Reading the Word with Profit
July 17, 2008 | Comments Off
Every believer should know intrinsically the importance of reading the Bible. But many times Christians really struggle reading the Word with profit. Sadly, reading Scripture can become a fruitless exercise that leaves many believers actually feeling worse about themselves and their relationship with God rather than better. It is important to realize and to remember that the goal of reading Scripture is to encounter God. It is through Scripture that we are to come to know experientially and personally the living God of the universe. So the most pressing question that we should seek to answer when we open up Scripture is, What does this teach me about God? So how does this work? Let me explain:
This morning I read my daily Psalm, chapter 15:
“O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3 who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”
Psalm 15 challenged me to holiness. I thought carefully about how I talked about others. I thought about promises that I made. I thought about how I viewed money. But as I viewed this text from the question, What does this teach me about God?, I was reminded that God is holy. That is why He requires that I be holy. And that is why I must listen to this text with attentive ears. It was a solemn time for me reflecting upon the holiness of God.
Then I went to another of my Psalms-of-the day, chapter 75:
“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. 2 “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. 3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah 4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; 5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.’” 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. 8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.”
Now my mind was already tuned to seek out the character of God. I was excited to explore more of what Scripture would reveal to me about God. And in Psalm 75 it was easy and plain to see what God was revealing: He is absolutely sovereign! Even though the pillars of the earth – economically, socially, politically – seem to be tottering, God alone is able to keep them steady! The pillars of our life often totter, but God’s omnipotent rule steadies the mind. As another Psalm says, “Therefore we will not fear; though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea…” (Psalm 46:2). Reminded of the sovereignty of God specifically over the wicked, I too was ready with the Psalmist to sing praises to the God of Jacob!
The pursuit of this question, What does this teach me about God?, should really frame and undergird our reading of Scripture. Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Ultimately, every promise in Scripture, every warning, every instruction, every hope, every truth, and every grace is rooted in the character of the Triune God!
Witnessing: Every Believer Called and Equipped
July 12, 2008 | Comments Off
I was reading through Don Whitney’s chapter on evangelism again the other day in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. I was reminded of Peter’s words to the church, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people…” 1 Peter 2:9
You might wonder…”What does that passage have to do with witnessing or evangelism?” Don points out that most people who are familiar with this passage “do not have a clue how the rest of it goes.” 1 Peter 2:9 goes on to say that the privileges that are mentioned in the first half of this verse are ours, Christians, “that [we] may declare the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Don says; “We normally think of this verse as establishing the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. But it is equally appropriate to say that it also exhorts us to a kind of prophethood of all believers.” God expects each of us, every believer, to “declare the praises” of Jesus Christ.
This truth is so important for us, the church, to understand because the misunderstanding prevails that the responsibility of witnessing falls only on those who have the gift of evangelism. In this regard, many appeal to Ephesians 4:11: “it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” But this passage, like 1 Peter, goes on to explain why these gifts are given; “for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry,…”
Don explains;
While it is true that God gifts some for ministry as evangelists, He calls all believers to be His witnesses. Just as each Christian, regardless of spiritual gift or ministry, is to love others, so each believer is to evangelize whether or not his or her gift is that of evangelist.
I think that at this point most believers are, understandably, struck with fear…”If it is true that we are all called to be witnesses…what do I do?” “I don’t know what to say!” “I do not feel equipped!”
In his book, Don makes the point that, as believers, we are all equipped to evangelize:
Why don’t we witness more actively? Some say it’s primarily because many Christians aren’t adequately trained to share their faith. There is some truth to this. There are worthwhile advantages to going through some guided thinking about the specifics of sharing the gospel. But when we think about the blind man Jesus healed in John 9:25 it should become evident that we cannot attribute our failure to witness to a lack of training. Though he had been a believer in Jesus only for a few minutes and obviously had no evangelism training at all, he was willing to tell other what Jesus had done for him (“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”). Moreover, any Christian who has heard biblical preaching, participated in Bible studies, and has read the Scriptures and Christian literature for any time at all should have at least enough understanding of the basic message of Christianity to share it with someone else. Surely if we have understood the gospel well enough ourselves to be converted, we should know it well enough (even if as yet we know nothing else about the faith) to tell someone else how to be converted.
