Thirsty and Broke!

thirsty and broke

 

Isaiah 55

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

It is beautiful isn’t it? God’s Word is exhorting us to come thirsty and come broke. Isn’t that the gospel? It is exactly how we come to God. We do not come to Him with full bellies and fat pockets. We are destitute.

  • No food
  • No money and
  • No way to purchase or eat in our own strength.

 

Reminds me of this:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

Don’t you love how the Word instructs us in our broken state to come and buy and eat.

We might ask:  How do we do that?

That, my friend, is the whole point of God’s Word.

You can’t do that in and of yourself! But, you can do that when you look away from our own self’s ability to save. We need a Savior! And we are not it!  Remember: we are hungry and broke.

It is in Jesus that we come to God and when we do, the hungry are filled and the broke are made rich in Christ.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and you labor for that which does not satisfy?

Isn’t that what we do in our sinfulness?

We foolishly buy that which does not feed us and that which does not satisfy.

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

God’s Word / The Gospel / The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

Amazing!

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Will you join with me and pray this today?

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I am so glad this is true.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

YES!

God sends His Word to accomplish His eternal purpose.

What is that purpose?

To redeem fallen man!

“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

(Isaiah 55 ESV)

Is There A 3rd Option?

Benches

Proud Calvinism?!?

6 Signs of proud Calvinism

After these two blog posts (linked above) a friend asked:

“Two realities, which I personally struggle with, because they seem to be in tension are: How do you show this kind of humility while at the same time standing firm in the faith one for all delivered to the saints…aka, not being a sort of post-modern, uncertain, wavering, passive type of Christian.

I fear that I all-to-often sound like the proud Calvinist, but often the only alternative seems to be compromise and sounding like a post-modernist—you know, “we can’t really know the truth, so let’s just agree to disagree.”

Thanks for asking the question! I sure don’t want to come across as the guy who has this all figured out! Because, I don’t! But, I do have a couple thoughts that might be helpful, and if not helpful… there is a great little book listed at the end of the post.

First of all we need to recognize there are not two options. We need to know there is a third option.

We tend to think in 2 options:

Option 1:  Humility means watering down the message and convictions.  So to keep the peace, I need to be a “passive – keep the peace” Christian.

Option 2:  Arrogantly defend my views and convictions to the death of all future conversation.

Option 1 is not helpful as it misses truth.

Option 2 is not healthy as it misses grace.  Can you hear the clanging cymbals that Paul writes about in I Corinthians 13.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV)

Now while the context of I Corinthians 13 is NOT chatting theology with a friend.  However, there is a helpful application of the text for us.

How sad, the Corinthian church was gifted, but their lack of love seems to be noise in the ears of everyone around them. Option 2 is not a good option.

But is that all?  Might there be another option?  This is where a person may have the “right” argument but he/she presents them it the “wrong” way. (Sounds like my parenting at times!)

We don’t want to just be “right”. It is not simply about being “right” – we need to seek to communicate what is right and do so in the “right” way.

So that we realize…  This conversation is not only about the message, but our character in delivering that message matters as well!

In a similar way:  The Corinthians had the “right” gifts but they used them in the “wrong” way? So Paul basically tells them to knock it off!

There is a 3rd option.

Option 3:  Humility that flows from the gospel.  (Truth and Grace)

1.) The Gospel Informs The Conversation:

Think about it: When we present the gospel, arrogantly….  we are disconnected from the very gospel we are presenting. How odd is that? It should stop us in our tracks.

The gospel is humbling! We are sinners, separated from God. God in His mercy sent His Son to die for our sins and redeem us. We were not smart enough to figure this out nor are we holy enough to deserve it. Rather, God in His unfathomable mercy drew us, saved us, chose us!

“For by grace you were saved and this is not of your own doing, it is the gift of God….” Ephesians 2:8-9

How in the world does my pride crawl into that?

The truth of the gospel informs our character in the midst of the conversation, even when we disagree, we can disagree with humility.  Because Christ dying for undeserving sinners is… humbling.

Disagreeing with a brother arrogantly is a disagreement that is disconnected from the Gospel itself.

We want to let the gospel not only be the content of the conversation, but allow the gospel to inform our hearts in the conversation.

Is it possible for a believer to blast a friend with ones supposed superior knowledge AND be affected by the gospel at the same time….?  I don’t know – because I have never been able to pull that one-off!  :-)

2.) The Sovereignty of God releases me.

Isn’t it great – I am NOT the Holy Spirit! And neither are you!

Last time I checked there was no job opening in the Trinity.

This is wonderfully liberating. I don’t have to convince someone of my convictions. I don’t feel the need to win an argument. It is ok, God is able to reveal Himself to a brother or sister. And, since I DO NOT have it all figured out… God is able to take care of me too!

By the way, isn’t it funny how it can take years to become convinced of something. God is kind and He is soooo patient with us. But, eventually God works in our hearts and change soon follows.

How weird is it then that what takes us years,  we turn around and demand someone to “get on board” with what we are saying in a 30 minute coffee chat?

“How’s come they don’t get it?”

It’s ok – chill out – Tim!

I love it when Paul says in Philippians 3:

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (Philippians 3:14-15 ESV)

What a relief, the apostle Paul seems to release himself from this burden and turns it over to God.  That does not mean that Paul waters down his convictions or refrains from the truth.

3.) My knowledge is not all that!

We think so highly of ourselves, don’t we?!? We read a bit, study some things, and think we have it all figured out. I wonder how much we really have figured out.

I think it is likely that we will all have a lot of “ah ha” moments in heaven!!!!

Lastly, I think we would do well to remember this does not need to be the end of the conversation. There are times when the stakes are high and the truth must be defended. But, even in that, I want to make sure that the person that sits across the table from me knows that I love him and care about him. If we want there to be a future conversation than the arrogance and noisy gong is not going to help.

Book Recommendation:

This is a liGrace and Truth Paradoxttle book that I have gone back to often.

Grace and Truth Paradox By Randy Alcorn

“It so misrepresents the truth, it’s a sin”

 

20141226cover600-x-800

The below is taken in its entirety from Albertmohler.com.

