A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
May 24, 25, and 26, I got to celebrate a tale of two marriages. The first was that of my mom and dad, celebrated on May 24 and 25. We were celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary. The second was my own marriage to my beautiful, faithful, blessing of a wife of thirteen years.
Many of you have seen pictures on Facebook of my side of the family including pictures of myself, my wife, and my children. That was a wonderful time of memory making that I know we will all cherish for many years to come. Memories of children playing and looking for frogs in a pond. Sometimes by themselves, sometimes with grown folk. Different ages and stages were represented from toddler to grandparent, all having a really good time.
Sometimes I think the phrase, a picture is worth a thousand words is a terribly inaccurate expression. This is because, behind some of the smiles are fussing children and scowling parents trying to get their children to hold still, smile properly, or just take one more picture without pouting about it. But, most of the time I get it. The thousands words are truly not enough to share the multitude of experiences that each member of this family has shared. If these pictures could speak they would tell a story.
It would tell a story of laughter and trials, peace and pain, joy and sorrow. It would also tell a story of faithfulness and commitment; not just to each other, but to the God of the universe, Maker of heaven and earth, Savior and Lord. In fact with out the faithfulness and commitment to the one, the other would have failed long ago.
Forty
My mom and dad got married at twenty-two and twenty-one. Two years later they had me. In that two years, they moved to Texas so Dad could go to seminary and by the time we left Texas to come back home I had a sister. Back in NC Dad worked this job and that, giving me another brother along the way. Until finally, during my kindergarten year he got his first church assignment. By the time we moved from that town in eastern NC, four years later, my baby brother was born. This was when his first church fired him unjustly, and we picked up and moved to central NC where we lived, and Dad pastored another church for the next seven and a half years. The summer before my senior year, it was time to move on again and we found ourselves moving to Greensboro, NC for another church. I graduated in 1994 and I have been there ever since. No one was thrilled about it at the time but God knew better. The next twenty years saw two more churches and two more heartbreaks. It was peppered with different jobs for Dad, in between and after the churches and the graduations of the rest of my siblings. The next twenty years also saw all of us getting married and the birth of four grandchildren. My Dad has been a teacher of troubled children in the public school system for the last several years and seems to suit him.
This journey saw dreams and disappointments galore for Mom, Dad, and the kids. Their are hurts and trials for families in ministry like nothing else this world has to offer. Trying to follow God as a husband and father, especially in ministry, is not so very easy, especially when your kids don't necessarily understand and your wife does not always agree. There were battles with bitterness, flaring of tempers, and broken hearts at times. But ALWAYS, there was GOD. HE held this family together. As we strove along this journey, my Dad always tried to obey God the best he knew how in leading us through his career and in ministering to us as a family. Mom always tried to obey God by supporting Dad even when she did not agree and by trying to keep Jesus in front of us.
As we sat around and shared some thoughts with our Mom and Dad at the celebration, we did not focus on the negatives. We realized in retrospect that God's providence had led our family down this road to make us into who He wanted us to be. No, the themes were centered on love, joy, and perseverance. Through all the downs, there have always been ups. There has always been joy, and though the thought of giving up may have crossed minds on occasion, it never came to fruition. If there is one thing we know, it is that our parents love Jesus and have tried very hard to teach us to do the same. It is also that they love each other and love us and we love them, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, whether rich or poor. They did not always get it right. In fact they dropped the ball plenty. But what parent, husband, or wife doesn't. One thing is for sure, God reigned in my parents hearts and by His sovereign good pleasure they are still together forty years later and being celebrated by healthy, God-fearing, God-following children.
Thirteen
As the oldest, I was blessed to be the first to get married and the first to provide grandchildren. Six and a half years earlier I met my beautiful bride and she became my world. So much so that what I knew of God took a back seat in some regards. Nevertheless, in His divine providence He saw fit to see us married. While we have always loved each other, it has been far from a perfect road thus far. Neither of us is the same person that we met at the beginning or even that we married thirteen years ago. But you know what. I would not trade it. The experiences that we have had have made us who we are today.
That's what makes marriage an adventure. Oh, you will hurt each other, sometimes very badly. And, you will love each other, sometimes extremely. Once you have children, you are then struggling with divided affections and that brings a whole other challenge. On our journey we have seen God at work, drawing us to himself in different ways and on different time tables, yet He is faithful.
Eternity
What makes these two stories connected and similar in spite of the difference in years of marriage is Jesus. He is sovereignly in control and at work in all of our hearts. An eternal perspective. In forty years, my parents are still learning and having their character developed by the God of the universe. They are still learning to love each other and trust God in totally new ways.
For my wife and I, the last six years have been a journey of developing in service to the Lord in church together. Now, He is pushing us out of the nest in brand new ways. Their is a new church. There is a new school for my oldest son. There are new passions for serving God, both in life and at a new church, that we are both trying to understand and learn to trust God in. And we are learning to love each other continually through these changes. We have learned that, while there are things we would like to see improvement on and areas of hurt that we have to let go of, we have it pretty good in each other. My wife is an amazing woman in so many ways and she blesses me continually. I want to spend the rest of my life watching her grow into who it is that God created her to be. If there were no other reason not to quit on our commitment there is this, God has not given either myself and my wife or my parents, permission to quit. He provides the perspective of eternity as our guide for what is really important.
A Heavenly Marriage
Much of what is driving the relativization of truth, commitment, faithfulness, and the definition of marriage is the lack of a vital misunderstanding of God's eternal plan. Jesus tells us in three of the four gospels that there will be no marriage between humans in heaven(Matthew 22:30, Mark 12:20, Luke 20:35-36). You see, at the end of time, when this life ends and eternity begins there will only be one marriage that matters. This marriage will be between the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and His church. There will be a marriage supper of the Lamb(Revelation 19:6-10). In that moment, none of the flaws of this age will matter.
This eternal perspective of a heavenly marriage that begins now is what we must keep in mind as we read the instructions of Paul in Ephesians 5 that tell us to love our husbands and wives in the same way that Christ loved the church. Because at the end of the day, we as believers are the church and Christ sacrificially laid down his life for us so that we could lay down our lives for each other.
This is the perspective that has held my parents marriage together for forty years. This is the perspective that holds my wife and I's marriage together. This is the perspective that can hold your marriage together so that one day you are able to look back on many years of ups and downs and say to each other and to the Lord,
We're Still Here!
May it be so in Jesus name.
Thanks to my Mom and Dad and to my lovely wife for helping to provide a proper example.
Love,
Josh
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
A Tribute to Mom's
Hello all. I pray everyone is well and enjoying the solid arrival of spring. The nurture of "Mother Nature", as it were, is apparent as many trees and flowers have come into full bloom and we notice new little baby animals scurrying about. It's in this time of life and flourishing in which I believe it is most appropriate that we celebrate Mother's Day.
My Mom
I was blessed with a stay at home Mom who loved being a mom. She had four of us, of which I am the oldest, and if she could have had more, she would have but time ran out ;-). She raised us, to the best of her ability, in the fear and admonition of the Lord. There were trials and tribulations. We rarely had excess, as American excess goes these days, but we never lacked for our needs either. She was able to take a shoestring budget and get what was needed with a special treat from time to time. She was not perfect..but then again, who is. One thing we all knew we never had to wonder about, was if we were loved. She and my Dad have always conveyed their love for us in their own way, but it was never in doubt. I am blessed to know that no matter how I have struggled to be a good son, I have always known that I had the love of my mother. In addition, she has always been very supportive and loving toward my wife and grandchildren. She loves them all very much. She always is positive and encouraging and yet tries to avoid being a busybody. And if she could, I know she would live around the corner and fight us for the right to have the kids around. Thanks Mom!
My Mother-in-Law
What to say about your mother-in-law. Everything nice ;-) While the joke still lingers out there about mother-in-laws being monster-in-laws, I can honestly say I got the better end of the stick. No mom is perfect and neither is any mother-in-law. Like any relationship, over the last almost twenty years we have had our ups and downs. But there is one thing I can say about my mother-in-law. She loves her daughter. Because of this, she loves me too. She and her husband accepted me into their family and have done a great job, in my opinion, of being encouraging and supportive, while not tending to our business too much. Being involved in ministry and healthcare I see plenty of lack and challenges presented through lack of support in the structure of extended family. That is not the case here. They have always been there for their daughter and for our family as a whole. She is also a terrific grandmother who dotes on her grandchildren as much as she can. If she could, I know she would have us around the corner as well. Thanks Brenda!
My Wife
My wife takes such great joy in the rearing of our children. Through the agony of parental frustrations and the joyful moments of growth and new developments in skill and learning, mom's are integral and pour their heart into this process like no other. My wife is no exception. She struggles and agonizes to be patient with the challenges they present. Yet I find myself continually at peace with encouraging my boys to recognize the incredible love that their mother has for them. She worries over them continually as most moms do. From the moment of their birth which was all natural, to the present, she has always had their well-being in mind and has always been jealous for their love and affection. If I died tomorrow, I know I would not have to worry about whether my children would be cared for. I know their mother would do whatever was necessary to provide for them and raise them well. We share many things in common in regard to child-rearing and discipline. I am blessed to have this woman as my partner in married life and parenting. Thanks Babe! I love you!
To Mother's Everywhere
I can also express appreciation that my boys have great examples of motherhood in all of their Aunts. Even though they are not all mom's yet, the ones that are provide great examples and the one's that are not are very nurturing and I know they will be great mom's when the time comes.
Mother's tend to be very hard on themselves. All parents second-guess themselves but mother's have a particular connection with their children that is unique to them. Even if they are not their's biologically, all mothers are built emotionally with the same general tendencies. Worry, self-effacement or low self-esteem and self-neglect. Take care of yourselves mom's. You are no good to anyone if you are falling apart. Take care of your needs and those you need help with, tell your husband about. Believe it or not, we want to help and we cannot read minds, contrary to popular opinion ;-).
Mom's, you need to know that if you give all you have, selflessly striving to make sure your children's needs are met physically, emotionally, spiritually, you are still going to mess up and you know what? That's ok. At the end of the day, when your children are loved on, warm, fed, clean, and tucked away in bed for the night, you have done your job. Those things that they hate you for now, one day, will click and they will thank you for it. Always remember that. Do what's right now. Sow discipline and teach lessons now, for the fruit of good behavior and character development down the road. Delayed gratification is the parent's burden.
Remember Proverbs 31:10-31. If you have read it, read it again. If you have not, then read it for the first time. It's not just a brand of product. It is a strong word of encouragement for the woman who takes great pride in her character and commitment as a godly woman, wife, and mother. It is hard work, but the provision you provide is priceless and it builds up your husband and children in ways that you may not realize for years to come. Again I say, delayed gratification is the burden of every parent.
If you have grown children and you are looking back wishing you had done things differently...DON'T! You cannot change the past. However, you can start in the present doing new things. It is never too late to make a difference. Young women need the wisdom of the older women and older women are instructed by scripture to share that wisdom (Titus 2:3-5).
Take Her Out
Husbands and Father's, below is a link to a very moving scene from the movie Mom's Night Out. Also, I have made the entire trailer available here on the blog page if you are reading this there. It is a really cute movie with some of the same actors from the movie Courageous acting alongside well known stars such as Trace Adkins, Sean Astin, and Patricia Heaton. The movie was made with intent of being entertaining and yet inspiring to mother's everywhere. I believe it would be a blessing to take your wife out to see it. Date nights are important and difficult to make happen sometimes. However, every effort must be made to spend time together, out, away from the children. So check out the trailer and then take her out to see it. Build her up, maker her feel special. Tell her how special she is and encourage her as a mother. She needs that from you.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=240266876169453&set=vb.146838428845632&type=2&theater
If you are a single mom, treat yourself. Please, go out and see this movie and realize how special you are. You may not have anyone to tell you that but it is true regardless. One day your children will look back and recognize all that you did for them and they will appreciate it. Whether they ever say it or not.
Single or married, know this, No one will ever be to your children what you can be to your children!
You are needed! You are special! And you are loved!
HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY!
Sincerly,
Josh
My Mom
I was blessed with a stay at home Mom who loved being a mom. She had four of us, of which I am the oldest, and if she could have had more, she would have but time ran out ;-). She raised us, to the best of her ability, in the fear and admonition of the Lord. There were trials and tribulations. We rarely had excess, as American excess goes these days, but we never lacked for our needs either. She was able to take a shoestring budget and get what was needed with a special treat from time to time. She was not perfect..but then again, who is. One thing we all knew we never had to wonder about, was if we were loved. She and my Dad have always conveyed their love for us in their own way, but it was never in doubt. I am blessed to know that no matter how I have struggled to be a good son, I have always known that I had the love of my mother. In addition, she has always been very supportive and loving toward my wife and grandchildren. She loves them all very much. She always is positive and encouraging and yet tries to avoid being a busybody. And if she could, I know she would live around the corner and fight us for the right to have the kids around. Thanks Mom!
My Mother-in-Law
What to say about your mother-in-law. Everything nice ;-) While the joke still lingers out there about mother-in-laws being monster-in-laws, I can honestly say I got the better end of the stick. No mom is perfect and neither is any mother-in-law. Like any relationship, over the last almost twenty years we have had our ups and downs. But there is one thing I can say about my mother-in-law. She loves her daughter. Because of this, she loves me too. She and her husband accepted me into their family and have done a great job, in my opinion, of being encouraging and supportive, while not tending to our business too much. Being involved in ministry and healthcare I see plenty of lack and challenges presented through lack of support in the structure of extended family. That is not the case here. They have always been there for their daughter and for our family as a whole. She is also a terrific grandmother who dotes on her grandchildren as much as she can. If she could, I know she would have us around the corner as well. Thanks Brenda!
My Wife
My wife takes such great joy in the rearing of our children. Through the agony of parental frustrations and the joyful moments of growth and new developments in skill and learning, mom's are integral and pour their heart into this process like no other. My wife is no exception. She struggles and agonizes to be patient with the challenges they present. Yet I find myself continually at peace with encouraging my boys to recognize the incredible love that their mother has for them. She worries over them continually as most moms do. From the moment of their birth which was all natural, to the present, she has always had their well-being in mind and has always been jealous for their love and affection. If I died tomorrow, I know I would not have to worry about whether my children would be cared for. I know their mother would do whatever was necessary to provide for them and raise them well. We share many things in common in regard to child-rearing and discipline. I am blessed to have this woman as my partner in married life and parenting. Thanks Babe! I love you!
