Resolve and Commitment

I usually don't make New Year's Resolutions. I have done it in the past at times, but just like everyone else, usually by mid-January I've failed miserably. I wonder why that is so. Is it that we lack perseverance? Do we lack commitment? Whether its weight loss, avoiding chocolate, or attempting to pray more and execute a Bible reading program, we usually look to the new year with optimism that this will be the year we do better. And then, not too far into the new year we're in the same habits and rut that characterized the previous year, and the year before that... and the year before that. I am not sure I have the answer to this phenomenon of continued failed resolutions. Should we just not make them - and then we can't fail? Are our goals too lofty and we set ourselves up for failure? What's the problem?

I might suggest that we have trivialized the word 'resolution'. We make them, we break them. We make them again, we break them again. It's like when you were a teenager and you had 100 different boyfriends or girlfriends. You broke up, dated someone else, dropped them like yesterday's newspaper, picked up someone else, and on and on... 'Resolve' and 'commitment' become trivialized in our culture. So much so, that our desire to read more scripture in the new year gets dropped like a hot potato and replaced by spending hours on the internet. Our desire to commune with Christ in more meaningful prayer gets preempted by the television.

I say that we Christians take back the true meaning of 'resolve' and 'commitment' by making those words ring as true in our lives as something that resembles the strong resolve and commitment that we see in something like a healthy marriage. A couple with a healthy marriage has in no way trivialize the meaning of commitment. Resolve and commitment requires hard work and determination. The disciplines of Bible study and fervent prayer are not for the lazy. If we are not willing to do the hard work required in fulfilling a commitment, then our New Year's resolutions for this year will end up the same way they did in 2008: in disappointment and failure.

This year I want to commit to one theme: stronger commitment to our local church. That would consist of several things: I want to work harder in the areas in which I am already involved. I want to be able to give more. I want to pray for our pastors more. I want to commit more of my time to my fellow worshippers. With God's grace I will not be as ineffective with this year's resolutions as in past years. And with God's grace, neither will you...

Happy New Year,
Mark

Too Much to Ask?

A few short days ago we lavished gifts on our kids. It was a special time! Any parent should get great joy out of giving gifts to their children... especially gifts they had really wanted and asked for.
This morning as I read through a passage in the Sermon on the Mount, it struck a chord with me in relation to this gift-giving to our children on Christmas day. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

So, shouldn't we be spending time at the feet of the Father? Shouldn't we, with faith like a child, be asking him for those things we need? He doesn't lavish His own gifts upon us because He's a kill-joy. Quite the contrary... He takes great joy in meeting our needs. Bowing our knee to spend a few minutes to ask... is not too much to ask. Is it?

Heidelberg Catechism Question #43

Question 43. What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?

Answer: That by virtue thereof, our old man is crucified, dead and buried with him; (a) that so the corrupt inclinations of the flesh may no more reign in us; (b) but that we may offer ourselves unto him a sacrifice of thanksgiving. (c)

(a) Rom.6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (b) Rom.6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Rom.6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. Rom.6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Rom.6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom.6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Col.2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (c) Rom.12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

This is really good news for us who are saved but still struggle with sin (which is all believers if we're honest). The 'old man' is dead. The person we were in Adam was crucified. According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and the statements in this 43rd question, there is a distinction between the 'old man' (which died) and the 'body of sin' (the flesh). The 'flesh' is the body in which sin tends to tyrannize still, the body in which sin yet remains. The good news is this: when Christ was buried in His grave, the 'old man' was with Him in it. But why do we still struggle with sin in the flesh? Lloyd-Jones goes on to tell us that the hold of sin upon us, even in the body, has been rendered null and void and ineffective. The objective of 'salvation' is that we may be rid entirely and completely of sin and its effects. The whole objective of 'grace' and 'salvation' is to deliver us from sin in every part - in personality and finally even in the body. The bottom line is that even though our 'old man' in Adam was slain and buried, our earthly bodies still houses the effects of the fall. Yes, the corrupt inclinations no longer reign in the true believer. They no longer REIGN. But that isn't to say that we don't slip and fall once in a while. The good news for those who are followers of Christ is that eventually... ultimately... finally... we will be delivered from this body of sin and death. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Some Christmas Present...

A couple nights ago I was lying in bed, deep into reading my J.C. Ryle book on Holiness... when suddenly I heard a big crash outside our window. I sprung to my feet to see what was the matter. It had been very cold - almost zero degrees - and the roads were very icy. I knew in an instant that there had to be someone in the ditch up the road. Near our house there is a sharp bend that starts down a hill and when the wind blows up across that hill, it can get very dangerous with a little precipitation. I jumped in our car and drove up to the suspected bad spot in the road and, sure enough, there stood a very shaken young man shivering from the cold and the shock of having just ran his parents family car down over the embankment and into a tree. He had a knock on the head but looked like he was going to be OK. He refused my offer to stand in our warm house until his parents arrived. And also politely refused to sit in my car until they came. But it was zero degrees out and I wasn't sure he was thinking clearly, so in my 'dad' voice I insisted that he sit in the warmth of my car for the next 20 minutes until his dad and mom found him. Steven, a senior in high school, was visibly shaken and so we talked about alot of stuff. I wanted to make sure he was ok after hitting the tree and hitting his head.

"Some Christmas present...", I said to him. "Yeah, this really stinks", came his reply. I am not sure he got what I was saying, so I spelled it out for him: "You know if you had missed that tree, you would have gone over the embankment and slammed into a brick building at the bottom". "Oh, you mean this could have been much worse?". Some Christmas present for him and his family. Instead of having a funeral today, Steven got to open up gifts this morning.

Life: some Christmas present.

My Favorite Christmas Story

I imagine every kid growing up has his favorite Christmas story. There was Frosty the Snowman and the Peanuts, of course. But my personal favorite back then probably was Rudolph. For some reason, I alway took a liking to Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snowman (or Bumble, as Yukon so affectionate named him).

Now that I've grown up a little, I have some other personal favorite Christmas stories. (I hesitate to call them 'stories', because that term could give someone the impression that they aren't necessarily true). These 'accounts' are found in God's Word. I love the parts in Luke where we learn of the angels and the shepherds and the wise men. But my favorite one is found in Philippians, in the kenosis passage in chapter two:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is the essence of the Christmas story.
Have a Merry Christmas.
Mark

Christmas Bells

"Christmas Bells"
Words: Henry Longfellow, 1864. Music: John Calkin, 1872

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Unlikely

God usually does things in unlikely ways. In studying for our Sunday School lesson this week, I read the Christmas story again and saw a few things I never saw before. The story of the Savior's birth had some 'unlikely' things in it:

1). Unlikely Place - Nazareth. In Luke 1:26, Gabriel was sent to a city called Nazareth. It was an out-of-the-way Jewish village, off the beaten path, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Some Jews held the people of Nazareth in contempt and disdain ("Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" John 1:46). The Jews may have despised the Nazarenes because they housed the Roman garrisons, and the residents there in some cases conspired with the enemy. In any case, Nazareth was not the center of politics or financial interests. It was no Jerusalem. Wonder why God picked a place like Nazareth to reveal things about the Savior? It seems like an unlikely place to reveal such wonderful knowledge.

