A Parsons Causerie

Am I A Southern Baptist?

2012-02-09T05:51:00.001-05:00

A short time ago I was asked if I was a Southern Baptist. The question startled me as I did not know I had done anything to question my denominational ties. After all, I was reared in a Southern Baptist Church (the cornerstone of her sanctuary was set in place the same year I was born). My earliest memories come from time spent in and around a Southern Baptist Church. I remember my mother leaving me in the pre-school department during Sunday School (I felt abandoned; but I got over it). I remember Red-Rover during Vacation Bible School. I remember visiting my grandmother in Mississippi at her rural Southern Baptist Church.

I was saved in a Southern Baptist church and later baptized there. I felt the call to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in that church – and preached my first sermon there. I was licensed to the gospel ministry by that church.

When the time came for me to attend college, I left the state of Ohio to attend a Southern Baptist College. In those days, there was no Southern Baptist College in Ohio. After college, I graduated from two seminaries (one was not Southern Baptist; one was). It was actually at the non-Southern Baptist Seminary that I had to decide for myself if I was Southern Baptist or not. It seemed then that my convictions were consistent with the convictions of the SBC. I was ordained to the gospel ministry, also in a Southern Baptist Church.

I have served on staff of seven different Southern Baptist Churches. I was married in a Southern Baptist Church. My three children who have professed faith in Jesus Christ were all baptized in Southern Baptist Churches. I have served on various associational roles within Southern Baptist life (including the year I received the honor of preaching the association’s annual sermon). I have had the privilege of preaching at the ordination of a Southern Baptist brother. Plans are being made to preach at the ordination of a second Southern Baptist brother.

And so, yes. I am a Southern Baptist.

Great Expectation

2012-02-02T07:48:00.003-05:00

On the eve of my wedding anniversary, I was reflecting upon that special event all those years ago.

On Friday evening, friends and family gathered at the church for the rehearsal. I personally found it to be a stressful time. Our photographer (my cousin) captured the stress in a memorable photo which I now show couples when I meet with them for their pre-marital counseling.

After the rehearsal we all went to the Iron Horse Grill for a meal. It was there that the stress exploded. I knew I wanted to marry my fiancée; I was not sure I wanted to do so with a public wedding. Having survived the meal we parted that night with the expectation of the following day.

On Saturday, I arrived at the church and was led to the appropriate waiting room until the moment when the pastor said it was time to take our place. I stood at the front of the church, with joy waiting for the appearance of my bride. Then the notes of the organ shifted, and the door opened and out walked my beautiful bride.

A short time later, we were husband and wife. God has been good to us. I am so thankful for my wife.

I Am A Christian

2012-01-26T06:15:00.004-05:00

I recently finished John MacArthur’s book, Slave, a book I would highly recommend.

The book begins with the account of a martyr from the second century, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The man in question, Sanctus, had one answer and only one answer to the barrage of questions he was asked: “I am a Christian.”

No matter what the question, the answer remained the same. What is your name? “I am a Christian.” What is your nationality? “I am a Christian?” What is your home town? “I am a Christian?” Are you a slave or free man? “I am a Christian.”

Once it was clear that he would not budge, he was condemned to be tortured publicly in the amphitheater. On the day of his execution, he was forced to run the gauntlet. He was subjected to wild beasts. And eventually he was fastened to a chair of burning iron. His dying words remained the same: “I am a Christian.”

Sanctus’ whole identity – name, citizenship, and social status – everything was found in Jesus Christ. He was a Christian. What else could matter?

For Sanctus, one phrase defined his life: “I am a Christian.” What about you? What about me?

Welcome Home

2012-01-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

I often find myself walking beside brothers and sisters who are struggling with dark areas of life. Some of these friends find themselves precariously close to apostasy. Some of them have grieved the Savior with their beliefs. Some have grieved the Savior with their actions. Some simply grieve the Savior with their lack of worship.

Whatever the case, my desire is to reach out to these wandering ones and call them to faith and repentance. I look forward to seeing God restore them once more to the vibrant fellowship of the church.

Jesus told a parable about a man who spurned his father’s love and went off and wasted his inheritance with prodigal living. Then one day the man came to himself and set out for home. Before he arrived there, his father saw him in the distance and rushed out to him. A celebration followed as the son who was lost was now found once more safe at home.

Dear Reader, perhaps you have found yourself in a position similar to prodigal in Jesus’ parable. Perhaps you have sinned and grieved your Lord. Perhaps you are afraid to go back to the church from whence you fled. Let me assure you, if it is a gospel believing, gospel proclaiming church, you will find a warm welcome once more with the people of God.

Communication in the Midst of Miscommunication

2012-01-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

I am often amazed at how difficult I find communication to be. In the providence of God, I have been called to preach. It is my calling and vocation to communicate. It is a high privilege and a great joy. When someone tells me that God used what I said to help them in whatever way, I am humbled.

Recently I was involved in a series of miscommunicating events. Such miscommunication reminds me of my frailty. Miscommunication is also, personally, very frustrating.

But my miscommunication gives me one more reason to praise my Savior and sit in awe of God. For the Bible teaches us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God communicated to us. He spoke. As the author of Hebrews notes, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son" (1:1,2a; NASB).

Thank you God for speaking so clearly in Jesus.

The Green Lantern

2012-01-05T11:42:00.001-05:00

The other night my wife and I watched The Green Lantern. After the movie we talked a little about the superheroes of our time. Many of our superheroes (but definitely not all) are flawed. Bruce Wayne is depicted as a wealthy philanderer. David Banner relies on a bad temper to become a hero. In this case, Hal Jordan is a self-centered egotist. Yet, he is chosen by the ring to be a hero. He lives a double life. In one life, so to speak, he does great things for mankind; in the other life he does whatever he wants.

Certainly, the movie suggests that he grows more noble as time goes on. I don’t want to overlook the development of his character. But I do want to contrast this idea of being severely flawed in an area of life and a hero in another with the call of the gospel.

The gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to a depth and consistency of character. It begins as we acknowledge our sin and shortcomings. But it calls us to a changed life that flows out of a depth of character that is developed in us through the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer. He uses the Bible and the fellowship of the saints to make us godly men and women no matter where we are or what we are doing.

A Night of Games and Fellowship

2011-12-29T11:54:00.001-05:00

Last night our church gathered for soup, sandwiches, and games. It was a wonderful time of fun and fellowship. At one point, I was able to stand and look across the room and the people talking. Joy filled my heart as I saw the church having a good time.

The one game I played, I lost. But as I played I was able to see one of our senior adult ladies across the room burst into laughter in the midst of her game. At another table, laughter and song erupted. At another table, young and old were engaged in a game.

I thank God for this evening of joy.

Christmas Schedule

2011-12-22T05:58:00.001-05:00

In early November I was asked what our Christmas Day schedule was going to be since Christmas falls on Sunday this year. I prayed and looked at what some other churches were doing on that Sunday. I also asked some of the people at our church what their thoughts were about the schedule.

At our church, we will keep our normal Sunday schedule. We will have Sunday School at 9:30 and Worship at 11:00.

There are a number of reasons why we will keep our schedule the same. The basic one is that such a schedule is what we do every other Sunday in the year. We are a people drawn together with the purpose of teaching about Jesus and worshiping Him.

Christmas is about Jesus. Attending Sunday School and worship is an opportunity to teach and worship. It is an opportunity to witness to our families and our neighbors. What matters most in our lives?

As for all of the other Christmas traditions, what our family will do is something like this: We will exchange presents on Saturday. Then we will have our extended family dinner gathering in the late afternoon on Sunday rather than at noon. That will allow worship to be central in our home. That will then allow the other things to fill in the time which is left in the day.

Some Words from Lottie Moon

2011-12-15T05:27:00.004-05:00

A couple years ago I purchased a book of Lottie Moon’s letters. Unfortunately I have not read it all yet – I have actually read very little of it. And yet, each year about this time, I think again of this book which I intend to read one day. Lottie Moon is a heroine of mine. She took the gospel to the heathen in China. And there she died having faithfully served our Savior.

During December Southern Baptists cooperate to take up a special Christmas Offering which supports international missions.

As you read and reflect on these words, please prayerfully consider what you will give to the cause of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations this year. Will it be $20 or $50? Maybe $500? Will you talk with your pastor about appointment to international missions?

Ms. Moon wrote the following . . .

“What we need in China is more workers. The harvest is very great, the laborers, oh! So few. Why does the Southern Baptist church lag behind in this great work? . . . I think your idea is correct, that a young man should ask himself not if it is his duty to go to the heathen, but if he may dare stay at home.”

“Oh! That we had many active and zealous men who would go far and wide scattering books and tracts and preaching the word to the vast multitudes of this land. . . . I earnestly long for the time to come when the women of our Southern Baptist churches shall fully awaken to the great work of sending the gospel to heathen women.”

“But is there no way to arouse the churches on this subject? We missionaries find it in our hearts to say to them in all humility, ‘Now then we are ambassadors for Christ; as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ’s stead,’ to remember the heathen. We implore you to send us help. Let not these heathen sink down into eternal death without one opportunity to hear that blessed Gospel which is to you the source of all joy and comfort.”

Christmas Decorations

2011-12-08T08:26:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday my wife told me she was ready to put up the Christmas tree and other decorations. So we spent the afternoon decorating the house.

On Monday, when I arrived at church, some of the ladies were already there decorating the sanctuary and other areas for Christmas.

Many years I am asked what my opinion is concerning Christmas trees. Are they pagan? Should we use them? Are they a distraction? I am sure I will have good brothers and sisters who disagree with me.

Personally I would classify a Christmas tree and most other Christmas decorations as adiaphora – it is something indifferent. It is morally neutral. I actually like the decorations. I think they help mark out that this season is different. For it is during this time that we reflect upon the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The evergreen tree points us to the unchanging nature and character of our Savior. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

A Matador in Red Tights

2011-12-01T07:25:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I know the idea of the devil wearing red tights and carrying a pitch fork is not exact. Nonetheless, I needed a title. So the other day (during a Wednesday night Bible Study) I compared the devil to a matador – and the people are like the bull.

The devil holds out various capes seeking to get us to charge. One cape may be fame. Another fortune. One may be illicit sex. Another may be the rush of drugs and alcohol. Another may be pride. Another may be gossiping. He really does not care which proverbial cape he holds – he just wants the bull to charge.

And with each charge – each time a man or a woman chases after the movement of the cape, like a matador, the devil places a pic causing our defenses to drop. In the case of the bullfighter, the pic is placed in the strong neck muscle of the bull. That damage to the neck muscle lowers the bull’s head, making the horns less dangerous. The lowered head and horns then allows the bullfighter to make the final thrust with his sword – down and through the heart killing the bull instantly.

In like manner, the devil pricks us with each pass. He seeks to set us up for that last killing thrust.

Instead of being enamored with the bright cape and the movement offered by the matador, we must be like Ferdinand, of the childhood story. He was the bull who would rather smell the flowers than chase the cape. And like him, we must sniff the air seeking the scent of the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley. Getting that scent, we need to sit and reflect upon the beauty of that Rose and that Lily. We need to be enamored with the beauty of Jesus.

Strange Things That Have Happened to Me

2011-11-24T05:22:00.004-05:00

Recently my son was given a writing assignment for school. It was one of those basic assignments given to middle school children as they learn to think and express their thoughts in writing. The topic of his essay is the title of this blog.

My son wrote . . .
In my life, several strange things have happened to me. Although I can’t list them all, here are a few. These are being saved by Christ, learning to read, and moving to Columbus.

First is being saved. It is an incredible feeling. First despair, then hope, then faith.

As a father, I am proud of my son as he reflected upon his salvation. He demonstrates an understanding of salvation that is certainly consistent with the Scriptures and historic Christianity. As a pastor, I am amazed at the insight of this middle school student. For he is correct, the hope we have in the gospel shines through the despair we feel when we recognize our sin in the presence of a holy God.

Many have said until you despair of any salvation on your own you cannot and will not look to Christ to save you from your sins. So the despair gives way to hope as the Holy Spirit grants us faith and repentance.

And so, dear reader, perhaps you read in the cloud of despair and despondency. Jesus, who was God, became a man and lived among us. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He died upon a cross under the wrath of God. He was dead and buried and rose again on the third day. I would encourage you to look to Jesus and pray to God asking that He would grant to you faith and repentance. Then your despair will give way to hope as well.

Many Are Called Few Are Chosen

2011-11-17T07:51:00.002-05:00

Believers often wonder how many will be saved. Though we wonder, we simply do not know. The exact number is not revealed to us.

All around we see dwindling numbers. Many churches who faithfully proclaim the gospel lament that there are not more professing believers. We lament that we do not have more baptisms. As we seek to be faithful to the Master, we should ask if there is more we can do. Are we being faithful? Or are we causing unnecessary offense?

If we find that we are faithful, perhaps some reflection on the testimony of Scripture will help us to keep pressing on in the midst of the discouraging times.

When Peter writes a warning about coming false teachers, he notes that many will follow their sensuality (2 Peter 2:2). And right after that when he speaks of the coming judgment on such false teachers, Peter offers a couple examples of times of apostasy. He notes that the ancient world was destroyed for its sin. But Noah was among eight who were preserved. Similarly, Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes, but Lot and his two daughters were rescued.

