Standing Firm

On Life Changes - Graduation

2010-06-18T13:49:00.010-04:00

Today begins my first post in a series dedicated to the many "big" life changes we often face as the days of life rapidly pass by us and how God has worked in me through the presence of many of these at one time.

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For many college graduation is an exciting, yet also a very scary time. Through many long hours of diligent, hard work (or lack there of), degrees are finally earned and we are able to advance into the real world where money can be made and lives can begin. However, for many this is also where the fear takes hold. For most of our lives, we have known the securities that our parents have provided and have hid under the proverbial blanket that is schooling. For many of us, school has played an huge role in our lives for over seventeen years of our twenty-some years of existence. However, despite these cliche moments that a college graduation often presents, most of the thoughts and feelings I have experienced, and what God has taught me in the process have nothing to do with them.

Entering my undergraduate years, I was certain of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I had a plan, I was sticking to it and I was going to be successful. God however had a completely different plan set for my life and in the early moments of my collegiate career called me to a life that would be spent for Him and His gospel that He might gain sole glory for the days remaining for me on this earth. This calling set forth for me a different, yet still exciting path for me towards obtaining my degree that I may move on to theological training at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. So with a calling so sure and more school looming ahead in the future, what could God have possibly taught me in this transition and big moment in my life?

Public relations, my undergraduate area of study, was something that I had longed to pursue for a long time in my life. For a while, it was what I live and breathed. When God called me into ministry, I knew fully that I was made to do nothing else but serve Him in full-time ministry, yet I never really had to physically give up the career I had so longed to pursue until my graduation day. It was easy to talk and say that I was giving up everything I had always wanted. But until I graduated, I never really fully had to give it up. Graduating from my undergraduate studies caused me to relinquish everything I had always dreamed and wanted that I might be used by God for His name and renown.

During this time, many days were spent in darkness, despite being overjoyed for the time that is still to come and the journey that God has remaining for my life. I cried out to God several nights wondering why He had chosen me to do His work and why other people were chosen to fulfill His calling by doing the things they loved. It was in this time that two particular passages of Scripture gave me comfort and encouragement to press on in the calling God had made so apparent in my heart.

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. [Acts 20:24]

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. [Philippians 3:8-16]

These verses encouraged me greatly in giving up everything I had gained, my dreams and accolades, that I might obtain a prize far greater than any that this earth can offer. God's calling is greater than man's longing. God's Word remains faithful and it spurs us on to do the work of the Lord, knowing full well that our reward is not of this earth. My sinful heart may yearn for what this world offers, it may yearn for what I could have accomplished in the career I always wanted. However, I have been given the grace to know the worth which surpasses all of this world and that is knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. And even greater, I have been called to not account my life as precious or dear to myself, but to finish the course and the ministry which I received from Him. With His strength sustaining me, despite the great sorrow that filled my heart, I was able to say with hope as I walked across the stage to receive my degree:

forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Long, Long Overdue

2010-06-17T14:15:00.004-04:00

At the end of March I never intended to stop writing. Here I am in June, caught up by the events life has brought, having not posted in almost three months. Between final projects, graduating, planning a wedding and getting used to the schedule of working daily eight-to-five has hindered my ability to fully think of keeping up with the blog and for that I apologize. However, writing is an art that can never escape me for too long and I plan to begin updating regularly here, despite the continued life events that loom ahead. Over the next few days, I'll be starting to post regularly again, beginning with a series on the big life changes that have occurred and the ones that lie ahead. I firmly believe God gives comfort and promise in all change, no matter how big, and have sought in all these endeavors to cling and seek Him, knowing He knows full well what plan is best for my life. So hello again and I hope and pray your deeply encouraged in the Lord by my words in the days and weeks to come.

God is Always Good

2010-03-24T16:02:00.005-04:00

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

HT: John Piper

The Gospel Coalition

2010-03-03T12:57:00.004-05:00

For more information regarding The Gospel Coalition, visit their website.

Let The Journey Begin

2010-03-01T13:09:00.003-05:00

I recently received the news with great excitement that I have been accepted to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to pursue my Master in Divinity. This stage in my life is something I have looked forward to with much anticipation for the past few years now and am filled with overwhelming joy that this time has arrived. Only God knows where this new beginning will take Casey and I, because only He knows what the future holds. However, the one thing that remains certain is the calling which He has so firmly placed upon my heart and life. The following is my spiritual autobiography I wrote as a part of the application process to Southern. In it I explain my calling, how I came to know the Gospel, what I believe to be the Gospel and why I chose Southern for my seminary education.

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The apostle Paul wrote in Acts 20:24, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Speaking to the Ephesian elders, Paul conveys with such passion and surety the calling of which he received from the Lord. Knowing what lies ahead in his journey, knowing that he will face many trials and sufferings, he proclaims boldly of the calling Christ has put upon his life.

This also is my calling. I have no knowledge of what lies ahead, only that I must push forward and fulfill the calling of which Christ has so evidently placed upon my heart and life. This calling, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I have received so graciously by my Lord Jesus Christ, to know Him more fully and to make Him more fully known. This calling, I am sure, has been so powerfully written into the fabric of my being that no trial, no suffering, nor even the fear of death could separate me from what I know is to be true in my life and that is that the Lord Jesus Christ ransomed me so that I might proclaim His glorious name to a corrupt generation and shifting culture.

Growing up as the son of a pastor, this calling seemed so close, yet so distant. I grew up around the gospel, I knew the gospel, yet somehow I never fully embraced the gospel. I came to the realization of needing Jesus Christ as my Savior at the age of seven, while my father served as a youth minister outside of Detroit, Michigan. Despite this commitment to know and follow Jesus as my Lord, I very rarely showed it in my life and actions in the years to follow. Throughout middle school and high school, I followed my own way and life was about pleasing myself and seeking after the things that I desired. Outwardly I lived a life apparent to be Christian, because it was what I had been taught, but inwardly I was living a life full of my own pride and hanging onto my father’s faith.

It was during my senior year of high school that God began to lay forth His plan of redemption in my life; a plan that would turn my world upside down and radically change my heart and innermost desires. My plan throughout my final year in high school was to attend Eastern Kentucky University and major in public relations. However, by God’s grace I received a full ride scholarship to any in-state institution of my choice and I quickly changed my plans from Eastern Kentucky University to West Virginia University. Through this scholarship and change in my plans for undergraduate study, God began to unveil His plan of greatly revealing Himself to me and calling me to a life of service to Him.

West Virginia University is known throughout the state and nation as one of the largest party schools in the country. It was my full intention to join this party and enjoy the years that college life would bring. However, by the sovereign hand and grace of God, people had been placed in my life from the minute I stepped foot onto campus that encouraged and led me in a different direction. I began to get involved with Baptist Campus Ministry and very quickly God gripped into me a fear I had never before experienced.

Throughout the first few weeks of my college experience, I spent many nights on the floor, on my knees crying out to God. This fear He had placed so deep within me, was so evident, so clear that I could not resist the work that was taking place. It was during this time that I came, in my own heart and life, to know the person and work of Jesus Christ. It was also during this time, that I not only came to know Christ as my Savior and Precious Redeemer, but that I also felt a deep calling to spend the rest of my days He had ordained for me proclaiming His name to the lost, broken and depraved.

Although I knew this Savior of mine and knew His calling upon my life, it was not until a couple of years after these initial moments in my dorm room that I came to know what I know to be the gospel today. In the spring of 2008, my father invited me, along with other men of our church, to attend the Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, Kentucky. It was during this conference, that God began working in me to not only call Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior and to feel His calling into ministry, but in these two distinct foundations of my life to deeply know and understand Him and His Word.

It was in the foundation laid at this conference, and in the weeks and months that have since followed, with much study of Scripture and books, that I have come to know the gospel that God has undeservingly called me to preach: God in His infinite and immeasurable grace, knew that in our depraved hearts and minds we could not obtain salvation on our own, and in knowing this began a journey and dwelled among us in the form of Jesus Christ His son, so that He might become the perfect sacrifice needed to ransom our souls and thereby grant eternal salvation through the washing and regenerate work of the Holy Spirit to those of us who would believe in Him that to Him and Him alone would be the glory forevermore.

This is what I have come to know as the essential Truth, by which I must preach and by which I must call men to repentance. God has deeply planted within me a desire to know Him more fully and to make Him more fully known. So much so, that by the power at work within me, nothing can separate me from this calling to proclaim His name to a hardened generation. When looking for a place that would equip me for this calling, a place that would stand on the basis of Truth and nothing else, God brought me to Southern Seminary. No other place, I believe, stands for the Truth and prepares men to uphold the marvelous gift of God’s Word like that of Southern Seminary. I have bathed this decision in deep prayer and counsel from others, and know that nowhere else will I be best equipped to come to a deeper knowledge of God, that I may fulfill my calling in the Lord to make Him more fully known.

How Majoring in Public Relations Has Prepared Me For Ministry

2010-03-01T13:00:00.003-05:00

Recently I was asked to write an essay on how my experience in the public relations department has prepared me for my future career. The following is what I wrote.

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My career journey is not a usual path for a public relations student. Many students dream of working large events, going to law school or owning their own public relations firm. These once were my dreams too; however the work of God in a person’s life can open their heart to paths which at a time may have seemed very unlikely. My future now includes going to seminary for graduate study to prepare me for becoming a minister in a local congregation. How then do I justify these four years of study with such a drastic career change, one that seems so far and distant from the field of which I have studied these past four years? The answer lies in the biggest lesson I have learned throughout my time in the public relations program: the practice of public relations is everywhere and can be useful in everything.

I knew entering my first years of undergraduate study that the field was interesting; I know leaving that it is one of the most fascinating areas of study because of its application to almost every field and avenue of life. In my future ministry, the fundamentals that have been taught to me will prove beneficial to helping me fulfill what I believe is my life’s utmost calling: to know God more fully and make Him more fully known. Even one of the crucial tools of understanding and knowing your audience applies to my future ministry; the ability to know and to discern the culture in which I live and minister.

The experiences that have helped better equip me for that life are endless. However, the craft I believe will be most useful in my future work is writing. Entering into the program my freshmen year, I knew I enjoyed writing, but had yet to be challenged in a way that brought out my full potential. My four years within the public relations program have helped me to discover my potential in writing; so much so, that one of my heart’s desires is to someday write a book. The skills I have acquired in being able to pull from numerous sources and create a final product with the power of words will be highly valuable. I leave this program believing that one of the greatest abilities one could possess is that of understanding the beauty of words and how to use them to best serve one’s purpose.

There was a moment in my years of study that I fooled myself into thinking that my undergraduate degree would be a waste. Conversely, the experiences and skills I have learned within the public relations program have proved so valuable; there is not another program available that would better prepare me for the future that lays waiting. Many think my love for the field is unusual, being that I will never have a typical public relations job. My future career may not be typical, however, it will certainly be public relations: for God.

Another World Is Possible

2010-02-18T10:46:00.004-05:00

My friend has a great post regarding Another World Is Possible, a week dedicated to bringing campus ministries together at West Virginia University. In preparing for the week, which starts Sunday, he writes:

I pray that in the week to come, and until His return for that matter, that we remember our first true love first and foremost. As we pursue to reveal the social atrocities of this world, may we more importantly pursue to reveal the atrocities we have committed against our God. As we are filled with passion towards the oppressed and dying, may we overflow with passion for the One that saved us from the oppression of sin and the death of eternal punishment. Sacrifices that uplift our fellow man are essential to our Christian walk, but without a proper heart and a repentant soul they are merely vanity.

I encourage you to read the rest.

Dug Down Deep

2010-02-18T10:41:00.002-05:00

Josh Harris had a contest for filmmakers to create a video based on his new book Dug Down Deep. This is the Winning Entry:

DugDownDeep_Carnahan.mov from Covenant Life Church on Vimeo.

Am I Getting Married Too Young?

2010-02-18T10:19:00.003-05:00

Albert Mohler has a great article in response to an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal by David Lapp entitled "Did I Get Married Too Young?" Both Lapp and Mohler have great arguments against the sudden shift in our culture in regards to marriage. Mohler writes towards the end of his article:

The delay of marriage is a huge problem, and Christians should be in the forefront of seeing and understanding the problem — and countering the arguments against early marriage. Churches and parents need to ask why we are not getting young adults ready for marriage. Abdication to the “hooking up” culture of young adulthood is just not an option.

I deeply encourage you to read the rest of Mohler's article, where there is also a link to Lapp's full piece in The Wall Street Journal.

New Layout

2010-02-11T15:22:00.004-05:00

The last layout that I used was giving me some glitches, so I decided to switch to a new layout. This layout has more features that I hope you find useful. To God alone be the glory in this and every endeavor.

John Piper on His Annual Writing Leave

2010-01-27T12:55:00.003-05:00

John Piper is about to embark once again on his annual writing leave. He has some really great projects in the works and I encourage you to join with me in praying for him during this time. He writes:

Thank you for supporting me in these focused times away. They are not vacation. I usually work longer hours during writing leave than during regular ministry seasons.

So please pray for me that I would love my family well and that I would be very productive for the glory of Christ. Pray that I would devote more time to prayer, not less; that I would give more time to read and meditate on the Scriptures, not less; and pray that I would see beautiful truth in God’s word and be able to write about it in spiritually compelling ways.

