Captive to the Word of God

Is Satan in Genesis 3?

2012-01-20T12:01:00.000-06:00

Is Satan in Genesis 3?

Summarizing Genesis chapter 3, the serpent appears to Eve in the Garden of Eden and tempts her by (1) questioning God’s Word (v. 1, “Did God actually say”) and (2) questioning God’s character (v. 4, “You will not surely die”). Eve is deceived, eats from the forbidden tree, gives the fruit to her husband, and he also eats. As a result of their sin, they are awakened to their nakedness and attempt to provide a covering for their own sin (v. 7). Then, when God makes an appearance, their rebellion and guilt is evidenced by their attempt to hide from Him (v. 8). God gives them an opportunity to confess their sin but Adam blames Eve (and God) and Eve blames the serpent (vv. 12-13). God then pronounces judgment upon the serpent, then Eve, and, lastly, Adam (vv. 14-19). The chapter ends with God providing the only proper covering of sin, namely, an innocent substitutionary blood sacrifice (v. 21), and forces the couple from the Garden to keep them away from the Tree of Life (vv. 22-24).

It is often claimed that the temptation of Adam and Eve was the work of Satan, the father of lies, the deceiver, the devil. Yet this being is never mentioned in the story of Genesis 3. So is Satan in Genesis 3?

I see three possible answers to the question:

1. No, Satan is not present in Genesis 3. The temptation is the work of an animal, a serpent.
2. Yes, the serpent in chapter 3 is actually Satan.
3. Yes, the serpent in chapter 3 is an actual animal but is being used by Satan to tempt mankind.

I dismiss the first possibility outright. Nothing in Scripture indicates the sin we see in the world is the result of the temptation of a sinful animal. Animals, unlike man, do not have the ability of fellowship with God because they are not created in the Imago Dei. Scripture never speaks of animals possessing a moral faculty, an ability to make moral choices, such as rebelling against God. So, apart from some evil outside entity, no serpent would have ever come to Adam and Eve, talked with them, and tempted them to sin.

Therefore, I conclude Satan is in the chapter. The question now remains, is Satan alone or is he using an actual serpent to accomplish his mission?

Based on Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-15 (which I will not discuss here), we understand Satan to have been a heavenly spirit being, an angel, who, in his pride, rebelled against God and led other angels to do so as well. Satan and his cohorts were cast down to the earth (Ephesians 2:1 refers to him as the “prince of the power of the air”) and they have continually tempted and tormented man. Revelation 12:9 records, “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 20:2 also refers to him as “the dragon, that ancient serpent”.

The references to Satan as “that ancient serpent” directly connect the thoughts of Revelation with Genesis 3. The phrase “the deceiver of the whole world” is also an allusion to the time when he, indeed, deceived the whole world, namely, the time when he deceived Adam and Eve which, as a result, led to the fall of all mankind.

Furthermore, the proclamation made by God as part of the judgment upon the serpent in Genesis 3:15 certainly extend beyond the simple understand of a man bruising the head of some serpent. The offspring of woman bruising the head of the serpent is a far more serious injury than the bruising of the man by the serpent. God is not simply talking about men killing snakes here. Given the references in Revelation 12 and 20, it appears obvious the serpent’s offspring in Genesis 3:15 is a reference to Satan himself.

The “offspring of woman” also implies a son born without a human father and, therefore, is a picture of Christ. God is communicating to the first humans there is hope for mankind against this tempter. One will come who will deal a deadly blow to the head of the serpent, namely, Satan. Did Christ actually accomplish such a task?

The Scriptures clearly say “yes”. Hebrews 2:14 reads, “...he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” John writes, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8) Jesus said, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31) Paul, speaking of Christ’s work on the cross, writes, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:15) And, because of Christ’s victory over Satan, those who are His true followers no longer have to listen to the temptations of the devil. (James 4:7)

Finally, I also believe there is an actual, physical serpent in the Genesis 3 account. God’s judgment against the serpent in Genesis 3:14 calls for the serpent to live on his belly forever. Obviously, this reference can not be to Satan since he does not possess a physical body. Hence, this part of the curse must be applied to an animal, an actual serpent which Satan has used in order to tempt Adam and Eve that day in the garden.

That is why I hold to the 3rd possible answer to the question “Is Satan in Genesis 3?” Yes, he is. However, the serpent in chapter 3 is an actual animal being used by Satan to tempt mankind.

"Contradictions in the Word of God": #4- How Much Did David Pay for the Threshing Floor?

2011-10-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

What was the price paid to Ornan for the Threshing Floor? One Explanation.

Without delving into the entire background of this account, suffice it to say the text in 2 Samuel 24:24 states “So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” The Chronicler in 1 Chronicles 21:25 also relates this story and writes “So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.”

I guess if you are convinced the Bible is not the Word of God and contains errors then you will likely see several errors when comparing these two verses. For example:

1. 2 Samuel says David paid Araunah for the threshing floor. 1 Chronicles says he paid Ornan.

2. 2 Samuel says David bought “the threshing floor and the oxen.” 1 Chronicles says he bought “the place.”

3. 2 Samuel says David paid 50 shekels. 1 Chronicles says it was 600 shekels.

4. 2 Samuel notes these 50 shekels were of silver. 1 Chronicles notes it was 600 shekels of gold.

So, you have just found 4 contradictions or errors in the Bible.

On the other hand, if, like me, you believe the Bible is, indeed, the very Word of God, a God who never makes mistakes or deceives, given by Him to men who faithfully wrote His Word, protected from error as they wrote then you know there is an explanation to these apparent and alleged contradictions.

I know some speculate on the possibility the later copyists of the Hebrew manuscripts may have copied a letter incorrectly resulting in a change of the numeric value. Given the Hebrews often used specific letters for numerals that is always possible. Personally, I am not convinced that is the case in this particular situation.

Let me briefly look at each of these alleged problems.

1. Hopefully this particular “problem” may be easily dismissed. Most folks accept the fact that Araunah and Ornan are the same individual. For example, I have a friend whose first name is “Arthur”. The only people who call him “Arthur” are those who don’t know him. Most folks call him by his middle name. Some who know him very well use the initials of his first and middle name. Perhaps “Ornan” is a shortened version of “Araunah” or a nickname, I have no idea. But I see no reason to charge the Bible with an error on this account.

2. Of importance is the fact that 1 Chronicles was written at a later date than 2 Samuel. While it retells the events of David’s reign as king, it adds information to the accounts in 2 Samuel. David did buy Ornan’s threshing floor and oxen per 2 Samuel. Threshing floors were not all that large. But 2 Chronicles does not simply say the threshing floor and the oxen. Rather it states David paid for “the place”.

The author of 2 Samuel ends his account with this story, but no so for the Chronicler. In verse 29 of 1 Chronicles 21, David ponders the present location of the Tabernacle, the portable house of worship. Chapter 22 then accounts David’s decision to build a Temple. And the Chronicler discusses the location for the building of that permanent house of worship in 2 Chronicles 3:1 – the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

There is no way the Temple would ever fit in the confines of a former threshing floor Threshing floors were not very large. Therefore, the building was built on the floor purchased by Ornan (per 2 Samuel 24) but extended outward from there on top of Mt. Moriah. I see the 2 Samuel passage referring to David’s immediate intent to obtain the threshing floor and oxen in order to construct an altar and offer a sacrifice for his sin of numbering the people (2 Samuel 24:17-19). But, after doing so (2 Samuel 24:25), he is impressed by God to obtain more of the land on top of Mt. Moriah (“the place” of 1 Chronicles 21) for the future building of the Temple.

3. If, as I believe, we are looking at two distinct transactions, probably made roughly at the same time, there is no difficulty with the different prices. 50 shekels would be an appropriate price for the threshing floor itself and the oxen to satisfy David’s immediate need. 600 shekels would be a fair price for the surrounding land (“the Place”).

4. Again, if we are dealing with two separate transactions, the difference in silver and gold poses no problem. A crude example from my personal life will illustrate this. There have been times when, in my love of McDonalds, I order a meal and pay with cash (e.g, $5 in U.S. currency). While I am eating, I am joined by family members who also want to eat. Being a good father, I offer to pay. Alas, no more currency. So I whip out my debit card and create a second transaction (e.r., $20 on my debit card). The first was for my immediate need (threshing floor and oxen); the second for a “future” need (the place). The first was paid with currency (silver); the second with a debit card (gold). The first cost me very little (50 shekels); the second was a higher cost (600 shekels).

I believe this is a reasonable explanation. There is no doubt David bought more land than simply the threshing floor according to the 2 Chronicles passage. More land would have cost much more money than the threshing floor.

I’m sure you can read Biblical commentators on these passages and see their explanations for this “contradiction”. There are other viable possibilities.

So, I do not see this as a contradiction or an error. While I may not have the exact sequence of events which occurred, my understanding of the two texts would explain the differences. Of course, if you dismiss the Bible as a book written only by man and, therefore, full of errors, you will likely dismiss my explanation or anyone else’s explanation.

"Contradictions in the Word of God": #3- Can Salvation be Attained by Works?

2011-09-12T16:47:00.000-05:00

Can Salvation be Attained by Works?

This is the 3rd question asked on the video which claims to reveal contradictions in the Word of God. The two answers given are "No", using Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:28 for support, and "Yes", referencing Matthew 19:17; Luke 10:26-28; James 2:24.

I began to answer this alleged contradiction and then decided my time constraints at the present would prevent me from fully elaborating on the matter. This particular question needs a solid and careful response. It is an important question for each person to consider.

The question has been debated by Protestants and any other religious group (including Roman Catholics) for centuries. Sometimes it is framed a bit differently by saying that Paul (the author of Romans and Galatians) disagrees with James. So, can salvation be attained by works?

The correct answer to this question is a “what do you mean”? Terminology is important with any question and that goes for this one. What do you mean by “salvation”? What do you mean by “attained”? What do you mean by “works”?

My guess is the question being asked is something like: “Can a man earn a right relationship with God and receive eternal life by doing certain good deeds ?” The answer to that question is a resounding “NO”.

The passages in question (and there are many similar ones on both sides) do not contradict each other. Obviously the individual(s) who put together the little video did not do much research. If they truly believed this question was a serious issue on the faithfulness of the Scripture, they would have spent a little effort seeing what Protestant scholars have said on the matter over the past 500 years.

Since I do not have the time at present to answer the question in depth, I am providing some references to responses by a few, good Protestant men on the matter. I would encourage you to listen to them and see if they provide an answer to what you believe is a contradiction in the Scripture.

Furthermore, if, after listening to their responses, you would like to discuss this specific question in more detail, please let me know.

Dr. John Piper, current pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, briefly shares his understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith alone here. He also addresses the alleged contradiction between Paul and James here.
The 19^th century English Baptist pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, preached on this topic and you may read his sermon here.
Dr. John MacArthur is the current pastor of Grace Community Church in southern California and has addressed the matter in two sermons from James chapter 2. His first is on dead faith and may be found here. His second is on living faith and may be read here.

"Contradictions in the Word of God": #2 - Does Yahweh Tempt People?

2011-09-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

The question: “Does Yahweh Tempt People?"
The answers: “No, He would never do that.” “He tempted Abraham.”
The Biblical references:

Genesis 22:1 – And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham...

James 1:13 – Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

“Hey, would you like to go to the ballgame tonight? I have a free ticket and it’s yours if you want it.” “Well, I probably should spend the time catching up on some things around the house. The offer is very tempting.”

A temptation or the act of tempting is not always one with an evil connotation. Even the English definition of the verb “tempt” makes this clear: “entice (someone) to do something against their better judgment.” For example, tempting me to attend a ballgame rather than catching up on things around the house is to entice me to something against my better judgment. But it is not a temptation to do evil.

The Hebrew word for “tempt” in Genesis 22:1 has the basic definition of “to try, to prove, to make a trial”. The Greek word for “tempt” in James 1:13 has the basic definition of “to test, to put to the test, to try.” The word used in James 1:13 is also used in Hebrews 11:17 in reference to Abraham in Genesis 22:1.

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried...”

The word, at times, does mean to entice one to evil but the context of the usage must determine whether the temptation is a temptation to do evil or a temptation to prove, i.e., to test.

The James text makes it clear that the author is describing God’s nature and that He does not entice people to evil. As he writes, “...God cannot be tempted WITH EVIL, neither tempteth he any man.” God does not tempt men to do evil acts.

But the context of Genesis 22 makes it very clear that God is testing Abraham, putting his faith on trial, not enticing him to do evil. Verse 12 indicates this entire affair was a test of faith, not a temptation to do evil.

Our difficulty with these texts is the result of our modern usage of “temptation” to denote something evil and the older English translations which sometimes uses “temptation” without referring to evil. The three verses listed above are quoted from the King James Version. Their translation of Hebrews 11:17 indicates even they understood the Genesis 22 text to be a test, not a temptation. Modern English translations correctly understand the usage of the original words and have clarified their meanings with their translation. Here are a few examples:

Genesis 22:1

ESV: “After these things God tested Abraham...”
NAS: “Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham...”
HCSB: “After these things God tested Abraham...”

Hebrews 11:17

ESV: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested...”
NAS: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested...”
HCSB: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested...”

James 1:13

ESV: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
NAS: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”
HCSB: “No one undergoing a trial should say, ‘I am being tempted by God.’ For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone.”

Does God tempt people? Yes and no. He tempts them in terms of testing their faith but He never tempts them in terms of doing evil. To successfully battle the temptation to do evil, you need to be born again, a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, indwelt by His Spirit. Are you? If not, I plead with you to turn from your sins and flee to Christ now.

"Contradictions in the Word of God": #1 - How Long Does Yahweh's Anger Last?

2011-09-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

This may be the first of several posts on the subject of supposed Biblical contradictions. I have been challenged by a younger man who, it appears, doubts the Scripture as well as questions God although I am not certain how deep that questioning goes. Is he an athiest? I don't know.

The alleged contradictions presented to me are ones that have been hurled at the Bible for centuries to no avail. I doubt if I present anything new to the debate in these matters and am certain anyone with internet access (i.e., you if you are reading this post!) can find others who articulate responses to these contradictions much better than I can. Nevertheless, I will respond to at least a few of them over the coming days as time permits. Also, I will try to be as brief as possible.

"How long does Yahweh's anger last?" "Forever or not forever." The references given for this "contradiction" are Micah 7:18 and Jeremiah 17:4. The Scripture contains similar verses for each of these so I will simply stick with these two in my response.

First, the anger (or wrath) of God is a very real attribute just like His love. His wrath is the nature of God which intensely hates any and all sin. God responds to sin with His wrath.

Jeremiah 17:4 states "... for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever". The Hebrew word translated "forever" comes from the word "what is hidden", especially "hidden time" or "long time". It is used to describe eternity (or forever) but the basic understanding of the word is "for a long time." But there is nothing wrong with translating the word as "forever".

The context of Jeremiah 17 reveals the Lord is responding to the sin of Judah. They have sinned and God announces the loss of their heritage and their servitude to enemies. God's wrath, as a result of their sin, is upon them forever.

But the context of Micah 7 is entirely different. In verse 18 of that chapter we read, "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love."

Now we see the love and mercy of God in contrast to His wrath. He pardons sin and restrains His wrath because of His love. But this is not the same audience. These individuals are the remnant, not the rebellious we see in Jeremiah 17. These have turned from the sin and are now trusting their Savior. For them, God's wrath does not last forever.

There is no contradiction between these two verses (or similar verses in the Scripture). God's wrath will remain FOREVER upon those who refuse to repent of their sins and trust in Christ. Jeremiah 17 is absolutely correct for those individuals. They will experience the wrath of God forever in the abode of Hell.

But for those who have trusted Christ, God's wrath has been appeased by the death of Christ (Romans 3:23-25). For this "remnant", we longer live under His wrath and will never experience. Praise God "he does not retain his anger forever!"

So, the question is not one of contradiction. Rather, the question is in which group are you? Based on your skepticism of God's Word, I fear you are in the same position as those in Jeremiah 17. I fear, young man, for your soul. Even now, the wrath of God is upon you (John 3:36) and it will remain upon you forever.

But there is hope and His name is Jesus! I encourage you to consider Him, ask for God to forgive you of your sins, and throw yourself on His mercy. He will save you from the wrath of God!

"I'm Sorry, Pastor..."

2011-07-29T15:12:00.000-05:00

"I'm sorry, pastor..."

While I have not been in the pastorate as long as many of God's servants, I have been a pastor long enough to hear many of the reasons people miss church. Usually the excuses begin the same way: "I'm sorry, pastor, for missing church last Sunday but..." followed by the explanation for their absence.

First, let me say to those who miss a service in any church I am pastoring, you do not need to apologize to me. I probably did notice your absence. However, my calling does not depend on or require you to be present. God has called me to lead the body in worship on the Lord's Day primarily by proclaiming His Word. I will do so whether you or anyone else is sitting in the pew. My responsibility is to God first and this is what He has called me to do.

So, if you miss a service, you do not need to apologize to me. Any "reckoning" required on your part is due to God, not to me.

Second, I do understand there are legitimate reasons for not attending a worship service. Obviously, if you have died during the week, I do not expect to see you on Sunday! Seriously, though, the providence of God does bring events into our lives which require us to bypass the worship service of our local church from time to time.

For example, some older members have physical conditions which prevent them from attending worship services. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by illness and unable to come (and, if you are ill, the pastor is in favor of you staying at home!). There are times when our cars or other means of transportation keep us out of the house of God. And, occasionally, a family vacation may also take us away from our Christian brothers and sisters.

Third, nevertheless I have heard some reasons why folks have missed church which make virtually no sense to me at all. Allow me to share a few of them with you.

1. "I was out late with my friends last night and too tired to get up on Sunday morning." Really?! Perhaps you should take the necessary steps to make certain you get the rest you need prior to worshiping the Lord on Sunday. Sunday is the Lord's Day, not your day.

2. "We have Cardinal/Rams tickets for Sunday's game." Well, I am delighted to know you care more for the local sports teams than you do the Lord. The Cardinals do play on other days of the week. The Rams sometimes play later on Sundays. Did you really have to buy tickets for a game which conflicts with the worship service?

3. "My child's ball team had an early game on Sunday." Why is your child on a team which plays games on Sunday morning? Find a league which does not play on Sunday or inform your coach at the outset of the season your child will not play games on Sunday. Besides, what is the lesson you are teaching your child? Isn't it "Sports are more important in life than worship"?

4. "Our family reunion began at noon so we weren't able to come to church beforehand." Perhaps you should tell your family to stop holding reunions which interfere with your worship of God. Or, perhaps you should just plan on being late to the reunion. The lesson you are teaching your earthly family is you would rather be with them than with your heavenly family.

5. "Sunday is the only day I have off. I decided to relax rather than come to church." This excuse doesn't even deserve a comment.

The next time you miss Sunday worship, please do not apologize to me. I am not offended by your absence. The reason you were out is a matter between the Lord and you. Hopefully He is satisfied with it.

Pastoral Concern #4 - Baptism

2011-07-08T16:14:00.000-05:00

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...” (Matthew 28:18-19)

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

“But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8:12)

“And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’” (Acts 8:36)

“And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized” (Acts 9:18)

“And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 10:48)

“’John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:4-5)

Ok, I will be brief and blunt. My fourth pastoral concern has to do with the ordinance of baptism. No, I am not referring to the theological understanding of baptism. I am not referring to the mode of baptism. My concern relative to baptism has to do with individuals who claim to be born again by our Lord but REFUSE to be baptized.

How in the world can you refuse to enter the waters of baptism? You tell me it’s not necessary to be baptized to be a Christian. I agree, along with all my Southern Baptist brothers and sisters. Water baptism saves no one. But that does not mean baptism is unimportant.

The first Scripture reference above is the commandment of Christ given to all of his disciples. We are commanded to baptize those who trust Christ. The remaining passages testify to this fact by providing several examples from Scriptures of either calls for baptism or new converts being baptized.

The Scripture is very simple on this matter: repent of your sins, trust Christ for salvation, and be baptized in obedience to the Lord’s commandment. Water baptism testifies to the world you are a follower of Christ. As I understand Scripture, baptism is the sign of the new covenant as circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant. If you are physically born a child of Abraham (and, therefore, an heir of that covenant), you are circumcised as a sign of that fact. If you are spiritually born a child of God (and, therefore, an heir of the new covenant), you are baptized as a sign of that fact.

You and I can debate on a variety of matters relative to baptism. Is baptism for babies? Is baptism for salvation? Is baptism by immersion? But if you are one of those individuals of our era who believe you can be a Christian, follow Christ, and yet refuse to be baptized, I challenge you to rethink your position.

Christ commands you to be baptized. Until you do, you are living in disobedience to the very one you claim is the LORD of your life. So, get on with it!

"Faithful Preaching": A Book Review

2011-07-08T15:37:00.000-05:00

"Faithful Preaching: Declaring Scripture with Responsibility, Passion, and Authenticity"

by Tony Merida

While a student at Criswell College many years ago, I was required to study homiletics, the science, the techniques, and the practice of preaching. I recall the class being extremely interesting and quite practical for me who, as a young Christian, had done very little preaching. We had a couple of textbooks on the subject which were helpful but a laborious read. After "plowing" my way through them, I concluded any textbook on the subject of homiletics must be somewhat of a bore.

Now, thirty plus years later, I read Tony Merida's homiletics text and discover how wrong I was! Dr. Merida has penned a terrific work in the field of preaching. His book is not only informative but it is written in a very interesting and very readable way. Furthermore, I find the work quite inspirational. The author encourages preachers to be expositors and to preach expository sermons. This book is not only the work of an experienced professor teaching his subject but also from the heart of a pastor who loves God and His Word.

The volume is 240 pages in length and approaches the study in 4 parts. They are entitled:

1. Faithful to the Triune God: Trinitarian Convictions for Expository Preaching.
2. Faithful to the Word of God: How Busy Pastors Prepare Christ-Exalting Expository Messages
3. Faithful to the Call of God: Watching Our Life and Doctrine
4. Faithful to the Mission of God: Preaching the Gospel in Our Generation

I found the second part to be the most informative. Dr. Merida provides great insight and guidance on how to develop expository messages. While this process is virtually the same as found in other homiletical works, the author uses a very straightforward and simple means in explaining the procedure. For example, in the chapter on studying the text, the 4th phase of this step asks the question “How is the Gospel Related to This Text?”, Dr. Merida writes:

“This redemptive step is often left out of books on biblical interpretation. It is both theological and exegetical. ... The purpose of integrating biblical theology to exegesis is to look for redemptive themes and Christological connections that display the unity of the Bible. ... To miss the redemptive connection is to miss an important piece in interpretation. ... The grace of God in Christ should be integrated naturally, not artificially in exegesis, and woven throughout in the application of your sermon.”

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend to any who preach (or teach!) the Word. Dr. Merida has given us a great work on the subject of preaching. Now, if only I could preach as well as he writes...

Pastoral Concern #3 - Local Church Membership: Part 2

2011-07-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

As I noted in my previous pastoral concern, I am deeply bothered by the reluctance of some and absolute refusal of others to join a local church. Those who profess to know Christ and have such an attitude need to evaluate their position from Scripture. If they are honest with themselves, they will conclude they are in sin by refusing to join and should repent of their actions, find a local church, and covenant together with that body.

There is, however, another attitude expressed by many believers today on the subject of local church membership which disturbs me greatly. The only term I can think of to describe this position is “Bare Bones Church Member”. Let me define what I mean when I call one by this phrase.

A “bare bones church member (BBCM)” is an individual who has professed Christ as his Lord, has been scripturally immersed, and has united with the local church. Essentially that is the end of his involvement in that local church.

Below I list some characteristics of such members. Obviously, no two BBCMers are the same. Some will be more involved in the local church than others. But here are some of their traits:

1. They might attend morning worship services but not consistently.
2. They rarely, if ever, attend Sunday school.
3. They rarely, if ever, attend Sunday evening activities.
4. They never attend the local church prayer meeting.
5. They might give financially to the church but, if they do, it is very little.
6. They might serve on a committee if asked but likely not.

Before discussing each of these characteristics, let me make it clear that I am not a legalist. You do not become a Christian by earning it through some form of good works and you do not remain a Christian by doing so either. Christianity is a life lived by the power of the indwelling Spirit for the glory of God. It is not a life of required works.

On the other hand, if a professing believer has truly been born again and transformed by God’s Spirit, his life has been radically changed. He longs to know God more fully. He desires to be with God’s people. He lives to serve God with all the spiritual gifts and natural abilities God has given him. In other words, he no longer thinks and acts like those without Christ, at least not habitually.

I’m certain BBCMers have existed in local churches since the founding of the church on the day of Pentecost centuries ago. Perhaps I was blinded to their presence in my younger days as a believer. But it appears to me these types of members are much, much more prevalent in our churches today.

Let me briefly look at each of these BBCM characteristics and share what they are telling me about that individual.

1. They might attend morning worship services but not consistently. Public worship is not that important to them. “I can worship God wherever I am”. Of course, they don’t. “Besides, there are so many things to do in a week I need one day to myself”. In other words “my time” is more important than the Lord’s time. Therefore, some will sleep in, some will play golf, and some will attend sporting events. A BBCMer always has a “good” reason for missing the public worship service.

2. They rarely, if ever, attend Sunday school. Of course, Sunday school is before the worship service. “If I can’t get out of bed for ‘church’, how can I ever make Sunday School?” Their interest in the Word of God is virtually non-existent and their lack of knowledge of the Scripture is evident when you ask them to turn to a specific book in the Old Testament and they turn to the table of contents! Some will pose other reasons for their absence such as “I don’t like the teacher” or “I don’t agree with the teacher”. Again, they can always find a reason for not coming.

