Give what Thou commandest and command what Thou wilt. -Augustine
Addictions. The word conjures visions of the junkie and the agony of longing as she seeks the next fix. Or the alcoholic trapped in the endless cycle of drunken stupor and hungover bitterness of the morning after.
Would it accurate to suggest that we all have been enslaved (in some degree or other) by addiction to some thing or other?
But we are Christians, aren't we, and we know what delivers us from this body of death. This body with its weaknesses, afflictions and tendency to sin.
The world has its 12-Step programs and its positive thinking and its daily affirmation. God, in his mercy, has seen my frailty and proneness to wandering.
He has commanded me to be holy even as he is holy and then graciously provided a Helper. For I know that it is only by the sanctifying power of God the Spirit that I am anything like able to obey. Do you not find it to be so?
We have victory over sin increasingly as we understand and embrace our position in Christ. God has granted the means for obedience to His commands. Even as I struggle (and often fail) to put to death whatever sinful thoughts, words or deeds which hold me in bondage.
But as I rejoice in victory, I am reminded of my responsibility toward those still struggling (1 Corinthians 8:8-13).
My freedom (in those things that are not really sinful) becomes a snare to them.
As we love the brethren, we minister to them in their weakness. Somehow there must be a balance between my freedom in Christ and their as yet incomplete understanding of who they are and whose they are.
It is an awesome thing to see God's deliverance of someone trapped in addiction. It is an inspiring thing to see Christians ministering to such a one, aiding them to overcome, speaking victory and peace into the embattled heart.
I thank God for the freedom He has given me through the sanctifying Spirit. May I never so rejoice that I forget the babe in Christ who so desperately struggles to overcome temptation and sin. May I always be diligent to never offer an occasion for stumbling.
But even more, may I be faithful to remind them of the blessings that are promised to us all.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. -1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
Brothers, pray for us.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
And How Are They to Hear?
...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
-2 Timothy 4:2
It is impressive to sit in Pastor Billy McGarity's study and observe the books lining walls from top to bottom. Many Bible translations, as well as commentaries, collections of sermons, and systematic theologies are contained in these shelves.
Brother Billy would be quick to assert that in no way has he absorbed all the learning contained in these many volumes. What is impressive is the dedication, the devotion to the Word of God.
It is this dedication for which I so love my pastor, though he is also dear to me as a Christian friend and brother. When I read and hear the statements made by ministers in this community, words which so often betray not merely a lack of understanding, but an utter ignorance of Scripture, I am shocked and saddened.
Shocked because it seems such a small thing, a basic thing really, for a Christian person (and how much more so a minister of the Gospel) to desire and seek the deep things of God's Word.
Instead we see a casual, almost flippant attitude toward the Bible: a few key texts pulled out of context and hammered to death, willful (or so it would seem) rejection of the basic doctrines of God's grace, and a blasphemous elevation of fallen man's will above the sovereign rule of the Lord of the universe.
But am saddened even more by the thought of those who sit in darkness, under the shadow of those pulpits where Scripture is so incompletely presented. Saddened by the thought of those lulled into a false sense of comfort and security as their ears are tickled by lies and their bellies filled by that which is not food.
Saddened that they hear the words, "Peace, Peace," where there is no peace, only impending judgment.
Ministers are called to preach faithfully, diligently and carefully. Souls hang in the balance, and while God alone gives the increase, it is through the faithful sowing of the Gospel that he works to draw sinners to Himself and create a bountiful harvest.
I praise the God of heaven for Billy McGarity and pastors like him who present the complete counsel of the Word of God. I have included a link to one of his sermons. I pray you will be blessed by listening to it:
http://graceunioncity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Romans-Chapter-10-verses-14-17.mp3
I pray, as well, that you are hearing such preaching regularly.
-2 Timothy 4:2
It is impressive to sit in Pastor Billy McGarity's study and observe the books lining walls from top to bottom. Many Bible translations, as well as commentaries, collections of sermons, and systematic theologies are contained in these shelves.
Brother Billy would be quick to assert that in no way has he absorbed all the learning contained in these many volumes. What is impressive is the dedication, the devotion to the Word of God.
