Do you know how it feels to be captivated by breath taking mountains? It makes you feel pretty small, right? As I write these articles each month for Common Ground on heroes of the faith, I sometimes feel pretty small compared to these mighty mountains of men and women of God. If I’m not careful, I find myself measuring my life and ministry to them…and how disappointed I feel when I try to do that. My pastor taught me that mountains do not exists for us to compare ourselves to them. Mountains exist for the glory of God and for our joy!
I do not write these articles each month so that you and I can compare ourselves to these people whom God has used or even so that we can boast about them. These articles are written so that we can joy in the grace and glory of God that was upon their lives and that we may see His grace and glory in our own life.
This month’s mountain is about a couple that was both born in 1829. They faithfully lived out the calling of God on their lives. They married on June 17, 1855 and went on to have eight children that had a phenomenal impact on the Kingdom of God. Our subject is William and Catherine Booth, the founders of the Salvation Army.
In our area, nearly everyone is familiar with the Salvation Army. We see them, especially at this time of year, as they set up around town at retail stores as people do their Christmas shopping. They are known for ringing bells in hopes that we may not forget about the poor and needy during the holiday season. It is my aim that by the end of this article, you may come to understand the purpose behind the founding of the Salvation Army and see the great passion both William and Catherine carried for people to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
William and Catherine met at a friend’s house where William passionately talked about the effects alcoholism had on families. They recognized how they shared the same passions and interests. Both had a great burden for the poor and needy since they were teenagers. They were later married in 1855 and Catherine was always a big part of his ministry.
William was an ordained Methodist pastor in London and while he loved the Methodist Church, he felt his ministry was that of an evangelist more than a pastor. He requested to be released from his pastorate to do full time evangelism but his request was denied. He had no other choice than to break away and begin his own ministry. He and Catherine settled into East London and in 1865 began the Christian Revival Society, or also called the East London Christian Mission and as it later became known as the “Salvation Army.” William would say, “Work as if everything depended on work and pray as if everything depended on prayer.”
God placed a remarkable vision within their hearts that is still making a global impact to this day. Their newspaper was called, “The War Cry,” leaders were known as “officers,” and Christians were “captives.” When they expanded outreach into new cities or even new countries, it was known as an “invasion.” People respectfully called William “General.” Catherine was affectionately known as the “Mother” of the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army was so serious about the spreading of the Gospel that they would take to the streets as an “army.” People would fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the effects were felt so strongly that bars and taverns would have to close due to the lack of business. So angry were the owners of the bars that they began rioting against the Salvation Army. In 1882, 669 Salvationists were attacked and over 60 of the Salvation Armies were vandalized.
But this did not stop the movement! More “lunch rooms” were opened where the poor could get a cup of soup for a quarter of a penny! One could buy an entire meal for only 6 pennies and of course, thousands of meals were given away free.
The Salvation Army now circles the globe. The vision that William and Catherine dedicated their lives too still brings people to the hope of Jesus Christ! The greatest way for me to show you the passion for souls the Booth’s had is for you to read it in William’s own words…
“’Not Called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the grates of the Hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell Him there you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.”
For comments or questions about this article, email Pastor Chad at missionsflame26@hotmail.com or visit www.preachingchristchurch.com
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Happy Birthday John Calvin!
Calvin’s brilliant thinking, interpretation of Scripture and love for the Church has been a gift to the Body of Christ for a remarkable 500 years. In 2009, Christianity has celebrated the 500th birthday of John Calvin and whether you consider yourself a Calvinist or an Arminian, I hope you can appreciate this article on a man God has now used for a span of five centuries.
It is impossible to write on Calvin without stirring some type of controversy. So why even attempt it you ask? Well, there are a number of things I think Christians should understand about John Calvin. While there are some misunderstandings and even misinterpretations that surround him, you and I as believers in Christ owe an enormous debt of gratitude for what he has done for Christianity.
I encourage you to read some books on Calvin, do some research and form your own opinion of him. For what it’s worth, I personally owe a great deal to Calvin because he taught me to see the Bible through the most accurate lens…the Bible itself! He taught me to interpret Scripture in light of other Scriptures and not allow my reasoning, or logic or even my own emotions to form my theology but rather accurately handle the Word of God and allow Scripture to shape my thinking of God.
Calvin’s interest in spiritual things began as a child. He was born July 10, 1509 in Noyan, France. At age 12 he expressed interest in priesthood within the Catholic Church. As he got older, that desire didn’t leave him. While attending College Royal in Paris, he became friends with a man who would influence his thinking and theology.
His new friend, Nicolas Cop, was quite vocal about reform within the Catholic Church. Tensions began to spill over and in October 1534 both Cop and Calvin were forced to leave Paris. Calvin went on to Basel where he began to write. (If you remember in last month’s edition, we talked about how Johann Gutenberg’s movable type printing press allowed new thoughts and ideas and even Scripture to circulate throughout Europe at an unprecedented pace.) In Basel, he completed the first of his Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536.
Finally Calvin settled in Geneva, Switzerland and established his ministry there. While he was preaching and teaching in the Churches as well as lecturing on theology, his main focus was on writing.
While I encourage you to read books and articles about Calvin to form your own opinion of his teachings, let me first help you understand the world in which Calvin lived. His story is similar to that of Martin Luther, whom we featured in Common Ground’s October edition. He lived in a time that the Roman Church had shut up the truth. They only permitted Scripture to be written in Latin, and only Priests knew Latin. Ordinary people were not allowed to read the Bible for themselves and certainly were not allowed to interpret the Bible.
Men such as John Calvin, Martin Luther and even Erasmus believed every person should have access to God’s Word. They believed people could (and should) study the Bible for themselves rather than relying on what the Priest told them the Bible says. They believed in the average Christian having a copy of the Bible in their own language to such a degree that they risked their lives and lived as “heretics.”
Because the Bible was only allowed to be read by Priests, ordinary Christians believed only what Priests told them were in the Bible. Listen to how Calvin described it, “Among the people themselves, the highest veneration paid to thy Word was to revere it at a distance, as a thing inaccessible, and abstain from all investigations of it. Owing to this supine state of the pastors, and this stupidity of the people, every place was filled with pernicious errors, falsehoods, and superstitions.” And so ordinary Christians began to look to pictures, statues and other artifacts to understand the Bible. Pictures became known as “books of the unlearned” and it’s how the Roman Church wanted things.
Calvin saw the great danger in this. He knew the stability of the Church in future generations depended upon the right interpretation of Scripture. No matter what side of the fence you land on when it comes to Calvinism versus Arminiunism, you should still appreciate how God used Calvin in bringing about the skill to study and interpret the Bible.
There are two primary misunderstandings I would like to clarify concerning Calvin. First is the idea that he began Calvinism. While his writings have shaped the thinking of people like myself that hold to Reformed Theology, it was not Calvin that began Calvinism. Reformed Theology came from the re-discovered truths of the Protestant Reformation along with the 5 Sola’s of Faith. Calvinism came much later through the followers of Calvin debating the followers of Joseph Arminius.
The second misunderstanding is that of the death of Calvin’s theological enemy, Michael Servetus. Now someone may say to you, as they have me, “If John Calvin’s message is the glory of God, how can God be glorified in Calvin killing a man just because he didn’t agree with his doctrine?” This is not really a fair statement and let me explain why…
First of all, Calvin didn’t have Servetus killed. The Protestant Geneva Governing Council condemned Servetus as heretic and carried out the sentencing of death. Calvin tried to reason with Servetus and convert him back. Calvin would not even attend Servetus’ death sentence. Now that doesn’t mean Calvin didn’t think Servetus should not have been killed, but the way we think in the 21st century is, in many ways, more progressive than how they thought in the 16th century. I’m glad we no longer burn those with opposing views at the stake! But please understand that it was the decision of the Council…not Calvin to have Servetus burned at the stake as a heretic. Today, Jehovah Witnesses, some Oneness Pentecostals and other Unitarian groups consider Servetus a hero and martyr.
While Calvin did not rejoice in Servertus’ death as some would suggest, he did fiercely defend right doctrine. This statement by Calvin is a good way to conclude this article…“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.” Happy 500th Birthday John Calvin!
For comments or questions email: missionsflame26@hotmail.com
It is impossible to write on Calvin without stirring some type of controversy. So why even attempt it you ask? Well, there are a number of things I think Christians should understand about John Calvin. While there are some misunderstandings and even misinterpretations that surround him, you and I as believers in Christ owe an enormous debt of gratitude for what he has done for Christianity.
I encourage you to read some books on Calvin, do some research and form your own opinion of him. For what it’s worth, I personally owe a great deal to Calvin because he taught me to see the Bible through the most accurate lens…the Bible itself! He taught me to interpret Scripture in light of other Scriptures and not allow my reasoning, or logic or even my own emotions to form my theology but rather accurately handle the Word of God and allow Scripture to shape my thinking of God.
Calvin’s interest in spiritual things began as a child. He was born July 10, 1509 in Noyan, France. At age 12 he expressed interest in priesthood within the Catholic Church. As he got older, that desire didn’t leave him. While attending College Royal in Paris, he became friends with a man who would influence his thinking and theology.
His new friend, Nicolas Cop, was quite vocal about reform within the Catholic Church. Tensions began to spill over and in October 1534 both Cop and Calvin were forced to leave Paris. Calvin went on to Basel where he began to write. (If you remember in last month’s edition, we talked about how Johann Gutenberg’s movable type printing press allowed new thoughts and ideas and even Scripture to circulate throughout Europe at an unprecedented pace.) In Basel, he completed the first of his Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1536.
Finally Calvin settled in Geneva, Switzerland and established his ministry there. While he was preaching and teaching in the Churches as well as lecturing on theology, his main focus was on writing.
While I encourage you to read books and articles about Calvin to form your own opinion of his teachings, let me first help you understand the world in which Calvin lived. His story is similar to that of Martin Luther, whom we featured in Common Ground’s October edition. He lived in a time that the Roman Church had shut up the truth. They only permitted Scripture to be written in Latin, and only Priests knew Latin. Ordinary people were not allowed to read the Bible for themselves and certainly were not allowed to interpret the Bible.
Men such as John Calvin, Martin Luther and even Erasmus believed every person should have access to God’s Word. They believed people could (and should) study the Bible for themselves rather than relying on what the Priest told them the Bible says. They believed in the average Christian having a copy of the Bible in their own language to such a degree that they risked their lives and lived as “heretics.”
Because the Bible was only allowed to be read by Priests, ordinary Christians believed only what Priests told them were in the Bible. Listen to how Calvin described it, “Among the people themselves, the highest veneration paid to thy Word was to revere it at a distance, as a thing inaccessible, and abstain from all investigations of it. Owing to this supine state of the pastors, and this stupidity of the people, every place was filled with pernicious errors, falsehoods, and superstitions.” And so ordinary Christians began to look to pictures, statues and other artifacts to understand the Bible. Pictures became known as “books of the unlearned” and it’s how the Roman Church wanted things.
