ROM12Records

"Come Lord Jesus Come"

2010-04-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

As I think about those words, "Come Lord Jesus Come", I am reminded that they speak not only of what will happen in the future, but what has already started happening here on earth. Jesus came to earth, but not yet completely. A process of sanctification has already begun in the life of every one of His children. Creation itself awaits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. The Spirit, today, and yesterday, and tomorrow follows through with His work of Christ being proclaimed among every people.
The only way to prove that we indeed desire the New Heavens and New Earth over this one, is to do all we can to live in the manner NOW, that God intends for us to live eternally. We tell others of God's goodness as we live in response to it. For eternity we will worship, but it starts here. The call on our life is to put sin to death. Don't dabble, don't experiment, don't simply wound it, KILL IT! (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5) So if we are doing this, living as sin murderers, we are living as worshippers. Sin separates us from God, so the murdering of it makes God's glory all the more clear, on display. Our struggle here is that Christians still sin. Upon recognition of and belief in Christ, we don't simply do away with the realities of sin. But we now have what, or I should say who, we need to aim to put sin to death in every facet of our lives.
I have been thinking about how this should affect us in the way we serve others here on earth. As sinners who have been redeemed, the ransom has been paid and we belong to God. No longer slaves to sin, we are free. And, like Christ, Galatians 5:19 tells us that we have been freed to serve. Freedom has been granted to us that we might serve God. That is why we have been freed from the bonds of sin.

Are we serving freely?

My fear is that we can serve as freed slaves who still voluntarily wear the chains. These chains can come in a variety of forms and sizes. They can come in the form of the fear of man, lack of trust, anger, anxiety, arrogance, pride, idolatry, and a myriad of other forms. These chains DON'T help us in our service. They bind us up, trip us up, slow us down, and cause others to possibly mistake us for those who are still bound... still slaves to sin....

One thing I am lead to consider is if I am totally depending on Christ as I serve?

Not my own strength, but CHRIST. Picture yourself standing in a long line of believers in heaven, and God is addressing one after another after another after another, saying, "Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master." Consider that you just happen to be standing in line next to the most sinful believer that you know. As God nears you, He says to that "most sinful believer", "Well done my good and faithful servant..." and then says the same to you, and the guy behind you, and so on and so on...
Is there anything keeping you from entering into that joy? Is there any part of you that says, "Don't I deserve a little more praise than this guy? He's not even a Sunday School Teacher? He doesn't even tithe? I've heard him cuss....???

If there is any part of you that feels jipped, then you are relying on your own strength and your own works, not solely on what Christ has accomplished for you. Both of you are there because of the finished work of Christ!
Let us serve humbly, in Christ, never slipping into the spot of a god, thinking we deserve more praise and recognition than another.
"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."

Conditional Praise

2010-02-17T14:20:00.001-08:00

Can you praise God for the sunrise even if you are hungry?
Can you appreciate the stars even in a season of turmoil?
Can you honor God with a simple melody in the midst of complex uncertainty?
Is it only pretty if you feel good when you see it?

Imperfect Abundance

2010-02-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

After 3 weeks of Genesis 26, we have learned that God's blessings are always abundant but, by God's design, leave us wanting something more... or Someone more. The chapter opens with Isaac and his family having to move because of a famine in the land. A famine is an obvious indicator of hard times ahead. Sometimes when our conditions change for the "worse" we tend to have thoughts that suggest that maybe God has abandoned us, or He didn't hear our prayers, or He doesn't know what is best for us. For Isaac, God shows up and reminds him of the covenant promises, reminding us that in the midst of hardship and trial, rather than feeling neglected, we should look for God's warning and direction and guidance, remembering His promises.
Isaac follows God's direction and ends up in a place called Gerar, home of the Philistines. Upon arrival, Isaac pulls an "Abraham" and says that his wife is actually his sister, because he fears that they will kill him to get to his wife. Evidently a hot wife is part of the covenant blessings... Isaac has made a BONEHEAD decision; a move so wicked that he is reproved by the King of the Philistines. But in a crazy turn of events, Isaac is blessed. BLESSED! He has protection placed upon him and even more, he reaps a hundredfold in that same year. In our shortsightedness we may ask, "Why can't this happen to me? Why can't I make some boneheaded and sinful decision and end up blessed and protected?" In reality, we should look at Isaac and say, "That sounds a lot like my story. Not only have I never done anything to earn God's blessings, I have done the opposite. I have sinned and made bad decisions, yet God has redeemed me and blessed me abundantly." Isaac's story should not sound so unfamiliar to us.
Throughout the chapter, the ups and downs continue. We see that Isaac is rich, very wealthy, loved and blessed by God, protected by the King's orders, and in possession of flocks, herds, and many servants. It sounds like old Isaac has it pretty good. If this was the whole story, we could say that it seems like God wants us all to live trial-free and charmed lives. But the story continues. On top of all of the things previously listed, Isaac is also envied, despised, and afflicted. His wells have been stopped up with dirt by the spiteful locals. And every time he digs another well, the locals decide that they want it. Ultimately God never promises to deliver us from our trials, but THROUGH them. We can go back to our earliest ancestors of the faith and see that every one of their lives is mixed with blessings and trials. Anyone who tells you that it is going to be different and that God doesn't want you to have any hard times is telling you a very unloving lie. Through each trial your faith becomes harder to break. This is what it means to be proven and authentic in your walk. You cannot expect to grow, mature, and strengthen your faith without trials. God even goes so far as to say, "Do not be surprised when the fiery trial comes upon you, as though something strange were happening to you." Trials are the common means by which God shows us how great He is. But He never leaves us alone in our hard times. He reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Calvin stated “the blessings of God which pertain to the present earthly life are never pure and perfect, but are mixed with some troubles, lest quiet and indulgence should render us negligent." It would be unloving of God to let us fall in love with this earth. Every trial and every blessing should point us to that time in eternity when we will be in the presence of God, trial free and perfectly blessed. That is where our hope lies.
At the end of the chapter everything really seems to come together. There is peace between them and the King of the Philistines, they are blessed abundantly, there is a new well of water, and there is a feast to celebrate the occasion. This is like the end of the hallmark movie, where everything turns out perfectly. But the chapter doesn't end with verse 33. Verses 34-35 abruptly interrupt the feast with the tidbit of information that Esau married two Hittites and made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah. Isn't this how it usually is? The relationship problem is taken care of, and there is a financial trial. The financial trial is resolved, and there is a health issue. The health issue stabilizes, and there is a business downfall. The business downfall bounces back and here comes the relationship issue again... And through the ups and downs, God is reminding us to keep our eyes on Him, because ultimately, that is where we will be. Enjoy your imperfect abundance...

Grace @ Breakfast

2009-12-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

This morning at breakfast, Olivia (my one year old) threw some stuff on the floor, and we asked Ella (my three year old) to help her pick it up. Ella responded in a firm voice, "Olivia made the mess so Olivia needs to clean it up!" Trying to keep from choking my 3 year old for being a stinker, and in an attempt to make the most of a teachable situation, I explained to Ella that this is what Jesus did and does for us. We make messes that we can't clean up and Jesus gives us grace, cleaning up the mess and giving us credit for it. I explained to Ella that this was her opportunity to show grace to her little sister and help clean up the mess, even though she did not make it.

So as she started to help clean up, she looks up at me and says, "Kinda how Jesus washed the disciples feet... right daddy?"

Oh Lord, thank you for the connection that was made in Ella's little heart as she showed grace this morning to her little sister and learned more about You. It is only by the work of the Spirit that these kinds of beauties are revealed in seemingly insignificant situations. I beg for more of it...
What a sweet reminder for me that in showing grace, I am not only modeling the character of God, but I am growing closer to Him as I learn more about Him.

3 John 4 "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Linger Long O Sound of Mind

2009-11-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

Linger long O sound of mind, as arrows fall from Him Divine
Tipped in love that pierces deep, dividing first, then bringing peace
Give not way to Diversion's game, let not the fog dissolve your frame
The fabulist his story tells, a simple carol clanging bells
Linger long and notice now, that which clearer eyes avow
Declaring more than once was there, with sharpened sense comes sweeter care
Your ears now glean a tone unheard, a quickened wit, new tastes preferred
A story aching to be told, a measure now your soul can hold
Linger long, see not in part, and leave behind bewildered hearts
See what's not, then sight is gained, then boldly pen the great refrain

Timely...

2009-08-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

I am so blown away when someone's words, or actions, or responses are timely. And that immediately takes me to the work of the Spirit. God has so many children, and each of them are dealing with different things, problems, concerns, achievements, mountain tops, valleys... And as each of us is working through these things, we have a tendency to think, "Why couldn't I have known that yesterday?" or "That information sure would have been useful a week ago!". But God is perfectly timely... in everything! There is not a moment where He chose to reveal something just a little too late. There is not a time where our life's circumstances catch Him off-guard, taking a nap. He is perfectly timely. And He loves us with a love that is lacking in absolutely nothing! Perfection.
And on top of that, His mercies are new every morning. I recently had some friends receive some seemingly horrible news that the children that they were going to adopt (twins), were no longer up for adoption because the birth mother changed her mind at the last minute. Our dear friends sat weeping in a freshly painted nursery. And as they were surrounded by those who were called to "weep with those who weep", I couldn't help but be overwhelmed at such abundant love from a heavenly Father that, though we did not know it, had given our dear friends an abundant measure of mercy that morning upon waking up. They had no idea what they would need to get through the day... they had no idea the hard news that they were to receive in the middle of the afternoon... an afternoon where they would possibly be going to pick up a little boy and girl. But God knew, and He perfectly equipped them for that day, before they even took their first borrowed breath. And while tending to His heart-broken sheep, not one of His other children is even remotely neglected. They too are receiving exactly what they need in God's perfect timing.
God, thank you for adopting us into your household, giving us a reason to live, waking us with mercies that are new every morning. Your timing is perfect...