It is this dedication for which I so love my pastor, though he is also dear to me as a Christian friend and brother. When I read and hear the statements made by ministers in this community, words which so often betray not merely a lack of understanding, but an utter ignorance of Scripture, I am shocked and saddened.
Shocked because it seems such a small thing, a basic thing really, for a Christian person (and how much more so a minister of the Gospel) to desire and seek the deep things of God's Word.
Instead we see a casual, almost flippant attitude toward the Bible: a few key texts pulled out of context and hammered to death, willful (or so it would seem) rejection of the basic doctrines of God's grace, and a blasphemous elevation of fallen man's will above the sovereign rule of the Lord of the universe.
But am saddened even more by the thought of those who sit in darkness, under the shadow of those pulpits where Scripture is so incompletely presented. Saddened by the thought of those lulled into a false sense of comfort and security as their ears are tickled by lies and their bellies filled by that which is not food.
Saddened that they hear the words, "Peace, Peace," where there is no peace, only impending judgment.
Ministers are called to preach faithfully, diligently and carefully. Souls hang in the balance, and while God alone gives the increase, it is through the faithful sowing of the Gospel that he works to draw sinners to Himself and create a bountiful harvest.
I praise the God of heaven for Billy McGarity and pastors like him who present the complete counsel of the Word of God. I have included a link to one of his sermons. I pray you will be blessed by listening to it:
http://graceunioncity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Romans-Chapter-10-verses-14-17.mp3
I pray, as well, that you are hearing such preaching regularly.
Friday, September 5, 2014
The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear
Honi soit qui mal y pense (evil be to him who evil thinks). -anon.
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. -Ecclesiastes 7:21
Projecting. It's what psychologists say we do when we ascribe evil intent to the words or deeds of others. Simply put, we project our own hostile thoughts onto their motives. Sort of an emotional cut-and-paste, you might say.
But you know, sometimes folks are just careless or negligent. No harm intended, but the hurt is real nonetheless.
Twice, recently, I was involved in misunderstandings, one involving careless behavior, the other a missed communication. Both instances led to real (or imagined) slights.
Was I tempted to take offense? You know I was.
Did I indeed become irritated (if not angry)? Sad to say, this was my initial reaction in each case. But the story of the mote and the beam came to mind.
Prayer may be the last refuge of the scoundrel, but it is the only refuge of the sinner. In fact have you ever noticed that if you spend much time in prayer each day, how much of it is taken up in asking forgiveness?
Charles Spurgeon, my favorite dead preacher, once gave this sound advice to his ministerial students:
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/The-Blind-Eye-and-the-Deaf-Ear.pdf
We in the church are fallen people, saved by grace and called to love one another. The best way to do that, as Spurgeon has noted, is to extend the benefit of the doubt, to refuse to take these things to heart.
You know, let it slide.
Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. -Ecclesiastes 7:21
Projecting. It's what psychologists say we do when we ascribe evil intent to the words or deeds of others. Simply put, we project our own hostile thoughts onto their motives. Sort of an emotional cut-and-paste, you might say.
But you know, sometimes folks are just careless or negligent. No harm intended, but the hurt is real nonetheless.
Twice, recently, I was involved in misunderstandings, one involving careless behavior, the other a missed communication. Both instances led to real (or imagined) slights.
Was I tempted to take offense? You know I was.
Did I indeed become irritated (if not angry)? Sad to say, this was my initial reaction in each case. But the story of the mote and the beam came to mind.
Prayer may be the last refuge of the scoundrel, but it is the only refuge of the sinner. In fact have you ever noticed that if you spend much time in prayer each day, how much of it is taken up in asking forgiveness?
Charles Spurgeon, my favorite dead preacher, once gave this sound advice to his ministerial students:
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/The-Blind-Eye-and-the-Deaf-Ear.pdf
We in the church are fallen people, saved by grace and called to love one another. The best way to do that, as Spurgeon has noted, is to extend the benefit of the doubt, to refuse to take these things to heart.
You know, let it slide.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
What Kind of Love?
And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. 2 John 1:6a
"Love is the morning and the evening star..."