3. They rarely, if ever, attend Sunday evening activities. This is especially true if they manage to make the morning worship service. “I’ve done my church duty” is their attitude. To them, church membership demands only 60-90 minutes one day a week. “I gave up my Sunday morning for church. I’m not going to give up the whole day to the Lord”. This is especially true if the Sunday evening activity might involve Bible study in some way! Good grief, how often do we need to study the Bible in one day anyway?!

4. They never attend the local church prayer meeting. If you ask a BBCMer why they do not attend, they will say something similar to “I can pray on my own”. Or, perhaps their response would be “I’m too tired after working all day”. “I can’t afford to spend all my time at the church”. “The Cardinals are on TV tonight”. Or, maybe they will use the classic “There’s nothing for my kids”. Well, perhaps you could start something for the children. When I hear such excuses, I am led to conclude (1) they do not think much of corporate prayer; (2) they do not care if they miss opportunities to share joys and burdens with fellow believers, and (3) the meeting of their local church for public prayer is low on their priority list.

5. They might give financially to the church but, if they do, it is very little. Again, I am not a legalist. When it comes to giving, that is a matter between you and the Lord. If you ask some BBCMers about giving, they will remind you, “Remember we are under grace not the law”. That’s “code” for “I do not have to give a tithe”. No, you do not (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-15). But God required the tithe of the people in the Old Testament. How can we, saved by the grace of His Son, give any less? Unfortunately, many BBCMers give very little to advance the Kingdom of God.

6. They might serve on a committee if asked but likely not. Some BBCMers might agree to serve but their absence at church functions results in them missing committee meetings as well. Usually, though, there is little desire or commitment to serve. Again, such an attitude expresses a lack of interest in being with the people of the Lord and serving in Christ’s mission with them. They have “better” things to do with “their” time.

Most Baptist churches have adopted a church covenant, a formal agreement between members of the local congregation. My present church has one which is widely used in Baptist circles. Here is the second paragraph of that covenant:

“We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines.”

I ask those who are BBCMers: how do you “walk together in Christian love” when you rarely come to church functions? I ask the BBCMers: how are you striving to advance the church when you have little to do with it? I ask my fellow members who are “bare boned”: how are you promoting our church’s “prosperity and spirituality” by staying home? I ask the BBCMers in the Baptist world: how are you sustaining your church in “its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines” when you do not come, do not study, do not pray, do not give, and do not serve? Where is your commitment to Christ and His church? Why do you even belong to a local church?

Again, I am not a legalist. Doing such things do not make you a Christian or preserve you as a Christian. But I must be honest and blunt to you who are “bare bone church members”. I am concerned about your souls. If you truly know Jesus Christ as your Lord, where is your devotion to Him and to the institution for which He died? Your life more closely resembles the life of one who does not know Jesus Christ than the life of a radically transformed individual. Take a moment and honestly ask yourself “Do I truly know Jesus Christ as my Savior?”

If your answer is “yes” then I ask you, “WHERE ARE YOU?” Isn’t it time you become an active, living member of your local church rather than sitting on the sidelines? Come, study with us, worship with us, pray with us, give with us, and serve with us!

But, if your answer is “no” then I pray the Lord would convict your heart of your sin and graciously give you repentance and faith. May you and your life be radically transformed by God’s omnipotent power!

"Time with God for Fathers": A Book Review

2011-06-30T14:59:00.000-05:00

This work is a small volume (102 pages) by Jack Countryman. The book contains 90 one page devotions addressed to fathers based on specific Biblical texts. Each page gives the title of the devotion, the Scripture reference (primarily New King James Version), and a one paragraph exposition/application for fathers. Here are a couple of samples:

Under the title "Father, Help Me to be Patient", based on Romans 15:3-5, the author writes,

"Patience has been defined as learning to accept difficult situations without giving God a deadline for their removal. We know we need patience, but we generally shun the process by which we learn it. We want it now!"

For a devotion entitled "Children are a Joy from the Lord", using Matthew 5:13-16 as a text, Mr. Countryman writes,

"Christ wants you to take seriously your role as a father. As "salt", your behavior is to be distinctly different from those who do not know God, and it must not reflect the same kind of behavior that corrupts a godless culture. Do your children see that you are burning with the light of heaven?"

These examples illustrate the content of the work. I find the devotions quite brief and not very challenging. Perhaps if the author would have spent more time with the associated Scriptures I would have found more value in the work. As a devotional guide, there are others (e.g., "Morning and Evening" by Spurgeon) of much greater insight and value.

Following the devotions, the author has included some reference pages (each one page in length except for the last one.:

God Listens To A Father's Prayer When ...
God's Promises For Fathers
God's Blessings For Fathers With ...
Responsibilities Of Fatherhood To ...
God's Dynamic Example Of Fathers
Crisis Scripture Guide

If you have money and would like to purchase a devotional work, I recommend you skip this one and look elsewhere.

Pastoral Concern 2: Local Church Membership - Part 1

2011-06-29T13:32:00.000-05:00

I’ve been a Christian, a Baptist, and a Southern Baptist for almost 40 years and one of the recent trends I have witnessed in various local churches concerns church membership. The attitude of some Christians concerning church membership simply puzzle me for two primary reasons: (1) their attitude is inconsistent with church history and (2) their attitude flies in the face of God’s Word.

So, what exactly is this attitude, this trend concerning church membership which disturbs me? Simply put, it is the reluctance or outright refusal to join a local church fellowship.

One of the ways I have heard this reluctance or refusal expressed is as follows:

Churches in the New Testament did not have membership lists. “Joining” a church is a man-made procedure. So, as long as I attend church, that’s good enough. Besides, I come to church services more frequently than some of the so-called members of the church.(1)

This perspective has been shared with me by several folks over the past ten years or so. Unfortunately, those holding such a perspective do not understand the teaching of the Scripture on the nature of the church.

The most frequent word rendered “church” in the New Testament is “ekklesia”, meaning “the called out ones”. Certainly every true believer has been called out of the darkness of sin into the light of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). It is Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit, who gives us life to our spiritual dead being and calls us to follow Him.

In that sense, every true believer of Christ is part of the “ekklesia”, the church. Theologically, this concept is referred to as the “Universal Church”, the “Invisible Church”, or the “Church Triumphant”. It includes those who have already gone to be with the Lord as well as those true saints who are presently serving Christ. It is this universal church to which Paul was referring when he wrote:

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...” (Ephesians 5:25).

However, the overwhelming majority of New Testament texts are not speaking about the universal church. For example,

“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace.” (1 Thessalonians 1:1)

Clearly this reference is of a specific body gathered together in Thessalonica. This is one of many assemblies of professing believers meeting in specific locations. When compared to the universal church, this is the “Local Church”, the “Visible Church”, or the “Church Militant”. As Dr. Richard Land has said, the local church is a “colony of heaven”. The local church serves as a visible representation of the universal church.

“Joining” such a local congregation implies a level of commitment beyond simple worship attendance. Since the local church is a visible representative of the universal, invisible church, we would expect such a commitment. To be a part of God’s universal church there must be a commitment to Christ, a trust in him which distinguishes the universal church member from those who do not believe. Therefore, there should be a similar level of commitment or trust to be a part of a local church.

But, more importantly, what do the Scriptures say? Does God’s Word say anything about the concept of joining, becoming a member of a local church? The answer is YES!

1. Consider the local church in Jerusalem.

Acts chapter 5 tells the sad story of Ananias and Sapphira . These two professing believers in the Jerusalem church lied and were slain by God. Verse 11 states “and great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”

Note the contrast between the hearers listed in that verse. You have the “whole church” and “upon all who heard of these things.” Continuing in chapter 5, we read:

“None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.” (Acts 5:13-14)

Some were “added to the Lord” but not all. Nevertheless, because of their fear over events such as the slaying of Ananias and Sapphira, “none of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” The word translated “join” is “kollaomai” meaning “to unite oneself with”, “join”, “stick to”. As the great Baptist Greek scholar A. T. Robertson said, this verb means “to cleave to like glue”. Clearly this local church in Jerusalem consisted of believers who were joined or glued to one another. The Jerusalem church was not a casual gathering of professing believers. It was not a mere collection of people who came and worshiped together on Sundays. No, it was a committed, devoted, “glued together” group.

2. Consider the matter of discipline in the local church.

Jesus was well aware the local church would have problems never experienced by the universal church. For example, it is possible an unbeliever may profess to be a believer and become part of a local church. But unbelievers can never be a part of the universal church. And, when you mix believers and unbelievers in one body, problems are going to arise. So, Jesus provided instruction to local churches on how to address such difficulties.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)

Note the involvement of the local church in the matter. The church is to confront the sinner and, if he refuses to listen to the church, then he is to be treated as a Gentile and tax collector, in other words, as an unbeliever.

These words have absolutely nothing to do with the universal church. No one is being removed from that body. No, these are instructions to local congregations. If the individual in sin refuses to repent throughout this entire process, he is to be treated as an unbeliever.

The New Testament provides an example of this procedure being put into action. The church at Corinth had a member practicing sexual immorality with his father’s wife. Paul writes to the church and instructs them to pursue disciplinary action.

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2)

“Removed” translates a word meaning “to lift up”, “to set aside” and “from among you” literally reads “out of your midst”. Clearly Paul is instructing the Corinthians to exercise the church discipline described in Matthew 18 and remove this man from their body.

Paul doesn’t mean never to allow that man to attend services with them or to hear the preaching of the Gospel. He continues this discussion as follows:

“When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5:4-5)

Paul indicates the intention of their action, namely the removal of the man from their fellowship, is a step in reaching him for the Lord. He is not a believer and, therefore, not to be part of the church. Yet, the church’s action, hopefully, will be a step to winning him to Christ. The implication is this man is welcome to attend the church’s meetings and hear the Gospel. So, his removal “out of their midst” is not referring to physical removal, rather, it is his removal from his union (i.e., membership) with the church. The unique blessings, fellowship, and opportunities he has as a member joined to this body is to be severed. Instead of treating him as a fellow worker in Christ, the believers in Corinth are to give him the Gospel.

This individual in Corinth has been moved from position of “one of the brethren” to “Gentile” (unbeliever) in accordance with Matthew 18. There must have been some means in Corinth to distinguish between those who were “one of the brethren” and those who were not. Is this not one purpose for a membership list?

3. Consider some of the other terminology used to illustrate the church.

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:1-3)

Peter speaks to those whom God has called to be the leaders of His local churches. In so doing, he uses the three titles given in Scripture for this one office: “elder”, “overseer”, and “shepherd” (elder, bishop, pastor).

Baptists have traditionally used the title “pastor” (meaning shepherd) for the name of their local church leader. Not only is the term Biblical, as we see above, but it also communicates a great picture of the local church: those in the church are the sheep forming the local flock and the pastor is the shepherd, appointed by God, to guide and care for this flock.

I have never cared for physical sheep but I do know that a shepherd has responsibility for specific sheep, namely, the sheep assigned to his care. The shepherd KNOWS his sheep. He is not responsible for every sheep wandering in the fields. Sheep belong to a specific flock. While there are many sheep (believers in Christ) in St. Charles, this shepherd (me) is not responsible for every one of them. Rather, God has appointed me over a specific flock, i.e., Bethesda Baptist Church.

Now, who makes up my flock? Is it every believer who walks through the church’s front door? Does it include even believers who are simply visiting on a given Lord’s Day? Does my flock consist of those sheep who regularly attend our morning worship service on Sunday? Am I, as the shepherd of this local flock, responsible for every sheep coming my way? No, I am not. A distinction must be made between the sheep which comprise my flock and other sheep. How does a shepherd make this distinction? How does he know his flock?

This same situation would have existed in the first century. When Peter tells the elders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among” them, those shepherds must have had a means of distinguishing which sheep were truly part of their flock. Again, I ask, is this not one purpose for a membership list?

There is a specific flock known as Bethesda Baptist Church. It is comprised of those sheep (professing believers) who have been called by God to covenant together to form a specific flock (Bethesda Baptist Church). These sheep, not all sheep, have “glued” themselves together (by “joining” the church) with the other sheep in the sheepfold to form this flock. They are the ones I am to shepherd. You may be a sheep who frequently gathers with my flock on Sunday mornings but that does not necessarily make you part of my flock. To you I am a shepherd but not your shepherd.

Consider another illustration of God’s church found in the Bible:

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:37

Again Paul is addressing the local church at Corinth. He calls them the “body of Christ”. So the local church is here pictured as Christ’s body. Furthermore, each individual member of that local church is viewed as a member of Christ’s body.

Often I have sat with my grandchildren on my lap and had them place their hand on mine to demonstrate our similarities and differences. When I look at those hands, I KNOW which of those fingers I am looking at are mine and which ones are not. Mine are connected, they are JOINED to my body. They contribute to my body’s function, have responsibilities within my body, and receive benefit from my body as a whole. Now my grandchildren’s fingers are as much real fingers as mine. But they are not a part of my body!

Therefore, just because you are a real “finger” of God (i.e., a true believer), that does not necessarily mean you are a member of the local body of Christ. Do you contribute to the local body’s function? Do you have responsibilities within the local body? Or, do you simply receive some benefit from the local body by meeting with them once a week?

4. Consider the meaning of the “whole church” at Corinth.

“If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?” (1 Corinthians 14:23)

How do you know if the WHOLE church has come together if you do not have some type of list indicating who is part of the Corinthian church (and, by implication, who is not)? In other words, there is some type of membership list. Corinth practiced local church membership. An individual was required to do something to be added to this list.

I close, first, with a return to my original thoughts on the nature of the church. The church consists of the “called out ones”, those whom God has called out of darkness into His light. All true believers are called out ones, members of the great universal, invisible church. We testify to the world that God has called us out by professing our faith in Christ and committing our lives to Him. Should we not do likewise when it comes to the local church, the visible model of the universal church? Being part of a local body goes far beyond simple attendance. Rather, it involves a level of commitment (i.e., “joining”) as well as a profession of that commitment (“I am a member of Bethesda Baptist Church”).

Finally, since Christ not only gave us the universal church but also the local church, shouldn’t every true believer be committed to a local church body? If you remain a non-member of a local church, what are you communicating to those outside the church? Aren’t you telling them by your actions that the local church, a creation of Christ himself, is of little or no consequence? How can you call yourself a committed follower of our Lord Jesus Christ if you will not become a committed follower of an institution He created?

If you are not a member of a local church then I exhort you to find a church in which God’s Word is preached and commit your life to serving Christ as a member of that church body.

__________________

(1) There are several good books and articles on the subject of joining a local church. Most of them address the matter much the way I have endeavored to do so here. The arguments for church membership in most of these works are the same (why wouldn’t they be since each writer uses the same Scripture to explain and defend the practice of joining a church?). The best work I have ever read on the subject (and one of the most readable) is found in Chapter 3 of Don Whitney’s book, “Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church”, published by Moody in 1996. This specific chapter is currently available online here if you wish to read it. If what I have written does not convince you to join a church then I pray you do take the time and read his thoughts.

Pastoral Concern 1: Education

2011-06-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

When asked by the Pharisees in one of their many attempts to trap him, Jesus told us the nature of the first and greatest commandment:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

(Matthew 22:37-38)

Jesus has masterfully taken the first four commandments of the ten God gave to Moses in Exodus chapter 20 and summarized them into one. God is to be the number one love of our entire life: heart, soul, and mind.

Wait a minute! Did Jesus just say something about our minds? Surely not! How can God want us to love Him with our minds? Doesn’t He understand what folks have long said about Baptists? When they come to church, Baptists leave their brains in their hats on the coat rack.

While we may laugh at such a thought, I fear there is much truth in the joke. Having been a member of several Baptist churches and a visitor in many others in my almost forty years of walking with Jesus, I am constantly amazed by the worldview held by many Baptists who claim they know Christ. It is safe to say their worldview is more often “politically correct” but certainly not “Biblically correct”.

Clearly one of the truths communicated by our Lord in this text is the need to have our minds governed by the Word of God. If we truly love God then our thoughts should not only think about God but our brains should guide our lives to live according to the Word of God, in other words, to live based on a Biblical worldview. Unfortunately, this is often not the case.

In pondering the matter, I also realized the paucity of Biblical knowledge by many who have professed Christ as their Lord for many years. How can any of us love God with our entire mind, live a life according to the principles of the Bible, when we don’t even have a simple grasp of the contents of the Word?

There is certainly much Jesus is stating when He commands us to love the Lord with all our minds. But it can’t be denied that loving God with our mind includes intellectually knowing something about God. For example, I love my wife and my children with my entire being. That love includes knowledge about them: their birth dates, their personalities, their likes and dislikes, and so forth. Perhaps I do not know everything about them, but, over the years, my knowledge about them grows. My love for them demands I use my mind and get to know them.

What would my wife think of my love for her if I forgot her birthday every year? What if I constantly forget the date of our wedding anniversary? Do I really love her if I don’t ever learn her middle name, her parents’ names, or her love for sunflower seeds? I knew none of these things when I first met her. But my love for her has resulted in my mind learning about her; who she is and what she likes.

Church after church and Baptist after Baptist have proven to me many people who profess their faith in Christ do not have the type of love for God as Christ commanded in the above verses. I have taught classes where I have asked believers, those who have been a part of the church for decades, to open their Bibles to the book of Ephesians only to find them searching in the Old Testament or using the “Table of Contents”. I have witnessed seven and eight year old children put adult Christians to shame by quoting all the books of the Bible from memory. My eyes have seen long time church members arrive at church for Sunday school and worship without a Bible (no, they do not have it memorized either!). If we do not have a grasp of such simple facts as the titles of the books of Scripture then it is quite likely we have no grasp of the theological truths concerning God and His work. In other words, we have NOT loved God with all our minds.

Yet, despite the seriousness of not growing in our knowledge of the things of God, there is another fact which disturbs me even more. Many Baptists appear to have little or no interest in growing in their knowledge of God! That may seem like a strong claim so permit me to elaborate.

Baptists have long claimed to be “people of the book”. We teach the Bible is God’s Word, the revelation of God. Since we take the Word so seriously, Baptist churches offer education programs to assist their members (and guests) to better understand the Word and, therefore, grow in their love of God via their mind. Southern Baptist churches almost always offer a “Sunday School” program of some sort either before or after the morning worship service on Sunday. Some churches continue to have education classes on Sunday evenings as well. These may vary in title (Training Union, Discipleship Training) but their purpose remains the same: provide Biblical education for believers. Some congregations offer Bible Study classes in various members’ homes. Others provide further education opportunities on Wednesday evening often in conjunction with a church prayer meeting.

Virtually all of these educational opportunities are led by knowledgeable Biblical teachers. Furthermore, these classes are almost always free or charge. A Baptist can come, share in the fellowship time with fellow believers offered by the class, and grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ without paying one red cent!

But when we look at our churches, too often we find Sunday school classes with small attendance. We find Sunday evening classes with only a handful of students present. Bible studies in homes may begin somewhat large but often degenerate quickly into a small gathering. And Wednesday evening studies are almost non-existent due to the lack of people. No wonder our people have trouble finding the book of Ephesians!

Some who are reading this are likely thinking, “You’re right. I don’t go to those classes. I study my Bible on my own.” That may be true in a few cases. But I suspect those who fail to take advantage of church provided opportunities for education simply reveal their true nature, i.e., they do not study God’s Word. The situation is similar to those professing Christians who claim they can worship even when they are fishing on Sunday. Yes, they can but they don't!.

Christians, generally, and Baptists, particularly, need to learn their Scripture. They need to study and study and, then, study some more. They must invest the time and effort (yes, study requires effort!) to grow their minds in the truth of God so they can truly love their God with all their minds.

To those who are not growing in their knowledge of God, I challenge you to change. The first step in such a change is to repent of your failure to devour the Word of God. You will never change your behavior if you will not first confess to our Lord your sin in not studying His Word.

Then, let’s turn off our technology and televisions, open the Bible, and study. Let’s make it a habit to attend Bible studies offered by our local congregation whenever possible. Let’s do all we can do to grow our Biblical knowledge, not to impress others, but so that we may truly love our God with all our mind.

The Message Needed

2011-05-21T21:04:00.000-05:00

I haven't said or written much on Harold Camping's prophecy concerning judgment day beginning today for two reasons. First, many other very capable, Biblical scholars have spoken on the matter much more clearly than I ever could. Second, to me the whole affair seemed very trivial (like casting pearls before swine). Nobody knows when this event will take place, nobody. Scripture teaches us this fact in various places such as Matthew 24:36. Therefore, any time anyone produces a "prophecy" or "revelation" concerning such events, there's no reason any Christian who understands his Bible should take it seriously.

Over the coming days there are many possibilities as to the outcome of this false prophecy. The "prophet" may appear and claim he was "slightly off" on the date and set a new one. Or, he may claim he misunderstood and the date was right only judgment has begun in the spiritual realm (perhaps those already dead are being judged and the date for those on the earth is just a little further out on the calendar!). But my prayer, as the pastor of a local Baptist church, is for my folks not to pay heed to such nonsense. Instead, I exhort my sheep and all born again Christians everywhere: do not share false revelation with the world, rather, share true revelation, the true and clear message God has chosen to reveal to us, namely, the Gospel!

1. Because of Adam's sin, everyone is conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12-14), do sin (Romans 3:9-18, 23), die as a result of sin (Romans 6:23), is under the condemnation and wrath of a just and holy God (Romans 5:18a; John 3:36), and is one heartbeat from eternal punishment in Hell (Matthew 25:46; Matthew 5:29-30; Revelation 20:15).

2. But God, rich in love, grace, and mercy, has made a way of escape through the ministry of His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was born of a virgin (Luke 1:34-35), lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22), gave His life as a substitutionary, atoning, propitiating sacrifice in the place of those given to Him by the Father (1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 10:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:24-26; John 10:14-18), and was raised from the dead as evidence of God's acceptance of His ministry (1 Corinthians 15:1-28).

3. God, through His church, now calls all sinners to receive this great message, this good news, this Gospel by repenting (turning from) their sins and believing Christ (trusting your eternal soul to Him) (Mark 1:14-15; Acts 16:31; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9-10,13; Ephesians 2:8-10).

4. Jesus Christ is the only hope for any and all men. He is the only way to forgiveness, justification, sanctification, and glorification (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:18-21; Romans 8:9-17). No other figure in history or mythology can provide a means of escaping your condemnation, future judgment, and eternal punishment. NO ONE.

5. Those who do turn from sin and trust Christ for their salvation will absolutely escape that great judgment and subsequent eternal punishment. Instead they will receive an eternal life of peace and joy (Revelation 20:11-15; John 3:16).

This message of good news HAS been revealed by God to us! Therefore, let us forget "prophecies and revelation" not found in God's Word and let us share true revelation with a lost world which needs THIS word.

"The Christian Lover": A Book Review

2011-03-17T13:16:00.000-05:00

The book is too brief. There, you have my only criticism of "The Christian Lover: The Sweetness of Love and Marriage in the Letters of Believers" by Michael A. G. Haykin and Victoria J. Haykin. The work is only 100 pages and may easily be read during a relaxing afternoon.

I own several works by Dr. Haykin and have enjoyed everything this Christian historian has written. Furthermore, it has been my privilege to hear him deliver conference presentations on various lessons from history and have never been disappointed. This book continues that perfect streak.

The Haykins present 12 chapters, each chapter covering a Christian couple from history. The chapter opens with a brief biographical sketch of the parties, setting the stage for what follows. And what follows the biography are one or more letters written between the two parties (usually husband and wife). These letters reveal the love life between them, presenting a wonderful picture of their humanity and what Christian marriage is about.

The 12 couples include Protestant Reformers Luther and Calvin, 19th century Baptists Judson and Broadus, as well as 20th century Christian heroes, Lloyd-Jones and Moltke. Some of the letters express feelings during periods of separation, some during times of loss, and one pending the end of life. In each one, the reader catches a glimpse of the true humanity of the author and the deep level of love the parties have for one another.

A couple of examples will suffice to reveal the wealth contained in these letters.

"Martin Luther to the holy lady, full of worries, Mrs. Katharina, doctor, the lady of Zolsdorf, at Wittenberg, my gracious, dear mistress of the house. Grace and peace in Christ! Most holy Mrs. Doctor! I thank you very kindly for your great worry which robs you of sleep."

Helmuth Moltke writing to his wife Freya from prison less than two weeks before his execution at the hands of the Nazis: "Without you I would have accepted love. ... But without you, my dear, I would not have "had" love. I should not think of saying that I love you; that would be quite false. Rather you are the one part of me, which would be lacking if I was alone. ... It is only in our union--you and I--that we form a complete human being. ... And that is why, my dear, I am quite certain that you will never lose me on this, my dear. I am quite certain that you will never lose me on this earth--no, not for a moment."

The book is excellent and I VERY highly recommend it.

BUT, I wish it was a bit longer!

"How to Study the Bible": A Book Report

2011-03-07T12:19:00.000-06:00

I read this brief book (144 pages) by Pastor John MacArthur to help believers in studying their Bible in only a few hours. Typical of any MacArthur work, it is well written, easy to read, and full of good information. The only complaint I have with the work is the title. "How" to study the Bible is not the exclusive content of the book, in fact, the book title is also one of the four chapter titles, occupying a mere 36 pages of the entire book. So, if you pick up this book expecting to receive 144 pages describing how to study the Bible, you will be disappointed.

The other three chapters lay the foundation for studying Scripture. They discuss the nature of Scripture, the importance of Scripture, and the use of Scripture in one's life. Also, there is a chapter which explains who can study the Bible. All of this is good information but really does not contribute much to the discussion on "HOW" to study the Bible.

Nevertheless, it is a MacArthur work and it is well done. I would recommend the book to anyone wanting more information on the nature and use of the Scripture.

