First Footings for the New Year

A New Year Offering – 2012

2 Chron. 29:31 (ESV)

Then Hezekiah said, "You have now consecrated yourselves to the Lord. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the Lord." And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.

Renewal and recommitment are often the hopes we bring to a New Year. We hope for better days and pray that God will give us strength to do better. The way to get started off on the right foot, of course is in giving due tribute to the One who holds our days and in whom time and eternity his held, our faithful Creator and Redeemer. The Scotch Presbyterians were not much on celebrating Christmas, but big on celebrating the New Year. Today things have changed, and like most of the world, gift-giving happens on Christmas day, or there about. But in years past, giving a neighbor a gift and a blessing on the morning of the New Day, known as Hogmanay in Scotland, was a tradition that is all about getting on the right foot (called first footings) with your neighbors and bringing goodwill among the children of man. In biblical times, renewal was also a time to cross thresholds of goodwill, but for the people of God it meant bringing the right sacrifice to God’s house. In dark days of hypocrisy and idolatry, no matter the sacrifice, worship was not acceptable to God, if given without true devotion. Getting a right footing with God meant sacrifices of the heart.
I’ve been thinking lately about this as it relates to our worship and our new year. I am asking myself what kind of offering will I be bringing to God? Of course, we don’t bring sacrifices to get on right footings with God, because Jesus did that for us. The cross of Jesus is where we start in renewal with a fresh start. Thank offerings are tributes of a heart that knows the gift of that new start. Tomorrow we will break bread, drink wine and hear the Gospel of our Lord on the first day of the New Year. Get on the right foot and join us in worship and in giving God our best and our first.

Beza on the Incarnation part 2

Summary of the accomplishment of our salvation in Jesus Christ

He therefore descended to earth to draw us up to Heaven. (Eph. 2:6). From the moment of His conception until His resurrection, He bore the punishment of our sins in order to unburden us of them (Matt 11:28; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18; Is 53:11). He perfectly fulfilled all righteousness so as to cover our unrighteousness (Rom 5:19; Matt 3:15). He has revealed to us the whole will of God His Father, by His words and by the example of His life, so as to show us the true way of salvation (John 15:15; Acts 1:1-2).
Finally, to crown the satisfaction for our sins which He took upon Himself (Is 53:4-5), He was captured in order to release us, condemned so that we might be acquitted. He suffered infinite reproach in order to place us beyond all shame. He was nailed to the cross for our sins to be nailed there (Col. 2:14). He died bearing the curse which we deserved, so as to appease for ever the wrath of God through the accomplishment of His unique sacrifice (Gal 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb 10:10,14). He was entombed to show the truth of His death, and to vanquish death even in its own house, that is to say even in the grave; He experienced no corruption there, to show that, even while dead, he had conquered death (Acts 2:31). He was raised again victorious so that, all our corruption being dead and buried, we might be renewed in new, spiritual and eternal life (Rom 6; and nearly everywhere in St. Paul). By this means, the first death is no longer to us a punishment for sin and an entrance into the second death, but, on the contrary, is the ending of our corruption and an entrance into life eternal. Lastly, being raised again and then having spoken throughout forty days here below to give evidence of His resurrection (Acts 1:3,9-11), He ascended visibly and really far above all heavens, where He sat down at the right hand of God His Father (John 14:2). Having taken possession for us of His eternal kingdom, He is, for us also, the sole Mediator and Advocate (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 1:3; 9:24), and governs His Church by His Holy Spirit, until the number of the elect of God, His Father, is completed (Matt 28:20, etc).

Vaclav Havel: Postscript on a Life

On hearing of the death of Vaclav Havel, the first democratically elected president of the Czech Republic after the fall of Communism, I offer this postscript. Europe’s most famous dissident and intellectual statesman is not well known in the U.S. While not a Christian or what can be discerned, a believer in a personal God, Havel spoke against the materialism of Marx which had captured the devotion of most European intellectuals. He argued for the transcendent values of morality and public justice. James Sire wrote a Christian appraisal of Havel a few years ago published by InterVarsity Press.
“Vaclav Havel is one of the twentieth century’s most amazing people. In character, life and career he breaks all molds we associate with each of the six main categories into which he so obviously falls. He is dramatist, humorist, intellectual, moralist, politician, statesman. We may well ask, How can this be? Surely never before the combination of these six-two perhaps, three maybe, four unlikely, but six?” (James Sire, Vaclav Havel, IVP, 2001)
And then towards the end of the book after engaging in an appreciative critique of his worldview, which affirms such universals as truth, justice and the need for hope, Sire shows how Havel falls short of perceiving how these essential aspects of our humanity are tied to a transcendent personal God. The man who spent years reflecting on these truths as a political prisoner and cultural critic, found no answer for his quest for freedom from his personal guilt and flaws. It is an example as high as common grace can lift a human soul above the rabble of human corruption it cannot redeem the soul.

Theodore Beza's Reflections on the Incarnation

He therefore descended to earth to draw us up to Heaven. From the moment of His conception until His resurrection, He bore the punishment of our sins in order to unburden us of them. He perfectly fulfilled all righteousness so as to cover our unrighteousness. He has revealed to us the whole will of God His Father, by His words and by the example of His life, so as to show us the true way of salvation.
This is an excerpt from his Confession of the Christian Faith (1558). Beza was John Calvin's successor at Geneva.

We are using these reflections on his Confession for our Advent readings prior to worship each Sunday. It is deep, profound, poetic and highly experiential. And you were told he was a rationalist! Don't believe half you hear...

Will Heaven be Boring?

It is not that all we will do in heaven is worship, but that everything we do will be the untainted praise of God that is full of his majestic glory. Heaven will not be boring like an unending sermon and three hymns, so we can begin the week of living, but the rightful use of our lives and vocations for the honor of Christ in endless joy. It will be the liturgy or literally the great work of God's redeemed gathered around the Lamb. Todd Baucum

by Lord Sacks of England

At the most basic level, the consumer society is sapping our moral strength. It has produced a society obsessed with money: salaries, bonuses, the cost of houses, and expensive luxuries we could live without. When money rules, we remember the price of things and forget the value of things, and that is dangerous.
(from a recent speech at Pontifical Georgian University)

The Value of Books

For the cost of a game of golf, I could buy a good book. Then with that book I could spend several nights in intimate fellowship as I hold it in my hands, touch and smell the pages as I turn each one in delight. It becomes a companion to new insights of knowledge or adventures of the imagination. A good book, one that is bound well, crafted under high standards and authored by a wise pen is like being invited into a circle close friends in a gracious conversation. One can argue with a good book. Much as one would argue and debate a dear friend over issues that matter or truths worth sharpening. Bad literature and sloppy books can be easily closed, discarded or forgotten. But the ones that demand your attention and engage your thoughts toward higher and loftier ideas are like treasures in a barren field. Is the book then a dead object once read? Not at all – they are to be shared with others and passed down to our children. They can find repose on the open shelves of the den or the room of one’s house where people dwell, talk, and laugh. There the book waits and silently beacons the next reader to take down and begin the fellowship again. Books do not live in the sense people do. They are not souls. But books have a way of living longer than people. They span generations. In this they possess great power.

Ministry to the Military (MMI), a PCA related specialized church planting work, is seeking to expand

Ministry to the Military (MMI), a PCA related specialized church planting work, is seeking to expand
Click to read about this special ministry that comes out of our Presbytery and I have the priviledge of working with through our Mission's committee. Doug Hudson is a dear brother working as a pioneer in this work for spreading the Gospel and planting Reformed churches around the globe.

The Gift of Self Forgetfullness

The Gift of Self Forgetfullness
Written by Tullian Tchividjian
Tuesday, 06 December 2011 19:26
“Many pulpits across the land consistently preach the Christian and not the Christ.”

Living as Family - A Sermon

Living as Family
Sermon preached by Pastor Todd D. Baucum, First Presbyterian Church, Enterprise, AL
Nov. 26, 2011
1 Tim. 5:1-12 (ESV)
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, [2] older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.