2). Unlikely Woman - Mary. It seems obvious to state, but Mary was an unlikely person to be the one to carry the Savior in her womb. She was a common Jewish girl; no position; no clout; no wealth. Most Jewish girls in that culture were married by the time they were 14 or 15 and so Mary was likely in that age range, and she was a virgin. Many Jewish families would know the prophecies about how the Savior would arrive and no doubt many young girls wondered if they would be the one. But can you imagine for one minute that God would entrust His only begotten Son, the spotless Lamb, to such a young girl with virtually no motherly experience? It seems unlikely that God would do that, but He did.

3). Unlikely People - The Shepherds. Herdsmen in that day were held in low esteem. They were the uneducated, not very impressive in society and generally despised. They could not always keep the ceremonial laws or observe the religious rituals, because they were out in the fields tending to their sheep - they were very loyal to their jobs and would often risk danger or even loss of life to protect their sheep. It is quite ironic that Jesus was called the Good Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd and the Great Shepherd. It is possible that these shepherds were watching over some of the sheep that the more 'elite' people would soon use for their own sacrifices in the temple. But God chose to reveal this great moment in history, not to kings, not to priests, not to emporers... but He chose to make known this thing to lowly and meager shepherds. Seems unlikely, doesn't it?

4). Unlikely Vessels - Us. Second Corinthians 4:7, says that 'we have this treasure in earthen vessels...' First of all, what is an earthen vessel? It is a fragile clay pot. Something that is easily broken when dropped or mishandled. We are the clay pot. We are frail, weak, fragile. But God, in His unlikely manner, has chosen us weak vessels to carry something. The verse says we have this treasure... that can only be the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like Mary carrying the Son of God, can you imagine the precious truth of the gospel being entrusted to us broken, weary, fragile vessels? It is quite amazing. It is quite strange and unlikely, but this is how God works. What might we accomplish if we let God work through us? God worked in powerful ways in Nazareth and in the lives of Mary and the lives of the shepherds back in those days. When we use our earthen vessels for His glory this Christmas season, then people will see His power and people will praise our God.

God and Mankind Reconciled?

A few years ago at Christmastime I was flipping through the channels as I was getting ready for church. There was the heretic Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in all its 'glory' being displayed for all to stand in awe and wonder. But I hesitated to continue through the channel surfing... they were playing Christmas music. I thought to myself, "you really can't mess up a Christmas song", so I left it on and turned it up as I finished getting ready. Let it be known: you CAN mess up a Christmas song. If you are against calling someone a 'sinner' like the Bible-twisters at Crystal Cathedral, you can, and will change the lyrics to fit your damnable heresies. How can you call someone a sinner and still have them maintain their precious self-esteem?

The great hymn 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' was the next carol in the program, and I about vomited when I heard the choir sing, 'God and MANKIND reconciled'. When I was growing up, that song always said, 'God and SINNERS reconciled'. Sinners. SINNERS! What in the world was the purpose of Christ coming to earth anyway if it wasn't to save wretched SINNERS?! And so we have an entire movement that is afraid to use the word, and so they re-write the song to fit their goofy theology. Watch out Frosty and Rudolph. Your songs are probably next.

A Calculated, Planned Act of Kindness

A few days ago, I witnessed what I called a 'random act of kindness'. Last night my family was on the receiving end of a 'calculated, planned act of kindness'. A few years ago I met a man who was going through some difficult life struggles. Through many circumstances and Christian friends, he was able to get his feet back on the ground and seems to be enjoying the blessings of God in his life as he walks in obedience to what he is learning from the Word. There is a stability that I see in his life that he seemed to lack when we first met. I don't know exactly how God used us in his life during these last few years... but he showed up on our porch last night and surprised us with a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. He'd taken time out of his busy schedule to minister to us and to be a blessing to our family. Of course we welcomed him to come in and join us for dinner. We ate well and had dessert and shared a few laughs and talked about what the Lord is doing in our respective lives. This was no random act of kindness. Our friend carefully planned how he was going to surprise us with a meal. We appreciated this kind of thoughtfulness, and I am reminded of Proverbs 19:22 - What is desired in a man is his kindness...

Christmas Letdown

In a conversation with my mom earlier today, I used a phrase that I hate! After I hung up the phone, I thought 'how did that phrase slip out of my mouth'? The phrase I used in describing the weekend after Christmas: "Christmas letdown".

Are you kidding me? After celebrating the greatest miracle EVER. After celebrating the fact that God became man... Emmanuel, God with us. After celebrating the Jesus left his throne and condescended to a manger to save us wretches... after celebrating the birth of the Christ-child who would eventually be led to the cross to be battered, bruised and wounded for me... and I would even think there could possibly be something such as 'Christmas letdown'? Shame on me for thinking such thoughts! Shame on me for uttering such a nearly blasphemous complaint.

But as I thought about it, I supposed there probably is a sort of Christmas letdown for some people. Placing their affections in things other than the Savior. Not only would that be a letdown, but it would be robbery: robbing themselves of joy and robbing God of glory. May it never be said that lovers of Jesus would experience this kind of Christmas letdown.

Random Acts of Kindness

It's not often when you witness a 'random act of kindness'. Today as my son and I walked into the local grocery store to get some ginger ale for my sick daughter, there was a little boy with his dad at the line-up of bubble gum machines in the entrance. They didn't look like they had much of anything, judging by the way they were dressed. In fact, they looked very poor and somewhat dirty. The dad was unshaven and looked like the kind of guy you would avoid. We did avoid them, because, as usual, we Christians are always in a hurry to get to the next place - it IS the Christmas season after all...

But the old codger didn't avoid them. The old fella who wasn't in such a hurry had noticed that the bearded poor man and his dirty son were fumbling around for some quarters to get some gumballs and couldn't find any. Before the son had a chance to be disappointed, the codger pulled out a dollar bill and gave it to the little boy. Now the son had enough money for FOUR gumballs! That kid was jumping for joy. The dad yelled out, 'HEY THAT WAS REALLY NICE... WOW! THANKS ALOT!!'

There was one happy kid... and one happy dad... and one happy codger. And there I was - missing the blessing of giving.

Theological Political Correctness

We live in an age of 'political correctness' - speaking or acting in such a way as to make sure no one people group is offended. Everyone is so sensitive these days! Of course, we Christians do not want to offend a brother or sister, but sometimes we avoid offense at the expense of truth. We need to confront sin and we need to confront bad theology... we need to speak the truth, and we need to speak it in love.

Listen to these words from Bishop J.C. Ryle on 'sin'. It is amazing that he wrote these more than 100 years ago. If I didn't know that, I would have thought he wrote them yesterday. How timely they are:

A scriptural view of sin is one of the best antidotes to the extravagantly broad and liberal theology which is so much in vogue at the present time. The tendency of modern thought is to reject dogmas, creeds, and every kind of bounds in religion. It is thought grand and wise to condemn no opinion whatsoever, and to pronounce all earnest and clever teachers to be trustworthy, however heterogeneous and mutually destructive their opinions may be. Everything…is true, and nothing is false! Everybody is right, and nobody is wrong! Everybody is likely to be saved, and nobody is to be lost! The atonement and substitution of Christ, the personality of the devil, the miraculous element in the Scripture, the reality and eternity of future punishment, all these mighty foundation-stones are coolly tossed overboard, like lumber, in order to lighten the ship of Christianity, and enable it to keep pace with modern science. Stand up for these great verities, and you are called narrow, illiberal, old-fashioned, and a theological fossil! I know nothing so likely to counteract this modern plague as constant clear statements about the nature, reality, vileness, power and guilt of sin.

Walking Away From the Truth?

