A Christian's Devotion

As Christians, our devotion to Christ

must come before our devotion to our

church or our denomination.  We must

not substitute devotion to church or devotion

to denomination for devotion to Christ; nor

should we assume that devotion to these is

the same as devotion to Christ.

This should be particularly true for pastors.

Making Sunday the focus of Your Church Meetings

See the attached post by Derek Thomas.  Good food for thought.

http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2011/07/on-the-multiplication-of-extra.php

Compassion

Active compassion is birthed out of the union of love and mercy.



Who Me?

"God chooses whom He chooses in order that

He might receive the glory.  He chooses weak

instruments so that no one will attribute the

power to human instruments rather than to God,

who wields those instruments."

John MacArthur

Twelve Ordinary Men

Page 13

Yes, you!



Our Fears and the Adequacy of God

Whence comes the nervous, dithery, take-no-risks mood that mars so much of our discipleship?...

One reason, it seems, is that in our heart of hearts we are afraid of the consequence of going the whole way into the Christian life.  We shrink from accepting burdens of responsibility for others because we fear we should not have strength to bear them.  We shrink from accepting a way of life in which we forfeit material security because we are afraid of being left stranded.  We shrink from being meek because we are afraid that if we do not stand up for ourselves we shall be trodden down and victimized, and end up among life's casualties and failures.  We shrink from breaking with social conventions in order to serve Christ because we fear that if we did, the established structure of our life would collapse all around us, leaving us without a footing anywhere.

It is these half-conscious fears, this dread of insecurity, rather than any deliberate refusal to face the cost of following Christ, which make us hold back.  We feel that the risks of out-and-out discipleship are too great for us to take.  In other words we are not persuaded of the adequacy of God to provide for all the needs of those who launch out wholeheartedly on the deep sea of unconventional living in obedience to the call of Christ....This, at bottom seems to be what is wrong with us.  We are afraid to go all the way in accepting the authority of God, because of our secret uncertainty as to his adequacy to look after us if we do.

J.I. Packer
Knowing God
Pgs 269-270

Speaking of God

We can speak no better of God

than He has spoken of Himself.

I, even I, am the one who wipes out

your transgressions for My own sake,

and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 43:25

Let the wicked forsake his way

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

and let him return to the Lord,

and He will have compassion on him,

And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:7

Hunger and Satisfaction

God is, at once, our continual hunger and our complete satisfaction.

Steady Love

We need not suppose that God's love for us

 is as fickle and undependable as our own emotions.

Numbers 23:19, Malachi 3:16, James 1:17

Dying for Certainty

Without election there is only the potential for salvation,

not the certainty of salvation.  So would Christ die for

those who might possibly be saved, or would He die

for those whom He knew for certain would be saved?

If He died for all to be saved, and all are not saved,

then His dying on the cross for their sin was a failure.

If He suffered for their sin, and they are not saved,

then His suffering for them was in vain.  And if
God is omniscient, then why would He impose the penalty
of sin upon Christ for those whom He knew would not come to faith?

II Thessalonians 2:13, I Peter 1:1-2, Isaiah 53:10-11

Seeing the Measure

We see the measure of love in what it gives.

We see the measure of mercy in what it withholds.

In salvation, love and mercy are inextricably linked.

Romans 5:8, I John 4:10, Ephesians 2:4, Isaiah 53:4-11

Why NOT the NIV

As many know, I have had a long bias against the NIV, as I feel it has dumbed the Scriptures down, and numbed the reader from the punch that is provided in the Greek language.  Yes, I know for some it is easier to read, but making something easier to read should not be the litmus test for any translation of the Scriptures.  Accuracy and communicating as close as possible what the author really said should be the litmus test for any and all translations.  And that is the problem with the dynamic equivalency method of translation. 

Dr. Jim Hamilton gives a wonderful example of the difference between the dynamic equivalency and the formal equivalency methods, and why the dynamic equivalency is inferior.  See the link below.

http://jimhamilton.info/2011/06/29/dynamic-equivalence-the-method-is-the-problem/

Speaking of God

We can speak no better of God

than He has spoken of Himself.

Remember the former things long past,

for I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is no one like Me,

declaring the end from the beginning,

and from ancient times things which

have not been done.

Saying, My purpose will be established,

and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.

Isaiah 46:10-11

God's Giving

God's giving to us, His free favor towards us,

 did not stop at the cross.  In fact, it began

before the cross, and will continue for all eternity.

Ephesians 1:3-6; 2:4-8

A Preacher's Aim

This is a partial repost.

God's vision for us from eternity past is for us is to be like His Son, the first born of many brethren. So as pastors/preachers should that not be our vision as well; and are we casting a compelling vision of Christ before our people so that they will aspire to be like Him? Do we present an all encompassing picture of Christ to our people as our ultimate example of what God expects us to be? Do we model Christ in our own lives? Is He our example to the extent that we are an example of Him to our people? Do they understand that this is where God is taking them through the sanctification process, and the ultimate answer to their question, "Why?"


This vision of Christ that we present to our people is to be all encompassing, affecting every area of our lives; so that, in becoming complete in Christ, what is true about Him becomes true about us.

Grace Defined, Explained, and Applied

Just as Paul has given us the most concise presentation of the gospel in I Corinthians 15:1-8, he gives us the most concise definiton of grace in Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." (italics mine)  Paul then spends the rest of the first three chapters of Ephesians explaining what this means, and tells us how God wants us to apply it in chapters four through six.