The great struggle in applying the truths of this passage to church life today is not in understanding the text or its teachings. It is plain in what it says. There is much about how we should apply the principles of family life to the everyday experience of being the Church, the Body of Christ. The words are clear, the exegesis is not difficult. The problem is that we have lost the normative model of family social structures and the values that was representative in Eastern cultures, of which Ephesus was a part.
“Treat older men as fathers, treat older women as mothers and younger women treat as sisters”, implies basic assumptions that were for Timothy and the early church very basic to the culture. We in the postmodern West – just look at any “family” tv show and you see what I mean. Fathers are usually portrayed as imbeciles. We simply do not have the social structure (or much of one) to support us.
The great difficulty we have with this chapter today is that we no longer share these assumptions. Family life, for most of us has broken down. Respect for our elders is a forgotten concept. How can the Church meet this challenge today, and instill in its members a culture of family relationships that will in turn direct our lives?
Perhaps no other issue is so critical for us today. If we don’t grapple with this issue, then we must relegate chapter 5 to our footnotes of our Bibles. We will just scratch our heads and then place this among the texts that just don’t fit our culture.
That for us is not an option. This is God’s Word; it judges us for a reason. It hold up our culture and our times to not just an ideal, but to the standard God demands of us. Church as salt and light in our times has to rethink and to challenge our assumptions. Paul helps us to do this. In the Church, our view of people are radically adjusted.
In the Church the way we protect and provide for the most vulnerable and weak among us is critical.
In the Church, the people the world dismisses as useless are of immense importance.
1. First of all, the Gospel alters the way we look and treat one another.
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, [2] older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.

Elders – that is those who are older – are to be accorded respect - treated as a honored father – a patriarch. This is still an important value in Eastern and African cultures.
Job 12:12 (ESV)
Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.
Men who have the wisdom that comes with age, are to be valued because of the lessons they can give to the young. Now, this does not mean as in some cultures an older man can never be corrected, but that he is to be honored and shown respect.
The movie “Gran Torino” starring Clint Eastwood, a tough, widowed Korean war veteran lives next door to a family of South East Asians. There is a young man from that house is about to be trapped into joining a gang. Eastwood takes him under his wings (he has no father, no role model). He helps him get a job in construction, tells him the value of work. One point they have a conversation in the garage, Eastwood is showing how to repair things – boy looks at all his tools. “I will never be able to afford all these”, he says. Eastwood replied– “I did not buy these all at once – I collected them over 50 years.”
There is a lot of wisdom in that scene. It is about what an older man can give to younger generation. To mentor and teach and share perspectives that takes 50 years to acquire.
This very comprehensive passage - Paul covers every possible relationship that we would encounter. How we treat older women also will tell us a lot about our faith. Proverbs 31 is a picture of a family where a mother gives, nurtures her family and supports her husband, but not as an oppressed servant, to be kept in her place. She is to be honored and highly respected by her husband, her children and the city leaders.
Proverbs 31:27-28 (ESV)
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
[28] Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
Of, course there is also the way men – especially younger men were to treat younger women. In this area, some things never change. It was true that in Ephesus, women were targets for men and they were exploited. A culture that worships women (the ideal women), is the same that will abuse them.
Today we have not progressed or advanced in the way young women are treated. Our culture has lost the honor of true chivalry and respect for maidens. The egalitarian view of modern education is to treat everybody as equals, and this goes for sexes. We have done more than denied God as a culture, we have denied the God created differences of men and women.
Our children are experiencing the disastrous fallout of this social bomb.
The Gospel reshapes our thinking and our attitudes about these realities. It is not about a conservative turn back to the age of our grandparents, but towards the way God intended the way men are to be men and how they then view women and treat them. The Gospel will then be our only way forward in a dark world. Verses 1-4 set the tone for the rest of the chapter. But, the direction goes toward the issue of how we treat widows – what the church considered this important social issue. This chapter is a powerful look at how the NT church dealt with a key social problem of their day. The Lordship of Christ impacted their economics and their family life.
2. The Church and the Family worked together for God’s Kingdom.
(true widows)
[3] Honor widows who are truly widows. [4] But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
Niv – says “put their religion into practice”
[8] But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
One of the key social issues of the early church was the care of widows. Acts 6:1 – some widows were being neglected, so deacons were chosen to care for their needs – take them food. This was a church based welfare program. But, Paul makes is clear that only those who are true widows, who do not have family to care for them, are the ones who are to be cared for by the church.
See how the church and family work together? They are not competing against other, nor does one supplant the other or make it obsolete. The church is to support family life and families are to be under the guidance and oversight of the church. Families are reminded of their responsibilities to care for their household. Caring for parents and grandparents is a mark of true faith. This is a central theme in this letter – True faith connects to right living – Biblical orthodoxy is shown in godliness. If one fails to take care of his family he is faith denier. He is worst than pagan.
We are also called to pay back the life we were given. Grace is always connected to gratitude.
Verse 16 states the same rationale and God given duty for our families.
. [16] If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are really widows.
James 1:27 (ESV)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
3. The Forgotten ministry of Widows.
[5] She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, [6] but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. [7] Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. [9] Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, [10] and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.
In the Church, widows were not just to be recipients of care – but honored as important part of the ministry of Christ’s kingdom. First, they were to be given to a ministry of prayer intercession.
Like Anna – who prayed day and night in the temple, waiting for the coming of Christ, they are to be prayer warriors, engaged in a crucial ministry of intercessory prayer in the church. She was also to be like Dorcas, who took care of other women in the community through her service.
Acts 9:36 (ESV)
Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.
There is a strong hint that this was a formal kind of ministry. Now, I don’t believe the Bible supports the notion of deaconess as an office. But, it is clear that there is a formality of some list – a register not just who gets meals on wheels, but of 60’s something women, who had to meet qualifications, of faithful service, hospitality and humility. In other words, they were women who had something to contribute to the church. (While I don’t endorse RC view of order of nuns and monks- we need to recapture this model of prayer and service.)
Whatever that looked like in the early church, there is a critical need for these spiritual grandmothers who through their godly prayers and holy service, teach our children, instruct our younger women and provide Titus 2 ministry of helping this present age see some wisdom: I pray for it and yearn to see it. Our daughters need it and our generation cries out for it.
Titus 2:3-5 (ESV)
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, [4] and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, [5] to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
Imagine what would happen if in our homes and in our church we saw the Gospel making a difference in the way we viewed each other and in how we treated one another. It would be a glorious reality that would transform our society. This high standard of God’s Word is meant to confront our brokenness and it is a call for us to repent. Let’s repent and trust in God’s grace to do something glorious in our lives.

The Life of God in the Soul of Man - Part 7 (paraphrase)

Christ’s Patience in Bearing It
Jesus endured the most severe sufferings and misery than anyone ever experienced, without complaint, not because he was stoic about pain and suffering, for he fully apprehended the depths of human pain, “through sweat of blood and sorrow of heart,” he submitted to the dark providence of God. He prayed to God, “that if it were possible” or as the Gospel records, “if he were willing…the cup might be removed”, but added, “nevertheless not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42). It is with unusual importance that Jesus first expressed the anguish of his spirit, “Now is my soul troubled”, and then say, “and what shall I say?”; all with a plea, “Father, save me from this hour,” which once said, seems on second thought to recall his mission, “but for this cause I came to the world,” and concludes with “Father, glorify your Name” (John 12:27). Now we cannot credit this as some flaw in Jesus for he knew he was to suffer and faced it squarely; but it shows us the unthinkable weight and burden of this suffering, that he could not think of it without recoiling. Yet, the will of God and his glory alone overruled his avoidance to this cruel suffering.

Jesus’ Constant Devotion
Another example of Jesus’ love for God was in his delight in talking with him in prayer, through his many retreats where he spent whole nights in heavenly communion without any sins to confess and few earthly concerns, which are the things that tend to occupy our focus in prayer. We can say, in a sense, that the life of Jesus was a prayer to God, even when there was no “sacrifice”, the fire of the altar still burned. Jesus never struggled with boredom or distractions which we wrestle with before we get to real prayer.