Robert Ingersoll's paean to a generic "love" is satirically misquoted throughout Sinclair Lewis' Elmer Gantry. Has a certain ring to it, reckoned revival preacher Gantry and he was banking that his audience had never heard of Ingersoll. You can check out the actual quote here:
evening">http://en.ThinkExist.com/quotes/with/keyword/evening_star/">evening starquotes
Ingersoll was a well-known American agnostic in the late 19th century. Back to that in a moment.
I am thinking of a line from a film I recently watched called Pavilion of Women. The movie is based on Pearl S. Buck's 1946 novel of the same name.
The main character, Madame Wu, is speaking of her twenty-something son's love for a woman who is married to another man. "Can love be a sin?" she asks Andre, an American priest who (unbeknownst to her, or maybe not) holds similar feelings for Madame Wu.
"Love can never be a sin," he replies earnestly.
What do you think?
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. He also said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
So did Buck or Ingersoll have any notion of a truly biblical definition of love?
I'm not writing this to hate on either of these two people, one a professing Christian, the other not.
"God is love (1 John 4:8;16)." You hear that tossed around a lot, don't you? It's been used as the rationale for all sorts of things.
Universalism (everybody goes to heaven). A casual approach to worship. A famous pastor's wife recently said in effect that God loves us so much, he just wants us to be happy ("worship is not about God, it's about YOU!"). It's even used as justification for all kinds of previously forbidden love (including the afore-mentioned adultery).
Well, of course, love is one of God's characteristics. There are others, as well. How about this one?
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:3b).
Here's another: God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day (Psalm 7:11).
God's love, then, is a holy love, a righteous love, a just love. In other words, God (being God) is the standard by which we measure all things. Including love.
I suppose a useful rule of thumb would be that any love that we place before our love of God is indeed a sinful love. An idol, in fact.
Right?
"Love is the morning and the evening star..."
Robert Ingersoll's paean to a generic "love" is satirically misquoted throughout Sinclair Lewis' Elmer Gantry. Has a certain ring to it, reckoned revival preacher Gantry and he was banking that his audience had never heard of Ingersoll. You can check out the actual quote here:
evening">http://en.ThinkExist.com/quotes/with/keyword/evening_star/">evening starquotes
Ingersoll was a well-known American agnostic in the late 19th century. Back to that in a moment.
I am thinking of a line from a film I recently watched called Pavilion of Women. The movie is based on Pearl S. Buck's 1946 novel of the same name.
The main character, Madame Wu, is speaking of her twenty-something son's love for a woman who is married to another man. "Can love be a sin?" she asks Andre, an American priest who (unbeknownst to her, or maybe not) holds similar feelings for Madame Wu.
"Love can never be a sin," he replies earnestly.
What do you think?
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all our being. He also said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."
So did Buck or Ingersoll have any notion of a truly biblical definition of love?
I'm not writing this to hate on either of these two people, one a professing Christian, the other not.
"God is love (1 John 4:8;16)." You hear that tossed around a lot, don't you? It's been used as the rationale for all sorts of things.
Universalism (everybody goes to heaven). A casual approach to worship. A famous pastor's wife recently said in effect that God loves us so much, he just wants us to be happy ("worship is not about God, it's about YOU!"). It's even used as justification for all kinds of previously forbidden love (including the afore-mentioned adultery).
Well, of course, love is one of God's characteristics. There are others, as well. How about this one?
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:3b).
Here's another: God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day (Psalm 7:11).
God's love, then, is a holy love, a righteous love, a just love. In other words, God (being God) is the standard by which we measure all things. Including love.
I suppose a useful rule of thumb would be that any love that we place before our love of God is indeed a sinful love. An idol, in fact.
Right?
Thursday, August 28, 2014
She Said, He Said
...male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27b
Life, as a dear friend of mine often reminds me, is messy. We are fallen people in a fallen world and, even as Christians, are tempted to worship at the idol of ME.
But God is merciful and one of my many blessings is a wife who loves me, tolerates me (which in many instances is the next best thing to love) and constantly looks to my well-being.
Proverbs 31:10-31 lays out the model for the "excellent wife," the woman who "fears the LORD."
