SVC nine 23

We Have Moved!

2010-06-04T10:16:00.007-05:00

After years of planning and work we have officially launched a website:

923gospel.com

So if you have found your way here just follow the link over to our new home. We look forward to seeing you there!

much love,
b.e. gilley

We Gots Something Brewing

2010-04-28T12:03:00.001-05:00

I just want you to know that we have not given up on this whole blog thing. I have about 5 posts that are in transit but I have just gotten bogged down with the many things weighing on me these days.

One of those things on the plate of Brian is something we got in the works. We're plotting something big. I don't know how big we can get but it's purty dern big for us. It will be bigger, better, have more options and be more interactive.

The unveiling will be June 1st. And we really hope to please. We have dumped a lot of effort and love into this thing and we are trusting that it will be helpful to you as you sojourn here on this rock!

Shalom, my friends.

The Manhattan Declaration

2010-03-23T13:46:00.002-05:00

written by Dr. Gary Gilley

The Christian village is all abuzz these days about The Manhattan Declaration, yet another brainchild of Charles Colson (along with Timothy George and Robert George) in his ever vigilant attempts at societal improvement and ecumenical unity. In his earlier efforts, in particular the Evangelicals and Catholics Together documents, Colson and Roman Catholic priest John Neuhaus attempted, with some apparent success, to convince Christendom that their two separate traditions held far more in common than it realized and it was time for both sides to lay down their arms and unite against liberal Christianity and secular ideology for the good of society. While admitting that strong differences still remained, Colson, Neuhaus and their supporters tried to maintain that the two communities were preaching essentially the same gospel message and therefore it was time to join forces against their greater enemies. The Manhattan Declaration addresses a similar theme but focuses more on remedying morally corrupting influences in America than on the nature of the gospel. While there are a great number of social evils that need attention this document zeros in on what the authors would consider the big three: abortion, homosexual marriage and religious liberties. These are important matters bout which all true Christians, and many others, are concerned.

Responding to the Atheist

2010-03-20T17:56:00.008-05:00

In light of some of our people getting hammered for what they believe in their classes I thought this might encourage you.

Do not be intimidated. Just ask questions.

- Who am I?

- Where did I come from?

- What is wrong with the world?

- How do we fix it?

State the obvious.

So you want me to believe:

1. order came from disorder

Somehow the molecules of the universe aligned themselves in a productive manner without the aid of any type of intelligence.

- yeah because that happens, like when I used to throw firecrackers at my toys. I distinctly remember something useful always came out of it instead of useless piles of trash.

2. life came from non-life

Somehow an unfeeling entity became a living thing.

- we see that all the time, like when my tube of toothpaste started crawling across the counter yesterday.

3. intelligence came from non-intelligence

Somehow an object that had no brain got smart.

- like that rock that pondered…

4. reason came from non-reason

Some type of unthinking thing began to deduce logical conclusions.

- like last week when that chair calculated that my booty was too hefty for its little legs to sustain.

5. morality came from amorality

That which had no morals decided that it needed to have some morals.

- oh sure, like those dogs on the news the other day who realized it was indecent to run around all naked like that.

Remember secular culture says:

You are a random accident of unguided cosmic forces.

You are a collection of molecules that somehow managed to cluster together is a useful way.

“Love” is itself nothing more than random chemical reactions in your brain that are within you for the purpose of prolonging the species.

Your conscience is nothing more than reinforced behavioral patterns ingrained in you by parents and culture and may or may not be a good thing.

You are of no more real importance than the ape at the zoo. Of course the difference is that you can fight back and cause real damage if you don't like how you are treated, unlike the poor ape.

You are a magnificent animal - but an animal nonetheless.

Remember what God says:

> We alone are made in His image!
Genesis 1:26-27 & 9:6
> He made a unique garden for man to reside in and to be near to God.
Genesis 2:8
> He made a unique partner for man.
Genesis 2:18
> He distinctively set apart man from the animals in the story of the creation of Eve.
Genesis 2:18-22
> God gave man power and dignity that is beneath God alone!
Genesis chapters 1-2 & Psalm 8

> Mankind was given charge over the created, physical world - “to subdue it.”
Genesis 1:28-29
> And unto mankind mankind alone was the plan of salvation extended.
Genesis 3:15 begins the scarlet thread woven throughout Scripture.

We are surrounded by intimidators, those who wish for us to cower in fear at their all knowing feet. But we know the all-knowing God, so we need not fear their intimidation or be in dread of their threats but rather rejoice that we have been counted worthy to be reviled for simply saying the same thing as the LORD in His Word.

I love you. Stand strong.

Luke 9:23

2010-02-12T13:20:00.013-06:00

"Deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Me." This is the command of Jesus. Easy enough to say but oh so rich and profound. This call to discipleship Jesus gave to the crowd that day gets to the very core of man. It uncovers the essence of the separation between God and mankind.

Deny yourself - what it essentially this concept is driving at is governance. Who determines my course of action? Who tells me what to do and where to go?

A couple weeks ago at prayer breakfast, one girls brought in a can of sweet tea. First of all, yes it's a bit odd to be drinking sweet tea at 9 in the morning. But what was more odd, however, was the image on the side of the can. There was a crowd of protesters holding up their signs. Written on the only two legible signs was this "Be your own master" and "Question Authority." And the name of this brand of beverage? "Peace." HA! Now logical fallacies notwithstanding, the whole point of this story is this: Nobody wants anybody to tell them what to do. It illustrates God's point perfectly: mankind is a rebel.

Self denial means I give up the right to dictate how I act. Something outside of me now governs me. Jesus is saying that if you want to come after Him you need to give up the right to govern yourself. Salvation is a decision to change my allegiance. Romans chapter 6 describes this vividly.

You want to follow Christ? God now governs your life.

Take up your cross (daily) - this phrase is a loaded with (forgivable) devotional, allegorical affection. This makes it all the harder to find the authorial intent (always the pursuit of the student of Scripture) of this phrase. The problem lies in the fact that the cross is the centerpiece of the redemptive plan, the mission of Jesus in His first advent and basically the center of our lives on a daily basis (I would heartily encourage everyone to read "the Cross of Christ" by John Stott for buckets more on this subject). So naturally we see the cross of calvary everywhere in Scripture. I understand the affection and the tendency but I think we can miss the point of what is being said if we jump to a favorite conclusion before doing the required homework. We are, in all our studies, trying to be committed to exegesis not eisegesis - striving to derive meaning from the text not imposing our own meaning upon the text.

So what did Jesus mean for this crowd to understand when He said it?

Dig through commentaries, mine through resources and you will find different nuances and emphases from different scholars but all agree, this is talking about death. The way of the cross is a path to doom. It is a route once set upon cannot be undone. You don't get to take up a cross and lay it down when you get tired. When the shine wears off and the idealism hits reality you can't just drop that sucker and walk away. You pick up a cross and you are on a death march. And everybody knew that. And to them, the cross was not yet loaded with sentimentality but with repugnance.

Was martyrdom implied in Jesus' words? Maybe, but I don't think so. While many have died and many more will die for the cause of Christ, most do not. Most of us will never have the honor of being persecuted for His name to that extreme. Most of us get to keep our heads. But death is still the point. I tend to think of this expression as an extension of the first. That is, how far does my self denial need to go? The answer: to the grave, daily. Let it be known, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die (Dietrich Bonhoeffer The Cost of Discipleship p.79)."

Follow Me - this seems self explanatory enough, and it is. But I think due to this simplicity it is often overlooked - at least it certainly has been by me. This concept is visually demonstrated in Jesus ministry with the disciples. What did they do? They went with Him everywhere He went. They were associated with Him. In their day and time a follower/disciple was often times considered "as the man himself. (Rengstorf, TWNT 1, pp. 415, 425 & Lane NICNT p. 331)." Identification - this is the point.

So you might be thinking, "yeah, I think I knew that before you took me down this trail! So why waste the print?"

Because we must see that while what Jesus is asking for is simple to understand, it is also loaded with all the baggage that being identified with Him entails. Persecuted, ridiculed, hated, maligned, slandered, misunderstood - these type of words describe much of the attitude of the world toward Jesus. 1Corinthians 2:12-15:

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

- a disciple of Christ is not going to make sense to a bystander. Why? (1Cor 1:18-21)

Because who would ever give up the right to govern their-self? Who would be willing to submit their life, to the point of death, to serve the plan of another? And who in the world would continue to accompany someone who brings ridicule, pain, hatred and death along with them?

Answer: one who has seen the glory of Christ.

Philippians 3:7

Sacred Irony

2010-01-20T16:28:00.003-06:00

When I was young all I wanted was to be set free to do what ever my heart desired. I wanted unrestrained indulgence in that which I craved. Internally I wanted a conscience that was silent about my actions. Externally I wanted others to endorse my efforts, praise me for what I was doing or if nothing else to just be silent with their objections. I just wanted to be given over to do whatever I wanted. I didn't want Jesus to mess up my life. I hated His invasion into my privacy and resented the fact that I could never get away from Him. He haunted me. And for this I hated Him.

Now that I belong to Jesus all I want is for Him to never give me over to my sins. I hate when I feel distant from my Father and marvel that I ever choose sin at all! I don't understand this morbid love of self. It makes no sense to me now. It is counter productive and shortsighted. I know exactly where it takes me and I don't want anything to do with it. It baffles me that I do the things I hate and struggle to repent and “come home” when I do them. I understand that my residual depravity is still strong and active within me. I know that I am swimming up a stream of well ingrained sinful patterns of behavior. You could say that I “get it” theologically and experientially; returning to wallow in the mud in light of residual depravity makes sense.

And I hold out in front of me that carrot of future blessing and liberation from this plague of sin. I remind myself of my positional standing before God in justification through Christ. I am so very glad to know that I will one day be in unbroken communion with Him forevermore. But what about today? What about my current situation?

Before Christ I did not have this struggle. I did not care if my sins pushed me from God. In fact, I was pleased when my actions helped to increase the distance. I was glad when my conscience stopped nagging me. But now, today, I want my conscience to scream! And in this paradox there is comfort, a wonderful comfort. A comfort derived from the knowledge that the Holy One is at work in my life. God is alive and active in my life – in my measly little life! Fascinating. And beyond fascination it also brings a wonderful sense of contentment. He is faithful, faithful to do exactly as He promised.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:28-29

I was once the prisoner of self and sin.Now I am the captive of Christ. Before I was upset and longed to find that which I thought was freedom. Now I am thrilled to be a prisoner and content with what comes from His hand. What a sacred irony.

-by b.e.gilley

What do we do about Sports?

2010-01-13T13:55:00.006-06:00

It is fascinating to see the simultaneous rise in the esteem of sports and professional athletes along side of the rapid moral decay of our society - let alone the personal moral fiber of the athletes themselves.

There is no question if our world is accelerating in its greed – perfectly illustrated in our current economic situation. And no question as to our growing pursuits in moral debauchery – we need look no further than the proliferation of new laws from a mere two generations ago, and the massive overpopulation of our prisons for validation of this proposition.

At the same time, there is no question if we as a nation have ever been more fixated on sports (and to be fair, with entertainment in general) than we are right now.

Think for a moment of all the entities and careers that spin around the sports world. Marketing, recruiting, training, coaching, sales, management, graphic design, web development, facilities, medicine, rehabilitation, scouting, promotions, agents, food, drinks, commentating, reporting, sideline reporting, - you even need people to work the parking lot! This is a tiny list of all the things that go into professional sports.

Now lets rewind history about two generations back. How much of this stuff existed? How many of these jobs were filled by one guy or by the players themselves?

What complicates the problem is that we have difficulty thinking the world was ever any different than it is now. Try to imagine a world before ESPN (which came out in 1979)! You used to have to wait for the evening news for the scores – heaven forbid. We are in a time of of extreme instant gratification. Nobody waits for the news today. We check the score at work, play by play.

Back when the second World War broke out professional baseball was so decimated by players joining the military they resorted to recruiting youngins – 15 year old Joe Nuxhall made his debut in June of 1944. Now how many professional athletes today join up for our military campaigns? I say this not as a means to shame but more for the purpose of marking the cultural side we are a part of.

And with all of this there has been the inevitable backlash. While most kids like sports many have come to despise sports and have rejected them out of hand – as if they were a source of evil themselves. These are people who have thrown their hands up at the evil they have seen in the sports world and so have checked out of the game entirely.

Naturally all of this comes to an inevitable collision in the home and in the local church. The constant competition for young peoples’ time and energy gives birth to consistently conflicting schedules, demanding coaches, frustrated parents and bewildered pastors.

So what ought we do as people who want to honor God in our actions?

First off, I would prescribe a different antidote over abandonment. This really won’t fix anything and most often is just the exchange of one idol for another.

I would say that we must start by challenging ourselves and our affections to make sure we are not unduly bound to this world. We need to know with certainty that in our participation in sports, as a player or as an observer, we seek to honor God with it. We must at all times remember such passages as 1John 2: 15-17 "Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."

The truth of God must guide our actions while we are involved, in any manner, in athletics.

With this all said you might accuse me of a bias against sports. Fair enough. C.J. Mahaney (author of “Humility, true greatness”) has done a spectacular job addressing this issue. In fact it is without a doubt the best dealing with the subject as I have heard.

Feast on it. enjoy.

click here for the sermon by C.J.

Condemnation or Conversation?

2010-01-08T13:00:00.005-06:00

I do not want to labor a point unduly or restate the obvious and agitate emotions unnecessarily. But in I want to ask a simple question. How is the Christian to deal with error? How are we to respond to false teaching and other such misrepresentations of the truth?

We are in a world that recreates a Jesus in its own image all the time. The common representation of Jesus is "passive and peaceful." A man who is always nice and sweet, even tolerant of sin. We have all kinds of people walking around with WWJD bracelets who have no idea what Jesus would do because they have no clue what He actually did.

How did Jesus deal with error and lies? Did He simply "love people in their sin" and neglect the condemnation of their sin? And while Jesus was called a friend of "tax collectors and sinners" you will notice that those tax collectors and sinners did not stay around long. Even the casual observer will see that Jesus had an incredibly accordion-like ministry. Huge, massive crowds would follow Him around looking for goodies and handouts but in a moment He would lose them all (except the 12) with shocking messages like Luke 9:23, 14:25-17, Matthew 10:37, John 6:41-65 and so on.

[It may just be that those whom the Pharisees referred to as "sinners and tax collectors" were the disciples! They certainly would have classified Matthew, the tax collector, in this way. If you think I am off base I would ask you to consider the pedigree of the 12. These were not sought out people or identified culturally as "righteous." That position was occupied by the Sadducees and Pharisees and they made sure everyone knew it.The Pharisees would certainly continue to berate those who followed Jesus - the fact that they were repentant sinners was of no consequence to them. Remember when Peter and John were before the rulers of the Hebrews in Acts 4 and they saw them as "uneducated and untrained." They still had them under the label of "simpletons," people of no value as they saw it, and they had no idea what to do with them. The Pharisees would certainly have caricatured alone following Jesus.]

Now why is it that these folks would leave Him so quickly if He was just loving them in their sin? What was chasing them off if He was passive and peaceful?

Remember Matthew 10:34? "not peace but a sword." Hmm. How does that fit into your passive and peaceful concoction of Jesus (What is the sword? We know He is not speaking of actual violence. As He said to Pilate His kingdom is not of this world. So what kind of sword is meant? I will let you dig into that field on your own. Enjoy.)?

In the oft quoted story of the woman caught in adultery (which also happens to be one of the most debated passages in all of Scripture as to its authenticity in the original writing) we here Jesus say "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Is this God's way of saying that sin is not a big deal? Is Jesus saying that we should live and let live? Are we to understand from this story that we are to never judge sin or deal with it? Not only would this stand in complete opposition to a massive amount of Scripture but it would also do violence to the context of the story itself.

Jesus follows up this comment with "go and sin no more." Unless I missed it that woman displayed remorse and repentance - or Jesus would not have forgiven her! God never works in any other way! This story puts on display the nature of the Almighty God. He is more inclined to forgiveness than judgment; He is more inclined to grace than to destruction - Hallelujah! Without this we are all doomed and hopeless before the God of holiness! "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)" Praise His name, He gives grace to the humble. Surely there is none like our God? He forgives the unforgivable, He loves the unlovable, and He pardons the unthinkable.

But do not make the error of thinking that by any means He will leave the guilty unpunished (Nahum 1:3; Exodus 34:7). May it never be! For then He would be unjust, and this violates the very nature of His character. But His ways are not our ways and His timing is not our timing. Peter reminds us of this in 1Peter 3:9 as does Asaph in Psalm 73.

We deal with error not by sitting under it and learning all we can about their position, not by listening to it, not by cuddling with it > we respond with the truth. We preach truth. We preach death to self, identifying with Christ regardless of persecution, and faithfully following in His steps - Luke 9:23.

A dear brother in Christ, Pastor John Macarthur, has done a better job with this than I can even pretend to do. I would encourage any and all to listen to (or read) his dealing with this subject.

- to listen to the sermon go here

- if you would prefer to read it then you can go here

- you can even watch some of it on youtube

God's grace go with you as you do all you can to stand firm, fellow soldier of Christ.

much love

back in the saddle

2010-01-05T23:30:00.001-06:00

It feels like it has been way too long since I was granted the opportunity to open the Word on a Wednesday night. I don't particularly like the break. I feel a bit out of whack. No good.

Tomorrow we will be back in Proverbs. We will be mining for gold, precious nuggets found in the that befuddling mind of Solomon.

Without feasting on the Word what hope do we have? Without His wisdom we are simply groping around in the dark looking for something legitimate, something that feels real, to base life and living upon. God's word turns on the lights. Proverbs guides us on the path of skillful living, living a life that is pleasing to God. Being pleasing to God is not something that we figure out by trial and error. It is only discovered through revelation. The specific revelation of His word. God has not left us in the dark. He has given us a light. We just need to flip on the switch.

To open the Word and cut it straight - this is my privilege. And it is my fear to do this wrong. I am looking forward to our gathering, I hope you are too.

much love, bg

Where the battle rages...

2010-01-05T15:51:00.002-06:00

"If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except that little point which the world and the Devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."
— Martin Luther

Colliding Opinions

2009-12-17T10:34:00.016-06:00

Sometimes stating the obvious in a creative way helps to reinforce truth. With that said, I heard this line the other day, "arrogance mixed with ignorance will and can bring forth a man that don't really understand but claims he does - and that's not good."