His Love for Others
Secondly, I should mention his love for all people; but to express it fully, one must look at the Gospels. For there is hardly anything recorded or spoken by Jesus that was not designed for the good of others. All his miracles and wonders were instances of his goodness benefiting those in need and awe for those who saw it. His love was not just confined to family and friends, nor just reserved for the one disciple whom he loved, but all who obeyed his commands were counted as friends, and those who “did the will of his Father, were his true brother, sister and mother”(John 15:14).
Jesus never turned away those who came to him in sincerity, but helped all those in true need. Those who met Jesus left him joyful except for the rich young ruler who went away sad and sorrowful at hearing the cost of following Christ was so high that he could not keep his wealth and gain his soul. This gave Jesus a heavy heart indeed because it appeared that the young man really wanted to follow him and the Scripture says that “Jesus loved him” (Mark 10:21), but even he could not make an exception for this man who loved his possessions more than he loved Christ (Mark 10).
Consider his meekness and humility. What ugly ingratitude and hardness of heart did the one who betray him show and yet Jesus said to him, “Judas, will you betray me with a kiss (Luke 22:48)? What further evidence do we need to see of his great love, they he would lay down his life for those who hated him? His prayer was mingled with his own blood as he asked the Father not to lay a charge against them, but through his death he would bring them eternal life (Luke 23:34).

Questions to Ponder:
1. How do you deal with trials? Do you complain or yield to God’s will?
2. What is your struggle in prayer?
3. Do you show love to other people or just people you naturally like?
4. Are things, money and pleasure controlling your affections more than your love for Christ?

Sounds From Heaven: The Revival on the Isle of Lewis, 1949-1952. By Colin & Mary Peckham

The last great spiritual awakening in our times was not in Toronto or Pensacola (although these locations experienced a lot of fanfare), but on a little known island off the west coast of Scotland. This book brought to us by our friends at Christian Focus and written by eye witnesses of the revival is indeed a marvelous gift to spiritually hungering people who long to see biblical, Christ-exalting, life altering, and community changing revival. This book retells the period of spiritual awakening around the ministry of the Presbyterian minister, Duncan Campbell, yet predating him and certainly overriding him in that it was a work of a Sovereign God and not any single person.

The standards by which genuine revival must pass the muster such as the long lasting spiritual and moral impact, clearly confirm the authenticity of this movement of God. I agree with William Mackenzie the managing editor of Christian Focus: ‘This book describes things that are not part of my experience.” But, may God see fit to visit our churches in such a way to bring genuine repentance and conversion that would transform a whole community. I long to see such a reality.

Lesslie Newbigin: Missionary Theologian by Paul Weston

A minister from the Church of Scotland and promising student of theology answered God’s call to be a missionary to India back in the early part of the 20th Century. His name was Newbigin, and he was so loved by the Christian believers in South India, when the new Church of South India was formed they elected him as their first bishop. Returning back to his homeland of Britain in the last part of the century, Newbigin was struck by the unbelief that had enveloped a once “Christian nation.” Having been used to the theological terrain of pluralism of a Hindu nation, Newbigin began a ministry of theological reflection on the need to bring the gospel back to the Western world. This sentiment has created a new and almost vogue way to look at missions. I have been very appreciative of the kinds of issues Newbigin addresses and especially his treatment of the liberalism of the church that promotes relativism which undercuts the very power of the Gospel that is fundamentally about truth and is not culturally derived. Newbigin clearly articulated the call that the Gospel is public truth. I caution any reader to beware of the way that Newbigin is being quoted and used today. Newbigin is hard to put in a box, because he was not a systematic theologian. He was first and foremost a missionary and a pastor. He placed his prophetic ministry in the context of the mainline church and the broader church of the ecumenical movement. While critical of the movement, he was also a part of it and he should be read in light of his context. His books "Foolishness to the Greeks", "Public Truth", and "The Gospel in a Pluralistic World" are among the best of theological apologetics aimed at our age.

Pray for Rev. David Robertson

David Robertson is the pastor of St. Peter's Free Church of Scotland in Dundee, where McCheyne was pastor (famous for his praying and fervent preaching), who is in critical condition in a hospital. David has been used by God to bring revitalization and Gospel renewal to Scotland through Biblical preaching and cultural relevant apologetics. He has stood against the prevailing relativism and atheism of the UK and is in my mind one of the premier apologist for the Reformed faith. God always does what is best for his glory, but may the prayers of his people bring healing and grace to David and his family.

With Reverance and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship by D.G. Hart and John R. Muether.

Here is another contribution to the ongoing debate about worship that weighs in on the side of traditional Reformed worship. This book struggles with the issue of following the principle of regulative worship in the contemporary world. The authors are pastors in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and admit their clear bias toward worship that is traditional and simple – guided by scriptural warrants alone. With some of their arguments I find myself in agreement, but I don’t always agree with them on all points. This book is good correction to the sloppy theological reflection on what we do in worship among evangelical churches. Sadly, most of the contemporary style churches and their pastors would probably not even read it. After attending several PCA general assemblies and seeing the diverse opinions about worship styles and worship theology, I wish there was more theological discourse between the various groups. Practically speaking we need to strike a balance in music and liturgy styles, but we need to reaffirm the basics of our Reformed heritage concerning worship. It is part of our forgotten heritage that makes us distinctive and most of our pastors are being pressured to go the way of Willow Creek rather than draw from the rich stream of Reformed thinking about grandeur of worshipping a holy and awesome God.

Whatever Happened to the Reformation? Edited by Gary L. Johnson and R. Fowler White.

We live in an age when many of our evangelical theologians are trading sides. It is common to see good scholars trained in confessional orthodoxy come to question some of the basic doctrines of biblical evangelicalism. This book came out a few years ago addressing the growing trend to rethink traditional notions of God’s foreknowledge and omnipotence or what God foresees and controls in the future. Several respectable theologians in the Reformed ranks contribute essays on the critical problems of the “openness of God” views currently circulating. Part of the larger picture of this trend is the quest to “rescue Christianity” from the clutches of philosophical rationalism. These new theologians are moving away from classical Reformed doctrines, so that what is at stake in our churches is not so much a move away from the Reformation, but from Biblical faith itself. The forward by David Wells is worth the price of the book.

What He Must Be..if he wants to marry my daughter

As far as I know we are not related, but this is a brother in Christ (pastor, father,and author, Voddie Baucham, Jr.) who nails it right on the head and speaks with wisdom, depth and Gospel soaked grace on key issues of raising daughters and guiding young men to become the catylist for a true change for future generations in our families. I read this and just want to shout, buy more copies and send them to every Dad I know.

Here's a snipet:

"My hope for this book is that those who read it will experience God's grace in new and marvelous ways. I believe we can bring about a change in the way we view manhood, womanhood, and marriage. I believe we can plant seeds inn the lives of our children that will grow and bear much fruit in generations to come. I also believe that if we don't, we will continue down the current destructive path, and the results will be catastrophic....It goes without saying that marriage is the key to multigenerational legacy. God, in his sovereignty, created man to live, thrive, and multiply in the context of the covenant of marriage." (page 25)

"This book is built on a single, simple premise: I believe fathers have a God-given responsibility to see to it that thier daughters marry well and that thier sons become worthy husbands. As such, I believe it is necessary for fathers to model biblical manhood, teach biblical manhood, and hunt for biblical manhood on on behalf of their daughters..." (pg. 27)

The Life of God in the Soul of God (part 6) paraphrase

True Spirituality Shown by Actions Not Words
Once we say all that can be said, the secret mysteries of this new and spiritual life can’t be fully expressed in words; our language cannot convey it, nor can it be understood except by those who possess its flame and are awakened with the taste and hunger for this spiritual truth: “But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand” Job 32:8 (ESV). The power and life of true spirituality is better expressed in our actions than in mere words, because actions flow from life and so reflect this inner reality from where it proceeds. So, the best way to measure those good qualities is in the essence of the one they live in, and this is best illustrated in the holy life of our blessed Savior, who while in this world showed by example the very things he taught, so that his words were a perfect match with his life. If there was ever pure goodness made visible to mortal eyes, it was when in unmatched beauty Jesus walked on this earth.
True Love Exemplified in our Savior
The sincere and devote affection that Jesus burned with towards his heavenly Father was expressed in his absolute surrender to do His will. This was His food and drink, to do the will of His Father and to accomplish all he was sent to do (John 4:34).
Christ’s Diligence in Doing God’s Will
It was through his childhood and onto maturity that Jesus fully pursued doing his Father’s business and performed it with full satisfaction and contentment, so that even when his body was tired and thirsty, and took rest at Jacob’s well; the needs of the Samaritan woman and the cause of the Kingdom of God so filled him with delight that it seemed to refresh his body and soul as to forget his own thirst and the food for which the disciples had been charged to buy. It was not simply a duty to submit to God, but a faithful delight.