"The Dawkins Delusion? Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine": A Book Review

2011-03-03T11:12:00.000-06:00

I must confess I anxiously awaited the arrival of this book. It was on my "gift wish list" for a couple of years. Finally it arrived this past Christmas, a gift from some of my family.

After plodding my way through its brief 118 pages, I have no idea why I was so excited to read it. The authors, Alister E. McGrath and Joanna Collicutt McGrath, take well known atheist Richard Dawkins to task on his denial of the existence of God and his mockery of religion. As they note:

"Every one of Dawkins's misrepresentations and overstatements can be challenged and corrected."

Sure they can. But these authors do so in such a cumbersome way, it is difficult to follow their argument and make it through the book, at least it was for me. They seem to jump from point A to point B without explaining the path they took, leaving the reader (i.e., ME) confused.

Another problem I have with the text is how they show possession. Perhaps this is acceptable in today's world of literature but it sure isn't how I was taught to write a possessive. If I want to show something belonging to Mr. Dawkins, I write Dawkins', NOT Dawkins's (see quote above). Maybe this is a minor thing, but everytime I read Dawkins's I wanted to scream!

Also there were moments when I wondered from where the authors learned orthodox Christianity. For example, on page 86 they write:

"Yes--contrary to what Dawkins assumes, orthodox Christianity understands Jesus to have been fully human and not omniscient."

Well, the Bible teaches Jesus was God in the flesh so certainly His divine nature was omniscient! I will concede that his human nature was not but the authors need to be a bit more careful when sharing orthodox Christianity's understanding on the person of Christ.

As you can tell, I was disappointed in the book. Maybe I had my hopes on what I would learn from reading this work set too high. But I really can not recommend this book to anyone UNLESS they really do believe Richard Dawkins is correct. In that case, the book may have some value.

"Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity In Christ": A Book Review

2011-02-18T11:45:00.000-06:00

The author is clear on the issue:

"...the Bible uses one metaphor more frequently than any of these. It is a word picture you might not expect, but it is absolutely critical for understanding what it means to follow Jesus. It is the image of a slave. ... the earliest believers referred to themselves in the New Testament as the Lord's slaves. For them, the two ideas were synonymous. to be a Christian was to be a slave of Christ." (pp. 12-13)

Over the next 200 plus pages, author John MacArthur carefully, forcefully, but clearly supports his premise that, for some time, Christians have not understand the true meaning of being a Christian due to the translation of the Greek word "doulos" to the English "servant" instead of its true meaning: "slave". MacArthur examines the view of ancient history concerning this truth and then presents the truth of the "master-slave" concept from the Scripture. For example, he writes:

"Jesus also used slave language to define the reality of what it means to follow Him. Discipleship, like slavery, entails a life of total self-denial, a humble disposition toward others, a wholehearted devotion to the Master alone, a willingness to obey His commands in everything, an eagerness to serve Him even in His absence, and a motivation that comes from knowing He is well pleased. Though they were once the slaves of sin, Christ's followers receive spiritual freedom and rest for their souls through their saving relationship with Him. Against the historical backdrop of slavery, our Lord's call to self-sacrifice becomes that much more vivid. A slave's life was one of complete surrender, submission, and service to the master--and the people of Jesus' day would have immediately recognized the parallel. Christ's invitation to follow Him was an invitation to that same kind of life." (p. 43)

The book consists of 225 pages divided into 13 chapters. Furthermore, there is a tremendous appendix entitled "Voices from Church History" containing quotes from various Christian scholars throughout the centuries supporting the concepts espoused in the book.

Simply stated, this book is a tremendous work and well worth the time it takes to read and devour. I sincerely wish every church-going person would do so. Some of them will discover they are still a slave to sin. Others will discover they have failed to obey their Master. In any case, the church will be blessed and the Lord will be glorified.

May each of us grasped the meaning of our slavery to Christ.

"The glorious reality is that, for all of eternity as His slaves, you and I and every other believer from all of human history will joyfully worship and exalt our heavenly Master--the King of kings and the Lord of lords." (p. 38)

I would truly hope those who read this new work by John MacArthur would come away converted, grateful, and committed.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing a copy of this book for review. No other compensation was provided.

Enslaved

2010-12-14T16:16:00.000-06:00

During my message this past Sunday morning, I shared some thoughts I had on the word "enslaved" in Galatians 4:3. The root of the word is "doulos" often translated "servant" in English. But I have known for some time there are other Greek words meaning "servant" and the best translation of "doulos" is "slave". Paul repeatedly refers to himself as the "slave of Christ". In English, there is quite a difference in meaning when you compare "servant" to "slave".

My thinking on "doulos" has been supported in my reading of earlier Christian authors and preachers. English preachers such as Spurgeon will translate the word as "bond slave". Augustine refers to Christians as "slaves of Christ". There are many examples of such usage by a variety of authors, too many to list in a simple post.

Then, a few years ago, I chose to use the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) for my daily Bible readings. I was blown away when I read its translation of the New Testament and saw "doulos" consistently translated "slave"!

In Galatians 4:3, Paul explains how, prior to Christ, we were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. We were in bondage! Reformed folks frequently describe the depravity of man by noting that apart from Christ we are in "bondage to sin", a phrase using the imagery of slavery. Yet, for some reason, we do not press the usage of the word bondage and the concept of slavery when we think of our position in Christ. Why is that? Did He not buy us with a price? Are we not His peculiar possession? Do we not call Him Lord (which means "master")?

Yes, over the past couple of years I have become convinced we need to speak and write more on the subject of our "slavery to Christ". We are not simply His servants; we are truly His slaves! We are not free to our lives how we want and call ourself Christian. No, we are to live our lives as He demands!

By the Providence of God, a book from Thomas Nelson publishers arrived at my home yesterday. I am a "blogger" reviewer. I chose this book as the next one I wanted to review simply for one reason: it is written by John MacArthur. I knew the title was "Slave" but assumed Dr. MacArthur was writing on the Bible and the subject of physical slavery perhaps from a historical perspective. Needless to say, I was blown away today when I opened the first chapter and read:

"Yet, the Bible uses one metaphor more frequently than any of these. It is a word picture you might not expect, but it is absolutely critical for understanding what it means to follow Jesus. It is the image of a slave." (page 12)

Sure enough, Dr. MacArthur is writing on the Biblical usage of the word "doulos" and how it should be translated "slave" and what that image should teach us about living as a Christian. Forget the "healthy, wealthy, and wise" preachers. The Bible tells us we are to live in Christ as a slave.

Now that's radical!

I'm grateful God has put this book into my hands at this moment. In two days I will be on my December vacation and one of my objectives is to devour this book and to seek the Lord to help me better understand how I should live not simply as a Christian but as a slave of Christ.

May He be praised!

"5 Cities that Ruled the World": A Book Review

2010-11-16T12:27:00.000-06:00

“5 Cities that Ruled the World: How Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York shaped Global History” by Douglas Wilson briefly examines the history of these cities. Mr. Wilson presents the significance of each city on world history in general and the city’s impact on the West in particular. Mr. Wilson approaches the history from the perspective of a Christian, noting the hand of God in the rise (and fall) of these metropolitan areas.

At the outset I must confess I struggled reading this book. The Introduction grabbed my attention and I was ready to charge into the meat of the work. But something happened when I entered the first chapter on the city of Jerusalem. I felt like I was trying to walk from one side of a swimming pool to another in four feet of water. It was a very, very, slow read.

As a result, I put the book aside not for a few hours or a few days but for several months. Something inside of me did not want to pick it back up and read another word. But, I finally did and I am grateful I pressed forward. After a few more difficult pages in the Jerusalem chapter, suddenly the book seemed to open up and my reading pace picked up speed. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. I completed the book in only a matter of days.

I’m not sure why I struggled with the early part of the work but overall I found Mr. Wilson’s book enjoyable, informative, and even inspirational. The book contains 236 pages and 14 of them are footnotes. When you read the book, do not skip the footnotes. They contain wealth of information as well.

“5 Cities that Ruled the World” is an interesting work and I encourage you to pick it up and press on when you feel as though you cannot read another word. Your diligence will be well rewarded.

I want to thank Thomas Nelson for providing a copy of this book for review. No other compensation was provided.

Saved By Faith Youth Challenge (SBFYC 2011)

2010-10-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

Check out the SBFYC site here for next year's conference info.

Conference #25: Paul Washer is speaking.

Mark your calendars and save your money!

"The Prayer of the Lord": A Book Review

2010-10-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

It is probably safe to say that Christians who read contemporary literature of any depth or worth are familiar with the name of R. C. Sproul. Dr. Sproul, founder of Ligonier Ministries, is a well known author as well as a well known speaker in Christian circles. Many, including myself, recognize his writing not only as bringing glory to our Lord Jesus Christ but also nourishing our souls. "The Prayer of the Lord" is no exception.

This particular work focuses on what we commonly know as "The Lord's Prayer". It recognizes the prayer to be a model for the prayers of all believers, an example for us on how to prayer. The prayer was given by our Lord in response to a request from His discisples to teach them how to pray.

The book is a mere 130 pages (including indices) but is loaded with a wealth of practical advice. There are 10 chapters, 8 of them focusing on the actual phrases of the prayer (e.g., "Hallowed Be Your Name"). Dr. Sproul begins the book by discussing what prayer is not to be since that is where the Lord began his response to His own disciples. The 10th and final chapter are questions and answers on the matter of prayer.

Here are some samples from this work:

"You should remember who is being addressed and who is doing the speaking. That is, the first thing you are to remember in prayer is who it is you're talking to, because nothing will condition your prayer life more deeply than remembering that you're in conversation with God, the sovereign Creator and Ruler of the universe. Second, you are to remember who you are. You are not God. You are a creature. So prayer is not a conversation between peers; it is not a fireside chat among equals. This is the creature speaking to his sovereign Creator."

"Thus, far from teaching the universal fatherhood of God, the Bible teaches the particular fatherhood of God. Therefore, to call God 'Father' in the New Testament sense of the word, in the sense of the word the way the church expresses it as the family of God, is to affirm the very uniqueness of Christianity. ...The brotherhood of which the New Testament speaks is the brotherhood or sisterhood of fellowship enjoyed by all those who are adopted into the family of God and who are in Christ. ... Not all men are my brothers, only those who are in Christ. However, all men are my neighbors, and I am required by God to treat these people as I would expect them to treat me. I am required to love my neighbor as much as I love myself. Jesus made it clear that the neighborhood is not restricted to the brotherhood."

"...come to God in a spirit of humble dependence, asking Him to provide what we need and to sustain us from day to day. We are not given license to ask for great riches, but we are encouraged to make our needs known to Him, trusting that He will provide."

"Jesus taught His disciples that their prayers should be centered on the glory of God, and it is only after we spend time praising on the glory of God, and it is only after we spend time praising and adoring Him that we should shift to focusing on our needs..."

"We may come to God and speak to Him in these terms of personal intimacy, in a familial way, for we are part of His family. However, we must keep the rest of the character of God in mind. We must always remember that this One whom we address as Father is holy."

Yes, I loved the book. Get it. Read it. Learn from it.

"Finally Alive": A Book Review

2010-09-21T13:27:00.000-05:00

The subtitle of this book is "What Happens When We Are Born Again" and that tells the reader exactly what the book is about. The Table of Contents reveals a work of 203 pages in length consisting of 15 chapters (plus a conclusion) divided into 5 sections. To get a flavor of Dr. Piper's book, here at the titles of those 5 sections:

I. What Is The New Birth?

II. Why Must We Be Born Again?

III. How Does The New Birth Come About?

IV. What Are The Effects Of The New Birth?

V. How Can We Help Others Be Born Again?

John Piper is always easy to read even when he is dealing with a profound theological subject such as regeneration. This book is loaded with Scripture and is an outstanding modern work on the new birth, one many who are sitting in church pews on Sundays need to read. Note the following remarks of Piper early in the book:

"I want to say loud and clear that when the Barna Group uses the term born again to describe American church-goers whose lives are indistinguishable from the world, and who sin as much as the world, and sacrifice for others as little as the world, and embrace injustice as readily as the world, and covet things as greedily as the world, and enjoy God-ignoring entertainment as enthusiastically as the world--when the term born again is used to describe these professing Christians, the Barna Group is making a profound mistake."

Dr. Piper then plunges into the Scripture and reveals the divine creation of spiritual life. Such life is necessary for, by nature, we are spiritually dead, enslaved to sin and Satan. Faith in Christ is demanded but, apart from a supernatural work by the Holy Spirit, faith is absent. We need to be born again. Once we are born again, faith follows leading to justification, adoption, and glorification.

John Piper is Reformed in his theology and that is evident in this book. The ordo salutis he presents clearly places the new birth before faith, regeneration before conversion. Yet, as those who read Piper already know, he is very evangelistic. The last 2 chapters, which comprise the 5th section of the book, clearly bring this fact to the light. For example, he writes:

"God's role in bringing about the new birth is decisive, and our role in bringing about the new birth is essential. ... Tell people the good news of Christ from a heart of love and a life of service. ... If people are to be born again, it will happen by hearing the word of God, centered in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They will be 'born again through the living and abiding word of God...the Gospel.' God's work and your work come together like this:

"God causes the new birth through the seed of the word, the gospel.
"God brings about the new birth through your telling people the gospel.
"God regenerates people through the news about who Christ is and what he has done on the cross and in the resurrection.
"God gives new life to dead hearts through your words when you speak the gospel."

This book is a solid explanation of the doctrine of regeneration. It is very readable even for those with little theological understanding. I strongly recommend "Finally Alive".

"Divorce & Remarriage: A Permanence View": A Book Review

2010-09-21T11:41:00.000-05:00

This work is published by Christian Communicators Worldwide, written by Daryl Wingard, Jim Elliff, Jim Chrisman, and Steve Burchett. As the title states, the book deals with the often debated topic of divorce plus the follow on subject of remarriage. Rather than simply sharing their opinions on the matter, they tackle this difficult yet commonplace aspect of our society using the Scripture and straightforward reasoning.

Based on conversations I have had with many professing Christians, the authors' conclusions are not going to be welcomed by many. Most modern day expositors teach at least 2 Biblical exceptions to the permanence view of marriage, namely, adultery and abandonment. However, these godly authors attack these exceptions with God's Word clearly and carefully. Here is a brief sample:

"...there is no text of Scripture that conclusively proves that God permits divorce in cases of adultery, while several passages prohibit divorce categorically. ... Matthew 19:9 is, at best, inconclusive on the subject of remarriage after divorce, and in Matthew 5:32 Jesus clearly prohibits remarriage after divorce, even for the innocent spouse, by specifying that though she was not guilty of adultery prior to the divorce, she commits adultery when she remarries."

The authors summarize their understanding of the teaching of Scripture on marriage, divorce, and remarriage at the very beginning of the book:

1. The one-flesh union created in marriage is permanent until death.
2. Initiating a divorce is never lawful.
3. Remarrying after divorce is an act of adultery if a former spouse is living.

Part 1 of the book examines the Biblical texts on the subject. Part 2 of the book discusses applications of their conclusions. The second part is extremely valuable since it contains answers to many of the situations which often confront pastors in their ministry to troubled marriages (or second marriages).

I suspect many will disagree with their conclusions. Those who do, however, must provide a more convincing interpretation of the Scriptural passages examined by this work. Opinion, pragmitism, and philosophical arguments will not suffice. The authors have based their conclusions on Scripture. Those opposed must do likewise.

Personally, I enjoyed reading the work. My own view on this matter has undergone considerable change over the past couple of years thanks, in part, to the work of John Piper. Basically, I came to the same conclusions as the authors roughly a year ago. Their work confirms my view on marriage.

I do remain in disagreement with the book's position on the matter of divorce as it relates to the qualifications for a pastor. The authors conclude that those men who have divorced their wives and remarried remain qualified for the pastorate. They provide their arguments for their position in the "application" section near the end of the book. However, I am not yet convinced of their position and the interpretation they are giving to the 1 Timothy 3 passage.

Though I disagree with their position on pastoral qualifications, I support the remainder of their book. I highly recommend it to others, especially those who are still struggling with the subject of divorce and remarriage.

What Are We Teaching Our Children?

2010-09-09T16:54:00.000-05:00

I am not a legalist. The Bible clearly reveals that a saving relationship with God is received only by faith in Christ and not by any works which we may do. We cannot keep the law perfectly and keeping it only occasionally will never earn us anything but wrath!

I am not a legalist. Once God has caused us to be born again by the regenerating power of His Spirit and we have repented of our sins and trusted Christ for salvation, we do not keep that salvation by obeying God’s commands. Again, we continue to fail from time to time even after we are saved. Keeping us in a “saving” relationship with Christ is also the work of God. It is He who preserves us and our salvation to the end.

BUT, the Bible does teach that those who have been born again will keep God’s commandments. In other words, our desire has now changed and we long to be obedient, not because it earns or keeps our salvation but because we have been born again. Our new spiritual nature, received at our new birth, guides us to do good works and to obey the Word of God.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments” said our Lord in John 14:15.

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments” writes the Apostle John in 1 John 5:1-2. Evidence of one’s new birth is his love for God and his obedience to God’s commandments.

Throughout Scripture, God has called His children to set aside a day to remember Him. God wants us to join together with other brothers and sisters on that day and worship Him. According to the New Testament, the principal day for a church (brothers and sisters in Christ) to worship together is the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, our Sunday.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” the author of Hebrews records in 10:24-25. The Lord desires His children, His church, to meet together and not to neglect such meetings. In other words, He wants us worshiping Him with our church on the Lord’s Day.

But what are we teaching our children about our love of God, our love of our fellow believers, our love of our church, and our love of worship? Are we telling them and showing them that the worship of God with the church on the Lord’s Day is important and necessary?

A very noticeable trend has been developing over the past couple of decades. With their lips many believers are telling their children of the importance of worshiping God on the Lord’s Day with the church. But they are teaching them something entirely different with their lives. Essentially, their lives are saying, “Yes, worshiping God with our church family on Sunday is our #1 priority for the day UNLESS you have to participate in a sporting activity or attend some school activity or go fishing with someone, etc.”

Sports have probably been the most significant culprit in this trend. Parents and their children have elevated the importance of sports above the importance of God. Those individuals who have children presently engaged in sports are likely screaming “No” even as they read this. But face facts, folks. When you pull your child away from the worship of the Lord on Sunday morning to permit them to participate in a voluntary activity such as baseball, football, soccer, or any other sport, you are teaching them the sporting event is more important than the worship of God. If you did not believe so you would not let them participate in the activity.

Look at it from another angle. If you were to tell your child they are going to have to miss worship service in order to participate in a sporting event, almost without exception the child will NOT be disappointed (and you probably aren’t either). But tell that child they must miss the sporting event to participate in the worship of God and see who gets upset! Now tell me which is more important in their life, God or sports? The fact they become upset reveals which “god” they love the most. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

I can’t fault sports alone. In today’s culture, the school system seems to find new ways to pull families out of church on the Lord’s Day. “We have to be at Busch Stadium by 11:30 in order to prepare to play the National Anthem so we can’t make church today.” Why can’t they play the anthem any other day of the week? “We have such and such event out of town this Sunday so we will miss church.” Why is the event not held on Friday and Saturday only? Even some schools now have their graduation services on the Lord’s Day.

When we parents yield to the demands of athletic teams, school systems, and other organizations and allow our children to “skip” church in lieu of whatever the activity may be, we are teaching them this event is more important than the worship of God. In fact, we are telling them this event is our god.

Again, I am not a legalist. There are some professions which demand individuals work on Sunday mornings. Medical personnel are needed on the Lord’s Day. Businesses sometimes require operating on Sundays. I, myself, have had to work on the Lord’s Day and miss worship services on a few occasions over the years. Why, even families taking a vacation will miss Sunday worship from time to time. Missing the Lord’s Day worship is not necessarily wrong or evil. Sometimes it is unavoidable. This is not what I am talking about.

Parents, you have authority over your children. If you are permitting them to participate in activities which draw them away from their worship of God then you are, like it or not, teaching them that activity, no matter what it is, is more important than God. Period.

Those parents who are, in fact, engaged in such “education” are probably thinking they are stuck. They have a child who, for example, loves football. He plays for a football team in some local organization and some of their games are Sunday mornings. What can you do?

You can do plenty. You can teach your child the importance of being with their church on the Lord’s Day worshiping God by telling them they will not participate in any sporting event (or other activity) which requires them to “skip” the service. “But the team is counting on them.” Well, before the season begins, have a discussion with the coach and tell him your child will not play on Sundays. Tell your child this as well. Set the ground rules up front. We do not miss worshiping the Lord on Sunday mornings for sporting events. Find another league which does not schedule games on Sunday mornings. If enough Christians “stuck to their guns” on the issue of Sunday activities, the organizations would be more likely to eliminate those Sunday activities.

I am not a legalist. As a pastor, I do not keep a record of who is at church and who is away at some sporting event. Skipping worship services for sporting events or other activities does not cost you your salvation. But it is teaching your child a very dangerous lesson. Which “god” do you want your child to serve when they get older?

Congregational Church Government

2010-09-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

Let me immediately say this post has nothing to do with "eldership" and church polity. I realize the concept of "ruling elders" is very prevalent in Baptist circles these days but that discussion is for another day, at least on this forum.

Baptists have practiced a congregational form of church government (congregational polity) for years. They have done so based on their conviction this is the form of polity taught in the Scripture. Both the 1963 and 2000 Baptist Faith and Message promote congregational polity.

"This church is an autonomous body operating through democratic processes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In such a congregation, members are equally responsible." (1963 BF&M)

"Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord." (2000 BF&M)

Congregational polity means each member of a given local church has both responsibility and accountability in the affairs of the church. No one individual or group directs the affairs of the church. Rather, each and every member, operating as a servant of Christ, has a voice in the working of the church.

Baptists, of course, do not receive everyone who comes to a church as a member. Baptists teach that only regenerated (born again) and Scripturally baptized individuals may be members. Therefore, the members of a local church are brothers and sisters in Christ, each a servant of our Lord, and each a possessor of the Holy Spirit.

So, if you are born again, baptized by immersion, and a member of a local church, you have the privilege, responsibility, and accountability to seek the Spirit and voice your say in the affairs of your church's government. You have an equal vote with every other member in the congregation, including the deacons and the pastor.

Well, maybe not...

There are many churches which say they support this view of church government but they do not practice this form of church government. Oh, most members get to vote on every issue that comes before the church; but not all. If God has graciously saved you and you have been Scripturally baptized and have united with a local church BUT are a child or youth, you may be excluded from some votes arising before the church. Why? Because you are "too young" to understand the issue facing the church. "You would simply vote as your parents instruct you to vote and we can't have that."

Now, I confess, there are issues which come before every church in which younger members probably have no clue what the issue is about or how they should vote. But I also have seen adults struggle in understanding some of these same issues. Yet, no one denies them their vote.

I have seen children and youth who have been saved for several years and have more spiritual wisdom than some adults who have been saved for decades. Yet, they cannot vote due to their physical age. I have seen adults, lost for many, many years, saved, baptized, and voting as a church member within a month of their salvation yet youth, saved for over 10 years, denied their privilege, responsibility, and accountability to vote.

No, I say if we truly believe Scripture teaches congregational polity then let us practice congregational polity. Let each MEMBER seek their Lord and the guidance of the indwelling Spirit when confronted with a church matter and then express their conclusion by voting in church business.

Let us trust the Lord to speak to those true converts who do not understand a specific matter and instruct them not to vote on specific issues due to their lack of spiritual wisdom. Let us teach parents to exercise their right and responsibility when it comes to their children, who are members, and to either give their children the information they need to make a wise decision OR to instruct their children not to vote on a specific matter.

If we set church guidelines which prevent members who are children, youth, mentally challenged, or senile senior adults from having a say in the governing of the church then we no longer practice congregationalism. Rather, we are teaching a form of church government that is less than congregational, more than elder led, but, most likely, not Biblical.

"The Truth of the Cross": A Book Review

2010-07-15T15:53:00.001-05:00

One of the benefits of attending this year’s “Together for the Gospel” meeting in Louisville was receiving many FREE books. Among these “friends” was a small gem (167 pages), “The Truth of the Cross” by R. C. Sproul.

Dr. Sproul beautifully presents the meaning, significance, and purpose of the cross according to the Scripture and he does so in an easy to read, enjoyable way. As is typical in his writings, this work includes great illustrations both from the author’s own life as well as from history. For example, to introduce a discussion on the vicarious atonement, Dr. Sproul recalls his attendance at the deciding game of the NBA Eastern Conference championship between Orlando and Indiana. He brings his illustration to a close in this way:

…if we like the outcome, we have a tendency to say, “We won.” We identify so closely with our favorite teams that when they’re victorious we include ourselves in the victory. …This is what is known as a vicarious experience.

But the book is not simply a collection of personal illustrations. It is loaded with Biblical truth and solid application. Early in the book, Dr. Sproul discusses people in general and the subject of the atonement.

…I came to the conclusion that people are not concerned about an atonement. They are basically convinced they have no need for it. They aren’t asking: “How can I be reconciled to God? How can I escape the judgment of God?” If anything has been lost from our culture, it is the idea that human beings are privately, personally, individually, ultimately, inexorably accountable to God for their lives.”

Or, here is another classic paragraph from this work on the matter of justification:

The prevailing doctrine of justification today is not justification by faith alone. It’s not even justification by good works or by a combination of faith and works. The prevailing notion of justification in Western culture today is justification by death. It’s assumed that all one has to do to be received into the everlasting arms of God is to die.

“The Truth of the Cross” opens with a description of mankind’s condition. It moves to a discussion of the person of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. With a firm Biblical understanding of man and of Christ, Dr. Sproul then uses the Scripture to explain the nature and purpose of the atonement. And he does all this clearly and concisely.

