Pathfinder's Ponderings

The Purpose of Salvation?

2007-12-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

I am finding that being a father of two little girls has this affect on the heart of a man. The tendencies I have to be cold and well... less than compassionate... are starting to melt away and I am beginning to have a heart for things which I never even realized existed in this world. A few weeks ago I was teaching in 1 Peter 2 and we were discussing that the purpose of our salvation (as taught clearly in this chapter) is that we would proclaim the excellencies of God.

While studying this passage God placed on my heart and mind a very practical application for this holiday season. While so many times this can become a season of self-indulgence and gluttony, God blazed through my cold heart the realization that I can proclaim His glory and greatness in many way. One way - the one which jumped at me that day - was through an organization called WorldVision. (http://www.worldvision.org/)

I presented this to my Bible Study and we have decided to do a fundraiser through our local congregation by giving up a Saturday to wrap presents for donations. All proceeds (along with funds from our own pockets) will go to impact the lives of people around the world who have so little. From purchasing something as simple as a goat by which someone can have milk to rescuing a girl from the sex slave trade in Asia by providing her with training and shelter while giving her the Gospel message... we can make an impact and God has strategically placed us in a nation of great wealth and influence that we might open doors for others to proclaim His excellencies to a world beyond our reach.

This Christmas... are we proclaiming the Glory of God? Are we focused on declaring the arrival of salvation through Christ in a little manger 2000 years ago? This is not a popular message, even this time of year... but it is the very purpose of our salvation and should be the delight of our hearts. May we be bold and unashamed of the Gospel of Christ, and may His excellencies be proclaimed today and forever to the dead and dying world around us! Merry Christmas, Glory to God!

Reflection on Christ - My Redeemer

2007-09-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Colossians 1:11-29 ESV

(11) May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, (12) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (13) He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (16) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. (17) And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (19) For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, (20) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
(21) And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, (22) he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (23) if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
(24) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, (25) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, (26) the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. (27) To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are he riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (28) Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (29) For this I toil, struggling with all his wnergy that he powerfully works within me.
Amen.

Going Somewhere?

2007-09-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

Every time I think that I am starting to get somewhere, that I have something (in myself) to offer this world... I come back to this passage in Isaiah 40:12-17 :

(12) Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? (13) Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? (14) Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? (15) Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. (16) Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. (17) All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

Okay... the point is we have this great big, enormous God... so, what, we feel really small right. Yes, that is part of it... but then I must be reminded of the focus of scripture... the redemption of mankind in Jesus Christ... and I truly stand in awe that THIS God, all-powerful and all-knowing, would still have anything to do with me... I realize how small I am, in relation to how great, merciful, gracious, and loving He is, and I stand in awe and amazement. Truly, this must be one of the most humbling things in all of humanity. What a great God!

This then will be my closing... Glory in Christ, may these words of Paul be an encouragment, a blessing, and a challenge as we walk this narrow way...

(1) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, (2) complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (3) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (5) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (9) Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:1-11 ESV

A Response to Emotion

2007-07-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

Emotion, how greatly we are affected by this aspect of our humanity. It springs from wells deep within our being, it sways reason and can shake the very foundation of who we are...

So, why do we give so much credence to our emotive qualities? Why do we allow our emotion to have the better of us? As believers in Christ, and followers of The Way, we often find ourselves shaken... I pause, here briefly, to ask why.

Recently, this happened in my own life - I was shaken by my emotion, rocked, my perspective skewed. I am still in recovery in some ways, so to speak. Now, I am not taking for granted that it has been an emotionally charged season, and that the stress levels at our home have been running high due to a new baby and the recent surgery that she had to go through. But, I really let it all build up and get to me. It affected my reason... and I pride myself (sometimes a bit much) on my conscious effort to reason through my thoughts, actions, and behavior. Yet, it happened. I let it build, a beautiful crescendo... and then hit me in the face.

But, we who are clothed with the very nature of Christ... what should our response to stress and emotion laden situations be?

I let it cloud my mind, frustrate me, charge my soul with anger and hostility. I did not show this outwardly around others, but the expression of the tumult within me was at the very least lacking in righteousness. So, I return to the question. What should our response be?

I remember a good friend, a brother of mine in Christ, tell me one time that as Christians we do not have to be driven by our emotion, that all aspects of our life are supposed to be subject to Christ and our new nature in Him. So, I look at this and point to my actions, the way that I handled this stressful, emotional situation and realize that I did not give glory to God in this.

As ones who seek to give glory to God, it is incumbent upon us to bind our emotions and make them submit to the glory and will of God. Please hear me, I am not making a plea for emotionless believers. Far from this, I am calling for emotion - but emotion which flows from reality. The reality is that we have been redeemed by the maker of the Universe, that the lover of our souls is the God of the holy scriptures. In all truth, we are sojourners, travelers in a land of pain, suffering, hurt, and depravity... and that we are to be light in the dark places and salt to this world which is without taste. We carry the Word of Life, we are bearers of the Truth, and followers of the One Way. We must bear the charge given to Paul in 1 Timothy 6:11-16. I leave you with this charge.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time--he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:11-16 ESV

Thoughts on Philippians...

