Sunday, June 27, 2010

Lloyed-Jones Says What I Gathered On My Retreat

At Desring God they have a word from Lloyd-Jones on how we should think. This really coincided with what I resolved in my retreat time with God.

Faith, according to our Lord’s teaching in this paragraph [Matthew 6:25-34], is primarily thinking; and the whole trouble with a man of little faith is that he does not think. He allows circumstances to bludgeon him.

That is the real difficulty in life. Life comes to us with a club in its hand and strikes us upon the head, and we become incapable of thought, helpless and defeated. The way to avoid that, according to our Lord, is to think. We must spend more time in studying our Lord’s lessons in observation and deduction.

The Bible is full of logic, and we must never think of faith as something purely mystical. We do not just sit down in an armchair and expect marvelous things to happen to us. That is not Christian faith. Christian faith is essentially thinking. Look
at the birds, think about them, and draw your deductions. Look at the grass, look at the lilies of the field, consider them.

The trouble with most people, however, is that they will not think. Instead of doing this, they sit down and ask, What is going to happen to me? What can I do? That is the absence of thought; it is surrender, it is defeat. Our Lord, here, is urging us to
think, and to think in a Christian manner.

That is the every essence of faith. Faith, if you like, can be defined like this: It is a man insisting upon thinking when everything seems determined to bludgeon and knock him down in an intellectual sense.
~ Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, p. 399.

Retreat Resolve

I have just spent the last four days in a personal retreat. This was something that my wife and I agreed upon that I needed to do in order to seek God in a fresh way in my life as a Christian, husband, father, and pastor. There are a few significant things going on in my life and world where I desperately needed to get away with God and sort of detox from human and worldly influences and pursue the mind of God.

Honestly, I have never taken a retreat alone by myself and so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I went into this weekend very excited, nervous, anxious, and ready for God to do a good work of grace in my mind, my heart, and in my will. It may sound funny, but although I had no idea what to expect, my expectations were high.

Genuine questions followed like: Should I expect a 'charismatic' moment? Will this only be a time of confession and repentance? Will it be very emotional? Is God going to lead me in a completely new direction in my life? Should I have a strategy going into this thing or just show up and let God lead me as He desired?

I opened up the Scriptures and began to read. I knew that I must aim my mind as high as I could concerning God and His nature and character, so I also began to read The Attributes of God by Pink, knowing that he would highlight those Scriptures for me.

In his introduction he says, "Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only truly known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments. "Then shall we know, if we follow on (in the path of obedience) to know the Lord" (Hosea 6.3).

Jeremiah 9.23-24 "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty boast of his might, let not the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindess, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things", declares the LORD.

The whole weekend was built on this one verse for me. And in regards to my personal and family life I was able to walk away with about 10 Resolves on how God is leading me to live in these areas.

The spiritual impact of this retreat for me was a "spiritual alignment" in areas of my life as I looked to Christ and His Word in worship for wisdom and direction. Much more can definitely be said. I have pages upon pages of notes that will help to remind me of the impressions the Holy Spirit made in me. But overall this was an incredible time getting realigned in the spiritual disciplines and more importantly getting to know God more intimately.

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Preparing My Boys For Manhood

As I sit in my hotel room considering all the ways that my boys need me to make them into disciples, make them into young men, make them into young men who love Jesus, make them into young men who love Jesus and will be prepared one day, Lord willing, for them to make their boys into men who love Jesus, an article by Albert Mohler is a sobering reality of what is taking place in our country and world. It is a war against manhood and men are losing the war.

There is an obvious shift for the first time in human history where men are becoming less "needed" in the workforce. Mohler writes,

The bottom line is the claim that the trend and trajectory of the global economy have for some time now been headed toward female skills and talents. At the most basic level, this means a shift from physical strength to intellectual energies and education. At the next level, it also means a shift from leadership models more associated with males toward the nurturing leadership more associated with women. In any event, the changes are colossal.
Mohler ends his article with this..."These trends represent nothing less than a collapse of male responsibility, leadership, and expectations. The real issue here is not the end of men, but the disappearance of manhood."

