Ponderings, Musings, and Other Random Thoughts...

I HAVE MOVED!!!

2009-11-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

Click here for my new blogging site.

THAT’S WHAT CHRISTIANS DO NOW

2009-10-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

The following is a poem I wrote based on an article written by Dr. Donald E. Wildmon of the same title.

THAT’S WHAT CHRISTIANS DO NOW

Luke 9:23 says, “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and watch television. That’s what Christians do now.

Matthew 28:19-20 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and play on the computer. That’s what Christians do now.

Luke 10:2 says, “And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and play video games. That’s what Christians do now.

1 Peter 2:2 says, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and complain about how long the sermon was. That’s what Christians do now.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and talk on the phone and text message. That’s what Christians do now.

2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and take a nap. That’s what Christians do now.

1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and act and talk just like the world. That’s what Christians do now.

James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and try to think of something to do so I won’t be bored. That’s what Christians do now.

James 1:22 says, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”
Me? I go to church, the pastor preaches, I go home and do nothing. That’s what Christians do now.

Don't Judge Me You Stinkin' Hypocrite!!!

2009-10-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:1-5- Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye? Your hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Now, do these verses teach that we are not supposed to judge in any way? Can we not say anything that is perceived as negative to anybody? In other words, can we ever tell anybody that they are wrong? Let's get to the bottom of this judging thing. Let's begin by looking at what these verses do not mean. Then we will see what they do mean.

This does not mean that we cannot say something is a sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22- But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

Romans 12:9- Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Throughout Scripture, we are commanded to differentiate between evil and goodness. I don't think that anybody will argue with this point. From Genesis to Revelation, God tells us what is evil and sinful. He tells us to do this. He tells us not to do this. When God tells us in His Word that something is sinful, we can be confident that it is certainly sinful and wrong. God's Word is very clear on what He considers sin. So, Jesus did not mean that we cannot say something is wrong. We most certainly can and God repeatedly commands us to make the distinction between good and evil. So, this kind of judging is okay.

This does not mean that we have no right to point out false teaching.

2 John 9-11- Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

Matthew 7:15, 20- Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Jude 3- Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Titus 1:9- Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

A lot of people think that we don’t have a right to correct somebody that is teaching something that is incorrect. These verses and others take away that myth. We are commanded to judge whether what somebody teaches is Biblical or not. Not only that, we are supposed to point out their false teachings and correct them. God takes false teachings very seriously. That is why we have to judge whether a teaching or a teacher is teaching the correct thing. We can’t sit by and let people be deceived. John went so far to say that you should not receive a false teacher in your house. This kind of judging is also okay. It is not only okay, but we are commanded to point out false teachings.

This doesn't mean that we are not supposed to talk to unbelievers about sin.

Matthew 28:19-20- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Luke 24:47- And that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

We could look at a multitude of Scriptures on this one, but we'll settle for these two potent reminders. These verses and many others let us know that we are to take Christ's teachings to the whole world. Not only are we to take Christ's teachings to the world, but we are also supposed to call people to repent (turn from their sins to God). We are commanded to call people to turn from their sins. The Scriptures are clear on this one as well. We are supposed to share God's Word with all people. It doesn't matter what their nationality or religion is. We are commanded to call them to repent. So once again, this kind of judging is okay.

This doesn't mean that we cannot confront sin in the life of a fellow believer.

Matthew 18:15-17- If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Leviticus 19:17- You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

Proverbs 27:6- Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Galatians 6:1- Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

A lot of people think that they don’t have any business to confront sin in the life of a believer. We are commanded to confront it, though. Jesus gave us a process of confronting sin that can potentially end pretty severely. Some think it is hateful to confront sin, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is the loving thing to do. If you don’t confront sin in the lives of fellow Christians, then you are not really loving them. We can’t sit by and let them destroy their lives and their witness for Christ. So, this kind of judging is okay, too.

THEN WHAT DOES “DO NOT JUDGE” REALLY MEAN?

We have to remember that Matthew 7 took place during the Sermon on the Mount. The whole way through that sermon, Christ was comparing the way the Pharisees (and other "religious" people of the day) practiced their religion and how true believers were supposed to. Pharisees were some of the most critical, malicious, judgmental people on the face of the planet. They enjoyed making themselves look good by making others look bad. They were very good at pointing out other people's faults, but they never dealt with their own. They also excelled at making up their own standards while ignoring the standards of Scripture.

Jesus was really getting to the heart of the matter. One of the biggest things Jesus stressed during that sermon was our motives and our heart's desires. The Pharisees desire was to belittle others. They would gossip, slander, and talk about others. That made them feel "super-religious". That is what Jesus is condemning. That is why he said that they were trying to take a speck out of their brother's eye, yet they had a log in their own eye. They had a bigger problem than the people they were criticizing. But, Jesus didn't stop there. He went on to say that if they took the log out of their own eye, they would see clearly to take the speck out of their brother's eye. It is okay to try and take the speck out of somebody's eye. First, you need to examine yourself, though. We need to carefully inspect our own life and make sure our motives and actions are sincere.

Did you notice that when Jesus said we are supposed to confront a brother in sin, He said to do it privately? That is the exact opposite of how the Pharisees handled things. We are not supposed to be spreading gossip to everybody and their brother. We are supposed to confont them privately and discreetly. How does Galatians 6:1 tell us to approach them? "In a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." Do you see? It is all about our motives and the way we handle the situation. We are supposed to confont sin. How do we do it? Quietly, gently, and with much love (and only after much self-examination). If confronting them privately does not work, then we are supposed to bring the issue to the church (Matthew 18).

When we follow God's guidelines on judging, then it is not us who is doing the judging. It is God's Word. We are not to be like the Pharisees and make up our own standards. The Word of God is the standard by which we should judge and the standard by which we are judged.

P.S. Why is it that the ones who always say "Don't judge me" are the ones who have been caught in sin? Maybe instead of complaining about people judging us, we should examine ourselves, seek God's forgiveness, and turn from our sins... That would be the godly response to somebody judging us. Lord help us to have that attitude...

Proverbs 15:32- Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.

Proverbs 1:7- The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Happy Anniversary Baby, I've Got You on My Mind!!!

2009-06-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Today is a very special day. Thirteen years ago today, Kelli and I said "I do". I have absolutely no idea how she has put up with me for so long. I guess it is just another amazing case of the grace of God! I am so thankful that God has given me such a wonderful woman to spend my life with. It's so hard to try and sum up in words what I feel about my wife, so I am going to post a poem I wrote about her in the last year or so.

A virtuous woman, is there one to be found,
Whose compassion and faithfulness always abound?

More precious than diamonds or the purest of pearls
Her husband’s heart is captured, it is her he adores.

She is completely selfless of heart and puts others first
She looks to her Savior, for His righteousness she thirsts.

When she sees those in need, her heart truly breaks
She will rise up to help, whatever it takes.

Her children and husband have no cares for tomorrow
For her continuous care shields her family from sorrow.

She teaches her children reading, writing, and more
They learn character and integrity from the Word of God she adores.

Her children call her “Mom”, but they mean so much more
From their hearts comes the cry, “She is blessed of the Lord”.

Her husband loves her more than he did at the start
He is living a dream since she captured his heart.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain
But the light from her heart dispels all the rain.

The fear of the Lord comes first in her life
That fear is what makes her an excellent wife.

Her children rise up to tell her she’s blessed
Her husband calls out she exceeds all the rest.

How can a woman so special be found
Whose compassion and faithfulness always abound?

You can travel the earth and look far and wide
But your search will bring you straight to my bride.

Love,
Your adoring husband

P.S. Kelli wrote a blog today that chronicled "our songs" through the years. My sweetie forgot about one of our songs that sums up our lives quite nicely. I don't know how she could forget this one! ;-)

The Master's Plan for Spiritual Leaders

2009-05-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

The following is a passage from "The Master's Plan for the Church" by John MacArthur. This has been an incredibly challenging and convicting book.

I believe the Devil attacks spiritual leaders with more severe temptations than most Christians will ever experience. It makes sense that those who lead the forces of truth and light against the kingdom of darkness will experience the strongest opposition from the Enemy.

An unholy pastor is like a stained glass window: a religious symbol that filters out the true light. That's why "above reproach" is the initial qualification for spiritual leadership. The seventeenth-century Puritan Richard Baxter wrote,

"Take heed to yourselves, lest you live in those sins which you preach against in others, and lest you be guilty of that which daily you condemn. Will you make it your work to magnify God, and, when you have done, dishonor him as much as others? Will you proclaim Christ's governing power, and yet condemn it, and rebel yourselves? Will you preach his laws, and willfully break them?

If sin be evil, why do you live in it? If it be not, why do you dissuade men from it? If it be dangerous, how dare you venture on it? If it be not, why do you tell men so? If God's threatenings be true, why do you not fear them? If they be false, why do you needlessly trouble men with them, and put them into such frights without cause?

Do you "know the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death;" and yet will you do them? "Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adlutery," or be drunk, or covetous, art thou such thyself? "Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God?" What! Shall the same tongue speak evil that speakest against evil? Shall those lips censure, and slander, and backbite your neighbor, that cry down these and the like things in others?

Take heed to yourselves, lest you cry down sin, and yet do not overcome it; lest, while you seek to bring it down in others, you bow to it, and become its slave yourselves: "For of whom a man is overcome, the same he is brought into bondage." "To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom you obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." O brethren! It is easier to chide at sin, than to overcome it. (The Reformed Pastor, [Carlisle, PA.: Banner of Truth, 1956 reprint], 67-68)

Properity Gospel???

2009-04-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Mark 8:34-36: If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

A Wake-Up Call to Pastors

2009-04-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a book called "The Master's Plan for the Church", by John MacArthur. It has been very convicting, but two paragraphs in particular have really made me stop and think.

1. J. Oswald Sanders writes that if a man "is unwilling to pay the price of fatigue for his leadership, it will always be mediocre" (Spiritual Leadership, p. 175). He also says, "True leadership always exacts a heavy toll on the whole man, and the more effective the leadership is, the higher the price to be paid" (p. 169). Because we understand the urgency of our ministry, we will not mitigate that price. Weariness, loneliness, struggle, rising early, staying up late, and forgoing pleasures all come with excellence.

2. Richard Baxter (1615-1691) wrote that the ministerial work, "must be managed laboriously and diligently, being of such unspeakable consequence to others and ourselves. We are seeking to uphold the world, to save it from the curse of God, to perfect the creation, to attain the ends of Christ's redemption, to save ourselves and others from damnation, to overcome the devil, and demolish his kingdom, and set up the kingdom of Christ, and attain and help others to the kingdom of glory. And are these works to be done with a careless mind or a slack hand? O see then that this work be done with all your might! Study hard, for the well is deep, and our brains are shallow. (The Reformed Pastor [London: James Nisbet and Co., 1860 reprint], 164-65)

A Word to Parents

2009-04-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

"Parents, if you fail to teach your children to fear God, the devil will teach them to hate God. If you fail to teach them to guard their minds, the devil will teach them to have a corrupt mind. If you fail to teach them to obey their parents, the devil will teach them to rebel and break their parents' hearts. If you fail to teach them to select carefully their companions, the devil will choose companions for them. If you fail to teach them to control their lusts, the devil will teach them how to fulfill their lusts. If you fail to teach them to enjoy their own spouses, the devil will teach them to destroy their marriages. If you fail to teach them to watch their words, the devil will fill their mouths with filth. If you fail to teach them to pursue their work, the devil will make their laziness a tool of hell. If you fail to teach them to manage their money, the devil will teach them to squander it on riotous living. And if you fail to teach them to love their neighbors, the devil will teach them to love only themselves. We have a great responsibility to this generation and the next."

