!

2006-07-10T04:02:00.000-07:00

Forty one years ago today, a young lady by the name of Kathleen Susan Norris gave birth to a purple faced, 8 and some odd pounder in Springfield, Ohio. The story goes, he had the cord wrapped around his neck, so there was some angst, until someone whacked the little guy and he started crying.

Mom, for all you did in bringing me into the world, for not taking me out again, and for all the work in between, THANK YOU! I love you!

Temet Nosce?

2006-07-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Know thyself?

Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But as these are connected together by many ties, it is not easy to determine which of the two precedes, and gives birth to the other. For, in the first place, no man can survey himself without forthwith turning his thoughts towards the God in whom he lives and moves; because it is perfectly obvious, that the endowments which we possess cannot possibly be from ourselves; nay, that our very being is nothing else than subsistence in God alone.
On the other hand, it is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself. . . . So long as we do not look beyond the earth, we are quite pleased with our own righteousness, wisdom, and virtue; we address ourselves in the most flattering terms, and seem only less than demigods. But should we once begin to raise our thoughts to God, and reflect what kind of Being he is, and how absolute the perfection of that righteousness, and wisdom, and virtue, to which, as a standard, we are bound to be conformed, what formerly delighted us by its false show of righteousness, will become polluted with the greatest iniquity; what strangely imposed upon us under the name of wisdom, will disgust by its extreme folly; and what presented the appearance of virtuous energy will be condemned as the most miserable impotence. [c]

[c] Institutes of Christian Religion, John Calvin, Eerdmans, 1963, Vol 1, p. 38-39.

Tempered Zeal

2006-07-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

I was blessed this morning as I read Dallimore's biography of George Whitefield. In the midst of controversy between Predestination and Free Grace, GW expressed himself thus:

"I hope as I make advances in the spiritual life, I show my zeal more and more tempered with true Christian knowledge and prudence. I would willingly have none of my wild fire mingled with the sacred fire that comes down from God's altar. I desire not only to do things for God, but to do them in the best manner."

"...exhort all to pray for me, that I may be faithful to my Lord, and yet kept gentle in my temper."

"O let us be meek and quiet! O let us wait and we shall see the salvation of God."

"While others are disputing, let us be growing. This will be the best way to convince those, who you find will not be convinced any other way."

"I lose nothing by being quiet and leaving all to Him." [1]

While not advocating couch sitting, I am encouraged to temper the zeal that would rise up and entice me to correct every error with a vengence. GW was 26 when he thought this way. At 41, I've got a long way to go before these are more than wished after thoughts.

[1] George Whitefield - Vol 2., Arnold Dallimore, Banner of Truth Trust, 1995, p. 75.

Truth is Truth

2006-06-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

"Hereupon St Paul saith, that a 'spiritual man judgeth all things,' 1 Cor 2:15, that appertain to him, and is judged of none that are of inferior rank, because they want (lack) spiritual light and sight to judge; yet this sort of men will be judging, 'speaking ill of what they know not,' 2 Peter 2:12; they step from ignorance to prejudice and rash censure, without taking right judgement in their way, and therefore their judgement comes to nothing.

Truth is truth, and error, error, and that which is unlawful is unlawful, whether men think so or no. God hath put an eternal difference betwixt light and darkness, good and ill, which no creature's conceit can alter, and therefore no man's judgement is measure of things further than it agrees to truth stamped upon things themselves by God." [3]

[3] The Works of Richard Sibbes, Volume 1,Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 80-81.

Psalm 130 - June 11, 2006

2006-06-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Pastor Brian Hedges, Fulkerson Park Baptist Church, gave me the opportunity to preach Sunday night, June 11, 2006. Here is the mp3 file if you're interested. Thank you, Pastor Hedges!

Exposition of Psalm 130 - 34 minutes - 7.8MB

Encouragement Today

2006-06-23T05:11:00.000-07:00

For a host of reasons, at work and in personal life, I have been feeling quite discouraged. This morning, the Lord gave me this word of encouragement by Sibbes, and the Apostle Paul.
I praise Him for His faithfulness to me!

"Discouragements...(do not) come from the Spirit; He helps our infirmities, and by office is a comforter. Romans 8:26 If He convinceth of sin, and so humbleth us, it is that He may make way to shew his office of comforting us. Discouragements, then, must come from ourselves and Satan, who laboureth to fasten on us a loathing of duty." [2]

But we have this treasure (the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ) in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

[2] A Description of Christ, Volume 1, The Works of Richard Sibbes, Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 68.

