Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
To begin, it's been a while since I've posted anything, so I wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to all of my readers who look forward to my posts... sorry mom.
So today I got a phone call from Bill Bartz who said to me, "Hey Jake, do you want an opportunity to give your testimony and share the gospel with thousands of people?" I had no idea what he was talking about, but I was certainly intrigued. He said Kim Jefferies, who hosts a radio program on KTIS was asking people to call in and give their testimony. Bill said he thought he'd be better at calling people and telling them to do it than doing it himself. I hesitated, but I couldn't say no, so I called not expecting to get through. Sure enough, it rang, and sure enough, they picked it up, and my heart starting racing... I had about 3 minutes to prepare what I would say, and I was terrified. I remember praying, but I don't know exactly what I said. Even if I didn't pray, I'm sure Bill prayed for me. I quickly grabbed my Bible, and raced out to my car. I sat there, too nervous to speak, and then I came on. Kim was very pleasant, and put me at ease. I had never listened to her program before, and had no idea who she was. I was so nervous, I could barely speak. I don't remember much of the conversation, I just remember feeling as if I was failing miserably. I couldn't articulate a single sentence to save my life. She wanted me to share my testimony in three minutes, and I knew I wanted to talk about Jeremiah 17:9, and my own sinfulness before a just and holy God, and how Christ's death was for His glory, and despite my sinfulness, Christ still died to save me, so all of creation could glorify Him as a not only just God, but a saving God as well.
*please insert virtual 10 minute pause here...............
So if you want to listen to podcasts of her show, you can go here and download hour 2 of November 15th of her show by right clicking and going to "save Target as" My testimony begins at 46:40... and I must admit I listened to it, and I am SO thankful it didn't sound nearly as fumbled as it did in my pea-brain while I was speaking. WHICH... brings me to the text found in I Peter 3:15...
The context of this text is clear. Peter was talking to people who were not nervous because it was "just difficult to do" like me, (forgive me, God) but these men were brought before high courts who wanted to kill them for their faith, so when Peter says that, it's with an understanding that these men must always be ready in the face of persecution to give an answer for why on earth they would endure such pain. It makes sense, because I believe a powerful testimony in the early church was the fact that these martyrs would go through such agonizing pain simply because they refused to speak a few supposedly meaningless words... "I deny Christ." Think about what would go through the secular mind looking at that situation. "Why not! This is your life! You have children, a family, health, youth! Are you really this STUPID! How could you be so ridiculous and give your life simply for not just muttering a few words!" I guess it could be argued how could they be so ridiculous for killing someone for not muttering a few pointless words, but the secular world has never been without it's contradictions. Peter obviously recognized this as a golden opportunity to share not some personal experiences, and "because God makes me happy and gives me a better life" would have hardly seemed appropriate under those conditions, but, in the faithfulness of Romans 10:17, he urges us to tell them why... and so ask yourself... why? Why is found in a right understanding of the Truth... Why for me was because God saved me from Sin. God's love was displayed on that cross, and I am undeserving, and still ungrateful, but He still saved me. I can't imagine what I would have said if Kim Jefferies held a gun to my head and told me to give my testimony instead of being as kind and encouraging as she was, but I loathe any thought of it changing. I'm sure why for many of those martyrs echoed the words of Paul in Romans 8,
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I am so grateful for ministries like Kim Jefferies' program. God bless her for being faithful.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Romans 5:20,21
Moreover the law that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Wow. I get it now. I just had a conversation with my good friend Bill Bartz, and this passage, (which I studied this morning and didn't see this part) came to light for me. This morning I did a quick survey of Romans 1-5 in preparation for a more exhaustive study of Romans 6. I wanted to have a foundation, i.e. what Paul said in the first 5 chapters of Romans, to better understand the 6th chapter. This passage at the end of chapter 5 jumped out at me a few moments ago, and I get it now. I love it when God lets me get it.
For a while, I struggled with this, why does Paul say in the first verse of chapter 6, "shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?" I didn't understand it. To me it was obvious that a Christian should hate sin and seek after holy living, but why would Paul even talk about this? Well, looking at the pattern of my own life, I figured it out. I can tell you, with all certainty, that at this moment, I have never felt more depraved, more sinful, and more unrighteous than I do right now. One year ago, I knew I was depraved, but as I studied, I continued to discover it's far worse than I originally thought. I always thought to myself, "well, yeah, when we sin, it does glorify God in that we get to appreciate His mercy on the cross." But I see now how natural sin is for me. I don't even have to think about it, and even when I do all I can to resist it, it's so natural for me, that it just happens, every day, in thought, word, and deed.
So here's the key to understanding that passage... what "makes the offense abound" or in the Greek word "pleonozo" which means "to exist in abundance" is the law. In other words, we don't need to try and sin to magnify God's glory, we just need to understand God's law, which magnifies our sin already for His glory.
God is a master, because I know for a fact, I am living a more holy life than I was a year ago, and yet I see my depravity more clearly now, and so have been prevented from being proud of this growth, and that is how God is glorified in my life. It's like this, even though some could boast about taking a step forward, God's law enabled me to see I'm much further from where I need to be than I thought, and see I have so much more to work on than I thought I did before. Let me put it to you in this way...