In one case, in a time of apostasy, eight righteous ones were found. In another case, three were found. In both cases, we could say that many followed the way of rebellion and lawlessness. A few followed the way of the LORD.

Of course the LORD’s words to Elijah are an encouragement to us as well. For Elijah thought that he was the only one faithful but the LORD pointed out that there were yet 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal.

We want to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. We long to see men and women and children come to faith in Jesus Christ. We pray to that end.

But sometimes it seems that the world continues down the slippery slope of rebellion. In those moments we are reminded of the words of Jesus, and the examples of Noah and Lot. Indeed, many are called, but few are chosen.

The Red Pyramid – final thoughts

2011-11-10T09:13:00.000-05:00

Having completed The Red Pyramid I have mixed thoughts.

As far as the story itself, it was pretty good. The changing point-of-view was good. Although at times it seemed to be a challenge for Riordan to keep either Sadie or Carter’s voice. But I think he did a good job with it for the most part.

Personally I like Percy Jackson’s voice better than either Sadie or Carter. But the fact that there is a difference speaks highly of Riordan’s writing.

The descriptions of Egyptian mythology were good. This is a way to get an overview of the mindset which the people of God were immersed in as they sojourned in Egypt. It gives a good perspective on what Moses was facing as he went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the LORD, Let my people go.” It also helps us to see what the people of Israel were struggling with as they kept looking back to Egypt.

But I have a theological concern as well. What will happen when undiscerning readers read about inviting the gods or goddess to take control of their lives? Will we be faced with more and more demon possession as men and women seek power from the primal forces? Instead of seeking such power, we should bow humbly before Jesus and rest in Christ alone.

Seeking Peace or A Place of Service

2011-11-03T08:06:00.000-04:00

During our pastor search process we spoke with a number of young men. Their reasons for interest in our church varied; the reasons for a lack of interest in our church also varied. One answer that stuck in my mind was from a man who said in essence I just do not feel a peace about this situation. At first I thought, that makes sense. I understand we are seeking God’s guidance and we want to be sure we are going in the right direction.

Then a couple days later as I was mowing my yard, I thought about that answer and John Calvin’s interaction with William Farel. When Calvin first went to Geneva, his intention was simply to spend the night and go on his journey as he sought the quietness of a place to study and write. But Farel challenged Calvin to stay, pointing out that there was a church in need of a pastor. Farel pointed out that the people of Geneva needed a man with Calvin’s gifts to shepherd them. And of course, there was the matter of pronouncing a curse on Calvin’s desire for peace and quiet in the study if he should neglect the opportunity in front of him.

And so Calvin stayed. At least he stayed in Geneva until they good people there ran him out of town for preaching and teaching the Bible. And then, when they asked him to return, Calvin wrote to a friend saying he would rather die a thousand deaths then ever go back to that place. Personal feelings aside, the church needed him and so he returned.

Calvin may not have had peace of mind or heart. But he was a minister of the gospel; there was a people needing a minister with his gifts. And so, he stayed and served Christ’s church. And we can all be thankful that his vision for ministry was bigger than his own sense of peace.

A Pastor’s Joy

2011-10-27T07:37:00.000-04:00

During our Wednesday night prayer and Bible Study, we have an open forum where people can share their praises and thanksgivings with their brothers and sisters. Often I will lead our congregation in a brainstorm session in which I will ask them to complete this sentence, “Jesus is . . .” or “God is . . .” Sometimes we will go through the alphabet thinking of different attributes of God that begin with each letter.

On a recent Wednesday I heard the following answers: Jesus is My Rock and Jesus is My Refuge. Hearing these two expressions thrilled my soul because I have been preaching a series of messages on the Psalms. Two recurring themes in the Psalms that we have looked at during those messages is the idea of God as our Rock and our Refuge.

It thrilled me to see how the preached word was informing the praises of our people. I thank God that He encouraged me with those particular praises of His people.

God is My Rock! God is My Refuge!

A Proper World and Life View

2011-10-20T09:55:00.000-04:00

In Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid, Bast (the Egyptian cat goddess) says, “Evil and good may not be the best way to think of it, Carter. As a magician, you must think about chaos and order. Those are the two forces that control the universe.”

From the Ancient Egyptian perspective, these two forces, chaos and order, are in a struggle for control. Pharaoh was believed to be the incarnation of Ra’. One of Pharaoh’s responsibilities was to keep the order in the land of Egypt. If order was kept, he was a good king; if chaos reigned he failed.

Part of the polemic of the plagues was that the LORD was demonstrating that Pharaoh could not keep the order. The forces of nature (so to speak) were not under his control, but under the control of the LORD God of Israel. Life in the Nile was not dependant upon Pharaoh’s word, but on the LORD’s word.

Throughout the Bible we see that chaos and order are not controlling the universe. The universe is controlled by the Sovereign will of God. What the LORD decrees will come to pass. What the LORD desires will happen. No petty god in Ancient Egypt or modern America is able to thwart the LORD’s sovereign will.

Helpless gods or Helpless people

2011-10-13T06:12:00.000-04:00

In one scene of Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid, Sadie (the main female character) is given a tour of a palace. She sees the various gods and goddesses of Egypt in their weakened form. The throne is vacant. Isis says, “We need a ruler. Horus must become pharaoh.”

The gods and goddesses need the help of these two people with the blood of the pharaohs to restore ma’at, order and balance to the world. The gods and goddesses can only do so much. They need the people’s help. Without the people’s help, all will be lost.

It is really a sad thought. What kind of a god or goddess is so weak? Who would really want to worship such beings? Sure they have power and strength. But in spite of the raw power, they really are weak. They are unable to accomplish their will or purpose.

The God of the Bible, the living God, is so different. He created all things with the power of His Word. He sustains all things with the power of His Word. He comes to weak, fallen men and women and He sets things right. He saves us. He changes us. His purpose stands. His will is done. All that He decrees comes to pass.

Such a God is worthy of praise. Such a God is worth worshiping.

Righteous Lot

2011-10-06T07:48:00.003-04:00

Of all the godly characters in the Bible, Lot is by far my least favorite. I know I am not supposed to judge a brother. Nonetheless, without the testimony of the New Testament, I simply would not like this man.

His choice of the cities of the plains suggests that he walked more by sight than faith. Then once he is ushered out of Sodom, he fathers sons with each of his daughters. I simply do not like the man.

And yet, Peter, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, calls him, “righteous Lot” and “a righteous man” even making reference to his “righteous soul.” And so, thinking God’s thoughts after Him, I reckon Lot to be a righteous man.

And this righteous man challenges me. For Peter also tells us that he “felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds.” As I read that expression and sit in self-righteous judgment on this man, I must ask myself, is my soul even righteous?

Assuming that it is righteous, is my righteous soul tormented by the lawless deeds of my neighbors? Am I bothered at the adulteries and fornications which take place around me? Am I bothered at the number of people who never pause to worship the Lord on His day? Am I troubled at the lies and falsehoods that are told?

And what about you, dear reader, is your soul troubled by the lawless deeds all around you?

A Searching Concern

2011-09-29T06:46:00.000-04:00

In a previous blog, I noted the encouragement I have received from many of the men with whom I have interacted in our church’s search for an associate pastor. For all the encouragement, there have also been some concerns.

Some of the seminary graduates have a distrust for the local church. It seems that somewhere along the line too many of them got the idea that the local church is filled with heretics or that everyone in the local church is unconverted (a strange ecclesiology indeed).

This suspicion of the local church is troubling in these young men who are hoping to serve as pastors in the church. This lack of love for the local church is not all that different from a lack of love for biblical truth that is often missing in the lives of the theological liberals. During my time in seminary, it was often lamented that many liberals subscribed to confessional statements whose truths they later denied or even attacked. It was asserted that these men had no integrity.

But as I reflect on the rising generation of seminary trained young men, it seems that a good many of them have their own issues. The difference between them and the liberal is that the liberal loves people but not truth. This new generation is theologically astute – ever ready to defend the truth; but too many of them don’t love or trust the people for whom Christ died. They don’t know how to speak the truth . . . in love.

Another Biblical Reference in the Red Pyramid

2011-09-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

In one of the late scenes in Riordan’s book, one of the magicians summoned a column of fire a meter thick and four meters tall. Isis explains the phenomena. She says a pillar of fire “is the most powerful spell a master of fire can summon. It is impossible to defeat, impossible to escape. It can be used to lead a summoner toward a goal. Or it can be used to pursue any enemy, forcing him to run.” They tend to last between six and twelve hours, depending on the strength of the caster.

The Bible tells us that God led the Israelites out of Egypt using a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. At one point, the pillar of fire protected the people of God. The Israelites had light. The Egyptians had darkness.

In light of the statement in Riordan’s book that a really strong caster would summon a pillar of fire for 12 hours, the use of such a pillar to lead Israel during the wilderness years is amazing. For the pillar would argue the strength of God in the minds of the people. God’s strength does not weaken because He is the Almighty One. What an amazing God we serve!

Biblical References in The Red Pyramid

2011-09-15T08:07:00.001-04:00

In light of the importance of Egyptian belief structures in the Old Testament, I was interested to read the references to the Bible in Rick Riordan’s book.

In one scene, he has a man in tattered robes, with a shaggy black beard and wild eyes, throw down a staff and it turned into a serpent to devour other serpents. Then Zia explains, “Musa or Moshe, as his own people knew him. You call him Moses. The only foreigner ever to defeat the House in a magic duel.”

This reference came at a point where the main characters were seeing historical events in the Hall of Ages. It is nice to see the Exodus referred to as a historical event, even though many today seek to deny it, and the Egyptian historians who lived in the Ancient World did not record their defeat.

Zia, Riordan’s character, is correct. Moses did defeat the House. Or more theologically, the LORD (Yahweh) defeated Pharaoh and all the gods and goddesses of Egypt. The LORD demonstrated that He reigns and rules in Egypt. And all who would have life must come to Him by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Modern Idols

2011-09-08T09:03:00.000-04:00

Recently I was listening to a sports radio discussion on the recent NFL labor discussions. This was right after the deal was reached to end the lockout. One of the commentators was suggesting that the fans would be more willing this year to pay more for ticket prices than in previous years. The idea was that the fans had contemplated life without the NFL and felt such a life would be unbearable.

Interestingly later that day I was listening to a podcast by Tim Keller in which he defined idolatry as anything we cannot live without. On the basis of Keller’s definition and the sports radio commentator’s description of NFL fans, one must say that the NFL is an idol of our time.

It is probably not fair to point such accusations only against the NFL – for most professional leagues find themselves at such a point. Many people approach these organizations as their religion.

I do not mean to suggest that a Christian cannot enjoy a game – whether it is football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. Nor do I mean to suggest that a Christian cannot follow a team and hope that his/her team wins. But we must certainly be careful that we do not allow the game to take over our lives.

There is only one God and Jehovah is His name.

A Tired Goddess?

2011-09-01T07:06:00.000-04:00

In Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid, Carter (the main male character) notices after a battle that Bast was covered in sweet. Then he notes, “It hadn’t occurred to me that a goddess could get tired . . .” Once again Riordan captures an important truth – the gods and goddesses of the nations are very much like humans. They get tired. Sometimes they get defeated. Many times they get thwarted.

But thanks be to God, the LORD God of Israel, the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who reigns from heaven does not get tired. He neither slumbers nor sleeps (see Psalm 121).

Please do not misunderstand. Jesus, during the days of His incarnation, got tired. He got hungry. He got thirsty. But all of that happened as He was identifying with His people – He was identifying with those whom He came to save.

But as we consider the Triune God in all of His splendor and glory, He does not sleep nor slumber. He does not take a break. He does not go on vacation or holiday. He is ever-present. Ever-Faithful. Ever watchful. Praise be to God.

Out of School – Into God

2011-08-25T07:28:00.001-04:00

For two summers our church has sponsored an outreach at the local community center, Indian Mounds. This outreach grew out of a simple gesture of God’s love. One of our members provides water or Gatorade to the players on the basketball court. As he has interacted with those players he began to dream about a bigger impact with the gospel.

In the summer of 2010 he set up 3-point competition along with other basketball skills. The last Saturday of July 2011, the second annual Out of School, Into God basketball tournament took place. It was a great event in which our community was engaged with the gospel on the basketball court.

Games were played. Hotdogs and hamburgers were handed out. Testimonies were shared. The risen Lord Jesus was proclaimed.

So many good things happened during this outreach. The greatest of all is the proclamation of the gospel. This event gave some men in our church the opportunity to witness to their neighbors. It was another time of good-will demonstrated by our church to our community. I continue to pray that the gospel seeds will be blessed resulting in faith and repentance.

An Orange Water Cooler

2011-08-18T08:54:00.000-04:00

We often talk about how God can use anything to bring glory to His name. Many times we are unable to see the things He uses. Recently I began to reflect on how God used an orange water cooler to bring a man to faith in Jesus Christ – and use that man in drawing others to the Savior.