This line is found in a song entitled "Dippity Doin." Ha.

But John Reuben (author and artist of the song) in the midst of a silly song makes a solid point. The world is loaded with people who think a great deal of their own opinion, as if it were the only one with validity, all the while being ignorant, sometimes willfully, of the counter argument.

Opinions are a funny thing. We all have them and we all think ours is right. Of course we have to be honest and admit that we are often persuaded by the strong opinion of another. Once this happens we become a supporter and propagator of that, now shared, belief.

Is homosexuality genetic or a choice? It's a choice. Romans chapter 1 verses 18-32 makes this abundantly clear. Verses 26 and 27 key in on the subject at hand. This is not an "obscure passage" as our President Obama has called it - a rather weird and undermining statement to make - but rather in the opening of the Apostle Paul's most systematic and in depth letter to the church of God. [see also Leviticus 18, 20 and 1Corinthians 6:9. And for a incredibly thorough defense from the perspective of Scripture see "The Master's Seminary Journal" volume 19, Number 2, Fall 2008]

I have yet to talk to someone who says that it is genetic who actually has done any research. I have read the opinion of some scientists who have researched the issue but I have never talked to a common person who has actually checked in to these things with depth. Instead people just say, "it's genetic." or "it has been proven." But once I have pushed the issue by saying, "I am sorry I was unaware of that study, would you be willing to show it to me?" we arrive at a awkward moment of silence.

[now there have been studies where the data supports the idea but in every single one I have discovered their has been researcher bias - ex. the researcher was gay himself or has been actively involved in supporting the belief before ever conducting the study. Obviously such a researcher is not being inductive in their pursuit but rather arriving at a convenient truth.]

Obviously I have my opinion on the subject which is that it is a choice that one makes for how they want to live. I hardly think that it is a "I think I am going to be gay today" type of decision but rather a choice like a drug addicted bum makes. By this I mean that our man (the drug addicted bum), we'll call him Bob, did not wake up one day and say, "You know I think I would like to be a drug addicted bum today."

No. Very few would do this. But nonetheless our streets are loaded with men such as Bob. Bob did not mean to make this choice and in fact if he could change things he would. But did Bob make the series of choices that has landed him in the horrible condition we find him in today? OF course.

I am sad for Bob. But Bob is reaping what he has sown. This concept transfers over to the one who chooses homosexuality as a lifestyle. A person doesn't just decide to be gay any more than Bob decided to be what he is. One makes a series of choices that first leads them into a dangerous moral position. Once there the person begins to make dangerous choices (that of course do not seem to be big choices at the time). Decisions reinforced by the people present and in a conducive environment (Romans 1:32). Once a person strays into the open moral field they become prey for the wicked (Proverbs 4:14-15, 7:6-23, 9:13-18).

Proverbs reveals this painful process of reaping and sowing vividly throughout and rather pointed in the first nine chapters. It discusses the fact that the wayward (fools) will not receive a lightening bolt from heaven when they practice evil but will rather be given over to their desires and in turn what they want will ensnare and enslave them - and they will call themselves "addicted" to a pursuit that they once called pleasurable (Proverbs 5:22, 1:10-19).

Why does this happen? Because, again, as Proverbs reveals, it is a divine ordinance from the throne of the Creator. Reap - Sow (Galatians 6:7). You will reap what you have sown. Herein lies some added strength to argument - it reflects reality as we see it.

To shift the defense of my opinion I would say that speaking from a scientific, evolutionary standpoint (a point of view that I do not personally hold), if homosexuality is a genetic manifestation it is indeed a dangerous one. If our uber ancient ancestors had this strand of genetic information that told them to desire the same gender then our species would have logically been wiped out. We would have ceased to breed and thus become extinct. (Now today with modern scientific advancement we can find away around this through artificial insemination - but doesn't that description already tell you that something is not functioning in its proper manner, "artificial.")

My point is, if it is genetic then it is a dangerous genetic mutation for the survival of the species. Not only that but if natural selection is the key mechanism of evolution in the survival of the fittest then you would have to agree that the 'homosexual gene' is swimming in the entirely opposite direction of the overall goal to prolong the species. Natural selection by nature would need to "breed this out" of the gene pool.

That said, I do not hold to evolution or its logical conclusion in regard to homosexuality as a genetic variant. It is a choice than a man or woman makes albeit not necessarily an active "I am going to be gay today" choice but a personal, moral decision nonetheless.

A natural question raised by this might be: Am I mad at homosexuals or am I homo-phobic?

No more so than that of a man like our guy Bob. On one hand I am worried for them, knowing that God has given them over to their deviation and knowing that He will judge them (Ecclesiastes 12:14, 3:17, 11:9; Psalm 1:5; Hebrews 4:13, 9:27, Matthew 12:36; 2Peter 3:7; Revelation 20:11-13). And on the other hand I stand am encouraged to see the truth of Scripture validated by the repercussion that sinners endure.

Anger does come into the equation as I see people thumbing their noses at the divine order of God. But my anger is to be laid at the feet of my Father because He said (1) that our anger does not bring about the righteousness that He desires (James 1:20) and (2) vengeance is His (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). So any anger I have is a moot point in my inter-personal dealings. I would never personally commit violence or condone violence done to homosexuals - nor should any Christian.

And as far as being afraid of the gay community (homo-phobic), this is a rather ridiculous accusation to make to the Christian who is commanded to fear God alone.

It may seem that I have drifted from the original thesis of this post, but I assure you, I have not. We all have opinions, mine being thus established. Some opinions cannot stand the test of scrutiny and others can. And if it stands then the stated opinion gains validity and momentum among the wise. (Fools by contrast do not care if their argument falls apart under investigation, they just cling to their point of view in arrogance, being self deceived.)

On the issue of homosexuality opinions are heated. Most people have chosen to just line up behind some loud mouth and remain contentedly in the shadow of that seemingly knowledgeable individual. Most don't want to rock the boat nor do they want to dig under the surface of an issue. And honestly most people line up behind whoever is winning at the time - good ol bandwagon thinking happens in more than just sports. This heated subject simply illustrates the point that we often have strong opinions (arrogance) on many things even when we have not really sought out the truth (ignorance). "Arrogance mixed with ignorance will and can bring forth a man that don't really understand but claims he does - and you know what that's not good." Reuben is right - that's not good. It is very dangerous.

Over the ages the observer of history can watch the best opinions of the mightiest of our kin simply fall apart. Be that Socrates, Plato, Kant, Freud, Darwin, or even Newton - many of the ideas propagated by these men have diminished or disintegrated over time.

> The philosophers have notoriously dismantled the beliefs of those who came before them only to have the same done to them in due course of time.

> Freudian Psychology has fallen on hard times is now merely among the plethora of schools of psychological thought and practice.

> Darwin has had nearly all of his ideas modified beyond recognition and even his warnings of the possible weaknesses and failures of his system flatly ignored - an example being the belief in the simplicity of the cell.

> Newtonian physics being outdated by Einstein is mind boggling to me considering it is in the concrete world of mathematics.

Things like this ought to reinforce that the opinions of mankind can only be taken so far. Opinions have always been changed and always will be subject to whimsy and cultural manipulation. This is why when I give my opinion regarding homosexuality I must root it in the Bible or else it stays among the field of fickle, worldly opinions. You can take or leave my quasi scientific evaluation of the subject. The use of science is of little weight compared to what God says. My "scientific opinion" you might call it, may be easily proven wrong, but what the Bible says has never been changed and will never be moved.

Watching the opinions of great historical figures fall by the wayside ought reinforce how meager our ideas and concepts really are. It ought to make us humble in our opinions and in the sharing of our views.

But does it?

Consider the voices in our media clamoring for attention - with ever increasing shock and vehemence. People go about getting you to listen to their opinion in different ways to be sure - consider the difference between Jon Stewart and Rush Limbaugh! They all have their tactics and they all gather a certain type of audience but do you really think their opinion is going to stand the test of time? You think where Socrates and Freud failed that Jon Stewart will win out? Come on.

Mankind is left to grope around in the dark if not for a divine opinion. If not for a divine opinion then morality and ethics are determined via strength and numbers. Whoever cries out the loudest and throws the biggest fit wins out.

Is this the best we can arrive at? Is this all the more we can conclude, that our opinions are set to wash away like so many sand castles when the next generation or world power rises up to call the shots?

Maybe. But I think you know better than that. I think you know there is a God and that when you close your eyes in death life will still go on. I think you know there is more to this life than what is seen. And since there is a God and "He is not Silent" (Francis Schaeffer) we would do well to pay attention to Him.

It is only logical that if God has spoken then all other opinions are meaningless. If God has an opinion then all other opinions are reduced to idle chatter and nonsense by comparative standard.

Find God's opinion, divorce yourself from your own and ignore the chatter of others. Hone in on what He says, learn it, cling to it and live by it. Therein you may stand with confidence against the colliding opinions from our present day, from ages past, and from the age to come.

1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."

Ephesians 6:14 "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm ..."

2 Peter 1:3 "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."

2 Peter 1:19-21 "so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. "

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

Lost

2009-11-30T21:27:00.006-06:00

by b.e. Gilley

(please forgive me, this is late night scribble and thus i know it has errors. i will set out to clean it up someday. maybe.)

a sheep doesn't know he's lost. at least not until he gets in trouble.

but i don't want to presume to know the mind of a sheep. maybe he does know he's lost out there all by himself but he just doesn't care. he is out there having a good ol time munching on that cherished chunk of grass that he discovered and if he knows that the rest of the gang split ship a while back he doesn't show any signs of it.

so we have these 2 options:

1. lost and alone and doesn't know it

2. alone and doesn't care

either way he's in trouble. and either description reminds me of human nature. we too often find ourselves oblivious to the dangers we are in until we realize we are in a heap of trouble. I know that i have had this happen to me on a number of occasions and the eye opening moment is a rather sickening feeling. it is the moment where reaping what you have sown is manifested right in front of you.

Examples: the father realizing his son is just like him, the brother seeing the dangerous place he has brought his little sibling into, the police breaking down the door on the embezzler, the gambler finding there is no money left in the savings account - the list can go on endlessly.

its a fascinating thing though to watch how, even in moments like these when we are rescued we want to take credit.

When i was young in the Lord, i used to think that i went out and found the shepherd. but thats not how it works is it? the sheep is out there in some precarious position, wide eyed and panic stricken. he has no hope of getting out of his predicament.

So, in comes the shepherd. He sees his lost one. He comes along, reaches down to that poor, helpless fella hanging out there on that edge. He reels that little fur ball in, puts him on his shoulders and takes him home.

What roll did the sheep play in the process of his rescuing? all he did was get lost. The shepherd did all the work.

If i understand the gospel of Jesus Christ correctly, this pictures the salvation He offers marvelously. We are dead in our sins, enemies of God, under the wrath of God and darkened in out understanding, callous in our conscience, and self serving in our hearts. We are lost, every last stinking one of us and sadly most people don't know it and the others don't care that they are lost. (on this subject read Ephesians for proof texts galore)

It is so heartbreaking to talk to a person who has no thought beyond tomorrow. How hard it is to talk with someone who simply lives for the party, the high, the next thing with no thought about the grave. How hard it is to listen to a person who knows there is more to life than this ridiculous materialism but doesn't care to dig beyond the superficial nature of things. And speaking to a person who is lost and doesn't know it certainly fits the "talking to a brick wall" cliche.

[this brings up a side issue of the goal of evangelism: what are we trying to achieve? well to me i have always thought that we attempt get people lost and when they are good and lost we try to get them to look up. this is the evangelistic value of Ecclesiastes which so eloquently expresses the inconsistencies and frustrations of life "under the sun."

what do you do with the fact that money dies with you or is inherited by a fool? what do you do with that fact that the idiot and the wise man die alike? what hope is there for a person when they have grown old - is youth really the best there is? is eating and drinking and being merry all we can hope for in this life?

a person may not thank you for exposing their dream to nothing more than the pursuit of wind and vanity but until they think their aspirations through to their logical conclusions it may be impossible to convince them that they are truly lost.

just to illustrate, think of a benevolent doctor. he works, strives and sacrifices to help others. he gives of himself in foreign lands to people who cannot pay him and heals people til he is weary. But so what. So you heal some guy for a week or month - they are just going to get anther disease. They are still going to go the way of all earth and return to the dust. You are only delaying the inevitable. You will increase their quality of life, hopefully, but that is the end. Not only this but when you can never reach all the sick people. and you will even be resented for choosing one person over another. and you will be sewed by the family of a guy you tried to save. it's a bit depressing when you look at it like this.

and this is a humanistic world view, this is the world view that we are told is vastly superior to a Biblical perspective. And what is this awful perspective that the Bible gives? While it shares many themes from what was stated above it tells you why this is so and what the ultimate solution is and that your actions as a faithful doctor (in this scenario) are not bound to this world but are hugely important, eternally important, to a God who will deal with all these things in minute detail. what a lame way to understand the world right?

this is a powerful subject to discuss with someone to thinks that have a plan, who thinks they have life all figured out - without ever having factored God into the equation.

The evangelist is simply trying to bring a proud person to a place of humility and to take a humble person to the right source for answers.]

Now in all of this it would be a rather absurd thing if while being carried back to the safe pasture of the shepherd, the sheep was thinking to himself, "good thing I am the best baaaa-er in my herd or that shepherd would never have found me." Ridiculous. Was is the volume level of the sheep that sent the shepherd out looking? Was is the power of his little voice that stirred the mind of the shepherd to even think to look for that lost one? In truth the bellow of the sheep was of little value until the shepherd was nearly upon him. No, all the real work belongs to the shepherd. All the steps along the way that made the difference he owned. He had the heart, the love, the care, the ability and the strength to deliver - not the sheep. so really all that the sheep contributed was panic.

The vacuum breaks down this morning. So i do my manly duty and set out to the task of fixing it. my 3 year old decides to help. "Let's work dad" he says with great resolve. And he does carry himself along with a great deal of busyness. But in all his activity how much did he actually contribute to the fixing of the vacuum? Zero or less than zero because when he was done i had to clean up what he was fixing. Now when the machine was all put back together and running again what does Isaac say? "We did it dad!" and gives me a high five, walking away feeling that he has accomplished something today.

It is all a very cute scene. He made me smile often during his "helping." Even recalling the image makes me smile. He was fun to have with me. But let's make sure not to blow it out of proportion - he didn't actually contribute to the fixing process.

God steps in and delivers those who recognize that have no hope and have nothing that they can contribute to their own deliverance. Yahweh specializes in this. Just as it is in our nature to wander and get lost so it is in His nature to seek and save that which is lost.

Understanding my condition before Him magnifies the epic nature of God. When i see me for what i really am it serves to move my heart to praise and wonder toward a God who defies logic and reason with His sweeping mercy and grace. He intervenes, He saves, He does all the work.

His salvation glorifies Him and rescues me. Life is good. I'm going to bed.

fence dwellers

2009-11-19T17:34:00.004-06:00

by brian e. gilley
[this is an addition to the "He never lets go" post]

In a world of flakes and half committed individuals the resolute person stands out like a princess in a pig pen. I truly believe that the uncommitted think they are experiencing the best of both worlds when in fact it is closer to the truth to say that are missing everything. They are like a jr high boy at the school dance too afraid to get on the floor for fear of being made fun of and too afraid to leave for fear that he might miss out on something. Yeah, he’s alive but he isn’t living. He’s paralyzed, paralyzed by fears from within and without. The uncommitted just hang out on the fence, vacillating back and forth waiting for who knows what.

The uncommitted think that somehow, by straddling the fence they will not be caught by the perils of the “big” sins nor will they be smothered by stifling religion. They think they will avoid the pain that blatant sinners find and they will escape the boring grind of Christendom. They think they have found the loophole in the system. They think they have found a way around God and His rules.

A lazy Bible reader might not have paid attention to the fact that God has already spoken against this particular brand of sin.
Against this very same backdrop Isaiah writes and breaths judgment, as does Malachi. They boldly proclaimed God’s message to people who were partially committed and partial in their allegiance to the LORD. And yet the people of the day thought they were “ok” because they still followed the external expectations of the Law. But they missed the point entirely and for this they found judgment.

God’s chief instruction to them was to love Him with all that they were. The ceremonies and rituals were only there to give an external expression to the internal reality of their lives – they were meant to give outward display to their love of God over and against all else. Rituals don’t save; they never have. But you knew that and that is not the subject I meant to write about today.

To get to the point, if you read these prophets you will discover that, as a fence dweller, you don’t find a loophole – you find condemnation.

You find condemnation because you are in fact a very committed person.
- refuse to commit to a girl > committed to being single
- refuse to have deep conversation and discussion > committed to the superficial
- refuse the wisdom of God > committed to your own wisdom (or those you like)
- etc…
The uncommitted are quite committed, but only unto themselves. You = god. You rule and govern and God doesn’t. God calls that idolatry.

I say all this because I spent most of my years hanging out on the fence. It’s not that I never return to the sidelines; it’s just that now when I recognize it I amend my ways. I don’t mean to shame anyone. I do mean to rebuke a mindset that is destructive and incredibly pervasive in our culture today. I say it this harshly because it seems that some things can be put in no other way. Some messages need to be hard.

Don’t miss the point; don’t waste your life: Choose you this day whom you will serve, if Yahweh is God then serve Him. Anything else is wholly unfitting. And a life half lived is no real life at all.

The God who does as He pleases

2009-11-16T08:01:00.008-06:00

by Dan Souther

How Perfectly God knows how to deal with us! Time and time again through my life this is shown to be true. We are weak, arrogant sinners and God knows it better than we do. Thankfully He faithfully deals with us and brings us along to maturity.

Joe Cornelius has the young adults starting up in Daniel and he told us to read it twice before tomorrow. Every time I go through the first few chapters I am always amazed at the way God deals with Nebuchadnezzar. He takes a pagan man, the most powerful person in the world, the ruler of the greatest kingdom this world has yet seen, and humbles that man to recognize that He, the God of Israel, is the Most High God who rules over the realm of mankind.

God began by making Himself known through Daniel revealing and interpreting Neb's first dream in a supernatural way, God told Daniel what was in Neb's mind!! Neb respond with,

Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.

