Thursday, September 30, 2010

It Is Finished

“Let all that suffer for Christ and with Christ comfort themselves with this, that yet a little while and they also shall say, ‘It is finished.’”

Matthew Henry, Commentary, on John 19:30

(HT: Ray Ortlund)

New Life In The Death Of Jesus And Self

"Sin demanded a death, Jesus gave his life, now in grace he calls for your death so that you may know new life."

~ Paul Tripp / Twitter

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

My Favorite New Chair!

I have to thank Justin Taylor for posting this on his blog....excellent! I not only love it, but I think I want one and I don't know where I would put it, but I have about 50 books I have absolutely no place for and this would be ideal....sweet!


Basic Christianity

In Acts 14 Paul was stoned and left for dead outside the city of Lystra. He had been chased down from some opposing Jews from Antioch and Iconium. Why? B/c he and Barnabas had "spent a long time there and were speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord".

After being stoned and left for dead, Paul arose and entered that same city and on the next day left the city of Lystra and went to Derbe (just outside of Lystra). While in Derbe Paul and Barnabas once again "preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples", even after almost being stoned to death days before. They then returned yet again to Lystra (where he was stoned), and there began "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith".

When I read Acts 14 and consider just some of the basic elements of how Paul and Barnabas lived the Christian life with one another and the disciples, God really keeps things very simple for us to understand. Things like...

* spending a long time there
* speaking boldly the Word of God to the city
* with reliance upon the Lord
* preaching the gospel
* making disciples
* strengthening the souls of the disciples
* encouraging them to continue in the faith

Although this seems like a very simple approach to Christianity...the truth is, it is rather difficult to fulfill b/c we often times do not think biblically about ministry nor do we have the patience to endure. I must honestly say that it is a challenge at times to patiently trust in the 'slow work of God'.

* Time seems to fly by so fast, yet we must spend a long time here planting ourselves as a means of God's grace to the people.

* People naturally do not want to hear the truth of God and the truth of their sinfulness, but we must speak boldly the Word of God to the people.

* Naturally I have the tendency to rely upon myself, but I must rely upon the Lord to use His people in His way.

* Regardless of what people think they need to hear from preachers, we must preach the true gospel of faith and repentance unto the Lord.

* As difficult as it is to impart our lives to people and wait patiently for them to be saved, grow, and mature in Christ, we must make disciples who will reproduce themselves into others and make disciples.

* Because of life, circumstances, and sin, it is difficult at times to consistently strengthen the souls of the disciples, nevertheless, we must strengthen the souls of the disciples with the Word of God.

* All of God's people are being torn between love for the world and their love for God, so we must encourage one another to continue strongly in the faith that God has called us to.

This sure seems simple to read and for some possibly too simple to actually be ministry worthy. But I think when we actually consider what our early brothers and sisters were engaged in, it quickly becomes the best possible means of living the Christian life in real life.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Is It The Enemy Or Grace?

"Things aren't always what they seem. It's possible, in a time of hardship, for the refinement of grace to look like the enemy's triumph."

~ Paul Tripp

Saturday, September 11, 2010

9 Years Ago Today!

Well I didn't expect to begin a series of posts marking anniversaries of events over the last three days such as: my conversion (9/9/1990), being installed into the pastorate (9/10/2008), and now the day that our country was attacked by Muslims (9/11/2001).

Our oldest son Seth was only 3 weeks old and we were visiting some friends about 2 hours away from our home in Dallas when we first heard the news of that unforgettable moment in New York. We were actually visiting them in anticipation that God was leading us to move there and serve in my friend's church as their associate pastor. It very quickly became a bitter/sweet moment.

I really like how Kevin DeYoung exhorts us today at his blog...
"Today is September 11. Let it be a day where Americans give thanks for liberty and pray for their country.

Let it also be a day where we remember that while God has not promised America will last forever, he has promised his people an everlasting kingdom. Our God is a mighty fortress for all who trust in him."
AMEN!

The State Of Your Position Before God

“When thinking of my state before God the question is not, Am I perfect in myself before the law? but, Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?

That is a very different matter.

We need not enquire, Am I without sin naturally? but, Have I been washed in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness? It is not Am I in myself well pleasing to God? but it is Am I accepted in the Beloved?”

- Charles Spurgeon, Morning & Evening, September 6

(HT: Of First Importance)

Friday, September 10, 2010

A Failure To Think, Is A Failure Of Faith

Tim Challies recently reprinted a quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the relationship between faith and thinking. Lloyd-Jones is commenting on Matthew 6:30 in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount:

Faith according to our Lord’s teaching in this paragraph, 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. . . .

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, draw your deductions. Look at the grass, look at the lilies of the field, consider them. . . .

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. The trouble with the person of little faith is that, instead of controlling his own thought, his thought is being controlled by something else, and, as we put it, he goes round and round in circles. That is the essence of worry. . . . That is not thought; that is the absence of thought, a failure to think.
I read this morning a related thought from Augustine:

No one believes anything unless one first thought it believable...

Everything that is believed is believed after being preceded by thought...

Not everyone who thinks believes, since many think in order not to believe; but everyone who believes thinks, thinks in believing and believes in thinking.