2007-04-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

(9) And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, (10) so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (11) filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11 ESV

So, "more consistent" does not equate consistent, but it is at least a move in the right direction.

Well, I am going through Philippians with my Sunday School class of high school Juniors and Seniors. We are trying to discover this whole concept of "studying" a book of the Bible. My desire is that we would be growing in our ability to process what is being said in God's word and then make coherent arguments about the implications therein. So far we have struggled, but I think I may have lost them a couple of times with historical context.

I find that what Paul is saying in Philippians hits home more to me when I understand that the people that he is writing to are living in a colony of retired soldiers - Philippi. (Thus the abundance of military imagery) I am growing more and more in my respect for Paul and his ability to know his audience and then present the Gospel to them in light of who they are.

This is a massive concept to truly wrap our mind around. For instance, these soldiers at Philippi... fought against each other in the Battle of Philippi in 42BC. (I recommend Appian of Alexandria's history of this battle - lengthy, but a very helpful primary source) What you then find in Philippians many times is a call to unity in the body of Christ... oneness between men who fought bitterly against one another.

We too, if we care for those that we invest in will speak into their wounds, their victories and defeats, their lives in such a way that they will know that we love them. In this way we will encourage the hearts of those who are fighting through battles that we would not know of if we did not remove our blinders. Let us have a heart to know people, to love them , to invest in them so that they may grow in their knowledge and obedience to God.

Ponderous Posting ... possibly

2007-03-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, here I am. Weeks from my new resolve to post more on my blog... and my first blog. Oh well...

I guess that life sometimes just kind of does a gang tackle on you - the affects of which I am presently feeling. I am currently studying for a mid-term exam in Theology and find myself incredibly distracted by the million other things going on. I know, you are all saying welcome to life, but I am completely drained!

I have recently made a decision that I am no longer going to attempt to divine from the cosmos what I "feel" God calling me to do... God has redeemed me, I have been given a sanctified reasoning and have concluded that it is reasonable, in light of Christ's commands to share the Gospel, for me to give my whole life to this endeavor.

For about two years ago I have, like so many in our culture, deferred to the cliche of stating that God is "calling" me to this or that... We get so caught up in this belief that we should know the specific plan that God has for our lives when in reality He does not want that at all. No... He wants us to know that HE KNOWS the plan for our life. I submit that for us to desire this knowledge takes us back the the very root of the Fall.

The character of righteousness in Adam and Eve was not that they knew what God knew - that they did good and spurned evil - NO, it was that they found sufficiency in what God gave them and what He gave them to know. The character that defined the rebellion - rebellion in general maybe - is precisely the desire to know more, the desire to have the knowledge of God and be LIKE Him.

May we not claim of God something that is not true...

May we experience freedom in the sufficiency ofChrist and what he has given us...

Let us return to a happy rest in the Providence of the Living God!

A Move in the Right Direction? We'll See...

2007-02-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

So, this whole blogging thing... I am obviously a novice as is evidenced by my lack of consistency and the completely indigestible length of my previous blogs. Consider this a PSA of sorts (obviously I'm feeding my delusion that there are those who actually read this blog) that I will be making a much more concerted effort to be more consistent and less lengthy with future posts... with that said... adieu.

The Transference of Passion

2007-01-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

"The Only God I know is the God of the Book, and you better know the Book."
Dr. Tomlinson

Last week I found myself taking my first seminary course. I did not know exactly what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to find an instructor who was deeply passionate about the study of God's word within the context it was written. The course was called New Testament Backgrounds with Dr. Alan Tomlinson at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and I found again how completely influential a passionate person can be.

Dr. Tomlinson presented the New Testament through the eyes of a scholar who has spent a lifetime of research digging into the First Century words as to better understand the text of the one book which reveals God Himself. Through this course a deep desire was stirred in me to pour much time and energy into the study of the Greek language in an attempt to better understand the original text itself.

One of these days I am sure that I will find that I can pick up the Greek New Testament like Dr. Tomlinson and read from it clearly and precisely, but I can only hope that through a lifetime of study and devotion that I will have the depth of understanding of the First Century that I may be able to have that New Testament spring to life in the very same way I saw it happen in the eyes of my teacher.

For the planting of this desire, I will be forever grateful. Thank you Dr. Tomlinson, I look forward to studying under you again.

To Secure our Liberty

2006-08-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

It seems interesting to this young student of history that we have so quickly forgotten our founding, so quickly lost hold of our footing and disembarked from what our founding fathers established this government as. Is it not inextricably clear that this government was founded on the premise that it's sole duty was to ensure the liberty and freedom of it's citizens?

Many times we hear of people fighting to know the right way to interpret the Constitution and our founding documents, people speak of these documents as living and growing, adaptable to the changing environment and climate of our world and culture. However, the truth is that our government, even by it's more liberal founders, was never intended to be the socialist machine that it has become. Was our government established to provide food for the hungry, homes for the homeless, clothes for the naked? No, while these things are important to do for others, they are not - and never were - a part of what our government was founded to do. You see, the founders of this nation knew that this was the job, not of the government, but the Church.