A Pastor's Duty by Johathan Edwards

(An excerpt from a sermon preached at a young minister’s ordination which contains this clear reminder of what is at stake in proclaiming God’s Word. Orginally called, "The True Excellencies of a Gospel Minister".)

Thing proposed in the handling of this subject, viz. to show what is implied in a minister’s being a shining light.
There are three things that seem to be naturally signified by it.
First, that he be pure, clear, and full in his doctrine. A minister is set to be a light to men’s souls, by teaching, or doctrine. And if he be a shining light in this respect, the light of his doctrine must be bright and full. It must be pure without mixtures of darkness. And therefore he must be sound in the faith, not one that is of a reprobate mind. In doctrine he must show uncorruptness; otherwise his light will be darkness. He must not lead his people into errors, but teach them the truth only, guiding their feet into the way of peace, and leading them in the right ways of the Lord.
He must be one that is able to teach; not one that is raw, ignorant, or unlearned, and but little versed in the things that he is to teach others; not a novice, or one that is unskillful in the word of righteousness. He must be one that is well studied in divinity, well acquainted with the written Word of God, mighty in the Scriptures, and able to instruct and convince gainsayers.
And in order to be a shining light, he must be one that really knows what religion is; one that is truly acquainted with that Savior and way of salvation, that he is to teach to others, that he may speak the things that he knows, and testify the things that he has seen, and not be a blind leader of the blind. He must be one that is acquainted with experimental religion, and not ignorant of the inward operations of the Spirit of God, nor of Satan’ s devices; able to guide souls under their particular difficulties. Thus he must be a scribe well instructed in things that pertain to the kingdom of God; one that brings forth out of his treasures things new and old.
And in order to his being a shining light, his doctrine must be full. He must not only be able to teach, but apt to teach, ready to instruct the ignorant, and them that are out of the way, and diligent in teaching in public and private; and careful and faithful to declare the whole counsel of God, and not keep back anything that may be profitable to his hearers.
Also his being a shining light implies that his instructions are clear and plain, accommodated to the capacity of his hearers, and tending to convey light to their understandings.
Second, another thing requisite in order to a minister’s being a shining light, is that he be discreet in all his administrations. The fervent zeal that thus should animate and actuate him in his administrations should be regulated by discretion. He should not only be knowing, and able to communicate knowledge and formed to do it; but also wise, and know how to conduct himself in the house of God, as a wise builder, and a wise steward. And as he is one that God hath sent forth to labor in his field, and committed the care of his vineyard to, so he should conduct himself there as one whom his God doth instruct to discretion. He should not only be as harmless as a dove, but as wise as a serpent; showing himself a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth; and one that knows how to govern the church of God, and to walk in wisdom towards those that are without.
Third, another thing implied in a minister’s being a shining light is that he shines in his conversation. If he shines never so much in his doctrine and administrations in the house of God, yet if there be not an answerable brightness in his conversation, it will have a tendency to render all ineffectual. Christ, in Mat. 5:14, 15, 16, says to his disciples (having undoubtedly a special respect to those of them that were to be sent forth to preach the gospel), “Ye are the light of the world: Men do not light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” And how does Christ direct them to give light to others? “Let your light,” says he, “so shine before men, that others, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven,” And he tells the same disciples again, John 15:8, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit.” And how should they bring forth fruit? Christ tells them, verse 10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love,” and verse 14, “Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.”
God sent his Son into the world to be the light of the world these two ways, viz. by revealing his mind and will to the world, and also by setting the world a perfect example. So ministers are set to be lights, not only as teachers, but as ensamples to the flock, 1 Peter 5:3.
The same things that ministers recommend to their hearers in their doctrine, they should also show them an example of in their practice. Thus the apostle says to Timothy, 1 Tim. 4:11, “These things command and teach,” and then adds in the next verse, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” So he directs Titus, in his teaching, to recommend sobriety, gravity, temperance, patience, and other virtues, in the beginning of the second chapter of Titus. But then adds in the 7th verse, “In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works.”
We see in natural bodies, that when heat is raised in them to a high degree, at length they begin to shine. And, as I observed before, a principle of true grace in the soul is like an inward heat, a holy ardor of a heavenly fire enkindled in the soul. This in ministers of the gospel ought to be to that degree, as to shine forth brightly in all their conversation. And there should as it were be a light about them wherever they go, exhibiting to all that behold them, the amiable, delightful image of the beauty and brightness of their glorious Master.

The Life of God in the Soul of Man - part 5 paraphrase

(my ongoing contemporary rendering of this spiritual classic by Henry Scougal)

The Basis of True Spirituality (What is Authentic Faith?)

Now let us return to the discussion of that Divine reality I was explaining before, that “life which is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3), and is not highly regarded by the world, and to the natural person appears useless and empty. For the natural person is self-centered and controlled by a love for self and the truly spiritual person has an other-centered love without prejudice and the ability to overcome sinful habits and the deception of false piety.
The root of this true spirituality is faith; with its main branches of love to God, love to others, purity and humility. As one noteworthy person has observed that while these things may sound ordinary, they carry a reality that no man or angel can utter with greater weight or excellence. Faith in a general sense is a conviction that certain things are true, but in our sinful state it has the unique role of showing us the mercy of God in reconciling sinners to Himself through a Mediator and therefore has its substance in this object, which is called “faith in Jesus Christ” (Rom. 3:23; Gal.2:16).
The Love of God will give us delight and affection for God’s law and make us yield and sacrifice our all to Him, desiring nothing but to please Him and delighting in nothing but to enjoy fellowship and communion with Him, and being ready to do or endure anything for His sake and for His pleasure. Though this affection first comes from the favor and mercy of God for us, it grows until it is rooted in God’s infinite goodness, which is seen in everything He has done in all His works.
A person who has the love of God in them will also love all people with a sincere and unbounded affection because they know God and being made by Him, have His image stamped on them. (1 John 3:17;1 John 4:20). This is the second branch of love, which is rooted in this perfected reality and all our obligations to others are part and parcel of this truth. For the one who truly loves others will be concerned for their welfare and far from hurting or injuring them, will hate any evil that falls on them, as though it had happened to himself.

Purity

By purity, I mean a certain control or mastery over the flesh and those sinful appetites and the new attitude toward those impulses that would lessen and dampen our white hot love for God; coupled with an iron determination to endure any hardship for God with self-control and moderation in our bodily needs. This comes with humility, which is just acknowledging our lowly state and need. It is a heartfelt understanding that all we have comes from God’s provision, displayed through a sincere submission to God’s will and being dead to the glory of the world and the applause of men.
This is the height that men and angels can rise to if the foundation of heaven is laid in the soul. The one who possesses this reality will not desire to pry into the hidden truths of God’s decrees or search the volumes of heaven to inquire about his eternal condition, but will need only to look into his own heart to discover written what God thinks about him. His love for God will be the assurance of God’s favor and the source of these new desires to know God and to obey His will are sure pledges or signposts that this faith will be perfected and made whole in eternity. It is not without reason one has said, “I had rather see the impression of a godly nature impressed upon my soul than to have a heavenly vision or angel tell me that my name was written in the book of life (Rev. 20:12).

