Resources for Meditating on Scripture

When I preached on Psalm 1 this past Sunday I mentioned the importance of meditating on Scripture. To use Thomas Brooks' illustration again:

It’s not the bee’s touching of the flower which gathers honey—but her abiding for a time upon the flower, which draws out the sweet. It’s not he who reads most—but he who meditates most, who will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian.

If meditating is new to you, let me suggest visiting Dr. Don Whitney's website and downloading his handout on methods of meditating. Your goal is to deeply consider the meaning and application of God's word to your life. Often it results in memorizing what you are meditating on. Start small. Meditating is done with small portions of Scripture.

Click here to download his Meditation Methods handout (select it from the first list).

Plan to Grow in 2019

We all have ideas of what new year will bring. Often our new year comes with BIG plans to better our lives... but it is the little things faithfully done where growth happens. Spiritual growth is more like the faithful plodding of a farmer who daily does the hard work and little tasks to ensure a harvest than it is like a space shuttle launching. So, if you've been weak in the little things, why not be a minimalist in 2019 and find out how to be faithful in the little things. It is harder than you might think, but the growth in knowledge and enjoyment and ministry will grow.

Here are a few resolutions you might consider:

• Resolve to always prioritize worshiping with God's people with an alert heart (prep Saturday night by not staying up too late.).
• Resolve to grow in your knowledge of the Word by attending Sunday school and a mid-week Bible study.
• Resolve to attend the sermon discussion and prayer meeting.
• Resolve to spend time in the Word and prayer alone each day.

We make time for what we prioritize or value. It's not that we don't have time, it's that something is not a high enough priority at the moment.

Plan a Spiritual Retreat for the Break

What is a Spiritual Retreat?

A spiritual retreat is not a mystical, "me and Jesus" moment. It is a planned  time to set aside the normal distractions of work and daily life to have solitude - time to meditate on the Lord's Word, to pray in a longer and more focused time, to seek spiritual refreshment through reading a solid Christian book, and a time to evaluate the direction of spiritual growth and life in general.

For our college students, a semester break is a great time to PLAN to have a one or two day retreat. To be clear, you don't actually have to "get away," but you would want to be able to remove your self from the normal distractions (housework, school work, friends who want to hang out).

Planning for a Retreat

This will probably not be a very useful time if you do not spend a bit of time planning for it. Otherwise, you will be alone and then wonder what to do. I suggest using a planner or excel spreadsheet or online calendar to block out what you plan to do with each 30-minute to 1-hour increment of time during your retreat (you can include eating, exercising, etc.).

What might it look like?

Here is a sample of what you might do:

1 hour of Bible meditation and prayer. 

Pick a passage to read slowly, to make observations from the text, and to think over its meaning and application to your life. Integrate times of prayer (responding to to what you see, repenting where the passage exposes your sin, asking for help to walk in the Lord's ways). 

30 Minutes of evaluating how you are doing in your God-given responsibilities

Journal how you are doing - seeing God's grace at work, seeing areas you need to grow in. Specifically in your God given-roles. Perhaps that would be

• Church member

• Son/Daughter

• Student

• Roommate

This might require thinking about what the Lord requires of you in each of these roles. 

30 minutes of reading a book specifically for your soul

Pick a book and plan to get a good start on reading it during the retreat. Here are a few you might consider
Puritan / older books (a bit more work to read, but rich)

• The Godly Man's Portrait by Thomas Watson

• Holiness by JC Ryle

Modern books

• Desiring God by John Piper

• The Pleasures of God by John Piper

• Future Grace by John Piper

• Knowing God by Packer

• The Holiness of God by RC Sproul

• Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ by Russell Moore

• A good Christian Biography (Piper has a series called "the Swans are not Silent", but there are other good biographies too. In the Shadow of the Almighty is a good one about Jim Elliott). 

45-minute walk / Sermon audio

Go on a walk and listen to a sermon. There are tons of great resources out there from conferences. Here are a few (note, I have not listened to anywhere near all of these...I just know they are probably good):

• Together for the Gospel Conferences (Chandler, Piper, MacArthur, Dever, etc.)

• "Live to Die: A Leader Who Suffers Well" (great Piper sermon. Actually had a big impact on me as we were finalizing our decision to move towards pursuing adoption). 

• The Cross Conference (coming up this Jan 2-5th will be live streamed)

• Other John Piper Conference Messages

• Countryside Bible Churches conferences (last year was on marriage and singleness)

30 Minute lunch and Read more in your book. 

20 minute power nap (no long naps). 

30 Minutes praying for your church family

Perhaps pray for fellow college students, for the pastors, for older brothers and sisters. 

30 Minutes using "10 Questions to ask at the beginning of a new year" 

1 hour planning for next year  

Think in terms of your God given responsibilities. Examples might include:

• Personal Walk with the Lord

• Church

• Vocation (work / school)

• Family/Friends/Roomates

• Neighbors/classmates (evangelism, hospitality). 

