I have said (at least to myself) that our world has lost and continues to decline in its ability to look at the world and think critically. I can only observe that there was a time in our history when you could disagree on a subject and still be friends. In our world today when Ellen and George Bush appear to be having fun together the world goes crazy. We have lost the ability to think critically. We are driven by "statistics and facts". And so people tell Ellen that George Bush statistically and factually is a person whom you should not be friends with.
When did we start to measure our relationships by those that agree with us and do only the things that we approve of and how do we not see this as a problem? We look to CNN to give us polls and numbers and we determine on the basis of the statistics that we see where the problems are. We trust that every single car company out there is the NUMBER ONE CAR COMPANY IN AMERICA. Ford, Chevy, Toyota and Dodge - all number one. Every cable and satellite company is number one in customer satisfaction. Every cell phone company. Every presidential candidate. And yet we measure our lives by these fabricated statistics without examining any of them with any measure of critical thinking. We hear statistics about crime and avoid people who frighten us because they look like the guy we saw on the news.
The problem with this is that some of this same kind of mentality is precisely what led to Hitler being in power. First it was economic turmoil that needed someone to blame. So Hitler turned all of that into power as he theorized who was to blame and then created a path out of the economic turmoil that included horrible treatment of multiple people groups who as it turned out did not look like Hitler or think like Hitler. People who were not like him were now the enemy. When I hear our present day political discussions I cannot help but think we may be close to a similar problem. And history tells us how this kind of thinking turns out in the end. It turns out with the worst marginalization of anyone who does not agree with the party in power at the time.
As Christians it is our job not to simply engage the world, it is our job to live with the love of Christ, the joy of Christ, and the mind of Christ among other things. So the next time you read a news article, or hear something on the radio, let us not lose our collective minds over whatever it happens to be. Let us stop and think both critically and most of all biblically about whatever it happens to be. And then let us engage our world in a Christ-like fashion. Willing to speak the truth but loving sinners while calling them out of their sin.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Emphasizing Missions
This past Sunday was Missions Emphasis Sunday. I really enjoy the privilege of listening to God's Word. It is something that as a preacher I do not usually get to do live. I can listen to speakers online or on the radio and I certainly am studying during the week, but there is something about the spoken Word of God that is just wonderful to hear. I am grateful to Mike Deen for preaching it well as our keynote speaker for Missions Emphasis.
I am also grateful for our Missions Committee, who put together such a wonderful day of focus on mission. I am grateful because they remembered to include the idea that we have to be willing to serve Jesus here in our local community. Sometimes I can get caught up in all of the great stories of what is happening overseas in Ukraine or Africa or Brazil that I forget all of the good and important things that God is doing right here in my own backyard. I can be so focused on people needing to hear the gospel in a foreign country that I forget that people need to hear the gospel next door to where I live and work.
I am thankful that we have the joy of participating within the context of our own church family and serving each other. I am thankful that our church has opportunities for people to minister. I am thankful for people in our church who understand that our ministry as a church extends beyond our four walls and go out and serve in various ministries like a work camp or that help our crisis pregnancy center. I am thankful for those who serve in ministries like Gideons. I am thankful for those that faithfully serve our AWANA program and VBS as we see these programs bring these families that need the good news right into our church building!
I really enjoyall that we are able to do together as we serve our Savior for the glory of God! And I love that we were able to focus on these practical things on one of our Missions Emphasis Sundays!
I am also grateful for our Missions Committee, who put together such a wonderful day of focus on mission. I am grateful because they remembered to include the idea that we have to be willing to serve Jesus here in our local community. Sometimes I can get caught up in all of the great stories of what is happening overseas in Ukraine or Africa or Brazil that I forget all of the good and important things that God is doing right here in my own backyard. I can be so focused on people needing to hear the gospel in a foreign country that I forget that people need to hear the gospel next door to where I live and work.
I am thankful that we have the joy of participating within the context of our own church family and serving each other. I am thankful that our church has opportunities for people to minister. I am thankful for people in our church who understand that our ministry as a church extends beyond our four walls and go out and serve in various ministries like a work camp or that help our crisis pregnancy center. I am thankful for those who serve in ministries like Gideons. I am thankful for those that faithfully serve our AWANA program and VBS as we see these programs bring these families that need the good news right into our church building!
I really enjoyall that we are able to do together as we serve our Savior for the glory of God! And I love that we were able to focus on these practical things on one of our Missions Emphasis Sundays!
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
A Public Service Announcement
This is your friendly neighborhood blog post, reminding you of something that I think we forget - giving thanks to God is not limited to November on the fourth Thursday. In point of fact, we are commanded by God in this book that He has given us to give thanks.