To Mother's Everywhere
I can also express appreciation that my boys have great examples of motherhood in all of their Aunts. Even though they are not all mom's yet, the ones that are provide great examples and the one's that are not are very nurturing and I know they will be great mom's when the time comes.
Mother's tend to be very hard on themselves. All parents second-guess themselves but mother's have a particular connection with their children that is unique to them. Even if they are not their's biologically, all mothers are built emotionally with the same general tendencies. Worry, self-effacement or low self-esteem and self-neglect. Take care of yourselves mom's. You are no good to anyone if you are falling apart. Take care of your needs and those you need help with, tell your husband about. Believe it or not, we want to help and we cannot read minds, contrary to popular opinion ;-).
Mom's, you need to know that if you give all you have, selflessly striving to make sure your children's needs are met physically, emotionally, spiritually, you are still going to mess up and you know what? That's ok. At the end of the day, when your children are loved on, warm, fed, clean, and tucked away in bed for the night, you have done your job. Those things that they hate you for now, one day, will click and they will thank you for it. Always remember that. Do what's right now. Sow discipline and teach lessons now, for the fruit of good behavior and character development down the road. Delayed gratification is the parent's burden.
Remember Proverbs 31:10-31. If you have read it, read it again. If you have not, then read it for the first time. It's not just a brand of product. It is a strong word of encouragement for the woman who takes great pride in her character and commitment as a godly woman, wife, and mother. It is hard work, but the provision you provide is priceless and it builds up your husband and children in ways that you may not realize for years to come. Again I say, delayed gratification is the burden of every parent.
If you have grown children and you are looking back wishing you had done things differently...DON'T! You cannot change the past. However, you can start in the present doing new things. It is never too late to make a difference. Young women need the wisdom of the older women and older women are instructed by scripture to share that wisdom (Titus 2:3-5).
Be encouraged. You ARE loved! You ARE appreciated!
Husbands and Fathers
Even when your husband and children don't do a good job of expressing it. And we are all guilty of slacking off in that regard. Husbands and fathers must remember to encourage their wives in their motherhood and train their children to respect and love their mothers not just through action but also through word. Teach your children to build up and encourage their mothers and never tolerate disrespect. If they are being hard headed, kick their butts. They will thank you one day and your wife will appreciate it now.Take Her Out
Husbands and Father's, below is a link to a very moving scene from the movie Mom's Night Out. Also, I have made the entire trailer available here on the blog page if you are reading this there. It is a really cute movie with some of the same actors from the movie Courageous acting alongside well known stars such as Trace Adkins, Sean Astin, and Patricia Heaton. The movie was made with intent of being entertaining and yet inspiring to mother's everywhere. I believe it would be a blessing to take your wife out to see it. Date nights are important and difficult to make happen sometimes. However, every effort must be made to spend time together, out, away from the children. So check out the trailer and then take her out to see it. Build her up, maker her feel special. Tell her how special she is and encourage her as a mother. She needs that from you.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=240266876169453&set=vb.146838428845632&type=2&theater
If you are a single mom, treat yourself. Please, go out and see this movie and realize how special you are. You may not have anyone to tell you that but it is true regardless. One day your children will look back and recognize all that you did for them and they will appreciate it. Whether they ever say it or not.
Single or married, know this, No one will ever be to your children what you can be to your children!
You are needed! You are special! And you are loved!
HAPPY MOTHER"S DAY!
Sincerly,
Josh
Friday, May 2, 2014
Repentance: Our Joyful Response to a Loving God
Understanding the Source of Repentance
So now we hopefully understand that the holy and just God of the universe abhors sin and must poor out His wrath against it. We also hopefully understand that He is simultaneously a patient, loving God who keeps His promises and sent His Son as the perfect, substitutionary sacrifice as a demonstration of that love for all those whom He choose from the foundations of the world.
Not only that, but we know that God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and all of the host of heaven rejoice when one lost sinner comes to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We know that the Godhead aka.Trinity values one individual soul so much that we are told He doesn't stop pursuing until that lost soul is found.
What a wonderful God we serve. What a incredible gospel we get to proclaim. The good news that God would have been completely just in destroying every sinner that rebels against Him for all eternity, yet he chose to have a plan in place that would satisfy the cost of that rebellion so that lost souls could be saved and enjoy eternity with Him.
What a Glorious Treasure!.....or is it?
Do we really see it that way? Do we live as if this gospel treasure, is the key to the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus says is the treasure?
Matthew 13:44-46 gives us two short parables that are loaded with truth regarding the value that we should place on discovering that we are partakers of the kingdom and the joy that it should bring.
However, scripture says that the people in these examples didn't work harder, go into debt, or save like crazy. No, they sold everything they had. That is how much value they placed on this treasure. This is how valuable Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is.
Can we say our lives reflect such a value for the kingdom of heaven. I certainly can't. At least not consistently. In our sin, we often fail to keep before our minds eye, the value of what Christ did for us, what is available to us because of the price He paid, and how our lives should reflect that.
Repentance Is That Joyful Expression
Return with me for a moment to the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11-32. Consider the son's response to his realization of what benefits he could gain from being part of his fathers "kingdom". Consider his regret when he realizes all that his Father had made freely available to him and yet he had rejected it.
There are plenty of people in the world who would rather remain selfishly broke and starving both spiritually and in the flesh than to humble themselves and acknowledge their need to be taken care of. They love the possibility of the pleasures of this world too much. Yet this son realizes that even his father's servants were better off than he was and so he leaves all the pleasures of the world behind with the intent of going back and serving his father. Yet he does not do it reluctantly or begrudgingly. Once he realizes the value of his father's "kingdom" he finds joy in returning there.
That joyful return to the Father's "kingdom" or house is not fed by a hope that he will get everything He wants. Simply the hope that his most basic needs will be met. He does not return to his Father's house dragging behind him a cart full of worldly desires and possessions topped off with a prostitute. No he leaves that entire life behind. He brings nothing but his brokenness. THAT is repentance.
Selfish Envy
Still there is another piece that needs mentioning. Though it could be fleshed out much more than I will do it here. Jesus intends the older brother in this story to be a representation of the pharisees. While the pharisees were religious hypocrites, not followers of Christ, we need to recognize that, even we followers of Christ respond as the older brother does. Did you notice how angry he got in Luke 15:25-32 when his father rejoices and celebrates at the return of his son. He gripes that his father never did this for him. What does the father say? Son, it was already yours.
Even as believers, we often spend our time taking for granted the blessings that are available to us as members of our Father's house. We forget that we don't deserve those blessings. We don't live as if they are valuable to us. Then we have the audacity to get mad when we see people drawn into our Father's house because we don't think they deserve it. We have forgotten that our Father brought us into this world and made these things available to us by His grace.
When you see other lost sheep being returned to the fold or lost children being welcomed into the Father's house, never get angry or envious. Never forget that you were once lost and are now found. You were once blind and now you see.
Repentance is Part of the Plan
God does not command that repentance is merely doing the right thing or simply ceasing doing the wrong thing. Repentance is about being part of the plan. It is a lifestyle. God commands repentance as a means of bringing himself glory. How you say? Which do you think brings more glory to God? Is it chasing after the world or cheerfully chasing after Christ? Which do you think brings God the most glory? Is it selfishly pursuing our own desires or selflessly and joyfully being part of God's master plan to gather lost sheep, and tell lost children that they can come home. Repentance from sin and repentance toward the things of God are both fundamentally important, not only to your own salvation but to the salvation of others. Your repentance points others to Christ.
You must realize that God could do it on His own. You must realize that He does not need you to accomplish His purposes and yet He chooses to include you as the means by which people come to know who He is and what He did for them. You must realize that the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a privilege that every believer is intended to enjoy. Getting to be a part of watching God change hearts and lives for all of eternity is an unspeakable opportunity. When you do, you will have GREAT joy! That's right, evangelism is a part of repentance. You turn from proclaiming the joys and pleasures that this world has to offer and living for those, to proclaiming that the joys, pleasures, and freedom that is found in Christ.
Repentance cannot be done begrudgingly when you understand the mercy of God in it. It can only be done with joy when you come to fully realize that it is only by His grace that you are able to repent and believe to begin with. Repentance is REAL work. Grace is not cheap. It cost Christ His life and it is supposed to bring the same sacrificial living in our lives. The grace that is freely offered is intended to produce the fruit of righteous works. Read Colossians 1:28-29, Philippians 2:12-13, and 1 Corinthians 15:10. Hard work, performed by believers, yet totally empowered by grace from a loving, faithful God.
Repentance is not something we do simply at the point of initial confession. Repentance is a lifelong, grace empowered privilege. Do not take it for granted. It is our joyful response to the glorious treasure that is Christ in us, the hope of glory
Coram Deo! (Living Before the Face of God)
Josh
So now we hopefully understand that the holy and just God of the universe abhors sin and must poor out His wrath against it. We also hopefully understand that He is simultaneously a patient, loving God who keeps His promises and sent His Son as the perfect, substitutionary sacrifice as a demonstration of that love for all those whom He choose from the foundations of the world.
Not only that, but we know that God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and all of the host of heaven rejoice when one lost sinner comes to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We know that the Godhead aka.Trinity values one individual soul so much that we are told He doesn't stop pursuing until that lost soul is found.
What a wonderful God we serve. What a incredible gospel we get to proclaim. The good news that God would have been completely just in destroying every sinner that rebels against Him for all eternity, yet he chose to have a plan in place that would satisfy the cost of that rebellion so that lost souls could be saved and enjoy eternity with Him.
What a Glorious Treasure!.....or is it?
Do we really see it that way? Do we live as if this gospel treasure, is the key to the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus says is the treasure?
Matthew 13:44-46 gives us two short parables that are loaded with truth regarding the value that we should place on discovering that we are partakers of the kingdom and the joy that it should bring.
- Read Matthew 13:44. You can hover over the reference in blue if you are on the blog page or look it up in your bible. Observe the radical response to the man's discovery. He finds a treasure so valuable that he is willing to sell everything to have access to it. It says that with great joy, he sells everything and goes to by the field containing that treasure.
- Matthew 13:45-46 tells us that another merchant of fine pearls finds a pearl of such value that he sells everything, just to buy that one pearl.
However, scripture says that the people in these examples didn't work harder, go into debt, or save like crazy. No, they sold everything they had. That is how much value they placed on this treasure. This is how valuable Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is.
Can we say our lives reflect such a value for the kingdom of heaven. I certainly can't. At least not consistently. In our sin, we often fail to keep before our minds eye, the value of what Christ did for us, what is available to us because of the price He paid, and how our lives should reflect that.
Repentance Is That Joyful Expression
Return with me for a moment to the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11-32. Consider the son's response to his realization of what benefits he could gain from being part of his fathers "kingdom". Consider his regret when he realizes all that his Father had made freely available to him and yet he had rejected it.
There are plenty of people in the world who would rather remain selfishly broke and starving both spiritually and in the flesh than to humble themselves and acknowledge their need to be taken care of. They love the possibility of the pleasures of this world too much. Yet this son realizes that even his father's servants were better off than he was and so he leaves all the pleasures of the world behind with the intent of going back and serving his father. Yet he does not do it reluctantly or begrudgingly. Once he realizes the value of his father's "kingdom" he finds joy in returning there.
That joyful return to the Father's "kingdom" or house is not fed by a hope that he will get everything He wants. Simply the hope that his most basic needs will be met. He does not return to his Father's house dragging behind him a cart full of worldly desires and possessions topped off with a prostitute. No he leaves that entire life behind. He brings nothing but his brokenness. THAT is repentance.
Selfish Envy
Still there is another piece that needs mentioning. Though it could be fleshed out much more than I will do it here. Jesus intends the older brother in this story to be a representation of the pharisees. While the pharisees were religious hypocrites, not followers of Christ, we need to recognize that, even we followers of Christ respond as the older brother does. Did you notice how angry he got in Luke 15:25-32 when his father rejoices and celebrates at the return of his son. He gripes that his father never did this for him. What does the father say? Son, it was already yours.
Even as believers, we often spend our time taking for granted the blessings that are available to us as members of our Father's house. We forget that we don't deserve those blessings. We don't live as if they are valuable to us. Then we have the audacity to get mad when we see people drawn into our Father's house because we don't think they deserve it. We have forgotten that our Father brought us into this world and made these things available to us by His grace.
When you see other lost sheep being returned to the fold or lost children being welcomed into the Father's house, never get angry or envious. Never forget that you were once lost and are now found. You were once blind and now you see.
Repentance is Part of the Plan
God does not command that repentance is merely doing the right thing or simply ceasing doing the wrong thing. Repentance is about being part of the plan. It is a lifestyle. God commands repentance as a means of bringing himself glory. How you say? Which do you think brings more glory to God? Is it chasing after the world or cheerfully chasing after Christ? Which do you think brings God the most glory? Is it selfishly pursuing our own desires or selflessly and joyfully being part of God's master plan to gather lost sheep, and tell lost children that they can come home. Repentance from sin and repentance toward the things of God are both fundamentally important, not only to your own salvation but to the salvation of others. Your repentance points others to Christ.
You must realize that God could do it on His own. You must realize that He does not need you to accomplish His purposes and yet He chooses to include you as the means by which people come to know who He is and what He did for them. You must realize that the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a privilege that every believer is intended to enjoy. Getting to be a part of watching God change hearts and lives for all of eternity is an unspeakable opportunity. When you do, you will have GREAT joy! That's right, evangelism is a part of repentance. You turn from proclaiming the joys and pleasures that this world has to offer and living for those, to proclaiming that the joys, pleasures, and freedom that is found in Christ.
Repentance cannot be done begrudgingly when you understand the mercy of God in it. It can only be done with joy when you come to fully realize that it is only by His grace that you are able to repent and believe to begin with. Repentance is REAL work. Grace is not cheap. It cost Christ His life and it is supposed to bring the same sacrificial living in our lives. The grace that is freely offered is intended to produce the fruit of righteous works. Read Colossians 1:28-29, Philippians 2:12-13, and 1 Corinthians 15:10. Hard work, performed by believers, yet totally empowered by grace from a loving, faithful God.
Repentance is not something we do simply at the point of initial confession. Repentance is a lifelong, grace empowered privilege. Do not take it for granted. It is our joyful response to the glorious treasure that is Christ in us, the hope of glory
Coram Deo! (Living Before the Face of God)
Josh
Monday, April 28, 2014
Repentance: A Condemning Command from an Angry God or a Joyful Invitation from a Rejoicing Savior?