The Small Things... Like Red Stew

2009-05-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 25; Hebrews 12:12-17; Psalm 68:19-20; 85:9; & 96:2

I really wanted to end our Genesis study with a bang! Something really spectacular... And God has ordained it so that we are ending with the most menial, almost ridiculous story about two brothers, one a mama's boy and the other a hunter, delegating over red stew...
As we look at the details about each of the boys, Jacob and Esau, we are soon reminded that neither of them merited praise. If we try to figure out why one was worthy of grace and one was not, we see that Jacob's actions were shady and Esau's actions were carnal and hasty. Furthermore, the house is divided as mommy and daddy are playing favorites. None of them seems trustworthy. This is a reminder to us. So many times we look at these stories and say, "Be like this guy" or "don't be like that guy". Consider how many times you have heard someone say, "Noah was the only good one. Be like Noah." But in truth, Noah was wicked like the rest of them. God redeemed him from his wickedness. The point is that God is worthy of our trust, and no one else in all of history is worthy of this kind of dependence. This is important to us because of the number of people who "quit" church or "badmouth" church because of all of the sinners. There are so many who "fall away from faith" because of something that someone else did. And one main consistency throughout all of Scripture is that man is fallen! And he will (I will) fail you! And this is no reason to turn from God! Rather, it is all the more reason to cling to Christ and not put your hope in man.
The better question for us to ask is, "WHO IS WORTHY OF GRACE?" This question is humbling. It levels the playing field. It has been said that the ground at the foot of the cross is very level. Really, who is worthy of grace?

So as we see these two brothers debating over some red stew, it seems insignificant. Like the part of the story that is included, but not really significant to their lives. But what is revealed? Consider the birthright... For the first-born who inherits the birthright:
1.) He assumes the functions of the priesthood in the family. This includes rituals, offerings, distinguishing between holy and unholy, clean and unclean. Teach God's statutes. Act as judge. Make sure the family is rightly obeying the Lord.
2.) Double-portion of property
3.) Succeeds to the official authority of the father
4.) Authority over younger members of the household

So this is what Esau is despising. But what does this reveal about Esau's values? Consider the impact that one could have for the glory of God in a family if you were in charge of the way money and time were utilized. Consider how you could lead the family to God and clearly communicate His ways. Esau is showing that he does not value these things. And he does not value this generation or future generations. One commentator states, "True wisdom would undergo a thousand deaths than renounce a birthright."
What is happening here is that Esau's decision should have been affected by his birthright! His actions should have been informed and shaped by that blessing that comes through the Father. And so this is the way of those who are not guided by God's grace.
Interestingly, while Jacob's actions are certainly up for debate, one writer says, "Old Jacob was only finishing what he had started... pursuing the birthright." The birthright is important! However, Esau's actions on a seemingly insignificant afternoon, driven by a desire for "red stew", make it very clear that his actions were not being governed by his birthright.
We started off with the question, "Who is worthy of grace?" Now let us consider that no one excels another in virtue and obedience, but by the grace of God alone. When deprived of the Spirit, we revel only in the things physical and earthly.
"Let us learn, that they to whom God does not vouchsafe the grace of His Spirit, are carnal and brutal; and are so addicated to this fading life, that they think not of the spiritual kingdom... but them who God has undertaken to govern, are not so far entangled in the snares of the flesh as to prevent them from being intent upon their high vocation." -Calvin
Esau is guilty of despising something of great significance to obtain something of little significance. But the aim here for us is NOT just "don't be like Esau"... Rather it is, "Be governed by grace. Assess your actions and responses and make sure that you are not despising the great for the lacking."
In Hebrews 12, Esau is compared to those who are sexually immoral and unholy. At first this may seem puzzling. How could trading your birthright for some red stew be considered the same as sexual immorality? But a closer look reveals striking similarities. To be holy is to be set apart. Esau and the sexually immoral and the unholy are guilty of the same thing... giving way to the solicitations of the appetite, regardless of consequences... or to say it another way, they have treated something sacred with irreverence. This is the very definition of "profane". Esau had convinced himself that he was so hungry that he could die. And because he did not have a view for the glory of God in future generations, he said, "What good is this to me if I die?" And for a bowl of red stew, he revealed that he despised his birthright. And when he was done, he just got up and walked away... no repentance... And interestingly, like the sexually immoral, later on when he wants his blessing, he owns up to nothing, while blaming everybody else. He, like many others who are guilty of surrendering to the solicitations of the appetite, sets himself up as the victim.

*** Those born again have every spiritual blessing in Christ, who is the firstborn of all creation! And "red stew" comes in many different forms, in many seemingly insignificant scenarios.
It is in these seemingly insignificant situations, that we are able to show how much we value God's call on our lives. It is in the mundane details of a Tuesday afternoon, when you are tired and hungry, that you may best have the opportunity to show your family that you value your eternal inheritance, and you aim to be governed by the grace of God. Consider the following opportunities:
- The way you talk to your children.
- The way you spend your family time. (For those who have a full time job, you may get home around 6PM. If your kids go to bed at 9PM and you come home and watch an hour and a half of TV, you have wasted half of the quality time that you had for them for that day.)
- Your response when in despair.
- The way you spend your money.
- What you are willing to give up.
- Who you have over for dinner.
- What menial tasks you are willing to do.
Your created purpose is to put God's glory on display in EVERY singly, tiny, menial, insignificant aspect of your life. And when you do, God gets the glory, because you know that you are being governed by grace. "From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks". (Luke 6:45)

I fear that sometimes we have a similar misconception that Esau has. He felt that his birthright was only important in this life. Sometimes we are guilty of viewing our salvation as only important in our death. As if salvation were something designed by God to affect us in the future, not now. If governed by grace, we will see that our salvation has everything to do with today and tomorrow. Consider this very small sampling...
Psalm 68:19-20 "Blessed be the Lord who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death." (His salvation is the direct reason that we are daily lifted from our depravity.)
Psalm 85:9 "Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land." (We fear Him today, because of salvation. It is our birthright that makes it possible for His glory to dwell in our land today, because we are being governed by grace, and thereby, putting the glory of God on display for all to see.)
Psalm 96:2 "Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day." (From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. A heart governed by grace results in a mouth that speaks of salvation every day.)

So you may say, "This is my aim, but what if I mess up? What if I give way to my appetite?" And this is our big, monumental conclusion! Repent and follow Jesus. We did not see this in Esau. He ate. He got up. He walked away. At that point there was a chance to repent. If your heart is governed by grace, you have that chance. Repent, follow Jesus, and always aim to be governed by the grace of God so that you glorify God in every aspect of your lives! Let every single decision be affected by your birthright.

The God of all can change it all...

2009-05-18T07:42:00.001-07:00

Read 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8, Genesis 25:21-34; Romans 14:5; Romans 9:6-16

A sober mind is of vast importance when engaging hard realities that you will most likely disagree with. It is of even more importance when the One with whom you are disagreeing is of superior rank and authority.
So today we will consider a question of devotion. Was Isaac more devoted to his desire for offspring, or was he more devoted to God? How can we assess his motives? His motive is seen in the sober-minded and self-controlled content of his prayers. It is necessary for us to asses and reflect on our prayers, always checking our motives. The reason is that GOD WILL MAKE DECISIONS THAT WE DON’T AGREE WITH.
Consider the passage. “…the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled within her…” God will always answer our prayers, but sometimes it will be in a way that reveals that our will is not the same as His.
At this point, one of two things will happen… 1.) You will conform your will to His and submit to His hand, showing that your devotion is to Him, over yourself. OR 2.) You will turn from God, because you disagree with His decision, showing that your devotion is to yourself, over Him. We have many examples today of God answering prayers in ways different than we desired… pregnancy with complications…sparing your life, but maybe not your legs… providing a job, but not your dream job… sparing your life, but not your child’s…
This is all very sobering. Throughout scripture, God reveals things about His design that are in direct opposition to the way we would have done things. Given the chance, we would have orchestrated it all very differently. But these revelations of who God is are reminders that WE ARE NOT GOD! And anytime we set out to “play god”, the result will be vain failure.
Rebekah, a first-time mommy, is in anguish. The children within her are struggling to the point of causing her to ask, “If it is going to be this way, what is the point of living?” And she is not being over-dramatic. The kind of physical, mental, and spiritual pain that she is feeling is very familiar to many of you. Some of you have even asked the same question…. “What is the point of living?” So Rebekah goes to the Lord for some comfort, and this is what God tells her to comfort her.
- I have placed 2 nations in your womb.
- They are fighting because of the way that I made them.
- They will be divided from birth.
- One will be stronger than the other.
- The older will serve the younger.
Does this sound comforting to anyone? In light of ultimate reality, it should be comforting. God is revealing that this seemingly horrible thing is not outside of His control, but rather it is by His doing. THIS IS HARD. Before either of these children are born, God is revealing that He has a very specific yet very different plan for each of them. This conflict, like the pregnancy itself, did not arise from natural causes. The God of nature has changed the order of nature. ARE WE OK WITH THIS? It is natural for a mom to say, “They are both my children, and I love them equally.” But God is saying, “I only love one of them. And I hate the other…”

One of the things that we do when we come across a hard passage like this is to treat it in very human terms. I remember the first time I heard this. I said, “Not my God! My God would NEVER do such a thing!” And a lot of times we will deem a passage “up for different interpretations”. Howard Hendrix, in his book “Living By The Book” makes a great point that in Scripture, there is only ONE right interpretation and many different applications. So if you and another have a disagreement about what something in the Scripture means, then “different interpretations” is no place to hang your hat. We should say, “someone is wrong, and it might be me… I am saying that I do disagree (whole-heartedly), but I am not necessarily saying that YOU are wrong…”
Romans 14 calls us to be fully convinced as to what we believe. FULLY CONVINCED! Have convictions! Do not be wishy-washy, tossed to and fro by every wave of doctrine. Know what you believe! But hold your convictions in humility. BOLD HUMILITY! John Piper makes a comment about the truth revealed in Romans 14… “Christ-honoring passions, Paul says, can unite us in spite of differences of application… different applications with an aim to honor the Lord.” Jerry Bridges in his book “Respectable Sins” says, “Doctrinal pride is the assumption that whatever my doctrinal beliefs are, they are correct, and anyone who holds another belief is theologically inferior.” 1 Corinthians 8 warns us not to let our knowledge puff us up. Realize that “many godly and theologically capable people hold other convictions.”
The point is that in the midst of our disagreements, we should not always aim to be “right”. We should aim to honor God by holding our convictions boldy, yet humbly, being reminded that neither ourselves nor those we disagree with are God! God is God. We are not.