I have been blessed to observe women who attain to this ideal. I have noted, as well, that as difficult as this mark is to achieve, it must be nearly impossible (but Matthew 19:26) without the love and diligent support of a dedicated husband.
As I discussed these thoughts with the afore-mentioned friend, he objected, "But that doesn't guarantee it will happen (to reach the Proverbs 31 goal)."
I disagree.
It's a marathon, of course. But God in His wisdom ordained it to be one man and one woman, for life. And in Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul lays out some fairly detailed instructions for wives and husbands. You may notice that the guys' instructions are twice as long as the gals'.
God in His wisdom has given us another indispensable tool (as I read it). A regular re-reading of the Song of Solomon is essential, it seems to me.
To meditate on the depth of love expressed here between the Bride and the Beloved calls us back to the foundation.
It is the love of Christ for his Bride, his elect, his redeemed. This is the mystery Paul invites us to ponder while holding it up as the ideal for husbands.
We all want a Proverbs 31 woman.
That means we're going to have to be Ephesians 5 men.
Life, as a dear friend of mine often reminds me, is messy. We are fallen people in a fallen world and, even as Christians, are tempted to worship at the idol of ME.
But God is merciful and one of my many blessings is a wife who loves me, tolerates me (which in many instances is the next best thing to love) and constantly looks to my well-being.
Proverbs 31:10-31 lays out the model for the "excellent wife," the woman who "fears the LORD."
I have been blessed to observe women who attain to this ideal. I have noted, as well, that as difficult as this mark is to achieve, it must be nearly impossible (but Matthew 19:26) without the love and diligent support of a dedicated husband.
As I discussed these thoughts with the afore-mentioned friend, he objected, "But that doesn't guarantee it will happen (to reach the Proverbs 31 goal)."
I disagree.
It's a marathon, of course. But God in His wisdom ordained it to be one man and one woman, for life. And in Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul lays out some fairly detailed instructions for wives and husbands. You may notice that the guys' instructions are twice as long as the gals'.
God in His wisdom has given us another indispensable tool (as I read it). A regular re-reading of the Song of Solomon is essential, it seems to me.
To meditate on the depth of love expressed here between the Bride and the Beloved calls us back to the foundation.
It is the love of Christ for his Bride, his elect, his redeemed. This is the mystery Paul invites us to ponder while holding it up as the ideal for husbands.
We all want a Proverbs 31 woman.
That means we're going to have to be Ephesians 5 men.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
And Make Disciples
...teaching them to do all things whatsoever I have commanded you. -Matthew 28:20a
Twice in the past week I have been engaged in conversation with one of my church family at GPC and they have made the comment, "Ours is a teaching church."
The deliberate and considered effort at Grace to instruct believers in the faith is the reason why I am rarely tempted to be discouraged by our relatively small numbers.
What does this "teaching church" look like, you may ask.
We have had studies in everything from the biblical view of worship to how to evangelize to church history. We teach our little children simplified versions of the catechism (click here for an idea of what that looks like:
http://www.opc.org/cce/FirstCatechism.html )
Both Sunday School and Sunday evenings are given to learning about the content of the faith. This is important stuff after all, right? How else would we defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15-16) if we were not aware of the biblical foundation for it?
How could we understand our denominational teachings (and some of yours, too) if we had no knowledge of the Church's history: its growth, its persecutions, its struggles against false teaching (which we see beginning with the letters of the Apostles)?
Do not think that this is some bragfest on behalf of our church or denomination. I wish that every Christian church everywhere took such pains to instruct their members in our precious faith; faith in the Only Name wherein salvation must be found.
I am aware that most do not. Does yours?
It may be that having the Bible's promise that Christ's kingdom will grow until it fills the "entire earth (Daniel 2:35b)" makes us forgetful. Forgetful of the fact that God uses "ordinary means (preaching and the sacraments)" and "secondary causes (that's us)" to grow His kingdom. Forgetful to pray that His kingdom come.
Does it make sense that a teaching church will help us to remember?
Twice in the past week I have been engaged in conversation with one of my church family at GPC and they have made the comment, "Ours is a teaching church."
The deliberate and considered effort at Grace to instruct believers in the faith is the reason why I am rarely tempted to be discouraged by our relatively small numbers.