A couple days ago I heard of a pretty well-known Christian music artist who left his wife and 'came out of the closet'. Nothing surprises me anymore. How does someone get to the place where he has spent his whole life writing and singing profound songs of faith and then announces he's gay. He's a gay Christian! (according to his own description of himself). Is this hypocrisy to the highest extent? Or is this just the sin he's got to deal with in his life. After all, don't we all have something we're dealing with?

Lest anyone think I am a homophobe, let me be clear. I know homosexual people. Some of them have been, and are friends of mine. I don't hate them. I care about them. I just don't agree with their lifestyle. I know at least one person who was miraculously delivered from that destructive life of sin and got married to a beautiful Christian woman and he is now a father of a pretty little girl.

But this is the problem I have with this whole deal: Yes, Christians stumble. We're sinners! But when someone makes a choice to ignore God's Word and enter into a habitual lifestyle and practice of sin, then I have got to question whether they are saved at all. My Bible tells me that God 'hates those who practice iniquity' (Psalm 5:5). Did this man throw in the towel? Did he decide to quit the battle? Did he give up fighting the good fight? Did he decide perseverance was not for him? Was his sexual urges more important to him than God's commands?

Who am I to cast stones? Who am I to judge? There are no stones being thrown here. There is no final judgment call coming from this blogger. I will only hasten make mention that God's Word does not equivocate on the issue of homosexuality. God calls it a sin... and He hates those who practice sin. Just the same as someone practicing adultery, hatred, stealing or lying.

The issue is self-control. It is a fruit of the Spirit, you know. We shouldn't be practicing murder because we have self-control. We shouldn't be practicing rape or incest, because we have self-control. We shouldn't gorge ourselves with a dozen donuts or drink a keg of beer because... say it all together now kids... we have self-control. Self-control is evidence that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. A lack of self-control - in any area of our lives - may not indicate that we are not Christians, but it should make us question where we really are. A lack of self-control is a serious character flaw, and I might suggest that it could be eternally fatal. Someone who claims to be a Christian who cannot control their sexual urges had better do some serious soul searching and self examination. They might be deluded.

I obviously don't know where this man stands in regard to his self-proclaimed relation with his creator. But I do know that his experiences do not validate whether the Word of God is true or not. God's Word stands no matter what - and according to this Word, this man is in sin and needs to repent. He is in a dangerous position, appearing to have walked away from the truth. God forbid that I would ever walk away from the truth. The older I get, the more I see it all around me. And it scares me to death.

An Eternal Investment

This past week my first-grade Sunday School teacher went to heaven. She was 85 years old. Her obituary said she taught Sunday School for 46 years. It also went on to say that she loved the kids as her own. I believe that... I remember sitting around that classroom table in the basement of the church, learning all those Bible stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samson and David. For me, it was 38 years ago but it seemed like yesterday that I was the recipient of her patience, kindness and commitment. Forty-six years she did that, and for countless other little kids. Did June play a role in God's grand scheme to bring me to where I am today? When I get to the other side, I'll be hunting her down to give her a big hug and tell her thanks. Those years of hard work and labor of love for the kids paid off, at least for me. Every ounce of energy she invested into teaching us is, and will be, paying eternal dividends. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones...

On Sabbatical...

To say I am a little frustrated would be a gross understatement. Even with a firewall on my computer, I tend to get viruses from time to time. During the past week, I have been trying to eradicate whatever virus, spyware or trojan horse is plaguing me this time. It frustrates me that someone else has all that spare time to write malicious software and I have to spend hours on end trying to fix it on my computer. I don't have time for it obviously. So for now, no online banking, no online ordering (which is nice at Christmas time), and I probably won't be putting any blog entries out here until I can either get it fixed or get a new computer. So... stay tuned... I'll be back. Keep checking.

Sugar?

I guess you could draw a spiritual parallel with everything in life. Eating sugar is no exception. I have had acid reflux for several years now (I’ll spare you all the gory details). The doctor had prescribed the purple pill for me and it worked really great. No heartburn whatsoever. The problem with the purple pill was that it masked the real reason for my excessive acid in my stomach. Knowing that one can never take a pill without some side effect, my goal has been to get off of taking medication for my ailment. I quit cold turkey and then decided it was time to experiment with my diet to figure out what was causing the acid reflux.

It was not ‘fatty foods’ like the doctor had suggested (like peanut butter, cheese, etc). My next logical guess was sugar. So I quit eating sweets – candy, cake, cookies, anything high in sugar. Cold turkey. The results? Drastic improvement! I still get heartburn on an occasion, but nothing that a good ol’ Tums wouldn’t take care of.

What is the spiritual lesson here? Filling my mind with junk is much like filling my stomach full of junk. What am I reading, listening to and looking at? Am I reading spiritually candy-coated books and magazines, or am I diving into thick and deep and heavy Biblical doctrines? Is Christian radio taking the place of my own hard work of diligent study? Am I watching too much CSI Miami and Monday Night Football instead of pouring over the Word of God? I would suggest there is too much sugar in our walk with Christ and no amount of Nexium is going to cure that. It’s time to get healthy in our diets… or get burned with a serious spiritual health problem.

Living a Life Preparing for Death

Our neighbor three doors down fell down a set of steps on Saturday. She died yesterday. Several years ago, in a different neighborhood, our next door neighbors were in a fatal car accident. He died immediately; she went into a 5 year long coma that ended in her death. All of these people were 'young'. When the reality of death literally hits so close to home, it makes me ponder the fact that we need to be getting ready for our own death. You just never know when your number is up.

Death is the intruder. Death is not natural. Sin and death are the invaders. But nonetheless, death is a fact and reality. Should we ignore death? Should we ignore the afterlife and pretend it doesn't exist? Many people do. As Christians, we need to prepare. I don't mean getting the plot paid for and the will ready... although those things are important. We need to leave a godly legacy for our children. We need to study God. We need to study His one and only Son. We need to cultivate that relationship with our Father and our Savior... we're going to be face to face with them in a blink of an eye (life is a vapor you know). So we need to prepare to see them.
Am I ready?
Are you ready?

While You Were Sleeping

The snowfall today had me thinking forward a few weeks to Christmas. Read these compelling Christmas lyrics by the band Casting Crowns:

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returnedAnd has carried
His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

Some Advice from Bishop J.C. Ryle

Listen to me and I will give you a few short hints [on reading the Bible]:

1). Begin reading your Bible this very day. The way to do a thing is to do it, and the way to read the Bible is to actually read it. It is not meaning, or wishing, or resolving, or intending, or thinking about it. You must positively read.

2). Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it. A Bible that is not understood is a Bible that does no good. Work hard, and do not give up the work in a hurry.

3). Read the Bible with deep reverence. So to your soul, whenever you open your Bible, "O my soul, thou art going to read a message from God."

4). Read the Bible with earnest prayer for the teaching and help of the Holy Spirit. Pray for the Spirit to guide you into all truth. You should beg the Lord Jesus Christ to "open your understanding".

5). Read the Bible with a child-like faith and humility. Resolve to receive heartily every statement of truth, whether you like it or not.

6). Read the Bible with a spirit of obedience and self-application. Sit down to the study of it with a daily determination that you will live by its rules, rest on its statements, and act on its commands. The Bible is read best, which is practiced most.

7). Read the Bible daily. Yesterday’s bread will not feed the labourer today, and today’s bread will not feed the labourer tomorrow. Do not scramble over and hurry your reading. Give the Bible the best and not the worst part of your time.

8). Read all the Bible and read it in an orderly way.