Then come up with a one-line statement of what God would desire of you in those areas - a goal (ex. "Fellowship with God so that I am happy in him, know his ways, and have the strength to walk in obedience"). 

Then come up with specific things you'll do to pursue those goals. (Ex. I will study the word for 20 minutes in the morning and pray. I will attend Sunday school and Bible study etc.). 

You might also gather or plan resources for what this will look like. So, you might select a plan for Bible reading or a devotional book to use in the new year.
I can email you a sample of this in more detail if you'd like (ben@gcot.org). 

45 Minute Walk to pray or listen to another sermon

1 hour reading your book

At the end of your time

Pray. Then right out a list of key "take aways" or "actions" you will take to implement things. For example, you realize an area of ongoing struggle with a sinful attitude (pride, or fear of what others think, etc.). Then plan what your next step will be (seek accountability or find a book to help, or a verse to memorize and meditate on). Or maybe you realize you need to plan to attend Sunday school as part of your plan to grow this year and to fellowship. Then think of what changes you need to make to develop this new habit. Tell someone about your plan so you have accountability. 

Questions

If you would like to do this but have questions, shoot me an email and I can help you think through it.

Responsibilities of a Church Member: Disciple and Be Discipled

A disciple is a learner and follower. Not like following someone on twitter where you just read their tweets and move on. It is a use of mental energy to learn and spiritual energy to apply what is learned. It is not simply knowledge accumulation but also wisdom in applying truth and growth in Christlikeness.

Jesus commanded all Christians to "make disciples" of all nations. We gave some thought to that responsibility in the last post on sharing the gospel. In this post, we note that making disciples of Jesus isn't simply sharing the gospel and seeing them enter into the family of God. It also involves "teaching them to obey all that [Jesus] commanded."

This isn't something we do merely for new converts, though just as with a newborn the intensiveness of care will be greater for a new believer than a mature one. Instead, we do this for one another. Specifically, those who are older and more mature in their following Jesus are to disciple those younger and less mature in the faith. Titus 2 makes this clear. God expects older men and women to teach what fits with true and healthy Bible doctrine - that is what sort of living and believing and character fits with God's truth. They do this by being real-life examples of right doctrine lived out.

Almost all of us will be further along than others in learning the ways and truth of Jesus. And almost all of us will be less mature than others in the faith. So, we all have a calling to be a learner and be a trainer. This happens as we gather together and intentionally seek out those from whom we can learn. Perhaps it is making it a point to get to know an older godly man or woman and to chat with them regularly after church about what God is teaching you and what he is teaching them. Perhaps it is writing notes of encouragement to a younger guy (if you are a guy) or girl (if you are a woman). Perhaps it is a more formal meeting up with an older man (for men) or woman (for women) to study the Bible and pray and receive accountability and encouragement.

Regardless of what it form it takes, discipleship is part of the job description of members in a local church. It is not only the job of the pastors. Paul makes this clear in Titus 2 and in Colossians. In Colossians, he says it is his goal as a minister to see others mature in Christ:

Him we proclaim, warning everyone (Greek is noutheteo) and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (Col 1:28).

Lest we think it is a job solely for pastors, later, in chapter three, he says:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing (Greek is noutheteo) one another in all wisdom (Col 3:16a).

So this "teaching" and "admonishing" is for all of us to be a part of. It might look different for a college student or young mom, or retired man, etc. We all have different opportunities, giftings, etc. But one constant is that it is flowing from the "word of Christ" (Col 3:16). So it is not us trying to make others our disciples. We are following Jesus and seeking to help others follow Jesus. What this means is that I don't try to make someone look like all my idiosyncratic ways of applying Scripture. Instead, we might say, "Here is what God says in his Word, and here is how I work that out as a Christian. You might work out the details a bit differently, but let me help you work it into your life. Following Jesus means finding a way to apply this to your life."

If you are looking for a place to start, why not spend some time praying that Jesus would give you a sense of your need and a humility to seek to learn his ways from others in the church who are wielding and living the Word. And why not ask him to help you find ways to do the same for others who are less mature too. After that, you might want to spend some time thinking about discipleship (especially if this idea is new for you).

Two Resources to help you think about discipleship: 

Titus 2:1-8 

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 

The short book entitled Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever (there is a copy in the church library).

A Prayer for National Adoption Month

This month is national adoption month. We were able to finalize the adoption of our two youngest boys this month and attend a national adoption month luncheon at Children's Home Society. I was asked to give the invocation and pray for the meal. Here is my prayer:

Psalm 68:5-6 
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
 is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home;


God, you describe yourself as the father of the fatherless in your holy dwelling place. You settle the solitary into families. We come before you humbly recognizing that you are the creator of every person and every thing. You are the rightful ruler of all things and the source of all good. So, we come before you acknowledging our total dependence on you and thanking you for your mercy and care which you often demonstrate - even as we experience it now with each breath we are taking and this meal before us.