Male call

Male call

The Life of God in the Soul of Man (part 4) my paraphrase

What is the Natural Life?

Before I go further into the issue about this Divine reality where true spirituality is found, it may be helpful now to speak a little about this natural life that is common to all. These are our natural inclinations or bents that draw us toward those things that please our natural dispositions. The root of all this is our natural self love which grows like a tree spreading its branches seeking growth as a natural process. The root and foundation of this natural life works apart from faith and can distort a right perception of life and understandings of our experiences. Of course the natural life by itself, as a part of creation is not bad, but neutral and can reflect in part the wisdom of its Creator. God gives us desires to preserve and keep our lives. These are just natural instincts and bents that are a part of our makeup. However, we were made for a higher purpose and are to be guided by nobler laws, and so stand guilty when we are merely guided by these natural bents and neglect our higher purpose designed by God. Now our natural temperaments and bents are not totally obliterated but rather controlled and overruled by a superior and more excellent reality. In a word, the difference between a spiritual person and a wicked one, is that in the former, the true Divine life is in control of their desires and in the latter, the natural life prevails.

The Different Tendencies of the Natural Life

It is, however, a strange thing to observe how one who is guided only by a natural life can in certain circumstances be led into a very dangerous mistake in thinking well of themselves because of a difference they see in themselves from others, while the outward action maybe different they both flow from the same source. Just consider how some people are in their natural state and makeup. Some people are fun loving, free spirited souls, which reflects in their sometimes over-the-top behavior, where others are more reserved and serious and therefore show more restraint and sensibilities in their lives, which people will certainly applaud.
Some people are of a rough and critical temperament, and are never happy with themselves or pleased with others; but all are not born with such sour dispositions, for some people have a natural sweetness and congeniality rooted in their makeup that they find it easy to be with other people, make friends easily, and enjoy the affections of others in all things. It is, in a sense, good that some people have this natural gift of tenderness in a world often marked by cruelty and meanness. We need them to provide a buffer and encourage others to be concerned about people.
Now, once again consider the issue of training and behavioral influences; some people have never been taught how to control their vices and base desires and live only for the momentary pleasure. Others, however have been taught from early years to live by rules of decency, honor and restraint, and would then find it hard to do something which goes against the grain of their education.
In the final analysis, there is not a lot of difference in the natural life (with the strength or weakness of judgment) between lust and the ability to restrain oneself, injustice and oppression, virtue and all the wickedness of the world, because both flow out of a love for self, when the natural life is not subdued by a true spirituality. If a person by using natural reason and judgment has contempt for gross evils, can sprout various types of virtue and morality. With good reason, a person can even see that certain sins do him harm, cost him cause injure, then it will be his love for self, that will restrain him and compel him to be moral and treat others morally as a way to sustain him in the world.
Moreover, this natural light of reason can to rise to higher lofts and appear pious and seem spiritual. Some people may be drawn to study things of God, the Scriptures and enjoy the whole exercise of seeking answers to their speculations. They can even find their formed opinions on such matters to be important and promote them to others with great zeal, so as to win converts to their beliefs. They may delight in the study of God because it requires a discipline of judgment and a sharp mind, as rigorous intellectual exercise. Just consider for example, how all the glorious things of heaven can make a carnal heart fall in love with it. All the rich metaphors and pictures used in the Scriptures of crowns, scepters, rivers of delight, etc., can easily draw a person’s imagination to want to be in heaven without ever having a desire for the spiritual realities of which the metaphors describe. These people can even be told that Christ has purchased these wonderful things for them and feel tenderness and affection for such a great benefactor that they maybe infatuated with Jesus, but all the while be a total stranger to who He really is. Is there not a glut of so called spiritual books and devotions written by people who can write with great eloquence about God without really knowing Him?
To conclude, there is nothing a person, with the aid of reason and sound judgment, can emulate and progress in their virtuous life, and while not a bad thing must be understood as a natural reality and one must never be satisfied with it or confuse true spirituality with this natural desire and exterior morality.

Questions:
1. Do you know unbelievers who are moral and ethical? It is good that people seek to be ethical, but can a person really be good without God?
2. Is it easy to measure our love for God by the things we do?
3. How can we confuse moralism with true spirituality?
4. Do people want Jesus for what He gives, or for who He is? How is self-love involved?

A Prayer for the City Council

This is what I prayed at last night's City Council meeting in Enterprise, AL.

O Lord God and our Heavenly Father,
You rule over all your creation and your dominion is from everlasting to everlasting. We thank you for the grace you give all our city leaders as they seek to preserve truth, justice and common decency in our lives and community. In you, O God, we must find what we cannot do ourselves. In your truth, we see truth, in your wisdom we gain judgment, in your mercy, we find compassion.
Grant wisdom and understanding to this council tonight, and to Major Boswell in their responsibilities to serve Enterprise. Move in the hearts of our citizens to respect their guidance and our laws. Give our police and law enforcement strength and comfort that they serve you in protecting and serving us.
May the decline of our culture and social fabric seen in so many places, not take hold of us. Preserve us and keep us for the sake of future generations.
Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV)
For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
To you be all glory and thanksgiving, in Jesus Name. Amen.

Psalm Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueli5ZV4CQo&feature=player_embedded#t=0s

A Reformation Day Prayer

Heavenly Father, we praise you for the revelation of your free grace through Christ alone, proclaimed through Holy Scriptures as the only source of saving truth, and apprehended by faith which is Your gift to us, so that all your people gathered into one holy, apostolic Church may proclaim your glory to the nations of the world and hasten the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Redeemer. Amen. A Reformation Day Prayer by Todd Baucum

The Ministry of Serving - Sunday's Sermon October 16, 2011

Double click the title above to hear the sermon. Make sure you wait for it to download from Dropbox, the internet storage I use for my sermons. I get a little emotional at the end of the sermon, which is not normal for me. But when I think about the man(Tom Tolliver) who models this kind of servant heart for people and who made a difference in my life, I can't help but get choked up.

Sermon on Psalm 11 - Two Perceptions of Life

Double click the title above to hear the audio of my sermon preached at First Presbyterian Church Enterprise on Sunday, October 2, 2011.

Part 3 - The Life of God in the Soul of Man (paraphrase)

Its Permanency and Stability
I choose to call it a reality, first, because it’s permanency and stability. True spirituality is not a flash in the pan, or stroke of inspiration, even though it brings us to unknown heights and transports a man to extraordinary living.
There are those who are convicted about the condition of their souls, push themselves into a great zeal, but then fizzle out; they were on fire, but then they cool off; they sprouted up quickly, and quickly wither away, because there was no real root (Matt. 13:21). This maybe compared to the quick movements of the nervous system of an insect with its head cut off, which no matter how much it moves, will not be for long; but the motions of holy souls are constant and regular, proceeding from a permanent and living reality.
It is true that this Divine reality does not always reflect the same strength and vigor, and many times suffers low points and weakness in temptations, and at times less power in obedience living; but it is never fully extinguished nor are we ever left to our own defenses against the carnal impulses which rule over the rest of the world.

Its Freedom and unconstrainedness

Again, true spirituality can be referred to as reality, because it is an inward, free and self-moving principle; and those who advance in it, are not merely outwardly motivated, driven by threats, or bribed with promises, nor curbed by laws; but are empowered to do which is good and delight in doing it.
The love which a godly man brings to God and goodness, is not so much out of obligation to laws, as by a new nature that teaches and prompts him to do it; nor does he perform his devotions out of duty just to appease the justice of God, or quell his guilty conscience. True spiritual exercises are the proper outflow of the Divine reality, the natural expressions of the new born life. He prays, and gives thanks, and repents, not only because they are commanded, but rather because he knows his needs, and the goodness of God, and the folly and misery of a sinful life. His love is not forced, nor his charity plied from him, for his love makes him willing to give. Though there are no outward compulsion, his “heart would devise liberal things”; injustice or abuse, and all other vices, run cross-grained against his nature, as rudeness to the most sensitive spirit, and nakedness to the most modest of men: so I can say with St. John, ‘Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin: for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God’ (1 John 3:9). Though godly and spiritual people know the law of God, and regard it highly, it is not out of the law, but is reason, purity, and goodness, which wins their hearts. They see that obedience is a delight in itself; the reward is doing it, because the Divine love which enables them to act has become a law unto itself.

