A Good Day

My wife always has ways of encouraging me.  Today she emailed me at work a section from a book she is reading from Warren Wiersbe regarding what a 'good day' consists of:

What God means by "Good Days":  They are not necessarily days free from problems.  For the Psalmist in Psalm 34 wrote about fears, troubles, afflictions, and even a broken heart.  A "Good Day" for the believer who "loves life" is not one in which he is pampered and sheltered, but one in which he experiences God's help and blessing because of life's problems and trials.  It is a day when he magnifies the Lord, experiences answers to prayer, tastes the goodness of God and senses the nearness of God.

Hope in 2010

The Apostle Paul has some 'trustworthy' statements for us as we start the new year:


1).  1 Timothy 1:15 - "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners..."
2).  1 Timothy 4:8b-9 - "...godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds the promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. "
3).  2 Timothy 2:11-13 - "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him;  if we endure, we shall also reign with Him;  if we deny Him, He also will deny us;  if we are faithless, He remains faithful; for he cannot deny Himself."
4). Titus 3:4-8a - "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement..."

The Best Bible Reading Program

Every December, I start thinking of ways to improve on my Bible reading.  It's hard to be consistent in our daily intake of scripture.   To get into a consistent groove requires discipline.  For some people, a 'Bible Reading Program' is just what the doctor ordered to help their oft-ailing study of God's Word.   I've looked at some of these programs year after year, and they certainly have their merit.   One program has you reading three or four chapters a day to get you through the whole Bible in a year.  Another program has you reading the same seven or eight chapters every day for a month, and then move on to a different seven or eight chapters the next month.  You don't get through the whole Bible in a year, but those chapters you read and re-read are cemented into your memory.   There are even websites that guide you daily through your assigned reading schedule.   Those kinds of Bible reading programs are good and vital for some people.  

I am a different kind of individual though.   Every time I ever tried a Bible reading program at the beginning of a new year, I end up failing by about the third week in January.   The reasons are varied, but more often than not, it ends up becoming a mechanical exercise.  This may not be true for everyone, but I have found the secret to the best Bible reading program for me:  TIME.  Spend TIME reading it.  As I mentioned in my previous post - if I simply dedicate more TIME to Jesus (part of that is Bible reading), then I will make it through the passages that He wants me to study.  If I open the Word on a regular basis, even a half-hour a day, I will read a significant portion of the Bible and be fed by the Holy Spirit's teaching.   For me, it doesn't have to be some elaborate system of checking off chapters.   Elaborate systems aren't for me.  Simple devotion to Christ through the daily reading of his Word is what works best for me.    If that means meditation on three short verses on one day, then great.  If I happen to make it through three short New Testament books the next day, then that is great too.

Fear Not

What are the fears that grip us?  What kind of things paralyze us?  And what is the antidote to those fears?
As we learned this past week in a great Sunday School class conducted by a guest speaker, the answer can be found in Isaiah 41:10 - "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

In this verse we find five pillars of truth regarding fear:
1).  God is with you
2).  God is your God
3).  God will strengthen you
4).  God will help you
5).  God will uphold you

To put it in a more personal way, you could say:

1).  God is with ME!

2).  God is MY God!

3).  God will strengthen ME!

4).  God will help ME!

5).  God will uphold ME!

Is there any more effective way of handling fear?

Admission of Wrong

Genuine remorse goes a long way.  Asking forgiveness is not the easiest thing for someone to do.    A couple weeks ago, someone lied to me.  They were slick in their deception, but it wasn't slick enough.  I saw through the weave of lies.   I haven't fallen off the turnip truck yet.  I was angry and hurt, but I moved on... hoping that this person would be convicted in their hearts after I had questioned them on the truthfulness of their 'story'.

Well, today that person approached me and told me that they were sorry for their actions.  They admitted that they hadn't been entirely truthful and they asked... begged... for my forgiveness.  I was ready to extend that forgiveness to them because it was the right thing to do.   I have been forgiven much in my life.   It wasn't necessarily ME that was wronged anyway... it was a sin against God.   I was happy to hear this person be man-enough to admit a transgression.  It made me have an enormous amount of respect for him...  it goes a long way in restoring the trust that was breached.    A very short time after he had asked for and received my forgiveness, he approached me again and said, 'I feel SOOOO much better now!'    Of course he did!  When someone lies, if they have any conscience left, they will be eaten up with guilt.   Making things right lifts a heavy burden that our souls are not meant to bear.     Had I not forgiven this person, then BOTH of us would have been carrying around that load.   And now both of us are free from that brutal heaviness.