If we listened to those around us it would be easy to believe that our government was created so that we can the 'right' to live however we want to or however makes us feel good. We fail to realize that our government was founded to secure those rights which are inalienable and self-evident, endowed by our Creator.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...
The Declaration of Independence

As we can plainly see, from the very pens of those who founded and drafted this nation from inception, the sole reason that this goverment was "instituted among Men" was "to secure [the] rights" of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." It takes no scholar, it takes no divine revelation to interperet the simple words of these men - men who pledged life, fortune, and sacred honor to back up these sentiments. It is simple and straightforward that the goal and focus of the establishment of this seperate and unique nation was to simply secure those rights which were most basic.

It is very important that the word pursuit is inserted here in the text. You see, the founders of this nation saw fit to guarantee some things - like life and liberty - but they saw it wholly unfit to provide for the happiness of it's people. They realized that this would be an impossibility; however, they did guarantee something which is very important. They guaranteed the possibility of happiness, they guaranteed that we have the right - the inalienable right - to pursue happiness. Our nation was never formed to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give money to the poor, roofs over heads, healthcare, daycare, medicine... it was never meant to provide our needs, it was made to secure that we would have that ability. It was birthed to secure our rights to live, to have liberty, and to pursue happiness - nothing more, nothing less.

We can see in our Constitution, as clearly as in the Declaration, these same principles established through words so carefully penned that we can have no question as to their intent.

...in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Constitution of the United States of America

To begin with we need to understand the beginnings of the statement "to form a more perfect Union." This idea of a union was developing through hardship, and the first attempt at this union utterly failed in the form of the Article of Confederation . So...in order to form a union which was "more perfect" a union which would ensure those rights which were established by the Declaration as inalienable and endowed by the Creator a framework had to be established. Here, in the Constitution, this framework is developed. And if one looks closely at this document and evaluates the implications behind it one can easily establish that the reason this is a framework and not something much more involved and intricate is simply that it was formed to secure the rights of its citizens.

We see the establishment of the basic structure to ensure those inalienable rights over and over in this document. Look at the next thing listed here, the establishment of Justice. Is it not easily seen that the sole reason for justice and law is not to impliment restraints on freedoms, but to ensure that we have the aforementioned rights? We have to realize that our rights are just that...ours, and that each in this nation has their own. The reason that Justice had to be implimented at all is because our founding fathers understood that there would always be those who sought to usurp the rights of others and abuse the rights which were their own. In order to secure that these rights were upheld for all, a set of laws began to develop and the oversight of these laws and establishment thereof fell under the blanket of what we call Justice. Now, notice that the founding fathers leave this open and do not establish these laws specifically - at least to great extent. This is simply verification of what I have already stated. This testifies to the fact that this was simply a framework and an undergirding of the basic tenants and principles on which the founders believed this nation needed to survive. And this may be an interesting study for another time, but notice how we have changed since we have digressed from these basic principles and ideas.

It is logical progression through the next few topics and easily seen how they pertain to the ensuring of the rights established in the Declaration. Domestic Tranquility and Common Defense are inextricably linked and for the sake of time I will simply state that without a good control on these that a nation could not exist for any memorable period. Through history we have seen culture after culture fall because these two things waned in importance. Realizing that a threat from within or a threat from without could just as easily destroy a nation, our founding fathers set this before the government as a duty toward its people. Where we see unchecked civil unrest there is revolution and bloodshed... the very people who are supposed to be protected by the nation have to witness the death and slaughter of their own. And from without... we all remember seeing pictures of WWI and WWII, Korea and Vietnam, and more close to our memories of wars in the Middle East. If these things are not on the mind of the established government, if they are not being addressed we can see the outcome. We all remember the holocaust, despite the few disillusioned and blind individuals who close their eyes to the blatantly obvious. You see, the establishement of domestic tranquility and common defense is vital to the protection of those rights which are so precious to us - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Now, I come to probably the most misinterpreted concept in the whole of the Constitution, at least by our generation. The founding fathers saw fit to "promote the General Welfare" of its people. First we have to establish what the current view is. It was no mistake that government aide programs wear names like Welfare, do not be decieved to think that this is some coincidence. We have been conned into believing that 'individual welfare' is the same as 'General Welfare.' See, Individual Welfare was never the plan for this government. Individual Welfare is what we see in governments which we more commonly see bearing titles such as Communism and Socialism. It means, at least from a governmental perspective, that we are resposible for every single individuals health, wellbeing, education, and lifestyle. We can see this today, people from every state regardless of political leaning or ethinic origin falling before the government with hands out and mouths open. Please do not hear apathy or contempt, but realize that this is as much a frustration with the Church in America as it is the government. We have lost our understanding of our roles and duties, we have forgotten what these things in fact even mean. We have decided that it is easier for the church to put this burden on the establishment of government and told them to do with dollars and programs what we as the Church should be doing with loving hearts, hands, and yes... finances. But, we have lost sight in so many areas. I am simply attempting to open our eyes a little wider to see the folly of our ways.