I strongly recommend reading this book. Those who do not know Christ will be presented with the truth of their condition and their need for the atoning work of Jesus. Those who are believers will be encouraged and strengthened in the faith by what they read.

A General Statement on Comments to this BLOG

2010-07-14T07:54:00.000-05:00

Originally I permitted anyone's comments to this blog at any time. But, after some comments using very foul language were posted, I decided I needed to moderate all such requests. So, when you try to comment on any article on this post, I receive the comment first in my e-mail and then decide whether to permit or prohibit it from being posted.

I have no issues posting comments which disagree with anything I am saying. But I will NOT post comments which contain profane language or blasphemes my Lord. You can take your vile words elsewhere.

I also will NOT post comments which I can not read. Repeatedly I have had "anonymous" bloggers attempt to comment in Asian languages. I speak English and all posts to this blog will be in English. If you do not like that, go to some other blog. If I can't read every word of your comment, I will not post it. Actually, I believe many of these posts contain spam or a virus, another reason I will not post.

It's my blog and those are my rules. If you don't like them, start your own blog.

And the Hate Goes On ...

2010-07-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I received another e-mail from the author I mentioned in my previous post. They were very upset that I published that e-mail since it was written privately to me. I don't believe I did another wrong by publishing the portions I did since I removed everything which might identify the author. Furthermore, in my blog post I used that e-mail as a means of an example of the hatred we are seeing in our nation. There was nothing in the original e-mail requesting me not to publish any portions of it.

In the latest two e-mails from this individual, there are paragraphs which read like one of those blurbs you hear when you listen to sports broadcasts: "The events and transcriptions...without express written consent." When it comes to e-mails I'm not sure that holds any legal grounds or not. Nevertheless, the author request I not share THEIR words so I won't.

Rather, I will share MY reply to this author. I responded by returning the author's note with my comments following various remarks they had made. Each bullet which follows contains MY reply on a specific section of the original e-mail. Those parts of my reply which may have identified the author have been replaced by "%%%". Also, my final paragraph is short two sentences (noted by "...") to protect the author's identity.

Your anonymity is intact. No one knows the author of the e-mail other than me. I'm sure you don't want others to know who wrote it and I will never tell.
would you delineate what my demons are?
again, what is my skewed vision? Is it a belief in God? Is it a belief in absolute truth?
if you read my blog post you know I shared PARTS to protect your identity and I shared the rest to provide an example to my readers of the type of anomisity in this country.
I am glad you can dump your anger on me rather than someone else. So my God is not your god. Do you have "a god"? What does "he" believe and teach?
You really don't know me, do you? Read your own words. Talk about an unhappy person.
Who else are you including, %%%?
What type of help should I seek? Do you have the answers, %%%?
%%%, I truly believe you need to read the words you have written in these past e-mails. The anger and hatred is coming from you, not me. I am not mad or angry with you. In fact, I feel very sorry and concerned for you. Your outward smile and demeanor is hiding a TON of bitterness and anger and perhaps a good helping of pride. You really do not know me at all.
so you are saying I am part of a larger group of "haters of the world". What makes one a part of this group?
ministers don't understand the human brain and psyche, I guess
"I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the Life" said Jesus in John 14:6. I know where the truth is. "Psychiatric professional". Are you saying ministers who believe and teach as I do are crazy and have mental problems? Do you believe those who teach in the power of a resurrected Savior are out of their minds? IF so, %%%, I truly, truly pity you. The greatest blessing in my life occurred on the day I met my Lord and Savior.
I am enjoying life immensely, thanks for asking. I don't hate despite what you say. Sometimes people are pitted against one another when worldviews clash. And would you provide examples of where I have spread filth?
Are you referring to mental health, physical health, or both? %%%, you need to be concerned for your soul. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
should I read fat and lazy at this point?
I am very glad, %%%, you keep yourself in great physical shape. That is a quality worthy of repetition. I admit I have never been in great physical shape. I watch what I eat but do eat items I shouldn't from time to time. I do walk 2-3 miles 3 or 4 times a week but maybe I should do more for my physical being. BUT, %%%, no matter how well you take care of your body, one day IT WILL DIE! Then what? Are you taking as good a care of your soul? Based on what you have written I will say no. I guess it is ok for you to lecture me on my health (physical and mental) but off limits for me to "lecture" you on the condition of your soul. Now I understand the ground rules.
What advice can I give to you? All I have is the advice of the Bible: Repent of your sins today and trust Christ for salvation.
I am not ashamed of what I have written. You may forward my responses to anyone you wish. But obviously, you want no one to know the anger and hatred you have in your heart and the lost condition of your soul. As I said above, NO ONE, not even Debbie, knows who wrote the e-mail. I went to great care in my post to remove all traces of its authorship. When Debbie read the e-mails, she read the edited version I ultimately posted, not your original. Actually, by removing those parts of the e-mail which might identify you, I removed some of the hatred and anger you poured out on me in the original post. I will NEVER tell anyone who wrote those e-mails because I would not want to embarrass you by doing so.
"Horrible family". Wow! So the hatred goes beyond me. Does it include %%%? Probably, since %%% has a faith in God. How about %%%? … %%%, you have always had the great smile and love of life. Now I realize that outward appearance is actually covering a very bitter, angry, and lost soul. I will pray for you for there is nothing else I can do.

I believe I can summarize by saying I was charged with demons, being overweight and out of shape (guilty), spreading hate, needing professional help with my mental state, and hating life (hey, let's all sing: "I like life. Life likes me..."). The implication is that many of these are common problems for those of us who preach the Gospel (perhaps those who simply believe the Gospel). Oh, and in my case, the problem goes beyond me to my extended family.

You will see in my response numerous questions, some of which I truly hoped I would receive an answer. Nope. No answer. I did receive another e-mail (again with the paragraph telling me I can't quote any of it) but this e-mail indicated the author didn't bother to read my response and had no intentions of continuing our communication exchanges. The note ended reminding me that this author of hate was put on this earth to bring peace. What a shame it is when someone becomes so bitter they will not even read a note written specifically for them.

I will continue to pray for their soul because it contains a wealth of anger, hatred, and bitterness, especially directed towards those who believe in God and minister in His name. Furthermore, I will pray for the great number of other individuals in our country who have the same hatred in their hearts. May God forgive them and remove their bitterness through the power of His Son.

In Response to Hate Mail

2010-06-27T23:17:00.000-05:00

After much prayer and reflection, I have decided to post this entry to my blog. I do so in the hope some sinner will find Christ and some saint will be exhorted and encouraged.

The following e-mail exchange took place last week between me and another. Here is the extent of the correspondence. My comments will follow. The actual e-mails are given in bold font except for the removal of a couple of sentences. These removals are noted by the ellipses (…) and were deleted to preserve the anonymity of the e-mail author.

First, the note I received from the unnamed party:

you know I have to say, I've never met a minister, pastor, priest, "man of God" who spewed some much hate and dissension against others as I have with you. … You have indirectly taught me that religion is nothing more than a means to spread hate, point fingers, belittle others, start wars, call for deaths, and eliminate or otherwise ostracize those people who do not believe what we believe.
What happen to loving, caring, and helping. Big deal that you travel to another state to build a house or clean a yard. What about your neighbors and what would some of those people say/think whom you are "helping" if they knew about these hateful, etc comments you make.

I don't want anything to do with the hate that goes around this country/world. I want only to help others regardless of their political, religious, sexual views. That is why I was put on this earth...to bring people together and help them realize their full potential so they can go out and help others as a method of "paying it forward."

No need to respond. I'm sure whatever you have to say will simply be a means to "prove me wrong" to maintain your self worth.

I'm not buying it...

To this note I responded with a 2 sentence note. Here is the first sentence of my reply. The second sentence has been omitted, again, to protect the identity of the other party.

I am sorry you feel that way towards my faith and me personally. …

The unnamed author replied to my reply with the following note:

… Its unfortunate but I can't be surrounded or involved with people who hate and spread these messages to others. There are many bad things and bad people in this world but there are so many good things going on out there and we should be focusing on those things and spreading those stories.

Why go to your death bed knowing that most of your life was spent tearing people a part and sharing the negative side of life, much of it as the "word of God" nonetheless!

That is absolutely not the obituary, eulogy, or legacy I would want to leave behind. You can say all the bad things you want about the political parties or religious organizations that you don't agree with but I would have to venture an educated guess that people such as our current president has done more good in the world than you will ever pass along. Hmmm, something to think about.

I suspect my following comments on this e-mail will never be read by the original author. He has closed his mind to anything I might have to say. Even worse than that, it appears he has closed his mind and heart to the words of the Lord.

But I don’t want those who read this post to spend their time trying to determine who wrote the 2 e-mails. What I want folks to focus on are the words used and what I believe to be the underlying cause for such an attitude. It is not the first time I have encountered such attitudes and I fear the feelings expressed in these exchanges are ever increasing in our nation.

I will limit myself to only a couple of observations. Before I do, however, I need to make a brief personal statement.

Bruce Walker is a sinner, a man conceived in sin and quite flawed. The Lord Jesus Christ dealt with my sin at Calvary and, almost 40 years ago, changed me completely by giving me a rebirth through His Spirit. But, I still sin and will continue to do so. Perhaps I have sinned and committed an offense against someone which prompted these notes. If the author will point out such a sin, I will repent to our Lord and apologize to those against whom I have sinned. But to simply say I “spew” hatred and cause dissension tells me nothing. Even Jesus brought division as he noted in Matthew 10:34-35:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Now on to a few observations.

1. The hate used in these e-mails far surpasses any alleged “hate” I may have used.

The unnamed source makes it very clear he believes things I have said (possibly done) are hateful and cause dissension. What specifically have I said? Since he has not stated his reasons for his conclusion, I must speculate he is unhappy with some of my previous posts on Facebook, blogs, and/or e-mail.

In some I have vigorously defended the Word of God against many of the sins of modern society. I have spoken out against abortion, homosexuality, and other similar sins. I have pointed out what the Bible clearly says about them and the danger facing the individual engaged in them. My intent is to point out the sin and call the sinner to repentance and faith. Apart from turning to Christ, such sinners are doomed to an eternity in Hell. Which is more hateful: not to call out sin and permit the person to continue his march to damnation or to call out the sinner and offer him hope? Many people, such as the e-mail author , believe the world would be better off if folks were left alone and never “offended”. To “offend” them by pointing out their sin is hateful, they believe, and causes dissension.

I have also written against the false view of religious equivalency (i.e., all religions are of equal value and importance). Jesus is very clear that He and He alone is the only way to Heaven. The Muslims are on the wrong path. The Jews are on the wrong path. The Buddhists are on the wrong path. Even the atheists are on the wrong path. Again, which is more hateful: to allow those on the wrong path to continue down that path to their eternal destruction or to point out Jesus’ claim and offer them the true Gospel, namely, the right path to God?

Furthermore, many people believe such religious opinions do nothing but cause dissension. Therefore, to say such things like “Jesus is the only way to salvation” is hateful. Such language should never been used. Better never to discuss religion than to hurt someone’s feelings or to challenge their faith.

Finally, in some posts I have spoken out against the government. I admit the current administration has been a target of many of my posts and they have not been favorable ones. But why do I write in opposition of the government’s actions? Is it because I hate our politicians, especially our President? Absolutely not. This administration, in my opinion, is systematically destroying our nation. They are supporting policies which are contrary to the Word of God (e.g., abortion, homosexuality, and others). Therefore, I will write against any such politician whether they are a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or Socialist.

But the folks who have the mindset of this unnamed writer do not believe I should dissent with our leaders. Such dissent causes further divisions and promotes hate. Really? Do my remarks concerning our President promote hatred or another point of view which disagrees with those who pronounce my words as hate speech? I am certainly glad no one in our nation has ever dissented against the government before. If they had, we may have seen a Revolutionary War. Oh, that’s right; we DID have such a revolution because our Founders dissented against Great Britain.

The mindset revealed by our unnamed author is naïve at best. Some think the world will be better if no one ever points out the “faults” (read sins) of others or disagrees with anyone else. “Can’t we all just get along?” they ask. To speak out against them or their opinions is to spew hatred and sow the seeds of dissension. Well, I call the author back to his own words:

“I don't want anything to do with the hate that goes around this country/world…”
“That is why I was put on this earth...to bring people together…”
“Its unfortunate but I can't be surrounded or involved with people who hate and spread these messages to others…”

Is the author joking? Does he really take himself seriously? He has written the most hateful words to me I have ever read. They brought a few tears to my own eyes when I first read them. Oh, they were not the tears of repentance for my alleged “hate”, but tears of sorrow for the soul of the individual who wrote them. I noticed my wife’s eyes also had tears when she first read the notes.

Yet our unnamed author believes he was put on the earth to bring people together. He can’t be involved with the hate in the world. I would challenge the author and anyone else who shares his opinions to look at themselves in the mirror and reread the words I received. Where is the real hatred? Nothing I have ever written is as hateful as these e-mails.

2. The hatred expressed has its source in “religion”.

“You have indirectly taught me that religion is nothing more than a means to spread hate, point fingers, belittle others, start wars, call for deaths, and eliminate or otherwise ostracize those people who do not believe what we believe.”

I am not sure when I started wars, called for anyone’s death, or eliminated those who do not share my beliefs. I don’t believe I have spread hate or belittled others. I admit to pointing fingers but I have tried to point those fingers at the sins of men.

Many in our society these days are like my e-mail writer. They hate religion. They believe religion, ultimately, is the root of the evil in the world. Perhaps he believes if we could just stuff a sock in the mouths of those who believe in God, the world will see less hatred, less dissension, less war, less of all kinds of evil. They don’t buy into religion and believe folks who talk about religion, at least in a way which calls sinners to repentance, are spewing hate and dissension.

I truly believe the underlying causes for the venom released by this anonymous author is his hatred of religion, even God. Any “God” who condemns certain actions of others is “bad”, at least if the servants of that “God” point out that condemnation. Individuals who share this belief have a naïve worldview which believes if people would never say nor do anything which would make someone else feel badly then everything in the world would be ok. Of course, true religion and a true understanding of God will NOT yield such a result. Therefore, they do not like anyone who speaks the truth of God.

3. The hatred expressed in these e-mails is indicative of a truly closed mind.

As my friend has written:

“No need to respond. I'm sure whatever you have to say will simply be a means to ‘prove me wrong’ to maintain your self worth.”

I’m told not to write back because anything I try to say would merely be an attempt to prove the author is wrong. By doing so, I somehow “maintain” my self worth. Very clever! The only options left are: (1) say nothing or (2) agree with the author completely.

Well I completely DISAGREE with the author and those who share his philosophy of life. So that rules out option (2). I must confess I did consider option (1). However, the more I reflected on what to do, the more I realized the writer was attacking my faith and, therefore, my Lord. Option (1) must also be dismissed.

Well, my friend, I am not trying to prove you wrong. You are wrong. You are wrong in your statements concerning my character. You are wrong in your assessment of my heart. You are wrong in your approach towards life. You are wrong in the hatred you carry in your heart towards any who minister for Christ and disagree with you. While I am certain you will never listen (or even read) what I have written, my prayer is others who share your misguided approach to life will and come to grips with the sin in their own life: PRIDE.

I will admit I have no “self worth”. I, like all men, including you am a sinner. One of the famous hymns often sung in church refers to a person as a “worm”. That’s how I view myself; a lowly worm worth absolutely nothing.

But I have repented of my sins and put my faith in Jesus Christ for the salvation of my soul. He HAS saved me. He is using me. And, based on his Word, I am worth everything because I am a joint heir with Christ who inherits everything!

I don’t have to maintain my self worth. Christ is handling that.

If you wish to discuss this matter further, I will listen (unlike you). If you would like Scripture to support anything I have written here or elsewhere, I will be delighted to provide them.

Bruce

"What is the Gospel?": A Book Review

2010-04-26T22:24:00.004-05:00

I received this short volume (127 pages including appendix) as one of the many books freely distributed at this year's "Together for the Gospel" conference and read it during three brief sessions. The book is a very easy read, however, it is filled with solid, Biblical truth.

The author of this brief treatise, Greg Gilbert, serves with Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C. He opens his work by noting various answers to the title's question given by several Christians, some of them evangelical. Quickly readers realize this is a more difficult question to answer than we initially thought. The simple truth is many professing followers of Christ do not have a clear grasp of the basics of the Gospel message. Gilbert wisely observes, "an emaciated gospel leads to emaciated worship."

With that, Gilbert is off and running in his effort to answer the question, "What is the Gospel?" Utilizing the Scripture, the author moves from chapter to chapter coving such topics as "God the Righteous Creator", "Man the Sinner", "Jesus Christ the Savior", and "Response--Faith and Repentance". Step by step, he addresses the key elements which comprise the Gospel message. This book is both profound and simple.

If I must find something in these pages to which I may object, perhaps it would be a brief sentence on page 82. Gilbert writes,

"When a person genuinely repents and believes in Christ, the Bible says that he is given new spiritual life."

Unless I am reading that sentence incorrectly, he and I disagree in the ordo salutis (order of salvation). The sentence implies Gilbert believes repentance and faith precede regeneration while I believe Scripture teaches the opposite. On the other hand, perhaps the author intends to say the exercising of repentance and faith indicates the person has been given new spiritual life.

Despite this ambiguity (or disagreement), Greg Gilbert has penned an outstanding theological work which doesn't read like the typical theological work. "What is the Gospel?" is a brilliant yet brief work which I recommend to all Christians who truly desire the answer to the question, "What is the Gospel?"

Pastor, What Do You Think: Birth Control

2010-04-23T18:18:00.003-05:00

I've been receiving various questions from church members as well as students and have been addressing them either verbally or via e-mail. I thought it might be wise to take some of those questions and my responses and create blog posts from them. In this way, others may receive benefit (I hope!) from my response.

Is birth control Biblical?

Let me begin with a clear Biblical statement concerning children:

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Let arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5)

God is the author of life and I view Him as “pro-child”! Children are not a burden or a curse but a blessing. Those who say “we don’t want kids” because children are “a pain”, “a burden”, “get in the way”, “will ruin our lifestyle”, etc., may wish to practice birth control. But, if they do, they do so for the wrong reasons.

Debbie and I have been blessed with 9 children and I truly mean “blessed”. God has been more than gracious to us in all areas of our lives but especially this one. We love children. If I had to go back and relive our marriage I wouldn’t change a thing when it comes to the number of children we have. Nine was the right number for us. And, yes, we did practice birth control.

The question of birth control and the Bible is frequently raised by believers. This has been the case especially over the past 50 years. Some religious organizations teach only natural birth control if permitted by Scripture while others claim artificial birth control methods are Biblical as well. Some say birth control should never be practiced. Here is my take on this question.

First, the older I get the less I like the terminology used in the question: “birth control”. What is normally meant by the question is not “birth control” but “conception control”. Only those who support the murderous act of abortion practice what could be deemed true “birth control”. So I approach this question from the perspective of regulating the conception of children rather than aborting them once they are conceived.

Certainly the Bible would forbid any form of “birth control” which results in the abortion of the unborn. Therefore, using any birth control technique which kills an unborn child is not supported by Scripture. There are such medications available which do exactly that. They prevent the birth of new children by detaching the fertilized egg from the uterine wall. Such medications and/or practices would be forbidden by Scripture since they result in the death of the unborn.

When it comes to preventing conception, though, the Bible is fairly silent on the matter. The commandment given in Genesis 1:28 is often used as grounds for not practicing birth control.

Be fruitful and multiple and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

Clearly the Lord wanted man and woman to give birth and raise children. The use of the words “fruitful”, “multiply”, and “fill” certainly imply more than one child. In the very next chapter, God also says:

It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. … Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (2:18; 24)

This passage, of course, ordains the institution of marriage. A man takes a woman, they unite as one flesh, and children are one result of this new union. It would appear to me, then, if we are going to honor God’s commandment in chapter 1 by not practicing birth control but keep having children then we should honor His words in chapter 2 by requiring all men to take a wife so we can have children. We all need to get married. However, the New Testament makes it clear this is not necessarily the case.

I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain sing as I am. (1 Corinthians 7:7-8)

Paul desires those not married remain unmarried if at all possible which seems to “fly in the face” of what is said in Genesis 1 and 2. Something has changed from Genesis 2 which provides a foundation for what Paul says in Corinthians.

If you ponder the reason why Paul wishes those single would remain that way, the answer becomes clear. Paul realizes individuals can be more devoted to Christ and His redemptive mission if they are unattached in this life. Hence, if you can remain unmarried, that is better.

The “change”, of course, is the fall of man in Genesis 3. Sin invades mankind and God begins His work of redemption. The beautiful life in Eden is now gone. No longer do we frolic, relax, and enjoy life and our God in that scenic place. Rather, we find ourselves in a world of evil, a necessity to labor in order to survive and a need for our own salvation as well as our effort to bring others to Christ. No longer do men take wives, have babies, and enjoy life forever with God with no cares, worries, or needs. Instead sin has placed additional burdens on each of us. There is work to be done, kingdom work, for our God. If Adam and Eve had not sinned then, perhaps, all people would marry, each couple would continue to produce children, and birth control would not even be considered let alone needed. But that is not what happened.

So men may take wives as indicated by God in Genesis chapter 2 or they may remain single as taught by Paul in 1 Corinthians. It appears to me the decision must be made on the basis of what impact a wife will have on their life in the redemptive mission of Christ. For some a wife will become a hindrance and a detractor. For others a wife is an absolute necessity.

If my understanding is correct then I believe I may extend it to children as well. Prior to the Fall, the environment was ideal for having many children. But the Fall has changed everything. Now husbands and wives must consider the impact of children upon their redemptive mission for Christ. That mission is impacted by time constraints, by financial considerations, and probably by a host of other things.

What I am saying is this: given the Fall, I believe the Bible is supportive of husbands and wives using wisdom and planning in all areas of their marriage including the having of their children. Such wisdom and planning would include not only the number of children but also the timing of the children. I see nothing in Scripture which forbids the use of birth control provided such control does not kill an unborn child.

With that premise said, I now turn to the method(s) of birth (conception) control. Does the Bible support artificial means of birth control (e.g., “the pill”) or simply natural means (sometimes referred to as “rhythm”)? Those who support only the natural form of birth control usually speak of artificial means as not Biblical because God is somehow better able to override the natural method of birth control than the artificial means. Such reasoning doesn’t speak very highly of God’s Sovereignty or His omnipotence in my opinion!

Some also believe natural means are the only acceptable means of birth control because, with artificial means, you are separating the act of intercourse from the possibility of conception. But common sense tells me if the possibility of conception must always exist during the act of intercourse then why should couples ever have intercourse after menopause (or even during pregnancy!)? So I don’t see this being a valid argument against artificial means either.

In reality, if the intention of using a birth control method is to better plan and provide for one’s family (i.e., number and timing of children) then what is the difference between using a natural method as compared to an artificial one? Personally, I see nothing in Scripture which forbids the use of artificial methods and no reason to introduce some new “law” and the beginning of a Christian “Talmud”!

Before using any method of birth control in your marriage, I would counsel you to consider these questions.

1. Why do you want to prevent the conception of another child? Are your reasons selfish? Or, have you prayed and believe this is the course God would have you take at this time in your marriage?

2. Are BOTH of you in agreement on this matter? Great harm may come to a marriage when there is disagreement on this subject. Be certain you both are committed on this action. I believe it would be wise to periodically review your decision to make certain you remain in agreement.

3. Have you researched the method of birth control you intend to use and, to the best of your knowledge, are sure it does not result in the abortion of an unborn child? It is best to research before engaging on a particular method than finding this out later.

4. If you are considering a form of birth control which will prevent a pregnancy anytime in your future marriage (e.g., tubal ligation) have you considered the long term ramifications of such a decision? Is such a procedure medically necessary? If not, you should research potential physical/mental harm such a procedure may cause on you in the future. Is there a good reason for pursuing this method instead of using a simpler form of birth control? Furthermore, you should think beyond yourself and even your spouse on this question. What about your siblings? What about your parents?

"Why have I found favor in your eyes?"

2010-02-15T15:10:00.003-06:00

I am preaching through the book of Ruth and yesterday's message included Ruth's question to Boaz, "Why have I found favor in your eyes?". Boaz provides his answer in verses 11 and 12. He notes how Ruth has cared for her mother-in-law, Naomi, and how she left everything in Moab to come to Bethlehem. But, I believe Boaz is noting those two facts as fruits of what really has happened to Ruth: she has come under the wings of the God of Israel to take refuge. In other words, Ruth's actions testify of God's saving grace in her life.

As a new convert and as a new sister in the faith, Boaz has shown her favor. There is a lesson here about how those "elder" saints of God in the church should care for those new saints of God.

But I do believe it is also wise to picture ourselves as Ruth and the Lord as Boaz. We observe all the wonderful blessings the Lord has poured out on us. Such protection and provision should prompt us to ask him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes?".

God's answer to that question has been key to theological understanding for centuries. How do you believe God would answer your question?

For myself, God choosing me, saving me, and blessing me has absolutely NO answer in me. He did not choose me because He knew the potential influence I might have in my life. He did not choose me because He knew I would do good works. He did not choose me because I HAD done good works. He did not choose me because He knew one day I would repent of my sins and trust Christ for salvation. He did not choose me because I DID trust Christ for salvation. No, as I read my Bible, I come to the conclusion there is no reason IN ME for the favor God has poured out on me.

I have found favor in God's eyes simply because HE has loved me with an electing love from all eternity and has specifically, particularly chosen to be gracious and merciful to me, a sinner. Did I repent and trust Christ as my Lord and Savior? Absolutely. But both the repentence and faith were gifts of my gracious Lord without any merit from me. As He said, "You did not choose Me, I chose you".

