Thinking You Are Just Fine

I went to a bible study last night taught by one of our elders. It was the first in the series of ten that Matt Chandler has done on Psalm 119. One of the topics drawn out of the first sixteen verses was the Christian being one of continual repentance. Repentance is a posture in which we live out our communion with Christ. A mindset or life that is lived under the knowledge that our feeble efforts are never enough, and even on our best days, serious faults surface is uncommon. We are fine just where we are.

My observation is that in church life down here in the south, we affirm regular repentance in theory, but pay it little more that lip service. Two examples that testify to its misunderstanding are 1) crushing convicting and true repentance if we commit a huge and terrible sin ONLY, and 2) tacking that phrase onto the end of our public prayers: "and forgive us of all of the many times we've failed you, in Jesus' name, Amen." True realization and heartbreak over deep sin leading to repentance, even though it may seem "minor," are rare for most of us. We are fine just where we are.

Sins of pride, anger, gluttony, rebellion, gossip, lust, lack of concern for others (both for our brothers and sisters and for the poor and needy) are glossed over in complacency. Improper motivation for why we do things, how we approach our ministry to our family, our church, and our community, apathy, greed, failure to love without which all is useless are not things that we bring up much, nor give much contemplation toward. Deep pleas for the Holy Spirit to search our hearts for discord with others, without which we are not to worship before clearing our offense. We are fine just where we are.

I have been reading a book that killed it this week. Words to Winners of Souls by Horatius Bonar includes a chapter about confession of sin. The first half of the chapter is extended excerpts from a intense confession from a group of Scottish ministers from 1651. It deals with lightness in conversation, to attitudes about ministry, to ease of which we find excuses, loving pleasure over loving God, trusting our own abilities, and attitudes toward our opponents. Those were just the title headings, paragraph after paragraph under all those headings. Eating me up. Very humbling.

If we are to grow in our conformity to Christ, the Holy Spirit will chisel away the rough edges of sin that surround the likeness to our Master. Cry out with David, "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" -Psalm 139:23-24. Listen carefully, think deeply, look beyond the surface, let the Spirit search your soul. Know that you are not fine. It is OK not to be fine. Run to Christ as you turn from that sin.

Elections

Haven't blogged in a long time. Not much to say that has come to mind that might be helpful or impactful in people's lives, so no need to put more words out there (as if there weren't already enough). Maybe we should start worrying about word overpopulation instead of world overpopulation.

But with the elections coming up, maybe just a few things. Not really deep thoughts (plenty of wiser men have already written), not just political bullying, and not just bemoaning, just things that I think that we should think about as believers WHEN we vote.

1. We are not of this world, we have another home and another kingdom, which is far more valuable. It's King and it's advance is our first priority.
2. We are given the privilege to vote for our representatives and governmental leaders in this country. Even if we don't like our choices, realize the blessing. I'll stop short of saying it is a Christian duty to vote, but I think you should.
3. God is the one who raises up kings and kingdoms, and he also removes them, and he does it all for his purposes. Sometimes we are not to know those purposes.
4. Vote your conscience! There are not only two choices. Refuse to be bullied into doing something that goes against your convictions. Know the candidates, and the likelihood of the ramifications of your vote. It does count.
5. There are some issues which candidates hold that are deal-breakers, such as abortion. There are some that really important. Then there are some that are preferential. 
6. Realize that thoughtful, wise, believers may come to different conclusions, especially as it relates to the last two of the previous categories. This is okay. We can still love each other, and especially in the public sphere, we must resist the urge to respond in anger.
7. Realize that the candidates are substantially different on many issues, but people thought that Obama was the anti-Christ and would bring the destruction of the country, and people thought that about Bush before that. America will be here after Clinton, Trump, or whoever the House of Representatives chooses if nobody reaches 270 electoral votes. Research your constitution, too. Know what happens "if..." So stop decrying the end of civilization as we know it. Politics are corrupt, shouldn't be a surprise to you.
8. Trust Jesus Christ, fixing your eyes on the things above, pressing on toward the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ!

Just my thoughts. Thanks for both of you who read it :-) 

What is a Covenant?

This week is a special week at The Road. We are going to covenant together as a body officially. People will step up and make this promise below to each other in Christian brotherhood. A covenant is an OT idea stronger than an agreement or a contract; more like a blood oath, a solemn vow, or a three-way promise which we enter into with each other. We will still worship with all the family of Christ who joins us on Sundays, but this group will have a promised commitment to one another, with a desire to be accountable to it, as they follow Christ themselves. Baptists have always been a covenant people, with many churches designing their own in order to capture the important points for their congregation. Here is ours

Having, as we trust, been brought by divine grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to him, and having been baptized upon our profession of faith, in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His gracious aid, solemnly and joyfully covenant with each other.
We will work and pray for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We will walk together in brotherly love, as becomes the members of a Christian Church, exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other and faithfully admonish and entreat one another as occasion may require.