What is Grace

What is grace?  In the New Testament, grace means God's love in action toward people who merited the opposite of love.  Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves.  Grace means God sending his only Son to the cross to descend into hell so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven.  "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (II Corinthians 5:21).

J. I. Packer

Knowing God

Page 249

Being Grasped by the Truth

If the truth of the passage that he is preaching

has not grasped the preacher, he has nothing

of substance to convey to his people.  In fact,

he can little expect it to grasp them.

Milestone IV

Well, the water of another year has passed under the bridge as we have finished year number four in the life of Grace Covenant Church.  I don't know how church years compare to dog years, or such, but this has been a pretty quick year; but time does that, as it has its own ebbs and flows like the tide.  Of course, the main reason it has passed so quickly is that we have been pretty busy.

One of the good things to happen was our move to a better facility last August.  We are now meeting at Midland Classical Academy, a private Christian school that has already housed two other churches.  When the last church moved we jumped on the chance to meet there, and now have consistent heating and cooling and a nicer all around facility to meet in, and room for growth.  We were able to also get the lease at a rate that was affordable, and are appreciative of MCA working with us as we are paying less than our predecessors.

One of the highlights again this year was the baptism of two men last fall.  One was saved during our Easter service and the other had come to the conviction that his salvation had occured only a few years ago.  It was a joy to baptize these men and hear their testimonies of God's faithful work in their hearts.  Both are active and committed, which is a double blessing.

Our other elder, Bill Lawless, and I led a leadership development group on Saturday mornings.  Our desire is for this to be the foundation of training men in our church.  We limited it to the leadership team, but will open it up this next year to more of the men in our church.  It is my belief that the church will go no farther than the strength of its men will carry it, and we want to train up the men in our church to be strong in the faith.  In that vein, we once again took seven men to the Shepherd's conference; and each year it leaves its mark on us.

That is not to rule out the role of women in the church, nor is it to say that the women should not be strong spiritually, as well.  We sent seven of our women to the True Woman conference in Dallas, and will send a group to the True Woman conference in San Antonio this year as well.  It was a spiritually rich conference that has born fruit in the lives of those who went.  We also had a women's mid-week bible study this year and hope that it will grow.

Additionally, we had a church wide bible study on Tuesday nights.  We used the Precept curriculum and studied Covenant last fall and Exodus in the spring.

Our music/worship has been blessed of the Lord this last year.  He indeed inhabits the praises of His people, and His presence during our worship time has been a joy and blessing.  We have two sax playing brothers  who provide the music on most Sundays as our keyboard player has had job assignments that have taken him away many Sundays.  But, it is required of a steward to be faithful, and that is what our worship team has been, and God has honored that and shown us His goodness.

I am still preaching through John's gospel, and will finish up chapter fourteen this week.  Not just because we are in John, but out of personal conviction, we have really focused on being more gospel centered and gospel proclaiming.  We want our people to go deeper and deeper into Christ, to more fully understand and more deeply appreciate grace.  But to do this you must have a grasp on the gospel, in all its fullness, in all its aspects, in all of its application; in other words, the better you grasp the gospel the richer will God's grace be to you.  As such, we believe the gospel is important for the believer as well as for the unbeliever.

Speaking of the unbeliever, we pray corporately each Sunday for the lost that God has placed in our individual paths.  We also have identified one thousand households in north Midland that we will target with the gospel every three to four months.  We are going to start out by sending them Grace for You, an evanglestic booklet written by John MacArthur, that is the telling of the story of the prodigal son. We are going to send them something each mailing that is gospel centered and gospel proclaiming.  What will God do with this?  We are not sure, but we are sure that He stands over His word to perform it, that the gospel is the power of salvation, and beautiful are the feet that bring the gospel.  In addtion to these, as a church we are also praying for the Hispanics in our area, as they make up close to 40% of the population.

Speaking of the gospel.  My wife, Angie, has made it a focus in her teaching the children to present the gospel in as many lessons as possible.  I am grateful that our children are hearing the gospel, hearing of their need for a Savior, hearing of God's great salvation in Christ.  Planting gospel seeds is an important, really the most important function, of a children's ministry.  We all are to receive the word implanted which is able to save our souls, so why not plant it early and often?

I gave the covenant charge in two weddings this year.  It was a blessing to me to be involved in them, and to see the seriousness with which the couples took their vows.  May God's protection and blessing be upon them.

Yes, we have had some numeric growth this last year, and the number of our visitors has increased; but the real story is the continued growth of the people.  God's word does not return to Him void, and it is Him that is building His church.  I am so blessed to be the pastor of this group of people that have committed themselves to the Lord through Grace Covenant Church; and blessed to be able to serve the Lord in this way.  My prayer for myself is for my own faithfulness and obedience to Him who has given Me this sacred responsibility and trust.  May He be glorified in and through this gracious work of His called Grace Covenant church. 

For the Love of the Father

but, so that the world may know that I love the Father,

I do exactly as the Father has commanded Me.

John 14:31a

Christ's holiness was not a legal holiness,

but a loving holiness---as ours is to be.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:15

A Christian's Desire

As Christians, we are to be overcome

by the desire to please our Father,

rather than be overcome by the desire

to please ourselves.