Thank you, Lord, for your grace and your mercy! Thank you for your favor.

Spurgeon on Christian Compromise

2010-01-21T09:54:00.002-06:00

"It may be that some of you professedly Christian people have been living at a distance from God. You have not led the separated life. You have tried to be friendly with the world as well as with Christ--and your children are not growing up as you wish they would. You say that your sons are not turning out well and that your girls are dressy, flighty and worldly. do you wonder that it is so?

"'Oh,' you say, 'I have gone a good way to try to please them, thinking that, perhaps, by doing so, I might win them for Christ!' Ah, you will never win any soul to the right by a compromise with the wrong! It is decision for Christ and His Truth that has the greatest power in the family and the world, too. If a soldier in the barracks is converted and he says, 'I mean to be a Christian, but, at the same time, I will join with the other men as much as I can. I will sometimes step into the tavern with them,' and so forth, he will do no good. But the moment he boldly takes his stand for his new Captain and is known to be a Christian--his comrades may begin to scoff at him, but they will also begin to be impressed--and if he bravely maintains that stand and never gives way in the least degree, but is faithful to his Lord and Master, then he will be likely to see conversions among his fellow sholdiers."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Earthquakes and Other Disasters

2010-01-15T08:17:00.004-06:00

The tragedy in Haiti this week is absolutely overwhelming. When I first heard of the earthquake there, the magnitude of this event just did not hit home with me. Another earthquake in a foreign country; buildings collapsing and, sadly, people killed. It seems almost like an annual event, a terrible tragedy but nothing new.

Then the pictures began to arrive and the extent of the disaster hit home. This quake did not just damage a few buildings, rather, it hit everything. This quake did not just kill a few people, it killed thousands, possible upwards of a half a million! What a horrific event! To ponder the extent of this natural disaster or to view some of the images returning from the scene brings grief to my heart. So many souls taken into eternity. How many were ready to meet their God? So many souls injured or left without loved ones. How many need to know the God of comfort?

Our church is pondering on how to best help in this situation. Certainly we can and should pray. We need to pray for those who are still alive but trapped that help would come. We need to pray for those who are injured that they might receive the treatment they need. We need to pray for those who remain but have lost family members and friends that their mourning would be comforted. Most of all, we need to pray God will use this tragedy to bring many Haitian souls into the Kingdom of God. May a great spiritual revival in that land be one outcome.

We are also looking at some practical way to help the people of this island nation. Most likely, we will commit some of our funds to provide food and water for those in need. Surely this is the least we can do. How can we be followers of the Good Shepherd and not have compassion on the survivors of that land?

While we do not always understand God's purpose in such events, we can not deny God's hand either. He is the sovereign ruler of the universe and such natural disasters do not occur without his hand bringing them about or his hand permitting them to occur. The loss of life is horrific and, yet, each of us deserve death and not life because of our sin. The fact God does not strike down each of us with an earthquake, tornado, tsuanmi, or some other disaster at this moment is a testament to his grace, mercy, and longsuffering. He IS working "all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11b).

One lesson we should recall from this tragedy (for we all should have learned it by now) is our life is fragile and our time on this earth is brief. Indeed, this earthquake confirms the words of the Scripture: "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes" (James 4:14). When our life is over, no matter how our end comes, are we ready to meet our God? Do you know and honor his son, the Lord Jesus? Have you repented of your sins and are you trusting Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul?

In light of Haiti, each of us needs to reflect upon such questions as we pray and minister to the survivors of this terrible earthquake.

May the Lord have mercy on us and may He be glorified even in the midst of an earthquake in Haiti.

Vice President Gore, Global Warming, and the Bible

2009-12-10T09:16:00.002-06:00

The former Vice President gave an interview to Andrea Mitchell yesterday and continues to spout his only claim to fame: global warming. About two weeks ago, I had a student at Missouri Baptist ask me what I thought about global warming. I answered his question with my typical arrogant response, "Bunk". He then challenged me by asking "Why?"

Well, there are many reasons for discarding this entire subject as rubbish:

(1) Those who prophesy doom and gloom through man-made global warming are the same ones who fly their private jets, use their big gas guzzling autos, and live in mansions using tons of "carbon". Do they really believe man is killing himself and the planet by causing global warming? Then how can they live as they do? In a word, hypocrite!

(2) At best, we have weather data for only a century or so. Yet the earth has been around for at least 6000 years. That doesn't sound like a lot of data from which to discern trends.

(3) The scientific community is very much divided over this issue. Despite what men like Vice President Gore say, scientists do NOT all agree on global warming.

(4) The past decade has been one of the coldest decades we have measured.

(5) And, now, we have "Climategate". Global warming proponents have clearly been forging at least some of the data to fit whatever their agenda might be.

I'm sure there are many other reasons to reject this fairy tale but I don't dwell on the subject that much because I believe any Christian who truly believes the Bible knows man is not going to destroy the planet via man-made global warming. It will not happen.

The Vice President (and many other "green" folks) love to quote 1 Corinthians 10:26 - "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof". Why don't they ever quote Peter?

"But the day of the Lord will come LIKE A THIEF, and THEN the heavens will pass away with a roar and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." (2 Peter 3:10)

The earth will not cease to exist until God determines to end its existence. That time will come unexpectedly. That time will be a work of God, NOT the results of man's pollution.

As I told my student, this fact is, to me, a believer in Christ, the nail in the coffin of the global warming argument. If you truly believe the Bible is the Word of God then man made global warming is a bunch of nonsense. We are NOT going to kill ourselves or the planet according to what God has said.

Christians must be good stewards of this planet. But we don't need to be idiots about the environment.

Mr. Vice President, you claim to be a follower of Christ. I challenge you to read your Bible and see what God says about the end of the earth.

“What Difference Do It Make?”: A Book Review

2009-10-21T10:33:00.003-05:00

Ron Hall and Denver Moore, the authors of “Same Kind of Different as Me”, return (with Lynn Vincent) with the sequel to their New York Times bestseller. I have not read their original work but, after reading this one, plan to do so in the near future.

Even if you have not read their first work, you learn enough of the history of the authors in this book to enable you to understand their message. Denver was a homeless person, befriended by Ron’s wife, Deborah. Deborah’s passion for the homeless and for Denver had a significant impact on her husband and, when she died as a result of cancer, Ron picked up her message and, together with Denver, ran with it. This book is a continuation of Ron and Denver’s story, covering much of what has occurred since the success of “Same Kind of Different as Me”.

The chapters mostly alternate between Ron and Denver’s stories. These stories are testimonies of God working through painful situations and awkward moments, and changing the lives of many individuals from varying backgrounds and life histories. The reader comes away understanding that, with God, one person can make a big difference in the lives of others.

While I enjoyed almost everything I read, I found myself more attracted to the simple wisdom of Denver. For example, listen to his wisdom from pages 45 & 46.

And needy people don’t need no perfect people neither. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He sent Peter right along, knowin Peter had a bad temper and a potty mouth and was gon’ deny Him three times. He sent John and James even though they was full a’ pride and fightin over the best seat at the table. He even sent Judas, knowin Judas was goin’ etray Him. Even though Jesus knowed all a’ their sin and weakness, He sent ‘em anyway.

Listen, if the devil ain’t messin with you, he’s already got you. If you is waitin to clean up your own life before you get out and help somebody else, you may as well take off your shoes and crawl back in the bed ‘cause it ain’t never gon’ happen. Jesus don’t need no help from no perfect saints. If He did, He wouldn’t a’ gone up yonder and left us down here in charge.

Or, here’s another example from page 61:

Now Denver completed his verdict and gave me (Ron) an ultimatum. Keeping me pinned with that eyeball, he said, “You know what you did? You judged a man without knowin his heart. And I’m gon’ tell you something. If you gon’ walk these streets with me, you gon’ have to learn how to serve these people without judging ‘em. Let the judging be up to God.

Those have to be some of the most profound words I have ever read outside of Scripture on the subject of not judging others!

The book is laced with real stories from others who were touched by “Same Kind of Different as Me”. Also, Ron and Denver relate stories from the lives of some of the people who intersected their life. In particular, the story of Mr. Ballantine in chapter 17 and the “Big Chicken Dinner” man from Seattle described in chapter 24.

This work is a very easy 201 pages to read but, more importantly, an enjoyable and profitable 201 pages to read. I would encourage everyone to pick up a copy and see for yourself.

In the meantime, I need to get my hands on a copy of “Same Kind of Different as Me”!

Is My Desk "Captive to the Word of God"?

2009-10-13T15:32:00.004-05:00

I actually have two desks facing each other in my work area at home (plus several filing cabinets and bookshelves). On one of these desks I do most of my work: sermon prep, lecture prep, grading papers, secular computer work, paying bills, etc. My other desk was intended to be used as a secondary work area when I had multiple activities going on at once.

Well, I turned around and the state of my second desk finally hit me. What a mess! On its surface are folders containing notes, several books (many of them Bible translations or Scripture related), pictures, pens, pamphlets, church items, and homeschooling software. I can barely see the desktop itself!

This is NOT what I mean by the title of this blog: "Captive to the Word of God". Yet, that is almost how I feel when I look at this desk, namely, a captive! It is time to put some of the folders into my filing cabinets, books back into their shelves, and the "junk" into the trash can.

The title of the blog actually refers to a statement made by Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms in 1521. His remark reflects my desire to be like him in this sense: may every step of my life be so governed by God's Word that I become a captive to that Word.

Appearing before members of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, in the German city of Worms, the exchange provoking Luther's statement went something like this:

Archbishop of Trier, Eck (pointing to books on a table): "Are these your writings?"

Luther: "The books are all mine, and I have written more."

Eck: "Do you defend them all, or do you care to reject a part?"

Luther: "Most serene emperor, most illustrious princes, most clement lords, if I have not given some of you your proper titles I beg you to forgive me. I am not a courtier, but a monk. You asked me yesterday whether I would repudiate them. They are all mine, but as for the second question, they are not all of one sort. Some deal with faith and life so simply and evagelically that my very enemies are compelled to regard them as worthy of Christian reading. Even the bull itself does not treat all my books as of one kind. If I should renounce these, I would be the only man on earth to damn the truth confessed alike by friends an foes. A second class of my works inveighs against the desolation of the Christian world by the evil lives and teaching of the papists. Who can deny this when the universal complaints testify that by the laws of the popes the consciences of men are racked?"

Emperor Charles V: "No!"

Luther: "Should I recant at this point, I would open the door to more tyranny and impiety, and it will be all the worse should it appear that I had done so at the instance of the Holy Roman Empire. A third class contains attacks on private individuals. I confess I have been more caustic than comports with my profession, but I am being judged, not on my life, but for the teaching of Christ, and I cannot renounce these works either, without increasing tyranny and impiety. ... I commend myself to Your Majesty. May you not suffer my adversaries to make you ill disposed to me without cause. I have spoken."

Eck: "Martin, you have not sufficiently distinguished your works. The earlier were bad and the latter worse. Your plea to be heard from Scripture is the one always made by heretics. You do nothing but renew the errors of Wyclif and Hus. ... Martin, how can you assume that you are the only one to understand the sense of Scripture? ... I ask you, Martin--answer candidly and without horns--do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain?"

Luther: "Since then Your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."

April 18, 1521 (taken primarily from Bainton's work "Here I Stand", pp. 141-144).

Bearing Fruit in Your Old Age

2009-10-08T14:52:00.003-05:00

I am 59 years of age and there are days when I physically feel every second of my years! Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, I am still alive and in fairly good health. Medication helps my blood pressure remain "normal", my heart from going "a-fib", and my blood sugars close to where they should be. I am thankful God has granted wisdom to men and women who have developed such medicine.

Yet this year has yielded some evidence to my physical decline, evidence I have not seen in the past. My right eye was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy essentially meaning diabetes is slowing destroying sight in that eye. Furthermore, two tears were found in that retina. A couple of laser treatments have repaired the tears and also assisted in reversing some of the retinopathy.

Also, while accompanying one of my daughters to her doctor's appointment, a dermitologist took more interest in me than in her. She recommended I set up my own appointment with her which I did. Her examination concluded I had some pre-cancerous skin cells on my right arm as well as on a portion of my face. She treated the right arm in the office but, given the extent of the damage she saw on my face, recommended I use a prescribed cream to treat that area. She told me to use the ointment twice a day for 3 weeks but not to begin until the weather was cooler, around October 1st. She forewarned me that the medicine would make my face "perfect" for Halloween!

Well, the treatments have begun and, after only one week, the bad cells are beginning to show up as dark spots on my face. My face has become sore and aches when I wash it. I discovered yesterday that shaving above my beard is so painful now that I will bypass that act until my skin has recovered from this treatment. Indeed, I am looking more and more like an ogre every day and still have two more weeks of applying this cream!

I say all of this to explain how all of this has made me feel quite old this week (plus my oldest child turned 36!). My reflexes are slow, my eyes ache, my face hurts, my joints experience pain with minimal use: I am a mess. How can the Lord continue to use such a servant?

My daily Scripture reading brought me to Psalm 92 today where I read:

"They (the righteous) still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him" (Psalm 92:14-15, ESV).

Wow, what a great text! "They still bear fruit in old age". Well, I'm old and getting older every day. What a great promise to know that, despite my age and my aches and pains, I can still be fruitful in the work of our Lord. I can still declare the Lord is righteous. The Lord will still use me even with a face that might rival that of the Frankenstein monster!

The phrase "full of sap and green" bothered me a bit because I figured some family member or friend might read this blog entry and make some comment about me being "sappy". So, I checked out the passage in the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and read this:

"They will stear bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, to declare: 'The Lord is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.'"

In the midst of our ever increasing age, our mounting pains, and our reduced physical abilities, REJOICE in the promise that, in God's Kingdom, even the old bear fruit. They declare to everyone that crosses their path, whether by preaching, teaching, sharing, giving, singing, worshiping, or writing, "the Lord is just".

May Jesus be praised for not only redeeming us and providing the righteousness by which we are declared just before God, but for using us as His servants, even in our old age!

"The Kingdom of the Occult": A Book Review

2009-09-08T20:28:00.002-05:00

“The Kingdom of the Occult” is the work of Jill Martin Rische, eldest daughter of Dr. Walter Martin, and Kurt Van Gorden, a minister and missionary. Dr. Martin, deceased in 1989, nevertheless, plays a major role in this work as noted by his daughter in the introduction.

Years ago, I remember my father pacing the foyer of our home, leafing through a notebook of references on the occult. It had always been in the back of his mind
to write a companion volume to “The Kingdom of the Cults”, but something always prevented him from beginning the new project.

Rische and Van Gorden have taken the skeleton formed by “The Bible Answer Man”, edited transcripts from lectures to add some muscle, and then put on their own flesh to produce this body of work. And it is SOME body!

Cover to cover, the book is 733 pages in length. It includes a very solid index, a lengthy bibliography, plus two appendices. Sandwiched in between are 18 chapters loaded with material on almost any occult practice one might encounter. Some of these practices, of course, are the usual ones which come to mind when we talk about the occult: Satanism, Witchcraft, and Astrology. But there is much more here to sample than these standard dishes. One chapter (60 pages in length) deals with Kabbalah (probably my favorite chapter). There’s a chapter discussing Psychic Phenomena. And, the authors even have material on the occult practices associated with UFOs!

Basically, each chapter takes a specific occult practice and provides a brief introduction. Then the authors discuss the basics of this practice. If there are variations within this practice, those are also shared. Included in the material are case studies (often conducted by Dr. Martin himself). The chapter comes to a conclusion by presenting a Scriptural response to this religion. Finally, the authors provide some recommended resources to help the reader if they need additional information.

In order to review this work, I read the book from beginning to end. This was quite an effort, in fact, it was pure torture! Several months have passed since I received the book and began my trek through the chapters. If you are looking for a book to sit down and read straight through, this is NOT that book.

But if you want a solid reference work on the various occult practices, this is the one for you. Although I believe Dr. Martin’s “The Kingdom of the Cults” is a better work, “The Kingdom of the Occult” deals with many difficult (and strange) religious groups and it does so in extensive detail. If you are involved with individuals or groups caught up in one of the occult movements and want to better understand the movement so you can reach the people involved, this IS the work you need.

As a reference work, I heartily recommend “The Kingdom of the Occult”.

"Fearless" by Max Lucado: A Book Review

2009-09-08T09:05:00.002-05:00

The musical “Mary Poppins” contains a song which says “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. If my medicine is a book by popular, best selling author Max Lucado, then I have yet to find my “sugar”. Despite attempting to read several of Mr. Lucado’s works, I have yet to complete any of them other than his newest work, “Fearless”. To be frank, I struggled to complete this book as well.

My problems with “Fearless” as well as with Mr. Lucado’s other books have nothing to do with the content. I found nothing of any consequence in the contents of this work to which I disagreed. But, as with all of his works, I simply do not enjoy the author’s writing style. While he does use the Scripture quite extensively, he uses far too many examples and illustrations in my opinion. For me, these slow me down and, in some cases, distract me from the Biblical point he is attempting to communicate. As I said above, this problem for me is not unique to “Fearless”.

On the other hand, there are several positive elements in this work.

1. It is fairly brief. There are 221 pages but the actual text ends on page 180. “Fearless” is a quick read.

2. The book contains an extensive discussion guide (close to 40 pages) for those who wish to use it in a study group. This guide provides some very good questions, observations, and Scripture texts for each of the chapters in the book.

3. While I dislike the abundance of illustrations the author uses, some of them are absolutely wonderful. For example, in his chapter on worst-case scenarios, Mr. Lucado shares a story about two girls and their father at the pool to illustrate various ways to address such fears:

“He’s in the water; they jump into his arms. Let me restate that: one jumps; the other ponders. The dry one gleefully watches her sister leap. She dances up and down as the other splashes. But when her dad invites her to do the same, she shakes her head and backs away….How many people spend life on the edge of the pool? Consulting caution. Ignoring faith. Never taking the plunge. Happy to experience life vicariously through others. Preferring to take no risk than any risk. For fear of the worst, they never enjoy life at its best. By contrast, their sister jumps. Not with foolish abandon, but with belief in the goodness of a father’s heart and trust in a father’s arms.” (p. 81)

Brilliant!

4. The subject addressed by the book is quite timely. Many people, including believers, are fearful of losing their jobs, failing health, financial trouble, or problems with their children. “Fearless” provides Biblical insight for countering these fears. As Mr. Lucado says, “Acknowledge threats but refuse to be defined by them” (p. 177).

If you are like me and have great difficulty reading a book by Max Lucado then you, too, will probably not enjoy “Fearless”. But obviously, millions of individuals do enjoy his books and I believe they will thoroughly enjoy this work as well. To them I recommend this book.

Dr. Mohler's Message on the Future of the SBC

2009-08-22T17:38:00.002-05:00

If you are a Southern Baptist, I would encourage you to take the time (just over an hour) and listen to the message Dr. Mohler, President of Southern Seminary, delivered this week on the future of the SBC. It is outstanding!

You may find the video or audio sections at this site.

Beddome: Motivation for Sharing the Gospel

2009-08-13T12:35:00.003-05:00

I enjoy reading the sermons and hymns of Benjamin Beddome, an 18th century Reformed pastor. Recently, I came across the following quote which deeply struck me. Although Beddome was preaching on the faithfulness of God, these words are part of his conclusion. To me, they present solid motivation for believers to share the Gospel with the lost as well as an appeal to the lost to believe the Gospel.

"Whilst saints rejoice, let sinners tremble at God's faithfulness. As God is faithful to his promises, so is he also to his threatenings. He is as unchangeable in his wrath as in his mercy."

Environmentalism & The Pristine Myth

2009-07-30T11:06:00.003-05:00

I received a link to an interesting article on the subject of the environment of the Americas prior to the arrival of Columbus and other European explorers. The article is brief and presents a view not heard very often in political circles these days. You may read it here.

"Church" for the 21st Century: Me, Me, Me

2009-07-16T09:53:00.002-05:00

Last week I accompanied my wife and six young people to Bolivar for the annual Saved By Faith Youth Challenge (SBFYC), an event which God has used to greatly bless my family and many others over the years. During the week, three videos were shown prior to some of the sessions concerning the church in today's society. I found them to be humerous and very thought provoking.

Upon returning home, I have found these videos on the web. So I am posting links to them here for your enjoyment AND consideration.

"Me Church"

"Me Worship"

"Cruise vs Battle"

Walking Worthy of the Lord

2009-06-17T14:23:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday I preached on Colossians 1:10-12a, "A Worthy Walk". Paul writes:

"...that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing..." (Col. 1:10a)

Yesterday, I ran across some of Calvin's thoughts concerning such a walk in his "Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life". Notice this gem from pages 18 and 19:

"Because the Father has reconciled us to Himself in Christ, therefore He commands us to be conformed to Christ as to our pattern. ... Unless we ardently and prayerfully devote ourselves to Christ's righteousness we do not only faithlessly revolt from our Creator, but we also abjure Him as our Savior."

WHOA! That last sentence hits hard! While I may have been "loud" and "forceful" in my message, Calvin's words tower above anything I may have said.

Calvin begins with "unless we", preparing us for two, and only two, possibilities.

1. "we ardently and prayerfully devote ourselves to Christ's righteousness" - In other words we are to strive to be conformed to His image. Note the adjective "ardently" meaning "passionately". "Ardently...devote": we must "go all out" in our efforts to be like Christ, to be worthy of the Lord. That is one possibility.

2. On the other hand, if we do NOT put everything into being like Christ, Calvin says "we do not only faithlessly revolt from our Creator, but we also abjure Him as our Savior". "Abjure" means to "to give up strongly". To abjure the Lord brings to mind what Peter did when he denied Christ. Calvin says if I am not striving all out to be like Christ then I have revolted from my Creator and denied my Lord.

To Calvin, there is no third possibility. There is no "carnal Christian" category for those who claim to be Christians but who live like the lost in this world. Your life denounces your profession and, as a result, serves as a faithless revolt against God and a strong denial of Christ.

Oh that I could say so much in so few words as John Calvin! More importantly, though, may I forever strive to be conformed to the image of God's Son, to walk a worthy walk pleasing unto the Lord, so I may not be counted among those who rebel and deny our Lord.

Giveaway from Cal.vini.st blog

2009-06-12T11:03:00.001-05:00

The Cal.vini.st blog has announced a giveaway in honor of its first annivesary. Check it out here!

Another Piper Sermon Jam Video

2009-06-11T07:05:00.004-05:00

Here is a link to another John Piper "sermon jam video". This one is being used to launch Desiring God & Reach Records' "Don't Waste Your Life" tour. It's only 3 minutes and will grab your attention.

The Cooperative Program

2009-06-04T10:00:00.004-05:00

At the outset, I am fully prepared to be corrected for any misunderstandings I may have on how the Cooperative Program works within our Convention. I believe I understand how the money "flows" from a local church, to the state convention, and then to the national convention itself. But, if what I present below is incorrect, I encourage comments correcting my misunderstanding.

I am a Southern Baptist minister and fully support the Cooperative Program as one of the best approaches devised by man to financially support missionaries here and abroad. Based on their budget allocations, portions of the contributions made to Southern Baptist churches are sent to the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) and, from there, to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) where they are pooled with contributions from churches around the world to support missions.

While my statement is true, it does not tell the entire story. Every year the SBC publishes its Cooperative Program budget such as this one for 2009 displayed at the top of this article.

When you read this breakdown, you learn $72.79 of every $100 given to the SBC is allocated to missions, $50 to international missions and $22.79 to North American missions. In addition, $22.16 is being allocated for Theological Education, most of it at the Southern Baptist seminaries. So, almost $95 out of every $100 is set aside for missions and theological education of ministers and missionaries.

Unfortunately, this is not actually true. As I noted earlier, the money a church designates to the Cooperative Program is sent to the MBC for distribution. What many Missouri Baptists do not know is how the MBC handles this money. The MBC has budget allocations for all incoming funds. For 2009, here is how every $100 received is distributed:

$36.25 is sent to the Southern Baptist Convention.
$42.75 is budgeted to the Missouri Baptist Executive Board
$2.60 is set aside for SBC Annuity and Insurance
$1.60 is set aside as Reserved funds
$3.30 is given to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home
$13.50 is budgeted for Christian Higher Education

In other words, for every $100 a church gives to the "Cooperative Program", $63.75 remains in Missouri; only $36.25 is sent to the SBC.

Such a distribution changes the picture when it comes to "mission giving". What this means is for every $100 a church sends to the MBC, only $18 plus change goes to the international missions and only $8 plus change goes to North American missions. If you throw in the theological education ministries line item, a total of less than $35 goes to missions out of every $100. That is quite a contrast to the $95 we thought was being allocated!

Furthermore, the line item which has the largest budget allocation in the MBC and SBC combined is the Missouri Executive Board Budget. They receive $42.75 out of every $100. While I do not know all this Board does for us (and I am certain there are many good things it does), such an allocation sounds "bloated" in my mind, especially when we are giving the people in the pew the impression their donations are supporting mission work.

I believe Dr. Danny Akin of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is correct in calling for a Great Commission Resurgence within the SBC. One of the articles documented as part of this resurgence is Article IX which I quote here in its entirety:

IX. A Commitment to a More Effective Convention Structure.

We call upon all Southern Baptists, through our valued partnerships of SBC agencies, state conventions/institutions, and Baptist associations to evaluate our Convention structures and priorities so that we can maximize our energy and resources for the health of our local churches and the fulfillment of the Great Commission. This commitment recognizes the great strength of our partnership, which has been enabled by the Cooperative Program and enhanced by a belief that we can do more together than we can separately.

At the midpoint of the 20th century the Southern Baptist Convention was a convention characterized by impressive institutions, innovative programs, and strong loyalty from the churches. But the convention has too often failed to adapt its structure and programs to the changing culture. We are frequently aiming at a culture that went out of existence years ago, failing to understand how mid-20th century methods and strategies are not working in the 21st century.