Calvin saw the great danger in this. He knew the stability of the Church in future generations depended upon the right interpretation of Scripture. No matter what side of the fence you land on when it comes to Calvinism versus Arminiunism, you should still appreciate how God used Calvin in bringing about the skill to study and interpret the Bible.
There are two primary misunderstandings I would like to clarify concerning Calvin. First is the idea that he began Calvinism. While his writings have shaped the thinking of people like myself that hold to Reformed Theology, it was not Calvin that began Calvinism. Reformed Theology came from the re-discovered truths of the Protestant Reformation along with the 5 Sola’s of Faith. Calvinism came much later through the followers of Calvin debating the followers of Joseph Arminius.
The second misunderstanding is that of the death of Calvin’s theological enemy, Michael Servetus. Now someone may say to you, as they have me, “If John Calvin’s message is the glory of God, how can God be glorified in Calvin killing a man just because he didn’t agree with his doctrine?” This is not really a fair statement and let me explain why…
First of all, Calvin didn’t have Servetus killed. The Protestant Geneva Governing Council condemned Servetus as heretic and carried out the sentencing of death. Calvin tried to reason with Servetus and convert him back. Calvin would not even attend Servetus’ death sentence. Now that doesn’t mean Calvin didn’t think Servetus should not have been killed, but the way we think in the 21st century is, in many ways, more progressive than how they thought in the 16th century. I’m glad we no longer burn those with opposing views at the stake! But please understand that it was the decision of the Council…not Calvin to have Servetus burned at the stake as a heretic. Today, Jehovah Witnesses, some Oneness Pentecostals and other Unitarian groups consider Servetus a hero and martyr.
While Calvin did not rejoice in Servertus’ death as some would suggest, he did fiercely defend right doctrine. This statement by Calvin is a good way to conclude this article…“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.” Happy 500th Birthday John Calvin!
For comments or questions email: missionsflame26@hotmail.com
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Martin Luther - The Reformer
In the early 1500’s, the strength and power of the Roman Catholic Church had reached its height, and so had corruption, spreading even to the Pope himself. The dominion of the Pope was world-wide. While he ruled circa sacra (concerning sacred matters), Emperor Charles V ruled world-wide circa civilia (concerning civil matters.) The King ruled men’s bodies, the Pope ruled men’s souls. The King had the power of the sword while the Pope had the power of the Keys to Heaven and Hell. This was the world in which Martin Luther lived.
The Catholic Church was strong and immensely wealthy. Priests owned large estates, (Also at this time, Priests owned 1/3 of all European land), they had the right to require 10% of all other property as a tithe. They received money for baptisms, marriages, attending deathbeds, conducting funerals and saying masses. They were very wealthy, yet none wealthier than Pope Leo X.
In those days, Bibles were very large, and one Bible was given for each town chained to a podium in the Catholic Church. The problem was that it was written in Latin! It was illegal for Bibles to be translated into any language but Latin, meaning that normal towns people could not read nor understand God’s Word, they relied on what Priests told them. Why were Bibles only allowed in Latin? Because the Pope didn’t want anyone challenging his authority or doctrine. This is why they burned William Tyndale at the stake, because he translated the first English Bible. You and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to William Tyndale for giving us our first English Bible.
Indulgences
It was the selling of indulgences that pushed Martin Luther over the edge. An Indulgence was a certificate the Catholic Church sold that promised to remove people’s loved ones out of purgatory into Heaven if they paid enough money. In other words, it was a Salvation certificate. The Catholic Church believes that the Pope has the power to transfer a soul from Purgatory to Heaven. This troubled Martin Luther and he began to speak against it.
The Pope claimed the money was going toward wars being fought in the name of the Church, yet in reality, the money went toward constructing St. Peter’s Church in Rome and collecting even more expensive art and artifacts for the Pope. A man by the name of John Tetzel was commissioned by the Pope himself to go from town to town selling these certificates to the poor. When he came to the towns near Wittenberg, Germany, Luther’s people began going and purchasing these certificates though they were poor farmers. This outraged the righteous soul of Martin Luther!
The 95 Theses
Luther sat down and composed 95 challenges to the Catholic Church. He wrote the 95 Theses to challenge the practices and abuses of the Indulgences. It angered him that the Pope had the authority to release souls from Purgatory, yet he refused to help the poor who had no money. He finished the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 and took them straight to the Castle Church of Wittenberg, Germany and nailed his challenges to the door.
Most people think he defiantly and rebelliously did this to split the Church. This was not Luther’s intention at all. Nailing the 95 Theses to the Church doors was not an act of rebellion. It was a place of public announcements. Furthermore, Luther wrote the 95 Theses in Latin to where only Priests could read it. The local town’s people couldn’t have read it for themselves. His intent was to bring reform to the Church, not split the Church.
Luther discovered justification by faith alone and began changing his beliefs and doctrine. He could no longer accept the teachings of purgatory, praying to dead saints, the devotions to Mary and the sole authority of the Pope.
Diet of Worms – 1521
Word quickly came to the Pope Leo X in Rome of the young monks actions. Furious, the Pope called on Emperor Charles V to put an end to this. Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms, a Council of 200 princes and the Emperor himself.
In 1521, Luther stood before this mighty Council. They demanded Luther recant. He was intimated and begged for a day to think and pray. They granted him one day to think over his actions. He returned the next day full of faith and boldness. They demanded again that he recant or he would be condemned a heretic of the Church.
Luther boldly said, “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of the Popes and Councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” That day they condemned Luther as a heretic.
The Reformation Spreads
Things were changing throughout the world, greatly due to Johann Gutenberg inventing the movable type printing press in Germany. He printed a Bible as the first book printed by a machine.
At the same time of the Reformation in Germany, Switzerland was undergoing a Reformation led by Ulrich Zwingli. The printing presses now allowed ideas and Scriptures to spread throughout all of Europe at an unprecedented pace.
Along the same time, God raised up another man that would bring change to the face of the Church. A French Theologian named John Calvin. While it was Luther that ignited the flames of the Reformation, it was Calvin that began to link the Church with his thoughts and writings. His writings were similar to Luther and soon connected churches throughout Switzerland, Scotland, Hungary, England, France and elsewhere. A true Reformation was underway!
The story of the Reformation began with John Wycliff (known as the Morning Star of the Reformation) who discipled John Hus (who was burned at the stake) who influenced Erasmus, who laid the groundwork for Martin Luther, who paved the way for John Calvin, William Tyndale and John Knox. It was the firm belief of these men that every person should have a copy of the Bible,
We owe so much to those who bravely fought, consistently prayed and courageously smuggled Bibles all over Europe, across the English Channel, through the Swiss Alps, Down the Danube River and into Scandinavia. God’s story of Redemption continued to grow with each generation because the Fathers of the Reformation fought for such a cause.
So why is there so much Reformation history in this October issue? The reason is because the last Sunday of the month of October is celebrated as Reformation Sunday. When you’re at your church October 25th, say a prayer of thanks for the Reformers God raised up, “For such a time as this.”
The Catholic Church was strong and immensely wealthy. Priests owned large estates, (Also at this time, Priests owned 1/3 of all European land), they had the right to require 10% of all other property as a tithe. They received money for baptisms, marriages, attending deathbeds, conducting funerals and saying masses. They were very wealthy, yet none wealthier than Pope Leo X.
In those days, Bibles were very large, and one Bible was given for each town chained to a podium in the Catholic Church. The problem was that it was written in Latin! It was illegal for Bibles to be translated into any language but Latin, meaning that normal towns people could not read nor understand God’s Word, they relied on what Priests told them. Why were Bibles only allowed in Latin? Because the Pope didn’t want anyone challenging his authority or doctrine. This is why they burned William Tyndale at the stake, because he translated the first English Bible. You and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to William Tyndale for giving us our first English Bible.
Indulgences
It was the selling of indulgences that pushed Martin Luther over the edge. An Indulgence was a certificate the Catholic Church sold that promised to remove people’s loved ones out of purgatory into Heaven if they paid enough money. In other words, it was a Salvation certificate. The Catholic Church believes that the Pope has the power to transfer a soul from Purgatory to Heaven. This troubled Martin Luther and he began to speak against it.
The Pope claimed the money was going toward wars being fought in the name of the Church, yet in reality, the money went toward constructing St. Peter’s Church in Rome and collecting even more expensive art and artifacts for the Pope. A man by the name of John Tetzel was commissioned by the Pope himself to go from town to town selling these certificates to the poor. When he came to the towns near Wittenberg, Germany, Luther’s people began going and purchasing these certificates though they were poor farmers. This outraged the righteous soul of Martin Luther!
The 95 Theses
Luther sat down and composed 95 challenges to the Catholic Church. He wrote the 95 Theses to challenge the practices and abuses of the Indulgences. It angered him that the Pope had the authority to release souls from Purgatory, yet he refused to help the poor who had no money. He finished the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 and took them straight to the Castle Church of Wittenberg, Germany and nailed his challenges to the door.
Most people think he defiantly and rebelliously did this to split the Church. This was not Luther’s intention at all. Nailing the 95 Theses to the Church doors was not an act of rebellion. It was a place of public announcements. Furthermore, Luther wrote the 95 Theses in Latin to where only Priests could read it. The local town’s people couldn’t have read it for themselves. His intent was to bring reform to the Church, not split the Church.
Luther discovered justification by faith alone and began changing his beliefs and doctrine. He could no longer accept the teachings of purgatory, praying to dead saints, the devotions to Mary and the sole authority of the Pope.
Diet of Worms – 1521
Word quickly came to the Pope Leo X in Rome of the young monks actions. Furious, the Pope called on Emperor Charles V to put an end to this. Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms, a Council of 200 princes and the Emperor himself.
In 1521, Luther stood before this mighty Council. They demanded Luther recant. He was intimated and begged for a day to think and pray. They granted him one day to think over his actions. He returned the next day full of faith and boldness. They demanded again that he recant or he would be condemned a heretic of the Church.
Luther boldly said, “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason – I do not accept the authority of the Popes and Councils, for they have contradicted each other – my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” That day they condemned Luther as a heretic.
The Reformation Spreads
Things were changing throughout the world, greatly due to Johann Gutenberg inventing the movable type printing press in Germany. He printed a Bible as the first book printed by a machine.
At the same time of the Reformation in Germany, Switzerland was undergoing a Reformation led by Ulrich Zwingli. The printing presses now allowed ideas and Scriptures to spread throughout all of Europe at an unprecedented pace.
Along the same time, God raised up another man that would bring change to the face of the Church. A French Theologian named John Calvin. While it was Luther that ignited the flames of the Reformation, it was Calvin that began to link the Church with his thoughts and writings. His writings were similar to Luther and soon connected churches throughout Switzerland, Scotland, Hungary, England, France and elsewhere. A true Reformation was underway!