An exercise that I have found helpful is to sit down and thoughtfully write out your own testimony…reflecting on the biblical truths about God and about Christ and about yourself that were instrumental as God was drawing you to Himself. This will help you to better articulate these truths when sharing with others.
Even after many years of evangelizing in many different contexts, I still know that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach when I approach a stranger to share the gospel. Even Paul asked the church to pray for boldness for him in declaring the gospel. But witnessing does not necessitate walking up to a complete stranger to evangelize. The greatest and often most fruitful context for evangelism is usually among those who know you…people who you regularly spend time around; your neighbors, your co-workers; family members; merchants and shop-keepers – people who have the benefit of seeing your life…on a regular basis…witnessing the light of Christ in you. But remember, it is not enough for people only to see your life – they must also hear the Word of the gospel; “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 We should be intentional about putting ourselves in the regular path of unbelievers to develop familiarity, praying that the Lord would open a door for the Gospel and disciplining ourselves to tell them about Christ.
God has called us and equipped us to share the Good News of Christ. It is not easy. It is a discipline for sure. But if you have ever shared the Gospel with anyone, you know Don Whitney’s words to be true; “Only the sheer rapture of being lost in the worship of God is as exhilarating and intoxicating as telling someone about Jesus Christ.”
Paul said; “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” May we, God’s people, be disciplined in the regular sharing of the gospel with those whom God has sovereignly placed in our paths and in so doing may we know the exhilaration and blessings that uniquely flow out of being witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And remember, the results of your evangelism are not the measure of your success (the fruit that is born from it is up to the Lord). Simply being faithful to share the gospel is successful evangelism!
FCC Men’s Retreat - Part #2
May 27, 2008 | Comments Off
Milo was the next speaker at the retreat, and he was a true blessing of experience to share his personal testimonies of life. In this retreat there was a desire to esteem the older men of our congregation and have these younger men glean from the experiences of their life. One of the problem of so many is the fact that we often forget what we learn, and so I am happy to present these videos as a reminder of the wisdom that has been granted to our congregation through our elders.
Milo has faithfully served the Lord for over 45 years as deacon, elder, Sunday school teacher, and on various school and church boards. Milo and Edie, his wife, met and married in California and have been married for 44 years.
The Carrolls: daughter Kathleen, and son-in-law Robert, are actively involved in serving at Faith Community Church. Robert is an Elder, and Kathleen is church pianist. She also teaches art at Faith Christian Academy. The Raub’s youngest daughter, Karen, is home with the Lord since 1995. Milo and Edie are blessed with six grandchildren, three of whom are the Carroll’s sons, Andrew, Aaron, and Adam. Milo is secretary of the Elder Board and serves on the Missions Committee at Faith Community Church
FCC Men’s Retreat - Part #1
May 21, 2008 | Comments Off
The purpose of the Men’s retreat was to esteem our elders, and the Faith that God has granted those who have walked a life of faith before us at FCC. We as young and older men alike were able to sit at the feet of the Men God has used as a means of practical God granted wisdom now to be shared with all.
John Worley has graced FCC for many years of faithful and wise service, and he continues to be of great service. John retired as Vice President of Development for Avant (formerly GMU). He was responsible for fundraising and communication and served on the management team. For seven years John worked in development for Moody Bible Institute, and functioned in a similar role with GMU from 1997 to his retirement. He served as a senior pastor for 18 of the last 30 years. The churches he has served have varied from small and rural, to a congregation with sixty percent students in a university town, to a large church in the Silicon Valley of California. He has earned Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Western Seminary and a Bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal State University. John resides in Kansas City with his wife Judy.
When we had the opportunity to have speakers for this Men’s retreat I was pleased that we found a way to video record John’s words of wisdom and play them for the men at the retreat. I believe you will be encouraged by his words and you will see a life evidenced by God’s Grace.
Be still and know that I am God
April 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (I Samuel 30:6)
It was early Monday morning. I woke up scared. Life seemed painfully uncertain. Of all things to literally rattle the mid-west–an earthquake. Tornados are one thing, but come on, an earthquake? I personally did not feel the quake, but just 20 miles to the north of us and 20 miles to the south there were reports of rattling dishes and shaking houses. There was no mistake. It was an earthquake.