Then, when Neb gets out of place and creates a huge golden statue (only the head was gold Neb…) and Hananiah Mishael and Azariah (why are children not taught the Hebrew names?) refuse to bow down. Neb gets furious, tells them, "…what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?" and throws them into the furnace. When he sees they're not burnt up, and in fact there are four men (didn't I throw three in?) Neb responds,

…there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.

Then my favorite, Neb has another dream, and of course the pagan magicians aren't worth anything, so Daniel interprets his dream. Neb is going to be turned into a beast for 7 years, until he recognizes that God is the one who sets up kings and can take the least of men and make them great. Daniel pleads with Neb to humble himself and repent so that this might not come upon him, but…. 1 year later Neb exalts himself and God immediately speaks to him and drives him away from men.

A peice of what God told him before,

seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.

Neb's response after,

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. “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?’

It is fascinating to look at how God dealt with Nebuchadnezzar, and it makes Proverbs 21:1 all the more vivid in my mind.

The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.

It is not a difficult thing for God, He is truly the Most High God, who does as He pleases

He Never Lets Go

2009-11-12T16:19:00.004-06:00

As a boy I often thought I could straddle the fence between my friends at school and my friends at church. I thought I could live in both worlds and as long as I could keep those worlds separate then all would be just superb. I thought I could live in both worlds half way and that no one would notice.

As I got older it became harder and harder to keep my two worlds apart. My balance on the fence I was straddling became nearly impossible at times. I knew the day was coming fast when I would have to decide. Or at least that is how the conversation played out in my head. The reality was that all along I had already made a choice. I had already decided on the route that I would choose. I thought I could turn to God whenever I wanted.

What a shame. What a depressing shame it all is. Ah, what a loser. But, “forgetting what lines behind” we press on.

You know, I really thought I found the way around the system. I thought I could fool everyone. And I nearly did. However, in all my calculating, in all my planning, I forgot God.

I devised my plans without weighing God into the equation. I was one who thought I could live as I wished and come to God whenever I felt like it. And I tried to come to God on a number of occasions, like after a stirring sermon or a fiery church camp experience. But those were just the man-made efforts of a person who had a guilty conscience. I was not repentant. I was only remorseful. I wanted a clean slate, I wanted to feel clean again. But soon after I would return to things I truly loved, like the pig to his mire.

Now then, what has actually changed in my life? Other than the basic outward trappings and what could be understood as façade – what radical transformation has occurred?

I still sin, I still run after foolish things – but not for long. My love and allegiance changed. Instead of returning to the mire with the pigs I come running home to my Father. I can never stay gone for long, His hold is too strong and I can’t break free. To my unspeakable joy, He owns me and I cannot break free. He never lets me get that far before coming out to find me, just like the shepherd He says He is.

I don’t claim to be arriving at super spirituality or to be above you in my piousness – I just claim that my God loves me, and He refuses to let go. Praise His name, He won’t let me go.

I know that tomorrow I may bury my parents, my wife or my sons. I know that I will face depression, sorrow and pain but I don’t face these things alone - He is now factored into every equation.

My friend, you serve a living God, doesn’t that make a difference? In your trial have you failed to factor the Almighty, living God into the equation?

Take heart, be strong, steadfast, immovable in the grace that He has granted. And remember “a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” (Proverbs 24:26) And why is it that we keep rising?

Cause He picks us up, He never lets go.

Birthdays and Gifts

2009-10-30T12:41:00.007-05:00

I turned 32 yesterday. Can't say that I feel any different. Just a bit more aware of how fast life is moving.
The youth group and others came over. We ate cake, sat around, chatted, beat up an Optimus Prime pinata, played cheap harmonicas and opened a couple gifts.

The best gift I received was orchestrated by my wife. It was a book she named "Lessons Learned from Brian." She compiled letters from the youth group, past and present. It was/is wonderful.
Thank you. It made an old man* cry.

*32 in youth ministry years is like 104 in normal people years

Momentum - valleys and mountain tops

2009-10-30T11:46:00.013-05:00

Momentum.
It is a truly powerful thing. When it is swinging your way everything falls into place. Others are complaining you can’t understand why. Others think life is unfair and you tell them to deal with it, albeit in nicer words than that.

On the athletic field, all the calls are going your way, all the shots are dropping, and the crowd is big and in love with you.
In school, all the answers are coming to your mind, all the right questions are being asked and you have more time than you need to get the test done.
In writing, all the pages are coming together and flowing out of you and nothing seems to be able to stop you.
At work, the boss is praising you, co-workers are looking to you for help, and your pockets can’t hold all the cash that is pouring in.
And in the church, the people are coming, they are excited and thankful and bringing all their friends to see what is going on. When the momentum is with you in the church it doesn’t matter what program or event you put together, the place is packed! When it’s all going your way you have problems with all the last minute arrivals and finding enough time to do all the things your people want. And even if your people are singing some dusty old hymns that you thought nobody liked, the song and the voices are vibrant and alive (an amazing thing to consider with all the hype these days over song selection and style.)

But when the momentum shifts – then you know. Then you understand why the others were whining. You see all the missed calls by the ref, the crowd is now small and jeering you, the boss is thinking of firing you, the co-workers are gossiping about you, the exams are on material you have never seen before, you can't think of a single thing to write and you just wish the world was flat so you could run off the edge.

It is at this time that you feel compassion for the “other guy.” Now you feel what he was feeling. Now you wish you had enjoyed the good times more and had appreciated them for what they were. Now you think, "Why was I not more understanding with that distraught, frustrated person? Why was I so proud? Why did I think the success had so much to do with me?” When the momentum is on your side you try to not take credit but people are trying to give it to you. When it’s against you, you don’t want the credit and you are hoping people are kind enough not to blame you in public.

In the church, when the momentum shifts, it doesn’t matter what program you have or event you put on or who you have in as a special speaker - it seems that no one wants to come. When that momentum turns on you…the people are coming and they look like they have been dragged in. There is a stillness in the proceedings and a dullness in the singing no matter how upbeat the song. The people seem to be coming but not with an excitement and they are no longer contagious in their affection for their church, no friends are following in their train and evangelism is hardly even a spoken idea.

A man can think he is doing a great job and think that he doesn’t trust in the numbers, in others opinions, or other trappings of success until it all falls apart. Once that energy is sucked out, that same strong man now finds himself questioning all that he is doing. He sits alone and wonders, “Where did it all go wrong? Have the sowers of discord finally found their day? Have the dissenters won out?” Did he not confront as he should have? Did he fail to deal with sin as he should have? Was he too mean, passive, quiet, or loud? Did he forget to do something or do something too much? “Why Lord?!” he will ask.

And then it all comes back. All the things he has been teaching others all the lessons and sermons about living for the audience of God alone, knowing that God is everywhere that He sees everything, all the talks about trusting God and the reassurances to others – all of that comes back like a flood and you are left there saying, “oh how easily those words slipped off my tongue and how hard they are to write on my heart.”

It is often that the words of a preacher come back to him, they come back and talk to him and in the worst moments, haunt him.

It is at times like these that I must return to my dear friend Asaph, the author of Psalm 73. Often his words have lingered in my mind in the darkest hours of the night.
(73:21-28)

“When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then (in that moment)
I was senseless and ignorant! I was like a beast before You. (like a dumb unreasoning animal that had no vision or hope that stretched beyond the plans of this world)
- This last verse is usually what brings a clarity to things -

Nevertheless I am continually with You
- and this is the verse where the tears begin to roll -

You have taken hold of my right hand. (like a child who’s father grabs hold of his hand with strength as they cross the road)
With Your counsel (the Word of God is right here before me as my counselor)
You will guide me (Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path)
And afterward receive me to glory (when in death my hands lose their strength they will feel the grip of Your hand)
Whom have I in heaven but You? (You are my only hope)
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth (I just want to be near to You)
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (!!)
For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. (renew your trust in God)
But as for me, (the one who is Yours, the one who has been bought by the precious blood of the Lamb)
the nearness of God is my good; (ah, this is where I belong, this is where I needed to be)
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, (I run to a Person not a place when I am scared)
That I may tell of all Your works.” (renew your trust in God and help other to do the same)

My last interjected thought is the reason I write these words here today. Truth be told, momentum and its direction is many times in the eye of the beholder. And while one person or clique may feel that all is wrong others might feel just the opposite. However, the emotional swing you are in is very real and very serious. It is so serious because a “valley” is a gift of God. It is a blessing because the valley brings you home. The valley brings you back to Jesus, coming back to the cross all over again, pleading with the Lord to be near to you as never before. The valley you may not like, but the destination is where you long to be. So really the valley is a blessed avenue that leads us to praise. In the valley you learn the value, the strength and the beauty of your Shepherd. It takes you to the place you belong.

So praise His name for the days of darkness even if you can’t smile through them, because now you know the nearness of your God. What more can you want out of life than that?

this brownie is AWESOME!

2009-10-28T16:07:00.008-05:00

It’s a funny thing how we trivialize the monumental and build monuments to the trivial.
“this man has accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior.”
What is the typical response?
“that’s neat.” Or “cool.” And if you are old-school enough you’ll bust out an “Amen.”

Contrast this with: “this brownie is Awesome!”

This person was transferred from darkness to light, set free from the chains of sin and alive to God – neat.
But - this brownie - awesome.
Hmm.

We play epic, powerful music to our sports highlights all the while the real big stuff of life like the boy who daily picks up his bible so that he can know God, goes unsung and unheralded. The real epic moments of life are when a lad decides to choose righteousness over instant gratification, or when a young girl decides she will be modest because she wants to honor her God more than she wants to catch the gaze of boys.
A cheese-ball “Hip Hip Huzzah” should at least be in order right?
But no. Moments like these fade with no instant replay, no trading cards, and no (visible) crowd cheering on to victory.

I have frequently read that kids usually say their heroes in life are actors (paid pretenders), musicians (paid entertainers), and athletes (paid game players). Is that the stuff of a hero or is that just a person with a sweet job?
What’s going on here?

Shouldn’t the Christian be asking: Who are the men and women that God would exalt? Who are those that God would play the epic music to? Turn to Hebrews 11. Look through the pages of church history.
I think it will be a grand day when someone says to me their hero is Ulrich Zwingli! Or Irenaeus! Or how about my boy Athanasius! Ha.
(I use some names that are sadly obscure to many but they were incredible servants of God; men who stood against the popular trend; men who stood in the gap and gave no ground. Guys worth getting to know!)

In pondering this whole issue I keep returning to this thought: The world exalts events. God exalts faithfulness.

From the perspective of the world David was a random boy plucked out of obscurity and put on display in the battle with a giant. To God David was no obscure child. He was well known and loved, personally, by God. God used the boy (David) because God knew that he would use the platform to draw attention to God. David thought of himself as nothing and God as everything. David knew the faithfulness of God to him before the encounter with Goliath – this is the very reason why David was willing to fight on that famous morning. David had heard the mighty stories of God and His deliverance granted to the people Israel, and he had seen that faithfulness on display in his own experience. He heard of the past, lived it out in the present and this enabled him to walk by faith with his future.
The story of David and Goliath is peppered with samplings of the faithfulness of David, to God and people – and the two go together, just as love for God and man go together.

The moral of the story: David was faithful, so God used him. David was faithful in little, so God used him in much. People have since immortalized David for his stance on the battlefield that day. They built monuments and sang songs. People esteemed him greatly after that. But God esteemed him greatly back in that shepherd’s field - where everyone thought very little of him.

Stop trying to shake the world and start trying to be faithful in the minute details of the daily “grind.” Who knows, as you are faithful, he just might use you in a mighty way. He might put you in a position where everyone else buckles and you must stand alone with the opportunity to do something that will make the sighted world* tremble, like our boy David.

*sighted world = those who live by sight

bad guys go to hell

2009-10-16T12:12:00.006-05:00

"Good guys might not always win but bad guys go to hell."
- Rick Holland

there is a lot more depth to this statement than at first glance. ponder. mull it it over. see if you get my drift.

Getting the word out

2009-10-15T15:59:00.005-05:00

(This is not a usual blog post but rather a note addressed to parents. It is posted here to communicate this same message on all fronts and get the word out to our people what we do in our youth ministry.)

Beloved Parents, and fellow Pilgrims,

Parenting is a daunting task. It is a huge, scary, lifelong commitment. There are so many pitfalls, so many sinners who try to entice, so many who want us to join them in their self seeking endeavors. I am convinced that our young ones are the age group that is most specifically sought out and targeted by the enemy. In a battle like this, a battle for eternal destiny, allies are welcome.

This is the goal of our youth ministry. We seek to assist you as parents in the role of raising a disciple of Christ. As a parent myself these days I feel with you more than ever. When your child chooses sin and chooses to walk off the path of righteousness, I hurt with you. I lose sleep over those who wander away. I also rejoice when I see one of your children embrace the life of Christ. I rejoice when I watch one of them come alive to the Word. Now, granted I do not feel these emotions as deeply as you, but I do certainly feel them. And I seek to labor with you. I seek to be your ally and aid. I work to faithfully reveal the narrow way through the accurate teaching of God’s Word. I strive to be your ally in reinforcing the lessons you are teaching your children. I seek to be your ally in teaching them to be respectful of the authorities in their lives, and to honor their father and mother.

With such things as these in mind I bring this note to you. This is an effort to keep you informed and involved in the spiritual development of your child. I want you to be fully aware of what we have available to aid you in your quest to raise a man or woman of God:

1. a Bible reading plan

- a 52 week bible reading plan posted in the high school (HS) room

- pick up the plan, walk thru it with your child, do it with them, open the Word with them

2. a Scripture memory system

- lead by Ivan Romine on Sunday mornings in Sunday School

- I have found that we have strayed from this basic discipline over the years and so now we are trying to address the need

3. Know the Word cards

- these simple cards (the size of a business card) have basic how-to-be-saturated-in-the-Word steps to take

- these are in the HS room

4. the youth group blog http://svc-nine23.blogspot.com/

- this will keep you informed as to what is going on with the youth group in our teaching

- I hope you can use this as a possible talking point with your child, to let you know what they are learning and hearing from the leaders of this youth ministry.

- this site has bible study links, bible college links, pop culture filtering links, youth calendar, permission forms, youth worker profiles, link to the Facebook page, event photos, hundreds of articles and posts, the youth group Youtube page, a gospel presentation link, etc

5. the youth group Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49162339309

- this will keep you informed as to the activities and events of the youth group (the who, when, what and where)

6. a youth ministry pamphlet (posted in the HS room)

- this spells out the gospel

- and presents the presuppositional approach to evangelism

- and lines out the basics of what we do

7. the SVC website with resources galore from our Sr. Pastor http://www.svchapel.org/

- the church site also has all the necessary links for all things concerning our youth ministry. This is found at the “youth” tab http://www.svchapel.org/ministries/youth-ministries

8. events going on all the time

- weekly functions like Thursday night Bible Studies, Prayer Breakfast, Wednesday night class, Sunday School

- monthly events like the Fall party, Sunday evening food/fellowships, New Years, Youth Retreats, etc

9. and personal counseling

- this is available all the time

- and specifically in the month of Septmeber, annually

> this I call “maintenance counseling” – nothing is wrong, we (Priscila & I) are just seeing how to stimulate them on to love and good deeds, as well as helping them to establish good habits of bible study, prayer and relationships.

With all of these things there is more to be said – please ask anytime for further elaboration.

Along with this I have a variety of books that I would commend to you all as parents:

· Age of Opportunity – Tripp

· Shepherding a child’s heart – Tripp

· War of Words – Paul Tripp

· Instructing a Child’s Heart – Tedd Tripp

· Humility, true greatness – C.J. Mahney

· Uprooting Anger – Robert Jones

· Heart of Anger – Lou Priolo

· Practicing Proverbs – Richard Mayhue

· Thoughts for Young Men – J.C. Ryle

· What the Bible Says about Parenting – J. Macarthur

· Successful Christian Parenting – J. Macarthur

· Family Based Youth Ministry – Devries

· The Myth of A.D.D. Biblically Redefined – Andrew George & Lindsay Pretious

· Not Even a Hint – Josh Harris

· The Answers Book 1 & 2 – Ken Ham

· Think Biblically – Macarthur

And of a slightly different variety:

· Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business – Neil Postman

· The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager – Thomas Hine

And finally, a sermon series that I cannot say enough about that I would recommend to anyone:

· The Fulfilled Family – J. Macarthur sermon series http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermon+Series/52

I hope all of this communicates a level of love and concern, as well as a desire to assist you in this great task you have been entrusted with by our LORD. I want to make these things known and available to you as you seek to make the most of your time with your children and in this life.

Much love,

Brian Gilley

Get Ryle'd Up

2009-10-14T15:46:00.005-05:00

Thoughts for Young Men
by J.C. Ryle

General Counsels to Young Men:
Never make an intimate friend of anyone who is not a friend of God.

Understand me, I do not speak of acquaintances. I do not mean that you ought to have nothing to do with anyone but true Christians. To take such a line is neither possible nor desirable in this world. Christianity requires no man to be discourteous.

But I do advise you to be very careful in your choice of friends. Do not open all your heart to a man merely because he is clever, agreeable, good-natured, and kind. These things are all very well in their way, but they are not everything. Never be satisfied with the friendship of any one who will not be useful to your soul.

Believe me, the importance of this advice cannot be overrated. There is no telling the harm that is done by associating with godless companions and friends. The devil has few better helps in ruining a man's soul. Grant him this help, and he cares little for all the armor with which you may be armed against him. Good education, early habits of morality, sermons, books, all, he knows well, will avail you little, if you will only cling to ungodly friends. You may resist many open temptations, refuse many plain snares; but once you take up a bad companion, and he is content. That awful chapter which describes Amnon's wicked conduct about Tamar, almost begins with these words, "Now Amnon had a friend, a very shrewd man" (2 Samuel 13:3).

You must remember, we are all creatures of imitation: precept may teach us, but it is example that draws us. There is that in us all, that we are always disposed to catch the ways of those with whom we live; and the more we like them, the stronger does the disposition grow. Without our being aware of it, they influence our tastes and opinions; we gradually give up what they dislike, and take up what they like, in order to become closer friends with them. And, worst of all, we catch their ways in things that are wrong far quicker than in things that are right. Health, unhappily, is not contagious, but disease is. It is far more easy to catch a chill than to impart a warmth; and to make each other's religion dwindle away, than grow and prosper.