The story of the Reformation began with John Wycliff (known as the Morning Star of the Reformation) who discipled John Hus (who was burned at the stake) who influenced Erasmus, who laid the groundwork for Martin Luther, who paved the way for John Calvin, William Tyndale and John Knox. It was the firm belief of these men that every person should have a copy of the Bible,
We owe so much to those who bravely fought, consistently prayed and courageously smuggled Bibles all over Europe, across the English Channel, through the Swiss Alps, Down the Danube River and into Scandinavia. God’s story of Redemption continued to grow with each generation because the Fathers of the Reformation fought for such a cause.
So why is there so much Reformation history in this October issue? The reason is because the last Sunday of the month of October is celebrated as Reformation Sunday. When you’re at your church October 25th, say a prayer of thanks for the Reformers God raised up, “For such a time as this.”
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Jonathan Edwards - Awaken America
Building a Church is hard! Ask any church planter what their favorite Scriptures are and I bet you Matthew 16:18, when Christ says of Himself “I will build my church” is in the top 5! It is a comforting thought when you are working with all your strength, and you’re not sure you’re doing everything right, to read Matthew 16:18 and know that in the end, Christ (not us) ultimately builds His Church!
September 13th is the National Back to Church Sunday as we “ReThink” Church. I believe it’s good for us to “ReThink” Church. I know I shudder when I think of some of the mistakes I’ve made as a young pastor. So I’m right there saying, “Yeah! Let’s re-think what we do, how we do it and why we do this thing we call “Church.”
However, I don’t want to ReThink church just from a cultural perspective (in asking, what do people want?) I’d rather ReThink church from a Biblical perspective, (asking, what does God want?” Culture will change…Scripture won’t (1 Peter 1:25). I ponder a great deal on the changes the Church needs to make and usually my thoughts go back to a critical time for both our nation and the Church…The Great Awakening.
Just as we use kindling for a fire, God used Jonathan Edwards to spark the flames of the Great Awakening, which was a great outpouring upon this nation. The spiritual climate was cold in those days, just as it is in ours. For them, it was Deism that was the challenge, for us, our challenges are apathy, an abundance of sin among God’s people and a lack of solid doctrine leading to a high view of God.
The Church needed a new direction. She needed to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be led to repentance. So much repentance took place in those days that entire cities were changed. Edwards wrote that cities experienced a powerful move of God among the American colonies from Northampton, Massachusetts (where he was a pastor) to Northern Georgia! Even as I write this, my heart cries, “Do it again Lord! Sweep our nation. Bring repentance to Your Church and to the lost! Amen!”
Jonathan Edwards was born October 5, 1703. He had a brilliant mind. He entered Yale University at the age of 13. He went on to be the Associate Pastor under his grandfather and soon became the senior pastor where he would remain for 23 years. The last 7 years of his life he worked as a missionary to the Indians. He would die at a young age of 54 from a smallpox inoculation just months after he became the President of the College of New Jersey, later named, Princeton University.
What Edwards is really known for was his deep theological books, which are still widely read today. His books like Religious Affections, Freedom of the Will, Charity and its Fruits and probably the most notable, The Life of David Brainerd. Edwards took time to write this book after David Brainerd stayed at his home. He passed away of Tuberculosis in 1747. Brainerd loved Edward’s daughter, Jerusha, and she died just months after Brainerd of the same disease after trying to nurse him back to health.
The book, The Life of David Brainerd, mainly taken from Brainerd’s diary, has impacted 200 years of missionaries. Men like Henry Martyn, Robert Morrison, Francis Asbury, Robert Murray McCheney, William Carey, David Livingston, Andrew Murray and Jim Elliot have all expressed the deep impact Edwards and Brainerd have had on their lives.
“Sinners in the Hands of an angry God” was the sermon that shook America! Most people think of Edwards as a loud, boisterous preacher. They picture him yelling and screaming on top of pews. That wasn’t Jonathan Edwards at all. As matter of fact, it was quite opposite. He had a very monotone voice. Because he had poor eyesight, he would hold a lantern in one hand, and use the other hand to read his sermon (yes, read his manuscript sermon!). The power was not in his delivery, but in the prayer with which he saturated his sermons!
So, what does all of this have to do with National Back to Church Sunday? Well, I think the Church needs a new direction and I can’t think of a better direction that looking to the past and how God moved so mightily among His people. As we “ReThink” some things about Church, keep in mind Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
Let’s ReThink our Programs.
“Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11
Look at any growing church and you will see a dynamic kid’s church, a thriving student ministry, a strong worship department, effective outreach and a host of other programs. They are needed, and I think necessary to maintaining a healthy church.
However, there is a danger to building a church on programs. Allow me to prove my point, while keeping in mind that all these programs are important and valued to the life of my own congregation. I simply want to bring balance as we “ReThink” church!
Jeremiah 2:13 says, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold not water.” That’s not written to pagan, heathen lost people! This is written to God’s people and I think the Church needs to revisit this...“my people” have committed evil by forsaking the Lord! This tells me that it’s possible to build a church and leave God out of it! Let’s ReThink this and see if we are guilty of “relying” on our programs more than the power of the Holy Spirit! “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Psalms 127:1
Let’s ReThink our Priorities
Budgets are important to churches. More than anything, a budget shows the priorities of a congregation. The money will go to whatever matters to that Church. I want to encourage you to not let global and local missions be under-budgeted.
This coming year, pray about raising the budgets for spreading the gospel. The measure of our churches should not be the “seating” capacity but rather its “sending” capacity!
Read the Apostle Paul’s praise to the Thessalonian congregation for their labor in missions, “so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere…” 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8
I love those verses! The phrase “Sounded forth” literally means “blowing trumpets”! They were an example to churches in their day and certainly they are an example to us in the 21st century!
Let’s ReThink our Preaching
The Bible teaches that it is possible for us to empty the cross of its power. “…and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-18
Hold to the beautiful truths of sound doctrine. Follow Paul’s instructions in Titus 1:9 and Titus 2:1. Let us not taint something as sacred as preaching with something so secular as a TV series, sitcoms or movies. We can preach a sermon series that we call “relevant” and it can “empty the cross of its power.” Let’s ReThink Church!
Let’s Rethink our Purpose
I try to remind the leaders in my church of 1 Peter 4:11 quite often. It says, “…whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
Why does the Church exists? To glorify God in all things! Keep that the driving force of your congregation. Why do we do benevolence ministry? To glorify God! Why do we sing songs with a choir or band? To glorify God! Why do we do missions? To glorify God! Why do we preach? Ultimately to glorify God through the converting and edifying of souls! Do all things to the glory of God!
What if we’re doing Church wrong?
Like any church age, we’re not perfect. If Christ doesn’t return soon, history will one day judge us as we judge past generations in their faithfulness and purity as a church. As I often feel the weightiness of leading a Church, and the pressures of being relevant to our culture yet faithful to the Gospel and the Holy Spirit, I am comforted by Jude 1:24, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”
So I encourage all of you who love the Church and are doing your best to make her pleasing to the Lord! Be careful that you’re Biblical and Christ-centered, but also, be encouraged that Christ will build His Church (Matthew 16:18), and He will sustain you till the end (1 Corinthians 1:8) and He will equip you for all that you need. “Now may the God of peace…the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21.
To learn more about Preaching Christ Church, visit, www.preachingchristchurch.com
September 13th is the National Back to Church Sunday as we “ReThink” Church. I believe it’s good for us to “ReThink” Church. I know I shudder when I think of some of the mistakes I’ve made as a young pastor. So I’m right there saying, “Yeah! Let’s re-think what we do, how we do it and why we do this thing we call “Church.”
However, I don’t want to ReThink church just from a cultural perspective (in asking, what do people want?) I’d rather ReThink church from a Biblical perspective, (asking, what does God want?” Culture will change…Scripture won’t (1 Peter 1:25). I ponder a great deal on the changes the Church needs to make and usually my thoughts go back to a critical time for both our nation and the Church…The Great Awakening.
Just as we use kindling for a fire, God used Jonathan Edwards to spark the flames of the Great Awakening, which was a great outpouring upon this nation. The spiritual climate was cold in those days, just as it is in ours. For them, it was Deism that was the challenge, for us, our challenges are apathy, an abundance of sin among God’s people and a lack of solid doctrine leading to a high view of God.
The Church needed a new direction. She needed to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be led to repentance. So much repentance took place in those days that entire cities were changed. Edwards wrote that cities experienced a powerful move of God among the American colonies from Northampton, Massachusetts (where he was a pastor) to Northern Georgia! Even as I write this, my heart cries, “Do it again Lord! Sweep our nation. Bring repentance to Your Church and to the lost! Amen!”
Jonathan Edwards was born October 5, 1703. He had a brilliant mind. He entered Yale University at the age of 13. He went on to be the Associate Pastor under his grandfather and soon became the senior pastor where he would remain for 23 years. The last 7 years of his life he worked as a missionary to the Indians. He would die at a young age of 54 from a smallpox inoculation just months after he became the President of the College of New Jersey, later named, Princeton University.
What Edwards is really known for was his deep theological books, which are still widely read today. His books like Religious Affections, Freedom of the Will, Charity and its Fruits and probably the most notable, The Life of David Brainerd. Edwards took time to write this book after David Brainerd stayed at his home. He passed away of Tuberculosis in 1747. Brainerd loved Edward’s daughter, Jerusha, and she died just months after Brainerd of the same disease after trying to nurse him back to health.
The book, The Life of David Brainerd, mainly taken from Brainerd’s diary, has impacted 200 years of missionaries. Men like Henry Martyn, Robert Morrison, Francis Asbury, Robert Murray McCheney, William Carey, David Livingston, Andrew Murray and Jim Elliot have all expressed the deep impact Edwards and Brainerd have had on their lives.
“Sinners in the Hands of an angry God” was the sermon that shook America! Most people think of Edwards as a loud, boisterous preacher. They picture him yelling and screaming on top of pews. That wasn’t Jonathan Edwards at all. As matter of fact, it was quite opposite. He had a very monotone voice. Because he had poor eyesight, he would hold a lantern in one hand, and use the other hand to read his sermon (yes, read his manuscript sermon!). The power was not in his delivery, but in the prayer with which he saturated his sermons!
So, what does all of this have to do with National Back to Church Sunday? Well, I think the Church needs a new direction and I can’t think of a better direction that looking to the past and how God moved so mightily among His people. As we “ReThink” some things about Church, keep in mind Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”
Let’s ReThink our Programs.
“Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11
Look at any growing church and you will see a dynamic kid’s church, a thriving student ministry, a strong worship department, effective outreach and a host of other programs. They are needed, and I think necessary to maintaining a healthy church.
However, there is a danger to building a church on programs. Allow me to prove my point, while keeping in mind that all these programs are important and valued to the life of my own congregation. I simply want to bring balance as we “ReThink” church!