Now that we know what Individual Welfare is we need to establish what General Welfare is, and I think at this point you might be starting to have a good idea of what our founding father's meant when they deliberately penned these words. I say deliberately because that is the truth. These men deliberated at great length and with great passion about the exact words which would be allowed as the text of both the Declaration and the Constitution, but specifically the Constitution. When they say "the pursuit of Happiness" or "the General Welfare" you can take that concept literally to mean what it says. If we could not take it literally, who in their right mind would have adopted this as the exact text? Could it not have been rewritten? But, this is the text that was adopted, was voted upon, which we now fall under as citizens of this United States of America... I digress.

So, the General Welfare of a nation has to do more with a healthy culture and a well-thought structure which will support the sustinence thereof than it does the specific needs of the people. Do you not think that if our founding father's intended on Individual Welfare as the direction that they wanted this nation to go that they would have increased taxes and started implimenting programs from the very beginning? But, what did they do? They inumerated EVERYTHING other than the specific text of the Consitution and the powers it delegated to the three branches to the individual states. And these things that they left to the states, can we really believe that they meant that the states would specifically get down into the lives of the individual citizen and put food on his table, or give him a health plan? Absolutely not! These people came to this nation and made it what they did through sweat and toil. They bled for this ground, not so that people could 'freeload' on the government, but so that they could have the ability to pursue something better, something more, HAPPINESS. They simply provided the means to achieve this through ensuring that the people of this nation would have the right to live free and to pursue happiness to the extent that they were willing to sacrifice themselves.

I realize that many will disagree and dispise me because of this writing. I will be heralded as some kind of right-wing, religious, constructionalist fanatic; however, I do not care what labels may be placed upon me. If a man writes truth, and can substantiate this with actual documents - and I feel that I have done both - then a man must write despite the consequences that his writings may bring. And this was the sentiment of our founding fathers, who took pens and signed their names to documents which could easily be seen as death warrants in the eyes of those they were coming against. But, they did not falter, they did not waiver in their resolve. They were steadfast and very specific in the terms that they laid their lives upon. This is the understanding that we all must come to before we quibble over interpretation of our founding documents, before we allow our political or religious bent to lay biased and inaccurate opinion in the way of truth. I hope that in some way this has been enlightening and challenging to take a different look at the current national landscape. More than this... I hope it challenges you to do something about the way you act within the republic you reside.

Needed: Men of God

2006-07-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

1Timothy 6:11-12
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and confessed the good confession before many witnesses. (LIV)

“It is not great talents nor great learning nor great preachers that God needs, but men great in holiness, great in faith, great in love, great in fidelity, great for God-men always preaching by holy sermons in the pulpit, by holy lives out of it. These can mold a generation for God.”
E.M. Bounds, Men of Prayer Needed

Sometimes we hear things which hurt us, because we know that we fail at what is stated. I know that this is true in my life, it seems like I know how I am supposed to live, but I don’t live it – I struggle to even want to do what I should at times . More than anything, I hope that in some way that we would be changed by what God is saying to me. I hope that it is a challenge to live a life of devotion to our Lord.

Well, I cannot simply come to you with a ten point “here’s what’s wrong and here’s how to fix it” kind of message. I know that it would possibly be effective, but it would not share my heart… and my heart is that you would be MEN OF GOD… not just in name or by practice, but by ACTION and by PURPOSE. I could ramble on and on about the problems that come against us in the world we live in. A world which has successfully disillusioned us from what it means to truly live a Godly life. I could lecture about secularism, relativism, and feminism; I could discourse about all of the men who have fallen from the calling that God had placed on their lives. BUT, I want to come tonight and be real with you, I want you to come away knowing that I mean what I say and that this is a topic of very serious consequence.

I know most of us have just been coasting through life simply letting whatever comes happen to you, it is time that we stop, and it is time that we decide who we serve. There is a great need in our world, a need for Christ, a need that can only be modeled and affected by the Church. We need to be like Christ, we need to stand for what is right and lead others in righteousness. We need to keep others who claim to be Christians accountable for their actions. We need to be BOLD in the circumstances that arise which challenge and defy our beliefs. There is a war waging and even if you don’t see it the cost of losing is higher than most of us understand… it will cost our families, our marriages, our kids, our brothers and sisters, literally everything that we supposedly stand for as Christians. If you don’t believe me look at the nation we live in. Because our fathers and grandfathers have not been men of God (and I’m not saying that some of them are not), men united in their resolve to affect a world for God, we have lost ground to the enemy.

We have decided that it is more important to keep up with the Jones’ than to chase after God. We have placed our trust and our desires on worldly things, not all bad things mind you, but not Godly things and have lost sight of God. Sure, we go to church on Sunday and have Bible study on Wednesday nights, but does it make a difference in the way we live? We may even read our Bible and pray every once in a while, but if we were consistent about it imagine the change that would happen in our lives. We need to be men who are so concerned about Godliness that we will be vulnerable and yielding to others who are hurting and in need, but sound enough in faith and prayer that we are unshakeable to those who stand to challenge what we believe.