 

Newsweek on the Bible — So Misrepresented It’s a Sin
MONDAY • December 29, 2014
newsweekcover2015
Newsweek magazine decided to greet the start of 2015 with a massive cover story on the Bible. For decades now, major news magazines have tended to feature cover articles timed for Christmas and Easter, taking an opportunity to consider some major question about Christianity and the modern world. Leading the journalistic pack for years, both TIME and Newsweek dedicated cover article after article, following a rather predictable format. In the main, scholars or leaders from very liberal quarters commented side-by-side those committed to historic Christianity on questions ranging from the virgin birth to the resurrection of Christ.
When written by journalists like Newsweek‘s former editor Jon Meacham or TIME reporters such as David Van Biema, the articles were often balanced and genuinely insightful. Meacham and Van Biema knew the difference between theological liberals and theological conservatives and they were determined to let both sides speak. I was interviewed several times by both writers, along with others from both magazines. I may not have liked the final version of the article in some cases, but I was treated fairly and with journalistic integrity.
So, when Newsweek, now back in print under new ownership, let loose its first issue of the New Year on the Bible, I held out the hope that the article would be fair, journalistically credible, and interesting, even if written from a more liberal perspective.
But Newsweek‘s cover story is nothing of the sort. It is an irresponsible screed of post-Christian invective leveled against the Bible and, even more to the point, against evangelical Christianity. It is one of the most irresponsible articles ever to appear in a journalistic guise.
The author of the massive essay is Kurt Eichenwald, who boasts an impressive reputation as a writer and reporter for newspapers like The New York Times and magazines including Vanity Fair. A two-time winner of the George Polk Award, he was also a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Eichenwald, however, has been primarily known for reporting and writing in a very different area of expertise. Most of his writing has been on business and financial matters, including business scandals.
When it comes to Newsweek‘s cover story, “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin,” Eichenwald appears to be far outside his area of expertise and knowledge. More to the point, he really does not address the subject of the Bible like a reporter at all. His article is a hit-piece that lacks any journalistic balance or credibility. His only sources cited within the article are from severe critics of evangelical Christianity, and he does not even represent some of them accurately.
The opening two paragraph of the article sets the stage for what follows:
“They wave their Bibles at passersby, screaming their condemnations of homosexuals. They fall on their knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the thousands to pray for the country’s salvation.
They are God’s frauds, cafeteria Christians who pick and choose which Bible verses they heed with less care than they exercise in selecting side orders for lunch. They are joined by religious rationalizers—fundamentalists who, unable to find Scripture supporting their biases and beliefs, twist phrases and modify translations to prove they are honoring the Bible’s words.”
What is really going on here? Did some fundamentalist preacher run over young Kurt Eichenwald’s pet hamster when the reporter was just a boy? He opens with the most crude caricature of evangelical Christians — one unrecognizable in the vast majority of evangelical churches, and even to credible journalists. But the opening lines are truly a foretaste of what follows.
Amazingly, Eichenwald claims some stance of objectivity. “Newsweek’s exploration here of the Bible’s history and meaning is not intended to advance a particular theology or debate the existence of God,” Eichenwald insists. “Rather, it is designed to shine a light on a book that has been abused by people who claim to revere it but don’t read it, in the process creating misery for others.”
But Eichenwald demonstrates absolutely no attempt to understand traditional Christian understandings of the Bible, nor ever to have spoken with the people he asserts “claim to revere [the Bible] but don’t read it.” What follows is a reckless rant against the Bible and Christians who claim to base their faith upon its teachings.

 