Exhortation to Humility from Sibbes

2006-06-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Now, by Christ’s example we should learn this, not to be vainglorious, not to make a great noise. You have some, if they do anything that is good, presently all the world must know it. This was not Christ’s disposition. It is a disposition that is hardly wrought out of man’s heart without an exceeding great measure of the Spirit of God; for we see good men have been given this way. David would number the people, that it might be known what a great monarch he was, what a great number of people he had, 2 Sam. xxiv. He was a good man, yet vainglorious. He smarted for it. So good Hezekiah. Ambassadors were sent to him from the king of Babylon, and that they should know that Hezekiah was no beggarly prince, out must come the vessels of the temple and all his treasures, to shew what a rich king the king of Judah was, 2 Kings xx. 13, et seq. His vainglory cost him all his riches, as the prophet told him. So the disciples. Before they received a great measure of the Spirit, how vainglorious were they! They contended for the higher place; therefore they advise Christ to go up to Jerusalem, that he night be known. As Jehu said to Jonadab, ‘Come up and see my zeal for the Lord of hosts,’ 2 Kings x. 16, he accounts it nothing unless it be seen. So flesh and blood. If there I anything done that is good, all the world must know it presently. Christ chargeth them that no noise should be made, but that they should conceal him.

What should we learn hence?

To be of Christ’s disposition, that is, to have no more care of the knowledge of things than the light of the things themselves will discover, to works of light, and if the things themselves will break forth to men’s eyes and they must see our light shine, then let them, and imitate our good works; but for us to blazon them abroad ourselves, it is not the spirit a Christ.
Let us labour to have humility of spirit, that that may grow up with us in all our performances, that all things that we speak and do may savour of a spirit of humility, that we may seek the glory of God in all things more than our own.

And let us commit the fame and credit of what we are or do to God. He will take care of that. Let us take care to be and to do as we should and then for noise and report, let it be good or ill as God will send it. We know ofttimes it falls out that that which is precious in man’s eye is abominable in God’s. If we seek to be in the mouths of men, to dwell in the talk and speech of men, God will abhor us, and at the hour of death it will not comfort us what men speak or know of us, but sound comfort must be from our own conscience and the judgment of God. Therefore, let labour to be good in secret. Christians should be as minerals, rich in the depth of the earth. That which is least seen is his riches. We should have our treasure deep. For the discovery of it we should be ready when we are called to it, and for all other accidental things, let them fall out as God in his wisdom sees good. So let us look through good report and bad report to heaven; let us do the duties that are pleasing to God and our own conscience, and God will be careful enough to get us applause. Was it not sufficient for Abel, that though there was no great notice taken what faith he had, and how good a man he was, yet that God knew it and discovered it? God sees our sincerity and the truth of our hearts, and the graces of our inward man, he sees all these, and he values us by these, as he did Abel. As for outward things there may be a great deal of deceit in them, and the more a man grows in grace, the less he cares for them. As much reputation as is fit for a man will follow him in being and doing what he should. God will look to that. Therefore we should not set up sails to our own meditations, that unless we be carried with the wind of applause, be becalmed and not go a whit forward; but we should be carried with Spirit of God and with a holy desire to serve God, and our brethren, and to do all the good we can, and never care for the speeches of the world, as St Paul saith of himself: ‘I care not what ye judge of me, I care not hat the world judgeth, I care not for man’s judgment,’ 1 Cor. iv. 3. This man’s day. We should, from the example of Christ, labour to subdue this infirmity which we are sick of naturally. Christ concealed himself till he saw a fitter time. We shall have glory enough, and be known enough devils, to angels, and men ere long. Therefore, as Christ lived a hidden life, that is, he was not known what he was, that so he might work our salvation, so let us be content to be hidden men. A true Christian is hidden to the world till the time of manifestation comes. When the time came, Christ then gloriously discovered what he was; so we shall be discovered what we are. In the mean time, let us be careful to do our duty that may please the Spirit of God, and satisfy our own conscience, and leave all the rest to God. Let us meditate, in the fear of God, upon these directions the guidance of our lives in this particular. [1]

[1] A Description of Christ, Volume 1, The Works of Richard Sibbes, Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 30-31.

Dulness & Coldness in our Hearts

2006-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

It should shame us ... when we find dulness and coldness upon us, that we can hear of anything better than Christ; and arguments concerning Christ are cold to us. Alas! Where is our love, and joy, and delight; and when we can make no better but a carnal use of the incarnation and other benefits by Christ! We should therefore desire God to shed the love of Christ into our hearts more and more, that we may feel in our souls the love that he bears to us, and may love God and Christ again, for that that he had done for us. S2

S2. A Description of Christ, Volume 1, The Works of Richard Sibbes, Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 14.