I have been listening to messages from a recent conference called Together for the Gospel. This years conference was centered entirely around evangelism. One speaker spoke on heaven's rejoicing at the repentance of the lost. It is this message that is the inspiration for this post. Sometimes as believers, all of which are called to evangelize, we get burdened with results. We do not feel we have been successful unless we have led everyone to the Lord whom we have shared the gospel with. The trouble is two fold. One, we forget that it is God who brings results. It is our job to sow seed and water that seed. God gives the growth(1 Corinthians 3:5-7). Two, is we forget that Jesus said, heaven rejoices over one sinner whom repents(Luke 15:7). Just one. While we share the gospel often and always call sinners to repentance, we need not manufacture numbers or force decisions when evangelizing. God honors the faithful spread of His gospel, not manipulated conversions. I want to speak to a misunderstanding of repentance by the unrepentant. I will write a second post regarding the response of sinners when they realize the worth of the gospel and the response of believers to the sinners repentance.
A Misunderstanding
It is to the second point above that I wold like to speak here. Both to believers and unbelievers. Repentance is generally defined, not only as turning away from sin, but turning to God. Unfortunately, in our day, most see a call to repentance as hateful judgement. Whether it is one fellow believer calling another believer to account for obvious unrepentant sin, or a believer calling an unbeliever to turn from their sin and put their trust in Christ for the first time, the call to repentance is not generally well received. I believe that this is because we have a misunderstanding of the intent of the call.
Why are we called to repentance? Is it the condemning command of an angry God that is threatening us or is it the joyful plea of a rejoicing Shepherd who died for us? I believe this perception makes all the difference in our response.
The Answer is Both
Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, is angry. The word of God tells us that He is Holy God that cannot tolerate sin. In fact, Psalm 5:4-6 tells us that God hates ALL evildoers and abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. Perhaps you may be thinking that you are a good person, that this could not possibly describe you. Genesis 6:5 and Genesis 8:21 tells us that the intentions of man's heart is only evil continually and that it is so from our youth. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Paul reiterates this and many other parts of the bible regarding the worthlessness of man's righteousness in Romans 3:9-20. So you see God is justified in His anger because we have rebelled against Him and deserve His just, wrathful, judgement(Romans 1:18-24).
Many like to say, "don't judge me" or "only God can judge me". I see that second statement on t-shirts and tattoos all the time. It scares me. While the final verdict and judgement will not come until you stand before God, the truth is that God has already judged sin and condemned all sinners. That is why we need a Savior(John 3:16-17). We must understand our sinfulness in relationship to a holy God if we are to appreciate the grace by which He saves us.
He is a loving God, righteous in all his ways. Thus, in order to save us from our sins and still satisfy the righteous judgement that is due our sins, He sent a Savior. He sent a Good Shepherd. His Son. This Son who would not only die for our sins, but would pursue those whom belong to God. Those who were bought by the precious blood of Jesus, God's Son, on the cross. This Good Shepherd pursues each lost sheep individually and heaven rejoices every time one is reclaimed for God's glory.
Jesus's Answer To This Misunderstanding of Repentance
Jesus explains it in three parables.
1.) In Luke 15:1-7 we are told of the value of one lost sheep. Jesus explains that such value is placed on that one lost sheep, that the shepherd will leave the other sheep to go reclaim the one. Not only that but afterward, he gathers all his friends and calls them to rejoice with him over that lost sheep. In the same way, Jesus pursues every lost sheep that is supposed to be a part of His flock and upon it's return, all of heaven rejoices. We are called to rejoice as well.
2.) In Luke 15:8-10, Jesus tells the parable of a woman who has lost one of ten coins in her possession. She values this one coin so much that she searches the whole house for it. When she finds it, she is so elated that she entreats her friends to rejoice with her in it's return. Again, heaven rejoices with the Savior.
In both cases, you will notice that the owners of the sheep and the coin decide that it is not enough to let the one go and continue to enjoy the others. No, they place such value on each, that they do not stop searching until the lost one is found. So it is with Jesus as He pursues each of us that are lost, yet were determined to belong to Him before time began(Ephesians 1:4).
The Prodigal Returns
3.) The final parable to conclude Jesus' teaching on the value placed on sinners who repent is found in Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the prodigal son. This parable is generally taught with great depth in a lengthy sermon because it is so rich. At the risk of oversimplifying this parable I will sum it up just so. It is about the Father, the sinner, and the pharisee. The part I would like to emphasize at the moment is the Father/sinner relationship. Rather than the emphasis being placed on the seeking out of the son, it is placed on the celebration that comes as he returns.
As you will have read, upon recognition of his dire state, the son/sinner realizes that the Father's servants are doing better than he is. Because he knows that he no longer has the right to claim sonship, he determines that he will return as a servant and throw himself on the mercy of his master.
However, when the son returns home, the Father runs out to meet him. In fact, the son does not have the chance to unveil his plan of servitude because the Father wraps him in His arms and reclaims him as son before he gets the chance. The Father plans the party of all parties to celebrate His son's return.
A Pleading Ambassador
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 represents my purpose. I cannot say it any better than the Apostle Paul. It states, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. working together with him, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, 'In favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you'. Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation"
I will end with this. Faith and repentance go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. If you have faith in Jesus, you will strive for repentance and obey the teachings of God's word. If you do not care to repent, if you have no interest in applying the word of God to your life, then your faith is dead and you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. You will spend and eternity apart from God, suffering and eternity of conscious, fiery, torment. Longing for relief that will never come.
As an ambassador, on behalf of God the Father and Christ the Son, I plead with you this day. Cry out to God to save you. Have faith!
REPENT AND BELIEVE TODAY!
In Jesus name,
Amen
A Misunderstanding
It is to the second point above that I wold like to speak here. Both to believers and unbelievers. Repentance is generally defined, not only as turning away from sin, but turning to God. Unfortunately, in our day, most see a call to repentance as hateful judgement. Whether it is one fellow believer calling another believer to account for obvious unrepentant sin, or a believer calling an unbeliever to turn from their sin and put their trust in Christ for the first time, the call to repentance is not generally well received. I believe that this is because we have a misunderstanding of the intent of the call.
Why are we called to repentance? Is it the condemning command of an angry God that is threatening us or is it the joyful plea of a rejoicing Shepherd who died for us? I believe this perception makes all the difference in our response.
The Answer is Both
Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, is angry. The word of God tells us that He is Holy God that cannot tolerate sin. In fact, Psalm 5:4-6 tells us that God hates ALL evildoers and abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. Perhaps you may be thinking that you are a good person, that this could not possibly describe you. Genesis 6:5 and Genesis 8:21 tells us that the intentions of man's heart is only evil continually and that it is so from our youth. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Paul reiterates this and many other parts of the bible regarding the worthlessness of man's righteousness in Romans 3:9-20. So you see God is justified in His anger because we have rebelled against Him and deserve His just, wrathful, judgement(Romans 1:18-24).
Many like to say, "don't judge me" or "only God can judge me". I see that second statement on t-shirts and tattoos all the time. It scares me. While the final verdict and judgement will not come until you stand before God, the truth is that God has already judged sin and condemned all sinners. That is why we need a Savior(John 3:16-17). We must understand our sinfulness in relationship to a holy God if we are to appreciate the grace by which He saves us.
He is a loving God, righteous in all his ways. Thus, in order to save us from our sins and still satisfy the righteous judgement that is due our sins, He sent a Savior. He sent a Good Shepherd. His Son. This Son who would not only die for our sins, but would pursue those whom belong to God. Those who were bought by the precious blood of Jesus, God's Son, on the cross. This Good Shepherd pursues each lost sheep individually and heaven rejoices every time one is reclaimed for God's glory.
Jesus's Answer To This Misunderstanding of Repentance
Jesus explains it in three parables.
1.) In Luke 15:1-7 we are told of the value of one lost sheep. Jesus explains that such value is placed on that one lost sheep, that the shepherd will leave the other sheep to go reclaim the one. Not only that but afterward, he gathers all his friends and calls them to rejoice with him over that lost sheep. In the same way, Jesus pursues every lost sheep that is supposed to be a part of His flock and upon it's return, all of heaven rejoices. We are called to rejoice as well.
2.) In Luke 15:8-10, Jesus tells the parable of a woman who has lost one of ten coins in her possession. She values this one coin so much that she searches the whole house for it. When she finds it, she is so elated that she entreats her friends to rejoice with her in it's return. Again, heaven rejoices with the Savior.
In both cases, you will notice that the owners of the sheep and the coin decide that it is not enough to let the one go and continue to enjoy the others. No, they place such value on each, that they do not stop searching until the lost one is found. So it is with Jesus as He pursues each of us that are lost, yet were determined to belong to Him before time began(Ephesians 1:4).
The Prodigal Returns
3.) The final parable to conclude Jesus' teaching on the value placed on sinners who repent is found in Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the prodigal son. This parable is generally taught with great depth in a lengthy sermon because it is so rich. At the risk of oversimplifying this parable I will sum it up just so. It is about the Father, the sinner, and the pharisee. The part I would like to emphasize at the moment is the Father/sinner relationship. Rather than the emphasis being placed on the seeking out of the son, it is placed on the celebration that comes as he returns.
As you will have read, upon recognition of his dire state, the son/sinner realizes that the Father's servants are doing better than he is. Because he knows that he no longer has the right to claim sonship, he determines that he will return as a servant and throw himself on the mercy of his master.
- Isn't this just how we view the call to repentance? We rejected the Father to begin with because we did not understand the depth of relationship that He wanted to have with us. Consequently, we misunderstand the call to repentance because we see God only through the master/servant relationship.
However, when the son returns home, the Father runs out to meet him. In fact, the son does not have the chance to unveil his plan of servitude because the Father wraps him in His arms and reclaims him as son before he gets the chance. The Father plans the party of all parties to celebrate His son's return.
- What would happen if we viewed repentance with this understanding? Whether you are a believer who has strayed or an unbeliever (i.e. prodigal son/lost sheep) who has been found, you need to understand that the Father will rejoice in your repentance. He will celebrate your new life. He will treat you not as servant but as sons and daughters. As it says in verses 24 and 32, as an unbeliever, you were dead and now you are alive, you were lost and now you are found, if you place your trust in Jesus.
Leave the old life behind. You will notice that when the son left his destitute life, he did not try to take any of the ways of that life with him. He did not grab a prostitute and say maybe Dad will let me keep one of these while I serve him. The son abandoned his old life. He turned away from it and headed home. This is an important part of repentance. Scripture says that when we are in Christ, we are a new creation. The old has past away and all things are made new(2 Corinthians 5:17).
Life in Christ
I beg you to consider this today. Contemplate what is revealed in this teaching. Gain a new understanding and attitude toward repentance. It is the call from a loving Heavenly Father and a faithful Good Shepherd whom seek you out and want to celebrate your return. A Savior that sacrificed His own life for yours. Come to an understanding that without repentance and faith in Christ, we are dead in our trespasses and sins(Ephesians 2:5). We are living this mortal life for ourselves, to die spiritually for eternity.
However, through faith and repentance, by the power of the Holy spirit, we are not only dying in this body of flesh, but we are dying to ourselves daily and living for Christ, obeying His commands. In this way, we are dying now, to live for eternity.
A Pleading Ambassador
I will end with this. Faith and repentance go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. If you have faith in Jesus, you will strive for repentance and obey the teachings of God's word. If you do not care to repent, if you have no interest in applying the word of God to your life, then your faith is dead and you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. You will spend and eternity apart from God, suffering and eternity of conscious, fiery, torment. Longing for relief that will never come.
As an ambassador, on behalf of God the Father and Christ the Son, I plead with you this day. Cry out to God to save you. Have faith!
REPENT AND BELIEVE TODAY!
In Jesus name,
Amen
Saturday, April 19, 2014
What DID Easter Mean To You?
DID? What does that mean?
So, why phrase it like that. Shouldn't Easter always mean something to us? Why put it in the past tense. There are already so many articles and posts relating to the pre-Easter hype, I figured I would post something that I know most people will not read until at least Easter evening or later because it will not post to emails nor will I put it on FB until then.
The Question
The thought I want to present is this. Does the meaning of Easter, and the sentimentality that even the most well-meaning of Christians attaches to it, carry over to the rest of our lives? Does the passion with which we infuse Easter, inform the way we represent the gospel the rest of the year?
The Problem
We all know that Christmas and Easter are the only days that some ever come to a church service. If for no other reason than that, I am not against churches putting on big productions or just making a big deal out of the Easter service in general. I certainly think we should recognize that opportunity and make the most of it.
What concerns me is that many, many "Christians" get excited about Easter, but the rest of the year you would barely know they knew Christ by their behavior or the words coming out of their mouths. Or, maybe there is nothing inherently wrong in their words or behaviors but, their is also nothing obviously right. There is nothing overtly Christian about their daily faith walk. This is true of all of us from time to time. It is a truth we must WAR against.
What's The Big Deal?
Matthew 10:32-33 says that, "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Granted, this is in the context of a discussion regarding persecution, but let me ask you something. How easy is it to be excited about Jesus around Easter? Do you find yourself being more bold around Easter regarding letting others know you are a Christian? It is easier then, is it not? Everyone expects Christians to be excited about Jesus around Easter. It is a Christian holiday. So far it has not received the same wrap as CHRISTmas as far as it concerns the name Christ being in the title of so many things. No one is asking us to have "holiday egg hunts" for example. All of the secular associations with Easter are still labeled as Easter products or events. Let's face it, persecution in this country does not hold a candle to the persecution in other parts of the world. And yet we often remain silent about our faith. Why?
What Will You Do?
The real test comes the rest of the year. Does the meaning of Easter bring as much anticipation of what God may do, and celebration of what He has done, one week after the holiday is over? How about one month? Don't get me wrong, I have been as guilty of this as anyone, and I am as tempted as anyone else to feed the hype more around the holiday than at other times. But is this ok? Should the phrase, "I wish it could be Christmas all year long", not apply to Easter also? What will you do? Will you go back to the status quo or will you carry the momentum of the holiday forward?
Challenge
I want to challenge all of us. I want to encourage us all to strive to remember the gospel truths that make Easter so special to begin with. I want to encourage us to ask ourselves everyday how the gospel can inform every day of our lives and everything that we do and say in that day.
Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live. He died the death that we deserve to die. He made statements that inform us as to what our Christian walk should look like. For example, "if you love me, you will keep my commands"(John 14:15-30), and before He ascended to the right hand of the Father he gave us the Great Commission(Matthew 28:18-20). Christ paid the price for our rebellion against the Father on the cross so that we could spend eternity with Him. I don't think commanding us unto allegiance and obedience is to much to ask considering the alternative.