Jeremiah 2:13 says, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold not water.” That’s not written to pagan, heathen lost people! This is written to God’s people and I think the Church needs to revisit this...“my people” have committed evil by forsaking the Lord! This tells me that it’s possible to build a church and leave God out of it! Let’s ReThink this and see if we are guilty of “relying” on our programs more than the power of the Holy Spirit! “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Psalms 127:1
Let’s ReThink our Priorities
Budgets are important to churches. More than anything, a budget shows the priorities of a congregation. The money will go to whatever matters to that Church. I want to encourage you to not let global and local missions be under-budgeted.
This coming year, pray about raising the budgets for spreading the gospel. The measure of our churches should not be the “seating” capacity but rather its “sending” capacity!
Read the Apostle Paul’s praise to the Thessalonian congregation for their labor in missions, “so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere…” 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8
I love those verses! The phrase “Sounded forth” literally means “blowing trumpets”! They were an example to churches in their day and certainly they are an example to us in the 21st century!
Let’s ReThink our Preaching
The Bible teaches that it is possible for us to empty the cross of its power. “…and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:17-18
Hold to the beautiful truths of sound doctrine. Follow Paul’s instructions in Titus 1:9 and Titus 2:1. Let us not taint something as sacred as preaching with something so secular as a TV series, sitcoms or movies. We can preach a sermon series that we call “relevant” and it can “empty the cross of its power.” Let’s ReThink Church!
Let’s Rethink our Purpose
I try to remind the leaders in my church of 1 Peter 4:11 quite often. It says, “…whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies – in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”
Why does the Church exists? To glorify God in all things! Keep that the driving force of your congregation. Why do we do benevolence ministry? To glorify God! Why do we sing songs with a choir or band? To glorify God! Why do we do missions? To glorify God! Why do we preach? Ultimately to glorify God through the converting and edifying of souls! Do all things to the glory of God!
What if we’re doing Church wrong?
Like any church age, we’re not perfect. If Christ doesn’t return soon, history will one day judge us as we judge past generations in their faithfulness and purity as a church. As I often feel the weightiness of leading a Church, and the pressures of being relevant to our culture yet faithful to the Gospel and the Holy Spirit, I am comforted by Jude 1:24, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.”
So I encourage all of you who love the Church and are doing your best to make her pleasing to the Lord! Be careful that you’re Biblical and Christ-centered, but also, be encouraged that Christ will build His Church (Matthew 16:18), and He will sustain you till the end (1 Corinthians 1:8) and He will equip you for all that you need. “Now may the God of peace…the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21.
To learn more about Preaching Christ Church, visit, www.preachingchristchurch.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
James Hudson Taylor - China Inland Missions
James Hudson Taylor was an extraordinary man. He courageously followed God’s call into the interior of China being the first white man to carry the Gospel into the heart of China. The respect I have for Mr. Taylor cannot be expressed in a 1,000 word article. I have so much respect for this Godly man that I have a large painting of him in my church office beside my library.
When I was about 11, I read a children’s biography of this mighty man of God. I read how Hudson was in bed one night and while in prayer, he gave himself to the Lord. He spread himself out on the bed and said, “If you send me to China, I will go!” As an 11 year old boy, I prayed that same prayer. I said, “If you will send me into missions, I will go!” Well, that next summer, I had the unique opportunity to spend 3 weeks traveling through Germany, Hungary, Romania and the Ukraine with a missionary friend of my church and family. Since then, Hudson Taylor has impacted my walk with Christ in enormous ways.
He was born May 21, 1832 in Yorkshire, England. His parents were Godly, and they prayed, “Lord, if you give us a son, we pray you use him in China.” Hudson was a good student through school and decided to study both medicine and theology. His parent’s prayer came true September 19, 1853 as he set sail to become a medical missionary to China.
Once Hudson arrived in Ningpo, China he noticed immediately that mission work there wasn’t what he thought it would be. One fault of some missionaries in those days was the mentality that Christians were to “Westernize” the culture. So, they built enormous homes along the coast and “hired” the Chinese as servants in order to influence them with their culture. Many missionaries went to China to change their dress, customs and even language to English.
Hudson didn’t see mission work that way. He wasn’t interested in converting the Chinese to his culture, he desired to convert them to Christ! He couldn’t understand why the missionaries were not penetrating the interior of China with the Gospel. He respected the customs of the Chinese and was eager to adopt them as long as it didn’t violate his Biblical standards. One area he adopted was to wear local clothing men wore and he even grew his hair into a long “pigtail” because this was the culture of the local men. Most missionaries criticized him for these decisions, except one missionary…Maria Dyer!
She respected Hudson for loving the Chinese and desiring to bring the Gospel to their culture. They were happily married January 20, 1858!
Hudson and his bride continued their labor for several more years before returning home to England for a furlough. Their lives would soon change as Hudson knelt upon the beach at Brighton, England and “prayed for twenty-four willing, skillful laborers” to reach the interior of China. This was on June 25, 1865, the night China Inland Missions (CIM) was born! The next morning, he opened a bank account with 50 pounds ($10 USD) in the name of China Inland Missions. One year later, 24 people sailed to China with the Taylor’s to bring the light of the glorious gospel to this dark land!
Throughout the year, the new mission would continue to grow, but because of the Boxer Rebellion the Taylor’s lost 58 missionaries and 21 children, but God continued to send missionaries to them. By the time of his death, CMI had 205 missionary stations throughout China with 849 missionaries serving and 125,000 Chinese converted to Christ!
Hudson Taylor died in Changsha, China on June 3, 1905, but the story does not end here! His work continued on. The ministry God led him to build was so strong that it is still going even to this day! China Inland Mission is now called Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) and you can visit their website at www.omf.org.
Currently, OMF is praying for 900 new workers to join them in the mission field by 2011. They have 1,300 missionaries serving now! On March 20, 2009, Hudson’s great-grandson, James Hudson Taylor III went to be with the Lord at age 79. He himself was a powerful missionary to East Asia. He died in Hong Kong. Hudson did what few are able to do. He left a legacy, not just of ministry, but for his family to follow in his footsteps to magnify Christ and to seek the salvation of souls! A mighty man of God indeed! I will leave you now with a couple of popular quotes from James Hudson Taylor, missionary to China.
“It is always helpful to us to fix out attention on the God-ward aspect of Christian work; to realize that the work of God does not mean so much man’s work for God, as God’s own work through man.”
“We have no responsibilities save to follow as we are led, and we serve One who is able both to design and to executed, and whose work never fails.”
When I was about 11, I read a children’s biography of this mighty man of God. I read how Hudson was in bed one night and while in prayer, he gave himself to the Lord. He spread himself out on the bed and said, “If you send me to China, I will go!” As an 11 year old boy, I prayed that same prayer. I said, “If you will send me into missions, I will go!” Well, that next summer, I had the unique opportunity to spend 3 weeks traveling through Germany, Hungary, Romania and the Ukraine with a missionary friend of my church and family. Since then, Hudson Taylor has impacted my walk with Christ in enormous ways.
He was born May 21, 1832 in Yorkshire, England. His parents were Godly, and they prayed, “Lord, if you give us a son, we pray you use him in China.” Hudson was a good student through school and decided to study both medicine and theology. His parent’s prayer came true September 19, 1853 as he set sail to become a medical missionary to China.
Once Hudson arrived in Ningpo, China he noticed immediately that mission work there wasn’t what he thought it would be. One fault of some missionaries in those days was the mentality that Christians were to “Westernize” the culture. So, they built enormous homes along the coast and “hired” the Chinese as servants in order to influence them with their culture. Many missionaries went to China to change their dress, customs and even language to English.
Hudson didn’t see mission work that way. He wasn’t interested in converting the Chinese to his culture, he desired to convert them to Christ! He couldn’t understand why the missionaries were not penetrating the interior of China with the Gospel. He respected the customs of the Chinese and was eager to adopt them as long as it didn’t violate his Biblical standards. One area he adopted was to wear local clothing men wore and he even grew his hair into a long “pigtail” because this was the culture of the local men. Most missionaries criticized him for these decisions, except one missionary…Maria Dyer!
She respected Hudson for loving the Chinese and desiring to bring the Gospel to their culture. They were happily married January 20, 1858!
Hudson and his bride continued their labor for several more years before returning home to England for a furlough. Their lives would soon change as Hudson knelt upon the beach at Brighton, England and “prayed for twenty-four willing, skillful laborers” to reach the interior of China. This was on June 25, 1865, the night China Inland Missions (CIM) was born! The next morning, he opened a bank account with 50 pounds ($10 USD) in the name of China Inland Missions. One year later, 24 people sailed to China with the Taylor’s to bring the light of the glorious gospel to this dark land!
Throughout the year, the new mission would continue to grow, but because of the Boxer Rebellion the Taylor’s lost 58 missionaries and 21 children, but God continued to send missionaries to them. By the time of his death, CMI had 205 missionary stations throughout China with 849 missionaries serving and 125,000 Chinese converted to Christ!
Hudson Taylor died in Changsha, China on June 3, 1905, but the story does not end here! His work continued on. The ministry God led him to build was so strong that it is still going even to this day! China Inland Mission is now called Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) and you can visit their website at www.omf.org.
Currently, OMF is praying for 900 new workers to join them in the mission field by 2011. They have 1,300 missionaries serving now! On March 20, 2009, Hudson’s great-grandson, James Hudson Taylor III went to be with the Lord at age 79. He himself was a powerful missionary to East Asia. He died in Hong Kong. Hudson did what few are able to do. He left a legacy, not just of ministry, but for his family to follow in his footsteps to magnify Christ and to seek the salvation of souls! A mighty man of God indeed! I will leave you now with a couple of popular quotes from James Hudson Taylor, missionary to China.
“It is always helpful to us to fix out attention on the God-ward aspect of Christian work; to realize that the work of God does not mean so much man’s work for God, as God’s own work through man.”
“We have no responsibilities save to follow as we are led, and we serve One who is able both to design and to executed, and whose work never fails.”
Thursday, July 9, 2009
John Newton - Amazing Grace
His reputation was known throughout much of the world, from the coasts of Africa (where he was a slave trader) to the docks of England where his name was infamous as a vulgar, blasphemer of God. His name was John Newton.
The old John Newton, before he became a new creation in Christ, was the captain of a ship that sold slaves…it’s how he made his living. He would sail to what was known as the “Dark Continent” in the mid 1700’s and capture Africans to claim them as slaves, ripping families apart just to make money. Fathers, wives, children – it didn’t matter to John Newton, until 1748.
In 1748, someone gave John a copy of “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas A. Kempis. John Newton read that book and in it saw his awful sins and that he needed a Savior. Through the marvelous grace of God, that which John called “Amazing”, he came to Christ and was gloriously saved!
He forsook his wicked lifestyle and became a humble pastor and hymn writer. John Newton was instrumental as an old man in the shaping of William Wilberforce who would spend his entire life fighting slavery and finally saw slavery abolished in England.
We remember John Newton most for giving the Church the hymn that has probably comforted more souls than any song in history, “Amazing Grace.” John Newton was not exaggerating when he penned the words, “…that saved a wretch like me.” John Newton was a wretched man until the grace of God captured his soul. When I read the life of John Newton, I think of the verse in Romans 6:20, “…where sin did abound, grace did much more abound.”