From John MacArthur's book "What the Bible Says About Parenting"

Crushed for Christ

2009-03-29T03:28:00.000-07:00

Revelation 2:8-11- And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'

I wonder what the church in Smyrna would have thought of modern day American Christianity. I wonder how they would have responded to the message that God wants you happy, healthy, and wealthy. I wonder what they would have thought of the promises of American pastors that if people would just come to Christ, then all of their problems would instantly be solved. I wonder what they would think of the many professing American Christians whose lifestyles seem identical to non-Christians.

I'll tell you what I think they would have said. They would have said it was hogwash. They would have said it was heresy. They would have said that America could keep there Christianity-lite. They would settle for the true Gospel that calls us to REPENTANT faith in Christ as our only hope of salvation. They would hold on to the demand of the Gospel that they should deny themselves, pick up their crosses daily, and follow Christ.

Why would they choose such a hard and demanding lifestyle over the possibility of having their "best life now"? Maybe because they actually believed the Word of God. They had the audacity to believe verses like 2 Timothy 3:12. "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." Did you notice a striking phrase in that verse? It says that ALL who desire to live a godly life in Christ WILL be persecuted. Notice it didn't say some might. It said that all will. They had the nerve to believe Matthew 5:10-12. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." They even had the gall to believe John 15:18-21. "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master ' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me." They understood that Christians are not called to a life of leisure. We are called to follow Christ no matter the cost.

I'll tell something very fascinating about the church in Smyrna. Smyrna means "myrrh". Myrrh was a spice used for perfume and anointing dead bodies. Myrrh had to be crushed before the aroma would really come out. It is the same way with Christians. It is the hard times that prove who the genuine followers of Christ are. Anybody can "follow" Christ during the easy and happy times. Persecution and trials separate the true from the false. Hard times actually make the true Christians stronger, while it makes the fake believers jump ship.

Romans 5:3-5 tells us, "More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

John MacArthur told a story that illustrates how the persecuted church may seem poor, but it is actually rich beyond measure (just like Christ said about the church in Smyrna).

"They had holiness, they had power, they had love, they had joy, they had grace, they had peace, they had true friends. They had a divine resource. They had a sympathetic Savior. They had grace upon grace. They were rich. That's how it is with a persecuted church. Don't you ever feel sorry for the persecuted church. I will never forget standing down here in front of this row after a service and having a pastor come to me when the Soviet Union was still under communist rule and shaking my hand and saying, "I have read your material in Russian and I come here and I have experienced your church today and I just want to tell you I don't know how you can possibly endure being a pastor in the United States."
And I said, "What do you mean?"
He said, "I could never be a pastor here. It's so much easier in the Soviet Union."
I said, "Why do you say that?"
He said, "Because your people are caught up in the world and material things and comfort and how can you find true commitment?" He said, "I would far rather pastor in the Soviet Union." John MacArthur

In closing, I'm going to let Scripture speak for itself.

1 Peter 1:3-9- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Advice to Teachers

2009-01-24T05:10:00.001-08:00

The following is an excerpt from "The Soul Winner" by Charles Spurgeon.

"Let every teacher weigh these words of Paul, "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us." The genuine soul-winner knows what this means. For my own part, when the Lord helps me to preach, after I have delivered all my matter, and have fired off my shot so fast that my gun has grown hot, I have often rammed my soul into the gun, and fired my heart at the congregation, and this discharge has, under God, won the victory. God will bless by His Spirit our hearty sympathy with His own truth, and make it do that which the truth alone, coldly spoken, would not accomplish. Here, then, is the secret. You must, dear teacher, impart to the young your own soul; you must feel as if the ruin of that child would be your own ruin. You must feel that, if the child remains under the wrath of God, it is to you as true a grief as if you were under that wrath yourself. You must confess the child's sins before God as if they were your own, and stand as a priest before the Lord pleading on its behalf."

My Boys are Living Up to Their Names

2009-01-23T00:15:00.001-08:00

Kelli and I often joke about how our boys are living up to the names we gave them. After the boys and Kelli went to bed tonight, I began to think about how true that is. Allow me to illustrate.

Nathaniel Jacob is our oldest. It took us a little while to decide on his name, but when we came up with it, we knew it was the one. Nathaniel means "gift of God". Nathaniel has no doubt been a gift from God. Kelli and I got married in June of 1996. That December we found out she was pregnant. I think we had tried for only a month or so before we found out she was pregnant. We were ecstatic to put it mildly. Nathaniel has been a blessing in countless ways. From the beginning he has been a Momma's boy. To this day, he fiercely takes up for his Mom (whether she is right or wrong! lol). He loves his dear old Dad, but Mom will always hold a special place in his heart. I was working very long hours on night shift when he was little, so Kelli spent a lot of one on one time with him. Jacob means "supplanter or deceiver". Nathaniel really takes after his namesake in this category. Jacob was a good guy in Scripture, but he sure could be sneaky when he needed to be! That's my Nathaniel. I could tell story after story about the sneaky things he has done. He has definitely given us our share of laughs.

Next came Benjamin Isaac. Remember how I said that Nathaniel was a major Momma's boy? Well, Benjamin went to the other extreme. When he was a baby, it would break Kelli's heart because he didn't want her to get him to sleep. He only wanted his Dad! She could try to get him to sleep for 2 hours. I could snuggle him and 5 minutes later he was sound asleep. It's no wonder that Benjamin means "son of my right hand". Benjamin and I still cut up about how he is the son of my right hand since he is such a Daddy's boy. Nathaniel might take up for Kelli, but Benjamin always takes up for me (even whey I'm wrong). Isaac means "he will laugh". Wouldn't you know that Benjamin would be our little comedian. We knew from the beginning that he would be the class clown. He loves to make people laugh. And when he laughs, he brightens up a whole room. He is always trying to find a funny joke to tell or come up with some kind of practical joke. There is never a dull moment with Benjamin.

And last but not least, Samuel Joseph. I had always dreamed of having 3 boys. After we had 2 we decided that was enough, though. God had another plan for us! Samuel was our little surprise. I'm glad that God does what He thinks is best for us instead of what we think is best. Nathaniel is the Momma's boy. Benjamin is the Daddy's boy. And Samuel is right in the middle. He tries his best to be equal to both of us. Samuel means "His name is God". In the Bible, Hannah named Samuel that because God was the one who answered her prayer for a child. You have to put both of his names together to get the full effect of how he is living up to his name. Joseph means "He will enlarge". In the Bible, Rachel named Joseph that because God had enlarged her family (and would continue to enlarge it). So you've got "His name is God" and "He will enlarge". We thought we were done with children, but God reminded us that we are not God. He is God and He decided to enlarge our family by giving us Samuel. I sure am glad He did. Samuel is one of a kind to put it mildly.

Oh, here is one more interesting thing about the names in our family. Mark means "warrior" and Kelli means "warrior woman". Yet another example of how we are made for each other.

Until next time, blessings and peace to you...

The Path to Insanity???

2009-01-22T13:04:00.001-08:00

We are several weeks into a new Bible study with our youth group. In this study, we are looking at the "The Path to True Happiness". We have been looking at our tendencies to seek stuff to make us happy instead of seeking God. We love to elevate gifts over Giver. We seek pleasure from everything under the sun except for the only One who gives lasting joy. In this particular blog, I just want to give you a few things to chew on that God has been convicting me (and hopefully our youth group) about lately.

First, I want us to look at the story of a guy in Scripture who literally tried everything under the sun he could think of to bring himself happiness. Let's see what Solomon said about his relentless pursuit of happiness.

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 says, "I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?" I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the children of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. The I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun."

Now here was a guy who tried to find happiness in every way imaginable. Let's summarize some different things he tried to find happiness in, according to this passage. He tried all kinds of pleasure, enjoyment, laughter, drinking, partying, goofing off, work, career, houses, countless possessions, servants, unlimited money, entertainment, relationships, as much sex as he wanted, and everything his heart desired. This was astounding!!! But even more astounding than all of the things he tried is his assessment of his life after experiencing all of this pleasure. He said that all of it was vanity. It was all pointless. It was all useless. It might have brought temporary pleasure, but it never brought lasting happiness.

If his approach to life doesn't resemble the American dream, then I don't know what does. If you want it, do it. If it makes you happy, go for it. Just follow your heart and you will find happiness. Yet Scripture teaches and life confirms that stuff and relationships, as much temporary pleasure as they might bring, cannot give us lasting joy. It's no surprise that even though America is the most prosperous nation in the history of the world, depression is at an all-time high.

If only I had that job, I would be happy. If only I had that car, I would be happy. If only I had that house, I would be happy. If only I had that spouse, I would be happy. If only I had a different spouse, I would be happy. If only I had kids, I would be happy. Do you see the endless cycle? We are seeking lasting joy from temporary experiences. Meanwhile, we are ignoring the only Source of true and lasting joy. We are treasuring gifts instead of treasuring Giver. And as long as we do that, we will never experience true happiness.

I want to close out this blog by looking at Jesus' teaching on the path to true happiness. It is a familiar passage, but I'm afraid we usually just skim over it instead of really considering the implications of what is said.

Matthew 5:3-12 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted..... Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth..... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied..... Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy..... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God..... Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. .... Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..... Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account... ..Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

In this passage, blessed literally means "happy, fortunate, or blissful". Is it just me, or does this seem like complete insanity at first glance? Happy are the poor in spirit. Happy are those who mourn. Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Happy are those who are persecuted for the sake of Christ. This sounds like lunacy! How can those things bring happiness? How can all of the desirable things we seek be unable to bring happiness, while this crazy list is a guarantee to bring lasting happiness?

I hope you will be considering how this passage relates to the way you are living your life. We are going to consider some implications of this passage next week. Until next time, blessings and peace.

What's the Big Deal With Repentance???

2009-01-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Repentance..... Now there is a word that we don't hear very much any more. It seems the most common teachings that are going around these days are: God wants you healthy, wealthy, and happy. Just come to Christ and all of your problems will go away. Do you want a new car, job, or a problem free life? Just name it and claim it! We don't hear words like sin, hell, and repentance. It reminds me of 2 Timothy 4:3-4. It says, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." If that is not an accurate description of the modern church, I don't know what is. This ear tickling has also seaped into teachings on salvation. Just repeat this prayer, come to the altar and pray, and raise your hand are a few that come to mind. How does this line up with what Scripture teaches about salvation? Is that all we have to do? Do we just repeat a prayer or raise our hand during an invitation? In the words of the Philippian jailer, "What must I do to be saved?". I want us to take a look at the role of faith and repentance in salvation.

Is repentance really that important? Is it necessary for salvation? We are going to see that repentance and faith are different sides of the same coin. They are inseparable when it comes to salvation. Throughout all of the New Testament, repentance is taught as being essential for salvation. Don't believe me? John the Baptist taught it. Matthew 3:2 says, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus taught it. Luke 13:3 says, "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." The disciples taught it. Mark 6:12 says, "They went out and preached that men should repent." Peter preached it at Pentecost (Acts 2:38) and Paul taught it as well (Acts 17:30-31). It sounds like repentance is vital to the Gospel. That is why Jesus told His disciples in Luke 24:47 that we are supposed to preach repentance to all the nations. Jesus said if you don't repent you will perish. If repentance is that important, I think we need to understand exactly what it is.