Also, he includes why he values and pursues writing in the way that he does. One particular reason he writes greatly hits home to the passion that dwells within me for writing:

...there is an inner impulse that I cannot explain that drives me to write. I would write if there were no possibility of publication. I have hundreds of pages that no one has ever seen but me, and it would not matter ultimately if they were destroyed. I wrote them not to be published but because there is an impulse from within.

You can view his plan for his writing leave, as well as his other reasons for writing (perhaps the greatest reason being that he writes to make God look great) here.

99 Balloons

2010-01-22T11:27:00.003-05:00

Today marks the 37th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. This video shows the beauty of choosing life over abortion.

99 Balloons from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

HT: JT

Mohler Asks, "Does God Hate Haiti?"

2010-01-15T10:54:00.003-05:00

In recent days, it's been hard not to hear about the devastating earthquakes bringing much destruction to the nation of Haiti. These events have brought many to question whether or not God hates Haiti. Albert Mohler answers this question, and in my opinion answers it well saying:

Does God hate Haiti? God hates sin, and will punish both individual sinners and nations. But that means that every individual and every nation will be found guilty when measured by the standard of God's perfect righteousness. God does hate sin, but if God merely hated Haiti, there would be no missionaries there; there would be no aid streaming to the nation; there would be no rescue efforts -- there would be no hope.

I think it would benefit you well to take the time and read the rest of this post; as it is powerful, convicting and very encouraging. To God be the glory in the midst of this horrible tragedy.

Do You Get Offended Easily?

2010-01-13T13:12:00.002-05:00

Kevin DeYoung has a great post about being easily offended. He writes:

We live in an emotionally fragile culture. We are in touch with every hurt past, present, and perceived. We are the walking wounded and we want everyone to know. Which is too bad, because when people are genuine victims–profoundly, egregiously wronged–they deserve not to be lumped in the same category with those who got picked last for kickball or turned down for their church’s “special music.”

I encourage you to read the rest of the post, as it should come as a challenge to us all.

A Sweet and Bitter Providence

2010-01-13T10:40:00.005-05:00

John Piper just released a new book entitled A Sweet and Bitter Providence regarding the story of Ruth. Many people I know are reading this book, along with myself, so I thought I would post a video of Piper reading some excerpts from the book.

HT: JT

Brit Hume Proclaiming The Gospel

2010-01-13T10:32:00.006-05:00

Last night, Tim mentioned the controversy surrounding Brit Hume and his call for Tiger Woods to turn to the Christian faith. I thought I'd post the original interview with which the whole controversy started, as well a links to a round-up of the controversy and another interview from after the controversy began.

Justin Taylor has a nice summary of the controversy.

Sarah Bailey also interviewed Hume regarding the controversy for Christianity Today.

HT: JT & James Grant

The End is Just the Beginning

2010-01-12T11:17:00.005-05:00

"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning."
Ecclesiastes 7:8

These words from King Solomon have been on my heart for the past several days now. I think back to all of the dreams, hopes and visions I had when I arrived to begin my undergraduate studies. A completely different man than the one that writes these words today: one gripped with fear, immaturity and a desire to glorify self and self alone. As I make my way towards the end of this road, reaching my next journey, I think back to the many struggles and triumphs that have been had on this road. I look back towards the beginning and recognize the young, naive man who once embarked and is now emerging as the man God was calling Him to become.

If one were to ask me the greatest thing I learned during the past four years while pursuing my undergraduate degree, it would have nothing to do with my studies. For I have full assurance that God did not bring me here for an education. An education was obtained and will be useful in getting towards the next journey life might bring, but God brought me here to prepare and make straight the path His plan for my life. A young man so certain that God could not satisfy the way his own desires could came, but what is leaving is a man that resolves to think that the only thing worth caring about is to know God more fully and to make Him more fully known.

It's by the grace of God that He has brought me by His sovereign hand to this place. Nearing the end, I look forward to the new beginnings that are rapidly approaching. These beginnings already bring me much joy and excitement, and I can only imagine the growth God may continue to bring forth in my life. I stand now with an open heart and an open mind to what God may accomplish in the days he has left for me and hope that in everything I may seek to bring Him glory.

The great wisdom that lies in these words of King Solomon, is that at the end of a journey one may look back and recognize where that journey brought them. The power in these words can be found so richly in the process of sanctification. How in a matter of a few years, one can be brought much closer to a knowledge of God and the gospel, and much closer to the freedom of the bondage of sin and death. Perhaps the most glorifying part in it all, is that at the ultimate end, our sanctification will be made complete. At that time we will look back on our rugged journey with new bodies and renewed minds; and it will be just the beginning of a life filled with eternal praise and glory.

To Him who is able to bring us into His righteousness through the power of His redeeming sacrifice, to Him who sanctifies and renews our hearts and minds, to Him be glory, honor and full praise throughout all nations, tribes and tongues throughout the rest of time and the future glory to come. Amen.

DeYoung's Modest Proposal

2010-01-12T10:53:00.003-05:00

Kevin DeYoung makes a modest proposal for all Christians that I think is desperately needed amidst the culture which surrounds us. He begins:

I’d like to make a modest proposal for Christians of all theological and political persuasions: don’t use the term “social justice” without explanation.

The term is unassailable to some and arouses suspicion in others. For many Christians, social justice encompasses everything good we should be doing in the world, from hunger relief to serving the poor to combating sex trafficking. But the phrase is also used to support more debatable matters like specific health care legislation, minimum wage increases, or reducing carbon emissions. If something can be included as a “social justice” issue then no one can oppose said issue, because who in their right mind favors social injustice?

Read his whole proposal here.

On The Incarnation

2009-12-24T18:05:00.001-05:00

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth…And from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
(John 1:1, 14,16)

To feel and comprehend the magnitude of the birth of Christ, one need only to turn to the Holy Scriptures where God lays forth His redeeming plan of salvation, giving hope and light to the depraved souls that walk the earth. Before time even began, God knew that eventually sin would enter the perfect world He would soon create. He knew that man, not perfect, because He and He alone is perfect, would fall prey to the temptations given under the domain of darkness and that redemption would have to be accomplished. He also knew, however, that the only path to true glorifying redemption would be a perfect sacrifice, without reproach, that would bear the darkness of the wretched world. Therefore, because of the fullness of His immeasurable grace and truth, God himself entered the world that He would become this perfect sacrifice the world so desperately needed.

The beauty of the incarnation, God coming to dwell among us so that we might be presented blameless before Him clothed in His righteousness and glory, lies within the incarnation itself. Through the conception of the Holy Spirit, God entered this world in the form of a man, named Jesus Christ; Three persons in one; the Trinity fully embodied. Oh the power and majesty of the person of Jesus Christ. Where else can one see a clearer picture of the work of the Trinity than in the birth and life of Jesus Christ? The Son, begotten of the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit leading a perfect and blameless life so that He could become the sacrifice needed to cleanse the sins of the world!

Christ himself was not a creation of the Father. He was the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit’s conception in the womb of a virgin named Mary, thus starting the journey of God’s miraculous plan of salvation being fully unveiled, a journey that has yet to end.

On a cold and bitter night, the lack of room for the son of God to be born began to foreshadow the lack of room in the hearts of the world He had come to save. Being born of a woman, fully human, yet fully God, Christ entered the world in the lowliest of lows; being born in a stable and placed in a manger. One can only imagine the glory bestowed from within the newborn babe as he lay helpless in a world that He would soon save. The innocent cries of the infant would soon become that of tears of blood just mere years later as His prayer to His Father tells of the redemptive work being made complete, “I glorified you on this earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:4-5) God entered this world through Jesus Christ for one purpose, to bring righteousness to the sons of man, through the perfect life He led and atoning sacrifice He gave to glorify Him more fully.

As we look towards the nativity, as we look to the birth of Christ and recognize the power of the incarnation, let us also be quick to look at what the incarnation began. It began a journey to a cross. One that the Son of God would bear, taking on the sins of the world that we might be heirs and inherit the kingdom of God for all eternity, being with Him in glory. As we sing these great songs of joy and hope, telling of the Messiah and His coming, let us be quick to feel the magnitude of the grace that was given through the incarnation of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us and let us not lose hope because our Messiah will be returning and what a glorious day it will be when we are taken with Him in glory as heirs in His blood bought righteousness.

Currently Reading

2009-12-21T11:35:00.003-05:00

I've recently added a section to the right under my name where you can see the books that I'm currently reading. It's a neat tool from a website called Library Thing which I encourage you to check out sometime. You can input your whole library and keep track of what you're reading, what you want to read, create reviews of books you've read and many other neat resources. I'll try to post my thoughts on the books as I finish them and let you know which ones are really worth reading.

Kingdom People Christmas Giveaway

2009-12-16T10:14:00.004-05:00

Trevin Wax has a great Christmas Giveaway through Christmas Day over at Kingdom People. I just stumbled upon his blog, but definitely one I'm going to start following. You can check out the giveaway here.

We Are Here (Christmas)

2009-12-14T14:23:00.006-05:00

Mohler on Starting What You Cannot Finish

2009-12-11T14:17:00.003-05:00

In honor of commencement ceremonies across the country and more specifically at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Albert Mohler reflects on the meaning of a commencement ceremony and the world's pull of finishing what we begin. In his article, Mohler writes:

Nevertheless, the biblical conception of the Christian ministry is, as we should not be surprised to find, radically at odds with worldly wisdom. According to the New Testament, one of the most important insights about the Christian ministry is this: We will not finish what we begin. This is not to say that we will never set goals and reach them or that we will never complete plans and programs. It does mean that the Christian ministry must be seen in the context of faithfulness extended from generation to generation until Christ returns to claim his Bride.

This was a great challenge to me, as was the article in its entirety. Perhaps the part that challenged me the greatest and that I hope will stay with me in the remaining days God has ordained for me on this earth was his final call to those graduating from Southern:

Start something you cannot finish and give yourself to it for the length of your days, with the strength of your life, to the glory of God. Dream dreams and see visions, and take up this calling as you plant and water in the fields of Christ. Build carefully upon the foundation laid for you. The hopes and prayers of God's faithful people go with you.

May this encourage and move you as deeply as it did myself and may you go out with boldness, willing to start something you may not be able to finish, or with courage to build on that of which someone who has gone before you has already begun.

You can read the rest of Mohler's article here.

Upholding the Old and True Gospel

2009-11-24T14:16:00.007-05:00

Kevin DeYoung has a great post regarding the "New Gospel" circulating and it's implications on truly reaching people for Christ. He ends with a plea stating:

Please, please, please, if you are enamored with the New Gospel or anything like it, consider if you are really being fair with your fellow Christians in always throwing them under the bus. Consider if you are preaching like Jesus did, who called people, not first of all to a way of life, but to repent and believe (Mark 1:15). And as me and my friends consider if we lack the necessary patience and humility to speak tenderly with non-Christians, consider if your God is a lopsided cartoon God who never takes offense at sin (because sin is more than just un-neighborliness) and never pours out wrath (except for the occasional judgment against the judgmental). Consider if you are giving due attention to the cross and the Lamb of God who died there to take away the sin of the world. Consider if your explanation of the Christian message sounds anything like what we hear from the Apostles in the book of Acts when they engage the world.

This is no small issue. And it is not just a matter of emphasis. The New Gospel will not sustain the church. It cannot change the heart. And it does not save.

I encourage you to read the rest of the post and I hope it challenges and encourages your heart to remain steadfast to the Gospel as much as it did mine.

Blogging BCM: Worship Part 1

2009-10-12T08:56:00.004-04:00

This is the video Tim shared a couple weeks ago at BCM. I think it sums up the night and what our feelings need to be regarding worship.

As always, if you have any questions feel free to talk to Tim, Mike or myself.

Blogging BCM: A Passionate Charge

2009-09-28T20:12:00.004-04:00

Last Tuesday night Dan spoke on 1 Timothy 1:18-20 in a message entitled A Passionate Charge. For me the title was completely fitting to the message that Dan gave. There were so many things Tuesday that challenged and deeply convicted me. At one point Dan shared:

We must fight because so many things in this world are contrary to the Word of God.

How true is this statement. How often do we as believers stand up and fight against the things that are contrary to God's Word. To be quite honest, how many of us even read and study God's Holy Word so that we'll know what's contrary and what needs to be fought against?

For me this is what stuck...it is what I believe we all need to ask ourselves. Do you cling to the Word of God, like that of the Psalmist in Psalm 119? Do you seek God's Word so that you may discern what the constant contradictions the world is bombarding us with? Do you value your opinion more in regards to culture, politics and education or do you compare all of these things to the Word of God and base the things you stand on upon His Truth?

The prophet Isaiah said very powerfully; "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:8) Seasons come and seasons pass, the shifting winds of our culture and it's current trends and political landscape will be gone before we know it, but God's word will last and endure beyond all time. Are you willing to stand up and be a fighter, fighting for the things of God's Word and standing firm against everything that is contrary? The Bible warns very harshly against those that stray from God's word and preach a false gospel. No where is this more evident than the passage that Dan preached on Tuesday night. Let us all make an effort to plant our feet upon the Word of God and dig down so deep that no power of this world can pull us away from the conviction and foundation that God gives us in His word.