In studying God's law, I can more clearly see, not just how far I am from where I need to be, but be made aware of the fact that my sin is still pushing me in the wrong direction, do you understand? Apart from Christ, I cannot repent. It's as if I'm in a car, and I'm driving the wrong way, and apart from Christ, I can perhaps clearly see I'm going the wrong way, but the only thing I am able to do on my own is try to slow down a bit... but I'm still moving in the wrong direction!
This is how God is glorified, this is how grace abounds, and this is why we see in Christ the infinite value of His imputation of Perfect Righteousness. God is glorified, not so much by our sin, but when we understand the law, and our sin is exposed, and in our brokenness we cry out to a merciful and gracious God to have pity on us, and then we see, or for us Saints, we remember the cross, and we can't help but worship Him for what He had accomplished on that day, and so, through our sin in that respect, God is glorified.
Paul then continues in the next chapter, should we continue in sin that grace may abound? This clearly demonstrates a common person who understands the concepts, but doesn't understand grace. And I believe a person with that attitude isn't glorifying God, because that person hasn't seen his sin. I could be wrong, but I don't believe God is glorified when a person sins, I believe what Paul is saying here, is that God is glorified when a person sees how great a sinner they truly are. You'll have to forgive me, this may be a bit of isogesis, but I think, and if I'm wrong, (unless you're a hyper-Calvinist) please correct me... that scripture would support this. I don't know too many theologians that would put "when people sin" on a list of things that brings glory to God, but I do think it would be accurate to put on there "when people see they're sinners." That's why the Bible says "The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart." (Psalms 51:17)
To sum up this long-winded post, God's grace is magnified when the law exposes our sin, not when we continue in sin. And this truth should throw every Christian into the law. Don't just spend time studying the grace, but study His law, and in that you'll more clearly see your depravity, and it will make the cross that much sweeter!
Wow. I get it now. I just had a conversation with my good friend Bill Bartz, and this passage, (which I studied this morning and didn't see this part) came to light for me. This morning I did a quick survey of Romans 1-5 in preparation for a more exhaustive study of Romans 6. I wanted to have a foundation, i.e. what Paul said in the first 5 chapters of Romans, to better understand the 6th chapter. This passage at the end of chapter 5 jumped out at me a few moments ago, and I get it now. I love it when God lets me get it.
For a while, I struggled with this, why does Paul say in the first verse of chapter 6, "shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?" I didn't understand it. To me it was obvious that a Christian should hate sin and seek after holy living, but why would Paul even talk about this? Well, looking at the pattern of my own life, I figured it out. I can tell you, with all certainty, that at this moment, I have never felt more depraved, more sinful, and more unrighteous than I do right now. One year ago, I knew I was depraved, but as I studied, I continued to discover it's far worse than I originally thought. I always thought to myself, "well, yeah, when we sin, it does glorify God in that we get to appreciate His mercy on the cross." But I see now how natural sin is for me. I don't even have to think about it, and even when I do all I can to resist it, it's so natural for me, that it just happens, every day, in thought, word, and deed.
So here's the key to understanding that passage... what "makes the offense abound" or in the Greek word "pleonozo" which means "to exist in abundance" is the law. In other words, we don't need to try and sin to magnify God's glory, we just need to understand God's law, which magnifies our sin already for His glory.
God is a master, because I know for a fact, I am living a more holy life than I was a year ago, and yet I see my depravity more clearly now, and so have been prevented from being proud of this growth, and that is how God is glorified in my life. It's like this, even though some could boast about taking a step forward, God's law enabled me to see I'm much further from where I need to be than I thought, and see I have so much more to work on than I thought I did before. Let me put it to you in this way...
In studying God's law, I can more clearly see, not just how far I am from where I need to be, but be made aware of the fact that my sin is still pushing me in the wrong direction, do you understand? Apart from Christ, I cannot repent. It's as if I'm in a car, and I'm driving the wrong way, and apart from Christ, I can perhaps clearly see I'm going the wrong way, but the only thing I am able to do on my own is try to slow down a bit... but I'm still moving in the wrong direction!
This is how God is glorified, this is how grace abounds, and this is why we see in Christ the infinite value of His imputation of Perfect Righteousness. God is glorified, not so much by our sin, but when we understand the law, and our sin is exposed, and in our brokenness we cry out to a merciful and gracious God to have pity on us, and then we see, or for us Saints, we remember the cross, and we can't help but worship Him for what He had accomplished on that day, and so, through our sin in that respect, God is glorified.
