For the sick

My fiancée and I always wanted to do a mid-term missions trip to India to help spread the gospel. But I could not help but have fear in my heart and second guess my desire in light of the persecutions within the last couple of months and with the recent attacks in Mumbai this week.

Well a friend who has immediate family and loved ones who do mission work in India said something convicting to me this week. He said “These events are even more evidence that the gospel needs to be spread in India!”

My heart broke that instant. I was reminded of a simple yet straightforward verse which I need constant reminder.

And Jesus answered and said to them, It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:31-32

Objections To The Works Of Christ

OBJECTIONS TO THE WORKS OF CHRISTS
Matthew 9:1-17

Objections are quite common in life. Students object to the amount of homework teachers give them. Wives object to the absurd things their husbands can do and say. Children object to the amount of chores they get from their parents. Lawyers object in court.

Objection are generally given when one person thinks that another person is doing something or saying something wrong. In Matthew 9 we see that there were some who objected to things that Jesus said and did. The sinless Son of God did and said things that people felt were wrong. Was Christ wrong? Were the objections valid? Why did they object? Is there something we're missing here?

In order to understand why God has given us this passage of scripture we must first determine what it is that is wrong with mankind in this passage: how has the fall affected us. Once we understand that we can better determine what God has done to rescue us from our pitiful condition.


1. Who Is Christ To Forgive Sins?
Matthew 9:1-8, John 10:30-33, John 8:58-59, Leviticus 24:16

Sin can only be forgiven by the person against whom the offense is committed. I can not forgive you of sins committed against another person. When Jesus pronounces forgiveness to the paralytic man He is making the claim that this man's sins were against Him. In other words, Jesus is making the claim that He is God. And that is why there was an objection to what Christ was doing. To those watching Jesus was just a man. Jesus validates His deity by performing a miracle. His point was that if He could raise this paralyzed man and had power to do so, then He surely had the power to forgive sins. His miracle was there to validate that He was God. But those watching gave praise to God because God had given this man (Jesus) great power. In their minds Jesus was simply a man through whom God worked. They failed to see He is God incarnate--God in the flesh.

And this is the condition in which the fall has left us. We do not recognize God--even if He were right before. God must reveal Himself to us. And we must believe what God says about Him and what He says about His Son. It is not enough to simply believe that Jesus was a nice guy and a great leader. We must believe the He is God in the flesh and that He alone is able to forgive us our sin. He does this by His death, burial and resurrection. In God's graciousness He grants us faith to believe in Him and who He really is.


2. Why Does Christ Eat With Sinners?
Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 19:10, Mark 10:45

The self-righteous Pharisees were indignant that Jesus was eating with sinners. Because the Pharisees thought that they were "perfect" they refused to associate with sinners, perhaps fearing they'd be contaminated. Christ's eating with sinners was deplorable to them. They did not understand that God can not be affected by sin. They did not understand that God came to earth to save sinners, not the righteous. Jesus' words to the Pharisees must have stung: I didn't come to save the righteous, but sinners. Being that there is none righteous, Jesus' words seem to carry a bit of sarcastic tone as if to say, "You Pharisees are so righteous, you don't need a Savior." The truth was that they, too, needed a Savior. Scripture elsewhere affirms that Christ came to seek and save the lost. He came to give His as a ransom for many. Christ did not come to heal those who do not recognize that they are perishing and dying in sin under the wrath of God. Only when people realize this will they seek out the good doctor--Jesus!

We do well to show people how they have sinned against God by pointing them to the Law of God. That is what God's commands do. They show people how short they fall from God's glory. They show us our awful condition. They show us the wretched disease of sin and our future without intervention. It is only when we see ourselves as God sees us that will call out to Christ for help. And that is why these sinners and tax collectors came seeking Jesus...because He came seeking them in order to show them their miserable condition so that they'd receive spiritual healing and life from the hands of our good God.

The reason the Pharisees objected is because they thought that obedience to the Law of God merited them righteousness. They didn't understand that the Law condemns. And so when they see the sinners with whom Jesus ate, they have a self-righteous attitude as if they (the Pharisees) were better than the tax collectors and sinners. In truth the Pharisees should have seen themselves as people with whom Jesus needed to eat. But they didn't...and therefore were far from salvation.

