G.S. Bishop when speaking of grace says;
"Grace is a provision for men who are so fallen that they cannot lift the ax of justice; so corrupt that they cannot change their own natures; so adverse to God that they cannot turn to Him; so blind that they cannot see Him; so deaf that they cannot hear Him; and so dead that He Himself must open their graves."
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Humor based on truth
Those who have been through a church closing will find much truth in this cartoon.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Checking in...
Fellow blog readers when I went to the court house two weeks ago little did I know what awaited me on that day. Anyway long story short I was selected to serve on a jury and let's just say I am not through yet. Therefore the blogs have been few and far between but I am hoping to be back within the near future. Here is a quick post that I thought to be on the lighter side of ministry. This is from Erik Raymond's Blog:
This is a great story. Bruce Shoop and his wife, Brenda Williams are self-proclaimed ‘cannabis-ministers’. They were arrested for growing a 28 pound marijuana plant in their yard which they have been using for religious sacraments. Smoking the weed is alleged to ‘open the mind’ and allow them to better ‘experience God’.
Doesn’t this sound like something a pot head would say? You can just see them sitting around the bong and after a particularly successful day of removing brain cells, saying, “This stuff is so awesome. It is like worship. I feel like I know God.” And then the other guy is like, “Yes. Me too. I am a Cannabis Minister.” And there you go—instant religion.
Stay tuned for the Cocaine Clergy, Meth Ministers and other Pot Pastors. Unbelievable.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
We were not made for mirrors
Why do we watch the world series? Why do we watch gymnastics when the Olympics roll around? Why do we go to the Grand Canyon? Why do we go to the Alps? Why do we go to the ocean? Why do we want to get near bigness and beauty and magnificent and excellence? It’s because that’s what we were made for. We were not made for mirrors. We were made for standing in front of what is infinitely beautiful having it so satisfy us.-John Piper, quoted in The Blazing Center
Saturday, January 19, 2008
In response to Joel Osteen's book
Seven Truths to Living Faithfully - by Steve Camp1. Apply the gospel to yourself daily by denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Him; counting the loss of things rubbish in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus the Lord (Matt. 16:24-26; Phil. 3:7-11).
2. Have a continual life of confession of and repentance from sin (Psalm 66:18; Psalm 32:1-5; Psalm 51; 1 John 2:28-3:9).
3. Read and study your Bible every day (Psalm 119; John 17:17; Jude 3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Psalm 19:7-11; Eph. 4:11-16).
4. Developing an effective, fervent daily prayer life in the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:18-21; James 5:16f; Luke 18:1; Col. 1:9-14).
5. Proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and make disciples of all the nations (1 Peter 3:15f; Roms. 1:16f; 1 Cor. 9:1-18; Matt. 28:19f; Luke 24:44-49).
6. Live sacrifically by serving others as a committed member under the accountability of the local church (Eph. 5:21; Phil. 2:1-4; 1 Tim. 6:1-6; John 13; Phil. 4:10ff; Acts 2:40ff).
7. Do all things to the glory of God - living “out loud” the two great commandments (1 Cor. 10:31; Matt. 5-7; Luke 10:27).
Quotes for the day
"I would rather preach the truth with too great a severity, than to ever once act the hypocrite and conceal the truth". - Martin Luther
"I believe the church has one function, and that is to guard the truth, to proclaim the truth and to live the truth. So you take the Word of God, you teach it, you proclaim it, you protect it, you defend it, and you live it, and that’s a church. The Word of God rightly divided, rightly understood". - John MacArthur
"I've heard people say, 'We're an Acts 1:8 church', and I've heard people say that, 'We're an Acts 2:42 church', but I've never heard anyone say, 'We want to be an Acts 5:1-14 church.'"- Jeff Noblit, pastor First Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals, AL
"I believe the church has one function, and that is to guard the truth, to proclaim the truth and to live the truth. So you take the Word of God, you teach it, you proclaim it, you protect it, you defend it, and you live it, and that’s a church. The Word of God rightly divided, rightly understood". - John MacArthur
"I've heard people say, 'We're an Acts 1:8 church', and I've heard people say that, 'We're an Acts 2:42 church', but I've never heard anyone say, 'We want to be an Acts 5:1-14 church.'"- Jeff Noblit, pastor First Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals, AL
What is Biblical definition of "conversion"
We need to have a good Biblical understanding of the term conversion. Billy Graham and Vance Havner have been quoted as saying that 65-70% of the people who attend evangelical churches probably aren't even saved. If that is true then this is a serious problem that we in the church need to understand by studying our Bibles.
Below is an excellent article by Kim Riddlebarger on "Biblical Conversion and the Modern Church".
"There was a time, not too long ago, when the phrase "conversion experience" was part and parcel of popular Christian vocabulary. Though this term may have fallen into disuse of late, the concept of some type of emotional, psychological or religious "experience" marking the initiation of the believer into a relationship with Jesus Christ, remains an important part of modern Evangelical theology. Terms such as "accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior," "asking Christ into one's heart," other well-defined acts marking conversion, such as "going forward," by walking a church aisle, or "experiencing" the presence or the peace of God, are often used in connection with this discussion. There is much that is true in this popular understanding. And yet, there is a great deal that is false and confusing, and it would be very helpful to define what we mean by conversion, and deal with the biblical data on the subject.
In the Reformed tradition the idea of conversion is often broadly defined as the awakening of a person who is dead in sin to an awareness of the need to place faith in Jesus Christ, and to turn from sin and self to God in repentance. Thus conversion includes the exercise of faith and repentance. Conversion may be marked by a personal crisis in one's life, wherein one is dramatically converted almost instantaneously. Yet, on the other hand, conversion may also by the result of a gradual process over a long period of time. In the classical Reformed understanding regeneration, which is the sovereign act of God in supernaturally giving the new birth to his elect (John 3:3-8; Ephesians 2:5), is prior to conversion. Only those regenerated by God are thus converted through the subsequent act of believing and repenting. This means that conversion must be seen as a response to a prior work of God in the human heart, and a divinely aided one at that.
From the sinner's perspective, psychologically speaking, it really seems as though the sinner has been asleep, unaware, indifferent, if not altogether hostile to the things of God, until regenerated by God. At best God and his gospel made no difference to him. At worst the sinner hates God and opposes his kingdom at every turn. But now "awakened," after the new life is implanted within by the Holy Spirit, the sinner now becomes consciously aware of his or her sin (Acts 2:37). This conviction of sin is usually brought about through the preaching of the Law (the Ten Commandments) and includes both the awareness of personal guilt for breaking God's law, and the awareness of the inability that one has to please God through one's own works or efforts (Romans 3:20). The individual becomes aware of the great fact that he or she is a sinner in desperate need of a savior. The Bible teaches that conversion nay occur either simultaneously, as in the case of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-19), or gradually as in the cases of Jeremiah, John the Baptist or Timothy. Thus biblical accounts of conversion "experiences" vary.
Another aspect of conversion is the doctrine of illumination. God the Holy Spirit, through the preaching, reading or teaching of the word of God, opens a person's mind and heart to understand what the Scriptures say about the human condition, and the need that the sinner has to act upon this awareness (Romans 10:14-17). Once regenerated and convicted of sin, God opens their minds to understand the truth of God and their hearts to now act upon what the mind knows to be true. That is, sinners at some point come to realize that they cannot save themselves, but instead must trust in Christ to save then. This is where the exercise of saving faith enters the picture. They now are compelled to believe or trust in the finished work of Christ as the object of their faith, rather than trust in their own efforts or righteousness to merit favor from God. They surrender to Jesus Christ through simple trust in his ability to save them from the wrath to come. They have been converted.
Closely related to this is the idea of repentance. Someone who places his or her trust and exercises saving faith in Christ will also repent of their sin. The Bible speaks of repentance as including a knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20), sorrow for offending the holy God (Psalm 51), and a desire to be cleansed from their moral pollution (II Corinthians 7:9-10). Thus someone who is regenerated will believe and repent, freely and gladly, since the new nature desires the things to which the old nature was oblivious or actively opposing. Repentance should be seen primarily as a fruit of faith, "and is wholly an inward act, and should not be confounded with the change of life that proceeds from it." (1) In other words, repentance itself is a negative condition, a turning towards God and away from sin. Repentance is not merely ceasing from specific acts of sin.
Therefore, tremendous confusion results from several erroneous ideas now popular in American Evangelicalism. The first of these false ideas arises when the conversion experience itself is made the prerequisite, or the cause of regeneration. This raises serious logical problems. For if someone must be converted before he or she can be regenerate, we are left to conclude that infants cannot be saved. We know that this is not the case in Scripture, but this does not mean that conversion is not necessary in the case of adults. Since conversion is the God-given response which is produced by regeneration, all of those whom God regenerates in adulthood are subsequently converted. But as we have seen, conversions can and do vary, and those who do not know just exactly when it was that they first placed their trust in Jesus Christ, need not live under the tyranny of those who insist that unless one can tell the exact moment in time that they were "saved," that they can have no assurance that they are Christians. If someone has faith in Jesus Christ, he or she is saved regardless of when, or of how it happened. People have faith in Christ because God was pleased to give them faith through his gracious act of new birth.
Another point of confusion is a related one. Not all conversions can be made to fit a ready-made pattern. In the cases of those who have lived open lives of sin and rebellion against God, their conversion may, in fact, be dramatic, both externally, as seen in the dramatic outward change in their lives, and inwardly, in that their own psychological experience is one of great crisis and emotion. God deserves all the praise when such a person is converted. But it is a great error to insist upon a dramatic or emotional conversion experience as the norm for all Christians. Those who were raised in Christian homes, for example, and who have been taught the word of God from their youth (as in the case of Timothy), may have a gradual or even "mundane" conversion in which there is no observable external change, or noticeable internal crisis, or sensational experience. Many Christian believers may not even remember when it was that they were converted, since many such people have never known what it was not to believe in Jesus Christ. They may not know when, merely that they have been converted, through faith and repentance. It is easy to overlook them, but God deserves all of the praise in this type of conversion as well! Thus conversions may vary from individual to individual.
The evidence of conversion, then, is not to be found in a person's having sought a "conversion experience." In biblical conversion, public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father is the ultimate test of genuine transformation. In conversion accounts in the New Testament, the public profession of faith in Christ was immediately followed by baptism. Yes, there should be a noticeable change in affections, and in performance. But using this as empirical "proof" of conversion is a dangerous practice. In the first place, there are many persons who appear outwardly godly, but are members of sects and cults, such as the Mormons, who may pass such outward tests with flying colors. Yet people who reject the true gospel cannot be converted. No, good works and a changed life are fruits of faith, and we must remember that in many cases, true piety remains deliberately private and is self-consciously not self-seeking. Thus a public profession of faith, followed by baptism, rather than demonstrable outward performance, has been historically taken as the sign that conversion has occurred. Failure to understand this has had a profound consequence for many evangelicals.
Since the American church has lost the doctrinal foundation for conversion in the prior work of God in regeneration, conversion has become increasingly seen as itself effecting regeneration. That is, it is commonly understood that I am regenerated through my own act of faith or repentance. Hence a dramatic conversion experience is seen as the sure-fire mark that someone has become a Christian. Such a theological perspective has led to all kinds of manipulation in much of modern evangelism, since the goal of the evangelist is now to produce the conversion "experience" itself rather than preach a pure gospel in which the word of God is faithfully proclaimed, and through which God is pleaded of call his people to faith. Thus many in the modern church now find psychological and emotional manipulation an attractive means to an end. If someone can be made to feel emotional enough, or guilty enough, or embarrassed enough, they can be manipulated to cry, to walk an aisle, and to meet with a counselor after the service. It is far easier to take the safer course and evangelize by means of undulating music, witty and entertaining oratory, complete with image-oriented dramatic pageantry, rather then confront an entire culture with the life giving message of the gospel.