"Rejoice Always;" (1 Thessalonians 5:16, NASB).
And then just 2 verses later. . .
"in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB)
Now if you are not a scholar in biblical Greek, that is OK. You can still understand this verse plainly because what it says it says very plainly. I want to make just a few observations about what it says.
1. "In everything" - I think that most people know what the word everything means. It means exactly what it says. In every single thing that God allows in your life you are called to do something.
2. "Give thanks" - this is what you are called to do in every thing. Notice that thanks is given. It is like a gift back to the one who has gifted you. The trouble is that we tend to forget number 1. We tend to give thanks when we have received something we wanted or are surprised by but know we will really enjoy. We write thank you cards to those who give to us, we don't write thank you cards to our cable company or the electric company or to those people who seem to only want to take from us. So we have a hard time giving thanks to God for all things because we only want to be thankful for the things from God that we like!
3. "This is God's will" - I love how many people think they want to know what the will of God is for their lives, but forget that the Bible clearly states what God wants from them. He wants them to give thanks in every single thing that happens in their life. Are you in the midst of turmoil - give thanks! Are you having a terrible day at work? Give thanks. God wants you to give thanks.
4. "In Christ Jesus" - I also find it fascinating that God knows me. He knows I cannot give thanks on my own and so He reminds me that I need Jesus to be able to do this. This is what God will for me in Christ Jesus. And in this I have not only the power (in Christ) but also the means. In Christ I can be thankful for things even in the midst of turmoil or a bad day at work. Nothing this side of eternity can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And that alone is something to be thankful for.
Give Thanks.
"Rejoice Always;" (1 Thessalonians 5:16, NASB).
And then just 2 verses later. . .
"in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NASB)
Now if you are not a scholar in biblical Greek, that is OK. You can still understand this verse plainly because what it says it says very plainly. I want to make just a few observations about what it says.
1. "In everything" - I think that most people know what the word everything means. It means exactly what it says. In every single thing that God allows in your life you are called to do something.
2. "Give thanks" - this is what you are called to do in every thing. Notice that thanks is given. It is like a gift back to the one who has gifted you. The trouble is that we tend to forget number 1. We tend to give thanks when we have received something we wanted or are surprised by but know we will really enjoy. We write thank you cards to those who give to us, we don't write thank you cards to our cable company or the electric company or to those people who seem to only want to take from us. So we have a hard time giving thanks to God for all things because we only want to be thankful for the things from God that we like!
3. "This is God's will" - I love how many people think they want to know what the will of God is for their lives, but forget that the Bible clearly states what God wants from them. He wants them to give thanks in every single thing that happens in their life. Are you in the midst of turmoil - give thanks! Are you having a terrible day at work? Give thanks. God wants you to give thanks.
4. "In Christ Jesus" - I also find it fascinating that God knows me. He knows I cannot give thanks on my own and so He reminds me that I need Jesus to be able to do this. This is what God will for me in Christ Jesus. And in this I have not only the power (in Christ) but also the means. In Christ I can be thankful for things even in the midst of turmoil or a bad day at work. Nothing this side of eternity can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And that alone is something to be thankful for.
Give Thanks.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
5 Things to Pray for the Students in your Church
Let us be honest for a minute and realize that we need to pray for our kids. I am not talking in a general sense, but in a very specific sense. I am saying that in a world of spiritual warfare that they are ill equipped to understand, we need to lift our young people up in prayer. I do not think that this world is changing for the better and I think that there are issues that our students are facing at an earlier and earlier age. This means they are less prepared mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually to handle much of what comes their way. And so we pray.
1. Pray that your students would build their relationship with God first.
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
2. Pray that your students would equip themselves with the armor of God.
"Finally, Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might."
3. Pray that your students would be students of the Word of God.
"so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
4. Pray that your students would be salt and light.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. . ."
5. Pray for the testimony of your students.
"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."
I think that far too often we are focused on their grades, their socialization, the group of friends that they are bringing home, their relationships with people of the opposite gender, their involvement, etc. Maybe we need to bathe this year in prayer for their testimonies and that they would have a godly testimony in the sight of their peers and their teachers. Remember that God gets the glory, not just in the lives of adults, but in the lives of our kids too!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Is Jesus the Answer?
I wanted to share an excerpt from a book I recently read called Core Christianity by Michael Horton.