Paul then continues in the next chapter, should we continue in sin that grace may abound? This clearly demonstrates a common person who understands the concepts, but doesn't understand grace. And I believe a person with that attitude isn't glorifying God, because that person hasn't seen his sin. I could be wrong, but I don't believe God is glorified when a person sins, I believe what Paul is saying here, is that God is glorified when a person sees how great a sinner they truly are. You'll have to forgive me, this may be a bit of isogesis, but I think, and if I'm wrong, (unless you're a hyper-Calvinist) please correct me... that scripture would support this. I don't know too many theologians that would put "when people sin" on a list of things that brings glory to God, but I do think it would be accurate to put on there "when people see they're sinners." That's why the Bible says "The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart." (Psalms 51:17)
To sum up this long-winded post, God's grace is magnified when the law exposes our sin, not when we continue in sin. And this truth should throw every Christian into the law. Don't just spend time studying the grace, but study His law, and in that you'll more clearly see your depravity, and it will make the cross that much sweeter!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body."
I'll make this brief, because my husbandly duties will soon whisk me off to the land of "take the garbage out" but I wanted to make a quick note about this passage... and such a beautiful passage. Paul found his weakness to be God's strength, not that God's strength made him weak, but when he was weak, Christ's power was displayed.
This is why this passage floors me: Paul is writing specifically about... The Gospel. Not forgetting to do the dishes, not having to park too far away from the grocery store, not arguing with his spouse, and not trouble at work. (well, kind of in his case) In fact, Paul didn't have the grind of every-day-life in mind here like so many have used this text to preach on. I know this because I used to believe that. I know people still believe this. I used to be encouraged by this verse to go on when I felt depressed about life, or if I didn't get the job I wanted, or if I was having trouble paying the bills... On the contrary, it's come to my attention these last few years that we live like kings! And we're one of the most negative, depressed nations on earth.
All the perplextion, the hardpressing, the persecution, the pressure, and striking down Paul is feeling is the world coming against the Saving Truth he has been entrusted to share with the Gentiles. Paul, having a biblical understanding of himself, knew it was a mercy he was breathing, so the last thing he would feel persecuted for would be a shot at his ego, or an inconvinience in his life. Clearly, Paul's trouble didn't come from life, and life's "troubles" didn't influence this passage, either. Paul was telling his church in Corinth that because Christ was delivered to death, so will he suffer for His' sake, but because Christ has overcome death, Paul, who shares in His sufferings, will not be destroyed, he will not be in despair, he won't be crushed, and he certainly will not be forsaken. Christ is made powerful in Paul's weakness because it's his weakness that displays the glory of the Savior, and Paul's endurance would be a testimony of the authenticity of his message. I can't say I have completley grasped the awe-inspiring truth of this passage, but at least I now understand it doesn't have anything to do with the air conditioning not working on my car.
I'll make this brief, because my husbandly duties will soon whisk me off to the land of "take the garbage out" but I wanted to make a quick note about this passage... and such a beautiful passage. Paul found his weakness to be God's strength, not that God's strength made him weak, but when he was weak, Christ's power was displayed.
This is why this passage floors me: Paul is writing specifically about... The Gospel. Not forgetting to do the dishes, not having to park too far away from the grocery store, not arguing with his spouse, and not trouble at work. (well, kind of in his case) In fact, Paul didn't have the grind of every-day-life in mind here like so many have used this text to preach on. I know this because I used to believe that. I know people still believe this. I used to be encouraged by this verse to go on when I felt depressed about life, or if I didn't get the job I wanted, or if I was having trouble paying the bills... On the contrary, it's come to my attention these last few years that we live like kings! And we're one of the most negative, depressed nations on earth.
All the perplextion, the hardpressing, the persecution, the pressure, and striking down Paul is feeling is the world coming against the Saving Truth he has been entrusted to share with the Gentiles. Paul, having a biblical understanding of himself, knew it was a mercy he was breathing, so the last thing he would feel persecuted for would be a shot at his ego, or an inconvinience in his life. Clearly, Paul's trouble didn't come from life, and life's "troubles" didn't influence this passage, either. Paul was telling his church in Corinth that because Christ was delivered to death, so will he suffer for His' sake, but because Christ has overcome death, Paul, who shares in His sufferings, will not be destroyed, he will not be in despair, he won't be crushed, and he certainly will not be forsaken. Christ is made powerful in Paul's weakness because it's his weakness that displays the glory of the Savior, and Paul's endurance would be a testimony of the authenticity of his message. I can't say I have completley grasped the awe-inspiring truth of this passage, but at least I now understand it doesn't have anything to do with the air conditioning not working on my car.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Matthew 5:48
Respectable Sins and the Holiness of God
So here I am, probably neglecting earthly duties, and normal things I should be doing because my mind is held captive by the Word of God. I haven't figured out whether or not that's a sin, but I sure am thankful for the enjoyment I get out of the Word. May God help me find a balance... and thank God for Marie. A person couldn't ask for a better wife. She is so perfect for me, and I know that sounds cliche, but she is absolutely amazing. She brings solid ground to my life, and takes care of things I so often neglect. I had a little scare yesterday that reminded me of how much I love her. She was feeling light-headed and very sick with some other symptoms. She called the doctor, and they said, "go to the emergency room NOW!" They were very adamant. I got a call about 3:30, and Marie said, all matter-of-factly, "ummm, yeah. I need to go to the emergency room now, so... yeah, just in case you're wondering where I am..." and I was like "I'll meet you there!" On they way there, "not knowing whether God was going to use this as an opportunity to wake me up to something or what, I started thinking about how much she means to me. It was scary to imagine doing anything without her let alone go into ministry. I could go on for hours about how incredible she is, and what a tremendous blessing she is in my life, but just know I am very well taken care of, and God be praised I have a helper of her caliber.