As we celebrate national adoption day, we are filled with sorrow and joy. Sorrow because the need for adoptions remind us that all is not right in this world.  We have sought to replace you with ourselves - and that rebellion in each human heart has brought selfishness, hurt, pride, broken relationships, and death. Yet we also have joy because we see your mercy and grace demonstrated in giving a family to children in need. We see you, working through people made in your image, redeeming that which was broken by placing the abandoned into the position of beloved son or daughter. And in this, we see something of your Fatherly love.  We see something of your sacrificial love. You too are an adoptive Father.  You adopt a people out of the misery that comes from our ignoring you and you place them into your family as beloved sons and daughters redeemed by Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection.

So here and now we have joy mixed with sorrow. But we look forward to the day when your perfect kingdom will come and those who enter it will have no more pain or tears or abuse or selfishness but rather will live by the light of your perfect presence because of what Jesus has done. It is in his name we pray. Amen.

Praying for Our Evangelism

Last Sunday night Charlie did a talk on sharing the gospel around the holidays and we spent time praying for our evangelism. Below is the prayer sheet we used. Perhaps you'll find it helpful as you pray (this was adapted from an article by Garrett Kell found at desiringgod.org).

Praying for Our Evangelism

Praise God for his merciful heart and for making a way of salvation

·         This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:3-5)  

·        For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

Pray God will help us see the desperate need of lost people

·         For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;  and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. (1 Cor. 5:16)

·        I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. (Romans 9:23) 

·         And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matt 25:46)

Pray God will open doors for the gospel

·         At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ (Col 4:3)

Pray God will give us courage to proclaim Jesus

·         and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:19-20)

·        All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.  (John 6:37)

Pray God will allow us to see him grant the gift of faith and repentance.

·         We are asking for this on the basis that it gives God and his kingdom great joy: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7)

·         We are asking God because he alone can grant this gift: God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth (2 Tim 2:25) 

Responsibilities of a Church Member: Share the Gospel

Share the Gospel

Continuing the series on the responsibilities of a church member, we now turn from our role in preserving the gospel to our sharing the gospel.

The great commission is familiar to us. But, perhaps, we quietly insert something into it.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore [all who are extroverted and smooth in speech] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (bracketed text added by me to bad effect)

Do you see what we might quietly add to the great commission? In reality, however, this is not a call to an elite group of Christians. It is not a call only for pastors. It is a call for all of God's people. The promise at the end of these verses is for all Christians, so too is the command that the promise undergirds.  Jesus is with all Christians to the end of the age, and his call to make disciples is the mantle all Christians bear.

As a member of the church, one of your responsibilities is to share the good news and to disciple Christians (more on this aspect in a future post). We are to seek to share the gospel with family members, friends, neighbors, classmates, and others we encounter.  Not every conversation will be about the gospel. And not all gospel conversations will be a full laying out of the gospel. We don't try and force people to listen to us share the gospel, and we don't merely try to get through a checklist of facts. But, we do have the responsibility to share the gospel. 

And we do this not only individually but through the corporate witness of the body of Christ. Our love for one another (which requires us being together and living the Christian life as a body) is a way the world will know that we belong to Jesus. Jesus said in John 13:35 "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

For a good book on the topic of evangelism, check out Mack Stiles Marks of the Messenger: knowing, living and speaking the Gospel. 

Responsibilities of a Church Member: Preserve the Gospel

Help Preserve the Gospel  

The gospel message, the good news of God about salvation, is what creates a redeemed people. If we don't have the gospel, then we don't have the people of God, the church. Paul says in Ephesians 3 that the mystery of Christ (the anointed, promised one of God who would save his people from sin) was not fully revealed, at least not in flesh and blood, until the coming of Jesus who is the Christ and creation of one body - Jew and Gentile. So the gospel message is what creates the church. 

Since the gospel is the foundation, the church, made up of its members, is responsible for guarding this central truth against error. In Galatians, Paul rebuked the entire congregation for turning away from the gospel to false teachings (Gal 1:6, 3:1. He didn't just rebuke the leaders. Why? Because we all have a responsibility to cling to and preserve the only good news of God. 

So, I take from this, that each member has a responsibility to guard and cling to the gospel. Personally guarding oneself from false teaching concerning how a person is made right with God. Also, listening to the teaching in the church and being sure it does not "go off the rails" when it comes to the gospel. If it does, there needs to a loving, humble, and bold effort to bring correction. 

"The Extraordinary Life of Helen Roseveare"

I just listened to a podcast about the life of missionary Helen Roseveare (from the Gospel Coalition). She was a single woman who served as a medical missionary in the Congo for much of her life. She was honest about her struggles, sorrows, doubts, and God's faithfulness in it all. I encourage you to listen to this talk on her life (the podcast is about 45 minutes long).