3. Why Don't Christ's Disciples Fast?
Matthew 9:14-17, Matthew 6:16-18

Fasting is done for various reasons, one of which is during time of mourning. Jesus explicitly states that now is not the time for the disciples to fast--the Groom is here. In other words, when the Groom arrives to the wedding, it's time to celebrate. You are sad when He leaves. Jesus is saying that since He is among His people there is no reason for them to fast. The time will come when He departs and they will again fast. But for now, there is to be no fasting among His disciples.

Jesus then launches into some metaphoric language to explain further. He uses the illustration of unshrunk cloth and wineskins. Both may seem disconnected to fasting but they are connected if you understand the mind of the Jewish person in Jesus' day. If you take a piece of shrunken cloth with no elasticity and sow a piece of unshrunken cloth to it what will happen? Well, when the new cloth begins to shrink it will pull away from the shrunken cloth which has no more elasticity. This will cause the old fabric to tear and the garment will be useless. Something similar is to be said of wineskins. When you put unfermented wine in a wine skin it will begin to ferment and it will cause the wineskin to expand. Once the wineskin expands it will not shrink back. It will stay in it's expanded state. If you empy out the fermented wine and put in unfermented wine in the stretched out wineskin what happens? Well, the stretched-out wineskin holds more unfermented wine but has no room to stretch when fermentation takes place. The resuls will be a broken wineskin and spilled wine.

The point of all this is to teach the Jewish people (and us) that the Old Covenant/Testament of sacfrices and ceremonies cannot mix with the New Covenant/Testament. It simply will not work. In simplest terms, you can not cling to Mosaic Law and Christ at the same time. You can not practice circumcision + Christ. You can not practice animal sacrifice + Christ. You can not practice the Old with the New. The Old served it's purpose. It pointed the way to Christ. The Holy Days, ceremonies, sacrifices, temple worship, Priests, etc, all were shadows or pictures of Christ. Now that Christ was here, the Old had to go. Consequently that is why we have two "halves" to the Bible: The Old and New Testaments or Covenants. Clinging to both Old Testament rituals while trying to cling to Christ was part of the heresies and false teachings that the Apostles fought against in their letters to the church. The early Jewish Christians had to make a clean break from their Old Testament ways. Now what does this have to do with fasting?

Fasting was done along with the Day of Atonement. In brief that was the day in which sacrifices were made to atone (or cover up) the sins of Israel. It was part of Mosaic Law. Jesus in essence is telling those listening...that's Old Testament. But the New Testament (Jesus) is here. There's no reason to fast...the Savior is before you. Celebrate! "I'm here!"

This is the overall problem with all three objections we see in this passage. The Jews at large did not understand who Jesus was. Scripture teaches that Jesus came unto His own people and they did not receive Him. And in general they still do not receive Him as Messiah, as Savior, as God. Things are no different with the world at large. They do not receive Jesus as God. They do not believe what God has enabled us to believe about Christ. They are blind and in spiritual darkness. Therefore, we need to take the Word of God to them which will cause them to see Christ for Who He is. God has called us and commissioned us to go into the world and make known Christ. As Christ has been made known to you, have compassion on lost souls and go make Christ known to them.

Quote Of The Day: Pilgrims & Calvinism

"In the providence of God, the truths of the doctrines of grace were soon carried across the Atlantic by men searching for religious freedom. The Pilgrims were distinctly Calvinistic, as they brought with them and preached from their Geneva Bibles. The early Colonial leaders were staunchly Reformed. Those who founded the early states--men such as John Winthrop, Thomas Hooker, Roger Williams, Increase Mather, and Cotton Maher--were all Calvinistic. The first American colleges, Harvard and Yale, were Calvinistic, established to train Reformed ministers who would preach Reformed doctrine." -- Steven Lawson

I am glad the Lord has brought me back to my American roots! Happy Thanksgiving and thank the Lord for the Puritan Pilgrims!

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a blessed day everyone.

No Longer the Beholder

I've had the amazing blessing of being able to travel. I've seen most of the country as well as a few others, and can say: there is great beauty out there. But how do I share that with you? It's certainly worth sharing. God's creation is stunning to our eyes (let alone the other senses). Thus, to share it is a blessed interaction that gives Him praise.