A Great Sound

This morning in church we were studying various passages in the book of Nehemiah.   One did not have to listen very long before hearing a great sound.  "Turn to Nehemiah 2:1... now turn to chapter 4... look in chapter 6... now back to chapter 2... go to verse such and such... now keep your hand there and turn to the New Testament and look in 1 Timothy chapter 6".    We were turning pages at breakneck speed, keeping pace with the pastor as we got our exercise in our morning Bible drills.   The great sound?   A couple hundred people turning their Bible pages simultaneously.  All those crisp, thin Bible pages turning at the same time sounded like an orchestra to me.  It meant that people were engaging in a hearty study of God's Word, and not just being lazy spectators.  We were all participating in the same kind of activity that the noble Berean's had been noted for in the book of Acts - not taking someone's word for something, but rather checking out God's Word to see if these things were really so.   What a great sound!

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Last weekend we turned the clocks back an hour.  Some people get excited because of the extra hour of sleep.  I never quite figured out the excitement.  If I want an extra hour of sleep, I just go to bed an hour earlier.   But that excitement over the hour of sleep soon turns into depression and anxiety for some.  

In Western Pennsylvania at this time of year, we wake up when it's dark, we drive to work in the dark, then we come home in the late afternoon - and its dark!   I often jokingly call November through February the 'dark ages'.   But for some people this is no joke.  I read online about the depression and anxiety that people suffer at this time of year.  There is a term used for this called 'seasonal affective disorder'.   The claim in a nutshell is that people are lacking basic sunlight.   People's biological clocks may be disrupted by the shortened days and even some hormone levels are out of whack due to the seasonal changes.   There are companies out there that manufacture special lights that simulate the rays that come from the sun and they effectively market these expensive gadgets to people who hope their disorder will be cured.

I am no doctor and I am not doubting that there may be some valid science behind this 'condition'.  And my heart goes out to those suffering from depression.  Who of us hasn't suffered from some level of the blues?  But, I'd be willing to bet that in many cases, it's not so much the lack of SUN light that is the cause of depression as it is the lack of SON light.  If you'll pardon the play on words for a moment and go to the scriptures:   John 8:12 - "I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life".  Could depression be classified as walking in darkness?  Following Christ is walking in the light.

And again, in 1 John 1:7 - "If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin".   How is that for our much needed Son light?  These are quite encouraging verses from God's Word, and there are many more like these if we search through the scriptures.

When we're looking for a cure for 'cabin fever' or being 'down in the dumps', instead of shopping for an expensive contraption to begin our light therapy or getting a prescription for an anti-depressant, may we first go to the Son?  May we go to His Word first?   I have tried counting my blessings when I get the blues... it should make sense to the Christian that if we are busy counting our blessings, we won't have time to be depressed.    As a good friend of mine often says, "we're too blessed to be depressed".

The Body of Christ In Action

Not too long ago some friends of ours found out their oldest son has muscular dystrophy. What heartbreaking news to be laid on a parent. This young boy is the same age as our oldest boy. We felt helpless... what could we do? They have another son who is the same age as our youngest son. Lightning doesn't strike twice does it? Could it?

A short time after this news hit their family, they had their second son tested and he also was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. I couldn't sleep. It bothered me real bad. I had breakfast with their dad to see how things were going and I was real encouraged with his attitude. He didn't want people to feel sorry for them. He only wanted people to pray and to be there as friends. After the shock of it all, he said he was trying to come to terms with it... and he knows that he and his family is in the hand of a sovereign God, even when its time to get wheel chairs and ramps.

The boys are still able to walk and run although with some difficulty at times. But as the disease begins to do more damage they will likely deteriorate in the coming months and years. It's sad to think about. It makes you know how helpless you really are.

A group of people from our church who are close friends of theirs hatched a plan. One thing we can do as friends is support and encourage them. Unknown to this struggling family, a collection was taken up to send them to Disney World while the boys are still mobile. In just over a month, they had enough money to purchase full accommodations, food, transportation and Disney tickets. And not only that, the money collected amounted to more than double what it cost for the trip, which means they will have some left over to buy medicine and other supplies that they will need. They were presented this gift on Sunday at church. It was a very touching and emotional scene. The response of the people was overwhelming. When Christ is at the 'head' of the church, there is no 'dystrophy' in the body. This is the body of Christ in action.

Blessed Beyond Measure

I don't know how many blessings in a weekend one man can enjoy, but I will list three of them (although there were many more).