What we must recover, if we are going to understand conversion from a biblical sense, is that we cannot produce conversion through any means! God, however, has promised to produce multitudes of conversions through the proper means of the simple proclamation of the gospel, and any approach which attempts to short-circuit this divinely ordained process must be seen to miss the biblical mark by a wide margin. Until we go back and recover the biblical understanding of conversion, the easier way will always win out. After all, it is far easier to tell someone what they want to hear, instead of confronting them with the truth. It is certainly much easier to entertain the television generation rather than to instruct them in the deeper truths of the faith. It is far easier to get people to raise their hand in a darkened room with every head bowed and every eye closed than it is to get them to submit to the waters of baptism in front of an entire congregation. But such is modern America".
Below is an excellent article by Kim Riddlebarger on "Biblical Conversion and the Modern Church".
"There was a time, not too long ago, when the phrase "conversion experience" was part and parcel of popular Christian vocabulary. Though this term may have fallen into disuse of late, the concept of some type of emotional, psychological or religious "experience" marking the initiation of the believer into a relationship with Jesus Christ, remains an important part of modern Evangelical theology. Terms such as "accepting Jesus Christ as my personal savior," "asking Christ into one's heart," other well-defined acts marking conversion, such as "going forward," by walking a church aisle, or "experiencing" the presence or the peace of God, are often used in connection with this discussion. There is much that is true in this popular understanding. And yet, there is a great deal that is false and confusing, and it would be very helpful to define what we mean by conversion, and deal with the biblical data on the subject.
In the Reformed tradition the idea of conversion is often broadly defined as the awakening of a person who is dead in sin to an awareness of the need to place faith in Jesus Christ, and to turn from sin and self to God in repentance. Thus conversion includes the exercise of faith and repentance. Conversion may be marked by a personal crisis in one's life, wherein one is dramatically converted almost instantaneously. Yet, on the other hand, conversion may also by the result of a gradual process over a long period of time. In the classical Reformed understanding regeneration, which is the sovereign act of God in supernaturally giving the new birth to his elect (John 3:3-8; Ephesians 2:5), is prior to conversion. Only those regenerated by God are thus converted through the subsequent act of believing and repenting. This means that conversion must be seen as a response to a prior work of God in the human heart, and a divinely aided one at that.
From the sinner's perspective, psychologically speaking, it really seems as though the sinner has been asleep, unaware, indifferent, if not altogether hostile to the things of God, until regenerated by God. At best God and his gospel made no difference to him. At worst the sinner hates God and opposes his kingdom at every turn. But now "awakened," after the new life is implanted within by the Holy Spirit, the sinner now becomes consciously aware of his or her sin (Acts 2:37). This conviction of sin is usually brought about through the preaching of the Law (the Ten Commandments) and includes both the awareness of personal guilt for breaking God's law, and the awareness of the inability that one has to please God through one's own works or efforts (Romans 3:20). The individual becomes aware of the great fact that he or she is a sinner in desperate need of a savior. The Bible teaches that conversion nay occur either simultaneously, as in the case of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-19), or gradually as in the cases of Jeremiah, John the Baptist or Timothy. Thus biblical accounts of conversion "experiences" vary.
Another aspect of conversion is the doctrine of illumination. God the Holy Spirit, through the preaching, reading or teaching of the word of God, opens a person's mind and heart to understand what the Scriptures say about the human condition, and the need that the sinner has to act upon this awareness (Romans 10:14-17). Once regenerated and convicted of sin, God opens their minds to understand the truth of God and their hearts to now act upon what the mind knows to be true. That is, sinners at some point come to realize that they cannot save themselves, but instead must trust in Christ to save then. This is where the exercise of saving faith enters the picture. They now are compelled to believe or trust in the finished work of Christ as the object of their faith, rather than trust in their own efforts or righteousness to merit favor from God. They surrender to Jesus Christ through simple trust in his ability to save them from the wrath to come. They have been converted.
Closely related to this is the idea of repentance. Someone who places his or her trust and exercises saving faith in Christ will also repent of their sin. The Bible speaks of repentance as including a knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20), sorrow for offending the holy God (Psalm 51), and a desire to be cleansed from their moral pollution (II Corinthians 7:9-10). Thus someone who is regenerated will believe and repent, freely and gladly, since the new nature desires the things to which the old nature was oblivious or actively opposing. Repentance should be seen primarily as a fruit of faith, "and is wholly an inward act, and should not be confounded with the change of life that proceeds from it." (1) In other words, repentance itself is a negative condition, a turning towards God and away from sin. Repentance is not merely ceasing from specific acts of sin.
Therefore, tremendous confusion results from several erroneous ideas now popular in American Evangelicalism. The first of these false ideas arises when the conversion experience itself is made the prerequisite, or the cause of regeneration. This raises serious logical problems. For if someone must be converted before he or she can be regenerate, we are left to conclude that infants cannot be saved. We know that this is not the case in Scripture, but this does not mean that conversion is not necessary in the case of adults. Since conversion is the God-given response which is produced by regeneration, all of those whom God regenerates in adulthood are subsequently converted. But as we have seen, conversions can and do vary, and those who do not know just exactly when it was that they first placed their trust in Jesus Christ, need not live under the tyranny of those who insist that unless one can tell the exact moment in time that they were "saved," that they can have no assurance that they are Christians. If someone has faith in Jesus Christ, he or she is saved regardless of when, or of how it happened. People have faith in Christ because God was pleased to give them faith through his gracious act of new birth.
Another point of confusion is a related one. Not all conversions can be made to fit a ready-made pattern. In the cases of those who have lived open lives of sin and rebellion against God, their conversion may, in fact, be dramatic, both externally, as seen in the dramatic outward change in their lives, and inwardly, in that their own psychological experience is one of great crisis and emotion. God deserves all the praise when such a person is converted. But it is a great error to insist upon a dramatic or emotional conversion experience as the norm for all Christians. Those who were raised in Christian homes, for example, and who have been taught the word of God from their youth (as in the case of Timothy), may have a gradual or even "mundane" conversion in which there is no observable external change, or noticeable internal crisis, or sensational experience. Many Christian believers may not even remember when it was that they were converted, since many such people have never known what it was not to believe in Jesus Christ. They may not know when, merely that they have been converted, through faith and repentance. It is easy to overlook them, but God deserves all of the praise in this type of conversion as well! Thus conversions may vary from individual to individual.
The evidence of conversion, then, is not to be found in a person's having sought a "conversion experience." In biblical conversion, public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father is the ultimate test of genuine transformation. In conversion accounts in the New Testament, the public profession of faith in Christ was immediately followed by baptism. Yes, there should be a noticeable change in affections, and in performance. But using this as empirical "proof" of conversion is a dangerous practice. In the first place, there are many persons who appear outwardly godly, but are members of sects and cults, such as the Mormons, who may pass such outward tests with flying colors. Yet people who reject the true gospel cannot be converted. No, good works and a changed life are fruits of faith, and we must remember that in many cases, true piety remains deliberately private and is self-consciously not self-seeking. Thus a public profession of faith, followed by baptism, rather than demonstrable outward performance, has been historically taken as the sign that conversion has occurred. Failure to understand this has had a profound consequence for many evangelicals.
Since the American church has lost the doctrinal foundation for conversion in the prior work of God in regeneration, conversion has become increasingly seen as itself effecting regeneration. That is, it is commonly understood that I am regenerated through my own act of faith or repentance. Hence a dramatic conversion experience is seen as the sure-fire mark that someone has become a Christian. Such a theological perspective has led to all kinds of manipulation in much of modern evangelism, since the goal of the evangelist is now to produce the conversion "experience" itself rather than preach a pure gospel in which the word of God is faithfully proclaimed, and through which God is pleaded of call his people to faith. Thus many in the modern church now find psychological and emotional manipulation an attractive means to an end. If someone can be made to feel emotional enough, or guilty enough, or embarrassed enough, they can be manipulated to cry, to walk an aisle, and to meet with a counselor after the service. It is far easier to take the safer course and evangelize by means of undulating music, witty and entertaining oratory, complete with image-oriented dramatic pageantry, rather then confront an entire culture with the life giving message of the gospel.
What we must recover, if we are going to understand conversion from a biblical sense, is that we cannot produce conversion through any means! God, however, has promised to produce multitudes of conversions through the proper means of the simple proclamation of the gospel, and any approach which attempts to short-circuit this divinely ordained process must be seen to miss the biblical mark by a wide margin. Until we go back and recover the biblical understanding of conversion, the easier way will always win out. After all, it is far easier to tell someone what they want to hear, instead of confronting them with the truth. It is certainly much easier to entertain the television generation rather than to instruct them in the deeper truths of the faith. It is far easier to get people to raise their hand in a darkened room with every head bowed and every eye closed than it is to get them to submit to the waters of baptism in front of an entire congregation. But such is modern America".
Friday, January 18, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
The market driven church
John MacArthur writes in his book "Ashamed of the Gospel"
"The market-driven philosophy of user-friendly churches does not easily permit them to take firm enough doctrinal positions to oppose false teaching. Their outlook on leadership drives them to hire marketers who can sell rather than biblically qualified pastors who can teach. Their approach to ministry is so undoctrinal that they cannot educate their people against subtle errors. Their avoidance of controversy puts them in a position where they cannot oppose false teaching that masquerades as evangelicalism".
"The market-driven philosophy of user-friendly churches does not easily permit them to take firm enough doctrinal positions to oppose false teaching. Their outlook on leadership drives them to hire marketers who can sell rather than biblically qualified pastors who can teach. Their approach to ministry is so undoctrinal that they cannot educate their people against subtle errors. Their avoidance of controversy puts them in a position where they cannot oppose false teaching that masquerades as evangelicalism".
Back in the saddle...
I am thrilled and blessed to be teaching "how to study the Bible" at Carmel Baptist Church for the next 10 weeks. Here is a note that gives a summary of what was covered last night and what is coming next in this series.
Dear Bible study group,
Thanks for your attendance and attention last night as we begin a 10 week series on "how to study the Bible." As I mentioned this series is intended to be like a marathon and not a sprint. My goal last night was to have you know a little about me, background and the practical ways studying the Bible over the years has impacted my life. Also it was to introduce you to a section of Scripture in Luke 24. As you remember the Lord Jesus takes two sad disciples and after explaining Scriptures transforms them into hearts burning with a passion to proclaim "Christ is alive". Nothing would thrill me more, than to hear that as a result of our the next 10 weeks your hearts are burning to understand and apply the word of God daily into your lives.