Augustine, Predestination of the Saints 5 (PL 44:962-63), cited by Wilkin.
(HT: Justin Taylor)

2 Years Ago Today...Hallelujah Amen!

Two years ago today God graced me with the privilege of serving Christ and His church by becoming the pastor and church planter of New Life Church. Serving the body of Christ in this way has literally changed my life and I am grateful to God for using the pastorate to sanctify my life and consecrate me more to Him.

I've been in the gospel ministry now for 15 years, but I've only been a pastor for two of those years. I remember reading Romans 10 for the thousandth time about six years ago, but it was that morning when I read Romans 10, that for the first time I realized that God was quickening my mind, my heart, and my will to serve in the kingdom as a shepherd, an overseer, a pastor, a preacher. It was truly a humbling moment to realize that I would serve in this new way.

Over the last two years I have experienced God's sustaining grace in my life, my ministry, and in the people, whom I have the joy to pastor and shepherd. God is so good to those of us who get to serve and live in this way. We are so underserving, but nevertheless, God works in us to will and to work in order to do the very things that pleases Him the most.

The aim of this ministry is to lift high the glory of Christ by proclaiming the full counsel of God's Word...period. Therefore we pray, that God will draw all men, women, and children to Himself by granting faith and repentance to those who hear the Word of Christ.

It is a good and spiritually noble thing to be a pastor...I appreciate your prayers!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

20 Years Ago Today...Hallelujah Amen!

It's one thing to talk about the gospel. It is yet another, to talk about the gospel applied to my life.

20 years ago today, God granted me the gift of faith to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ for salvation.

You see, I once was spiritually dead and I walked according to the course of this world and I lived in the desire of my flesh and was by nature a child of God's wrath, but on September 9, 1990, God being rich in mercy, b/c of His great love for me, made me alive together with Christ and by His grace, I was saved and given 'New Life' from the dead, in Christ, and to never walk and live the same again!

The gospel was and by His persevering grace is still being applied to my soul...to my mind, my heart, and my will.

20 years sounds like a very long time, but it feels like just a moment in time. They say that time flies when you're having fun and I guess it really does feel that way, but I am forever grateful for God's sanctifying grace. He not only saved me from His wrath, but He placed His Holy Spirit in my life to guide me in truth and to enjoy living the gospel of ongoing and growing faith and repentance in Christ.

I am His workmanship. I am created in Christ Jesus. I am created for good works, which God prepared for me to walk in. It is amazing to see God reveal to me, slowly, these good works that I am blessed to walk in.

May the next 20 years, Lord willing, shine brighter than the first and cause all people every where to behold these good works and then to glorify my Father in heaven.

Thank you Father for the gospel of Your Son Jesus Christ!

But thank you Father even more, for the gospel applied to my life, by giving me a 'New Life' in Your Son Jesus Christ!

Hallelujah...Amen!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Gospel / Your Money / Your Treasure / Your Eternity

Over at Life2gether, Doug Wolter highlights from J.D. Greear that how we handle/give our money is a direct result of the gospel's effectual work in our lives.

We give generously b/c the gospel of God has transformed our hearts to give generously like God gives. If we do not give generously it is b/c the gospel has not transformed our hearts and therefore this is an indicator of whether or not we have been truly born again. Below is a quote from the article...

“If you are not generous, you’ve never really experienced the Gospel. If you
feel guilty about how little generosity you show, you don’t understand the Gospel.”
You can read J.D. Greear's short article by clicking here. It is worth your time.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Labor Day Reading

Today I'm spending much of my Labor Day reading The Trellis And The Vine. It is a pretty popular book written by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. It is popular among pastors today and comes highly recommended, so my aim is to finish the book sometime this evening.

It's been both a challenge as well as an encouragement to read thus far.

The challenge comes b/c the aim is basically a very simple approach to ministry through speaking, teaching, and praying the Word of Christ into people (to non-Christians & Christians). The challenge is that there's nothing fancy about this approach to ministry. Another challenge is that it takes time to see the fruit from this kind of ministry. I'm not very patient, so it is a challenge for me to wait on God to bear fruit and set apart others to Himself.

Encouragement comes in reading this book b/c God has pretty much allowed me to be ministered to like this. As I was growing up spiritually, I was discipled/mentored in the faith for a couple of years by an older brother in Christ. He imparted his life to me and demonstrated both discipline and godliness in His walk for Jesus. He gave me something godly to imitate as I watched him live.

The fruit of his ministry in my life is being lived out in New Life Church. We too have placed a high premium on ministering in this way. We value this 'one anothering' for the Christian life. By God's grace we preach the Word of Christ to one another, we speak the Word of Christ to one another, and we pray the Word of Christ for one another. Our aim is to do ministry like this in the fullness of His Spirit and with much conviction.

There are a plethora of ministry truths, quotes, and strategies in this book, but Marshall and Payne have a pretty good statement on what discipleship is all about in Chapter 7 that really resonated with where I am in life right now...
"Christian discipleship is about sound doctrine and a godly life, and so to train or equip someone to minister to others means training and equipping them with godliness and right thinking, not just with a set of skills--because that in turn is how they will need to minister to others."
Well it's not fancy, but it is biblical. To impart, demonstrate, and reproduce ourselves into others with the gospel, the Word of Christ, is the biblical way. So far a really good word on what us pastors are to be doing in ministry today.

We're praying for God to bear fruit from the Word of Christ and for the Word of Christ to increase!