What is Christmas All About? Understanding Advent

The Question.

"What IS Christmas all about?" That is the question I never asked which God brought to bear on my heart and mind about a few years ago.  It's not that I did not know the basic Christmas story that was revealed to me.  I simply had not thought of it from a perspective that moved beyond the manger.  Others don't know the story at all or have any idea that there is a different perspective either.

My Exposure.

I grew up Southern Baptist.  From there I was associated with a non-denominational church for the last nineteen years.  In neither of these environments was Advent or Lent something that was practiced or taught as a theme throughout the holiday seasons.  At least not at the Southern Baptist churches I remember.

It is important to note that I am not saying this in order to insult or slight those ministries in any way. I have learned from both of these ministries, the first of which, my father was the pastor.  While I believe that this perspective is important, it does not necessarily have to be spelled out at Christmas time every year.  It really needs to be taught the whole year through.  I have since been blessed to become a part of another church family which does draw attention to the Advent season. With that said, it is the seasonal practice of Advent which caused me to think more deeply. This is why I felt it was important to flesh out thoughts about it here.  

Advent seems to be one of those seasonal faith themes that is practiced more by some churches than others.  It does not seem fair to narrow it down by denomination because I am using a wonderful Advent app on my Ipod that is based on the Advent curriculum from The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL. This church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention.  It is also being promoted by The Gospel Project website which is a multi-denominational organization.  I say all of that only to give some background as to my experience and exposure to this faith based, seasonal celebration.

Other protestant denominations such as Presbyterian and Methodist seem to keep Advent as part of their church calendar celebrations.  I believe Roman Catholicism does as well.  Whether they all give it the same weight or not I do not know.  What I do know is that Advent, when properly understood, should paint a much larger scale picture than just a baby in a manger.  For some, this is the sum of what they think about when it comes to Christ and Christmas.

Surprise!

The word Advent means "to arrive" or "coming".  As I am learning, Advent is a time of the year, if done right, that ties the story of the birth of Christ into the entire historical narrative of redemption in the bible.  In fact, many call the return of Christ the "second advent" or "second coming" because it will be the final "arrival" which consummates the story and brings all of His children home.

I have learned much about this narrative and the importance of understanding it properly.  The story of our redemption bought by Christ's perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection runs from Genesis to Revelation.

However, I had never considered the ways in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus into this world as it's own little moment, without ensuring that we are remembering and sharing with others it's place in the grand scheme of redemptive history.  This was a surprise to me.  I had never really thought about it.  Partially, because it is not something I am accustomed to hearing every year at Christmas.  So I figured, if I have been in church all of my life and had not properly thought through this truth and it's application, perhaps there are others.

The Greater Question.

The fact is that Advent is the answer to the question, "What is Christmas all about?"  So if someone asks the question, can you answer it?  Greater still the question should be, will you tell them even if they don't ask?  Will you start the conversation?  What will you tell them?

The Answer

The answer to this question, "What is Christmas all about?" should never simply be, "It's about the birth of Jesus."  Yet this is the typical understanding and response.  While it is true, it is incomplete. 

The answer should be that Christmas is about the coming of a Messiah, a deliverer, a rescuer.  This then should prompt the questions, "What's a Messiah?"  "Why do I need a deliverer?"  "What do I need to be rescued from?"  If they don't ask those questions, we should suggest them.  Then we can answer them.

There are many verses and ideas that are involved in this answer.  If it is being taught or studied through over the month of December they should all be meditated on.  

This Advent app is a great way to do that.  

It has an introduction that fleshes out the plot.  It then has six parts that are broken down like this: 

1.) the promise of His coming, 2.) the promise of His birth, 3.) the promise of His life,  4.) the promise of His death,  5.) the promise of His resurrection, and 6.) the promise of His eternal reign.  

Then an epilogue of promises kept.  All of these promises are crucial to the overarching historical narrative of the story of redemption. 