We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, nor neglect to pray for ourselves and others.

We will endeavor to bring up such as may at any time be under our care, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and by a pure and loving example to seek the salvation of our family and friends.

We will rejoice at each other’s happiness and endeavor with tenderness and sympathy to bear each other’s burdens and sorrows. 

We will seek, by Divine aid, to live carefully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and remembering that, as we have been voluntarily buried by baptism and raised again from the symbolic grave, so there is on us a special obligation now to lead a new and holy life. 

We will work together for the continuance of a faithful evangelical ministry in this church, as we sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines. We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations. 

We will, when we move from this place, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word. 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.

So excited for this Sunday, and for the body of Christ known as The Road!

A "Good" Christian

How would you define a good Christian? What does a really spiritual Christian look like? It's a question that I asked a friend the other day as we pondered our faith. Your answer to that question reveals a lot about your life as a believer and your efforts toward fulfilling God's purposes in your life. Our answer is probably influenced by our parents, our home churches, our perception of believers before we became one, or our perception of Christians even though we aren't one.

How would you answer? Give it some thought. I know I don't have many readers, but I hope that it will provoke thought. Don't give your answer without justification. Also, follow your reasoning out to its logical end. I guess then we should all ask: are we really spiritual, good, mature Christians?

Practicing what you preach

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. - Heb 4:12

As a Director of Missions for an association of churches, I am constantly bouncing around from church to church. And there are weekends like this one that I preached to the congregation twice, which I don't normally do. I was reminded again about the importance of teaching/preaching the word of God to my own personal sanctification.

My belief that a preacher/teacher who is ministering to others by breaking the word before them, and he is doing it with proper motivation, will think about his applications of the truth found in the word to the immediate lives of those to whom he will be preaching, and he will ask the questions of himself, particularly: "am I doing these things?" The thing that Jesus was most critical of what hypocrisy, and the pinnacle of hypocrisy is to preach Christ, morality, love, grace, forgiveness, and their practical implications know that you are not practicing them.

Sanctification through the preaching of the word, glad I will be doing more in the next few months; lots of appts. Don't know how much good it will do for my hearers, but it will break me, and help me to know Him and be exposed to His holiness, which will ideally purify the gold from the dross.

His Faithfulness in a Dry Land

I want this to be about God, and not just about me, because by Him, through Him, and to Him be glory in all things. But maybe my recent struggles may encourage you.

Christians go through seasons of change much like what we see in the leaves in autumn. Lots of change going on in my life the last couple of months; job change, housing change, income change, scheduling change, etc. In all the hubbub I have hit a real dry spell in my connection with Christ. I feel like I am not finding him. Fear that I am not looking hard as I used to...missing the connection with Him through the body as well. As someone seem to put it well, "we are lost and without a country." 

Seems like it has been a constant refrain for the last several weeks in my journal. And I know have mentioned it to several people about their thoughts. But I just can't get into a routine, and my prayer time is sparse, bible reading is behind, but not much. I listen to sermons on my podcasts.  I am reading a great book, Follow Me by David Platt, but the engagement and intimacy with God doesn't seem to manifest itself.  I don't want to rely on feelings, but I am not feeling it.

I know that God is always faithful. Through the calm and through the storm, He never let's go. He is a bulwark never failing! I know that no matter how dry I feel, before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea and a great High priest whose name is love, Who ever lives pleads for me. And so I know that I will be restless until I find my rest in Him.

I am still fighting. Yet I know God is working my fight through me, giving me strength, changing my "want-to"s. It has not let up yet. No light at the end of the tunnel yet. I plan this, or I try that, or I look for advice here and there. No silver bullet, except for Christ. I need Him to be my true treasure, portion, and satisfaction again; and I will fight for it.

I wonder if God is trying to teach me something. Lots of things have come to mind as I seek Him as to my struggle. Humility, that I am not the man on my own that I think that I am.  His faithfulness, that He will supply all my needs as I trust in Him through dryness.  Compassion for those that may have been, are going through, or will go through dryness, darkness, and restlessness. Patience as I wait for Him to deliver and cause me to mount up on wings like eagles. Dependence and faith in the one who works when I can't see Him working, and who works in situations that no one else can work. Dependence on the body and my need of fellowship. I resign and submit willingly to the lesson. I am His to do as He pleases, and I am content to receive that which He providentially designs for my good.