The title of our course is a little misleading because we are dealing not only with the "how" but also the "why". One of the main focuses of ministry for me over the past 10 years has been to ask "why" Christians don't read, study nor have devotions on a regular basis. As you read this email do a quick survey of your own Bible reading, study and devotion time in the last 3 years. Each of us has 10,080 minutes every week. Most Christians I have taught over the years understand the command that we are to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. However, when they do an honest review of minutes available as opposed to minutes actually committed to study, reading and devotion time there seems to be a gap between what they know and what they do. Therefore, one of the goals of this 10 week series is to once again get you into the word in order that the word can get back into you. This point needs some further clarification. We live in the culture of America. Many live by a motto that goes something like this "if it's to be then it's up to me". Therefore when you tell an American Christian to get back to the Bible they think "I can do it, I will do and if you don't think I can then watch me". All that produces is a group of people that have a "duty" mentality and that is NOT my goal for you in this series. Instead my goal is that you would "DELIGHT" in picking up your Bibles each morning, have a meeting with the living Lord Jesus as He explains His word to you.
I have found it helpful to look at two aspects of the "why" as it relates to Bible reading, study and devotion time. The first category I want to share with you are the main reasons I continue to hear as to "why" people don't study their Bibles. As you read would simply make a mental note if any of these reasons apply to you specifically. Now please don't be offended at my next statement. But Vance Havner, one of the great all time Baptist preachers, used to say "An excuse is the skin of a lie stuffed with a reason". So with all that said here we go.
1. The Bible doesn't seem relevant to my life
2. The Bible is confusing and hard to understand
3. I end up always feeling guilty when I read the Bible
4. I rely on my pastors and leadership to teach me what the Bible says
5. The Bible is boring to me
6. My life is hectic and I simply don't have time to read the Bible
7. The Bible is full of contradictions and therefore lacks credibility
8. I don't read period, not just the Bible but I don't read anything
From time to time I have dealt with each of these objections but let me go straight to the bottom line. All of us make time to do that which is important to us - right? Last night and in this initial email I am asking you to honestly evaluate what priority does God's word have in your life right now. This is one of the most, if not the most important question that you will every ask yourself. Because as we will see your answer to that very question will have eternal consequences. A pastor once said that when his mother gave him his first Bible she wrote on the inside cover "sin will keep you from this book or this book will keep you from sin". How true is that statement in light of Romans 6:23 that plainly tells us that the wages of sin is death. So now allow me to give you the other category of "why". This is going to be a list of "why" as a Christian you should study the Bible. Let me mention that while this is my list it certainly is not an exhaustive list.
Christian should study the Bible because: (the "why" we should)
1. It is commanded by God Himself.
Read carefully and slowly 2 Timothy 2:15 - "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth".
The words "be diligent" can be translated study and in this particular sentence it is a verb that is used in the "imperative" mood. The "imperative" mood carries with it the mood of command, it other words we aren't asked to study but rather commanded to in God's word!
While we are on the subject of God's commands let me mention something that you might find interesting about accurate Bible study. Go back with me to the garden of Eden when God commanded Adam in Gen. 2:17 "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Do you think that Adam really understood what God meant by what He said? I vote yes for a number of reasons that I won't go into other than Adam totally understood that command. Now later on Eve had a conversation with the serpent that is recorded in Gen. 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! Now doesn't that seem to be in conflict with what God said to Adam? And as Paul Harvey says "you know the rest of the story". Can you see one of the strategies that Satan is constantly using on us as believers? He wants to be sure that we do not know what God really means by what He says. If fact Satan takes the very word of God and twists it around because he knows that a wrong believing will lead us to a wrong behaving. Folks, we need the tools and principles to accurately know how to interpret the word of God for ourselves, our families and our lives.
2. There is no subject that is more worthy of our time. By the way I meant to ask last night if you were asked to give the subject of the Bible in two words how would you respond?
My answer to that question would be Jesus Christ. Let me give you a quotation from one of the great Bible teachers who taught for many years at Columbia Bible College now known as Columbia International University. His name is Buck Hatch and he now resides with that great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12. Here is a quote directly from Buck Hatch - "What is more important to man than God? He is everything. To know God is the primary, pre‑eminent pursuit of any human. And how is he, man, to study, to know God? God has shut Himself up, as it were, or limited Himself in His revelation to mankind through the channel of the written Word of God ‑ The Bible.
This is the only authentic, true text to which we may turn. Anything God has of Himself or His blessings comes from Himself immediately, directly, and only to a human being through this book, God's Word. Consequently, to know God is to know the Bible; to know the Bible is to know God. If God is all important, then His Word is all important. In other words, The Word of God is as important as God Himself. As far as mankind is concerned, this is true. A hunger for God will mean, must mean, a hunger for the Word of God. Therefore, one must immediately realize if God's Word is as important as God Himself (for by it we can know and understand God), then how we interpret God's Word is just as important as God's Word. We must know exactly what it says so that we may know exactly what God says! This is where correct and accurate Bible study plays its important role."
3. It is a litmus test for us as to determine if we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus. Check out John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine". Sometimes what I like to do is to contrast what I have just read in order that the truth even be brought into my mind and heart in a more significant way. Therefore based on the verse above would it be fair to say that those who don't continue in His word aren't true disciples! Whoa, now that should really get our attention! By the way the word "continue" in this verse is the Greek word "meno" and it means to reside or stay in. If you cross reference this word it also appears in John 15:4 - "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me". One of the keys for determining whether are true or just professing disciples of the Lord Jesus is do we abide in His word!
4. This is the primary way in which we as believers can know God. The Bible is a unique Book. There is no other like it. It is a Supernatural Book ‑ it is God's Book, written by Him to us, about Himself. The Bible is simply everything a person needs to know about God in order to have an intimate personal relationship with Him.
Remember what Phillip asked the Lord Jesus in John 14:8 - "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." And Jesus says to him "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father". Since we know that Jesus is the Word then to know the Word is to know God. How sad that for many people the knowing is only information that resides within the head instead of a transformation that is known in the heart!
Next week we will cover "who" can study the Bible to know God. In addition to the "who" we will get an overview of the entire Bible in order to see it as a whole that is written as one book with one Author. For some people this may be your first real effort to get serious about time in God's word. This again is a marathon and not a sprint and as you have probably heard before the journey of 1000 miles begins with that of a single step. Therefore we will begin one step at a time to learn the principles of Bible study in order that we may come to know what the author meant by what he wrote.
Now before I conclude this initial email I need to give you a homework assignment for next week. Yes, I said a homework assignment. Come on you really didn't think you could come away from our class and not have some homework did you? OK, I will be explaining in weeks to come the difference between reading the Bible, having devotions in the Bible and studying the Bible. Don't let that bother nor intimidate you at this point. First let me ask you a question - in the last 3 years how many times have you read through the entire Bible? It may surprise you to know that many Christians have never read through the entire Bible even once. So, we need to come to terms with is a plan and process for you to read through the entire Bible. My suggestion and it is only that, is for you to do this in one year. Therefore I am going to provide you with several options to choose from and then tell you what I am doing this year. By the way this is always my recommendation as a starting point for healthy Bible study. Let me give you an illustration, suppose a good friend has just built a new home and they invite you over for a house warming party. Upon arriving you observe the home, its design, style and the landscaping. Then entering the new home you are given an overall view as you walk with the host from room to room. Most people don't immediately go into the dining room to examine each of the chairs at the dining room table. But many people do start their Bible study by going to a particular verse within the Bible in order to observe, interpret and apply. Even though that is a way to study I don't think it is the best way to study the Bible.
Here is step #1 of our 1000 mile journey:
Find a Bible reading plan that can take you through the entire Bible in one year.
Link #1 - We used this in our church and had many people give positive feedback with this particular method. Each week you are reading in:
Epistles
the Law
History
Psalms
Poetry
Prophecy
Gospels
Link #2 - I have never used this particular system but have heard others give this a high recommendation
Link #3 - This is what I am personally doing this year and would very much recommend it. You start with a survey of the book and then each day some insight on what is going to be covered for that particular day. I think you can find this at either Barnes and Nobles or Borders bookstore here in Charlotte.
Link #4 - Last year a young man that I was able to disciple used this particular Bible reading plan and he would give you this as his recommendation. I call this either the "turbo" Bible reading plan because it covers the whole Bible in 90 days. I want to encourage you first to read through the whole Bible as quickly as your schedule and time will allow. You will see in coming weeks how the "unity" of the Bible will play a major role in how we learn to interpret Scripture in an accurate manner.
Well there you have it 4 recommendations - 2 online and 2 books for your choosing that you should be able to find in Charlotte or that you can order immediately from Amazon.
In closing I hope to have our blog site up and functional by sometime this weekend. I will include first my book recommendations that cover "how to study the Bible". These will be books that I own personally and many of the teachings, comments, and paraphrases will be from this material. In addition to these there are another 3 reference sources that I will be using "Hermeneutics - how to study the Bible" from Columbia International University, "Hermeneutics for the rest of us" by Jim Wright, and finally "A workman approved which is a how to study the Bible series by Mark Keilar. Just as a matter of information I will not be footnoting the textbook information nor the resource materials as I write to you from week to week. Please allow these book recommendations and reference materials mentioned here to cover this as we move forward.
Also please know that I am available to you as the schedule allows for questions about "how to study the Bible." Apparently I am going to be tied up for the next 3 weeks in jury duty but please don't hesitate to call or email. Thanks again for your kind welcome last night and I consider it a real privilege to be able to share with you during the next 10 weeks these principles of Bible study.
My prayer for you the next week will be as follows:
Col. 1:9 ¶ For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Col. 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Col. 1:11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
Col. 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Blessings,
Dear Bible study group,
Thanks for your attendance and attention last night as we begin a 10 week series on "how to study the Bible." As I mentioned this series is intended to be like a marathon and not a sprint. My goal last night was to have you know a little about me, background and the practical ways studying the Bible over the years has impacted my life. Also it was to introduce you to a section of Scripture in Luke 24. As you remember the Lord Jesus takes two sad disciples and after explaining Scriptures transforms them into hearts burning with a passion to proclaim "Christ is alive". Nothing would thrill me more, than to hear that as a result of our the next 10 weeks your hearts are burning to understand and apply the word of God daily into your lives.
The title of our course is a little misleading because we are dealing not only with the "how" but also the "why". One of the main focuses of ministry for me over the past 10 years has been to ask "why" Christians don't read, study nor have devotions on a regular basis. As you read this email do a quick survey of your own Bible reading, study and devotion time in the last 3 years. Each of us has 10,080 minutes every week. Most Christians I have taught over the years understand the command that we are to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. However, when they do an honest review of minutes available as opposed to minutes actually committed to study, reading and devotion time there seems to be a gap between what they know and what they do. Therefore, one of the goals of this 10 week series is to once again get you into the word in order that the word can get back into you. This point needs some further clarification. We live in the culture of America. Many live by a motto that goes something like this "if it's to be then it's up to me". Therefore when you tell an American Christian to get back to the Bible they think "I can do it, I will do and if you don't think I can then watch me". All that produces is a group of people that have a "duty" mentality and that is NOT my goal for you in this series. Instead my goal is that you would "DELIGHT" in picking up your Bibles each morning, have a meeting with the living Lord Jesus as He explains His word to you.
I have found it helpful to look at two aspects of the "why" as it relates to Bible reading, study and devotion time. The first category I want to share with you are the main reasons I continue to hear as to "why" people don't study their Bibles. As you read would simply make a mental note if any of these reasons apply to you specifically. Now please don't be offended at my next statement. But Vance Havner, one of the great all time Baptist preachers, used to say "An excuse is the skin of a lie stuffed with a reason". So with all that said here we go.