Thoughts For Daily Devotions:

1. Read and study 1 Timothy 1:18-20, Isaiah 40 and Luke 11

2. In what areas of your life do you see a need to center yourself more upon God's Word?

3. What areas of your life might God be calling you to stand up and fight, holding fast to His Word and in repentance of your sinful nature that by His grace He has redeemed you from?

As always if you have any questions, feel free to talk to Tim, Mike or myself.

Blogging BCM: Proclaiming the Gospel

2009-09-16T15:37:00.004-04:00

This week due to schedule difficulties, Dan Hardesty agreed to guest blog on Tim's message from last night.

Last night, we had the opportunity to hear Tim teach on 1 Timothy 1:12-17. During our time together, Tim stressed the importance of being able to proclaim the Gospel and live out the Gospel in our lives. In the midst of this passage we see the great truth of the Gospel “that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners” (verse 15). We find this section of scripture situated where Paul is talking about his own sinfulness. Let’s look a little bit more at the facts behind the sinfulness of Paul.

As Tim mentioned, Paul “was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” of God and the glorious Gospel. Paul was a man who was so truly opposed to what God had done in Christ that he was willing to go to the extreme to make sure that this move was limited. But God still worked around Him, and ultimately through Him. He became an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). In spite of all of his past and his own predisposition against Jesus, God saved Paul and Paul impacted much of world in some way for Christ.

Paul though refers to himself as the foremost of sinners – and not in a past tense way. “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” Why does he refer to himself in the present tense as being the foremost of sinners? Was Paul being humble in his sinful past? Was Paul owning and admitting his sin? Could Paul have possibly been continuing in this sin?

Tim rightly asserted that Paul was being humble in his sinful past. In doing so, he gave hope to all of the sinners this world has seen. Now to say that Paul was the “worst” of sinners would be a stretch. We could bring up countless examples of other ruthless men and women in the world who have done terrible deeds, some of them even in the name of a god. However Paul’s salvation gives hope that God will save many different types of people, people from all sort of sinful and not-so-sinful backgrounds. Therefore we have hope that He will use us to help save some from all backgrounds.

Paul was also owning his sin. Just this past week there have been multiple incidents of public scrutiny in the world of sports, music, and politics. Now it is easy to criticize in these situations, so I will try not to be harsh. But it has taken some of these erring individuals multiple times and interviews for them to say anything more than “my passion got in the way” or “I handled it poorly.” Few of them have actually taken the time to apologize to the people that they wronged, and if they have, it has taken multiple days and too much time for them to own up to their sin. I know little of these individuals’ spiritual lives, but I do know that we, as Christians, are to own our sin, as Paul has done in this passage.

This is certainly not to say that Paul continued in his blasphemy, persecution, and opposition to the Gospel. On the contrary, Paul became the biggest advocate for Christ that we see in the scriptures. Paul’s sinful past was now truly wiped away and he was living for a different reason and different cause. He was truly “sold out” for Christ. “As for me (Paul) to live is Christ, but to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). He was no longer living for his own desires of persecuting the Way of Christ. He was no longer living for any other sin in his life. He was living for the only thing that truly matters, our faith in God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In his life we see a great truth. He shares it with us in Romans 8:9, “You, however, are not in the flesh” (the sinful nature) “but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” We are living and running and going by the Spirit of God if we are in Christ. We are empowered to live differently than we did before we came to Christ. That is not to say that we will not struggle with sin – Paul deals with this in Romans 7. But our sin is no longer who we are and how we live – that is Christ.

Finally Paul says that he “received mercy because (he) had acted ignorantly” (verse 13). The root word for ignorant and agnostic is the same. An agnostic is literally someone “without knowledge.” Much of this world is without knowledge of our one true God found in Christ. How will the people gain knowledge of our God? Ultimately the two main channels are through His word (if they are so inclined), but maybe even more so, through His people.

Through your devotions this week:

1. Read about the life of Paul. Examine especially those passages Tim shared Tuesday night, Acts 9:1-22, Acts 22:1-21, and Acts 26:9-18.

2. Read Romans 7 and 8. What implications does this have for you as a believer in Christ?

3. Pray for opportunities to share what God has done in your life, and ultimately, the Gospel. Target certain individuals as God directs you. If you aren’t a believer, get together and talk to a BCM leader about their faith.

As always, if you have any further questions, you can always talk to Josh, Tim, or Mike.

Where Are The Faithful Young Men?

2009-09-15T10:44:00.003-04:00

Don't Waste Your Church

2009-09-15T10:41:00.005-04:00

Josh Harris on Resisting Temptation

2009-09-15T10:37:00.002-04:00

Which Direction Are You Pointing In?

2009-09-15T10:24:00.004-04:00

HT: Josh Harris

The Importance of Memorizing Scripture

2009-09-15T10:20:00.002-04:00

John Piper on why we must memorize Scripture:

Why We Love The Church Video

2009-09-15T10:09:00.002-04:00

HT: T4G

Blogging BCM: Sound Doctrine

2009-09-10T19:49:00.004-04:00

Tuesday night Tim shared from 1 Timothy 1:3-11 a message entitled Sound Doctrine. He stressed the importance of sitting under sound doctrine in the church and called out many churches today who lack sound, Word-centered teaching. He also cited this flaw as one of the main reasons many are turned off by or have had bad experiences in the church. In addition, Tim talked about the fruits of sound doctrine and walking with a good conscience. In this post, I want to dig deeper into a certain verse from these passages. As is the purpose with this series of posts throughout each semester, I want to take a passage that, due to time, was not able to fully be examined and and look at it in more detail. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:5:

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

What Paul states in this one verse is absolutely crucial to understanding our need for sound doctrine and why he presses it so much throughout his letters to Timothy. As stated in the beginning, this is the whole aim (or goal) of this specific section of Scripture. He says that the aim of their charge is love. The charge Paul is speaking of is seen in verse 3, stating that Timothy is to charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine. So therefore, the charge is to not teach anything contrary to the sound doctrine that has been entrusted to Timothy. So the goal of not teaching any different doctrine is love. Love therefore, should pour out of sitting under sound teaching. How does this love come from enduring sound doctrine?

Paul continues writing that this love:

issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

What the conclusion of this verse shows us is that when we sit under and endure sound teaching, we will develop a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, therefore resulting in love. We might ask, "well how is this possible?" When we seek out and long for sound teaching, when we listen to sermons that are doctrinally sound and find churches that preach in a Word-centered way, we will be transformed by the Truth of God's Word. We will be thoroughly convicted, be challenged to repent of our sins and therefore develop consciences that are no longer laden with guilt. We will grow in sanctification and our minds will be transformed by the renewing power of His Word (Romans 12:2) in a way that we will no longer seek the desires of our flesh, but seek to glorify God in all that we say and do, therefore developing a pure heart. Through the power of His Word being taught in a doctrinally sound manner, we will be challenged to not only speak Christ and Him crucified, but to live it out with a complete, sincere faith.

Paul cannot stress to us enough the importance of seeking and undergoing sound teaching. If we do not sit under teaching that convicts and encourages us in our faith and that is doctrinally sound, we ultimately will not be able to love to our fullest capacity in Christ. The goal of our need to sit and endure sound doctrine is that we may love by the grace of God to our fullest potential through the developing of a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith as a result of the sound doctrine we absorb. There is a lot riding on who we listen to and where we attend church. Our spiritual maturity is at stake. Our spiritual growth is at stake. Our ability to love others is at stake. Paul stresses it. God's Word demands it. We must seek out and endure sound teaching.

Throughout Your Daily Devotions:

1. Read and Study 1 Timothy 1:3-11, Galatians 5:16-26 and Romans 12

2. Are you currently sitting under sound doctrine that is centered upon God's Word?

3. In what areas of your personal life do you need to seek to be more doctrinally sound?

As always if you have any questions, or need help finding a church body that is Biblical and doctrinally sound, feel free to talk to Tim, Mike or myself.

Blogging BCM: Introduction to Timothy

2009-09-06T12:43:00.003-04:00

Tuesday night, Tim shared a message introducing us to the subject of Paul's letters we will be studying throughout the semester. The part that stood out most to me, was when Tim shared the characteristics of Timothy and how Paul wrote these letters to encourage, enrich and train Timothy in the ministry God called him to. Tim shared that Timothy was called to be a messenger and how we are all called to be messengers ourselves. Therefore this journey that we are embarking on this semester, will prepare and strengthen us as messengers, just as Paul's letters prepared and strengthened him throughout his missionary journey.

Through this post, I want to focus on three of the key aspects of Timothy's life Tim touched on and how as messengers, like that of Timothy, we are called to display these characteristics in our lives as well.

First, Tim shared that we must have hope. If we are going to be true messengers of Christ, we must have hope in our Lord and Savior and the mission that He has called us to. God's Word speaks of this hope we are to have and how we received it (Colossians 1:27), as well as exhorts and calls us to be ready at any moment to speak for the hope we have. One of our greatest assets as a follower of Christ in reaching people for His purpose, is the hope that we are to display and our answer when people ask about our hope.

Next, we learned that Timothy was faithful to the Lord. If we are to be messengers for Christ, we must, as Timothy did, remain steadfast and faithful to what God has called us to do, no matter what direction He may take us in or what trials may arise. God rewards those who are faithful, and will work more fully through us the more faithful we remain to His purpose and calling in our lives.

Finally, as messengers of Christ like Timothy, we must not only show a deep concern for the lost, but a deep concern for God's people as well (Philippians 2:20-22). Throughout this semester we will discover that Timothy's role as a messenger and his ministry in Jesus Christ, calls him to have a deep concern for the people of God. If we are to be messengers ourselves, we must first and foremost have a deep concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ, because if we cannot love and care for them, then there is no way we will be able to love and care for the lost in a way that reaches them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

As we take step on this journey together through the teaching of Tim through Jesus Christ, it is my hope and prayer that we all heed this calling to be true messengers of Christ, and look for ways in studying His Word to grow in the characteristics God calls us to have as His messengers.

Things To Consider During Your Devotions:

1. Study 1 Timothy 1:1-2, Colossians 1 and Philippians 2:20-22.

2. In what ways do these Scriptures give us an example of how to have hope, remain faithful and have a concern for God's people.

3. Think about the ways you may need to work on these areas in your life in order to be a greater messenger by God's grace for Jesus Christ.

As always, if there are any questions you may have or you need someone to talk to; feel free to contact Tim, Mike or myself.

Blogging BCM: Stand Up, Stand Out, Stand Firm

2009-08-27T19:15:00.005-04:00

Tuesday night Tim gave a message that revolved around our theme for BCM this year; Stand Up, Stand Out, Stand Firm. Revolved around Isaiah 7:9b, our theme serves to help challenge ourselves and one another to make it a daily effort to stand firm in the faith that Christ calls us to, whether it be while on campus, in our dorms or in any other facet of our lives.

Tim read from Luke 8:11-15 and talked about The Parable of the Sower, through which he described the different types of faith that we can have. Perhaps the one that all of us should strive and seek out by the grace of God, would be the last one which bears much fruit. Tim challenged us to think about which type we fall into.

For me this message paralleled greatly with 2 Peter 1:3-10 which reads:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, bothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

This passage of Scripture illustrates what the life looks like of a follower of Christ who falls into the fourth path Tim discussed on Tuesday. We must seek to supplement our faith we these qualities so that we bear fruit, show ourselves to be His followers and ultimately never fall. As Isaiah 7:9b says, if we do not stand firm in our faith, we will not stand at all; that is we will fall.

If we are to stand firm in our faith and not fall, we must seek out these qualities. We must make it a daily priority to dive into God's Word, to search it and go to it, so that we may develop and cultivate these qualities that are described in 2 Peter. Our faith is not something that we must proclaim and not live. We must cultivate it and make it the number one passion we have in life; think about all that is at stake...if we don't stand firm in our faith, we will fall!

Things To Think About Throughout Your Daily Devotions:

1. Read, Study and Meditate Isaiah 7:9b, Luke 8:11-15 and 2 Peter 1:3-10.

2. What category, that Tim discussed, do you fall into?

3. How can you better seek to stand firm in your faith?

If you have any questions or need someone to talk to; Tim, Mike and myself are always available and more than willing to meet with you.

Summer Reading List: End of July Update

2009-07-30T14:02:00.005-04:00

The conclusion of July 2009 comes tomorrow and if nothing else than the fact that I've been commuting two to three times a week, I'm not sad that it's coming to an end. With the end of July upon us, summer is also drifting along and looking towards its demise as are the titles that make up my summer reading list. After taking a leisure break to read Young, Restless, Reformed by Collin Hansen, I now am embarking on the final two selections of my list. The Courage To Be Protestant will be first and I plan to begin reading it within the next day or so. Finally, I'll finish up with What Is A Healthy Church Member?. Thus far I have been very pleased with the books I chose to read this summer and plan to give further thoughts in a post at the conclusion of my reading list and summer.

Also, in an attempt to begin preparing myself for seminary studies (how can you ever fully prepare?), I have decided to use the upcoming fall semester as a time to read dead guys and biographies. By this I mean, I plan on reading classic works by great men who have departed us to spend eternity in Glory and biographies of notable Church history leaders, etc. I pray that this will be a time that will deeply encourage me as I conclude my undergraduate work and begin looking towards the future.