You can read the article by clicking here.

Weak Souls Must Have A Bottom And Being-Place

"I know all created power should sink under me if I should lean down upon it, and therefore it is better to rest on God than sin or fall; and we weak souls must have a bottom and being-place, for we cannot stand out alone. Let us then be wise in our choice and choose and wail our own blessedness, which is to trust in the Lord."

~ Samuel Rutherford---The Loveliness of Christ

And Keith Blessing is a weak soul.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Know Your Heretics---Sabellius & His Modalism

The Historical Background

Sabellius, a third-century theologian and priest, was a proponent of modalism. Modalism is a non-Trinitarian heresy claiming that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are simply different modes of God and not distinct persons within the Godhead. Little is known about Sabellius, who was excommunicated in 220 AD, but the teaching attached to his name became infamous and is still with us today.

Sabellius’ View of God

The modalists were rightly concerned with maintaining the oneness of God as well as the full deity of Christ. However, this led them to the error of seeing any suggestion that the Son was a distinct person from the Father as creating a duality within the Godhead.

Early historian Hippolytus summarized the modalist position as one in which the names “Father,” “Son,” and “Holy Spirit” did not stand for real distinctions in the Godhead, but rather mere names that described the actions of the one God at different times in history. In other words, “Father,” “Son,” and “Spirit” are merely adjectives describing how the one divine Being acts and is perceived.

Sabellius used the analogy of the sun to explain his position. In the same way that the sun gives off both light and heat, so also the single divine being radiates in history in different fashions. In creation, the divine Being acts as Father; in redemption, as Son; in the lives of believers, as the Holy Spirit.

The Orthodox Response

The orthodox response to the heresy of Sabellius (and other modalists) came from Tertullian, the African theologian. In Against Praxeas, Tertullian argued that Scripture reveals that the Godhead is three who are at the same time one. He rightly considered this an essential doctrine of Christianity.

In the Sabellian modalist view, the three are not anything real, but rather just different manifestations of the one.

Therefore, Tertullian proposed that we speak of the Godhead as “one substance (substantia) consisting in three persons (persona).” This terminology would serve as the basis for future Latin theology, and it is from Tertullian’s pen that the important Christian word “Trinity” (trinitas) was first inked.

Why Does All This Matter?

Sabellianism is one of the heresies in Christendom that keeps appearing again and again in different forms. Anyone who has sat in a Sunday School class and heard that God’s Tri-unity is like water in that it appears to us in three forms (liquid, steam, and ice) has been exposed to a contemporary variation of modalism. God is not one person that exists in three different forms at three different times, but three distinct persons concurrently sharing one common essence.

Modalism also reared its ugly head in the classic liberal theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher, and it is even seen today in the “Oneness” sect of Pentecostalism, which clearly denies the doctrine of the Trinity. What is at stake in the debate is not merely fancy theological terminology, but our understanding of God himself. For example, if Sabellian modalism were true, the intimate relationship that existed between the Father and the Son from all eternity (John 17) would be irrational.

Modalism undercuts the atoning work of Jesus Christ, as well. If there is only one God who works in different modes of being throughout history, one must question whether Jesus Christ was truly a man, or if he only appeared to be such, as the heresy of Docetism declares. If Jesus Christ is not fully God and fully man, then he cannot be the one mediator between God and man. It is for this reason that the heresy of Sabellian modalism must be rejected, and the biblical doctrine of the Trinity must be affirmed.

(HT: The Resurgence)

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Empowering Your Children To Live For God

I started reading Shepherding A Child's Heart today. I've been aware of Tedd Tripp's influence through his book on so many people's lives for years now and felt that it was time that I pick up and read it for myself.