In a predictable move, Eichenwald claims to base his research on “works of scores of theologians and scholars, some of which dates back centuries.” But the sources he cites are from the far, far left of biblical studies and the most significant living source appears to be University of North Carolina professor Bart Ehrman, who is post-Christian. Even so, he makes claims that go far beyond even what Bart Ehrman has claimed in print.
Eichenwald’s first claim is that we cannot really read the Bible, for it does not actually exist and never has. “No television preacher has ever read the Bible,” he asserts. “Neither has any evangelical politician. Neither has the pope. Neither have I. And neither have you. At best, we’ve all read a bad translation—a translation of translations of translations of hand-copied copies of copies of copies of copies, and on and on, hundreds of times.”
No knowledgeable evangelical claims that the Bibles we read in English are anything other than translations. But it is just wrong and reckless to claim that today’s best translations are merely “a translation of translations of translations.” That just isn’t so — not even close. Eichenwald writes as if textual criticism is a recent development and as if Christian scholars have not been practicing it for centuries. He also grossly exaggerates the time between the writing of the New Testament documents and the establishment of a functional canon. He tells of the process of copying manuscripts by hand over centuries as if that seals some argument about textual reliability, wrongly suggesting that many, if not most, of the ancient Christian scribes were illiterate. He writes accurately of the Greek used in the New Testament, and then makes an argument that could only impress a ten year old:
“These manuscripts were originally written in Koiné, or ‘common’ Greek, and not all of the amateur copyists spoke the language or were even fully literate. Some copied the script without understanding the words. And Koiné was written in what is known as scriptio continua—meaning no spaces between words and no punctuation. So, a sentence like weshouldgoeatmom could be interpreted as ‘We should go eat, Mom,’ or ‘We should go eat Mom.’ Sentences can have different meaning depending on where the spaces are placed. For example, godisnowhere could be ‘God is now here’ or ‘God is nowhere.’”
Isn’t that clever! But there is no text in the Bible in which this is truly a problem. Context determines the meaning, and no mom is in any danger of being eaten due to confused punctuation. That might impress a fifth-grade class, but not any serious reader. Later in his essay he makes essentially the same argument when he deals with the Greek word translated as worship when the text refers to deity. He rightly points out that translators use other terms when the context is merely human. Yes, the same word is used, but not in the same sense. This is not a translator’s sleight of hand, but common sense. Similarly, when a British nobleman is addressed as “Your Lordship” in public, this does not mean that he is being worshiped in the same sense as when a Christian speaks of the lordship of Christ. Common sense indicates that the same word has a different meaning in a different context.
Eichenwald grossly over-estimates the total number of ancient New Testament manuscripts and he seems to believe that mainstream Christianity in the Patristic era might have been seriously confused about the legitimacy of the so-called Gnostic gospels and other heretical writings. He cited Bart Ehrman as saying,“There are more variations among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament,” but then he follows that with his own concession: “Most of those discrepancies are little more than the handwritten equivalent of a typo, but that error was then included by future scribes.” So there are many variations, but most are “little more than the handwritten equivalent of a typo?” Then, why is the point even important?
He turns to text critical questions related to the long ending of Mark’s Gospel (16:17-18) and the account of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery in John’s Gospel. These questions would not trouble any first-year seminarian in an evangelical seminary, but they are presented in the article as blockbuster discoveries. Furthermore, with reference to the woman caught in adultery, Eichenwald states: “Unfortunately, John didn’t write it. Scribes made it up sometime in the Middle Ages.” But the fact that the account is not found in the older manuscripts of the Gospel of John does not mean, in any credible sense, that scribes simply made it up in the Middle Ages. Eichenwald seems unaware of the very category of oral tradition.
He also presents a twisted version of Emperor Constantine’s influence in Christian history, getting right the fact that Constantine called and influenced the Council of Nicaea but getting facts wrong when he claimed that Constantine influenced the formation of the New Testament canon by determining which books were to be included. His accusation of political intrigue by Constantine on the question of Christ’s deity appears, within the totality of Eichenwald’s essay, as a pointer to a strange antipathy to the doctrine of the Trinity itself. He argues that the Trinity is never defined in a singular verse of Scripture — orthodox Christians do not claim that any single text does — but he ignores the development of the doctrine of the Trinity drawn from the totality of the New Testament itself.
Eichenwald’s opening sentences trumpeted his disdain for evangelical Christianity’s sexual ethic, and his essay turns to deny that Christians have any textual basis for a negative view of homosexuality. He dismisses 1 Timothy as being falsely claimed to be written by the Apostle Paul, citing, oddly enough, Friedrich Schleiermacher, the father of modern theological liberalism, who made that argument in 1807. There is no counter-argument offered. Eichenwald simply credits the “scholars” he cites without any admission that other scholars hold very different opinions. Interestingly, he appears unable to deny that Paul wrote Romans and that Romans 1:27 identifies men lusting after other men as sinful.
He seems to believe that the teachings about women teaching and leading in 1 Timothy would apply to a woman in political office, failing to read that the text is clearly speaking of order within the Christian assembly. He seems totally unaware of any distinction between the moral law in the Old Testament and the ceremonial law and the holiness code.
In the main, he argues that historic Christianity has been based on nothing but a lie and that those who now represent themselves as biblical Christians are lying to themselves and to others — and doing great harm in the process.
But Kurt Eichenwald’s essay is not ground-breaking in any sense. These arguments have been around for centuries in some form. He mixes serious points of argument with caricatures and cartoons and he does exactly what he accuses Christians of doing — he picks his “facts” and arguments for deliberate effect.
Newsweek’s cover story is exactly what happens when a writer fueled by open antipathy to evangelical Christianity tries to throw every argument he can think of against the Bible and its authority. To put the matter plainly, no honest historian would recognize the portrait of Christian history presented in this essay as accurate and no credible journalist would recognize this screed as balanced.
Oddly enough, Kurt Eichenwald’s attack on evangelical Christianity would likely be a measure more effective had he left out the personal invective that opens his essay and appears pervasively. He has an axe to grind, and grind he does.
But the authority of the Bible is not the victim of the grinding. To the contrary, this article is likely to do far more damage to Newsweek in its sad new reality. Kurt Eichenwald probably has little to lose among his friends at Vanity Fair, but this article is nothing less than an embarrassment.

To take advantage of Newsweek’s title — it so misrepresents the truth, it’s a sin.

To read the Newsweek article in full, click: HERE

God WITH Us

Away in a manger

Read:  GOD With Us And The Cultural Yawn

 

God WITH us

Who is in that manger means everything.

More than a baby and more than something cute.

More than a decoration for the front lawn.

This is Jesus the Son of the living God.

The creator of the universe has humbled himself and taken on human flesh.

Matthew 1:23
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).

What does it mean that Jesus dwelt among us?

In Genesis 1,2, 3 we read about the creation and fall of man.

In the garden there was no separation between God and man. Man was without sin.  Hard to imagine, isn’t it?

In Genesis 3 Adam and Eve sinned and God drove them out of the garden.  Man, was then separated from God’s presence.

Fast forward to John chapter 1.  The whole chapter is great to read but let’s focus on one word in this one verse when John says:

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…

This word “dwelt” flies by us unnoticed.  But, we need to pause here because that one word packs quite a punch.

Here is what is interesting. John, had at his disposal other words that he could have used for “dwell”. But he uses the word skēnoō.

Who cares right?  Dwell means dwell…. doesn’t it?

Well, not exactly.

Here is what is amazing. John’s word for dwell is the word skēnoō. This word means tent and it is a verb.  Huh?  How is tent a verb?

I know…. you are thinking “big deal, so what?”  Hang with me!  

What does it mean to “tent” – verb?

It means that Christ came and took on human flesh, born of a virgin, in a manger to pitch His tent among us.

Now, that may sound really odd to us, but for John’s original hearers, they would have immediately made some connections.

An original hearer of John’s gospel would have heard the words: “pitch his tent among us” and would have immediately remembered the history of Israel.  The tabernacle was the place that God met with His people.

(Don’t forget about Adam and Eve and the garden and sin and separation from God.)

This tabernacle was covered by…… you guessed it….. a tent.  The tabernacle was also known as the “tent of meeting.”

And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

(Exodus 29:46 ESV)

So we have a garden and sin which brings about a separation between God and man and now, here in Exodus, we have God dwelling among His people…. again.

Now, He is NOT dwelling among His people because they are without sin, or because they have earned this, or anything else. We are to read Exodus and see God dwelling among His people and realize this happened by the mercy and grace of God!

Jump forward to Exodus 33 and it is here we see that it is in the Tabernacle that God had fellowship with His people, Israel.

In verse 8 we find Moses going into the Tabernacle / Tent of meeting and everyone stopped to watch.

Drop everything….“Moses is going into the tent of meeting!” They were in awe.

Why? Verse 9 says that whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting, a pillar of cloud would descend. (Wow!)

God came down to dwell with His people!

So here is what is happening. The Tabernacle was a reminder of what Adam and Eve had in the garden, but not fully…. It was the Lord’s presence in a cloud.  AND, it was a shadow of what was to come.  Remember John 1:14

God, after He delivered His people from Egypt would come and descend and dwell among His people in the Tent of Meeting / Tabernacle.

What an amazing scene!
God is declaring: “Despite your sinfulness – I am with My people! I will dwell among my people.”