"Jesus isn't just the answer to our questions; he gives us better questions. It's not that our needs are unimportant, it's that they're so shortsighted. We don't know what we really need. Our immediate problems are not necessarily our deepest or our most serious. We focus on the symptoms because they are right in front of us. And they are real: loneliness, abandonment, guilt, fear, depression, broken relationships, and financial or health issues. But Jesus Christ is the answer to the deeper and wider problems that we all face. He did not come just to give us our best life now. He came to give us eternal life. He came to free us from the curse of death and hell and the tyranny of those habits that poison our relationship with God and others."
(Horton, Michael. Core Christianity. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016)
I love the first line. Jesus is not just the answer to our questions, He gives us better questions to ask! It is interesting because most of us are trained to be inherently selfish and centered solely on our own needs and wants and we have a hard time differentiating the two. In fact, some things that we call needs are not needs at all. When we were shopping for a house we made a list of things we "needed". Maybe you have done something similar. On that list we had multiple bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, a garage etc. These are not needs and many people around the world would scoff at what I called a need.
Jesus refocuses my life. He gives me a new perspective. He does not just make my perspective a little better He calls me to total surrender and demands that I hear and listen to His perspective. He calls my views of my own life and needs not only inadequate, but sinful and demands that I change. So often we get this all backward. We find ourselves content with our own understanding of the world and our own emotional responses to situations. We learn to trust a great deal in ourselves and when our world turns upside down we turn to those things we have learned to rely upon. And God comes and tells us we are doing it all wrong. We should not turn to strength, but revel in our own weakness that God's power is manifested. We should not trust in horses and chariots, but trust in the name of the Lord our God. We should not lean on our own understanding but always acknowledge God and understand that His ways are higher (and better) than ours!
God help me to ask better questions and realize all of the answers that you have already given me in Jesus!
"Jesus isn't just the answer to our questions; he gives us better questions. It's not that our needs are unimportant, it's that they're so shortsighted. We don't know what we really need. Our immediate problems are not necessarily our deepest or our most serious. We focus on the symptoms because they are right in front of us. And they are real: loneliness, abandonment, guilt, fear, depression, broken relationships, and financial or health issues. But Jesus Christ is the answer to the deeper and wider problems that we all face. He did not come just to give us our best life now. He came to give us eternal life. He came to free us from the curse of death and hell and the tyranny of those habits that poison our relationship with God and others."
(Horton, Michael. Core Christianity. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016)
I love the first line. Jesus is not just the answer to our questions, He gives us better questions to ask! It is interesting because most of us are trained to be inherently selfish and centered solely on our own needs and wants and we have a hard time differentiating the two. In fact, some things that we call needs are not needs at all. When we were shopping for a house we made a list of things we "needed". Maybe you have done something similar. On that list we had multiple bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, a garage etc. These are not needs and many people around the world would scoff at what I called a need.
Jesus refocuses my life. He gives me a new perspective. He does not just make my perspective a little better He calls me to total surrender and demands that I hear and listen to His perspective. He calls my views of my own life and needs not only inadequate, but sinful and demands that I change. So often we get this all backward. We find ourselves content with our own understanding of the world and our own emotional responses to situations. We learn to trust a great deal in ourselves and when our world turns upside down we turn to those things we have learned to rely upon. And God comes and tells us we are doing it all wrong. We should not turn to strength, but revel in our own weakness that God's power is manifested. We should not trust in horses and chariots, but trust in the name of the Lord our God. We should not lean on our own understanding but always acknowledge God and understand that His ways are higher (and better) than ours!
God help me to ask better questions and realize all of the answers that you have already given me in Jesus!
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
The Armor of God
"Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." Ephesians 6:13 (NASB)
My last post was about the ways that Satan wants to break down a church. Thankfully, God does not leave us without the ability to withstand the onslaught that Satan will bring. But, we have to prepare ourselves with armor that neither belongs to us or comes naturally to us. I do not wish to rehash the sermon that I just preached (although if you would like it is online through the website www.whitelakebaptist.com. But I do want to make a few points about the verse that I listed above in particular.
1. We are supposed to take up the full armor of God. Not a part of the armor, but the full armor. I cannot imagine that if we were going to war and defending ourselves with a suit of armor that we would intentionally leave off a part. We need all of it. We need truth and righteousness and the gospel and faith and salvation and the Word of God. We cannot stand properly against everything that the devil throws at us without all of the armor - do not leave part of it behind!
2. Notice that as you put on the armor, you have two responsibilities. One is to resist and the other is to stand firm. At the end of it all God does not want us to storm the gates of hell and conquer Satan. That would make no sense given that Satan is already defeated. He does however know that the modus operandi that Satan has is to try and tear down believers through deception and lies until the day that Christ returns. A deceived believer is useless to his Savior and a benefit to the opposition. We instead are to simply hold our ground!