9). Read the Bible fairly and honestly. The right way of interpreting Scripture is to take it as we find it, without any attempt to force it into any particular system.

10). Read the Bible with Christ continually in view. The grand primary view of all Scripture is to testify of Jesus.

The Freedom to Murder Act

"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the

Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do."

-- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007

The Freedom of Choice Act, if it becomes law, will certainly make abortions more common and more accepted. The sanctity of life will be trampled even more than it already is in our culture and the resulting devastation will be incalculable.

As Christians, we have a duty to speak for the unborn. It is time to do away with complacency and exercise our own freedom of choice as Moses outlined to his people in Deuteronomy 30. They had a choice between life and prosperity OR death and adversity. "Love the Lord and walk in His ways… keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments that you may live and multiply". Moses goes on to say, "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So CHOOSE LIFE, that you may live…"

So how do we ‘choose life’, when no one around us shares our values? What is our responsibility? How do we speak for the unborn? Here is a good start:
1). Education ourselves on the abortion issue. Understand what our officials are doing with pro-life and abortion laws. More importantly, understand what God says in His Word about this issue. Be ready, in season and out of season, to share truth with those whom you discuss this issue.
2). Contact your representatives and politely, but firmly, make your case as to why the Freedom of Choice Act will be a disaster for women, for our country, and for the world.
3). Most importantly, pray with fervency and with regularity for the sponsors of the bill and for President-elect Barack Obama (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Pray for their salvation. Pray for a change of mind and a softening of heart when it comes to preserving the lives of the most helpless among us.

If we continue to remain inactive on this issue, have we not made choice that Moses warned against?
May God be pleased to have our leaders overwhelmingly reject this bill.

Trampling Under Foot

The lone piece of communion bread fell from the tray and landed on the burgundy carpet. As my head bowed over the front pew, what represented the body of Christ lay unnoticed on the floor in front of the altar. Then one of the men passing out the elements moved and stepped on the bread, and in a turning motion he unwittingly ground the square of bread further into the rug. A few moments later, the men all returned to get the wine to pass out. Several of the men missed stepping on the piece of bread, but two of them stepped on it again. The last man who went into position to receive the tray of wine not only stepped on it again, but then he kicked the bread about two feet to the right. Eventually, one of the deacons noticed the badly battered and almost crumbled piece of communion bread and thankfully picked it up. He put the bread in his pocket - though kicked around a bit and stepped upon - still whole and complete.

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God…" - Hebrews 10:26-29

When Its All Been Said and Done

I love music that causes worship to well up within my soul. I love music that provokes me to consider the beauty of Christ and the greatness of God’s salvation. I love music that makes me to consider the strength and power and glory that Jesus is so worthy of. This morning as I was exercising with my wife I heard a song I never heard before, and once again the preciousness of my Savior and the promise of my future home and inheritance was laid before me. The song is ‘When Its All Been Said and Done’, by Don Moen:

When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for you?

When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I have done
For love's rewards
Will stand the test of time

Lord, your mercy is so great
That you look beyond our weakness
That you found purest gold in miry clay
Turning sinners into saints

I will always sing your praise
Here on earth and in heaven after
For you've joined me at my true home
When it's all been said and done
You're my life when life is gone...

Stop. And Start.

People wanted change and now we all are about to get it. Even though we still live in the greatest country on the planet, we are perhaps one more step on the continual slide south. We are in fact on the brink of slipping down a morally bankrupt slope that we’ll never be able to recover from. It is a hard reality that the President-elect does not share the values that Bible-believing Christians hold, regardless of how many sermons he’s heard.

But why so downcast? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence (Psalm 42:5).

This event in our country’s history should provoke true believers to re-evaluate our priorities. It’s time to ‘stop and start’…
1). Stop crying. Start rejoicing. (1 Thessalonians 5:16)
2). Stop whining. Start praying. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
3). Stop speculating about the future. Start reading and studying our Bibles. (Matthew 6:34, 2 Timothy 2:15).
4). Stop fretting over the liberal agenda. Start evangelizing the lost. (Matthew 28:19-20)
5). Stop negative put-downs and personal attacks. Start counting our blessings. (Psalm 103)

I’ll be the first one to call out the President-elect on issues that I hold dear to my heart, such as the murder of all our little babies… and we have an obligation to do so. But let’s first examine ourselves and make sure we’re about the Lord’s work as our number one priority. And remember: if the great apostle is right in Philippians 3:20, ‘our citizenship is in heaven’.

Smarter than Plato

Just when you think you aren't quite getting a deep theological concept... just when you're discouraged about grasping a thick doctrine from God's Word... just when you get to a tough passage that doesn't quite make sense... a servant of God, Bishop J.C. Ryle comes along and gives us these words of encouragement from his booklet 'How Readest Thou?':

There is an extraordinary depth, fullness, and richness in the contents of the Bible. It throws more light on a vast number of most important subjects than all the other books in the world put together. It boldly handles matters which are utterly beyond the reach of man, when left to himself. It treats of things which are mysterious and invisible – the soul, the world to come, and eternity – depths which man has no line to fathom. All who have tried to write of these things, without Bible light, have done little but show their own ignorance. The grope like the blind; they speculate; they guess; they generally make the darkness more visible, and land us in a region of uncertainty and doubt. How little did the wisest of the heathen know! How dim were the views of Socrates, Plato, Cicero and Seneca! A well-taught Sunday-school child, in the present day, knows more spiritual truth than all these sages put together.

John Charles Ryle went to heaven in 1900, but not before writing much excellent material to exhort, teach and encourage the Christian church, like this quote above. He was greatly used of God. His successor described him as 'a man of granite with a heart of a child'. Spurgeon said he was an 'evanglical champion'. I look forward to getting to know J.C. Ryle more in the near future.

Complaining or Trusting?

Thinking of whining and complaining tomorrow if the election doesn’t go your way?

As you think of all your lamenting that might go on at the water cooler, consider Jeremiah’s words: "Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD." – Lamentations 3:39-40

Be encouraged by thoughts from the mind of David: "Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness." – Psalm 37:1-3

Tomorrow, you may be faced with a hard choice…complain or trust.

Sign of the Times #6

Long May It Wave...

The sun shone brightly through my American flag this morning. The American flag, the symbol of freedom. In view of the upcoming election next week, I thought of our national anthem that we've heard countless times... often at sporting events. We know the song by heart, we can repeat the lyrics by heart, probably without even thinking through them. How often, though, have we heard the whole song? Here are the lyrics the to last verse of The Star Spangled Banner:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace,
may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made
and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Sign of the Times #5

Simple Economics

The Bible speaks of gold, treasure and riches. It speaks of profit, gain and wealth. Consider the following passages as you think about our so-called ‘economic crisis’:

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold. – Proverbs 3:13-14

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. – Proverbs 11:4

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what
will a man give in exchange for his soul? - Matthew 16:26

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more
desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; - Psalm 19:9b-10a

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

Do not weary yourself to gain wealth,
Cease from your consideration of it.
When you set your eyes on it, it is gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. – Proverbs 23:3-4

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; - Hebrews 13:5

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit. Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. – James 4:13-14

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. – 1 Timothy 6:10

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. - 2 Corinthians 8:9

For he sees that even wise men die;
The stupid and the senseless alike perish
And leave their wealth to others. – Psalm 49:6

Praise the LORD!
How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever. – Psalm 112:1-3

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. – Matthew 13:44

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. – Ecclesiastes 5:10

There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;
Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth. – Proverbs 13:7