I can describe it to you with all the deep founded words of all the languages of the world. Better still, I can show you a photograph in a high resolution that tries to capture all the intricate details. And better still, I can shoot it on motion picture film on a crane or dolly, allowing you to experience the nearly three dimensional aspects of it. To be in its presence, however, would take the cake. Direct interaction. Unimpeded by flawed mediums. You can walk around (environment permitting) and enjoy it more and more, the more perspectives you see and encounter.

That's the best... or is it?

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I agree with this on it's intended scope. The scope of mankind. But we must ask, what is the greatest beauty that can be enjoyed by someone of something? It's certainly more towards the "in person" perspective. But I find that to see that thing or place from all sides over much time is to see its beauty more. Would not God, in his omnipresence, be the greatest beholder to the beauty He has made?

Beauty is no longer fully achieved in the beholder but: the Maker. God can see all amazing attributes, from all sides, through all time. The Grand Canyon... the Great Barrier Reef... the Alps... a nebula... you.

God's most prized creation is, oddly, us. He loves us above all else and finds us most to be enjoyed. Everything else, He's going to destroy. We will be kept aside for His keeping.

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, approach the Lord with a truer perspective of thanks. Strive to see Him in His creation, and praise and thank Him for that which we can't fathom. Like a God who died for the only creation to turn its back on Him.

That is love unfathomable.

Psalm 75:1 - "We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, for Your name is near; men declare Your wondrous works."

Thanks for the Nothings

Philippians 4:13 is probably one of the most widely used verses in the Bible. It is the one that states:

I can do all things through Him who strengthen me

For a Bible verse it is quite ubiquitous. I have seen it on bumper stickers, t-shirts, coffee mugs, and especially during sporting events. I have seen this verse used in the Super Bowl, Olympic Events, and even in UFC caged match tournaments as the guys pummel each other.

Personally, it sticks out as a verse that was stitched in Evander Holyfield towel as he walked down to beat the mighty Mike Tyson in 1996.

Remember that one?

No, not the second one which he got his ear bit off. The first one where he won fair and square.



Now, I do not doubt God gives us the physical strength to endure pain and endurance in sporting competition but in context, I believe that it is a verse that is speaks of our ability to be thankful in times of trails and hardships.

Now, before you call me cynical lets look at the chapter in context.

Paul, who is famous for being thankful in times of despair, writes to the church in Philippi in verse 11 -12

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

During his ministry, Paul, much like our times now, learned how to continue and be thankful despite financial hardships. He did this through being content (in the Greek it was to be self sufficient) and being joyful regardless his humble means which meant minimal food, water, and shelter. Verse 13 gives us the source of his strength.

I can do all things through Him who strengthen me

In lights of recent events such as rescissions, unemployment, fires, and market crashes it is difficult to give thanks in as season where we set apart a day to do so. However, the Bible is clear not only on how we are to manifest this joy but it is also clear on where we get the strength in order to give thanks in a challenging season.

Philippians 4:13 is not just a verse that refers to the physical strength that God provides during sporting events, but also a reminder of the spiritual strength that results in thankfulness that he provides in the midst of trials.

RESPOND WITH YOUR THOUGHTS!! SOME DISAGREE!

I recently posted this as a note on my facebook under the title "My Story". I believe it captures my testimony perfectly- even as accurately as if I were to quote Ephesians 2. I simply cannot get through reading it without being deeply affected.

However, some have disagreed with it. And actually a debate had ensued in the comment sections of what I thought was going to be a harmless if not encouraging note! Please share you thoughts after reading it. I hope this is not as heretical as some have taken it to be. But perhaps it is I who is under the cruel deceitfulness of sin on this one!

In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career:

I saw One hanging on a Tree
In agonies and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me.
As near His Cross I stood.

Sure never till my latest breath,
Can I forget that look:
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke:

My conscience felt and owned the guilt,
And plunged me in despair:
I saw my sins His Blood had spilt,
And helped to nail Him there.

Alas! I knew not what I did!
But now my tears are vain:
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I the Lord have slain!

--A second look He gave, which said,
"I freely all forgive;
This blood is for thy ransom paid;
I die that thou mayest live."

Thus, while His death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
Such is the mystery of grace,
It seals my pardon too.

With pleasing grief, and mournful joy,
My spirit now is filled,
That I should such a life destroy,
Yet live by Him I killed!