3. It is worth reminding ourselves of over and over again - the therefore is there for a reason and in this case the reason is the reminder that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against forces of darkness and wickedness (verse 12). No matter what is happening in your life, your primary struggle is not against whatever it is. It is not against cancer, it is not against people, it is not against politics. Our primary struggle is against Satan. This is not to say that Satan is behind every corner, but it does point out that he is the one with whom we war. The funny thing about this is that the war that Satan knows he is fighting is ultimately pointless. Satan has already lost and his doom is sure. But he is not too happy with that and so he continues to fight rather than graciously accept his own defeat. Praise God for the victory that we already have through the work of Christ!
My last post was about the ways that Satan wants to break down a church. Thankfully, God does not leave us without the ability to withstand the onslaught that Satan will bring. But, we have to prepare ourselves with armor that neither belongs to us or comes naturally to us. I do not wish to rehash the sermon that I just preached (although if you would like it is online through the website www.whitelakebaptist.com. But I do want to make a few points about the verse that I listed above in particular.
1. We are supposed to take up the full armor of God. Not a part of the armor, but the full armor. I cannot imagine that if we were going to war and defending ourselves with a suit of armor that we would intentionally leave off a part. We need all of it. We need truth and righteousness and the gospel and faith and salvation and the Word of God. We cannot stand properly against everything that the devil throws at us without all of the armor - do not leave part of it behind!
2. Notice that as you put on the armor, you have two responsibilities. One is to resist and the other is to stand firm. At the end of it all God does not want us to storm the gates of hell and conquer Satan. That would make no sense given that Satan is already defeated. He does however know that the modus operandi that Satan has is to try and tear down believers through deception and lies until the day that Christ returns. A deceived believer is useless to his Savior and a benefit to the opposition. We instead are to simply hold our ground!
3. It is worth reminding ourselves of over and over again - the therefore is there for a reason and in this case the reason is the reminder that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against forces of darkness and wickedness (verse 12). No matter what is happening in your life, your primary struggle is not against whatever it is. It is not against cancer, it is not against people, it is not against politics. Our primary struggle is against Satan. This is not to say that Satan is behind every corner, but it does point out that he is the one with whom we war. The funny thing about this is that the war that Satan knows he is fighting is ultimately pointless. Satan has already lost and his doom is sure. But he is not too happy with that and so he continues to fight rather than graciously accept his own defeat. Praise God for the victory that we already have through the work of Christ!
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
How to Destroy a Church
I regularly receive a devotional from Ligonier ministries. The most recent arrival contained an interesting portion that imitated C.S. Lewis work The Screwtape Letters. The devotional is written in the same style as the Lewis book in that it is written as though it is written by an older and wiser demon with the goal of instructing a younger demon how to accomplish the purposes intended for him. The devotional contained 16 such attacks that have the potential to destroy the church. I wanted to note these 16 things as I think they do have the potential to destroy the church and want to make sure that we avoid them. Please remember that as these are written allegorically from one demon to another as things that will work to destroy the church and not things that I condone. I encourage us to find no place for these attacks by countering them with their opposite.
1. Erode Evangelism and Missions
2. Cultivate Cowardice and Worldliness
3. Subvert Communion and Baptism
4. Wreck the Word of God
5. Wear Down Worship
6. Push Against Personal Piety (holiness)
7. Demonize Church Discipline
8. Make Marriage Miserable
9. Fracture Families
10. Destroy Doctrine
11. Frustrate Fellowship
12. Obliterate Offerings
13. Pulverize the Pastor's Family
14. Sabotage Sanctification
15. Diminish Deacons
16. Attack Assurance
I know that I have seen Satan at work doing these things, sometimes even in our own church. May God help us fight Satan with the power of the Spirit of God and the truth of the Word of God for the glory of God!
1. Erode Evangelism and Missions
2. Cultivate Cowardice and Worldliness
3. Subvert Communion and Baptism
4. Wreck the Word of God
5. Wear Down Worship
6. Push Against Personal Piety (holiness)
7. Demonize Church Discipline
8. Make Marriage Miserable
9. Fracture Families
10. Destroy Doctrine
11. Frustrate Fellowship
12. Obliterate Offerings
13. Pulverize the Pastor's Family
14. Sabotage Sanctification
15. Diminish Deacons
16. Attack Assurance
I know that I have seen Satan at work doing these things, sometimes even in our own church. May God help us fight Satan with the power of the Spirit of God and the truth of the Word of God for the glory of God!
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