2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death." What exactly do we feel sorrow for? What is this sorrow that leads to repentance? We feel sorrow because of our sin. We come to understand our condition. We realize that we have sinned (Romans 3:23). We realize that the best we have to offer is filthy in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). We realize that we have no hope of pleasing God on our own. We are sinners (Rom. 5:8), enemies (Rom. 5:10), helpless (Rom. 5:6), alienated (Col. 1:21), blind (2 Cor. 4:4), fools (Rom. 1:22) depraved (Rom. 1:28), children of wrath (Eph. 2:3), and dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Because of our sin, we are worthy of death (Romans 6:23) and eternal punishment (2 Thess. 1:9). When we really understand our condition, it should produce a disgust for our sin. It should produce a desire to get rid of the filth in our life. It should produce a terror that we have offended a holy God. Notice I said it SHOULD. Before we come to Christ, we are spiritually dead, though (Eph. 2:1). Left to our own, nobody would ever seek God's forgiveness. Romans 3:11 tells us that nobody seeks after God. God seeks us (Luke 19:10). God Himself must convict us and open our eyes to our true condition. Romans 2:4 tells us that, "the kindness of God leads us to repentance." 2 Timothy 2:25-26 tell us that God is the One who grants repentance. So, repentance is loathing our sin. You go from loving and being okay with your sin to being disgusted by it. We can't stand our sin and we want to be rid of it. That is the part repentance plays in salvation. Repentance strips away all of our pride and self-righteousness. Then it creates a hunger for the true righteousness that can only come from God. Where does faith come into all of this, though. If you were to stop with repentance, you would have an incomplete Gospel. Let's see how faith plays it's part in salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." We simply cannot earn our salvation. We have nothing to offer. It is only by God's grace (undeserved favor) that we can be saved. It is a gift. You don't earn a gift. It is freely given. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Christ paid the price for our sin when He died on the cross. Romans 3:25 says, "He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because our justification." He died for our sins and arose three days later so we can be declared innocent. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." When we believe in Christ, He takes our sin and gives us His righteousness. It must be repentant faith, though. Simply believing Christ exists, or even that he died for our sins is not enough. James 2:19 says that even the demons believe and they tremble. Remember the people in Matthew 7? Verses 21-23 say, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." Those people believed Christ was real and even did great works in His name. Their faith was in their works, though. It wasn't a repentant faith. Many, many people are in that same situation today. They believe Christ is real, but they aren't trusting in Him as their only hope of salvation. They believe in Christ, but trust in their own works. Somebody who has truly repented knows that they have nothing to offer. They are spiritually bankrupt and have no hope of paying the debt themselves. Repentance takes all of the confidence out of yourself and faith puts it in Christ. That is why I said that they were two sides of the same coin.

Leaving repentance out of our teaching on salvation has had disastrous results. It is no wonder that most people who claim to be Christians show no evidence of it. They have repeated a prayer, walked an isle, or raised their hand, but they have never repented. Repentant faith produces a change. That is why John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:8, "Therefore bear fruit, in keeping with repentance." James 2:14,17-18 says, "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? Even so faith, if it has now works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works": show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works." Works do not save us, but they are the product of true faith. Matthew 7:20 says you will know a tree by it's fruit. In the words of Paul in Romans 6:2, "How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" True believers can't live the same way they used to. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." If we will start teaching repentance and faith, we will see transformed lives; lives that are transformed by the power of the Gospel. My prayer is that you have repentant faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that God will grant you repentance to make you loathe your sin and to strip you of all confidence in yourself. Then I pray you will trust Christ as your only hope of salvation. Until next time.......

Great is Thy Faithfulness

2009-01-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Pity the Fools

2009-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

Pity the Fool(s)

John MacArthur

Compassion

God’s love to all humanity is a love of compassion. To say it another way, it is a love of pity. It is a broken-hearted love. He is “good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon [Him]” (Ps. 86:5). “To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him” (Dan. 9:9). He is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exod. 34:6).

Again, we must understand that there is nothing in any sinner that compels God’s love. He does not love us because we are lovable. He is not merciful to us because we in any way deserve His mercy. We are despicable, vile sinners who if we are not saved by the grace of God will be thrown on the trash heap of eternity, which is hell. We have no intrinsic value, no intrinsic worth—there’s nothing in us to love.

I recently overheard a radio talk-show psychologist attempting to give a caller an ego-boost: “God loves you for what you are. You must see yourself as someone special. After all, you are special to God.”

But that misses the point entirely. God does not love us “for what we are.” He loves us in spite of what we are. He does not love us because we are special. Rather, it is only His love and grace that give our lives any significance at all. That may seem like a doleful perspective to those raised in a culture where self-esteem is elevated to the supreme virtue. But it is, after all, precisely what Scripture teaches: “We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly” (Ps. 106:6). “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isa. 64:6).

Pity the Fool(s)God loves because He is love; love is essential to who He is. Rather than viewing His love as proof of something worthy in us, we ought to be humbled by it.

God’s love for the reprobate is not the love of value; it is the love of pity for that which could have had value and has none. It is a love of compassion. It is a love of sorrow. It is a love of pathos. It is the same deep sense of compassion and pity we have when we see a scab-ridden derelict lying in the gutter. It is not a love that is incompatible with revulsion, but it is a genuine, well-meant, compassionate, sympathetic love nonetheless.

Frequently the Old Testament prophets describe the tears of God for the lost:

Therefore my heart intones like a harp for Moab, and my inward feelings for Kir-hareseth. So it will come about when Moab presents himself, when he wearies himself upon his high place, and comes to his sanctuary to pray, that he will not prevail. This is the word which the Lord spoke earlier concerning Moab (Isa. 16:11–13).

“And I shall make an end of Moab,” declares the Lord, “the one who offers sacrifice on the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods. Therefore My heart wails for Moab like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced. For every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins” (Jer. 48:35–37).

Similarly, the New Testament gives us the picture of Christ, weeping over the city of Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt. 23:37). Luke 19:41–44 gives an even more detailed picture of Christ’s sorrow over the city:

And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Those are words of doom, yet they’re spoken in great sorrow. It is genuine sorrow, borne out of the heart of a divine Savior who “wanted to gather [them] together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,” but they were “unwilling.”

Those who deny God’s love for the reprobate usually suggest that what we see here is the human side of Jesus, not His divinity. They say that if this were an expression of sincere desire from an omnipotent God, He would surely intervene in their behalf and save them. Unfulfilled desire such as Jesus expresses here is simply incompatible with a sovereign God, they say.

But consider the problems with that view. Is Christ in His humanity more loving or more compassionate than God? Is tenderness perfected in the humanity of Christ, yet somehow lacking in His deity? When Christ speaks of gathering the people of Jerusalem as a hen gathers her chicks, is this not deity speaking, rather than humanity? Do not these pronouncements of doom necessarily proceed from His deity as well? And if the words are the words of deity, how can anyone assert that the accompanying sorrow is the product of Christ’s human nature only, and not the divine? Do not our hearts tell us that if God is love—if His tender mercies are over all His works—then what we hear in Jesus’ words must be an echo of the divine?

To the Praise of His Glory

2009-01-18T02:25:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 1:3-14- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Apathy

2009-01-17T02:17:00.000-08:00

Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares whether that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only, the shorter it is the better. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

For Men Only

2009-01-16T01:50:00.000-08:00

Just a little advice for you men. lol

Divided by Truth

2009-01-15T06:15:00.000-08:00

Today's blog is going to be the shortest I've ever done. My mind has been swirling with different things that I could blog about, but one thing in particular has stuck out. Have you ever read a quote that you couldn't get out of your mind? Well, I read one this week.

I better give a little background first. A pastor had been preaching through the book of Romans. He was about to preach on one of the most controversial passages in that book, possibly in the whole Bible. The chairman of the deacon board, one of the most powerful men in town, warned him not to continue. The chairman said the sermon would divide the church.

Curious what the response was? It is the quote that won't get out of my head. So, without further ado, here is the quote along with who said it.

"Better to be divided by truth than united in error." Steve Lawson

Until next time, blessings and peace.

Bonhoeffer??? Gesundheit!!!

2009-01-14T05:56:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book entitled "The Cost of Discipleship". In this excerpt, he is explaining that true faith produces works. In other words, "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26).

When he was challenged by Jesus to accept a life of voluntary poverty, the rich young man knew he was faced with the simple alternative of obedience or disobedience. When Levi was called from the receipt of custom and Peter from his nets, there was no doubt that Jesus meant business. Both of them were to leave everything and follow. Again, when Peter was called to walk on the rolling sea, he had to get up and risk his life. Only one thing was required in each case- to rely on Christ's word, and cling to it as offering greater security than all the securities in the world. The forces which tried to interpose themselves between the word of Jesus and the response of obedience were as formidable then as they are today. Reason and conscience, responsibility and piety all stood in the way, and even the law and "scriptural authority" itself were obstacles which pretended to defend them from going to the extremes of antinomianism and "enthusiasms." But the call of Jesus made short work of all these barriers, and created obedience. That call was the Word of God himself, and all that it required was single-minded obedience.

If, as we read our Bibles, we heard Jesus speaking to us in this way today we should probably try to argue ourselves out of it like this: "It is true that the demand of Jesus is definite enough, but I have to remember that he never expects us to take his commands legalistically. What he really wants me to have is faith. But my faith is not necessarily tied up with riches or poverty or anything of the kind. We may be both poor and rich in the spirit. It is not important that I should have no possessions, but if I do I must keep them as though I had them not, in other words, I must cultivate a spirit of inward detachment, so that my heart is not in my possessions."

Jesus may have said, "Sell thy goods," but he meant: "Do not let it be a matter of consequence to you that you have outward prosperity; rather keep your goods quietly, having them as if you had them not. Let not your heart be in your goods," We are excusing ourselves from single-minded obedience to the word of Jesus on the pretext of legalism and a supposed preference for an obedience "in faith." The difference between ourselves and the rich young man is that he was not allowed to solace his regrets by saying: "Never mind what Jesus says, I can still hold on to my riches, but in a spirit of inner detachment. Despite my inadequacy I can take comfort in the thought that God has forgiven me of my sins and can have fellowship with Christ in faith."

But no, he went away sorrowful. Because he would not obey, he could not believe. In this the young man was quite honest. He went away from Jesus and indeed this honesty had more promise than any apparent communion with Jesus based on disobedience. As Jesus realized, the trouble with the young man was that he was not capable of such an inward detachment from riches. As an earnest seeker for perfection he had probably tried it a thousand times before and failed, as he showed by refusing to obey the word of Jesus when the moment of decision came. It is just here that the young man was entirely honest. But we in our sophistry differ altogether from the hearers of Jesus' word of whom the Bible speaks.