As I lay awake in the early morning hours, my mind became paralyzed with fear. I tried to counter and parry every move that an earthquake could throw at me, but it was no good. I was helpless. It always had the upper hand. It always had the element of surprise. What if I was in the car with my wife and children, and stuck helplessly on the Paseo Bridge? What if my wife…? What if my children…? What if, what if, what if? There is no other way to say it. I was in a panic, a fear frenzy.
David found himself in a situation that could rattle even the sturdiest of saints. He and his men returned to Ziklag and found that their wives and children had been kidnapped. Overtaken by grief, David’s men considered stoning him right then and there. Instead of panicking, the Word says that David “strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”
Thankfully that morning the Holy Spirit began convicting me of my fearful, panicking spirit. I knew it wasn’t right. I couldn’t keep on like this. It was fruitless. In all my fear I was leaving out the one and only constant in the equation, namely, Yahweh himself.
Psalm 46 clearly states that because God is a very present help in trouble (vs 1); because He is with us (vs7); and because He has absolute control of desolation and peace in the earth (vs 8-9); we ought not to be characterized by a spirit of fear for these very reasons.
It is interesting that the Psalmist describes an earthquake to illustrate a very bleak, helpless, and unsettling experience. Yet, the exhortation still stands, “Be still and know that I am God…”
Rain, Rain, Go Away
April 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The rain threw everything off today. Things have been progressing rather nicely on the rebuilding of our home, but I have been very eager to be re-settled in a permanent home. So even though the project has been moving relatively quickly, it still feels like it is taking forever. Today a lot was scheduled to be done, but the key word is “scheduled”. The rained delayed everything. Some people are probably more disposed towards grumbling and murmuring, but everyone does it more than they think. As I heard the rain beat against the house last night and woke to drenching rains, I knew my hopes for progress this day were all being washed away - literally. I think I said “stupid rain” several times.
“And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.” (ESV Numbers 11:1)
I knew what I was really doing. I wasn’t cursing the rain, I was angry with God because He is the one who controls the rain. And I also remembered that God doesn’t take such complaining lightly. Ultimately, the complainer says, “Lord, I don’t like how you rule the world…” Shockingly arrogant isn’t it? It is helpful to be reminded that a Personal, loving, and good God orders the affairs of our life. The most appropriate response to a day like this is a cheerful submission. I hope you learn a lesson from me today. I had to learn it again from ancient Israel.
Uncomfortably Good
April 1, 2008 | 1 Comment
I sat down this morning and finally opened my latest issue of Voice of the Martyrs magazine. I think subconsciously I had been putting it off. Sometimes there are things you would rather not think about. As I suspected, my life and even my very existence were challenged. Whether it was the Christian’s home in Egypt burned, or the new believer in Morocco who was thrown out of his father’s home, or the pastor’s front door welded shut (with his family still inside!) in China, all of them make me feel uncomfortable. But it is a good uncomfortable. They remind me that this world is not my home. They show me that Christ is wondrously precious. The Bible commands believers to remember those who are persecuted for their faith (see Hebrews 13:3). The hard part is feeling so inadequate. Offering help seems like an attempt to water the Sahara Desert. It is impossible to address all the suffering and pain of the persecuted church. But we cannot become paralyzed. I hope you will take time to read about the persecuted church today. There are several organizations devoted to this kind of ministry. I personally recommend to you Voice of the Martyrs. You can visit them online at www.persecution.com . I encourage you to subscribe to their periodical also. I may forget to get online, but that white envelope keeps coming. I would also encourage you to consider supporting your persecuted family abroad. I give regularly to VOM. I hope you would consider it as well.
He who is faithful in small things…
February 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The child of God must be willing to be a channel through which God’s abundant blessings flow. This channel is narrow and shallow at first, yet some of the waters of God’s bounty can pass through. If we cheerfully yield ourselves to this purpose, the channel becomes wider and deeper, allowing more of the bounty of God to pass through. We cannot limit the extent to which God may use us as instruments in communicating blessing if we are willing to yield ourselves to Him and are careful to give Him all the glory.
- George Muller, The Autobiography of George Muller
Look!