I have fleshed out the message of the cross many times and most people reading this have probably heard it in the last twenty four hours at a church service so I will not go there. If you are intrigued by this discussion and have questions feel free to email me and we can dialogue about it. My email is at the top of the blog page.
If you are well versed in the gospel message, then I pray that this will serve the purpose that I intend. That is, essentially, to cause us all to contemplate our day to day representation of the gospel to others in our sphere of influence. Let us apply the instructions of Jude 1:20-23, keeping ourselves built up in the faith with the tools that God has provided and looking for the opportunity to share the truth of the gospel with others, perhaps snatching some out of the fire.
Remember yesterday's fervor as you celebrated Christ death, burial, and resurrection and apply it to tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Defend always, the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints(Jude 1:3)
Doxology
One of my favorite closings from the New Testament letters is also from Jude 1:24-25. It states, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever, Amen."
Coram Deo (Living before the face of God),
Josh
So, why phrase it like that. Shouldn't Easter always mean something to us? Why put it in the past tense. There are already so many articles and posts relating to the pre-Easter hype, I figured I would post something that I know most people will not read until at least Easter evening or later because it will not post to emails nor will I put it on FB until then.
The Question
The thought I want to present is this. Does the meaning of Easter, and the sentimentality that even the most well-meaning of Christians attaches to it, carry over to the rest of our lives? Does the passion with which we infuse Easter, inform the way we represent the gospel the rest of the year?
The Problem
We all know that Christmas and Easter are the only days that some ever come to a church service. If for no other reason than that, I am not against churches putting on big productions or just making a big deal out of the Easter service in general. I certainly think we should recognize that opportunity and make the most of it.
What concerns me is that many, many "Christians" get excited about Easter, but the rest of the year you would barely know they knew Christ by their behavior or the words coming out of their mouths. Or, maybe there is nothing inherently wrong in their words or behaviors but, their is also nothing obviously right. There is nothing overtly Christian about their daily faith walk. This is true of all of us from time to time. It is a truth we must WAR against.
What's The Big Deal?
Matthew 10:32-33 says that, "Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Granted, this is in the context of a discussion regarding persecution, but let me ask you something. How easy is it to be excited about Jesus around Easter? Do you find yourself being more bold around Easter regarding letting others know you are a Christian? It is easier then, is it not? Everyone expects Christians to be excited about Jesus around Easter. It is a Christian holiday. So far it has not received the same wrap as CHRISTmas as far as it concerns the name Christ being in the title of so many things. No one is asking us to have "holiday egg hunts" for example. All of the secular associations with Easter are still labeled as Easter products or events. Let's face it, persecution in this country does not hold a candle to the persecution in other parts of the world. And yet we often remain silent about our faith. Why?
What Will You Do?
The real test comes the rest of the year. Does the meaning of Easter bring as much anticipation of what God may do, and celebration of what He has done, one week after the holiday is over? How about one month? Don't get me wrong, I have been as guilty of this as anyone, and I am as tempted as anyone else to feed the hype more around the holiday than at other times. But is this ok? Should the phrase, "I wish it could be Christmas all year long", not apply to Easter also? What will you do? Will you go back to the status quo or will you carry the momentum of the holiday forward?
Challenge
I want to challenge all of us. I want to encourage us all to strive to remember the gospel truths that make Easter so special to begin with. I want to encourage us to ask ourselves everyday how the gospel can inform every day of our lives and everything that we do and say in that day.
Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live. He died the death that we deserve to die. He made statements that inform us as to what our Christian walk should look like. For example, "if you love me, you will keep my commands"(John 14:15-30), and before He ascended to the right hand of the Father he gave us the Great Commission(Matthew 28:18-20). Christ paid the price for our rebellion against the Father on the cross so that we could spend eternity with Him. I don't think commanding us unto allegiance and obedience is to much to ask considering the alternative.
I have fleshed out the message of the cross many times and most people reading this have probably heard it in the last twenty four hours at a church service so I will not go there. If you are intrigued by this discussion and have questions feel free to email me and we can dialogue about it. My email is at the top of the blog page.
If you are well versed in the gospel message, then I pray that this will serve the purpose that I intend. That is, essentially, to cause us all to contemplate our day to day representation of the gospel to others in our sphere of influence. Let us apply the instructions of Jude 1:20-23, keeping ourselves built up in the faith with the tools that God has provided and looking for the opportunity to share the truth of the gospel with others, perhaps snatching some out of the fire.
Remember yesterday's fervor as you celebrated Christ death, burial, and resurrection and apply it to tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Defend always, the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints(Jude 1:3)
Doxology
One of my favorite closings from the New Testament letters is also from Jude 1:24-25. It states, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever, Amen."
Coram Deo (Living before the face of God),
Josh
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
A Conversation with Satan
Is Knowledge and Belief Enough?
What is Salvation? What is Lordship? Can one exist without the other? There is a great misunderstanding among many today that all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you will be saved. Unfortunately, too many people make confession without repentance and submission to Christs' Lordship.
Romans 10:9-10 states, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
Is this true? Of course it is. However, too often we focus on the belief part and forget what the confession is? That Jesus is Lord.
In speaking of faith apart from works in James 2:17-19 he states, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder!"
A Conversation
Let's suppose that God had a conversation with Satan about his eternal destination. It might go something like this:
God: Satan. Do you believe that I am the only God, maker of heaven and earth?
Satan: Yes
God: Do you believe that I sent Jesus to die on the cross, taking on the punishment for the sins of the world, satisfying my wrath toward their sins, and then raised him from the dead on the third day?
Satan: Yes
God: Do you believe that in the last days I will raise the living and the dead to be judged either innocent or guilty based on their belief in me, and their confession of and and submission to my Lordship?
Satan: Yes
God: Satan, will you Submit to my Lordship and serve me faithfully, obeying all the commands I have given you?
Satan: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am going to take every soul with me that you do not save.
This would, in fact, be the end result of that conversation. Satan rebelled in heaven. He tried to overthrow GOD! He has no interest in submission to Christs' Lordship. Thus, no matter how much he and the demons know or believe about God, they will be condemned to everlasting torment in the lake of fire(Revelation 20:10). And his goal is to take as many with him as possible. However, whether in this life or before the judgement seat of Christ, every knee, including Satan and his minions, shall bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father(Philippians 2:9-11, Romans 14:10-12, Revelation 20:11-15).
A Passionate Plea
Please don't be one of the casualties of Satan's war against God. You see, knowledge about God, Jesus, and the bible is not enough. Just saying you believe is not enough. Belief without change is nothing more than mere intellectual ascent. It does not matter if you simply go to church or are actively involved with your church. If your whole life is not surrendered to the effort of repentance from sin and the pursuit of holiness, in every area of your life, then there is reason to question the relevance of your salvation. If you prayed a prayer once, but there really is not much of your life that looks like the disciples of the bible, then there is reason to question the relevance of your salvation. If you lack genuine interest in God's word, embrace the ways of the world, and perceive not problem with this then you are likely in open rebellion against God and, there is reason to question the relevance of your salvation
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and you truly believe with your heart, not just your mind, it will change you. Your thoughts and behavior will not be the same. You will not be perfect until heaven however, 2 Corinthians 5:15-17 states that "Christ died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but him, who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passes away; behold, the new has come."
Examine yourselves!
God requires surrender of this life, that you may know life eternally with Him and in Him. Examine yourself and see if you are in the faith(2 Corinthians 13:5). If you find yourself wanting of the characteristics of a true, biblical Christ-follower, and thus you find that it is likely you are not in the faith, that can change now.
If you are Lost
God can and will save you if you are willing to die to yourself and live for Christ. Cry out to God to save you! He will! Then find a local, bible teaching church, get baptized as part of your public profession of your faith, and begin feeding on the word of God. God has given, to those whom are believers, everything needed for life and godliness by His grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit, through the study of His word, prayer, and obedience(2 Peter 3-11). All of this fosters relationship with God.
If you are Found
If you find that you are in the faith and desiring repentance and holiness, yet there are areas of your life in which this is lacking, know this. God does not require anything of the believer that He does not enable them to do. In Philippians 2:12-13 Paul instructs us, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work according to his good pleasure."
Even the Apostle Paul whom wrote much of the New Testament recognized that he could not do it on his own. In 1 Corinthians 15:10 he states, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is with me."
Conclusion
Without Christ we all will be like Satan, rebelling against God and headed for an eternity of hellish, conscious torment. Don't be like Satan. Pray that the God of all grace will pour that grace out on you without measure, empowering you to believe and submit, thus saving you through the blood of His Son, and empowering you to obey through the Holy Spirit, thus sanctifying you and making your calling and election sure. Don't just know about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, KNOW HIM! and be known by Him! For there is no greater joy.
In Jesus name,
Amen
What is Salvation? What is Lordship? Can one exist without the other? There is a great misunderstanding among many today that all you have to do is believe in Jesus and you will be saved. Unfortunately, too many people make confession without repentance and submission to Christs' Lordship.
Romans 10:9-10 states, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
Is this true? Of course it is. However, too often we focus on the belief part and forget what the confession is? That Jesus is Lord.
In speaking of faith apart from works in James 2:17-19 he states, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder!"
A Conversation
Let's suppose that God had a conversation with Satan about his eternal destination. It might go something like this:
God: Satan. Do you believe that I am the only God, maker of heaven and earth?
Satan: Yes
God: Do you believe that I sent Jesus to die on the cross, taking on the punishment for the sins of the world, satisfying my wrath toward their sins, and then raised him from the dead on the third day?
Satan: Yes
God: Do you believe that in the last days I will raise the living and the dead to be judged either innocent or guilty based on their belief in me, and their confession of and and submission to my Lordship?
Satan: Yes
God: Satan, will you Submit to my Lordship and serve me faithfully, obeying all the commands I have given you?
Satan: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am going to take every soul with me that you do not save.
This would, in fact, be the end result of that conversation. Satan rebelled in heaven. He tried to overthrow GOD! He has no interest in submission to Christs' Lordship. Thus, no matter how much he and the demons know or believe about God, they will be condemned to everlasting torment in the lake of fire(Revelation 20:10). And his goal is to take as many with him as possible. However, whether in this life or before the judgement seat of Christ, every knee, including Satan and his minions, shall bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father(Philippians 2:9-11, Romans 14:10-12, Revelation 20:11-15).
A Passionate Plea
Please don't be one of the casualties of Satan's war against God. You see, knowledge about God, Jesus, and the bible is not enough. Just saying you believe is not enough. Belief without change is nothing more than mere intellectual ascent. It does not matter if you simply go to church or are actively involved with your church. If your whole life is not surrendered to the effort of repentance from sin and the pursuit of holiness, in every area of your life, then there is reason to question the relevance of your salvation. If you prayed a prayer once, but there really is not much of your life that looks like the disciples of the bible, then there is reason to question the relevance of your salvation. If you lack genuine interest in God's word, embrace the ways of the world, and perceive not problem with this then you are likely in open rebellion against God and, there is reason to question the relevance of your salvation
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and you truly believe with your heart, not just your mind, it will change you. Your thoughts and behavior will not be the same. You will not be perfect until heaven however, 2 Corinthians 5:15-17 states that "Christ died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but him, who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passes away; behold, the new has come."
Examine yourselves!
God requires surrender of this life, that you may know life eternally with Him and in Him. Examine yourself and see if you are in the faith(2 Corinthians 13:5). If you find yourself wanting of the characteristics of a true, biblical Christ-follower, and thus you find that it is likely you are not in the faith, that can change now.
If you are Lost
God can and will save you if you are willing to die to yourself and live for Christ. Cry out to God to save you! He will! Then find a local, bible teaching church, get baptized as part of your public profession of your faith, and begin feeding on the word of God. God has given, to those whom are believers, everything needed for life and godliness by His grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit, through the study of His word, prayer, and obedience(2 Peter 3-11). All of this fosters relationship with God.
If you are Found
If you find that you are in the faith and desiring repentance and holiness, yet there are areas of your life in which this is lacking, know this. God does not require anything of the believer that He does not enable them to do. In Philippians 2:12-13 Paul instructs us, "work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to work according to his good pleasure."
Even the Apostle Paul whom wrote much of the New Testament recognized that he could not do it on his own. In 1 Corinthians 15:10 he states, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I but the grace of God that is with me."
Conclusion
Without Christ we all will be like Satan, rebelling against God and headed for an eternity of hellish, conscious torment. Don't be like Satan. Pray that the God of all grace will pour that grace out on you without measure, empowering you to believe and submit, thus saving you through the blood of His Son, and empowering you to obey through the Holy Spirit, thus sanctifying you and making your calling and election sure. Don't just know about the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, KNOW HIM! and be known by Him! For there is no greater joy.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Wanna Save Your Marriage (Part 9) A repost of the Summary
(Hi there. I am still very burdened by Satan's attack on marriage in today's world. It is not new but in many ways it is gaining new ground as truth becomes increasingly relativistic and gay marriage adds a whole other dynamic. I wanted to repost this as a reminder to us all, as we continue to be forced to contemplate biblical marriage in our day. This is the final summary post of the series entitled, Wanna Save Your Marriage. If it speaks to you or you think it may speak to someone else, please feel free to share. Blessings.)
Alright. There are so many other things that could be said but I think it is time to wrap this one up. This is officially the longest series that I have ever done. It has been edifying to me. I hope it has been edifying to you. I would like to thank everyone who reads the blog, has followed this particular series of postings, and/or has provided feedback. It means a lot and you are more than welcome to share and share alike if you feel it would be helpful.
I want to emphasize that while the material has been direct and revealing at times , I have made every effort to be biblical at every point. Sometimes the bible can be offensive and difficult to swallow. What we must always remember is that the bible is God's inspired, inerrant, holy word. It must not be added to or be taken away from. God does not require that His word conform to what people want it to say. God requires that HIS people conform to HIS word(Romans 12:1-2). With that said, let's review what the bible has taught us.
The biblical God is a fan of biblical marriage!
It was His idea! He is a fan of man and woman joined together in an unbreakable, covenant union. A covenant union that is designed to glorify God and help to populate the earth. He created the idea, He blessed the idea and the subjects of the idea, and He said that it was good.
(Genesis 1:27-28, Matthew 19:3-9)
Biblical marriage is designed with a purpose!