January 19, 2010

2009-07-24T14:32:00.004-04:00

January 19, 2010 is the day that Joshua Harris' new book is set to be released, and after many months of praying for his season of writing and waiting, he has finally unveiled the title and description. The book is entitled Dug Down Deep, which comes from the parable of wise man building his house upon the rock in Luke 6. He writes regarding the contents of the book:

Dug Down Deep has eleven chapters--eight of which are reflections of key Christian beliefs including the Doctrine of God, Scripture, the Person and Work of Christ, the Atonement and the Holy Spirit. The book is very personal and narrative-driven. I share the questions, misconceptions and hang-ups I've had what it's meant to allow Scripture's truth to reshape my thinking.

Needless to say, I am very excited for January 19 to come. If you'd like more information on the book from Harris himself, go here.

the Word of our God stands forever

2009-07-13T11:43:00.003-04:00

In remembering John Calvin on the 500th anniversary of his birth, Kevin DeYoung puts all focus where focus is due: God's glory and His everlasting Word. DeYoung writes:

The truly significant people in this world know that God is everything and they’re nothing. Fads and fashions will rise and fall, but the word will keep on accomplishing its purposes. It will outlast us all. So let our reading, memorizing, catechizing, and preaching be saturated with the word. Let our songs, ministries and mission submit to the word. May all of our theological questions, relationship questions, family questions look to the word. May every new doctrine, new movement, new church, and new book be tested against the word. May all our living and dying be undertaken with the firm conviction that God is true though everyone were a liar (Rom. 3:4).

This is by far one of the best posts I've read (and there have been many) celebrating the life and work of John Calvin. I encourage you to read the whole thing.

Evangelicalism's Terminal Generation

2009-07-09T10:04:00.002-04:00

Albert Mohler has a new article entitled Evangelicalism's Terminal Generation. He writes:

Benjamin Franklin, caught on the street during a break in the Constitutional Convention, is said to have been asked by a passerby to describe the new order to be proposed. "A republic," he answered, "if you can keep it." By definition, evangelicals are to be a Gospel people, cherishing, teaching, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will remain evangelical only insofar as we maintain the integrity of our Gospel witness--if we can keep it. We are truly evangelical only if we keep our testimony to the Gospel without confusion or compromise.

For me, this was a wonderful read that really challenged and convicted me. I could have quoted the whole article, thus I encourage you to take the time to read the whole article.

Summer Reading List Update

2009-07-09T09:53:00.003-04:00

With July being almost a third over, I thought I would give an update on my summer reading list progress. I have completed Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints and Why Johnny Can't Preach. Currently, I am working on What is a Healthy Church? Also, I have added Why We Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck to my list in hopes that I'll have extra time to get through another book. I'll post mid-August with my thoughts on the books I've read and a brief review of each.

Every so often...

2009-07-09T09:44:00.002-04:00

Every so often there comes a book release that I eagerly anticipate. So was the case for the ESV Study Bible, so will be the case for Joshua Harris' new book to be released next year and so has been the case in recent weeks for Why We Love The Church. Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck did such a supereb job on their book Why We're Not Emergent, clearly outlining the dangers of the Emergent Church movement. When I heard they were teaming up for another book, I couldn't help but be excited. Last week their book hit shelves, and I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival in the next week or so. Needless to say, this book will be added to my summer reading list. However, in the mean time, Tim Challies' has a great review on the book and I encourage you all to read it and highly consider investing in the book yourself.

Suffering in Relation to God's Church

2009-07-09T09:33:00.003-04:00

So often we get in this rut where we feel that we should not be the ones to suffer. We continuously ask ourselves questions like, "Why is this happening to me?" and "Why do I have to be the one that always suffers." Tim Challies has a great post in regards to Ligon Duncan's new book, Does Grace Grow Best in Winter? In his post, Challies writes:

So I guess this is something we ought to keep in mind in those times that God calls us to suffer. Our suffering is not pointless; it is not meaningless. At least in part, our suffering is mandated by God so we can strengthen and edify our brothers and sisters in Christ so that they, and we, may strive toward Christian maturity. “Your suffering does not just belong to you. You are members of a body. Your suffering is for the body’s maturity as much as it is for yours. Your suffering is there to build up the church of Christ. It is there for the people of God to be given faith and hope and confidence in the hour of their trials. Your suffering is also the body’s suffering because one of God’s purposes in suffering is the maturity of the whole church.”

During times of great suffering, where we may feel helpless and alone, we must rely on the God, His Truth and His perfect and pleasing will. We must recognize the reality that our suffering could be causing a wider impact to glorify God in the lives of others, even though we might not be able to fully comprehend or see it.

Read Challies' whole post here.

Challies' on Worship

2009-07-09T09:23:00.004-04:00

Tim Challies has a great post entitled Worshiping Worship in which he shares an excerpt from D.A. Carson's book, Worship by the Book. Carson writes:

In an age increasingly suspicious of (linear) thought, there is much more respect for the “feelings” of things - whether a film or a church service. It is disturbingly easy to plot surveys of people, especially young people, drifting from a church of excellent preaching and teaching to one with excellent music because, it is alleged, there is “better worship” there. But we need to think carefully about this matter. Let us restrict ourselves for the moment to corporate worship. Although there are things that can be done to enhance corporate worship, there is a profound sense in which excellent worship cannot be attained merely by pursuing excellent worship. In the same way that, according to Jesus, you cannot find yourself until you lose yourself, so also you cannot find excellent corporate worship until you stop trying to find excellent corporate worship and pursue God himself. Despite the protestations, one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship worship rather than worship God.

I hope this challenges you as much as it did me. You can read the whole post here.

Kevin DeYoung on Governor Mark Sanford

2009-06-26T09:44:00.003-04:00

Kevin DeYoung has a great post entitled, What We Can Learn from the Latest Political Sex Scandal. He writes as his first point:

The best of men are men at best. I don’t know if politicians are always (or often) the best of men, but they certainly are among the most powerful. We look to them for leadership. We want them to voice our ideas and ideals. We want them to be strong, yet humble, personal, yet unaffected by the common stuff of life. We expect a lot from our leaders. They rarely deliver. They often fail miserably. Both parties have had their share of sex scandals in recent years. Neither one has a monopoly on holiness. I don’t think many of our politicians have even passed GO. And I’m sure there is plenty of infidelity we don’t even hear about, not to mention the back room deals, lies, slander, pride, and greed that take place all the time. Some trust in presidents and some in governors, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Follow the link above to read the whole post.

Challies' Take

2009-06-26T09:34:00.002-04:00

Tim Challies offers these comments regarding Jackson's death:

Michael Jackson was in so many ways a product of this sick celebrity culture (that he helped create) that will never rest satisfied until it has both created and then destroyed the newest celebrity. We want our celebrities to start strong and finish weak, to begin with a bang and then fizzle, pop and sputter, all for our enjoyment and entertainment (Susan Boyle stands as the most recent example of this). Jackson gave us so much to talk about, so much to enjoy. More than any other celebrity he embodied the "vanities" of Ecclesiastes. He was at one time known for what he did so well and then was known for being a freak; he was at one time fantastically wealthy and then utterly broke; he was once loved and then despised. He had it all and yet, it seemed, he had nothing. All of it was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Justin Taylor on Michael Jackson's Death

2009-06-26T09:28:00.003-04:00

He writes:

It is hard to think of a sadder public figure in recent years. A black man who never found his identity as one created in God's image, and who never experienced the identity of being conformed to the image of Christ. Black and white, male and female, rich and bankrupt, genius and punchline, private and public, innocent and deceptive--everything seemed to be jumbled up.

The one thing that comes to mind about Jackson is how bad he was at hiding his brokenness. Even while living in a literal fantasy and, it was obvious to everyone that this was a person- enormously gifted--desperately seeking a mask to cover, in futility, who he was.

May God use even this to increase our compassion and ministry to the lost, broken, and confused.

Read his whole post, as well as an update by Andrew Sullivan here.

Why John Piper Doesn't Have Television

2009-06-25T15:59:00.003-04:00

John Piper has a great post on why he doesn't have a television and rarely goes to movies. He writes:

It’s the unremitting triviality that makes television so deadly. What we desperately need is help to enlarge our capacities to be moved by the immeasurable glories of Christ. Television takes us almost constantly in the opposite direction, lowering, shrinking, and deadening our capacities for worshiping Christ.
One more smaller concern with TV (besides its addictive tendencies, trivialization of life, and deadening effects): It takes time. I have so many things I want to accomplish in this one short life. Don’t waste your life is not a catchphrase for me; it’s a cliff I walk beside every day with trembling.
TV consumes more and more time for those who get used to watching it. You start to feel like it belongs. You wonder how you could get along without it. I am jealous for my evenings. There are so many things in life I want to accomplish. I simply could not do what I do if I watched television. So we have never had a TV in 40 years of marriage (except in Germany, to help learn the language). I don’t regret it.

Read his full reasoning here.

Kevin DeYoung on Liking What the Bible Teaches

2009-06-25T08:55:00.004-04:00

Kevin DeYoung has a powerful post on our attitude towards God's Holy Word. He writes:

This also means that we should do away with the pseudo-spiritual language of "I don't like what the Bible says about this, but I still believe it." Poppycock. While I suppose, all things considered, its better that someone embrace complementarianism kicking and screaming rather than not at all, why are you kicking and screaming at God's word in the first place? I understand that we may all have periods of struggle where we wrestle to fully understand and embrace some element of biblical teaching. But as an indefinite attitude, begrudging acceptance is not a good option. Don't we trust that God is good? Is not the law of the Lord our delight?

Read the whole thing here.

Optimistic Outlook of the SBC

2009-06-24T15:09:00.005-04:00

I have been deeply encouraged by the work of leaders such as Albert Mohler, Danny Akin and Mark Dever this year at the SBC. They are fighting for the future of the convention to be Gospel centered and focused on fulfilling the Great Commission. Michael Spencer writes a summary of what has been occurring at the SBC. Spencer's sixth point is especially encouraging, where he writes:

The patient teaching of the Gospel and church-centered theology by the Founders Ministries and 9Marks has paid off in more fruit than can be put in a basket. Hundreds and hundreds of young people, hungry to hear how to build a Gospel centered, God honoring, missionary focused church. It is astonishing. It may not be revival, but it is a solid outcome that will make a huge difference for a small number of churches.

Praise God for these men and their fight to stand firm and give hope for the future. Read the rest of Spencer's post here. Visit the Great Commission Resurgence for more information regarding the motion that has been a huge step forward at this years convention.

HT: JT

Why We Love The Church

2009-06-19T09:39:00.012-04:00

Here is a great sample from Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck's new book Why We Love The Church. I am very excited about this book and look VERY forward to reading it. Their last book, Why We're Not Emergent, was one of the best books I've ever read and perhaps the best book I've read on the subject of the Emergent Church. Kevin's blog shares this excerpt from one of Ted's chapters:

Church isn’t a magic pill that you take, that punches your ticket for heaven. Nor is it a glorified social/country club you attend to be around people who talk/think/look/act like you do. It’s a place to go each week to hear the Word of God spoken, taught, and affirmed. It’s a place to sing praises to our God, even if those songs do sometimes feel a bit awkward. It’s a place to serve others. It’s a place to be challenged. Sometimes you’ll feel uncomfortable with those challenges, because sometimes your life will need to change. This has been the case with me.

Read the whole excerpt Kevin offers here.

C.J. Mahaney on Personal Criticism

2009-06-10T11:15:00.005-04:00

C.J. Mahaney has a great post regarding personal criticism and how the Gospel calls us to respond when criticized. He writes:

Far too often, my initial impulse has been to dismiss the criticism and defend myself, not realizing that this response is simply an evidence of pride.

Luther’s words directly confront my temptation to a prideful response, because he reminds me that, even if the criticisms are inaccurate or exaggerated, there remain in my heart many other sins that go unnoticed by my critics. And had my critics been aware of these other sins, they surely would have put them to use in their cause

Have You Checked Your Mirror Lately?

2009-06-10T10:50:00.005-04:00

Tim Challies writes regarding the importance of reading "the mirror" that is God's Word and furthermore the importance of doing so at the onset of your day. In his post he writes:

There have been other times that I've read the Bible, but have not allowed it to penetrate or to take hold. I've been just the person James warns about who "looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like." I have looked quickly, glanced briefly, but have not looked long enough to allow the Scripture to reflect back to me my sin and God's standard of holiness. I have gone merrily on my way having already forgotten to be both a hearer and a doer.

Who Is Your Jesus?

2009-06-10T08:41:00.006-04:00

Kevin DeYoung has a great post entitled "Who Do You Say That I Am?" adapted from his message entitled "Christ's Life" at the NEXT Conference. In the post he describes the many different ways our culture views Jesus (which I find both incredibly sad and somewhat humorous at the same time). He concludes by saying this:

This Christ is not a reflection of the current mood or the projection of our own desires. He is our Lord and God. He is the Father’s Son, Savior of the world, and substitute for our sins–more loving, more holy, and more wonderfully terrifying than we ever thought possible.

I encourage you to read the whole post. Trust me, it's very much worth your time.