As a parent and shepherd of five children, I often get things right and unfortunately I often get things wrong, so I'm going to a good source to help with some strategy for making disciples out of my children. I'm not content with only having an emphasis on Family Worship in our family. I think that is a good 'corporate' way for family life, but I truly want more for myself and my children in how they must see and understand God in their bright moments and even in their dark moments of disobedience.

Below is one of those sentences, turned into several sentences, that has the ability to change a person's life...especially for parents and their children.


"As the shepherd, you want to help your child understand himself as a creature made by and for God. You cannot show him these things merely by instruction; you must lead him on a path of discovery. You must shepherd his thoughts, helping him to learn discernment and wisdom.

This shepherding process is richer interaction than telling your child what to do and think. It involves investing your life in your child in open and honest communication that unfolds the meaning and purpose of life. It is not simply direction, but direction in which there is self-disclosure and sharing. Values and spiritual vitality are not simply taught, but caught.

Proverbs 13.20 says, "He who walks with the wise becomes wise." As a wise parent your objective is not simply to discuss, but to demonstrate the freshness and vitality of life lived in integrity toward God and your family. Parenting is shepherding the hearts of your children in the ways of God's wisdom.

Pray for me as I pour time and energy into understanding my role as the shepherd of my family better!

New Life Church Eads--1 Year Anniversary

Praise God!

This Sunday, June 20th, will mark the one year anniversary for New Life Church Eads. We are grateful to God for establishing a gospel presence in Eads. A gospel presence that seeks to shine the light of the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God and not the light or knowledge of man, for we humbly preach Christ Jesus as Lord (2 Corinthians 4.4-5).

May God continue to fill us with His Spirit and may we truly abide in Christ and in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power!

So rejoice in the Lord New Life Church and all those who are grateful to God for gospel planting.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Is Reading Worth The Time Investment When So Much Is Forgotten?

"John Piper says yes. 
In a message long ago (July 12, 1981) he said this:
What I have learned from about twenty-years of serious reading is this: It is sentences that change my life, not books. What changes my life is some new glimpse of truth, some powerful challenge, some resolution to a long-standing dilemma, and these usually come concentrated in a sentence or two. I do not remember 99% of what I read, but if the 1% of each book or article I do remember is a life-changing insight, then I don’t begrudge the 99%.
Read, but not to remember everything. Read because that 1% that you remember has the potential to change your life."

(HT: C.J. Mahaney)

So look for the 'spiritual nuggets' in every book/article you read. B/c those nuggets have the potential to change your life...and yes...even as a Christian!

A great reminder & encouragement to persevere by allowing the body of Christ to be a means of grace to us as we read words that push us to Christ.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

How To Meditate On The Glory Of Christ

"Meditation is a difficult duty. Most Christians struggle even with where to begin with respect to this duty. It is particularly important for us to meditate upon the Person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, since beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is the primary means by which we are transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). In his devotional work, The Glory of Christ, John Owen has provided five useful ways that we can meditate upon the glory of Christ as a divine/human Person. Our congregation in Conway found these instructions particularly helpful, so I pass them along with the hope that they will help you in your devotion to Christ (you can read the full section in Owen, Works, 1, 312–322).

1. Consider that the knowledge of Christ as fully God and fully man in one Person is the most useful object of our contemplations and affections (1, 312–314). Christ’s identity as the God-man places him in a unique position to make your redemption possible. He also reveals the glory of God to your understanding in a unique manner.

2. Diligently study the Scriptures with the express purpose of finding the glory of Christ in them (1, 314–316). The Scriptures assert that Christ is their central object (Lk. 24:26–27, 45–46; 2 Cor. 3:13–16). The three primary ways that Christ is revealed in the Old Testament is by direct descriptions of his Person and his incarnation, by prophecies concerning him, and by the Old Testament ceremonies of worship (Owen richly expands each of these). Too often Christians read the Old Testament in a manner that is no better than the Jews. Even if we do not see Christ in everything in the Old Testament, we must be careful to take our knowledge of Christ with us while reading the Old Testament.