What is that design? First, it must be the union of a male and a female. Second, the male and female should be believers. Third, each member of the union must recognize their God-given role and the instructions for that role. Fourth, the Gospel is central. (Matthew 19:4-6, Ephesians 5:21-33)
The Gospel is central!
God's design for marriage is centered around the Gospel. The sacrificial love of Christ for His church is the example of the kind of sacrificial love that we are expected to exhibit, one Christian to another and one spouse to the other. We must understand how we were designed as individuals and what the design of our roles in marriage are. We must understand that just as we are dead in our sins and cannot come alive unless Christ makes us alive; none of what is expected of us in marriage can be done appropriately without the empowerment of God's grace through Christ's death and resurrection.(Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 2:12-13, 1 Corinthians 15:10)
Sacrificial, selfless, love is required by God.
Maybe you are struggling with a spouse who is not living up to the biblical definitions of their role. Perhaps you are struggling with an unbelieving spouse or a maybe your marriage is struggling sexually. All of these struggles, along with all of the other above points, have been addressed in greater detail in the previous posts, scripture references and all.
What is certain is that when Jesus came to earth, He gave all while being despised and rejected by the majority. Many say that God's love and often that Christ's love is unconditional. This is simply not true. The condition of God's offer of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, comes in the death and resurrection of Christ's perfect life alone, for the glory of God alone. It is not free! If you are a believer, you are not your own, you were bought with a price. Christ's blood shed on the cross paid the price for the sins of the world so that eternal life would be made available.
That's right! The love of God the Father and God the Son is not unconditional, but it is sacrificial. God is not asking anything of you, no matter how bad it may seem, that Christ did not experience. Jesus knew temptation. Jesus knew betrayal, rejection, emotional hurt, and physical pain. He understands it and He will see you through it. As a believer, He does not expect you to do it by yourself. As a believer, God's grace is always working in and through you to accomplish His good purposes. (Philippians 2:12-13)
I don't need Jesus, my marriage is doing fine by itself!
Perhaps, during this process, you have thought, "I have a perfectly happy marriage and I don't have to think about all this stuff. My wife and I are good people who love each other and treat each other well and we don't even consider the application of any of this spiritual, Gospel-centered marriage hype." Maybe. But rest assured, whether you believe it or not, that the benevolent love of God's common grace to all people is the only thing that keeps mankind from totally annihilating themselves. It is not because you carry all the power within yourself to do good. God restrains any evil that does not run rampant, anywhere, including your marriage.
Happy wife, happy life is not enough!
Regardless of what you think, one other thing is true. You can live a happy, good life with a happy, good marriage and still go to hell. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the live. No man comes to the Father but by me!(John 14:6)
I don't want that for anyone. This series has been a bit pragmatic in the "How to have a better marriage biblically" kind of way. I admit that. But, the Gospel has been present throughout. All of it has been Christ-centered. The reason for that is because no success in this world has any meaning eternally apart from Christ. I have not helped you at all if you apply some of the principles found in this series and never have a relationship with a living Savior, the Eternal Bridegroom himself. You will not be a part of the bride of Christ if you are not in a saving and surrendered relationship with the Groom that makes it all possible to begin with.
Please, go back and look at the post entitled, "Wanna Save Your Marriage?, What is the Gospel?"(Part 3). Not for me, but for you. Make sure you understand what the Gospel is. 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves and make sure that we are in the faith. It is ok to assess your life in relation to biblical truth and look for areas that either point to proof of saving faith or the lack there of. Even if you come to the conclusion that you are in fact saved, there are always areas that are not yet perfected and we should always be looking to strive for repentance in new areas of our walk in order to ensure that we are living a life worthy of the gospel(Philippians 1:27).
Find joy in the Father!
Last but not least remember, in the words of John Piper, that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him". As believers, the greatest way to be most at peace in trials and suffering is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal. The greatest way to ensure you are walking in unselfish, sacrificial love is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal. The greatest way to ensure that you are walking obediently to God in your marriage is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal. The greatest way to ensure you are living a life worthy of the gospel is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal.
The greatest way to walk with the best possible satisfaction at any given moment and to experience joy unspeakable and full of glory(1 Peter 1:8) is to remember what Christ did for you on the cross and through His resurrection. Not only that, but to remember that, while He died for all who would believe, Jesus' ultimate goal was always the glory of His Father.(John 17:5)
Jesus always found His greatest satisfaction in the glory of God through loving obedience. That was, and is, His ultimate goal!
If this series has helped one marriage to grow or be restored, or more importantly; if this series has helped one individual to discover a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, then it has been worth it.
If you have not read the whole series yet and you would like a fleshing out of these points, parts 1-8 can be found under the October and November tabs on the this blog page. I pray it has been and will be a blessing. Thank you for your time.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Love,
Josh
Alright. There are so many other things that could be said but I think it is time to wrap this one up. This is officially the longest series that I have ever done. It has been edifying to me. I hope it has been edifying to you. I would like to thank everyone who reads the blog, has followed this particular series of postings, and/or has provided feedback. It means a lot and you are more than welcome to share and share alike if you feel it would be helpful.
I want to emphasize that while the material has been direct and revealing at times , I have made every effort to be biblical at every point. Sometimes the bible can be offensive and difficult to swallow. What we must always remember is that the bible is God's inspired, inerrant, holy word. It must not be added to or be taken away from. God does not require that His word conform to what people want it to say. God requires that HIS people conform to HIS word(Romans 12:1-2). With that said, let's review what the bible has taught us.
The biblical God is a fan of biblical marriage!
It was His idea! He is a fan of man and woman joined together in an unbreakable, covenant union. A covenant union that is designed to glorify God and help to populate the earth. He created the idea, He blessed the idea and the subjects of the idea, and He said that it was good.
(Genesis 1:27-28, Matthew 19:3-9)
Biblical marriage is designed with a purpose!
What is that design? First, it must be the union of a male and a female. Second, the male and female should be believers. Third, each member of the union must recognize their God-given role and the instructions for that role. Fourth, the Gospel is central. (Matthew 19:4-6, Ephesians 5:21-33)
The Gospel is central!
God's design for marriage is centered around the Gospel. The sacrificial love of Christ for His church is the example of the kind of sacrificial love that we are expected to exhibit, one Christian to another and one spouse to the other. We must understand how we were designed as individuals and what the design of our roles in marriage are. We must understand that just as we are dead in our sins and cannot come alive unless Christ makes us alive; none of what is expected of us in marriage can be done appropriately without the empowerment of God's grace through Christ's death and resurrection.(Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 2:12-13, 1 Corinthians 15:10)
Sacrificial, selfless, love is required by God.
Maybe you are struggling with a spouse who is not living up to the biblical definitions of their role. Perhaps you are struggling with an unbelieving spouse or a maybe your marriage is struggling sexually. All of these struggles, along with all of the other above points, have been addressed in greater detail in the previous posts, scripture references and all.
What is certain is that when Jesus came to earth, He gave all while being despised and rejected by the majority. Many say that God's love and often that Christ's love is unconditional. This is simply not true. The condition of God's offer of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, comes in the death and resurrection of Christ's perfect life alone, for the glory of God alone. It is not free! If you are a believer, you are not your own, you were bought with a price. Christ's blood shed on the cross paid the price for the sins of the world so that eternal life would be made available.
That's right! The love of God the Father and God the Son is not unconditional, but it is sacrificial. God is not asking anything of you, no matter how bad it may seem, that Christ did not experience. Jesus knew temptation. Jesus knew betrayal, rejection, emotional hurt, and physical pain. He understands it and He will see you through it. As a believer, He does not expect you to do it by yourself. As a believer, God's grace is always working in and through you to accomplish His good purposes. (Philippians 2:12-13)
I don't need Jesus, my marriage is doing fine by itself!
Perhaps, during this process, you have thought, "I have a perfectly happy marriage and I don't have to think about all this stuff. My wife and I are good people who love each other and treat each other well and we don't even consider the application of any of this spiritual, Gospel-centered marriage hype." Maybe. But rest assured, whether you believe it or not, that the benevolent love of God's common grace to all people is the only thing that keeps mankind from totally annihilating themselves. It is not because you carry all the power within yourself to do good. God restrains any evil that does not run rampant, anywhere, including your marriage.
Happy wife, happy life is not enough!
Regardless of what you think, one other thing is true. You can live a happy, good life with a happy, good marriage and still go to hell. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the live. No man comes to the Father but by me!(John 14:6)
I don't want that for anyone. This series has been a bit pragmatic in the "How to have a better marriage biblically" kind of way. I admit that. But, the Gospel has been present throughout. All of it has been Christ-centered. The reason for that is because no success in this world has any meaning eternally apart from Christ. I have not helped you at all if you apply some of the principles found in this series and never have a relationship with a living Savior, the Eternal Bridegroom himself. You will not be a part of the bride of Christ if you are not in a saving and surrendered relationship with the Groom that makes it all possible to begin with.
Please, go back and look at the post entitled, "Wanna Save Your Marriage?, What is the Gospel?"(Part 3). Not for me, but for you. Make sure you understand what the Gospel is. 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves and make sure that we are in the faith. It is ok to assess your life in relation to biblical truth and look for areas that either point to proof of saving faith or the lack there of. Even if you come to the conclusion that you are in fact saved, there are always areas that are not yet perfected and we should always be looking to strive for repentance in new areas of our walk in order to ensure that we are living a life worthy of the gospel(Philippians 1:27).
Find joy in the Father!
Last but not least remember, in the words of John Piper, that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him". As believers, the greatest way to be most at peace in trials and suffering is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal. The greatest way to ensure you are walking in unselfish, sacrificial love is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal. The greatest way to ensure that you are walking obediently to God in your marriage is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal. The greatest way to ensure you are living a life worthy of the gospel is to keep God's glory as your ultimate goal.
The greatest way to walk with the best possible satisfaction at any given moment and to experience joy unspeakable and full of glory(1 Peter 1:8) is to remember what Christ did for you on the cross and through His resurrection. Not only that, but to remember that, while He died for all who would believe, Jesus' ultimate goal was always the glory of His Father.(John 17:5)
Jesus always found His greatest satisfaction in the glory of God through loving obedience. That was, and is, His ultimate goal!
If this series has helped one marriage to grow or be restored, or more importantly; if this series has helped one individual to discover a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, then it has been worth it.
If you have not read the whole series yet and you would like a fleshing out of these points, parts 1-8 can be found under the October and November tabs on the this blog page. I pray it has been and will be a blessing. Thank you for your time.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Love,
Josh
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Confessions
Hello again!
A few days ago I wrote an informational post of gratitude regarding the departure of my family from our church of many years. The response has been amazing. 155 page views so far. That may not sound like much but for a blog that averages 40-50 page views with the occasional peak, 155 is phenomenal. I recognize that many may read the posts via email and never go to the page, so I try not to get to hung up on page views but they are in my face all the time so I do notice. What this does suggest is there are many who may have never seen this blog before that read that post.
I did not write the post looking for exposure, but I am very grateful for the response, love and support that we have received from so many. Everything I do is not so very personal in nature and that's ok, but this response has prompted me to consider who may have been exposed to this blog for the first time that might check it out again courtesy of the popularity of the last post. So, since I am getting back into the swing of things I thought for current readers and any new readers that may come along, that I would continue the personal touch a little longer.
Even though I try to be honest about the fact that I am on the same journey of Chirstian growth as everyone else, I recognize that it would be very easy to read the challenges that I present as a "holier than thou" kind of process. I want to, as a reminder, dissuade anyone from that concept. I am just another guy. Another person on a journey toward ever-increasing holiness and Christ-likeness. I do not consider myself to be better than anyone else. I have struggled and continue to struggle with sin that manifests itself in, struggling to love my family properly, being consistent in bible study and memorization, and evangelism, among others.
However, I, like every other sinner saved by grace, am commanded by Jesus and compelled by the Holy Spirit, in the spirit of Matthew 28:19-20 to spread the gospel and make disciples, teaching all of the commands of scripture. So this I must do in spite of my many flaws and struggles with sin. This is true of every Christian and minister of the gospel. So, here we go.
Sin
I struggle with sins to numerous to mention. I am a man so, of course, I battle with lust. I do not give in but, it is an ever present nag striving to draw me away from those things that I am commanded to be committed to in marriage and in Christ. I have a temper, so I struggle to keep that bound up so as to love my wife and children appropriately even in the most frustrating of moments. I battle the temptation of pride. I continually strive to remember the grace of God in my life, and that it is this grace that enables me to find any success at all. This same grace reminds me also, that I must have more compassion than I do for the lost, the needy and other believers also struggling with sin. We are not to judge hearts as regards eternal security. However we are to judge word and actions as sinful and hold each other accountable. That is biblical and loving as words and actions are the fruit of the attitude of our hearts. However, to allow the recognition of the sin in other peoples lives to cause us to forget the sin in our own and thus loose compassion is unacceptable. We cannot love each other appropriately in that way. We must always remember that the same grace is working in all of us but the timetable is not always the same. This is just a handful of the many ways in which I do spiritual battle with this body of flesh that I am clothed in.
Love For Family
One of the hardest things to do as a husband and father is to lead your family spiritually. Often the Lord will take you to a place of growth spiritually that is ahead of your other family members so that you know where to lead them. You have been down the path, seen the pitfalls and gotten a glimpse of the safest route. However, as I said before, pride and impatience are always lurking on the side of the path waiting to ambush you. We are so quick to forget the struggles that we had as the grace of God led us to where we are. Thus we forget to show that same grace to those that we are leading. As I said, I have a temper and while it is much more controlled than it used to be, it is an ever present reminder of my need for God's grace to help me lead patiently and lovingly. Please pray for me in this as I strive to be a good shepherd to my little flock.
Bible Reading and Memorization
Yes, I am a blogger of biblical ideas and yes, along the way I have memorized some scripture. The challenge I face is similar to that of pastors and that is to not only read the bible as a means to the end of delivering a message. I can say for myself that the ways in which I use the bible to support this blog are devotional for me. I am ministered to every time I blog because ideas form and pour out of me even as I am writing. They often jump right off of the screen and back into my heart. Often, it is as if I am speaking to myself. But, I must confess that I have struggled to read through the entire bible. I understand many things regarding the continuity of scripture from beginning to end via teaching from those who have read it all the way through many times, but I need to do it myself. I have read much of it, but never the whole thing. I recognize that this is not ok and I must fix it. The same is true of bible memory. There are many scriptures that I have in my heart courtesy of quoting them so many times here, but I know that scripture commands that I hide God's word in my heart that I might not sin against Him(Proverbs 119:11), so I strive to improve in this area. Please pray for to that end.
