A Soldier of the Cross

 Am I a Soldier of the Cross

Am I a soldier of the cross,

a follower of the Lamb, and

shall I fear to own his cause,

or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies

on flow'ry beds of ease, while

others fought to win the prize,

and sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes to for me to face?

Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend of grace,

to help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;

increase my courage, Lord;  I'll

bear the toil, endure the pain,

supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints, in all this glorious war, 

shall conquer though they die;

they view the triumph from afar,

and seize it with their eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,

and all Thine armies shine in robes

of vict'ry through the skies,

the glory shall be Thine.

Isaac Watts

This hymn was written circa 1721-24 while Watts was preaching on I Corinthians 16:13, and was appended to Watts sermons published during this period , "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." is the admonition in this verse. In the time when the persecution of Christians is global and our society's intolerance toward us is increasing, the timelessness of this hymn is a vital reminder to us all of the challenge and cost and glory of taking up our cross and fighting the good fight of faith. 

Since Genesis 3 those who follow the Lord have been embroiled in a long war against the truth, and this war is also against those who love the truth, speak the truth, and live the truth. So, in a very real sense all who name the name of Christ enter into the battle in some way. May this hymn encourage and strengthen us all to be strong and be soldiers of the cross, and may we sing more songs like this in our churches.  O Father, grant us your strength that we not shrink back, Hebrews 10:38-39, but be counted among those who stand firm in the faith.

Stop It, Enough Already, Man Up and Fess UP

I almost always keep quiet regarding Christian personalities and issues (unless it is false teaching), as it is too easy for it to turn into self-righteous character assassination or internet gossip.  However, I am out of patience with those who supported and promoted Mark Driscoll remaining silent, unrepentant, and unapologetic.

Too many pastors, young and older, were influenced by him.  Too many people were damaged and savaged by him.  The cause of Christ was wounded because of him, all while the warning signs were there and were not hidden; and those who supported him and promoted him have remained silent.

Unfortunately, we are now subjected to this puff piece interview of John Piper.  Yes, what John says in this interview is true, but it makes him look like the wise sage now that the carnage is over, while ignoring his association and promotion of Mark Driscoll.  This piece provides cover for him by letting him address, from a distance of time, what happened without calling him to take responsibility for his part in the victory against the church he says Satan has had in this situation.  It allows him to take the the "high, noble, and wise ground" as if he had nothing to do with it.  John Piper is one of the main reasons Mark Driscoll had a national following, and for John to continue avoiding the responsibility for his fomenting of Mark Driscoll's reputation is unconscionable.  For The Gospel Coalition to do the interview and air this piece is just as unconscionable.

John and The Gospel Coalition, for the sake of the church you say you love and its unity, come out boldly and admit your part in the Mark Driscoll debacle.  It would go a long way toward healing and the restoration of trust in your ministries and motives.

See the interview below by following the link below.

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/reflections-on-mark-driscoll-and-the-mars-hill-implosion

Luther and the Contemporary Church

For the anniversary of the Reformation, Carl Trueman writes on how Luther would view the contemporary church and its issues.  Carl at his pithy best.


http://www.reformation21.org/articles/95-theses-on-martin-luther-against-the-selfindulgences-of-the-modern-church.php?utm_source=Twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The Bible, Sex, and Pastoral Counseling

In regards to Mark Driscoll's latest book on sex, and Ed Young's sexploitation/exhibition, there has been much written by those more erudite and better communicators than me. However, I do want to address the topic, and address it from a more foundational level than I have seen addressed, yet.

This is not the first foray into the arena of sex for either of these two pastors; and I call them pastors, because that is the position they hold.  This is Mark's fourth book on sex, and Ed has preached a series on sex from a bed on his stage and issued a seven day sex challenge to those in his congregation, so they are not neophytes in this area.  But let's go a little deeper into the reasons they have openly stated are behind their books and sermons....their people are coming to them with questions concerning sex, what's taboo and what's not, how much is enough or too much, what does the bible say about these issues? 

The heart of the matter is that many who profess to be Christians are too sex obsessed.  You see, the world, not just our culture, but the world is sex obsessed; and if you are paying any attention at all you can see it is not just an American cultural issue but a world wide issue.  I John 2:16 tells us that all temptation falls under the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.  Sex has its roots deeply in all three of these categories, and as a result is one of the most appealing and controlling sins...maybe the most appealling and controlling.   