Summer Reading List

2009-06-09T14:13:00.009-04:00

Summer always brings a lot of excitement, joy, relaxation, free time and READING! Especially for college students, summer is always the most opportune time to catch up on reading or read for leisure instead of books that are required for class. The following is a list of books I plan to read this summer with a brief explanation of why I am reading them now. I encourage you to click on the title and check out more information regarding the books. Hopefully this will encourage you to pick up a book or two as well, and who knows...maybe one off my list will catch your eye!

Stand: A Call to the Endurance of the Saints by John Piper and Justin Taylor. This book, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor is based off the Desiring God Conference in 2007 and gives readers a case for biblical perseverance in ministry. I'm reading this book at this point to gain a biblical view of how to stand strong persevere in the ministry that awaits me.

The Courage to Be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World by David F. Wells. This is a book that my dad has been imploring for me to read for months and months now. Finally, it has reached the top of my list! My dad has used this book for illustrations in countless sermons and according to him, Wells does a phenomenal job in calling readers to stand firm in the Gospel and what is Biblical.

What Is A Healthy Church? by Mark Dever. This small book has been acclaimed as one of the best books on the church and how the church should function. I have wanted to read one of Dever's books for a long time and have heard that this is one of his best.

What Is A Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti Anyabwile. I love hearing Thabiti speak and have yet to read his book. I received this book as a gift from my father for preaching last summer and feel that it would be great to read this alongside What Is A Healthy Church?

Why Johnny Can't Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers by T. David Gordon. I have been looking forward to reading this book ever since reviews started popping up on Justin Taylor and Tim Challies' blogs. Considering my field of study and the career God is calling me to, this book is a must read in my opinion and I have heard nothing but great things about it. I ordered it the other day and am looking very forward to its arrival so that I can break it open and read!

This is my list as of now. If it changes or I finish these books and have time for one or two more, I'll post later as well as provide updates on my progress. Enjoy your summer and catching up on some reading!

Westminster Bookstore

2009-06-09T14:00:00.005-04:00

I am a part of a "Blog Partners Program" with Westminster Bookstore. They are a great resource for great books at a great price. I encourage you to go to their website and browse their website and see what all they have to offer!

The Idol of Self Glory

2009-06-03T08:53:00.004-04:00

John Bloom has a great post at Desiring God entitled Exposing the Idol of Self Glory. In it he writes:

In other words, they loved their positions and reputations more than they loved the truth—more than they loved God. So they "exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature (themselves) rather than the creator" (Romans 1:25).

We must remember that we do the same thing every time we distort or deny the truth for the sake of our own reputations. Self-glory is revealed to be an idol in our heart when the Lord presents us with an opportunity to glorify him by speaking the truth about our convictions or our sins, yet we are unwilling to do it for fear of what someone else will think of us.

Twittering in Church

2009-06-02T21:56:00.004-04:00

Joshua Harris and John Piper both have great posts regarding using twitter and other forms of social media while in church. Harris writes in his post:

God's word preached is so important, so precious, I don't want anything to distract me from hearing it. What if those two minutes in which I'm distracted are the two minutes my soul needs the most?

Read the rest of his post here and Piper's complimentary post here.

Kevin DeYoung: Defining Discourse Down

2009-06-02T21:52:00.004-04:00

Kevin DeYoung has a great article entitled Defining Discourse Down. I read it a few weeks back and was deeply challenged. In it he shares a powerful quote by A.W. Tozer which says:

The kingdom of God, has suffered a great deal of harm from fighters--men who would rather fight than pray; but the kingdom of God has also been done great harm by men who would rather be nice than right.

I encourage you all to go read the whole thing and hopefully be challenged as I have.

New GirlTalk Website

2009-06-02T21:48:00.003-04:00

One of the best blogs/tools for women to use on the internet today is GirlTalk from Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters. I recommend that every girl/women make it a practice to read this blog and the many good insights they have to give. They just launched a new layout/website which you can access here.

HT: JT

DeYoung on Leviticus

2009-06-02T21:39:00.003-04:00

Kevin DeYoung has a great series of posts from a sermon from Leviticus regarding sexual sin. The following are the links to the four parts:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Free ESV Study Bible Giveaway!

2009-06-02T21:25:00.003-04:00

James Grant is giving away a free ESV Study Bible. The deadline is this Friday and you can go here to enter.

Blogging BCM: What Is Sanctification?

2009-04-22T10:38:00.004-04:00

Last night Tim spoke about sanctification. For me, this message was powerful and was something I really needed to hear. Perhaps the greatest thing Tim said that needs to remain a challenge to all of us was:

Maybe the world is satisfying you more than God is.

How often do we let the things of the world satisfy us more than the Creator who created us. I felt this message and this challenge specifically brought our semester focused on worldliness to a great close. We must not let the things of this world satisfy us more than our God. Today I want to look at sanctification and its implications for moving away from the satisfactions of this world to being satisfied only and truly in Jesus Christ.

Sanctification is a term referred to greatly in Scripture. 1 Thessalonians even goes as far to say in chapter 4, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification." We must realize that it is God's will for us to be sanctified. When Christ enters our lives through the process known as regeneration, we are made anew and begin the process of sanctification. It is this process that requires us to move away from the things we do that please this world, to only those things that will please God. Tim shared a great verse from Romans 6 last night that talks about this process:

I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Once we are in Christ, we no longer are regarded as sons of lawlessness (1 John 3:4), but sons of obedience (Romans 16:19, 2 Corinthians 7:15, 1 Peter 1:22). So therefore we must present our members as slaves to righteousness. Now what does it mean here by our members? The Greek word for members means our bodies. We are to give our bodies over to be slaves of righteousness. Seeking to use our bodies for that which glorifies God, leading to our sanctification.

Throughout our walk as Christians, we will go through the long process of sanctification. We must realize that this is a long process. We will not be fully sanctified over night. We will make mistakes. It is in this that we understand that it is not us who can sanctify ourselves, but it is the process of the Holy Spirit, through the power and work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. In His high priestly prayer recorded in John 17, Jesus Christ cried out to God:

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

It is in these verses that we see a true picture of sanctification. It is here we see that Christ calls us to not be of this world, and to not be satisfied by the things that this world will offer, but to be satisfied in the One True God. It is here that we see how we are sanctified. We are sanctified in truth, which is the Word of God. We must constantly dive into and remain in the Word of God for the process of sanctification to abound in our lives. Ultimately though, these verses show us that Christ came to be consecrated, to die, that we may be sanctified in His truth. We ultimately find our sanctification at the cross, where as I have said in previous blog posts, we see the depraved creatures we truly are and see our full need for Christ as Savior in our lives. It is when we read these verses, we see that Christ came and died on the cross that we might be sanctified. That we might move away from the pleasures and grips that this world offers us and grab on to God. It is when we realize and move towards this fact that we move closer and closer to God in Christ through the process of sanctification.

Things to focus on in your daily devotions:

1. Study John 17 and Romans 6.

2. In what ways do you need to stop satisfying this world and start satisfying God?

3. Dwell on the things God has done in your life and the things, through His power in the process of sanctification, he has enabled you to let go of.

As always, if you need to talk or have more questions regarding sanctification or worldliness, do not hesitate to talk to Tim or myself.

A Bigger Problem Than Death

2009-04-16T08:45:00.005-04:00

Watch this great clip of Joshua Harris' sermon:

For more go to Covenant Life's website.

Blogging BCM: Not All Paths Lead to God

2009-04-15T10:59:00.006-04:00

Last night Dan spoke on the subject of not all paths lead to God. This message was very timely in the fact that our culture so often believes the opposite of this. Dan shared at the beginning of his message:

This is our cultural current. You can do whatever you do if it feels right to you. As long as you don't infringe on others you can do it.

Dan touched briefly on the fact that so often our culture is too tolerant. We don't want to infringe on others beliefs. We don't want to offend anyone with what we say. So we mosey through life, protecting this thing we call "the Gospel" from reaching anyone around us. If we were to even think about sharing the Gospel to those in our lives, it would be offensive and might push them away. We might loose them as a friend. Question...if we lose a friend because we try to share with them the greatest news they could possibly ever receive, are they truly a friend we want to have? This is our culture. The culture of "coexist." I hate that term so much. Let us coexist in this world, not bothering each other with what we believe. We can be friends and not even discuss what we believe. As long as we're tolerant of each others beliefs and I don't offend you and you don't offend me, we are good. I am going to make a pretty bold statement. We, as Christians in this coexist culture, must stand firm in proclaiming the Gospel. If we buy into the lies of Satan, if we sit back and remain tolerant, we are coexisting people into hell. Hell is a reality. A very, very real and dangerous reality. I am sure that if we all knew exactly, descriptively what hell was like, we wouldn't just sit back and withhold our precious Gospel. Christ came to this world claiming He is the only way. He says in John 14:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

How much more plain can it get that Christ is the only way...only path...to God. Who is this Christ, one might ask? What is this Gospel that we hold so dear. I think the passage Dan used in Colossians last night explains it very well. Colossians 1:15-22 reads:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.

That is the picture of who Christ is. That is the Gospel. That in Him, through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, we might be reconciled in order to be presented as holy and blameless and above reproach before God. Through Him, we have our path to God. No other path will lead us to God. No other path will lead us to Heaven. So why do we sit around and tolerate this coexist nonsense, when we should be proactive in going out and proclaiming this Truth that we have. We must be passionate and stand firm in knowing that Christ is our only path to God, and it is our duty to proclaim this Truth to the whole world.

Things to reflect on throughout your personal devotions:

1. Study Colossians 1:15-22. How does this describe the person and work of Christ? How does this relate to Him being the only true path to God?

2. Are you tolerant and afraid to offend people? In what ways do you need to stop being tolerant and start proclaiming?

3. Who in your life has yet to realize that Christ is the only way to God? In what ways can God use you to help them see this truth?

As always, if you need anything or have any questions, do not hesitate to ask Tim, Dan or myself.

A.W. Tozer on The Cross

2009-04-13T19:46:00.002-04:00

A.W. Tozer writes:

The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt, violent end of a human being. The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said good-by to his friends. He was not coming back. He was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing; it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck cruel and hard, and when it had finished its work, the man was no more.

The race of Adam is under death sentence. There is no commutation and no escape. God cannot approve any of the fruits of sin, however innocent they may appear or beautiful to the eyes of men. God salvages the individual by liquidating him and then raising him again to newness of life.

That evangelism which draws friendly parallels between the ways of God and the ways of men is false to the Bible and cruel to the souls of its hearers. The faith of Christ does not parallel the world, it intersects it. In coming to Christ we do not bring our old life up onto a higher plane; we leave it at the cross. The corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die.

We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.

Read the whole excerpt here.

Don't Let Good Friday Pass By...

2009-04-10T14:27:00.005-04:00

Kevin DeYoung writes regarding Good Friday:

Do not let Good Friday pass you by like a set of airline instructions. Fix your eyes on the cross. Not as the place to show us our worth, but to show us the weight of our sin. Not as the place where Jesus simply felt our pain, but where he bore our penalty. Not as the place where God overturned divine justice, but where God in mercy fulfilled his justice. Not as the place where love died, but where love reigned supreme. Pay careful attention to the cross. Here we see a great salvation, delivering us from a great wrath, revealing to us a great Savior who was wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities, that by his stripes we might be healed.

Let us all take this day to dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard. However, let us not just take this day to look at the cross. Let us not just this day meditate on the Cross. Let us dwell there everyday so that we may never for one day forget the sacrifice that was paid for our sins. But especially this day, let us reflect deeply upon the work Christ did in our place. For in our place, condemned He stood.

Read Kevin's whole post here.

Blogging BCM: Baptism

2009-04-08T16:14:00.003-04:00

Last night Tim talked about baptism and the Biblical basis for our practice of baptism. Today I want to share a quote from Daniel Akin's book entitled A Theology For The Church summarizing what baptism is, then briefly explain why I believe this is true and an outlook of baptism that I hold. Akin writes:

The Bible's teaching on baptism is clear in institution, command, and fulfillment. People enter the new covenant by God's grace, and the means God has graciously chosen to use is faith. Faith is not caused or created by baptism. Rather, baptism is the public confession of faith. It symbolizes a commitment by both God and the believer (1 Pet. 3:21). The submission of the believer to the water of baptism represents his or her humble request to God for a conscience cleared of guilt because of Christ's atoning blood (cf. Heb. 10:22). Baptism is an act of confession and utter dependence. In summary, baptism in the Bible is neither elevated to be the cause of conversion nor diminished to be a mere marker of inclusion in a nonsalvific convent. Rather, baptism is a public profession of God's saving work in the life of the believer.

It is clear that we understand that baptism is not required for salvation and that our salvation lies only in the fact that Christ came into this world to save us, as sinners, and died on the cross in substitution for our sins. It is only by the saving power of His blood, that we are able to inherit eternal life.

Baptism, though, is the outward expression that we received the gift of eternal life. Upon proclaiming Christ is Lord, we then are baptised (immersed) in the water to show our union with Christ in death, cleansing and resurrection. Although, I recognized and affirm that baptism is not a requirement for salvation, there are a few claims I have in regards to why I think it is an important act of the believer following their profession of faith.