If Jesus said to someone: "Leave all else behind and follow me; resign your profession, quit your family, your people, and the home of your fathers," then he knew that to this call there was only one answer- the answer of single-minded obedience, and that it is only to this obedience that the promise of fellowship with Jesus is given. But we should probably argue thus: "Of course we are meant to take the call of Jesus with 'absolute seriousness,' but after all the true way of obedience would be to continue all the more in our present occupations, to stay with our families, and serve him there in a spirit of true inward detachment." If Jesus challenged us with the command: "Get out of it," we should take him to mean: "Stay where you are but cultivate that inward detachment." Again, if he were to say to us: "Be not anxious," we should take him to mean: "Of course it is not wrong for us to be anxious: we must work and provide for ourselves and our dependents. If we did not we should be shirking our responsibilities. But all the time we ought to be inwardly free from all anxiety." Perhaps Jesus would say to us: "Whosoever smiteth thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." We should then suppose him to mean: "The way really to love your enemy is to fight him hard and hit him back." Jesus might say: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God," and we should interpret it thus: "Of course we should have to seek all sorts of other things first; how could we otherwise exist? What he really means is the final preparedness to stake all on the kingdom of God." All along the line we are trying to evade the obligation of single-minded, literal obedience.

How is such absurdity possible? What has happened that the word of Jesus can be thus degraded by this trifling, and thus left open to the mockery of the world. When orders are issued in other spheres of life there is no doubt whatever of their meaning. Are we to treat the commandment Jesus differently from other orders and exchange single-minded obedience for downright disobedience? How could that be possible?

Terrific Hymn Tuesday: Very Cool Video

2009-01-13T02:12:00.000-08:00

Before the Throne of God Above is my all-time favorite hymn. The lyrics are unbelievable. When I found this version, I fell in love with it.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Until next time, blessings and peace...

Monday With MacArthur: Is Your Faith Real???

2009-01-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

How can we know if our faith is real?

The Bible provides a clear understanding of genuine saving faith-true faith produces good fruit. In His parable of the soils and the seed, the Lord Jesus taught that, while unbelievers are unfruitful, those who are saved would bear fruit. In this parable, three of four soils produced fruitless plants, vivid pictures of receptions of God's Word that never resulted in salvation.

In contrast, fruit-bearing plants thrive in the good soil that pictures a redeemed heart. Jesus said, "But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:23). All believers are fruitful, even though not equally fruitful.

The Bible also describes what good fruit looks like. The following chart lists the characteristics of genuine saving faith. In essence, it serves as a guide for spiritual fruit inspection (2 Corinthians 13:5). If you are unsure about the reality of your faith, please take the time to study this chart, taking care to read each of the accompanying Scripture passages.

The Character of Genuine Saving Faith

I. Evidences That Neither Prove Nor Disprove One's Faith

* Visible Morality: Matthew 19:16-21; 23:27.
* Intellectual Knowledge: Romans 1:21; 2:17ff.
* Religious Involvement: Matthew 25:1-10
* Active Ministry: Matthew 7:21-24
* Conviction of Sin: Acts 24:25
* Assurance: Matthew 23
* Time of Decision: Luke 8:13, 14

II. The Fruit/Proofs of Authentic/True Christianity:

* Love for God: Psalm 42:1ff; 73:25; Luke 10:27; Romans 8:7
* Repentance from Sin: Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13; Romans 7:14ff; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 1 John 1:8-10
* Genuine Humility: Psalm 51:17; Matthew 5:1-12; James 4:6, 9ff.
* Devotion to God's Glory: Psalm 105:3; 115:1; Isaiah 43:7, 48:10ff.; Jeremiah 9:23, 24; 1 Corinthians 10:31
* Continual Prayer: Luke 18:1; Ephesians 6:18ff.; Philippians 4:6ff.; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; James 5:16-18
* Selfless Love: 1 John 2:9ff, 3:14; 4:7ff.
* Separation from the World: 1 Corinthians 2:12; James 4:4ff.; 1 John 2:15-17, 5:5
* Spiritual Growth: Luke 8:15; John 15:1-6; Ephesians 4:12-16
* Obedient Living: Matthew 7:21; John 15:14ff.; Romans 16:26; 1 Peter 1:2, 22; 1 John 2:3-5

If List I is true of a person and List II is false, there is cause to question the validity of one's profession of faith. Yet if List II is true, then the top list will be also.

III. The Conduct of the Gospel:

* Proclaim it: Matthew 4:23
* Defend it: Jude 3
* Demonstrate it: Philippians 1:27
* Share it: Philippians 1:5
* Suffer for it: 2 Timothy 1:8
* Don't hinder it: 1 Corinthians 9:16
* Be not ashamed: Romans 1:16
* Preach it: 1 Corinthians 9:16
* Be empowered: 1 Thessalonians 1:5
* Guard it: Galatians 1:6-8

Adapted from John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 2190.

Scripture for Sunday: Hard Words From Jesus

2009-01-11T06:07:00.001-08:00

Luke 14:25-35- Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Saturday With Spurgeon: Roots or Fruits???

2009-01-10T04:45:00.001-08:00

Now, it is impossible for you to love God without the strong conclusive evidence that God loves you. I once knew a good woman who was the subject of many doubts, and when I got to the bottom of her doubt, it was this: she knew she loved Christ, but she was afraid he did not love her. "Oh!" I said, "that is a doubt that will never trouble me; never, by any possibility, because I am sure of this, that the heart is so corrupt, naturally, that love to God never did get there without God's putting it there." You may rest quite certain, that if you love God, it is a fruit, and not a root. It is the fruit of God's love to you, and did not get there by the force of any goodness in you. You may conclude, with absolute certainty, that God loves you if you love God. There never was any difficulty on his part. It always was on your part, and now that the difficulty is gone from you, none whatever remains. O let our hearts rejoice and be filled with great delight, because the Savior has loved us and given himself for us.

Charles Spurgeon

Family Friday: God's Take on a Healthy Family

2009-01-09T03:23:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 5:21-6:4- And be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, thatHe might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spotor wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless,each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself,and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Thursday’s Thoughts from Mark G.- Do You Need a Heart Transplant???

2009-01-08T02:13:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:8- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

That is an absolutely shocking verse to me. The pure in heart will see God. Can you imagine being able to see the God of the universe? Can you imagine being able to look at His face? Revelation gives us a glimpse ahead of what it will be like. Revelation 22:3-4 says, "There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads." This is a completely and utterly shocking picture. There is no greater gift than the gift of God Himself. And Scripture tells us that the pure in heart will get to see God. We would do well to consider some implications of this. This is the same God who said to Moses, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" (Exodus 33:20) What is going on here? Is this some kind of contradiction? How can one verse tell us that nobody can see God and live, yet another tells us that the pure in heart will see God?

That brings us to the heart of the problem (pun intended). Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" The pure in heart will see God. That is wonderful news. The awful news is that nobody has a pure heart. We all by nature have a deceitful and wicked heart. It's not just deceitful and wicked, but it is deceitful and wicked ABOVE ALL THINGS. Maybe Jeremiah 17:9 is just talking about the hearts of a few people, though. Surely everybody's heart is not so bad, right? Wrong… Romans 3:10 says, "As it is written, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE." What is going on here? Was Jesus just playing word games in Matthew 5? Is that an empty promise? Is there no hope?

Let's use a little logic for a moment, shall we? The pure in heart will see God. We have wicked hearts, though. It sounds to me like what we need is a heart transplant. We need to get rid of our filthy hearts and get a new and pure one. Is that even possible, though? Ezekiel 36:25-27 says, "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

Now this is wonderful news! God says that He is able to cleanse us from the filthiness of our sins. Not only that, but He will take out our sin-hardened heart of stone and will replace it with a pure heart of flesh. This is an astounding miracle! Not only can He give us a new heart, but He can also give us His Holy Spirit to live inside of us. And with the Holy Spirit inside of us, He will cause us to obey His commandments. Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." With a brand new heart and His Spirit inside of us, He will be at work in us to cause us to will and work for His good pleasure. Our hearts can be pure. Our sins can be cleansed. And He can help us to obey.

This begs a question. How do we get this heart transplant? Let's go to the words of our Lord Jesus Himself. Mark 1:15 says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." We must repent and believe in the gospel. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin. What does it mean to repent? We must be sickened and disgusted by our sins. When we truly see how bad our sin is, it causes us to want to turn from it. We want to be free from it, yet we realize that we are powerless to save ourselves. That causes us to turn to the only One who can save us, Jesus Christ. We turn from our love of sin and self and place all of our hope and trust in Christ to save us. What does it mean to believe? We believe that it is only through the worth of His sinless life, substitutionary death, and glorious resurrection that we can be saved. We trust in Christ as our only hope of salvation. So repentance strips us of our love of sin and confidence in our ability to save ourselves. Then it turns us to believe in the only One that can save us. Repentance causes us to believe in Christ. When we do those things, by the grace of God, we can have that pure heart that we desperately need. And because of that, we will be able to see God. And it just doesn't get any better than that! Praise His Name for that wonderful grace!!!

Until next time, blessings to you…

Whatever Mark G. Wants Wednesday: One Life to Live

2009-01-07T02:52:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 5:15-17- Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Make the most of your time... Don't be foolish... Understand what the will of the Lord is... I've been thinking a lot about making the most of my time lately. We don't know how long we have on this earth. Some people live to a ripe old age. Others die before there lives really seem to get started. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that we live to be 80 years old.

80 years
960 months
4,160 weeks
29,120 days (okay, I didn't count leap years)
700,800 hours
42,048,000 minutes
2,522,880,000 seconds

You know, when you think about it like that, it puts a whole new perspective on your time. And nothing says that we will get 80 years. So what does this have to do with anything? I'm glad you asked. If our time is so limited, shouldn't we use it wisely? If we've only got one life, shouldn't we make the most out of it?

I've got a few guarantees for you. When you and I take our last breathe, we won't be worried about a lot of the things that we are now. We won't care who won the BCS title game. We won't care if we got to see that movie. We won't care if we got to take that nap. We won't care if we beat that video game. We won't care how much money we have in our checking accounts. We won't care about our clothes or our house. Earthly things won't matter then.

We will be wondering how we have prepared for eternity. Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

That brings up a question. Where is your treasure? Where is my treasure? Now Ephesians 5 is starting to make sense. Now the command to make the most of my time takes on a whole new meaning. Now I see why I don't need to be foolish. Now I see why I need to understand what the will of the Lord is. We need to be like Jonathan Edwards. He made the following resolution.

"Resolved, never to lose one moment of time: but improve it the most profitable way I possible can."

Let's let go of the earthly things that won't matter in eternity. Why would we spend so much time and energy on things that moths and rust will destroy? Let's make sure our treasure will last. Let's put our time, energy, and resources on Christ and His kingdom. That is the only thing that will matter in eternity anyway. Let's make the most of our time and give Christ our everything.

Just something for us to think about. Until next time, blessings and peace...

Terrific Hymn Tuesday: Amazing Video

2009-01-06T01:56:00.000-08:00

"Be Thou My Vision" has been one of my favorite hymns for a while. This rendition of it blew me away, though. Thanks to Berean Wife for posting.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

I pray that you have a blessed day in the service of our Lord!

Monday With Macarthur: Sin is No Big Deal???

2009-01-05T01:32:00.000-08:00

The following is an excerpt from John MacArthur's book, "The Vanishing Conscience".

We live in a culture that has elevated pride to the status of a virtue. Self-esteem, positive feelings, and personal dignity are what our society encourages people to seek. At the same time, moral responsibility is being replaced by victimism, which teaches people to blame someone else for their personal failures and iniquities. Frankly, the biblical teachings about human depravity, sin, guilt, repentance, and humility are not compatible with any of those ideas.

The church has been far too willing to embrace the fads of worldly opinion- particularly in the area of psychology and self-esteem. Christians often merely echo worldly thinking on the psychology of guilt and the importance of feeling good about oneself. The adverse effect on the life of the church can hardly be underestimated.