Upon his death bed, as his memory was quickly fading, he was able to re-call one thing. He is known for saying, “This one thing I do remember, that I was a great sinner, but Christ was a great Savior!”
Praise God for John Newton! Praise God for grace that turns Sauls into Pauls and grace that turned a slave trader like John Newton into a humble, loving Pastor. Grace that has turned my life and your life from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of His Beloved Son!
Let us consider together the great work of God’s grace in our own lives out of
Ephesians 2:2-10 (ESV)
, “in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
As you read this today, why don’t you pause and thank God for the grace He has “lavishly” poured over you and your family. Pray for for those in your life that have not yet experienced the grace of God and ask the Lord to be merciful to those who are yet un-repentant.
Have you experienced God’s Amazing Grace? I’m not asking have you experienced church or religion. I’m not asking if you’ve taken a mission trip or are active in your local church. I’m asking have you experienced the marvelous grace of God that brings about repentance and change? If not, call upon the Lord today. Ask of His forgiveness, ask of His grace and come drink of the well of grace for it is sufficient.
The old John Newton, before he became a new creation in Christ, was the captain of a ship that sold slaves…it’s how he made his living. He would sail to what was known as the “Dark Continent” in the mid 1700’s and capture Africans to claim them as slaves, ripping families apart just to make money. Fathers, wives, children – it didn’t matter to John Newton, until 1748.
In 1748, someone gave John a copy of “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas A. Kempis. John Newton read that book and in it saw his awful sins and that he needed a Savior. Through the marvelous grace of God, that which John called “Amazing”, he came to Christ and was gloriously saved!
He forsook his wicked lifestyle and became a humble pastor and hymn writer. John Newton was instrumental as an old man in the shaping of William Wilberforce who would spend his entire life fighting slavery and finally saw slavery abolished in England.
We remember John Newton most for giving the Church the hymn that has probably comforted more souls than any song in history, “Amazing Grace.” John Newton was not exaggerating when he penned the words, “…that saved a wretch like me.” John Newton was a wretched man until the grace of God captured his soul. When I read the life of John Newton, I think of the verse in Romans 6:20, “…where sin did abound, grace did much more abound.”
Upon his death bed, as his memory was quickly fading, he was able to re-call one thing. He is known for saying, “This one thing I do remember, that I was a great sinner, but Christ was a great Savior!”
Praise God for John Newton! Praise God for grace that turns Sauls into Pauls and grace that turned a slave trader like John Newton into a humble, loving Pastor. Grace that has turned my life and your life from the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of His Beloved Son!
Let us consider together the great work of God’s grace in our own lives out of
Ephesians 2:2-10 (ESV)
, “in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience – among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
As you read this today, why don’t you pause and thank God for the grace He has “lavishly” poured over you and your family. Pray for for those in your life that have not yet experienced the grace of God and ask the Lord to be merciful to those who are yet un-repentant.
Have you experienced God’s Amazing Grace? I’m not asking have you experienced church or religion. I’m not asking if you’ve taken a mission trip or are active in your local church. I’m asking have you experienced the marvelous grace of God that brings about repentance and change? If not, call upon the Lord today. Ask of His forgiveness, ask of His grace and come drink of the well of grace for it is sufficient.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Nehemiah - A Burden of the Lord
In 52 days, he had accomplished what no one before him had been able to do. He had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and repaired each of her gates. Nehemiah was an extraordinary leader. There is a truth I am currently leading my congregation into for this summer, “Whenever God wants to do a great work, He lays hold of a willing people.”
How I’ve challenged my congregation with this…and now I would like to challenge you as well. Are you willing to be taken hold by God? Now, let me explain what that means. It doesn’t necessarily mean that God is going to do great things and bring huge blessings into your life. Actually, it might mean just the opposite.
Take Nehemiah for example. When God laid hold of Nehemiah’s heart, he had a great job. He was the cupbearer of the King of Persia, Artaxerxes. This meant he enjoyed a unique position of sharing both the court and the confidence of the most powerful man alive in that day. Rather than living in the destruction of Jerusalem, he enjoyed the luxurious palace of the King. Add to that, he lived 700 miles away from Jerusalem! How easy it would have been for Nehemiah to dismiss the report of Israel’s reproach. He could have said, “What can I do? God has blessed me with a good job, I’m 700 miles away, I love the Lord and God knows that…why should I worry about what happens so far away from me.”
But that wasn’t Nehemiah’s attitude…not even close! In chapter 1 verse 4, he says, “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Whenever God begins to lay hold of His people, He does it by giving them a burden.
A burden of the Lord is a foreign idea to most of today’s Church. Leonard Ravenhill said it like this, “Today’s Church does more playing than it does praying.” How true that is and I hope God will open our eyes to this.
How important is prayer to your church? How important is it to my church? John MacArthur says, “Prayer is often like a parachute. We’re glad it’s there, we just hope we don’t have to use it.” Let me show you how important prayer was to Nehemiah. It took him only 52 days to organize the 42 groups of workers in Jerusalem and complete the walls and gates. It took him 3 months to travel the 700 miles to Jerusalem while picking up materials. However, he spent 4 months (Dec – April) in prayer and fasting before the Lord before he even presented his plan to King Artaxerxes in Nehemiah 2!
WOW! 52 days of work…4 months of prayer…do you see where we’re missing it in today’s church! Prayer is not meant to prepare for the “greater work.” Prayer is the “greater work.”
Prayer is to a church what blood is to our bodies. When the blood stops flowing, the body dies. When prayer stops in a local church, she will die! God forbid this! The church needs to re-examine Nehemiah and follow his Biblical model of calling upon the name of the Lord.
On a hot summer day in the late 1800’s a few Bible college students visited London, England. They wanted to attend service at the great Metropolitan Tabernacle where Charles Spurgeon was the pastor. They arrived very early to ensure good seats. When they got to the front doors of the church, they saw they were too early as the building was locked up. An old gentleman came up behind them and asked if they would like a tour of the property since it was so early. He said he would first take them to the “boiler room” of the church.
The young college men agreed, reluctantly because of the heat of the day, but they didn’t want to be rude to the polite old man. He took them down a long staircase and came to a large door. He quietly opened the door and there were over 600 prayer intercessors on their knees before the Lord praying for that morning’s service. They were astonished!
The old gentleman was none other than C.H. Spurgeon himself! He looked at these future church leaders and said, “This is the boiler room of this church – it’s what makes us tick.”
It is my hope that you will see the great need for God to move in our day. I hope you will spend some time reading through the book of Nehemiah. I pray the Lord burdens your heart the way he did Nehemiah for Jerusalem. In chapter 2, Nehemiah went out at night and discerned the situation of Jerusalem. He was awake while others slept. He was concerned while others were at ease, and he could see more of the situation of the city at night than the priests, nobles and officials could see in the day. Nehemiah was extraordinary…and so it can be with your church and my church if only we will be a people that God can burden and take hold of.
To hear this sermon, visit www.preachingchristchurch.com and click “May 2009”
How I’ve challenged my congregation with this…and now I would like to challenge you as well. Are you willing to be taken hold by God? Now, let me explain what that means. It doesn’t necessarily mean that God is going to do great things and bring huge blessings into your life. Actually, it might mean just the opposite.
Take Nehemiah for example. When God laid hold of Nehemiah’s heart, he had a great job. He was the cupbearer of the King of Persia, Artaxerxes. This meant he enjoyed a unique position of sharing both the court and the confidence of the most powerful man alive in that day. Rather than living in the destruction of Jerusalem, he enjoyed the luxurious palace of the King. Add to that, he lived 700 miles away from Jerusalem! How easy it would have been for Nehemiah to dismiss the report of Israel’s reproach. He could have said, “What can I do? God has blessed me with a good job, I’m 700 miles away, I love the Lord and God knows that…why should I worry about what happens so far away from me.”
But that wasn’t Nehemiah’s attitude…not even close! In chapter 1 verse 4, he says, “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” Whenever God begins to lay hold of His people, He does it by giving them a burden.
A burden of the Lord is a foreign idea to most of today’s Church. Leonard Ravenhill said it like this, “Today’s Church does more playing than it does praying.” How true that is and I hope God will open our eyes to this.
How important is prayer to your church? How important is it to my church? John MacArthur says, “Prayer is often like a parachute. We’re glad it’s there, we just hope we don’t have to use it.” Let me show you how important prayer was to Nehemiah. It took him only 52 days to organize the 42 groups of workers in Jerusalem and complete the walls and gates. It took him 3 months to travel the 700 miles to Jerusalem while picking up materials. However, he spent 4 months (Dec – April) in prayer and fasting before the Lord before he even presented his plan to King Artaxerxes in Nehemiah 2!
WOW! 52 days of work…4 months of prayer…do you see where we’re missing it in today’s church! Prayer is not meant to prepare for the “greater work.” Prayer is the “greater work.”
Prayer is to a church what blood is to our bodies. When the blood stops flowing, the body dies. When prayer stops in a local church, she will die! God forbid this! The church needs to re-examine Nehemiah and follow his Biblical model of calling upon the name of the Lord.
On a hot summer day in the late 1800’s a few Bible college students visited London, England. They wanted to attend service at the great Metropolitan Tabernacle where Charles Spurgeon was the pastor. They arrived very early to ensure good seats. When they got to the front doors of the church, they saw they were too early as the building was locked up. An old gentleman came up behind them and asked if they would like a tour of the property since it was so early. He said he would first take them to the “boiler room” of the church.
The young college men agreed, reluctantly because of the heat of the day, but they didn’t want to be rude to the polite old man. He took them down a long staircase and came to a large door. He quietly opened the door and there were over 600 prayer intercessors on their knees before the Lord praying for that morning’s service. They were astonished!
The old gentleman was none other than C.H. Spurgeon himself! He looked at these future church leaders and said, “This is the boiler room of this church – it’s what makes us tick.”
It is my hope that you will see the great need for God to move in our day. I hope you will spend some time reading through the book of Nehemiah. I pray the Lord burdens your heart the way he did Nehemiah for Jerusalem. In chapter 2, Nehemiah went out at night and discerned the situation of Jerusalem. He was awake while others slept. He was concerned while others were at ease, and he could see more of the situation of the city at night than the priests, nobles and officials could see in the day. Nehemiah was extraordinary…and so it can be with your church and my church if only we will be a people that God can burden and take hold of.
To hear this sermon, visit www.preachingchristchurch.com and click “May 2009”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Adoniram & Ann Judson - Lives of Endurance
When I think of endurance, my mind goes to Adoniram and Ann Judson, whom it is my joy to introduce to you. I first met this couple in the summer of 2006, in their biography. Though they lived 150 years ago, their story shows me the everlasting promises of God. It encourages me to keep serving without giving up. I hope that same encouragement fills your heart as you read the remarkable testimony of their faithfulness to the Kingdom of God.