Responsibilities of a Church Member: Affirm Citizens of God's Kingdom

Help Affirm Citizens of God's Kingdom  

In baptism and church membership we are acting like an embassy of Heaven. We are affirming a person's claim to belong to the Kingdom of God (note this is different than placing them in or out of the Kingdom - God alone does that work).  Baptism pictures that a person has been united with Jesus in his death and resurrection. It is a public declaration which is administered by the church. When we gather to observe this ordinance, we are not merely spectators but serving as witnesses and agreeing that we believe the baptismal candidate has a credible profession of faith. Church membership gives visible "borders" to those who belong to Christ. Church means an assembly of people. And when we receive new members we are saying they are part of the assembly of those who are born again, as best as we can tell. We are saying we believe this person has been brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of the Son of God. 

The same is true in church discipline, but it is the opposite side of the coin. If a member stubbornly sides with their sin over Jesus and refuses to repent, then we are to clearly assert that we can no longer vouch for their being part of God's Kingdom. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul tells the congregation (not just its leaders) to remove the man persisting in sin. They aren't to disassociate with unbelievers who persist in sin (though they are not to live like the unbelievers). Instead, they are to disassociate with those who claim to be brothers (in the family of God) who are clinging to evil. Why? Because the person who is claiming to belong to God's Kingdom while living in a way that sides with the Kingdom of Satan should not be affirmed as belonging to God's Kingdom. And it is the church members who have this role. 

So, as a member of a church, you are responsible to participate in baptism, receiving members, and removing members. 

Responsibilities of a Church Member: Gather Regularly

I am teaching a couple of the membership matters classes, so I have church membership on the brain. I read an article by Jonathan Leeman at the Gospel Coalition a while back about the job responsibilities of church members. That has inspired this series of posts about the responsibilities of church members. Over the next few posts (I am not sure how many yet), I will list and discuss a few responsibilities of members. I hope it encourages you in fulfilling your God-given role.

Gather with the Church Regularly 
Hebrews 10:24-25 says we are not to forsake (leave behind, neglect) our gathering together. There are times when we can't gather (illness, a season at work that is busier than normal).  But, we are not to intentionally or unintentionally let gathering together fall by the wayside.

In addition, each member has giftings which the Spirit has given for us to use in building up the body. The spiritual gifts are not simply for our own upbuilding, but that of the body (the church). So, the implication is that we must be together to do just that.

Finally, Colossians 3:16 says we are to admonish and encourage one another with hymns and spiritual songs and with the Word of God. So, our singing outloud together and our speaking to one another about the Word of God is a key part of our calling as Christians in a local church. And this requires that we gather together in worship.

The next responsibilities can only be fulfilled if you do this one. As Jonathan Leeman wrote, "Attendance makes everything else possible."

Lessons Learned outside the Abortion Clinic part 3: We Have a Hard Privilege

Click here to see part 1 and here for part 2.

The third lesson I’ve been learning is that we have a hard privilege. 

In one sense, I don’t want to be there. I hate having to go out to a place where children are being torn limb from limb and vacuumed out of the place God designed for them to be kept safest. I hate seeing men and women stumble towards the slaughter of their own children and their own souls.  I'd rather not have to think about all that. It complicates life, and it adds sorrow.

In another sense, we count it a hard privilege that God has entrusted us with, and we want to be there.

This ministry is hard. Some days no one seems to listen to our heartfelt offers to walk alongside them. We get screamed at by people who seem to only be able to clearly annunciate their curse words and only able to wave with one finger pointed up. Perhaps the hardest aspect, though, is that we often have to be content not knowing the outcome for the children and men and women we speak for and to. Some take our packets, but what do they do? Sometimes we get the privilege of knowing, but often we don’t. We have to be content with sowing and not often getting to observe much visible fruit.

It is hard, but it is a privilege. As missionary CT Studd once said

“Some wish to stay within the sound of church or chapel bell. I'd rather run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”

The door to the clinic seems to be a path to redeeming a person's life - what would be lost in pregnancy and child rearing can be regained by a short violent procedure against an innocent person. In reality, however, that is a door that leads to death. The Kingdom of Jesus calls out telling people that the path to life is to die to self, take up your cross and follow King Jesus who saves sinners. It looks like a death sentence... and it is. But, to die to self and gain a right relationship to God is truly life to the fullest.

We are ambassadors for Jesus’ Kingdom right outside the gates of hell. In my comfort loving flesh, I'd much rather live within the churchyard all day long (and there is much work to do in the churchyard). But in my soul, I know some of us must be doing Kingdom work on the frontlines.  We have the privilege of being part of God’s plan to rescue sinners. Every Christian has this responsibility and privilege wherever they are, but we sense it deeply outside the abortion clinic. Not only that, we have the privilege to be in situations where we sense our utter dependence on God. Again, every Christian (and person) is totally dependent on God for all things, but we feel our inadequacy deeply as we talk to distressed men and women. We know our weakness, but we remember that we have a powerful Savior. This has brought much growth in our own love and trust in the Lord. We believe it brings him glory. So, we thank God for this hard privilege.