Advent as Evangelism

Now, if we are in general conversation and this topic comes up do we need a six point response?  Of course not.  However, it is a prime opportunity for a basic gospel presentation in which the birth of Jesus is included.  For example:

"This is what Christmas is all about.  The creator of the universe created man in his own image to fellowship with him, that man might glorify the name of Almighty God and enjoy Him forever.  God blessed man and gave him the authority to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.  

His instructions of what not to do were minimal.  In spite of these instructions, Man was deceived by the evil one and disobeyed God.  This brought the curse of sin, death, and destruction into the world to be experienced by all of creation.  

However, from the beginning God knew this would happen and had already put in place a plan of redemption that would defeat the curse of sin.  God's plan was His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.  

Throughout the Old Testament, God provides prophecies about the coming of His Son.  This is known as the first Advent.  His Son would be known as the Messiah.  The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  God's son, Jesus Christ, conceived of the Holy Spirit, would be born of a virgin and live a perfect life of obedience to God, being both fully man and fully God.  

He would be a righteous branch springing up from a broken or cut down tree.  He would not be esteemed.  He would be despised and rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief eventually being crucified by His very own people, the Jews.  He would die on a cross, taking the punishment for and removing the guilt of, the sins of all who would believe.(Isaiah 53)  

But on the third day, Jesus would be risen from the dead by the power of God's Spirit, thus defeating death and making His righteousness available to all who would believe.  After a little more time with His disciples, Jesus would ascend to the right hand of the Father and there He would remain, praying for His people and directing the Holy Spirit whom He would send as our comforter and helper.  

One day, He will return again.  This is the second Advent.  On that day He will complete the story. He will destroy the evil one and every consequence of sin will be wiped away as the new heaven and the new earth are created.  He will bring all of those whom have put their faith in Christ to reign with Him forever in glorious perfection and endless worship."

Only By God's Grace

Or something like that.  It doesn't have to be quite that detailed in order to get the point across.  But wouldn't it be awesome to have such a comfortable handle on the basics of the redemptive narrative, from beginning to end, that you could do that.  What I just wrote is maybe a minute or two worth of explanation.  I just wrote that off the top of my head.  I don't tell you that to brag.  It is certainly not perfect.  I tell you that to say that I am better at writing it, than saying it out loud and I could not possibly give you all the scripture references for that little quote from memory.  But, there is something exhilarating about being able to write something like that down.  Because I know it means that this story is really getting on the inside of me. 

That is humbling, because I know it is all of grace.  God has saved me and God is helping me to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus.  It is also a thrilling adventure in which I play a part.

It is like being on a boat, on which I have to work. Sometimes I have to row hard.  Sometimes I have to work a little to get the sails up and then I get to relax a little as the wind carries me along.  Sometimes there are sunny days, sometimes there are stormy seas.   However, all the while God is giving me strength to work and is keeping me safe for eternity.  He is ever at the helm, navigating and steering my life where He wants it to go.(Philippians 2:12-13, Psalm 37:23) 

You Can Do It Too

I want to encourage you to consider this.  1 Peter 3:15 says, "But in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." 

Consider making Christmas, not only about Jesus' coming as a baby, but that you would take this season as an opportunity to consider the entire story of what the Holy Trinity has done for us in this grand narrative.  Be ready to have genuine, knowledgeable conversation about this season which draws the Old and New Testaments together.  Be ready to make known the awesome plan of redemption that God had in place from before time began and glorify Him for it.(Ephesians 1:3-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10)

Remember, by our time table, we think of what God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit did, are still doing, and are going to do.  By God's time table, it is already finished.  From beginning to end, the story has been told.

Because of this we have a great hope that carries us through every difficult time with joy and drives us to share this awesome story with a lost and dying world.  We do this hoping that many of them may come to possess this same great hope and share this gospel with that same joy!

Hallelujah!  What a Savior!

Josh

Vote Your Conscience And Pray Like Crazy

Hello Everyone!

It's been a while.  Life has not made writing regularly an easy thing to do this year.  I don't know if anyone misses my musings and challenges but I do miss writing and having the occasional dialogue in response.  So why today and what am I about to say with a title like the one I have given this post?