Do I have this mind?

2006-06-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

"We should descend from the heaven of our conceit, and take upon us the form of servants, and abase ourselves to do good to others, even to any, and account it an honour to do any good to others in the places we are in.

Shall we think ourselves too good for any service?

Shall God become a servant, and shall we that are servants think much to serve our fellow-servants?

A Christian is the greatest freeman in the world; he is free from the wrath of God, free from hell and damnation, from the curse of the law; but then, though he be free in these respects, yet, in regard to love, he is the greatest servant. Love abaseth him to do all the good he can; and the more the Spirit of Christ is in us, the more it will abase us to anything wherein we can be serviceable." s

Though he was in the form of God, (he) did not count equality with God a thing to be grasphed, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant... Phil 2:6-7a

Behold, my servant... Isa 52:13a, 42:1a

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus... Phil 2:5

s. A Description of Christ, Volume 1, The Works of Richard Sibbes, Richard Sibbes, Banner of Truth Trust, 2001 (Originally published 1862-64), p 9.

Present Needs

2006-06-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

This quote rocked my word today...

Some things that we might think desirable we may not have. Before Christ was brought face to face with the tempter, he was fitted for his service by being kept hungry for forty days; and it may be that some things that we desire may in like manner be kept back. But faith should always claim that that which God has given us, and is giving us, is sufficient for present needs. If faith is only in lively exercise we shall know this, that no single thing we do not possess would be a help to us today. What does the Word say? "No good thing will be withheld." Psalm 84:11. "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19
5

5. Pentecost Today?, Iain Murray, Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p.131.

To Always Be Pleased with Him

2006-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Iain Murray's book, Pentecost Today?, and was convicted and encouraged to seek anew my joy in God. Here is the excerpt that really grabbed me tonight: 1.

Our first joy is to be in God himself and in his relation to us. And that is a joy for all seasons and all circumstances.
A man such as W.C. Burns understood this when in China he was content to labour quietly far away from the scenes of success and popularity which he had known in his homeland of Scotland. For the most part he sowed what others would reap. That he did not do this in sadness, his biographer noted, is an example 'to every labourer in the Lord's vineyard, teaching us not to live upon the stimulus of a present success, even in the conversion of souls.'2. The same lesson is well stated by John Colquhoun, a fellow Scot:
The Christian must study, in the faith of God's redeeming love to him, so to love God in Christ, as to be at all times pleased with him. In proportion as he loves his God and Father, he will be pleased with him, with all his perfections, and with all his will; and if he be always pleased or delighted with God, he will in the same proportion, be always comfortable, always delighted in his own soul. To be constantly pleased with God in Christ, and with all the will of God is, indeed, a difficult and high attainment; but the believer cannot otherwise become so rooted and grounded in love to him as to attain settled consolation. 3.

1. Pentecost Today?, Iain Murray, Banner of Truth Trust, 1998, p.78.
2. Memoir of Burns, Islay Burns, p 553
3. A Treatise on Spiritual Comfort, 2nd Ed., John Colquhoun, Edinburgh, 1814, p.404.

Weeds on a Dunghill

2006-06-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

This quote from C. H. Spurgeon was a great reminder to me today of what God says in his word in Romans, not to think too highly of myself.

"Consciousness of self-importance is a hateful delusion, but one into which we fall as naturally as weeds on a dunghill. We cannot be used of the Lord but what we also dream of personal greatness, we think ourselves almost indispensable to the church, pillars of the cause, and foundations of the temple of God. We are nothing and nobodies, but that we do not think so is very evident, for as soon as we are put on the shelf we begin anxiously to enquire, 'How will the work go on without me?' As well might the fly on the coach wheel enquire, 'How will the mails be carried without me?'"4

4. Sword and the Trowel, C. H. Spurgeon, May 1876.

Impulses

2006-05-30T05:01:00.000-07:00

Here's another quote from Murray's Biography on Jonathan Edwards, from JE himself, referencing the tendancy of some spiritual leaders to conduct their ministry based on impressions, impulses, or what they perceived God was wanting them to do in a particular moment. Causes me to think very seriously about how I, or anyone I'm around, talk about why I do or say something...

"One erroneous principle, than which scarce any has proved more mischievous to the present glorious work of God, is the notion that it is God's manner in these days (I would add any days) to guide his saints, at least some that are more eminent (leaders), by inspiration, or immediate revelation...
This error will defend and support (other) errors. As long as a person has a notion that he is guided by immediate direction from heaven, it makes him incorrigible and impregnable in all his misconduct..." 3

My additions in un-italic parentheses.