Evangelism
You might ask, "Isn't that what you are doing with this blog?". And the answer would be yes to some degree. But this blog is akin to street evangelism in some ways in that I do not have a personal relationship with all my readers. In some ways this blog requires less guts because it is not face to face so I don't have to experience the negative reactions. I want to make it clear that I do not blog to avoid face to face persecution. However, I do understand that blogging must only be one form of the ways in which I share the gospel. I want to improve in evangelizing strangers, friends, and family alike. I want evangelism to be a way of life. Some have described effective evangelism as thinking of threads of the gospel that are woven into every aspect of our lives so that it informs everything we say and do thus inevitably impacting everyone we come in contact with. That is my ultimate desire. I want others to see Jesus in me. For that to happen an increase in bible reading and memorization is a must because it is scripture that transforms and informs my heart and changes my actions for God's glory.
Conclusion
I hope you don't mind that I have shared my heart with you a bit. The reason for this blog is to share the gospel with a two fold purpose. One, to inform the lost of their need for Jesus and hopefully give good news that the Holy Spirit will use to draw their hearts to Him. Two, to lovingly challenge a culture that is continually tempted to compromise the authority of scripture as the means, that informs the way in which we live, in every aspect of our lives. The church must have a high view of God, and of His word, and live that out, if it is going to impact the world for the glory of God. Please know that even when I appear to be ranting or rough around the edges at times, it always fueled by a zeal for God's glory to be made manifest in your lives. That end is always going to be beneficial to your hearts. As I have quoted several times from John Piper, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him". May it be so in your lives and mine, in Jesus name. Amen.
With much love and affection in Christ,
Josh
A few days ago I wrote an informational post of gratitude regarding the departure of my family from our church of many years. The response has been amazing. 155 page views so far. That may not sound like much but for a blog that averages 40-50 page views with the occasional peak, 155 is phenomenal. I recognize that many may read the posts via email and never go to the page, so I try not to get to hung up on page views but they are in my face all the time so I do notice. What this does suggest is there are many who may have never seen this blog before that read that post.
I did not write the post looking for exposure, but I am very grateful for the response, love and support that we have received from so many. Everything I do is not so very personal in nature and that's ok, but this response has prompted me to consider who may have been exposed to this blog for the first time that might check it out again courtesy of the popularity of the last post. So, since I am getting back into the swing of things I thought for current readers and any new readers that may come along, that I would continue the personal touch a little longer.
Even though I try to be honest about the fact that I am on the same journey of Chirstian growth as everyone else, I recognize that it would be very easy to read the challenges that I present as a "holier than thou" kind of process. I want to, as a reminder, dissuade anyone from that concept. I am just another guy. Another person on a journey toward ever-increasing holiness and Christ-likeness. I do not consider myself to be better than anyone else. I have struggled and continue to struggle with sin that manifests itself in, struggling to love my family properly, being consistent in bible study and memorization, and evangelism, among others.
However, I, like every other sinner saved by grace, am commanded by Jesus and compelled by the Holy Spirit, in the spirit of Matthew 28:19-20 to spread the gospel and make disciples, teaching all of the commands of scripture. So this I must do in spite of my many flaws and struggles with sin. This is true of every Christian and minister of the gospel. So, here we go.
Sin
I struggle with sins to numerous to mention. I am a man so, of course, I battle with lust. I do not give in but, it is an ever present nag striving to draw me away from those things that I am commanded to be committed to in marriage and in Christ. I have a temper, so I struggle to keep that bound up so as to love my wife and children appropriately even in the most frustrating of moments. I battle the temptation of pride. I continually strive to remember the grace of God in my life, and that it is this grace that enables me to find any success at all. This same grace reminds me also, that I must have more compassion than I do for the lost, the needy and other believers also struggling with sin. We are not to judge hearts as regards eternal security. However we are to judge word and actions as sinful and hold each other accountable. That is biblical and loving as words and actions are the fruit of the attitude of our hearts. However, to allow the recognition of the sin in other peoples lives to cause us to forget the sin in our own and thus loose compassion is unacceptable. We cannot love each other appropriately in that way. We must always remember that the same grace is working in all of us but the timetable is not always the same. This is just a handful of the many ways in which I do spiritual battle with this body of flesh that I am clothed in.
Love For Family
One of the hardest things to do as a husband and father is to lead your family spiritually. Often the Lord will take you to a place of growth spiritually that is ahead of your other family members so that you know where to lead them. You have been down the path, seen the pitfalls and gotten a glimpse of the safest route. However, as I said before, pride and impatience are always lurking on the side of the path waiting to ambush you. We are so quick to forget the struggles that we had as the grace of God led us to where we are. Thus we forget to show that same grace to those that we are leading. As I said, I have a temper and while it is much more controlled than it used to be, it is an ever present reminder of my need for God's grace to help me lead patiently and lovingly. Please pray for me in this as I strive to be a good shepherd to my little flock.
Bible Reading and Memorization
Yes, I am a blogger of biblical ideas and yes, along the way I have memorized some scripture. The challenge I face is similar to that of pastors and that is to not only read the bible as a means to the end of delivering a message. I can say for myself that the ways in which I use the bible to support this blog are devotional for me. I am ministered to every time I blog because ideas form and pour out of me even as I am writing. They often jump right off of the screen and back into my heart. Often, it is as if I am speaking to myself. But, I must confess that I have struggled to read through the entire bible. I understand many things regarding the continuity of scripture from beginning to end via teaching from those who have read it all the way through many times, but I need to do it myself. I have read much of it, but never the whole thing. I recognize that this is not ok and I must fix it. The same is true of bible memory. There are many scriptures that I have in my heart courtesy of quoting them so many times here, but I know that scripture commands that I hide God's word in my heart that I might not sin against Him(Proverbs 119:11), so I strive to improve in this area. Please pray for to that end.
Evangelism
You might ask, "Isn't that what you are doing with this blog?". And the answer would be yes to some degree. But this blog is akin to street evangelism in some ways in that I do not have a personal relationship with all my readers. In some ways this blog requires less guts because it is not face to face so I don't have to experience the negative reactions. I want to make it clear that I do not blog to avoid face to face persecution. However, I do understand that blogging must only be one form of the ways in which I share the gospel. I want to improve in evangelizing strangers, friends, and family alike. I want evangelism to be a way of life. Some have described effective evangelism as thinking of threads of the gospel that are woven into every aspect of our lives so that it informs everything we say and do thus inevitably impacting everyone we come in contact with. That is my ultimate desire. I want others to see Jesus in me. For that to happen an increase in bible reading and memorization is a must because it is scripture that transforms and informs my heart and changes my actions for God's glory.
Conclusion
I hope you don't mind that I have shared my heart with you a bit. The reason for this blog is to share the gospel with a two fold purpose. One, to inform the lost of their need for Jesus and hopefully give good news that the Holy Spirit will use to draw their hearts to Him. Two, to lovingly challenge a culture that is continually tempted to compromise the authority of scripture as the means, that informs the way in which we live, in every aspect of our lives. The church must have a high view of God, and of His word, and live that out, if it is going to impact the world for the glory of God. Please know that even when I appear to be ranting or rough around the edges at times, it always fueled by a zeal for God's glory to be made manifest in your lives. That end is always going to be beneficial to your hearts. As I have quoted several times from John Piper, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him". May it be so in your lives and mine, in Jesus name. Amen.
With much love and affection in Christ,
Josh
Saturday, March 29, 2014
A Hello, A Goodbye, and Many Thanks! (A very personal post to those near and dear to my heart) Anyone is invited to read.
HI!
A big HELLO! to all my readers on FB or by email. It's been a little over a month since my last post. And what a month it has been. No, the goodbye does not mean I am going to stop writing the blog. I will be working back into it this month. I want to dedicate this post to something of great importance. A big change in the life of my personal and church family.
In the last month I have completed an intense refresher course for my EMT certification, we have endured numerous winter storms, the hospital has been extremely busy, and we have made a change as a family in where we attend church......?
Yes, you heard me right. To some this is not a shock as we have said our proper goodbyes, but their may be some who did not know we have moved on, much less that there was even the potential for such a thing. My family and I have been attending the same church for nineteen years and have been actively involved for much of that. It is the only church locally that my wife has been intimately involved with and it is the only church my children have ever known. I want to speak to this major event in our lives for a few minutes. I will strive to maintain anonymity for the the ministry and anyone in it because I have always done so in relationship to this blog. Obviously those who know us will understand the references. However, this blog has always represented my convictions verses the convictions of any one institution, and it has always been intended to speak to issues, without getting specific about the who's. I don't know if it will always be that way, but it is going to be that way today.
While I don't shed tears as easily as my wife, (it's a family trait) :-), I am very expressive with my writing, singing, and speaking. I pray that you have seen my heart in previous expressions verbally and that you will see my heart in the words to come.
Why?
So why leave? Well that is subject matter that I may or may not ever come right out and speak in detail to here. People leave churches for many different reasons. Some are petty, some are not. Let's just leave it at this, after nineteen years calling this church home, God is leading me in a different direction and the reasons for that do not speak in anyway to the integrity of the ministry I am leaving. They always strive to stay on the straight path of integrity and they have done so concerning my leaving. I have been on this journey toward departure for about a year, striving to make sure I was making the right decision, and the leaders of the ministry and the church members have been nothing but gracious, supportive, and loving. Whatever differences we may have, God's grace has not allowed them to cause animosity of any kind. Keeping the love of God at the center has been of utmost importance to all parties. I pray it always remains that way. I say this only because speculation is always inevitable when someone that has been at a church as long as I have leaves. At the end of the day, it is as simple as this, it's a new season. Time for a new chapter. Now to express appreciation.
Thank you!
I want to say an extensive thank you to the multitudinous souls that have impacted the lives of my family and I for so many years. The Senior Pastor has seen my wife and I through some difficult times before we got married and then we had the honor of standing before him as he married us almost 13 years ago. He and His wife have meant so much to us. He and his son and daughter who are also serving as pastors there have been very generous in recognizing gifts and talents that my wife and I have been given by God and making room for them to develop. They have encouraged us along the way and have been patient with us as we grew. Thank you to the Pastoral team.
The Children's Pastor
You know who you are. You have always encouraged us as parents and you have always loved our children and cared for them while we have been serving. Thank you for the many Nerf wars, lollipops, and hugs that my boys have enjoyed from you over the years while I have been engaged with the music ministry on Wednesday nights. Thank you for striving to create a Sunday morning experience that pointed the children to Jesus. Our children have enjoyed every moment from Sunday morning to pizza and a movie night and Friday night nitro. You will always have a special place in their hearts.
The Many Caregivers of My Kids
You also know who you are. To the sweet people that served double duty not only as greeters at the front door but also kept eyes on my children while I was doing Sunday morning rehearsal. They truly loved our kids and us as evidenced by the many tears and hugs we saw and received the Sunday that we said goodbye. To the Sunday morning teachers that gave of themselves tirelessly to love our kids well before anyone else's were around, especially that one lady (you know who you are) that was always there before everyone else, often taking my kids back to the children's area for me.....THANK YOU! And last but not least, to the doughnut man and your wife who even took my kids to the movies one night and showed them an excellent time, thank you. Our children will always have fond memories of all of you.
To My Good Friend
My worship leader, mentor, and friend. You talent is beyond measure and your heart is beyond words. From the moment you arrived you have impacted the lives of so many. For my wife and I, you and your wife have not just been co-laborers and friends, but family. We have shared so much of the last six years in so many aspects of our lives that the bond we have will never be broken. You have patiently led me into greater leadership and musicality, all the while showing me much respect and honor. I pray that my family can continue to positively influence and poor into the life of you and your family the way you guys have poured into ours. Thank you!
To the Praise Team and Choir
You have tolerated me and allowed me to grow as your leader, musically and otherwise, loving me all the while. We have had moments of intense disagreement and moments of spiritual ecstasy as we have grown in our relationships with the Lord together. We have had moments of intense musical distress and moments of great musical joy as we have grown together musically and learned to honor our God together through praise and worship. I am so proud of who you are and I look forward to what you will become. We are truly a family and I pray that bond lasts forever. Thank you for all that you have been to me and all that you have allowed me to be to you. Your love of me and my family and the encouragement you gave us as we said goodbye will never be forgotten. Thank you!
To The Band
Your talent is obscene and your dedication is tireless. This church is so blessed to have such an incredible group of ridiculously talented people who make themselves available for service with the humblest of hearts. You make the worship experience unforgettable every Sunday and I will miss the unique sound that only you can bring to the gospel, rock, and contemporary mix of eclectic sounds that is Cathedral worship. Many of you have watched me grow musically and patiently endured my mistakes along the way. Thank you!
To The Congregation
You have loved my wife and I and have been an endless source of encouragement over the years. From the clap of hands to subtle taps on the shoulder, winks and head nods, we have always know that we were appreciated and loved. More people than I can count shed tears and made it clear how much they were going to miss us, all the while encouraging us on this new adventure of faith. Thank you!
To My Kids
I don't know when you will read this but I would be regretful if I did not include you in this. It has been my greatest joy to watch you grow up among this church family. Ryan, you learned to climb stairs in this church. You have grown from experiencing great separation anxiety when we first introduced you to the nursery, to confidently stating that you know this place like the back of your hand. You used to sit at my feet while a sang in the choir and you have provided love and support as you have watched your daddy make music. Thank you for helping take care of your brother over the last couple of years on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. You have also provided much support as you have listened and tried to understand this transitional journey that we are on. You have tried very hard to be positive and I appreciate that greatly. I am so proud of who you have become and are becoming.
Alex, the choir got to watch you grow in my arms as I directed them while holding you. You provided a great illustration of how we should approach God the Father as His children a couple of different times as you came running down the aisle, climbed the stairs, and I picked you up while beginning the praise and worship set. You made your Mommy, Daddy, and brother laugh as you would look forward to church so you could see the "nut nut man" and get a doughnut. I'll never forget the day you told me that Jesus was more important to you than doughnuts. I knew that was an important moment :-). You have grown into a fine little boy and I am excited to see who you become.
Both of you have been an important part of every Wednesday night and Sunday morning since you were born simply because you were there. As long as we have you, we will have memories attached of this church and this church family. Thank you for making the last nine years more special than they would have been if you had not been there. Your Mother and I can not imagine those years without you in them.