Believe it or not, I am not planning to say a lot all things considered, because so much has already been said.  For certain this has been one of the most unusual election cycles this country has ever seen.  It has definitely been historic.  It fascinates me to see a country so divided regarding the candidates that are available to choose from and yet so united, in many ways, regarding how confounded we are as to how we got the choices we have and how unhappy we are to have them.

I have pretty much summed up my thoughts in the title, but I will flesh them out just a little here and leave it alone.  After all, it will not be long until the votes are in and we have someone with whom to deal with as President of the United States presumably for the next four years; barring impeachment or heaven forbid....assassination.

Are You Gonna Tell Us How To Vote?

Absolutely not!  At least not in any certain terms.  There have been more than enough opinion pieces written from both Christian and secular authors suggesting the who and why of our voting choices.  There has been judgement galore and mud-slinging has been at an all time high; not just between candidates, but between the voting public.  Nasty doesn't begin to describe it.

We are a little under a week out from Election Day and early voting has already begun.  If you don't have some idea who you will be voting for on the presidential ticket by now, it is not likely that anything I say will affect you.  And if you have made up your mind, I am not convinced that I will be able to change it.  Anyone who wants to make an informed decision has all that they need to work with.

No, I will not tell you who to vote for but I will strongly suggest THAT you vote.  As my Pastor said Sunday, 

"even if you leave the top of the ticket blank and don't vote for a presidential candidate, there are many other important positions on the ballot that need your vote."  

 I too believe that it is our right and responsibility, as Christians especially, to play a role in the political aspect of our country. Personally, I hold the opinion that a third-party vote or no vote at all is still a vote for someone and is not the most effective way to vote.

However, you will find no judgement here, no matter what you decide.  My humble suggestion is that you vote and then PRAY!!

I Will Tell You To Pray!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!  Pray like the dickens....for BOTH candidates.  One of the reasons that I am writing this now is that I believe the church in general has dropped the ball in praying for their leaders and candidates across the board and I don't want anyone to be able to say that I am suggesting prayer only because a particular candidate was elected. Regardless of who you voted for or who wins, the President Elect and the conceding candidate still need our prayers.

The bible teaches us two things for sure regarding ruling leaders, government in general and how our approach to them should look.

1.) Government and it's leaders are appointed by God and were created and given to us for our good.  We are to respect, honor and obey them.  For example, Romans 13:1-7 tells us:

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.  

 Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?  Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good.  But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.  For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrong doer.  Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  

 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.  Pay all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed."

2.)  WE MUST PRAY FOR THEM!!!  1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us:

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

Now mind you, this was written when Caesars were in power that were ruthless and not at all friendly to the Christian faith.  We in American cannot fathom what it would have been like to live under that kind of rule.  For all of our issues, we truly do not appreciate all that this country and our form of government affords us.  There is vast room for improvement, but we cannot conceive of the kind of persecution that the first century church experienced, not to mention what many around the world experience in our day; and yet these passage still applies.

Can We Handle It?

The prayers that I am suggesting are not, please don't allow them into office or please remove them from office asap.  Those are not necessarily bad, but we must go deeper than that according to the scriptures I have quoted.

Not only are we to pray for them as rulers placed over us for our good, whether we can understand it or not, but we are to pray for their salvation.  The bible knows nothing of half-hearted, "I would rather not be praying this but I know I should" prayers.  We must be passionately committed to it. We must actually be praying for the wisdom, guidance, leadership AND salvation of both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, whether they become President or not, and mean it.

Not only this, but did you notice that "thanksgivings" are to be made.  Can you fathom trying to be thankful for whoever wins this mind-bending election.  Well, that is what seems to be suggested here.  Why?  Because, ultimately God has placed them there and we should always be thankful for what God has ordained to be so as a demonstration of our trust in Him.  I am not however, suggesting that this is easy.