We need to be PURE, and seek purity in those around us. This is huge guys, and probably where we need the most help ladies, I know this is true for me. We need you to constantly remember that we struggle with lust and impure thought lives. No matter how much we desire to have clean thoughts we can’t do it on our own. Yes, God helps us, but we need so badly for our sisters, OUR SISTERS IN CHRIST, to stand up and not care about what the world says about fashion and trendy clothing, but to think about how that will cause us to think about you…. I tell you the truth, I was traveling on a Greyhound bus a couple of weeks ago coming back home from New Mexico. I was holding my daughter and looked around to see how evil and corrupt a world we live in, and thought about the fact that there are so many men out there – probably even some of you – who if my daughter was wearing something revealing, and she were a little older, would be having impure thoughts about her. And you know what, NO MATTER WHAT I DO, NO MATTER WHAT I SAY, I CAN NEVER EVER HOPE TO KEEP HER FROM BEING DEFILED IN THAT WAY. Every single girl, I don’t care what you think about how good or bad you look, you have been defiled in the mind of some lad and probably because of the way you dressed or flirted, or acted. And I am not suggesting that you uglify yourself, that is not true Godliness. I am saying this because you need to know the extent of our struggles so that you can understand how to be our HELP MATES. TO BE WHO GOD MADE YOU TO BE, and to help us be who God made us to be.

GUYS, this does not take the burden off of you. On the contrary, if they are making an effort – even if they are not – we are called to be HOLY, like God is Holy, and THESE ARE YOUR SISTERS. DO NOT continue to sin in this way, you are tearing at the very fabric of what we should be as the BODY of Christ. And I am just as guilty as all of you so don’t think I am just pointing fingers your way!

Men, we need to be protectors – protectors of those who cannot protect themselves. This means we need to see a little chivalry, and a little care and concern for those around you, I don’t care what the other “guys” might think… you have been called and set apart… START LIVING THAT WAY. So, someone is tired and weary, offer yourself as a living example and sacrifice a part of your day or your energy to show Christ to someone through service. Is it really that hard?

Lastly, and this is hard. It is time to start living in such a way that we are ABOVE REPROACH. Living above reproach means that you live in such a way that no one could find an area of your life which would bring you shame or disgrace, and in the body of Christ that says a lot. A man above reproach is a man who consciously keeps himself out of positions which might compromise his integrity. A man above reproach is a man who puts things in place which hinder him from making poor choices in matters of righteousness. It means that we cannot place ourselves in situations where we are alone with the opposite sex, that we must bring people and plans in place all around us so that we have to decision to make which could compromise our integrity, that we have to be conscious of where we struggle and honestly assess what makes us fail or could potentially cause us to sin and make a strategy to eliminate these things. It means that we have to be real, we have to be honest, and we have to place obstacles to our nature in place so that we can be Godly. IF WE FAIL IN THIS, we will fail to be men of God, we will be bad examples to those around us (and don’t fool yourself everyone is looking), we will not affect change in our church, families, and culture; and we will not be doing what God has called us to do.

It is not okay for us to be indifferent about what is happening in the world around us if we are men of God.

1Timothy 6:13 -14

I charge you before God […] that you keep the commandment spotless, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ

On the Remembrance of Sacrifice

2006-05-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day is an important day for us to look at both as Americans and Christians, a day which we can acknowledge the sacrifice of so many who have given us the right to freedom within the walls of this nation. Albeit, these freedoms are many times misunderstood, warped, perverted, and ignored by the people of this nation, but it does not excuse us from recognizing those who have laid so heavy a price upon the alter of freedom for our benefit. Should we be a people of ignorance and trite sentiment simply because we drive nice cars, have big houses, pools in our back yards, good jobs, medical benefits, public education, and so much more than most of the others in the world? How do we so quickly fall away from the things we were founded upon? How far are we who understand going to simply stand by and watch as those few outspoken hippies who want us to forfeit our freedoms yell and scream about world events which they understand less about than they do the history of our own nation? I could ponder questions and frustrations all day without catching a breath; however, that is not why I exist or why I write today. I write that we might think on something a little more meaningful and more beneficial than our current political status. There are but three points I hope to ponder here on this day of remembrance: Why do we sacrifice? Why is thinking on it relevant? Why should it be honored and replicated?

We are approaching a day when none of these things will matter, the freedom that we so yearned for we will realize was just a concept which could never lastingly be obtained with respect to a worldly nation. What we have now and fight to maintain is not going to last forever, there will be a day when it will all fail. At times I don’t want to acknowledge the truth in this, but we must realize in that moment that we are but aliens in a foreign land. The freedom that we are seeking can be found here to some extent, but ONLY in Christ. He came to liberate us from bondage and to set us free from the law which required our eternal separation from God. In America we find much worth in the actions of a soldier who fights and dies to bring us political and financial freedom in the physical world that we live in; but in a much greater way we must realize that Jesus Christ came—fully God, fully Man—lived a perfect life, died a wicked and cruel death, raised from His tomb just as He had promised, and joined God in Heaven, all to serve as a means for us to obtain true Freedom. This Freedom, however is not political, financial, physical, or emotional, but spiritual and eternal. He has provided Freedom to all those who believe that He truly did what He said and who put their trust in Him to forgive the shortcomings in their lives. We all have these shortcomings and if we truly look inside and are honest with ourselves we know it is true that we are not ‘basically good’ at all. We are corrupt and full of evil desires and thoughts, even if we don’t act upon them. We also know that we cannot find happiness or contentment on our own…our money won’t buy it, our big houses won’t accommodate it, our new cars won’t stay shiny enough, our greatest joys will always be fleeting. BUT, I can promise you that God has NEVER failed me, He has always given me Hope for tomorrow, Peace for today, Comfort from the storms of my life, Food and Shelter enough for the day, and Joy which not the most cynical, satiric, or hate-filled soul could steal from me. I am not indicating that these things are the reason WHY someone should turn to Christ…IN FACT, I mean to say that despite these things we owe our allegiance, our lives, our future hopes and dreams, and our complete devotion because of who He is: our Creator, Sustainer, Lover, Redeemer, Almighty King, and Friend—our everything.