When Revival Comes

2006-05-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

I came across this quote in Murray's biography of Jonathan Edwards. It poignantly expresses the differences that show up in Christians and pseudo-christians when an extraordinary outpouring of God's presence comes.

"When winter has stripped the trees of their verdure it is hard to distinguish those that have life from those that have not; but when spring approaches, then they are easily known by their spreading leaves, while those that are dead still continue the same; thus when religion is in decay, the saint can scarcely be distinguished from the sinner, but when a time of refreshing comes, then will they blossom and bring forth fruit abundantly." 3

3. Jonathan Edwards, A New Biography, Iain H. Murray, Banner of Truth Trust, 1987, p211, quoted in W. H. Foote, Sketches of North Carolina, 1846.

God is saying "Prove Me now. Try Me."

2006-05-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

I thought this was such an excellent post at Worship Matters, that I wanted to have a large excerpt here too.

“We must not be content until we have had some manifestation of the activity of God. We must concentrate on this. This is my plea, that we concentrate on this, because it is the great message of the Bible, so substantiated by the lessons of history. That is obviously today the only thing that gives us any hope as we face the future. And God seems to be saying that to us. 'Prove Me now. Try Me. Risk your everything on Me. Be fools for My sake. Cast yourselves utterly upon this belief.' Let us put it like this: Do we really believe that God can still act? That is the question; that is the ultimate challenge. Or have we, for theological or some other reasons, excluded the very possibility? Here is the crucial matter. Do we individually and personally really believe that God still acts, can act and will act - in individuals, in groups of individuals, in churches, localities, perhaps even in countries? Do we believe that He is as capable of doing that today as He was in ancient times - the Old Testament, the New Testament times, the book of Acts, Protestant Reformation, Puritans, Methodist Awakening, 1859, 1904-5? Do we really believe that He can still do it? You see, it is ultimately what you believe about God. If He is the great Jehovah - I am that I am, I am that I shall be, unchanged, unchanging, unchangeable, the everlasting and eternal God - well, He can still do it.” 1

What about you? Where do you need to grow in faith for God’s activity in your life and your church? How have you maintained a balance between celebrating God’s promised presence through ordinary means and an expectation for his supernatural activity in unexpected ways? I’d be interested in your comments.

1. In 1971, the great 20th century preacher, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, brought these remarks to an annual Minister’s conference.

Joy and Depression

2006-05-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

"Joy is not the opposite of depression. It is deeper than depression. Therefore, you can experience both. Depression is the relentless rain. Joy is the rock. Whether depression is present or not, you can stand on joy!" 1

"I am created by God. I am his offspring; he is my Father. I have sinned, but like the father of the prodigal son, my Father has pursued me. He sent Jesus to be the sacrifice for my sin and redeem me from the grave and the Evil One. Now I live for the One who died for me but is alive. I fight against sin through the power of God's Spirit, and I look forward to the day when sin and suffering are over and I see Jesus face to face." 2

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Psalm 130:5-8

1. Depression – A Stubborn Darkness, Edward T. Welch, Punch Press, 2004, p. 140.
2. Ibid., p. 254.

A Stewardship of Pain

2006-05-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

“What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Cor 4:7

“The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.” 1 Sam 2:6-7

“I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.” Isa 45:7

“God is over all things, and nothing happens apart from his knowledge and will. By the time suffering or depression comes to our doorstep, God did it. To believe anything else is to opt for a universe that is random and out of control, without a guiding hand bringing all things to a purposeful and awe-inspiring conclusion.” 1

Since God is sovereign, and since I have been suffering daily with horrible physical pain and depression, I must acknowledge that these have been given by the Lord for my good. Like the Steward given charge over the Master’s goods, I have been given a charge, entrusted with a suffering. Suffering has a purpose. It is a tool of the Master to change us, to conform us into the image of Christ.

So as with any other entrusted gift, I am learning to be a good steward of pain. Pray that I will be faithful with it.

1. Depression – A Stubborn Darkness, Edward T. Welch, Punch Press, 2004, p. 41.

Together for the Gospel Conference

2006-05-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

This last week, I had the privilege of attending the Together for the Gospel Conference, in Louisville, Kentucky. I went with my Pastor, Brian, and my friend, Ben. It was a fantastic time of teaching and preaching by Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C.J. Mahaney, Albert Mohler, John Piper, RC Sproul, and John MacArthur. I enjoyed Albert Mohler’s talk on preaching with the culture in view the most, followed closely by C.J. Mahaney’s convicting message on watching our life and doctrine.