(Isaiah 58:13-14a, John 8:29, Colossians 1:9-10,

Ephesians 5:8b-10, Romans 12:1-2)

Real Righteousness

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves 

that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else:

"Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee

 and the other a tax collector.  the Pharisee took his stand and

 was praying like this: 'God, I thank You that I'm not like other

people--greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax

collector.  I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I get.'

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise

his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest saying, 'God, turn

Your wrath from me--a sinner!'  I tell you, this one went down

to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone

who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles

himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:9-14

The startling contrast between the prayers of the Pharisee and the publican furnishes an indication of Christ's standards of value, as applied to the most important realm of men's lives--their approach to God.  For some men God can do nothing. Their attitude of heart toward Him, their self-sufficiency and self-complacency, ward off the beneficent intentions of His grace.  Their bodies may posture in His house, but their spirits

are an immeasurable distance from Him; and the only result of their miscalled worship is in the continued hardening and deadening of their moral sense.  As in nature the action of some streams tends to turn living objects into stone, so does the stream of unfelt and mechanical and self-seeking praying petrify the soul of its offerer.

How simple as to form and direct as to request is the prayer of the publican.  Standing "afar off" in the conciousness of the sin which separated him from God, he realized that the was yet alone with Him.  "God...mercy...me" are the notes of his heart's cry.  But he has already come to know that the span of mercy bridges the sin-gulf, and is confident that even such a one as he is may safely venture across.  On its further side the Father awaits him with a welcome which is unmixed with any reproach.  Over that scene a veil is drawn, and the sacred intimacy is unrecorded.  But from its strengthening assurance the man goes down to his house to declare what God has done for him.  He has learned by an experience which nothing can modify, that sin confessed is sin covered, and that life humbled is life exalted, and this is sufficient inspiration for the long moral conflict that is yet before him.  Such prayer is the one gateway to the life victorious and beautiful, alike for him and for us.  It demands our stooping, but it ensures our salvation.

J. Stuart Holden

The Holy Gospels Opened

Pgs 103-104

True Lovers of Christ

True lovers of Christ

can stand the pain of self-denial.

Art Azurdia

Salvation

Salvation is not a singular event, but is a work of God, a process if you will, whereby God conforms us completely into the image of His Son.  This work starts with justification, continues on in sanctification, and ends in glorification.

Romans 8:29-30 For those whom he foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the first born among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

I John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.  We know that when He appears we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

Salvation is the work of God that carries out the purpose of God, which results in the glory of God.

Famine in the Land

As a follow up to my post yesterday on The Great Disconnect, I have provided a link below to Steve Lawson's sermon "Famine in the Land."  This sermon is based on Amos 8:11 and speaks quite clearly to why there is the great disconnect in the church in our land today.  Enjoy the sermon...I believe it will eventually be a Christian classic.  Also, Steve has published a book by the same title, "Famine in the Land."  It is a great read.

http://www.newreformationministries.org/audio/2007/10/famine-in-the-land.php

The Great Disconnect

In the Western church, more noticeably in the church in the US, we are living in a time of disconnection. A time in which there is a disconnection in so many who claim to be a Christian, and that disconnection is between what they claim to be and how they are actually living; and what is even worse, is that others who claim to be Christian see no problem with the disconnection, and in fact see no disconnection at all.

Yes, there is nothing new under the sun, as Solomon would say, as we see this same issue talked about by Paul as he says in Titus 1:16, They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed." James also alludes to this problem in James 1:22 as he says, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." So yes, this problem is not new, it actually existed in Israel before the New Testament times, but it seems to me that this disconnection in the Western church (especially in our country) has gone from epidemic proportions, to pandemic. This disconnection is most visibly demonstrated in the area of sexual promiscuity, sensuality, and immorality.

Let me give you three examples that have come to my attention over the last few weeks.

#1. The vote, this week, by the Twin Cities presbytery of the PCUSA to okay the ordination of clergy without regard to sexual orientation.  This was the vote that gave the majority vote in favor of this change to their constitution.

#2. While having lunch with a friend of mine last week he told me of a youth minister in Houston who had moved in with his girlfriend.  His comment to me was that they should know better, and, yes, they should; but what bothered me was that the youth minster and his girlfriend obviously did not see anything wrong with co-habitating outside of marriage.

#3. The latest Youtube buzz about Carrie Underwood singing "How Great Thou Art."  Only a few weeks ago, at the ACM awards, she was provocatively dressed and gyrating around while singing with Steven Tyler.  It was bad enough that I turned off the television.  Obviously she doesn't see a problem with how she was performing at the ACM's or she wouldn't do it.  But does that performance, that activity, square with the profession of being a Christian?  Would she dress and perform like that at church?

Where is the disconnect here?  It is between their profession to be Christians, and their actions.  It is the difference between what the Scripture says and how they live their lives, which is also shown in the choices they make. Let's look at some Scripture that addresses all three of the examples I have listed above.

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk

(live your life, or behave) no longer as the Gentiles walk,

in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding,

excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that

is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they,

having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality

for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard

Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,

that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside

the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the

lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been

created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Ephesians 4:17-24

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the

kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators,

nor idolaters, not adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,

nor thieves, nor the covetous, not drunkards, nor revilers,

nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Such were

some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified,

but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

and in the Spirit of our God.