Young men, I ask you to take these things to heart. Before you let any one become your constant companion, before you get into the habit of telling him everything, and going to him with all your troubles and all your pleasures--before you do this, just think of what I have been saying; ask yourself, "Will this be a useful friendship to me or not?"

"Bad company" does indeed "corrupt good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33). I wish that text were written in the hearts of all young men. Good friends are among our greatest blessings; they may keep us away from much evil, remind us of our course, speak an appropriate word at the right time, draw us upward, and draw us on. But a bad friend is a burden, a weight continually dragging, us down, and chaining us to earth. Keep company with an unsaved man, and it is more than probable you will in the end become like him. that is the general consequence of all such friendships. The good go down to the bad, and the bad do not come up to the good. The world's proverb is only too correct: "Clothes and company tell true tales about character." "Show me who a man lives with and I will show you what he is."

I dwell upon this point, because it has more to do with your prospects in life than first appears. If you ever marry, it is more than probable you will choose a wife from among your circle of friends or their acquaintances. If Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram had not formed a friendship with Ahab's family, he would most likely not have married Ahab's daughter. And who can estimate the importance of a right choice in marriage? It is a step which, according, to the old saying, "either makes a man or ruins him." Your happiness in both lives may depend on it. Your wife must either help your soul or harm it. She will either fan the flame of Christianity in your heart, or throw cold water upon it, and make it burn low. She will either be, wings or handcuffs, an encouragement or an hindrance to your Christianity, according to her character. He that finds a good wife does indeed "finds a good thing;" so if you have the desire to find one, be very careful how you choose your friends.

Do you ask me what kind of friends you should choose? Choose friends who will benefit your soul, friends whom you can really respect, friends whom you would like to have near you on your deathbed, friends who love the Bible, and are not afraid to speak to you about it, friends that you would not be ashamed of having at the coming of Christ, and the day of judgment. Follow the example that David sets for you: he says, "I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts" (Psalm 119:63). Remember the words of Solomon: "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20). But depend on it, bad company in this life, is the sure way to procure worse company in the life to come.

Convicted

2009-10-14T14:42:00.004-05:00

How many times do I have to go down the same road before I just walk by faith?

Every time I set to task to teach another book of the Scripture I am amazed at the depth, and power of the given text.

I took up the role of teaching Proverbs some time ago and I cannot tell you how incredible this book is. It is poetic, rhythmic, didactic, eye opening, and surprising. I thought this would be an easy book to walk and I have yet to discover where such rank arrogance comes from - scratch that, I know exactly where it is coming from: my heart. The particular text I have been in today has made that abundantly clear (4:20-27).

This is the well of Proverbs that I have been drinking from has been a fearful and wonderful delight for my soul. I hope I can impart a bit of that glow to you this evening if you are with us.

Man I love God. I love the Word that He has given to us that we might know Him. Surely His ways are as high as the heavens above.

much love, bg

necessity of holiness

2009-09-25T20:56:00.000-05:00

"It is not absolutely necessary that you should be great or rich in this world; but it is absolutely necessary that you should be holy: it is not absolutely necessary that sou should enjoy health, strength, friends, liberty, life; but is is absolutely necessary that you should be holy, A man may see the Lord without worldly prosperity, but he can never see the Lord except he be holy."

- Thomas Brooks, 1662

quote of the moment

2009-09-23T10:08:00.003-05:00

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root."
Henry David Thoreau

I find this to be an especially interesting comment coming from a man alien to the life of Christ. Nonetheless, these words have great depth to them.

This is the same man who also commented that most men are slaves to their work and enslaved to those for whom they work. And summed it up with the well known conclusion: "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation...."

Grand insight worth pondering.

"Ehud Died" and the Bible College Bubble

2009-09-02T16:27:00.009-05:00

"‘Now Ehud died’ (Judges 4:1) – it was then Israel ‘again did what was evil.’ This is a sample of what (Judges) 2:19 was talking about. Take away the external restraint (Ehud) and Israel displays her true character. There is something wrong with religion when its degree of fidelity depends solely on outside pressures, influences, and leadership.

Then we are ‘Christian’ only because of our surroundings, or because of the expectations of Christian people around us, and (we) lack a genuine, internal work of God.

…Pressure (such as is found in the Bible College world) makes us such earnest folks.

But take away whatever influence Ehud must have exerted and Israel shows her real colors again. That is why genuine salvation consists not of giving glowing testimonies but in departing from evil (2Tim 2:19), not in relating glorious experiences with God but in living a consistent life (1Jn 2:3-5, 3:9)."

Dale Ralph Davis, "Judges"

(ephasis and clarifying notes added)

[I cannot say this any louder, ephasize this any more or write it any better than Mr. Davis did, but I would like to further connect his comments to you and me in our daily walk.]

When I read this I couldn't help but think of my dear friends in the wild world of bible colleges (or really any in a place where there is much pressure to appear spiritual). It is a surreal place where you feel isolated and disconnected from the real world. It seems that in that funky little place, if someone were to drop a bomb on the rest of the world around your school you would hardly even notice. You can get so caught up in the happenings of your school that you forget there is a massive world out loaded with folks who don't care about what the people on your campus are saying. You are in a "bubble" all by itself.

You might call bible college a spiritually pressurized environment*. Which was not unlike the state Israel found itself in every time a new Judge came on the scene. But where were the spiritual people before the Judge came? And where did they go after he left?

My friends, beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them (Matt 6). Make sure you are the real deal and not among the faulty soils (Mark 3). Be certain that if you call Jesus LORD that He knows you (Matt 7). Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Be sure that you are His and that you live for His praise, His reward and His magnification. Joy unspeakable, blessings aboundng, and honor eternal will follow you as you do.

Much love,

*The author quoted, Dale Davis, said this very thing of Israel in the sentance before the quote I used

Pick Your Poison

2009-09-01T11:04:00.005-05:00

In preaching through the book of Proverbs in a message entitled "Don't be Stupid" Pastor Rick Holland, of Grace Community Church, brings the listener to a pivotal crossroads, the same crossroads that Solomon takes his son to when he asks this question:

"Do you want to be cool or do you want to be godly?

Pick your poison ::

> do you want to be ridiculed by the cool people for being godly

[ or ]

> do you want to ridiculed by the godly for being a fool?"

Good question. Give it some thought.

Arise Sluggard

2009-08-29T09:12:00.005-05:00

"Don't drink, curse or chew or go with girls who do."

This was a saying that I used to hear, back in the day. It was usually said as a joke - but only partially. In our day and age we do tend to have certain sins that are viewed as the "big ones." And as long as we don't dabble in those areas we tend to feel safe and righteous. We also tend to turn our noses up at those who have become snared by those "big" sins.

My point in bringing this up is this: we tend to give ourselves a pass on certain sins as if they weren't a big deal, as if they also did not put Christ, the just, on the cross.

One of those sins you may have given yourself a pass on is laziness. It seems not to be that big a deal but what does God think of it? Does He mention it all in His word? Does He give us a pass on this as well? Should we feel safe in our righteousness?
(Warning: this may be meddlesome. Feel free to stop reading.)

Consider some verses from just in the book of Proverbs on the subject:

6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
6:9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
10:26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is a sluggard to those who send him.
13:4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
15:19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.
20:4 A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.
21:25 The sluggard's craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.
22:13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!" or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"
24:30 I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
26:14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
26:15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer discreetly.

>>> Clearly, in God's eyes, laziness is a big deal; a sin to be repented of, a scourge to remove from among us, a disease to be eradicated. So...

What is the Biblical antidote? What is God's cure to the disease?

1. A Biblical perspective
2. Good old fashioned discipline

>Get your mind right and get your feet moving.
>Set your mind on the things above and on the task to be completed
Col 3, Phil 3, 1Pet 1:13, Prov 3:5-7
>Fight against the natural instincts & wage war with your members & master them
Rom 6:12-23 & 1Cor 9:24-10:13

I feel safe in saying that the Christian laborer ought to be the hardest working individual on the job. And this applies to all jobs we are given, be that household chores, working at the factory, working on your jump shot in practice, working on your notes in band, working on your homework - Christians ought to be known not only for their love but for their hustle!
Why?

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
>>> labor hard now my friend, when this life is over there is no more chance for glory. Faith will now be sight. "rage, rage against the dying of the light!"

Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
>>> it doesn’t matter what anyone else says, you’re a servant of Christ

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
>>> we labor to adorn our God and by working hard we magnify Him

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
>>> this gives us motivation for the most mundane of tasks in life. every part of life has potential to glorify Christ, capture these moments

Exodus 20:9-10
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.
>>> it may seem odd to include this but think about it, we are trained to think of working in a 5 day pattern. We like our weekends, our “me time.” For goodness sake, we are the biggest recreational society of all time! But God says to labor 6 days.

Proverbs 2:3-5
For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
>>> hard work is a requirement for the task. So…

Cowboy up, Son & show thyself to be a man! 1kings 2:2

Let this be a slap in the face that wakes you out of the stupor you have drifted into. Do not feel safe in your slumber but arise and work diligently for the LORD your God is your audience and your judge!

Not only that but, (2timothy 2:3) I thought you were a soldier anyway?

Irenaeus

2009-08-27T14:48:00.002-05:00

Error indeed is never set forth in its naked deformity, left, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected. But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced … more true than the truth itself.
– Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons 180 AD

An Honest Man

2009-08-19T11:23:00.003-05:00

Here is a nice contemplative thought for the day:

"The greatest prayer I have ever uttered had enough sin in it to damn the whole world."

– John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress

love for Christ

2009-08-16T14:50:00.002-05:00

"Of all the things that will surprise us in the resurrection morning, this, I believe, will surprise us the most: that we did not love Christ more before we died."

- J.C. Ryle

Seriously

2009-08-12T15:57:00.007-05:00

One of the best friends I ever had used to say to me "man, you play too much." It is the spirit of our age to "play."

Now we do have things we are deadly serious about. We are serious about our recreation. We are serious about making sure we don't get cheated of a weekend. We are serious in making certain that we take nice vacations. We are serious about which condo or motor home we buy for our vacations. And we are deadly serious about hording up money for a blissful retirement.

But how serious are we when it comes to matters of eternity? The norm, especially among the young, seems to be to stay out of such sticky discussions and to shy away from a conversation about Christ.

It would do us well to consider the words of Sir Francis Walsingham:

“I am serious; for all are serious round about me. God is serious in observing us – Christ is serious in interceding for us – the Spirit is serious in striving with us – the truths of God are serious – our spiritual enemies are serious in their endeavors to ruin us – poor lost sinners are serious in hell – and why then should not you and I be serious too?”

Biblically Based Youth Ministry

2009-08-12T13:19:00.005-05:00

A friend in a far off land just asked me a question about youth ministry. Typical enough, right? But his question shot through my brain and triggered a vivid flashback - I remembered how vital a time it was for me.

So here it is: I was asked to write an article for Think On These Things and it changed everything. I rethought and retooled everything I was doing. It's amazing really, that such a simple thing can send you on such a monumental tale spin. The writing of that article did so much more for me than anyone else I am sure. It crystallized my thinking and brought a whole other level of seriousness and weight to the role I attempt to fill as a pastor to a small flock of God's people.

If you can to read what sent me off the deep end and moved me to great amounts of introspection you can read it below - and follow the link for the whole story.

Missing Ingredients

I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, for Thanksgiving at the Romines when I was offered my first glass of sweet tea – that is, real southern-style sweet tea. I was in love. What an amazing concoction! I proceeded to drink the rest of the pitcher. Before that day I had tried tea a thousand times but I never cared much for it. It did the job of thirst quenching well enough but that’s about where my desire for it ended. Once I tasted this sweet potion (must have been one part tea and one part molasses) I realized that all tea before this time had been missing something: the right flavor of tea and a whole lot of sugar.

Something is missing in modern evangelical youth ministry. To tell the truth, it seems many things are missing. What would a group be like that had the proper ingredients?

In this article I would like to point out two missing ingredients in many evangelical churches’ youth ministries. And much like the sweet tea Mrs. Romine made, these ingredients are no secret. They are nothing new or revolutionary. No, the sad fact is that they have been sitting there on the counter like so much sugar since the inception of the church.

The Centrality of Teaching the Word

Our concerns with common methods

I am taken off guard every time a salesman calls our church trying to sell some new program that is the next “must have” for our ministry. A salesman or two has even tried to impose a guilt trip on me for not wanting his program. It is appalling to me that a person would think that the church needs their hip program in order to succeed. With what measure are they gauging success? I thought we were given all we need for life and godliness through the true knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:3)? Am I naïve and idealistic, or worse, pompous and smugly self-righteous?

read more

a Plan of Attack

2009-07-31T10:04:00.005-05:00

sex & the Bible. part 4.
the conclusion

Thoughts for Young Men - page 24.
by J.C. Ryle

"the breach of the 7th Commandment is the sin above all others that, as Hosea says, 'takes away the heart.' (Hos. 4:11) It is the sin that leaves deeper scars upon the soul than any sin that a man can commit. It is a sin that slays its thousands in every age, and has overthrown not a few of the saints of God in time past. Lot, and Samson, and David are fearful proofs. It is the sin that man dares to smile at, and smooths over under the names of gaiety, unsteadiness, wildness, and irregularity. But it is the sin that the devil peculiarly rejoices over, for he is the 'unclean spirit'; and it is the sin that God peculiarly abhors, and declares He 'will judge.'

Young men, 'flee fornication' if you love life. (1Cor 6:18) 'Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.' (Eph 5:6) Flee the occasions of it - the company of those who might draw you into it - the places where you might be tempted to it. Read what our Lord says about it in Matthew 5:28. Be like holy Job: 'Make a covenant with your eyes.' (Job 31:1) Flee talking of it. It is one of the things that ought not so much as to be named. You cannot handle pitch and not be defiled. Flee the thoughts of it; resist them, mortify them, pray against them - make any sacrifice rater than give way. Imagination is the hotbed where this sin is too often hatched. Guard your thoughts, and there is little fear about your deeds. "
__________________________________________________________________

Most of the time we hear the charge of Christ to "pluck out our eye" if it causes us to sin and we respond "boy, I'm glad He's not speaking literally there!" And so we comfort ourselves with this interpretation. And while our Lord is not being literal He is talking about being radical. He is talking about drastically removing anything that might keep you from living a holy life. Any time we hear the words of our Savior and fail to act on them, we do so to our shame.

What I am advocating here is simple: a plan of action. We walk no longer in futility - we know exactly what our Lord wants from us. We are not lost in a mystery as to what He would have us do. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality..." (1thes 4:3). We are not aimless in our goal and being that we know where we want to be it would be advantageous for us to have a plan to get there.

So what ought to be the battle plan against immorality be?
Ryle just gave us 7 ways to fight back.

1. Flee the occasions of it
2. Flee the company of those who might draw you into it
3. Flee the places where you might be tempted
4. Read what the Word says about it
5. Make a covenant with your eyes
6. Flee talking of it
7. Flee thoughts of it

Soldiers are accustomed to having a battle plan. They don't just go at it willy nilly. There are orders to follow, weaknesses to exploit, and hills to be taken. Flank your enemy. Take the high ground. Overcome, soldier of Christ!

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

2009-07-28T09:40:00.002-05:00

THE RESOLUTIONS of Jonathan Edwards

BEING SENSIBLE THAT I AM UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITHOUT GOD' S HELP, I DO HUMBLY ENTREAT HIM BY HIS GRACE TO ENABLE ME TO KEEP THESE RESOLUTIONS, SO FAR AS THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL, FOR CHRIST' S SAKE.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. (Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one setting in New Haven in 1722)

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God' s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6,‹A faithful man who can find?Š may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord' s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God' s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.

44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. January 12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere temper; and to do at all times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:‹knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.Š June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. January 14 and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those ‹groanings which cannot be utteredŠ (Romans 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those‹breakings of soul for the longing it hath,Š of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton' s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. August 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. August 17, 1723.

Prayer and Abe Lincoln

2009-07-28T09:34:00.001-05:00

"We have forgotten the gracious hand which has preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving Grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."
- Abraham Lincoln

2009-07-25T22:03:00.003-05:00

An excerpt from J.C. Ryles book Holiness, in the chapter giving warning while looking at Lot's "lingering."

You live in days when a lingering, Lot-like religion abounds. The stream of profession is far broader than it once was, but far less deep in many places. A certain kind of Christianity is almost fashionable now. To belong to some party in the Church of England, and show a zeal for its interest--to talk about the leading controversies of the day--to buy popular religious books as fast as they come out, and lay them on your table--to attend meetings--to subscribe to societies--to discuss the merits of preachers--to be enthusiastic and excited about every new form of sensational religion that crops up--all these are now comparatively easy and common attainments. They no longer make a person singular. They require little or no sacrifice. They entail no cross.
But to walk closely with God--to be really spiritually minded--to behave like strangers and pilgrims--to be distinct from the world in employment of time, in conversation, in amusements, in dress--to bear a faithful witness for Christ in all places-to leave a savor of our Master in every society--to be prayerful, humble, unselfish, good tempered, quiet, easily pleased, charitable, patient, meek--to be jealously afraid of all manner of sin, and tremblingly alive to our danger from the world--these, these are still rare things! They are not common among those who are called true Christians, and, worst of all, the absence of them is not felt and bewailed as it should be.

once again, written over a hundred years ago. Relevent? absolutely.

Sex & the Bible, part 3

2009-07-23T16:08:00.003-05:00

Sex & the Bible, part 2

2009-07-23T16:01:00.003-05:00

this is written for the same reason that a great preacher of old wrote on the subject, J.C. Ryle, "I fear there is often a want of plain speaking on this part of God's law." And when I see so many bowing at the idol of sex "I for one cannot, with a good conscience, hold my peace." and, "I doubt whether the world is any better for the excessive silence" so prevalent here on the part of the church.

Knowing all of what was said before of the enslaving nature of all pleasures why is it that we believe it when the culture tells us that it is different with sex?

Good question.

I would say most simply because people are not generally driven by the facts, they are driven by their desires and their hearts. People believe what they want to believe and they find the teachers and preachers who will validate their beliefs.