A good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.
The rich and the poor have a common bond,
The LORD is the maker of them all. – Proverbs 22:1-2

Sign of the Times #4

Sign of the Times #3

Sign of the Times #2

Stealing the Election

In God's Word, the eighth commandment says 'You shall not steal'. That's in Exodus 20:15. Simple to remember, hard for some people to practice. Especially, now with the election just days away. Election fraud is rampant across the country. I can't believe we can put a chip in a cow and identify that animal from a satellite, but we can't figure out how to prevent voter fraud. Haven't we been dealing with this for quite some time? But here's the thing I am having trouble with: not that taking a candy bar or a bicycle or even a car is right... and I know stealing is stealing... but you're stealing something bigger than chocolate or some hot wheels... this is my America we're talking about here. How can someone register to vote 70 times?!?! Someone gets 70 chances to pull the lever and I get one chance! How does Mickey Mouse get to register? How do dead people get to register? It's outrageous that the people doing this are stealing opportunities to vote. You are un-American, you are un-patriotic. You hate what the American flag stands for. You have no conscience and you'd probably snatch your own grandmothers purse. You are thieves of the worst kind... and if you are successful in pulling off the biggest theft in history, you will get what you deserve...

John and Sarah - Will They Take Pennsylvania?

Last night I was encouraged. I realized why I think John McCain and Sarah Palin will win Pennsylvania on November 4th (and hopefully enough other states to win the election). I took my family to a Sarah Palin victory rally in a nearby town. Small town America for sure. In a Western Pennsylvania town where high school football is almost a religion and hard-working blue collar workers make up the entire economy (you know, the ones that Obama says cling to their guns and religion, and Murtha says are racist and rednecks... those people). This town rich in tradition of football and hard work, is usually a stronghold of democrats. I might be wrong, but I noticed something odd about this place during our visit last night. There were McCain campaign signs everywhere. It was overwhelming. The neighborhoods and main part of town was literally plastered with support for the conservative cause.

Then, when Sarah spoke, she connected with the crowd. This was no small crowd of supporters. The stadium where she spoke (and where Joe Namath played football) was filled to the brim with well-mannered, orderly people who knew we can't afford to have an empty suit in the White House. Governor Palin then made it clear why she resonates with regular Americans: spreading the wealth around is not for these hard-working Pennsylvanians... who, like Joe the Plumber, know how to distribute their own money better than their government officials. The other point that makes Sarah Palin so attractive to voters is the fact that she desires to have equal rights for all women, including the pre-born women. She will be a strong advocate for life, a stark contrast from her opponents in the liberal party that have no heart for the unborn.

Judging by the response of the people and by seeing this former democratic area transformed, the Republicans have a chance in Pennsylvania. Let's pray. For the sake of preserving our republic and for the sake of our precious pre-born babies, lets pray for God to be pleased to let McCain and Palin lead our nation.

Sign of the Times #1

The Good Ole Days

Why is it that we live in such a socially progressive culture? Every generation wants to be on the cutting edge, engaging in the newest social experimentation. We push the envelope and then wonder how we got here. We're most of the way down the slippery slope of modern philosophy and then hope our kids turn out different or better than we did. The only problem is that we're hypocrites. How else would you explain our fascination with the 'good ole days'? We are infatuated with antiques. Our automakers produce Mustangs, Challengers and Chargers that look like a muscle car out of the 60's. Clothing styles from 20 or 30 years ago always come back into style. We laugh at every rerun episode of 'I Love Lucy' and 'Happy Days'. Why? Because those were the 'happy days', weren't they? Back then, things were simpler, easier, more innocent. Back then, people weren't involved in the things they are today. Back then, social influences were more wholesome. Back then, there wasn't all this psychological engineering and social manipulation mumbo jumbo. Our biggest economic crisis was whether we had 35 cents to buy a pack of baseball cards. Yeah, those were the good ole days.

These will be the good ole days someday. If our progressive culture keeps progressing like it is, yes... we will long for the days we live in now. Isn't that a sad state of affairs?

The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep....
No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." - John 10:11,18

Yesterday, we had a guest speaker at church. He and his wife (and new son) are missionaries in St. Vincent. His sermon was on a familiar passage in the book of John, where Jesus claimed to be the good shepherd. In John 10:11, Jesus has the audacity to say that he is the 'good shepherd'. Why is that audacious? Because this is not just a cute metaphor to make a children's Sunday School a little more interesting. It's not just simply a word picture using sheep and the visual that we get with the little cuddlies being herded along by their strong shepherd. Oh, we are sheep. We've gone astray, and we need our shepherd. But here's the point the pastor was making:

When Jesus called himself the GOOD shepherd, He didn't use the word for 'good' that means what we think. We think of 'good' as being morally nice, not morally bad. But there is another meaning for GOOD in the original language: excellent good, perfect good, pre-emminent good, 'I am the best, the best there has ever been' good.

The Jewish people hearing him speak these things would have been outraged. In their minds, Moses was a 'good' shepherd... and certainly David was a 'good' shepherd. But then their minds race to what we know as the Twenty Third Psalm... The Lord is my Shepherd. Jehovah. The God of Israel. Jesus was making himself equal with the God of Psalm 23! Of all the audacity! How could he? Unless He was really the God of Israel in the flesh...

And this GOOD Shepherd laid down his life! He gave it all. Not just his body, not just biological - but he gave his very soul. Everything. He died. And if He did this for you, then your worries are over. He owns the rights to every last one of your worries. The pastor then challenged every Christian with the following response to this passage: If this is true, then why would any Christian resort to Prozac to calm their nerves? Why would any Christian resort to any drug to relieve depression, stress or anxiety? Why would any Christian be biting their fingernails over whether McCain or Obama becomes the next president? Drugs, presidents or anything other than the Lord Himself will not be there in your darkest hour. They will not see you through those deepest valleys. Only the Good Shepherd will. He has the power to lay down his life and to take it back up again. And if he has the power to do that, then he has to power to take care of your worries, because He is... the Good Shepherd.

Enjoying God Forever

"Thou wilt make known to me the path of life;
In Thy presence is fullness of joy;
In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever."
- Psalm 16:11

Q:What is the chief end of man?
A: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever – according to The Westminster Confession of Faith Shorter Catechism.

John Piper, in his book ‘Desiring God’ states it a little differently by stating, "The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever".

Are people, are Christian people glorifying God? Are they enjoying God? Jonathan Rauch in the May 2003 issue of Atlantic Monthly magazine coined the word ‘APATHEISM’. He defined it as ‘a disinclination to care all that much about one’s own religion, and an even stronger disinclination to care about other people’s’. He says that apatheists ‘are neither controlled by godly passion nor concerned about the religious beliefs of others’. He goes on to say that ‘even regular church-goers can, and often do, rank high on the apatheism scale’.

What about us? Are we indifferent, middle-of-the-road, fence-straddling apathetic people or passionately awestruck and devoted, zealous lovers of God?

Take a look at the following quotes:
Dr. Sam Storms - "One Thing":
"God created you... for the heart-pounding joy and mind-bending fascination and white-hot happiness that comes from relishing and rejoicing in the beauty of Jesus Christ. To relish and rejoice in the beauty of God alone accounts for why we exist. It’s also the solution to our struggle with sin. Enjoying God is the catalyst for substantive and lasting change. And enjoying God is the soul’s sole satisfaction, with which no rival pleasure can hope to compete."