What I’d like to do with this post is list the affirmations and denials that were crafted by the four main guys, Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, and Mohler. All four of these diverse guys signed these articles, and as I read through them again, I thought, I too would sign them.

Article I
We (I) affirm that the sole authority for the Church is the Bible, verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible, and totally sufficient and trustworthy.
We (I) deny that the Bible is a mere witness to the divine revelation, or that any portion of Scripture is marked by error, incompleteness, or the effects of human sinfulness.

Article II
We (I) affirm that the authority and sufficiency of Scripture extends to the entire Bible, and therefore that the Bible is our final authority for all doctrine and practice.
We (I) deny that any portion of the Bible is to be used in an effort to deny the truthfulness or trustworthiness of any other portion. We (I) further deny any effort to identify a canon within the canon or, for example, to set the words of Jesus against the writings of Paul.

Article III
We (I) affirm that truth ever remains a central issue for the Church, and that the church must resist the allure of pragmatism and postmodern conceptions of truth as substitutes for obedience to the comprehensive truth claims of Scripture.
We (I) deny that truth is merely a product of social construction or that the truth of the Gospel can be expressed or grounded in anything less than total confidence in the veracity of the Bible, the historicity of biblical events, and the ability of language to convey understandable truth in sentence form. We (I) further deny that the church can establish its ministry on a foundation of pragmatism, current marketing techniques, or contemporary cultural fashions.

Article IV
We (I) affirm the centrality of expository preaching in the church and the urgent need for a recovery of biblical exposition and the public reading of Scripture in worship.
We (I) deny that God-honoring worship can marginalize or neglect the ministry of the Word as manifested through exposition and public reading. We (I) further deny that a church devoid of true biblical preaching can survive as a Gospel church.

Article V
We (I) affirm that the Bible reveals God to be infinite in all his perfections, and thus truly omniscient, omnipotent, timeless, and self-existent. We (I) further affirm that God possesses perfect knowledge of all things, past, present, and future, including all human thoughts, acts, and decisions.
We (I) deny that the God of the Bible is in any way limited in terms of knowledge or power or any other perfection or attribute, or that God has in any way limited his own perfections.

Article VI
We (I) affirm that the doctrine of the Trinity is a Christian essential, bearing witness to the ontological reality of the one true God in three divine persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each of the same substance and perfections.
We (I) deny the claim that the Trinity is not an essential doctrine, or that the Trinity can be understood in merely economic or functional categories.

Article VII
We (I) affirm that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, in perfect, undiluted, and unconfused union throughout his incarnation and now eternally. We (I) also affirm that Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, as a sacrifice for sin, and as a propitiation of the wrath of God toward sin. We (I) affirm the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ as essential to the Gospel. We (I) further affirm Jesus Christ is Lord over His church, and that Christ will reign over the entire cosmos in fulfillment of the Father’s gracious purpose.
We (I) deny that the substitutionary character of Christ’s atonement for sin can be compromised or denied without serious injury, or even repudiation, of the Gospel. We (I) further deny that Jesus Christ is visible only in weakness, rather than in power, Lordship, or royal reign, or, conversely, that Christ is visible only in power, and never in weakness.

Article VIII
We (I) affirm that salvation is all of grace, and that the Gospel is revealed to us in doctrines that most faithfully exalt God’s sovereign purpose to save sinners and in His determination to save his redeemed people by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to His glory alone.
We (I) deny that any teaching, theological system, or means of presenting the Gospel that denies the centrality of God’s grace as His gift of unmerited favor to sinners in Christ can be considered true doctrine.

Article IX
We (I) affirm that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s means of bringing salvation to His people, that sinners are commanded to believe the Gospel, and that the church is commissioned to preach and teach the Gospel to all nations.
We (I) deny that evangelism can be reduced to any program, technique, or marketing approach. We (I) further deny that salvation can be separated from repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Article X
We (I) affirm that salvation comes to those who truly believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
We (I) deny that there is salvation in any other name, or that saving faith can take any form other than conscious belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving acts.

Article XI
We (I) affirm the continuity of God’s saving purpose and the Christological unity of the covenants. We (I) further affirm a basic distinction between law and grace, and that the true Gospel exalts Christ’s atoning work as the consummate and perfect fulfillment of the law.
We (I) deny that the Bible presents any other means of salvation than God’s gracious acceptance of sinners in Christ.