So the God of nature has changed the order of nature, and even further restricted the blessing to not only the seed of Isaac, but now only one part of the seed of Jacob.
Read Romans 9:6-16.

To hear the Scriptures plainly spoken, and then say “Not my God! My God would never do that!”, is to be idolatrous. It is idolatry cloaked in righteousness. We act as though this could not be possible because our view of God is soooo high. In reality, it is the view of ourselves that is soooo high. We add to and take away from the aspects of God in the order that they accommodate our likes and dislikes. Therefore, what we are actually worshipping is an idol…God altered. Our “VIEW” of God can be an idol.
This should be sobering, because the only way to keep a right view of God is by His breathed out WORD. To worship your “view” of God is no different than worshipping Baal. It is not GOD! None of us can have a perfect view of God, but many of us should work out our salvation with MORE FEAR AND MORE TREMBLING. We should tremble before God if we come before Him saying, “search my heart and tell me if I am truly worshipping You or just my view of You.”

“That which you cannot understand is that which God can be.” (Hilary of Potiers)

I am broken-hearted by our inability to have different beliefs in the same faith. I am broken-hearted by a fractured “church-community” that is misrepresenting the truth about the oneness of God and the unity that we have as an undeserved gift in Christ. Calvin said, “How frivolous a thing it is to boast of knowledge, when love is wanting.”

I believe that God truly does the things that He has included in Genesis 25 and Romans 9; that He can change the order of nature; that He ordains the days of every life before they are lived; that He loves and even hates as He sees fit; that He saves some while leaving others to that which they deserve. Because of these beliefs I have been called un-evangelistic, lazy, and even hateful. But because of these beliefs I have been prone to frustration, impatience, and doctrinal pride. We must fight constantly against imbalance that promotes division and fosters a fractured community.

Being Careful About Growth...

2009-05-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 25, 1 Peter 4, and 1 Cor. 3:6-7

"The church is produced and increased by divine grace, and not merely by natural means..." (John Calvin). As we read about the lives of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, we are studying the beginnings of the church. And what a great reminder that while their families did not grow by the natural order of things, it is the same with church today. God intervened with grace and opened the wombs and caused the growth. And no matter how hard they tried, and no matter how hard they prayed, Isaac and Rebekah could not make it happen...
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 states, "I [Paul] planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." Ironically, this is all in a section of Scripture addressing division in the church. Here in Hunt County we live in a community with a higher per capita of churches than most of the world. But DIVISION IS NOT GROWTH! Division within the people of God is a misrepresentation of the truth about the oneness of God that we are called to put on display. Our numerous churches do not exist because many of them multiplied, but because there was division, in large part, over the opinions of man.
The way that a man plants and the way that a man waters does not make that man an authority on growth. But when we see growth in that man's church, oh how quickly we elevate the status of that man and invite him to our churches and conferences and BEG him to tell us how to grow. And often times there is a room full of people singing his praises, not God's. But that man is nothing! He only watered and planted, but God caused that growth! Whether you are planting and watering at a small church or a huge mega church, YOU ARE STILL NOTHING!
So growth will come in God's time and in God's measure. And our work of ministry will always seem largely inefficient, because we are nothing. But if we scatter seed and water as we are commanded, God will give the exact increase that He sees fit. But in the instance that we stop focusing on making disciples, and begin to focus on growth, we will be divided. Thus, we then lose out on the very thing we set out to achieve. Playing "god" will always result in vain failure. Do the work of ministry, make disciples, and show the world that there is no one like our God!
We must always be content with the size of our church, yet never content with a lack of discipleship (and this applies not only to the church as a whole, but every part of the church...children's ministry, youth ministry, sunday school classes, and families). So many pastors and even teachers have given up and left with the excuse "this church is just not growing." Rather than an excuse to leave, this is adversely a greater reason to stay and make disciples. This IS your calling.
So many committees have been formed to assess growth and critique growth and plan for future growth and even for firing pastors who have not brought about the expected growth! Consider what this produces... a bunch of pastors and ministers who focus on numbers and growth, thereby often times abandoning discipleship. This is a plague in youth ministries in particular... and there is an unspoken yet accepted approach that says, "if we just focus on growth, discipleship will just happen." But it is more the opposite. If we focus on discipleship, growth will happen at the rate that God sees fit. Even at Pentecost, which so many try to reproduce weekly, the focus was on making disciples, and God gave the growth that He saw fit at that time.
Another problem with focusing on growth instead of discipleship is that we begin to define success by numbers. Again, this promotes division in the church, because the "big" churches are run by "successful" pastors, only to leave all of the "small" churches to be run by what appears to be "unsuccessful failures". So, as a pastor, if your aim is success, you will make use of the man-made corporate ladder of vocational ministry. And as a Bible study leader you will proudly stand before a large class, while feeling like the small class is simply a waste of time. So all gifted musicians, able preachers, and competent teachers will feel like they deserve a bigger stage. And often times they will proudly fill that spot on that big stage, all the while abandoning the call to make disciples.
So as we look back at Genesis 25, we must ask, "Is our standard for greatness and success, God's standard?" Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born. Isaac was 60 when Rebekah conceived. If we define greatness and success by numbers, then we are deeming our God highly unsuccessful in ministry, with only 2 new lives in 160 years!
To ask a "successful pastor of a big church" how to grow a church is like asking Isaac how to form a baby in the womb! The answer should be, "I don't know! God causes the growth! You do what God calls you to do and, if He sees fit, He will cause the necessary growth!"
To walk away from your church because it is "not growing" would be like Isaac walking away from Rebekah for "not bearing".
To cease from discipleship is to eliminate the possibility of God-honoring growth. In the same way, if dismayed by the circumstances, Isaac and Rebekah were to stop trying to conceive, they would thereby eliminate the possibility of offspring.

Isaiah 46 says that God will accomplish all His purpose...be it through you or another who is faithful to the command. So the encouragement is to persevere. If you are speaking the Word to your family and others, and then coming back and watering that seed with reminders...making the most of every teachable moment...then you are doing the work of ministry. And there is great rejoicing because God is glorified! Growth is not a bad thing! In fact growth is a GREAT THING! It is just NOT our business. We must not set out to "play god". We must submit to His command, not relying on the wisdom of man, but the power of God for that growth. You will have hard days. You will have hard weeks, months, and even years. As you sit with your family, making disciples, and as you talk with co-workers, friends, and even strangers, the work of ministry will be seemingly insignificant and largely inefficient. But let your inefficiency as NOTHING fuel your dependence on the ONE TRUE GOD WHO IS EVERYTHING!

Genesis 25 - Abundant Blessings & The Need For A Sober Mind

2009-04-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 25, Ephesians 1, 1 Peter 1 & Philippians 3:12-4:1