I Corinthians 6:9-11

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;

and sin is lawlessness.  You know that He appeared in

order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

No one who abides in Him sins (practices, habitually,

lives a lifestyle of sinfulness); no one who sins has

seen Him or knows Him.  Little children, make sure no

one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness

is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices

sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 

The Son of God has appeared for this purpose, to destroy

the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices

sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin

(practice, habitually, live as a lifestyle), because he is

born of God.  By this the children of the devil are obvious:

anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God,

nor the one who does not love his brother.

I John 3:4-10

Italics mine for emphasis or explanation

Listen, the Bible is full of verses that speak to this from many different angles, and through many different scenarios.  What is the issue here?  What is the disconnect?  You cannot live the same lifestyle as the world, and be a Christian.  There is no such thing as a carnal Christian, or a nominal Christian (despite the continued misinterpretation of I Corinthians 3:3).  You are on one side of the fence or the other.  You cannot serve two masters.  There must be a consistency between your talk and your walk.  You must prove to possess what it is you profess, unless of course you fail the test. 

Another issue with the types of examples mentioned above, is that in many cases they have been told it is okay to live in this way, that as long as you have made some kind of profession you are covered...like some kind of holy fire insurance...and, if you don't accept these kind of lifestyles in those who profess to be Christians, you are being judgmental.

Scripture is the sole and final judge in these matters; and we must hold up the Scriptures as the standard for behavior for those who profess to be Christians.  We must not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God standing on the authority of Scripture alone.  To be able to do this we must know and have confidence in the Word of God.  In bringing this topic up with those who claim to be Christian it has become painfully obvious that their knowledge of Scripture is woefully anemic.  If we don't know the Scripture, we cannot think Biblically, and therefore cannot apply Scripture where needed.  And, if we do not know the Scriptures it is hard, nay impossible, to speak with any degree of authority on these matters.

The only way to combat this disconnect is for the Scriptures to faithfully, fully, and comprehensibly be taught and preached in our churches.  Yes, doing this might, in fact will, decrease our numbers; but what remains will be purer and then perhaps the church will gain the relevancy in the culture that is truly transforming.

Bulletin Bloopers

A little weekend humor.  Check out the first commentor.

http://www.thomrainer.com/2011/04/the-best-of-church-bulletin-bloopers.php

The Christian's Greatest Promise

In My Father's house there are many dwelling places;

if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to

prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place

for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself,

that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:2-3

These words are what make the Christian life worth living, in fact, without these words the Christian life would not be worth living at all.  For Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:19, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." 

The truth, stated plainly by Jesus here, is that heaven is a real place, it is the place where God dwells, there are many other dwelling places there, and Jesus will personally prepare a dwelling place for each one of us in the heaven of His Father. Although we cannot get there on our own He is coming back for us to take us there, and we will be with Him there for as long as He is there.  If not for this truth, why on earth would we give up the things of this world?  For without this truth this world is all there is; but with this truth something more glorious, more abounding in riches, more peaceful, more magnificent, more splendid, and more fulfilling awaits us; and that is dwelling with both the Father and the Son for all eternity.

Rejoice, O Christian, for your heavenly Father, the Father of lights, the creator of the ends of the earth, has a place specially prepared for you to spend eternity with Him.  Rejoice, O Christian, that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life, His reservation list, never to be erased.  Rejoice, O Christian, that your heavenly Father has loved you so, so as to provide the way to Him through His Son; and to guarantee that reservation by dipping His pen in the well of the blood of His Son to write it down.  Rejoice, O Christian, for earth recedes and heaven draws ever nearer. Rejoice, O Christian, for what awaits you on the other side of this life.  Rejoice, O Christian, for the certainty of the life to come, given through the promise from Jesus, Himself.

O friends, have you placed your hope for eternity, for the life beyond this life, in the person of Christ?  Have you placed all your trust in what He has done to secure that life for you?  Have you come to God acknowledging your sin, your helplessness, your hopelessness, your absolute need of His mercy, compassion, and grace?  Have you asked Him to forgive you and save you?  Have you cast yourself upon Him as your Savior?  He is not far away, He is near if you would but reach out and call out to Him!  Today is the day, wait no longer to secure your place in heaven, for none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

God bless you all.

In the End

In the end

man will be proven to be utterly sinful,

God will be proven to be utterly righteous.

Both will be proven to be exactly what they are.

Christians and Pornography

Russell Moore deals with the issue of the Christian and pornography in an honest and straightforward way, with accompanying biblical insight.

http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/04/27/arousing-ourselves-to-death/

When to Apply Matthew 18

In the latest issue of Themelios, Don Carson has an article on the proper application of Matthew 18, especially in light of how much it gets thrown around in the blogosphere these days.  Follow the link:

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/publications/36-1/editorial-on-abusing-matthew-18

Rejoicing in Gladness

I am glad, and my heart is warmed, by the fact that God, our God, is gracious and compassionate and abounding in lovingkindness and truth, that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, that He cries out,"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of earth."  I am grateful that He has shown all the world His eternal attributes and Divine nature through what has been created.  I am thankful for the power in the gospel to save all who believe it.  I am overwhelmed by the richness of His mercy, the depth of His compassion, and the lavishness of His love for those who are hostile to Him and are His enemies.  I am in awe of His kindness, which even extends to evil and ungrateful men.  Yes, I will rejoice for He has made me glad; and I am glad that He has included me in His eternal plan of redemption.