Quis legem det amantibus? Major est amor lex ipse sibi.
(Who shall prescribe a law to those who love? Love’s a more powerful law which motivates).

In a word, what our blessed Savior said of himself, is in some degree applicable to his followers, ‘my food and drink is to do my Father’s will’ (John 4:34). As the natural appetite is towards food, even though we don’t always think about it as necessary for life, so it is with the spiritual life moved by a natural and free flowing appetite for that which is good and commendable. It is true that at times we need those external motivations to jump start and stir up this inward reality; especially in our early growth and in weak days, where we don’t discern much life and we can hardly put one step forward, but then aided by our hopes, or fears, some trial; or the relief of mercy, or the threat of the law or the eyes of others. Now if such a person who is seeking true obedience has an inward sense of their dull heart and greatly desires to obey out of a life-giving spirit; this is the first sign of a divine reality, though it is faint and weak, it will be cherished and blessed by a heavenly grace to grow into maturity. But, without this first sign, a person who is content with going through the motions of spiritual duties by training, custom, a fear of punishment, or heavenly reward, can in no way be identified as a spiritual person, than a puppet on strings can be called a human.

This forced and artificial type of spirituality is heavy and sluggish, like a heavy burden that has to be pushed up; it is cold and lifeless, like a married couple who were forced to wed out of duty or obligation and not out of love for each other. Therefore this artificial spirituality is surface and without depth and has no power to truly do battle against the carnal impulses and those who slave under this law will do only that which is required, because once they do their duty, they gloss over the true condition of their heart. But authentic spirituality is honest and gracious and not given to such foolish games because they belong wholly to God and never at any time think they have done their duty.

A Chaplain Reports From a Far Away Place

A Chaplain Reports From a Far Away Place

The Life of God in the Soul of Man part 2 (paraphrase)

What Authentic Spirituality Is

So, certainly true spirituality is quite another thing, and those who know it will hold on to far different thoughts, and reject all shadows and false versions of it. They know by experience that true spirituality is a union of the soul with God, a real participation of the Divine nature, the very image of God drawn upon the soul, or in the apostle’s phrase, “it is Christ formed in us’ (Gal.4:19). Briefly, I know of no better way to describing authentic spirituality, than by calling it a Divine reality: and with this in mind, I will first deal with how it is real, and then how it is called Divine.

Its Permanency and Stability

I choose to call it a reality, first, because it’s permanency and stability. True spirituality is not a flash in the pan, or stroke of inspiration, even though it brings us to unknown heights and transports a man to extraordinary living.
There are those who are convicted about the condition of their souls, push themselves into a great zeal, but then fizzle out; they were on fire, but then they cool off; they sprouted up quickly, and quickly wither away, because there was no real root (Matt. 13:21). This maybe compared to the quick movements of the nervous system of an insect with its head cut off, which no matter how much it moves, will not be for long; but the motions of holy souls are constant and regular, proceeding from a permanent and living reality.

Sermon - Why No Women Preachers?

Preached Sunday, Sept. 25, at First Presbyterian in Enterprise, as part of a series in Timothy and Titus. The message seeks to be faithful to the biblical text and point our thinking about how designed us to be male and female as a blessing to receive that runs against the thinking of our culture in many surprising ways. Click on the title above to hear the audio.

The Life of God in the Soul of Man

By Henry Scougal
The Great Spiritual Classic that Changed two Nations

It was the homeschooling mother of John and Charles Wesley, who found great spiritual insight into the truths of a lively and authentic faith in this little book by a philosophy professor from Aberdeen Scotland. Susanna Wesley was busy with a full house of children, but kept her heart and mind engaged in the deep waters of profound spiritual writers. This book sparked a deep hunger in John and Charles to pursue an authentic Christian experience of faith. Charles handed a copy of the book to another young seeker by the name of George Whitefield who hung around the outskirts of their “holy club” at Oxford. The book led to the conversion of Whitefield, and he became the great preacher and revivalist of the 18th Century which historians declare changed the moral and social landscape of America and England. It is my hope that by offering this updated version in my own paraphrase, I can get others to reading this classic, which I’ve found not easily accessible for modern readers. Language changes, and I know that purists will not like what I’ve done, but I trust that my bringing the language down into contemporary style and wording will at least open the door for new readers who like the missionaries and evangelists of centuries ago, will be ignited with a true love for Christ and not settle for anything less.
This will appear in a series over the next several weeks as I work through the book. It was written as a letter to a friend, offering spiritual direction and advice. I substitute the word “religion” for spirituality, because the use of the word religion meant something different than it does today.

An Abridged Paraphrase by Todd Baucum

The Reason for this Book
My Dear Friend:

It is my desire is to help you in the exercise of your spiritual life and to offer friendly advice on helping you to grow in grace and personal holiness. So, now I can show my affection and express my gratitude for you, by not delaying what I had promised in offering this assistance. Though you most likely have better helps of this nature than I can offer you, nor is this something you’ve never heard before; yet I am hopeful, that coming from one whom you honor as a friend, it will be accepted by you in and in God’s providence prove useful to you. Forgive me for starting at a basic level of what is the authentic spiritual life, offering some of my thoughts and things helpful with you in mind.

Mistakes about Authentic Spirituality
I cannot speak about authentic spirituality without lamenting that there are so many who are just playing games at it, and so few understand what it means. Some place it in the intellect, in orthodox beliefs and opinions; and all the evidence of their spirituality is found in that they are of this or that school of thought, and have joined in one of the many off-shoots of a Christianity that is so tragically divided.

Others place it in the outward activities, and a constant display of external duties, and an exhibit of performances; so if they live at peace with their neighbors, keep a moderate diet, attend worship, go to church activities, observe their daily devotion, and give an occasional dollar to the poor, they think they have met the requirement.

Others again put their spiritual life in their emotions, with rapturous warm feelings and ecstatic devotion; and all they aim at is to pray with passion, to think of heaven with pleasure, and to be exuding those nice buttery expressions of love for their Savior, till they persuade themselves that they are truly in love with Him, and therefore assume the assurance of their salvation, which they value as the highest of all Christian gifts.

All these may have some aspect of a true spiritual life (they are really just a means of living it), but in of themselves should not be mistaken as the whole of the truth. Our wicked hearts can fabricate these things, and we can do better than pagans in consecrating our sinful habits, and sanctifying our corrupt emotions, and our hard opinions and pride, then pass them off as Christian devotion. So that a hard, unkind personality is then called a holy zeal and stubborn rebellious hearts be called courage and commitment.

We Dont' Need More Christians, We Need More Followers of Jesus

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” James 3:9-11 (NIV)

Several years ago I read Dallas Willard’s book, “The Spirit of the Disciplines”, where he looks at the call to follow Jesus Christ with a total commitment of one’s being. The Bible says we are to “love the Lord your God, with your whole heart, mind and strength.(Mark 11)” It was this kind of commitment that Jesus called his followers to live out. Most importantly, Jesus gives his followers the gift of the Holy Spirit so they are enabled to follow him with this kind of life. We don’t live as Christians in our own power.
After reading the book, I wrote in the jacket: “The world does not need more Christians; it needs more disciples of Jesus Christ.”


I am even more convinced of that fact today. More research by Barna and Gallop indicate the sorry state of the church in America and among those who even call themselves “born-again.” Even an article in the “Wall Street Journal”, indicated that secularists and Muslims have little to fear from the “conservative Christian.” For example, 50 % of them (born again Christians) believe a life of good works will get them to heaven. 35% don’t believe Jesus physically rose from the dead. And on moral issues we are wish-washy as ever. 39% believe it is morally acceptable for couples to “live-together before marriage.” And 32% accept same-sex unions. We are not “slouching towards Sodom”, as Judge Bork suggested, we are sprinting full throttle.