There are a lot of "big events" that take place in the 25th chapter of Genesis. Abraham dies. Isaac and Ishmael come together to bury their father. Isaac inherits everything and he and Rebekah have twins. A lot of really important events in a short section of Scripture...
These "big events" are in large part fulfilled promises from God from Genesis 17. Anytime you see God fulfill a promise, you should rejoice! Why? Because God ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES! This week we spent some time rejoicing in v.5 "Abraham gave all he had to Isaac." This inheritance was promised by God through Abraham to Isaac. We are reminded of the promises that we have in Christ and how great it is that God keeps His promises. Ephesians 1:3-14 paints a beautiful picture of this beautiful and ABUNDANT blessing! We are not given "some" spiritual blessing, but EVERY spiritual blessing; we were not an afterthought, but were chosen before the world was formed; not just excused from our sin, but made holy and blameless before God, through Christ; not just welcomed, but ADOPTED through Christ and blessed in the beloved. We have redemption through His blood, forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He did not just place upon us, but that He LAVISHED upon us! 1 Peter 1:3-19 reminds us that our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and kept in heaven for us, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed. Consider, your most valued possession on earth, no matter how nice and well-made it is, it is still perishable, defiled, and fading...and if it makes it to the last day, it will still burn up because it is flammable. You brought nothing into this world and you can take nothing with you. Your only true treasure is that which existed for you in Christ from before the world was formed. And that treasure is an ABUNDANT INHERITANCE!
The problem is that in the calamity of life, we forget how precious our treasure is. This is why we need to be sober-minded. True joy is not just the absence of conflict. There will always be conflict. But setting our minds and eyes on the things above and never losing sight of our God-given treasure will sustain us through the hardest storms. Interestingly, both Paul and Peter, after communicating a clear picture of their beautiful and abundant inheritance, urge the people to be sober minded. Paul prays that their eyes would be opened (Eph. 1:15-21) so that in the midst of THIS, we would not lose sight of THAT! Peter urges his hearers to "prepare their minds for action, be sober-minded! don't be conformed to your former ignorance! Conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile! Your inheritance is great! Don't lose sight of it!"
A look at 1 Peter 1:6-7 shows us that we are to REJOICE in the inheritance and blessing, WHILE we are grieved by trials and testing. In the midst of calamity, those in Christ who have the promised inheritance are the ones whose faithful responses result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Christ. And if you don't praise Him now, you will not praise Him then. Those eternally separated from God will not be crying out for another chance. But for all of eternity they will hate Him as they hated Him on earth.
To rejoice while you are grieved is to take up your cross and bear it. Jeremiah Burroughs states, "Christ does not say, 'do not count as a cross what is a cross'; He says, 'Take up your cross daily.'" What this means is that we don't have to pretend like our crosses are flowers or rainbows or anything more pleasant than a cross. It is ok for us to have a due sense of our affliction. But, "TAKE UP YOUR CROSS" and save your life. Refuse and lose your life. But REJOICE ALWAYS...AGAIN I SAY REJOICE.
So in Genesis we have seen Abraham drawn out of the world and blessed abundantly. He has gone on a walk with the CREATOR who hung the stars, and that CREATOR pointed to the stars that He hung and said, "that's how much I am going to bless you." Abraham was given livestock, riches, servants, and power. He knows that his offspring will be blessed FOREVER! His wife's barren womb was opened by the loving hand of God, and in their old age they had laughter. This was announced by Jesus who came and had lunch with Abraham in his tent! And it was through the seed of Abraham that our Savior Jesus Christ came into the world! It was through this seed that the head of the serpent was crushed! Abraham indeed lived a life of ABUNDANT BLESSING!
But we must see that this abundant blessing did not result in a "charmed" life. It did not result in the absence of conlict. This abundant blessing came in a very different way. Consider...
- Abraham's father was a Babylonian idolater
- Out of fear for his life, Abraham made a bad decision to whore out his wife to Pharaoh
- He had to go to war to save his bonehead, freeloading nephew
- His wife was barren, unable to have children
- He had an affair with Hagar, producing an illegitimate child named Ishamel, creating horrible tension within his house that exists to this day in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- He was circumcised at the age of 99 (ouch)
- His wife laughed at God and MOCKED Him
- He whored his wife out again to Abimilech, in fear of his life
- He had to send his son, Ishmael, away and this caused him great sorrow
- He was tested by God and told to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering
- He actually stood over his bound son with a knife, ready to obey God
- His wife died
- He had to pay an exorbitant price just to bury her
- He had to arrange for his son to be married at the age of 40
- And finally, in chapter 25 Abraham, though great by the hands of God, is unable to escape the common lot of men...and he dies.
But, maybe it was just rough for Abraham because he had to get the ball rolling on this whole blessing thing... So let's then look at what happens to his abundantly blessed son who receives ALL that Abraham had...
- First, he has to bury his father
- The result is an uncomfortable confrontation with his half brother who hates him
- Then his wife is barren for TWENTY YEARS
- And when she finally conceives, the children struggle within her, causing anguish physically, mentally, and spiritually
And all of this calamity was upon the lives of some of the most abundantly blessed people to ever walk the earth.

So how quickly do we become weary? Are we content with God's blessings and abundant provision, even when our faith is tested? Would we have continued in prayer after being unable to have a baby for two decades? Would our bonehead family members push us over the edge? Do we expect charmed lives because of our eternal blessing?
Burroughs states... "We should prize duty more highly than to be distracted by every trivial occasion... [for the believer] the authority of the command so overawes his heart that he is willing to spend himself and to be spent in discharging it." I encourage you to consider those things in your life that run the risk of keeping you from rejoicing. And I encourage you to respond to those things in a sober-minded manner, never losing sight of your inheritance, constantly rejoicing through your grief.
We indeed are abundantly blessed.

Genesis 24 - Conclusion

2009-04-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Read 1 Corinthians 2, Ephesians 5:31-32, John 6:38, Luke 22:42, Titus 2, & Hebrews 8 & 9

What happens when something or someone is misrepresented? You don't actually get a true picture of that thing or that person. What we have considered in this study is that marriage is a worldly shadow of a heavenly reality. As it is designed by God, it is to represent what God designed it to represent. Marriage is not an end in itself. The goal is not just to get married, stay married, and die. Although, in our culture that is still rare. We are designed by God to live within an order and structure that represents the New Covenant. Ephesians 5 tells us to leave and cleave. Christ modeled this for us as He left the Father and cleaves to the Church. And the cleaving is not temporal. As you sit with your spouse and cleave, the only way that you could ever have any right to leave is if Christ abandons His bride...the church. To say it another way... As long as Christ cleaves to His bride, you cleave to yours. Why? Because if you don't, you are misrepresenting the unbreakable covenant-keeping love that Christ has for His bride.
In John 6:38, Jesus says, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me." So if husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church they must die to themselves and die to their own will, and submit, like Christ, to the will of the Father. And the will of the Father is that you sacrifice your selfishness for the well-being of your bride, not because she has earned it or deserves it, but because GOD TELLS YOU TO...and why did He tell you to? Because you are representing the "groom part" of HIS COVENANT LOVE! Consider. if I was to ask you why you love your wife, would you have anything more to say than, "Well, she does this and says that..."? Would any part of your answer be that God tells you to... that it is the will of the Father for you to love her? If not, I would submit that you are not loving your wife in the robust manner by which you were designed... because a robust love represents the New Covenant! And the world is watching...
So if someone asks me, "why do you love your wife", a good answer would be, "because God tells me to. God modeled this love in the New Covenant that exists in Christ, so just like Christ loves the church by the will of the Father, I will love my bride, by the will of the Father."
Wives, in Titus 2 you are called to be trained to love your husband and children. This goes far beyond loving them just because your Husband stirred your emotions or your child said something sweet and smiled at you. And why? Because you are representing the "bride part" of the New Covenant love. Ravi Zacharias states "The will is that faculty which can only be tested when pain is as much a part of its choice as pleasure is... Nothing brings harmony more than embracing the will of God. Nothing brings fragmentation more than turning away from the will of God. Marriage is the harmony of God synchronizing two wills with the will of the Father." There will be times when we have to choose pain, just like Christ did. If not, it is those times that we will run away.
As Christ embraced the will of the Father, He ushered in a NEW COVENANT. As you embrace the will of the Father, you are representing that New Covenant. In Matthew 22, God reminds us that marriage on earth is temporal, and when you die it is over. So death separates you from the love of your spouse. But in Romans 8, we are reminded ("we" being the bride of Christ)... "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HIM WHO LOVED US". So love between a husband and a wife is separated by death, but NOT EVEN DEATH can separate us (the BRIDE) from the love of Christ. So our aim is to love in such a way that we are able to communicate that hidden and secret wisdom of God. Our aim is to rightly represent in our spark and shadow of a life, the eternal,, beautiful, rich truth that the love of Christ is FOREVER!!! From our marriages, from our community of faith, our church, in the midst of our conflicts, on the mountain tops, and in the deep valleys, we want to cry out to a lost and dying world and boldly proclaim, "The love of Christ is forever! He will never forsake you! RUN TO HIM!!!"

Genesis 24 - Love, Marriage, Family...

2009-03-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

In our sixth week in Genesis 24 we have considered God's design for marriage, the family, and how to love. We have been reminded that marriage is not a creation of culture. It is a divine design by God to accomplish the purpose of putting His glory on display by creating man and woman in His image, commanding them to be fruitful and multiply, thereby filling the earth with his glory. Psalm 127 reminds us that "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." This begs us to ask the question, "Are we letting the Lord build our houses and homes? Are we submitting to His design as the Master Builder?" If not, then we are apparently building in vain. In Genesis 24 we see God fulfilling the promise to make Abraham's name great. One of the means He is using is this arranged marriage between Isaac and Rebekah. God has brought them together and is continuing to build their house, SO THAT they may point others to God and proclaim HIS GREATNESS.
So what happens if we don't submit to Gods design and allow him to build our homes? Exodus 34 says that in turning from God, we, a covenant people, may in fact make a covenant with the culture. And as we covenant with the culture they will invite us to come and "WHORE" after their gods with them. And as we do, we will marry our sons and daughters off to their sons and daughters and they will follow suit, whoring after the gods of the spouses that they have been unequally yoked to. The strong language in this passage reminds us of the sobering and terrifying reality of what happens when we shelve God's design and make a covenant with the culture. We are supposed to be a reflection of God to the culture, not of the culture back to God.
Seeing these two very different pictures, it is easy to conclude that it is of HUGE IMPORTANCE that we care about our marriages and families flourishing. So we must ask, how do we flourish? What is God's design that we might submit to so that our homes are being built by Him in faith, rather than us in vanity? What kind of love is it that builds a home faithfully?
Ephesians 5 commands husbands to "love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her". Has the church, the bride of Christ, ever merited the love of Christ? Is there anything that we could do to earn it? Or is Christ's will to love us greater than our lovability? And Titus 2 explains that in a church, where there is a right order of things, that "older women are to train younger women to love their husband and children". Have you ever considered that within the community of faith, you could be trained... by another sinner... to love your husband and children? Husbands, are you eager to have your wife connect with an older woman so that she might be trained to love you and the kids? TRAINING is a picture of something you do when you want to be pushed beyond your natural ability. Good training usually involves a good amount of sacrifice and pain and being broken down so that you may come back stronger. To keep at it, there must be a will to do so, because your emotions will tell you it is just too much.
Ravi Zacharias, author of "I Isaac take thee Rebekah" states, "Love is as much a question of the will as it is the emotion. And if you will to love somebody, you can." That may be one of the most UNCULTURAL quotes that I have ever shared. It is not cultural to will to love someone. Culture says that if it takes work to love, then it probably isn't love. Culture says that it is supposed to be easy because the two in the relationship are "just soooo lovable". I would add that there obviously has to be a balance of the emotion and the will. But I would also offer that your emotion and passion will be limited by your will to love. If your will to love is great, passion will likely be great. A will to love will rightly inform passion and the emotions.
In both Ephesians 5 and Titus 2 we see an intersection between marriage and church. Marriage, Church, and Family are not separate spheres of life. They have everything to do with each other. Our standard for love within marriage is the example Christ set in loving the church. It is within the church, the community of believing covenant people, that our love is tested and tried and informed and trained.
This week, we will continue to look at this relationship between marriage, family and the church, and we will consider that as the church has become less about the family and more about the individual, marriage has followed suit. One indicator that we will consider is how similar the language is between the unhappy individualistic spouse, and the unhappy individualistic church member... "You are not making me happy, so I am going to go and look elsewhere..." This selfish, individualistic approach to marriage and to church is so damaging. If we submit to God's design, the will to love will keep us from parting ways over a difference of opinion, while holding high the value of TRUTH as it is revealed by God.