Some of our convention structures at all levels need to be streamlined for more faithful stewardship of the funds entrusted to them. We must address with courage and action where there is overlap and duplication of ministries, and where poor stewardship is present. We are grateful for God’s gift of Cooperative Program dollars to both state and national entities. Both state and national entities must be wise stewards of these funds, and closely examine whether the allocation of Cooperative Program dollars genuinely contributes to Kingdom work or simply maintains the status quo. We are grateful for those churches and state conventions that are seeking to move more Cooperative Program dollars beyond their respective selves, and encourage this movement to continue and increase in the days ahead.

We must take steps toward simplifying our convention structures in an effort to streamline our structure, clarify our institutional identity, and maximize our resources for Great Commission priorities. We should ask hard questions about every aspect of our Convention structure and priorities and pray for God’s wisdom and blessing as we pursue wise answers to those questions. We must be willing to make needed changes for the good of our churches and the spread of the gospel. We believe that North American church planting, pioneer missions around the globe, and theological education are three priorities around which Southern Baptists will unite. Our Convention must be examined at every level to facilitate a more effective pursuit of these priorities.

The Great Commission, missions and theological education is the responsibility of the local church. As a convention of churches, we cooperate together to support theological education so that we can continually train competent shepherds who will lead churches through teaching, love and example, and who will see to it that the churches they lead are Great Commission churches that are promoting missions and advancing theological education. We are blessed as Southern Baptists to have such an avenue to serve the local church. Furthermore, we are grateful for the impact of the Conservative Resurgence that has given us seminaries committed to the inerrancy, infallibility, and the sufficiency of the Bible.

We believe the local church must be “ground zero” in a Great Commission Resurgence, and that our associations, state conventions and national agencies exist to serve and assist the churches in their divine assignment. We are convinced that as our people see our entities in this light, they will respond in even greater support of the Cooperative Program.

I agree with the call to reexamine how Missouri Baptists allocate the gifts of God's people and the structure of our MBC to see if we can, perhaps, reduce the amount of money remaining in the state and send more to the SBC for missions work. Surely such a need is critical in our present day as revealed by the International Missions Board's inability to send out some missionaries due to the lack of funds.

One of those Heartbreaking Sundays

2009-06-02T20:28:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday I preached on the "gospel" based on Colossians 1:5b-8. I sense the Lord's presence very much during my message as I explained what the gospel is and how the Lord uses it in our lives. I don't recall how many times I told the people the need "to repent and believe" and in how many ways I said it. Over and over and over during the message I continued to call people to hear the gospel, repent of their sins, and trust Christ.

In the congregation were more than a few individuals who are listed on our church's prayer list as those needing salvation. Periodically I would find myself looking at them as I called for folks to heed the gospel. Some of them appeared to be sleeping. Others were looking around the auditorium. None of them appeared to be paying any attention to my plea.

Now this was not the first time I have experienced such a response to a message clearly aimed at those apart from Christ. Yes, I call sinners to repent and believe with each and every sermon I preach. But, every now and then, the text leads you directly to a message of salvation and this was clearly one of them. My heart is always broken when I see the word falling on bad ground and being stolen away by "birds" or choked off by "thorns". Oh, if only they could see and hear the message of God. Yet, they sit there, appearing completely unaware of the doom they are courting and the judgment that is awaiting them! Indeed it just breaks my heart.

But it does not surprise me. Clearly their response is to be expected from those who are spiritual dead and depraved as Paul teaches in Romans 3 and Ephesians 2. They will NOT respond on their own just as the Lord said in John 6:44. They are spiritually dead and without hope except for the grace of God.

May God's grace touch their lives and may His Spirit work a work of regeneration in their hearts before it is too late, no matter who might be preaching the Gospel to them.

My Present Reading List

2009-05-22T08:41:00.003-05:00

Books in progress as of May 22, 2009:

"Kingdom of the Occult" by Walter Martin, et. al.

"Baptist History Celebration 2007"

"John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, & Doxology", ed. Burk Parsons

"Sermons Printed from the Manuscripts of the Late Rev. Benjamin Beddome"

"Theology for the People" by William Plumer

"Foundations of Grace: 1400 B.C. to A.D. 100" by Steven Lawson

"Law of God" by William Plumer

"Living for God's Glory" by Joel R. Beeke

"From Grief to Glory" by James Bruce III

"A Cluster of Camphire: Words of Cheer and Comfort to Sick and Sorrowful Souls" by Mrs. C. H. Spurgeon

English Standard Version

2009-05-21T11:45:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of 2008, I decided on using a different approach for my daily Scripture reading. My two-fold change was:

1. Use a different daily reading plan than I used the year before.
2. Use a different translation each year until I have gone through the primary English translations.

So, my 2008 daily readings were all in the Holman Christian Standard Bible using the John R. Kohlenberger "Read Through The Bible In A Year" chronological plan. I found the HCSB to be very easy reading but the Kohlenberger plan more of a challenge. For obvious reasons, you read no New Testament passages until September 30th. I know the Old Testament is as inspired as the New but, really, don't we all enjoy some devotional reading in the New Testament before the last quarter of the year?!

This year I switched back to the Robert Murray M'Cheyne plan which I have used and enjoyed for many years. For my Bible translation, I am using the English Standard Version. The more I read from it, the more I am enjoying it.

When I am intensely studying God's Word for teaching or preaching purposes, next to the Greek and Hebrew I prefer the New American Standard version. I have found the NAS more often faithfully renders the text than do other translations. But, simply reading the NAS devotionally is a challenge. The wording does not flow as well as the KJV or ESV primarily due to its allegience to the text. It's "literalness" comes across as "wooden" and "stiff".

While I will continue to use the NAS in study, I would rather use the ESV for devotional reading as well as for worship and teaching purposes. I have switched to the ESV in my Missouri Baptist classes and have also found myself using the ESV more and more in my sermon delivery.

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod has chosen the ESV as their standard translation. If you would like some reasons why, check it out here. Also, John Piper's church, Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis, uses the ESV. You may read Dr. Piper's reasons for selecting the ESV here.

Whatever translation you use, please read the Lord's Word each and every day. May He bless your efforts.

Bethesda Update #1

2009-05-18T09:33:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my first official day as interim pastor of Bethesda Baptist Church in St. Charles. What a privilege it is to be called to shepherd a flock but what an awesome responsibility it is as well. I do pray for the Lord’s wisdom, patience, strength, and blessing in this calling.

I renewed some acquaintances I have made over the past two months as well as met other folks for the first (or second or third!) time. What used to be a steel trap of a memory has quickly diminished in its capability resulting in my rapid forgetfulness of names or, even worse, membership status of some! A pastor always feels very badly when he greets someone as a visitor only to be told they are members! Hopefully, those to whom I directed my incorrect greetings yesterday will be forgiving since, after all, it was my first official Sunday!

I chatted with a few folks during Sunday School and then walked into one of the adult classes for the final 15 minutes or so. This was followed by our morning worship service in which I began an exposition of the book of Colossians, preaching on the first two verses of the book. After the service, we met in the fellowship hall for dinner and cake celebrating the graduation of two members from school plus my arrival as interim. In the evening, one of our deacons taught a lesson from Proverbs but I only made the last forty minutes due to a teaching commitment at Highland View. Afterwards I visited again with some of the people and then moved in several boxes of my library, stacking the books on a couple of the bookshelves in my office.

Overall it was a great day. The people have been so gracious to me and my family. God has placed some very talented and committed believers in this fellowship and I believe He is doing and will continue to do a great work there.

To be perfectly frank, the only disappointment of the entire day was my message. Despite hours of study and prayer, I have preached much better sermons than I did yesterday. For those who have never preached, it is difficult to explain the feeling a preacher has when he feels very prepared and yet the message comes across as flat. Yesterday was one of those days.

While my pastoral experience is somewhat limited, I have learned that Sunday afternoon is usually my most depressing time of the week. I approach most Sunday mornings with great anticipation only to have the air let out of the balloon by the end of the service. Rarely do I preach a message as well as I think I should and a long Sunday afternoon ensues. And, yet, I have also learned another, far more important truth:

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

While my sermon did not meet my expectations, I am thankful the Word of God I proclaimed yesterday will accomplish the Lord’s purposes even if I have no idea what those purposes are. Praise God that He is a sovereign God!

A Favorite Poem

2009-05-15T08:03:00.003-05:00

There are days from time to time when one's mind is overwhelmed with all that is taking place and all that is left to be done. Such times may cause us to stop and consider whether we are, perhaps, losing our mind!

Today is such a day for me. When I paused briefly to reflect on what lies before me these next few days and found myself a bit dismayed by all I need to do, my thoughts turned to a devoted believer of a prior era who, in fact, fought insanity much of his life: William Cowper (pronounced "cooper"). Anytime I hear the name "Cowper", immediately I recall the words of one of his poems and one of my favorite hymns.

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day,
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its pow'r,
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved to sin no more.

E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme
And shall be till I die.

When this poor lisping stamm'ring tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I'll sing Thy pow'r to save.

The truthfulness of Cowper's words are always a soothing salve to my mind.

"No, Mr. President"

2009-05-13T12:02:00.003-05:00

I am thankful for John Piper's boldness and his faithfulness to the Word of God no matter how "politically incorrect" he is! Take time to view this video.

Demographics

2009-05-12T06:32:00.003-05:00

Perhaps you have already seen this little video. But, a link to it was in my e-mail today and, after viewing it, I thought it was worth watching. Please take the time to do so.

Christian Ethics Dilemma Question

2009-05-04T07:56:00.003-05:00

Dr. Russell Moore has an interesting and quite challenging question posted on his blog today. His Christian Ethics' students must answer it as part of their course work. I'm glad I'm not in his class and I do pray I do not have to address this situation any time soon in my new pastorate! But, given our society as it is, I may be wise to work on my own answer prior to ever facing this situation.

Good Friday and Self-Salvation

2009-04-10T11:00:00.002-05:00

Praise God for His Son who cried out from the cross, "It is finished." He has accomplished for me what I could have never accomplished for myself: the redemption and salvation of my soul!

In contrast, take a look at some who strive their entire lives to achieve their own salvation here.

Message to Pastors and Churches

2009-04-08T15:29:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine just posted a link to this video on Facebook. In light of some ads I have seen on local television concerning a specific church and their "entertaining" Easter worship services planned for this Sunday, I thought I would add a link to this blog so those who might miss it on Facebook would be able to see it.

A Response to Mythbuster

2009-04-01T06:18:00.004-05:00

When I first began this blog, I discovered almost immediately the necessity to monitor comments. The first comment posted (which I later deleted) was filled with unnecessary language as well as made absolutely no sense relative to my entry. So I have the capability of deciding whether to permit a comment or not.

Some blogger named “Mythbuster” attempted to post a comment to my March 12 entry in this blog. I decided to block the comment for one primary reason: most folks do not often view comments. Comments get lost in the “blog shuffle”. This comment demanded a reply and such a reply would also be lost in a simple comment. I believed this specific “comment” needed more visibility than a simple comment.

So, first, I am posting the comment in its entirety. Then, I will step through it paragraph by paragraph and attempt to address “Mythbuster”’s statements.

For starters, there was no word for embryo in ancient Greek or ancient Hebrew. For that matter, there was no word for abortion either, even though abortions were taking place during that period in history.

Furthermore, if we look more closely at the Bible we see passages which actually show that God does not consider an embryo/fetus to be a human life.

Take, for example, Exodus 21:22-25 which shows that a woman's health is more important than that of a fetus.(22)If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. (23)And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, (24)Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, (25)Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.This clearly states that if a woman suffers a miscarriage due to two men fighting but she is not harmed then her husband can take the other man to court, but if she is also harmed the punishment must fit the crime.

In Leviticus 27:6, God commands that a monetary value be placed on children who were no younger than one month old. Any younger than that and they had no value.

In Numbers 3:15, God commands that a census be taken, but only of those one month old and above. Those younger than that, including fetuses, were not counted.

Even in Genesis 2:7 we see that God did not consider Adam to be a "living soul" until God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life".

I could go on but I think these examples state it best. Either human life does not begin at conception or God's words clearly contradict themselves and therefore could not be from an omnipotent being.

I do not want to be repetitive but I am going to respond to these statements one paragraph at a time by first repeating each paragraph.

For starters, there was no word for embryo in ancient Greek or ancient Hebrew. For that matter, there was no word for abortion either, even though abortions were taking place during that period in history.

Mythbuster is referring to my comment attached to Luke 1:36. This is what I said:

"And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has conceived a son" (not an embryo, or a blob of cells, but a SON; Luke 1:36).

Unfortunately, he misses my point. Whether Greek or Hebrew had a word for embryo is not the issue. The fact is the angel has confirmed Elizabeth conceived a son (huion in the Greek) and not some impersonal entity. The conception resulted in a male human. If that was not the angel’s intention, the statement could have read “has conceived an it” (auto in the Greek). In this verse, “son” (huion) is the direct object of the verb “conceived”.

Concerning the Old Testament passages I quoted (the Hebrew passages of which there are many more), my point, again, is not the absence of the word “fetus” or “embryo” in Hebrew but the use of the personal pronoun translated by such words as “me” and “you”, not “it”.

Were abortions taking place at that time? Almost certainly they were. But that does not justify abortion. Since the eating of the fruit of the tree in the Garden of Eden, man has been and is a sinner. Abortion has been and continues to be a sin no matter in what era it was or is practiced.

Furthermore, if we look more closely at the Bible we see passages which actually show that God does not consider an embryo/fetus to be a human life.Take, for example, Exodus 21:22-25 which shows that a woman's health is more important than that of a fetus.(22)If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. (23)And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, (24)Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, (25)Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.This clearly states that if a woman suffers a miscarriage due to two men fighting but she is not harmed then her husband can take the other man to court, but if she is also harmed the punishment must fit the crime.

When I read this text it does not “clearly state” what Mythbuster is claiming. There have been debates on this passage among Christian scholarship but I believe the passage is better understood quite differently. Verse 22 states one side of the problem while verses 23-25 give us the other side. Using the English Standard Version, let me look at those two divisions.

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.”

So, in this case you have some men fighting and during the fight they strike a pregnant woman who goes into labor. The result: the child (children) is born with “no harm”, i.e., the child was not injured by the men in this fight. The woman’s husband imposes a fine on them for hurting his wife and the judges demand the payment.

“But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”

This is case 2. The pregnant woman is struck and goes into labor. However, the child is born with problems (“there is harm”). In that case, what is the penalty to be assessed those who struck the woman? It is the “lex talionis”, the law of retaliation. If that child has lost an eye, the men will lose an eye. If that child has lost a foot, the men will lose a foot. If that child has lost its life, well, you get the picture.

Furthermore, Mythbuster said this passage shows a “woman's health is more important than that of a fetus.” Somehow that is supposed to prove that “God does not consider an embryo/fetus to be a human life.” As I have stated in other blog entries, there are cases when one must choose the life of the mother over the life of the unborn child. For example, a tubal pregnancy will result in the death of both mother and child if the child is not removed. In order to save the life of the mother, the child’s life must be ended before birth. The LIFE (not health) of the mother, in this case, is of more value than the LIFE of the unborn child. But that statement does not lead to the conclusion that I do consider the unborn child to be anything less than a human life and neither does God.

On to his next example:

In Leviticus 27:6, God commands that a monetary value be placed on children who were no younger than one month old. Any younger than that and they had no value.

If you read the entire chapter it becomes apparent the discussion concerns giving a monetary offering in place of an actual dedication of a person to the Lord. The NIV renders part of verse 2 as “If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the Lord by giving equivalent values…”. Following this are the various equivalent values for individuals. We find the following values:

- males, over 60 years: 15 shekels
- females, over 60 years: 10 shekels
- males, 20-60: 50 shekels
- females, 20-60: 30 shekels
- males, 5-20: 20 shekels
- females, 5-20: 10 shekels
- males, 1 month – 5 years: 5 shekels
- females, 1 month – 5 years: 3 shekels

Dedicated service to the Lord is valued more for those who are more capable of serving him, i.e., those in the 20-60 years of age. Those younger are of less value in terms of service as are those much older. Serving males are of more value than serving females.

Given the infant mortality rate was quite high, it isn’t surprising no equivalent value was placed on a one month old. Is Mythbuster implying that God does not believe an individual is a living human being until they are at least one month old?

In Numbers 3:15, God commands that a census be taken, but only of those one month old and above. Those younger than that, including fetuses, were not counted.

Mythbuster is attempting to use the same argument on Numbers 3:15 as he did in Leviticus 27:6. So there is no need to repeat what I said relative to that verse. In the Numbers passage, the Levites are being counted for service in the ministry. The census taken does not include those under one month which, again, is not surprising given the infant mortality rate. Once more I would ask Mythbuster if he is inferring that God does not consider an individual a living human until they are one month of age?

One additional note, though. If Numbers 3:15 implies God does not consider those under one month to be a living human, then God must not consider those under 20 years to be human either (see Numbers 1:3 for the counting of people in all tribes but Levi, the tribe being counted in Numbers 3).

Even in Genesis 2:7 we see that God did not consider Adam to be a "living soul" until God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life".

I’m assuming Mythbuster is implying life does not begin until the “fetus” takes a breath. Otherwise, I see no reason for even referring to this verse.

First, anyone who believes in the creation account (and I suspect Mythbuster does not which makes his using this text curious at best), understands the creation of Adam and Eve was a unique event. Obviously neither could be born in some normal way. In reality, this is the “which came first, the chicken or the egg” question. The answer: the chicken. God created Adam and Eve as adults. Therefore, using their “births” as a model for typical human births is illogical.

Second, Mybuster may consult his Hebrew and note that Genesis 2:7 reads “breathed into his nostrils the BREATH OF LIVES”. Sometimes Hebrew uses plural words to indicate majesty. Perhaps that’s what is happening here. But perhaps the plural is referring to the two lives God breathed into Adam: physical life and spiritual life. Adam’s heart was not beating prior to this act. Adam’s brain was not functioning prior to this act. Adam was not moving his arms or his legs prior to this act. In ONE ACT, Adam became a physical and spiritual being, i.e., a living soul.

Wow, that sounds like what happens at conception to me! The heart of the unborn is beating before the mother even realizes she’s pregnant. Physical life is present at conception because conception results in continual growth. Physical life exists for that child before it ever takes its first breath of air because it has already received the breath of God at its conception.

Now to his conclusion:

I could go on but I think these examples state it best. Either human life does not begin at conception or God's words clearly contradict themselves and therefore could not be from an omnipotent being.

Nothing Mythbuster has said or any passage he has quoted proves human life does not begin at conception. Perhaps he should go back and examine the passages I quoted. Interestingly, he never addressed them other than his comment on the word “embryo”.

Second, he has offered no proof that God’s Word “clearly contradict themselves”. I’m a bit perplexed how he could draw such a conclusion.

Finally, he claims if God’s words do contradict themselves then God could not be an omnipotent being. I’m sorry but that logic does not follow. God could be an all powerful (omnipotent) LYING being in which case His words could consistently contradict themselves. The correct conclusion would be if God’s word clearly contradict themselves He, therefore, is not a God of truth or He is not an omniscient (all knowing) God.

My suspicion is Mythbuster has grabbed a selection of “pro-death” arguments he has found at some web site and plastered them together to form his comment. I’ve seen these before. Nevertheless, I feel sorry for him and those like him who continue to fight for the “right” to murder unborn children for any case and at any time. May the Lord convict his heart and save his soul.

Following Christ and Killing Our Babies: Part 3 - Embryonic Stem Cell Research

2009-03-12T09:36:00.004-05:00

While campaiging for the office last year, our President was very clear he was not a fan of the unborn. That was the primary reason I could not vote for him. Now that he is President, he is remaining faithful to his promises concerning our unborn children: killing them is just fine. In fact, the Federal government should help fund such murders in the name of research.

Despite all the claims from various Obama supporters, the handwriting is on the wall. This President is going to do whatever he can to perpetuate abortion on demand and the overused tag line "it's a woman's choice". Woman, your choice ends when you engage in the act! Permitting the flow of Federal money into embryonic stem cell research simply opens the door for more and more abortion. Check out a few articles here and here and here and here.

Some will argue that embryos (read babies) are not human but our God says differently.

"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5; David's mother conceived HIM, not some embryo).

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" says God to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5.

"And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has conceived a son" (not an embryo, or a blob of cells, but a SON; Luke 1:36).

There are other references but these alone make it clear that, from God's perspective, a new life exists at the moment of conception. To take that life is murder. And now our President has permitted a new onslaught of human life on the grounds that new cures MAY be found for various diseases. Check out the stem cell cures check list here.

Another sad day among many lately in the history of the United States. May God be merciful to us, a people who have lost their way.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-02-21T12:05:00.002-06:00

Wow. I saw this video today and was simply floored. While not exactly a "baby", this young girl delivers a tremendous 5 minute speech against abortion. She does so with passion and, based on what I have been able to read, her mother says her daughter's passion against abortion is real.

I would encourage you to take 5 minutes and listen to this young lady speak.

Faith-Based Programs

2009-02-11T08:07:00.004-06:00

Dr. Al Mohler has a very interesting blog post today on this particular subject here. After reading it, I wondered how far this issue could extend. For example, let's say a church sought some financing from a local financial institution in order to complete a building project. Assume that financial institution has recently received government monies from the TARP or some other government "stimulus" package. Do you believe the government would attempt to exert its regulatory practices over ANY group who uses funding from this institution? In other words, since this church is using funding ultimately provided, to some degree, by the federal government, that church must now comply with the hiring practices established by the federal government?

I truly hope this whole scenario is quite a stretch. But, given the political climate of our day, perhaps it is not. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Abused Pets

2009-01-26T12:51:00.003-06:00

Last evening, a commercial came on showing pictures of cats and dogs with an announcer telling us how one pet is abused every 10 seconds in our country. The commercial was quite touching, encouraging folks to adopt one of these suffering pets.

What if there was a commercial showing murdered humans, the result of an abortion, with an announcer telling us how one baby is murdered every 20-30 seconds in our country? The commercial could encourage those carrying children to have their babies and give them up for adoption.

What do you believe would happen if such a commericial aired?

Stonewall Jackson is 185 Today

2009-01-21T10:51:00.004-06:00

January 21, 2009 marks the 185th birthday of one of the most famous Confederate generals of the War between the States, Stonewall Jackson. More importantly to me, Jackson was a devout Christian and one of my "heroes of the faith". To honor this man today, I thought I would simply post one of the letters he wrote. This letter, quite typical among the letters we have from Jackson, clearly reveals his devotion to our Lord. May God send us many more leaders such as this man.

The letter was written to Rev. Dr. Francis McFarland. Dr. McFarland was a pastor near Greenville, Virginia as well as a trustee of Washington College in Jackson's town of residence, Lexington, Virginia. He also served in the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States of America. Dr. McFarland and Jackson exchanged several letters during the war. He also had three sons who served in the Confederate army.

July 31st, 1862
My dear Doctor,

I am very grateful to you for your prayers to God for the success of the operation which God has entrusted to me. Please continue to pray for me and for the success of the troops entrusted to me. It cheers my heart to think that many of God's people are praying to our very kind Heavenly Father for the success of the army to which I belong. Without God's blessing I look for no success, and for every success my prayer is, that all the glory may be given unto Him to whom it is properly due. If people would but give all the glory to God, and regard his creatures as but unworthy instruments, my heart would rejoice. Alas too frequently the praise is bestowed upon the creature. Whilst we must not forget the superior importance of spiritual victories, yet I trust that you will under God's direction do what you can in securing the prayers of His people for the success of our arms, especially for the success of them which are entrusted to me, an unworthy servant, but who desires to glorify His name even in my present military calling. My trust is in God for success. Praying for a continuation of your usefulness I remain your much attached friend

T. J. Jackson

Following Christ and Killing Our Babies - Part 2: Christmas

2008-12-24T09:06:00.001-06:00

She’s only a teenager even though she is engaged to an older man. Her family is not wealthy and neither is her future husband’s family. Both of them live in a small community. Her education has primarily been at home. Her fiancé has had some education but is now learning the trade of his father, namely, carpentry. Their life together holds no outstanding promise. It will be a life requiring sacrifice and suffering but it will be a life together.

But now the “gossip chain” is in full force throughout the town. The young girl is pregnant! As if that isn’t bad enough, the father is not the fiancé! Disgrace is upon her, her family, and her promised husband.

Remarks are being heard such as “How can she take care of a baby? She’s much too young.” “I bet the engagement is off now. She’ll be all alone. How will she provide for the child?” “Maybe she should get rid of the baby. She can’t afford it. She can’t take care of it. She won’t have a man to help her.” “Yeah, an abortion would be the best route for everyone.”

Such words and thoughts would likely be common place in 2008. I can almost visualize her parents secretly driving their young daughter to the local Planned Parenthood clinic for a referral (and maybe a voucher) to an abortion clinic. Or, perhaps the daughter runs away on her own to “take care of the problem.” Many in our country would think nothing of it and, in fact, agree wholeheartedly with her actions.

But, when we relocate this story to Nazareth in the Middle East, reposition it in time to 6 B.C., and attach the names of Mary and Joseph to the engaged couple, most of us see things in a different light. Mary was well aware who the father of her child was: the Lord God Himself! Joseph, initially deciding to divorce (break off the engagement) quietly to avoid shame falling on Mary, was convinced by God not to do so. But no one discussed abortion because all knew the unborn child was just that, a child. It was not a fetus but a baby. No matter how difficult the situation was going to be, the baby would be born. Praise God that was the case. If Mary had become pregnant under similar circumstances in the United States these days, the outcome may have been different.