So that was my adventure yesterday, but here is what I wanted to share. I re-read my post on Isaiah 1, and remembered how wonderful it was to study the Word of God. i still am insecure about my lack of Biblical knowledge, but I am quickly learning. I picked up a book yesterday at the emergency room (she's fine, btw. She just needs to follow up with the doctor this week, so prayers would be appreciated.) Marie had in her bag. The book was "respectable sins" by Jerry Bridges. WOW. That's all I can say. WOW. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I'm through 6 chapters, and I already want to buy a case and start handing them out. I found his chapter on "the disappearance of sin" to be especially enlightening. I have been paralyzed with this understanding of God's holiness, and my sinfulness. It has struck me for some time now, and I wrestle with it constantly, even while people praise me for being such a good chap, I know the vileness of my own heart, and even my own attempts to cover it are sinful and deceiving. Christians deal with their internal sin different ways, but very few rarely confront it. He compares sin to cancer, saying if we allow the "respectable sins" to continue to cultivate in our hearts, it will spread into far worse things, and eventually kill us. (anyone thinking of James 1?) And I can attest for that. I can't understand how anyone can be a Christian, and try to convince themselves they're now good people. As a part an exercise in learning how to be more patient with people, I would strongly recommend concentrating more of your energy in dealing with the sin in your own heart. I know there is enough filth in my own heart to keep me from saying a single word to anyone I would consider the worst of sinners in any circle I am a part of.
Like I said in the post before, I have no other choice but to surrender to scripture my life and my heart, and I feel that is my place right now. For months, a fire burned in my belly about what I would say, if I could only gather a select group of individuals together, or if I could preach to my congregation, or preach open-air in front of hundreds... but there is a cancer in my heart I need to deal with, and I have learned that preaching and teaching opportunities for me will present themselves, or by the influence of the Holy Spirit, I only need to open my mouth and let God's Word speak through Scripture, but it certainly shouldn't be forced by my own desires, because my desires are deceitful and evil. The only way I know how to purify them is to allow the Word of God to purify my heart. I am convinced in my young and inexperienced mind that the death of a preacher (as far as his effectiveness) will occur when he stops focusing on the Word of God's changing power over his own heart, and starts focusing on how his words can change the hearts of those who hear him preach, biblical or not. God, let me always be humbled before Your mighty Word, and never forget who I am, and who You are.
So here I am, probably neglecting earthly duties, and normal things I should be doing because my mind is held captive by the Word of God. I haven't figured out whether or not that's a sin, but I sure am thankful for the enjoyment I get out of the Word. May God help me find a balance... and thank God for Marie. A person couldn't ask for a better wife. She is so perfect for me, and I know that sounds cliche, but she is absolutely amazing. She brings solid ground to my life, and takes care of things I so often neglect. I had a little scare yesterday that reminded me of how much I love her. She was feeling light-headed and very sick with some other symptoms. She called the doctor, and they said, "go to the emergency room NOW!" They were very adamant. I got a call about 3:30, and Marie said, all matter-of-factly, "ummm, yeah. I need to go to the emergency room now, so... yeah, just in case you're wondering where I am..." and I was like "I'll meet you there!" On they way there, "not knowing whether God was going to use this as an opportunity to wake me up to something or what, I started thinking about how much she means to me. It was scary to imagine doing anything without her let alone go into ministry. I could go on for hours about how incredible she is, and what a tremendous blessing she is in my life, but just know I am very well taken care of, and God be praised I have a helper of her caliber.
So that was my adventure yesterday, but here is what I wanted to share. I re-read my post on Isaiah 1, and remembered how wonderful it was to study the Word of God. i still am insecure about my lack of Biblical knowledge, but I am quickly learning. I picked up a book yesterday at the emergency room (she's fine, btw. She just needs to follow up with the doctor this week, so prayers would be appreciated.) Marie had in her bag. The book was "respectable sins" by Jerry Bridges. WOW. That's all I can say. WOW. I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I'm through 6 chapters, and I already want to buy a case and start handing them out. I found his chapter on "the disappearance of sin" to be especially enlightening. I have been paralyzed with this understanding of God's holiness, and my sinfulness. It has struck me for some time now, and I wrestle with it constantly, even while people praise me for being such a good chap, I know the vileness of my own heart, and even my own attempts to cover it are sinful and deceiving. Christians deal with their internal sin different ways, but very few rarely confront it. He compares sin to cancer, saying if we allow the "respectable sins" to continue to cultivate in our hearts, it will spread into far worse things, and eventually kill us. (anyone thinking of James 1?) And I can attest for that. I can't understand how anyone can be a Christian, and try to convince themselves they're now good people. As a part an exercise in learning how to be more patient with people, I would strongly recommend concentrating more of your energy in dealing with the sin in your own heart. I know there is enough filth in my own heart to keep me from saying a single word to anyone I would consider the worst of sinners in any circle I am a part of.