A couple years ago a man came into our church to fill a water cooler with water during our Vacation Bible School. No one saw the man enter the church and no one knew who he was. But as he left they noticed he was carrying a water cooler. Thinking the cooler belonged to the church, the police were called. As you can imagine, he was not happy about being accused of stealing what he already owned.

But God was at work. About six or seven months later, I baptized that man on his profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

If that were the end of the story, it would be a good ending. But there is more. Through this man’s ministry at the local recreation center, a young man was brought into our fellowship. This young man previously had been involved in delinquent activities. Through the proclamation of the gospel and the friendship of the man with the water cooler, this young man has professed faith in Jesus Christ and he has been baptized.

If that were the end of the story, it would be a good ending. But there is more. During this time, another troubled young man walked into our church seeking hope and a new life. The man with the water cooler reached out to him. Through his friendship and the encouragement of others in the church it became evident that God was working in this young man’s life as well. This man has yet to profess his faith publically through baptism, but I am hopeful that he will.

If that were the end of the story, it would be a good ending. But there is more. God continues to work through a water cooler to demonstrate the love of Christ in our neighborhood.

Primal Forces or Sovereign God

2011-08-11T05:52:00.001-04:00

In Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid, a character describes Egyptian theology in these terms, “The gods could appear in many forms—usually fully human or fully animal, but occasionally as a hybrid form like this. They are primal forces, you understand, a sort of bridge between humanity and nature.”

As in Greek mythology, the Egyptian gods and goddesses have power in particular areas of life. No individual god or goddess has all the power or is in control. When the gods and goddesses and people cooperate there is order; when they do not cooperate, there is chaos.

The gods and goddesses are described as primal forces. They exist in the realm of the gods, as well as in the realm of humanity. In contrast to such limited beings, the LORD, the God of the Bible, is the Sovereign One. As the psalmist declares, “power belongs to God” (Psalm 64:11).

The exodus with the 10 plagues is a display of the LORD’s control over the very areas of life claimed by the gods and goddesses of Egypt. The LORD reigns, not the petty forces of nature.

A Welcome Help

2011-08-09T19:36:00.002-04:00

In Ephesians we read how God gives “some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 2:11). One of the gifts that God gives to His churches is the gift of a pastor. Recently our church, Parsons Baptist Church, called Jeremy Mollenkopf as our associate pastor. Jeremy has joined us to serve alongside of me to help minister especially in the area of our student ministries – children, youth, and college age.

I thank God for this gift to our church. I thank God for the help Jeremy will provide as together we seek to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church is excited as Jeremy has recently arrived on the field. Watching members of the church work to make Jeremy and his family feel welcome here has been a joy for me. On a Monday many of our older adults were busy about the parsonage cleaning and getting things in order. Then on Tuesday many of our college age adults (and a few older adults) were gathered to unload the moving van. It was a pleasure seeing everyone do what they could to work together.

Pastor Jeremy and family – welcome to Columbus.

Introducing The Red Pyramid

2011-08-04T10:51:00.001-04:00

The Red Pyramid is Rick Riordan’s first book in the Kane Chronicles. Having read Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, I thought I would enjoy reading this second series by Riordan. In a way similar to the previous series, Riordan uses an ancient belief system as the basis of interaction with our modern world. In this series, he uses the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Unlike the Percy Jackson series, this story is told from the dual perspective of Carter and Sadie, a brother and sister.

Certainly, my interaction with fiction is limited. But for what it is worth, I think the shift in point-of-view helps with the story. Though there are times in this first book that the identity of the narrator is obscure. Personally, I think it was a challenge for Riordan to use two different voices in telling the story – but enjoyable nonetheless.

From my own Old Testament studies, I had previously developed an interest in Ancient Egypt. Riordan’s descriptions of the gods and goddesses is consistent with my previous reading on Ancient Egypt. I am looking forward with anticipation to finishing this book.

A Favorite Place

2011-07-28T11:51:00.006-04:00

Years ago I left my hometown of Vermilion to go off to college. That decision would later take me to three different seminaries. Then I pastored a church in north central Missouri before coming to our current church in Columbus. I grew up swimming in Lake Erie, walking on the beach, and skipping rocks (on a long pier we would skip the rocks off the water back onto the pier).

The lake has become a favorite place of mine. I find it peaceful and calming. I have found myself in all seasons standing on the shore of the lake – thinking, reflecting, and praying.

Little Blessings

2011-07-21T07:50:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it takes difficulties of life to remind us of the many blessings we experience everyday. For instance, the other day our car hit one of the low places in the local roads (some people call them pot holes). When that happened something in the suspension of the car broke. I did not realize anything broke at first and so my wife drove my children home in this broken car.

At home, I took a closer look at the car only to find out that something was wrong. At that point, I thanked God for His mercies in allowing my wife and children to get home without any injury; I thanked God that no one else got hurt as well. That is a rather big difficulty and easy to say, thank you God for your mercies.

As I reflected on this transportation challenge, I thought about how I rode my bike to the church today. I did not have any problems. I did not get hit by a car. I did not run into anything. God’s mercies are good in the ordinary providences of life as well.

Serving the Church

2011-07-14T09:49:00.000-04:00

Over the last year our church has been in the process of seeking an associate pastor. For the most part this process has been a great blessing. I have reviewed the resumes of many men who are seeking to be faithful and useful in their service to King Jesus. I have read the answers to some pointed questions from many of these men. I have been encouraged by the fidelity to biblical truth that is expressed. In addition, we have done a handful of phone interviews.

Recently we spoke with three men on the phone. After the interviews, we reflected on the idea that we had three good options for our church – but we only needed one. These men came from different seminaries and different locations around our country. Although I am not very old, nonetheless, it was good to hear a generation of men coming after me who are seeking to be faithful.

As I reflect on the men with whom I have interacted, I thank God that He is raising up the next generation and giving good gifts to His church.

Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness

2011-07-07T08:48:00.001-04:00

Our time is one of great stress that leads many people to a sense of hopelessness. Recently our church interviewed a young man for our pastoral opening. Part of the process included a drive north of our church towards the heart of the city. When we asked this man and his wife about that drive, she noted that she saw a lot of people who seemed to be living without hope.

The goodnews is that we have an answer for the hopelessness of our time. As Paul wrote the church of Rome, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

The God of hope, the Triune God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit --, is the source of hope and joy and peace in our time. Through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have hope. As believers, our hope is solidified as we become mighty in His Word. The Scriptures were given that “we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

In our own struggles let us look to Jesus Christ and then spend time meditating upon the revelation of Him in the Word. And as we walk alongside neighbors and friends who are struggling, let us point them to Jesus Christ as well.

An Open Church

2011-06-30T10:46:00.001-04:00

Recently a man stopped at our church about half way through the message on a Sunday morning. I was preaching; one of our deacons met with this man and spoke to him. I had the privilege of speaking to him after the service.

As it turned it, his situation was not unlike others that we have been hearing lately. He was facing discouragement and was looking for hope. Now in his situation, he had already stopped at another church (and in his words) he was turned away. I am not sure the situation. If he was only interested in speaking with the pastor, the pastor there may have been busy, as I was with the preaching of the Word. But whatever the situation at the other church, he found an open door at ours.

That has set me to reflecting upon a few people that have recently stopped in. A couple weeks ago, I was told one of our Sunday School classes had begun to pray that God would cause someone to stop in, to walk in to the church. That very morning someone did. A few weeks later, someone else did. And then again, a week or so later, this man, previously mentioned, walked in.

I thank God that He has led these individuals to us. I pray that we will continue to be a church that welcomes people as they are even as we point them to salvation in Jesus Christ alone.

Pray for Us

2011-06-23T11:45:00.001-04:00

One of the wonderful statements Paul wrote to the church of the Thessalonians was, “Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thessalonians 5:25). I have often reflected on the importance of that exhortation. I need the prayers of God’s people. I have a wonderful privilege of preaching the gospel. I am blessed to be able to spend my days reading and studying and reflecting upon the Word of God. I get to study theology, day in and day out.

But in the midst of the study there are temptations to resist. There are burdens to carry. There are suffering saints to console. There are lost men and women all around me. I need the prayers of God’s people.

With Paul, I echo these words, “Brethren, pray for us.” Pray that I will keep busy praying and preaching. Pray that preaching will remain my priority. Pray that I will only and always lift up the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that I will preach the Word.

A Tragic Identity

2011-06-16T04:20:00.000-04:00

In one of D. Martyn Llodyd-Jones’ messages from 2 Peter, he notes, “Is it not one of the greatest tragedies today that it is almost impossible to tell who is a Christian? Is it not one of the greatest tragedies, that we are so amazingly like the men who have never made such a claim – like them in appearance, like them in conversation, like them in interests, like them in habits, like them in our reactions to events? . . . The tragedy is that the difference between us and the world is almost imperceptible. At times it is worse, for some even make a positive attempt to be like the world.”

Unfortunately I believe Lloyd-Jones is correct. There are many within the church today who seek to be like the world. We find out what is popular in our culture and then we mimic that – whether it is in movies or books or music or styles of dress. We even build our churches with an effort to be imperceptible from the world.

Rather than being driven by the glory of God and the desire to satisfy Him, we are driven by the culture and our desire to be popular or relevant. As Lloyd-Jones notes, the tragedy is that we don’t just become like the world, we too often out-world the world.

May God grant His church the grace to stand out from the world. May we as individuals have the backbone to be different – different in our appearance, conversation, interests, habits and reactions to events. May our congregations be decidedly different from other gatherings of men and women in our culture – whether they be in stadiums or concerts or the theatre.

Evangelism for the Glory of God

2011-06-10T08:16:00.004-04:00

I recently re-read JI Packer’s book, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Packer’s thesis is simple. God is sovereign; He has entrusted to the church the responsibility to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations.

Pretty close to the middle of the book, Packer asks the question, “What is the evangelistic message?” He answers that question with the headings that follow.

1. The gospel is a message about God.

2. The gospel is a message about sin.

Under this second heading, Packer enumerates the essential elements of conviction. He notes: (1) Conviction of sin is essentially an awareness of a wrong relationship with God. (2) Conviction of sin always includes conviction of sins. (3) Conviction of sin always includes conviction of sinfulness.

3. The gospel is a message about Christ.

There are two important sub-points here. (1) We must not present the Person of Christ apart from His saving work. (2)We must not present the saving work of Christ apart from His person.

4. The gospel is a summons to faith and repentance.

Once more Packer enumerates two important sub-points. (1) The demand is for faith as well as repentance.(2) The demand is for repentance as well as faith.

Sweet Medicine

2011-06-03T05:15:00.001-04:00

The church has often struggled with finding the balance between loving truth and loving people. There are some individuals who, in the name of loving truth, often are short or less than loving with people. They will assert that we must not be man-pleasers and so if people don’t like the truth that is their problem.

Perhaps it is time for the church to take a lesson from the world of medicine. When I was a child, I can only remember one medicine that did not cause a gag reflex due to the horrible taste. We were told that although it tastes bad it is needed to make us well again. My children do not have the same problem taking medicine because somewhere along the way the medicine companies figured out how to make the medicine taste better.

Medicine no longer has to taste bad to make us well again and to be good for us.

And so, within the church, we must keep the gospel the same – do not dilute it; do not change it. But wrap it, flavor it with love and compassion for people. And as we do so, we must be careful not to set a false dichotomy between loving people and loving the truth.

Joyful Burdens – Part VI

2011-05-27T02:12:00.003-04:00

Recently a friend of mine sent me the following observation . . .

“When Ezra rebuked Israel for intermarrying he pulled his hair and beard in anguish. When Nehemiah rebuked Israel for intermarrying he hit them and pulled on their hair and beards. Two different approaches to the same sin problem. I'm not suggesting any pastoral responses to the flock's sins. Just an observation.”

Pastoring a church is a joy and a privilege. When the people of the church sin, their sin is an affront to the holiness of God. What they may not realize is that their sin also weighs on their pastor (as well as the other elders and deacons). As he has been entrusted with the care of their soul, it grieves him to see the people he loves trapped in the mire of transgression and iniquity. It takes wisdom from God to know how to respond in each situation.

As this little observation from the Scripture demonstrates, the same sin may illicit a different response in different circumstances -- and rightly so. Each pastor needs wisdom from God to know how to respond in each setting. Pray for your pastor, that God would grant Him such wisdom. Pray for your pastor as he often carries the burden of the knowing many struggles within the congregation.

A Good Day

2011-05-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

In Edmund Clowney's commentary, The Message of 1 Peter, Dr. Clowney observes the following:

"A good day in a television beer commercial pictures friends imbibing in the sunset at a fishing lodge. 'It doesn't get any better than this,' they say. A 'good day' in the book of Acts shows Paul and Silas in a Greek prison, their backs bleeding and their feet in stocks. They are singing psalms at midnight -- perhaps Psalm 34!" (p. 142).

I wonder, which idea of a good day is closer to the day you would label good? Which idea is closer to my ideal?

To Be Holy

2011-05-13T08:21:00.001-04:00

Recently I was reflecting on what I want out of life. What do I want to accomplish? And I thought, I want to be holy.

I know that may sound pious. However, it is the answer I came up with.