Nowhere has the damage registered more than the way professing Christians deal with their own sin. In speaking to Christians around the country, I have seen a disheartening trend developing for at least two decades. The church as a whole is growing less concerned with sin, and more obsessed with self-exoneration and self-esteem. Christians are rapidly losing sight of sin as the root of all human woes. And many Christians are explicitly denying that their own sin can be the cause of their personal anguish. More and more are attempting to explain the human dilemma in wholly unbiblical terms: temperament, addiction, dysfunctional families, the child within, codependency, and a host of other irresponsible escape mechanisms promoted by secular psychology.

The potential impact of such a drift is frightening. Remove the reality of sin, and you take away the possibility of repentance. Abolish the doctrine of human depravity and you void the divine plan of salvation. Erase the notion of personal guilt and you eliminate the need for a Savior. Obliterate the human conscience, and you will raise an amoral and unredeemable generation. The church cannot join hands with the world in such a grossly satanic enterprise. To do so is to overthrow the very gospel we are called to proclaim.

All I can say is, Amen. Until next time, blessings and peace to you...

Scripture for Sunday: Jesus Prays for His Own

2009-01-04T02:46:00.000-08:00

John 17:1-26- 1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

6 "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Saturday with Spurgeon- Being Drawn by the Father

2009-01-03T00:21:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my favorite excerpts from Charles Spurgeon. The following is taken from a sermon entitled "Human Inability".

Our second point is THE FATHER'S DRAWINGS. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." How then does the Father draw men? Arminian divines generally say that God draws men by the preaching of the gospel. Very true; the preaching of the gospel is the instrument of drawing men, but there must be some thing more than this. Let me ask to whom did Christ address these words? Why, to the people of Capernaum, where he had often preached, where he had uttered mournfully and plaintively the woes of the law and the invitations of the gospel. In that city he had done many mighty works and worked many miracles. In fact, such teaching and such miraculous attestation had he given to them, that he declared that Tyre and Sidon would have repented long ago in sack-cloth and ashes, if they had been blessed with such privileges. Now, if the preaching of Christ himself did not avail to the enabling these men to come to Christ, it cannot be possible that all that was intended by the drawing of the Father was simply preaching. No, brethren, you must note again, he does not say no man can come except the minister draw him, but except the Father draw him. Now there is such a thing as being drawn by the gospel, and drawn by the minister, without being drawn by God. Clearly, it is a divine drawing that is meant, a drawing by the Most High God—the First Person of the most glorious Trinity sending out the Third Person, the Holy Spirit, to induce men to come to Christ. Another person turns round and says with a sneer, "Then do you think that Christ drags men to himself, seeing that they are unwilling!" I remember meeting once with a man who said to me, "Sir, you preach that Christ takes people by the hair of their heads and drags them to himself." I asked him whether he could refer to the date of the sermon wherein I preached that extraordinary doctrine, for if he could, I should be very much obliged. However, he could not. But said I, while Christ does not drag people to himself by the hair of their heads, I believe that, he draws them by the heart quite as powerfully as your caricature would suggest. Mark that in the Father's drawing there is no compulsion whatever; Christ never compelled any man to come to him against his will. If a man be unwilling to be saved, Christ does not save him against his will. How, then, does the Holy Spirit draw him? Why, by making him willing. It is true he does not use "moral suasion;" he knows a nearer method of reaching the heart. He goes to the secret fountain of the heart, and he knows how, by some mysterious operation, to turn the will in an opposite direction, so that, as Ralph Erskine paradoxically puts it, the man is saved "with full consent against his will;" that is, against his old will he is saved. But he is saved with full consent, for he is made willing in the day of God's power. Do not imagine that any man will go to heaven kicking and struggling all the way against the hand that draws him. Do not conceive that any man will be plunged in the bath of a Saviour's blood while he is striving to run away from the Saviour. Oh, no. It is quite true that first of all man is unwilling to be saved. When the Holy Spirit hath put his influence into the heart, the text is fulfilled—"draw me and I will run after thee." We follow on while he draws us, glad to obey the voice which once we had despised. But the gist of the matter lies in the turning of the will. How that is done no flesh knoweth; it is one of those mysteries that is clearly perceived as a fact, but the cause of which no tongue can tell, and no heart can guess. The apparent way, however, in which the Holy Spirit operates, we can tell you. The first thing the Holy Spirit does when he comes into a man's heart is this: he finds him with a very good opinion of himself: and there is nothing which prevents a man coming to Christ like a good opinion of himself. Why, says man, "I don't want to come to Christ. I have as good a righteousness as anybody can desire. I feel I can walk into heaven on my own rights." The Holy Spirit lays bare his heart, lets him see the loathsome cancer that is there eating away his life, uncovers to him all the blackness and defilement of that sink of hell, the human heart, and then the man stands aghast. "I never thought I was like this. Oh! those sins I thought were little, have swelled out to an immense stature. What I thought was a mole-hill has grown into a mountain; it was but the hyssop on the wall before, but now it has become a cedar of Lebanon. Oh," saith the man within himself, "I will try and reform; I will do good deeds enough to wash these black deeds out." Then comes the Holy Spirit and shows him that he cannot do this, takes away all his fancied power and strength, so that the man falls down on his knees in agony, and cries, "Oh! once I thought I could save myself by my good works, but now I find that

"Could my tears for ever flow,
Could my zeal no respite know,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save and thou alone.'"

Then the heart sinks, and the man is ready to despair. And saith he, "I never can be saved. Nothing can save me." Then, comes the Holy Spirit and shows the sinner the cross of Christ, gives him eyes anointed with heavenly eye-salve, and says, "Look to yonder cross. that Man died to save sinners; you feel that you are a sinner; he died to save you." And he enables the heart to believe, and to come to Christ. And when it comes to Christ, by this sweet drawing of the Spirit, it finds "a peace with God which passeth all understanding, which keeps his heart and mind through Jesus Christ our Lord." Now, you will plainly perceive that all this may be done without any compulsion. Man is as much drawn willingly, as if he were not drawn at all; and he comes to Christ with full consent, with as full a consent as if no secret influence had ever been exercised in his heart. But that influence must be exercised, or else there never has been and there never will be, any man who either can or will come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is the link if you want to read the sermon in its entirety:

http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0182.htm

Until next time, blessings and peace...

Family Friday: Teaching Your Children

2009-01-02T05:37:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 6:5-7- You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

God has really been dealing with me about the importance of teaching my children His Word. This may sound strange to some, but one of my biggest fears is that my children would learn more about God at church than at home. Throughout Scripture, God makes it plain that it is the parents primary role to teach their children God's Word.

Overall, I think we have been heading in the right direction. A day doesn't go by that we are not talking about God and His Word in our home. We talk about God in the car. We pray together at meals and other times. That is not something we have to think about doing, that is just what we talk about. Sometimes, we may not be talking directly to the boys about God, but we are talking in front of them about Him. There is always room for improvement, but for the most part I am pleased with the path we are on in that area. By the grace of God, my boys' knowledge and understanding of Scripture is far ahead of many other children their age that we are around. They are definitely ahead of where their dear old Dad was at their ages. Sometimes I am blown away by what they remember and how they express their thoughts about God.

Another bonus we have had this year is our boys being homeschooled. Each day begins with Bible study and catechism (a series of questions and answers that are memorized to teach Biblical truths) lessons. Kelli does a great job with that. When I am off, that is something that I get to help with. Once again, I think we are moving in the right direction in that area as well.

There are a couple of things that I have been convicted about lately, though. Did you notice the verses above? It begins the instructions to teach your children with the command to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and might. That hits me like a lightning bolt. Do my boys see that kind of love for God in my life? How can I teach them to love and obey God when they don't see me loving and treasuring Christ supremely?

Here is the other thing: "You shall teach them diligently to your sons." That is the area that I think I have been failing on. I think we have been doing well with this part: "You shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." We do that without even thinking about it. I haven't been sitting down with them on a daily basis and teaching them God's Word, though.

And here is the kicker: The thought has occurred to me that I spend more time teaching and preparing to teach the youth at church than I do my own children. God has convicted me of that in a big way. God has entrusted me with three precious boys. How can I not make the most of the time He has given me with them? How can I have the nerve to neglect teaching them while I teach others? So, the last week we have been having Bible study together each day. We read Scripture, talk about it, and I pray for them. We've been doing that together and we've been doing it daily. And we intend to keep doing it. We've got a long way to go, but at least we finally got on the right track.

Pray for me that I would grow in faithfulness as a father and husband. Pray that God would use this time in His Word in my boys' lives in a big way. And finally, pray that God would convict you of any changes you need to make in your own family.

Until next time, blessings and peace...

New Year’s Blog Resolution

2009-01-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Well, 2008 has come and gone. As 2008 was winding down, I began to examine my life and consider areas where I am in need of improvement. There are several things that I intend to improve on and I am in the process of getting some battle plans together. One of the areas that I think I have been lagging behind in is my focus. I am too easily sidetracked. I work a swing-shift in which I only work 14 out of 28 days. During the past year, it has gotten to the point where I waste a lot of my off time doing unproductive things. Not "bad" things, just meaningless things. I work, I spend time with the family, and I prepare lessons for church. All of those are good things, but what about the rest of the time? Before you know it, it's time to go back to work and I feel that I haven't accomplished anything of value. In short, I have become complacent. I'm not running the race. I'm stuck on a treadmill.
There are several things that I have in mind to combat this tendency. One of the things I have come up with has to do with blogging. The past year I have slacked off on my blogging time. I might go a couple of weeks or a month without posting anything. There is nothing terribly wrong with this. I can't find the command anywhere in Scripture that I am supposed to blog on a regular basis.
I have discovered something about blogging, though. Blogging is a great way to organize your thoughts on different topics. It is helpful to try to express your thoughts in a coherent way. Not only that, but it is also good because it helps me to chew on different Scriptural truths. In other words, it is another way to keep Scripture on my mind. It keeps my mind on Scripture so I can better communicate those truths that I hold dear.
In light of that, I have come up with a blogging schedule. Whether anybody reads them or not, it will be very helpful for me to focus and mull over the Scriptures more. Most of them will be very short and to the point, but I think it will help me immensely to think on the Truth more often. So, here' s the schedule.

Scripture Sunday- I just post a passage of Scripture and let the Word speak for itself.

Monday with MacArthur- A quote or an excerpt from my favorite modern day preacher.

Terrific Hymn Tuesday- The lyrics (and sometimes a video) to one of my favorite hymns.

Whatever Mark G. Feels Like Wednesday- The title says it all.

Thursday's Thoughts from Mark G.- This day is my day to blog my own thoughts.

Family Friday- This could be one of several things. It could be an update on how God is working in my family. Or it might be a passage of Scripture that deals with family. There is a lot of leeway on this one.

Saturday with Spurgeon- A quote or an excerpt from my favorite preacher of all time, Charles Spurgeon

So, there is the game plan. If you ever have time, stop by and check one out. For the most part, they will be very short, concise, and to the point. Until next time, blessings and peace to you...

One of the Most Terrifying Passages of Scripture

2008-12-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

A certain portion of Scripture has been on my mind quite a bit lately. This passage troubles me for two reasons. The first reason is because it describes our culture in a very exacting way. From the big cities to the rural areas like I live in, the similarities are striking. The second reason is because the passage also describes in great detail what God does to people who do the things outlined in this chapter. Let me share the passage with you so you can see what I am talking about. I am going to put what our culture has done in italics and what God will do (and is already doing) in bold letter. The passage is a little lengthy, but I think you will be blown away by what it says.