We want to believe something different about sex so thus, we do. We have eagerly gobbled up the teaching of this age that we need sex and must have it now or we will suffer neurosis of some kind. Last time I checked Jesus never tasted of this fruit; last time I checked the Apostle Paul was single for the years of his service to Christ, and I don't think many would accuse them of insanity.

At a wedding people bring a lot of nice gifts. The celebrated couple is eager to open them. And there is no gift that they are so excited to open as God's gift. Sex. As He has spoken in Song of Solomon "Eat, friends; drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers." This is the only time God speaks in this beautiful love letter and it is to bless the union and to encourage them to unit in physical intimacy.

Isaac is 2 and a half. I think his favorite thing in the world is to pretend to drive the car. He is ridiculously happy to be given an inch of freedom in the car. He jumps from seat to seat, he pushes every button, he turns every dial and messes up anything possible. So I went out and bought him his own car. It's one of those beautiful new Dodge Challengers. Ah, they’re beautiful. It's got more horsepower under the hood than a semi. It's a piece of art. I have decided I am going to give him the keys when he turns 3.

What do you think of that?

Absurd. Stupid. Dangerous. Deadly. Isaac would first destroy the inside of the car in a few hours if not minutes and eventually he would get it started and destroy the car and kill himself. I would be a negligent, foolish, even stupid father if I did that. The boy is not ready for such a thing and he has no real concept of what that car can do.

If you indulge in God's marital gift at the wrong time I can say, with the authority of God's word, that it is absurd, stupid, dangerous and deadly. God has informed us that sex is His gift and gifts are to be opened at the appropriate time.

When we refuse to believe this and indulge in sex at an improper time we evidence that we are doubting the goodness of God. We buy into the lie that God is withholding some good thing from us. Really it's no different than the deception Eve bought into from Satan. "You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat of it you will become like God..." Satan might have just said, "He is keeping it from you because He is a jerk and wants you to miss out."

This is an utter lie born from the father of all lies himself. And the way to overcome a lie is with truth. Is such an indictment as in the last paragraph true? On what basis do you come to understand whether this is true? Who can inform you as to whether God is trustworthy? Do you try the good ol trial-an-error method and if your experience says "it feels good" then you just go with it? To determine truth by experience, in many ways, is to tantamount to saying "all that glitters is gold."

Interesting thing about going by your experience is this: if you try a drug it feels good, even while it's killing you. Your senses are telling you, "this is good stuff!" all the while you are being destroyed. A kid who tries huffing glue in a paper bag thinks he is having a grand time even while his brain is being deprived of oxygen and his mind is actually dying a little bit every time he breathes in those fumes. His experience is telling him "this is good" even though what he is breathing is toxic. Only a fool is trained in no other school but experience.

Here are two sermons from the beloved preacher John MacArthur, that will help you to gain a Biblical perspective on the subject of sex and sexual sin.
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermon+Series/289

Tommy Nelson and the Song of Solomon series

Joshua Harris, Not Even a Hint

John Piper, Sex and the Supremacy of Christ

J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men

Sex & the Bible, part 1

2009-07-23T12:57:00.007-05:00

True Non-development

2009-07-22T09:40:00.004-05:00

I have been mulling over this post for a very long time. It has been setting there, marinating in my mind for years. It comes largely as a response to one thing: It is troublesome to listen to a person talk at great length about their tremendous love for God and a minute latter listen to them spit venom at His people. These are the type of questions and probings which I search my own heart with as I seek to walk with Christ. I hope that, if this is read, that it might cut into the heart of the Christian, like the surgeon's knife, so as to heal.

The disciple of Christ must be self aware. The disciple must test himself.

If your study of the Word is leading you toward a progressive growth in haughtiness and pride rather than a place of meekness and humility – I would caution you greatly about the nature of your “growth.”

One does not draw near to the God of holiness and walk away feeling high on them self nor pompous toward His people.

We can miss this entirely if we fail to connect the two greatest commandments – Mark 12: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Notice our LORD links these two together without room for separation. Jesus marries the two thoughts.

It is an easy thing to claim a high and mighty love for God who cannot be seen, but the easiest way to see through to the truthfulness of this claim is to view one’s treatment of God’s people. 1 John 4: 20"If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

I can talk a great deal about my love for God but where is my love for His people? How much and in what way am I a servant to His people? Are my hands extended to the weak and poor? Am I sacrificing any of my liberties for infants in Christ, as well as instructing them in maturity? Am I patient, kind, tender and giving with His people?

Another way to ask the same question (and I find that it cuts to the heart of the matter for me) is this: Are you finding it easier to find fault with your brothers and sisters as you “grow” or do you find it to be more common for you to cover a multitude of sins in sincere love?

Make certain that your growth is real; that your progeny is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control rather than a worldly swelling up in haughtiness and criticism toward the people of God.

It is a difficult thing to ‘walk worthy of the calling’ and far too many have come to the conclusion that it is something that you can just meander through without deep inspection. But while difficult it may be, it is a fully worthwhile assignment; for we find that as we grow we glorify our LORD. And this is life indeed.

For Drug Dealers only

2009-07-21T09:34:00.009-05:00

When was the last time you were having a good conversation with a friend and then right smack in the middle - phone call. "Ah! Hold on. I need to get this." Once you hang up you return to find that your friend has moved on to something else and as you try to return to the conversation you find that it is somewhat derailed.

I have a problem with this. I have developed a problem with this. If my son ran up when you and I are talking and blurts out "Dad, I want a popsicle!" You would think him a rude child who needs to learn when to speak. There is a proper time to ask for a popsicle - I know that I will be spending a great deal of time teaching this concept to my son in the years to come (view Ecc 3:1-11 for a Wisdom Literature perspective). But what we find disdainful in normal face-to-face interaction we find tolerable in phone calls, texts, IM, and even email.

Why?

Why are we willing to break normal, excepted rules of polite conversation for a call? To go back to the opening illustration I would say, "No, you do not need to take that phone call at this exact moment in time." In fact I personally think you only need to go so far as to acknowledge the distraction and then mute your phone. Call the person back! Let them leave a voicemail! Chill out. They can wait 5 minutes.
This instant communication deal we've got going is not all together a good thing. Sure it's convenient and neat but we ought to control it, not have it control us.

Unplug from the idea that you must be able to be reached at any given moment and realize that up until the last dozen years we have not had this type of access to anyone. This is an anomaly in human history.

I am not that old, but I am old enough to remember when pagers (which only doctors seem to have these days) came on the scene. If you don't know of this device, a pager is a little thing that people call to let you know that they need to talk to you. They leave a number and then you call back when you can get to a phone. Now when they first started to infiltrate the population the common line I heard was "only a drug dealer needs people to get ahold of them that much! Why does anybody need that much access to you?"

Within a couple years the drug-dealer-only device was everywhere. And then a couple years after that the cell phone bomb hit. And now, here we are. Constantly accessible and now all the communication problems of the world are solved and the world is a better place. Ha.

In a world that seems designed to distract there is a great need for discipline and discernment.
I would suggest that there are some questions we ought to ask as we consider our communication. Simple questions like:

> What things in life are worth being distracted by?
(not all things merit the same amount of attention)

> What interruptions should be tolerated?
(not all interruptions can be a good thing, can they? So which of these should be ignored, or at least postponed?)

> Is the constant bombardment and even immediate access to information healthy?
(how much better off are we for our information?)

> Is it good to not have to work to find an answer?
(who truly appreciates what they do not have to work for?)

To not ask such questions is to simply to leave yourself open to be a pawn in the hands of another. And to think that this constantly interrupted lifestyle does not effect how we think would be a rather bizarre conclusion to arrive at.

Christians, allow me to to stir you up by way of reminder: all things can be useful servants for us, yet all things are horrible masters, save God alone. Do not be mastered by phones and media. Use it as a servant and be wise.

To supplement the proposition I am making here I submit to you these 2 articles regarding the power of distractions. Read and grow in your knowledge, and may your knowledge produce wisdom.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/183719

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/read/read/a0004706.cfm?utm_id=emailafriend&utm_campaign=1

much love,

Memorable pictures from the Banquet

2009-07-17T13:33:00.010-05:00

ah, good friends and a good evening, the LORD blesses.

Jared doing his James Bond thang, cept that's a cappuccino :) ha. nice shot though

the Katie, having a good ol laugh, even cracking up Ashes

the Curtis, showing the bingo ball about to be called

the Lame and the Kar, cheesin for the camera like they do

and one of my fav-o-rite groups of peoples

click on the picture to see a larger version.
enjoy : )

Isaac and Life

2009-07-15T16:04:00.005-05:00

Ah the Isaac.
So full of the vibrancy of life and so happy to be alive. So very happy to even be with me! What a baffling thing this is too. How very odd that my little boy wants to be with me even though day after day he sees me?

Day after day he runs to see me as I come in. I am drained so many days as I come up to the door and there he is, thrilled that I am home, eager to hug and begging to play - as if he has not been doing that all day.

His greetings are the stuff of legend. He comes running like you always dreamed your child would. And yet, the tragedy of the human condition is that not only will he grow out of this some sad day, but that I sometimes don't seem to care all that much.

And as you think of what an evil person I am I have no choice but to agree with you. And yet at the same time I would ask you to consider how many fingers are pointing back at you as you jab me with that pointy index finger of yours.

I see my problem, do you see yours? Do you see the same human condition present within you or are you too candy-coated in your personal evaluation?
The real sadness of it all is that every one of us do these things. Fascinating things become tired, trite and boring. Our once favorite song is now painful to hear, all the songs of our favorite band begin to sound the same, our one-time favorite movie is now little more than a dust catcher.

And the trend unfortunately carries over to much grander things than movies and music. Consider your engagement or wedding day or the birth of your child. Or the day you got your drivers licence, or the first time you went on a date, or Christmas mornings as a child. How about even some of the simple things in life like when you got a new bike, new video game, or even a new friend. Mull over those fine moments and reminisce for a minute. Weren't they grand and powerful? I was such a nerd growing up that I would sleep with my new shoes right there on the pillow. Why? I haven't a clue. I guess I couldn't bear to be separated from them, or I just loved that new shoe smell. No clue. But in those times did you not wish, even as they were happening, that these feelings would last? And it is a magnified tragedy when we see it happen in our human relationships isn't it?

What a hopeless state we are in! What are we to do? Are we only living in the hopes of repeating these occasions? Well, if you are without Christ in this life I would say yes. In fact, I would say to you that if you are without Christ this is as close to heaven as you will ever find yourself. But if you are among the redeemed, then this is as close to hell as you will ever be.

I would say that the grand moments in life - like an exuberant Isaac greeting you at the door - is a glimmer of what heaven is to be. You might call it a foretaste of what it will be to be in the unveiled glory of Jesus Christ the King of Kings. I think these moments give us just a sample of what one day will be an uninterrupted reality. And even the fading of these experiences ought to be used to remind us to never hope in anything, save God Himself.

As grand as Isaac is to me, as much as I look forward to his greetings and as much as I might hope that he never loses his vivacious nature, this is not what I live for. My hope in life is not an endless string of fantastic moments, with each outdoing the next. My great hope in life is my Jesus. And because He is my great hope, I enjoy the moments as they come, knowing that from Him all things flow. And knowing that He loves me so much more, beyond real description, than I love my boy.

Which makes me wonder, how will He greet me? If a greeting from my boy can make my heart soar what will a greeting from my God do?

Indescribable I am sure.

quote from Mr Watson

2009-07-14T13:48:00.001-05:00

Make use of all your spiritual ammunition: meditation and prayer. Prayer is the great ordinance; discharge this cannon, and be sure to put the bullet of faith in it. - Thomas Watson

What does a pastor do?

2009-07-14T10:53:00.004-05:00

There is one simple line to walk. One path we are to trod, if we are to walk worthy of the calling. A pastor is aware that there is always someone who loves sin and self more than the glory of God. [Far too often I find that I am that someone.]

He is just another sheep trying to be a shepherd.

The pastor is dedicated to realigning the thinking & actions of that wayward one.

"Deliver those who are being taken away to death,

And those who are staggering to slaughter,

Oh hold them back."

- Proverbs 24:11

quotable moment

2009-06-25T15:24:00.001-05:00

If the glory of God in the face of Christ is to be seen, it is to shine through us!
- John MacArthur

Famous Last Words

2009-06-25T15:16:00.003-05:00

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." --Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" --David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment on the radio in the 1920s

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." --Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"640k ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981

"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction". --Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." --Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." --Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." --Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." --Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." --Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

strength and weakness

2009-06-25T15:14:00.001-05:00

A person who calls himself frank and candid can very easily find himself becoming tactless and cruel.

A person who prides himself on being tactful can find eventually that he has become evasive and deceitful.

A person with firm convictions can become pigheaded.

A person who is inclined to be temperate and judicious can sometimes turn into someone with weak convictions and banked fires of resolution.

Loyalty can lead to fanaticism.

Caution can become timidity.

Freedom can become license.

Confidence can become arrogance.

Humility can become servility.

All these are ways in which strength can become weakness.
- unknown author

Mission '09 - the recap

2009-06-23T21:59:00.003-05:00

How do you sum up an extravaganza like our little trip down to the land of West Virginia?
Well I usually don’t even try but here goes…

We laughed, we cried, we worked, we got bug bites, and we got poison ivy. We got lost, we got wet, we got over to Wal-Mart...trice. We slept little, ate some, and lost some weight sweating.

We painted, power-washed, cleaned walls, halls, and bathroom stalls. We filed music, sang out of tune, cranked the radio, and spent too much time in the creeper-ish church vans. We got sun burned, we got some Chic-filet for the Man-chez, ChrissyMoma and me, we got some fireworks for the Mitchel, we got some abdominal issues from Taco Bell. We had some get car sick, some get sugar sick, and others get a bit sea sick but no one got home-sick. We listened to the teaching of the Word, we played some games, we didn’t get enough sleep, we traveled early, we got separated, we grew closer, we marveled at creation, we saw beautiful mountains, ugly houses, and some nasty mullets.

We watched a movie meant for children and then talked like "Doug" for days. We were obnoxious in the theater, we made a scene everywhere, and we had to apologize for the mess/noise/chaos we brought with us anywhere we went. We got sick of seeing, smelling, hearing each other and then we rejoiced (hip hip huzzah) to see each other again.

We learned the joy that simple service can bring, we learned to appreciate the power of God all over again, we learned that pure fellowship is a delight, and we learned that life is fleeting. We learned that Amber is a Frisbee catching machine, that Mike isn’t afraid to elbow-and-kneecap-it out of a room to keep paint off a floor, that we need a leash for Jenna and Megan in the woods, that Michelle doesn’t pick fights she can win, that Micah wants his Starbucks made with love, and that Corbin needs to avoid that freaky bug that bit a hunk out of his face.

and all for about 220 bucks.

God is good.
peace,

The Nature of Water

2009-06-23T16:32:00.003-05:00

Water is a simple thing. It is a common thing. It is so common that we fail to ponder its importance as we daily use it. It is essential to life itself. It is said that if the freezing point or the boiling point of water were different by even a few degrees life as we know it could not exist. Our very bodies are made up of mostly water. By nature, water moves along the path of least resistance. It goes where it wishes. It is thoughtless, careless, emotionless.

And yet it can teach us.

In a recent trip down the New River our group has learned this lesson in true living color. They have posted their stories on Facebook, which has resulted in many crying parents and other such aliments. Their experiences resonate with all who have fallen into deep, scary waters.

I do not really know how close to death any of them actually came, God knows the answer to that riddle. But it was a closer proximity than any of them had felt before and their fear in the rapids of the New River was very real and very serious. Pressure like that can make us such earnest folks. I like that. Because while looking down the barrel of a gun is no joy, it does bring the issues of life into perspective.

Unfortunately, experiences fade. The zeal that was once there wanes and for the life of us we cannot seem to recover it, as much as we might try. Some resort to “adrenaline monkey” lifestyles, always seeking to maintain the high or seeking an even greater one. I am of the opinion that the proper way to debrief from such an experience is to see what was revealed by the ordeal. In the upheaval of your world what did you find present within you? What did you find in your heart in those moments?

When God shows us the inside of our hearts it is a scary thing. But it is also a gift. It is even a rare gift, for in these moments of clarity, we can truly see. Because while many a good Christian speaks of wanting to be home with the LORD, when that moment comes we can see how dearly we hold to this life, we see how much we really do love this world. I would even go on to say that moments like these test the fabric of our faith. These things test the strength and durability of what we claim to believe.
-Is it a present reality we cling to as we are whirled about or is it void from our conscience as though it were mere philosophical musings?
-Does your belief system effect the state of mind of the victim or is it all thrown out the window in mass panic?
-Does the fact that you believe in a living God make a difference in the midst of the turmoil?

I have fallen out of the raft many times in my years going down the river. And while I am no longer as scared as I once was, and no longer think that I am going to die as soon as I hit the water, I am reminded every time of just how little I am.

To make sure you understand the nature of this scenario, please allow me to paint a picture for you. The water in a serious river is a living definition of “overwhelming.” If you are in the place where swimming as hard as you can is nothing more than utter exercise in futility or when holding your position is a bragging point, then you are beginning to grasp the nature of what I am talking about. In serious rapids the strapping-young-man is reduced to an insignificant status, barely better off than the bug being flush down the commode. In dangerous rivers you realize just how fleeting life is and just how much you really love dry land. In the midst of a dominant river you are struck by the powerful realization that it is not even within your ability to reach the surface of the water – you are at the whim of the current, either to an evil destination or to the surface for a breath of precious air.

For the victim it is a surreal moment.

And it is surreal because we all, in varying degrees, live with the belief that we are really in control of our lives. We all think of ourselves in god-like status. We all want to rule as God. This has been the battle since the Garden. Eve found the idea of being a rival to God too alluring to pass up. The pull was too strong. Instead of residing underneath the sovereign reign of the Almighty we all want to squirt out from under that pressure, thinking that we ourselves will rule in a more benevolent manner. We all think we know better than God – then we hit that water and one of God’s servants grips us in its emotionless hands, and then the walls of pride come crashing down. It is in this moment we see, with vivid clarity, that we are not like God.