1. The Bible doesn't seem relevant to my life
2. The Bible is confusing and hard to understand
3. I end up always feeling guilty when I read the Bible
4. I rely on my pastors and leadership to teach me what the Bible says
5. The Bible is boring to me
6. My life is hectic and I simply don't have time to read the Bible
7. The Bible is full of contradictions and therefore lacks credibility
8. I don't read period, not just the Bible but I don't read anything
From time to time I have dealt with each of these objections but let me go straight to the bottom line. All of us make time to do that which is important to us - right? Last night and in this initial email I am asking you to honestly evaluate what priority does God's word have in your life right now. This is one of the most, if not the most important question that you will every ask yourself. Because as we will see your answer to that very question will have eternal consequences. A pastor once said that when his mother gave him his first Bible she wrote on the inside cover "sin will keep you from this book or this book will keep you from sin". How true is that statement in light of Romans 6:23 that plainly tells us that the wages of sin is death. So now allow me to give you the other category of "why". This is going to be a list of "why" as a Christian you should study the Bible. Let me mention that while this is my list it certainly is not an exhaustive list.
Christian should study the Bible because: (the "why" we should)
1. It is commanded by God Himself.
Read carefully and slowly 2 Timothy 2:15 - "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth".
The words "be diligent" can be translated study and in this particular sentence it is a verb that is used in the "imperative" mood. The "imperative" mood carries with it the mood of command, it other words we aren't asked to study but rather commanded to in God's word!
While we are on the subject of God's commands let me mention something that you might find interesting about accurate Bible study. Go back with me to the garden of Eden when God commanded Adam in Gen. 2:17 "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Do you think that Adam really understood what God meant by what He said? I vote yes for a number of reasons that I won't go into other than Adam totally understood that command. Now later on Eve had a conversation with the serpent that is recorded in Gen. 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! Now doesn't that seem to be in conflict with what God said to Adam? And as Paul Harvey says "you know the rest of the story". Can you see one of the strategies that Satan is constantly using on us as believers? He wants to be sure that we do not know what God really means by what He says. If fact Satan takes the very word of God and twists it around because he knows that a wrong believing will lead us to a wrong behaving. Folks, we need the tools and principles to accurately know how to interpret the word of God for ourselves, our families and our lives.
2. There is no subject that is more worthy of our time. By the way I meant to ask last night if you were asked to give the subject of the Bible in two words how would you respond?
My answer to that question would be Jesus Christ. Let me give you a quotation from one of the great Bible teachers who taught for many years at Columbia Bible College now known as Columbia International University. His name is Buck Hatch and he now resides with that great cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12. Here is a quote directly from Buck Hatch - "What is more important to man than God? He is everything. To know God is the primary, pre‑eminent pursuit of any human. And how is he, man, to study, to know God? God has shut Himself up, as it were, or limited Himself in His revelation to mankind through the channel of the written Word of God ‑ The Bible.
This is the only authentic, true text to which we may turn. Anything God has of Himself or His blessings comes from Himself immediately, directly, and only to a human being through this book, God's Word. Consequently, to know God is to know the Bible; to know the Bible is to know God. If God is all important, then His Word is all important. In other words, The Word of God is as important as God Himself. As far as mankind is concerned, this is true. A hunger for God will mean, must mean, a hunger for the Word of God. Therefore, one must immediately realize if God's Word is as important as God Himself (for by it we can know and understand God), then how we interpret God's Word is just as important as God's Word. We must know exactly what it says so that we may know exactly what God says! This is where correct and accurate Bible study plays its important role."
3. It is a litmus test for us as to determine if we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus. Check out John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine". Sometimes what I like to do is to contrast what I have just read in order that the truth even be brought into my mind and heart in a more significant way. Therefore based on the verse above would it be fair to say that those who don't continue in His word aren't true disciples! Whoa, now that should really get our attention! By the way the word "continue" in this verse is the Greek word "meno" and it means to reside or stay in. If you cross reference this word it also appears in John 15:4 - "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me". One of the keys for determining whether are true or just professing disciples of the Lord Jesus is do we abide in His word!
4. This is the primary way in which we as believers can know God. The Bible is a unique Book. There is no other like it. It is a Supernatural Book ‑ it is God's Book, written by Him to us, about Himself. The Bible is simply everything a person needs to know about God in order to have an intimate personal relationship with Him.
Remember what Phillip asked the Lord Jesus in John 14:8 - "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." And Jesus says to him "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father". Since we know that Jesus is the Word then to know the Word is to know God. How sad that for many people the knowing is only information that resides within the head instead of a transformation that is known in the heart!
Next week we will cover "who" can study the Bible to know God. In addition to the "who" we will get an overview of the entire Bible in order to see it as a whole that is written as one book with one Author. For some people this may be your first real effort to get serious about time in God's word. This again is a marathon and not a sprint and as you have probably heard before the journey of 1000 miles begins with that of a single step. Therefore we will begin one step at a time to learn the principles of Bible study in order that we may come to know what the author meant by what he wrote.
Now before I conclude this initial email I need to give you a homework assignment for next week. Yes, I said a homework assignment. Come on you really didn't think you could come away from our class and not have some homework did you? OK, I will be explaining in weeks to come the difference between reading the Bible, having devotions in the Bible and studying the Bible. Don't let that bother nor intimidate you at this point. First let me ask you a question - in the last 3 years how many times have you read through the entire Bible? It may surprise you to know that many Christians have never read through the entire Bible even once. So, we need to come to terms with is a plan and process for you to read through the entire Bible. My suggestion and it is only that, is for you to do this in one year. Therefore I am going to provide you with several options to choose from and then tell you what I am doing this year. By the way this is always my recommendation as a starting point for healthy Bible study. Let me give you an illustration, suppose a good friend has just built a new home and they invite you over for a house warming party. Upon arriving you observe the home, its design, style and the landscaping. Then entering the new home you are given an overall view as you walk with the host from room to room. Most people don't immediately go into the dining room to examine each of the chairs at the dining room table. But many people do start their Bible study by going to a particular verse within the Bible in order to observe, interpret and apply. Even though that is a way to study I don't think it is the best way to study the Bible.
Here is step #1 of our 1000 mile journey:
Find a Bible reading plan that can take you through the entire Bible in one year.
Link #1 - We used this in our church and had many people give positive feedback with this particular method. Each week you are reading in:
Epistles
the Law
History
Psalms
Poetry
Prophecy
Gospels
Link #2 - I have never used this particular system but have heard others give this a high recommendation
Link #3 - This is what I am personally doing this year and would very much recommend it. You start with a survey of the book and then each day some insight on what is going to be covered for that particular day. I think you can find this at either Barnes and Nobles or Borders bookstore here in Charlotte.
Link #4 - Last year a young man that I was able to disciple used this particular Bible reading plan and he would give you this as his recommendation. I call this either the "turbo" Bible reading plan because it covers the whole Bible in 90 days. I want to encourage you first to read through the whole Bible as quickly as your schedule and time will allow. You will see in coming weeks how the "unity" of the Bible will play a major role in how we learn to interpret Scripture in an accurate manner.
Well there you have it 4 recommendations - 2 online and 2 books for your choosing that you should be able to find in Charlotte or that you can order immediately from Amazon.
In closing I hope to have our blog site up and functional by sometime this weekend. I will include first my book recommendations that cover "how to study the Bible". These will be books that I own personally and many of the teachings, comments, and paraphrases will be from this material. In addition to these there are another 3 reference sources that I will be using "Hermeneutics - how to study the Bible" from Columbia International University, "Hermeneutics for the rest of us" by Jim Wright, and finally "A workman approved which is a how to study the Bible series by Mark Keilar. Just as a matter of information I will not be footnoting the textbook information nor the resource materials as I write to you from week to week. Please allow these book recommendations and reference materials mentioned here to cover this as we move forward.
Also please know that I am available to you as the schedule allows for questions about "how to study the Bible." Apparently I am going to be tied up for the next 3 weeks in jury duty but please don't hesitate to call or email. Thanks again for your kind welcome last night and I consider it a real privilege to be able to share with you during the next 10 weeks these principles of Bible study.
My prayer for you the next week will be as follows:
Col. 1:9 ¶ For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
Col. 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Col. 1:11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
Col. 1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
Blessings,
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Quote for the day
"The most insidious assault on the Gospel comes from the so called church." —John MacArthur
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Quote for the day
The philosophy that marries marketing technique with church growth theory is the result of bad theology. It assumes that if you package the gospel right, people will get saved. It is rooted in Arminianism, which makes the human will, not a sovereign God, the decisive factor in salvation. It speaks of conversion as a "decision for Christ." Such language and such doctrine have begun to color modern ministry. The goal of market-driven ministry is an instantaneous human decision, rather than a radical transformation of the heart wrought by Almighty God through the Holy Spirit's convicting work and the truth of His Word. An honest belief in the sovereignty of God in salvation would bring an end to a lot of the nonsense that is going on in the church. - Dr. John MacArthur
Wake up church!!!
Folks, Joel Osteen is the pastor of the largest church in America, he has number one selling books and doesn't know the difference between a Mormon and a Christian.
Joel tends to respond by saying "in my mind" or "I think" when he answers a question instead of responding "the Bible says". Before you view this video please read the previous post about "Dumb on Doctrine-Doctrine-Doctrine". Now compare good Biblical doctrine to what Joel Osteen says in this video clip. This is not a small thing but the kind of preaching and teaching that is becoming common place in America. If you sound good, look good, smile a lot and have a positive message that can draw a crowd then you can pastor, preach, teach, author and maybe someday get on Fox news Sunday with Chris Wallace.
Joel tends to respond by saying "in my mind" or "I think" when he answers a question instead of responding "the Bible says". Before you view this video please read the previous post about "Dumb on Doctrine-Doctrine-Doctrine". Now compare good Biblical doctrine to what Joel Osteen says in this video clip. This is not a small thing but the kind of preaching and teaching that is becoming common place in America. If you sound good, look good, smile a lot and have a positive message that can draw a crowd then you can pastor, preach, teach, author and maybe someday get on Fox news Sunday with Chris Wallace.
Dumb on Doctrine-Doctrine-Doctrine
"The substitution of so-called "practical" preaching for the doctrinal exposition which it has supplanted is the root cause of many of the evil maladies which now afflict the church of God. The reason why there is so little depth, so little intelligence, so little grasp of the fundamental verities of Christianity, is because so few believers have been established in the faith, through hearing expounded and through their own personal study of the doctrines of grace. While the soul is unestablished in the doctrine of the Divine Inspiration of the Scriptures—their full and verbal inspiration— there can be no firm foundation for faith to rest upon. While the soul is ignorant of the doctrine of Justification there can be no real and intelligent assurance of its acceptance in the Beloved. While the soul is unacquainted with the teaching of the Word upon Sanctification it is open to receive all the crudities and errors of the Perfectionists or "Holiness" people. While the soul knows not what Scripture has to say upon the doctrine of the New Birth there can be no proper grasp of the two natures in the believer, and ignorance here inevitably results in loss of peace and joy. And so we might go on right through the list of Christian doctrine. It is ignorance of doctrine that has rendered the professing church helpless to cope with the rising tide of infidelity. It is ignorance of doctrine which is mainly responsible for thousands of professing Christians being captivated by the numerous fallacies of the day. It is because the time has now arrived when the bulk of our churches "will not endure sound doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:3) that they so readily receive false doctrines." —A. W. Pink (1886–1952)
Are you kidding me or what?