Love then Marriage...or is it Vice Versa??? (Gen. 24)

2009-03-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

In the last few verses of Genesis 24, we engage something that is completely foreign to us. In fact, it doesn't even seem sensible, logical, or appropriate. Isaac is introduced to his wife, Rebekah...they have never met, and have only known each other for a few short moments, and the result is the consummation of marriage with physical intimacy and LOVE...REAL LOVE!
This scenario presents us with some obvious questions about the very "uncultural" way they came together, given our dating and marriage climate in America in 2009.
We considered 4 particular things...1.) Arranged Marriage 2.) Dowry 3.) Bride-Price 4.) Polygamy...As we considered these things we realized that our view of each of them is not true to their original form. Our view is birthed from our current knowledge of the perverted form, not the original form of these things.
We have to be careful, because we are not giving full-fledged approval to any one of these things, especially since they are so different from their original forms. However, in going back to what they were at the onset, we gain insight into a theme that runs through the heart of each of them. A divine theme. This theme is FAMILY!!!
In short, an arranged marriage was a mother and father going to the necessary lengths to ensure that the continued growth of the FAMILY is not wicked and unequally yoked. Dowry and Bride Price were a means by which each FAMILY was taken care of while future generations were kept in view. Polygamy, in short...more mommies mean more babies and a bigger FAMILY.
This view of the family, in each of these situations, has been lost due to fallen man using each of these things as a means to making his own name great. But we know from Genesis, that God made Abraham's name great. And one of the means that God used to do so is this arranged marriage.
Today, marriage is less about the family and more about the individual. You don't often hear a young man or woman say to their parents, "Can you help me find the right one?" Rather, we often hear, "This is who I love! And if you don't like it, then you will have to make the decision if you want to be a part of our lives or not!" In our culture if a parent tries to give their opinion about who their son or daughter should marry, that parent is quickly considered to be meddling and over-bearing.
We must remember that marriage and family are God's design. They are not cultural. The only reason that any culture has marriage and family is because God made it that way. And marriage, families, and the church have everything to do with each other! Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Wives are called to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ. Young men are called to treat older men as fathers, older women as mothers, younger men as brothers, and younger women as sisters. And older women are called to train younger women to love their husbands! Again, marriage, family, and the church have EVERYTHING to do with each other.
Sadly, as the church has become less about the family and more about the individual, marriage has followed suit. Divorce rates are at an all-time high, and the only reason we have seen any decline is because of a new trend where people act like they are married without actually marrying. Currently, 40% of all children are born out of wed-lock. These, and many other realities, point to the overall state of the family being less healthy and not flourishing as they were designed to do.
Next week we will consider why we should care if the family flourishes or not. And we will look at what it means to flourish RIGHTLY...in a God-glorifying and God-honoring way. Looking forward to it...

A Silhouette of Camels (Genesis 24)

2009-03-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

In our last study in Genesis 24, we ended with Isaac seeing a silhouette of camels in the distance. And those camels meant one thing! His wife had arrived!
Before getting to this point we have had a long chapter of divinely ordered events. Abraham sends out Eliezer, the head servant of the house, to find a wife for Isaac among his kindred in his homeland. Eliezer sets off on his 450 mile journey and we see a beautiful display of quiet diligence...a servant who does not get entangled in civilian pursuits but is insistent on sticking to his orders...a servant who is all about pleasing his master and trusting God. Upon arrival he prays to God for a sign, and before He is done praying, BEHOLD! Rebekah enters the picture. This was a beautiful reminder to us that God knows our deepest needs before we voice them. And as the story continues, a three-part theme forms that is good for us to consider. Eliezer (1) pays attention to the details, (2) worships God in the midst of the details, and (3) then shares the details with others so that they can worship God in a like manner.
As good servants of God, we can learn from this. The heart of the worshipper is to glorify God in all things. Worship is a response to God revealing Himself to us. If we do not pay attention to the details, there is no fuel for our worship. There is nothing to proclaim. One of the simplest forms of worship is recounting... saying "Wow! God did _______". But if we do not pay attention to the details, we have nothing with which to fill in the blank. And we have nothing to share with others so that they might worship God in a like manner. Psalm 9:1 "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." Whole-heartedness in worship is directly linked to recounting His deeds! These deeds are the very treasure that we are to pass on to our children. It is paying attention to these details and sharing them that there is any true heritage to be cherished.

Through the end of the chapter we continue to see Eliezer use sober-minded judgment as he shares and interacts. Upon arriving back home, he sticks to the original theme as he tells Isaac "all the things that he had done." We have a 67 verse chapter that reiterates and repeats the same details again and again. Let us not look them over quickly, missing what God has done. At the end of this chapter, God has brought two people together who have never met. Two people that have lived hundreds of miles apart. Two people who would be GOD'S HERITAGE FOR HIS PEOPLE! And they meet and LOVE each other. Real LOVE after only a few moments of knowing each other! How can this be?
This week we will begin to look at the last 2 verses of chapter 24 and consider how true, lasting, enduring love could possibly exist in such a short amount of time. We will also consider what this marriage has to do with the church.

Funny Responses...

2009-03-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter Ella has some of the funniest responses to comments that I make or questions that I ask. Sometimes she will misuse words and it just turns out funny. People keep saying that I should write these things because one day I will read them and laugh... So here is my first attempt to begin a record of these things...

Daddy: "Ella, come here so that I can wipe your hands off."
Ella: "No Daddy, I want to keep them on..."

Cobwebs...

2009-01-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

It would appear from the CF website that my blog has gathered some cobwebs...not sure how long the cobwebs have been there, but they are there:) So, what better time to start back to the blogging than at the beginning of the new year. I hope that everyone has had a great year. My wife and I were talking about how excited we are about the upcoming year. I have a brother who is getting married, there are lots of ministry opportunities, and probably most "oddly" of all, we realized that by next Christmas Olivia, our youngest daughter, will likely be walking and talking... very crazy.
We have had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas break. We got some good rest and some projects done around the house. Most of all, I had some really great...and much needed time with my wife and two little girls. I would love to hear how your time off was, and what you guys are looking forward to in the coming year..... :) And hopefully the website "troll" will find it in his heart to remove the cobwebs...haha....

Creator’s Purpose & Created Purpose

2008-04-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 8:20-9:17; 2 Thess. 1:10-12; 2 Tim. 4:18; Isaiah 46:9-10

As a believer, I have an urge to ask two questions. ‘Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” Without answering these questions, we will naturally slip into a life of idleness, laziness, confusion, and sin. There is so much in the Bible that urges me to be steadfast, enduring, and persevering…but why? And to what purpose?
In Isaiah 46:9-10, God says, “…for I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”
Our Creator has a final purpose in Creation. As a part of that creation, we have a created purpose. God, the Creator, stands outside of time and declares what will be. Before sin entered the world, this purpose existed. And God will not allow man’s sin to keep His purpose from being accomplished. So, you may ask, “what is this purpose?!" This purpose is HIS GLORY FOREVER!!! Hebrews 2:10 says the He is drawing many sons to this glory. 2 Tim 4:18 expresses that this glory is to be to God forever and ever. God’s high renown, God’s honor, God’s magnificence, God’s great beauty, God’s distinctive and unimaginable being is what Christ died to bring us to. The aim is specific and its finality is certain. God will reign forever in glory.
On earth, God has given us the created purpose of putting His glory on display. But on earth, because of sin, we exist in a fallen state. In Genesis 9, God makes a covenant with us to assure protection from the THREE main things that could threaten God’s final purpose of His glory being enjoyed by us forever; Animals, Man, and God. The animals could pose a threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth. With their physical strength and sometimes deadly instincts, they could kill man one by one. But God places the fear and dread of man upon every animal and gives man dominion over them all. Next, mankind, in his sin, could keep itself from being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth by killing each other. But God establishes “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image.” Finally, as we saw in the flood, the biggest threat to man being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth is God’s righteous judgment and wrath. But in this covenant God establishes that until the end of time, He will not wipe man out completely, specifically with a flood. You can imagine the great comfort this was to Noah and his family the next few times it started to rain…
Man is still sinful, but God, within the bonds of covenant, has gone to great lengths to redeem a people to accomplish His final purpose. Indeed, to Him be the glory forever and ever!