A.W. Tozer - "The Pursuit of God":
"God wills that we should push on into His presence and live our whole lives there. This is to be known to us in conscious experience. It is more than just a doctrine to be held; it is a life to be enjoyed every moment of every day".

Charles Spurgeon
"Delighting in God exerts a transforming power upon us and lifts us above the wrong desires of our fallen nature".

Because we were created in the image of God and created for His glory we need to respond to his great love by magnifying Him above all things. Psalm 34:3 - O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Sam Storms draws a vivid analogy using microscopes and telescopes. Both microscopes and telescopes are designed to magnify objects. A microscope magnifies by focusing on something quite small causing it to look much larger than it really is - this is magnification by distortion. On the other hand, a telescope magnifies by focusing on something indescribably huge and massive and causing it to appear as it really is. Are we viewing God through a microscope or a telescope?

To see God (and enjoy him) through the telescope requires a few disciplines:
1). A focused heart - Philippians 4:8 - endeavor to increase your spiritual appetite by meditating on spiritual objects. This requires an intensity and exclusivity of your devotion
2). Proper posturing - endeavor to promote your spiritual appetite by laying yourself in the way of allurement – that is, exposing your soul to the things that awaken spiritual desire and deepen holy longings
3). Expressing worship - we should express our longings to God; they will increase by being expressed. Our passions often wither in silence. "...we delight to praise what we enjoy...praise not merely expresses, but completes the enjoyment" - C.S. Lewis

Knowing and enjoying God with you,
Mark

Burning Hatred

"Thou dost hate all those who do iniquity."
- Psalm 5:5b

Elsewhere in Psalms, God is one who is referred to as having ‘indignation every day’ (7:11). The Lord’s anger burned against Israel and He made them to wander in the dry, dusty wilderness of the desert for forty years. In the NLT, Romans 2:8 warns us of this sobering truth: "But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds". Isaiah the prophet, speaking on behalf of God, pronounces judgment on the people by crying, "Woe to the wicked" (3:11). Hate. Indignation. Burning anger. Wrath. Judgment. Woe! This doesn’t sound like the Celestial Grandfather we’ve conjured up in our minds who might ‘wink’ at a couple of our small sins. No, this doesn’t sound like the "God is Love" we learned about in second grade Sunday School.

While the Celestial Grandfather label might be a little irreverent, God could not be ‘more love’ than He is when he is adhering to His perfect standard of justice. Sin that is swept under the carpet and ignored is the speeding car of injustice that is an inevitable twisted wreck waiting to happen. Sin has a price tag attached to it and it is extremely expensive. Eternity in hell is the cost for one small act of disobedience. A ‘forever’ of torment for the wrong view of God. The lake of fire for a little white lie. Everlasting, conscious punishment for looking the wrong way at a woman or hating a brother in my heart.

‘Hatred’ most often gets associated with being the opposite of ‘love’. But for God, ‘hatred’ and ‘love’ co-exist perfectly. They are not opposites, but rather compliments. Because there is perfect hatred of sin, there is perfect love of the very ones who commit the sin. God’s Son Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that love, delivering all those who forsake their sin from God’s ultimate act of punishment.

"God hates the sin and loves the sinner" is a phrase often heard. And while that is a true statement in one regard, God does hate that one who practices his iniquity. For one who refuses to give up his sin, who will not die to his lawlessness… he will eventually give up and ultimately die in the spiritual sense of the word, unless the blood of Christ washes away his iniquity.

War and Peace

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ - Romans 5:1

What is the opposite of peace? War. If we aren’t at peace with God, then we are in a spiritual war with Him. Many unbelievers may think that because they really aren’t aggressively against God that they are at peace with Him. Others may believe that indifference or neutrality toward God certainly does not rise to the level of ‘a spiritual war’. Still others may actually believe there is a supernatural war going on, but they choose to be nonpartisan, failing to realize that they are the very enemies of God. Those against whom God is warring are operating in the flesh. Another verse in Romans (8:4), indicates that "the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God".

How do we come to a truce in this spiritual war? The hostility toward God must cease, but it cannot end as long as we are at enmity with Him. God’s anger is kindled against those who are at enmity with Him and these will be objects of His divine wrath. But God has also made humankind objects of his divine compassion by sending Jesus Christ to us. By placing our personal trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, surrendering our lives to His control, and turning away from our sin, then our spiritual war with God will be over.

A new war begins at this point: the war with the enemy, Satan.

The Death of an Old Friend

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense. Mr. Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids,are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge financial settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

I can't take credit for this great piece. It's from a resurrected email I received a few years ago. May Mr. Sense rest in peace.

Compassion

"But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matthew 9:13

Jesus had just called Matthew to "Follow Me", a tax-collector of all people. In the ensuing scene, Matthew’s fellow tax-collectors and fellow sinners are enjoying dinner with Jesus and His newest disciple. The Pharisees are of course immediately irate. "Why is Jesus eating with the despised tax-collector and sinners?", they wanted to know. This is not simple curiosity, but rather a rhetorical question revealing their ugly self-righteousness. Jesus responds with the obvious: the healthy do not need a physician but rather those who are sick.

Then comes the rebuke: "go and learn what this means". This phrase was commonly used to rebuke someone for something they should have already known. The verse Jesus is referring to is found in the Old Testament book of Hosea, chapter 6, verse 6 (For I delight in loyalty, rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings).

The Greek word in this verse for ‘compassion’ is pronounced 'eleos' and means mercy or pity. What Jesus was after here was typical in His approach to the Pharisees: He wanted them to know that tenderhearted mercy and undeserved pity toward others was to be desired over the self-righteous, judgmental, looking-down-the-nose attitude that prevailed in their hearts.

That Jesus would quote this verse from Hosea is of particular interest. Faithful Hosea was married to the adulterous Gomer. Hosea’s response is a beautiful picture of God’s faithful love for the stubborn and adulterous nation of Israel.

What response would God require of us? Go and learn what this means.

Things to Avoid

Things to Avoid
By Martyn Lloyd-Jones - taken from his exposition on Ephesians 6

1). The first thing we have to avoid is dissipation of energy. However much energy we may have, if we misuse it, dissipate it, throw it away, the result will be that we shall have less of it, and will become less effective and efficient. The need is for our activity to be thoughtful, disciplined, governed and directed. Every man has to sit down and plan his life, and decide what he can do and what he cannot do. He must be resolute, and not governed by ‘what people say’.

2). I suggest that we must also avoid spending too much time in what I would call ‘enervating atmospheres’. If you are in a wrong atmosphere, you will not feel very strong. We can spend too much time in the wrong company. If you spend too much of your time in a worldly atmosphere you will find that the edge of your spiritual life will become dulled… you will not be able to pray so well, and you will lose your taste for the scriptures. Lets make sure we are not producing a wrong atmosphere by [foolish talking and jesting]. That type of talk belongs to the world and not to us.

3). Avoid bad reading… general reading, polluting reading. There is much nonsense being talked about these days. The Apostle [Paul] states it thus in Romans 13:14: ‘…make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof’. If you feed the flesh do not be surprised if you fall into its temptations and its lusts; make no provision for it. Let us watch our general reading. Keep a watch on your thoughts and imaginations. Thoughts and imaginations can be evil, and we are to mortify them speedily.