Certainly the birth of Christ gives solid Scriptural support against the notion of abortion. Even before Jesus is conceived in Mary’s womb, the angel makes this clear. Gabriel announces to her “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). The word “son” is the direct object of both future tense verbs “will conceive” and “bear”. The conception of Mary’s baby is a son, not an it.

Scientifically, we know today this is true. The child’s sex is determined at the moment of conception. At that moment, you know the species and the sex. In Mary’s case the new offspring will be a human male. Despite the fact the conception begins with one cell, the result of that conception is finalized: human male. No matter its appearance, no matter how small, no matter it is within a woman’s womb, conception has resulted in a new human life.

For over 35 years in this country we have given people the right to kill this life at any point prior to its actual birth. Somehow we believe by doing so we are helping the expectant mother. Maybe so but at what cost? We are killing a human life no matter at what point during the pregnancy the abortion is performed.

The birth of Jesus is a testimony to the sanctity of human life. Jesus WAS a male child at the moment Mary conceived. Praise God she never considered or pursued a pro-death solution.

A Deeply Worried Place

2008-12-17T22:11:00.002-06:00

The headline on the “Money” section (section B) of Tuesday’s USA Today reads “Poll: USA’s a deeply worried place”. The subtitle of the article, written by John Waggoner, was “79% of those asked fear nation in for a depression”. The remainder of the article goes downhill from there. One paragraph discusses the impact of the economy on retirement:

“Another 62% said they were worried about having enough money for retirement. ‘For those of us getting closer to retirement, the stress level has increased dramatically because we have seen huge losses in our home values and our 401(k)/IRA balances’…”.

Well, I never think much about retirement since I don’t ever see myself doing so. Oh, I may change jobs or doing something less demanding that my present occupation but retiring? I just can’t seem to find that concept in the Scripture. As I read God’s Word, my retirement begins the day I find myself in glory with the Lord.

Be that as it may, my “worry” for our nation is not in its economic condition. Yes, the economy is bad when compared to the past few years. But what greatly concerns me about the United States may be found elsewhere in the same USA Today. Note some of the stories covered by Tuesday’s paper.

“The impeachment process begins for Illinois governor”
“Shoe thrower called hero, ‘hothead’”
“Vegas bets on its ties to Mob”
“Sect leader convicted of sex crime”
“Probe continues in Palin church fire”
“Relatives of toddler await word on remains”
“American security expert kidnapped in Mexico”

Unrighteousness abounds even in the good, old United States. The economic depression pales in comparison to spiritual depression our nation is in. Unfortunately (although Providentially!), our future looks no better. The Obama administration has publically made statements indicating our nation is headed toward more unrighteousness, especially in the realm of killing unborn children.

Perhaps part of our economic turmoil is the result of God’s judgment upon our nation for our growing wickedness. But, the bottom line is clear: America is in a spiritual depression and needs a mighty revival from God. Scripture says “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). Let’s face facts; our nation no longer considers its God to be the Lord. If it has a god, it is the god of secularism, materialism, “me-ism”.

Those of us who truly know Jesus as our Lord and our nation’s Lord need to pray earnestly and continually for God to send a revival through our churches and across this land. The United States will never regain its place in the world as a “city on a hill” until it turns from its sin. For God has said, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

May God have mercy on each of us and upon our nation.

Thanksgiving to God in 2008

2008-11-26T13:57:00.002-06:00

Certainly Thanksgiving Day in America is a special time for thanking the Lord for His many blessings. Since my Thanksgiving thoughts this year center on my family, I posted an entry in our family website here.

Following Christ and Killing Our Babies: Part 1

2008-11-12T10:59:00.003-06:00

“I’m a follower of Jesus Christ and also pro-choice.”

Oh, really? From this point forward, you will have to PROVE to me you are truly a follower of our great Lord and God Jesus Christ. I don’t believe you.

Personally, I am sick and tired of hearing remarks like these from individuals who simply want somehow to justify their support of killing our children by invoking the name of the Lord. Do you honestly believe Jesus Christ, if He were physically present at the moment a doctor (maybe I should say butcher) was performing an abortion, would support that action? How blind are you?

Over the coming weeks I will post entries in this blog arguing that a true follower of Christ will NOT support pro-death. Some things I am going to say are not going to be well received. But, in my opinion, this is the most critical matter facing our nation. True believers must return to the battlefield because the war is about to intensify. Our President-Elect has, both in word and deed, proven he will be the most radical supporter of the pro-death movement ever to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

“But I am a Christian! Abortion is legal in the United States and it is a matter between a woman and her doctor. There is no contradiction between my faith and my stance on life.”

HOG WASH! If you profess to be a child of the Lord and support pro-death policies and practices then I must conclude one of the following 3 possibilities:

1. You are truly born again but are ignorant in your understanding of what God says about life.

2. You are truly born again but are living in rebellion and disobedience before God by supporting death.

3. You are fooling yourself and are in danger of eternal punishment in Hell because you are not truly born again and are not a true follower of the Lord Jesus.

I see no other possibility. A true follower of our Lord who is seeking Him and who has studied the Scripture knows in his heart that abortion is immoral and sinful in the sight of God, PERIOD.

So, what I am going to do in subsequent posts is to look at each of the above possibilities. My next post will examine the Scripture and present the case against abortion based on God’s Word. Next, I will consult the Scripture to see what God says about His true children who, despite their knowledge of the Word, still support death over life. My third post will examine the Scripture to see who the true believers of Christ are. I suspect each of these “three posts” will consist of multiple posts.

My sincere prayer is those who are in the “pro-choice” camp and claim to be Christian would wake up and sincerely examine their position. I believe if they do, many will turn from being pro-death to pro-life. I also believe many will realize they are lost and doomed and will sincerely and truly repent and trust Jesus Christ for their salvation.

May God bless my efforts by preserving the lives of many Americans who are yet to be born.

Killing Our Unborn Children

2008-11-05T11:23:00.003-06:00

Over the waning weeks of the Presidential campaign, God began to impress on my heart the issue of abortion even more deeply than before. I believe President-Elect Obama's stance on this issue may be a contributing factor to this growing conviction. Despite claims from his camp, it has been proven that our newly elected President not only supports abortion, he also supports partial-birth abortion (a technique never medically required from what I understand), and, even worse, supports not caring for babies who are born despite an attempted abortion (which I consider to be infanticide).

I have opposed abortion for as long as I can remember but my hatred of the practice has now increased. Exactly how I am going to express my growing opposition to "baby killing" is still not certain. However, I do expect to be more vocal in blogs and in letters, especially to politicians at all levels. Furthermore, I expect to be more "confrontational" to those who profess to be Christians yet support killing our unborn.

That brings me to my letter to the President-Elect which I e-mailed to him today. It is my opening political attack on abortion and calls for President-Elect Obama to lead the charge to ban the practice. I firmly believe my opposition to abortion is Biblical but, in this letter, I based my argument only on civil rights. Since my future arguments against abortion will likely find a home in this blog, I decided to include my letter to the President-Elect even though it contains no Scripture references. Future posts will clearly outline the Biblical arguments this evil practice.

November 5, 2008

President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your campaign and your victory! Your election is further proof of the greatness of the United States of America!

I did not support your candidacy and did not vote for you yesterday. Your past legislative record and your remarks throughout your career alarm me. I have written blog entries and letters opposing you throughout the past few months and will continue to oppose the policies you outlined in the campaign. Nevertheless, I respect you as my next President and will pray for God to give you wisdom in your position as the leader of the free world.

Your election fulfills the dream of the Civil Rights movement. The African-American community, once slaves to white Americans and often punished and even killed as such, have now seen America erase that dark spot in the election of one of their own as President. Praise God such racial slavery has been removed from our nation! But, Mr. President-Elect, there still remains a civil rights battle in our country. There are still those in the United States who are in bondage and at the whim of their masters. They need their rights restored and I call on you as President-Elect to make this your number one priority. The group to whom I refer are our unborn children.

Every day in our nation since 1973, 4000 unborn Americans have their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness destroyed because their mother exercises her “freedom to choose”. The life of the mother, rape, and incest account for a small percentage (less than 5%) of the abortions performed in our country. Thousands of unborn Americans lose their right to life everyday at the hands of a mother who doesn’t want to be burdened by them.

Mr. President-Elect, women do not lose their “right to choose” if the practice of abortion is ended. When women engage in the sexual act they exercise their choice and must accept the possible consequences of that act, namely, a new, unborn American.

I call on you, President-Elect Obama, to lead the charge in our nation to eliminate the barbaric practice of killing our unborn citizens and, instead, to restore their right to live equally with other Americans.

Sincerely,

Bruce D. Walker
St. Charles, MO

Render to Caesar

2008-11-03T16:02:00.002-06:00

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. Mark 12:13-17

I briefly touched on this passage in my Sunday School class yesterday as we continued our quick exposition of the Gospel of Mark. Obviously, it was the Lord's providence to bring this text to our attention on the Sunday before election day!

This short incident contains so much which can be discussed. Yet I only pointed out a couple of items during class time.

1. Jesus certainly instructs His followers to obey their rulers (i.e., government). This makes sense because God has ordained the government ruling over us. Paul makes this quite clear in Romans 13 among other places. Jesus, being God in the flesh, understood this truth. We are to obey the commandments (i.e., laws) of our government except ...

2. ... when a government law is contrary to the law of God. Peter stated this argument concerning civil disobedience in Acts 5:29. The religious leaders commanded the apostles not to preach Jesus. Peter responded, "We must obey God rather than men."

3. In the first century, Caesar (and Rome) often commanded men to do things contrary to God's Word. Some of the Caesars demanded worship which, of course, Christians would not give to any but the one true God. Such situations resulted in many conflicts between authorities and the Lord's followers.

4. Obviously, conflicts should not arise when the laws of government are consistent with the law of God. In the Mark 12 passage, nothing in God's law forbids the paying of taxes to the government. So, Jesus commanded men to do just that.

5. First century Palestine differs from twenty-first century America, though. Jesus and His followers had no say when it came to who was Caesar or who occupied a seat in the Roman Senate. They could not prevent men who might be opposed to the Word of God from occupying those positions. But, in the United States, WE ELECT OUR CAESAR! Our government leaders are REPRESENTATIVES chosen by us! What a unique but wonderful blessing God has given us in terms of our government!

6. Therefore, when we elect OUR CAESAR, let's elect men and women who are most likely to lead and legislate in agreement with God's Word. By doing so, we reduce the likelihood of future conflicts, the necessity for civil disobedience, and bring glory to God as a nation.

Tomorrow is election day. Vote wisely for YOUR CAESAR!

Josiah and the United States

2008-10-28T11:33:00.003-05:00

Perhaps it is a “stretch” to compare Judah and its ruler King Josiah to the United States and President Reagan, but, I must confess, that is one of the first thoughts to cross my mind when I was reviewing the life of this great king. The story of Josiah may be found in 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel had fallen to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and, a few years later, threatened Judah. At that time, Hezekiah reigned as king. The Scripture notes “And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done” (2 Kings 18:3). Sennacherib led the Assyrians towards Judah and was threatening to take Jerusalem. Hezekiah prayed and requested the prophet Isaiah’s counsel on the matter. Isaiah responded that Sennacherib would not take the city. Sure enough, that night an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrians and Sennarcherib plus his army returned to Nineveh.

Hezekiah, a devoted follower of the Lord, though, was followed by his son Manasseh, one of the most evil kings in the history of Judah. He ruled for fifty-five years and idolatry was very much the story of the nation. Manasseh’s son, Amon, took over the throne after his father’s death and the Scripture says “he abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord” (2 Kings 21:22). His servants assassinated him and his son, Josiah, was appointed king at the age of 8.

Josiah began to seek the Lord at an early age (2 Chronicles 34:3) and, in the 18th year of his reign, the Book of the Law was discovered in the Temple. Immediately, Josiah instituted reforms in the land of Judah. 2 Chronicles 34 paints the picture:

Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the Lord, the God of their fathers. (2 Chronicles 34:29-33)

Josiah would be killed in battle just 13 years later. Judah immediately fell back into sin and, twenty-two years after Josiah’s death, Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians destroyed the city of Jerusalem and took Judah as its prisoner.

Obviously, the revival under King Josiah was an outward revival. Did the King truly trust the Lord and follow Him? Yes, the Scripture indicates Josiah was sincere in his commitment to God. But the people were not as sincere and their return to sin following Josiah’s death clearly reveals the terrible truth: Josiah’s revival was an outward revival to them. Nothing changed in their heart.

Look at the text I just quoted. Note these two phrases: “Then he (Josiah) MADE all who were present … stand to it.” “All HIS days THEY did not turn…”. Judah experienced a national revival under King Josiah but, regrettably, they did not experience a true spiritual revival in their hearts. They remained far from God.

Every time I read this story, my mind quickly recalls the events of the 1980s. The United States had suffered greatly during the prior decade. We experienced the sin of Watergate and the resignation of a Vice President and a President. The war in Vietnam finally ended but not without significant human losses and civil unrest in the states. We elected a Washington outsider as President and soon discovered that was a mistake. Hostages were taken overseas and gasoline prices went up. And to epitomize the spiritual depravity of our nation at the time, the Supreme Court called the act of abortion constitutional. The United States gave its blessing to the killing of its own unborn. We needed a revival.

Then President Ronald Reagan appeared. Quickly, the outlook of Americans changed. Americans were proud again to be Americans. The Soviet nation clearly was on the downward path. The economy drastically improved for most citizens. There seemed to be a religious revival in our country during the 80s.

Our scenario sounds much like Judah. Reeling after Manasseh and Amon, the nation needed a Josiah and there he was. Reeling after the miseries of the 1970s, the nation needed a Reagan and there he was.

Unfortunately, the scenario after Reagan is much like the situation in Judah after Josiah. The revival under Josiah quickly waned because it had no spiritual roots. The revival in our country has waned as well because it had no spiritual roots. The evidence of this truth is the outward boasting of sinful acts you see in our country today: abortion, sodomy, “gay” marriage, boasting terrorists, business theft and so on.

We need a revival in our nation. We need a revival which will shatter the bondage of sin we see on all fronts. But such a revival must be a spiritual revival sent by our Lord and not simply a “national revival” from a politician or a political party. We need God to move in the hearts of His people bringing repentance and a renewal of their lives to His service. We need God, through His Spirit, to regenerate the hearts of many Americans who are without Christ resulting in their conversion to the Lord and their justification before God. Only when God brings about a true spiritual revival in America will we see an America which, once again, shines among the nations of the world.

Let us pray for our nation and for God to bring great, spiritual revival to the hearts of all Americans.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!

Christ in You

2008-10-27T13:39:00.003-05:00

Thank goodness, the 2008 election is almost here and, therefore, almost over! Politicians have been running for office more than 18 months and I, personally, am tired of the whole affair. My understanding of the position of each Presidential candidate is stated elsewhere in my blogs so I need not repeat those. I have done what I can to convince others of the dangers of voting for various candidates and my concerns for our nation. My positions have been expressed in the blogs, verbally, and, possibly, in a local newspaper. All I can do from this point forward is to pray and to vote.

But I want to clearly state that I have absolutely NO HOPE that any of the Presidential candidates can rescue our nation from its road to destruction. Elsewhere, I have used the analogy of a locomotive racing down the hill toward oblivion. If we elect John McCain, he will try to put on the brakes to our runaway train and, possibly, slow it down just a bit. If we elect Barack Obama, he will throw the train into full speed forward and the end will approach much more rapidly. Yet neither candidate can stop our nation’s destruction and, even more importantly, turn it around and put it on the right path. There’s only one person who can do that: Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote to the Colossians the following phrase in chapter 1, verse 27: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The hope for any soul to ever be right with God is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can take a life on the path to eternal darkness and turn it to the path of light. Only He can take a depraved sinner and declare him (and, ultimately, make him) to be perfectly righteous before God. Only Christ can accomplish the radical change each of us needs in our life so that we may be right before our Creator.

The same is true of any nation. God has ordained the government we have (Romans 13) but doesn’t promise it will exist forever. God’s intention is not that we rely on our government but that we rely on Him. God does not intend we place our hope in any man (including any politician) but that we place our hope in Christ. Our nation needs a spiritual revival, not a political one. We have lost our nation’s spiritual moorings.

So, after much research, analysis, and prayer, I will pull the lever for John McCain and Sarah Palin next Tuesday. But, no matter whether Senator McCain or Senator Obama is declared to be the President elect on November 5th, my hope for my personal salvation and for our nation’s future will remain firmly on my Lord and Savior,

Jesus Christ.

May He be glorified even next Tuesday!

Began to Teach

2008-10-22T08:45:00.002-05:00

My Bible reading yesterday brought me to John chapter 7 and Jesus’ encounter with the Jews (i.e., Jewish leaders) during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Early in the narrative, Jesus does not openly appear during the Feast and, by verse 11, the Jewish leaders are looking for Him. The following two verses grabbed my attention:

“When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple complex and began to teach. Then the Jews were amazed and said, ‘How does He know the Scriptures, since He hasn’t been trained?’” (vv. 14-15, Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Some observations I made as I read this text included:

(1) Jesus acts based on His schedule, not man’s. The Feast of Tabernacles lasted from the 15th to the 21st day of the Jewish month of Tishri (roughly our October) and the Jewish leaders were looking for the Lord. But Jesus refused to follow their desires and remained hidden until the middle of the festival. When the time was right, He appeared. Jesus always acts based on His schedule for He is the sovereign God.

(2) Jesus taught. Yes, at times Jesus healed, at times He helped others with physical needs and so should we. But over and over again in the Gospels, you see the focus of the Lord’s earthly ministry was one of preaching and teaching. He proclaimed to man their spiritual need and God’s spiritual provision, namely, eternal life through the Son. Teaching and preaching the Word of God is still a critical necessity in the 21st century because men, women, and children need to know how serious their spiritual condition is and how wonderful the grace of God’s provision is.

(3) Jesus taught the Scriptures. The Jewish leaders confirmed this fact with their response in verse 15. Jesus spoke the true Word of God. When we preach and teach our message is to be the Word of God and not our opinion. We don’t simply teach what we know others want to hear. Jesus could have done that when He taught in the Temple. He knew what the Jewish leaders believed and He knew He could earn their friendship and assistance by teaching what they taught. But Jesus was not in the Temple that day to earn friendships and popularity with the religious leaders. He was there to teach the Word of God no matter how it affected His listeners. Likewise, we are to teach and preach the Scriptures even if we know some who hear it will be offended.

(4) Jesus taught in such a way as to keep the attention of His audience. While this is not outwardly said in this text, I believe the implication is there. It would seem if Jesus’ teaching did not grab the attention of His audience, the response of the Jewish leaders would have been to ignore Him altogether. Who cares if He knows the Scriptures and teaches them if no one listens to Him. The amazement of the religious leaders at the grasp of Scripture Jesus has implies the listeners that day were, indeed, listening.

(5) The Jews were amazed. As I understand the text, the Jews were not amazed at what He said. They recognized He knew the Scriptures. What amazed them was Jesus had such knowledge of the Scriptures yet had no formal rabbinical training. They had attended such schools and were recognized as scholars. Yet here is one proclaiming the Scriptures without such training. How remarkable is that! Perhaps we should be a little more cautious when our pulpit committees reject individuals simply based on the degrees they have received according to their resumes.

Don’t you wonder what the Lord taught that day? The Scriptures are silent on that so we can only speculate. Could it be He used the festival to explain the passages in the Pentateuch which described the protection God gave His people during their wanderings in the wilderness? Such teaching, of course, would also remind the people of Israel’s sin of disbelief at Kadesh-Barnea which resulted in the 40 years of wandering. Such sin demanded a sacrifice and He would be the perfect, complete sacrifice. Perhaps He used the festival, which marked the completion of the harvest, as an opportunity to teach about the fields which were white unto harvest with souls. Or maybe He used the festival to teach how the peace and prosperity seen in the Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows the peace and prosperity which will come with the Lord’s reign on earth.

May the Lord guide me when I teach and preach in such a way that my message is only the Word of God and that the Holy Spirit would grab the attention of my audience and drive that message straight to the heart!

Economic Crisis

2008-10-03T14:44:00.002-05:00

The United States House of Representatives approved a "bail out" bill today ending a fierce debate in our nation's captial over the past two weeks. I use the word "ending" quite loosely for the economic problems of our country are far from over. Personally, I was against such a "bail out" and had asked my representatives to oppose it. Nevertheless, both houses of Congress have approved the bill. No matter who is elected the next President, they will inherit quite a mess.

I briefly chatted with a work associate this week. He has been looking forward to retiring in a couple of years. Like most of us, his retirement package has been hammered hard by the activity on Wall Street these past two weeks. He told me he had cashed out his stock, taking quite a loss in the process. But he feared the entire economy was about to crash and decided to get what he could on the deal. Since I am no economic expert, I have left my investments alone. I'm certain that was probably not very wise but I decided just to ride this out.

My family is not wealthy despite the good salary I make. Raising my children and trying to provide for my family without being a complete Scrooge consumes lots of my funds. Also, contributing to the work of our local church as well as various missionary ventures requires significant investments. So, I have never considered retiring from working until the Lord makes it impossible for me to work. I am not complaining, just stating the facts. Accumulating money for retirement has never been a priority in my life. We are not wealthy and likely never will be.

So, in the midst of such turmoil as we have seen this month, it is easy to get caught up in the world's view of the situation and panic about our future. At times like these, we need to return to God's Word. Listen to Paul's Word in 1 Timothy 6.

Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (1 Timothy 6:5-11)

Being rich is not necessary evil. Loving one's riches and living for them is.

Let us be satisfied with what the Lord has given us and make certain our number one goal in life is to glorify Him.

Ezra's Confession

2008-09-19T09:57:00.002-05:00

My daily reading schedule took me to the last two chapters of Ezra. Of course, chapter 9 is Ezra's famous prayer of confession which most of us have read multiple times. However, reading this chapter 9 today made a deeper impression on me than in past readings. Perhaps this is because there are so many similarities in my life to those days in Israel. They had sin in the camp primarily due to the marriage of the chosen people of God with those of foreign backgrounds in direct disobedience to the commandment of God. They disobeyed and mixed the world into the things of God.

I certainly see this in the life of our nation. The Judeo-Christian background of our country seems to be crumbling more and more each day. The United States needs to repent and return to the faith of our fathers.

This mixture is also obvious in our churches, even those which profess to be evangelical. Some members sit in the pews who never exhibit any of the grace, mercy, or love of God in their lives. They do nothing which bears any evidence of God's regenerating work. And what can we say of those "members" who rarely attend worship or participate in our church's fellowship? Yes, there is a "mixed marriage" in many of our churches.

And I see this most clearly in my own life. How easy it is to permit the world to enter in and contaminate us even as we are trying to serve our Lord.

Therefore, I took Ezra's confession much more to heart during my reading today than I have in the past. Here is his confession for your reading and consideration (Holman Christian Standard Bible).

6 And I said:

My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than [our] heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens. 7 Our guilt has been terrible from the days of our fathers until the present. Because of our iniquities we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the surrounding kings, and to the sword, captivity, plundering, and open shame, as it is today. 8 But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve a remnant for us and give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us new life and light to our eyes. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us new life, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 Now, our God, what can we say in light of this? For we have abandoned the commandments 11 You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: "The land you are entering to possess is an impure land. The surrounding peoples have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness by their impurity and detestable practices. 12 So do not give your daughters to their sons in marriage or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you will be strong, eat the good things of the land, and leave [it] as an inheritance to your sons forever." 13 After all that has happened to us because of our evil deeds and terrible guilt—though You, our God, have punished [us] less than our sins [deserve] and have allowed us to survive — 14 should we break Your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who commit these detestable practices? Wouldn't You become [so] angry with us that You would destroy us, leaving no survivors? 15 LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we survive as a remnant today. Here we are before You with our guilt, though no one can stand in Your presence because of this.

The Stennett Family: Never Deviated, Never Compromised

2008-09-10T11:33:00.004-05:00

Some of my reading time yesterday included a chapter from a work on the British Particular Baptists. The specific chapter was writted by B. A. (Benjamin Ashworth) Ramsbottom, editor of The Gospel Standard. He briefly covered four generations of the Stennett Family which I found fascinating. Four generations of ministers and devoted servants of the Lord from one family (Edward, Joseph, Joseph the younger, Samuel)! Actually, in 1950 Oscar Burdick wrote a dissertation on the Stennett family and included a fifth generation Stennett (Joseph V)! How I long for my family's history to be such servants even beyond five generations.

Mr. Ramsbottom's final two paragraphs provide an excellent summary of the chapter.

So we give thanks to God for the Stennetts, especially because of their faithful witness to the truth. They never deviated, they never compromised. Some of them were called to suffer, some of them had the greatest allurements to draw them aside, but they never deviated from the truth.

Their witness stretches over a period of a hundred and fifty years: first, the Civil War; then Commonwealth times, the times of the Puritans; then days of persecution; then times of toleration; then the Age of Reason, in which there was awful spiritual decline in Great Britain; finally the Evangelical Revival, and afterwards. Their witness stretched over all those times--a period of a hundred and fifty years. Learned, refined, honorable, above everything else godly, they were faithful to the truth as in Jesus. They never deviated, they never compromised.

Baptist History Celebration 2007

2008-09-04T11:10:00.002-05:00

Recently I obtained a copy of “Baptist History Celebration 2007: A Symposium on Our History, Theology, and Hymnody”, a volume containing addresses given at the Tercentenary Anniversary Tribute to the founding of the Philadelphia Baptist Association. The conference was held at First Baptist Church of Charleston and had many speakers on several subjects.