Peter instructs us, “Be holy yourselves in all your behavior” (1 Peter 1:15). As I read over those words of Peter, I began to get a sense at least of what it would mean for a person to be holy today.

A holy person is one whose hope is fixed on the grace brought to us at the revelation of Jesus. A worldly person’s hope is fixed on the stuff of the world – more money, more prominence, more sex, greater security, a stronger military, etc. But a Christian’s hope is fixed on grace and on Jesus and on God.

A holy person acts like a child of God not a child of the world. A worldly person is conformed to the lusts of this age – “sex and drugs and rock-n-roll it’s all my body needs.” A holy person is not conformed to those former lusts. The old is done away with, all things have become new.

A holy person loves the church not just people who look like, talk like and are entertained like him or her. A worldly person gathers with people whose interests match his or her own interests. A holy person loves the brethren; a holy person loves the church – people who are different in many ways but who are drawn together because of Jesus.

A holy person lives in light of the Fatherhood of God. A holy person is struck by the thought that he or she has been redeemed by the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Your Choice of a Church

2011-05-06T07:28:00.000-04:00

I recently spoke with a couple of worship leaders about developing a praise band. It was wonderful, encouraging conversation. I appreciate these men and their ministry. I appreciate the insight they gave me.

And yet, there is an area of concern that I have. It is a concern that does not only affect musicians but apparently it does affect musicians. When I asked how to develop a band, I was told good musicians want to play with other good musicians. So the key to developing a good band is to get a good musician who will then be the impetus to drawing other good musicians. Which of course means that the good musician will be the draw to your church, and hence away from another church. It also means they are not being drawn by the gospel.

This logic makes sense. Why did Lebron James leave Cleveland? Because Miami had better players. Barcelona has a great soccer team because great players want to play together. New York has a great baseball team because great players want to play together.

In the world of sports or business this logic makes perfect sense. I am not sure that it makes any sense in the church. What would happen if the talented people in the church were motivated by the gospel more than by their talent? What if a talented musician said, I want to serve the church more than my own ambition to be part of a good band?

I don’t want to be down on musicians. Pastors are often motivated by the same thing. We may look to serve a church that fits our vision of our own importance. Hence there are some Southern Baptist pastors who don’t want to serve in the north. There are some urban pastors who don’t want to serve in a small town, or vice versa.

Whether a pastor or musician or an attender, the question that confronts all of us is why do we choose the church that we choose. Are we looking first and foremost for the gospel to be preached? Or are we looking for some amenities? Or a chance to put ourselves on a stage?

God Grant Us a Wilberforce

2011-04-29T06:10:00.001-04:00

Recently I traveled north on I-71 between Columbus and Cleveland. I was struck by the number of so-called adult video and entertainment centers. As I drove past these places, I began to wonder what it would take to turn the tide in America back to a time when such places were unknown. Then I remembered William Wilberforce.

William Wilberforce served in the British parliament. From the age of 21 to 74, he never lost a parliamentary election. But, from 1787 to 1833, almost 46 years, Wilberforce worked to abolish slavery in the British Empire. His motion to abolish the slave trade was defeated 11 times before its passage in 1807. But it was not until 1833 that slavery itself was abolished. And that occurred three days before he died.

I pray God will raise up a man or a woman who will take on the sex industry in America as Wilberforce took on and defeated slavery in Great Britain.

Pornography is a rot that is destroying our land. It is enslaving men and women. Too many have been forced to perform before a camera for the perverted pleasure of the masses.

We need a politician who will labor year in and year out to see this evil overcome. May God grant us a man or a woman like William Wilberforce to speak for the nameless ones today.

Warning for the Bible “Expert”

2011-04-22T09:13:00.001-04:00

In the world today there are many so-called Bible “experts.” Some of these wizards are found in Sunday School or Bible Study classes. Some write blogs. Others post their views on Facebook.

The teachers and preachers who have been called by God are fully aware of the dangerous place in which they stand. They know they will give an account for every word which they speak or write in God’s name.

As I peruse blogs and walk through Christian bookstores and check out Facebook posts, I fear that many opinionated Christians have overlooked the warnings which the Bible sets forth concerning teachers.

James says, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment” (3:1). I would guess that many people who seek to share their opinions are looking to help others and be wise – and many are. Nonetheless, all who seek to share their opinions should meditate on this warning. Beginning with the disclaimer, “This is just my opinion, but . . .” does not remove the burden of the teaching office.

According to the simple subject-verb sentence, every wrong opinion will be judged by God.

Along these lines, Jesus said, “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matthew 18:6,7).

In other words, everyone who seeks to share their Bible expertise though whatever media should tremble before the warning of our Savior. Each one ought to consider the eternal danger their opinions may bring upon them.

Of course such warnings are not intended to stifle legitimate questions. The warnings are not intended to stifle legitimate debate. But they are intended to remind all of us that we will give an account to God for what we type and say.

Fighting Lust

2011-04-15T07:16:00.000-04:00

As I read and re-read Dick Purnell’s chapter “Helping Single Adults Handle Moral Failures,” I was reminded of a short meditation that John Piper wrote in Pierced By The Word. Piper uses the acronym ANTHEM to give a strategy for fighting sinful sexual desires.

A-Avoid. As much as possible, avoid the stimulating sights and sounds.
N- No. Say “No” to every lustful thought or image within five seconds.
T- Turn. Turn the mind forcefully towards Christ as the superior satisfaction. Piper’s book Seeing and Savoring Christ is a good resource to help in this effort.
H- Hold. Hold the promises of the Bible and the pleasure of Christ clearly in your mind until the sinful image is gone.
E- Enjoy. Enjoy a superior satisfaction. As Piper notes, “One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal.”
M- Move. Move into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Find a good work to do and get busy doing it.

Rock-n-Roll Ethos

2011-04-08T08:11:00.001-04:00

As rock music has become church music, so the rock attitude is flaunted in the church.

I grew up listening to the rebellious sounds and attitudes of southern rock and outlaw country. Quite often I still enjoy Skynyrd or Willie or Waylon or Molly Hatchet when I am driving down the road or doing some other inane activity.

Van Zant, a Skynyrd spinoff, sings, “there ain’t nobody gonna tell me what to do.” With that phrase the VanZants have captured the attitude of rock-n-roll. And unfortunately, they have captured the attitude of many within the professing church.

Today when pastors and elders and other authority figures in the church question somebody’s decision or view on an issue, the response is often of this essence – who are you to tell me what to do? If I am ok with it, then God must be ok with it. There is no authority greater than my conscience. And if you should question what I think, then you are outta line.

God tells us that He is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). God pays attention to those who are humble, contrite of spirit and who tremble at His word (Isaiah 66:2). May God grant the church a new wave of humility; may He cleanse the church of this self-sufficient, self-righteous rock-n-roll attitude.

Remembering How to Blush

2011-04-01T08:19:00.000-04:00

Recently I read a disturbing news headline. A professor at an American University arranged for an explicit sexually perverted demonstration for his students. He defended his actions under the guise of “education.” He was pleased that so many of his students were open minded.

Reading of this incident I am reminded of the words of the prophet who laments in two places that the people were not ashamed of the abomination which they have done. The reason they are not ashamed is because “They did not even know how to blush” (Jeremiah 6:15; 8:12).

America has forgotten how to blush.

Interestingly, in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they hid themselves from God. When God called them to give an account for their actions, they said they were naked and ashamed and so they hid.

I pray for myself and my children and my church that we will be a people who know how to blush.

How can we find our way back? Prayer is a good place to start.

Then, we must, like Job, make a covenant with our eyes not to look on a virgin so as to lust after her.

As God’s people, we need to be aware of how we dress, what we listen to, and what we watch.

Nevertheless

2011-03-25T07:15:00.001-04:00

I recently listened to a powerful sermon by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones based on the opening verses of Isaiah 9. Lloyd-Jones placed a great emphasis on the opening word of Isaiah 9, which in the King James Version of the Bible, popular in his time, is “Nevertheless.”

The preacher reminded his listeners that the word is one of contrast. To understand Isaiah 9, we must be aware of Isaiah 8. That previous chapter ends by lamenting that the earth is filled with distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. It is into this darkness that the “nevertheless” of the gospel comes.

And so, the world looks at tragedy. The world looks at events like the recent tsunami in Japan and says that is awful. That is horrible. O, those poor people.

But the Christian looks at such tragedy and says, “nevertheless.” We do not deny there is great sorrow. There is great loss. Nevertheless, into the darkness a light has shined. Into the gloom, Jesus has walked. In the midst of the distress, God makes Himself known.

We who are Christians have a word to the dark times of distress. Nevertheless. The world is bad. Terrible things have happened. Nevertheless God is sovereign. He reigns. He rules. He overrules.

Paul’s “Sin”

2011-03-18T09:08:00.001-04:00

In the American Church today it seems about the worst thing anyone can do is to tell someone else they are wrong. It is almost as bad to question whether or not someone is rightly dividing the Word of truth as they make application to their own lives.

Consider how the events of Antioch would have transpired had the setting been modern America. Paul and Cephas would have been enjoying their meal with a bunch of Gentiles. Then when James and his Jewish friends showed up, Cephas would have moved away from the Gentiles. But as Paul sought to call Cephas to account, Cephas’s friends would have chimed in and told Paul not to be so judgmental.

They would have said, “Paul, man, you gotta be all things to all people. You know if Cephas is cool with making this culinary choice, who are you to question it.” Someone else would have said, “Dude, if Cephas has a clear conscience before God, man it must be ok.”

We can be thankful there is an objective truth. We can be thankful that God in His wisdom calls us to be involved in the lives of one another. Contrary to popular belief, that involvement is not sinful, rather it is God’s plan for our sanctification.

Forgiveness from Moral Failures

2011-03-11T06:13:00.002-05:00

I recently finished Wayne Grudem and Dennis Rainey’s Pastoral Leadership for Manhood and Womanhood. It is a wonderful compilation of essays or messages to equip pastors in their pastoral ministry. There are three chapters that deal specifically with sexual sin. One of those, written by Dick Purnell, is entitled “Helping Single Adults Handle Moral Failures.”

After giving an overview of the situation today, Purnell offers the following points to help those who have failed.

Step 1: Acccept Forgiveness. He notes, “The beginning of forgiveness and healing is to take responsibility for your actions and choices, to admit they are sinful” (p 254). Then he says, “True confession of sins is accepting responsibility and admitting that God is right” (p 255).

Step 2: Forgive Yourself. Purnell notes, “When I say, ‘Forgive yourself,’ I mean there is no need for continuing in self-punishment and wallowing in guilt” (p 256).

Step 3: Expect Powerful Changes. One of the biggest challenges of being single is loneliness. To fight the temptations which arise from this situation, one should concentrate on the resurrection of Christ. Then, “build a support group, an accountability group of several same-sex friends with whom you can entrust your thoughts and heart” (p 258).

Step 4: Guard Your Mind. As he says, “You are the only guardian of your mind. You choose what goes into it” (p 260). Paul writes, ‘Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

Step 5: Dissolve Negative Relationships. Purnell writes, “If you are sexually active with someone who is not your husband or wife, my appeal to you is to stop immediately” (p 261).

Step 6: Purify Your Passions. Pursue activities that will develop godly characteristics.

Reflecting Christ or Reflecting the World

2011-03-04T02:13:00.000-05:00

Recently as I prepared a biographical message on the life of Peter I was struck by his response to the questions on the night of Jesus’ betrayal. After the third question, Peter again denied knowing Jesus, and Matthew notes that he did so with cursing and swearing.

It seems Peter talks like the world to demonstrate he does not belong to Jesus.

Today in the church, however, there are many professing believers who think the church should act and talk and dress like the world so that we can get a hearing with the world. I am not sure the Bible would support such an approach to pre-evangelism.

Certainly all of us belong to an ethnic people group – red, yellow, black or white. Along with that we have different interests based on regional influences. We will be part of that larger group of people.

Nonetheless, to suggest with our words or actions or style of dress that Christians are just like their unbelieving friends and neighbors is not true. We, who believe in Jesus Christ, have a living hope. We are commanded not to “be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind” (Romans 12:2).

There are some in the professing church who need to spend more time making the world uncomfortable with our holiness rather than seeking to make the church comfortable with our worldliness.

So I wonder, who do you reflect? The world? Or Jesus Christ?

Joyful Burdens – Part V

2011-02-25T05:10:00.001-05:00

Pastoring a church is a great joy and privilege.

Serving a church in a full-time, vocational capacity is an incredible privilege. Many of my brothers labor in a bi-vocational position. But for many years now, I have been fully supported by the church I pastor. This allows me to spend my days in prayerful study. It is a great blessing.

A particular sermon’s preparation flows out of that prayerful study. Some weeks the labor of understanding a text and setting the fruit of that study into a sermonic form can be a great burden. At times it is an emotional burden, as the struggles of the congregation become clear in the text. At times it is more of an intellectual burden. The idea of the text may be hazy in my mind. At other times, I may have a good feel for the intention of the text, but struggle greatly with how to make the intention clear or applicable to the church.