Knowing God

On my way to bed the other night, I happened to run across an interview on TV.  The person being interviewed is a well known television personality/celebrity.  They were talking about life and its lessons, and they mentioned some final words that someone who was close to death had given them, that in the end it is all about family and friends; in other words, it's all about relationships and it is those relationships that matter most in life, and give meaning to life.  Of course, the interviewer nodded in solemn agreement, and for the next few minutes they both talked about the value of relationships.

It is true that relationships are important, and, for those of us who are common everyday people, our legacy, if you will, is carried on in the relationships we leave behind.  However, there is an eternal relationship, a relationship that we can have both in this life and in the one to come, and that is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  This relationship is what actually guarantees our acceptance into the presence of God when we pass from this life into the next.  To those who professed to be Christians and were relying on their religious works as their ticket to heaven, Jesus had this to say in Matthew 7:23, "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew (knew in an intimate personal way) you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"  And in John 17:3 Christ tells us this, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

It is to know God personally, not just know about or have heard about Him; to have a relationship with Him, rather than an abstract knowledge of Him; to know up close and not from a distance; to be familiar and not a stranger to Him and His ways, that makes our faith a living faith.   To have this faith, this intimate knowledge of God, was one of the promises of the New Covenant as God said in Jeremiah 31:34, "For they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them."   It is the knowledge of the Most High that gives substance to our faith.

The command to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul presupposes that we know Him.  We cannot have this kind and depth of love for someone whom we do not know.  In fact, the more we know Him the greater our love shall be for Him, so as we grow in the breadth and depth of our knowledge of Him there is a corresponding growth in our love for Him that will encompass more and more of our heart, mind, and soul. This is one of the reasons we are exhorted in II Peter 3:18 to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This is also part of my personal testimony.  As I was reading an article on Tom Landry in Guidepost magazine while in the waiting room of a doctor's office, he talked about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; and I thought to myself, "How do you have a relationship with someone who has been dead two thousand years."  But this impacted me, for though I had grown up in the church and knew the facts about Jesus and had professed faith in Jesus, I knew that I did not know Him and did not have a relationship with Him.  After wrestling with this for two years, I finally came to the point where one evening I saw myself as the sinner I was and repented.  The next morning when I woke up I knew Him, and knew that I knew Him as He was alive to me; and the relationship has grown deeper and sweeter through the years.

So the question for those of you reading this is, "Do you know Him, and His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, not just know about Him, but know Him and have a relationship with Him?"  Do you have fellowship and communion with Him?  Are you intimate with Him?  Do you know that you know Him?  For if you do, then you can know and rest assured that you have eternal life.

Thought for the Day

Our motive for obedience is just as important,

probably more so, to God than the level of our performance.

Jerry Bridges

Discipline of Grace

Page 123

Thinking Right Thoughts

"The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father,

the greatest unkindness you can do to Him is not to believe

that He loves you."

John Owen

Communion with God

But God demonstrates His own love for us,
in that while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8



The Uniqueness of the Word of God

The very same word of God will convict of sin, lead to repentance, and assure of forgiveness.
The very same word of God that wounds also heals.
The very same word of God that breaks also mends.
The very same word of God that chastises also comforts.
The very same word of God that saves also sustains and sanctifies.

The word of God feeds the hungry, slakes the thirsty, and stimulates both appetites for more.

The word of God confronts sin, prevents sin, and cures sin.

The word of God:
       gives life to the dead soul.
       brings warmth to the cold soul.
       brings light to the dark soul.
       gives sight to the blind soul.
       gives cheer to the sad soul.
       lifts up the heavy soul.
       comforts the bereaved soul.
       shores up the unstable soul.
       puts balm on the wounded soul.
       corrects the erring soul.
       protects the tender soul.

The word of God reveals the mind of God, the heart of God, the will of God, the plan of God, the purposes of God; and therefore gives us the perspective of God.

The world of God gives us the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self.

The word of God prayed puts us in the will of God and under the promises of God.

The word of God, believed and lived, makes us right with God and pleasing to God.

The word of God is how God speaks to us, guides us, directs us, and matures us.

The word of God:
       love it.
       treasure it.
       know it.
       believe it.
       read it.
       study it.
       meditate upon it.
       sit under its teaching and proclamation.

The word of God.  You really cannot live your spiritual life without it.

A Different Take on Love Wins-Part II

In Part I we saw how God has a particular and specific love for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He loves us with the same love with which He loves His Son. This is a familial love, a love that a father has for his own son. This love is not for those who are of the world, those who have not been adopted into the family of God, those who have not believed on Christ, His person and His finished work on our behalf. So let's see what else we can glean about this wondrous love of God.

His Particular Love is an Eternal Love

Remember when we were looking at the love of the Father for the Son and we saw that He loved both the Son and His own before the foundation of the world (John 17:24, Ephesians 1:4). This means that before time began God already loved us. God's love for us is from eternity past, so in the eternal mind of God there has never been a time when He did not love us. This fact should give all of us who belong to Him a security in our relationship with Him. It also highlights His unmerited grace in bringing us to Himself. Before we were born, and could do anything good or bad He already loved us with an everlasting love. His love for us has always been, it will always be, and everything connected with His purpose for us revolves around this eternal love with which He loves us. Why can we never be separated from His love, as was stated in Romans 8:32? Because His love for us will never cease! We see a picture of this in Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." The Lord is talking to Israel in this passage, but in it we see pictured His eternal love for those who are His own. Think about what it means that God has always loved you with the same love with which He has always loved His Son. Because God loves us with the same love with which He loves His Son, He would no sooner let us go than He would His own Son. What a humbling truth! At a minimum it should fill your heart with thanksgiving and humble your soul.