Why? How can this be? For one, Oprah Winfrey and the morality of TV sitcoms have become the gurus of our moral framework. We have stopped thinking biblically. We have made our culture and our feelings the source of authority for truth, rather than God’s Word. Fresh water and salt water cannot flow from the same spring, once it mingles all that is left is a brackish swamp.

Secondly, we have not done a good job, generally speaking, in passing the biblical faith down to the next generation. Younger evangelical believers tend to be more “relativist” in their ethics saying things like, “That is ok for you, but I feel…” Yet, there are encouraging signs and I see them at our church, where men are wanting to be godly spiritual leaders and mothers are resisting the culture around them and a new generation coming along are not following their peers, but following Jesus. O Lord, increase their numbers!

May we see more people following Jesus and less of these “Christians” that are polled by Gallop and Barna. Then may the world take notice and take stock of what we say.

Music and the Brain

I just saw the movie, "The Music Never Stopped", which is based on a true story and comes from the same author of "The Awakenings", also made into a movie several years ago. The author is a neuroscientist who is doing research between the brain and music - all very facinating and beyond me. The movie shows the dramatic recovery a a young man who lost his memory due to a brain tumor. The human connection element between the father who seeks to delve into the son's world of music and radical 60's rock is a moving tribute of costly love and forgiveness. The fact that music can heal is clearly advocated in this film. That it is a vehical for emotions and for the thinking rational process, is just amazing. I still would rather listen to a Bach cantata, than the Grateful Dead! Then, again it depends on my mood.

Worship in the Bible - Why We Were Created

When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden, they had perfect fellowship with their Creator. We can’t imagine what that was like. The glory of God unmediated, unhindered, only the limits of the atmosphere and the canopy of stars, kept man in this theater of God’s presence in true awe and wonder. The question is why in such a state would Adam and Eve ever be distracted to sin, or find time for temptation? It is a timeless question, unanswerable for us.

But, when we think about the worship of God, it makes sense to see how God was always seeking to draw man back into the wonder and grandeur of worship. First, through the tabernacle, this highlighted the mystery of God’s holiness by heavy curtains and walled spaces, and expressed the need to repent, to turn things around. In other words, the tabernacle was a picture of our separation from God and the great need to deal with its cause. It kept the spiritual appetite whet for something else, something it truly longed for.

The temple, had both the dual role hiding the mystery of God’s holiness in the mercy seat of Ark of the Covenant, but also the openness of fellowship in the courts, where God’s people could join in corporate praise. The courts were open, with open air, pillars and majestic walls. Here the news of atonement was made by hands made red and people responded in thanksgiving with hands open and cleansed. God commanded that room was made even for the nations to come and hear this wonder of redemption. It had a foretaste of a greater glory, but the longing of the soul was not fully satisfied in Solomon’s temple.

This temple was to be destroyed not once, but twice. Israel would clutter the temple with their idols, and at times keep it to themselves as a national monument to their greatness. When the holiness of God was compromised, the temple lost its glory. Ichabod would be written on its portals. Worship became a show, a sham and an empty ritual. As it happens in every generation, we substitute pageantry for artistry. Outwardly, the best of worship that Israel ever produced was when God had left the premises. It was a show to behold, a feast in sensory delight. Inwardly, it was deadly to the soul. (Why don’t contemporary evangelical churches read the Minor Prophets?)

The glory of the true temple was God himself. He came once more, as in the Garden, walking along the same ground he had created; fellowshipping with men and women. This was God in the flesh, the man born of a woman, yet Son of God. At the temple built by man, Jesus showed what true worship was all about by yielding the heart in submission to truth and glorifying God once again amidst the wonder of His glory and Grace. Paradise was regained by the rule of this Second Adam.

That true and lasting temple was rejected by men. On the Cross, true holiness and horrible human sin came together in an unthinkable embrace. Justice and Mercy collided and the Son darkened the sky over all creation. But, on the third morning the world broke forth in the light of Christ’s resurrected glory. Called out sinners, now redeemed by the Savior, join every week on that day, to reflect on that grace and to be lost (or really found) in the timeless wonder about the grandeur of Christ’ glory. It is called the Church, not a temple, because the temple is Jesus. The church is people redeemed by the grace of Jesus. But, when the church really worships, the glory cannot be contained. It breaks forth, when not filled with show, sham and empty ritual. It breaks forth with submitted hearts and wills lost in the wonder of grace. In the glory of the Gospel of grace, unhindered by pageantry, show or sham of hubris, the Word is heard, and the beauty of its truth fills the soul and fills the place where saints gather and sing songs of Zion. The longing is satisfied, and joy is found as the true delight of fellowshipping with our Creator and Redeemer.

From Francis Schaeffer - words that once rocked my world

"How beautiful Christianity is - first, because of the sparkling quality of its intellectual answers, but second, because of the beautiful quality of its human and personal answers. And these are to be rich and beautiful. A crabbed Christianity is less than orthodox Christianity...There must be orthodox doctrine, true. But there must be orthodox practice of those doctrines, including orthodoxy in the human relationships...

God means Christianity to be fun. There is to be a reality of love and communication in the Christian-to-Christian relationship, individually and corporately, which is completely and truly personal." "True Spirituality", Francis Schaeffer

What I loved about listening to Dr. Schaeffer speak was how he connected words like, intellectual, orthodox with beauty, personal and fun. It revolutionized my dry joyless fundamentalism.

Sermon, Sunday Aug. 21, at First Presbyterian

Click on title above to hear the audio of my sermon in a series from Timothy and Titus. This focuses on a concise statement of the Gospel most likely used as a Creed in the early aposotlic church. "Christ Jesus came to save sinners". Amen and Amen!

September 11 - Informational Meeting

Here is an excerpt from the letter sent from our session to our congregation as we look forward to our church renovation.

Most of you are aware to some degree of the need to address the current physical condition of our sanctuary, our future need in the face of growth, and the changing needs of the congregation. First and foremost, as a people called by God’s grace, chosen through the mercy and love that comes in Christ, our Savior, we know that all we are called to do; we do in light of Grace and for God’s glory.
For years, we prayed and considered moving from the present location. Every evidence seemed to indicate God was telling us to be faithful with what we have and seek to glorify God in this place.
A professionally developed plan, bathed in prayers will be presented to the congregation so that you can see the general picture of what our present sanctuary can be transformed into as an attractive, and God honoring place of worship for generations to come. We believe it is an achievable task, but will require faith, stretching ourselves in obedience and unity as a church body.

The National Presbyterian Church of Mexico severs ties to the PCUSA

I have many Presbyterian friends in Mexico, and the recent vote to sever ties with the PCUSA, inspite of 149 years of history working together, shows the spiritual and biblical discernment of this denomination. The issue has been raised many times before at previous General Assemblies. All I can say, is that I pray the Lord will richly bless their commitment to the Gospel and this clear stand on the side of Biblical faithfulness, even though this will cost them financially. In times where things are already difficult, they have taken a stand. I have nothing but admiration for them and their sacrifical love for Christ and His Kingdom. Dios los bendigo.

Romantic Love as an Echo of Divine Love

Song 1:2-4 (ESV)
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
[3] your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
[4] Draw me after you; let us run.
The king has brought me into his chambers.

Others
We will exult and rejoice in you;
we will extol your love more than wine;
rightly do they love you.

From The Problem of Pain (C.S. Lewis)

~~"There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else. You may have noticed that the books you really love are bound together by a secret thread. You know very well what is the common quality that makes you love them, though you cannot put it into words: but most of your friends do not see it at all... Are not all lifelong friendships born at the moment when at last you meet another human being who has some inkling... of that something which you were born desiring... All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of it... echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. But if it should really become manifest... you would know it. We cannot tell each other about it. It is the secret signature of each soul... If we lose this, we lose all.