He has made us to be like Him; we praise the sacrifice of our soldiers in the cause of freedom and we weep when we think of those who have shed their blood so that we might have the right to be called Americans all because Christ shed His blood that we might be called sons and daughters. Think about this when you hear about our soldiers fighting for us today, some paying the ultimate price, because their sacrifice whether we like it or not points directly at Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. Sometimes the Truth stings, but it is always sobering and brings us to a better understanding of who we are and what we are here for…think about it!

What does the Bible mean by salvation?

2006-05-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is the singularly most important question one will have to answer in their life. The consequences of their answer are eternal. As Christians this becomes a very important subject for us, not only in our own salvation, but in the understanding and ability to explain the Bible’s true meaning. I guess that we should ask ourselves as Christians why so many people misunderstand or are turned away by the word ‘saved.’ The reason is simple; many of us do not understand ourselves what salvation truly is. We go through life knowing that God has made a difference in us, and even if we are trying to live righteous lives, many times we do not consider that dying world around us who desperately needs to know the truth about the salvation that has been extended to them.

First, we must establish what we are being saved from. Many may be thinking, “I know the answer, it is Hell, right?” Well, partially, but there is something much more fundamental than the fiery pit of despair that we hear so much about and see so much of on Primetime TV. Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” We must understand that none of us are good enough to reach God on our own. Because of our sins there is an impassable chasm between where we are and God. There is a price that must be paid for the sin that we have. The bad news is that we cannot pay this debt; none of us are good enough to do this. We must understand that we are not saved because we are good or because we are better than any other person—all of us are wicked and deserve death and eternal separation from God. But, this is why Jesus came and paid the ultimate price for our salvation.

Next, we must understand what we are saved into. Because of God’s extreme love for us we have been grafted into his body. This may sound weird to non-Christians…well, I am sure that it does, but I am talking about a family, a relationship with the one who formed us ex nihilo-or “from nothing”. This family of God is called the Church. It is not some mystically connected group of people, but is closest resemblance of God that we can reach—at least in its ideal form. God is three entities in one, probably the most difficult things for a non-Christian to accept. This Trinity, as it is known, consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each aspect or entity of God lives together in perfect harmony with the others, wholly completing one another. This is the truest form of community or family and is the example which the Church is supposed to model.

Then, we must ask ourselves who and/or what is affected by salvation. This is a very inclusive answer but it is true, everything will be affected by salvation. When salvation is complete at the return of Christ we will see how separation from God has truly affected Creation. Romans 8:22-23 says, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Everything in creation is eager for the fulfillment of our salvation.

So, is salvation an individual experience, or a corporate one? Truthfully the answer is both, because Christ has come and desires a personal, intimate relationship with each and every one of us. We are individually accountable for our decision to choose salvation; however, we many times see this it as only this. Salvation in many ways is more of a corporate event than an individual experience. I am not speaking of the present salvation that is being worked out in each of our lives, but the salvation of the Church, the restoration of God’s creation—which is in His image. I spoke about God as the Trinity before and that this is truly who God is. Being created in God’s image then means more than just our physical attributes, it means that we were made to reflect the community of the Trinity in the Church. This is the corporate salvation of the body of Christ, and we are its limbs.

What are the roles of the Trinity in our salvation? The Trinity is very actively involved in our salvation. As the Father, God set this plan in motion, creating a way for us to be restored to the fullness of a relationship with Him. As the Son, God came to Earth, lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and rising again He exacted power over death and the grave. As the Holy Spirit, God has come to guide and comfort us and giving us strength to complete the work that God has given us. Acts 1:8 says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Not only has God redeemed us, bringing us salvation in the face of eternal death, but He has commanded us to reach the world with this message.

Because of this command we must have a practical understanding of the role of the Church in salvation. Matthew 28:18-20 clearly outlines God’s desire for our lives: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” The Church is to be the support and the family, but it is called to reach the dying world around it with the true message of Christ’s salvation. Why is the world so confused about being ‘saved’? Why are so many jaded and embittered towards anything pertaining to Christianity? It is because the Church is not doing what it is supposed to do, it is not living as the community of believers that it is supposed to do. It is not reflecting God in its relationships within its own walls, much less to those outside of them. We must begin living as we have been called. We can no longer conform to the ways of the world. If we look at ourselves and see nothing different the world will see the same thing, and desire nothing of God. When will the redeemed of the Lord start living like the Gospel is true? When will those called by God stand and be counted among the throngs of needy souls? How long must we wait to see the truth of God consuming the hearts of people in every tribe and nation? It could be today, it could be with you, but it starts right now in each of our hearts.