This is a real story about a real pastor whose name is David Foster. He has put together a list of "how" he would choose a church.Here is a copy of the article from "A little leaven" blog site:
Pastor David Foster of The Gathering in Nashville, TN has compiled what we think to be the most me-centered and superficial test for evaluating a church that we've ever seen. Notice that in this list of 16 things Pastor Foster would look for in a church he never once mentions sound doctrine, Christ-Centered preaching or anything of Biblical substance. Here is Pastor Foster's list with our commentary in parentheses:
If I were looking for a church to attend in the morning, here is what I’d look for:
1. When I enter do I hear laughter?
(What about reverence? Why should we prefer laughter over reverence?)2. Are people greeting me as a job or a joy?
(Come on'. When was the last time a church greeter gave you the same type of service you get at a post-office? If this is sooooo important to you, maybe you should fill out a Zagat survey after church and rate their customer service.)3. Does the place look like they were expecting me?
(What does this look like? Should the church set up VIP box seats for me and my entourage?)4. Are people buzzing as they greet each other?
(We call this the bee hive test and we have no clue what it means.)5. Is there spirited music playing as people gather?
(What does this mean? Should we be listening for Lynard Skynard music?6. Does the music move me?
(How me-centered and vain can you get?? So I'm supposed to show up at a church unannounced, expect to be given the VIP treatment and demand that the music move ME. What if I am only "moved" by opera music? Should I let the church know that I won't be back until they change the music to suit my 'moving' needs?" Here's a better question, "Does the music exalt Christ and what He accomplished for us on the cross or does it exalt me?"7. Do the people on stage look real and engaged?
(We'll I guess this test rules out every church that doesn't have a stage. Furthermore, we are now supposed to think and act like Simon Cowell from American Idol. Maybe we can provide the church with post-performance feedback like, "Sorry this performance didn't do it for me. Your wardrobe was attrocious, your vocals we're pitchy and you seemed a bit nervous. I didn't feel like you we're being real and engaged. I'll be finding a different church to attend next week."8. Are the announcements short, strategic, and to the point?
(We wouldn't want to have a single precious minute wasted having to hear about the church picnic now would we?)9. Is there a printed outline with Scripture already printed on it?
(Ah yes. Expecting people to bring their own Bibles, flip pages, follow along and take their own notes is now a sure and certain sign that a church doesn't care about people.)10. Does the pastor smile?
(Joel Osteen smiles a lot and he teaches false doctrine.)11. Does the message title promise a relevant topic I am interested in?
(God has His own agenda and things He wants me to know and learn from Scripture. These are messages I need to hear whether I want to hear them or not. Going to church with the expectation that I'm going to hear a message that is relevant "to me" brushes God's truth aside and turns me into my own god.)12. Does the pastor speak with humility and authority?
(Who cares? There are FAR more important questions that need to be answered. Questions like...Does he speak the truth? Does he rightly handle the word of God? Does he teach what is in accord with sound doctrine? Are his sermons Christ-Centered and Cross-Focused?)13. Do I feel the presence of God?
(What does this feel like? Is it goose bumps or a liver shiver? This is pure subjectivity! How on earth does this question tell us anything?! "Sorry I can't stay at this church because I didn't get goose bumps during the sermon.")14. Are people listening and engaged?
(The members of Jim Jone's church listened and were engaged and look what happened to them. This question tells us nothing.)15. Is the service no more than 71 minutes?
(Me. Me. Me. It's all about ME. "I don't want to have to spend more than 71 minutes in church cause I get bored. Plus I've got precious me time scheduled for Sunday afternoon. So hurry it up Pastor!")16. Does it pass by fast?
(See our commentary for question 15.)
This list clearly demonstrates the extent to which the me-centered, narcissistic, entertainment hungry American church has fallen. How ironic is it that a PASTOR is the one who compiled this list of questions? Aren't pastors supposed to feed us the word of God and condemn our sinful vanities and deeds and preach the transforming message of the Gospel; the message that transforms us from self-centered sinners into 'Christ-Like' children of God?
Hey folks, don't think this is just specific to Nashville, this these churches are right here in Charlotte!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Consumer Driven Church - by Bill Kinnon
I’m a consumer. Nothing wrong with that.
I like nice things.
Shiny things.
Techie things.
Tasty things.
Dark beers with a rich foam head.
Did I mention?
I’m a consumer.
So. You want me in your church. Here’s how to get me.
Parking. I need lots of space for my big SUV. And it better be close to the doors. Don’t want to do much walking. So if it isn’t - how about a shuttle.
Nice Building. This is important. I’m not interested in some strip mall church that looks like it’s struggling. Or an old traditional church - unless you've done millions in renos. I’m an upwardly model semi-professional. I want my surroundings to reflect my importance.
Proper HVAC. This isn’t important. It’s critical. I want to be cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cool. 68ºF to 72ºF - year round. Is that too much to ask.
Comfy chairs. And when I say chairs, I mean chairs. Preferably theater-style. With wide arm rests. Give me some space for my girth - and safe distance from the other arriving consumers.
Be punctual. I’ve already spent too much time getting me and the family ready and there for the meeting. Begin it on time. Have something cool playing on the big screens to entertain if we arrive a little early.
You’ve got an hour. Make good use of it. I want to be in and out in no more than 75 minutes. Maybe a few more if you’re serving decent coffee. Decent coffee that’s free, of course.
Music. Three songs up front. One fast (to get us going). One mid-tempo (to help us be reflective). End with a fast one (that tells us how much Jesus/God/the Spirit loves us - just no Jesus-Is-My-Boyfriend songs. OK!)
Announcements. Get them over after the music. Present them on your big screens so they can be done quickly. This isn’t a time to stick your B-team on the platform to give them some face time. And, unless Larry David is writing for you, avoid humor. Have the Final Cut folk edit your marketing stuff down to 15 second bites. If it works for Sony, it’ll work for you.
Offering. Now. It’s up to you where you put it. If the preacher is great, after the sermon might work better. If not. Go for the money after the announcements. (Maybe show some shots of starving third world kids in the last announcement. Heart-string-tugs work for Compassion and World Vision - why not your church.) “God loves a cheerful giver” and the Malachi 3 verses and the 100 fold blessing are important reminders. A good story of how tithing worked for someone would be great. No more than 90 seconds though.
Sermon. Twenty minutes. Did I make myself clear. 20 Minutes. 20. Twenty. We have the attention spans of gnats. Keep that in mind. Make it practical. If I wanted systematic theology, I would have gone to seminary. Use humor. Steal from the best if necessary. I want to leave feeling built up. And it’s a bonus if I can use the jokes/stories you told at work tomorrow.
Final song. Let the band rip on the last song. Feel good, happy-clappy works here. You want us wanting to come back for more next week.
Benediction segue. Let the band lay back and under as you Bless Us. Speak multiplied blessings over us - and then do a fast pitch for whatever product you need to sell. I did say. Fast pitch.
And then the band amps back up. This is the place for guitar or sax solos as we head out the doors to the shuttle bus or book store or free coffee. It’s okay to charge us something extra for Lattés.
Like I said. I’m a consumer. Oh. And a sort of a Christian. If you build this, I will come.
Or so you’ve been told.
Consumer Driven Church - "WHERE IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT ME"
The word "saved" means... by John Samson
Romans 5:8-9 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
The word "saved" is banded about all the time in our culture. We talk about a goalkeeper making a "save," but we do not mean by this that the goalkeeper provided atonement for the other players on his team. What we are refering to, of course, is simply that he "saved" the team from conceding a goal. In the same way, we say that a boxer was "saved" by the bell, but we do not mean that the boxer entered into heavenly bliss through his relationship with the bell. We mean that the bell which signified the end of the round, rang at the time when defeat looked inevitable, right at the moment the opponent was about to knock him out. The bell "saved" the boxer from certain defeat.
The point I am making is that when we use the term "saved," we are referring to the concept of being saved from someone or something - to be rescued from an impending calamity.
So what does the Bible mean when it says that Christ "saves" us. What does He save us from? A low self esteem? A boring life? Financial debt? Physical disease? It may be a surprise to discover that Christ made provision for all of man's needs through His death on the cross. The word "salvation" in both Hebrew and Greek means "wholeness, deliverance, healing, restoration, soundness and protection..." The main aspect of the salvation He provided is to be saved or delivered from the wrath of Almighty God. It was Jesus who declared that the wrath of God abides on the unbeliever. Christ therefore came into the world to "save sinners" (1 Tim. 1:15), and if a person will repent and believe the Gospel, Christ will save them from the Father's wrath. As the Scripture declares, "...Jesus delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess. 1:10), "for God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us..." (1 Thess. 5:9, 10)
All this was the Father's idea. He sent His Son to save sinners from His own wrath - a wrath that is sure to come on those who do not receive His provision of grace in Christ. In other words, the Gospel or "good news" is that God saves us... from God!
Sadly though, the Church of today doesn't usually make reference to any of this. The usual modern "Gospel" message being preached is "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." Though the message is heard almost everywhere around us, when I turn to the New Testament, I cannot find Jesus or a single Apostle preaching this kind of message. Certainly God is a God of love. The Bible speaks of this on almost every page. There's no doubt about that. But God is also a holy God who will never compromise His holiness.
The Apostles, as God's fully authorized representatives, didn't merely "invite" sinners to repent. That's because the Gospel is not merely an invitation that can be accepted or declined with impunity. The Apostles were sent to summon people to surrender to the righteous claims of a Holy God by commanding that they repent and believe the Gospel or face eternal, terrible consequences. The Apostle Paul declared that God "commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained." (Acts 17:30, 31). We cannot dismiss the fact that God hates sin and punishes sinners with eternal torment. How can we begin a Gospel presentation by telling people on their way to hell that God has a wonderful plan for their lives? Unless repentance takes place, the "wonderful plan" is hell itself!
The big issue in the Gospel is therefore righteousness, rather than happiness. Happiness is important, but it's the by-product of righteousness - right standing with God. "For the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17). Note the order in the verse, first righteousness, then peace, and then joy, in the Holy Spirit. There's no real peace or joy without first obtaining righteousness.
Once the world sees the perfect standard by which they will be judged, they will begin to fear God and hunger and thirst after the righteousness that is found in Jesus Christ alone. And that's where the Good News comes in - for it is the Lord Jesus Christ who meets our need for righteousness as He has secured salvation as a free and gracious gift for all those who will believe (Rom. 3:28; 4:4, 5; 5:17; 6:23; Phil. 3:9). Christ is the Lord our righteousness (Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21).
God is a God of love, and it is in the cross that we see God's love for the world. How can we point to the cross without making reference to sin? How can we refer to sin without the Law? One man wrote, "The biblical way to express God's love to a sinner is to show him how great his sin is, and then give him the incredible grace of God found in Christ." I wholeheartedly agree. People will much more likely run to obtain the salvation, shelter, and mercy of God found in Christ alone when they are aware of the terrible wrath that is presently abiding on them. To appreciate the good news, sinners need to know the bad news that their sin is not just a minor blemish, but in reality, cosmic treason against a Holy and Righteous God. In hearing of the remedy found in Christ, this becomes to them an expression of love and concern for their eternal welfare, rather than merely helps towards finding a better lifestyle on this earth.