Is This a Hard Privilege You Sense the Lord Leading You Towards?

If you would like to learn more about our church's ministry and consider coming out to the clinic to pray or call out, send me an email (ben@gcot.org). We could use some help. Only those who know they are inadequate need apply.

Lessons Learned about Ministering Outside an Abortion Clinic, Part 2

(click here for part 1).

Lesson 2: Our Words Are Important, Even If Not Ultimate.

When we first started, I was a bit too focused on trying to say just the right words. Obviously, we must communicate the gospel correctly. I just mean the words I’d use to call out to people, as they entered the clinic, in my efforts to get them to come to talk to us.

The Lord reminded me that there is no formula that can replace the work of his Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:1, 4). We can’t rely on our eloquence.

That being said, I also realized that our words are important. As ambassadors for Christ, we must seek to use our words to be inviting and to cause people to think. So, I don’t think there are magic formulas, but we came up with a few standard things to say.

We decided to begin calling out with the line, “Hi, my name is Ben, could I give you a care packet and bottle of water.” Using our name is an effort to remind them that we are human beings just like them (not talking heads). It is so easy to dehumanize those we perceive as being against us and to ignore them. We don’t want to be viewed as their enemies. Instead, we want them to see us for who we are - those who are truly for them and their baby.

We also realized that in conversations we wanted to use questions to show compassion. These women aren't there because they are trying to make a pro-choice statement, but because they feel their situation is too difficult for them to handle. So, we found it helpful to ask questions like
“What is the biggest hurdle you are facing in this pregnancy the thing that ‘if only this’ then I would feel I could protect my baby?” It isn't a magic formula. This is merely one way that mercy can knock at the door and offer to come in and help.

We also wanted to use questions to get them thinking about God and to open gospel opportunities. Afterall, their greatest need (and mine) is to see God as the greatest treasure, all-knowing judge, and powerful provider. I've found that asking, "What do you think God thinks about your situation?" seems to be a good way to get to this deeper issue.  It provides an opportunity to consider God and his ways and their own situation which they may or may not have already done. The key, however, is not to simply speak, but to listen to what they think about God and then try to speak the truth that addresses where they are coming from.

None of these are "result producing rhetoric." I've said things well and had people shout profane things back at me. I've really jumbled up my words and had people come to talk to me and receive a care packet. My words can't replace God's power and they can't thwart it either. But our words do matter. Feeble as they are, they do allow us to show mercy and offer God's wisdom. So, I've been learning not to trust the power of our words while also learning how to use words well.

Lessons Learned about Ministering Outside an Abortion Clinic part 1

In about a week, Speak for the Unborn will have their banquet in Louisville, KY. I will be able to attend and share a bit about Grace Church's speak for the unborn ministry outside of our local abortion clinic. As I've prepared, I've thought a bit about what I've been learning. I will share a few of those things over the next couple of posts.

Lesson 1: Christians have truly good news for those entering the clinic and those exiting the clinic. 

As Christians, we are the only ones with a message of hope and good news for the pre-abortive woman who feels like she must choose between self and her child and the post-abortive woman who has already made that choice.

The gospel calls both of them to die to self, take up their cross, and follow Jesus (that is true for every person). And this is really good news for it is the path to true life and joy.

The woman considering an abortion is not trying to make some pro-choice statement. And she isn't happy to be at the abortion clinic. She is in the midst of temptation, confusion, and fear. She is being tempted to pursue the death of her own boy or girl in order to find security and protect her own life and dreams. The gospel, calls her to something which is impossibly glorious. It calls her to die to self-rule, self-protection, and selfishness in order to find life in Christ and his gracious and perfect rule. After all, Jesus invited people to come to him, especially those who are weary, that they may find true rest in him. The gospel offers new life and new desires that lead to hope in the midst of hardship and obedience to God despite the difficulty.

And for the woman who has had an abortion, we have true hope; not clever ways to ignore things or dull the pain. We have a message that is truthful, accurate to reality, and full of hope. The gospel gives an accurate description of our need and only hope.  It tells us that God's wrath really does hang over us because of our sin, but that God has been merciful in sending Christ who can alone save sinners. His life, death, and resurrection guarantee forgiveness for those who confess and forsake their sin so that they might love God in Christ.

Christians are the only ones on the planet that have a message that is good news for ALL those we encounter outside an abortion clinic. As Russell Moore once pointed out, on the way to the abortion clinic, Satan promotes abortion as an inconvenient necessity - one which God will understand given her difficult situation. On the way home from the abortion clinic he condemns the woman averring that there is no way around God's judgment for her. The gospel message is the only thing that speaks truth to both of these false claims.

So, I know that we must try to share the gospel with those coming and going from the clinic. And we ought not to be ashamed by those who say our presence out there is unloving or unkind. We are motived by the love of God in Christ. The love of God and neighbor compels us to be willing to look foolish and to be misunderstood if by some means people would be brought from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light.