Fast forward to King David.  David wants more than a tent / tabernacle.  He wants to build a temple, a permanent house for the Lord where God’s presence would exist.

God told David no. But, God did allow David’s son Solomon to build a temple for the Lord.

The tabernacle and the temple were reminders of what Adam and Eve had in the Garden and a shadow of God’s presence that is to come.

Jesus is coming – literally God himself is coming to pitch his tent among us!  That is what John is telling us. God is (verb) pitching His tent among us!  And, this is not because we deserve His presence. He comes and descends not in a cloud but in human flesh to dwell among us – even though we are sinful and undeserving!  By His mercy and grace He comes and dwells / pitches His tent among us!

God WITH us!

John is telling us that the way God descended and dwelt among His people in the Tabernacle, that very same thing – and more – is happening in Jesus Christ. Now, God has descended not in a cloud, but in the flesh! And, He is dwelling among us!

Jesus is pitching His tent to dwell among His people! Jesus, the Eternal God, creator of the universe, Light of the world, He became flesh and tabernacled among us.

Merry Christmas!!

God With Us And The Cultural Yawn

manger

John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…..

When Almighty God takes on human flesh…

When He is born miraculously of the virgin Mary….

When Herod tries to have Him killed as a newborn….

I don’t know…. when the Creator of the universe moves heaven and earth and takes on human flesh, maybe that is supposed to get our attention? And, I don’t mean a little bit – I mean grab our wholehearted, lifelong, enduring, and collective attention.

Perhaps when God moves heaven and earth, is born of a virgin, and takes on human flesh that maybe His intent was bigger than a lawn decoration during the Christmas season?

Jesus, born in the manger is to be more than: “Awww look at the cute baby in the manger.”  More than a decoration we might put in the front yard next to Santa, snoopy and the Grinch.

How is Christmas more than just a nice holiday and a few extra days off of work? Is Christmas more than a tree, presents, carols and shopping?

Think about WHO is in that manger!

GOD with us. If we do not know who it is that is in that manger, Christmas will be nothing more than just another holiday….and the manger will be just another decoration.

BUT:

God, Himself is in that manger!

The creator of the universe came!

The King of ALL kings has come!!!!!

Think about this:

200 years ago it was believed that there were some 6,000 stars in the universe. 200 years ago – 6,000 stars seemed like a lot of stars. Today astronomers believe there are more stars in the universe (that we know of) than there are grains of sand on all the beaches and deserts on the earth!

Uh…. wow!

The latest evidence shows us that there are between 100 and 200 BILLION galaxies in the universe each of them containing 100’s of billions of stars.

Amazing!?!

And the Bible just matter of factly states: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth….

But hold on a minute. Consider that this God who created all those stars (and everything else in the universe) has now come down and taken on human flesh.  God – in human flesh!!

As a culture we are easily impressed with actors, actresses, and athletes.

This past year George Clooney found himself in my small home town Titusville, Fl.  He was there to shoot scenes for the movie “Tomorrowland”.  As you might imagine, social media blew up in my hometown. Clooney sightings were being reported. Photos uploaded, rumors of sightings passed along, and on and on it goes.

“Did you hear Clooney is shooting scenes downtown?”

I just did a quick google search with the words: “george clooney filming in titusville fl”

My google search spit back at me 34,700 results! Wow!

My point? When George Clooney comes to small town Titusville it blows up.  Why? Well, it’s George Clooney! Duh!

What does it mean that the God of the universe, your Maker and mine, takes on human flesh, and is born as a baby in a manger, in the tiny town of Bethlehem?

For the most part, culture is indifferent to the manger. Some are blasphemous and many can be heard yawning. Can you hear the cultural yawn?

A long time ago – by the mercy of God – I traded the yawn in for worship!

Over these next few posts I hope you might read along and join with me to see the glory of that manger scene. Let’s trade the yawn in for worship!

Consider today:

It is GOD with us!

GOD came and took on human flesh

That cute baby in the manger….. it is GOD!

Praise Him!

 

 

 

6 Convictions Needed When Approaching God’s Word

Bible

God’s Word is…. well God’s Word and because it is, we would do well to read it with a set of convictions. Below are 6 of those convictions. Certainly, there are more. Feel free to comment below on convictions you have when you are sitting down to read the very Words of God.

1.) It is GOD’S Word

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

Scripture is the God breathed out Word of God.

What does that matter?

Well, if this is our conviction it will affect how we approach or even if we will approach God’s Word.

When this is our conviction we will approach God’s Word not seeking to impose my thoughts and will on it. Rather, our desire is that the Word brings to us the thoughts and will of God for our lives.

If it is God’s Words than it is my Authority! While my thoughts can tend to be shifty, God’s Word remains. It is objective and unchanging! Shifty people need an anchor for the soul!

Consider: Without this initial conviction:

What do you have?

What is the Bible?

How does your view of the Bible affect how you read it?

2.) God’s Word Is Understandable

The Word of God is not veiled. It does not need someone to come along and decipher the code! God intends us to “get it”.  He is a revealing God.  He is not a code to be cracked – He is the God who reveals Himself on every page.  Through His Word He makes known to us, who He is and what He has done for fallen man.

3.) God’s Word Is Useful

2 Timothy 3 (see above) shows us not only that the Word is God breathed, but that it is useful.

…….profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

4.) God’s Word Is Effective

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

How effective is the Word of God!

5.) God’s Word Should Be Approached In Humility

  • Am I the authority or is He?
  • Do I Submit to God’s Word or Does the Word submit to me?
  • My life vs Gods Word – what must change?
  • Feelings vs Truth – subjective vs objective – fleeting vs never-changing

“I’ve heard the story of a man who was in Paris visiting the Louvre. He was particularly interested in seeing Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. After examining the painting for some time with a critical eye, he announced, “I don’t like it.” The guard stationed there replied, “Sir, these paintings are no longer being judged. The viewers are.” It is the same with God’s Word, which is not what is being judged. Its readers are.”

Bullmore, Mike (2011-08-02). The Gospel and Scripture: How to Read the Bible (The Gospel Coalition Booklets) (Kindle Locations 163-167). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

6.) God’s Word Is About Christ

The entire Word of God is about God redeeming fallen man. That redemption comes through God the Son, Jesus Christ. As we read the Word with Christ in view, we will see that everything prior to Jesus death anticipates Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. All that we read post Christ’s death looks back to that event. God’s Word is about…. Christ!