To My Precious Wife
Many of you had the privilege of seeing my wife shed a few of the many tears that she has shed over us leaving. She has truly been blessed by being a part of this church and is deeply saddened to be leaving.
Baby girl, I know that the direction God is leading us is less clear to you than it is to me (and it is not very clear to me) yet you are striving to go with the flow and trust. Thank you.
You are my partner, my best friend, and my confidant. You have seen me through the highs and lows of this journey and I am so glad to have had you by my side. I have enjoyed the many years that I have been able to share with you as members of this church. It has thrilled me to no end to watch you direct and act in three of the last four children's Christmas plays that have been so treasured by the church. You have gotten a small glimpse, through us leaving, of the impact God has used you to have on the people of this church. I have always enjoyed the times when I could look up while directing the choir and see your pretty face smiling back at me. You were a trooper as you did double duty by hustling to get yourself together after the children's show to come and sing for the adult Christmas program the same night. We even sung a song together that one time. I don't know what the future holds but I am so glad to have shared the last nineteen years of this journey with you and I look forward to sharing the rest of my life experiencing and serving God together as we move forward on this grand adventure of life, this side of glory. One day I pray we will be able to look back and have a better understanding of this transition.
Until the next time
Only the Lord knows the next time this church family and our family will worship together again. You have made it clear, the blessing that you feel we have been to you. I hope we have been able to show a little bit of what you guys have meant to us. You will always be a part of who we are and we will never forget you. Until the next time. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Josh, Angie, Ryan, and Alex
A big HELLO! to all my readers on FB or by email. It's been a little over a month since my last post. And what a month it has been. No, the goodbye does not mean I am going to stop writing the blog. I will be working back into it this month. I want to dedicate this post to something of great importance. A big change in the life of my personal and church family.
In the last month I have completed an intense refresher course for my EMT certification, we have endured numerous winter storms, the hospital has been extremely busy, and we have made a change as a family in where we attend church......?
Yes, you heard me right. To some this is not a shock as we have said our proper goodbyes, but their may be some who did not know we have moved on, much less that there was even the potential for such a thing. My family and I have been attending the same church for nineteen years and have been actively involved for much of that. It is the only church locally that my wife has been intimately involved with and it is the only church my children have ever known. I want to speak to this major event in our lives for a few minutes. I will strive to maintain anonymity for the the ministry and anyone in it because I have always done so in relationship to this blog. Obviously those who know us will understand the references. However, this blog has always represented my convictions verses the convictions of any one institution, and it has always been intended to speak to issues, without getting specific about the who's. I don't know if it will always be that way, but it is going to be that way today.
While I don't shed tears as easily as my wife, (it's a family trait) :-), I am very expressive with my writing, singing, and speaking. I pray that you have seen my heart in previous expressions verbally and that you will see my heart in the words to come.
Why?
So why leave? Well that is subject matter that I may or may not ever come right out and speak in detail to here. People leave churches for many different reasons. Some are petty, some are not. Let's just leave it at this, after nineteen years calling this church home, God is leading me in a different direction and the reasons for that do not speak in anyway to the integrity of the ministry I am leaving. They always strive to stay on the straight path of integrity and they have done so concerning my leaving. I have been on this journey toward departure for about a year, striving to make sure I was making the right decision, and the leaders of the ministry and the church members have been nothing but gracious, supportive, and loving. Whatever differences we may have, God's grace has not allowed them to cause animosity of any kind. Keeping the love of God at the center has been of utmost importance to all parties. I pray it always remains that way. I say this only because speculation is always inevitable when someone that has been at a church as long as I have leaves. At the end of the day, it is as simple as this, it's a new season. Time for a new chapter. Now to express appreciation.
Thank you!
I want to say an extensive thank you to the multitudinous souls that have impacted the lives of my family and I for so many years. The Senior Pastor has seen my wife and I through some difficult times before we got married and then we had the honor of standing before him as he married us almost 13 years ago. He and His wife have meant so much to us. He and his son and daughter who are also serving as pastors there have been very generous in recognizing gifts and talents that my wife and I have been given by God and making room for them to develop. They have encouraged us along the way and have been patient with us as we grew. Thank you to the Pastoral team.
The Children's Pastor
You know who you are. You have always encouraged us as parents and you have always loved our children and cared for them while we have been serving. Thank you for the many Nerf wars, lollipops, and hugs that my boys have enjoyed from you over the years while I have been engaged with the music ministry on Wednesday nights. Thank you for striving to create a Sunday morning experience that pointed the children to Jesus. Our children have enjoyed every moment from Sunday morning to pizza and a movie night and Friday night nitro. You will always have a special place in their hearts.
The Many Caregivers of My Kids
You also know who you are. To the sweet people that served double duty not only as greeters at the front door but also kept eyes on my children while I was doing Sunday morning rehearsal. They truly loved our kids and us as evidenced by the many tears and hugs we saw and received the Sunday that we said goodbye. To the Sunday morning teachers that gave of themselves tirelessly to love our kids well before anyone else's were around, especially that one lady (you know who you are) that was always there before everyone else, often taking my kids back to the children's area for me.....THANK YOU! And last but not least, to the doughnut man and your wife who even took my kids to the movies one night and showed them an excellent time, thank you. Our children will always have fond memories of all of you.
To My Good Friend
My worship leader, mentor, and friend. You talent is beyond measure and your heart is beyond words. From the moment you arrived you have impacted the lives of so many. For my wife and I, you and your wife have not just been co-laborers and friends, but family. We have shared so much of the last six years in so many aspects of our lives that the bond we have will never be broken. You have patiently led me into greater leadership and musicality, all the while showing me much respect and honor. I pray that my family can continue to positively influence and poor into the life of you and your family the way you guys have poured into ours. Thank you!
To the Praise Team and Choir
You have tolerated me and allowed me to grow as your leader, musically and otherwise, loving me all the while. We have had moments of intense disagreement and moments of spiritual ecstasy as we have grown in our relationships with the Lord together. We have had moments of intense musical distress and moments of great musical joy as we have grown together musically and learned to honor our God together through praise and worship. I am so proud of who you are and I look forward to what you will become. We are truly a family and I pray that bond lasts forever. Thank you for all that you have been to me and all that you have allowed me to be to you. Your love of me and my family and the encouragement you gave us as we said goodbye will never be forgotten. Thank you!
To The Band
Your talent is obscene and your dedication is tireless. This church is so blessed to have such an incredible group of ridiculously talented people who make themselves available for service with the humblest of hearts. You make the worship experience unforgettable every Sunday and I will miss the unique sound that only you can bring to the gospel, rock, and contemporary mix of eclectic sounds that is Cathedral worship. Many of you have watched me grow musically and patiently endured my mistakes along the way. Thank you!
To The Congregation
You have loved my wife and I and have been an endless source of encouragement over the years. From the clap of hands to subtle taps on the shoulder, winks and head nods, we have always know that we were appreciated and loved. More people than I can count shed tears and made it clear how much they were going to miss us, all the while encouraging us on this new adventure of faith. Thank you!
To My Kids
I don't know when you will read this but I would be regretful if I did not include you in this. It has been my greatest joy to watch you grow up among this church family. Ryan, you learned to climb stairs in this church. You have grown from experiencing great separation anxiety when we first introduced you to the nursery, to confidently stating that you know this place like the back of your hand. You used to sit at my feet while a sang in the choir and you have provided love and support as you have watched your daddy make music. Thank you for helping take care of your brother over the last couple of years on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. You have also provided much support as you have listened and tried to understand this transitional journey that we are on. You have tried very hard to be positive and I appreciate that greatly. I am so proud of who you have become and are becoming.
Alex, the choir got to watch you grow in my arms as I directed them while holding you. You provided a great illustration of how we should approach God the Father as His children a couple of different times as you came running down the aisle, climbed the stairs, and I picked you up while beginning the praise and worship set. You made your Mommy, Daddy, and brother laugh as you would look forward to church so you could see the "nut nut man" and get a doughnut. I'll never forget the day you told me that Jesus was more important to you than doughnuts. I knew that was an important moment :-). You have grown into a fine little boy and I am excited to see who you become.
Both of you have been an important part of every Wednesday night and Sunday morning since you were born simply because you were there. As long as we have you, we will have memories attached of this church and this church family. Thank you for making the last nine years more special than they would have been if you had not been there. Your Mother and I can not imagine those years without you in them.
To My Precious Wife
Many of you had the privilege of seeing my wife shed a few of the many tears that she has shed over us leaving. She has truly been blessed by being a part of this church and is deeply saddened to be leaving.
Baby girl, I know that the direction God is leading us is less clear to you than it is to me (and it is not very clear to me) yet you are striving to go with the flow and trust. Thank you.
You are my partner, my best friend, and my confidant. You have seen me through the highs and lows of this journey and I am so glad to have had you by my side. I have enjoyed the many years that I have been able to share with you as members of this church. It has thrilled me to no end to watch you direct and act in three of the last four children's Christmas plays that have been so treasured by the church. You have gotten a small glimpse, through us leaving, of the impact God has used you to have on the people of this church. I have always enjoyed the times when I could look up while directing the choir and see your pretty face smiling back at me. You were a trooper as you did double duty by hustling to get yourself together after the children's show to come and sing for the adult Christmas program the same night. We even sung a song together that one time. I don't know what the future holds but I am so glad to have shared the last nineteen years of this journey with you and I look forward to sharing the rest of my life experiencing and serving God together as we move forward on this grand adventure of life, this side of glory. One day I pray we will be able to look back and have a better understanding of this transition.
Until the next time
Only the Lord knows the next time this church family and our family will worship together again. You have made it clear, the blessing that you feel we have been to you. I hope we have been able to show a little bit of what you guys have meant to us. You will always be a part of who we are and we will never forget you. Until the next time. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Josh, Angie, Ryan, and Alex
Monday, February 24, 2014
In Christ Alone
Hi there.
I have been truly blessed by a song lately. So much so that I wanted to draw attention to it in hopes you would be equally blessed. This song has been classified as a contemporary hymn and has become one of the most popular songs to be included in worship sets in the last 10 years.
The lyrics encapsulate the entire gospel from life, to death, to resurrection. This is very important because, as we worship we need to be contemplating what Jesus did for us through His perfect life of obedience and His atoning death on the cross.
I included two links here so that you can listen to it if you like. The first is a recording by the original artists who wrote and performed the song Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. They wrote it and Kristyn Getty, Keith's wife, is singing it in the video. This original version has a very Celtic feel which some will enjoy. It has been remade several times. I particularly like a version recently arranged by Kristian Stanfill, worship leader at Louie Giglio's church, Passion Church in Atlanta. It has a more contemporary worship feel. He included a tag at the end which I find very effective.
Unfortunately, his version leaves out the second verse. I am not sure why he did that, but I hope it is not for the same reason that the Presbyterian church(USA), not PCA, denomination was trying to leave it out. The PCUSA is a more liberal branch of the Presbyterian church than the PCA for those who don't know what the distinction is. Actually, they just wanted to change the third line of the second verse from "Til on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied" to "Til on that cross as Jesus died, the love of God was magnified". While this line is true, God's love is already emphasized in other ways in the song in all that He did for us at the cross. But to remove the lyric "the wrath of God was satisfied" is to remove a crucial piece of understanding of what Jesus did for us at the cross thus minimizing the "magnification of God's love" as they would like to put it. So it is actually having the opposite effect. The PCUSA is not alone in their discomfort with these lyrics but they made the news because they wanted permission to print this song in their new hymnals with the above stated change and the writers would not allow it.
You see many people today have a problem with the idea that God poured out His wrath toward all the sins of those who would place their trust in Him, past, present and future. And that He poured it out onto His Son Jesus while He hung on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty and removed the guilt of all true believers and followers of Christ at the cross. It is known as "penal substitutionary atonement" in theological terms and it is a crucial part of the gospel story and it is biblically accurate.(Romans 3:24-26, Romans 5:9-10, 1 John 4:10) These verses speak to the idea of propitiation which means, " to appease or satisfy". This idea makes some people uncomfortable but I believe it is crucial to our understanding of what Christ did for us on the cross. To fully appreciate His mercy and grace, we must understand His wrath and justice. A price had to be paid for our rebellion against a holy and just God. This same God, in His great love, chose to send his Son, who came willingly, to pay that price and satisfy that sin debt rather than destroy all sinners in their sin.(Romans 5:8, John 3:16) All you have to do is repent and believe for this to be available to you.(Mark 1:15) May it be so in your life in Jesus name, if it not already.
I have included the full lyrics as written by the original authors and a link to both versions of the song. They may show up in the body of the email. If not, hopefully you can click on the link. If not, just cut and paste in your browser. Give both versions a listen and meditate on the goodness of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ as you do. I pray it is a blessing to you.
Love in Christ alone,
Josh
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song,
I have been truly blessed by a song lately. So much so that I wanted to draw attention to it in hopes you would be equally blessed. This song has been classified as a contemporary hymn and has become one of the most popular songs to be included in worship sets in the last 10 years.
The lyrics encapsulate the entire gospel from life, to death, to resurrection. This is very important because, as we worship we need to be contemplating what Jesus did for us through His perfect life of obedience and His atoning death on the cross.
I included two links here so that you can listen to it if you like. The first is a recording by the original artists who wrote and performed the song Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. They wrote it and Kristyn Getty, Keith's wife, is singing it in the video. This original version has a very Celtic feel which some will enjoy. It has been remade several times. I particularly like a version recently arranged by Kristian Stanfill, worship leader at Louie Giglio's church, Passion Church in Atlanta. It has a more contemporary worship feel. He included a tag at the end which I find very effective.
Unfortunately, his version leaves out the second verse. I am not sure why he did that, but I hope it is not for the same reason that the Presbyterian church(USA), not PCA, denomination was trying to leave it out. The PCUSA is a more liberal branch of the Presbyterian church than the PCA for those who don't know what the distinction is. Actually, they just wanted to change the third line of the second verse from "Til on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied" to "Til on that cross as Jesus died, the love of God was magnified". While this line is true, God's love is already emphasized in other ways in the song in all that He did for us at the cross. But to remove the lyric "the wrath of God was satisfied" is to remove a crucial piece of understanding of what Jesus did for us at the cross thus minimizing the "magnification of God's love" as they would like to put it. So it is actually having the opposite effect. The PCUSA is not alone in their discomfort with these lyrics but they made the news because they wanted permission to print this song in their new hymnals with the above stated change and the writers would not allow it.