Now, one could take the waters in a metaphorical sense here and the point applies as well. Consider the tumults and tempests of life that most all will encounter if they linger long on this rock. Ponder the thought of burying your mother. Think for a moment the emergency room visits with your wife and they take her away and you are left behind in the waiting room with nothing but your imagination. Think about a mom watching as they put needles and tubes into her little baby and the horror that this will induce. Put yourself in the place of the one who must watch from the sidelines as the one you love most in this world wastes away from an invisible disease. Are these not also tempests? Are these not also raging storms in which you have no power? Are these not also times when all the world seems to be pulled out from under you? In moments like these do you not feel small and insignificant?

This is the nature of the human condition. Limited, finite, small. We are certainly the biggest fish in a small pond (called earth) but nothing more.
“When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.”
- Psalm 8:3-5
And because of that honor and glory that He crowned us with we have become, each of us, proud. And we refuse to acknowledge Him as God and honor Him as Sovereign.

We forget that “by the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and their starry host by the breath of his mouth” and that “heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Him.” What is more, the LORD Himself has declared that we don’t just forget, we even suppress the truth given to us in nature. God has said that the world that He created points to Him. This world is faithful to remind us, as we observe it, that we are indeed not God.

If you are attentive you will notice an interesting thing in Scripture. God will most often use one servant to bring about judgment on another. This is all over the pages of the Old Testament and littered throughout the history of Israel. This is even the specific dilemma of the Prophet Habakkuk. God will use His servants to bring about the result He desires. In our lives most specifically, He directs such servants toward us to conform us more rightly into the image of His Son. The waters of the New River were used to teach our group many things; maybe most pointedly to bring to attention the pride that we have been content to live with before Him. Now we can testify that indeed “all things are His servants” as Psalm 119:91 proclaims.

The nature of water is to remind us of our place in this world. A servant, not a king.

“Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
- Isaiah 55:6-9

Act Like Men

2009-06-05T12:48:00.004-05:00

As our world falls apart I am espcially aware that the bulk of the fault falls on the men of our society according to God. With that said, it is past time for us to man up and walk in a manner worthy of the calling which you have recieved.

On this subject, I commend highly to you this series on being the man you ought to be and being the leader in your home.
http://www.gracechurch.org/ministries/audiodownloads.asp?ministry_id=120&dlyear=2007
follow this link. These 4 sermons are excellent – I personally thought that the one by Pastor Mike Fabarez was the most pointed.

Download, listen in the car, and holler back at me about them as you get opportunity.
Lead well. Much love, bg

Thoughts for Young Men - study group

2009-06-04T15:05:00.003-05:00

It is rare thing when I suggest using our time to take an in depth look together at a book. Not that they are of little value, but simply that they are of much less value than a group study of scripture.

I am not exalting this book to the place of scripture, not in the least, but this is a book so loaded with scripture and so targeted to the heart and mind of the young man that its value is high above most anything I have read in my few years.

There has not been a book so cutting and direct in its assault upon my heart and sinfulness than this short little writing. Relatively speaking this is a tiny book but its weight is much greater than than a scale reveals.

In about 60 pages J.C. Ryle covers why young men need to be exhorted, the special dangers young men need to be warned of, counsel which he urges young men to listen to, and some special rules of conduct strongly advised for young men to follow.

If you will listen to this man, and the biblical wisdom he imparts and implement these truths in your life I cannot even describe the eternal rewards that you will reap, let alone the earthy good it will do your soul.

So fellas, with that commercial given, I encourage you all to come together with me as we seek to grow and glorify our God and Savior.

Thursdays. 7-9pm.
check Facebook account for details.

Sr Banquet

2009-05-30T16:57:00.004-05:00

[my new favorite picture]

The other night we had our annual Sr Banquet in honor of our graduates. Since that time, as I recall the evening I must say, it was the best one yet.

Everything, from top to bottom was so well done. From the paintings, to the barista bar with the cute little coffee drinks, to the table decor, to the fondue dinner, and on to the fancy pants desert - all of it fit together so well to transport us out of our plain-Jane room into a little Venician cafe. (I personally thought the paper table clothes combined with crayons was a nice touch - I was digging the nifty drawings and messages you all left.) Excellent work.

We had a slide show, banquet books, and a funky little word search and "trivial trivia" for when you got board - all led by our "host-est with the most-est" Curtis Mcflirtis. Who did a great job taking us through the evening, being the cheese-ball that he is. Oh, and who would have thought that dinner Bingo would have been such a hit? ha.

The Sr's graced us with some kind words and once again encouraged us all to enjoy Christ and our fellowship. Which reminded me of what a joy it is to be among God's people.

Dan took some stellar pictures of the night - which are running on a slide show in the youth room. To me the best of the crop were the series of group pictures we all took. What a bunch o nerds. very nice.

At the end of the day there are really too many people to thank if it is to be done exhaustively but I would be amiss to say nothing.
So, to Curt - we thank you for hosting the night and making it fun for us all.
To Kris - we thank you for sifting through the mounds of pictures to compile such a nice video.
To Suzy - we thank you for managing the kitchen and preparing such fine cuisine.
To Chelsea - we thank you for putting in so many hours painting (you and your crew) to make the setting come alive.
To Kim - we thank you for organizing all the crew needed to pull off all the details, for putting in a ridiculous amount of time in all categories of the evening.
To Priscila - we thank you for being the one to insist that this night happen and for the general supervision of this particular event every year.
To all who served - we thank you for giving of yourself to serve others.
>>> If I missed you, then I repent in sackcloth and ashes for being the forgetful simpleton that I am.

May all praise be truly directed at the one from whom all blessings flow - the One true and living God our Father! Hallelujah.

Thank you all for a wonderful evening. I got nothing but love for ya.
bg

The Challenge of Pragmatism - Part 2

2009-05-29T11:11:00.002-05:00

A Blast from the Past
written by Gary Gilley

Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, and others from the Emergent camp write and speak winsomely about what they are offering, but history, not to mention Scripture, suggests great caution must be exercised at this point. Church historian Iain Murray reminds us that 19th century “liberal theology very rarely presented itself as being in opposition to Scripture. On the contrary, its exponents claimed the authority of the New Testament for the view that Christianity is life, not doctrine.” Some using this line of reasoning, like the eventual Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple, could say, “An atheist who lives by love is saved by his faith in the God whose existence (under that Name) he denies.” It was living by love that mattered, not what one believed about God. Nineteenth century liberal theologian Schleiermacher went so far as to bar doctrinal preaching from the pulpit for “experience, not teaching, is to be the object of the preacher.”

As theologically the 21st century seems to be an echo of the 19th, so too is the reaction by evangelicals. Read more

Hermeneutics

2009-05-29T09:25:00.006-05:00

The following is a response to a question asked by one of our high school peeps. The question revolved around hermeneutics - defining it and explaining the need for it. I think it might be useful to more than just the person to whom it was addressed (especially being that we have been working through this on Wednesday nights).I hope it is not too disjointed or broken in thought to be of value.
May the LORD bless you as you seek to please Him.

"Ah. Well hermeneutics is the art of interpretation. It is learning how to rightly divide what has been said by another.
The most skilled folks in this art are able to clearly see what is being said. It takes into consideration many factors in order to come to a proper conclusion. Things like knowing the language and culture come in especially handy here. There are presupposed ideas that go into any statement being studied. Such as, “this was meant to be understood” and “this was first written to ____ audience.”

In the end the goal is to understand the intent of the author. What did the author mean when he/she said it. This is conveniently called “authorial intent.”

Everything up to this point has been under the umbrella of observation and interpretation.

Once all of this has been properly ascertained then the reader can begin to consider how this effects us today. This we like to call the "application stage."

If all this homework is not done or not done properly, wrong conclusions are made and thus lived out.
As for examples of the dangers caused by misapplication, they seem almost too numerous to call out. Back in the 1800’s a slave pastor lead the bloodiest revolt in U.S. history. He rallied his fellow slaves by preaching from Exodus. He spoke of the wicked people the Israelites were to exterminate and then likened them to the white slave owners of their own time. He said that the slave owners needed to be exterminated in the name of God in the same fashion as the wicked nations in the time of the conquering of the promised land. This is of course an extreme example but it demonstrates the need to interpret any document correctly (and I would contend that this need is even exaggerated with respect to the Bible due to its weight and power).

Adding to this, I beleieve that the great need for hermeneutics today revolves around the popular idea of a document as “living.” This sounds good but can be a very dangerous thing in that it relegates whatever is being read to the subjective whims to the reader.

For example, our President is a very intelligent man. Certainly more intelligent than I and he certainly knows the laws and constitution better than I. And yet I strongly disagree with a lot of what he says regarding the constitution. How can this be?
From what I can gather, nearly all the disagreement lies in the fact that he believes that our constitution is a "living document." Meaning that is not a static writing, stuck in 1787. He would contend that it is a document who’s meaning changes with culture and time. He believes that the authors of the constitution wanted it to be understood in this way. You can think of this as a “modern art” approach to literature – the only meaning is the meaning is the meaning you give it. Whatever you derive from it personally is what really matters. I think you can see the problem with this.

This same concept is and has been applied to the Bible. This makes the Bible a book that does not really speak with authority and the only parts that need to be obeyed are the parts that you think speak to you.

With all this said, it seems obvious that the need for proper hermeneutics is very great in our time."

b.e.g. the3rd

Mission 09

2009-05-28T10:15:00.003-05:00

In just a couple weeks we are headed down to the land of West Virginia. We intend to serve a local church in the area, spend some time in more personal study, go down a raging river of death and finish off by visiting the Creation Museum.

All in all, it's going to be quite the trip. The details, including cost, contact numbers, destinations, etc can all be found at http://mission-2009.blogspot.com/

We hope this will prove helpful.

Ida...Seriously?

2009-05-26T12:36:00.007-05:00

Wait a minute...this is the best you've got?

This is the missing link? *

ahaha!!!

I respond not only with a laugh but a with a line from the oft quoted the Search for the Holy Grail: "I unplug my nose at you, you tiny minded wipers of other peoples bottoms, you know" (in ridiculous french accent of course)

What a joke. A sick twisted joke that many, so many, actively and willfully believe in.

So sad.

To read more on this bizarre faith-based concoction click here

Do not fear their intimidation, they are nothing more than a paper tiger.

*If you don't know anything of this then here is all you need to know: this thing is supposed to be THE missing link in the evolutionary chain! This is meant to demonstrate monkey to man...well actually bizarre little lemur/rat-looking-thing to monkey-like-thing to manish-like-thing.

Why people eat this stuff up is beyond me.

The Best Things in Life

2009-05-20T10:43:00.004-05:00

According to Solomon (Ecclesiastes) the best things to be had in life are a good day’s work, to enjoy life with the woman you love, to eat, drink and to recognize life as a gift from God.
Now these are things that can be had by all people. Slave and king are on the same playing field. What an amazing and puzzling concept.

This is a very interesting apologetic.

In Ecclesiastes Solomon introduces us to the inherent problems with the usual suspects wherewith we seek satisfaction in life.

With riches its "mo money mo problems" just as the great philosophical mind of Puff Daddy put it.
With accomplishments the problem is that they all will turn to dust and the list never ends - there is always something else.
The problem with accumulation is that it all may go to a fool.
The problem with pleasures is that they never last - laughter, for example, lasts no longer than dry twigs on a fire.
The problem with wisdom is that while there are obvious advantages, there are yet great pitfalls when you trust it - the most troublesome is that with the increase of wisdom there is a superseding rise in grief.
And the problem with people is that they are fleeting, fickle, rarely wise, abusive and clearly oppressive.
Not only this but, when one takes on the task to examine life in great detail you will discover many problematic paradoxes - as the painful history of philosophy reveals.

In the end, this idea that the best things in life are universal to humanity, is a surprisingly powerful notion. And I would add that it must be a pesky paradox to atheistic, evolutionary constructs.

How is it possible that a non-feeling, random force (if I can call it that for the sake of discussion) like natural selection would even find such a thing as this let alone choose it? That is, for the most fulfilling things in life to be those things that can be felt by the king in his palace no better than the slave in his squalor. Consider what I am saying, the powerful, wealthy man has no greater access to the simple joys of life over the pauper! The brilliant scholar has no more ability to experience the best things in life over the relative fool! Of course the various comparisons and contrasts can continue indefinitely: the skilled tradesman vs the grunt, the elite warrior vs the feeble man, the thrill seeker vs the simple man, and so on.

What a marvelous and puzzling characteristic to be found within the makeup of humanity. What could have built this into the fabric of the universe? Or better put, who could have devised such a plan?
None of this supports an unfeeling, random force nebulously directing the universe. Rather this all points to an infinitely brilliant and yet personally connected creator who cares about the most basic elements of life for those whom He created.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that is might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

~ Romans 11:33-36

Pews and Pulpits

2009-05-02T13:23:00.004-05:00

Always remember, we are surrounded by intimidators.

Now that I have said that, who are you envisioning that I am speaking of? Do you think of Hollywood or Washington or Las Vegas? I would contend that the most dangerous of these intimidators are those from within the church herself.

Consider who plotted to murder Jesus. It was not the Romans. It was the religious hierarchy of the time. The full blown pagans were indifferent to the efforts of a Jewish Messiah. They saw no threat in His goals, as Pilate himself reveals. Now then, they would have killed Him just the same if they really understood all that Jesus proclaimed (exclusivity as the gate keeper to salvation, depravity of man and his desperate need for God’s forgiveness, just to rattle off a few things that might have gotten Him killed) but nonetheless, my point is the same: those who plotted to murder Jesus were from within the religious establishment. Now to us, and from the point of view of Scripture, they seem clearly smug and sanctimonious, complete with snobby nose reaching for the sky. But the general population of the time did not see them in such a light. They considered the Pharisees to be the pinnacle of spiritual achievement. They were the pious, the devout, the spiritual giants of their time. And here lies the danger of our time. We think of this as though it belongs in bygone days rather than in the hours in which we are living; as though this were a history that would not repeat itself. This is not a past tense issue but a present tense dilemma.

Don’t think that because a person goes to church, preaches in a fancy pulpit or even writes a book on Christian living that this confirms genuine sainthood. I would even go so far as to say that the worst of the enemies that we have to combat are those who are on the “inside.” They are the ones who will one day turn on us and chant “Crucify! Crucify!”

It is a troubling thing to sit and read “Foxes book of Martyrs” but is especially troubling when you come to Spanish Inquisition and find that the worst of the atrocities against the church came from the hand of the supposed church herself, the Roman Catholics.

To turn this around for a moment, I have heard a lot of bad things said about our President (who I trust you are praying for) by concerned Christian people. On the other hand, I hear some very polite and kind words said about many of the current heretical authors and church leaders. A lot of slack is given to those messing with our faith and very little slack given to those messing with our economy. How backward is that?

Listen, I am not all that concerned about government as compared to my faith. The matters of state are not my top priority, the treatment of my God and His word is. Come what may in the world of politics, be it oppression and pain, they cannot move my faith – but you alter my faith and all that’s left is a house of cards.

Our world that wants to entice you, lull you to sleep, or scare you into submission, this we know and are aware of . But we are prone to forget that the devices of Satan include the frightening talent to deceive by feigning brotherhood. Many have been tricked into conformity that were too strong to be beaten into conformity.

To our great peril, far too many good Christian saints are of the belief that our greatest threat is Main Street when really we ought to be looking in the pews and pulpits.

“For certain persons have crept in unnoticed…ungodly persons who turn the grace of God into licentiousness…hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear…clouds without water…autumn trees without fruit…wild waves of the sea…wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.” – Jude 4,12,13

“for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” 2Corinthians 11:14-15

Holy Living - lost in the mix

2009-05-02T13:18:00.004-05:00

I am fascinated to see this extremely popular (reemerging) version of Christian; most specifically the Christian who thinks it necessary to look and act like the world – in a supposed interest to reach the world for Christ. The favorite proof-text is of course “I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some (1Corinthians 9:22).” Much has been sacrificed on the alter of this verse.*

I imagine some of this is a reaction to the world-as-the-bad-guy thinking that dominated much of the church. I also assume that some of this is done in a naïve fashion. And let me also add that I can understand the goal and the perspective, to a degree. But while I agree that we should not hole up in monasteries nor hiss and spit at the unbeliever, I must also ask, “What happened to personal holiness?”

What ever happened to,
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” Says the LORD (2Corinthians 6:14-17).

How have the words of Peter been lost in the mix?
“prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy for I Am holy.” (1Peter 1:13-16)

*To rebut this idea I would tell the reader to note the context of this powerful statement of Paul. This is made in the midst of a discussion regarding Christian liberty and is then followed by a discourse on the need for extreme self discipline and godly living. This is not a justification of licentious living, rather it is just the opposite.

by way of reminder - anxiety

2009-04-26T12:04:00.001-05:00

Be Anxious For Nothing

There is much to be said about this 4 word clause found in Philippians. (if you don't know where then just read the whole book, be good for ya) Its been on my mind here and there in a variety of situations, most being very mundane daily things. It is one of the most familiar verses in the Bible, which is no wander especially in our fast paced instant gratification world where people get mad at you because you haven't read the post they left on your wall in the last five minutes. Going through the gospels and looking at the life of Jesus, one constant that you can find in his dealings in the world is that He was never in a hurry for anything. Why do people drive 5 mph over the speed limit constantly? (9... not 10, on the highway) Is it so they can get to where they are going on time? Perhaps they have to speed to make it on time; but even if they left early enough to get there without speeding, they will still speed. I have found that most of the time it doesn't make any different whether you are going 30 or 35, you are simply speeding up to stop earlier at the same red light. I mean really, whats the rush? I say all of this to illustrate my point, we are by nature anxious people. We so very often are hurried for this or that, most of the time little insignificant things and the rest of the time bigger little insignificant things (that if they were measured... well, they would turn out to be the same size)

To just tell you to stop being anxious... well, you can't do it, not apart from the grace of God. This is why Paul flips the thought around and says

"in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to God let your request be made known to God."

follow this instruction and the result is...

"the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'

pretty amazing result huh.

I have to constantly pray about even the way I drive so that I won't be in a hurry and sin against God. Goes the same with everything else, only way to live anxiety free is by going to God by faith for the peace to live as we aught.

Christless Christianity

2009-04-17T11:39:00.004-05:00

"Once you make your peace of mind rather than peace with God the main problem to be solved, the whole gospel becomes radically redefined."