 

For further study check out this easy to read booklet:

The Gospel and Scripture:  How To Read The Bible By Mike Bullmore

 

6 Signs Of Proud Calvinism

Calvin and Hobbes

 

By the way, the below 6 points are true of any Christian conversation.  Theological or casual. Coffee among two believers or a chat that is more evangelistic in nature.

Disagreements are not a license for arrogance.

I once walked into my local Wal-Mart during the Christmas season. The bell ringer was outside.

Initial impression?

He seemed to be a cherry man, Christmas hat, and a strained attempt to grow a Santa beard. He merrily greeted all those who came into the store with a hearty, “Happy Holidays”! Nearby, and at the same time, there was a refined, well dressed, middle aged woman entering the store. With eyes of fire she looked at the bell ringer with disdain. Angrily she shouted back to the poor bell ringer:

“It’s not Happy Holidays, it’s MERRY CHRISTMAS!”

Bam, there you have it. I guess she made her point. It is about Christ….mas. I am sure that is what the bell ringer went home to tell his wife. “Hey Honey, Guess what I learned today……”

Wow, I was not sure what part of this exchange was either Happy or Merry.  I had never imagined “Merry Christmas” as a oxymoron! (See previous post titled: Proud Calvinism?!?)

6 Signs of proud Calvinism?

1.) You enter a conversation with a goal. The goal becomes winning an argument rather than Christian fellowship.

2.) You like to hear yourself talk. Rather than genuinely listening to your Christian brother or sister, which shows respect, you are thinking of the next thing you want to say.

3.) You are right about…… everything.  Every Scripture, every argument, gun is loaded…. let’s go!  Every question asked, every scripture questioned – you have the answers and you are right. Congratulations!  You are amazing!

4.) Unintentionally, the conversation becomes more about you and your knowledge and less about Christ and His saving glory.

5.) You have no room for a gospel loving Arminian. (Oh, brother….. -sarcasm and pun intended)

6.) You naturally mock, without thought, the “other” view in a group setting. This mocking is to display to the group your theological prowess. This is a masked attempt to look strong, put on a good face, and silence those who may disagree.

God, help us!

Consider: when the apostle Paul described God’s work of grace:

  • When Paul bumps up against the saving grace of God his posture immediately turns to humble worship

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25 ESV)

  • Paul is regularly overwhelmed by the mysteries of Christ.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

(Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

  • “Unsearchable judgments”!
  • Paths that are beyond tracing out…”

 

Let us join with Paul in worship.  “to Him be glory forever. Amen!”

 

 

Proud Calvinism?!?

John Calvin

Full disclosure:  I am a Calvinist.  Yep, all 5 points…. Offended?

Stick around, it will be ok!

Now that we got that out-of-the-way, the point of this post is NOT to make a case or argue for Calvinism.  Have you noticed? It has kinda already been done!  There are many better places to make a humble argument for or against Calvinism.

So, Let’s dive in!

It is a great day we live in where there has been a resurgence of reading, studying, and learning of theology.  10 years ago you could not pay a guy to read a theology book.  So, I begin with gratitude!

I am grateful for those who have taken up big, thick, theology books written by dead guys and living guys.  LOVE IT!

I also enjoy the conversations that the reading has stirred.

And, I love, most of all, OUR great God! He is God, the focus, and the reason for all this great theology!

BUT

I have this growing concern for my friends in the reformed theology camp.  (Oh, Oh… perhaps this post will offend BOTH Arminians and Calvinists? I hope not.)

It is with the reformed brothers that I have the most agreement….. and well, disagreement.

You see, amidst this surge in theology, there seems to be an accompanying surge of pride.  Yikes!  Not the pride word! How dare I mention it while so MUCH pride is still hanging on to my heart and life? Dare I attempt to write about “Proud Calvinism”?

“Tim, what are you thinking!?!”

Well, I press on and pray for a work of humility in me. Besides, if you think about it, today’s topic falls under the scope of this blog.  “Gospel Connections.”

There seems to be a gospel disconnect when it comes to proud Calvinism.

How does one subscribe to reformed theology and do so with a pronounced arrogance??

At the core of Reformed theology is the Sovereign God.  

I don’t like to use the term “Calvinist”.  Not that I don’t like John Calvin, or have gained from John Calvin. Rather, it’s because I don’t think John Calvin would like the term “Calvinist”!  The term immediately takes the glories of Christ off of….. well, Christ.   And, it places an emphasis on….. a man.   Ugh!

A right understanding of Reformed theology specifically points the attention away from man and seeks to center the attention where it belongs…. God!

Reformed theology is not about Calvin!

Reformed theology is not about you or me!!

Reformed theology is about GOD!!!

Here is what I am getting at…. How is it that there seems to be in this surge of theology an accompanying surge of pride?

 

It’s in the coffee shop in Anywhere, USA.  Two brothers sitting down, sipping their Americano, debating theology.  (By the way, I have NO problem with brothers debating theology!  Quite the contrary!  May there be an increase of humble theological discussions over coffee!)

The Reformed brother believes he is saved by the grace of God, the Arminian brother does too. And, it is in that moment Barney Fifethat my Reformed friend kicks into high gear.  Feeling the need to unpack everything he learned the night before.  Like Barney Fife he has a bullet.  This brother knows enough….. to be dangerous.

Arminians…. don’t get overly excited about the above paragraph. The temptations are the same in both camps.

Like the clanging gong Paul references in I Corinthians towards the “we are so proud of our spiritual gifting” Corinthians.  I don’t think your friend can hear you over the noisy cymbals and gongs. We must ask, Where is the love for my brother?

I know my Arminian friends are saying…. “yep, I have met the proud Calvinist” Please be kind in the comments section below and don’t try to add to the noisy gongs we Reformed guys are creating.

Isn’t proud Calvinism an oxymoron? You know…..

Jumbo Shrimp

Pretty Ugly

Proud Calvinist

Consider our salvation: we believe we were “dead in our transgressions and sins….” Ephesians 2.  And dead means….. dead.  Not almost dead, just….. dead. We believe that in our spiritually dead place, God by His Spirit called / chose / elected us to salvation.  And because He did – we then responded to His gospel call.