Orphans and Widows

I read James 1 yesterday and could not get away from the last verse which says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

When I read this verse 3 things came to mind:

1. What religion truly is in light of the misconceptions of the Christian culture




2. The importance of mercy ministries




3. And the importance of maintaining purity in the world.

All around us there is the gap between the Christian culture and Biblical culture. Just read your Bible and then go to your local Christian bookstore and see firsthand the chasm of difference. Mark Driscoll address' this problem in more detail, to better understand what I am saying watch this video.

Christian culture would preach that religion is attending church, keeping rules, abstaining from certain things, and fitting into a certain mold. Christian culture can tend to be a religion concerned with appearance, while the religion that is pure before God is a religion of the heart. God wants our hearts, not our offerings, our Sunday's, our Christian lyrics put to contemporary Christian melodies, or our self-help books. God desires our hearts to be on fire for Him, His Word and His people. You want to be religious? Then pick up your cross, help some orphans and widows, love your neighbor, and most importantly love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength.

What I see in this verse is the heart of a Father; our Father. I also see how loving our Father is by mentioning specific types of individuals. Our Father has a heart for those who do not have, those who have lost, those who have need, and those who are afflicted. This is the heart that burns inside our Father and He wants us to burn with the same heart. God knows that if we extend love to those in need it is as if we are doing it unto our Father in Heaven; our love for people is evidence of our love for Jesus. In essence, love is pure and undefiled religion before God.

The last thing that stands out to me in this verse is the fact that we need to keep ourselves unstained from the world. To me this means we must not have a divided heart, we must not have any stains on our hearts that corrupt our love for Christ. We must guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and keep watch over our souls lest our love for God and others becomes stained for the love of the things of this world. Again, it's about the heart here, God desires for us to have a clean, pure heart. If we are stained with the world we do not love, because the world is not love, God is love.

This is what should set apart Christian mercy ministries from non-Christian non-profit organizations; the heart. God doesn't just want good deeds, visiting the orphans and widows, but He wants a heart unstained from the world , meaning we visit the orphan and widow for the Glory of God, the furtherance of the Gospel, and because we love Christ and our neighbors. This is why Abel's sacrifice was more acceptable before God than Cain's sacrifice, because Abel's heart was right before God. Abel gave God his first fruits, he didn't hold back; he put God first. When the unregenerate person visits the orphan and widow it's empty action fueled for the glory of man, when the regenerate person visits the orphan and widow it should be propelled for the glory of God with a heart overflowing with love for God; good deeds without love for Christ and the cross are dead.

Let's remember what true religion is and let's guard it zealously!

Confessions of a Bad Baker

I baked a cake once and it turned out horrible. It was my first attempt at a Black Forrest Cake and it was undercooked and sunken. I tried to remedy the problem by adding more cherries, shaved chocolate, and chattily cream but it was beyond repair.

Honestly, I did not know what I did wrong. I bought the best ingredients, followed the recipe precisely, and double checked the ovens to make sure they were calibrated. All the trouble shooting techniques that I learned in school and culinary apprenticeship could not give me an answer.

I made several attempts at baked goods later and they all turned out awful. All my cookies, breads, and pastries turned out so bad that to this day I am reluctant to bake. I have had several bad experiences in baking and have never mustered up enough enthusiasm to bake since.

Years later, a co-worker from a restaurant came over my house one day and decided to whip up something for dinner. He made an alarming discovery in my kitchen and asked,

Did you know your measuring cups are all off?

It turns out that the measuring cups and spoons which I had purchased at a dollar store were not accurate. 1 Cup was really 1 ¼ Cups, ½ Cup was really 3/5 Cup, and 1 Tablespoon was 4/5th of a Tablespoon. I was working with inaccurate tools which lead to inaccurate facts and therefore giving me debauched products.

To my understanding a measuring cup was a measuring cup regardless where I got it from. I had since learned not all manufacturers of measuring utensils are regulated and often sell tools which give inaccurate measures. Unfortunately this minor oversight in measuring utensils gave me an inaccurate sense of reality and thus resulting in worthless goods.