His Particular Love is an Electing Love

I commented earlier that to be beloved is to be the object of a particular love or the particular object of someone's love. We are the beloved of God, and therefore we are the particular object of His love (those on whom He bestows His love), and the object of His particular love (the same love with which He loves the Son, a familial love). But there is also something that goes along with being His beloved. Let's look at some Scriptures together to see what that is.

Ephesians 1:4b-5a In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ.
Colossians 3:12a So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved....
II Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 1:4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;
Jude 1:1 Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

Did you notice that God has only called beloved His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those whom He has chosen beforehand for salvation. He calls no one else beloved.  Did you also notice the connection between love and predestination; being beloved and being chosen, called, and kept. Because we are the particular objects of His particular love (His beloved), He chose us out of the world unto Himself, and has given us to His Son. This particular love is a love of choice, not compulsion. He chose to set His affection upon us, and the result of this is His drawing of us to Himself. He loves whom He chooses and He chooses whom He loves, and if you are not loved with this particular love you are not predestined for salvation, chosen, called, or kept. We see that He only saves those on whom He has set His particular love, the same love with which He loves His Son, upon from all eternity.  This is all done in accordance with the kind intention of His will to accomplish His eternal purpose, which God carried out in Christ.

When we start contemplating this we soon bump the ceiling of our understanding. And that is okay. This causes many questions to come up, the foremost of which is, "Why did God choose to love me, and therefore save me, and not person X?" One day we will know fully as we have been fully known, but until that time we can be in rapt wonder of the greatness of the mind of God, and how incomprehensible His ways are. This truth is transcendent, one that is above and beyond us and our rational capabilities. Suffice it to say that there is enough here to cause us to bow low before Him in holy reverence and awe. It is truths like this that set God apart as God, and let us know that He is truly a God who is deserving of all worship.

His Particular Love is a Saving Love

Because we are loved with a particular love, God has chosen us, and because He has chosen us we are saved. To be loved with this particular love is to be chosen, selected out of the mass of humanity headed for hell, for salvation. The outcome of this love is our salvation, our deliverance from the penalty, power, and ultimately, the presence of sin. The wages of sin is death, and the consequence of sin is the just judgement of a holy God. Ephesians 2:2-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Apart from the love of God we would not know salvation. In His choosing to love us our salvation was guaranteed and our eternal state was fixed. I am reminded of a statement by A. W. Pink to the effect that the crucifixion of Christ did not make our salvation possible, it made it certain.

II Timothy :8b-9 ...according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. The love of God is most manifest in the person of Christ, and it is through the person and work of Christ that He has brought salvation to those whom He has set His great love upon. God's love for you is in accordance with His eternal purpose which has been carried out in Christ.

Christian friends, rejoice and be glad, be thankful and worshipful, that God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. Marvel at the wondrous love with which you are loved by the Father. Give thanks to God for loving you so, for loving you with the same love with which He loved the Son, and for placing this love upon you.

A Different Take on Love Wins-Part I

Today and tomorrow I am reposting this two part series on the love of God as a biblical response to the book "Love Wins" by Rob Bell.  Yes, love does win, but it is the love of God described and delineated in the Scriptures, not the love that Rob Bell has made up.

Today I want to talk about the love of God, which, I believe, is the grandest theme in the Scriptures. The love of God is what has prompted Him to do all that He has done on our behalf. Yes, I know that ultimately all things are for His glory, but it is through His love that His glory is most vibrantly and visibly expressed. In I John 4:8 & 16 we see that God is love. He doesn't possess love, but He is love; and that love is manifested in, an oh so tangible way, in and through the person of Christ. So let's press on to know more fully this love which is part and parcel of the very nature of God. It is part of who He is and cannot be separated from Him.

The general love of God

First, there is the general love of God for mankind. I know that there are those among our hyper-reformed brothers that will say that God does not love mankind, but only the elect, and that He is angry with the wicked every day. While it is true that God is angry with the wicked every day, it does not, and has not, kept Him from loving mankind. Let's look at some examples from Scripture.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Again, there are those who will say that this verse only applies to the elect, and if this verse were the only verse like it in the Scriptures, which it is not, then that argument might have some weight. However, the word for world here is kosmos. It is used 151 times in the NT and always means this created world, its order, or the people who inhabit it. Also, in this verse we see the word whosoever. It does not say for God so loved the elect, that they would believe in Jesus (even though that is true, and we shall see more on that later), but that God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved. Whosoever is very clear in its meaning and it means anyone who will. A synonomous verse to John 3:16 is II Corinthians 5:19...God was in Christ reconciling the world (kosmos) to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them (Compare this little section with Acts 17:30), and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. God has made reconciliation with Himself available to the world (unredeemed humanity). Why? Because God has a general love for mankind. It is also interesting to note here that the word for love used in John 3:16 is agapao, which is the word for love used in I John 4:8 & 16. God can not deny Himself, or be other than He is, so we see this love of God revealed in His love for this world, and the people who inhabit it.