Consequently, I believe that as we begin praying for these candidates and stepping up our prayers for the Presidency, as well as all of our other leaders and lawmakers, we must first examine our hearts and begin with ourselves.  For certain, this applies to me as much as anyone.  I believe it is pride to believe that any of us are above the need to ask God to reveal the weaknesses in our own hearts in order to pray effectively for our neighbors, enemies, leaders, etc. 

Regardless of the situation, prayer must always begin with us. For Christians, it is a vital behavior for all of life.

Conclusion

I don't know what is going to happen in this election, much less in the next four years, but God does.  I trust his will and wisdom.  However, I do not believe the bible teaches that His sovereign rule and reign negates our responsibility as human agents intended to help effect God's will on this earth.  We must own the role that He has given us.  For me that means voting.  For all of us, that means remaining plugged in to what is going on and praying for all of our leaders.

Because I believe that, as Christians, there IS peace to be had in all of this, I will end with this passage from Philippians 4:4-7:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let our reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

May it be so in Jesus name,

Amen 

Comfort in Times of Distress

 Hello all.  

I pray everyone who reads this is well as I know there are so many who are not.  Our days seem to be filled with so much darkness.  From terrorist attacks to domestic violence in families and on the streets, death and strife seem to surround us on every side.  It is so easy to look at our surroundings and think that we are living in the worst of days.  

However, if we look back on history we will remember that their have been days equally as dark or darker.  Our history as a nation and as the human race is peppered with wars, famine, and genocide stretching from the womb to the grave in terms of the ages it impacts.  And so it seems we are not so unique in our age after all.  Sin driven darkness has always surrounded us on every side. And yet we have found  hope.  And yet we have found comfort.  

However, things have changed in our day.  There is one difference, God.  At least in our country, there has never been a time when Christian teachings have been so trivialized.  God and biblical morality has been cast aside in pursuit of selfish, humanistic, relativism where truth is relative and everyone is entitled to whatever makes them happy no matter what it's cost to anyone else.  Because of this we are a morally corrupt nation.  In light of this, hope and comfort seems all to difficult to find many times these days.

You may be thinking, "I thought you were going to be writing about comfort Josh."  Hang with me, I'm getting there.  You see, I believe that the reason we have lost sight of hope and comfort is that, as a country we have cast aside the one constant in which comfort can be found. 

Thankfully,  we have been given reminders over the ages that the faithful, orthodox evangelical churches of our day still hold to.  Whether they are found in a catechism or by simply reading the scriptures, these reminders help us remember from whence our hope, comfort, and help comes. Let's get into it.

Our Only Comfort In Life And Death

The Heidelberg Catechism is a document containing truths that are demonstrated in the form of 129 questions and answers.  It is the very first question and answer from which I would like to draw.  Here it is.

Q:  What is  your only comfort in life and death?

A:  That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.  

He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood. And has set me free from all the power of the devil.

He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; indeed all things must work together for my salvation.

Therefore, by His Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for Him

So What Does This Mean To Us?

It means there is hope and comfort still to be possessed!!! It is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  It means we do not have to despair.  It means that no matter how bad things get, we know that their is someone who always has the best in mind for those whom are His(Romans 8:28) and promises a moment when we will begin eternity sin free, pain free, drama free, death free. Yes, it begins now in part but we will see it's fullness at Christ's return.(Revelation 21:4)  

However, this hope and comfort is not free for all.  It comes through salvation which must be given as a gift, obtained by faith, and followed by righteous works that evidence the reality of this salvation in your life.  

You see:

"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but shall have eternal life."(John 3:16)

This is the reason that I say it is not free is because it cost Jesus, God's only begotten, His life.  Our salvation was bought at the highest price.  And it's victory over sin in our lives was demonstrated through Christ's victory over death and the grave through His resurrection  

The reason I say this salvation is a gift, obtained by faith, followed by works can be explained through two scriptures.

Romans 6:23 tells us this:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us this:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one my boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

This Is Great News!!!