Adoniram was born in 1788 to a godly home. His father was a Congregational pastor and his mother was a prayer intercessor. However, it wasn’t until Adoniram was 20 years old that he trusted in Christ. All throughout his childhood, he excelled mentally and even entered Providence College (now Brown University) at age 17, after taking a year off of school due to sickness. It was at Brown that a friend, who was a brilliant Deist, destroyed the faith of Adoniram. His parents were crushed when they found out that Adoniram had lost his faith.
While traveling on horseback one night through a small town, he stopped at a hotel to stay the night because of stormy weather. The clerk explained that there were not any available rooms. He pleaded with the clerk and said he was willing to sleep anywhere just to get out of the weather. The clerk remembered that there was a room with two beds; the problem was that a man was sick and dying and if he could handle the noise throughout the night, he could have the other half of that room. Adoniram agreed and the clerk hung a blanket separating the two beds.
All night, the dying man next to him struggled to breathe, coughing and chocking. Adoniram knew he was near death. Throughout the night, he wondered to himself if the man was ready to meet God? Was the man right with God and ready to have his soul from judgment? He then thought of his friend at Brown and how he would laugh at him for thinking such silly thoughts.
The next morning, while checking out, Adoniram asked the clerk the identity of the man who had died next to his bed. The clerk said, “He was a brilliant young man from Providence College named….” It was the same young deists that had destroyed Adoniram’s faith just 3 years earlier.
Adoniram stood there in shock…“he was lost” he kept thinking, “Lost! Lost! Lost!” The words kept ringing in his head and roaring through his soul. In that moment, Adoniram realized, he was lost too! He immediately returned home and entered Andover Theological Seminary and “sought God for the pardon of his soul.” After being born again, he dedicated his life to God’s service!
It was soon after that Adoniram would help form America’s first Missionary Society. He and his new bride, Ann, would set sail on February 19, 1812, as America’s first missionaries only seven days after their wedding!
After spending a short time with William Carey, the young couple was rejected by the East India Company to be missionaries in India. That would prove to be a sovereign decision made by God! The heartbroken couple was filled with frustration and failure…but God was working, leading them to Rangoon, Burma!
What a dark land Burma is! In the mid-1800’s, Christianity was illegal in the Burman Empire. There wasn’t a single Christian or known Church in existence. Oh how endurance would make this man and his young bride! They settled into Rangoon, which was a crime-infested city. In complete loneliness, God blessed them with a baby boy. Sadly, even that joy was only for a short period. Eight months after Roger William Judson was born, he died of cholera. Because the Burmese wouldn’t touch a dead foreigner, Adoniram had to bury his baby with his own hands. Grief stricken, he dug the grave for his son and conducted his funeral.
For the next 6 years, Adoniram and Ann would labor among the Burmese before seeing their first convert. Moung Nau was the first Burmese known to believe the Gospel and be baptized! Adoniram would write in his journal, “Oh, may it prove to be the beginning of a series of baptisms in the Burman Empire which shall continue in uninterrupted success to the end of the age.”
Adoniram saw as many as 18 Burmese saved and baptized before deep opposition came. God blessed the Judson’s with healthy children, but it was at this time that a war had broken out between the Burmese and the English. Even though Adoniram and Ann were Americans, he was arrested by the Burmese government as a British spy. He was imprisoned for 21 months and condemned to death. He worried about his family…how they were eating, what they were doing for money, if they would be robbed or worse. God took care of them through the 21 months. God also preserved the project Adoniram had been working on for years…the first Bible translated into the Burmese language.
After those agonizing months, Adoniram was freed by the government and he went on to continue his translation work. He and Ann had spent 31 years in Burma before coming home to America for a few months of furlough. They returned to Burma to serve for another 7 years before his death on April 12, 1850. He was 62 years old and was buried at sea.
The Bible that took him nearly 21 years to complete was (and still is) the only Bible the Burmese have in their own language. This was the spirit of this mighty man, once at the capital city of Ava, looking at the enormous Buddhists Temples Judson challenged, “A voice mightier than mine, a still small voice, will ere long sweep away every vestige of thy dominion. The Churches of Jesus Christ will soon supplant these idolatrous monuments and the chanting devotees of Buddha will die away before the Christian’s hymns of praise.”
38 years before arriving in Burma, there was not one single known Christian in the Empire of Burma. Upon his death, the government had legalized Christianity and through the efforts and endurance of Adoniram and Ann Judson, there were legally recorded 300,000 Christians throughout the Empire.
Adoniram was born in 1788 to a godly home. His father was a Congregational pastor and his mother was a prayer intercessor. However, it wasn’t until Adoniram was 20 years old that he trusted in Christ. All throughout his childhood, he excelled mentally and even entered Providence College (now Brown University) at age 17, after taking a year off of school due to sickness. It was at Brown that a friend, who was a brilliant Deist, destroyed the faith of Adoniram. His parents were crushed when they found out that Adoniram had lost his faith.
While traveling on horseback one night through a small town, he stopped at a hotel to stay the night because of stormy weather. The clerk explained that there were not any available rooms. He pleaded with the clerk and said he was willing to sleep anywhere just to get out of the weather. The clerk remembered that there was a room with two beds; the problem was that a man was sick and dying and if he could handle the noise throughout the night, he could have the other half of that room. Adoniram agreed and the clerk hung a blanket separating the two beds.
All night, the dying man next to him struggled to breathe, coughing and chocking. Adoniram knew he was near death. Throughout the night, he wondered to himself if the man was ready to meet God? Was the man right with God and ready to have his soul from judgment? He then thought of his friend at Brown and how he would laugh at him for thinking such silly thoughts.
The next morning, while checking out, Adoniram asked the clerk the identity of the man who had died next to his bed. The clerk said, “He was a brilliant young man from Providence College named….” It was the same young deists that had destroyed Adoniram’s faith just 3 years earlier.
Adoniram stood there in shock…“he was lost” he kept thinking, “Lost! Lost! Lost!” The words kept ringing in his head and roaring through his soul. In that moment, Adoniram realized, he was lost too! He immediately returned home and entered Andover Theological Seminary and “sought God for the pardon of his soul.” After being born again, he dedicated his life to God’s service!
It was soon after that Adoniram would help form America’s first Missionary Society. He and his new bride, Ann, would set sail on February 19, 1812, as America’s first missionaries only seven days after their wedding!
After spending a short time with William Carey, the young couple was rejected by the East India Company to be missionaries in India. That would prove to be a sovereign decision made by God! The heartbroken couple was filled with frustration and failure…but God was working, leading them to Rangoon, Burma!
What a dark land Burma is! In the mid-1800’s, Christianity was illegal in the Burman Empire. There wasn’t a single Christian or known Church in existence. Oh how endurance would make this man and his young bride! They settled into Rangoon, which was a crime-infested city. In complete loneliness, God blessed them with a baby boy. Sadly, even that joy was only for a short period. Eight months after Roger William Judson was born, he died of cholera. Because the Burmese wouldn’t touch a dead foreigner, Adoniram had to bury his baby with his own hands. Grief stricken, he dug the grave for his son and conducted his funeral.
For the next 6 years, Adoniram and Ann would labor among the Burmese before seeing their first convert. Moung Nau was the first Burmese known to believe the Gospel and be baptized! Adoniram would write in his journal, “Oh, may it prove to be the beginning of a series of baptisms in the Burman Empire which shall continue in uninterrupted success to the end of the age.”
Adoniram saw as many as 18 Burmese saved and baptized before deep opposition came. God blessed the Judson’s with healthy children, but it was at this time that a war had broken out between the Burmese and the English. Even though Adoniram and Ann were Americans, he was arrested by the Burmese government as a British spy. He was imprisoned for 21 months and condemned to death. He worried about his family…how they were eating, what they were doing for money, if they would be robbed or worse. God took care of them through the 21 months. God also preserved the project Adoniram had been working on for years…the first Bible translated into the Burmese language.
After those agonizing months, Adoniram was freed by the government and he went on to continue his translation work. He and Ann had spent 31 years in Burma before coming home to America for a few months of furlough. They returned to Burma to serve for another 7 years before his death on April 12, 1850. He was 62 years old and was buried at sea.
The Bible that took him nearly 21 years to complete was (and still is) the only Bible the Burmese have in their own language. This was the spirit of this mighty man, once at the capital city of Ava, looking at the enormous Buddhists Temples Judson challenged, “A voice mightier than mine, a still small voice, will ere long sweep away every vestige of thy dominion. The Churches of Jesus Christ will soon supplant these idolatrous monuments and the chanting devotees of Buddha will die away before the Christian’s hymns of praise.”
38 years before arriving in Burma, there was not one single known Christian in the Empire of Burma. Upon his death, the government had legalized Christianity and through the efforts and endurance of Adoniram and Ann Judson, there were legally recorded 300,000 Christians throughout the Empire.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The power of Christ in unfit people
JESUS HAS RISEN…and the disciples are hiding! That was the scene in John 20. You can read it for yourself. In one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, the phrase in verse 19 strikes me the most, “…the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews.” That really shocks me that the disciples didn’t believe He had risen. Even though God had just displayed His might as never before through the resurrection of His Son, His people (the disciples) refused to believe…kind of sounds like many Christians today, doesn’t it?
While the power of God is moving, there are many who hide in their churches, afraid to engage culture, or some hide in their homes, refusing to be an active part of any church body…still some hide through hurt feelings, bitterness, brokenness, unforgiveness and anger; and all the while, God is demonstrating His power in these final days! What do you think God has to say to those who hide? Just wait, I think the answer might surprise you.
Looking closer at John 20, we see that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, so early it was still dark, only to find that the stone, that the Roman soldiers had sealed the tomb with, was rolled away. The body of Jesus was gone and Mary panicked. Distraught, she went to find Peter and John. They raced to the tomb, John outrunning Peter. And I like the fact that verse 8 notes when John stooped in to see the empty tomb, it was then that John “believed.” That’s important because verse 9 says that he didn’t understand those Scriptures that taught Christ must be raised from the dead.
All of this had taken place early in the morning, and by late that evening where do we find the disciples? Cowardly hiding in a locked room! I wonder how that disappointed Christ! Should they not have been celebrating His resurrection? Should they not at least have gathered with Mary Magdalene to pray, or at least have visited His mother, Mary? But no…they were hiding for fear of the Jews.
Now, don’t think I’m judging the disciples too harshly. They thought they were going to be put to death along with Christ! I remember when God called me to plant Preaching Christ Church, I wanted to lock myself in a room and hide too. How silly compared to what the disciples were facing! I remember giving God every excuse as to why I shouldn’t start a church. “I’m too young,” “I don’t have any money,” “there’s already so many great churches around here,” “I’m not married yet,” “I’ve never been a lead pastor,” “did I mention I donn’t have any money?” Those are good excuses, right? At least logical ones! Now, eight years later, after seeing God build His own Church and teaching me how to shepherd this precious flock, I’m thankful that God doesn’t operate in the realm of logic…He operates in the realm of faith!