***

This is a great analogy for the Bible and its truths. Inaccurate or warped views in theology can lead to distorted Christianity or worse, a false sense of salvation. The Bible is clear about preserving its truth and not altering or adding to what it says;

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 2 Timothy 2:15-16
Much like the Black Forrest Cake we often compensate for errors by adding to the exterior instead of getting to the root of the problem. In order to remedy the problem we need to get to the heart of the problem and replace false doctrine with the truth. We consistently need to examine our actions and align it with what God intended so we carry out His will.

Even within the Christian label, there are various interpretations. Not all of which are accurate. So therefore it is our duties as Christian to handle the word with attention and be careful to preserve its truth.

Think, Show, and React in Love.

What the difference between Reacting and Responding?...a few seconds.

My wife Allie and I stepped away from our busy lives this past weekend to visit a marriage retreat. Over the course of the past year or so, we have become busy with life. Too busy. We had lost the intentionality of our relationship and replaced it with "doing stuff". The Bible gives very clear instruction to Men in response and care for their wives, (Eph 5:25, 28, 29, etc.) and as I reflect back over the weekend I now see where I screwed it up. Rather then responding to my wife and our life, I had been reacting to it. The difference that I have discovered is that key work intentionality.

So how does that look? Well, Have I cherished her? Do I nourish her? Do I Love her as the Biblical model shows? As hard as it may be, my answers to these questions would mostly be...no. Allie and I have put together some practical ideas to help us live out the Biblical model for marriage. So for you Talian's I ask that you pray for us as we attempt to accomplish what seems to be a daunting task.

So I ask, In your daily lives how will you Think, Show, and React in Love?

The State of Today's Church

Here's a video from The White Horse Inn titled The State of the Church.

Quote Of The Week: Dr. Michael Horton

Michael Horton comments on how modern-day evangelicalism has shifted away from what Christianity really is:

"We are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American church life where the Bible is mined for quotes but largely irrelevant, God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshiped and trusted, Jesus Christ is a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a Savior who has achieved it for us, salvation is more a matter of having our "best life now" rather than being saved from God's judgment by God Himself, and the Holy Spirit is sort of an electrical outlet we can plug in for the power to be all that we can be."

Remorse and Penance vs. Remorse and Repentance

I am writing a paper on this topic for my Biblical Counseling Logos class. The following text is not from my paper, but in my research found this written by a Master's Seminary student. I thought it was a clear idea that helped my own understanding.

Remorse and Repentance

There are three elements all integral to biblical repentance. Intellectually, the sinner comes to a knowledge and an acknowledgment of his sins. After making a conscious choice, he resolves to abandon sin and submit to Christ as Lord. Then emotionally, he feels the sorrow of having offended God.

Is remorse necessary? The Bible contains examples where repentance comes with expressions of distress - the tax collector (Luke 18:10-14) and the city of Nineveh (Jon. 3:6-10).

However, there are also instances where true repentance is unaccompanied by any emotional displays - Jacob after wrestling with God (Gen 32:22-32) and the woman of Samaria (John 4:7-30). Moreover, in not a few instances deep anguish is devoid of repentance - Judas after betraying Jesus (Matt. 27:3-5) and Esau after selling his birthright (Heb. 12:16-17).

John F. MacArthur in The Gospel According to Jesus notes, "Repentance is not merely shame or sorrow for sin, although genuine repentance always involves an element of remorse." That remorse may be quickly overtaken by the joy of forgiveness. In some cases, the repentant may not outwardly display inner feelings.

There is a crucial difference between displays of remorse and remorse itself. Paul says that godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death (2 Cor. 7:10). It is clear that not all grief leads to repentance. And turning from sin always comes with sorrow, but such sorrow may not always be displayed.

Remorse and Penance

In Roman Catholicism, man's first justification occurs at baptism, such justification being granted by God for Christ's sake regardless of the sinner's merit (though his volition co-operates in some way). But justification (not sanctification) is sustained through the sinner's own merit.