When we surrender our hearts to Christ, repent of our sins, and believe this good news that God has redeemed us from the curse of sin and death; we then have access to "peace which passes all understanding"(Philippians 4:6-8) and "joy unspeakable and full of glory!!"(1 Peter 1:8)

We obtain these precious promises through prayer and faithful obedience to God's word.  This peace and joy can be yours today.  If you are not experiencing these things it means one of two things: 

1.)You are not a Christian.  2.)You are not living a life submitted to Christ's lordship in faithful obedience.  In fact, all of the worlds troubles today are tied to one of these two realities.

Both of these dilemmas are resolvable.  

1.)Repent and believe the gospel.  Place your trust in Christ as the only one who can save you from the curse of sin and provide you eternal life and begin walking in obedience to His word.  Your life will not be perfect, but it will be perfected in due time.

2.)If you have already done #1, then begin walking in it.  Analyze your heart and life and begin making adjustment through prayer and application of God's word to your daily walk.

I pray that in any time of distress in this life, you will find hope, peace, and comfort in the only sure foundation, the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ.

Benediction

"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!" (Jude 1:24-25)

Heartbreak For Humanity and Hunger for Justice

As we all know at this point, a tragedy occurred Sunday night June 12, 2016 as a lone gunman walked into a gay nightclub called Pulse and killed fifty people and injured at least fifty others.  It is the single greatest mass shooting of this nature in the history of the United States.  We are now facing the the one week anniversary.
  

Many grapple with how we are to think through such a tragedy. How do we reconcile the willingness of one person to take the lives of so many unsuspecting fellow human beings.  How are we to respond?  How are we to think through the many dynamics of this event?  

There are those who want to make it about guns.  Others want to make it about sexuality.  Some see it as an opportunity to advance an agenda, be it pro-LGBT or anti-Christian/Muslim.  Still others are so shell-shocked and grief-stricken that they don't know what to think or how to think.  I posted this on Facebook shortly after the news began developing about it and I began seeing responses:

"I want to write more about this through my blog but I had to speak to this a little based on recent interactions.

First of all, if you are a Christian especially, I want to encourage you that in this moment of tragedy and grief, we must refrain from speaking to any underlying moral/biblical issues that we may have regarding this tragedy. As representatives of Christ, we have but one responsibility at this point and that is to grieve and mourn alongside any and all who are grieving and mourning the loss of these fellow human beings.

These victims were living, breathing, flesh and blood people and they have family members whose hearts are broken right now. That is all that matters in this moment.

Regardless of any other characteristic or inclinations a given person may have, they deserve the respect that all humanity deserves as image bearers of their creator in a situation such as this. This is the greatest demonstration of Christian love that we can provide at this time.

There will be ample opportunity to speak to other issues at a later date.

Please, let your light of compassion so shine right now."

I stand by this statement and I believe this should continue to be our approach as Christians for a little while longer.  It's hard to know when it is appropriate to speak into deeper theological and moral issues surrounding this, no matter who you are and how those issues may present.  But we must strive to be sensitive and loving throughout, striving to err on the side of patience.  

Heartbreak for Humanity

As a medical professional, working in a hospital emergency department, I understand on some level what it must have been like for those responding to this call and for those receiving patients at the hospital.  Healthcare professionals are trained and prepared for moments like this in order to do our jobs, but on some level, nothing can ever prepare you for or make you immune to the flood of feelings that comes when human life is lost, especially when it is taken in such a senseless and violent manner.  

Myself and so many like me are stunned and heartbroken as the details unfold regarding the shooter, his victims, their families and the many interactions shared between them in what would be the final moments for at least fifty of them.

Where will we find comfort?  How can we make peace and find rest.  A couple of scriptures come to mind.  I am writing this to any and everyone so even if you do not consider yourself a Christian, I hope they help.  

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus states, 

"Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Psalm 147:3 declares about God,

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds".

In Luke 4:18-21, Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 stating,

 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Often times we struggle to understand the evil that is in this world.   Even if we understand what scripture teaches about it and we know that God is in control and "works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose"(Romans 8:28), at least for a time, we still reel in revolt at its brash and catastrophic affects.