Hope When Our Hearts Are Far

2008-04-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 8:20-21; Rom. 15:4-7; Psalm 51:5-6; Micah 7:8-9; 2 Cor. 4

As I see Noah worshipping God when he steps off of the ark, before he does anything else, I see the clear truth that God should be worshipped in every circumstance. But sometimes our hearts are not in the same place. Sometimes our circumstances and sin give us a sense of hopelessness that makes us believe we can never worship God like that. We know it is the right thing, but our heart is not in it. In the next verse in Genesis 8, God explains that “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” Psalm 51 explains this heart condition by saying we were “brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sin”. But it goes on to say that God goes to great lengths to redeem His children who are guilty of this sin. God aims His truth at the inward being of man. And God delights in this truth. He goes further to teach wisdom in the secret heart of man.
Romans 15 tells us that everything written in the Old Testament was written for our instruction so that we might have HOPE! What a TREASURE! And we have this treasure in jars of clay. That means that we are common and fragile vessels, so that when people see us called out of darkness and into light it is obvious that it is not by our own power. Rather, it is made known that the surpassing power belongs to God! My hope is that when sin and lies try to keep us from worshipping, we can proclaim with Micah, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him…[but] He will bring me out to the light!”

The Right Response / Some Worship is Unacceptable

2008-04-07T09:12:00.001-07:00

Read Genesis 8:20-21; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 2:14-17

As we come to the end of Genesis 8, it is hard for us to really take in what is going on here. Noah has just stepped off of the ark after a long, tedious, scary, lonely, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud ride. There is so much to do and they are the only ones left. But rather than taking a nap to get ready, or writing up a game plan, or even just getting straight to work, NOAH WORSHIPS! There are a million things to do, but Noah worships. Resources are limited, but Noah gives his best to God. It is good for us to try to consider what God is receiving at this point. Only one year before it says that God was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart. But now, about a year later, every source of grief is gone and only one Patriarch is left. And he, Noah, is WORSHIPPING! This pleases God.
I think it is safe to say that since the flood, there has not been another man who has had more on their plate than Noah! Our schedules usually include “feed the dog, pay the electric bill, and don’t forget about soccer practice…” and somehow this keeps us from worship! Noah’s schedule, however, included “build a house for you and seven others, establish a city, and populate the earth…” yet, the first thing he did was worship! Noah could have said, “God, let my flock repopulate, and then I will sacrifice a burnt offering…or God, let me at least get a roof over my families head, and then I will worship You.” Noah is alive! And he knew that he didn’t deserve to be. As a recipient of God’s mercy and grace, Noah saw no other option than to worship God and offer a pure sacrifice.
God has offered Christ, the purest of all sacrifices, to cover our sins and bring us back into fellowship with Him. The result is that we are now called to live every day AS living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, and we are to BE the sweet aroma, first to God and then to the world. God is not pleased when His children are half-hearted creatures. It does not please Him if we put off worshipping Him for ANY reason! Our encouragement, as we repent and move forward in faith, is the same encouragement that Peter gave to his brothers and sisters in Christ. “Be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”

Waiting Faithfully Pt. 2

2008-03-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 8; 2 Peter 3; Psalm 37

As we wait faithfully for the return of Christ, God has revealed to us promises that should not be unfamiliar to the one who claims faith. J.C. Ryle beautifully explains this: “There are ‘shalls’ and ‘wills’ in God’s treasury for every condition. About God’s infinite mercy and compassion, - about His readiness to receive all who repent and believe, - about His willingness to forgive, pardon, and absolve the chief of sinners, - about His power to change hearts and alter our corrupt nature, - about the encouragements to pray, and hear the gospel, and draw near to the throne of grace, - about strength for duty, comfort in trouble, guidance in perplexity, help in sickness, consolation in death, support under bereavement, happiness beyond the grave, reward in glory, - about these things there is an abundant supply of promises in the Word. No one can form an idea of its abundance unless he carefully searches the Scriptures, keeping the subject steadily in view. If any one doubts it, I can only say, ‘Come and see.’” My hope for us is that we will hear these promises and treasure them in such a way that we will live the life of radical purity that God calls us to. If we do not treasure God’s promises, we will treasure those promises that sin gives. Sin is what you do when your heart is not satisfied with God. If Noah’s heart had not been satisfied with God, he would not have endured and waited as faithfully as he did. He would not have sat until the Lord gave him further direction. He would have believed the lies all around him that told him that there was greater joy without God… that there is better life without God. I urge you to press on to make these promises from God more familiar. Study them, meditate on them, and pray over them. God commands us to be diligent to be found without spot or blemish. He warns us against being stained by the world, and he gives us many reasons and promises. The only reason that I can see for one to follow God blindly, rather than faithfully, is that that person must not deem it necessary to take the time to become familiar with God’s promises. And if one is not familiar with what God promises to His children in Christ, it seems almost inevitable that the natural hunger found in every man will attempt to be quenched by believing the promises of sin.

Waiting Faithfully

2008-03-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

Read Genesis 8:1-20; 2 Peter 3; Psalm 37

Our God’s faithfulness has never been and will never be broken. As Noah sat on that cold and dark boat for over a year, I am sure that there were days where God’s faithfulness was hard to see and/or understand. But God’s grace enables us to trust Him. It would be easy to read a story like this and just say, “Be like Noah.” But this is a flawed goal. We cannot be like Noah if we do not have God’s grace. This is what we should focus on! God’s grace enables his children to wait faithfully, while enduring to the end. Real “Christian waiting” is not idle! It is not lazy! It is active and faithful. We have seen it radically in Noah’s life and we must understand that if we have God’s grace, our faithful waiting will be just a radical. It will undoubtedly result in persecution and sacrifice, but our God is worthy. He is most important and completely worthy of trust. He makes covenants and keeps them. For those who sit in dark and death, He guides their feet to a way of peace. He encourages and loves in ways that are beyond our understanding. All other gods are not worthy of trust. They have all broken their promises and forsaken their people. As we wait on the return of Christ, let us be as diligent as God commands us. Let us be active, moving forward, loving whole-heartedly, willing to make any sacrifice we are called to, knowing that all along our God is not distant or disinterested. HE IS ACTIVE! He plays the most key role in our lives. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, delighting in the Lord, committing our way to Him, trusting Him, being still before Him, and waiting patiently for Him, HE is giving us new desires, and bringing forth our righteousness and our justice who is CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD! And we have promises, just like Noah, that even on our worst days when we think we may very well die in the midst of this waiting, HE will deliver us into our eternal, heavenly dwelling, where we will experience God in ways that are now unfathomably sweet.

A Command, A Response, & A Flood

2008-02-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Read Genesis 6&7 and 2 Peter

We must remember that this world is not our home, and just like the last world that was destroyed because of sin, the rampant wickedness of this world will meet a similar end. God communicated to Noah that He saw that the world was wicked. God told Noah that He was going to destroy it. And then He commanded Noah to obey some specific direction. By grace, Noah obeyed. Had Noah disobeyed, there would have been no ark to climb into when the rains came. And after it was completed, Noah had to further obey God’s command by getting into the ark. 2 Peter 3:7 says that “by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” And we wait, just as Noah waited. And God commands us to “be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” God’s grace enabled Noah to be found in this way, and by God’s grace we are enabled to endure to the end, so that we may be found the same way. As God commanded Noah to “Come into the ark”, He commands us to “Come to Christ”. The only hope that anyone had of surviving the flood was to be in that ark. There were those who scoffed and laughed. But the flood still came. There were those who evaluated the ark and decided it was not worthy of consideration. Noah himself could have surveyed the ark and then decided not to get in. But he had grace. If you hear the Gospel and respond by desiring to obey God and keep His commands, it is only by grace that you have done so. And you will be able to persevere, even through heart-breaking loss and circumstances, as God provides you with peace, when everything else is hard to understand. As Noah was called out of the world and into the ark, we are called out of this world and into Christ, renouncing its ways and obeying God’s commands.

What Sin Reveals About God

2008-02-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

Read Genesis 6:1-13, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21,
Romans 8:5-8, James 1:21

The entire life of the Christian is to be a life lived for God’s glory…a life of worship. Worship is the response to God revealing Himself to us. As God reveals Himself we learn more about ourselves, our condition, and our desperate need for a Savior. In Genesis 6, sin reveals a lot to us about God… or we could say that God reveals a lot to us about Himself in His perfectly just and perfectly righteous response to sin. In just a few chapters before we see God observing all that He created and saying “It is good!” Now He observes His creation and says, “I am grieved…I will destroy them…” What happened? What changed?
The huge change came when sin entered the picture. Sin is corrosive. Adam and Eve turned from God’s design in the garden and the result was death. And from that point sin infected humanity. This is no small problem. All of humanity had turned from the worship of their Creator and become consumed with the flesh. Not only were all of their actions evil, but not even a good thought or intention could be found. And in the midst of all of creation walking according to the flesh, we see God’s response. He repeatedly points out the corruption and violence and reveals His sorrow and grief.
Rather than being wiped out with the old creation, in Christ, God makes us new creations. Now we have new roles, new minds, new desires, new longings, and new passions as we no longer live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. And as we set our minds on the things of the Spirit, we should see sin as God sees it. Rather than welcoming sin into our lives and experiencing again its completely corrosive nature, we present our members to God as instruments of righteousness. We put away filthiness and rampant wickedness. We will face temptation, but now God has given a way of escape and a way of endurance. In Christ, we put on the new self showing steadfast endurance, going to God for wisdom, setting our minds on the things above, and letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly, transforming us by the renewal of our minds. God’s disdain for sin and its effects should keep us pursuing holiness and purity, glorifying and honoring Him who pulled us from our sin and gave us new lives as new creations in Christ.