4). We are to avoid people who do not believe in the Bible as the Word of God, for they will do you harm; they will take from your spiritual energy and you will eventually become diseased. I am referring to a certain attitude about the scriptures, to the teaching that man with his reason is able to determine what is right and what is wrong. Have no fellowship with [Christians] who do not believe the Bible to be the Word of God. [They] undermine the very basis and foundation of the faith; have no fellowship with him.

Shame and Consequence

I received an email today that had several pictures of the concentration camps in Germany during WWII. There were hundreds, thousands of dead bodies. The email stated that President Eisenhower ordered that photos be taken because people someday would deny that this ever happened. I am not sure if the executive order on the pictures is an urban legend or not, but no one in their right mind can deny that the holocaust happened. The point of the email was to use vivid imagery to compel people to remember that ‘the only way for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing’. It was a call to make sure that mankind never exterminates mankind.

Unfortunately, this is still happening in our very own country. It’s called abortion.
The shame and the consequence belongs to us for allowing this to continue. The shame and the consequence belongs to our country for giving hearty approval of it. Nazi Germany’s got nothing on our culture when it comes to atrocities.

Lord have mercy.

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

- Psalm 139:13-16

The Big Gamble

I, like every other American, have been watching what is happening with the economy. Will the government perform an act of socialism and bail out Wall Street? Or will capitalism and free markets correct the problem on its own? We live in interesting times. For some people, these are uncertain times.

I have two things to say about the stock market and the state of the economy:

1). For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

2). And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Stupidity

Lately on the blog, we've been trying to avoid being useless, unfruitful, blind, short-sighted and forgetful. Today we're trying to avoid being STUPID. Nobody wants to be accused of being stupid.

We try to teach our kids not even to say the word because it doesn't sound dignified coming out of little children. It sounds even worse coming from an adult. But of course context matters. There are times when we must use the word. The word actually occurs in scripture and you can probably guess where... Proverbs. In Proverbs 12:1 we read "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid". My boys memorized that verse in about 9 seconds... because they knew they could use that word 'stupid' without getting in trouble, because they were quoting scripture!

But what is that verse telling us? The love of discipline and correction leads to knowledge! But the one who despises correction is.... everybody say it now... STUPID!

Loving correction, discipline and reproof is not easy... but leads us out of stupidity.

They Don't Hate Sarah, They Hate Trig

Short-sighted and Forgetful

In the last blog entry we saw that not heeding the advice in the first chapter of 2 Peter led to being 'useless and unfruitful'. In addtion to such unattractive qualities, we may also be 'blind, short-sighted and forgetful' if we lack those Christian graces mentioned in this chapter.

Blind to the truth. Blind to spiritual guidance.
Short-sighted. Seeing our own small space. Having no vision.
Forgetful of our purification. What person who is cleansed from head to toe forgets his purification?! I guess 9 out of 10 lepers forgot.

God forbid that we'd forget. And God forbid that we would have spiritual myopia. Our prayer should be that we would see clearly, think clearly, remember our purification clearly. And then we can earnestly pray that we'd have the strength and diligence to 'make certain about His calling and choosing us... for as long as we practice these things (from 2 Peter 1:5-7) we will never stumble'.

Useless and Unfruitful

How would you like to be 'useless' and 'unfruitful'. Well you can be if you don't follow the advice from the first chapter of 2 Peter. Through Jesus Christ and through the Word, God has given all things pertaining to life and godliness. That's God's part. We have a part in being useful and fruitful too - its called our 'responsibility'. I like to think of 'responsibility' as our response to God's ability. So what is our response to what God has given us in respect to life and godliness?

2 Peter 1:5-10 - "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble."

Toothless

My oldest son lost one of his front teeth yesterday... you know, the whole growing up thing. So the 'tooth fairy' coughed up a crisp Abraham Lincoln to put under his pillow last night. Inflation, I guess. But I think it was well worth $5.00. He took good care of that tooth.

Well, today he runs out to the car after school with this big toothless grin... "hey Dad, look!"... He had apparently taken a short break from arithmetic and pulled the other front tooth out.

That tooth fairy is going to be suffering some serious economic problems if this continues.

Isn't there a rule somewhere that says the tooth fairy doesn't stop by two nights in a row?

A Must Watch Video

Bush Derangement Syndrome

I am in a bad mood today. I have had it up to here with all the Bush-bashing. I can’t take it any more. I’ll feel a lot better getting this off my chest. Here’s an open letter to all you unpatriotic, ungrateful, whining president-haters out there:

Dear Bush Haters;
What makes you so bitter?
The fact that you’re reading this is evidence enough that you haven’t been murdered by a terrorist in the last seven years. OK, so the border we share with Mexico needs a fence and we need more security there, but call your do-nothing congressman – don’t blame Bush. You were all on Bush’s side on September 12, 2001. Who changed? Did Bush ever give up his resolve to go after anyone that intended to harm you?

So you think the so-called bad economy is Bush’s fault too? Are you better off than you were eight years ago? Of course you are! You’re driving a newer and better vehicle than you were at Y2K. You have more electronic gadgets than you can shake a stick at. Who even heard of an iPod eight years ago? You’ve probably gone through four or five cell phone plans, you’re still buying internet access, going on vacation and have 500 channels on your TV. Your economy must not be doing too poorly. Oh, your stocks and 401K’s aren’t doing too well? Don’t blame Bush. You don’t have anyone else to blame but yourself. Pick better stocks. Pick a better broker. Better yet, invest in something that has guaranteed returns, like time with your family, reading books, studying your Bible, sending money to a missionary - but don’t blame Bush.

We look bad in the eyes of the rest of the world because of the Bush policies? Who cares. Do you think the world might be a little jealous of our prosperity? I don’t care what France, Germany, Spain or Timbuktu thinks about the U.S.A. They didn’t have hijacked airplanes flying into their buildings and killing their comrades.

Is George Bush perfect? Not by any means, but he is not deserving of all the crap he gets from you either. I’ll say it: you are unpatriotic. United we stand, divided we fall. People like you make our whole country look bad.

So, why is it that you’re so bitter again? Is it just that you’re not content with anything? Is it that you just like to complain? Don’t you like living in the safest, richest, freest, most beautiful country on the planet?

Have you ever considered praying for your president? Maybe all the energy you spend in bashing would be better spent on your knees praying for God to give him wisdom and strength and courage. Maybe all the backbiting could be replaced with kind, strong, proud-to-be-American words. Maybe you could get off the couch and turn off your favorite liberal CNN and MTV friends and volunteer in your community, get involved in church, or run for political office yourself. (Well, better not run for office. You might see it’s harder than you think – ask Sarah Palin).

So, why are you bitter? Maybe because you’re just not thankful for any of the blessings of freedom and stability that God has bestowed upon you.

I know why you hate him so badly. Because George Bush is clearly to blame for everything… wars, hurricanes, gas prices, backaches, dog bites – even your own raunchy attitudes.

Voted for Bush twice and would proudly vote for him again if I could,
Mark

A Good Conscience

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

- 1 Timothy 1:5

This morning's Sunday School had us discussing 'conscience' - that inner knowledge, that little voice that God gave us all to know right from wrong.

We can sear our conscience and then the lines between right and wrong become very blurry. Or we can cultivate our conscience by staying saturated with the Word and confessing our sins regularly. Thinking on good things helps us in purity of heart and cultivating a good conscience.

Along with a steady diet of Bible study and the habit of confession, reading good Christian books helps us in this endeavor. Consider the following paragraphs that I quote from a book called 'A Sure Guide to Heaven', written by Puritan author Joseph Alleine. Reading things like this help us in our self-examination, making us think through issues like sin, salvation, purity, cleanliness and conscience.