That study to sermon process can be a burden. It does not get any easier with time. Certainly some weeks the transition flows more smoothly than others. But then there are weeks when the struggle hangs on. Sunday arrives and it is time to preach – and there is just no more time to make adjustments.

I cannot imagine doing anything else. It is a joy to have the privilege of wrestling week in and week out with the biblical text praying for a message for God’s people.

Joyful Burdens – Part IV

2011-02-18T08:09:00.000-05:00

It is a great privilege and joy to serve Christ as one of His undershepherds.

One of the responsibilities of pastoring a church is preaching funerals. Sometimes the deceased is a member of the church who was well-known. At other times, the deceased may have been a family member who was not known by the pastor.

Both of those circumstances carry their own challenges to the situation. In either case, death is ugly. It is the last foe to be conquered by our Savior. I look forward to the day when there will be no more death. I don’t like death.

Nonetheless, it is a privilege to minister to a grieving family.

When the deceased is one of my church members, one of the things I like to do is to ask to see his/her Bible. It is a privilege to hold that symbol of an individual’s faith in my hands. While holding that Bible, it is humbling to see your initials next to a passage or a quote that has been recorded. The first time I saw my initials, I did a double take. I could not believe that something I said had impacted anyone – let alone that dear saint.

“Joyful” is not a good word for this topic. But it is a privilege to walk through the valley of the shadow of death with grieving brothers and sisters because you are their “pastor.”

Joyful Burdens – Part III

2011-02-11T06:07:00.000-05:00

Pastoring a church is a great joy which carries with it a unique set of burdens.

One of the great joys of pastoring is that you are being used by God to shape and mold how people view God. What is proclaimed from the pulpit and how it is proclaimed all affect the way people view God. How we dress and interact with our community reflects upon God.

It is a great joy. I get to be a spokesman for God. I am an ambassador for the King of kings and Lord of lords. And therein lies the burden. I am an ambassador. Everything I do reflects upon my God and I will give an account for it all. When I get frustrated and give into the urge to express that frustration, I am representing my Savior – whether I want to at that moment or not.

Both my actions and my words, while preaching and teaching or while engaging in some form of entertainment or amusement reflects upon God and may shape the way others see God.

It is a joyful burden to pastor a church.

How to Train Your Dragon

2011-02-04T08:06:00.001-05:00

I enjoyed watching this movie – both times I have seen it. I was able to see it the first time in the theater with one of my boys. The second time our family watched it together. It is a fun, good movie.

Nonetheless, my mind critiques even the fun, good movies. I began reflecting on the story as a kind of social commentary.

The movie is a story of a Viking boy whose dad is the chief Viking – a mighty dragon slayer. But the boy is awkward. Eventually he downs a dragon, but is unable to kill it. Instead, he befriends the dragon and eventually teaches his entire clan that dragons are not really evil; they are just misunderstood. What occurs is a major paradigm shift – not just for the boy, but for the whole Viking culture. By the end of the movie, what had previously been regarded as evil is found roaming free in the village.

Therein is a picture of western culture today. There was a time when certain things were clearly known to be evil; certain things were known to be right, while other things were wrong. But lately, many of those things are being redefined. So that what used to be wrong is no longer considered wrong, just misunderstood. And so, many things which were wrong are now embraced and roaming free in our families, and towns and cities.

Dragons are no longer slain. We make them our pets.

Joyful Burdens – Part II

2011-01-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

Pastoring a church is one of the greatest joys I have ever experienced. It is a great privilege to be called by my Savior to serve Him as an undershepherd.

Along with the joy of service comes a variety of burdens.

It is humbling to be invited into the lives of the members of one’s church (and for some men, the community at large) simply because you are “the pastor.”

On more than one occasion I have been invited to stay in a hospital room as the doctor spoke with the family of the patient. I have served as a business sounding board for a variety of business decisions. I have helped families sort out issues as they try to make important decisions. And there have been individuals who have spoken with me about their particular sins as they seek forgiveness from God.

As I noted, it is humbling to be invited into these important, and often times, private areas of people’s lives. It can also be a burden, as some of the details cannot be shared with anyone else.

Joyful Burdens – Part I

2011-01-21T09:03:00.002-05:00

Over the last couple of years I have had the privilege of talking with a couple of men as they try to discern God’s call on their life. In speaking with them, I am cognizant of Jesus’ instructions for us to count the cost before such an undertaking. I also remember clearly some of my own personal struggles as I sought to discern God’s call on my life.

In an effort to help others who may be trying to discern God’s call – or perhaps simply to encourage a brother who is laboring somewhere under the joyful burden of the ministry – I intend to set forth a couple reflections on the gospel ministry. If you are not in the ministry or contemplating entering the ministry, maybe these brief thoughts will give you some ideas on how you can pray for your pastor.

These reflections are not researched. They are simply some reflections from my own life as I have pastored a church.

I pray what I write will be received as they are intended – not a complaint against a church or my Savior. Rather as a realistic assessment of some of the burdens that fall upon the man whom many simply know as “pastor” or “brother so-and-so.”

To be called to pastor is a great joy. I believe it was Spurgeon who said, “If God calls you to preach, do not stoop to become king.” To which I would offer a hearty amen; it is true.

Ironic Warnings from the Hermitage

2011-01-14T08:11:00.000-05:00

As President of the United States, Andrew Jackson faced a couple of challenges that seem somewhat ironic in light of the decisions made by his immediate descendants.

As our President, Jackson was responsible for paying off the national debt. But ironically, while Jackson was in Washington, serving our country, his son, Andrew Jackson, Jr. was mortgaging the Hermitage. So the nation’s debt disappeared while Jackson’s personal debt skyrocketed.

In a similar turn of events, as our President, Andrew Jackson worked hard to preserve the Union. Yet, when the Union split during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, many of Jackson’s descendants supported the confederacy.

As I thought about these two events from the life of Andrew Jackson, I was impressed with how easy it is for the next generation to abandon or simply undo what the current generation holds dear.

I think the church needs this reminder. We need to pray for the next generation even as we teach them the essentials of the faith today.

2011 Expectations

2011-01-07T07:03:00.000-05:00

Recently during a visit with a friend, I was asked what I hoped to see in the New Year.

My hopes for the year to come are similar to the hopes I had for the one that is passed. We will continue our study of Exodus on Wednesday evenings. On Sundays, I will begin the year with a short series of expositions from the Psalms – looking at Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, and 121, D.V. Then I plan to preach through 1 Peter.

Our church plans to host our second Upward soccer season. We are once more planning our weekly Spaghetti Dinner. This May I will have the privilege of conducting my first wedding since moving to Columbus.

I have looked at a couple of possible songs to introduce to our church, but have not settled on any one in particular at this time.

My hope for the New Year is for our church to be faithful – I pray Christ Jesus will not remove the lampstand from our midst. I hope to see God glorified, Christ Jesus exalted, and sinners brought to faith through the effectual work of the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that our church will be strengthened. I want to see a depth to our faith. And I also pray we will grow numerically.

Looking Back on 2010

2010-12-31T14:03:00.001-05:00

When I look back on the year that is passing, I see our church faced a mixture of joys and challenges – as did I.

Early in the year, we added a new deacon. In May our youth pastor resigned in order to attend seminary full-time.

A variety of new outreach activities were attempted. During the spring, we hosted our first Upward soccer season. During that same time we began a Spaghetti Dinner outreach to our community. In the middle of the summer we hosted a basketball shootout on the playground across the road from the church.

In addition to the new, we continued many old ministries. During the summer we conducted an evangelistic sports camp. On Beggar’s Night, we greeted our neighbors with hot chocolate, candy, and hotdogs. Our seniors meet once a month for the Saints Alive fellowship. We continue our Sunday morning Bible Study time.

I preached a series of expository messages through 2 Corinthians. Our church learned a couple of new songs, namely All I Have Is Christ and How Deep the Father’s Love.

God has been good to our church throughout this year. I praise the One who walks in the midst of the lampstands, holding the stars in palm of His hand.

Uncle Alfred’s Grave

2010-12-24T07:10:00.001-05:00

Alfred was born a slave on the Hermitage – the 1100 acre plantation of former President Andrew Jackson. After emancipation, Alfred remained at the plantation as a worker.

At the height of the Hermitage wealth, eighty people were enslaved. Nonetheless, according to the Hermitage tour guides today, Alfred’s grave is the only known grave of any of those men and women who were enslaved at President Andrew Jackson’s Plantation. The way in which Alfred’s grave became preserved intrigues me.

In the late 1800s, the Ladies Hermitage Association took over the Hermitage. At that time, Alfred made a deal. He would remain at the Hermitage as a tour guide if the Ladies Hermitage Association would bury him in the garden next to Andrew Jackson.

Alfred kept his end of the bargain; the Ladies Hermitage Association kept their end of the bargain as well. Today visitors to the Hermitage can find Uncle Alfred’s grave within feet of Andrew Jackson’s grave, in a place of prominence in the midst of the garden.

I don’t know if Alfred was a Christian or not. But I do know that he exemplifies the teaching of our Savior who said we should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Alfred was a wise man who overcame an unjust system.

Proud of Young Adults

2010-12-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

Many times pastors and other church leaders lament the disappearance of young 20 year olds from the life of the church. Although I would like to see more men and women from that age group in our church, those that we have are actively involved.

Currently half of our youth workers are from this age group (one of those individuals also helps with our media team). One of our praise team members is from this age group. One of our children’s Sunday School teachers is from this age group (this young man will be going on a mission trip to Peru soon). Another young man has helped with our Wednesday children’s ministry as well. One of the young ladies volunteers to take care of the church bulletin.

This past Sunday during Sunday School, the rain turned to snow. In between Sunday School and Worship, this group of young adults were shoveling snow and putting down salt. Some of them were available to help the elderly out to their cars. After worship, these young people cleared the snow off many cars in the parking lot.

In the past, and even at this time, we have had youth engaged in various ministries. For instance, right now two youth are in the praise team with their dad. During Bible School, many of our youth will be involved in that ministry. This year, one of our senior girls has asked about being our VBS director next summer. A couple of our youth went on the last mission trip to Peru.

I don’t want to overlook those contributions of our youth.

But I am especially proud of our young adults. These young men and women are making an identity for themselves as they begin to stand beside their parents rather than under them. These young men and women are deciding to take that stand for Christ in the life of the local church, Jesus’ bride.

Stuck in an Elevator

2010-12-13T07:12:00.002-05:00

The other day I made a hospital visit with a friend of mine. After parking we walked to the elevator in the parking garage – walking passed the stairs. When we entered the elevator, there was one lady already inside. We pushed the button to go down; the elevator went up. When it stopped, a second lady entered.

This time when the doors closed and the buttons were pushed, nothing happened. After trying the down button and the open door button, we concluded we were stuck. We called for help. During our ten-minute wait, we chatted with our new acquaintances and tried to be patient. Then I remarked to my friend that there had to be a sermon illustration in all this. When I got home, I decided our experience was worthy of a whole blog.

Reflecting on this event, I thought about faith and the necessity of putting our faith in the right object. When we entered the elevator, you might say that we had faith in it – it would take us where we instructed it to go. First it took us the wrong direction; then it stalled out completely.

And so too, every religion and philosophy of life other than the gospel of Jesus Christ offers more than it delivers. The false philosophies of life and empty religions take us away from God and security in Him. And in time, they stall out in the dead end of hell. Only Jesus, as He is revealed in the Word of God, takes us safely and securely to heaven.

Rip Van Winkle

2010-12-03T07:43:00.001-05:00

Recently I was thinking about the relationship between our electronic technology and Rip Van Winkle’s nap. And so, I re-read the story. Before sharing those thoughts, I should acknowledge that my own electronic technology usage has increased dramatically in the last couple years – a couple computers, iPod, game system, blog and Facebook.

In Irving’s story, Rip wanders from home to get away from his nagging wife. At first he helps around town. Later he begins to sit with the idlers in town, until the day Dame Van Winkle harasses him and his friends.

Irving writes, “Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only alternative to escape from the labor of the farm and clamor of his wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll away into the woods.”

On one such stroll, he was invited to drink of a flagon filled with liquor. The repeated visits to the flagon caused Rip to fall into a deep sleep. When he awoke from his slumber, twenty years had passed – his gun was rusted, his wife was dead, and his dog did not recognize him.

And so, we come to this relationship between Rip Van Winkle’s nap and the increasing technology around us. This technology can be useful. But like Rip’s flagon of liquor, it can also drop us into a deep sleep. As we sit before our computers and keep connected with our hand held devises, life rolls on all around us. And if we are not careful, we may find that all the important things in reality have gone on without us as we have escaped into a virtual world.

Technology is a good gift which can be used for the glory of God. But like with many good gifts, we must use it, and not be used by it. We must master it, and not let it master us.

the Gospel for Muslims – an informal review

2010-11-26T06:17:00.002-05:00

This past year in April I attended the Together for the Gospel Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the features of this particular conference is they give away a lot of books. One of the books I received this year was Thabiti Anyabwile’s the Gospel for Muslims.

Thabiti writes from a somewhat unique perspective being a former Muslim himself. As he presses the truths of the gospel, he does so with some personal anecdotes from his own conversion, as well as accounts of the opportunities he has had to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims.