The Christian response must be one of love and holding forth the good news of the gospel as it feels appropriate to do so.  The Christian faith is the only faith that tells the story of how God has ultimately conquered evil and provided for an eternity of glory for all who place their trust in Christ.  An eternity of glory and joy that will eclipse the horrors of this short life for millennia to come.  It is the only faith that guarantees justice will be served to all who live for themselves instead of for God, often performing heinous crimes.  

Hunger for Justice

Justice, that's what we all want right?  In moments like this we hunger for it.  But how can we be sure that justice will prevail?  We have a flawed judicial system in which, many times, the guilty are found innocent or sentenced to seemingly menial terms of punishment.  Even those who get the death penalty often live for years before that justice is served.



Besides, Omar Mateen, the shooter in this case, was killed.  So it's too late for justice right.  For some, his death is justice enough. Even non-religious people will make statements like, "there is a special place in hell for that guy".  A flawed statement anytime it is made to be sure. Regardless, some will wish that there was more justice in the here and now.  That he could have faced trial and we could have watched him face the consequences of his actions on a grander scale in this life.

As a Christian blogger who believes firmly in the bible and it's teaching on justice, let me assure you, justice will be served. 

Hebrews 9:27 states,

"It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgement."

What will this judgement look like?

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.  From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found of them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Then another book was opened, which is the book of life.  And the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up they dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  this is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." -Revelation 20:11-15 

This story plays out for all who are created in God's image whether we like it or not, and that includes Omar Mateen.  However, he made it clear that he served Allah, not Jesus and that he was motivated by loyalties to ISIS and radical Isalm.  His name is NOT written in the book of life.

He will be judged, he will be found wanting, and he will receive justice like nothing this earth or anyone on it has to offer.  He will find himself in the lake of fire.  This crime will not go unpunished and that punishment will not end in his death but in his eternal torment.

Justice will be served!!!

Conclusions

So, what is it I would like for people to come away with in reading this.  First, to any non-Christians, know that you can find peace and rest in the fact that Omar Mateen will be held accountable before the only judge that matters for all of eternity should you choose to believe it. 

You can also trust that those of us who are bible-believing Christians, striving to live out the love of Christ, will be there to support anyone who needs to mourn, grieve, talk, etc. through their feelings about this horrific tragedy.  Anyone who cannot empathize with your feelings of loss on this matter is not mature in Christ and does not understand what it means to show His love toward others. 

Second, to my brothers and sisters in Christ,  please represent the support I just described rather than the ignorant unloving response that I alluded too.  Exercise great discernment and patience in feeling the need to preach or correct in this moment.  Now is a time for comfort and compassion.  The moment will come to share the great news of the gospel and prayerfully when that time comes, hearts will be ready.  

At that moment you must also be ready to present the uncompromising truth of Christ's gospel in as loving a way as possible, making it clear that regardless of who you are talking too, you need this gospel as much as anyone.

I will join you in this endeavor and when it feels appropriate, I will proclaim how the gospel applies regarding this tragedy, from this blog as well as face to face, for anyone who needs it.

May God be glorified and many come to know Him through the loving display of His Church.

In Christ's name,

Amen.

Challenges in Personal Growth and Family Discipleship in 2016 (Testimony and Encouragement)

Hello All,

Wow!!  It has been two months since I have blogged.  This has been in large part to a heavy work schedule and changes in internet availability in various locations.  Don't know who has missed me, but I have missed doing it.  It is still a great way for me to flesh out the work that the Lord is doing in my life as well as sharing God's love and encouraging/challenging others to a life of faithful service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This post will be a bit more personal and confessional rather than teachy/preachy which I am sure some will appreciate as that is what they prefer.  It has been suggested at times that I come off as one who speaks to the sins of others without admitting to my own sins and struggles.  While I struggle to understand how people can consistently see what I write or post on FB and get that, I want to own it and strive to be more vulnerable about my own struggles in my Christian walk.  To be clear, I am anything but holier than thou.  I struggle with sinful tendencies and spiritual growth as much as the next person.  Since I began the New Year raving about spiritual growth and family discipleship, I thought it might be good to reflect on the progress or lack there of in the first quarter of 2016.