Additionally, let's look at Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us... The phrase, love for mankind, is one word in the Greek and that word is philanthropia, from which we get our word philanthropy. It is composed of two Greek words, phileo--which means brotherly love; and anthropos--which means mankind. This is a very specific word to denote God's charitable, benevolent love and kindly disposition for all of mankind. It is used only one other time in the NT and that is in Acts 28:2.

But, let's don't stop there, let's look at Matthew 5:43-48, the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as you heavenly Father is perfect." Notice that Jesus is saying here that we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, and to do that we must love not only those who love us, because even the most despised (tax collectors) do that; but also those who hate us and persecute us; and what is implied here is that God loves those who are His enemies (which He would automatically since He is love). So God does love the wicked, even those who are his enemies, which we all are until He saves us (Romans 5:10).

Finally, let's look at the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22. We all know the story about how he turned away from Christ because he did not want to give up his possessions. But what is interesting here is the attitude of Jesus towards this young man. Let's pick this story up in 10:21 Looking at him Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack; go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." Here we see the heart of God, revealed through Christ, and His love (agape) for this one person, and how this love prompted Christ to reveal to this young man what was between him and heaven, even though He knew the young man would reject Him and walk away; and it is interesting to note here that even though Jesus felt a love for this young man, He let him walk away from Him and spurn His offer of salvation.

Because of God's love for this world, mankind, all those who are his enemies, and, yes, even individuals, He has made salvation available to all, by giving His Son, that whosoever believes in His Son will have life eternal. God is love, and He cannot be other than who He is, and we see His love for mankind revealed in these verses.

The particular love of God for His Son

However, there is another dimension to the love of God, and to understand that we need to look back into eternity past to see it. God gives us a glimpse of it in John 17:24 in the prayer of Christ, "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, be with Me where I am so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." We see here that the Father has loved the Son, God the Father has loved Jesus the Son, since before time began. So for all eternity there has been the love of the Father for the Son. A father's particular love for his own son has always existed between God and Christ. Now we also see here that Jesus wants this love to be known by those whom God has given Him (the elect) as they will see it manifested in the glory bestowed on the Son by the Father when they are with Him.

We see this attitude of the Father towards the Son manifested in Matthew 3:17 For this is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. To be the beloved of someone is to be the particular object of their love, or the object of someone's particular love. We see this stated in a more distinct way in Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (literally, the Son of His love). The Son has always been the particular object of the love of the Father, so we can safely say that the Father has a particular love for the Son, and can understand that because we see it paralleled in this world by the particular love each father has for his own son. We see a manifestation of this love of the Father for the Son in John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. So the Father loves the Son in different way than the Father loves the world as the Son is the particular object of His love, and this love has always existed between the Father and the Son.

The particular love of God for those who are His own

How does God love us, those who belong to Him? We know He loves the world, he loves mankind, but how does He love us, those whom He has called out of the world. To understand this let's go back to John 17:23-24 & 26. Again this is Jesus praying, "I in them and You in Me, that they maybe perfected in unity, so the the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with me where I am so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world...and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. It is important to note here that in verse 23 Jesus states that the purpose behind the unity of those who believe in Him would be that the world, the same kosmos that God loves with a general love, would know that not only that the Father sent the Son, but that the Father loves those who believe in the Son with the same love with which He loves the Son. The truth given here, that God loves those who believe in His Son with the same love with which He loves the Son is a staggering truth, one that is almost incomprehensible, and is surely inexplicable. It always causes me to pause and catch my spiritual breath. But, while contemplating this great and wonderful truth, we must also not miss the fact that God does not love the world with the same love with which He loves the Son, this love is only for those who place their faith in Christ Jesus.

The Familial love of God

As we have already seen in John 17 God loves us with the same love with which He loves the Son. Tie this in with Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. We see that God's plan from before the foundation of the world was for those of us who name the name of Christ as our Savior to be the brethren of His Son, and that Christ was to have the place of preeminence as the firstborn of the sons of God. It is not those of the world who are the brethren of Christ, but only those whom God has predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Therefore the love of God for the Son is only for those who are among the family of God.

This is said a little differently, but just as succinctly in I John 3:1. Notice how beautifully John expresses the richness of this truth. See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God, for such we are. The love of the family is reserved for those who are members of the family, and the familial love we see here upon the earth is a dim and imperfect expression of the familial love of God as we have been created in His image, and this image has been marred by sin. This familial love of God is lavishly and graciously bestowed only upon those who are His children and we never see in Scripture those of the world being called the children of the living God. It is only those whom God has called out of the world and place their faith in Christ who become His children.

This is said much more strongly and forcefully in Ephesians 1:4-5a just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world....In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself. This verse brings together all the other verses concerning our status as children of God and tells us how God went about making us His children and the brethren of Christ. We have been adopted. Even better, we see that the reason behind our adoption is the love of God. We know from John 17:24 that the Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world, and from this verse in Ephesians we see that we were also loved before the foundation of the world. What does this mean? It means that God loved us with the same love He had for the Son, that familial love, before the foundation of the world, and because of that love and out of that love He predestined us for adoption as his children. What a wonderful and deep truth to dwell upon, that from eternity past God loves us with the same eternal love with which He loves Jesus and the outworking of that love is our admittance into the family of God; and now we can get insight into why Paul could boldly cry out in Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It reminds me of Psalm 36:7-8 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of your house; and You give them to drink of the river of your delights. Oh, the wonder and magnificence of it all!