The Gospel is God's Gospel (Rom. 1:1) and we have no right to seek to "improve" it. That's impossible anyway. The Apostle Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16) The power of God is in the Gospel of God. Let's not dilute it with man made imitations but lets go preach the real thing and see the Almighty, Omnipotent power of God awaken His elect from spiritual death. (John 6:37-45, 65; Eph. 1:3-5, 11; 2:1-4; Acts 13:48; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14).
When you have it all except...
This from the Shepherd's Scrapbook blog site:Although he’s barely 30-years old, Tom Brady is the quarterback for the undefeated New England Patriots (16-0). Life seems to be going well for him. This year he set the NFL’s single-season touchdown pass record and you can add this season to his already stuffed trophy case. All before the age of 30, Brady won three Super Bowl rings, two Super Bowl MVP trophies, named to the Pro Bowl several times. Even a bulleted summary list of his accomplishments on the football field extends for pages! He dates supermodels and has a contract in the millions, the things you would expect for a man some are saying may be the greatest in NFL history.
But after I started to assemble a series on Ecclesiastes, a keen TSS reader pointed me to a pre-Christmas interview Tom Brady gave on 60 Minutes. You can watch the interview here. During this clip―and it’s hard to determine the context―Brady makes the following statement:
“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be … I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find.”
We can praise God that Tom Brady would humbly and publicly admit (at some level) to the emptiness of life. And to do it on national television is startling, too. I don’t think I would have the courage to say this. Brady clearly understands the harsh reality of this world that meaning and fulfillment cannot come through our accomplishment because we never will amass accomplishments enough. The vanity and emptiness of life are inescapable.
So please pray for Tom Brady. Let’s pray that he would find true rest and life and hope and fulfillment in the forsaken One who died a bloody death under the most profound and horrible experience of emptiness. And Pray for Walt Day, who I believe is still the chaplain for the Patriots and a man with a background at Campus Crusade. Pray that God will give him the wise words of eternal wisdom to share.
May we all, through Ecclesiastes, discover that “meaninglessness is the mother of meaning.”
Bible reading and study
“The Holy Spirit never
inspired nonsense. It was
always the purpose of God
to have people understand
his word. God designed his
word for everybody, not just
for an elite.” - Douglas Stuart
inspired nonsense. It was
always the purpose of God
to have people understand
his word. God designed his
word for everybody, not just
for an elite.” - Douglas Stuart
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Quote for the day
James Montgomery Boice (1938–2000)
"Sadly, this is not the church's finest hour. We live in an age of weak theology and casual Christian conduct. Our knowledge is insufficient, our worship is irreverent, and our lives are immoral. Even the evangelical church has succumbed to the spirit of this age. What ever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?
Perhaps the simplest way to say this is that evangelicalism has become worldly. This can be demonstrated by comparing it with yesterday's liberalism. What was once said of liberal churches must now be said of evangelical churches: they seek the world's wisdom, believe the world's theology, follow the world's agenda, and adopt the world's methods"."
"Sadly, this is not the church's finest hour. We live in an age of weak theology and casual Christian conduct. Our knowledge is insufficient, our worship is irreverent, and our lives are immoral. Even the evangelical church has succumbed to the spirit of this age. What ever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?
Perhaps the simplest way to say this is that evangelicalism has become worldly. This can be demonstrated by comparing it with yesterday's liberalism. What was once said of liberal churches must now be said of evangelical churches: they seek the world's wisdom, believe the world's theology, follow the world's agenda, and adopt the world's methods"."
Wrong Doctrine = Wrong Behavior
Or so says Charles Spurgeon:
"In the first place, every deviation from truth is a sin. It is not simply a sin for me to do a wrong act, but it is a sin for me to believe a wrong doctrine. Lately [some pastors] have absolved us all from obeying God in our judgments; they have told us point blank, many of them, in their drawing-rooms, and some of them in the pulpit, that we shall never be asked in the day of judgment what we believed. We have been told that for our acts we shall be responsible, but for our faith we [will not be responsible], or something very much like it; they have told us plainly, that the God who made us, although he has authority over our hands, our feet, our eyes and our lips, hath but little authority over our judgments; they have told us, that if we make ever such blunders in divinity, they are no sins, so long as we can live right lives.
But is that true? No; the whole man is bound to serve God; and if God gives me a judgment, I am bound to employ that judgment in his service; and if that judgment receive an untruth, it has received stolen goods, and I have sinned as much as if I put forth my hand to take my neighbor's goods. There may be degrees in the sin. If it be a sin of ignorance, it is nevertheless a sin; but it is not so heinous as a sin of negligence, which I fear it is with many.
[If a certain doctrine is true], I am committing a sin before Almighty God, if I do not receive it; and if it be not true, then I sin in embracing what is not scriptural. Error in doctrine is as much a sin as error in practice.
Remember, too, that error in doctrine is not only a sin, but a sin which has a great tendency to increase. When a man once in his life believes a wrong thing, it is [incredible] how quickly he believes another wrong thing. Once open the door to a false doctrine - Satan says it is but a little one - yes, but he only puts the little one in like the small end of the wedge, and he means to drive in a larger one; and he will say it is only a little more, and a little more, and a little more.
The most damnable heretics who ever perverted the faith of God erred by littles and littles; those who have gone the widest from truth have only gone so by degrees. Take care, Christians, if you commit one error, you cannot tell how many more you will commit.
"Hold fast the form of sound words," (that is what the apostle Paul commanded Timothy) because error in doctrine almost inevitably leads to error in practice. When a man believes wrongly, he will soon act wrongly. Faith has a great influence on our conduct. As a man's faith, so is he. If you begin to [hold to] erroneous doctrines, they soon have an effect on your practice. Keep fast to the bulwarks of your fathers' faith. If you do not, the enemy will make sad havoc with you. "Hold fast the form of sound words which was delivered unto you."
Read the rest of this sermon:
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0079.htm
"In the first place, every deviation from truth is a sin. It is not simply a sin for me to do a wrong act, but it is a sin for me to believe a wrong doctrine. Lately [some pastors] have absolved us all from obeying God in our judgments; they have told us point blank, many of them, in their drawing-rooms, and some of them in the pulpit, that we shall never be asked in the day of judgment what we believed. We have been told that for our acts we shall be responsible, but for our faith we [will not be responsible], or something very much like it; they have told us plainly, that the God who made us, although he has authority over our hands, our feet, our eyes and our lips, hath but little authority over our judgments; they have told us, that if we make ever such blunders in divinity, they are no sins, so long as we can live right lives.
But is that true? No; the whole man is bound to serve God; and if God gives me a judgment, I am bound to employ that judgment in his service; and if that judgment receive an untruth, it has received stolen goods, and I have sinned as much as if I put forth my hand to take my neighbor's goods. There may be degrees in the sin. If it be a sin of ignorance, it is nevertheless a sin; but it is not so heinous as a sin of negligence, which I fear it is with many.
[If a certain doctrine is true], I am committing a sin before Almighty God, if I do not receive it; and if it be not true, then I sin in embracing what is not scriptural. Error in doctrine is as much a sin as error in practice.
Remember, too, that error in doctrine is not only a sin, but a sin which has a great tendency to increase. When a man once in his life believes a wrong thing, it is [incredible] how quickly he believes another wrong thing. Once open the door to a false doctrine - Satan says it is but a little one - yes, but he only puts the little one in like the small end of the wedge, and he means to drive in a larger one; and he will say it is only a little more, and a little more, and a little more.
The most damnable heretics who ever perverted the faith of God erred by littles and littles; those who have gone the widest from truth have only gone so by degrees. Take care, Christians, if you commit one error, you cannot tell how many more you will commit.
"Hold fast the form of sound words," (that is what the apostle Paul commanded Timothy) because error in doctrine almost inevitably leads to error in practice. When a man believes wrongly, he will soon act wrongly. Faith has a great influence on our conduct. As a man's faith, so is he. If you begin to [hold to] erroneous doctrines, they soon have an effect on your practice. Keep fast to the bulwarks of your fathers' faith. If you do not, the enemy will make sad havoc with you. "Hold fast the form of sound words which was delivered unto you."
Read the rest of this sermon:
http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0079.htm
Megachurch and ministry
An interesting article from the Old Truth blog site:
Quoting James White . . .
Mega churches--they are the fastest growing churches in America. If you want to be on the cover of Time, visit with Larry King, and have he spotlight, you need members, baptisms, and a sanctuary the size of a shopping mall. These are the keys to being truly "successful" in the ministry, are they not? That is what we are told, for surly, size means God is blessing!
Besides, anyone who wants to be able to pay-off their student loans from seminary needs to keep "moving up the ladder" to be able to afford those payments. Of course, those who have been through the "mega church" experience can tell you that most churches that advertise 20,000 members can rarely find 7,000 who are regular in their attendance, and only half that number are regulars in Bible Study. And only a thousand are involved in any kind of meaningful fashion in actually doing something in the church. In some of the new breed of mega churches, they've done away with membership completely, and you get the feeling you are entering a big, wide-open theater with a Sunday (or Saturday night) performance going on, though you only see a few folks with any regularity at all. The idea that this is a cohesive body where things like holiness or church disciples are practiced is foreign to the entire to the entire project. This is mass entertainment, mass "evangelism".
What is the result of pressing for numbers, numbers, numbers? Can it be done without sacrificing the very heart of worship? What if God actually wanted a small church in a specific location? Could he find a man who could be filled with joy in pastoring such a group? What kinds of pulpit crimes have resulted from just trying to increase the numbers you send into your denominational headquarters at the end of the church year? How high can we get the body count?
Quoting James White . . .
Mega churches--they are the fastest growing churches in America. If you want to be on the cover of Time, visit with Larry King, and have he spotlight, you need members, baptisms, and a sanctuary the size of a shopping mall. These are the keys to being truly "successful" in the ministry, are they not? That is what we are told, for surly, size means God is blessing!
Besides, anyone who wants to be able to pay-off their student loans from seminary needs to keep "moving up the ladder" to be able to afford those payments. Of course, those who have been through the "mega church" experience can tell you that most churches that advertise 20,000 members can rarely find 7,000 who are regular in their attendance, and only half that number are regulars in Bible Study. And only a thousand are involved in any kind of meaningful fashion in actually doing something in the church. In some of the new breed of mega churches, they've done away with membership completely, and you get the feeling you are entering a big, wide-open theater with a Sunday (or Saturday night) performance going on, though you only see a few folks with any regularity at all. The idea that this is a cohesive body where things like holiness or church disciples are practiced is foreign to the entire to the entire project. This is mass entertainment, mass "evangelism".
What is the result of pressing for numbers, numbers, numbers? Can it be done without sacrificing the very heart of worship? What if God actually wanted a small church in a specific location? Could he find a man who could be filled with joy in pastoring such a group? What kinds of pulpit crimes have resulted from just trying to increase the numbers you send into your denominational headquarters at the end of the church year? How high can we get the body count?
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Reasons people don't study the Bible
Next week I have the huge privilege of teaching a 10 week class at Carmel Baptist Church on "How to Study the Bible." In this day and age of "how to" there are more than enough adequate books on this subject. But nevertheless I am excited about taking a three-fold approach to this much discussed topic in the church with the questions:
1. Why should you study the Bible?
2. Who can study the Bible?
3. How are we to study the Bible?
I once heard that if a person doesn't know the "why" of something then they will not long endure the "how". I believe that to be a true statement. Therefore I am going to devote some blog writing in the next several weeks to our study of Scripture and why people don't.