Romans 1:18-32 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

A ton of things could be said about the passage above, but let's look at the four main things that jump out to me.

1. Did you see what the first verse said? Romans 1:18 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." That is a terrifying text in itself. God's holy wrath is revealed from heaven against ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness to those who suppress the truth. How often do we forget that God is holy, righteous, and just? We talk about God being a God of love (and He definitely is), but He is equally a God of holiness and justice. Because He is holy and just, He MUST punish sin. God must and will punish each and every sin ever committed in thought, motive, word, or deed. Habakkuk 1:13a says, "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor." The punishment will either be poured out on unrepentant sinners in an eternal hell, or has already been poured out on our Great Substitute (Jesus Christ) who bore the punishment of sins of each and every person who comes to Him in repentant faith. Mark 1:15 says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Make no mistake, though, God's wrath burns against all sin. Psalm 5:5 says, "The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity." What an amazing testimony to God's love and mercy that He would offer forgiveness to the very ones who are His enemies!

2. The next thing I want to show you is this: Those who do not honor God and give Him thanks will face a terrifying punishment here and now (not to mention eternally). God will give them up in the lusts of their heart to impurity. That might not shake you up, but it surely does me. Let me explain. Those who do not honor the true God are without excuse for their actions of rebellion. They may appear to be very wise and educated, but if they do not honor and acknowledge God, they are fools. Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good." Why don't people honor God? They don't because they love sin. And God's response to that is what is frightening. He gives them up to their impurity. He let's them go. He let's them fulfill their wicked hearts' desires. He removes His restraining hand of grace. He will let them dishonor themselves. He will allow them to worship the gifts instead of the giver. If that is not terrifying, then I don't know what is. Do you want to see if a nation (or person) is pleasing to God? Then take a look at how they live. Do they love unrighteousness and the very things that God hates? That is a very strong indicator that God has already begun to give them up to their desires.

3. Look at the next step in the progression. Man's first step down the slippery slope of sin is when they deny God or don't honor Him. God then gives them up in the lusts of their hearts to their impurity. The next step gets worse. Look what happens to a culture when God gives them up to the lusts of their hearts. God gives them up to dishonorable passions. What are some examples of this? Romans 1:26-27 says, "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." Did you see the main symptom of God's judgment on a culture? He gives them up to sexual sin, particularly homosexuality. Do you want to know if God is judging a nation by giving them up to their lusts? Then look at how they view sex. Is sex a sacred gift God has given to one man and one woman to enjoy between themselves for a lifetime? Or does the culture view sex as an enjoyment to be obtained in whatever sinful way is pleasing to them? It is very troubling to me when I take a long and hard look at the culture that we live in. I think it is quite plain to see where we are as a culture.

4. Let's look at the last step in the judgment of God before the eventual eternal punishment that await those who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Romans 1:28-32 says, "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."

If sinful men continue to go down the path of sin, this is the final step before eternal judgment. Look at this descriptive list of those who are on that path. What an accurate description of our culture! And here is the most telling thing about the list. Not only do people who God has given up do those sinful things, but they also give approval to others who practice them. There is no shame. Do you want me to tell you how you know a person or culture has sunk to an all-time low? If they have no shame for their sins and encourage and approve of others sin, then that is a very good indication that they are in a frightful situation.

Now do you see why this passage troubles me? What are we to do? Is there no hope for such a sinful culture? Thankfully, there is hope. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." Since that passage is true, it is no wonder that Jesus gave very specific marching orders to the church. Matthew 28:19-20 says, "And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

I am thankful that the Gospel of Christ has power to save. I am thankful that God can still break the hardest of hearts. I am thankful that in the midst of a perverse generation, God is till on the throne. Praise His name that in the midst of judgment, there is still hope to those who repent and believe on Christ.

Until next time, blessings and peace...

THE FEAR IS GONE

2008-12-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Psalm 33:8- Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

If there is one verse that you don't hear quoted much in the average American pulpit, that one is it. These days our main job is to make people feel good about themselves and be as comfortable as possible at church. And we are seeing the results of it. I challenge you to take a look at most people in your lives that call themselves Christians. Next, take a look at the ones who say they are not Christians. Do you see much of a difference? Well, besides the Christian t-shirt or bumper sticker that the professing Christian is sure to have. The sad reality is this: Our watered-down preaching and teaching is producing nothing but shallow spiritual counterfeits.

God wants you to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. Sin is no big deal. Hey, nobody is perfect, right? I've repeated a prayer. I've asked Jesus to come into my heart. Sure, I don't hunger for God's word. I don't long to cry out to God in prayer. I don't have a burning desire to share the Gospel with the lost. I listen to music that mocks God. I watch tv and movies that God hates. I use filthy language from time to time. Sure, I dishonor God by lusting and having premarital sex (or by watching porn or cheating on my spouse). I constantly gossip and talk badly about people. Lying and cheating aren't really that big of a deal to me. I know I do all of those things, but I still love Jesus. I asked Him to come into my heart. Don't you remember?

Sadly, that is the typical testimony of most church-goers these days. If you were to ask them if they feared God, they would enthusiastically say that they surely do. Let's hold their profession of faith up to Scripture, though. Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate." What does it mean to fear the Lord? It means to hate evil. That doesn't sound much like the typical testimony above, does it?

Why should we hate evil? What does that have to do with fearing the Lord? Let me allow Isaiah to answer that question for you. Isaiah 8:13 says, "It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread." The reason is this: God is holy. God is holy and you are not. When you come face to face with the fact the you have offended a holy God with your sin, it should cause you to fear Him and dread Him, just like Isaiah said. Most people don't fear the Lord, though. Christians have t-shirts that proclaim "Jesus is my homeboy". There is no reverence for the King of Kings. There is no standing in awe of His holiness. There is just a quick yawn and glance at the clock to see if the sermon is almost over.

Scripture teaches us that the fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge and wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." Did you see that? It is only when we have a proper fear of God that we can begin to understand who He is. And what is this Holy God like? Habakkuk 1:13a says, "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and you can not look on wickedness with favor." We think of sin as "no big deal". Unfortunately, it is a very big deal to our holy God. Psalm 7:11 tells us, "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day." This awesome God is angry. He is angry with sinful humanity. Isaiah 13:9 says, "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and He will exterminate its sinners from it." That doesn't sound like your typical Sunday morning sermon, does it? 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 says, "Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power." What is awaiting sinful humanity when they face a holy God? Eternal punishment. Eternal torment in an awful place called hell. Revelation 20:15 says, "And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

But wait a minute. Isn't that just for the "bad" people. I mean, come on, aren't most of us good people? Let's let Scripture answer this one. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That's not all. Romans 3:10 says, "As it is written, there is none righteous, not even one." How about one more? Isaiah 64:6a says, "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment." Wow, maybe we are not as good as we thought. Psalm 5:4-6 says, "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity."

If somebody truly believes the verses I just shared, I can guarantee they will fear the Lord. I promise that they will stand in awe of the Holy One. Most don't truly believe that, though. But, wait just a minute. Don't you just have to believe in Jesus? Or ask Him to come into your heart? Please read this warning from Scripture. James 2:19 says, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder." There is more to true faith than believing that Jesus is real, or even that He died on a cross for sins.

We must have REPENTANT faith. Mark 1:15 says, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; REPENT and BELIEVE in the gospel." We must repent AND believe in Christ as our only hope of salvation. Can I tell you something? Everybody and their brother in America believe in Jesus. The problem is, very few have repented. Luke 13:3 says, "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." It sounds like repentance is a vital part of the Gospel, doesn't it?

But what does all of this have to do with the fear of the Lord? Like the earlier verses told us, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is what produces true repentance. It is foundational to true salvation. The fear of the Lord comes when you realize that you are sinful and you will stand before a holy God who hates sin. You realize that you have absolutely nothing to offer in atonement for your sins. You realize that because God is holy and just, He must punish you with eternal torment in a place called hell. That is where true repentance comes in. It produces a hatred and disgust of your sin. That is why Proverbs 8:13 told us that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Most people don't hate their sin. They love it. They have never repented. They just repeated a prayer for a little insurance that they will get to go to heaven. They want to keep doing the same sinful things, they just don't want to get punished for it. Let's look at what true repentance does, though. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death." Did you see that? True godly repentance leads to salvation. The sorrow of the world (which is sorry about getting caught, not about the actual sin) produces death.

What about faith? What about believing in Jesus? Repentance strips you of your love of sin. It makes you loathe your sinful condition. It makes you realize that you have absolutely nothing to offer for your salvation. Then it causes you to hunger for righteousness. It makes you crave forgiveness. Then you realize that, "He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21) " 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit." That is the only news that can calm a soul that has just begun to know what it means to fear the Lord. Christ died for the sins of His people. He paid for their sins. He took the punishment for their sins and now He offers them His righteousness by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Repentance makes us loathe our sins and give up all hope of being able to save ourselves. Faith trusts in Christ as their only hope of salvation. Faith believes that Christ's sacrifice is sufficient to pay for a lifetime of sin and is confident that Christ will fulfill His promise to "save to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:25), those who place their faith in Him.

So, what about you? Do you truly fear the Lord? If so, let me tell you what God declares to you. Psalm 33:18 says, "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindess." Proverbs 14:27 says, "The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." If you are a true child of God, then those words should be a balm to your soul.

Now to the ones who have no fear of God. Let me tell you what God declares to you. Proverbs 3:7 says, "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil." Job 28:28 says, "And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." It is my prayer that you learn what it means to fear the Lord before you stand before Him in judgment. I pray that God will grant you repentance and faith so that you will trust in Christ as your only hope of salvation so you may escape from the wrath to come.

I don't know about you, but I'm starting to think that fear isn't such a bad thing. Until next time, blessings to you...

Salvation is From the Lord

2008-12-08T20:42:00.001-08:00

SALVATION IS FROM THE LORD

Lyrics by: Mark G.

Eternal, infinite Father of lights

No one can withstand Your power and might

The heavens declare Your glory O Lord

Unchanging Sovereign forevermore

O Holy Father, separate from sin

Your ways are higher than mere mortal men

Justice and righteousness flow from Your throne

Praise Your great name You are worthy alone!

If You counted our sins, no one could stand

We've nothing to offer, just empty hands

Our hearts are deceitful, filthy within

No way to approach you, dead in our sins

Yet God sent His Son, in love to the earth

Holy and righteous, of infinite worth

Tempted in all ways, He was without sin

A Man of sorrows, esteemed not by men

For joy set before Him, endured the cross

He cried "It is finished", paid the full cost

The Father was pleased to crush His dear Son

Then three days later, the vict'ry was won!

Seated in heaven, no slumber or sleep

Sent down the Spirit, to find His dear sheep

Gave them repentance, supplied them with faith

Praise His great name for that wonderful grace!

Forever in heaven, saints will fall down

Praising His holy name, casting their crowns

The Lamb eternally will be adored

For this great salvation is from the Lord!

History Has a Way of Repeating Itself

2008-12-01T14:35:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks I've been reading the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah has been my favorite book of prophecy for quite a while. After reading through the first eleven chapters, I remember why. As I have been making my way through the book, I've been amazed again at the similarities between the culture then and our culture today. I thought I would share a few things that have really jumped out to me.

Jeremiah 7:8-11 says, "Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD."