God could have passed over me…looked at me and said, “Chad is so scared; I’ll never be able to use him.” But God didn’t. He did not reject these disciples either! Verse 19 begins by showing their fear, but look what happened at the end of verse 19, “…Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be still.’” Jesus didn’t rebuke them! He didn’t call them names, like “Cowards.” He lovingly said, “Peace be still.” It goes on to say that He showed them His hands and His side and it says, “They were glad when they saw it was the Lord.”
Everything changes when Jesus is near! Some of you reading this might feel like Christ has abandoned you. God’s Word says He hasn’t, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” Psalms 145:18, “…I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
The story’s not over, it gets even more amazing! He looks at these men who are hiding in a locked room and He says to them, “’Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit…’” WOW! Can you believe Jesus said that to the very men who ran from His crucifixion and is now hiding after His resurrection? How many more times has Christ had to show grace to you and me?
So what about you? Are you hiding? Are you running from God? Has God asked you to follow Him somewhere you don’t believe you can go? Does Satan tell you there isn’t any mercy for you; that God has no forgiveness to offer you? Well, fearful disciple let your heart rest in John 20!
God delights in taking the unfit and making them fit! His joy is to take what is unqualified and make them qualified…want proof? Colossians 1:12-14, “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
www.preachingchristchurch.com
While the power of God is moving, there are many who hide in their churches, afraid to engage culture, or some hide in their homes, refusing to be an active part of any church body…still some hide through hurt feelings, bitterness, brokenness, unforgiveness and anger; and all the while, God is demonstrating His power in these final days! What do you think God has to say to those who hide? Just wait, I think the answer might surprise you.
Looking closer at John 20, we see that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, so early it was still dark, only to find that the stone, that the Roman soldiers had sealed the tomb with, was rolled away. The body of Jesus was gone and Mary panicked. Distraught, she went to find Peter and John. They raced to the tomb, John outrunning Peter. And I like the fact that verse 8 notes when John stooped in to see the empty tomb, it was then that John “believed.” That’s important because verse 9 says that he didn’t understand those Scriptures that taught Christ must be raised from the dead.
All of this had taken place early in the morning, and by late that evening where do we find the disciples? Cowardly hiding in a locked room! I wonder how that disappointed Christ! Should they not have been celebrating His resurrection? Should they not at least have gathered with Mary Magdalene to pray, or at least have visited His mother, Mary? But no…they were hiding for fear of the Jews.
Now, don’t think I’m judging the disciples too harshly. They thought they were going to be put to death along with Christ! I remember when God called me to plant Preaching Christ Church, I wanted to lock myself in a room and hide too. How silly compared to what the disciples were facing! I remember giving God every excuse as to why I shouldn’t start a church. “I’m too young,” “I don’t have any money,” “there’s already so many great churches around here,” “I’m not married yet,” “I’ve never been a lead pastor,” “did I mention I donn’t have any money?” Those are good excuses, right? At least logical ones! Now, eight years later, after seeing God build His own Church and teaching me how to shepherd this precious flock, I’m thankful that God doesn’t operate in the realm of logic…He operates in the realm of faith!
God could have passed over me…looked at me and said, “Chad is so scared; I’ll never be able to use him.” But God didn’t. He did not reject these disciples either! Verse 19 begins by showing their fear, but look what happened at the end of verse 19, “…Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be still.’” Jesus didn’t rebuke them! He didn’t call them names, like “Cowards.” He lovingly said, “Peace be still.” It goes on to say that He showed them His hands and His side and it says, “They were glad when they saw it was the Lord.”
Everything changes when Jesus is near! Some of you reading this might feel like Christ has abandoned you. God’s Word says He hasn’t, “The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” Psalms 145:18, “…I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
The story’s not over, it gets even more amazing! He looks at these men who are hiding in a locked room and He says to them, “’Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit…’” WOW! Can you believe Jesus said that to the very men who ran from His crucifixion and is now hiding after His resurrection? How many more times has Christ had to show grace to you and me?
So what about you? Are you hiding? Are you running from God? Has God asked you to follow Him somewhere you don’t believe you can go? Does Satan tell you there isn’t any mercy for you; that God has no forgiveness to offer you? Well, fearful disciple let your heart rest in John 20!
God delights in taking the unfit and making them fit! His joy is to take what is unqualified and make them qualified…want proof? Colossians 1:12-14, “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
www.preachingchristchurch.com
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
John Owen - Trust in God's Sovereignty
When the author of Hebrews wrote to his audience of new believers, things were shaky to say the least. Little boys who had grown up carrying their lambs to the Temple for the sacrifice of sin found it no longer necessary, for Christ had become their sacrificial Lamb! The veil that once shattered any confidence of a common man approaching God was now torn, allowing access to a holy God, that he may approach the throne “boldly” to find mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16). Everything that had been normal to a young Jew in his childhood was now something completely different. The author of Hebrews words it best, “In speaking of a new covenant, He (Christ) makes the first one obsolete…” (Hebrews 8:13).
Try to picture growing up in a church like that. Your father and grandfather taught you to worship God one way, but now, Christ followers are saying to worship God this “new way”. What you learned as God’s covenant with his people as a boy, they now say is “growing old and is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13). Well, as you can imagine, this was a struggling church…a vulnerable church.
I’m amazed when I hear people say they would rather be a part of the early church than of the church today. The church of the first century struggled just as much as we do. The Galatians had legalistic issues! The Corinthian believers were suing one another, had immortality problems, as well as immaturity when it came to abusing spiritual gifts! Church leaders always had to be on guard against the Gnostics, Nicolatians, and Judaizers, who always tried to infiltrate the Church causing divisions and disunity! It was a difficult time for the infant Church.
Well, just as God took care of the Church then, you can rest assured that He is going to take good care of the Church now! “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11, “I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know me.” John 10:14
Today, when I hear things like, “There’s a shaking coming to this nation!” It warms my heart and strengthens my confidence in the sovereignty of God that we have “received a kingdom that cannot be shaken…” My hope is not in the economy, it isn’t in the decisions of the government, or even the morality of our nation. My hope is in the promises of God and the purposes He has for His Elect!
So my question is, what are we to do when we survey the landscape of our country and the condition of the Church? For me, I turn to the author of Hebrews once again. “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:7-8). When I think of what it means to remember our leaders, I include a host of names from every generation of the Church. From Peter, Paul and John to Huss, Wycliffe, and Tyndale, to Luther, Calvin and Zwingli I also add Hudson, Livingstone, and Carey…but there’s one special group that I greatly admire…the Puritans! Scripture says to “remember your leaders…consider the outcome of their way of life.”
No group had a better way of life than the Puritans. While we have tremendous physicians for our bodies today, Puritans were known as the “doctors of the soul”! In these “Shaky” days, the Church needs guidance from Godly leaders, people in whom we can “imitate their faith.” John Owen, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Thomas Goodwin and John Eliot are tremendous models of faith!
I also want to note that the author of Hebrews immediately refutes the argument, “We shouldn’t follow man…we should only follow Christ.” Read carefully what the text says, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their life. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” I love the fact that the author teaches us, don’t just get your eyes on men…men who have clay feet! Christ is our ultimate example! Christ is the ultimate model to the Church. However, don’t belittle the fact that God uses men to speak to His Church! When he says, “…who spoke to you the word of God?” I don’t think that limits it to the actual men who wrote Scriptures. I think it means those who expound, teach, and preach the Word to the sheep.
So with all that said, I’m going to close with a few quotes from my favorite Puritan, John Owen:
“Let no man pretend to fear sin that does not fear temptation also! These two are too closely united to be separated. He does not truly hate the fruit who delights in the root.”
“Do you mortify (sin)? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”
“A minister may fill his pews, his communion roll, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more.”
For more resources on the Puritans, I recommend that you read, Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers (ISBN-10: 0851512283) or Meet the Puritans (ISBN-10: 1601780001) by Joel Bleeke and A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J.I. Packer (ISBN-10: 0891078193).
Try to picture growing up in a church like that. Your father and grandfather taught you to worship God one way, but now, Christ followers are saying to worship God this “new way”. What you learned as God’s covenant with his people as a boy, they now say is “growing old and is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13). Well, as you can imagine, this was a struggling church…a vulnerable church.
I’m amazed when I hear people say they would rather be a part of the early church than of the church today. The church of the first century struggled just as much as we do. The Galatians had legalistic issues! The Corinthian believers were suing one another, had immortality problems, as well as immaturity when it came to abusing spiritual gifts! Church leaders always had to be on guard against the Gnostics, Nicolatians, and Judaizers, who always tried to infiltrate the Church causing divisions and disunity! It was a difficult time for the infant Church.
Well, just as God took care of the Church then, you can rest assured that He is going to take good care of the Church now! “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11, “I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know me.” John 10:14
Today, when I hear things like, “There’s a shaking coming to this nation!” It warms my heart and strengthens my confidence in the sovereignty of God that we have “received a kingdom that cannot be shaken…” My hope is not in the economy, it isn’t in the decisions of the government, or even the morality of our nation. My hope is in the promises of God and the purposes He has for His Elect!
So my question is, what are we to do when we survey the landscape of our country and the condition of the Church? For me, I turn to the author of Hebrews once again. “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:7-8). When I think of what it means to remember our leaders, I include a host of names from every generation of the Church. From Peter, Paul and John to Huss, Wycliffe, and Tyndale, to Luther, Calvin and Zwingli I also add Hudson, Livingstone, and Carey…but there’s one special group that I greatly admire…the Puritans! Scripture says to “remember your leaders…consider the outcome of their way of life.”
No group had a better way of life than the Puritans. While we have tremendous physicians for our bodies today, Puritans were known as the “doctors of the soul”! In these “Shaky” days, the Church needs guidance from Godly leaders, people in whom we can “imitate their faith.” John Owen, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, Thomas Goodwin and John Eliot are tremendous models of faith!
I also want to note that the author of Hebrews immediately refutes the argument, “We shouldn’t follow man…we should only follow Christ.” Read carefully what the text says, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their life. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” I love the fact that the author teaches us, don’t just get your eyes on men…men who have clay feet! Christ is our ultimate example! Christ is the ultimate model to the Church. However, don’t belittle the fact that God uses men to speak to His Church! When he says, “…who spoke to you the word of God?” I don’t think that limits it to the actual men who wrote Scriptures. I think it means those who expound, teach, and preach the Word to the sheep.
So with all that said, I’m going to close with a few quotes from my favorite Puritan, John Owen:
“Let no man pretend to fear sin that does not fear temptation also! These two are too closely united to be separated. He does not truly hate the fruit who delights in the root.”
“Do you mortify (sin)? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”
“A minister may fill his pews, his communion roll, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more.”
For more resources on the Puritans, I recommend that you read, Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers (ISBN-10: 0851512283) or Meet the Puritans (ISBN-10: 1601780001) by Joel Bleeke and A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J.I. Packer (ISBN-10: 0891078193).