Like I said in the post before, I have no other choice but to surrender to scripture my life and my heart, and I feel that is my place right now. For months, a fire burned in my belly about what I would say, if I could only gather a select group of individuals together, or if I could preach to my congregation, or preach open-air in front of hundreds... but there is a cancer in my heart I need to deal with, and I have learned that preaching and teaching opportunities for me will present themselves, or by the influence of the Holy Spirit, I only need to open my mouth and let God's Word speak through Scripture, but it certainly shouldn't be forced by my own desires, because my desires are deceitful and evil. The only way I know how to purify them is to allow the Word of God to purify my heart. I am convinced in my young and inexperienced mind that the death of a preacher (as far as his effectiveness) will occur when he stops focusing on the Word of God's changing power over his own heart, and starts focusing on how his words can change the hearts of those who hear him preach, biblical or not. God, let me always be humbled before Your mighty Word, and never forget who I am, and who You are.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Acts 1
In continuing my journey through the Word, (boy that sounds a little too emergent) I've done my best to exposit the first chapter of Acts. Right now my idea is to study a different section of scripture every day of the week, so Monday could be my Epistle day, and Tuesday my Pentateuch day, and Wednesday my Prophet day, and Thursday my Gospels day, and so on. I want to finish reading "Unleashing God's Word in Your Life" by John Macarthur because I feel like there is so much I'm missing. I wish I knew more backround, more history, more SCRIPTURE because the best way to interpret Scripture is with Scripture, but it's hard to learn Scripture when you don't know Scripture, because then you can't use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Anyways, instead of stressing out over the method, I decided to just dive in. It's been incredibly fruitful so far, even with my limited knowledge, and I have the Macarthur Study Bible to help me with the tough parts, but rely heavily (or soley) on the Holy Spirit to reveal Truth to me.
Today was especially neat, because I read through the first chapter of Acts. Actually, what I did was record myself reading it, but it on my Mp3 player, and listened to it several times this morning. I tried to break it down into sections, and figure out what it was saying. After listening to it, i sat down and went to work. I copied the text onto a Word doc, then I put the text in bold, and went through and added comments to each section. It looks a little something like this:
2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles Christ indeed commanded the apostles He choose. I believe these commandments given to the apostles concerned their testimony of Christ, and inspired the New Testament. whom He had chosen, Christ indeed choose the apostles for salvation and ministry.
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, Christ was no doubt the Messiah, and His testimony causes all who saw Him to be not an intellectual interpreter, but instead a witness because they saw, heard, and felt Christ. being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Christ appeared to them after his resurrection and continued to teach them. This resurrection certainly solidified His claim as messiah, showing the believers His power over death. Because of the eye-witness accounts, and the men who would die to defend this truth, you’d be a fool to believe this wasn’t true.
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, Christ promised the Holy Spirit, or the Helper, after His ascension, and assured them they’d be given power by this Spirit. This power was further testimony of the Truth that they received, and further acts as witness to every believer, and works to convict the world of sin. “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; Christ indeed promised it to them.
I usually end with prayer, and then think of something to write in my blog. Today I was blessed, though, because I noticed something in the middle section of the chapter... in vs 14 it says "they all continued in one accord in prayer and supplication." It doesn't say what they were exactly praying for, but that they were praying for the same thing together. They may have been asking God if there was anything they should do in the meantime, and then Peter stood up, and said something not famous, but remarkable, and I'll paraphrase... (in hopes you go and read it for yourself) He said scripture fortold Judas would betray us and meet the fate he met, and so the first act of the apostles was the fufillment of Scripture. Peter knew what Scripture said, and Scripture said someone would take his place, so he took it upon himself, with the new believers there, that he fufilled that part of scripture, and they choose a new aposlte, Mathias. What's remarkable is how clear it is. It even states the scripture Peter was referring to, Psalm 109:8, and he acted on it. Now this may be a bit of stretch, but isn't in interesting how Peter decided to act on what he knew about the Scripture? And all throughout Scripture, we find the same thing. Scripture is the authority, and we should labor to ensure we follow it. None of the apostles took cues from thier own ideas, but instead submitted to Scripture, and let it be thier guide. Amazing.
"Your Word is a Lamp to my feet, and a Light to my path." -Psalm 119:105
Today was especially neat, because I read through the first chapter of Acts. Actually, what I did was record myself reading it, but it on my Mp3 player, and listened to it several times this morning. I tried to break it down into sections, and figure out what it was saying. After listening to it, i sat down and went to work. I copied the text onto a Word doc, then I put the text in bold, and went through and added comments to each section. It looks a little something like this:
2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles Christ indeed commanded the apostles He choose. I believe these commandments given to the apostles concerned their testimony of Christ, and inspired the New Testament. whom He had chosen, Christ indeed choose the apostles for salvation and ministry.