What does this "teaching church" look like, you may ask.
We have had studies in everything from the biblical view of worship to how to evangelize to church history. We teach our little children simplified versions of the catechism (click here for an idea of what that looks like:
http://www.opc.org/cce/FirstCatechism.html )
Both Sunday School and Sunday evenings are given to learning about the content of the faith. This is important stuff after all, right? How else would we defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15-16) if we were not aware of the biblical foundation for it?
How could we understand our denominational teachings (and some of yours, too) if we had no knowledge of the Church's history: its growth, its persecutions, its struggles against false teaching (which we see beginning with the letters of the Apostles)?
Do not think that this is some bragfest on behalf of our church or denomination. I wish that every Christian church everywhere took such pains to instruct their members in our precious faith; faith in the Only Name wherein salvation must be found.
I am aware that most do not. Does yours?
It may be that having the Bible's promise that Christ's kingdom will grow until it fills the "entire earth (Daniel 2:35b)" makes us forgetful. Forgetful of the fact that God uses "ordinary means (preaching and the sacraments)" and "secondary causes (that's us)" to grow His kingdom. Forgetful to pray that His kingdom come.
Does it make sense that a teaching church will help us to remember?
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
The Family of God
My mother and my brethren are these... -Luke 8:21a
Recently I reposted GPC's picture of the baptism of Eleanor Russell. Eleanor is the infant daughter of Justin and Tori Russell and nothing blesses my faith quite like this reminder of our covenant relationship with the God who has sworn by His own Being never to fail in His promises to us.
A high school classmate saw the post and commented, "Welcome to the family of God, Eleanor."
As I witnessed the vows spoken by Tori and Justin (and by we congregants of Grace Pres.), I was reminded once more of this precious family into which we have been adopted.
The nature of our culture is that our earthly families scatter to the four winds and grow apart many times. Indeed I have an aunt, my mother's sister, whom I adored as a youngster. And though she lives less than two hundred miles from here, it saddens me to say that I haven't seen her in nearly a year.
Brothers, sisters, children; we are separated by time and distance and whatever else may arise to come between us.
Prayer is the thing that binds us in spite of the distance between us. I lift them up daily, separately or as a group (daughters, grandchildren, siblings). I pray for their safety, for their health, for their general well-being.
Most of all, I pray for their salvation. Not being part of their day-to-day lives, I depend on God's promises for children of the covenant and His faithful ness to answer our prayers. It may be that in His mercy and wisdom, He will attend to the prayers of this unprofitable servant.
In the meantime, I am so very blessed by the love of my adopted family. Even as I pray for God's mercy for my natural family. That they too might truly become my "mother and brothers," my sisters. my children, "these which hear the word of God, and do it."
Recently I reposted GPC's picture of the baptism of Eleanor Russell. Eleanor is the infant daughter of Justin and Tori Russell and nothing blesses my faith quite like this reminder of our covenant relationship with the God who has sworn by His own Being never to fail in His promises to us.
A high school classmate saw the post and commented, "Welcome to the family of God, Eleanor."
As I witnessed the vows spoken by Tori and Justin (and by we congregants of Grace Pres.), I was reminded once more of this precious family into which we have been adopted.
The nature of our culture is that our earthly families scatter to the four winds and grow apart many times. Indeed I have an aunt, my mother's sister, whom I adored as a youngster. And though she lives less than two hundred miles from here, it saddens me to say that I haven't seen her in nearly a year.
Brothers, sisters, children; we are separated by time and distance and whatever else may arise to come between us.
Prayer is the thing that binds us in spite of the distance between us. I lift them up daily, separately or as a group (daughters, grandchildren, siblings). I pray for their safety, for their health, for their general well-being.
Most of all, I pray for their salvation. Not being part of their day-to-day lives, I depend on God's promises for children of the covenant and His faithful ness to answer our prayers. It may be that in His mercy and wisdom, He will attend to the prayers of this unprofitable servant.
In the meantime, I am so very blessed by the love of my adopted family. Even as I pray for God's mercy for my natural family. That they too might truly become my "mother and brothers," my sisters. my children, "these which hear the word of God, and do it."
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