To be continued

Praying the Scriptures

"He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

Read this verse over and over, meditate upon it; and pray it for yourself for the next month.  Watch how the Lord answers this prayer.  How do we know He will answer it?  Because it is His will for us and we know that if we ask for anything according to His will He hears us, and if He hears us we know we have the requests for which we have asked.  What could be better than being in His will!

Our Great God

The Humble Man

For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord.

But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and

Contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

For thus says the high and exalted One

Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,

"I dwell on a high and holy place,

And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit

In order to revive the spirit of the lowly

And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 57:15

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says,

"God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:6

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,

for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore,

I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so the the power

of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with

weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,

with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

II Corinthians 12:9-10

...whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving

by the strength which God supplies...

I Peter 4:11b

The humble man is an empowered man.



The Humble Man

"For My hand made all these things, thus all these

things came into being," declares the Lord.

"But to this one I will look, to him who is humble

and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."

Isaiah 66:2

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

When pride comes, then comes dishonor,

but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men

but as wise, making the most of your time, because the

days are evil.  So then do not be foolish, but understand

what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Who among you is wise and understanding?  Let him

show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness

of wisdom...But the wisdom from above is first pure,

then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and

good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the

seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace

by those who make peace.

James 3:13, 17-18

The humble man is a wise man.

The Humble Man

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand

of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.

I Peter 5:6

Blessed are the humble, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Psalm 37:11

The humble man is a blessed man.

The Humble Man

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit,

but with humility of mind regard one another

as more important than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3

Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them,

"If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all

and servant of all."

Mark 9:35

The Job answered the Lord, and said,

"I know that You can do all things,

And that no purpose of Your can be thwarted.

Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?

Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,

Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my

eyes see You; Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes."

Job 42:1-6

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;

Nor do I involve myself in great matters,

Or in things too difficult for me.

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;

Like a weaned child rests against His mother,

My soul is like a weaned child within me.

Psalm 131:1-2

The humble man knows his place before God and before men.

The Humble Man

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also

in Christ Jesus...Being found in appearance as man,

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point

of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5, 8

Submit therefore to God.

James 4:7a

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand

of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.

I Peter 5:6

Samuel said, "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt

offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

I Samuel 15:22

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"

Luke 6:46

The humble man is an obedient man.

The Humble Man

For a day in Your courts is better

than a thousand outside.

Psalm 84:10a

"If anyone wishes to come after Me,

he must deny himself, take up his cross

daily, and follow Me."

Luke 9:23

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.

Psalm 51:17a

Come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 95:6

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at
His footstool; holy is He.
Psalm 99:5

The humble man is a worshipping man.

The Humble Man

"For My hand made all these things,

Thus all these things came into being,"

declares the Lord.

But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and contrite

of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God

produces a repentance without regret, leading to

salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow,

has produced in you:  what vindication of yourselves, what

indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging

of wrong!  In everything you demonstrated yourselves

innocent in the matter.

II Corinthians 7:10-11

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart, O God,

You will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

The humble man is a contrite man.

The Humble Man

Open my eyes, that I may behold

Wonderful things from Your law.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,

And I shall observe it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may observe

Your law and keep it with all my heart.

Make me walk in the path of Your

Commandments for I delight in it.

  

Establish Your word to Your servant

As that which produces reverence for You.

You have dealt well with Your servant,

O Lord, according to Your word.

Psalm 119:18, 33-35,  38, 65

The humble man is a teachable man.



The Humble Man

He has told you, O Man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

"For My hand made all these things,

Thus, all these things came into being,"

declares, the Lord.

But to this one I will look, to him who

is humble and contrite of spirit,

and who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:2

 Tremble, and do not sin;

Meditate in your heart upon

your bed and be still.

Psalm 4:4

But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness
I will enter Your house, at Your holy temple
I will bow in reverence for You.
Psalm 5:7

The humble man is a reverent man.

A Pastor's Prayer

Father, guard my heart and my mind.  Work within me

only that which is pleasing in Your sight. I am frail and weak

 in my own strength; so help me by the strength which

You supply to live a life worthy of the gospel of Your Son,

 and a life worthy of the calling with which I have been called.

  Help me to be an example to the flock, living a life worthy

 of admiration and imitation.  Guard me from my own self,

and give me a sensitivity to the sin which so easily entangles me.

  Help me to fight the good fight of faith and finish

my course without disqualification. 

AMEN.

A Pastor's Simple Prayer

Father, let not the sin in my own life

be an impediment, or an excuse, for those

in my flock in dealing with the sin in

their own lives.

A Pastor's Simple Prayer

Lord, help me to adorn the doctrine I preach

with the life that I live.



Sin and Death

But each one is tempted when he is carried away

and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has

conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is

accomplished, it brings forth death.

James 1:14-15

....The soul who sins will die.

Ezekiel 18:4b

Death is the constant companion of sin.  In fact, it is   

such a close companion that the two cannot be separated.

Christ came down to destroy the works of the devil.  The

works of the devil are sin and death; and the power of both

were broken in His crucifixion, and overcome by His resurrection.

Something We Can All Agree On

Kevin DeYoung shows us the different views from the three main branches of those who call themselves Christian, on the basis of authority. Very succinct.

Something We Can All Agree On

ONE THING

One thing

Keeping the main thing the main thing.