3. Meditate frequently upon the knowledge of Christ that you have already obtained, both from Scripture and from sermons (1, 316–317). Failing to use and to build upon the knowledge of Christ that we have already received is the “fundamental mistake” standing behind the lack of spiritual growth among so many Christians. This is the error of treating the doctrines of Christ as fundamental and basic, thus taking them for granted. Owen adds that although we must not isolate ourselves from the world, we must love solitude as well. Without some measure of regular solitude, meditation upon the Lord Jesus Christ is impossible.

4. Do not simply rely upon fixed times set aside for meditation, but think upon Christ at every possible occasion throughout the day (1, 317–320). This is particularly important during those seasons in which Christ “withdraws” himself from our “spiritual experience.” If we know what it is like to “miss” Christ sometimes, then we should take comfort from the fact that this means that we have truly known what it is to have fellowship with him. When the comforts of communion with Christ diminish, we must seek him with the desperation with which a thirsty man seeks water. Christ acts in this way for our good, since his withdrawals increase our dependence upon him and the fervency with which we seek him. The truth is that Christ is always near to us, but “the principal actings of the life of faith consist in the frequency of our thoughts concerning him” (1, 319).

5. Accompany your thoughts of Christ with admiration, adoration, and thanksgiving (1, 320–322). The more we contemplate our divine/human Lord, then the more we shall realize that he is beyond the limits of our comprehension. This should lead us to love the Lord Jesus Christ with every faculty of our souls. In heaven, we shall exercise all of the faculties of our souls simultaneously in the worship and service of Christ, but in this world both our understanding and our strength is incomplete. Therefore, sometimes our thoughts of Christ should lead to admiration, others to adoration, and still others to thanksgiving according to our understanding and our capacity. You must never lose sight of the fact that the purpose for which you know Christ is worship.

Owen closes this section with the useful reminder that meditation upon the glory of the Person of Christ only occurs in the context of a heavenly-minded life. This is an important thought. Perhaps one reason why meditation is so hard for us is that we have not set our minds on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in everything that we set our hands to (Col. 3:1–2). Meditation upon the glory of Christ is a jarring and painful interruption when our minds are trained to run along the well-worn grooves of our earthly routine. Let us never forget that we are pilgrims and strangers in the world! Let us never be surprised at the difficulty of heavenly-mindedness on this side of glory! Let us make use of means to help us contemplate the glory of our Savior more fully! And may we come to our heavenly Father who is able and ready to help us to meditate upon the glory of his Son through the power of the Holy Spirit!"

(HT: Meet The Puritans)

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Introducing Tom Owen To The Blog World

I would like to introduce you to my brother in Christ Tom Owen.

He is a sweet brother in the Lord and one of my favorite ministry champions for Jesus. Tom, his wife Stephanie, and their two children have been a part of our church for almost a year. They have been a means of God's grace to my life as well as my wife's life.

I have been blessed to minister with Tom each Sunday as he leads us in song at New Life Church. God has gifted Tom with a mind for sound doctrine and a heart that has been captivated by the love of Christ. He is a talented musician and definitely displays that talent for the glory of Jesus Christ...unashamedly. After spending a year in the pastoral ministry there is no one whom God has used more to encourage me than Tom.

Along with leading music at NLC, Tom's desire is to create a ministry to help disciple and train other music leaders to lead worship in a holistic way. For Tom it's not just about a song or an instrument it's about the whole person living for the Supremacy of Christ and serving the body of Christ from a life that is in pursuit of holiness and sanctification. Doctrine is also a staple in Tom's approach in choosing songs that help to facilitate the soul to meet with God in corporate worship. So in this effort he has started a blog that he hopes will be used to encourage other music leaders as they lead in corporate worship from an overflow from their personal worship.

If you know someone that would be blessed to be taught, trained, and discipled in leading music in the local church please contact Tom he will be glad to discuss his ministry with them.

I know you will be blessed to read his posts on his blog. You can visit his blog, The Church And Its Music, by clicking here.

I love you brother!

God bless your ministry!