God in an infinite being and is doing 1000 more things than I can ponder through times of dryness in my life and yours.  And so we must take thoughts of worry and despair captive for Christ--2 Cor 10:5.  We must fight the good fight of faith--1 Tim 6:12. We must remind ourselves of the passages of faith (Rom 8:28, 2 Cor 12:7-10, James 1:2-7, Heb 4:16, Isa 40:29-31, 41:10, Lam 3:22-24, Psalm 73:26) that speak of the good of our suffering, and walk through the valley of the shadow of death and dryness well. Let our prayer be that through whatever we walk, Christ be revealed in and through our lives, our thoughts, our speech, our countenance.

This is War!

I was reading Hebrews this morning and I noted the number of times the author mentioned his concern for his brothers and sisters to persevere in the faith so as not to prove themselves part of a group of people reminiscent of rebelliant Israel of old. He was worried about their failure to continue in the faith, so much so that in a couple of chapters gave numerous warnings and instructions on how to avoid it. We must heed the same warnings.  The danger is no less in our day to fall away than it was then.  The enemy is no less vigilant now than he was then.  The Christian life is not a game, it is a war to maintain your passion and pursuit of Him, thus verifying the authenticity of your conversion.  So I am exhorting you to FIGHT!  Let the Word strengthen your soul as it did mine.

He mentions it in Hebrews 3:7, but the first way he gives to deal with it in verses 12-14 where he says, "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." One of the safeguards to this slipping in our Christian warfare is the mutual exhortation of the saints.  Each one of us must do our part in encouraging other believers close to us (assumption is that we have those that we are walking closely with, already working on the next blog post on this one) to stay in the faith.  We are to help keep up their pursuit of Christ.  We are to help fix their gaze on Christ.  Who are you doing this for?  Have you done it today? We are commanded here to do it "daily".

In Heb 4:1-3, he exhorts them to fight so that it doesn't seem that you are among those who hear the gospel and do not obey it.  Two ways he gives to fight for our faith are: to remember and relish the rest God provides in Christ, and obey by faith.  Our joy will be full and our rest complete in Christ, and it is offered to us to fight for our faith to hold out.  Secondly, obedience to the commands of Christ doesn't earn our salvation, but it displays that we aren't among "those who did not listen." We must get back to the truth that disciples are those that have been taught to obey "all that I have commanded you." -Matthew 28:20  We might also do well to remember that both of these things are best done in community.  Reflection on Christ and his joy and rest and peace, as well as accountability to his commands is done well with authenticity among others walking in close fellowship.

Finally in v. 11-12, he gives a verse that is often taken out of context, but here we see it afresh. "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Still riding the theme of missing the rest because of disobedience, he offers a solution of the word of God.  Each one of us must use the weapon of the word to fight for our faith and the perseverance of others as well.  Not only personal intake from many sources, but all of us have the responsibility to speak it into the lives of others to help them fight for their own endurance. The word has power.  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word!

So do you exhort others daily toward faith?  Do you dwell upon the rest that awaits us?  Do you take the word in through reading, books, sermons, memorization, etc.?  Can you, do you speak it to others?  So let us fight for our faith together.

Confessions of Spiritual Giants

It's good to know sometimes that some things never change. And it's good to know sometimes that people you think of as spiritual giants have chinks in their armor just like I do. Not that any spiritual pressure is relieved when they fall, but that they wrote about the struggles they had, and it makes me feel like less of a worm to have those same struggles. I don't want you to read more into this than you should, so here is what I am referring to:

As some of you know, for my devotional time in the morning, I often read The Life and Diary of David Brainerd. Brainerd was a missionary to the American Indians who was immensely passionate about making much of Jesus, but died at 29 years old in the home of Jonathan Edwards of TB. If you aren't familiar with his story and passion, let me commend it to you. So this morning I read where he wrote on January 3, 1744

"...I find that I do not , and it seems that I cannot, lead a Christian life when I am abroad, and cannot spend much time in devotion, Christian conversation, and meditation as I should do. Those weeks that I am obliged now to be away from home, in order to learn the Indian tongue, are mostly spent in perplexity and barrenness, without much sweet relish of divine things; and I feel myself a stranger at the throne of grace, for want of more frequent and continued retirement. When I return home, and give myself to meditation, prayer, and fasting, a new scene opens to my mind, and my soul longs for mortification, self-denial, humility, and divorcement from all the things of the world..."

I have this same problem! And I always feel like such a failure, because I can't seem to do what I ought to outside of my routine. Vacations, conferences, mission trips, trips to see family, and the list could go on. Isn't my relationship with God more than a habit?! As Brainerd said on the day before this entry: "It is nothing but the power of God that keeps me from all manner of wickedness. I see I am nothing, and can do nothing without help from above. OH, FOR DIVINE GRACE!"

I am thankful (and you should be too) that our acceptance is not based upon our performance. And I still feel the obligation and the desire to continue fighting for the exercise of the disciplines and intimacy with God when I am out of my routine, but it comforts me some that the men of God of bygone generations whom I respect much, struggled like me...

"For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" -Romans 7:19, 24-25