"How Do We Respect Others While Rejecting Their False Beliefs?"

The Ask Pastor John podcast tackles the question of how we respect others who have false beliefs. This is an important issue and one which we encounter regularly. I hope you'll take the time to listen to John Piper's answer. 

"When Is It Time to Break-up?"

I recently listened to this podcast from Truth in Love on the topic of some various reasons a Christian might need to or consider ending a dating relationship. I am sharing it because I think they do a good job giving a concise explanation of the issues to consider (and by extension, it helps you consider if a relationship is healthy). This is not some back channel way of me telling anyone in our group they should consider ending a current dating relationship (I would talk to you directly if I thought that was the case).

"Do James and Paul disagree on grace and works?"

I found this article helpful from Dr. Tom Schreiner on the issue of faith and works.  He is a New Testament scholar. On a personal note, when we lived in Louisville, Tom was one of our pastors and we benefited greatly from his preaching.

His summary on the topic is,

"In the beauty and completeness of God’s Word, Paul and James teach complementary, not contradictory, truths."

A Christian View of Work

I recently listened to a "Help Me Teach the Bible" podcast episode entitled "Peter Orr on Teaching about Work." I found the interview that Nancy Gutherie did with him, in this podcast, to be helpful. Orr helped me to see how work is important and a means of glorifying God while at the same time clarifying that "the work of the Lord" is something all Christians are called to do and it is not (usually) the exact same thing as our jobs. Check it out if you have some time.

What Does Pride and Humility Look Like?

This past Sunday, Pastor Rod spent some time talking about the danger of pride. Pride is one of those sneaky and subtle sins that we often can't see in our lives just as a when you are flying through a cloud and can't see how high you are off the ground. Our Christian growth does not happen in fighthing sin in its abstract (ie. I will put off pride). Rather, growth comes as we fight sin in its specific manifestations in our own hearts. You have to fight the enemy where it is entrenched.

One resources I have found helpful in identifying the sin of pride and manifestations of humility is Stuart Scott's little booklet From Pride to Humility. You can buy a copy here. And here is a link to a handout that includes the manifestations of pride and humility (a good tool to evaluate your own heart and where the battle and potential for growth is).

"Solomon's Twitter Guidelines"

Kevin DeYoung posted this about a year ago and I rediscovered it recently. Great thoughts on how we might apply Proverbs to our social media posting.

Click here for the article

Male and Female, He Created Them

Here is a link to the Sunday school class I taught last Sunday on Genesis 1:27-31 on the topic of God's good design of creating the human race as male and female. Below is the outline (sorry it isn't formated nicely, there is a cleaner downloadable version at the link with the audio):

I.                   God’s Very Good Design – Man & Woman Gen 1:26-27, 31

A.     Men and women equally made in God’s image

B.      Men and women distinct as male and female.

C.      This is the design – God’s blueprint.

Matt. 19:4-5 “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

D.     This is “very good.” (Gen. 1:31).

II.                 Current confusion in our culture

A.     The confusion of the day

                                                             1.      Some terms

a.       Sex – biological and physical make-up

b.      Gender – our attitudes and feelings and behaviors that fit with our sex.

c.       Transgender is when someone identifies or expresses a gender identity that does not match their physical / genetic sex.

                                                             2.      Cultural examples of transgender issues.

                                                             3.      Example of Family Policy Institute of Washington institute questioning students[1]^,[2]

B.      How we got here

                                                             1.      Fall into sin and consequences of curse.

                                                             2.      Worldview Issues

a.       Either Creator and Creature (Gen 1:1 & Ps. 24:1-2)

a.       God is the authority

b.      Source of all true knowledge (even about ourselves)

c.       And Is trustworthy to do and call us to what is truly best for us.

b.      Or, we are

a.       the authority

b.      and source of knowledge

c.       and trustworthy guides who to what is best for us.

                                                             3.      Cultural climate  (Adapted from Andrew Walker, God and The Transgender Debate, pg. 21-26)

a.      Relativism Meaning and truth are relative

b.      Radical Individualism Downstream from relativism. It says “everyone gets to write their own script.”

c.       Sexual revolution

a.       If it feels good do it…our bodies are our own and for us to enjoy in whatever way we want.

b.      Assumption that sexual freedom is the highest of all freedoms and the only path to true fulfillment.

d.      Gnosticism  Idea that material world is bad (or unreliable) and what really is important is the spiritual

                                                             4.      The 2 unforgivable sins in our culture then are

a.       First to judge someone else (say they are wrong).

b.      Second to fail to fulfill your desires.

III.              How Should We Respond to the Confusion?

A.     Speak the truth, and live the truth

                                                             1.      The truth is God has called our sex and the corresponding maleness or femaleness as “very good” in Genesis 1:31.

a.       “Our identity as man or woman is not the result of a biological accident. The doctor at our birth does not impose it on us. It is not foisted upon us by our society’s social expectations, moral habits, and cultural meanings. Our identity as a man or woman is who we are .” (Mohler, We cannot be Silent, pg. 79)

                                                             2.      Is it loving to affirm every self-perception someone has as accurate and true even if it is clearly not?

a.       What about someone who is anorexic because they believe they are overweight (when they really are thin and starving themselves)?

b.      They need compassion and help which requires the truth.