Article XII
We (I) affirm that sinners are justified only through faith in Christ, and that justification by faith alone is both essential and central to the Gospel.
We (I) deny that any teaching that minimizes, denies, or confuses justification by faith alone can be considered true to the Gospel. We (I) further deny that any teaching that separates regeneration and faith is a true rendering of the Gospel.

Article XIII
We (I) affirm that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers by God’s decree alone, and that this righteousness, imputed to the believer through faith alone, is the only righteousness that saves.
We (I) deny that such righteousness is earned or deserved in any manner, is infused within believer to any degree, or is realized in the believer through anything other than faith alone.

Article XIV
We (I) affirm that the shape of Christian discipleship is congregational, and that God’s purpose is evident in faithful Gospel congregations, each displaying God’s glory in the marks of authentic ecclesiology.
We (I) deny that any Christian can truly be a faithful disciple apart from the teaching, discipline, fellowship, and accountability of a congregation of fellow disciples, organized as a Gospel church. We (I) further deny that the Lord’s Supper can faithfully be administered apart from the right practice of church discipline.

Article XV
We (I) affirm that evangelical congregations are to work together in humble and voluntary cooperation and that the spiritual fellowship of Gospel congregations bears witness to the unity of the Church and the glory of God.
We (I) deny that loyalty to any denomination or fellowship of churches can take precedence over the claims of truth and faithfulness to the Gospel.

Article XVI
We (I) affirm that the Scripture reveals a pattern of complementary order between men and women, and that this order is itself a testimony to the Gospel, even as it is the gift of our Creator and Redeemer. We (I) also affirm that all Christians are called to service within the body of Christ, and that God has given both men and women important and strategic roles within the home, the church, and the society. We (I) further affirm that the teaching office of the church is assigned only to those men who are called of God in fulfillment of the biblical teachings and that men are to lead in their homes as husbands and fathers who fear and love God.
We (I) deny that the distinction of roles between men and women revealed in the Bible is evidence of mere cultural conditioning or a manifestation of male oppression or prejudice against women. We (I) also deny that this biblical distinction of roles excludes women from meaningful ministry in Christ’s kingdom. We (I) further deny that any church can confuse these issues without damaging its witness to the Gospel.

Article XVII
We (I) affirm that God calls his people to display his glory in the reconciliation of the nations within the Church, and that God’s pleasure in this reconciliation is evident in the gathering of believers from every tongue and tribe and people and nation. We (I) acknowledge that the staggering magnitude of injustice against African-Americans in the name of the Gospel presents a special opportunity for displaying the repentance, forgiveness, and restoration promised in the Gospel. We (I) further affirm that evangelical Christianity in America bears a unique responsibility to demonstrate this reconciliation with our African-American brothers and sisters.
We (I) deny that any church can accept racial prejudice, discrimination, or division without betraying the Gospel.

Article XVIII
We (I) affirm that our only sure confident hope is in the sure and certain promises of God. Thus, our hope is an eschatological hope, grounded in our confidence that God will bring all things to consummation in a manner that will bring greatest glory to his own name, greatest preeminence to his Son, and greatest joy for his redeemed people.
We (I) deny that we are to find ultimate fulfillment or happiness in this world, or that God’s ultimate purpose is for us to find merely a more meaningful and fulfilling life in this fallen world. We (I) further deny that any teaching that offers health and wealth as God’s assured promises in this life can be considered true Gospel.

Two Conversations

2006-04-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

"When I am talking to somebody there are always two conversations going on. The first is on the surface; it is about politics or music or whatever it is our mouths are saying. The other is beneath the surface, on the level of the heart, and my heart is either communicating that I like the person I am talking to or I don't. God wants both conversations to be true. That is, we are supposed to speak truth in love. If both conversations are not true, God is not involved in the exchange, we are on our own, and on our own, we will lead people astray. The Bible says that if you talk to somebody with your mouth, and your heart does not love them, that you are like a person standing there smashing two cymbals together. You are only annoying everybody around you."2

2. Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2003, p. 221.

By His Blood

2006-04-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

Nothing is so well fitted to put the fear of God, which will preserve men from offending Him, into the heart, as an enlightened view of the cross of Christ. There shine spotless holiness, inflexible justice, incomprehensible wisdom, omnipotent power, holy love. None of these excellencies darken or eclipse the other, but every one of them rather gives a lustre to the rest. They mingle their beams, and shine with united eternal splendour: the just Judge, the merciful Father, the wise Governor. Nowhere does justice appear so awful, mercy so amiable, or wisdom so profound.1

1. John Brown, Scottish pastor, Expository Discourses on 1 Peter, Edinburgh, Banner of Truth Trust, 1975

Psalm 119

2006-04-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Powlinson's new book, Speaking Truth in Love. In it, this part so vividly applied Psalm 119 to my life. He points out that the psalmist knows himself, and he knows God. And because of this, the psalmist can talk to the Lord, and be real.