Personal Growth

I began the year psyched about scripture memory, bible reading, and family discipleship.  I wanted so many things for me and my family and had many plans/resolutions.  However, as happens for many, most of those things have fallen by the wayside.  Oh we still attend church and small group when schedule permits, but having regular devotions as a family or maintaining any kind of habit regarding the spiritual disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, and scripture memory has been a struggle for the first quarter. 

For me as an individual Christian who is a father and husband, the struggle has been real.  I did well for the first 3-4 weeks but busy work schedules and life in general brought many distractions.  One wonderful development has been in physical discipline as myself and the family have undertaken to get more healthy physically and have made great strides in the last couple of months.  However, as Paul says, "for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.(1 Timothy 4:8).   So clearly there is a balance to be found there.  My hope is that the second quarter will find some of that balance coming to pass.

As the spiritual leader of my home, I am responsible for setting the vision and goals for my families spiritual growth, encouraging it, and causing it to happen when I am home and able to do so.  This has also been a struggle which I certainly attribute in part to my own lack of faithfulness in my personal walk.  

Family Discipleship

So what are we doing about it as a family and what is my plan as the spiritual leader.  Well, adjustments are being made personally as a family.  Thankfully, we are at a church which heavily encourages Family Discipleship while striving to come along side families and bring support and resources toward that end.  

Our church is doing this by way of a catechism and scripture memory concept.   We will be utilizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism as a tool by which to think through what the bible teaches on many of the most important doctrines of the Christian life.  It does this through the study and memorization of questions and answers designed specifically to drive us to what scripture teaches about our purpose, who God is, who Jesus is, what purpose the bible serves, what sin is, what salvation is, and even speaks to the sacraments of baptism and communion.  Another aspect that I love about it, is that it takes us through the Ten Commandments and the Lords Prayer, causing us to memorizing and better understanding both.  I highly recommend this resource to any family who is striving to lead their families in spiritual growth and biblical understanding.

Along with the catechism, we will also be memorizing what many have called The Great Eight.  This is Romans Ch. 8 to be specific.  At the rate of one verse per week it is very doable and in so doing we will memorize some of the greatest truths taught anywhere in scripture concerning our salvation.  

I am very excited about this not only because I believe it will be effective, but because my family and I will not be doing it alone.  We will be doing with our church family which brings an added level of accountability and support that I believe will assist us greatly in being successful in this endeavor.  So while I will still be striving to supplement with some other reading of scripture and other texts as well as additional scripture memory for me and occasionally the boys, this journey with our church will be the foundation upon which we will strive to be more faithful in family discipleship.

No Condemnation

Romans 8:1 states, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus".  That is a beautiful truth which allows me to move beyond the guilt and disappointment of the efforts of the first quarter and to pursue with all confidence and joy the endeavors of the second quarter and beyond.  

If you have wrestled with your own personal growth in Christ or that of your family, I encourage you to find rest in this verse as well and move forward.  Pray about how you can best serve your family and grow individually.  Set reasonable goals and forgive yourself when you fail.  Get back up and keep striving.  I hope to post more about this journey.  If anyone has questions about the catechism and how they can apply it in their home feel free to reach out to me.  

If you do not have a church home, then the first step is to find one.  I cannot stress how important a community and family of faith is in this journey of Christian growth.  If you are anywhere in the Greensboro area, there are many healthy church's but I would highly recommend Living Way Church Greensboro.  Come join us on this journey of growth together, and enjoy biblical worship and teaching from some of the greatest bible teachers in the area in my opinion.

I will be praying for you and I ask that you would do the same for me.

Let's live Coram Deo (before the face of God) together,

In Jesus name,

Amen