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, Christ was no doubt the Messiah, and His testimony causes all who saw Him to be not an intellectual interpreter, but instead a witness because they saw, heard, and felt Christ. being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Christ appeared to them after his resurrection and continued to teach them. This resurrection certainly solidified His claim as messiah, showing the believers His power over death. Because of the eye-witness accounts, and the men who would die to defend this truth, you’d be a fool to believe this wasn’t true.
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, Christ promised the Holy Spirit, or the Helper, after His ascension, and assured them they’d be given power by this Spirit. This power was further testimony of the Truth that they received, and further acts as witness to every believer, and works to convict the world of sin. “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; Christ indeed promised it to them.
I usually end with prayer, and then think of something to write in my blog. Today I was blessed, though, because I noticed something in the middle section of the chapter... in vs 14 it says "they all continued in one accord in prayer and supplication." It doesn't say what they were exactly praying for, but that they were praying for the same thing together. They may have been asking God if there was anything they should do in the meantime, and then Peter stood up, and said something not famous, but remarkable, and I'll paraphrase... (in hopes you go and read it for yourself) He said scripture fortold Judas would betray us and meet the fate he met, and so the first act of the apostles was the fufillment of Scripture. Peter knew what Scripture said, and Scripture said someone would take his place, so he took it upon himself, with the new believers there, that he fufilled that part of scripture, and they choose a new aposlte, Mathias. What's remarkable is how clear it is. It even states the scripture Peter was referring to, Psalm 109:8, and he acted on it. Now this may be a bit of stretch, but isn't in interesting how Peter decided to act on what he knew about the Scripture? And all throughout Scripture, we find the same thing. Scripture is the authority, and we should labor to ensure we follow it. None of the apostles took cues from thier own ideas, but instead submitted to Scripture, and let it be thier guide. Amazing.
"Your Word is a Lamp to my feet, and a Light to my path." -Psalm 119:105
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Isaiah 1
I've decided (and I don't know how long this will last) to declare Saturdays "Exposition Saturday" I'm trying to dive into scripture, and do my best to exposit the richness of the text. I spent about an hour this morning in Isaiah 1, and while most of my notes I wrote in a notebook, I wrote a summary on my computer, and will post it here.
I. The sinfulness of Israel (v.2)
A. Their total depravity and wickedness(v.5,6)
B. Their wickedness despite their destruction (v.7-9)
II. The Lord speaks to them where they are (v.10)
A. God’s displeasure in their religious affections (v.11,12)
B. God refuses to hear their prayers because of their evil. (v.14,15)
III. God calls them to repentance (v.16,17)
A. He tells them to turn from evil, and practice righteousness. (v.17)
B. He promises restoration for those who will be obedient, but promises wrath and judgment to those who refuse. (v.18,19)
IV. God illustrates how His nation has whored themselves out to the world (v.21)
A. They have turned from God, and serve themselves (v.23)
B. A nation once built on justice, now oppresses widows (v.23)
V. God promises to take vengeance on His enemies by purging Israel of them. (v.25)
A. God will purify the Nation of Israel. (v.24)
B. He will purge them of sin, and restore them to a righteous and just nation. (v.26)
VI. Righteousness will rule the Nation of Israel. (v.27)
A. All who forsake the Lord will be consumed (v.28)
B. God will redeem those with righteousness the ones who return to Him.(v.27)
Sometimes when i sit and think about things that are happening around me, I get overwhelmed by the lack of knowledge, especially in those who profess faith in Christ. And while a part of me wants to take each individual, put my hands on their shoulders, look them straight in the eye and vigorously shake them and say with much intensity... "Do you know what you are doing! You're neglecting this salvation! You're neglecting His Word! How can you expect God to show you great and mighty things if you refuse to read about the things He has already done and revealed to you! Don't you know it's those things that save you! Nothing else!"
I am humbled by this thought... if i truly believe it's the Word of God that changes people, why would I think for a second that anything I say, regardless of it's sincerity and intensity would invoke any lasting change whatsoever, if it's not clearly based and supported by the Word of God. I so desperately want to see a reformation in my church and society, and even if I have the tenacity and charisma to scream and yell to get their attention, and perhaps make a positive impact on what is happening now, nothing that happens as a result of my own ideas will hold any weight unless I surrender to the Word of God, and while this forces me to be patient, when I want to act, and while it suppresses my thoughts and feelings when it seems so clear to me, I have committed myself not to act until permitted to by the Word of God. If I ignored that principal, than I know any action, regardless of my intentions, will be destined for failure...
The point is, I am going to commit myself to the careful and diligent exposition of the Word until my conscience cannot bear the weight of what I must do because of it's influence over my own life. This will ensure that when I act, it's God who is acting, and not me. I want to make sure that when I think, it's God who is thinking through the influence of Scripture, and not me. I only know one way to do this, and that's to become a student of His Word.