Integrity

2006-05-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

תּמים
tâmîym taw-meem'
Without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.

נכח
nâkôach naw-ko'-akh
Straightforward, that is, (figuratively), equitable, correct, or (abstractly), integrity: - plain, right, uprightness.

There are numerous references to integrity in the Word of God, forty times in the KJV the word INTEGRITY appears and this character quality is continually stressed throughout the rest of the text of the Bible. We look around us today and see a world in utter chaos, even Christianity faces the cries of hypocrisy and many doubt the existence of God at all. Why? Could it be that we have failed to live with integrity? Is it true that those who claim to be Christians have not lived upright lives? This is a gigantic problem facing the Church today. Are we the people that God has called us to be?! Are we even trying? Are we standing for what is right and true? Are moral values and integrity important in today's Christian culture? They should be of utmost importance, yet I fear that the worst is coming. If we do not embrace the calling of the Lord to rise up and live as people of integrity we will utterly fail to walk according to the guidance and teachings of Jesus Christ. We who have been redeemed have a reason to believe in principal, we have a cause to fight for, our selfish ambition and pent-up resentment for each other must be cast aside and we must embrace each other as brothers and sisters in Christ united in our resolve to live righteously. We must live with a spirit of affirmation, love and forgiveness. We must BE the body of Christ to the dying world around us. We cannot, we must not, waiver in our resolve to stand for what the Holy and Inspired Word of God tells us is right. We must cleanse our minds of the unholy drabble which is shoved at us with full force from the world around us and live so that the world will see that we are SALT bringing flavor to a tasteless and stale worldview. We must be LIGHT that the world can see the utter chaos which the lifestyle it promotes has brought on. We must STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to the needs, the desires, the longing inside of the hearts around us - the only way we will change make an impact is if we LOVE. We have become a people so distraught over petty things - like dancing, and drinking, and inconsequential doctrinal differences - that we have neglected our first love (GOD) and embraced the very lifestyle that we abhor. We destroy the unity in the Church, we cause division between each other as children of God, and we try to control the life which we have given “wholly” to God. I find myself there frequently, grabbing up the reigns and attempting to guide my seemingly chaotic life back into line with God's Word. But, do you know what I always find? The more I fight to bring my life into accord with God's desires, the more off course I get.

The reason is that I do not have the power or the foresight to do this monumental task. I could not save myself from the sin which separated me from knowing God. I could not span the gap between the Father and myself. Not with all of the technology or money, experience or knowledge, fear or doubt could I bring myself even one step closer to a relationship with God. So why do I think I can do it now? I can't and neither can you. Only by the Gracious Blood of Christ can the gap be bridged from my broken and sinful heart to the throne of God; likewise, neither can I gain a foothold in the right direction without first going to the author of my faith and the perfector of my ways. He is the Guide, the Search and Rescue team, He was waiting on me to grab His hand and say, "Okay God, I'm willing to let go...here is control...really, you've got it all. I trust in Your guidance and know that Your desires for my life are far and above any plans that I could make. Break me oh God, make my life a perfect reflection of you. Tear all of me down, destroy me, decimate my inmost being, that I may then be built completely on your firm and never faltering foundation. Be Glorified in my life that Your name would be lifted high above all things and that the farthest reaches of the Earth will know that You are God, Creator, Master, Lover of our Souls, Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings, He who is and is to come, our Redeemer, our Keeper, our Protector, our Comforter, our Shield, our High Tower, and our friend. Bless your name forever and may Your Glory be known in me each day. Amen!"

Integrity is one of those things which cannot be quested for, it must be lived out and practiced. It must be focused upon in every aspect of one's life, that it may be seen and that God may receive glory for the character that He has placed and grown within one's life. I pray that we

would become a people of integrity, a world of integrity, and most imperatively a Church - a BODY - of integrity. The world is looking for someone to lead, will we?

Some scriptural references:
Deu 9:51, Ki 3:6 1, Ki 9:42, Ch 19:9, Job 1:1, Job 1:8, Job 2:3, Job 2:9, Job 4:6, Job 8:20, Job 27:5, Job 31:6, Psa 7:8, Psa 25:21, Psa 26:1, Psa 26:11, Psa 41:12, Psa 51:6, Psa 84:11, Psa 101:2, Psa 101:6, Psa 145:18, Pro 1:3, Pro 2:7, Pro 2:21, Pro 10:9, Pro 11:3, Pro 13:6, Pro 14:2, Pro 19:1, Pro 20:7, Pro 28:6, Pro 28:18, Amo 5:10, Tit 2:7

Ever Trusting

2006-05-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

“Be strong and courageous. Be careful to obey all the law…that you may be successful wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7)

This command is repeated over and over throughout the book of Joshua and was a great source of encouragement and guidance as the people of Israel moved into the Promised Land and took possession of what God had delivered to them. More and more each day I am growing to understand God’s faithfulness, just as Joshua was seeing the active hand of God as he led God’s people in battle I am seeing a daily direction and comfort from He who knows the ways of all man. I began reading Joshua this summer and was awed at the Greatness and Power of our ever Faithful God. As the summer has progressed however I am starting to see this attribute of God (faithfulness) in a whole new light.