My point is this.  As pastors, instead of answering the questions above, instead of playing sex therapist, instead of giving in to the world's influence in this area, shouldn't we look to and bring to light the root of the issue?  Should we not first tell our people that sex is not the most important thing in the world, that maybe they need to take a step back and realize they are not to be preoccupied with it, it is not to dominate their thinking, and they should not be mastered by it. Shouldn't we have them take a good look at themselves and ask themselves if because of their background, television and movie choices, books and magazines they read, internet habits, music they listen to, emails they share or pass along, or conversations they participate in, that they might have a spiritual stronghold in this area.  And maybe perform this same spiritual check-up on ourselves, so that we can be sure our own attitude and thinking in regards to this area has not been colored by the world.

In dealing with this issue, many people want to quote I Corinthians 6:12...the part about all things are lawful for me...but leave out the part about I will not be mastered by anything.  The context of this verse is Paul dealing with the issue of food, and sex both outside the marriage and inside the marriage.  Paul also tells us in Romans 6:12-19 that we are slaves of what we obey...and ends this section talking about the weakness of our flesh. Christ gave the admonition to watch and pray that we would not enter into temptation, for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. So it is obvious that even for Christians we can have ongoing issues because of the filthiness and wickedness (James 1:21) that is inherent in our flesh.  Pastorally we need to realize that this pre-occupation with sex is a hold over from our life before Christ, or, in some instances, an indication that they have never truly received Christ; and we should not respond in a way that panders to their natural fleshly inclinations, but respond in a way that sheds light on the true spiritual issue that is at its root.

The church has been too quick to give in the mind-set of the world; and I think that it is most pronounced in the area of sex.  Pastors, we need to take a stand against the mind-set of the world and tell our people and counsel our people that they are not to be sex-obessed like the world which has no control over its lusts, and is, in fact, controlled by those same lusts and indulges in the desires on both the flesh and the mind; and tell our people that this sex-obsession is not from the Lord, but from the world.  For knowing the truth is the key for them to be set free from the sex-obession that controls the world.

A Good Word from Kevin DeYoung

Kevin DeYoung is one of the young voices in the church, and, in my opinion, one of the leading young voices.  His latest post is right on target and, as usual, well thought out and presented.  There was a reformed resurgence among the under 40 group in England in the early 60s that played out and disappeared, most likely for the reasons/warnings Kevin gives the young, restless, reformed group in his post.  It is worthy of some solid consideration.  Follow the link below to his post.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/03/23/a-generation-of-bandwagon-jumpers/

God's View Towards Elections and Economics

Jeremiah 17:5-8

Thus says the Lord,

"Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind

And makes flesh his strength,

And whose heart turns away from the Lord.

For he will be like a bush in the desert

And will not see when prosperity comes,

But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,

A land of salt without inhabitant.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord

And whose trust is the Lord.

For he will be like a tree planted by the water,

That extends its roots by a stream

And will not fear when the heat comes;

But its leaves will be green,

And it will not be anxious in a year of drought

Nor cease to yield fruit.

Isaiah 2:22

Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;

For why should he be esteemed?

Daniel 2:20-21

Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,

For wisdom and power belong to Him.

It is He who changes the times and the epochs;

He removes kings and establishes kings.

Daniel 4:32, 34-35

...the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind

and bestows it on whomever He wishes.

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

But he does according to His will in the host of heaven

And among the inhabitants of earth;

And no one can ward off His hand

Or say to Him, "What have You done?"

Psalm 103:19

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,

And His sovereignty rules over all.

Acts 17:24-26

The God who made the world and all things in it,

since He is Lord of heaven and earth,

does not dwell in temples made with hands;

nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything,

since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;

and He made from on man every nation of mankind

to live on all the face of the earth,

having determined their appointed times

and the boundaries of their habitation.

Philippians 4:6-8

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything

by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, what is lovely,

whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence

and if anything worthy of praise,

dwell on these things.

There have been a plethora of postings and much has been said on the election and our current economic situation, all much better than I could say, but I think God's word is the last word and the best word for us who are called out by Him.