B.      Love others – “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy”

C.      Avoid stereotypes of manhood and womanhood; instead, emphasize the biblical picture

D.     The Gospel

---

[1] “Do college kids know the difference between men and women?”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4S0gHlKiho

[2] “Do college kids know the difference between men and women?”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfO1veFs6Ho

Guidelines in Determining If and How a Biblical Command Applies Today

Last week, at Bible study, we discussed commands in the Bible and how to determine if a command still applies to today, and, if so, how to sort out the culture-specific aspects from the timeless principles. Here are a few guidelines adapted from  Dr. Robert Plummer's book 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible, pg. 172 (Dr. Plummer was my Greek professor in Seminary and I am so thankful for his ministry to me).

1. Rephrase the biblical command in more abstract, theological terms. Is the injunction a culturally specific application of an underlying theological principle? Or are the command and cultural application inseparable? (example, "Greet each other with a holy kiss" seems to have an underlying principle of welcoming and loving fellow believers as fellow members of God's household. It does seem the principle is unchanging, but the cultural application [a holy kiss] seems to be able to be separated and replaced with a culturally specific application). 
2. Would a modern-day literal application of the command accomplish the intended objective of the biblical author's original statement? 
3. Are there details in the text that would cause one to conclude that the instructions are only for a specific place or time? (ex. 2 Tim. 4:13 Paul tells Timothy "when you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus..." Since Paul directs it to Timothy and it only would apply as long as Paul was living, this command does not apply to us). 
4. Are there details in the text that would cause one to conclude that the ... command applies unchanged in different cultures? (Is it based on God's character, his unchanging promises, or his design for all creation? Example "love one another, for love is from God." This is not a cultural issue, and the fact that it is rooted in love coming from God means it doesn't change).  
5. Do your conclusions cohere with the author's other statements and the broader canonical (whole-Bible) context? 
6. For Old Testament commands, how has the coming, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the promised Savior, changed things? (Ex. commands to sacrifice on the Day of Atonement are fulfilled by Jesus who "died once for sin" and is "seated at the right hand of God." This is not due to God changing. Rather, it is because God's plan has not changed. His plan has always been to give a "yes" and "amen" to all his promises in the coming of Jesus.) 
7. Beware of the deceitful human heart that would use interpretive principles to rationalize disobedience to Scripture. 

Hospitality and Evangelism

You might not think that these two ideas, hospitality and evangelism, go together, but they are like peanut butter and jelly (or maybe peanut butter and bananas...don't judge if you haven't tried it). Hospitality is the love we show towards strangers. It is a welcoming love that is willing to put ourselves out there in ways that cost us time, energy, and money in order to lovingly welcome and seek to do good to a fellow human that we do not know very well (ie. they are not our best friend already).

Our culture is increasingly polarized and full of anger. How refreshing Christian hospitality is in such a vitriolic setting. Since Christian hospitality is motivated by the Gospel, it is a means to evangelism too. God welcomed us into his house, even into his family, while we were strangers to his promises, even hostile towards him. This hospitality ought to extend to fellow Christians that are different than us or that we don't know (Romans 15:7 says, "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."). But it also must be extended to those we are inviting to "leave father and mother and sister and brother" to follow Jesus (see Ananias and Barnabas showing hospitality to Saul / Paul in Acts chapter 9).

Matt Chandler has a helpful article entitled "Everyone you meet will live forever: Evangelism in an age of unbelief" at Desiring God that address this and gives a few practical ideas. You don't have to have a home or cook like Betty Crocker to show hospitality. Start by simply greeting people, by asking questions to get to know them, and by caring about them. Love for them also compels you to want to share the best gift with them - Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Christian hospitality is not contingent upon everyone agreeing with the truth of who Christ is, but it doesn't pretend as if Jesus is simply a nice add-on to life either. Christian hospitality is rooted in our acceptance by God in Christ and, therefore, displays that reality in our words and deeds.

Who might you show hospitality to today?

Genesis and Science

 We are living in a time when evolution is the great intellectual rival to the Christian faith in Western culture. It is important that we have given thought to these issues. I have been co-teaching the Sunday school class on Genesis 1-4. Several of the classes have dealt with preliminary issues about origins and science. Here is a link to the whole series on Genesis 1-4. I hope you find it helpful, and if you are not attending a Sunday school class, consider joining us for this study.

"Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History"

Here is a link to an article by Tony Reinke on the idea that well-behaved women rarely make history. I found it to complement our study on manhood and womanhood. While our culture pushes the idea that we must do something grand and make ourselves well-known, we should see the reality that a life lived for God's glory in whatever he gives us to do each day is what heaven takes note of. Here is the conclusion of Reinke's article:

God-centered piety demonstrated on earth will not often make it into the record of our historians. There’s too little raw data to make it possible. Well-behaved women rarely make history. Fair enough. But our historians will not have the final word. I suspect the story of every faithful believer, even the most ordinary in this life, has generated voluminous records for eternity, and will find its story recorded in the epic of this age, a library filled with a million volumes of an unabridged record of every act and attitude which riveted the attention of our Creator — and stabbed the demons with dread.

Let's be content with being faithful in whatever God gives us to do, even if it doesn't catch the attention of the world.

Just for Fun: Why Winning Silver is the Worst

I saw this video linked at Kevin DeYoung's blog and thought it was funny. Hope you enjoy it.

How You Can Help Women and Unborn Children

We just passed the 45th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision which made the right to end the life of an unborn child, without due process, a constitutional right. From 1973 - 2014, there have been approximately 59,000,000 unborn children whose lives have been ended while in the warmth of their mother's womb in the U.S. In Florida, there about 76,000 abortions in 2014 (almost enough to fill up all the seats in Doak Campbell Stadium). That represents enormous human destruction and suffering among women and children.

How can you help women in crisis and the weakest among us? That depends on your giftings, abilities, and opportunities. However, all of us can be involved somehow.  Here are a few ways you might consider.

Prayer

Every Christian can pray that God would defend the weak, oppressed, and fatherless. Pray that he would use his church to not only save babies but to work new birth into the lives of the men and women who believe that ending the life of their unborn children is the only solution to the troubles they face.

Volunteer at a Pregnancy Center

There are three pregnancy centers in Tallahassee. These centers have caring men and women who counsel with fathers and mothers who need a compassionate ear and help to find solutions to their problems as well as a bigger perspective on their situation. These centers help women with tangible needs, parenting skills, free ultra-sounds, referrals for various types of assistance, and spiritual needs. They need volunteer counselors, ultrasound technicians, nurses, secretaries, baby supplies, etc. You might also participate in the Walk for Life to help fundraise for one of the pregnancy centers. For more information about this, email me (ben@gcot.org)

Serve with Speak for the Unborn

Our church has a local chapter of this ministry which aims to bring the gospel of hope to men and women as they stand on the ledge, contemplating whether or not there is any other hope besides ending the life of their unborn baby boy or girl. We stand outside the abortion clinic in Tallahassee with welcoming signs and care packets calling out to those entering and leaving the clinic. Our goal is to offer a glimpse of hope First, to those considering abortion. We want to help them step back and ask them to consider all their options with the help of others in our church or at a pregnancy center. We also seek to offer hope to those who have already ended the life of their baby by pointing them to their need and God's mercy in the gospel. For more information check out our website or the Speak for the Unborn national site.

Be Ready to Dialogue with Friends

You may have friends who will face an unexpected pregnancy. Be ready to offer a listening ear and to help them and direct them to others who can help. Also, be ready to engage with others who are not in a crisis situation but who have different viewpoints on the issue of abortion. Be able to make the case for life. If you feel like you are not equipped, why not read a short book like Stand for Life. 

Engage in Public Policy

Some of you may be in a role of government that allows you to help shape public policy and laws. The government exists to protect the innocent. Perhaps God will give you a role in this. Indirectly, we can write to our representatives and senators asking them to support pro-life legislation.

Consider Adoption

Consider if adoption is something God might have for your family one day. Based on my research, there is not a huge need at this point for families to adopt babies (there is a great need for foster parents and those able to adopt older children from the foster system). There are more people waiting to adopt than there are babies to be adopted in the U.S. But we should always be ready to care for the fatherless, especially if a courageous young mother decides to protect her baby's life but knows that the best thing for her baby is for her to sacrificially place her little boy or girl into another family to raise him or her. If a woman is willing to make such a sacrifice, there must be some Christians who are able to meet that need (all of us can't, but some of us must).

After 45 years, there is still a pro-life movement

You might check out this video of Russell Moore talking about why we can be hopeful about the pro-life movement. He also has a great book called Adopted for Life. 

Why We Can Be Hopeful about the Pro-Life Movement from Crossway on Vimeo.

Prayer App

Last Sunday I preached on Psalm 86 "In My Day of Trouble, I Call upon You." It is a Psalm that is 100% prayer. I learned, from studying the Psalm, that humility is really the key to getting on in praying more regularly and biblically. If you are driving back to Tallahassee and need something to listen to, maybe you could listen to the sermon (if you didn't know we do have the sermons set up on apple and andriod podcasts).

The "extra" thing I wanted to mention here is that I have found an app called "prayermate" to be a helpful tool in keeping my prayer requests organized. To be clear, an app won't make us pray more or more faithfully. Only humility and a trust in God's sovereign goodness will do that. But, tools can be helpful. So, if you are inclined, check it out.

A concluding prayer from Psalm 86:11

Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.