First, baptism follows in that of what Christ Jesus himself did on earth. Before beginning His ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. This is recorded in Matthew 3 which reads:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

I believe that baptism is a step which Christ took as an example for us, as believers to also take. Next, baptism was the step Christ took just prior to beginning His ministry. Following His baptism, we see that Christ was led into the wilderness to be tempted, then immediately following He began His ministry. Baptism is a public profession that we are in Christ and that we are committing to a life of ministry, whatever that may be. I firmly believe that if you cannot publicly proclaim Christ through baptism, how can you publicly proclaim Him throughout the world. Baptism therefore, is the first step in the life of ministry Christ calls us to upon receiving Him as Savior and Lord.

Finally, baptism is a physical example of the spiritual baptism that has taken place. Through baptism, we are public showing the baptism that has taken place in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in Colossians 2:

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

What Paul is describing here is not the physical baptism of being immersed in the water, but the Spiritual baptism that takes place by the power of the Holy Spirit when Christ comes into our lives. The act of physical baptism is an outward proclamation of those throughout the church and in our lives that we have been baptized with Christ by the power of the Spirit. Therefore the baptism of a new believer should be the celebration of the fact that they have died with Christ, been cleansed by His blood and are made alive in His resurrection. Oh the power and glory of such a proclamation, especially as we reflect and celebrate these Truths throughout this sacred week.

Questions to focus on in your personal devotions:

1. Study the different passages that discuss baptism in the Bible and think about the Biblical calling of the act of baptism.

2. Have you been baptized? If so, think about your baptism and how you felt through the profession of your faith. If not, is it something you feel God calling you to do?

3. Throughout this week, remember to dwell (as we should every day) on the final days of Christ's life, especially His death and resurrection.

As always, if you have any questions regarding baptism or anything else, do not hesitate to talk to Tim or myself.

Jesus Wants the Rose

2009-04-08T11:46:00.009-04:00

Here's a great excerpt from Matt Chandler's message at the 2009 Desiring God Conference.

View his whole message here.
HT: JT

Just Do Something

2009-04-07T10:58:00.009-04:00

Tim Challies reviews Kevin DeYoung's book entitled Just Do Something. In his review he writes:

The author who seeks to add something to this genre is entering into a very crowded field and is going to need a unique angle. Kevin DeYoung takes on this challenge and succeeds admirably, crafting a short but powerful book that really packs a punch. His unique angle is reflected in the title: Just Do Something! “My goal,” he says, “is not as much to tell you how to hear God’s voice in making decisions as it is to hear God telling you to get off the long road to nowhere and finally make a decision, get a job, and perhaps, get married.”

I purchased this book last week and am eagerly anticipating its arrival tomorrow. A great subject by a great author, I believe that this book is going to be a must buy and a must read for those who constantly question what God's will is.

Read more of Challies' review here.
Read the forward by Joshua Harris here.

Challies on Evil as Entertainment

2009-04-06T15:03:00.003-04:00

Tim Challies has a great post on the way evil can entertain us. In it he writes:

The internet is such a strange phenomenon and one we are really only beginning to understand, at least in terms of its impact on society and faith and family and just about everything else. What passes for entertainment on the internet would, at most other times in history, be regarded as shocking or wasteful or disgusting or maybe just plain absurd...So much of the entertainment the internet offers is entertainment at its very worst. Evil has become entertainment.

Read the whole post here.

Resolved 2009

2009-04-06T14:58:00.003-04:00

While I'm plugging conferences, here's another conference promo to check out:

For more information about Resolved 2009 visit their website.

Advance 09

2009-04-06T14:46:00.008-04:00

A promo video for the upcoming Advance 09 Conference in Durham, NC. This conference is one you won't want to miss. Just watch the video, it explains itself:

For more information regarding the conference visit their website.

HT: Desiring God

Comments

2009-04-03T11:58:00.002-04:00

I came to the realization that I had a comment blocker on my blog. I fixed it so that now anyone can comment, even if you do not have a google account.

Book Recommendation for College Students

2009-04-01T16:04:00.004-04:00

Jonathan Morrow has a new book out entitled, Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower's Guide for the Journey. J.P. Moreland writes regarding this book:

Wow! What a book!! Quite frankly, this is the book I’ve been waiting for the last forty years to give to college students. It is the single best volume I have ever read for preparing students for how to follow Jesus and flourish as his disciple in college. Welcome to College is very readable, the chapters are short yet filled with content, it covers apologetic, biblical, social and moral issues, and it provides critical information that is right to the point. Every parent with a child in or going to college should read this book. Adults should give it as a high school graduation present to every young believer they know. Youth directors need to know the content of this book and recommend it widely. And parachurch ministries like Campus Crusade, InterVarsity, and Navigators should make this a top priority for all staff and students to study. Morrow is to be thanked for writing Welcome to College for such a time as this.

Something we, as college students, might want to consider investing in.

For more information on the book or the author, you can visit the author's website.

HT: JT

Blogging BCM: What is Faith?

2009-04-01T15:49:00.004-04:00

Last night Tim discussed the question; What is Faith? It was a great night, with a different take. He shared a few verses and in between shared a moving video and we had an awesome testimony of true faith from a man named Juan from Nicaragua. What I am going to do today is a little different than usual as well. I'm going to post the two verses Tim used and then post the video he shared. I think it speaks for itself and will help show what true faith in Christ can do.

Hebrews 11:1 reads:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Matthew 17:20 reads:

He said to them,“Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Questions to focus on in your personal devotions:

1. Read Hebrews Chapter 11 and study more in-depth the kind of faith we should have in our walk with Christ.

2. In what areas of your life can your faith be improved?

3. In what areas of your life do you need to give your faith away from yourself or things that are worldly to Christ?

If you have any questions regarding the topic of faith, or anything in general, please don't hesitate to talk to Tim or myself.

Mahaney on Self-Sufficiency

2009-04-01T15:46:00.005-04:00

C.J. Mahaney finishes his series on Biblical Productivity by writing:

As the typical day unfolds, the unexpected expectedly happens. With one eye on the clock and another on our schedule, we can often watch our planning derail throughout the day. And as I realize my plans for the day will not be flawlessly executed, my soul has a tendency to be weighed down by accumulating cares. But rather than humbling myself as I should, I find myself vulnerable to self-sufficiency, at risk of relying upon my limited strength and wisdom. This is pride.

Read the whole thing.
To read more of Mahaney's series on Biblical Productivity go here.

HT: Rachel

Power in Weakness

2009-03-29T19:36:00.004-04:00

Joshua Harris writes:

This morning I read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 in which Paul, after asking that his "thorn in the flesh" be removed, shares how God enabled him to boast in his weakness:

Read the whole thing.

Blogging BCM: My Heart and Materialism

2009-03-25T17:41:00.006-04:00

Last night Tim talked about my heart and materialism and once again I was deeply convicted and challenged. Tim said at one point that "materialism is fundamentally a focus on and trust in what we can touch and possess." He said later that we're either a slave to God or a slave to something of this world. How challenging was that for you? I know for me it hit pretty hard. So often we get caught in this rut where we focus on our own desires, needs, longings, problems and shortcomings that we forget to focus all of our attention and trust to our Heavenly Father. Today I want to look at the verses I read from Hebrews at the beginning of BCM last night and examine how they teach us to live our lives trusting in God and not the materialistic things of this fading world. Hebrews 13:5-6 says:

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

The writer of Hebrews begins by saying keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have. So often we as college students focus on the tangible, the things that can be bought with money. We need the newest clothes, the newest movies, the newest books (OUCH!) and the most expensive food. For us it's about an experience. We want our young, college years to be an experience we will never forget. These are the last days we won't have to worry about real life finances and the things that are rapidly approaching upon walking across the stage to receive our degree. So what do we do? We love money. We love possessions. We love new things. We love expensive things. Why? Because we really don't have much to worry about. We are told in these verses though the complete opposite. To keep ourselves from the love of money and to be content with what we have. And why are we to do this?

Because He will never leave or forsake us. It is this part of the verses that explains that our love of money, our problem with not being content, is because we're worried about not having enough. The writer is telling us here that we have a trust problem. We fail to realize the full reality that Christ is there and will provide all our needs. So instead of trusting in Him, we trust in the tangible, earthly, materialistic things. We are told though that He is there, and thus are told that we have nothing to worry about. And what happens when we fully trust and realize the fact that because He will never leave or forsake us, we can be completely content?

We can confidently say “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” So often our materialism, our sinful desire to acquire more and more is a problem in our relation to others. We think that if we acquire more or if we have more money, others will like us and fail to see our brokenness. When we come to the realization that God will never leave nor forsake us, and thus fight against the love of money and start being content with what we have, we stop pleasing others. When we trust fully in our Father, we will realize that man cannot do anything to us. If we have the outlook of "what can man do to me?" we will no longer seek to be materialistic, but seek to glorify God in everything. Recall the verse I've shared in the past couple of posts. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This applies to our possessions too. Whatever we do, whatever we buy, we do all to the glory of God. So when we buy clothes, are we buying to the Glory of God? When we go out to eat, are we doing it to God's glory? When we buy books, movies and whatever else, we must purchase to the glory of God. At the end of this series on our heart and these issues, we must come to the final realization that the problems that arise between our heart's desires and the things of this world are ultimately a glorification problem. Are we going to give glory to the things of this world are we going to give glory to whom all glory is due...God!

Questions to focus on in your own personal devotions:

1. Study Hebrews 13:5-6, Ecclesiastes 5:10-15 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 and mediate on how they relate to materialism and our heart's desires.
2. What things do you have a problem with getting in the way of you glorifying God the way you should?
3. Focus on the activities Tim gave for you to do throughout the week in relation to my heart and materialism.

As always, if you need anything and are struggling in any way, do not hesitate to come and speak to Tim or I. We are always available to listen and talk.

Challies on Accountability

2009-03-09T21:52:00.003-04:00

Tim Challies has a great post on accountability. He writes:

I am convinced there is great benefit in Christians pursuing accountability relationships, at least in some situations. It is valuable, I believe, for Christians to meet on a regular basis to confess sin, to speak of God’s grace, to share triumphs, to ask tough questions and to pray for one another.

ESV Study Bible Online For Free!

2009-03-04T10:27:00.002-05:00

The Online ESV Study Bible is being made available for free to everyone for a limited time throughout the month of March. This is a great tool with so many great features that I suggest you go check out for yourself. The Online Study Bible can be accessed here.

HT: JT

Blogging BCM: My Heart and Music

2009-03-04T09:49:00.006-05:00

Last night Tim continued his series on Worldliness and Christian Worldview with My Heart and Music. What I want to focus on today is digging deeper into the subject and realizing how we should go about choosing our music and the things we listen to. Once again, as with last weeks post, I really want to focus on 1 Corinthians 10:31. It reads:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

We must realize that whatever we do (whatever we listen to), we must do to the glory of God. We get so wrapped up in music most of the time that we forget that we are supposed to be listening to and using music to the glory of God. Bob Kauflin writes in Worldliness:

Music is meant to be a means of bringing glory to God, one more way in which we can "proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

For us to realize how we are to look at music, we must start by having a clear understanding that when we listen to and enjoy music, we must do so in a way that brings glory to God. So often we get set on the need for music to help with our emotions. We want to listen to soft, soothing music when we're depressed, sad or tired. We want to listen to heavy, fast music to pump us up. We listen to hard, blatant music when we're mad. How often do we think of music though in a way that we say, "I want to listen to this because I know that it will bring glory to God." We most often listen to music for our own enjoyment, rather than for God's enjoyment. A lot of times our music choices reveal the hypocritical, sinful nature that lies inside of us. Kauflin writes:

It's not uncommon for Christians on Sunday mornings to worship Jesus for his substitutionary death on the cross, then sing songs during the week that exalt the sins he died for.

How powerful is that? Is that you? I know so often it has been me. We get so wrapped up in the music that we want to listen to and so many times it's the music we want to listen to because it pleases our sinful hearts. Kauflin says:

Music, like all of God's gifts, is meant to draw our hearts and attention to his glory, his power, and his love.

Music is supposed to draw our hearts to God, not please our sinful nature. Music, like anything, is a battleground for temptation. Music has become a prime tool for Satan to use to draw our hearts away from God and into the sinful desires of this fallen world. We must resist his temptation and fight to make all of our musical choices in light of the knowledge that they are to bring glory to God. We must take the time to evaluate our musical choices and whether or not they truly bring glory to our Savior or bring glory to us and the sin that's inside.

Tim talked last night about the possibility of giving up music, getting rid of your music or making some serious music changes in your life. Kauflin writes regarding the possible need for such things:

Giving up, reducing, or changing your music diet may feel like a sacrifice. It might be. You may have to sacrifice looking cool to your friends to please your heavenly Father. You might have to sacrifice slavery to earthly appetites and pleasures so you can pursue and enjoy eternal ones. (Can we even call those sacrifices?)

But no sacrifice we make compares to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He redeemed us to purchase our forgiveness and to earn us a place among those who "no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised: (2 Corinthians 5:15).

That means music is no longer ours to use however we want. It never was. It was never meant to provide what can be found only in a relationship with the Savior. Music is a precious gift, but it makes a terrible god. By God's grace, may we always know the difference.

That's what I want to end with. Music so often is used by us as a god, one that pleases us rather than the Only True God. May we stop listening to music for our own needs and desires, and start using music as a way to only glorify God in everything we do.

Questions to focus on in your personal devotions:

1. Has music become to you something that pleases you and your sinful nature, or something you enjoy to the glory of God?