If that doesn't describe American Christianity, then I don't know what does. How many people do you know that live a life of constant rebellion against God, yet claim to be saved? They love to practice the very things that God hates, yet loudly proclaim that they are Christians. At the end of the passage above, God declares that he has seen what they are doing. We might deceive everybody around us. We might even deceive ourselves. Yet we cannot deceive God with our empty profession of faith. What does James say? James 2:17 says, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." Works do not save us, but true faith always produces works.

It is troubling to read that this indictment came during the time of King Josiah (2 Kings 22). Josiah was a godly king who instituted huge reforms in the nation. He did everything he could to get rid of all pagan worship in the country. Listen to what the Lord said about him. 2 Kings 23:25 says, "Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him." Even though Josiah was such a godly king and had truly repented and turned to God, the people had not truly repented. They went through the motions, yet God indicted them for not turning with all of their heart. They were living a lie. They said they were following the Lord, but their actions proved that they were liars. They honored Him with their lips, yet their hearts were far from Him.

Jeremiah 5:1-5 says, "Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and look now and take note and seek in her open squares, if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her. And although they say, 'As the LORD lives,' surely they swear falsely." O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You have smitten them, but they did not weaken; You have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent. Then I said, "They are only the poor, they are foolish; for they do not know the way of the LORD or the ordinance of their God. I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD and the ordinance of their God. " But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke and burst the bonds.

Just stop for a minute and think about all of the people you know (including yourself). How many of them are truly following Christ? I'm not talking about how many of them go to church, wear Christian t-shirts, and listen to Christian music. I'm talking about truly following Christ by turning away from all appearances of evil and striving for holiness and righteousness. The sad fact is, most are like the verses above. Even though they hear God's word week in and week out, they refuse to repent. They continue to do the same sinful things. They continue to love the very things God hates. From the wealthiest to the poorest, they follow their own sinful desires without any concern for God or His Word.

Jeremiah 6:13-15 says, "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace. Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD."

What are we hearing from preachers and teachers these days? "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." Just like in Jeremiah's day, they are healing the people superficially. They are saying "peace, peace", yet there is no peace. Just repeat this prayer and ask Jesus into your heart. Gone are the warnings of judgment. Gone is the call to truly repent and believe on Christ. Gone is the call to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Him. Sin is no big deal. God is a God of love so he will just overlook all of that. Right??? WRONG!! People have become so hardened by their sin that they are not even ashamed anymore. Their wickedness doesn't even make them blush. Yet they arrogantly think everything is okay between them and God. We must wake up and realize that God is holy and He does not take our sin lightly. We must heed His continuous warnings to turn from our sin in repentance and put our faith in Christ and the sacrifice He made for our only hope of salvation.

Jeremiah 6:16-20 says, "Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' And I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.' "Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their plans, because they have not listened to My words, and as for My law, they have rejected it also. For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba and the sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable and your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me."

Let's not be like the people in these verses. Let's not ignore His continuous warnings. Let's not serve Him with empty words. Let's not claim that everything is alright with us and God when we cherish the very things that he detests. Let's return to the ancient paths of repentance, faith, and pursuing holiness. Let's look at one more passage from Jeremiah to sum things up.

Jeremiah 3:12-14 says, "Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "'Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD.I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD. 14 Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion."

Even though we have rebelled against God and His Word, He still offers us mercy. Let's humbly acknowledge our sin and stop living a lie. Instead of holding onto it, it is time to see it for what it is. We must be disgusted by our sin, hate it, and turn from it. Let's trust in Christ as our only hope of salvation. He lived the perfect life that we couldn't. He payed the sin-debt for sinners when He died on the cross. And He defeated death, hell, and the grave when He arose three days later. Repentant faith in Him alone is the only way to escape the judgment that is surely coming. Let's deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Him. Praise His holy name, for He is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise!!

Come Quickly

2008-11-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

I just finished writing a new hymn yesterday. I'm still not quite done with the melody, but I thought Thanksgiving week would be the perfect time to post the lyrics. My original goal had been to write one hymn in my lifetime. Writing the first song motivated me to try my hand at another one. Who knows, maybe one day they will actually be tolerable. I hope you enjoy.

COME QUICKLY
Lyrics by: Mark G.

In Your sight our goodness is filthy.
By our sins we've been carried away.
Condemned by Your justice, we're guilty.
We are dead in our sins and enslaved.
Please take this heart of stone from my chest,
And give a heart of flesh in its place.
You said, "Come to Me" and I'd have rest.
O I long for Your mercy and grace!

Yet how can a man stand before You?
For You're holy and righteous and pure.
My broken heart cries out for good news.
O I hunger and thirst for a cure!
Praise Your great name for sending Your Son!
He came to seek and rescue the lost.
He cried "Not my will but Thine be done!"
O He drank the full cup on the cross!

But the tomb could simply not hold Him.
He defeated death, hell, and the grave.
Living water is offered to them,
Who repent and believe on His name!
Seated at the right hand of Power,
He's preparing His children a home.
We know not the day or the hour.
But we pray that You would quickly come!

To Judge or Not to Judge, That is the Question...

2008-11-14T13:25:00.000-08:00

To Judge or Not to Judge, That is the Question…

(Matthew 7:1-5)

Matthew 7:1-5- Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye? Your hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Now, do these verses teach that we are not supposed to judge in any way? Can we not say anything that is perceived as negative to anybody? In other words, can we ever tell anybody that they are wrong? Let's get to the bottom of this judging thing. Let's begin by looking at what these verses do not mean. Then we will see what they do mean.

This does not mean that we cannot say something is a sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22- But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

Romans 12:9- Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Throughout Scripture, we are commanded to differentiate between evil and goodness. I don't think that anybody will argue with this point. From Genesis to Revelation, God tells us what is evil and sinful. He tells us to do this. He tells us not to do this. When God tells us in His Word that something is sinful, we can be confident that it is certainly sinful and wrong. God's Word is very clear on what He considers sin. So, Jesus did not mean that we cannot say something is wrong. We most certainly can and God repeatedly commands us to make the distinction between good and evil. So, this kind of judging is okay.

This does not mean that we have no right to point out false teaching.

2 John 9-11- Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

Matthew 7:15, 20- Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Jude 3- Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Titus 1:9- Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

A lot of people think that we don’t have a right to correct somebody that is teaching something that is incorrect. These verses and others take away that myth. We are commanded to judge whether what somebody teaches is Biblical or not. Not only that, we are supposed to point out their false teachings and correct them. God takes false teachings very seriously. That is why we have to judge whether a teaching or a teacher is teaching the correct thing. We can’t sit by and let people be deceived. John went so far to say that you should not receive a false teacher in your house. This kind of judging is also okay. It is not only okay, but we are commanded to point out false teachings.

This doesn't mean that we are not supposed to talk to unbelievers about sin.

Matthew 28:19-20- Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Luke 24:47- And that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

We could look at a multitude of Scriptures on this one, but we'll settle for these two potent reminders. These verses and many others let us know that we are to take Christ's teachings to the whole world. Not only are we to take Christ's teachings to the world, but we are also supposed to call people to repent (turn from their sins to God). We are commanded to call people to turn from their sins. The Scriptures are clear on this one as well. We are supposed to share God's Word with all people. It doesn't matter what their nationality or religion is. We are commanded to call them to repent. So once again, this kind of judging is okay.

This doesn't mean that we cannot confront sin in the life of a fellow believer.

Matthew 18:15-17- If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Leviticus 19:17- You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

Proverbs 27:6- Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Galatians 6:1- Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

A lot of people think that they don’t have any business to confront sin in the life of a believer. We are commanded to confront it, though. Jesus gave us a process of confronting sin that can potentially end pretty severely. Some think it is hateful to confront sin, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is the loving thing to do. If you don’t confront sin in the lives of fellow Christians, then you are not really loving them. We can’t sit by and let them destroy their lives and their witness for Christ. So, this kind of judging is okay, too.

THEN WHAT DOES “DO NOT JUDGE” REALLY MEAN?

We have to remember that Matthew 7 took place during the Sermon on the Mount. The whole way through that sermon, Christ was comparing the way the Pharisees (and other "religious" people of the day) practiced their religion and how true believers were supposed to. Pharisees were some of the most critical, malicious, judgmental people on the face of the planet. They enjoyed making themselves look good by making others look bad. They were very good at pointing out other people's faults, but they never dealt with their own. They also excelled at making up their own standards while ignoring the standards of Scripture.

Jesus was really getting to the heart of the matter. One of the biggest things Jesus stressed during that sermon was our motives and our heart's desires. The Pharisees desire was to belittle others. They would gossip, slander, and talk about others. That made them feel "super-religious". That is what Jesus is condemning. That is why he said that they were trying to take a speck out of their brother's eye, yet they had a log in their own eye. They had a bigger problem than the people they were criticizing. But, Jesus didn't stop there. He went on to say that if they took the log out of their own eye, they would see clearly to take the speck out of their brother's eye. It is okay to try and take the speck out of somebody's eye. First, you need to examine yourself, though. We need to carefully inspect our own life and make sure our motives and actions are sincere.

Did you notice that when Jesus said we are supposed to confront a brother in sin, He said to do it privately? That is the exact opposite of how the Pharisees handled things. We are not supposed to be spreading gossip to everybody and their brother. We are supposed to confont them privately and discreetly. How does Galatians 6:1 tell us to approach them? "In a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." Do you see? It is all about our motives and the way we handle the situation. We are supposed to confont sin. How do we do it? Quietly, gently, and with much love (and only after much self-examination). If confronting them privately does not work, then we are supposed to bring the issue to the church (Matthew 18).

When we follow God's guidelines on judging, then it is not us who is doing the judging. It is God's Word. We are not to be like the Pharisees and make up our own standards. The Word of God is the standard by which we should judge and the standard by which we are judged.

Until next time, blessings and peace...

Just How Sovereign is God??? A Fieldtrip to the Garden...

2008-10-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

Genesis 3:6- When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

In the last blog we discussed how God sovereignly created the universe. We looked at several verses to show that God was, is, and will be in complete control of His creation. If God really is in control, though, what do we do with this passage of Scripture? Did God "make" Adam and Eve sin? Did God "make" Satan tempt them? There are several questions that we need to look at to see how this passage relates to God's sovereignty.

Let's go ahead and make one thing clear. The fall of man didn't overthrow God's original plan. I've often heard teachers, preachers, and your "average" Christian explain how Adam and Eve messed up God's original plan and He had to figure out a way to "fix" everything. One might come to that conclusion if you simply skimmed over the first few chapters of Genesis. We need to look at what all of Scripture teaches, though. We must rightly divide the Word (2 Tim. 2:15) and let God speak for Himself, rather than putting words in His mouth.

Psalm 33:11 says, "The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." In other words, God's plans don't fail. If He purposes to do something then He will do it. Job was right when He said, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2) Job knew a wonderful truth that we would do well to remember as well. He knew that God rules and reigns. He knew that God was on the throne. In short, He knew that God is God. Let's look at a few more verses that go along with this. Isaiah 46:10 says, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure." Did you see that? God Himself said that He will accomplish all that He purposes to do. He will do whatever He pleases.