Praise be to God! We were once dead in our sins and now we are alive in Christ Jesus!  (I know the above paragraph is overly simplified! Did I mention, the intent of the post is not an attempt to unpack the reformed view of salvation….)

My point is to simply say – isn’t the above paragraph inconsistent with the accompanying pride we see in the coffee shop?

To my reformed brothers of whom I AGREE…..

Do we really have it ALL figured out?  AND, even if we did……(which we don’t!)  But, for the sake of the argument, let’s assume we have it all figured out. Does it then become our right to blast our brothers and sisters with the sum total of all our reformed wisdom over a 60 minute coffee?  The damage we do in the name of Reformed theology – in the name of Christ!

I believe God is sovereign over my salvation! That said – God is sovereign over my salvation does not equal…..pride.  When we rightly understand that God is sovereign over my salvation the accompanying heart response is humility and worship.

God chose me and did so in spite of me… How does my wicked heart bring pride into that equation?

Reformed theology is not a gonging cymbal. God forbid! It is brokeness and humble gratitude.  Thanks be to God – I am saved!  Praise Him!

We might do well to leave that bullet in our shirt pocket and instead worship and glory in OUR Savior.

Stay tuned:

Next post:  “Signs of Proud Calvinism”

 

 

Comments?  

To the Arminian followers of this blog – give us your perspective!  How do we Calvinists need to grow?  Be honest, humble, and gracious in your thoughts.

To the Calvinist followers of this blog – give us your perspective!  How have you been proud? How are you seeking to repent and change?

 

Ear Tickling Relevance

camera

 

I begin this post once again stating that I am not for irrelevance!

The church must be relevant and as I said in the last post – Truth IS relevant.

Read the last 2 posts here:

The Cry For Relevance

Truth IS Relevant

 

My concern is when the church, pastors, and believers lust to be relevant today. And in that lust there lies a warning or concern. Is it possible that in the lust for relevance that we lose sight of truth and in so doing we become “ear ticklers”?

Is it possible in the name of wanting to add people to the church that we water down the message of the Gospel and ones need for salvation?

And, if we water down the gospel and yet we are “relevant” don’t we need to ask: “What exactly are people being saved to?”

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)

Paul has been exhorting Timothy to preach the Word. Why? Because the Word IS relevant.

It is a sad day when pastors concern themselves more with political correctness than bible correctness. It is dangerous when we study cultural relevance without seeing how relevant the Word is to our culture.

In the name of love, we don’t want to offend. We allow culture to define what is love. This then silences or edits the believer from saying anything of value at all.

The gospel my friend, IS offensive.  The Word, speaking of itself, says it is “folly to those who do not believe….”

The Word calls us sinners. Sinners need to repent. Because, hell and judgement awaits the un-forgiven sinner…..

And that is offensive! It is offensive to sinners, but it is relevant to sinners!

The Christian, the pastor, the church that says nothing of sin, repentance, and our need for a Savior…. well that is like a Dr. who will not tell the patient he is chronically sick. The Dr. is by no means showing love by withholding that information. No, we call that malpractice. And the Dr. gets slapped with a lawsuit for that lack of love!

Listen to the words of Jesus:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours”  Jesus  (John 15:18-20).

I do not hear Jesus saying here, “Be relevant so everyone will be attracted to you and your church!”

In Mark 10 we see Jesus being relevant to the rich young ruler. And the result of His relevant truths caused this man to walk away sad.

Be careful, Christian.  A wrong understanding of relevance might render you silent and thus irrelevant in a culture that needs truth and love. If cultural relevance is your guide, well, you are on shifting sand. Today’s cultural relevance will be irrelevant tomorrow. Grass withers, flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord remains forever….

God, help us to grow in our understanding of your Word. Let us see how incredibly relevant it is to a lost and dying world. And help us to speak without fear and with much relevance, love, and care.

 

Withering Grass and Fading Flowers

Grass withers

 

It has become the phrase I like to recite prior to preaching God’s Word.  But, it is more than just a “phrase”. It is truth. And truth has value.  I know, truth has lost its value in our culture, but that does not make it any less valuable. My youngest son used to value pennies more than nickels just because he had more of them.

My heart is like a child sometimes with what has real and lasting value.

Prior to preaching, this little phrase brings the truth of God’s Word before me. And as it sits before me, and I trust before the people of Trinity Community Church, it instructs my / our faith as I seek to preach God’s amazing, eternal, Word.

The phrase?

The grass withers, the flowers fade, BUT the Word of the Lord remains FOREVER!

Here is that text in its wider context.

A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said,“What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
    and all its beauty[d] is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.

The rest of Isaiah 40 is….. well…. amazing!  But, for now, for today – consider: all that is around you is withering and fading and yet God’s Word is forever.

That truth sure puts the “stuff” of this world in its rightful place. The things we value, the stuff our hearts crave, and all the that we desire…. fading and withering.

God, help me to put my heart and my faith on that which does not fade or wither!

“Truth Speaking” IS Relevant

truth

Isn’t “The Cry For Relevance”, by pastors and churches an effort to attract people to our churches?

And….. attracting people to our churches…. that is good, right?

But, in so doing, don’t we have to be extremely careful about our motives?

If we are seeking to build “our” kingdom come, Rather than “HIS” Kingdom come…. then perhaps not. But if Jesus is the King and it is His Kingdom that we are seeking to build…. perhaps, yes!?!

Recently,  Michael Paulson of The New York Times asked Brian Houston, (founder of the very popular Hillsong movement) a very simple question:

“Can your pastors preside at same-sex marriages?”

Houston replied (in part), “It can be challenging for churches to stay relevant. Because many mainstream churches upheld what they would believe is the long established view of what the Bible says about homosexuality. But the world has changed around and about them.”

He continued, “So the world’s changing and we want to stay relevant as a church. So that’s a vexing thing. You think, ‘How do we not become a pariah?'”

Yikes, it was a “yes” or “no” question….

Well, those statements kinda blew up and so……before the week was out, Pastor Houston issued a follow-up statement saying, “Nowhere in my answer did I diminish biblical truth or suggest that I or Hillsong Church supported gay marriage…. My personal view on the subject of homosexuality would line up with most traditionally held Christian views. I believe the writings of Paul are clear on this subject.”

Hmmmm…..ok, good…. I think…..  Much could be said here, but this post is not about the content of what he said.  Rather, the point I am seeking to address is this Cry For Relevance.  So, I press on…..