Flipping through the pages just to survey the book, I stumbled onto the article “Transatlantic Patterns in Baptist Theology 1609 to 1800” by William H. Brackney. I turned to the final paragraphs of the article to see Dr. Brackney’s conclusion and read the following:

After more reflection and discovery of local congregational and personal theological data, and with the inclusion of multiple types of Baptists in England and North America 1600-1750, we can reach several ongoing conclusions. First, on both sides of the Atlantic in their early development Baptists were a theologically engaging people. The charge that we have no theology or that our theology is a poor version of someone else’s, must be permanently silenced. … We can go even farther and assert that early Baptists lie in the stream called the Reformed tradition (read Calvin, with a spoonful of Luther and Hubmaier) in contrast with other possibilities like the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, or spiritualist alternatives. What distinguished all of our theological reflection from the rest was our preoccupation with ecclesiology. … Baptists have felt deeply that such matters were not extraneous to the theological task but inherent in it.

There is a lot to discuss in that one paragraph alone and, one day, maybe I will do so.

I look forward to reading through this collection of what appears to be great pieces on Baptist History!

The Reformation: A Revival of Religion

2008-08-28T08:52:00.003-05:00

The study of the Protestant Reformation has been one of my loves since I attended the Criswell College many years ago. Yesterday, I completed reading "The Reformation: A Handbook" by T. M. Lindsay, first published in 1882, and found the work quite interesting and informative. In his closing chapters, Lindsay discusses the principles of the Reformation. One of his paragraphs grabbed my attention and I thought I would share it on this blog.

The church which ought to have shown the way into God's presence seemed to surround the inner shrine of his sanctuary with a triple wall of defence which prevented entrance. When a man or woman felt sorrow for sin, the church told them to go, not to God, but to a man, often of immoral life, and confess their sins to him because he was a priest. When they wished to hear the comforting words of pardon spoken, it was not from God, but from man, that the assurance came. God's grace to help to holy living and dying was given, they were told, through a series of sacraments which fenced man's life round. He was born again in baptism; he came of age in the church in confirmation; his marriage was cleansed from the sin of lust in the sacrament of matrimony; penance brought back his spiritual life slain by deadly sin; the sacrament of the Lord's Supper fed him year by year, and deathbed grace was imparted in extreme unction. These were not the signs and promises of the free grace of God under whose wide canopy, as under that of heaven, man lives his spiritual life. They were the jealously guarded doors from out of which grudgingly, and commonly not without fees, the church and the priests dispensed the free grace of God.

In that same chapter, Lindsay describes how the medieval church developed into the entity which prevented man's way to God. His discussion centered on Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand), Francis of Assisi, the Mystics, and, finally, ended with Luther. Here is two of his summary paragraphs:

All down the stream of pious medieval life men and women had been yearning to get near God, but their yearning came out in different questions, and in each succeeding revival probed deeper. Gregory asked, How can I be separate from the world? Francis said, How can I be like Christ? The Mystics sighed, How can I have inward fellowship with God? Luther asked, How can I have the sense of pardon, and know that God has forgiven me my sin? ...

The Reformation revival of religion has this question of heart religion always before it, and always answers it in the same way. Men get pardon from God by going to God directly for it, trusting in his promise to pardon. God's free pardoning grace revealed in the Person and work of Christ, and man's trust in this promised grace, are the two poles between which the religious life of the Reformation always vibrates. God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, has promised to pardon his people's sin. The sinner trusts this promise. That is the simple religious aspect of the Reformation movement. All men who, having felt the need of pardon, and having perfect trust in the promise of pardon that God has given in Christ Jesus, go to him, and, casting aside all thought of themselves or of what they can do, simply rest on that promise and leave all to God, have the pardon and the sense of it.

Amen and Praise the Lord!

Hopkins: We Need Revival

2008-08-23T12:43:00.004-05:00

My dear friend and brother in Christ, Pastor Creth Hopkins, has posted an article on his blog on the subject of our need for revival. This article has been published in their local newspaper. I encourage you to check it out!

Beddome: On the Love of God

2008-08-22T09:54:00.002-05:00

I thoroughly enjoy the writings of the British Baptist pastor Benjamin Beddome. Here is a brief excerpt from his sermon on John 16:27 entitled “On the Love of God”. I hope you enjoy his thoughts.

Our love to Christ, therefore, cannot be the cause of God’s love to us, but is a stream flowing from it; his grace in regeneration produces it; his grace in sanctification preserves and increases it. Love, as well as faith, is the gift, the free gift, of God … If God had loved us no more than he does the devils, we should have remained the same enemies to Christ as the devils are. …

God’s love to us is infinitely superior to our love to Christ. The latter is mingled with coldness and indifference. Such is the imperfection of it, that the Christian often questions its reality; but God’s love is like his nature, boundless; as incapable of addition as it is of diminution.

pp. 19-20, Sermons: Printed from the Manuscripts of the Late Rev. Benjamin Beddome

Daily Bible Reading Programs

2008-08-18T09:29:00.003-05:00

Over the years I have used several types of daily Bible reading programs, those programs designed to help you read the entire Bible in a single year. One I have used on several occasions is the program developed by Robert Murray M'Cheyne and published by Banner of Truth. Each day you will read from at least 4 different books (both Old and New Testament) and will ultimately read through the Psalms and the New Testament twice. I enjoy this approach very much.

This past Christmas one of my daughters purchased for me a Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), a newer translation I did not own. Just before the new year began, I ran across a Bible reading program by John R. Kohlenberger III, "Read Through the Bible in a Year". His approach follows the Bible chronologically. Not having pursued that approach before, I committed to use Kohlenberger's plan and my new HCSB for my 2008 Bible reading.

Today is August 18th and my readings are in Ezekiel. I have reached that time in Israel when the Kingdom of Judah falls to the Babylonians and is taken into captivity. As one would suspect, my journey so far has been exclusively Old Testament based. I do not begin the New Testament until September 30, though I would argue that part of John 1 should have been read in early January.

As I read, I mark those passages which jump out at me in one way or another. So my HCSB presently provides somewhat of a map of where I have been (and not been!). When I complete this year, it will reflect those moments in 2008 when the Lord impressed me while I was reading His Word. Of course, I suspect I will continue underlining in this translation during the coming years as well.

To date, the HCSB has been an enjoyable translation to read. However, I find the reading program somewhat burdensome. Let's face it. Even those of us who like reading the history of Israel, long for some New Testament from time to time! Waiting almost 10 months to reach ANY New Testament seems a bit too much.

So, while I will continue to use my HCSB in the future, I do not expect to embark on another year's journey through the Bible using a chronological approach. Once is quite enough, thank you very much!

Maybe I can find a reading program which reads the Old Testament and New Testament chronologically but at the same time. In other words, each day you read a bit from each Testament but do so in chronological order. That would be more tolerable.

Perhaps if such a program does not exist, I could develop my own.

If you have a favorite Bible reading program, I would be interested in knowing what it is.

A Caution for Pastor Search Committees

2008-08-12T11:46:00.003-05:00

While on the subject of Pastor Search Committees (see previous post), I want to issue a caution to such committees.

Usually a search committee will develop a "requirements list" for the church's future pastor. Often this list is based on perceived church needs or likes. One of the items normally on that list is some level of formal education. If you read search committee postings for potential pastors you will often read "Seminary graduate" or "Masters degree required" or something similar.

I have nothing against a committee having a "requirements" list or making education one of those requirements. However, I believe the true "requirements" list for a pastor is the one recorded in the Scriptures.

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:2-7; ESV)

There is nothing here demanding the prospective pastor to have a formal education. Obviously, if he is to be an able teacher he must know the Word of God (not only factually but also theologically). Yet I have met many "uneducated" men who have a better grasp and understanding of Scripture than some seminary graduates. History confirms this truth. Probably the most notable example would be Charles Haddon Spurgeon. What a shame (or should I say sin?) if the "search committee" of the New Park Street Church had told C.H.S., "Sorry, but you have no formal education, no seminary degree, so our committee will not consider you for the position of our pastor."

Please do not misunderstand me. I am NOT arguing against formal education or seminary training. Rather, I am attempting to make the point that our search committees should look first to the Scriptures for the requirements of a pastor, not to their lists.

Perhaps instead of viewing the "requirements list" as requirements, maybe committees should take them as guidelines. The primary mission of the committee is to determine if the man being considered meets the requirements listed in Scripture AND if the Lord has called this specific man to be their next pastor.

No matter what approach a committee takes in attempting to discern the qualifications of a prospective minister, I exhort them to seriously question ANY candidate on their Bible knowledge and theological understanding of Scripture. Such a practice should apply whether the man sitting before them is a seminary graduate with a Th.D. degree or someone who has no formal education past the 6th grade.

"Manners" and Pastor Search Committees

2008-08-08T10:21:00.003-05:00

As early as 2003 while serving as a bi-vocational pastor, the Lord put a burden on my heart to be willing to serve some congregation somewhere as a full time pastor. The burden became so great by 2005 that I submitted my resignation to the small church I was pastoring in order to help them transition to another pastor before the Lord put me in a full time position.

Well, it is now 2008 and the Lord has not opened the specific church door to me, YET. For these past 5 years, many church openings have been brought to my attention. With the internet, you can view such openings via a variety of searches. On any given day, you can locate dozens of full time Southern Baptist church pastor openings. Add to this the various Baptist papers and I could spend all my free time sending resumes to various churches in almost all states. However, I have refrained from operating this way.

When I become aware of an opening, I quickly pray about the situation. If I do not sense a response from the Lord, I disregard that specific opportunity. When the Lord does impress me about a certain church, I then spend some days praying about it. In a few cases these past 5 years, the Lord continues to convict me about these specific churches. I then send a copy of my resume to those churches.

Needless to say, while I have sent resumes to less than 1% of all the openings I have seen in the past 5 years, I have sent several. Therefore, I can say I have some experience with how pastor search committees treat such resumes.

Please note the following statistics based on my personal tracking:

Over 78% of my resumes never receive one word from the pastor search committee; no phone calls, no e-mail responses, and no snail mail letters.
21.7% of the time I have received one response, the overwhelming majority of those are "no, thanks" (some of them, though, are simply notes telling me my resume has been received).
About 2.5% of the time, the pastor search committee has responded to me two or more times. Usually one of these contacts is to inform me my resume has been received and one of the other contacts informs me I am not being considered.

I find such percentages appalling! They indicate a disrespect for the candidate on the part of the search committee. By not responding to the individual, they leave the minister "hanging". Is this how we should treat the servants of God who are simply responding to the conviction the Lord has placed on their heart?

Since I am employed full time in the business world, I also have experience sending my business resume to various companies whenever I am looking for a new position. Secular corporations treat their applicants with much more respect. Companies have always responded with, at a minimum, two letters: one stating my resume/application has been received and the other indicating I am no longer being considered for the position. I can't think of one experience in my 35 years of employment contrary to this.

If you are on a Pastor Search Committee, you need to demonstrate respect for those servants of Christ applying for your pastorate. In some way, acknowledge receipt of their resume. Also, when your committee determines a given applicant is no longer being considered, notify the applicant of this situation immediately.

Church Pastor Search Committees should put secular employment departments to shame with their communication to the applicants. I exhort such committees to commit to communicating diligently with EACH applicant.

Sermons and Their Delivery #4: Plagiarizing Sermons (continued)

2008-08-01T11:48:00.006-05:00

Having discussed plagiarized sermons with some who have done such plagiarizing, I know what one of the follow up issues will be: “What’s wrong with preaching someone else’s message if that individual has given us the permission to do so?”

My last post concluded that plagiarizing a sermon is stealing. Plagiarizing is stealing the structure, thoughts, and words from the individual who did the original work. But what if that author has told others they could preach his message with his blessing? Doesn’t that eliminate the “theft” aspect of plagiarizing?

It amazes me that any preacher would encourage another servant of God to preach his message. Maybe that’s because I don’t consider any of my messages worthy of repetition! Yet, some preachers have done just that. For example, Dr. James Merritt, a popular Southern Baptist pastor and past President of the convention, has a web site in which he sells sermons. Furthermore, at the Pastor’s Conference of the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention, he encouraged fellow pastors to obtain his Father’s Day message and preach it to their churches, noting it was not plagiarism since he gave them permission to use it. Oh, really?

I will admit a sermon is not plagiarized if (1) the author has given permission for its use and (2) the user informs his audience that the message is not his. Receiving the author’s permission does eliminate the “stealing” aspect of plagiarism. But what about the deceit of the speaker when he preaches this message to a congregation who believes the message is his? The violation of the 9th commandment is still there. If you intend to preach a message that is not yours, my fellow minister of Christ, then tell your congregation at the outset what you are doing.

Even if a man of God had the permission of the sermon’s author to preach it and informed his congregation what he was doing, there are several reasons for not using such a sermon. Allow me briefly to return to my earlier definition of a sermon:

… an exposition and application of God’s Word which has been internalized by God’s messenger and then delivered by that messenger to the people for whom it was intended.
First, is such a message really intended for the audience to whom it is to be given? Has God truly convicted His messenger to preach another’s message on that day to his flock? Certainly He could do this. In fact, maybe there are times when He does do this. But I am sure such a situation would be the exception, not the norm.

Second, has such a message truly been internalized by the messenger? He hasn’t done any work in preparing it (other than, perhaps, changing some illustrations, etc.) so how can it be a part of him? When he delivers it will the passion of the message be evident or will it be a fake passion he must add in order to get a response from his audience?

Third, how much praying has the messenger done over the message? Since the message is not a “part of him”, it would seem any prayers offered to God over it would be of the form “Help me to deliver this message in a convincing way” or “Help me to read this message clearly”. Is that how we pray over messages? I hope we go beyond praying just for the delivery and include praying for the message, its content, and its structure. Of course, with a “borrowed” message, who needs to pray for those things?

Could there ever be a situation where a pastor is forced to borrow a sermon and deliver it? I suspect there are times like that in the lives of some. If the preacher MUST proclaim another’s message then he should be certain he has permission and make it clear to his congregation what he is doing. But, as I said above, such situations should be few and far between.

For preachers who plagiarize sermons on a regular basis, I can see only two reasons why they do so. First, they have no idea how to construct an expository sermon. If that is the case then they should seek the necessary training. All of our seminaries have courses on this subject. Some local Baptist schools offer such training as well. And I’m sure there are area pastors who have this skill and would gladly guide another servant of God who asked them for help. Preachers, if you can’t put together your own message then seek training or get out of the pulpit!

The second reason for plagiarizing sermons is laziness. If you know how to build an expository message but simply don’t do so then you are lazy. Be honest. You will find time for everything else in life except the time (and labor) necessary to prepare the meal for your sheep. Maybe you stay in bed most mornings. Maybe you spend most of your time in the office involved in counseling sessions. Maybe you spend your Fridays on the golf course. If you are willing to put your energies into these aspects of your life but not into your sermon then get out of the pulpit!

I close this post once again appealing to those pastors who plagiarize sermons. Stop it, men! You are to be examples of integrity to your flock and the overwhelming majority of that flock understands that plagiarism is wrong. That’s why you try to hide what you do in the pulpit each week. It’s time to repent to God and to your people. Then you can return to the Lord’s Word with a pure heart and prepare the spiritual bread your flock needs for spiritual nourishment.

Sermons and Their Delivery #3: Plagiarizing Sermons

2008-07-31T15:02:00.005-05:00

The preacher was expounding Philippians 2:5-8 for his congregation. He proclaimed:

The fourth thing He set aside were His eternal riches. It would be impossible for me to explain how rich He was but I know what 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, it says He was rich but for your sakes He became … what? … poor. He was so poor, He said the foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head. I always think about John’s gospel where it says, "And every man went to his own house and Jesus went to the Mount of Olives." Why? He had no house. Poor.

What a great exposition! Maybe you are thinking, “I wish my preacher could preach like that!” Unfortunately, the man who proclaimed these words was not the author of them. With only minor modifications, these are the words of Dr. John MacArthur . My best estimate would be the sermon that morning was 80% of MacArthur’s sermon verbatim.

I regret to say this is not the only incident of its type I have personally heard. One year I heard an Easter Sunday morning sermon from 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 which described six gifts of the resurrection. The sermon was well delivered. However, the preacher was not speaking his own words. For the most part, the message was one delivered by Dr. John Piper on March 31, 1991 to his church.

Fellow ministers of the Gospel, this is plagiarizing pure and simple. Piper’s organization says:

The essence of plagiarism is to give the impression that the ideas or words of another person are actually your own. This can be done intentionally (in which case it is outright theft) or unintentionally but either way it is wrong.

One minister I confronted on this matter said he didn’t see anything wrong with it. He was simply borrowing from another’s work. To quote a sentence or two from another servant of the Lord in your message may be borrowing. To quote their message almost verbatim without noting your source is plagiarizing. I tried to convince him of this fact pointing out that any student of mine who submitted a paper which used the material of another author to the degree his sermon did would receive a zero for their paper because it was plagiarized. He was not convinced. Years have passed but I have since heard him plagiarize other messages.

Another “preacher” I once heard not only quoted the text of another minister but also used that minister’s personal illustrations as his own. He passed off the words and the experiences of another man as his! Yet, when I accused him of this, he did not deny it but neither did he admit to any wrong doing other than saying, “I no doubt could have done a better job of putting it in my own words.” Using your own words, doesn’t eliminate the plagiarism, brother!

One preacher to whom I pointed out his plagiarism noted, “As many pastors, finding enough time in a week is certainly a difficult thing.” Good grief, man, are you God’s servant or not? As a pastor there is nothing more important in your ministry than preparing and proclaiming the Word of God. If you can’t find the time to do so then you need to eliminate some of the other things in your life (e.g., your golf game).

Certainly there will be weeks when ministering to your congregation will reduce your sermon preparation time. But even then you are God’s chosen servant. You know His Word. Seek Him in prayer and trust His Spirit to use you despite your lack of preparation.

The first time I discovered a preacher plagiarizing another’s message, I was shocked. However, if you do an internet search today, you will discover many men are plagiarizing messages. Even “The Wall Street Journal” contained an article on this subject in 2006.

Plagiarizing is theft pure and simple. Those who commit this act are violating the 8th commandment (“Thou shalt not steal”). Furthermore, they are also violating the 9th commandment (“Thou shalt not bear false witness”) because they are deceiving their congregation by giving them the impression the words, the thoughts, the structure of the message they are hearing is that of the preacher when, in fact, they are those of another.

Having confronted some who are guilty of this sin, I know many of them will disagree with my last paragraph. They do not believe they are stealing or deceiving anyone. If you truly believe that, fellow preacher, then I challenge you to stand before your people with your plagiarized sermon this Sunday and tell them upfront what they are about to hear are the words of so-and-so. You won’t do it, will you? Why? You won’t do so because you do not want them to know the truth. Your conscience tells you what you are doing is sinful.

Brothers and fellow ministers in Christ who are guilty of plagiarizing your sermons: PLEASE CEASE THIS PRACTICE! I call on you to confess to the Lord your sin, ask for forgiveness, ask Him to help you prepare your own expositions, and then confess your faults to your people. If you cannot do so then you should step down from your pulpit. If your church confronts you on this matter and you will not repent then you should be removed on the grounds you are not proclaiming the Word of God. Rather, you are preaching the word of MacArthur or Piper or some other Christian leader.

Let us be true to God’s calling and preach His Word, not the words others preach about Christ. Let’s not be one of the seven sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16).

Sermons and Their Delivery #2

2008-07-26T15:51:00.003-05:00

As noted in my earlier post, I see a sermon as:

… an exposition and application of God’s Word which has been internalized by God’s messenger and then delivered by that messenger to the people for whom it was intended.

While the sermon is an exposition and application of God’s Word, it carries the marks of its author as well. Two men of God may choose the same Biblical text, find the same principal theme in that text, and, possibly, even the same points of presenting that theme. Nevertheless, the sermon will reflect each man’s style, resources (internal and external references), education, background, etc.

Furthermore, many times the application derived from the text will also vary due to not only the difference in the authors but also to the difference in the recipients. Sermons will vary in their composition.

The same may be said when it comes to the delivery of that message. Each speaker will present a message differently. Some men are monotonic, some are not. Some men read their messages, others do not. Some will use extreme gestures, others may barely move. The Bible doesn’t say much about the actual delivery of the message. Certainly you would expect some passion if the sermon has truly been “internalized by God’s messenger” before being presented. But even the characteristics of those hearing the message may change the way in which the preacher actually delivers the message (e.g., a sermon I preach only to children will, most likely, be delivered differently than if I present it to a typical congregation).

Since the application of a message is primarily geared at the recipients of that message, is it ever appropriate to preach a “repeat” sermon? In other words, if God burdens you with a message to be delivered to a specific group at a specific time, should you ever preach that message at a future time?

Again, the Word of God does not directly address this matter. I haven’t found anywhere in the Scripture which forbids this practice. On the other hand, I have not found any text which supports it.

From a common sense perspective, it doesn’t seem to me to make much sense for a preacher to preach the same exact sermon to the same congregation. Repeating a message smacks of laziness on the part of the preacher. Yet, if God truly guides the preacher to repeat a message to the same congregation then I will not argue with the Lord. I suspect most church goers won’t even recognize a repeat sermon! Furthermore, most of us need to hear the same thing over and over until we get it. I would hope, though, this would be a very infrequent occurrence.

But what should we think concerning a preacher delivering the same sermon to a different congregation? While the application of a message should be directed toward the recipients of that message, there are several applications of Scripture which apply to virtually any congregation (e.g., the necessity of the sinner to repent and believer). Surely such a sermon could be shared by a minister to two different congregations.

In real life this is often done by ministers we call evangelists. These men usually have a collection of their messages they preach repeatedly to different groups. Since the primary thrust of sermons from an evangelist is for conversion, the application of their message would be appropriate for any congregation (or group).

Surely if God can lead a man to preach the same sermon to the same congregation more than once He can also lead a man to preach the same sermon to multiple congregations. Personally, when I preach I try to have a fresh word for the people to whom I am speaking. I have heard that was the case with Spurgeon as well. He did not believe in repeating a message.

But in lack of Scripture forbidding the practice, I cannot say a preacher should never repeat one of his messages. If God has given him that message, if it is expository, if it burns within his heart, and if its application is appropriate for those to whom he is delivering it, then so be it.

I do close with a warning to my fellow preachers. Take great care not to get in the habit of repeating your messages even to other listeners. If you do you will find yourself becoming lazy in your sermon preparation and your listeners may find they are being fed stale bread rather than a fresh word from God.

Next, a matter of great concern …

Sermons and Their Delivery #1

2008-07-24T19:21:00.001-05:00

I have some thoughts on preachers and their sermons which I am going to share in this blog over the coming days. Some of what I say may be harsh but I believe it is Biblical and it needs to be shared.

Almost any book you pick up on the subject of homiletics will define and discuss the “sermon”. However, one of the best descriptions of a sermon I have ever seen is given by the prophet Malachi at the beginning of his message: “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.” There are several thoughts I pick up from this introductory verse.

Most translators renders the Hebrew word massa’ as “oracle”. The noun used here comes from the Hebrew verb nasa’ which means “to lift or carry” (which, by the way, has always been easy for me to remember since I have a deep interest in the space program!). So, the principal meaning of the word used by Malachi is “that which is lifted or carried”, hence, “a burden” or “heavy load”. So I prefer the King James Version in this particular case.

Other prophets use this word as well to describe their prophecy/message (see Nahum and Habakkuk for examples). I see these prophets telling us the message they are about to give is a burden they are carrying. It is a burden in the sense it is their responsibility to share it with the people of God. Also, it is a burden to them, a weight on their heart. This is one characteristic of a sermon delivered by any prophet (or preacher): it should be a burden to them, a responsibility which has become a part of them (i.e., it has been internalized by them) and a message which they must share.

But this message is not just the opinion of the speaker. Preachers may be passionate about a great many things and may speak passionately on those subjects. At the same time, though, the message they deliver may not be a sermon or a burden from the Lord. When we lived in the Dallas area, I knew preachers who were passionate fans of the Dallas Cowboys. They could speak at great length about the team and individual players and do so with gusto. But what they proclaimed was not a sermon.

As Malachi notes, this burden he has is the result of the Word of God (literally the word having its source in and belonging to Yahweh). He has received God’s message and it is that message which must be proclaimed, not simply his personal opinions or interests. Therefore, a true sermon must be founded upon the Word of God. Its theme must be rooted in the text of Scripture and its points must come from Scripture. In my mind, the message that best meets these criteria is an expository sermon.

Malachi continues and notes that his message, the text the Lord has given to him as a burden, is for a specific people: Israel. God’s Word is given for a particular audience. For us who are preachers of the Gospel, I believe Malachi is instructing us that his message (and our messages) should be applicable to the people for whom they are intended. If you are a pastor with a congregation then God will lay a burden on you from His Word. You are to extract the message from the text (not read your message into the text) and then discern application(s) for the audience to whom you will deliver it.

Essentially, God’s people need food (that’s the exposition) and they need fresh cooking (that’s the application). I enjoy reading sermons of great preachers from the past and often learn considerable truth from their exposition. However, I usually find much of the application they have in their messages do not directly apply to me today. The food is there but requires some new cooking.

Finally, Malachi adds that the sermon is his, i.e., he is the one presenting the truth to the people. Obviously, in the case of the prophets, what they presented by means of writing was the actual revelation of God, inspired and without error. This is true of all the Scripture. It is God’s Word BUT it is written in the language of men, language which differs by their style, knowledge, training, environment, etc. It is God’s message but it is also THEIR message.

That should be the case with the messages we deliver. We expound God’s Word but WE are the ones who develop the outline, gather the illustrations, discern the applications, and deliver the message.

That’s what a sermon is to me. It is an exposition and application of God’s Word which has been internalized by God’s messenger and then delivered by that messenger to the people for whom it was intended.