So here we go with some of the most common objections in random order as to why people don't study the Bible:
1. The Bible was written so long ago that it doesn't seem relevant to me.
2. The Bible is so hard to understand.
3. I usually end up just feeling guilty when I read the Bible.
4. I am the type of person who relies on the pastor, elder or Sunday School teacher to explain the Bible to me.
5. I have some real doubts about the reliability of the Bible because it's full of contradictions, at least that's what I heard.
6. The Bible seems boring to me.
7. I have a time consuming job, family and lifestyle and honestly just don't have time for the Bible.
8. I have other things that if I am going to read I prefer instead of the Bible.
9. In order to read and understand the Bible you must go to seminary.
Are the things listed above reasons or excuses? Vance Havner used to say that an excuse is the skin of a lie stuffed with a reason!
Folks where you are going to spend eternity whether it be in heaven or hell is a most relevant subject. And the Bible makes very clear the answer to that extremely relevant and important question.
Well if you find that you are one of those in the church not reading, devoting or studying the Bible then just add your reason to the ones that I have already listed. Kay Fletcher once told a story about his neighbor that came over to borrow his ax. When he asked if he could borrow his ax Kay Fletcher said no because there was soup on in the kitchen. The neighbor then became very puzzled and said what does soup on in the kitchen have to do with me borrowing your ax. To that Kay Fletcher replied "nothing I guess, but if I don't want to let you borrow my ax then one reason is as good as the next". Hey fellow brother and sister in Christ, if you don't read and study your Bible then one reason is as good as the next.
Or maybe just maybe you will start praying today, this week, this month for a heart that is desperate for the word of God. Watch and see what the Lord can do with a heart that is totally devoted to Him!
1. Why should you study the Bible?
2. Who can study the Bible?
3. How are we to study the Bible?
I once heard that if a person doesn't know the "why" of something then they will not long endure the "how". I believe that to be a true statement. Therefore I am going to devote some blog writing in the next several weeks to our study of Scripture and why people don't.
So here we go with some of the most common objections in random order as to why people don't study the Bible:
1. The Bible was written so long ago that it doesn't seem relevant to me.
2. The Bible is so hard to understand.
3. I usually end up just feeling guilty when I read the Bible.
4. I am the type of person who relies on the pastor, elder or Sunday School teacher to explain the Bible to me.
5. I have some real doubts about the reliability of the Bible because it's full of contradictions, at least that's what I heard.
6. The Bible seems boring to me.
7. I have a time consuming job, family and lifestyle and honestly just don't have time for the Bible.
8. I have other things that if I am going to read I prefer instead of the Bible.
9. In order to read and understand the Bible you must go to seminary.
Are the things listed above reasons or excuses? Vance Havner used to say that an excuse is the skin of a lie stuffed with a reason!
Folks where you are going to spend eternity whether it be in heaven or hell is a most relevant subject. And the Bible makes very clear the answer to that extremely relevant and important question.
Well if you find that you are one of those in the church not reading, devoting or studying the Bible then just add your reason to the ones that I have already listed. Kay Fletcher once told a story about his neighbor that came over to borrow his ax. When he asked if he could borrow his ax Kay Fletcher said no because there was soup on in the kitchen. The neighbor then became very puzzled and said what does soup on in the kitchen have to do with me borrowing your ax. To that Kay Fletcher replied "nothing I guess, but if I don't want to let you borrow my ax then one reason is as good as the next". Hey fellow brother and sister in Christ, if you don't read and study your Bible then one reason is as good as the next.
Or maybe just maybe you will start praying today, this week, this month for a heart that is desperate for the word of God. Watch and see what the Lord can do with a heart that is totally devoted to Him!
Sacrificing the good for the best
As a follow up to my previous post I just had a phone call and conversation that that makes the basic point. Everyone it seems is excited about something especially when it comes to health, wealth or prosperity. Over the years Nancy and I have been approached with many multi-level opportunities, many which were very legitimate and good. Recently a couple contacted us about a product and all the supporting documentation from respected medical people all over the world. They both are Christians and as I have noticed they are totally engulfed in this product, its benefits and their new found knowledge in this particular arena. I tell this story in no way to discount them or the excitement which is legitimate along with the information and the product. However I could not help but think when talking with them, they have not shared the gospel of Christ, His church and what He is doing in their life with me in those kinds of exciting and magnificent terms.
The very same thing happened to me years ago watching the Piper Glen Seniors Tournament. All the great senior golfers like Arnold Palmer and Ray Floyd played a tournament in Charlotte each year. One year I was at the back of hole #2 describing a shot that Ray Floyd had hit from the fairway the previous year. There were a number of people listening very intently to my story. When I was done and we moved to the next hole the Lord made a impression on my heart. It was if He said "Bert, why can't you tell about me to others in this same exciting, wonderful and thought provoking way?"
That is the point of this blog article. We spend, invest, read, educate and learn lots of good stuff to tell people about. I mean there are great technologies in medicine, nutrition in the vitamin market and what to give your children if they have Attention Deficit Disorder. But are we so involved, absorbed and committed to the good at the exclusion of the best, which is the Lord Jesus?
When is the last time we had someone come over to pray specifically about their needs?
How about the last time we had supper with a couple and studied some Scripture together?
Yes we are watching American Idol, Desperate Housewives, Fox News,getting the latest and greatest web browser, computer and graphics program but are we understanding, embracing and living out Christ in us the hope of glory.
Like my conversation this morning it was all good but was it best. I can talk about vitamins, health, financial freedom and education for my children and never mention Christ and the cross. When does the good so swallow us up that we neglect and forget the best? Maybe this is something for prayer in this 2008 year.
The very same thing happened to me years ago watching the Piper Glen Seniors Tournament. All the great senior golfers like Arnold Palmer and Ray Floyd played a tournament in Charlotte each year. One year I was at the back of hole #2 describing a shot that Ray Floyd had hit from the fairway the previous year. There were a number of people listening very intently to my story. When I was done and we moved to the next hole the Lord made a impression on my heart. It was if He said "Bert, why can't you tell about me to others in this same exciting, wonderful and thought provoking way?"
That is the point of this blog article. We spend, invest, read, educate and learn lots of good stuff to tell people about. I mean there are great technologies in medicine, nutrition in the vitamin market and what to give your children if they have Attention Deficit Disorder. But are we so involved, absorbed and committed to the good at the exclusion of the best, which is the Lord Jesus?
When is the last time we had someone come over to pray specifically about their needs?
How about the last time we had supper with a couple and studied some Scripture together?
Yes we are watching American Idol, Desperate Housewives, Fox News,getting the latest and greatest web browser, computer and graphics program but are we understanding, embracing and living out Christ in us the hope of glory.
Like my conversation this morning it was all good but was it best. I can talk about vitamins, health, financial freedom and education for my children and never mention Christ and the cross. When does the good so swallow us up that we neglect and forget the best? Maybe this is something for prayer in this 2008 year.
Too Busy for the Bible
If you are a Christian living in America then it goes without saying you are busy. The basic issue I have seen, especially over the last 10 years in full time ministry, has been the busy lifestyles of our family, friends, neighbors and church members. Everyone is hustling to get the next thing done, kids to the game, presentation for the project, and packed suitcases for the trip. It is almost like being busy is the drug of choice for most Americans. Just talk to someone, anyone on the phone this week about your life and use words or phrases like "craziness" and "it's nuts", immediately they come back with a hearty AMEN!
Have you asked this question to anyone in the past 30 days - what did the Lord Jesus say to you this morning in your devotion? The statistics show that very few people in the church today read, devote and study their Bibles. I taught a small group for almost 3 years of 8-12 people. Between studies I issued a survey asking the amount of time they spent in study of the Bible. The survey was broken down into the following choices:
1. over 3 hours per week
2. between 1-3 hours per week
3. approximately 1 hour per week
4. less than 30 minutes a week
The survey results were less than 30 minutes per week from those who responded. It was not surprising but rather confirmed what I thought and what I have seen from most Christians. This is the era of fast food religion, large numbers, exciting worship music and pretending to be something we aren't in order to maintain a look good, smell good and act good reputation. Why are we surprised when there is so little apparent transformation with the people of God when they openly admit they spend no time with God. Let me ask those of you reading this blog the following questions:
1. Where and what are you reading daily from the Bible?
2. Are you meditating to the point of understanding what is said and then being obedient to what you read?
3. Is someone coming along side of you in this critical area of your life for accountability and support?
4. Are you coming along side of someone else?
I have asked these types of questions over and over in church, small groups and even one on one. The response to these answers has been an overwhelming "NO" to Bible reading, Bible meditation and Bible accountability with others. There is little overall commitment from today's pastors, elders and church leaders to be saturated in the word of God. I don't say this lightly but factually based on several church ministries, reading and conversations with others in the church.
Bottom line is that those within the church who don't read, devote and study their Bibles manifest in their behavior a lack of treasuring valuing and prizing the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a principle that I learned early on in my Bible study days - "a person can be no closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than they are close to His word." How can we be too busy for the Bible? How can our schedules, lifestyles, job, kids, recreation and entertainment be placed above knowing God through knowing almighty God? Isn't it time for those in the church who profess to be Christians but spend no time with their Bibles to reexamine their faith to see if they have believed in vain?
Read carefully Amos 8:11
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.
Notice the text doesn't say a famine in the preaching or teaching of the word but of the hearing of the word. Has the American church lost its ability for the most part to hear the word of God? And should the church not hear the word of God doesn't it mean a lack of transformation into the likeness of God?
Could I encourage you to begin this year with 4 simple but profound steps as you hopefully recommit to the reading, devotion and study of God's word?
These are all prayers of desperation from the heart to our great God:
I – Incline your heart (Psalm 119:36)
Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.
O – Open my eyes (Psalm 119:18)
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
U – Unite my heart (Psalm 86:11)
Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name
S – Satisfy my heart (Psalm 90:14)
O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Blessings
Have you asked this question to anyone in the past 30 days - what did the Lord Jesus say to you this morning in your devotion? The statistics show that very few people in the church today read, devote and study their Bibles. I taught a small group for almost 3 years of 8-12 people. Between studies I issued a survey asking the amount of time they spent in study of the Bible. The survey was broken down into the following choices:
1. over 3 hours per week
2. between 1-3 hours per week
3. approximately 1 hour per week
4. less than 30 minutes a week
The survey results were less than 30 minutes per week from those who responded. It was not surprising but rather confirmed what I thought and what I have seen from most Christians. This is the era of fast food religion, large numbers, exciting worship music and pretending to be something we aren't in order to maintain a look good, smell good and act good reputation. Why are we surprised when there is so little apparent transformation with the people of God when they openly admit they spend no time with God. Let me ask those of you reading this blog the following questions:
1. Where and what are you reading daily from the Bible?
2. Are you meditating to the point of understanding what is said and then being obedient to what you read?
3. Is someone coming along side of you in this critical area of your life for accountability and support?
4. Are you coming along side of someone else?
I have asked these types of questions over and over in church, small groups and even one on one. The response to these answers has been an overwhelming "NO" to Bible reading, Bible meditation and Bible accountability with others. There is little overall commitment from today's pastors, elders and church leaders to be saturated in the word of God. I don't say this lightly but factually based on several church ministries, reading and conversations with others in the church.