A few thoughts:

1.  I am NOT for:

  • I am NOT for irrelevance.
  • I have NO desire to drive people away from Christianity, the church, or Jesus Christ.  I don’t want to be pariah, either!
  • The goal is not to be as non – relevant as possible, offend people, or create a greater divide in our conversations.
  • I don’t want to unhelpfully create any more road blocks in ones understanding of true Christianity than already exists.
  • In light of the above, it needs to be said……  I do not hate gay or lesbians!
  • While, I disagree with that lifestyle choice, that does not mean I hate them nor does it mean that I discriminate against them.

My concern centers on this lustful desire for relevance. A problem which, Jesus Himself, did not concern Himself. Jesus never watered down His message.

Why? Because, Truth is…. truth.

While I am at it, I might as well potentially offend some Christians:  I take issue with those who shout from the street corner to the passerby’s with a pronounced arrogance and a lack of compassion and love, and do so in the name of truth. There is a reason that our culture, when speaking about Christians, say we are filled with “hate speech”. (Though that phrase is often tossed around to mean: hate speech is anything someone speaks out against what I am engaged in…)

That said….

2.  I AM for:

  • Speaking the truth in love
  • The above does not mean that the Christian should be silent!
  • Paul, in Ephesians 4 calls the believer to maturity when he says:

…..that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…  Ephesians 4:14-15

Consider:

  • Does a person who is not living for Christ need relevance or truth?
  • Does one exclude the other?
  • Isn’t truth…..well……. relevant?

Ultimately what is needed most is not my relevance, we need truth. And, that truth just so happens to be extremely relevant to the world we live in!  Where do we find truth?

The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord remains forever!

 

The Cry For Relevance

Church

The cry for “relevance” in the Christian community today is deafening.

Consider: The cry for relevance is often louder than the cry for God’s Word or the Gospel!

Don’t misunderstand:

  • I am not for Christians being irrelevant in society and culture!!
  • To be irrelevant in todays society, is to have no voice.
  • No voice is neither, wise or necessary.
  • I DO think the Bible IS relevant!!!
  • Whether a person realizes the relevance of the Bible does not determine IF the bible IS relevant.

Is their any caution to be given in the midst of the cry for relevance?

Relevant churches

Relevant evangelism

Relevant music

on and on it goes…..

Sometimes, Christians are not comfortable in their own skin…..

Paul to the Corinthians:

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:22-24).

The gospel IS a stumbling block, it IS folly to the unbeliever.

Which means:  We must be careful that our desire for relevance does not = compromise.

Ours is a day that can easily be captured up in the desire to “reach” people, at the expense of remaining faithful to the Word.  And…. if we are reaching people, while NOT remaining faithful to the Word…. then what exactly are we reaching people to?

Pragmatism?

Our opinions?

Self- Authority?

Our hope is in the Word of God itself!

“And by neglecting the Scriptures, we lose track of what we are reaching people to. If it’s to a savior other than the holy, triune creator God of the Bible, or if it’s to a God other than the one in the Scriptures who died to appease God’s wrath toward sinful men, justifying completely those who repent and believe, then we’re no longer offering salvation at all, and we’re not building a ‘church.’  We might have gathered a good group of people who do good things, but it’s not the bride of Christ.”  Matt Chandler

There is such a lust for relevance today.  We want to be liked, accepted, thought well of in society.  And it is this lust that (potentially) waters down biblical truths in the name of “reaching people”.

In the end, doesn’t it boil down to what we believe about the Bible? Is it the very Word of God??

Paul says to the Romans – I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the is the power of God to salvation.

Do you believe that?

Or does God’s Word need some “props” – do you feel the need to take the “edge” off?

Or to quote Bono of U2 – “stop helping God across the road, like a little old lady….”

“The issue of sin and depravity is as old as the fall of man. Likewise the Word we live by is just as relevant today as it ever was. God is not in catch up mode when it comes to being abreast of current trends, trials, and temptations.”  David Ravenhill  Read full article here.

The Word of God is where our convictions MUST lie.

The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord remains forever!

 

 

 

 

 

The Consumer Driven Church

NYC

How about this for the next book title on church?

The Consumer Driven Church.

At the consumer driven church you “do” church the same way in which you “do” your grocery shopping.  In the small town I live (Titusville, Fl). You can drive to Aldi’s because they have great prices, but they don’t always have the vegetables you need.

NO Problem – you can drive to Publix which is only 5 minutes from Aldi’s and grab your veggies.

But what about the movie rental?

Again, not a problem! Wal-mart is on the way home and they have not 1 but 2 Redbox machines!

Consumerism…. You gotta love it!

My family regularly utilizes all 3!  (Not to mention the often sought after cup of coffee at Starbucks which is located in the Target! – Located across the street from the Wal-Mart!!)

As for me and my house….. we will shop around.

Have you noticed?

Have you noticed our Americanized consumerism has seeped, more like flooded, into the local church?  Today, pastors are tempted to think that they need to cater to this mentality in order to build a church! The result is sometimes funny and sometimes sad.

Sometimes funny:

I like Aldi’s!  Mostly because they are NOT Wal-Mart!  They know who they are. Small grocery chain, with limited space, and thus limited product.  That’s Aldi’s and that is why I like them!

How silly would it be for Aldis to TRY to be a Wal-Mart.  The joy of the Aldis experience is: I don’t have to engage with ALL THAT STUFF.  Aldis is…. simple.  I like simple!  The point is – Aldis knows who they are.  Aldi’s is not trying to be someone they are not.

Knowing who you are is helpful in that it helps you know who you are NOT!

Crazy, isn’t it,  when the little local church tries to be the Wal-mart – super center church.  I have fallen victim to this, at times, over the years and I shake my head. How silly, even funny (yes, I am laughing) when we don’t know who we are and we try to be something else. It is a dumb way to try to build a local church.

In the consumer driven church we run to the Aldis church for relationships, the Wal Mart church for youth programs, and the Publix church for quality worship music.

I don’t think we are aware how much consumerism has affected the psyche of the average American church goer.

Aldis is comfortable in their own skin.  As a church member in your local church….. are you?