- M. Horton, Christless Christianity

a Spurgeon kick in the pants

2009-04-17T11:36:00.003-05:00

"We are invited, brethren, most earnestly to go away from the old-fashioned belief of our forefathers because of the supposed discoveries of science.

What is science?

The method by which man tries to conceal his ignorance. It should not be so, but so it is.

You are not to be dogmatic in theology, my brethren, it is wicked; but for scientific men it is the correct thing. You are never to assert anything very strongly; but scientists may boldly assert what they cannot prove, and may demand a faith far more credulous than any we possess.

Forsooth, you and I are to take our Bibles and shape and mould our belief according to the ever-shifting teachings of so called scientific men.

What folly is this!

Why, the march of science, falsely so called, through the world may be traced by exploded fallacies and abandoned theories. Former explorers once adored are now ridiculed; the continual wreckings of false hypothesis is a matter of universal notoriety. You may tell where the learned have encamped by the debris left behind of suppositions and theories as plentiful as broken bottles."

- C.H. Spurgeon

Epiphany

2009-04-16T16:50:00.007-05:00

I can remember it all so clearly. There I was, sitting on a busted up old Lazyboy. My friends were sitting across from me in the living room. One on a funky green couch, the other on some kind of wicker chair that had seen better days. I was leaning forward, shaking my head and intently defending myself against a typical occurrence: I was being laughed at. Not laughed with mind you - laughed at.

These 2 fellas, my friends, were making fun of me because of a story being relayed about me as a 3 year old boy. And I cared. I was defending myself. I was trying to respond back to them as though there were real consequence to their opinion of me as a 3 year old.

I was seriously trying to answer back to their scornful laughter. In the midst of their mocking and even while I was in the midst of talking myself, it suddenly dawned on me: Why do I care?

And what is more: Why did I ever care? And, how did I not see this before? Why in the world did I feel the need to defend my actions as a 3 year old! Good night, what's wrong with me?

As this thought came to my mind, I said a rather odd thing: "I could be as cool as Elvis Presley and you would still make fun of me. "

I find this odd because I don't know that I have ever considered Elvis to be all that cool; nor did the guys I was talking to; nor do most people alive today! But in his zenith, Elvis was considered the coolest cat on the planet. I mean that guy still has a following that is visible and dedicated. There are still people who make a good living off being Elvis impersonators! This is particularly impressive in our 'next-big-thing' world that can drop a media star in about an hour and replace them in even less.

But you know, as cool as Elvis ever was, there was still somebody out there who thought he was a big ol dork. At the top of his game, I can guarantee you, there were still some high school kids out there who thought he was a dweeb - what with his goofy dance moves and overly dramatic gestures and preposterous sequin shirts.

This is the world we live in. Try as you might to insulate yourself you cannot get away from this. And it doesn't matter how cool your own little group thinks you are - there is somebody out there ready, willing and able to tear you apart. And if you don't think so I can introducing you to a few people - they might still be sitting on a funky green couch and a wicker chair that has seen better days. But really, to me, this thought is the beginning of freedom, if you follow the right trail.

The answer is not to check out and only "be true to yourself" - whatever that means. The answer is to find out who's opinion matters. Who's praise is worth having? Who's affection is worthwhile? Who's approval is worth striving for?

If you answer "my own" then you may have just told me who your god is (and if you notice that a god with a little "g"). The opinion that matters to you will help you define what you are living for. I was living for the praise and approval of man, at least to some degree.

The child of God, the believer in Jesus Christ has been set free from the weight of human opinion. Human opinion in the life of the Christian ought to be so low on the list that it is hardly comparable.
Don't buy what I am saying?

How about Luke 14 "if anyone comes after 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!"

The only opinion that the disciple/follower of Christ is to be compelled and controlled by is that of the One who issued the call. Does the opinion of my mom weigh into the equation? I suppose but it is so minimal compared to God's opinion on the given matter that it is rather inconsequential. The point Jesus drives home here is that if you have a divided allegiance then you cannot come after Him. If you come to an impasse in life where mom wants you to do one thing and Christ wants you to do another then there is to be no hesitation.

The beauty in the impasse is that one can see the true loyalty of the disciple.

You might be thinking, "We seem to be a long way from the original epiphany?" So allow me to tie it together. You decide who's opinion matters and nothing else does.

Once you know you are approved by the one opinion that really matters to you then everybody else's opinion really falls by the wayside. So when you are in a room with people laughing at you because of something you did when you were 3 you can let it slide. You know it doesn't really matter.

Ah. freedom. "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" - how true that is.

I am nobody

2009-04-15T15:32:00.005-05:00

There is such a tendency in the human condition to think that you are really something special beyond all others around you - or at least in my human condition :)

This is not a vailed attempt at humility - more like just what I know to be true.
When I see me in the mirror, I am not impressed. There is nothing spectacular or powerful about me. The accomplishments of my life are laughable and nothing to brag about. I am not an earth shaker or a person of importance. I am not the person that people flock to or cater to when I come into a room - except for maybe from a couple of odd balls who don't know me very well. I'm not engaging and magnetic nor do I even know how to do those things - you know like the people who can work a room or make something painful sound inviting. I'm just some dude out there in a sea of others dudes.

I used to have a real problem with what Paul reveals about the saints, that is "not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble... according to this world...but the foolish, the weak, the base, the things that are not > such we are (my paraphrase of course)."
and I had a problem with it because I felt that I was of the wise, mighty, and noble - or at least that I fit into one of those categories. But I know better now.

As I have had the long view of myself for 31 years now, I can see myself in a much better light. And that light is the Scripture. The illumination of the Word of God has shown me to be what I really am. Theologically speaking, a sinner before Him who He made righteous. But I have to say that speaking from a strictly human standpoint - just some dude, struggling to remove the filth of sin and failing to do it more often than I know. Just some guy, who wants to honor the LORD God but still at war with desires for my own kingdom (materialism, the praise of man and the like).

I'm just a kid, playing in the dark, bonking my head into chairs and tables and the occasional other person. A kid who is often too proud to turn on the lights (the lights in this scenario being the revelation of God) and too stupid to recall where the switch is (forgetting what the Word says and where it is even after reading it so many times).

I think it has taken me so long to see myself in the proper light due to the level of deception and pride. Sin is, almost by definition, deceiving. Sin hardens and callouses not only the heart but the eyes. It makes the sinner see what he wants to see rather than the ugly truth that real is.

Jesus told the church of Laodicea "you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked." Ah (sigh) how true that has often been in my own life. What a fool.

But none of this brings me to depression - when I see it. It leads me to repentance, which gives birth to joy. What joy there is when I do buy from the LORD "gold refined by fire so that I may become rich" in Him and in His economy. I am so very glad when I see with clarity the condition of my heart - for in that place I feel comforted in knowing that I am where I belong in my relationship to my God, my Redeemer. He disciplines me out of love and He reproves my arrogant heart that I might be cleansed.

And what is more, this cleansing is not an end in and of itself. Being pure for the sake of being pure can just be a self-centered desire for a "whole life" or "wellness" or some gobbly-gook like that. And that really doesn't motivate me any more than a bag of hammers inspires me to mow the lawn.

Purity and cleansing serve the real purpose of allowing me to truly and voluntarily glorify God. When I am pure then I am useful, then I can be used to further His purpose And that is life.

To the critic who thinks I need a jolt of self-esteem steroids, tell me: Why would I put confidence in myself?I cannot even sustain my own breath why would I put confidence in myself? There are a billion ways I could die even now as I write - am I to think that it is by my own ability that I have avoided these invisible enemies? Is it really within me to keep my own heart beating? Ha!
Self confidence is a joke, and a very sick and deadly one.

My confidence is in God - to sustain me for exactly as long and He wants me to be here in this place to perform His will through my voluntary submission to it (wherein He has so fashioned it that I have joy that defies the wise man of this age) or by my stubborn resistance to His will (as Pharoah discovered the belligerent do not thwart the designs of God) > either way I am His servant (indeed all things are His servants Psalm 119:91) and He will be magnified.

I am so thankful that He opens my eyes repeatedly, progressively and faithfully to what I am (opening of this blurb) that I might be a joyful servant for His designs. I trust Him because He has proven that He is indeed faithful in the past and in the present and because I now know what I am (weak, foolish, base, finite, frail - you get the point).

Judges - a closer look

2009-04-15T15:18:00.003-05:00

It seems a very easy thing to breeze through the Scriptures and then check off the “I read my Bible today” box on the to-do list. When we do this I fear that we more often than not miss the point altogether. I know that many times I have read through the book of Judges, because I am a guy and I like war stories and such, and I have simply viewed the rise and fall of the Hebrews throughout in the same predicable pattern:

>Oppression
--->Repentance
------>God raises up a judge
--->Apostasy
>Oppression

However, as I have discovered through more thoughtful study, it seems that maybe the great people of Israel were not really repenting at all. It seems as much as anything they were simply bemoaning the oppression they were experiencing – as all people would.

The cycle of ups and downs throughout the book of Judges do not necessarily speak to repentance, if you pay attention, but simply to 'crying out to God.' The pattern is observed in 4:1, 6:1, 8:33, 10:6, and 13:1. I would call particular attention to chapter 10. Here the LORD God and the sons of Israel have a talk:
Then the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals."
The LORD said to the sons of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress."
The sons of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day."
So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.

Also, when considering the pattern of rise and fall of the people of Israel in the book please keep in mind the introductory chapters – specifically 1:1-3:6. These brief pages lay the ground work and reveal so very much as to why such hard times came upon the chosen people.

With that said, I submit this blurb from a commentary that I found most enlightening:

These verses allude to the pressurized piety of Israel. ‘Now Ehud died’ (4:1) – it was then Israel ‘again did what was evil.’ This is a sample of what 2:19 was talking about. Take away the external restraint and Israel displays her true character. There is something wrong with religion when its degree of fidelity depends solely on outside pressures, influences, and leadership. Then we are ‘Christian’ only because of our surroundings, or because of the expectations of Christian people around us, and lack a genuine, internal work of God.

…Pressure makes us such earnest folks.

But take away whatever influence Ehud must have exerted and Israel shows her real colors again. That is why genuine salvation consists not of giving glowing testimonies but in departing from evil (2Tim 2:19), not in relating glorious experiences with God but in living a consistent life (1Jn 2:3-5, 3:9).

Engage your mind in the study of the Word,
Delight your heart in the truth of the Word,
and Submit your will as you understand the Word.

Death Defeated

2009-04-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

I praise my Savior because He lives!
And that to me His life He gives!
I’m thankful the end was not the cross
For then all hope would be utterly lost
Then in vain would our Lord have been crucified
And worthless would be all that happened when He died.
The battle with Christ death would then win
And we would forever be dead in our sin.
Though on the cross full atonement was made
And the wages of sin were completely paid,
Yet our defeated Christ would have no power to forgive
And we would be left with no reason to live.
But this is not the end, may God be praised!
Our conquering Lord from the dead was raised!
In crushing death He rose victorious
Our living Savior in power all glorious.
All fear of death is now abolished
All power of sin is completely demolished
Our victory in Christ is now secured
Eternal salvation is now assured
Now hope and joy and life He gives!
May the Savior be praised because He lives!

~Sarah Michelle Rader

Now go read 1 Cor. 15! and have a good Easter rejoicing in the ressurection!

Sarah

Droppin some Eaves

2009-04-08T22:43:00.003-05:00

A couple days ago I went over to 5Bucks during break to get off my feet. I ended up sitting a table away from a group of couples around the 30-40yr old range. I like listening to people talk, its just what I do. I heard a couple words used that really caught my attention, usually don't hear most people use the word "superficial" to describe the culture. So I kept on listening trying to figure out what they were talking about. Probably took me at least 5 minutes to determine that they were "christians" of some sort, probably evangelical. They seemed to be on the topic of raising children. I desperately wanted to find that their priority was to raise their children with the desire that they choose to follow God and forsake themselves and everything that goes with that in scripture. Sadly their priority seemed to be on raising them in a good environment, to be good kids, to live good lives. Not once did I hear them mention Christ or any of His word.

If we are living a good life rather than a Godly life, we are lost.
If we raise our children (whenever that may happen) to live a good life rather than a Godly life, we are giving them morality & death.

There is no life in a so called "good" life, there is only life in Christ. - 9:23

quote

2009-04-06T11:37:00.000-05:00

“There is something wrong with religion when its degree of fidelity depends solely on outside pressures, influences, and leadership. Then we are ‘Christian’ only because of our surroundings, or because of the expectations of Christian people around us, and lack a genuine, internal work of God.”
– Dale Ralph Davis

Perspective

2009-04-01T00:07:00.003-05:00

Why is it that we can get so bogged down by the most trivial issues in life? So easily we are taken by the cares of this world which weigh us down, drain us and leave us in the dumps. Worries about relationships, worries about college, worries about a career, worries about the next cool gadget, worries about appearance, and on and on it goes. The reason these things effect us so much is because they matter so much to us.

In photography, perspective is a huge piece of composition. If I get up really close and personal to a single blade of grass, guess what you're attention is going to be drawn to. Or, I could take a wide shot of a field, with that same blade of grass somewhere in the frame and guess what, it doesn't matter at ALL whether that 1 little blade of grass is even there!

So what is the remedy to this common problem?

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

These are the first two verses immediately after chapter 11 of Hebrews. Do you think Noah was plagued by the trivialities of life all those years he was building the ark? No, he had his hope fixed on God. He kept the grand perspective in mind. I contend that it is utterly impossible to have our eyes fixed on Jesus and the hope that is set before us in Him and at the same time be taken by the cares of this world. Not a chance. Problem is, our gaze is so easily diverted (I know mine is). We need daily to contend, to resist the devil, the world around us and our own fleshly tendencies. We need daily to look to Christ, to be fixed on Him. We need to be praying for each other, encouraging one another, as long as it is called today. We are weak, but He is strong & faithful.

2 Cor 2:5
- Dan

Who am I? part 3

2009-03-29T15:00:00.001-05:00

God says:
you are the pinnacle of the created order!
- You were meant to be in communion with your creator.
- When you get a glimpse of your Creator then you begin to understand who you are.

Psalm 8:5, Psalm 139:13 and many other passages elaborate on this BUT you don’t need to go any further than the opening pages of the Bible to understand the position of mankind in the scope of the universe and the nature of God - that of Him being benevolent, kind and gracious.

For example:

> Mankind was given charge over the created, physical world - “to subdue it.”
Genesis 1:28-29
> We alone are made in His image!
Genesis 1:26-27 & 9:6
> He made a unique garden for man to reside in and to be near to God.
Genesis 2:8
> He made a unique partner for man.
Genesis 2:18
> He distinctively set apart man from the animals in the story of the creation of Eve.
Genesis 2:18-22
> God gave man power and dignity that is beneath God alone!
Genesis chapters 1-2 & Psalm 8
> And unto mankind mankind alone was the plan of salvation extended.
Genesis 3:15 begins the scarlet thread woven throughout Scripture.

Who am I? part 2

2009-03-29T11:35:00.002-05:00

These may seem random to you but there are some questions that come to my mind as I ponder "Who am I?" Such as:

- What is the value of a human life?
- Why do I have a conscience?
- Why is man the only creature that worships by nature?

Then in the more practical realm:
- Why are humans so different from all other animals?
- Why is there strife between the animal kingdom and man >> why do animals fear us?
- Why do we get married?
- Why is there strife between the genders?
- Why is the man to be the leader?
- Why do we where clothes?
- Why are there different languages?
- Why are there different races?
- Is racism logical? (as evolution would lead one to deduce)
- Is capital punishment the proper response to murder?

Who am I?

2009-03-28T13:25:00.003-05:00

Your culture says:

You are a random accident of unguided cosmic forces.
You are a collection of molecules that somehow managed to cluster together is a useful way.
“Love” is itself nothing more than random chemical reactions in your brain that are within you for the purpose of prolonging the species.
Your conscience is nothing more than the reinforced behavioral patterns ingrained in you by parents and culture and may or may not be a good thing.
And you are of no more real importance than the ape at the zoo, of course the difference is that you can fight back and cause real damage if you don't like how you are treated, unlike the poor ape.
You are a magnificent animal - but an animal nonetheless.

Oasis

2009-03-25T12:02:00.000-05:00

Worship & Fellowship

CiR youth retreat.

a bit of a break from the norm.

a 24 hour refuge from the complexity of our normal existence in exchange for simple teaching in the Word and refection upon personal growth.

Date: April 4-5

Cost: $10

location: camp ground near you

Life''s Toughest Questions: AM v4 n2 - Answers in Genesis

2009-03-25T11:22:00.001-05:00

Life''s Toughest Questions: AM v4 n2 - Answers in Genesis

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the Kingdom of Emergent Theology

2009-03-21T09:02:00.003-05:00

It has been claimed that Sigmund Freud enjoyed telling his followers a story of a pastor who visited an atheist insurance agent who was on his death bed. The family had asked the pastor to share the gospel with their dying loved one as they waited in another room. As the conversation continued longer than expected there was hope that the pastor was being successful in his mission. When the pastor finally emerged from the bedroom it was discovered that the agent had not converted to Christ but he had been able to sell the pastor an insurance policy.

While Freud used the illustration to warn his fellow psychoanalysts to stay true to their beliefs, Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary, from whom I obtained this account, has another application to offer. While a most unlikely source (in my opinion) to offer the following warning, Mouw writes,

In rejecting the very real defects of fundamentalism during the past few decades, evangelicals have begun to take very seriously their responsibilities to the larger culture – and with some obvious signs of success. The questions we must face honestly are these: Have we sold a new policy to the culture – or has the culture sold us a policy (emphasis mine).

This is a most thought-worthy question in light of the emergent church movement’s recent inroads into evangelicalism, and in some cases even fundamentalism. The emergent church is a movement deeply concerned with impacting the culture. But evidence is mounting to the effect that culture is having more impact on the emergent movement than the other way around. As a matter of fact emergent seems to be chasing culture, even imitating culture, rather than changing it. The reason this is true has to do with its understanding of the kingdom of God.

Mark Driscoll defines the emerging church as “a growing, loosely-connected movement of primarily young pastors who are glad to see the end of modernity and are seeking to function as missionaries who bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to emerging and postmodern cultures.”

