Remember the Martyr

I don't have any particular verse I plan on expositing, but I do strongly recommend every faithful believer of our lord read J C Ryle's essay on Christian zeal. It is beautiful and convicting. My prayer of late is to desire nothing but our Lord. While I was thinking about this this morning, it dawned on me how privelidged we are. We have direct access to works by faithful saints, and are so very blessed by men like John Macarthur, John Piper, and even past saints like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, William Carey, Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and many others who we owe so much to our understanding and appreciation of God. While these faithful men have been lifted up for good cause in our world, and certainly aren't short of appreciation, (be praying for them, because that's difficult for any person to endure) My true hero is the faithful Christian who is living in exile because of their faith. It's the one who perhaps has never heard of any of the aforementioned men. The one who perhaps couldn't find a western country on the map, but whose dedication to our Lord will be tried and true to the fullest. They are saints who are living, and sometimes dying proof that it is in fact the Spirit of the Living God that sustains us.

When I read stories that are on websites like this I can't help but think our Lord has given us the privilege of living with access to all of this information for a reason. Azieb Simon, she is my hero. And I believe men and women like her deserve just as much praise an adoration we pour into the faithful men whom God has gifted to open up our souls to His Truth. God bless Azieb and everyone else at that prison. May He give them strength to place their faith in a merciful God who is just, and will let no sin go unpunished. (proverbs 11:21)

Matthew 18:15

"If a brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother."

I've been thinking about this a bit lately, at least enough to warrant a blog about it. Lately things have taken place in an area of my life where, how do you say... I was "offended," or as some "Christians" may say, I was "sinned against." I thought about it, prayed about, wrestled with it, sought counsel about it, and all those other things you're supposed to do.

Then it dawned on me... what part of me was so offeneded? It was my pride. I was angry, because I felt as if I was being misrepresented. I didn't want people to believe the things that other people were saying about me, and for what? To look good? "Oh no," I said to myself, "so Christ will look good." I don't want to go into detail about the situation. Not because I want to keep it confidential, but because I'd don't think it's important. As I hashed out in my brain how, when, or even if I would approach the involved parties, it dawned on me... to what end? What was the purpose? Once my mind sat there for some time, it wasn't long to discover how involved my flesh was in the process of "reconciliation." The only thing I was interested in reconciling was my own reputation. Not only that, I'm not even fully convinced all that was said about me is a lie. A bit unnecessary, perhaps, ungodly... most definitely, but why would I kick Matthew 18 into gear?

Which brings me to the exposition... why, how, or when would anyone implement the principles found in Matthew 18? Verse 15 tells us... you have gained your brother." As much as my flesh would love to have the verse say, "Your reputation is restored" I had to swallow my pride, and find out whether bringing it up would serve God's purpose or not, and that is the salvation of their souls. Paul gives us specific instructions on how to deal with a believer who is sinning in Galatians 6:1. he even warns the "one who is spiritual" To "be careful, lest they, too, also be tempted." I love that verse. Instead of typing it out, I say you go read it for yourself. For the longest time, I thought Paul wanted us to dive into the trenches to pull them out of sin, and the temptation would be for us to start living life the same way they did... but no. The temptation is for us to come at them with any attitude other than a "spirit of meekness." How often do we want to sit people down, point our fingers in their face, open up the good book, and "hit em with the Word." I've struggled with this, it's true, but isn't it possible to say the same thing with different attitudes? Especially when it comes to professing believers. I don't recall anything in scripture that suggests we "run out of patience, get so fed up with someone's attitude or actions, that we just blow up and say what's on our minds." That seems a lot more like how the world deals with situations. Contrary to what some people seem to believe, the Bible has a lot to say about a Christian's attitude concerning conflict, and to be perfectly honest, it couldn't possibly be more self-defacing.

That's why I say don't be afraid to be a doormat. Christ doesn't need our ideas of how we can make him look good, nor does He need us to be liked or accepted for Him to be exhaulted. If possible, we should live peaceably with all men, but remember who we aim to please. Not men, not ourselves, but Christ. This post was just a really long way of saying ladies and gentlemen, when you feel that storm well up in the pit of your stomach, and the Biblical connections are made in your mind about why everything you are hearing and seeing desecrates Christ and His Word, remember you, too, were once dead in your trespasses, (Eph 2) then take time to pray, and consider why you would say anything at all.

I'll leave you with the wise (and inspired) words of Paul...

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

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.

Matthew 16:24, Luke 18:18-30

Where is Christ on your List?

It's a fair question, but no one really wants to think about it. Steve Lawson said something that really struck a chord with me, and let me emphasize how harmonious the sound in my heart was. What he said was about half way through a promo video for Resolved 2008. He said:

"One must love Him more than anyone or anything else in life. There can be no competing affections, there can be no competing allegiances, Jesus Christ must be number one in your life, or you cannot get in line, and follow after Christ."

This is a striking statement, especially if it's true, and biblically, it can't be argued against. Instead of going into a biblical defense of that statement, I instead would encourage you to search the scriptures, and see if you come up with something different.

Can you imagine what would happen if this is what was preached consistently from the pulpit of our churches? What an impact that would have if people could hear that, and finally be forced to make a choice between not just the sin they love, but anything above Christ. Would it be unloving to suggest to someone who openly confesses without penitence that although they trust in Christ, there are more important things in life? I would say there couldn't possibly be something more loving.

Whatever you treasure, your God is calling you to something so much greater... Himself.

2 Corinthians 4:7

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels..."



Part of the reason I haven't spent much time here is because I'm trying to minimize myself. This passage is among the most beautiful in the New Testament. I took the liberty of studying the Greek, and I noticed some emphasis to the word "earthen" is added to mean "frail." Think about that for just a second: "We", meaning all of us, believers, those who are saved... "have" Something in our possession, something that belongs to us, or (in the Greek) something we wear, or something that is a part of us, "this treasure" that word is actually referring to the container, not the item. a "treasure" is something that holds something of value. In this context, our body is "the treasure." That is new to me, so I would really have to think about what that exactly means. My first inclination is earthen is describing the kind of treasure we are, as the vessel, which brings me to "earthen." Earthen, or clay, is frail, and barely useable. I used to believe this was referring to filthy toilets, comparing our worth to the treasure we hold, but it's clearer that what this refers to, especially in the context of the passage, is our own frailty. what is valuable is what we hold, not what the container looks like, or how the container is presented. Our culture has become obsessed with packaging, so much, in fact, that many companies make millions by simply altering the way an item is packaged, and reselling it as the latest and greatest. Any successful marketing firm will tell you that packaging is what sells a product, and unfortunately, many evangelical churches have adopted this model. The Gospel is something more unique and beautiful, that it goes beyond "selling itself." The Gospel wasn't intended to "sell itself." The Gospel was intended to pierce the hearts of those who respond to truth, not buy in to any gimmick. We, as Paul stresses in this passage, should always remember that.

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.

I Peter 3:13-16

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.