Under Roman Catholicism, initial justification can be (and is) annulled by sin, and may be restored only through the Sacrament of Penance as outlined below:
Contrition - grief and hatred of past sins with the intention of stopping the sin;
Confession - self-accusation (with full details, without reserve) to a priest;
Satisfaction - painful work prescribed by the priest, performed by the penitent, as proper payment for sins (after death, satisfaction is achieved through purgatory

Charles Spurgeon says this..."Evangelical repentance is repentance of sin as sin: not of this sin nor of that, but of the whole mass. We repent of the sin of our nature as well as the sin of our practice. We bemoan sin within us and without us. We repent of sin itself as being an insult to God. Anything short of this is a mere surface repentance, and not a repentance which reaches to the bottom of the mischief. Repentance of the evil act, and not of the evil heart, is like men pumping water out of a leaky vessel, but forgetting to stop the leak. Some would dam up the stream, but leave the fountain still flowing; they would remove the eruption from the skin, but leave the disease in the flesh."

Cars & Jesus

There is a point to this. So please follow me to the end.

It may surprise you to hear me write (I have a loud pen) that I work at a car dealership. I don't have to wear leisure suits or snakeskin boots...although I do enjoy wearing gold chains with my chest hair showing. Ok, not really. But I do work at a respectable dealership in Victorville, Ca. The primary reason I took the job two years ago was because they allowed me the freedom to have Sunday mornings off so that we could plant a local church. That remains the one reason I stay at the dealership in spite of all the ups and downs, the stereotypes, the economy, the unsteady pay and the cut-throat competition amongst salespeople.

On a brighter note, our owner has a yearly competition for the salespeople in which he gives away a vacation for two. The last time they had this sort of competition (2006) they gave away a trip for two to Hawaii plus spending money. I had only been at the dealership for two weeks and anticipated one day being in the competition...cause who doesn't want a free trip somewhere. Well, last year because of the economy (I think) they did not have the competition. This year they did! The competition works something like this:

1. All sales people are required to participate.
2. Each week a vehicle is selected and each person must give a three minute presentation of the vehicle. This is known as a walk-around.
3. There are four judges that critique each person. And every week there is a guest judge (Chrysler representatives, other dealership owners, etc). Each judge can award a total of up to 100 points, with a 10 point deduction for going over the time limit.
4. At the end of each week (round), the scores are tallied and they eliminate several people with the remaining contestants moving on to the next round and the next vehicle.

That's basically how it works. We started with 23 contestants. We're now down to 3. I'm one of them. Of course I'd like to win. Even though the trip is only to Las Vegas and not Hawaii, I enjoy getting away with my wife, sleeping in, eating out, shopping and all that jazz. If I don't get eliminated next week I'll finish in at least 2nd place and get a prize of $500. Not bad at all.

Today my wife happened to bring me lunch at the time I was getting ready to present today's vehicle. One salesperson whispered to my wife, "I bet he practices at home all day, huh?" She said, "Actually, he doesn't." It's true. I haven't had much time to practice. Sermon prep time and time with the family come first before these types of things, so I've had to rely on my years of public speaking (preaching) to get me through this. I'm ashamed to admit that moving through the competition hasn't required much more effort than 1/2 hour of practice and preparation each week. The more I prepare, the better I'd actually be at presenting vehicles to a real guest who really wants to buy. That is the whole point of this competition--to sharpen our skills. At that got me thinking...

All the other sales people are preparing and studying to win a prize. They prepare in order to win a vacation. A vacation! I wonder how much effort Christians put into studying God's Word and knowing Jesus so that they can properly and passionately tell others about Christ--in order to win souls. People, Christians included, will work hard and labor to win a vacation. Will they work equally hard in order to bring people to Christ--without any temporal benefit? You see, certain things motivate us to action. For some it's money. For others it's the sheer joy of seeing others know Christ. My aim in life is to know Christ and present Christ. I'll work hard and labor in the Word for that...even if I gain nothing. Studying a car in order to win a vacation...nothing wrong with that...but it'll not consume me. I'd give that up any day to share Christ with a sinner.

I wonder what it would take to motivate you to be involved in the ministry of reconciliation--the ministry of the Word. Would you share Christ with someone for $1,000,000? Would you share Christ for a trip to Hawaii? If you'd do it for money or vacations, yet not simply out of love for God, then who really do you serve: God or money?

Just thinking out loud here.

The Greater Kingdom; The Lesser Wisdom.

I adore how the Word of God describes the greater kingdom: The Kingdom of Heaven. My love for it can at times follow an anti-gramatacal form much like Paul stated in Phil 1:21 "to live is Christ". At times, for me: I zeal the Kingdom. I love, seek, expend, and yearn toward and for it, to as much as God's grace carries me there in His Word and on my knees.