I. The sinfulness of Israel (v.2)
A. Their total depravity and wickedness(v.5,6)
B. Their wickedness despite their destruction (v.7-9)
II. The Lord speaks to them where they are (v.10)
A. God’s displeasure in their religious affections (v.11,12)
B. God refuses to hear their prayers because of their evil. (v.14,15)
III. God calls them to repentance (v.16,17)
A. He tells them to turn from evil, and practice righteousness. (v.17)
B. He promises restoration for those who will be obedient, but promises wrath and judgment to those who refuse. (v.18,19)
IV. God illustrates how His nation has whored themselves out to the world (v.21)
A. They have turned from God, and serve themselves (v.23)
B. A nation once built on justice, now oppresses widows (v.23)
V. God promises to take vengeance on His enemies by purging Israel of them. (v.25)
A. God will purify the Nation of Israel. (v.24)
B. He will purge them of sin, and restore them to a righteous and just nation. (v.26)
VI. Righteousness will rule the Nation of Israel. (v.27)
A. All who forsake the Lord will be consumed (v.28)
B. God will redeem those with righteousness the ones who return to Him.(v.27)
Sometimes when i sit and think about things that are happening around me, I get overwhelmed by the lack of knowledge, especially in those who profess faith in Christ. And while a part of me wants to take each individual, put my hands on their shoulders, look them straight in the eye and vigorously shake them and say with much intensity... "Do you know what you are doing! You're neglecting this salvation! You're neglecting His Word! How can you expect God to show you great and mighty things if you refuse to read about the things He has already done and revealed to you! Don't you know it's those things that save you! Nothing else!"
I am humbled by this thought... if i truly believe it's the Word of God that changes people, why would I think for a second that anything I say, regardless of it's sincerity and intensity would invoke any lasting change whatsoever, if it's not clearly based and supported by the Word of God. I so desperately want to see a reformation in my church and society, and even if I have the tenacity and charisma to scream and yell to get their attention, and perhaps make a positive impact on what is happening now, nothing that happens as a result of my own ideas will hold any weight unless I surrender to the Word of God, and while this forces me to be patient, when I want to act, and while it suppresses my thoughts and feelings when it seems so clear to me, I have committed myself not to act until permitted to by the Word of God. If I ignored that principal, than I know any action, regardless of my intentions, will be destined for failure...
The point is, I am going to commit myself to the careful and diligent exposition of the Word until my conscience cannot bear the weight of what I must do because of it's influence over my own life. This will ensure that when I act, it's God who is acting, and not me. I want to make sure that when I think, it's God who is thinking through the influence of Scripture, and not me. I only know one way to do this, and that's to become a student of His Word.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
2 Timothy 4:2
I originally started this blog so I could leave comments on pyromaniacs. It's one of my favorite blogs on the net. It was started by Phil Johnson, who I have an incredible amount of respect for. He's the Executive director of Grace to You, which is the preaching/teaching ministry of John Macarthur. God used John Macarthur's teachings as a catalyst to springboard me into a serious, saving faith in Jesus Christ. I was originally introduced to John Macarthur's ministry by a man named Todd Friel, who is a radio host for an excellent program called Way of the Master. It was through WOTMR, (At that time was called Talk the Walk) I was introduced to Bible teaching, and this teaching was deep, and it was powerful. It was powerful enough to knock me off my high seat of pride, and bend the knee. I was a leader in my church, a young "stud" who thought he knew the answer to anyone's problem at any time. I thought I had it all figured out, and since my conversion, every day has been a step closer to God, and a step further away from the confidence I had in myself.
Someone finally told me what a Christian is, and thankfully it was clear enough to get through the wall of pride I had built up, but shortly after receiving Christ in full faith and submitting to His Word, The Truth seemed to hit me so hard, I couldn't get enough. I just started craving more and more truth. I dove into the Holy Scripture, and pretty much stopped listening to music, and started listening to sermons, all day long. I listened to Macarthur pretty much every day, and then soon discovered the wonderful teaching ministries of R.C. Sproul, Allister Begg, Adrian Rogers, and John Piper. Every opportunity I got, I listened to these men. I couldn't get enough of them, and I couldn't get enough of the Word, either.
Since then, I have been introduced to some great historic Puritans and Saints as well. I've become a devoted fan of Charles Spurgeon, and read the biographies of Spurgeon, John Wesley, and Dwight Moody. I've recently become more familiar with the works of Edwards and Martin Luther. What I found remarkable about all of this information I was soaking in, is all of these men were teaching the same thing. They devoted themselves to the exposition of scripture. None of them wanted radical reformations, or unmatched social reform, they only wanted to be true to the Word of God. One was a shoe salesman with an 8th grade education, the other started Harvard university. They were diverse men, with different backrounds and talents. Some were noble scholars, other common people. Some were eloquent in their speech, others very coarse. But they preached the Word, and they did it faithfully. My quest for more knowledge of the Life and times of these men, and believe me, there are many other great men that have lived, and still live today that I haven't mentioned, has developed in it a common thread... It was always, and will always be the Word of God that made them great. I'll end by an excellent quote by Martin Luther:
"I simply taught, preached, wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And when, while I slept... the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing, the Word did it all."