Early in the book Thabiti observes, “As a Christian you already know everything you need to know to effectively share the good news of Jesus Christ with Muslim people. The same message that saves us – the gospel – is the message that will eternally change our Muslim neighbors and friends” (p 13). In other words, there is only one gospel. That good news is the hope of all ethnicities, nationalities, and even those trapped in other religious systems.

In many ways the book is a reminder of the gospel basics. There is only one God and what we call Him matters. We must not give up the doctrine of the Trinity, even if we have trouble explaining it. We must be clear about sin and what Jesus did on the cross to atone for our sin – Jesus lived, died on the cross, was buried, and on the third day he rose again.

In addition to those gospel basics, Thabiti offers some insight into the Muslim mindset. He presses the importance of Christians trusting and using the Bible in their witnessing. Ours is a revealed faith that is recorded in the Bible. In addition, Thabiti encourages Christians to be hospitable and to use their local church in an effort to share the gospel.

All in all, this is a good, basic book that will help equip God’s people, not only to share the gospel with Muslims, but to share the gospel with all kinds and types of people.

A God of His Word

2010-11-19T07:21:00.000-05:00

The Last Olympian is the last book in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series. As noted in a previous blog, this was my least favorite book in the series. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book along with the others in this series. The books are easy to read. Along with a cup of coffee, it is a good way to spend an afternoon.

Since this series has to do with Greek mythology, I could not help but compare what is said about the gods and the goddesses to the revelation of the true God which is found in the Bible.

Towards the end of this last book Percy convinces the gods to take an oath that they will make some changes in the future. Although they take the oath, Hermes explains to Percy, “Oh, we’ll all try to keep our promise. And maybe for a while things will get better. But we gods have never been good at keeping oaths. You were born because of a broken promise, eh? Eventually we’ll become forgetful. We always do.”

The contrast to God is striking. For the Bible is clear that God is a promise making and promise keeping God. Joshua 21:45 says, “Not a word from every good word which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.”

God keeps His promises. He is not coerced into making the promise. He does so of His own initiative. Once He gives His word, that word will come to pass.

It is easy to trust a God like that. Such a God is worthy of worship.

Junk Yard Dogs

2010-11-12T07:26:00.002-05:00

When I was growing up, a friend of our family owned a junk yard. Throughout the junk yard were dogs on chains. As a child we were instructed to leave the dogs alone. They bite. While our parents would visit, my sisters and I would sometimes walk through the junk yard.

To navigate the lane, we had to stay pretty close to the center of the path. The dog tied on the left, for instance, could get to the center or perhaps a little right of center. We would move out of its reach and continue on our walk. The next dog may be tied on the right, it could reach about the center of the path, or a little left of center. We would move in the opposite direction and continue on our walk.

The devil in the church is kind of like those dogs in the junk yard. He is on a chain. But if you get too close, he’ll bite. But if you hear him coming and make adjustments in your walk, you can continue in your service to Jesus without getting knocked to the ground.

Blessings in Black and White

2010-11-05T08:13:00.002-04:00

I have a black and white dog. He enjoys chasing a tennis ball – most of the time bringing it back to me. The other day I was sitting at our picnic table (a generous gift from a friend) throwing the ball for our dog. Our family had just enjoyed a pizza picnic.

After throwing the ball across the yard, I reflected upon how easy it is to overlook such simple blessings. I like my dog. He is a good pet. He watches the kids. He likes me. As he ran after the ball, I was reminded of how relaxing I find this activity. God has been good to me in the good gift of our dog.

Maybe your dog is not black and white. Maybe your pet is a cat or a gila monster. Maybe you don’t have a pet. But God in His goodness has packaged simple blessings all around us. Don’t overlook them. Don’t miss the goodness of God in those simple blessings.

Displaying the Gospel

2010-10-29T08:15:00.002-04:00

The Gospel Coalition seeks to encourage churches to live out the gospel implications in every aspect of their lives, both on the individual level and the corporate level.

In their defining documents, the Gospel Coalition raises the question of "How should we relate to the culture around us? (The contextualization issue)." Part of the answer is by being a counter-culture. This is the idea that the gospel will shape the church into an "alternative human society."

The Gospel Coalation is clear that the purpose of being a counter-culture is for the common good of our neighbors.

I have had the privilege of being a part of the Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition. So I have been reflecting on the ways in which our church has sought to be a counter-culture.

We begin with the commitment to preach the Word and proclaim salvation only in Jesus Christ -- by grace alone through faith alone.

But we also have a number of community contacts. Obviously, after gathering for worship, we scatter for work and play -- and take the gospel with us.

Then throughout the week, there are times of gospel community. Each Monday night this fall we provide a spaghetti dinner to our community -- 12 and under are free, over 12 is a requested donation of $1.

Why do we do this? Because people today are suffering financial hardship and we want to demonstrate to our community that we care. But it is not just about the spaghetti, for each Monday we pause for a 5 to 10 minute time of proclaming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On Wednesday night, the city of Columbus re-opened Indian Mounds Recreation Center -- directly across Parsons Avenue from our facility. Many of our folks were there, mixing and mingling with our community for the sake of the gospel.

Thursday night was Beggar's Night in Columbus. Our church once more set up a table on the back side of our parking lot to hand out 600 hotdogs, a lot of candy, hot chocolate, over 100 Bibles, and 100 sermon cds.

Coming home last night from Beggar's night, my son commented on how many of the trick-or-treaters thanked our church for being part of this community event.

Watching our people work together in these events encourages me as I see them seeking to live the gospel in community.

Musings in the Twilight

2010-10-22T06:06:00.004-04:00

Seldom am I on the cutting edge of popular culture. But when things hang around long enough, I tend to look them over. Recently my wife and I watched the first installment of Twilight.

Growing up on Dracula stories, I found the twist on the vampire lore to be intriguing. The Cullen family has opted to drink animal blood rather than human blood, making them good vampires. From the side of the story, it is ingenious.

But as a believer in Christ Jesus, we cannot simply look at the story. There is a major problem in this twist. Namely, the hero is a monster – a damned soul. Monsters are to be fought, not loved. Monsters are to be feared. We are not to cheer for them and hope that they will succeed in the end. For their success is the thwarting of God-honoring truth. Their success is the victory of darkness over the light.

I find myself in angst as I reflect on this story. I have not read the books. I have only seen one movie. As noted, the twist is dramatically interesting. But the twist ultimately turns right and wrong, good and evil on its head. And for that reason, I fear that these stories are dangerous to our culture, and ultimately to our souls.

The End of a Season

2010-10-19T12:42:00.000-04:00

For the last nine weeks, I have had the pleasure of coaching a U-10 soccer team in the Tri-County Soccer Club. As we began the season, I told the kids and the parents my goal is to have fun and teach the game of soccer. All things being equal, we would rather win than lose, but winning is not our main goal. We want to play the game and play it well.

Of the eight kids on our team, seven of them scored at least one goal during the season – the eighth came close a couple times. Each child got better as a soccer player throughout the season. It was a great privilege to coach these players.

This league ended with a round-robin tournament. The top two teams on a point system played for the championship. The regular season was a mixed bag of wins and losses, with more fun and laughter than wins.

In the providence of God, our team was able to make it to the final to face the team we had never beaten. During the tournament itself, that team beat us badly. On Monday night, in the drizzling rain of mid-40 degree temperatures, our team played their hearts out. At the end of the game, they were the first-place team of the tournament.

I am proud of these children. I offer to them my congratulations.

I learned a little more about myself from serving as their coach. And I thank God that He answered my prayer before each game. For I prayed that our kids would all have fun and no one would get hurt.

The Self-Existent God

2010-10-15T06:19:00.000-04:00

The Last Olympian, the final book in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians, demonstrates the impotence of Greek mythology. In this final book, Kronos, the Titan King who fathered the Olympian gods, has escaped from Tartarus and is seeking to destroy Mount Olympus. But the gods seem to be impotent before the threat of this one whom they previously defeated.

At one point, Mr. D. (Dionysus) tells Percy, “—the other gods would never admit this, but we actually need you mortals to rescue Olympus. You see, we are manifestations of your culture. If you don’t care enough to save Olympus yourselves—“

The God of the Bible, the living God, is so different from these ideas of men. The LORD God of Israel is self-existent. When He appeared to Moses at the burning bush, He revealed His name to be, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14).

God does not need man to rescue Him. On the contrary, God became a man to rescue mankind from the fallen predicament of sin. God could have left us in our sin. But He did not. In Christ Jesus, He became a man and dwelt among us. Then Jesus died on the cross, under the wrath of God in order to save a people for Himself.

Rather than being indebted to mankind, the Bible is clear that mankind is indebted to God.

A Forgetful God

2010-10-08T06:17:00.000-04:00

Recently I read the last of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians books, entitled The Last Olympian. Not that it matters much, but this was my least favorite of the five books. Many of the features of the earlier books was present in this book, but there seemed to be less of a punch to the story.

The premise of the book was that Kronos and the Titan lords had finally gotten enough power to wage an all-out war against the gods.

Early in the book, Percy Jackson makes his first visit to Poseidon’s underwater palace where he finds his father is barely holding out against Oceanus. At one point, Poseidon says to his sons, “I appreciate your faith. We have been at war almost a year now. My powers are taxed. And still he finds new forces to throw at me – sea monsters so ancient I had forgotten about them.”

It is really a sad, pathetic picture of a weary god on the verge of defeat. When I first read that statement, I was struck by the idea of Poseidon forgetting about the ancient sea monsters.

In the Bible, God’s servants pray, “Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor toward Your people; visit me with Your salvation” (Psalm 106:4). This plea for the LORD to remember the psalmist is more of a plea based on the covenant. God’s nature is such that He will not forget the covenant which He swore with our fathers (see Deuteronomy 4:31).

The Bible does not present God as struggling with the first stages of dementia. Rather, the Bible presents God as one who makes covenants, and keeps covenants and who is moved to act on the very basis of those covenants. Thus, the living God is the kind of God that you can trust.

He will not forget about the great dragon, the serpent of old; nor will He forget about you.

The Joy of the Father

2010-10-01T06:36:00.000-04:00

I have the pleasure of coaching a soccer team on which one son and my daughter play. During our first game this season, we were pummeled. The kids and the coach were discouraged. I feared every game would go the same way. But I gave some instruction to my daughter between the first and second game (there was only one day in between games, so I could not work with the rest of the team).

In the first game, my daughter had a number of shots which were all blocked by the goalkeeper. But, on her first opportunity to shoot at the goal in the second game she scored. She had made adjustments to her game based on what we had talked about in between the games. I was ecstatic. She did it!

As I reflect on my joy for her, I am moved to marvel at God’s joy in His obedient children. God meets us in our sin and calls us to Himself. Through the Scriptures, and the Church, the Preaching of the Word, the Ordinances, and prayer, the Holy Spirit teaches us how to live obediently. It must give Him pleasure to see us make adjustments to our lives based on the teachings which we receive through the means that He provides.

Does He go so far as being ecstatic? In the parable Jesus told of the man with two sons, when the disobedient one came home, the father ran to meet him.

Sure Footing . . . Or Not

2010-09-24T06:33:00.000-04:00

The other day I was standing beside the picnic table which sits in front of our church building. Next to the table, there are three large oak trees providing shade. Living in the trees is a number of squirrels. Many days I enjoy watching these animals run up and down the trees, chasing one another, and pausing to nibble on an acorn.

On this particular day, I heard the ruckus of a squirrel running. A moment later, the little critter fell out of the tree. I have watched squirrels run a lot – this was the first one I ever saw fall. He fell, feet towards the sky; he hit the ground, then he got up and ran back to the tree.

Reflecting on that falling squirrel, I am remind of the psalmist who praised the LORD saying, “He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3, 4). Our God watches over His children ensuring that we have a sure footing. We may stub our toes on the temporal things of life. But when we belong to Him, He keeps us for eternity. He will not allow us to fall.

Changing Seasons

2010-09-17T07:09:00.000-04:00

As I sit down to write, fall is beginning to break in upon us. The days are still hot – sometimes into the 90’s. The nights and early mornings are beginning to be cool. Even in these early signs of fall, the faithfulness of God is clear in the changing of the seasons.

The faithfulness of God in the seasons was declared early in the Bible when Moses wrote, “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22, NASB).

As a pastor, the changing seasons outside, remind me of the changing seasons within the church. In the last six months or so, our church has seen four families move out of our area. They are not longer able to worship with us. As the new church year has begun, some of our workers have moved out of areas of ministry; some have moved into new areas of ministry.

These changing times can challenge us as things are done in a new and different way by new and different people.

I think the changing seasons outside are a good reminder of God’s faithfulness inside as well. God builds the church His way. He moves people in, and sometimes He moves people out. We are thankful for the time and the talents of those who have come and gone; we are thankful for the time and the talents of those who still remain. We praise God for His faithfulness in the changing seasons.

Dug Down Deep – an informal review

2010-09-10T06:07:00.000-04:00

Dug Down Deep was written by Joshua Harris; it was published by Multnomah Press.