He knows...

How hard it is for him to love...so he says, "Don't let me wander from your commandments."

He gets preoccupied with the wrong things...so he says, "Incline my heart to your testimonies."

His Bible gets routine so that he can read but miss the Lord...so he says, "Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from your law."

He gets hooked on emptiness...so he says, "Turn my eyes away from looking at vanity."

Sin can seize control...so he says, "Don't let iniquity reign over me."

He's vulnerable to bad choices...so he says, "Make me walk in the path of your commandments."

He needs mercy...so he says, "Be gracious to me according to your word."

Goodbye Punkin

2006-04-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I had to do a grievous task. Our 17 year old cat, Punkin, had grown so old that she quit using the litter box. So yesterday, I took her and had her put to sleep.

Anyone who has lost a beloved pet, in this way, can understand the grief I feel. No one else can. It's not as horrifying as losing a loved one. It's not like losing a pet to old age or sickness, either. The grief of the loss comes from knowing that I have done the deed, while still having a great fondness and affection, that had grown for 17 years.

So yes, I wept. I still cannot type this with dry eyes. And I know it is "just" a cat. But isn't it interesting how God uses situations like this to soften our hearts?

Goodbye, Punkin.

Sacred Marriage

2006-03-27T04:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend, my wife and I had the priviledge of attending a seminar by Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage. What an incredible time of teaching and reflection!

In Sacred Marriage, Thomas expounds the idea that God designed marriage as a means of sanctification. Within our normally imperfect marriage, and due to the fact that we are both sinners (James 3:2a), we have our selfishness, our pride, and our focus on ourselves exposed to the light. It is in God's purpose within marriage that we become holy, as He is holy. And this process comes about by our learning to love our spouse, as God really intended. It is not a Hollywood romanticism, but a God-centered, self-sacrificing love for the other person.

One of the many principles that impacted me was the knowledge that my wife is God's child. My wife is the daughter of the King of kings! So God is my Father....in law! And knowing that, I should be very aware of how I treat the King's daughter, because He is very aware of it! So I should love my wife, in reverence to the Lord!

2 Corinthians 7:1 "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God."

Change Me

2006-03-20T05:19:00.000-08:00

This morning, as I was praying, I asked God to help me to change. Immediately the Lord rebuked me in my spirit! That prayer showed my lack of faith! Help me change?!

Lord, forgive me of my lack of faith in you. It is not that you help me to change. You change me.

So I changed, and began praying anew. This time my prayer is, "Change my heart! Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me!"

The Two "Certain" Things

2006-03-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

Most of us have heard that there are two things that are certain, death and taxes.

But it occurred to me, as I was contemplating my huge tax bill, that for Christians, death isn't as certain. What is certain is that Jesus Christ is coming again. Some Christians will be alive when He comes, and those of us who are alive and remain, 1 Thess 4:17 says, will be caught up together with the dead who are resurrected when Jesus comes.

So, there are still two things that are certain. Not death and taxes, but instead, Jesus is coming again,....and taxes.

Jesus, the Cross, our Call to Die

2006-03-08T05:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some more excerpts from Bonhoeffer:

If our Christianity has ceased to be serious about discipleship, if we have watered down the gospel into emotional uplift which makes no costly demands and which fails to distinguish between natural and Christian existence, then we cannot help regarding the cross as an ordinary everyday calamity, as one of the trials and tribulations of life. We have then forgotten that the cross means rejection and shame as well as suffering.

This notion has ceased to be intelligible to a Christianity which no longer sees any difference between an ordinary human life and a life committed to Christ.

Every command of Jesus is a call to die, with all our affections and lusts. But we do not want to die, and therefore Jesus Christ and his call are necessarily our death as well as our life.

Discipleship

2006-03-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

I'm reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship," and am reminded that discipleship is more than my volunteering to follow Christ. It is more than the knowledge of my salvation through faith, and then living my life as I please. It is a surrendered following, that forsakes all else. This excerpt really resonated deep in my heart.

"Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluous, and in fact they positively exclude any idea of discipleship whatever, and are essentially inimical to the whole conception of following Christ. With an abstract idea it is possible to enter into a relation of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perhaps even to put it into practice; but it can never by followed in personal obedience. Christianity without living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God, but omits Christ as the living Son. And a Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship. In such a religion there is trust in God, but no following of Christ. Because the Son of God became Man, because he is the Mediator, for that reason alone the only true relation we can have with him is to follow him. Discipleship is bound to Christ as the Mediator, and where it is properly understood, it necessarily implies faith in the Son of God as the Mediator. Only the Mediator, the God-Man, can call men to follow him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, Simon and Shuster, 1995, p 59.