Corrupt…in God’s Sight

2008-02-12T10:52:00.001-08:00

Read Genesis 5:28-6:13

In the time of Noah, evil existed in a way that we have not seen since. We have seen evidences of this kind of evil. We have seen families torn apart and division run rampant because people choose to go against God’s design. But, in the antediluvian world, with the exception of Noah, “every intention of the thoughts of every heart was only evil continually”. These weren’t people who were just trying some “new” things and, in their immaturity, stumbled upon folly and sin. NO. They had “matured” to a point of deliberate and intentional evil…ONLY. And this was the entire earth’s population, with the exception of Noah. If God had not placed his hand on Noah and his family, we would not be here to discuss the flood, because we would have died in it.
While the effects of this rampant wickedness can be discussed at length, the worst is that it “grieved God’s heart”. Now God is not an emotional push-over. He is holy. He is sovereign. He is Creator. And He has been wronged. It says he was “sorry” that he had made man on the earth. What is being explained here is that God was now repentant. Not of sin, like we should be. Rather, he is taking action, according to His perfect justice and righteousness, and not only turning from this less desirable world, but to a positive course of action in which redemption is found.
Every day we will be presented with the opportunity to make an exception to the “rules”. At some point, so many exceptions can be made, that the rules no longer seem to exist. The “rules” are from God. They are commands that result in a completely different life-style and mindset. We either respond obediently or we respond disobediently. Disobedience communicates that either “God does not exist” or “God does not matter”. He tells us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and might. If we do this, there will be those who ridicule us. We will be presented with options that will make us “happier”. But we must endure. We must ask God for wisdom. And we must remember that He promises that as Noah was protected in the Ark, so we have protection and redemption in Christ. Even death cannot separate us from His love.

Adam, Enoch, Noah & Others

2008-02-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

Read Genesis 5

As we read about the descendants from Adam to Noah, we encounter great men with long lives. In the midst of the Patriarchs, we find one that shines even brighter. Enoch’s story is a bit different. Rather than just living a certain number of years after fathering Methuselah, God wants to specifically communicate that Enoch walked with God. We then find that Enoch, whose life on earth was significantly shorter than the other Patriarchs, after 365 years does not experience the sting of death, but rather “he was not, for God took him.” Hebrews 11:5 tells us that it was by faith that he was taken up and that he was commended as having pleased God. In Jude 14-15 we also see that Enoch was especially insightful of the fault of the ungodly…an insight that comes from walking with God for over 3 centuries. So as we ask in every piece of Scripture that we study, “where is Jesus in this?” If we hope to please God and receive eternal life…if we hope to live lives of godliness….then we MUST walk with God. Sin keeps us from walking with God. It separates us from Him. Amos 3:3 says, “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?” How could we possibly convince the only true, sinless, perfect God to meet with us? We can’t. We must have a Mediator. Jesus is our Mediator. And it is only by the work of the cross in which our sins are forgiven and we are made able to stand before the Lord. So I urge you to cling to Christ, your only hope, and walk with God in faith. And with every step, as you overcome each obstacle, and as you move forward in your journey, give God all of the glory. Acknowledge what it is that His hand has done that you could not do even with all of your might. Stay humble, always being mindful of the fact that each breath is borrowed, and it is only by the merciful and graceful will of God that you are made able to walk with Him in Christ.

Cain, Abel, & Life Outside The Garden

2008-02-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Read Genesis 4

In the fourth chapter of Genesis, we get the first glimpse of what life was like outside of the garden. Cain and Abel both brought an offering to the Lord. Abel’s was accepted while Cain’s was not. Mark Driscoll comments that the sin was not what Cain brought in his offering but what Cain brought in his heart. We see further evidence of the effect of Cain’s heart when his anger becomes so great that he kills his brother Abel. God reminds us here that sin’s desire is to rule over us as it is always “crouching at the door”. And if we do not take seriously the insight from God that we MUST rule over it, we see that the results are catastrophic! The first city ever established is further evidence of this truth. The city, Enoch, was named after Cain’s son. In this first city we see trade, commerce, poetry, musical instruments, and forged tools. But none of these things were used for the glory of God. The city was entirely selfish and Godless. Polygamy was even introduced by an arrogant poet named Lamech, who referred to his wives as “wives of Lamech”.
A huge point that develops in Genesis 4 is that we must see sin as God sees sin. It is a matter of the heart. You can go through all of the motions and outwardly look very religious. But if your whole heart is not in it, the sin that is crouching at the door will eventually consume you. We also learn that God redeems a people for his glory. In the close of the chapter, God blesses Adam and Eve with another son, Seth. It was at this time that people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Manhood & Womanhood Pt.2

2007-11-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

As we consider the “headship” of a husband and the “submission” of a wife, we must understand that the goal is a people who are an acceptable offering to God. In Romans 15:16, Paul explains that a goal of his ministry is that the Gentiles are an acceptable offering to God. Isaiah 66:20 prophesies a people from every nation brought “as an offering to the Lord”.
The relationship between a husband and wife is a profound mystery that refers to the relationship between Christ and the church. We should behold this mystery and follow the guidance given to us in the Scriptures. If a man will love his wife rightly, he will love her as Christ loved the church, not as a disrespectful ogre who barks orders and belittles. The difference is huge! He will give himself up for her daily. Yes, he should be willing to doe for her, but more practically, he should be willing to live each day working hard to provide physical and spiritual health. His goal should be her holiness and beauty as he speaks the Word of God into her life daily. And if he love her and leads her in Christ-likeness, it will not be so hard for her to submit. She will gratefully accept and welcome such tender and unselfish care.
God’s design is never chauvinistic or belittling. It is actually quite beautiful. John Stott explains this process appropriately… “So husbands and wives should not expect to discover harmony without conflict; they have to work at building a relationship of love, respect, and truth…Now to lose oneself that the other may find his or her self – that is the essence of the Gospel of Christ.”

Biblical Knowledge, Manhood, & Womanhood

2007-11-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Read Genesis 3 & Ephesians 5

In the ministry, I often get the privilege of meeting with people who are going through hard seasons. I call it a privilege because I get to offer hope in Christ. I always want to meet with the husband AND wife. 90% of the time, if someone shows up in need of help, it is the woman and children. Men can be very prideful and cowardly. So, as often as I can, I want to meet with both of them. Over time I have observed some things that seem to happen in almost every meeting.
The first observation is that every man tells me, emphatically, that he is a good daddy, a good husband, and a hard worker…and it is not his fault that things are the way they are…just a run of “bad luck”.
The second observation takes place when I read Scripture out loud. Almost without fail, the man will fold his arms and lean back in his chair while the woman leans forward hanging on every word. Do you know why she does this? Because she is EAGER TO BE LEAD!
She desires to be lead because God made her that way. God also made man to feel the weight of leadership. But man will often try to trust his own mind in making decisions about what is right and wrong, harmful and helpful. Proverbs 28:26 says, “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered”. To walk in wisdom is to ask God who gives generously and without reproach. To walk in wisdom is to cling to Christ. And as we walk, we trust God to deliver us from the many mistakes we make in our thoughts and decisions.

The Oatmeal Feast

2007-10-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

I will admit up front that this blog entry is a bit cheesier than normal. BUT, I have an 18 and a half-month-old daughter who is adorable, so every now and then I think I have the right to be a little cheesy.
Every morning my daughter feasts on a bowl of oatmeal. She LOVES it. As she was eating this morning, I noticed her progress on how she has gotten so much more able to feed herself. And it brought to mind how we are to feast on the Scriptures. It used to be that she would just sit there while we fed her. Then she would begin to use her hands to feed herself, while we fed her with a spoon…which was a little bit messy. Then she got to a point where she could use the spoon if we helped her. Now she will use the spoon by herself while we sit and watch her, amazed at how fast she has grown up. And in the last few weeks, she has shown another sign of maturity. When she has gotten all that she can out of the bowl of oatmeal, but realizes there is more to feast on, she looks up with her cute little brown eyes, and in the sweetest voice you can imagine, she says, “Help please…” which sounds more like “Hewp pwease…”
What a great reminder that as we feast on the Word, we should be progressing! We should be getting better at our abilities to make connections and use different tools. And just like we had to teach our daughter at first, so we must be mindful that it is God who opens our eyes to see the wonderful things of HIS law. And when we have gone as far as we can in our own studies, but realize there is more to feast on, we should not let pride keep us from saying, “Help.”
I love being a daddy…

Revelation 18 - "Come out of her, my people..."

2007-10-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Read Revelation 18.

This last week I had the privilege of teaching both the youth and the adults on Wednesday Night. We took a look at God’s “Redemptive History”. That is a phrase I heard a lot growing up, but never really understood what it meant. I think that a good definition is “the history of God redeeming a people, for Himself, by calling them out of unrighteousness and making them righteous”. The result is a redemptive pattern…which we looked at by comparing the Exodus plagues with the Revelation imagery of God’s 7 Bowls of Wrath being poured out. There are SO MANY amazing parallels, by which God seems to communicate to His people, “I am drawing you out.” “Come out of her, my people”.
In my preparation for this lesson I ran across something that I am almost embarrassed to admit I have always overlooked. Moses’ name in the Hebrew means “draw out”!!! How in the world, in all of my studies, in all of my teaching, did I not pay attention to how huge that was?! As I considered this I began to see this redemptive pattern in Moses’ life that is indicative of the same pattern seen in the lives of all of God’s children.
Moses was…by the hand of God…
- Born to a Levite woman under Egyptian oppression and ordered to be killed. GOD DREW HIM OUT.
- And as a baby he was placed into a basket and put into a river. GOD DREW HIM OUT.
- At which point he was given the name Moses’. Which means DRAW OUT.
- Moses was placed into the Egyptian family! GOD DREW HIM OUT.
- And as God dealt with Israel and Moses, He remembered His covenant with Abraham. Abraham and his wife Sarah were older than dirt, unable to “father many nations”. And as they were laughing about the idea of it GOD DREW THEM OUT and blessed them with a child, Isaac.
- Who was later ordered to be sacrificed (that is killed) but, you guessed it. GOD DREW HIM OUT.
But getting back to Moses…
- After being drawn out of the Egyptian family, Moses was appointed by God, from a bush that wouldn’t burn, to take the lead as GOD DREW ISRAEL OUT OF THE OPPRESSION FROM EGYPT.
- So then came the horrible plagues, at which time the Israelites are DRAWN OUT BY GOD TO THE LAND OF GOSHEN.
- And not only the Israelite people, but even their livestock are DRAWN OUT BY GOD FROM AMONG THE LIVESTOCK OF EGYPT.
- And at the final plague of the Passover, when the angel of death will wipe out each of the first born, the sacrificed blood of the lamb covers the first born of Israel whom GOD DRAWS OUT.
- At which point, Pharaoh has had enough and says, “Fine, Israel. Go serve your God! Get out of here!” So God lead them through the wilderness and into the Red Sea…
Now, at this point I can’t help but wonder if Moses thought, “Huh, this feels oddly familiar. I sure hope God draws me out of this water…”
- So the water parts, and as the Egyptians are swallowed up and killed, GOD DRAWS ISRAEL OUT OF THE WATER!
We could keep going, and going, and going… Instead let’s skip toward the end, back to Revelation 18:4, at which point we have Babylon, engulfed in wickedness, unbelief, and idolatry and God DRAWS OUT HIS PEOPLE! “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues…”
This command has been said in many other ways throughout the Scriptures. “Set your mind on the things above”. “Come out of her my people.” “Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” “Come out of her my people.” “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy.” “Come out of her my people.” “Put no other gods before me.” “Come out of her my people.” There is a foundation that under girds these commands. That foundation is seen in God’s words to John in Revelation, to Moses in Exodus, and to all of His children throughout redemptive history. “I AM GOD. YOU ARE MY PEOPLE. WORSHIP ME AND SERVE ME.”