Bottom line is that those within the church who don't read, devote and study their Bibles manifest in their behavior a lack of treasuring valuing and prizing the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a principle that I learned early on in my Bible study days - "a person can be no closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than they are close to His word." How can we be too busy for the Bible? How can our schedules, lifestyles, job, kids, recreation and entertainment be placed above knowing God through knowing almighty God? Isn't it time for those in the church who profess to be Christians but spend no time with their Bibles to reexamine their faith to see if they have believed in vain?
Read carefully Amos 8:11
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.
Notice the text doesn't say a famine in the preaching or teaching of the word but of the hearing of the word. Has the American church lost its ability for the most part to hear the word of God? And should the church not hear the word of God doesn't it mean a lack of transformation into the likeness of God?
Could I encourage you to begin this year with 4 simple but profound steps as you hopefully recommit to the reading, devotion and study of God's word?
These are all prayers of desperation from the heart to our great God:
I – Incline your heart (Psalm 119:36)
Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.
O – Open my eyes (Psalm 119:18)
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
U – Unite my heart (Psalm 86:11)
Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name
S – Satisfy my heart (Psalm 90:14)
O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Blessings
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Fellowship of the Unashamed
I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love with patience, live by prayer and labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
As far as I know the author is anonymous. But I render this in honor of former fellow elder at the Shepherd's Church and dear friend Larry Burgess!
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love with patience, live by prayer and labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
As far as I know the author is anonymous. But I render this in honor of former fellow elder at the Shepherd's Church and dear friend Larry Burgess!
This is you...
This is you without any solid Bible doctrine in a world of sharks. These sharks can be distractions, sin or even false teaching based on what people think and not what the Bible says. By the way this is not a fake photo but is very genuine. How will you survive in this world without your spiritual life deeply planted into the truth of God's word. The answer is you won't and all you will end up being is SHARK BAIT!!!
The Sky Angel Cowboy…
This is one of the sweetest audio clips I have ever come across. By now you have probably heard it but just had to include it on my blog site.
"The Sky Angel Cowboy! Since posting this audio it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. Some corrections… We originally said Logan was 12. He actually turned 13 in August, so we don’t want to deprive him of such a big birthday. Logan listens to us (89.3 KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX) on Sky Angel because he lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. He called us distraught because he had to take down a calf. His words have wisdom beyond his years".
Listen to what Logan had to say…
"The Sky Angel Cowboy! Since posting this audio it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. Some corrections… We originally said Logan was 12. He actually turned 13 in August, so we don’t want to deprive him of such a big birthday. Logan listens to us (89.3 KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX) on Sky Angel because he lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. He called us distraught because he had to take down a calf. His words have wisdom beyond his years".
Listen to what Logan had to say…
Time management "God's way" in 2008
Here is an article from the Old Truth blogsite.
"There are countless distractions that keep Christians from doing what they're supposed to, and many of them seem harmless enough, maybe even noble. But when it comes to having good doctrine and proper biblical interpretation, there is simply no substitute for spending lots of time just reading and studying scripture. Yet, in a culture that's high-tech, fast paced, and multimedia driven, the decidedly low-tech process of just reading the bible only appeals to the sincere of heart. We must be totally committed to reading our bibles; it all begins there. Ignore the people who don't interpret scripture properly and who therefore say that reading your bible a lot is unnecessary or excessive, and listen instead to what God commands in 2 Timothy 2:15 . . . "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth". ..."
For something to get your attention go to and watch at this LINK.
"There are countless distractions that keep Christians from doing what they're supposed to, and many of them seem harmless enough, maybe even noble. But when it comes to having good doctrine and proper biblical interpretation, there is simply no substitute for spending lots of time just reading and studying scripture. Yet, in a culture that's high-tech, fast paced, and multimedia driven, the decidedly low-tech process of just reading the bible only appeals to the sincere of heart. We must be totally committed to reading our bibles; it all begins there. Ignore the people who don't interpret scripture properly and who therefore say that reading your bible a lot is unnecessary or excessive, and listen instead to what God commands in 2 Timothy 2:15 . . . "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth". ..."
For something to get your attention go to and watch at this LINK.
Preaching in the "seeker-friendly" church
While today's growth-driven churches do their best to shorten sermons and spice them up with drama, videos, and comedy, numerous Emergent churches are equally afraid to just preach the Word (as Paul urged Timothy). Rather than have an "authority figure" stand up and give a "lecture", these Emergents will circle the pews (couches actually) around the "leader" and join-in with him, stating their own opinions of what they think about the bible. The concept goes like this: No one person has anything more important to say than any other person in the room, everyone has equal value, so everybody should get to express themselves. What a change from days of the great revivals when lands were set ablaze by the spirit-lead preaching of the Word. In the 19th century, R.L. Dabney wrote -
"All the leading Reformers, whether in Germany, Switzerland, England or Scotland were constant preachers, and their sermons were prevalently expository"; the purpose was to explain the meaning of Scripture. So he says, "We can assume with safety that the instrumentality to which the spiritual power of the great revolution of the Reformation - was mainly due to the restoration of scriptural preaching". Take the next 6 minutes to listen to an audio presentation on how the Reformers preached. ...
"All the leading Reformers, whether in Germany, Switzerland, England or Scotland were constant preachers, and their sermons were prevalently expository"; the purpose was to explain the meaning of Scripture. So he says, "We can assume with safety that the instrumentality to which the spiritual power of the great revolution of the Reformation - was mainly due to the restoration of scriptural preaching". Take the next 6 minutes to listen to an audio presentation on how the Reformers preached. ...
The Cup
C.J. Mahaney in this video talks about Christ, the cross and it's impact on our lives. We need as believers to get into the habit of preaching the gospel daily to ourselves. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once stated "the problem with most Christians regarding depression is that they spend way to much time listening to themselves when they should be preaching to themselves." In 2008 would you resolve to preach the gospel to yourself every day?
Monday, January 7, 2008
Is Pat Robertson a prophet?
"when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:22)
“During the last part of this year…it’ll be the second half, somehow, of 2007, there will be some very serious terrorist attacks…it’s going to happen…there will be mass killings, possibly millions of people, major cities injured…” – Pat Robertson
“During the last part of this year…it’ll be the second half, somehow, of 2007, there will be some very serious terrorist attacks…it’s going to happen…there will be mass killings, possibly millions of people, major cities injured…” – Pat Robertson
Bruce Ware teaches on the Trinity
Here is Dr. Bruce Ware teaching on the Trinity at the Desiring God Pastor's Conference in Minneapolis, MN in 2005. During the next few days I will post some audio files in order that you can become more familiar with Dr. Ware and his tremendous teaching ministry.
Can man in his natural state come to God?
Man is unable to come to God because of his nature. Charles Spurgeon gives this beautiful example, one day a man said, that he did not believe any man had the power to walk to the house of God unless the Father drew him. This was very foolish saying according to Spurgeon. Because as long as a man was alive and had legs, it was as easy for him to walk to the house of God as to the house of Satan. There is no lack of physical power in coming to Christ, as physically men are alive, they can raise a hand in coming to Christ, they can walk down the isle in coming to Christ, they can say a prayer in coming to Christ. But just because they did all these things physically, it does not mean they truly came to Christ. The defect is not in the body, as the natural man is alive and strong physically, the defect is in the mind and in the heart. It is spiritual. As he is spiritually dead.
Spurgeon gives the example of a lion and a sheep. The lion has legs so does sheep, the lion has a mouth so does a sheep, the lion have ears so does a sheep. Physically both can walk and eat. But the lion will not eat grass like a sheep neither the sheep will eat meat like a lion. The distinction is in the nature. By nature, the Lion is different than a sheep. In the same way by the natural man s nature is so corrupt that he has neither the will nor the power to come to Christ unless drawn by the Spirit.
Spurgeon gives the example of a lion and a sheep. The lion has legs so does sheep, the lion has a mouth so does a sheep, the lion have ears so does a sheep. Physically both can walk and eat. But the lion will not eat grass like a sheep neither the sheep will eat meat like a lion. The distinction is in the nature. By nature, the Lion is different than a sheep. In the same way by the natural man s nature is so corrupt that he has neither the will nor the power to come to Christ unless drawn by the Spirit.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Money vs. Truth
James Henley Thornwell:
Our whole system of operations gives an undue influence to money. Where money is the great want, numbers must be sought; and where an ambition for numbers prevails, doctrinal purity must be sacrificed. The root of the evil is the secular spirit of our ecclesiastical institutions. What we want is a spiritual body; a Church whose power lies in the truth, and the presence of the Holy Ghost. (B. M. Palmer, Life and Letters of J. H. Thornwell, p. 291).
Our whole system of operations gives an undue influence to money. Where money is the great want, numbers must be sought; and where an ambition for numbers prevails, doctrinal purity must be sacrificed. The root of the evil is the secular spirit of our ecclesiastical institutions. What we want is a spiritual body; a Church whose power lies in the truth, and the presence of the Holy Ghost. (B. M. Palmer, Life and Letters of J. H. Thornwell, p. 291).
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Bruce Ware is our retreat speaker
On February 21-23 some former members of the Shepherd's Church in Charlotte and Pierpont Baptist in Charleston will host a retreat. The retreat will be at the Springmaid Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. It is a privilege and joy to announce that our speaker will be Dr. Bruce Ware who is the President elect of the Evangelical Theological Society. Some of you might not be familiar with Dr. Ware and his writings so I have posted a short biography along with an audio interview. Hopefully this will give you some insight on his life, work and ministry. Dr. Ware is a very sought after speaker and is well known in evangelical circles. I first heard him at the Pastors Conference in Minneapolis, MN in 2005. At that particular conference he taught on the Trinity and the different role/relationships of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. His talk so moved me that I came back and soon thereafter developed a preaching series on the Trinity.
Bruce Ware received a B.A. in English from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. He later earned his M.Div. and his Th.M. from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon, before he moved to Pasadena, California, where he completed his formal education with a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Ware currently serves as the Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to his current occupation, Ware has held teaching positions at Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota; Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon; and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.
Books Published:
Perspectives on the Doctrine of God: 4 Views (Editor)
Broadman & Holman - 2007
Serving God with Determined Faith: Studies in the Book of Nehemiah
Lifeway Press - 2005
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance
Crossway Books - 2005
God's Greater Glory: The Exalted God of Scripture and the Christian Faith
Crossway Books - 2004
Their God is Too Small: Open Theism and the Undermining of Confidence in God
Crossway Books - 2003
God's Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism
Crossway Books - 2000
Still Sovereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace (Editor)
Baker Books - 2000
The Grace of God, The Bondage of the Will (Editor)
Baker Books - 1995
Bruce Ware received a B.A. in English from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. He later earned his M.Div. and his Th.M. from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon, before he moved to Pasadena, California, where he completed his formal education with a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Ware currently serves as the Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to his current occupation, Ware has held teaching positions at Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota; Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon; and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.
Books Published:
Perspectives on the Doctrine of God: 4 Views (Editor)
Broadman & Holman - 2007
Serving God with Determined Faith: Studies in the Book of Nehemiah
Lifeway Press - 2005
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance
Crossway Books - 2005
God's Greater Glory: The Exalted God of Scripture and the Christian Faith
Crossway Books - 2004
Their God is Too Small: Open Theism and the Undermining of Confidence in God
Crossway Books - 2003
God's Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism
Crossway Books - 2000
Still Sovereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace (Editor)
Baker Books - 2000
The Grace of God, The Bondage of the Will (Editor)
Baker Books - 1995
Friday, January 4, 2008
Vance Havner (1901-1986)
Here is a message from one of the great preachers on true or false converts.
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