Which Eyes Are More Blind?

2006-02-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

My friend, Ben, recently wrote this poem during his missionary trip to Honduras. He went with a group providing eye-care for nationals.

Which eyes are more blind
The eyes which cannot behold the sun and the stars,
Or those which cannot behold Your glory?

The eyese that cannot see all the beauty of creation,
Or those that cannot see that you have created it?

Which eyes are more blind
The eyes that will never look upon a father's face,
Or those that will not look upon You as Father?

The eyes which cannot see a loved one,
Or those which cannot see how much You loved us?

Which eyes are more blind,
The eyes which cannot see to read,
Or those which cannot see that You are the Lord that became flesh and dwelt among us?

The eyes that cannot see fresh bread, hot from the oven,
Or those that cannot see that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord?

Which eyes are more blind?
The eyes that do not see to find the way,
Or those that do not see that You are the way, the truth, and the life?

The eyes which will never see the beauty of many pearls,
Or those which will not see that you are the pearl of greatest price?

Ben Seal

Gratefulness

2006-02-24T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Lord poured blessings on us this January. We were privileged to travel back to Texas where Life Action Ministries held a two week Revival Summit at our home church in New Braunfels. We had a sense of expectation and excitement at what God would do during that time. And He is faithful. He worked another major change in our own hearts.

One of the principles I had been taught before, but that came alive during those days was this:

If there is any situation (or person) in my life, past or present, for which I can not instantly thank God when that situation (or person) comes to my mind, then I am bitter.

God showed me that I was bitter. But how could I be bitter?! We’ve been blessed so much! God has provided our every need, with many blessings on top! But He showed me that I was indeed bitter. Here’s how He did it.

During the first three weeks of our stay in Texas, God provided a wonderful house for us to stay in, 17 miles away from the summit, down the same highway I traveled for ten years while I worked at Motorola. My work commute used to be exactly 17 miles! As we traveled back and forth during those first days of the summit, I remembered the years of terrible stress and anxiety that I had while working there. And I was reminded of difficult people. All together, it was a very painful and stressful time in my life.
During one of those days, the Lord showed me Ephesians 5:20, and reminded me again that if I couldn’t or wouldn’t thank God as He says to do, giving thanks to God always for everything, then I was bitter. I realized I wasn’t thanking God for those hard times, or for those hard people. At first, I thought I couldn’t find anything to thank Him for. But He lovingly showed me it was sin not to give thanks, as He says to do. So I confessed and agreed with God that not thanking Him was sin, and I asked Him to change my heart. I began thanking Him for those hard days and years, and for those difficult people.

At first, I didn’t understand what I had to be thankful for, but I knew I needed to be obedient. And as I begin giving thanks, a wonderful thing happened. God revealed to me that if those days had been easy, if that place had been enjoyable, if those difficult people had been warm and friendly instead, I would have been comfortable and I would not have recognized my desperate need for Him.

In His sovereign way, He put me in the midst of those people and that work environment (like between a rock and a hard place) to shape me and to drive me to Himself. Now I can thank Him with understanding, because His faithfulness never ceases, and His sovereign plan has been working all along.

God also showed me other areas where I had an ungrateful heart. In one of our newsletters, we had expressed disappointment for the amount of support given by our church, and for another church’s decision not to support us. That disappointment was rooted in sin, because we thought we deserved something. In fact, we deserve nothing but hell! And anything that is given is a blessing. We were wrong to be ungrateful. We have publicly confessed that before the church and asked for their forgiveness. We have offended others of you in this, and so we humbly ask, would you forgive us? We have also been asking God to change our hearts so that we would not have a spirit of expectation or ungratefulness.

He has blessed us so much, and I want to always be thankful for everything.

“Dear God, I now see that everything comes from You. My experiences of the past five, ten, or twenty years have all come from You. All of these things were done with only one purpose in mind – that Your life would be expressed through me. I have been foolish. I did not see this. Through self-love I have done many things to save myself, and I have wasted much of Your time. Today I see Your hand, and I willingly consecrate myself to You. I commit myself to Your hand once again.”1

Thank YOU for your prayers and support for us. We are so grateful for your friendship.

1 The Breaking of the Outer Man and the Release of the Spirit. Watchman Nee, Living Stream Ministry, 1997