But wait a minute! God gave Adam and Eve a command but they didn't obey it. Didn't God have to change His plans? Didn't He have to fall back on "Plan B"? Let me make this as plain as I possibly can. Sending Christ to die for the sins of His people was not "Plan B". It was "Plan A". There was no backup plan. It was His plans from before the foundation of the world. Acts 2:22-24 says, "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." I hope you let that one sink in. Christ was crucified by the predetermined plan of God, not by the backup plan of God. Want another one? Revelation 13:8 says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." (See also Rev. 17:8) I often hear well-meaning preachers say that the moment somebody believes, their name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Scripture teaches something else, though. Scripture teaches that their names were written before the foundation of the world. How is that possible? It is possible because it is all according to God's eternal, immutable plan.

Does all of this mean that God "made" Adam and Eve sin? After all, it all happened by His predetermined plan, right? That means He must have made them sin, right? Wrong… James 1:13-14 says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." God did not make Adam and Eve sin, nor does He make anybody sin. Adam and Eve sinned because they were enticed by their own desire. That is the same reason we sin as well. Habakkuk 1:13a says, "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor." God never approves of evil. He is not the author of sin. Psalm 89:14 says, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You." God cannot approve evil because that would go against everything that He is. Righteousness and justice are the very foundations of His throne.

How do we reconcile Adam and Eve's disobedience with God's sovereignty? How can it be that God didn't cause sin, yet it fit within His eternal, predetermined plan? God didn't cause sin, but He allowed it. Allowing and causing are two different things. Why would He even allow sin, though? I can't answer all of the questions about why God created things the way He did. He is the potter and I am the clay. What I do know is this: God can overrule the wicked intentions of man and use them for His own good purpose. I think about what Joseph told his brothers after they had sold him into slavery. Genesis 50:20 says, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." What an amazing God we serve, that He can override the evil intentions of man and cause them to accomplish good! Ephesians 1:11 says, "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." Did you see that? He causes ALL things to work according to the counsel of His will. Evil men cannot thwart His purposes by their evil deeds. On the contrary, He takes their very acts of disobedience and uses them to accomplish His good pleasure! Men may think they are shaking their fists in the face of God with their rebellion, yet they cannot stop His purposes from being accomplished. How ironic that God can and does use wicked man's rebellion to accomplish His desire? He is amazing! What kind of power does it take to be able to make all things work according to the counsel of your will? It takes the sovereign power of our Almighty God. Daniel 4:35 says, "All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" The host of heaven or the inhabitants of earth cannot stop Him from accomplishing His desires. He will accomplish His plans… all of them.

Just think, even Satan himself cannot do anything without God allowing Him to do it (Job 1-2). The story of Job is a wonderful reminder that God is in complete and total control of the most evil and wicked beings. Nothing can happen without God permitting it. Since that is true, we can rest assured that everything that happens will be used by God to accomplish His perfect, eternal plan.

Let's try to close this up with another quote from Arthur Pink. "But, it may be objected, do we not read again and again in Scripture how that men defied God, resisted His will, broke His commandments, disregarded His warnings, and turned a deaf ear to all His exhortations? Certainly we do. And does this nullify all that we have said above? If it does, then the Bible plainly contradicts itself. But that cannot be. What the objector refers to is simply the wickedness of man against the external word of God, whereas what we have mentioned above is what God has purposed in Himself. The rule of conduct He has given us to walk by is perfectly fulfilled by none of us; His own eternal "counsels" are accomplished to their minutest details."

I'm excited to continue this study so we can see even more clearly that God is sovereign and He is on His throne ruling and reigning over all!!! Until next time, blessings and peace…

Just How Sovereign is God??? Let’s Start at the Beginning...

2008-10-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

I can't think of anything that gives me more comfort, peace, and assurance than the knowledge that my God is absolutely sovereign. This is the bedrock truth that I always come back to when things do not go right or my plans seem to fall apart. When things around me seem to be coming apart at the seems, it is always thoughts of the sovereignty of God that calms my troubled heart and gives me peace in the midst of the storms of life.
What do I mean when I say that God is sovereign? Let me let Arthur Pink answer that for me. "The sovereignty God may be defined as the exercise of His supremacy. Being infinitely elevated above the highest creatures, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, absolutely independent; God does as he pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him. So His own Word expressly declares: "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10); "He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand" (Daniel 4:35). Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as name, that He is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things "after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11)."
It is ironic that the attribute of God that brings me the most peace is the same one that seems to come under fire the most from all kinds of people, some of whom are professing believers. Most people are not comforted by the sovereignty of God. On the contrary, they seem to loathe the thought that God is in control of all things.
John MacArthur was right when he said this: "No doctrine is more despised by the natural mind than the truth that God is absolutely sovereign. Human pride loathes the suggestion that God orders everything, controls everything, rules over everything. The carnal mind, burning with enmity against God, abhors the biblical teaching that nothing comes to pass except according to His eternal decrees. Most of all, the flesh hates the notion that salvation is entirely God's work. If God chose who would be saved, and if His choice was settled before the foundation of the world, then believers deserve no credit for their salvation."
Thinking about the sovereignty of God brings up a ton of questions, comments, and thoughts that need to be considered. It is my hope that over the next several blogs we can go through God's Word and see what He has to say about His sovereignty. Thinking over these things the last few days has turned my heart to praise God for all that He is. So let's start at the beginning. Literally...
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) Sometimes we are tempted to quickly read over that verse without considering it's implications. Just think, God created the heavens and earth. He created them from nothing. He merely had to speak the words and the force of His sovereign power instantaneously brought His commands to pass. "Let there be light, and there was light." (Genesis 1:3) Can you comprehend that? He merely gave the command and it was so. Stop and think about this for a minute. What did He create the heavens and earth out of? What substance did He use in the creation process? He used nothing. He created everything out of nothing (ex nihilo). He spoke them into existence from absolutely nothing. What kind of sovereign power does it take to be able to do that? He is not only Sovereign in title, He is sovereign in fact. He is on the throne and He rules and reigns, doing whatever He pleases. Whatever He intends to do, He does.
On each day of creation, God said "let there be", and it was so. What kind of power does it take to do this? Our finite minds can't comprehend the power required to create a universe. Seeing the results of His creation with our naked eye is amazing enough, but think about the complexities of His creation on a molecular level (or smaller). All it took was a simple command from our Almighty God to produce things so complex that scientists spend lifetimes studying a small portion of His amazing creation to "discover" how things work.
Now we come to a question. Why did God create things the way He did. Are you ready for the answer? Here goes... Psalm 115:3 says, "But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases." Why did He create things the way He did? To put it simply, He did it because He wanted to. Psalm 135:6 says, "Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps."
Was God sovereign in Creation? Scripture gives a resounding "YES" for the answer to that question. God was in complete and total control during creation. Whatever He commanded happened. Whatever He desired, He did. Why did He do them that way? For His own pleasure, or in other words, because He wanted to.
Looking at these things brings up some questions. Is God still sovereign? Was He sovereign when Adam and Eve sinned? Is He still sovereign today? Is He sovereign over the good times and the bad? Is He sovereign over salvation? Is He sovereign over some things or all of them? The list goes on and on.
I'm anxious to go through the Scriptures with you and let God's Word answer these questions for Him. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what we "think". It matters what God says. I'm looking forward to sharing what God's Word "says" on the topic of His sovereignty.
Until next time, blessings to you...

Rise Up and Call Her Blessed: For My Mama

2008-05-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Well, today is Mother's Day. This is a day that, more than anything, I would like to spend with my Mother. It was not possible for me to get to do that this year. I had to work 12 hours today. What is something that I can give or do for the woman who has done more things for me than I could even begin to list (especially since I could not be with her today)? What do you buy for the woman who has every gadget known to man (especially since her son is broke... lol). Then it dawned on me that the thing I really wanted to give her was to tell her how she has impacted my life and how my heart could burst with appreciation and love for her. So this blog is dedicated to my Mama.
I have so many fond memories of my Mama from childhood that I could write a book. One of my earliest memories was going to church. After Sunday School, it was time to go upstairs to "big church". I would snuggle up to Mama during the first part of the service. I can vividly remember when everybody would stand to sing, I would lay down and try to go to sleep. When I didn't drift off to sleep, Mama had a trick that always worked to keep my interest during the sermon. She would take the wrapper from a piece of gum and wrap it around her finger. A few twists and turns later, I had a tiny goblet that I would pretend to drink from. That seems like such a little thing, but I don't think I will ever forget those little memories that she made for me at church.
I can remember one night when Mama came into my room to tuck me in. I always said a little prayer goodnight. This particular night, she asked me if I wanted to learn a special prayer that I could pray. She taught me the Lord's Prayer. I prayed that prayer from that day on through my high-school years. I don't know if she knew that by teaching me that, she has impacted my prayer life from that day forward.
I can remember how me and Mama could eat an entire half-gallon of Goo Goo Cluster ice cream in one night! Those were the days...
After I became a teenager, I remember holding my poor Mother (okay, really she asked for it sometimes by picking on me and Daddy!) upside down when Daddy asked me to (or if I decided to on my own!). Not even that could make her back down from picking on us! She has always been fearless.
I can remember when I quit my job at Ace Hardware when I was a teenager. I went in my room and cried my eyes out because I didn't know how I was going to pay my car payment. I was listening to some of my Gospel music. She came in the room and asked me, "Don't you believe what you are listening to? He will take care of you." She was right. He did take care of me.
I remember how Mama cried when she found out her son was going to wear white at graduation (for having an A average through high school). I think she had given up on that by my senior year. haha
I can remember how we cried together when I told her that I was going to get married 2 days after graduation. She never once told me I was crazy or not to do it. When I told her that I had prayed all year about it, she gave me her complete and total support. Just like she always has.
I can remember seeing my mother cry when I said "I do".
I can remember us both crying together again when I brought each of my boys out of the delivery room.
I remember seeing the tears in her eyes as I was ordained to preach.
There are thousands of little and big things that I could list; ways that my Mother has impacted my life and made me a better person.
She has invested her life into mine. Not only mine, but my brother and sister's and each of our families as well. She has done big things like helping out me and my little family during tough money problems. She has taken care of the boys countless times while I was traveling to preach or teach. My Mother does so many things to further God's Kingdom. Much of what she does is behind the scenes, though. She doesn't do it for applause. She doesn't do it to make herself look good. She does it because she loves her son and she loves her Lord. She does countless little things, too. Like making chocolate no-bakes when she knows we are coming (she even makes sure Daddy and Sharon leave some for me!!). Like rushing to the store when she knows we are coming so she will be able to cook supper for us.
I could list things all night that she has done and she does. But I guess I could sum it up in one sentence. She has always given me unconditional love. I can not think of one time that my Mama has ever let me down. Not only do I have her unconditional love, but I have a Mother who cries out to God for her son. Even though she might get nervous about what God might call me to do, she always prays for God's will in my life. She prays that not because it is easy for her. She prays it because she wants her son to follow Christ.
There is so much I wish I could do for my Mother. I wish I could heal all of her physical pains. I know that there is so much she can't do lately because of sickness. I wish I could by her a huge house with a maid (and pay off all of her bills). There is so much I would do. More than all of that though, I hope I can show my Mama how much I love her and what a blessing she is to me and my family. I hope that there will never be a doubt in her mind that I love her and am so thankful for all she has done and everything she does.
Proverbs 31:10, 27-31 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates."

I have no doubt when God inspired those words, He had my Mama in mind. This little blog is just a small way for me to rise up and call my Mama blessed. The wonderful works she has done and continues to do praise her in the gates.
God has blessed me with so much. He has been so good to me. One of the most precious gifts he has ever given, or could ever give, is the gift of my Mama. Thank you Lord, for that wonderful gift.

Happy Mother's Day, Mama...