1). My parents celebrated 50 years of marriage yesterday (congratulations, Mom and Dad, I love you). As I shared at their party, this is a major accomplishment. The world defines 'success' in terms of money or status, but I see 'success' differently. Success is keeping a promise to each other and to God, for better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health. That is success. And that is a blessing.
2). At the celebration, one individual stood up and shared some things I didn't know about my grandfather (who went to heaven some twenty years ago). He told my mom and dad about how much he appreciated my grandfather who had taught him Sunday School as a youth and how much of an impact he had in shaping his life. That too is a blessing.
3). My oldest son was baptized this morning at church. He gave his life to the Lord more than a year ago, and today he followed in obedience to go into the baptismal tank and show the world what Jesus Christ has done in his heart. At his young age, he understands that there is no saving grace in baptism. Salvation is not by an act or a work that we do. He understands that and now has wanted to be a young testimony to the public. He quoted John 1:1 to the leadership of the church as one of his favorite verses before the baptism service. He did great under the 'pressure' of the pillars of the church gathered around to hear why he wanted to go through with this solemn but joyous act. I was very proud of him. This event was a great blessing, not only for me, but for our whole family.

Blessed beyond measure,
Mark

Aiming Higher

I am reading great book by Bishop J.C. Ryle called ‘Holiness’. This book is a case study on why it is important for Christians to be consistently reading soul-satisfying, thirst-quenching, sin-convicting books. So far, Ryle draws a clear distinction between God’s role and our role in the sanctification process. While God is intimately involved in our growth, there is none of this ‘Let-go-and-let-God’ philosophy. We are to participate in our own growth… we just don’t stand by idly and hope that God is going to hold us by the lazy hand and do everything for us (for example, see 2 Peter 1, where we see God’s part and our part in the growth process clearly outlined).

Believers have settled for a brand of Christianity that lacks vision and is content with mediocrity. We embrace every wind of doctrine because diligent study of God’s word is ‘too hard’. Our worship is lackluster and our evangelism stinks because we think people will laugh at our devotion and think we’re religious nuts.

I say we aim higher. Did not Christ die to deliver us? Could we not put a whole-hearted effort into our relationship with Him? Should not our prayers be more fervent and our Bible intake be more regular and meaningful? Aim higher. Should not our affections of Jesus Christ be more sincere? Shouldn’t we have a white-hot passion for the things of God regardless of what people say or think? We ought to aim higher! When we’re cut, we ought to bleed scripture. When we breathe, words from God’s Word ought to burst forth from our souls. Aiming higher in our faith… that’s when people will start to realize that Christians are for real, and God will get the glory.

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...

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.

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.

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???

What Makes a Father Happy?

What makes a father happy? What makes a father grateful?

Having his seven year old son sprawl out on the livingroom floor, volunteering to lead the family worship time.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of God" - 2 Timothy 2:15

Four O'Clock in the Morning

Taking a break from my Romans commentaries last night, I decided to open another Puritan paperback by a man named Joseph Alleine, called 'A Sure Guide to Heaven'. I never heard of this guy until recently, but the subject matter of this work interested me and so I made the purchase.

The back of the book says, ‘When the spiritual history of the Western world in the 20th century is written, it may well be seen as the epoch of spiritual sloth and slumber’. The purpose of the book is to alarm and awaken people to the concerns of life and death.

The introduction tells us that Joseph Alleine lived in the mid-1600’s and was very protective of his study time. If his friends interrupted him, he would say ‘it is better that they should wonder at my rudeness than that I should lose my time; for only a few will take notice of my rudeness, but many may feel my loss of time’. For someone who took great pains to evangelize the lost, study time was essential.

Alleine certainly knew how to redeem the time. He made it a regular habit to wake up every day at 4:00am. He spent the next FOUR HOURS in prayer, contemplation, and singing psalms. Is it any wonder he was effective in ministry?

I barely made it out of the introduction and was convicted about my own slothfulness. I love my morning sleep. Apparently much more than some quiet study in the Scriptures.

Mark

Game Ball!!

We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15


My youngest son plays for the Yankees. Not the New York ones, but for the local T-Ball league. Those kids are hilarious. Last night he won the game ball. You would have thought he won the seventh game of the World Series! A little encouragement goes a long way. His coach is excellent in the way he teaches the kids. They’re learning how to hustle and pay attention. Learning how to throw and bat correctly and run the bases and work together. Working together! Good attitudes… confidence... That game ball was pretty important to my son (and to me).

It made me wonder how many game balls I gave out today…

I Set My Bow in the Cloud

The psalmist bursts forth praise in Psalm 19 by exclaiming that 'The heavens are declaring the glory of God'.

Who doesn't love a rainbow?!! This beautiful bow and reminder of God's faithfulness was set over our neighborhood this evening right after an easy spring rain.