"Your soul has a curious shape... made to fit a particular swelling in... Divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions. For it is not humanity in the abstract that is to be saved, but you—you, the individual... Blessed and fortunate creature, your eyes shall behold Him and not another's... God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it.... (Problem of Pain)


Lewis understands the common thread in all the books one reads, in all the stories and all the experiences that leave a person desiring something unreachable, something unexplainable, in short, ineffable.

Love in the best of human relationships (i.e., marriage) is but the echo of God’s love woven in the fabric of his creation. In the Song of Solomon the portrayal of human romance, is but the reflection or shadow of a more perfect love – a holy pursuit and wooing of the beloved. This is why the Gospel is the story of God’s love in reaching down into time and history to bring to final consummation the greatest romance. I see this is the way to read the Song of Solomon in its fullest meaning. Not as the medieval commentators who spurned the gift of human love, nor in the modern overly sensual version – for both are off the mark. It is reading the one in light of the other. We who are bought by the price of Christ’s blood (the bride’s price) now wait the arrival of the wedding feast. Then the bridegroom will come and say, "Arise my beloved, arise."

Charles Hodge on Confessing the Faith of the Gospel

“To confess Christ is to recognize his character and claims. It is to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ. It is to admit the truth of the doctrines which he taught. It is to profess our allegiance to him as our Lord and Saviour. This confession must be public; it must be made before men; it must be made with the mouth, and not left to be inferred from the conduct… The confession which is required is, the public acknowledgment of Christ in his true character, and of his gospel in its real nature. It will not do to strip the gospel of everything offensive to human pride, and to acknowledge the rest. The very thing to be done is, to take the shame of professing what is a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. It is to acknowledge our faith and confidence in a Saviour despised and rejected of men, and in doctrines which human reason can neither discover nor comprehend.” From "The Way of Life"

Confessing Gospel Truth- a line from my sermon

[15] The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Fred Sanders “God is not trifling with us in the Gospel, but opening up in the most intimate way his very heart.”

Notice how Paul describes this central truth of the Gospel. He takes what is already known by the Church “This saying” and gives his apostolic approval to it. It is trustworthy - that is it is a faithful recap of the Gospel in miniature.

Secondly, he commends it to everyone. It deserves full – wide or universal acceptance. Creeds are not private (personal in their relevance) – there is no Christianity without a common faith. Statements like “no creed but the Bible,” make no sense and lead to an individual Christianity – subjective, unhistorical and open to a thousand interpretations. (Dorothy Sayers, the literary friend of C.S. Lewis put it well - “without creed there is chaos”.)
This affirmation used in the worship of this apostolic church is summed up in 9 words. Much more can be said about the Gospel. We have creeds that delve deeper into its ramifications (Nicene Creed, the Westminster Confession) But this 9 word creed is the essence of the Gospel
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”

This was the eternal mission of God, to act in sovereign love to enter our world, in time and history in the person of his Son: to enter a world turned against God, running towards destruction and for the purpose of saving these sinners.
Everything in the life of the church and every other doctrine builds upon this central core truth.
Eveything we know about God is through the lens of this telescope – the God who saves.
Everything we do and are called to live our lives in light of is this central truth .

How the Law is Good. Sermon from Aug. 14, 2011

From my series on Timothy & Titus, this sermon in on how we need the law to properly understand the Gospel. Getting it right is vital to the Christian life. Double Click the title above for the audio link. I do my best to keep up with this technology, so if it doesn't work, just send me a message.

Guarding the Gospel - Sermon for July 31, 2011

Click the title above to connect to the audio link. It may take a few minutes.

Forgiveness and our Redemption: More Preliminary Reflections

Legal and Personal- How Justification makes us Forgiven

Forgiveness as it relates to Justification and Union with Christ is both a Legal (positional) reality and a interpersonal experience. Because of Christ’s offering of his life and the “gracious transaction” of his righteousness for our sin, enables God to as a Just Judge to act with mercy and righteousness in saving us.
But, our redemption is more than a legal transaction with some abstract status that bears no real influence on our lives. Redemptive language in the Bible is intensely personal. The Just and Holy Judge is also, by grace, our loving Father. This experience of mercy and cleansing from our sin in our union with Christ is the experience of forgiveness.

While the doctrine of forgiveness is rarely treated as an individual aspect of our salvation, it is immensely biblical. The Bible portrays sin as the great act of treason – a highly personal offense. This is especially true in the parable of the Prodigal Son, better named as the parable of the Forgiving Father (Luke 15).
Objective and SubjectiveAnother way to speak about the problem of our Redemption is the tension between the objective reality that is true of God’s provision for sin in the death of his Son, and the human experience of forgiveness in the act of confession. The question will arise, “how does God forgive sin and on what basis does He forgive?”

Forgiveness as it Relates to GodRomans 3:25-26 (ESV)
(Jesus) whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. [26] It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
“Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin”
Remission means the total removal of sin and its consequences. True remission of sin was not affected by the O.T. sacrificial system, this was a picture of what was to come. Only God could be both the Just and the Justifier of his redeemed people by the giving of his own Son, the fullness of deity, in an act of unfathomable love.
The Basis for all forgiveness is the blood of Christ - 2 Cor. 5:14, 15. Someone has to pay a price. Infinite transgression requires an infinite cost, which only the infinite Son of God could pay.
It is applied to the believer both:

Positionally - Col.2:13; Rom.8:1 – We are in Christ and a New Creation.
Subjectively – 1 John 1:5-9 - we will walk in truth and in the light of Christ’s forgiveness.

Forgiveness as a Part of SalvationThe Reformed view of the “Ordu Salutis” - a description of the process of salvation.

Effectual calling - The Spirit helps us to really hear the Gospel and effectively respond to it.

Saving faith- While this appears to be the part where we are active in the process of our salvation, the trusting belief we express is also a gift from God.

Repentance –True faith is always experienced with genuine repentance. Which comes first is sometime hard to distinguish in our lives, but it is biblically tied together like two sides of the same coin.

Justification – God declares us righteous on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness. The great and gracious transfer of our sins for his righteousness,and he becomes our unrighteousness bearing them to the Cross.

Adoption – Because of God’s promise to Jesus, he adopts us as his children firmly establishing us as a part of his family.

Sanctification – Salvation is not just getting our ticket punched for the pearly gates. It involves the transformation of the believer. True justification will always led to a growth in holiness.
Good Works – Grace leads to gratitude and the best way to show God how much you love Him, is by loving others.
Perseverance – We don’t grow, keep believing and stay on track in this race, by our own power. Christ is in us by the presence of the Holy Spirit. What God starts he always finishes.

Assurance of Salvation- The evidence of everything that God is doing in giving us faith, trust, a new desire and the promises of His electing grace confirms in our heart that we truly belong to Him.

Glorification – Someday when Christ returns for his church or we meet him after our passing from this mortal life, we will perfectly reflect his image and lay aside all dead, powerless nature of our sin, that we’ve battled against for so long and for once know what it is to be truly human and enjoying our Creator.

Justification and Union with ChristThe Westminster Confession understood the priority of the act of judicial declaration of our imputation of Christ’s righteousness is our basis of union with Christ. In this way, we can also speak about the benefits of our union with Christ as being fully “forgiven” and restored as child of God.
“In Christ, God took the penalty of sin on his own self to abolish the cause of enmity existing between himself and sinners. Nothing unethical or unjust is implied, as Christ freely accepted this role as mediator. Consent and free choice characterize his actions for sinners. Penal substitution through sacrifice implies that he accepted to stand as the innocent one in the place of the guilty, accepts the judgment for their guilt, and assumes and abolishes it by his vicarious death. This is condescension to the highest degree imaginable and grace to the fullest extent possible.” (Paul Wells, Cross Words, pg. 149).
Forgiveness in Human ExperienceGustaf Aulen (Swedish Lutheran theologian)
“Forgiveness is not an act that occurs only once, at a certain time, and establishes once and for all the basis on which the Christian life exists. On the contrary, forgiveness belongs to the whole of Christian life, since this life depends on the fact that ‘the grace of God is new every morning.’” (The Faith of the Christian Church, pg. 292)