Hebrews 11

Moses: The Mighty Man of God



I have much to say as I read J.C. Ryle's explanation of Moses. Like any good exposition, it brings to light things that are clear in Scripture that you never would have seen otherwise. I found the chapter, along with all the chapter's from his book, Holiness, online. I would encourage all of you to read it because I am sure I will not do it justice.



While he makes many fascinating points about how what Moses willingly gave up for His God, there is one thing that caught my attention that caused me to stop reading in the middle of the chapter, and write about it.

This is the section that caught my attention:

Who can conceive the torrent of mockery and ridicule that Moses would have to stem, in turning away from Pharaoh’s court to join Israel? Men would tell him he was mad, foolish, weak, silly, out of his mind. He would lose his influence; he would forfeit the favor and good opinion of all among whom he had lived. But none of these things moved him. He left the court and joined the slaves!
Let us think again, what a choice this was!
There are few things more powerful than ridicule and scorn. It can do far more than open enmity and persecution. Many a man who would march up to a cannon’s mouth, or lead a forlorn hope, or storm a breach has found it impossible to face the mockery of a few companions and has flinched from the path of duty to avoid it. To be laughed at! To be made a joke of! To be jested and sneered at! To be reckoned weak and silly! To be thought a fool! There is nothing grand in all this and many, alas, cannot make up their minds to undergo it!

Isn't it true. When I read this , my mind immediately went to the brave men who stormed the beaches at Normandy, and the many brave men and women I currently serve with. Many brave souls have risked their lives in battle, defying the odds, and charging forward into seemingly certain death. Whether they live or die, we all agree, they are heroes. What they did was brave, but I am sure what Moses endured was far more difficult. On the contray, it could be argued that some of our heroes have acted so bravely to avoid exactly what Moses stood firm against, and that is ridicule and mockery.

I don't want to discredit the bravery of soldiers who fight to defend freedom, but there is a strong argument for Moses' bravery being far greater! I personally have seen strong, battle-hardened warriors who have seen the terrors of war, who have fought valiantly against the enemies of the United States, who have watched friends die in combat, but bravely continued on with the mission... completely break down because of ridicule and mockery. Never under-estimate the power of the flesh. There is no secular explanation for why Moses did what he did, yet ironically, the secular world celebrates Moses as some sort of hero, who valiantly turned his back on luxury to live among slaves. It's also important to note that the ridicule and mockery Moses received was not from his enemies, but his peers. They were men and woman he was close to, brothers, sisters, parents, and relatives. Ridicule and mockery from enemies is one thing, but what man or woman do you know can handle it from close friends!

I'm thankful for the example of Moses. I believe we need more Moses' in our world. In closing I will turn you to Hebrews 11, which explains why Moses did this, and if you would like a further exposition, I would encourage you to read the chapter from "Holiness"

I Peter 1:23-25

First and foremost, it's been a little while since I posted, and I miss it dearly. I've been a bit sporadic in my postings lately, and I intend to change that. I write because I love it. It edifies me to write because it's simply a reflection of what I have learned. I want to be a conduit through which the Lord speaks, nothing more, and this blog is my opportunity to do exactly that. So today, I look at I Peter 1:23-25. This was influenced by the message John Piper preached last Sunday, but it is mainly an illumination of the text.

"Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God. For

'all flesh is like grass, and all it's glory like the flower of grass. The glass whithers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord remains forever.' (Isaiah 40:6,8)

And this Word is the good news that was preached to you."

This is an absolutely amazing passage. How are we born again? By the imperishable, meaning never fading, always perfect, always pure, but more directly, always fresh Word of God. We get it, it's how we're born, but what is the Word? The Word is the Gospel. It's so simple, it's almost ridiculous.

We have this message, it's called the gospel, and when people hear this message, God saves them.

Is that too simple to understand? An obvious question would be, "if that's how it works, than why isn't everyone who hears the message saved?" Human wisdom suggests perhaps they didn't quite explain it right. If God's gospel is supposed to be so simple, why doesn't everybody get it? If faith comes by hearing the Word of God, as Paul says in Romans, and the Word of God is the Gospel, than why are parents praying for decades that God will save their wayward sons and daughters? Why can't the sincere and heartfelt plea with a stranger to repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in Christ immediately cause them to drop to their knees, mourn over their sin, and leap for joy at the understanding of the news they just heard? After all, the Bible says it is that simple.

Well, Paul gives us an answer. He says in 2 Cor 4 that God has veiled the Gospel to those who are perishing. We don't know why God has done this, more specifically, why some hear the Gospel and receive Christ with gladness, and why others go to their grave rejecting Christ. We only know it happens. So for those of us who have "received with meekness the implanted Word," What are we supposed to do? Thankfully Peter makes that clear:

"But You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own posession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

I take great joy in telling others what it is like to live in the light. When you put on the Lord Jesus Christ, your life changes, and soon you begin to see what a marvelous blessing He is, even on top of the salvation. Christ has created us, so only He knows what suits us best if we would just listen and obey Him.

Exodus 20; a new song

I wrote a new song called "what has he done." See if you can pick up on the inspiration.

He opens his eyes, and stares at his hands.
He bitterly cries, to whom he offends.
But what has He done but fail to show love
To whom it is owed…

And casting aside, what to him matters most.
He feels alive while he carries this host.
But it can’t replace the one he should serve.
He gets what he deserves.

In anger or pride, he calls on His name,
Or he can’t decide just who is to blame.
He bellows a phrase to show his disgust
For whom he should trust.

If every day’s holy, than what has he done?
Instead of His service, his time’s spent on fun
He won’t stop to ponder the things of the Lord
His time here he hordes.

His father and mother, he cares less about
Than finding his own, and seeking things out.
He shuns their instruction, and scoffs at their love.
They’ve had enough.

It starts with a fire in the pit of his bowels
His one desire is to lay the man out.
He holds back his hand, and then walks away
But it’s still too late.

When he sees her beauty, he’s kept by her charm
He closes his eyes, and holds her in his arms.
He desperately wants her, and dreams she is his.
His mind is amiss.

Just five more minutes to download this song.
Nobody misses the prizes he’s won.
The smallest of items, who could he offend?
Why does he pretend?

Just one little fib, to buy some more time.
He feels embarrassed, and protects his pride.
What they don’t know can’t possibly hurt
The truth, he averts.

He just can’t be happy with all that he has
He seeks things out, and grabs what he can.
The grass is much greener on the other side.
He wants more to life.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.