James 1 & 3. Wisdom

2007-10-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

I meet with a few guys each week for discipleship. Getting to walk with them and grow with them and serve with them is a huge privilege. We really hope to grow in wisdom as we study the scriptures and challenge each other. However, since I am still in my twenties and they are still in their teens, we don’t have the benefit of many years under our belts. So, James has been very encouraging to us as it has revealed that true wisdom comes from above.
We asked the question, “What does wisdom guard against and what does wisdom lead to?” We concluded that wisdom guards against foolish thoughts and considerations and leads to fruitful obedience. Wisdom is something that happens in the mind to purify the thought before it connects to the heart. Then a person’s members are presented as instruments of righteousness. Without wisdom the thought would not be purified before it connects to the heart, so the members would then be presented as instruments of unrighteousness. So, in a sense, wisdom is like a built-in purification system. Furthermore, true wisdom cannot exist outside of faith, which cannot exist unrighteously. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10). So Jesus Christ IS MY RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, if I doubtlessly expect a generous measure of wisdom I MUST cling to Christ.

Genesis 3 - The Devil Made Me Do It Pt. 3

2007-10-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 3. Consider the consequences of our sin.

Part of the consequences of our sin is that enmity now exists between the children of God and the children of the Enemy. Everybody falls into 1 of those 2 categories. But our problem/blessing is that we do not ultimately know who's who. Because of this the children of God should focus on Christ and be prepared to make a defense for the reason that we believe what we believe. (1 Peter 3:8-17). When opposition arises, prepared people don't run. Rather, they stand firm while humbly, gently, respectfully defending their Hope. We are not called to arrogantly rip someone's head off who believes differently, and then high-five each other.
Another consequence is that we now have the ability to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong. But that doesn't mean that we have the ability to make good decisions. And it definitely doesn't make us God. Instead, this ability causes us to cling to God, knowing that we will otherwise make decisions like fallen fools. I encourage you to believe God's words that He breathed through James. When you lack wisdom in your decision making, ask God who gives generously and without reproach. God is not disappointed that you don't already have the wisdom that you need. He is disappointed if you fail to go to Him for the wisdom that you need. This wisdom from above will result in purity and fruitfulness (James 3) that is pleasing and glorifying to God.

Genesis 3 - The Devil Made Me Do It Pt. 2

2007-10-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 3. Consider how the motives behind Adam's actions changed after he sinned.

Actions motivated by fear, anger, prosperity, hate, works, and/or self-pity are NOT motivated by faith and so CANNOT please God. Romans 14 tells us that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Because of this we must keep careful watch on the motives from which our actions proceed. "THE WALK OF FAITH MUST BE DRIVEN BY A DESIRE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS". (Thank you Bruck Waltke for that statement). All of these other things do not achieve the righteousness that God requires. Rather they produce the fruit of unbelief, which is the opposite of faith. But we must also know that we cannot achieve righteousness on our own. We must cling to Christ! Romans 10 says that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Christ is our righteousness! So as we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit, so as to produce the fruit of the Spirit and glorify God in the faith we live by.

Genesis 3 - The Devil Made Me Do It Pt.1

2007-10-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

Read Genesis 3.
Hopefully you see the humor/"non-humor" that "the devil made me do it" is not an excuse that God welcomes as sufficient...

So it turns out that having our eyes opened to evil isn't such a great thing. Rather than being made to be like God, we know an evil that desires to consume us. Our minds are now open to an evil that (Romans 12 tells us) wants to conform us to its ways. "Pursue worldly pursuits". "What God has provided is not enough". "There is greater joy outside of God's ways". These are all thoughts and temptations that we face every day. 2 Corinthians 4 tells us that the god of this world is Satan. And each of these are lies from the Father of Lies. In verse 7, Adam and Eve make their own attempt at righteousness. What they should have done was cry out to God.
On this side of the cross we know that Satan has been disarmed and is powerless. This is why his biggest tool of use is deceit. He has no power to make you sin and die. So he just lies. But he lies in the most deceiving and appealing way that you could ever imagine. And he is smarter than you. But, the power belongs to Jesus Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God. For you, this dynamic means that you should cliing to Christ! Set your minds and your eyes on the things above. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Keep yourself unstained from this world. And praise God as He keeps you and guides you.

Genesis 2 - Man & Woman, Marriage

2007-10-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

You are the most like God created you to be when you are working with each other, helping one another, naked (authentic) before God and each other. Marriage is just a snapshot of a much bigger, beautiful picture. As you study these things, as you parent, as you walk with your spouse, remember that you were created for God's glory. The differences between you are for the purpose of His glory. The completeness that you feel and experience with each other is not something that stops with you, rather it is for God's glory. I encourage you to properly represent this truth by putting God's glory on display in your marriage, parenting, and other relationships as you obediently live according to God' design.

Genesis 2:4-17 Another Look @ Man and Woman

2007-10-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

As Adam lay lifeless, never having experienced life, God breathed life into His nostrils, establishing man’s place as humbly created by a Sovereign Creator. As the nations lay lifeless, unable to experience life because of sin, God breathed life into their nostrils by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We may think it obvious that without God, Adam had no chance of making the transformation from dust to life. But we, in our sin, are in an even more desolate and hopeless situation than Adam. Rather than just ceasing to exist, in our sin we exist as enemies of God, fully deserving of the wrath that He pours out on unrighteousness, because unrighteousness suppresses the truth. But Christ, our perfect Righteousness, bore that wrath fully on the cross. Christ, the perfect Truth, gives us a hope of eternal glory as He shares with us… “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Let this humble us. Let this create in us a great passion to whole-heartedly seek to put on display that beauty and glory of our Sovereign Creator.

Genesis 2:8-17 Men and Women of God

2007-10-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Consider what God is communicating to you in these verses. Picture God saying to you, “I have placed you where I want you. Nothing is out of my control. I am the Creator. And while you are where I have you, I have a design for the way you should live. Bear my image, working and keeping the garden I have you in. Be fruitful. And remember, if you choose another way, you will surely die…”
I urge you to continue to set your mind on the truth that God is a sovereign Creator that has Lordship, dominion, and ownership. And as one who is owned by God, you are not called to just make it up as you go. Rather, God has designed you to be diligent and hard-working as you guard that which He has entrusted to you. Live according to God’s design, for that is the only way that you will fulfill the purpose He created you for, which is His glory.

Genesis 1:26-31 Image Bearers

2007-10-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

You and everybody else were originally created, as part of mankind, to be image-bearers of God, made in His likeness. While society places value on people in many man-made ways, Christians should value people because of the way they were originally created. And because sin causes us to fall away from looking like God, we (believers, in Christ), should pursue holiness and seek to put God’s glory on display, living according to our created purpose as image-bearers of God. And we should love people enough to tell them their created purpose, explain how sin separates them from God and leads into great confusion, and how perfect reconciliation and redemption is found in Christ Jesus alone. And we should be extremely humbled in knowing that we can bear the image of God only by the grace extended to us undeservedly, by His hand, in Christ Jesus.

Thank You God!

What is this ROM12Records Blog?

2007-01-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

So one might ask the question that is at the title of this blog. Well, ROM12 is representative of a part of the Bible that has had a huge impact on my life. Romans 12:1-2 says, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

What was revealed to me as I read these verses was that I have a created purpose, the same as every other Christian. Our created purpose is to glorify God in all that we do. If our aim is not to glorify God with every action and every word, then we are living outside of our created purpose! These words, breathed out by God, impact everything. So ROM12Records are sort of an account (or record) of the journey as we seek to glorify God with a life of worship.

As a worship and youth minister, these verses gave new meaning to what I am called to as a minister. When most people think of a worship minister they think of a guy who sings on Sunday Mornings, often called the "Music Guy". What this verse showed me was that everything in the life of a believer is supposed to be worship. So worship is not limited to a 25 minute set of songs on Sunday Morning. It is a life surrendered to God, for His glory. And a worship minister needs to do all that he/she can to equip the worshippers to live a life of glory for God...not just sing pretty.

If we are not renewed by the transforming of our minds in the study of scripture, we will be conformed to the ways of this world! And it is by God's grace that we are enabled to live for His glory. So let us beg for grace and mercy, that we might endure and persevere, setting our minds on the things above, so that we are not blinded by this world, to the glory of God.

And so begins ROM12Records...