January 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
These words from Charles Spurgeon on Isaiah 45:22 have been been of great comfort to me:
“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other!” - Isaiah 45:22
But thou sayest sin will not let thee look. I tell thee, sin will be removed the moment thou dost look. “But I dare not; He will condemn me; I fear to look.” He will condemn thee more, if thou dost not look. Fear, then, and look; but do not let thy fearing keep thee from looking. “But He will cast me out.” Try Him. “But I cannot see Him.” I tell you, it is not seeing, but looking. “But my eyes are so fixed on the earth, so earthly, so worldly.” Ah! but, poor soul, He giveth power to look and live. He saith - “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.”
The Super-Spiritual Syndrome
January 22, 2008 | 1 Comment
While reflecting on Psalm 119 I couldn’t help but be impressed and depressed with David’s yearning and affections for God’s Word. I am referring, of course, to statements like:
“In the way of Your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.” (14)
“My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.” (20)
“The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (72)
“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” (97)
“Therefore I love Your commandments above gold, above fine gold.” (127)
Etc, etc, etc. I am profoundly impressed by these statements (which I believe to be utterly true representations of David’s heart); yet at the same time I cannot help but be somewhat depressed. I looked within the barren recesses of my heart to ask the painful question, Can I say those things about God’s Word? Sometimes, yes; but far too often, no. David’s affections seemed beyond the reach of my sinful carnal nature. You could say that I had become a victim of the Super-Spiritual Syndrome.
I submit to you that this syndrome is far more prevalent and destructive than many believers realize. I think this condition must be akin in some way to the heretical dualism that has infected the church for centuries and centuries. Like dualism, the super-spiritual syndrome tends to isolate a spiritual standard or experience from the sphere of physical reality. If we isolate the Psalmists statements from the man himself we will construct an unattainable and unsustainable spiritual experience. But if the Psalmist is David, we know that David is not a super-spiritual person. In the real world the David we know is a great sinner. Even apart from his most infamous encounter with Bathsheba and her husband, David evidences significant fault - especially as a father. Looking at his sons, David failed miserably in the discipline and spiritual nurture of his children. No wonder he cried out, “For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness…” (Psalm 38:4-5).
As I reflected on the paradoxical fleshly nature of David and his spiritual affections for the Word evidenced throughout Psalm 119, I began to notice a fascinating theme that ran all through the chapter. David was a persecuted, afflicted man. He had people troubles. As a matter of fact the theme of trouble is only second to the Word in Psalm 119. Affliction unlocked the mystery for me between sinful David and spiritual David. The Psalmist wrote, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word” (119:67). David’s affections for the Word didn’t spring from some inner spirituality; but rather God used trouble to drive him to the word for comfort, guidance, and promise. It was only after he experienced the poverty that trials bring could David discover the excellent worth of God’s Word. Those verses I referenced above didn’t come from a super-spiritual man; they came from a super-troubled man. Now this is something every believer can relate with.
My struggles with Psalm 119 ultimately led me to reflect upon the dangers of a super-spiritual standard that we tend to apply to so many other facets of Christian living – whether it be evangelism, prayer, devotions, dedication, consecration, or a myriad of other Christian duties. The old hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer” is a sterling example. Most believers could only sing this hymn thoughtlessly or despairingly because very few can attain, practice, or sustain an hour of praying. But if their job was about to be eliminated or if their child was extremely sick, they could pray an hour almost effortlessly. The super-spiritual syndrome unwittingly applied to the believer idealizes Christian living to the extent that it is unattainable and unsustainable. And when the spiritual ideal is divorced from human reality discouragement and even despair will be the end result. But there are no super-spiritual people. The people who run hard after God are the people God is chasing down with trials and afflictions.
It is bad enough to apply this standard to ourselves, but it is much worse when we apply this standard to other people. When such an attitude is found among the leaders of God’s people, it results in a hyper-critical attitude towards the very people they are charged to build up and encourage. Oh how much better to turn struggling souls to Christ and His sufficiency! I think the apostle Paul understood the paradoxical nature of Christian living. He understood that a chasm often exists between the standard and the experience. Writing to the Thessalonians, he urges believers to fill that gap with patience. He wrote, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Amen.
As one who owes everything to God’s pursuit and not his own,