The greatest shocking revelation of truth on the Day of the Lord (just prior to the Kingdom's establishment) to which all will shudder in fear and awe is this: Jesus Christ is Lord. To say He is Lord brings about the infinite truths attached to that (Jesus is God, He is Risen, He is Savior, etc).

Perhaps one aspect of truth that I, at the very least, often neglect to meditate on in the context of the Day of the Lord, the end of this age, the end time, the return of Christ... is the infinite expanse between the Kingdom and what I would call the Lesser Wisdom. The Lesser Wisdom is in fact no wisdom at all. It is the knowledge of the world by the people of the world twisted in a lie that says, "I have attained wisdom." A "wisdom" they boast not of in God, but in themselves (which ironically is knowledge given by God, from His power to reveal knowledge). A "wisdom" that is often used to denounce the approaching Kingdom. Christ had something to say about that... and so does the Holy Spirit through scripture.

The first message preached by Christ in the new testament proclaimed and informed man upon this very thing. In Matthew 3, Jesus tells John the Baptist to baptize Him "to fulfill all righteousness". He spoke to John. In Matthew 4, Jesus rebukes Satan while He Himself is being tempted. He spoke to Satan. But Matthew 4:17 records the to-be returning King's first new testament preaching. His first proclamation, in which, He spoke to all.

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The Kingdom is real. The Kingdom is close. And it's King is coming with all power. When that Day comes, the strength to which the world clings onto (strength founded upon their knowledge and 'wisdom') will crumble and the window of mercy will be shut forever.

Paul continues an exhortation to flee the pursuit of worldly wisdom by saying this in 1 Corinthians 3:19-20.

"...the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God for it is written, "He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again, "The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless."

The Kingdom is the opposition to the world. But the Kingdom is also, for a time until the return of Christ, the mercy to the world. Before Christ comes: it is the home of the mercy to be sought after. After Christ comes: it is the courtroom of righteous justice and judgment from which all will seek to flee. Matthew 6:25-34 speaks about anxiety in life: the deep fear in life that one will not be provided for. Jesus offers these words in relation to those necessary life-provisions:

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Christ offers His righteousness to us and even a spot in His coming Kingdom. Seek Him.

The Lord is the Maker of all

"Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?" -Ex. 4:11

During my youthful years in college I took a summer biology course at an Arizona local community college to get ahead in units. (Woop woop on community colleges) It was an exciting course and I learned a lot about the laws and phenomenon of nature. When the textbook chapters "evolved" to the human life section, I found it quite fascinating to learn how our bodies are designed. My class got familiar with genes and DNA. We discovered that "accidental" defects in humans were a result of DNA mutation. For example, when the coding in a person's DNA gets messed up it complicates the rest of the DNA strand causing health issues. I.e. missing an organ, deformation, and a diseases similar to Down Syndrome.

It is interesting to note that the language used to describe the victim's symptoms were a mere "mistake" in nature's design. A child born with Down Syndrome is a result of a "chance" occurrence in the "normal" human race. In a normal human body, we are all made up of 23 pairs of chromatids. All of these pairs tell the body what color of hair, skin, sex, eyes, etc, you'll have. A person born with DS would have an extra chromatid in one of the pairs. Hmmm. Interesting you say? It is...

Modern medicine has not come up with a solution to cure this disease, therefore leaving the sorrowful parent(s) to decide whether they will keep the baby. Adoption and even abortion are common alternatives. Majority of the time the child would be admitted to a children's home to be taken care of by the state. Pro-choice activists arguing "economic weight" these people bring, have opted for aborting children with defects. Their reasoning would be that it "isn't fair" for those children to grow up with their differences. It would be less painful for the parent and child if the pregnancy was terminated, making the number of the disabled lower. Hmmm....

In one study, CDC used data from the U.S. Department of Education and the Social Security Administration to find the number of people with mental retardation in the United States in 1993. The study showed that about 1.5 million children and adults (ages 6-64 years) had mental retardation.

As Christians, let's not forget that all things are God's creation. He is the Maker of all things, nothing is a "mistake" or by "chance" (see above verse). But what about salvation? If we are to be saved by confessing Jesus and believing in our hearts, how can someone who can't think or talk like us be saved? Let's see what the Word says...