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Doxology of Praise
We have just wrapped up a month long series on the greatest prayers found in the Bible. This week, I’ve thought a great deal on the subject of Doxologies. Why are they important in Scripture and why should they become important to our prayer life as part of our worship? Most churches today still sing the great hymn, “Doxology”
“Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”
I love singing these words, whether it is with a congregation as we allow the words to resound from our hearts and lips…or if it’s with guys like the David Crowder Band and Passion who are ensuring that a new generation of worshipper know and love this ancient song written in 1551.
But you know what I would rather do…I would rather have the knowledge of what I’m singing. I want to know what a doxology is and how I can come to honor the Lord with more than the words of my mouth, but with the meditations of my heart.
The word “Doxology” comes from two Greek words, “Doxa” meaning “glory” and “Logos” meaning “word.” It means to ascribe to God our highest glory. Scripture gives us many great doxologies (Romans 11:36; Romans 16:25-27; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:20; I Peter 4:11; Jude 1:24-25 and Revelation 1:5-6). Ephesians 3:20-21 is among my favorites, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
These verses mean so much to me. I love church history and when I look back at how God has always had a people in every age; it humbles me that we are the people of God for this generation. We are His chosen people; we are His remnant for today. We stand in this long line of saints, whom He has qualified (Colossians 1:12), who have drunk from the well of grace and have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives…and today, it is us who can say, “Now unto Him who is able…”
So when I think of a doxology, meaning to give God the highest praise, it makes me want to draw all attention to the glory of God! That’s what a doxology does…it points us toward the glory of God. Now, someone might ask, how is that we come to see the glory of God? Paul answers this in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” For those who really desire to see the glory of God, it is found in one place, the face of Jesus Christ! We see the glory of God in Christ because, according to Hebrews 1:3, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
So here is the challenge the Holy Spirit has been giving me…how often do I really humble myself and draw the attention away from me and toward the glory of God in Christ? How often does my prayer life seem more like a wish list? How often do I eat or drink or whatever I do, to God’s glory? I Corinthians 10:31
So, I’ve been thinking of how my life could become a doxology, how everything about me could bring glory to God. David provided the answer in Psalms 50:15, “and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
How could the way I live and the way I treat others and even the way I pray bring the highest glory to God? That is my aim! You know, our goal as Christians should not be to go to Heaven. That’s what is promised…that’s not my goal! Heaven is not what I’m working for…so what’s my goal? My goal is Ephesians 4:13, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure and the stature of the fullness of Christ.” That is the aim of my life, to glorify God in all things.
Jonathan Edwards, who tasted of true revival during the Great Awakenings, said it best, “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.”
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Jude 1:24-25
“Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”
I love singing these words, whether it is with a congregation as we allow the words to resound from our hearts and lips…or if it’s with guys like the David Crowder Band and Passion who are ensuring that a new generation of worshipper know and love this ancient song written in 1551.
But you know what I would rather do…I would rather have the knowledge of what I’m singing. I want to know what a doxology is and how I can come to honor the Lord with more than the words of my mouth, but with the meditations of my heart.
The word “Doxology” comes from two Greek words, “Doxa” meaning “glory” and “Logos” meaning “word.” It means to ascribe to God our highest glory. Scripture gives us many great doxologies (Romans 11:36; Romans 16:25-27; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:20; I Peter 4:11; Jude 1:24-25 and Revelation 1:5-6). Ephesians 3:20-21 is among my favorites, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
These verses mean so much to me. I love church history and when I look back at how God has always had a people in every age; it humbles me that we are the people of God for this generation. We are His chosen people; we are His remnant for today. We stand in this long line of saints, whom He has qualified (Colossians 1:12), who have drunk from the well of grace and have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives…and today, it is us who can say, “Now unto Him who is able…”
So when I think of a doxology, meaning to give God the highest praise, it makes me want to draw all attention to the glory of God! That’s what a doxology does…it points us toward the glory of God. Now, someone might ask, how is that we come to see the glory of God? Paul answers this in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” For those who really desire to see the glory of God, it is found in one place, the face of Jesus Christ! We see the glory of God in Christ because, according to Hebrews 1:3, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
So here is the challenge the Holy Spirit has been giving me…how often do I really humble myself and draw the attention away from me and toward the glory of God in Christ? How often does my prayer life seem more like a wish list? How often do I eat or drink or whatever I do, to God’s glory? I Corinthians 10:31
So, I’ve been thinking of how my life could become a doxology, how everything about me could bring glory to God. David provided the answer in Psalms 50:15, “and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
How could the way I live and the way I treat others and even the way I pray bring the highest glory to God? That is my aim! You know, our goal as Christians should not be to go to Heaven. That’s what is promised…that’s not my goal! Heaven is not what I’m working for…so what’s my goal? My goal is Ephesians 4:13, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure and the stature of the fullness of Christ.” That is the aim of my life, to glorify God in all things.
Jonathan Edwards, who tasted of true revival during the Great Awakenings, said it best, “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.”
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
Jude 1:24-25
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Christ Among Muslims
“And thus, I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.’”Romans 15:20-21
In October 2005, I was on a flight to Cairo, Egypt when one question changed my life. I was listening to Brother Andrew’s audio book, Light Force. A book on the church caught in the crossfire of the Middle East. The question Brother Andrew asked was, “have you ever prayed for an Arab Christian? Have you ever prayed for a Palestinian Church?” If felt as though he was sitting with me face to face asking such hard questions.
I thought for a while, and I had to be honest and say, “No, I haven’t ever prayed for an Arab Christian.” Well, that changed quickly. Once I got to Cairo, my heart was immediately connected with the believers there. I have since made many more visits to Cairo and have had the opportunity to preach throughout all of the Middle East sharing the Word of God with our Arab brothers and sisters.
In this month’s article, rather than sharing a biography as I usually do, I would like to share one story of how I saw Romans 15:21 happen before my very eyes. I had been invited to speak for an important Evangelism Conference in Egypt in September 2007. This event was to be broadcast live over all of Europe, North Africa and the entire Middle East through SAT-7. Millions of Muslims would hear the Gospel!
Minutes before I was going to preach, a young man in his 20’s came up behind me and asked if I would lead him to Christ. He explained to me that he was a Muslim and his entire family was Muslim, but he wished to know more about Christ. Because it was only minutes before I was to speak, I asked him if he would stay and listen to the sermon and I would be glad to speak with him after the service. I will never forget his face as the Gospel call went out from that pulpit! Tears flowed with every Scripture! Oh how quick and powerful is God’s Word!
That night, my sermon was from Luke 15 where Christ gives the parable of the lost sheep and how the Shepherd will search until the sheep is found. In my opening statement (as I knew many Muslims were there), I said, “Religion is man seeking for God, but Christianity is God seeking man! I carefully began to explain one Scripture after another of how Christ came to “seek and to save the lost” Luke 19:10, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 and 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” I then compared the Scriptures to John 10, especially verse 16, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
I gave the Gospel call to the best of my ability, but I knew the Holy Spirit was giving his effectual call! While all ears were hearing me, those who had “ears to hear” were hearing the Shepherd’s call, maybe for the first time, because they were away from the fold…but the Shepherd was searching that night in Cairo, Egypt and guess what…He found that Muslim boy! He found him and brought salvation to him! That night, according to Colossians 1:13, Christ “delivered” that Muslim boy from the “domain of darkness” and “transferred” him to the His “marvelous light!”
Many others were born again in that service, but one other stands out in my mind very clearly. After the invitation had concluded, I was in the courtyard of the church saying goodbye to the saints as I was leaving Egypt around midnight. An elderly man approached me. He grasped my hands and with hot tears streaming down his face, with very broken English he said, “All my life I have searched for Christ. Tonight, Christ found me!”
There are no sweeter words for a missionary than, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also…” Luke 15:16. There are no sweeter words for the church planter than the promise of Christ, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18. And certainly, there are no sweeter words for the Muslim than Romans 15:21, “Those who have never been told him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Oh the joy of seeing Christ among Muslims!
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:5-6
In October 2005, I was on a flight to Cairo, Egypt when one question changed my life. I was listening to Brother Andrew’s audio book, Light Force. A book on the church caught in the crossfire of the Middle East. The question Brother Andrew asked was, “have you ever prayed for an Arab Christian? Have you ever prayed for a Palestinian Church?” If felt as though he was sitting with me face to face asking such hard questions.
I thought for a while, and I had to be honest and say, “No, I haven’t ever prayed for an Arab Christian.” Well, that changed quickly. Once I got to Cairo, my heart was immediately connected with the believers there. I have since made many more visits to Cairo and have had the opportunity to preach throughout all of the Middle East sharing the Word of God with our Arab brothers and sisters.
In this month’s article, rather than sharing a biography as I usually do, I would like to share one story of how I saw Romans 15:21 happen before my very eyes. I had been invited to speak for an important Evangelism Conference in Egypt in September 2007. This event was to be broadcast live over all of Europe, North Africa and the entire Middle East through SAT-7. Millions of Muslims would hear the Gospel!
Minutes before I was going to preach, a young man in his 20’s came up behind me and asked if I would lead him to Christ. He explained to me that he was a Muslim and his entire family was Muslim, but he wished to know more about Christ. Because it was only minutes before I was to speak, I asked him if he would stay and listen to the sermon and I would be glad to speak with him after the service. I will never forget his face as the Gospel call went out from that pulpit! Tears flowed with every Scripture! Oh how quick and powerful is God’s Word!
That night, my sermon was from Luke 15 where Christ gives the parable of the lost sheep and how the Shepherd will search until the sheep is found. In my opening statement (as I knew many Muslims were there), I said, “Religion is man seeking for God, but Christianity is God seeking man! I carefully began to explain one Scripture after another of how Christ came to “seek and to save the lost” Luke 19:10, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 and 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” I then compared the Scriptures to John 10, especially verse 16, “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
I gave the Gospel call to the best of my ability, but I knew the Holy Spirit was giving his effectual call! While all ears were hearing me, those who had “ears to hear” were hearing the Shepherd’s call, maybe for the first time, because they were away from the fold…but the Shepherd was searching that night in Cairo, Egypt and guess what…He found that Muslim boy! He found him and brought salvation to him! That night, according to Colossians 1:13, Christ “delivered” that Muslim boy from the “domain of darkness” and “transferred” him to the His “marvelous light!”
Many others were born again in that service, but one other stands out in my mind very clearly. After the invitation had concluded, I was in the courtyard of the church saying goodbye to the saints as I was leaving Egypt around midnight. An elderly man approached me. He grasped my hands and with hot tears streaming down his face, with very broken English he said, “All my life I have searched for Christ. Tonight, Christ found me!”
There are no sweeter words for a missionary than, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also…” Luke 15:16. There are no sweeter words for the church planter than the promise of Christ, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18. And certainly, there are no sweeter words for the Muslim than Romans 15:21, “Those who have never been told him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Oh the joy of seeing Christ among Muslims!
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:5-6
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