You see many people today have a problem with the idea that God poured out His wrath toward all the sins of those who would place their trust in Him, past, present and future. And that He poured it out onto His Son Jesus while He hung on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty and removed the guilt of all true believers and followers of Christ at the cross. It is known as "penal substitutionary atonement" in theological terms and it is a crucial part of the gospel story and it is biblically accurate.(Romans 3:24-26, Romans 5:9-10, 1 John 4:10) These verses speak to the idea of propitiation which means, " to appease or satisfy". This idea makes some people uncomfortable but I believe it is crucial to our understanding of what Christ did for us on the cross. To fully appreciate His mercy and grace, we must understand His wrath and justice. A price had to be paid for our rebellion against a holy and just God. This same God, in His great love, chose to send his Son, who came willingly, to pay that price and satisfy that sin debt rather than destroy all sinners in their sin.(Romans 5:8, John 3:16) All you have to do is repent and believe for this to be available to you.(Mark 1:15) May it be so in your life in Jesus name, if it not already.
I have included the full lyrics as written by the original authors and a link to both versions of the song. They may show up in the body of the email. If not, hopefully you can click on the link. If not, just cut and paste in your browser. Give both versions a listen and meditate on the goodness of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ as you do. I pray it is a blessing to you.
Love in Christ alone,
Josh
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm,
What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when striving's cease,
My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh, Fullness of God in helpless Babe,
This gift of love and righteousness, Scorned by the ones He came to save
Til on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid, Here in the death of Christ I live.
For every sin on Him was laid, Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay, Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day, Up from the grave He rose again
Then bursting forth in glorious Day, Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory, Sins curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious blood of Christ
For I am His and He is mine, Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny
From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man, Could ever pluck me from His hand
Til He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I stand
Til He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I stand
TAG (by Kristian Stanfill)
I find my strength, I find my hope, I find my help, In Christ alone
When fear assails, when darkness falls, I find my peace, In Christ alone
I give my life, I give my all, I sing this song, to Christ alone
The King of Kings, The Lord of All, all heaven sings, to Christ alone
Til He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I stand
http://www.gettymusic.com/hymns-inchristalone.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmnGtfpmy-Q
http://www.gettymusic.com/hymns-inchristalone.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmnGtfpmy-Q
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Overcoming Evil With Good
So I was watching Tears of the Sun recently and at the end, this quote was presented:
I had heard it before but it really hit home after watching this movie. Not just in the context of the movie but, of course, in the spirit realm. What is our responsibility in fighting evil? What does it mean to not allow evil to triumph? What does it mean for good men to do "something".
This scripture came to mind. Romans 12:21, "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good."
Theatrical Context
The quote above suggests action, as does the scripture. However, there is much to be considered regarding the word "good". You see, in Tears of the Sun, the soldiers, led by a character played by Bruce Willis, wrestle with how best to handle injustice that they encounter in Africa while on a mission to save a doctor. Along the way they kill quite a few rebel soldiers that are massacring other Africans. They defend themselves and those in their care as needed. However, at one point they come across a village of people whom are not their direct responsibility. These people are being raped and murdered just because. The soldiers are indignant and engage the enemy to enact justice on these rebels committing this heinous crime against humanity. In all honesty, if I was in their position, I am not sure I would not do the same. As I was caught up in the story line I found myself empathizing deeply with everyone involved and wanting to see justice served.
Scriptural context
My dilemma comes in considering what the bible teaches regarding the idea of taking justice into our own hands not just legally, but spiritually. Certainly the idea in the movie is that the U.S. soldiers were assisting citizens of a country in which there was no true governing authority so utilizing Romans 13:1 may not have been most appropriately applied here. However, Romans 12:21 does seem to suggest that revenge, whether personal or governmental in nature, is not generally ours to enforce. I realize that this could be another discussion entirely so I will be striving to apply this more to personal action rather than getting heavy into a debate on wartime actions. Please understand, that I am not speaking to the idea of self-defense or the defense of another, physically or otherwise, in the moment so much as I am to the idea that harm has already been done and now we must choose how to respond after the fact.
This scripture teaches that we are to love our enemies, bless those who persecute us, etc. Basically, the most selfless and sacrificial love that can be shown, we must show to those who may have done horrible things to us or those we love. How contrary to our nature is that? I have heard many a person make statements that suggest the revenge that they think they would take if something was done to a family member. I confess that I empathize entirely with those thought processes. However, if we are to be obedient to God's word we must prepare our hearts and minds well before anything horrible ever crosses our path. Whether it is happening to us or we observe it happening to someone else, our job is not to play God, but to put God first.
God Our Avenger
I will not pretend that if I were in the position of the soldiers that I would not have done what was necessary to stop the evil that was being observed. To be honest I am not sure that their actions were wrong in that scenario considering that they were in a particular position that, it could be argued, had the authority to enforce justice at that moment. Wartime is a very particular circumstance when thinking through these things.
But, when we work through this in our day to day lives we must remember that as Christians, it is not our job to avenge every wrong, whether done to us or someone else. God is our avenger. He retains for himself the right to enact justice as he sees fit. Our sinful nature will be to destroy that which has harmed us. However, time and time again in history, we see God using the very destructive acts of sinful men to save those very individuals responsible for the destruction. It is not our right to harm or take the life of those whom God may desire to provide eternal life. His plans are always bigger and better than ours. Even if we cannot see it in the moment.
Our Sovereign God is in Control
What we must remember is that God is in control. However, his control does not mean that he reacts to bad circumstances, but that He is actively involved from the beginning, planning all things with a purpose in mind. Much could be said of this but I will give just a quick couple of examples for consideration.
The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 is a good example of this. I will not strive to recap the whole story but if you read it you will observe that in all of Joseph's seemingly tragic circumstances, God has a plan. In Genesis 45:5-8, Joseph actually gives God credit for sending him through his circumstances to put him where he needed to be for the benefit of his entire family and the nation. Even though his family was responsible for his harm. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph understands that God intended the evil of his brothers for good all along the way. His brothers were responsible for their sinful, hateful actions and humanly speaking Joseph would have been entirely justified in destroying them as revenge. He was in a position to do so. However, Joseph understood that God had a bigger plan, that He knows what is best, and that He is always in control, sovereignly ruling over all circumstances. His love and submission for and to God and his understanding of God's sovereignty allowed Joseph to be forgiving and selflessly loving to his brothers. This is the perspective we must learn to have in all things.
The other example, of course, is the selfless life and death of Jesus. The very Son of God came down, took on flesh, did everything right in the sight of God the Father and yet sinful man despised Him, rejected Him, and killed Him(Isaiah 53). We understand this as the heinous acts of evil men and that they are responsible for their actions. We also understand that God planned this from the beginning. He ordained that it would happen(Acts 2:23). He determined it from the beginning as the only way by which sinful humanity might be saved.
Overcome Evil With Good
And so I believe that we must be very careful what we call "good" as it relates to overcoming evil. You see When Paul speaks to revenge in Romans 12:9-21, it is in the context of selfless love. And lest you be inclined to reject this teaching, you need to realize that Paul is simply reapplying what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:38-48.
The application of these teachings need not be applied simply in the most extreme of circumstances, as in the horrific scenes from Tears of the Sun. They need to be applied in the simplest of circumstances. Such as when your spouse is not handling your heart appropriately. When you find it difficult to even be in the same house with them, much less actually show love and care for them. Or, when your coworkers or neighbors are behaving in ways that hurt you or annoy you. How about when your children are rebelling and disobeying more often than not. When everything in you wants to scream at them and beat them senseless.
These are the moments when we must realize that any "evil" that we feel is being visited on us by someone else, WE have actually visited on Jesus at the cross. In instructing us to be sacrificial in our response to our "enemies", He is not asking us to do anything that He did not do for us on the cross. His amazing sacrificial love is being poured out on us continually as he gently leads us into becoming more like him, even as our sinful clay flesh still rebels against this peaceful potter.(Romans 5:6-11)
So when we think we want to respond out of anger and an attitude of vengeance toward those whom have brought us pain in one form or another, let us not forget the cross. We must understand that this gospel of sacrificial love is the "good" that both Paul and Jesus want us to respond with when we are striving to overcome the evil of this world.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that has the power to truly overcome evil. We must share this good news to a lost and dying world, even if their sins are directly impacting our lives in a negative fashion. So let your light shine and live a life worthy of that gospel that God may be glorified(Philippians 1:27, Matthew 5:16).
Love in Christ,
Josh
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" by Edmund Burke.
I had heard it before but it really hit home after watching this movie. Not just in the context of the movie but, of course, in the spirit realm. What is our responsibility in fighting evil? What does it mean to not allow evil to triumph? What does it mean for good men to do "something".
This scripture came to mind. Romans 12:21, "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good."
Theatrical Context
The quote above suggests action, as does the scripture. However, there is much to be considered regarding the word "good". You see, in Tears of the Sun, the soldiers, led by a character played by Bruce Willis, wrestle with how best to handle injustice that they encounter in Africa while on a mission to save a doctor. Along the way they kill quite a few rebel soldiers that are massacring other Africans. They defend themselves and those in their care as needed. However, at one point they come across a village of people whom are not their direct responsibility. These people are being raped and murdered just because. The soldiers are indignant and engage the enemy to enact justice on these rebels committing this heinous crime against humanity. In all honesty, if I was in their position, I am not sure I would not do the same. As I was caught up in the story line I found myself empathizing deeply with everyone involved and wanting to see justice served.
Scriptural context
My dilemma comes in considering what the bible teaches regarding the idea of taking justice into our own hands not just legally, but spiritually. Certainly the idea in the movie is that the U.S. soldiers were assisting citizens of a country in which there was no true governing authority so utilizing Romans 13:1 may not have been most appropriately applied here. However, Romans 12:21 does seem to suggest that revenge, whether personal or governmental in nature, is not generally ours to enforce. I realize that this could be another discussion entirely so I will be striving to apply this more to personal action rather than getting heavy into a debate on wartime actions. Please understand, that I am not speaking to the idea of self-defense or the defense of another, physically or otherwise, in the moment so much as I am to the idea that harm has already been done and now we must choose how to respond after the fact.
This scripture teaches that we are to love our enemies, bless those who persecute us, etc. Basically, the most selfless and sacrificial love that can be shown, we must show to those who may have done horrible things to us or those we love. How contrary to our nature is that? I have heard many a person make statements that suggest the revenge that they think they would take if something was done to a family member. I confess that I empathize entirely with those thought processes. However, if we are to be obedient to God's word we must prepare our hearts and minds well before anything horrible ever crosses our path. Whether it is happening to us or we observe it happening to someone else, our job is not to play God, but to put God first.
God Our Avenger
I will not pretend that if I were in the position of the soldiers that I would not have done what was necessary to stop the evil that was being observed. To be honest I am not sure that their actions were wrong in that scenario considering that they were in a particular position that, it could be argued, had the authority to enforce justice at that moment. Wartime is a very particular circumstance when thinking through these things.
But, when we work through this in our day to day lives we must remember that as Christians, it is not our job to avenge every wrong, whether done to us or someone else. God is our avenger. He retains for himself the right to enact justice as he sees fit. Our sinful nature will be to destroy that which has harmed us. However, time and time again in history, we see God using the very destructive acts of sinful men to save those very individuals responsible for the destruction. It is not our right to harm or take the life of those whom God may desire to provide eternal life. His plans are always bigger and better than ours. Even if we cannot see it in the moment.
Our Sovereign God is in Control
What we must remember is that God is in control. However, his control does not mean that he reacts to bad circumstances, but that He is actively involved from the beginning, planning all things with a purpose in mind. Much could be said of this but I will give just a quick couple of examples for consideration.
The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 is a good example of this. I will not strive to recap the whole story but if you read it you will observe that in all of Joseph's seemingly tragic circumstances, God has a plan. In Genesis 45:5-8, Joseph actually gives God credit for sending him through his circumstances to put him where he needed to be for the benefit of his entire family and the nation. Even though his family was responsible for his harm. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph understands that God intended the evil of his brothers for good all along the way. His brothers were responsible for their sinful, hateful actions and humanly speaking Joseph would have been entirely justified in destroying them as revenge. He was in a position to do so. However, Joseph understood that God had a bigger plan, that He knows what is best, and that He is always in control, sovereignly ruling over all circumstances. His love and submission for and to God and his understanding of God's sovereignty allowed Joseph to be forgiving and selflessly loving to his brothers. This is the perspective we must learn to have in all things.
The other example, of course, is the selfless life and death of Jesus. The very Son of God came down, took on flesh, did everything right in the sight of God the Father and yet sinful man despised Him, rejected Him, and killed Him(Isaiah 53). We understand this as the heinous acts of evil men and that they are responsible for their actions. We also understand that God planned this from the beginning. He ordained that it would happen(Acts 2:23). He determined it from the beginning as the only way by which sinful humanity might be saved.
Overcome Evil With Good
And so I believe that we must be very careful what we call "good" as it relates to overcoming evil. You see When Paul speaks to revenge in Romans 12:9-21, it is in the context of selfless love. And lest you be inclined to reject this teaching, you need to realize that Paul is simply reapplying what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:38-48.
The application of these teachings need not be applied simply in the most extreme of circumstances, as in the horrific scenes from Tears of the Sun. They need to be applied in the simplest of circumstances. Such as when your spouse is not handling your heart appropriately. When you find it difficult to even be in the same house with them, much less actually show love and care for them. Or, when your coworkers or neighbors are behaving in ways that hurt you or annoy you. How about when your children are rebelling and disobeying more often than not. When everything in you wants to scream at them and beat them senseless.
These are the moments when we must realize that any "evil" that we feel is being visited on us by someone else, WE have actually visited on Jesus at the cross. In instructing us to be sacrificial in our response to our "enemies", He is not asking us to do anything that He did not do for us on the cross. His amazing sacrificial love is being poured out on us continually as he gently leads us into becoming more like him, even as our sinful clay flesh still rebels against this peaceful potter.(Romans 5:6-11)
So when we think we want to respond out of anger and an attitude of vengeance toward those whom have brought us pain in one form or another, let us not forget the cross. We must understand that this gospel of sacrificial love is the "good" that both Paul and Jesus want us to respond with when we are striving to overcome the evil of this world.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that has the power to truly overcome evil. We must share this good news to a lost and dying world, even if their sins are directly impacting our lives in a negative fashion. So let your light shine and live a life worthy of that gospel that God may be glorified(Philippians 1:27, Matthew 5:16).
Love in Christ,
Josh
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