2. Take time this week to read through some of the Psalms and notice how they use music to the glory of God and praise in all walks of life.

3. Take this week to just listen to music that glorifies God. I know it may be hard, but is the Christian walk meant to be easy? Put away all of those secular music for a week and listen to some hymns, praise songs and other forms of music that do nothing but glorify God and Christ's death on the cross. Take the commute in your car as a form of worship instead of a time to please your sinful nature.

As always, if there's anything you ever need or want to talk about, Tim and I are always available.

Blogging BCM: My Heart and Media

2009-02-25T09:41:00.006-05:00

Last night Tim spoke on My Heart and Media, a message regarding Christian worldview and stemming once again from the book Worldliness by CJ Mahaney. I think out of all the chapters of this book, this one challenged me the most and Tim's message once again did the same. Media is the thing I struggle with most. At one point in my life it would not surprise me if I spent a third or more of my day consuming media. In recent months, I've recognized the hold media has in my life and have taken measures to break that hold and move away. Although it's hard and I still struggle, I feel in regards to media I am in a much better place than i was several months ago. The following are my new thoughts regarding media and how we must view media and it's impact on our lives from a Christian perspective. I am in no way an expert, but God's Word is and it clearly defines the things that should be important and that should take precedence in our lives. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

I firmly believe this has to be a starting point when looking at media and it's impact on our lives as Christians. Paul tells the Corinthians that whatever you do should be done to the glory of God. That means when we eat it should be to the glory of God. It means our relationships should be conducted in a manner that is to the glory of God. Our schoolwork should be done so that it is to the glory of God. When we are at work, we work in a manner that is to the glory of God. Most importantly at this time in our lives it has a clear pulling and weight on the issue of media. The media that we take in and the media that so often consumes our lives, according to this verse, should be viewed and consumed to the glory of God. WOW that's hard. That means that whatever movies we watch should glorify God. Whatever TV we watch should glorify God. Whatever music we listen to (more on this subject next week) should glorify God. Whatever magazines we read should glorify God. I could go on and on about the different aspects of media that need to be consumed to the glory of God, but I think you get the picture. Craig Cabaniss writes in Worldliness:

Glorifying God is an intentional pursuit. We don't accidentally drift into holiness; rather, we mature gradually and purposefully, one choice at a time. In the Christian walk, we can't just step onto the right path and figure all is well. Christian discipleship is a lifelong journey consisting of a series of countless steps. Each step matters, and thus our viewing habits matter.

Glorifying God is not something that just happens. As Cabaniss says, it is intentional and we must make every effort to concentrate in our lives on making sure that whatever we do, we do it to the glory of God. The hardest part on our walk towards spiritual maturity and holiness is that Satan knows where we are weak and for most that is in the media that we mindlessly take in everyday. Cabaniss continues:

The drift towards worldliness is subtle, gradual, and internal. And if we assume we're immune to it, that's a sure sign the drift has begun.

We as Christians must realize this fact and take heed. We must be on constant guard to the sin that infiltrates our lives everyday due to the media that is provided to us. We so often do not consider what we're watching or reading to have an impact on our lives. We somehow think that by watching or consuming the sin in others lives, we can remain holy and blameless before God. Let me ask you this...how often do we sit at home and watch programs on TV or movies that deal with issues of extramarital affairs, vulgarity, premarital sex, homosexuality and other things that are dishonoring to God? How often are we entertained by these things? Quite often we think that although we are called to glorify God in our own lives, it's OK to be entertained and view other people do the exact opposite. We must be on a constant pursuit to view to the glory of God. Cabaniss writes:

Viewing for God's glory requires responding to temptations as they arise. This means we press the remote, click the mouse, or walk out of the theater when we discern that our entertainment displeases the Lord. We must resist the temptation to think, "There's nothing else to watch," or "I'm only looking for a moment," or "It would be stupid to waste the money I spent to see this."

It is in these moments when we compromise our pursuit to glorify God for the entertainment of our fleshly desires. It is in these moments that Satan knows he has us and begins to strike harder than ever, slowly drifting us out into the sea of Worldliness. Let us take a stand and say no to Satan's lies that we need to watch this to relax or to take a break from the struggles of life. Let us say know when Satan tells us there's nothing else to watch. Let us sacrifice the money out of our pockets and leave the movie when we make a poor choice of what to watch. Let us, as 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, "do all to the glory of God."

Questions to focus on this week in your personal devotions:

1. Does the media you consume glorify God in any manner?

2. Do you find yourself making statements and remarks from media you may have consumed that are dishonoring and therefore not glorifying to God?

3. Read 1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17 and Philippians 4:8. How do these verses relate to the media we consume and how do they relate to the sin of worldliness?

As always, if there is any questions you may have or need to just talk, Tim and I are always available.

An Evening Praise from Challies

2009-02-22T22:47:00.004-05:00

Tim Challies writes an evening praise that challenged me greatly tonight:

Giver of all,
Another day is ended
and I take my place beneath
my great Redeemer's cross,
where healing streams continually descend,
where balm is poured into every wound,
where I wash anew in the all-cleansing blood,
assured that Thou seest in me no spots of sin.

Read the whole thing.

The Priority of Discernment When it Comes to Reading

2009-02-15T18:10:00.008-05:00

I'm reading a great book on preaching entitled Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching by many great theologians and scholars. One part of the book in particular that really challenged me as I was reading yesterday was in the chapter entitled "Experiential Preaching" by Joel R. Beeke. The part that jumped out on me most was on the subject of books and how to be discerning in what we read. Although this book is intended for pastors, I think this particular excerpt should be read and held onto by all who are devout followers of Christ. It reads:

Be selective about what you read, however. Measure all your reading against the touchstone of Scripture. So much of today's Christian literature is froth, riddled with Arminian theology or secular thinking. Time is too precious to waste on nonsense. Read more for eternity than time, more for spiritual growth than for professional advancement. Think of John Trapp's warning: "As water tastes of the soil it runs through, so does the should taste of the authors that a man reads."

Before picking up a book, ask yourself: Would Christ approve of this book? Will it increase my love for the Word of God, help me to conquer sin, offer abiding wisdom, and prepare me for the life to come? Or could I better spend time reading another book?

Speak to others about the good books you read. Conversation about experiential reading promotes experiential living.

Challies on Theology

2009-02-12T11:06:00.005-05:00

Tim Challies on the importance of theology:

Theology remains something of a bad word in Christian circles. I’d believe that the success of a book like The Shack has proven this to us yet again. Many people seem eager to embrace some form of Christian spirituality but have little desire or love for theology. Theology is linked in people’s minds with frigid, dead religion that cares more about principles and matters of the head than deeds and matters of the heart. It is associated with fundamentalism and with cold conservatism. We need only look at the meaning and etymology of the word, though, to conclude that God requires all Christians to be theologians.

Read the whole thing.

Blogging BCM: What Happens When a Christian Sins?

2009-02-11T09:12:00.005-05:00

Last night Tim talked about what happens when a Christian sins in the final part of his three part series on sin. One of the statements Tim made that stood out to me the most was when he said that it is so easy to play Christian. How true is this? Too often we put on our facade and march in to church like we're holier than thou, but really we're just faking to the world. When we do this we not only hurt ourselves, but more importantly those around us who are sincerely living out their lives for Christ and trying to advance the gospel. The thing we must realize is that every one of us, whether we're putting on a mask or not, sins. It is imperative though that when we do sin we do not dwell on that sin or continue in it. We must repent. The following are verses that speak on the need for us a Christians to repent:

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. [Revelation 3:19]

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out. [Acts 3:19]

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless your repent. [Revelations 2:5]

So we see in God's word the need to repent, but what does this repentance actually mean. This morning I happened to stumble across a great definition of repentance on Joshua Harris' blog. The definition is by J.I. Packer from page 87 in his book Keep in Step with the Spirit and it reads:

Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of your God, and as our knowledge grows at these three points so our practice of repentance has to be enlarged.

WOW. How powerful is the definition in the believer's walk. You may like me at first be thinking, "I have no idea what any of it means." Let's walk through the definition piece by piece to fully understand what repentance is and how it applies to our Christian walk. We're going to look at each point in the context of our knowledge growing in that area.

First, Packer says it "means turning from as much of you know of your sin." What Packer is saying here is that the more of your sin you recognize, the more your realize you are sinful, the more you understand the weight of your transgression, the more you will see the need to repent. This is why when a believer comes to Christ, they repent because for the first time they recognize and feel the weight of their own sin. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of realizing and recognizing one's own sin is that of the psalmist David. He writes throughout the Psalms:

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. [Psalm 38:3]

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. [Psalm 51:3]

Second, Packer says we do turn from as much of we know of our sins to give as much as we know of ourselves. The more we realize the weight of our sins, the more we will want to give ourselves over to God. As we continue to grow in recognizing and learning of our sin, we will realize more and more that we must give ourselves to the Living God. The more we see our sinful nature and the wickedness of which we were brought into this world [Psalm 51:5]

Finally, Packer says we give ourselves to as much as we know of our God. The greater knowledge we have of God, the greater we will recognize the need to repent. Last week I talked about how the study of God and the more we gain a knowledge of who God is, the more we will grow in godliness. This rings true here as well. As we study God and read His Word, we will be so appalled by the sin that is in our lives that we will move towards repentance. In doing so, we will continue to be strengthened in godliness.

The more we realize the sins we have committed against God, the more we will recognize the need to give ourselves over to the knowledge we have of the One True God. Ultimately all three of these points lead us to the cross. It is at the cross where we truly see the weight and cost of our sin. It is at the cross we fully see the need to give ourselves as a living sacrifice and it is at the cross where we see a full picture of who God is.

CJ Mahaney talked this past weekend of a quote by Charles H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon said:

The more we dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard the more noble our lives will become.

Mahaney asked a great question upon reciting this quote. "How often do you dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard?" Ponder this question. We must recognize that the more we dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard, the more we will recognize our need for repentance, grow towards godliness and away from this world.

Questions to focus on this week throughout your personal devotions:

1. Read Psalm 51. How does this apply/relate to what Tim talked about Tuesday night and what we've just discussed?

2. "How often do you dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard?"

3. For further focus on the cross and realizing the weight of what was accomplished, read the parts of the gospels that give an account of Christ's death and resurrection.

As always, if you have any questions regarding the subjects that are discussed or anything you need, please talk to Tim or myself.

Albert Mohler on Facebook and Social Networking

2009-02-08T15:08:00.003-05:00

Facebook just turned five years old and Albert Mohler offers some great thoughts on how Christians should view and use Facebook and social networking.

HT: JT

Tim Challies on Freedom

2009-02-05T00:25:00.003-05:00

Tim Challies writes:

We see that our submission to Christ leads to submission to others. We see that our submission to Christ requires us to do so many things that come so slowly and reject many things that come so easily. And we regard this as captivity. We may even resent these high, tough standards that God requires.
But God gives these high standards, he gives us these laws, he gives us these boundaries for our good and for our freedom. “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). As we grow in our knowledge of God and as we grow to be more like him, we see that what we thought was freedom was really slavery and what we thought was slavery is in reality glorious freedom. We find our freedom in submitting to God and obeying him, even when such obedience goes against all we want to do and all we want to believe. God knows best and we live best before him when we submit to his ways, whatever the cost.

To read the whole thing.

Blogging BCM: God's Wrath

2009-02-04T20:15:00.003-05:00

Last night Dan talked about God's wrath and the many parts of Scripture that speak to that subject. In this post, I want to dig deeper and gain an understanding of why it is imperative that we come to study and accept this prevalent attribute of God. In an introduction to an article on Biblical Doctrine in the ESV Study Bible, Erik Thoennes writes:

The study of theology is considered by many to be dry, boring, irrelevant, and complicated. But for those who want to know God, the study of theology is indispensable. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words, theos (“God”) and logos (“word”). The study of theology is an effort to make definitive statements about God and his implications in an accurate, coherent, relevant way, based on God's self-revelations. Doctrine equips people to fulfill their primary purpose, which is to glorify and delight in God through a deep personal knowledge of him [refer to Ephesians 1:9-11]. Meaningful relationship with God is dependent on correct knowledge of him.

Any theological system that distinguishes between “rational propositions about God” and “a personal relationship with God” fails to see this necessary connection between love and knowledge. The capacity to love, enjoy, and tell others about a person is increased by greater knowledge of that person. Love and knowledge go hand in hand. Good lovers are students of the beloved. Knowledge of God is the goal of theology.

Knowledge without devotion is cold, dead orthodoxy. Devotion without knowledge is irrational instability. But true knowledge of God includes understanding everything from his perspective. Theology is learning to think God's thoughts after him. It is to learn what God loves and hates, and to see, hear, think, and act the way he does. Knowing how God thinks is the first step in becoming godly.