I was given a copy of this book at the Together For the Gospel Conference in April. Then a friend mentioned some of the youth from his church had read the book. I noticed some of the youth in our church were reading the book.

I personally like Joshua Harris’s writing voice. I think he does a good job of intermixing illustration and propositional statements. Like any work, especially a theological work, he should be read with discernment. For the most part, I would recommend the book as a good, readable introduction to theology.

A couple statements that especially stood out to me . . .

“If I love the Cross only for what it does for me, I will have reduced it to a monument to myself. But the greatest glory of the Cross is what it tells me about God. A God of justice and mercy” (p 48).

A lesson Harris learned from CJ Mahaney : “if you want to feel deeply, you have to think deeply” (86).

“The church isn’t a gas station, I realized. It’s the bus I’m supposed to be traveling on” (203).

“I don’t know any other way to say this: sometimes it seems like a lot of the people who care about orthodoxy are jerks” (218).

The last quote is a reminder to all of us to check our attitudes towards others.

Sitting in Left Field

2010-09-03T07:38:00.000-04:00

Recently a group from our church went to a Columbus Clippers minor league baseball game. This was the second year in a row which we have done such an outing.

Many times I try to think of an overtly gospel message to pull out of such things – especially to write in this blog. This time, however, I can just write about the importance of people from our church hanging out together, getting to know one another.

Was it an exciting game? Sure. The home team won in the bottom of the ninth on a base-hit with the bases loaded. Prior to that, the Clippers hit two home runs, one landing in the bleachers near our group. Hotdogs were a dime each. The weather was comfortable.

But more important than the game was the gathering of the saints in left field. In the gathering were people of all ages from our church. In the gathering were people who had been long time members of the church sitting alongside some of our newest members. It was a great opportunity simply to get to know one another.

A Spot in the Shade

2010-08-27T06:32:00.000-04:00

In the front of our church there are three oak trees which provide significant shade to our parking lot. Because of this shade, it is not unusual to see people of our community stop for a few minutes on a summer day. Police Officers and other individuals who work from their vehicles especially like our shade as they fill out various reports.

Recently a picnic table was added to our shady spot. This allowed three men from our community to meet here one afternoon; two other individuals met here on another day.

Reflecting on this provision of community shade I was reminded of the Psalmist who wrote, “The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand” (121:5). I am happy that our church is able to provide a spot in the shade for our community. However, I want to be more than the church with a shady parking lot. I want to be the church that points our community to the LORD whose shade is greater and more glorious than what is provided by our oak trees.

I want to invite everyone to the shade of the LORD which is found by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Unmediated Presence

2010-08-20T06:45:00.001-04:00

Recently my wife went away on vacation. She was gone for about five days. Thankfully we were able to talk via the telephone. That was a great blessing. But throughout those days I was looking forward to seeing her face to face. I wanted to sit down with her and talk to her in person.

And so, throughout the week, my anticipation grew. Finally, the day came for her to travel home. She called me as her journey began. Throughout that day the anticipation grew and grew as I looked forward to that first glimpse of her face – an anticipation not unlike the day I stood at the altar waiting for the organ to begin playing Wagner’s “The Bridal Chorus.”

In a similar way, the Christian longs for heaven with the anticipation of seeing Christ Jesus our Beloved face to face.

For a season we are happy with the mediated communication with our Lord. We speak with Him as we hear Him in the Bible, and we respond with prayer and praise. We commune with Him in the corporate worship of the church – through the preaching of the Word and the celebration of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

As we mature in grace, the longing and anticipation for heaven grows. We long to see Christ Jesus. We long for that first glimpse of His face. We long to commune in His presence for eternity. We long for the unmediated presence of Christ.

O that will be glory, be glory to me.

A Neighbor’s Plum Tree

2010-08-13T06:11:00.000-04:00

Although I have troubles with fallen, rotting apples, I don’t have troubles with fallen, rotting plums. The reason I don’t have that problem is I don’t have a plum tree – my neighbor does.

It is easy to stand at my fence and look into his yard and lament the number of plums on the ground while puffing my chest and saying to myself, “There are no plums in my yard!” But if the truth be known, I have three fruit trees to his one fruit tree. And so you might say, I have three times as many problems as he has.

Such an approach to fallen fruit is similar to the way we approach sin in our lives. We stand and lament the sin of our friend or neighbor – especially the sins by which we do not feel tempted. Too often we puff out our chests and proclaim, “I am not tempted by that!” What we need to do is look inward and see the sins which do tempt us. Then we need to confess them particularly to our God and Savior.

Near and Far, Old and Young

2010-08-06T06:52:00.001-04:00

Recently a friend and new convert (whom I was blessed to baptize) described the ministries of our church with these words, “Near and Far, Old and Young.” Upon reflection, he is right.

Our church has ministries that focus on our immediate neighborhood – those are near. Recently we conducted an Upward Soccer league to reach out into our community. Monthly we have opened our food pantry and clothes closet. Plans are currently in place for our Sports Camp the week of August 9-13. We are ministering weekly in the retirement/nursing home near our facility. Almost daily we are at the playground across the street from our property showing the love of Christ to our neighborhood.

In addition, we have ministries that focus on the ends of the earth. The last week of July we had a team from our church ministering in Peru with a local congregation. We have personal contacts with missionaries and Christian workers in Paraguay, Benin, Central Asia and East Asia. A regular attendee of our church was recently on mission in Eastern Europe.

As for the old and young . . . The camp and Upward and our playground outreach aim at and focus on the young. Our retirement/nursing home ministry is focused on the old.

For our folks who may be reading this, pray for these many ministries and consider how you may get involved if you are not already. For those who may be reading who are looking for a church that proclaims the gospel and seeks to take that gospel both near and far, consider coming and being a part of Parsons Baptist Church. For those who may be reading from a distance, rejoice with us in the work of the gospel.

A Lesson from An Apple Tree

2010-07-30T07:09:00.000-04:00

Since moving into our house I have been trying to get the grass to grow better under the drip line of our fruit trees. While picking up some of the apples I realized why my yard had so many barren places – the fruit had been rotting on the ground. It became apparent if I was to have a decent yard, the fallen fruit must be moved. But alas, a short time after I had completed that removal project, I looked back and saw the ground littered with a new batch of fallen apples. And so, the process of picking up apples is a continual process this time of the year.

Picking up the apples is kind of like dealing with sin in our lives. To have a decent yard, the fallen apples must be removed. To live a holy, upright, pure life, sin must be removed. Just like the apples, we remove sin, confessing it before God, but before we know it, our lives are littered with a new batch of sin. And so the process of confessing sin is an ongoing process.

Three Wishes

2010-07-23T06:17:00.000-04:00

In the stories about genies in bottles, the genie always comes out and offers three wishes to the one who has freed him from the bottle. Reflecting on those stories, I wonder what my three wishes would be if I were given the option.

I know what I am supposed to say (I am a pastor). But I wonder what I would say. As a young man, two wishes would have quickly come to mind – fame and wealth. I don’t know what that third wish would have been. What about today? The temptation, at least, remains to ask for the same things.

On my best days, I would like to think I would overcome that temptation and put to death those selfish desires. But on my worst days, I would fail miserably.

Interestingly, in 1 Kings, Solomon was presented with a similar opportunity – not by a genie, but by God Himself. The LORD said to him, “Ask what you wish me to give you.”

Solomon wanted an understanding heart so that he could lead the people God had entrusted to him.

What about you? If you were offered the proverbial three wishes, would you be focused on yourself or would you be focused on the glory of God?

Vanity of Vanities

2010-07-16T09:15:00.000-04:00

We recently visited Boldt Castle, on Heart Island in the midst of the St. Lawrence River. Both the island and the castle were intended to be a testimony of George Boldt’s love for his wife Louise.

George was a Prussian immigrant who came to America in the 1860’s. He earned his wealth managing the Waldorf-Astoria in New York and the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia. The finest artists and craftsmen were hired. The best materials were purchased. Then in 1904, tragedy struck. Mrs. Boldt died.

Mr. Boldt telegrammed the island ordering all work to stop; he never returned to the Castle.

Between 1904 and 1977 the Castle deteriorated. Then in 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority assumed ownership of the island and they began to restore the Castle to its splendor and beauty.

This was my second visit to Boldt Castle. It is an absolutely beautiful island. Inside and outside the Castle stirs the imagination. But as I walked along, knowing that Mr. Boldt never returned to the island after his wife’s death, I could not help but think – of that refrain from the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”

There is Only One Savior

2010-07-09T09:20:00.002-04:00

In the wake of LeBron’s decision to leave Cleveland, I am reminded there is only one Savior.

Having grown up outside of Cleveland on the shores of the lake, I remember when the Cavs, Indians, and Browns were awful. We always hoped they would get better, but . . .

As a child I wondered why Cleveland could not get the best players like other teams did – marketing and the size of the crowds really don’t make sense to a child watching his team play and hoping they win too. Then the day came when the best player in a sport actually wore a Cleveland uniform. From a sporting perspective, there was hope.

Of course our problem is that we think a championship will make all things right. We think a man will fulfill our dreams.

There is only one man who is able to bring satisfaction to the greatest longings of our souls – the man Jesus Christ our one mediator between God and men.

Every other man will let us down – either because of his own limitations or perhaps the limitations of his circumstances.

Jesus, the King of kings, will never ever let us down. Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Ho-Hum Service

2010-07-02T06:05:00.000-04:00

In the epilogue of Why We Love the Church, Kevin DeYoung writes, “It’s easy to blast the church for all its failures. It’s harder to live in it day after day, year after year, with all its ho-hum humdrum and slowly, consistently make a difference.”

DeYoung is correct. It is easy to blast the church. Unfortunately, many who blast the church fail to realize part of the reason the church seems so ineffective is because many who make up the church are busy blasting it rather than doing their part to proclaim the gospel and love people.

And he is correct in his idea about living faithfully day after day, year after year, with a body of believers. It is amazing how much we have bought into our culture’s view of busyness. The day-in, day-out stuff easily bores us. Marriages fall apart because we tire of the same old mate. We change jobs because we get tired of the same old mundane task. And we drop out of church and blast it because of the same old songs, same old liturgy, and the same old message.

But what if in the midst of the same old stuff we find that God meets with us and changes us into His image.

Churchless Christianity?

2010-06-25T06:01:00.000-04:00

In Why We Love the Church, Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck make an impassioned cry for the importance of the local church. It is a well-written, practical book dealing with the doctrine of the church (ecclesiology).

At one point, DeYoung writes, “Churchless Christianity makes about as much sense as a Christless church, has just as much biblical warrant” (164). This statement is especially striking for those who are familiar with The Westminster Confession of Faith. In the chapter on the church, those divines said, “The purest Churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error: and some have so degenerated, as to become no Churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan” (25.5).

The Westminster divines taught us that a fellowship of people may claim to be a church, but if the gospel is gone, that is an empty claim. At the point of rejecting or not proclaiming the goodnews about Jesus, it does not matter what the sign out front says (or under what business listing the assembly is found in the yellow pages). If the gospel is not proclaimed, it is not a church.

When that terminology is coupled with DeYoung’s statement, then no matter how loud or often one claims to be a Christian, if that individual is not supportive of a local church, he/she is not a Christian. A person who does not make his/her profession of faith within the community of faith (a local church) is not rightly called a professing believer. In fact, such a person may not be a believer at all.

The Church, our local church, with all of her trials and difficulties, belongs to Christ. And for that reason, we who love Christ also love His church.

Faithless Gods or a Faithful Savior?

2010-06-18T06:59:00.000-04:00

Percy Jackson and the Olympians continues to stir thoughts of thanksgiving and praise to God. As I read through the series, I am reminded of how much greater the living God is in comparison to the puny thoughts of men and women throughout the ages.

For instance, in the fourth book, Hera says, “You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. They start putting their trust in the wrong things, petty things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish.”

Contrast that to the Word of God which declares, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). The “He” spoken of here is none other than Christ Jesus our Lord – the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Jesus remains faithful. He is faithful even in the face of our own faithlessness. It is so reassuring that our God, the living God, never stops looking at the big picture. It is so reassuring that our God, the living God, never begins being selfish.

He reigns. He rules. He is faithful to His purposes. He is faithful to His promises. He is faithful to His covenant. And so, if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him (2 Timothy 2:11).

World Cup Ruminations

2010-06-12T06:34:00.000-04:00

The United States and England face off today in South Africa. As an American fan of the beautiful game I have been looking forward to this event with great anticipation. It is the first time the World Cup has been played on the African continent. With each passing year it seems that our players get better and better.

How will the USA do? I don’t know. I just hope for the best and enjoy the games.

I think it is great that the world can cooperate for such an event. It is wonderful that the nations will be focused on the happenings on the pitch for 90 minutes.

This gathering of the nations makes me think of another gathering which is to come – a gathering that I also am looking forward to. The Bible tells us that Jesus has purchased for God with His blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. We have the privilege of declaring the good news of Jesus Christ to all those tribes, tongues, peoples and nations. And the day is coming when all those men and women will be gathered together, not for a sporting event, but for worship – to worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

You may not be planning on watching the beautiful game. But do you plan on being in attendance at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?