Someone finally told me what a Christian is, and thankfully it was clear enough to get through the wall of pride I had built up, but shortly after receiving Christ in full faith and submitting to His Word, The Truth seemed to hit me so hard, I couldn't get enough. I just started craving more and more truth. I dove into the Holy Scripture, and pretty much stopped listening to music, and started listening to sermons, all day long. I listened to Macarthur pretty much every day, and then soon discovered the wonderful teaching ministries of R.C. Sproul, Allister Begg, Adrian Rogers, and John Piper. Every opportunity I got, I listened to these men. I couldn't get enough of them, and I couldn't get enough of the Word, either.
Since then, I have been introduced to some great historic Puritans and Saints as well. I've become a devoted fan of Charles Spurgeon, and read the biographies of Spurgeon, John Wesley, and Dwight Moody. I've recently become more familiar with the works of Edwards and Martin Luther. What I found remarkable about all of this information I was soaking in, is all of these men were teaching the same thing. They devoted themselves to the exposition of scripture. None of them wanted radical reformations, or unmatched social reform, they only wanted to be true to the Word of God. One was a shoe salesman with an 8th grade education, the other started Harvard university. They were diverse men, with different backrounds and talents. Some were noble scholars, other common people. Some were eloquent in their speech, others very coarse. But they preached the Word, and they did it faithfully. My quest for more knowledge of the Life and times of these men, and believe me, there are many other great men that have lived, and still live today that I haven't mentioned, has developed in it a common thread... It was always, and will always be the Word of God that made them great. I'll end by an excellent quote by Martin Luther:
"I simply taught, preached, wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And when, while I slept... the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor inflicted such damage upon it. I did nothing, the Word did it all."
Saturday, September 29, 2007
I Corinthians 1:12
"For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you"
I attended the first Desiring God conference session yesterday, and while there are so many things that I learned, and so many things that had a tremendous impact on me I wanted to highlight this one. John Macarthur, a pastor I have a deep respect for, said that one key to a successful ministry is a commitment of personal holiness. He said, and I agree because I can absolutely see how, that allowing a secret sin in your life will destroy you eventually. He said the one defense Paul had against the claims against him by the church in Corinth was a clear conscience. If God has called me to ministry, I can't imagine trying to do anything to impact the kingdom for Christ if I myself have an inner, secret sin that consumes me. I believe that if an individual is committed to this wonderful, saving Gospel, Satan and his demons will do what they can to thwart the impact of whatever that person says, and if we ignore our conscience, and allow a secret sin to consume us from the inside out, we're headed for a ridiculously rude awakening.
For this reason, I am on my face before this Holy God, begging him for mercy daily. I don't see how anyone lives any other way. I wouldn't want to live any other way. This God is so full of grace and mercy, that we tend to forget that every breath we take is an undeserved gift from our Sovereign Lord. I certainly wouldn't say I mope around because of my unworthiness and sinfulness, I don't think that's Biblical at all, but I do know there is no greater joy for me than to bask in the awesome glory and sovereign, saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"In Him was light, and the light was the light of men..."
I attended the first Desiring God conference session yesterday, and while there are so many things that I learned, and so many things that had a tremendous impact on me I wanted to highlight this one. John Macarthur, a pastor I have a deep respect for, said that one key to a successful ministry is a commitment of personal holiness. He said, and I agree because I can absolutely see how, that allowing a secret sin in your life will destroy you eventually. He said the one defense Paul had against the claims against him by the church in Corinth was a clear conscience. If God has called me to ministry, I can't imagine trying to do anything to impact the kingdom for Christ if I myself have an inner, secret sin that consumes me. I believe that if an individual is committed to this wonderful, saving Gospel, Satan and his demons will do what they can to thwart the impact of whatever that person says, and if we ignore our conscience, and allow a secret sin to consume us from the inside out, we're headed for a ridiculously rude awakening.
For this reason, I am on my face before this Holy God, begging him for mercy daily. I don't see how anyone lives any other way. I wouldn't want to live any other way. This God is so full of grace and mercy, that we tend to forget that every breath we take is an undeserved gift from our Sovereign Lord. I certainly wouldn't say I mope around because of my unworthiness and sinfulness, I don't think that's Biblical at all, but I do know there is no greater joy for me than to bask in the awesome glory and sovereign, saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"In Him was light, and the light was the light of men..."
Friday, September 28, 2007
My First Blog
so I decided to start one of these. I am so blessed everyday by people who put so much time and energy into thier blogs, that I wanted one of my own. Besides, people tell me it's a good idea to journal, and while you will rarely read about my personal struggles here, I will put in here things the Lord has taught me. I have decided to name my blog "So Great a Salvation" in honor of the verses found in Hebrews that reads:
"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will."
That is such a beautiful verse, like so many verses in the Bible, and I have chosen it as a staple of this blog because I know so many people, including myself, tend to neglect this glorious salvation we have received through Christ. I believe it is time for those who depend on the Name of our Lord for their salvation to get serious about thier faith.
"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will."
That is such a beautiful verse, like so many verses in the Bible, and I have chosen it as a staple of this blog because I know so many people, including myself, tend to neglect this glorious salvation we have received through Christ. I believe it is time for those who depend on the Name of our Lord for their salvation to get serious about thier faith.
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