Using God's Name

2009-03-19T15:14:00.001-05:00

Oh my God, hasten to my help,
Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed,
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek to injure me,
....
Psalm 71:12b-13

I was reading through a Psalm when I came across those three words that are so often used in in our world. I flipped through a few pages of the psalms to see how much I would see it, it seemed to come up somewhat frequently. So what is the difference between when the psalmist uses it and how it is used today?

We'll start with the psalmest...

They are crying out to God
It indicates relationship, hence the "my God."
Furthermore, indicates possesion.
It may further indicate a sense of desperateness.

What about how it is used by the world around us...

indicates surprise (unrelated to any thought of God)
is not directed to God.
is used in the same category of words or phrases which are horrific.

Unless you are addressing God, like we see the psalmist doing, don't say it.

It IS SIN.

Mark 2 - application

2009-03-18T16:12:00.003-05:00

Mark 2 – Apps
v.2 people will get there when they want to

v.3-4 people are resourceful when they want something

v.5 would they have spent this effort if they would only achieve forgiveness of sin – without physical healing

v. 5 Christ reveals man’s real need

v.5-8 it might prove useful to provoke the mind deliberately

v.5-11 Jesus is GOD! and should be worshiped and treated in such a way

v.10 & 25-28 Jesus authority is supreme

v.14 simplicity of faith, of original faith

v.15 natural response of conversion is to tell others & bring them to meet Christ too!

v.15 – There is a need to be able to give an answer when challenged and if you live like Christ you will need to give an answer ~ 1Peter 3:15

v.17 look for those who know they are “sick”
- $ money had nothing to do with it here
- he was not with the poor & down and out-ers here in this passage

v.19-22 the teaching of Christ & the teaching the Pharisees – are incompatible
- make sure to get the teach of Christ straight because it has no compatibility with others

v.25 Know The Word!
> they knew the Mishnah But Not the Word
> this is a source of much friction between Christ and the Pharisees AND is a source of much friction today

v.27 keep the right priorities
> make sure your theology keeps the right priorities
Example: Cat and Dog theology
Ø they should have noticed this and how did they get to this point?
o By not knowing the Word

Confidence in the Word

2009-03-16T09:46:00.001-05:00

Written by Gary Gilley

Communication, in this modern age of communication, can be frustrating on many levels. Consider the common cell phone. Many nimbly leap from phone call to text message to taking a picture of a friend, all with the efficiency of a technological Jedi. Others, mortally fearful of missing a call, trot around with a “Bluetooth” attached to their ear (my regular jest to such people, that “you have a little something in your ear,” has so far failed to elicit a chuckle). Such people have mastered the art of modern communication, at least of this variety.

Then there are the technologically-challenged. Our one-year-old grandson has a better chance of activating the television through use of the remote than many middle-aged adults have. When it comes to [read more]

Mark 2 - observations & interpretations

2009-03-12T11:14:00.005-05:00

This is from the last 2 Wednesday nights in class. This is in straight note style and a bit assorted in format but I think you can follow. Observations are listed first & marked with ">"
Interpretations follow & are typically marked by "-"

v.1 > what was He doing in Caper.?
- traveling all around the land and region teaching as is frequently mentioned

v.2 > who’s house was He at?
- doesn’t seem to matter much being that there is little info

v.4 > “removed the roof?”
- the construction of their houses was typically wood beams covered with mud and braches so it can be “dug” thru as well as repaired cheaply
>> what is a pallet?
- a bed pad, more like a bed roll than a mattress

v.5 > why does He forgive his sins First?
- to emphasize who He was & to provoke their minds (& it worked)

v.6 > “reasoning in their hearts?”
- mulling it over, puzzled by the statement
- Jesus made a thought provoking statement and it worked, it caused them to rightly consider who this man is

v.8 > Jesus asks “why” but He knows “why” > so what does He ask for?
- to make sure they got the point that He is claiming deity here

v.9 >“easier to say”
- you can say “your sins are forgiven” and get away with it because it is an unseen thing. there is no visible, testable way to know if your sins are forgiven by God in this life
But there is a visible way to know if one is healed & it is a harder statement to make because you can test it

v.11 > why does Jesus send him home?
- to be a testimony?

v.12 > how were they glorifying God?
- by heaping praise upon Jesus

v.13 > why does Jesus repeatedly go to the sea shore – notice “again”
- to keep the massive crowds at bay. And to be able to keep them from pressing in on Him

v.14 > why does He pick out Levi?
- why does He choose anyone?
- did Levi know who He was?
- it would be hard to Not know who Jesus was at this point
- He would have had a crowd following Him as well

v.15 > who’s house?
- it seems that He was at Matt’s
- maybe a parallel account has more? Luke 5:29!

v.16 > why are the Pharisees at the party? Why are they always around?
- many reasons: curious, He is a threat, He attracts a crowd, etc
>> who are the scribes? Are they connected to the Pharisees?
- Scribes were the transcribers of the Scriptures. Scholars and linguists of their time. In other places they are called “lawyers”
- and many of them were Pharisees in practice and scribes by trade/profession

v.17 > Jesus directly addresses the heart of the problem and bypasses their question
- the Pharisees have separated themselves out from the “sinners”
- they don’t think they are sinners!

v.18 > why did they come to Jesus with this question?
- the gossip and poison of the Pharisees
“hey, we are on your side here. Look at this. This guy is supposed to be somebody but He doesn’t even do the minimum.”

v.20 >why will they fast when He is gone?
- because of grief; fasting is for sad times and times of great need

v.20-21 > what is with this transition? I don’t see the flow of thought?
- Jesus is driving home the point of incompatibility.
[ "It does not make sense for my people to be fasting right now any more than it makes sense to fast when you are in a wedding party." Fasting was for times of great sadness and need. Fasting was reserved for “sad” times. What sense does it make to be sad when you are at a wedding – let alone when you are in the wedding party itself? A wedding is a time for joy and celebration. That’s just as incompatible as sewing a patch of new cloth on to an old garment - it's counter productive. And the same goes for wine skins – nobody does that because it doesn’t make sense to do that. ]

v.24 > “not lawful”?
- they have equated their ritual washings – not found in Scripture – with Scripture itself
[Below is more of an application:
- this is a consistent source of conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees – not that they love the law but that they have invented a new law that even supersedes the true law when they come in conflict]

v.25-28 >this an address about right priorities (as well as 3:1-6)
- the Sabbath was meant to be a help to man; a guideline, a template to follow, not to be used in a detrimental, damaging manner against people.

v.26 >why did David do this?
- he was starving
- he was even in a sinful state of actions at the time

v.28 >He set the priority straight in 27 so why say this?
- to make sure that it is understood that He is speaking with authority on the issue
- “I tell you what the Sabbath is for. The Sabbath does not boss me around or dictate to me.”

How are we to be Controlled?

2009-03-11T16:43:00.004-05:00

Paul instructs us in Ephesians 5:18-21 to be filled with the Spirit not with wine.

I find it interesting that right after this statement he moves on to one of the only two verses in the entire New Testament that mention singing (the other is Col 3:16).

And if you notice, this is a “whistle while you work” statement, not a proof text for stuffing your ears with contemporary Christian music while you jive through the halls.

Paul is speaking of a life taken over by the Spirit of the living God – not taken over by a nice melody or killer beat. The singing then is not kindled or worked up, it is a result of being God centered and God controlled.

The music comes after. It is an after effect.

In the current ridiculous church-music-craze we are in it is common place to flip these two things. We are not in the mood to be at church so we play the right song and we bust out the right melody and work people into the right place. And now it is to the place where people come to even expect this from a church service. And we are told that most people in America choose a church based on style of music! In fact most church growth books today will tell you "its all about the music." We have trained people to think of music in this manner and have even supplied them with that expectation when infact the Bible never even hints at such an idea.

Not only that but that is not the order presented here (nor in Col 3:16). To put this in the context of a modern Sunday morning I could simply present my case like this: you should be singing as you come and sing.

Singing in church is nothing more than a unified group expression of joy, praise and thankfulness to God. But you know how easy it is to get caught up in the music don’t you?
Music is a mild drug. It can do all the things that a drug can – just not nearly as intense. It creates a euphoria. It sets you free; it releases you from the constraints and the walls that are closing in on you. One can get lost in the music.

Losing yourself in the music is not a biblical concept I can assure you – that’s something Eminem said. That’s a concept the world has got you to buy into.

Be controlled by the spirit not by a beat.
Don’t get caught up in something as trivial as a song but be overcome by the God who is a consuming fire.

a quotable moment

2009-03-11T10:01:00.003-05:00

Error indeed is never set forth in its naked deformity, left, being thus exposed, it should at once be detected.

But it is craftily decked out in an attractive dress, so as, by its outward form, to make it appear to the inexperienced … more true than the truth itself.
– Irenaneus

The New Atheism

2009-03-09T13:02:00.004-05:00

A rising tide in the world today, that may shape up to be one of the big fights in your future, is taking form in what is being called "the New Atheism."

I would advise you all to be informed and ready to give a response for the hope that is in you to such people as those who are of this persuasion.

So without further delay...

Written by Gary Gilley

There is much buzz lately about the so-called “New Atheism.” This seems to be an odd term given the fact that there are not very many ways that a person can spin atheism – old atheism denied the existence of God and new atheism does the same, so what is the difference? There is a sense in which even old atheism is new; after all, until the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century real atheists were hard to find. It is true that practical atheism can be traced throughout history. Psalm 14:1 speaks of such a man, termed a fool, who says in his heart, “There is no God.” Most see this fool not as a philosophical atheist who mentally denies the existence of God, but as one who lives as if God does not exist, even though intellectually he knows better. Of course the practical atheist is far more common than those who adopt atheism as a worldview. Most people, especially in the Western world, give God a nod (92 percent of Americans say they believe in God), then go about living their lives as if God was nonexistent. Unfortunately, too many Christians fall into this category (but that is another matter).

read more...

Prayer 3-9-09

2009-03-09T09:08:00.002-05:00

Em Cut - Diligence with school work & good testimony on the trip this weekend
M Cut - Live today, don't worry about tomorrow
Dan - Work to please God rather than men.
Ivy - Discipline
Jenna - Discipline
Brian - Faithfulness

phone ins
Kak - Study the Word
Ksue - Attitude

God and Grasshoppers

2009-03-05T10:36:00.003-06:00

So this last Sunday I had the great responsibility to preach the Word to our church.
I continued with a series from Genesis and I found myself once again marveling at this called called Noah.
I know I wrote something on this site before about the guy but he is just an amazing character in the history of the world. He stood alone against an entire world! That's incredible.

How did he do that?

A Calvinistic answer might be, "God held him and made him what he was." The Armenian might respond, "He strained with all his being to be pleasing to God."
Both are certainly true.

We all know that to live as we ought we must have the power of God in our lives in order to do so - this is apparent in Galatians 5:16-26 among others. And we are all painfully aware of how hard we need to personally work and fight against sin - Philippians 3:12-14 & 1Corinthians 9:23-27 are two of my favorites regarding this matter.

But all battles truly begin and are played out in the mind and then are carried out in action. I suggest to you that what Noah got that caused him to stay the course when literally no one else did, was his perspective and what he put value in. He understood what Isaiah would one day write; that mankind is more like unto grass and even a grasshopper than to God! And in comparison that the sum total of the nations of man is akin to a drop from a bucket or dust on the scales - and even to nothing and less than nothing!
(Isaiah chapter 40)

I am telling you, Noah got this. He put so much value in God's opinion of him and so very little in what his peers, society and even world thought of him. Noah understood that which had real value. This is how he could hold the line when everyone wanted him to fail. This is the only way that a person can stand in the face of such adversity, by remembering what really matters.

Noah had a right perspective of this world and all that is in it. The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life did not dominate or govern the path of Noah's feet - God's Word did.
I am not trying to support the claim that Noah was a sinless man - read Genesis 9 and you will see otherwise. What I am saying is that Noah was a remarkable man.

Use the example of Noah to remind you of how you can see through the storm and have a right perspective in the midst of this crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the night.

To the SVC crew, may you be found in the light as He is in the light.
To my peoples in Cal-a-forn-eye-A, keep holdin it down for Jesus Christ the LORD.
To my peoples in O-high-O, stay strong in the Lord and the strength that he provides. :)

much love,
bg

Mark 2. observations

2009-03-04T12:52:00.001-06:00

Tonight we are going to take your observations from Mark chapter 2. So if you are following along with us in this process of working thru the Gospel of Mark bring what you have written down and share.

If you have forgotten what we are doing let me help by way of reminder.
We are learning how to study the Bible for ourselves. There is a basic process (hermeneutics) that we are following to achieve this end.
> Observe
> Interpret
> Apply

In observing the text of Mark 2 ask the “who, what, where, when, why and how” type of questions.
Write these comments down and then we will go over them together tonight in class.

Looking forward to our time together in the Word,
bg

Undefined - tonight

2009-03-01T14:09:00.001-06:00

in case you missed it today - Yes there is "undefined" tonight!
tell yer parents to pick you up at 9:30pm

ski trip memory 4

2009-02-28T09:55:00.001-06:00

~ brought to you by Karissa

ski trip memory 3

2009-02-27T09:54:00.000-06:00

~ brought to you by Karissa

2009-02-26T21:59:00.003-06:00

Here you go Seth. My Coraline review. Starring Dakota Fanning (who is really a super hero who pretends to be a little girl), and a whole bunch of other people you probably don’t know. Well I went in expecting a classic, albeit strange, Tim Burton film. I was not disappointed.
The story was sound. There wasn’t any plot holes that I picked up on. It kind of hints at a moral of sorts but I don’t know if I could put it into words for you. The 3-D was trippy. I think I’ve now have a mild case of motion sickness now but if that’s your thing, go for it. But over all I wasn’t disappointed by the animation, by the voices, or by the story. All those things were very sound. The only possible thing that I could say would be that it almost felt like they took too long to build up to the climax and then the climax went by kind of fast. But even when you think that it’s over, it’s not. That’s why I can’t complain about that too much.
Content wise, for the most part it stays true to the PG rating and is very clean. There is one scene that was absolutely unnecessary and it made KD and I mad. Let’s just say that there is a very busty women and she wears what equates to a little less than a string bikini. Totally not needed at all in any way shape or form. Not that it makes it any better but that is the only innuendo in the whole movie. There is no swearing at all. There is a few uses of the word “wuss” and a swear word is hinted at but it is stopped before it’s said. There is three blatant uses of the Lord’s name in vain, because hey that’s obviously not as bad as a swear word, or whatever.
It is very freaky though. The 3-D didn’t help but there were parts where even I was jumping because it was intense. You think I’m a wimp and I probably am but if you watch it you’ll know what I’m talking about. It was really messed up in parts though. The main idea is that they want Coraline to sew buttons on her eyes. Weird. I would not take my 8 year old to see this movie because I wouldn’t want them sleeping in my room that night. But while I say that, it wasn’t freaky enough to give it a PG-13 rating by a long shot. This is perfect for the more mature child and preteens. Small kids would probably be okay watching on DVD in their living room but don’t take them to the theatre. It’s just very intense at points.
It was pretty good. Not really my style but KD said that she liked it and Poot liked it too. If you liked the Nightmare Before Christmas, you’ll love Coraline.

ski trip memory 2

2009-02-26T09:48:00.004-06:00

~brought to you by Karissa

ski trip memory

2009-02-25T16:52:00.001-06:00

~brought to you by Karissa

the Problem with Pain

2009-02-19T13:04:00.002-06:00

1Pet 3:13-17 (and selected passages)

We need to know that God never wastes pain - never. We believe in the almighty, sovereign God of Scripture - the Most High. Nothing slips through His hands nor slides under His gaze. And what is more, nothing is outside of His divine decree i.e. He Himself planned it.

The tendency is to completely forget that when I am say victim to one of my frequent headaches. And I resort to pleading with the LORD to, "just take it away!"

A better pursuit (as opposed to just asking for the dilemma to removed) would be to ask, "What are you producing in me through this pain?"

God is in the process of conforming me to the image of His Son. And I know that I am thick headed & stubborn & that trials & pain force change in my thinking and in my life - but I still don't like it!

The fact of the matter is that conforming me to an image more closely resembling the Savior is going to take a lot of work. And I want to be a willing participant in that process.
So what do I need to do?

Our passage reveals something pivotal - v.15 the first phrase of the sentence says it all "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts."
>>> set Him up as Monarch of my life

As we do this all the chips fall into place and in fact this even makes sense of some other passages as well. Take Matthew 6 for example "seek His kingdom first and all these things will be added unto you..."

Get your priorities straight, set up Christ as your Monarch - the governing authority of your life - then, and only then, as a child of God you are ready to make right decisions for what is facing you today.

Now I know, this is somewhat of an extrapolation of the principles of this passage more than a direct exegesis. But the principles of pain and trials revealed here apply in a much greater field of existence than just persecution.

So, revisiting my own personal headache problem let us ask, "What might God be producing in my life through this pain to make me more like Christ?"
- Trust in Him
- Faith that He knows what He is doing; that Romans 8:28 is true
- Hope for the next life, that is, to not grow too comfortable in this world
- Perspective alignment; to remind me that I do not control my life nearly as much as I think I do
(please write a comment if you have further insight!)

My friends, we must never forget that pain presents us with an opportunity to shine. It is precisely at the moment when pain is worst that we are given the greatest chance to be wholly and completely different from the world around us that has no hope, that has no faith, that has no vision beyond the plane of this world!

You can also see that when we fail to look to God in trials we also sin by refusing to acknowledge the Lord and neglecting to take the opportunity to magnify His name in the best opportunity afforded us!

So the solution with pain is not for it to just go away, for then you would have to go out of the world, but for you to magnify the name of your God in the midst of the storm - for there is purpose in your pain. Hallelujah.

Take heart, our God never wastes pain.

inspired by notes taken from Pastor Gary's Sunday night sermon 2/15/09

a new site

2009-02-18T15:58:00.002-06:00

I have not put much up in the last few weeks and there is a reason for that. The time I used to spend writing something up for this was going into helping out with the new church website - which is now done!

Hop over to the SVC website and have your socks blown off (comparatively speaking).
this sucker is pretty nifty and we're not done yet. there is still a lot of little things that need to happen but this is still a vast improvement over what was formerly our site.

so anyhoot, that's it for now - se you tonight if you can make it to the Q & A session.

much love,
bg