When a man is converted, he is forever at enmity with sin; yes with all sin, but most of all his own sins. Sin is now the object of his indignation. His sin swells his sorrows. It is sin that pierces him and wounds him; he feels it like a thorn in his side, like a prick in his eyes. He groans and struggles under it… he cries out ‘O wretched man!’ He is not impatient of any burden so much as of his sin. If God should give him his choice, he would choose any affliction so he might be rid of sin; he feels it like the cutting gravel in his shoes, pricking and paining him as he goes.

Before conversion he had light thoughts of sin. He cherished it in his bosom. But when God opens his eyes by conversion, he throws it away with abhorrence. When a man is savingly changed, he is deeply convinced not only of the dangers but the defilement of sin; and O, how earnest is he with God to be purified! He loathes himself for his sins. He runs to Christ and casts himself into the fountain set open for him and for uncleanness. If he fall, what a stir is there to get all clean again! He has no rest until he flees to the Word, and washes and rubs and rinses in the infinite fountain.

The sound convert is heartily engaged against sin. He struggles with it, he wars against it; he is too often foiled, but he will never yield the cause, nor lay down his weapons, while he has breath in his body. He will rather throw his gain down the gutter, see his credit fail, or the flower of his pleasure wither in his hand, than he will allow himself in any known way of sin. He will grant no indulgence, he will give no toleration.

Reader, has conscience been at work while you have been looking over these lines? Have you pondered these things in your heart? Have you searched the book within? Make your conscience speak, whether or not it is thus with you.

Offering

In the morning, we'll get up and head off to church. During the service, the gold-colored, felt-bottomed plate will pass by us and people will put in their 'offering'. Then we'll all think we have given something to God and we'll move on with the rest of the worship service. Regardless of how much we plunked in the plate, did we really give an 'offering'? I recently heard this song by Third Day that sums up my feelings about offerings:

Magnificent Holy Father
I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me

Who am I that You should suffer
Your very life to set me free
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me

[Chorus]
This is my offering, dear Lord
This is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life
For it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me

I stand before You at this alter
So many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer
Yet what I have is truly Yours
[Chorus]

This is my offering...

In His Grip

I have held the hands of my children tight before. When we've been in crowds, or crossing a busy street or in an otherwise dangerous situation. I am not letting go. They are not getting loose. If it were possible for me to lose my grip in those circumstances, the results would be disastrous and I would not be trustworthy.

John chapter 10 says that no one... NO ONE can snatch his children out of God's hands. How secure do you think that makes you when you belong to him? In an interesting passage in Psalm 107, the psalmist says that God has 'redeemed you out of the hand of the adversary'. The adversary has a strong grip. Many people are caught in that grip and held there. But his grip is not nearly as strong as the One who cannot let you go. The believer has been delivered out of the enemy's hands.

Whose hand are you holding? Or rather, whose hand is holding yours?

Whose Child Are You?

Some people think my boys resemble me very much. I see the resemblance of course. They even act like me sometimes. That can be good... and it can be bad too. I hope they only inherit the good traits and leave the bad ones behind.

We had a very vivid and effective word picture presented to us in church yesterday. Several moms, several dads were called up to the front along with their daughters or sons. The speaker was showing us the resemblance of the child to his or her parent. Immediately we all simultaneously knew what path the pastor was headed. He proceeded to give us 4 traits of resemblance in relation to the Christian and their Heavenly Father.
1). Relationship implies OBEDIENCE. Matthew 12:46-50 - Doing the will of the Father... "If the Bible says it, I obey it".
2). Relationship implies RIGHTEOUSNESS. Matthew 13:24-30;36-43. If you want to resemble the Father, you must practice deeds and attitudes that are righteous. What are these? Joy, meekness, patience, friendliness, integrity, honesty, service, etc...
3). Relationship implies RECONCILIATION. Matthew 6:14-15. God in essence says 'if you're going to be related to me, then hurt and offense needs to be dealt with by reconciliation. Go and make it right. No Christian has the right to hold a grudge. Forgive and forget! Grudges are absolutely sinful and we will never grow in our spiritual lives by holding onto past wrongs...
4). Relations implies COMPASSION. Matthew 5:48. An odd verse for this point. But being perfect means 'intrinsically good'. God is nothing but intrinsically good and unblamable. As a result, He is full of compassion - and we are to be like that. We are to strive to be compassionate, as our Father is compassionate.

If we are practicing these things, no one will mistake us for whose child we are.

Mark

Dance Class

Today our little girl has her first ballet and tap dance class at the local dance studio. It's exciting for us because it is what we consider to be another milestone - another footstep - in her development as a productive member of society.

Being productive has its roots in the principles taught in a class like this, which agree with what we would find in the scriptures. She will be taught many things such as discipline, commitment, graciousness, selflessness, teamwork, patience, submission to authority, obedience, respect for others, organization and kindness.

While the goal of the instructors is to teach children how to tap and do ballet cultivating these kinds of characteristics in a 'dancing' environment, they are unwitting participants in a greater goal of mom and dad: to reinforce those same principles that we find in God's word, so that she will be a productive member of the Christian community.

Reflections on 9/11

Grown men don't cry, do they? Certainly not at work, right? I guess not... unless it's September 11, 2001.

Intently watching my computer screen on that sunny morning, minding my own business and doing my own work - the phone rings in the next office. "A plane hit one of the World Trade Center buildings" was the report from the caller. I thought it was a small plane... an accident. The second phone call came a little later and this time my gut told me that something wasn't right.

The buzzing started around the office and we all went downstairs to the corporate meeting room that we shared with another company housed in the other half of the building. We sat there speechless. The buildings were burning. There were planes missing. Then the Pentagon. Then the buildings collapsed, one at a time, into a pile of rubble. Still there were no words spoken. We all knew what had just happened to thousands of our countrymen.

I made my way back up the stairs... slowly. My legs felt like lead. The lump in my throat was bigger than it had ever been. I sat down and prayed. Who could work after seeing the unthinkable? The salty tears streamed from my eyes. I mourned for all those people, some of which entered the fiery eternity. I knew that life as we knew it in America had changed forever. Things would never be the same. I had a three-month old baby at home. I worried for him. I worried for his future.

One one hand, my heart aches when we approach this time of year for obvious reasons. But on the other hand, my heart leaps for joy, because God has not abdicated His throne. He is still in control of the affairs of mankind. He is the reason we live and breathe and have our existance. He is who we hope in. He is our trust. He is our protector, our shield, our guide. And because He is, of whom shall we fear???

The Power of the Cross

Last night our church met with another church for a corporate 'sing' and 'worship' service. I saw an old friend of mine from ccllege who I hadn't seen since about half my life ago. It was nice to rekindle that friendship. He hadn't changed his looks a bit - I would have known him anywhere. I was hoping he thought the same thing about me! The sing-along was refreshing and needful. One of the songs my family and my buddies family shared last night was 'The Power of the Cross'.

"The Power of the Cross"

Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh, to see the dawn

Of the darkest day:

Christ on the road to Calvary.

Tried by sinful men,

Torn and beaten, then

Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath—

We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain

Written on Your face,

Bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Ev'ry bitter thought,

Ev'ry evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;

Now the ground beneath

Quakes as its Maker bows His head.

Curtain torn in two,

Dead are raised to life;

"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name

Written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death;

Life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Son of God—slain for us.

What a love! What a cost!

We stand forgiven at the cross.