In the beginning I was simply hopeful for a continuation of work with my employer. My wife and I had been extremely blessed as we were taken on by Stonecroft Conference Center to be a part of their summer youth staff. The opportunity to work with my new wife in ministry right after marriage was something that I was extremely excited about and we came running into it wholeheartedly, all of the time hoping that there would be the possibility of future employment for myself as she was not yet through her undergraduate degree. Sure enough, before long the summer had been going well and the opportunity for me to continue working at Stonecroft became a real possibility. I knew that Stonecroft was being sold, as the ministry headquarters had redirected and was phasing out this part of their ministry, but had full confidence that despite this occurrence God was providing. The job would at least be lasting until December which would coincidentally coincide with my wife’s completion of her degree. What an answer to prayer. God was truly being faithful and I was starting to see it in a new and fresh way in my life. But God was just beginning to show me how faithful He truly is.

As the summer progressed and the activity and energy began to wean, I found myself continually coming to God for strength and praising Him for the freshness He had been giving the staff despite the daunting future which was looming overhead. The fact that the conference center was selling was a huge issue. Many of the families involved in the ministry there had shifted their lives completely to serve there and now everything they had worked so hard for was being stripped from underneath them. The worst part was that the whole time it looked as if the center was probably going to sell to the ‘highest bidder’ and not necessarily go into the hands of another ministry. Consequently, all of the staff would probably loose their jobs there and would have to relocate their families and start over. But what I saw was very inspiring, I saw the hearts of people who serve others wholeheartedly, I saw what we are truly supposed to be like if we Trust in God. I saw people who made this the best summer yet because that is what God would have them do. They were strong and courageous, not yielding to the temptation which even I felt as a new employee to simply give what you had to make it work and nothing more. But that is not what we were called to do, and that is not what happened. We gave to those families, some who had been coming to that place for almost twenty years, who had raised their children and some their grandchildren there in those beautiful Ozark hills, and my heart mourned with them at the seeming loss of a place which had not only been a restful retreat to some but the place where for the first time they met God.

And this too was not the only challenge of the summer, for as I said I am continuing to grow in my understanding and in my leaning on the faithfulness of God. Only two months after our marriage, while working at that conference center, my wife and I found that we were pregnant. What a surprise and what a reality check. Here I had committed to a job which I was very thankful that God had provided, but in reality I had no security. Rationally there was no way to believe that there would be a job for me after December … and the baby would be due sometime in March. But, God had been preparing me to hear this news and when it came He allowed me to feel joy instead of fear and confidence rather than dread. I knew He would be faithful and I knew that our needs would be met – even if it were not in the ways that I had previously imagined.

At times it seems amazing at how good God is to us, but in reality any goodness He shows is undeserved and reveals to us His true character. I have been working now for about seven months at a job that God has provided at Haggar Clothing Company as the 2nd Assistant Manager. I had wondered for so long how we were going to be able to make it on just one income and no insurance, but God has again shown His face. He has provided for us every step of the way, from jobs to housing and a way to pay for the baby. It is incredible just to think of all of the things that have happened to keep us afloat, but I guess that it should not surprise me that God is faithful. Occasionally I find myself worried about what is coming, about what job will be next, how I will be able to provide for my family, if I will be a good father, when I will be able to complete my degrees, what God would have me do with my life…the list seems endless. But, realizing God’s faithfulness is the only way to enjoy and move forward with what is going on now.

Daily I find that He is with us, guiding and protecting us, preparing us for what is to come. The hardest part of where we are at now—at least for me—is watching my wife struggle through these last weeks of pregnancy. It has been very difficult on her and I can do nothing to help which is a trying experience. I am torn because I desire for my wife to feel well, but I also hope for the healthiest child that is possible. I love them both dearly and want what is best for them both, it is good that I can trust in God because my own understanding is nothing helpful.

Soon, I will be looking into the face of my child, flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. I will have the opportunity to get to know a young lady, to instruct and teach, to raise and love … I can already feel the pressure of being a father. I want the best for my child and I want to give her every advantage possible, but above all I want to show her Christ through a life devoted to Him. I know that the charge on my life, the magnitude of this calling, is immense to say the least and I cannot say that it is not daunting. In fact I do believe that it scares me stupid to realize that this little one will be looking at my flawed and imperfect life to see a reflection of my God. I only hope that my will and heart are so yielding to God that I might be able to teach her about how Glorious and Amazing our God truly is. I can only hope that by God’s incredible grace that she comes into a committed relationship with Him. This is my heart’s desire above all things. This is the most important legacy that a man can leave – that he lived life in such a way that those who truly know Him would have no doubt as to who God is and that the only logical and true response to this knowledge is complete abandon of the world and unbridled embrace of Christ.