Sometimes sad:

It is sad when a church – that is an Aldis –  is lustfully trying to be the Wal-mart.  It is sad because we are not accepting who God has called us to be or who we are in Christ.  AND, this is the saddest part…..  often this church will do whatever is necessary to please the consumer.  This is not only sad, it is dangerous! Sad and dangerous because the church regularly translates into church consumerism. Which regularly translates into “watering down” God’s Word to make it acceptable and palatable to as many people as possible.

I Timothy 3-4

Paul, having instructed Timothy that Gods Word is God breathed and all the implications of that truth, then charges Timothy to “Preach The Word….”. As a part of that charge, Paul goes on to say:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5 ESV)

You see, what you see in churches today who have bailed on God’s Word regarding: sexual purity, marriage, family, parenting, and on and on….  is not so much about those issues. Drill down deeper than the surface issues and you will find a church or individual members and or pastors who no longer believe God’s Word is the Authority.

When God’s Word is no longer the Authority – the pastors and churches will cave to the pressures of people, fear of man, and consumerism.

You do not want consumerism to drive your church! 

A Long Way Around The Block:

Sorry, I took you a long way around the block to “get the mail”. But, here is my main point. What is your conviction about YOUR local church and about God’s Word in that local church? Is there ANYTHING more needed in the consumer driven culture that we live in than the Word of God?!? ANYTHING?

Actually, my friend, I do believe we are in the consumer driven church mess that we are in BECAUSE we have pushed God’s Word to the perimeter of church life.  No, I am not saying the Word is not read! OR that the word is not preached. I am saying in the consumer driven church the Word is used to “prop” up a sermon rather than “drive” the sermon. The Word becomes secondary rather than primary. Perimeter rather than at the Core.

3 things to consider:

1.)  Is the Word of God the priority in your church?  (This does not mean that the Word is read or even preached.  It, means…is the conviction that Gods Word is GODS Word permeating into the life of the church?)

2.)  Is the Word of God the authority in your church?  (All of us have an authority! Opinions or what you picked up from the professor in college or…….?)  If the Word is not your authority, what is?

3.)  Is the Word of God enough in your church?  (I am not saying other things (i.e.programs and ministries) are not important, but even other things must be built on the Word of God itself.)

 

 

Brittany Maynard – Clayton McDonald (2 ways to die….)

I am sure I have no idea what all Brittany Maynard was going through….  So many people have chimed in on the issue. I think I will refrain from doing so right now. Instead, I will let the video speak for itself and have us to consider there is another way to die. Lastly, may God bring comfort to the Maynard and McDonald families.

 

I enjoy reading Joni Eareckson Tada because of her perspective on suffering. She has personally helped me so much in my suffering.

If you are not familiar with her story – I encourage you…. get familiar!

Joni writes of Brittany M.:

“I understand she may be in great pain, and her treatment options are limited and have their own devastating side effects, but I believe Brittany is missing a critical factor in her formula for death: God. The journey Brittany — for that matter, all of us — will undertake on the other side of death is the most important venture on which we will ever embark.”  Read more by Joni, click here: Joni Eareckson Tada

Here is another great post by John Piper on the issue.

The above video was copied from the guys at the Rebelution.  You can check them out HERE. 

 

 

 

Looking for a church? 4 simple things to consider….

typewriter

The grass withers,

The flower fades,

But the Word of the Lord remains forever

Isaiah 40:8

I have a friend that likes to ask people who visit the church I belong to (Trinity CC): What are you looking for in a church? Whether we realize it or not we all have an answer to that question. We might not even be looking for a church, and yet, we still have an answer to that question.

Maybe it’s:

  • trendy music
  • a cool worship leader with a “tight” band
  • high octane youth group
  • a children’s program that competes with Nickelodeon
  • the look of the building
  • convenient parking
  • a relevant pastor
  • Small – home groups
  • programs
  • vision
  • charismatic
  • non charismatic
  • dynamic preaching
  • creativity
  • missional
  • and on and on and on it goes.

Jonathan Leeman, in his outstanding book Reverberation says: “Are any of these things bad? Not at all. Most are fine or even good. The question is, Where are we placing our confidence?”

I want to re-iterate what J. Leeman said – these are not bad things!  Who doesn’t want relevant sermons, or a good band?!? BUT…..Where are we placing our confidence?

It seems to me that the church today is placing less and less of its confidence where we ought……in the Word of God. The result of a misplaced confidence is concerning.

 4 things to look for in a church:

1.) Does the Word of God drive the church in all of its ministries?

The Word of God must be central to all the church does.  The Word must drive.  This is much more than just reading scripture or preaching from a passage of the Bible.  It is the DNA of the church that hungers for the Word and gladly submits to God’s Word.  So, what is driving the church? What or who is in the drivers seat?

2.)  Due to the above, does the church have a conviction about preaching God’s Word?

We are in and seem to be headed for difficult days!  Does your church preach God’s Word, without apology, and with conviction? If God’s Word is our confidence, then we should not be shy in our preaching and proclamation of it! The goal is not to be politically correct, the goal is to be biblically correct.

Pastors, the most loving thing you can do for your congregation is to preach the Word.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

(2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV)

 3.) Is the church God centered or man centered?

Who is at the center?  You?  Me? A pastor? Dynamic youth leader? a hard working deacon? or a long term member? When we make the church to be primarily about man, we miss out on the very reason we exist as a church.  Why does the church exist? We exist, first and foremost, for the worship of God!  ALL else falls into place UNDER this ultimate and primary purpose.

Have you noticed the Word of God is…..  a God centered book?

4.)  Does the church have a gospel culture?

What is a “gospel culture”?

It is one thing to “know” about the gospel.  Anyone can know the gospel factually. One can even share the gospel with others.  BUT, is the gospel functioning in the life of the church? Does the gospel permeate down into all the ministries of the church? The gospel is the focal point of the Word of God, oh that it would be the focal point of the church!

To read further about what the gospel is click here.

I hope you have found a good church where you love to worship God! There is no perfect church! The church I have the privilege of pastoring is always seeking to grow and is always needing to grow in the above!  We have NOT arrived, no church has!

If you are lacking in conviction about these 4 questions above, pray, and ask God to help you to grow.

Or, if you do have a conviction, and you see ways in which your church is lacking in the above….. Get involved! God has given you a passion for the above for a reason. Get involved and help your church to grow in the 4 areas listed above.

 

Is there more than these 4 things to look for in a church? Sure. But, I hope these are at the core of your heart if you are currently looking for a church to call home.