You may be wondering, how does theology or being theologically minded have anything to do with God's wrath? If we as Christians are on a path to godliness and striving to be more and more like Christ, we must start by striving to understand how God thinks. We must, as Thoennes writes, strive "to learn what God loves and hates" and by studying His attributes to begin "to see, hear, and think and act the way he does." If we want to grow closer to God, it is imperative in our walk to study His attributes. Where we study His attributes is in His Word. God's Word is the place we go to gain knowledge and understanding of the things of God. In order to understand His wrath, we must go to His Word. One Scripture in particular that stood out to me last night was Romans 1:18, 24-25. It is this Scripture that I want to focus on to help us to understand this idea of wrath from God's perspective. It reads:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

These w=Words have an inherent message; they are filled with meaning. They are the Words of God Himself explaining His wrath. Read these verses again. They blatantly state what God's wrath and its prevalence in this world. God's wrath...His righteous anger...is cast upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness. By being ungodly and unrighteous we are suppressing His truth. Because of His holiness, His wrath is default, and His mercy through Christ gives us exemption. So how does God show His wrath? Does God just get angry and kill everyone? NO! God gives man over to the lusts of their hearts...their desires. Why does He do this? Because they are not doing the one thing He created us for...to glorify Him. Those who bear the wrath of God are those who buy into the lies of Satan. Those who decide to glorify things of this world rather than the one Being that created it.

When we as Christians begin to study who He really is and recognize His undeniable traits exposed in Scripture, we will then begin to grow closer to Him. When we realize that the wrath of God is real and is present in the very world we live in today, we will be so struck with fear and humility that we will strive to not love this world and the things in it. We must fight the sin of worldliness. We must realize and understand that God's wrath is present around us. We must study and strive to understand God and who He is, for when we do this, we grow in godliness and grow farther from this world.

Questions to think about regarding God's wrath throughout your personal devotions this week:

1. Study Romans 1:18-25 and 1 John 2:15. How do these two passages relate to each other? How does God's wrath relate to the sin of worldliness?
2. In what ways is God's wrath displayed in the world around us?
3. How can you strive to work at understanding and learning more about God, so that you can grow more in godliness and less in the world?

If you have any questions regarding God's wrath, worldliness or anything else, do not hesitate to talk to Tim, Dan, myself or any of the leadership.

Blogging BCM: Sin Part 1

2009-01-21T08:56:00.005-05:00

Last night at BCM Tim began with part 1 of his series on sin. He defined sin and went into a greater detail of what sin is. I want to expound on these two myself today giving a definition of sin and the different parts of that definition. Next week, just as Tim will in his message, I'll go into greater detail of how we as Christians must respond to sin and what happens when we do sin. The following definition and explanations I will use in quotations were written by Erik Thoennes in an article on sin contributed to the ESV Study Bible. Thoennes defines sin as:

Anything (whether in thoughts, actions, or attitudes) that does not express or conform to the holy character of God as expressed in his moral law.

You might be saying, "OK I've heard definitions like these before. We shared a few last night and I basically kind of have the gist of what sin is." Let's take this definition a little deeper. In his article on sin in the ESV Study Bible Thoennes breaks this definition down into five elements that encompass what sin is. The first element Thoennes gives is:

Sin is moral evil (e.g., murder) as opposed to natural evil (e.g., cancer). Moral evil is personal rebellion against God, and it is what brought natural evil into the world.

Adam and Eve brought moral evil into the world when their pride caused them to sin against God for the first time in the garden. As a result, natural evil, such as death and disease, entered the world. The next element is:

Sin is always and ultimately related to God. While sin has devastating societal, relational, and physical ramifications, the central problem of sin is that it offends and incurs the wrath of God...Sin is a personal attack on the character and ordinances of God.

We must realize that when we sin it is ultimately God who we are sinning against. Thoennes uses the best Biblical example of this when he shares Psalm 51:4 where the psalmist David says, "Against you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight." We must come to the realization, just as David did, that when we sin it is God whom we have sinned against. Thirdly Thoennes says:

Sin is breaking God's law, which can take several forms. There are sins of omission (not doing what we should do) as well as sins of commission (doing what we should not do).

When we realize that when we sin it is a moral evil and that when we sin we are ultimately sinning against God, we then need to see that by sinning against God we are either not doing something we should be doing or doing something we should not be doing. For me, it is so hard to keep this in balance and fight against the struggle to either not do something I should be or do something I shouldn't be. There are so many times we commit an act of omission or commission and sin against God. It is in this struggle that we find Thoennes' fourth element:

Sin is rooted deep in our very nature, and sinful actions reveal the condition of a depraved heart within.

We must realize that sin is in our human nature. Adam and Eve brought sin into the world and into human nature when they ate the fruit off of the tree. Ever since, we have struggled as humanity with the problem of sin that is in our being. We must however, not use this fact as an excuse against God. We must repent our human nature and work diligently on fighting and overcoming the temptation to sin. Finally, Theonnes writes:

Sin has brought about a guilty standing before God and a corrupted condition in all humans.

When we sin, we feel guilt and shame. Because when we sin, we are not expressing or conforming to the holy character of God, we stand guilty in front of a holy and pure God. It is because of this that Jesus Christ entered the world and was crucified on the cross to pay our ransom. In our place, condemned He stood.

We will expound more on the saving grace of Christ next week. For now I hope this definition and explanation has helped your understanding of sin. I challenge you this week to think about the definitions of sin we have given you and to search for yourself in the Word of God for different scenarios of sin that would help you better understand what sin is. Ultimately I challenge you to do two things this week:

1. Mediate and think about what sin is and how it separates us from God.
2. Think about areas in your life where sin has pulled you further away from God.

I also want to challenge you to read Psalm 51. I think it is a great cry out to God from David that helps us see what sin really is.

Again, as always, remember if there is any questions you might have regarding what we discuss or anything you need, do not hesitate to ask Tim or myself.

Why Gandhi Can Lead To Worldliness

2009-01-20T16:26:00.004-05:00

Last Tuesday at BCM Tim shared how sad it is that the church is beginning to display quotes from historic figures, the main being Gandhi. Many were probably taken back by this statement and I want to share why we as followers of Christ should not support the placing of these such teachings in the church or follow them ourselves. Many people in culture use inspirational quotes from leaders such as Gandhi to gain motivation or hope for the future. Why should we as followers of Christ take the quotes of historical figures, whose inspiration comes from other religions, and use them in our churches or for our motivation? Mark Driscoll writes in his book Death By Love:

Indeed, not everyone considers the cross of Jesus such good news. For example, speaking of Jesus' crucifixion, the Hindu Gandhi said, "His death on the cross was a great example to the world, but that there was anything like a mysterious or miraculous virtue in it, my heart could not accept."

Gandhi was a Hindu spiritual leader who did not believe that Jesus Christ was and is Lord. When we use quotes of his, or any other non-christian leader for that matter, in the church and in our lives for inspiration and spiritual meaning instead of using the teachings of Jesus and the Word of God, we commit the sin of worldliness. Let us hold fast to the Word and not turn to false teachings (2 Peter 2:1-3). Let us hold true to the Word of God and not love the world (1 John 2:15). Let us not look upon world leaders who do not call upon the name of Christ as their Lord and Savior for inspiration. Let us look towards the one true God who has brought, is bringing and will always bring the ultimate change that needs to come in the world.

A Prayer For Our New President

2009-01-20T16:14:00.005-05:00

At a time filled with much pomp and circumstance during a great tradition of our country, which is the peaceful transition of power, Albert Mohler gives a prayer for our 44th President Barack Obama. I encourage you all to read and pray this prayer with me on this historic day for the United States of America.

Mohler prays:

Our Father, Lord of all creation, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: We pray today with a sense of special urgency and responsibility. We come before you to pray for our new President, Barack Obama, and for all those in this new administration who now assume roles of such high responsibility.
We know that you and you alone are sovereign; that you rule over all, and that you alone are able to keep and defend us. We know that our times are in your hands, and that "the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord" [Proverbs 21:1]. Our confidence is in you and in you alone. We come before you as a people who acknowledge our constant need for your provision, wisdom, and protection.

Albert Mohler on "The American Experience"

2009-01-16T12:19:00.003-05:00

Albert Mohler writes:

The God of the Bible is infinitely greater than we are. He is faithful, just, holy, merciful, gracious, and righteous. A morally perfect being does not operate at the level of mere and faulty human fairness, but at the level of his own omnipotent righteousness. We hope to make things fair. God makes things right.

Spiritual Gifts

2009-01-16T10:16:00.005-05:00

Tim Challies writes:

Often when I hear people speak of spiritual gifts they do so in this manner. “I have the gift of [insert gift here] and my church has no way for me to serve in that way.” Or “I know what my gift is and I am looking for ways to use it.” To these people I would suggest that they may have an inaccurate or incomplete understanding of the way the gifts work. The way to properly exercise spiritual gifts is not to be willing only to do what you’ve determined is your gifting, but to do anything that the church needs to have done, and to do it with joy and excellence. And as you do that, you may find that God gifts and equips you for something far outside your comfort zone.

Blogging BCM: Cut and Paste

2009-01-14T09:19:00.003-05:00

Probably the most convicting statement during last night's message for me was when Tim said that he had seen a lot of previous BCM'ers forsake their faith and fall into the seduction of the world, and that most of us probably would too. I woke up this morning still reflecting upon that. Take a moment and think about where you are right now in your faith, where you are spiritually and try to imagine yourself falling away. Is it hard? You may say that it's impossible, there's no way you will be one of those "most" Tim was talking about. We fail to realize though how easy it is to fall into the seduction of the world. CJ Mahaney writes in Worldliness of how subtle it can be to fall into loving the world without hardly realizing it:

A love for the world begins in the soul. It's subtle, not always immediately obvious to others, and often undetected by the people who are slowly succumbing to its lies.

It begins with a slow conscience and a listless soul. Sin does not grieve him like it once did. Passion for the Savior begins to cool. Affections grow dim. Excitement lessens for participating in the local church. Eagerness to evangelize starts to wane. Growth in godliness slows to a craw.

We are all susceptible to easily falling in love with the world. The slow seduction of the fallen world is powerful. Satan wants to deceive us into thinking we are immune, but we aren't. He wants us to think we aren't doing anything wrong by the steps we're taking as we're being pulled to the world, but we are. Satan wants us to believe in our hearts we're still doing good, while he slowly pulls and pulls and pulls and before we even realize it, we're in love with the world. Mahaney describes this fight for the world as being an every day battle.

Every moment of every day we're making choices - whether we realize it or not - between love for a world that opposes God and love for the risen Christ.

This struggle with Satan between loving the world and truly following and loving our Savior Jesus Christ is an every day war. The decisions that every day pop into our heads.

Should I really read my Bible today? I just don't have the time and I can just pick back up tomorrow and nothing will happen.

This movie doesn't have that much wrong in it. A few images won't really do much to affect my walk in Christ.

I'll pray as I go to sleep and if I fall asleep in the middle of praying, God knows my heart is right and knows who and what needs prayer.

It starts with questions like these. Before we know it, we haven't read our Bible in over a week. We fall into the entanglements of lust by the movies and media we infiltrate our lives with. We haven't truly had good prayer time with God in over a month due to our exhaustive nature. These are daily decisions that either pull us slowly but surely to developing a love for the world, or draw us closer and closer to the relationship with God we were created to have.

You may say these scenarios do not necessarily describe you. First, you're probably lying to me and yourself. Second, if they truly don't, you have your own scenarios. You know what decisions you're faced with daily that can turn you're harmful ignorance into a love for this world or bring you into a stronger communion with Christ. Mahaney concludes almost by saying:

Worldliness is so serious because Christ is so glorious.

How true is this statement?! Worldliness is serious and therefore we must be serious and diligent in our everyday fight against it. We must one by one, face our decisions head on with the attitude like that of Christ Jesus. We must think about what choice we make will bring us closer to glorifying Him. We must resist Worldliness by seeking him. If we do this, not just alone, but together as brothers and sisters in Christ, we could be the group that Tim might one day say did not fall away to the world, but chose to seek and serve Christ instead.

This week as you go throughout your classes and the many things you have to do, do not let busyness become an excuse to be slowly taken into the grip of the world. Prayerfully face every decision knowing that it could help drag you into having a love for the world. Reflect on Tim's message and about the areas of your life that may not be reflecting a love for Christ, but a love for the world. For deeper reflection, study and application, think about these things throughout your week:

"Are the lines between Christian and worldly conduct blurry in your mind - and more importantly, in your life?"

"Is your lifestyle obviously different from that of a non-Christian?"

Read 1 John 2:15 and Galatians 6:14. What are these verses telling us and how are they related to one another?

Just to let you know as a final thought, the fight against worldliness is a battle that does not need to be fought alone. If you ever need someone to talk to or have questions regarding worldliness or even Christianity, Tim and myself are always available to talk. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask.

Driscoll on Trials

2009-01-12T17:10:00.002-05:00

Mark Driscoll writes on trials in 1 and 2 Peter:

In summary, trials come to all Christians. Trials come without warning. Trials do not necessarily come one at a time, and sometimes it feels like we're at war on every front-for the simple reason that we are. Trials can repeat, which means that just because you've lived through it does not mean that it is over. Trials range in severity and duration from the momentary annoyance to the lifelong anguish.
Still, as Peter will show us, every trial is either from God's hand or through God's hand. Thus, if we embrace trials as opportunities from God, they can and do result in his glory and our good. Furthermore, each trial that we face is a witness to the genuineness of our faith, to reassure us that God has saved us and to reveal to others the difference that salvation makes.

Mark Driscoll in the New York Times

2009-01-11T22:33:00.002-05:00

Mark Driscoll and the young reformed were profiled in the NYT.

HT: JT