3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” -Mark 2:3-5

Ok, let's now consider the circumstance. Obviously, the paralytic couldn't walk so men (maybe relatives) had to bring him in through the roof (due to the mass crowd). When they lowered the man, it says that Jesus saw the faith of the men and forgave and healed the paralytic. If it was the men's faith that Jesus saw and acknowledged, it seems that the man could probably not talk or even think. Since he was on a bed, his case was probably severe (although I am no expert on the medical practices of the biblical Jews). The men had to carry the paralytic down to see Jesus.

Now applying this to modern disabled. Honestly, we do not know what is going on in the hearts of these people. Obviously since we serve an all Soveriegn Lord, their salvation is ultimately in His hands. However, God uses preordained means to accomplish His will. What if reading the Word and singing worship songs to the disabled, the Lord will look on our faith and forgive their sins? What if while sharing Jesus with these people, that in their hearts they believe unto salvation? We don't know, and it obviously isn't for us to know. And I do not think that it is necessarily "unfair" for those people, God has His ways of making things up to those "cheated." (See 1 Peter 4:19) But instead, I think that those people are created for us who are normal. What if it is a test of God to see if we are going to do what He has commanded us and preach to every person?

Life is the Lord's. He gives and He takes away. The heart belongs to Him, and salvation through His Grace by Jesus Christ. Next time you see someone who is in a wheelchair, or suffering from mental disability, meditate on these passages in scripture and be reassured no one is a mistake.

the beloved.

The Talia member pictures on the right column have been updated with links to mini-bio pages.

Ephesians 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

free

Starting today, November 5, 2008, Grace To You has permanently opened it's vaults of every recorded John MacArthur message, for free download.

gaze.

hi. from the newbie. hopefully this will encourage your soul.

Isaiah 55: 6-9

'Seek the LORD while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God knows, He sees, He ordains. Trust in the infinite.

election day

Today is election day. Regardless of the outcome, it helps me to remember:

Daniel 2:20-21

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;"

Daniel 4:17

"The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men."

Proverbs 21:1

"The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will."

Rest in God's sovereignty, knowing that He is in control of the government. Everything is going exactly how it was planned.

It is also important to remember what kind of attitude to adorn in regards to responding to our government.

1 Peter 2:13-18
"Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.

The interesting thing about Peter's letter is that he was writing to Christians living under the rule of Emperor Nero, who was torturing Christians. With this in mind, he tells them to "honor the emperor". This may be tough for us, but if Christians could do that under Nero, then I'm sure it's possible for Christians in America. My question is "are we honoring our rulers with our words?" 1 Peter's emphasis is the Christian's testimony ("Aliens and strangers" 1 Peter 2:11). Are people wondering what the reason is for the hope that is in us? (1 Peter 3:15) Do we look different from the world? Or are we complaining like EVERYONE else? I pray that the Lord takes control of my heart, and that I will always respond with "gentleness and respect" (v.16) I pray my focus will be on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3:18
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit"

Praying To Love God for Who He Is and Not What He Gives

As I was praying this morning and expressing my love for God I realized that much of my love for God is because of the things He gives me and not because of Who He is. In a way I was distracted with the gift and not enthralled with the Giver. St. Augustine captured the heart of what I am trying to say when he prayed to the Father and said, "He loves thee too little who loves anything together with thee which he loves not for thy sake." I decided to write out my prayer so that I could share it with you and that it might be a means to examining yourself and the purity of your love for God.

Father, let me love you for who you are and not what you give.

May I see nothing on this earth as more desirable than you

and may I see nothing in Heaven as more worthy than you.

May I treasure you most as I delight in you above all things.

May I count a thousand days on this earth as trivial

compared to one day in your house.

May the presence of others be like a mud pie

compared to the bountiful feast of your presence.

May life on this fleeting earth look like a raindrop

compared to the infinite fountain of your love.

May the treasures of this earth look like tarnish and rust

compared to your unfading and incorruptible glory.

May your gifts not become distractions from you

but avenues that lead me deeper in love with you.

God, you are ever-exceedingly enough.

AMEN.

“Repentance has nothing to do with what man has done. Rather it is man’s coming undone in respect to all human righteousness, followed by his going outside himself in faith to Christ alone for salvation.”
-C. John Miller