Getting God

2010-06-11T06:53:00.000-04:00

At the end of The Reason for God Timothy Keller writes, “We usually begin the journey toward God thinking, ‘What do I have to do to get this or that from him?’ but eventually we have to begin thinking, ‘What do I have to do to get him?’ (238).

God often uses our felt needs and interests to awaken within us our need for Him. He often uses our desires to show us that we are not sufficient by ourselves. But, if we never move from what we can get from God then ultimately we have not understood the glory of God.

I think Keller is correct, the man or woman of faith passes beyond, what can I get from God, to how can I get God. Getting God is the ultimate fulfillment of the Immanuel promise in the Scripture. Throughout the Bible, God promises to be with His people. As Jesus sends His disciples into the world to make disciples of all nations, He promises to be with us. The picture of heaven, at the end of the Bible, is a picture of a place in the presence of God.

How do I get God? By grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.

A Love for the Church

2010-06-04T06:53:00.000-04:00

I recently started reading Why We Love the Church by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck. The introduction of the book contains a couple of images that press upon us the importance of the church. These two men are concerned about a phenomenon of our time in which people who claim to love Jesus are antagonistic towards the church – or some may be just apathetic towards the church.

Jesus is described in the Scripture as the foundation of our faith. These men suggest that those folks who love Jesus but not the church are like people who dig a basement and try to live in it without the rest of the house. It is really an absurd concept.

Another image is that of the church being the bride of Christ. These men suggest that the folks who love Jesus but not the church are like a so-called friend who is always rolling his eyes at a man’s wife and speaking with hostility about her. No man wants a so-called friend like that. And, so too, one must wonder about the so-called friend of Jesus who does not respect and love Jesus’ bride.

And then there is the image of Jesus being the head of the church; and the church is his body. Again, a person who loves Jesus but not the church is like a man cuddling a disembodied cranium. It is strange sight – some would call it sick.

Dear Friends, the church, with all of her problems (like you and me), is the bride of Christ, body of Christ, and it is built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. And so, let us seek to love the church.

Fervent In Prayer

2010-05-28T07:42:00.001-04:00

At the end of his book, Gospel Worship, Jeremiah Burroughs encourages the reader to be fervent in prayer. Burroughts exhorts, pray again and again and again. Then he says our resolution must be, "Well, let God do with me as He will, I will call upon Him as long as I live. And if God casts me away, He shall cast me away calling upon Him" (296).

Burroughs certainly gives us wise council. We are to be a people crying out to God. Even when our circumstances are dire and the prospect of relief is blurry, we must still call upon Him.

We are obviously at the mercy of our sovereign God. That is a good place to be. Sometimes, He perplexes and confounds us. That is why we need this exhortation -- as long as I live I will call upon God. I may not get what I am asking for, but if I perish it will only be with His name upon my lips.

It reminds me of David after he foolishly numbered Israel and Judah. When the prophet Gad calls him to task, David replies, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man" (2 Samuel 24:14).

How can we develop such confident trust in God? We should use the means of grace God has given to us -- Read the Bible; Prayer; Corporate Worship; Offering of Praise and Thanksgiving.

A God Who Knows All

2010-05-21T06:38:00.000-04:00

Percy Jackson and the Olympians continues stirring my thoughts to see the differences between the gods and goddess of the ancient world and the living God of the Bible. Of course the revelation of God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself was given in the context of such pagan thought. Reflecting upon these differences causes me to praise God for being Who He is.

In The Titan’s Curse, Percy asks Apollo about an oracle which had implications for Percy’s own life. Apollo gives an obtuse response to which Percy replies, “In other words, you don’t know.” Again, the reader is confronted with an important observation. When it comes to Greek mythology, there are some things not known by the divine. The gods and goddess of the Greeks are not omniscient. They are limited in their understanding.

The God of the Bible, the living God, is different. The Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – knows all things. There is nothing hidden from Him. The psalmist declares, “Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You” (Psalm 38:9). Further, our wrongs, our folly, our iniquities, our sin is not hidden from God (Psalm 69:5). God alone knows all about us – our hopes, our dreams, our fears, our joys, our failures, our sin – and He loves us in Christ.

The Christian Pastor

2010-05-14T08:34:00.000-04:00

For many years I have enjoyed reading books about preaching and pastoring. I am currently reading a work by Stephen H. Tyng entitled The Christian Pastor: The Office and Duty of the Gospel Minister. In 1873 Tyng delivered a series of lectures at the School of Theology at Boston University. Those lectures were later published at the request of the students and faculty.
The second lecture was delivered September 30, 1873, on “The Qualifications of the Pastor.” The qualities Tyng enumerates are as follows . . .

1. “A real humanity, with all the consciousness and sympathies of man” (22).

2. “The Christian pastor must be a converted man” (24). It seems so basic, but if he is to point people to Christ, the pastor must know Christ.

3. “The Christian pastor must be a man Called of God” (28). No one is to take this honor to himself. The only way a gospel minister will be effective is if he is called by God.

4. “The Christian pastor must be a man of a sympathizing nature and habit” (31). Tyng observed, “It is impossible to imagine a hard man – a censorious, fault-finding man – a man fretful, easily annoyed – a man taking gloomy views of men and things, of divine providence and guidance – to be an effective, useful pastor” (31, 32).

5. “Besides all these, and through them all, the true Christian Pastor must be a patient man; enduring, in all longsuffering and patience, the ignorance and the infirmities of others” (35). Tyng observers, “Perhaps I have seen parish difficulties arise as often from the impatience of ministers, as from the discontent or the hostility of the people” (35). Then he writes, “An impatient, hasty man can do nothing as a pastor” (36).

6. “To all these most important qualifications, I shall add refined and gentle manners and habits” (38).

Personally, these are challenging points. For the non-pastor, they are a good guide on how to pray for the pastor. And in our church’s current situation, these points can guide us as we search for an associate pastor.

Majority Rules or Sovereign Will

2010-05-07T07:43:00.000-04:00

At the end of The Titan’s Curse, the third book in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, all of the gods of Olympus are gathered together at the Winter Solstice. It is in this scene that we find one of the most discouraging concepts from Greek mythology. Namely, that no god or goddess is sovereign. Each one has his/her own sphere of influence, but none are able to pronounce a decision with any certainty. Any of the gods or goddesses may be thwarted by another god or goddess – or even, perhaps, by a mere mortal.

In this particular scene, the council of the gods must decide what to do with Percy Jackson, who may, in the unfolding of the story, be a threat to their very survival. Some of them want Percy killed; others are willing to wait and see how he behaves. And so, when the majority of the gods and goddess express a willingness to wait and see how Percy behaves, the decision is made on the basis of the democratic majority.

In contrast to the democratic majority, the Bible tells us that our God is sovereign. When He makes a decree, that decree comes to pass. When He makes plans, they unfold with perfect faithfulness. The LORD God of Israel does not put His decisions to the vote.

God sovereignly rules over His creation. He reigns. He rules. He overrules. And so, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

My Heart I offer to you, O Lord, Promptly and Sincerely

2010-05-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

My introduction to Calvin came when a college professor said, “John Calvin makes God a monster!”

In seminary, I was assigned the task of actually reading some of his writings. The very first sentence I read shook me: “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, translator Ford Lewis Battles. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1960, 1:1:1).

The more I read, the more I realized this man’s one aim was to glorify God. He was a God-entranced man. He took his stand on the Word of God – to the best of his understanding – regardless of how unpopular that stand might be.

I don’t agree with Calvin on everything, but I respect him because he has taught me better how to love and honor God, and better how to pastor a church.

Calvin was born in Noyon, France, on July 10, 1509. He is best known for his work in Geneva, Switzerland – where he lived as an exile, having been forced from his homeland because of his Protestant convictions.

Calvin is associated with the doctrines of predestination and election, which he certainly believed.

Many say Calvin’s teachings are contrary to missions and evangelism, but the historical record is contrary to the charge. Calvin was a French refugee pastoring in Switzerland. Calvin equipped men to take the gospel to the nations. Under his ministry, Geneva became a haven for Protestant refugees from all over Europe and his church sent missionaries to Brazil in 1555.

Calvin was a preacher of the Word. He preached from the beginning of a book, straight through to the end.

Calvin was a man of suffering. He married an Anabaptist widow, Idelette. None of the children Calvin fathered survived infancy. After 8 ½ years of marriage, Idelette died. Calvin suffered physically as well as emotionally. He had migraines, arthritis, hemorrhoids, gout, and kidney stones.

What most impresses me is Calvin’s love for Christ Jesus and submission to God. Just weeks before he died, Calvin wrote, “It is enough that I live and die for Christ, who is to all his followers a gain both in life and death” (Letters of John Calvin, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1980, p 246).

Concerning God he wrote, “the pious mind does not dream up from itself any god it pleases, but contemplates the one and only true God. . . . this mind restrains itself from sinning, not out of dread of punishment alone; but, because it loves and reveres God as Father, it worships and adores him as Lord. Even if there were no hell, it would still shudder at offending him alone” (Institutes, 1.2.2).

Concerning the Bible, he wrote, “Now, in order that true religion may shine upon us, we ought to hold that it must take its beginning from heavenly doctrine and that no one can get even the slightest taste of right and sound doctrine unless he be a pupil of Scripture” (Institutes, 1.6.2).

Calvin died on May 27, 1564. He was buried without ceremony in the local cemetery, in an unmarked grave. This was done so that when anyone would ask the location of his grave, it could not be distinguished from the others in the cemetery.

Theodore Beza, Calvin’s friend, colleague, and successor in Geneva, wrote of him, “It has pleased God to show us in the life of a single man of our time how to live and how to die” (Quoted in the “Life of Calvin” in The Tracts and Letters of Calvin, vol. 1, Edinburgh, Banner of Truth, p 30).

Some Seeing or All Seeing?

2010-04-30T06:41:00.000-04:00

As I continue reading through Percy Jackson and the Olympians, I continue reflecting upon the differences between the limited gods of the pagan world and the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present God of the Bible.

In one of the books in the series, Apollo, the sun god, is traveling incognito. He appears to Percy and his travel companions to give them some aid along the way. Of course, he is trying not to give too much aid because they are on a quest and Zeus has forbidden the gods from helping mortals on quests (there is probably additional cause for reflection in that idea).

Percy asks Apollo a specific question to help them accomplish their goal. To which Apollo responds, “I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don’t know that.” Clearly Apollo’s answer is good Greek theology. But for a Christian (or anyone else facing difficulties) it is not soul satisfying.

In contrast to such limited knowledge, consider the proclamation of the psalmist, “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, you know it all. . . . Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:4, 7).

How much better to love and serve and obey an all-seeing, all-knowing, ever-present God! How much better to be lead by such a God! How much better to find salvation in Christ Jesus, through this living God!

Jesus: Beloved by the Father

2010-04-23T06:41:00.001-04:00

In Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the readers are introduced to the stories of Greek mythology. One of the striking features of the stories is the idea that the gods and goddesses do not always claim their children. The stories follow the Greek lore where the gods and goddesses have children with mortals. Those children are known as half-bloods.

When the campers arrive at the special camp, if their immortal parent has not claimed them, they are housed in the cabin belonging to Hermes – the god of thieves and travelers. There is nothing and no one who can make the gods claim their children. Even if they do claim them, they seldom find pleasure in them.

But the living God, the real God, is not like the gods of Greek mythology. For one thing, Jesus is conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary when the Holy Spirit overshadows her. It is not the lurid lust of a god for some mortal.

Further, when Jesus was baptized, the Father spoke from heaven, declaring, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The same declaration is made by the Father on the Mount of Transfiguration – “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5).

God is pleased to claim His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. God is pleased with His Son.

In addition, when we are adopted by God into His family – by grace through faith – God is pleased to claim us as well. He is not ashamed to be our God. He is not embarrassed by us.

Sovereign God or limited deity?

2010-04-16T07:27:00.002-04:00

In the Percy Jackson and Olympians series, the limitations of the gods and the goddess are striking. The books place the Olympian myths into modern America. And so there is the god of war and the god of the sky and the goddess of love and the god of the sea. Each deity has his or her own sphere of influence and control. None of the gods have all of the power. All of the gods and goddess have their own shortcomings.

In the first book in the series, Zeus has his lightning bolt stolen. It is intriguing that a mortal could steal from the divine. It is bothersome to think that the so-called divine would not know who was guilty of the theft.

As I read these stories, I am interested. The story telling is good. I have always had at least a passing interest in Greek mythology, and these stories make those myths accessible.

But I read these stories on another level, as a pastor of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I read of those limitations in the Greek stories, I am thankful that our God is not limited like that. The LORD God of Israel is the God of the sea and dry land. The LORD God of Israel is sovereign over life and over death. The LORD God of Israel appoints whatsoever comes to pass. No one and nothing is able to limit Him.

God knows all things – there is nothing hidden from Him. God is able to do all things – He can do all His holy will.

I am so thankful I do not serve a weak, impotent god who may or may not want to help in my time of need – or who may or may not be able to help in my time of need – or who may or may not know of my time of need.

I serve the living God, the maker of the heavens and the earth. He reigns. He rules. And He always will.