Collin Wimberly

2011-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

The question no one asks

Have you ever been stopped dead in your tracks by a verse of Scripture? I imagine that all believers have experienced this many times. Over the past few weeks I have been arrested by a question that the priests and the Sadducees asked Peter and John in Acts 4:7. In chapter 3 Peter and John were on their way to the temple to pray. A certain man, lame from birth was begging at the temple gate and cried out for alms. Peter, in one of the most memorable moments in the book of Acts, says to him, I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

As you can imagine this caused quite a stir at the temple. For years this man had sat at that gate and begged; now he is leaping and running and praising God. The religious leadership responds by sending guards and arresting Peter and John. The next day, they meet with the high priest and his family. Their question haunts me, by what power or name did you do this?

A miracle had taken place. They could not deny the validity of it. All they could ask was, "how did you do this?"

That is a question no one asks the church today. There is such a lack of spiritual power that the miraculous is most often argued away on theological grounds. God no longer works that way. Miracles and signs were for the apostles, but not for us.

Really?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating some kind of pentecostal experience or charismatic showmanship that manipulates people and attempts to produce "signs and wonders." However, I do believe that God is still in the business of real life-change. It seems evident to me that the greatest argument for the truth of Christianity should be Christians themselves. Our lives should showcase the power and grace of God. Broken and twisted lives made new by the power of the Gospel should be our greatest apologetic. As a pastor my prayer is that the power of God to change lives and to save the lost will be so evident in my church that the world can only say, "by what power did you do this? How is this possible?"

2011-04-18T08:18:00.001-07:00

I have been thinking a good deal about how I spend my time lately. The Bible commands us to number our days, to consider that we have only a limited time alloted to us for life on this earth. James refers to our lives as clouds of vapor that burn off in the early morning sun. Peter refers to life as grass, here today and gone tomorrow. Since our time is so limited, our earnest desire should be to make the most of it to the glory of God. In Ephesians Paul commands believers "to make the best use of the time, knowing that the days are evil." The pace of life in our society is stiffling. We run from one event to another. It seems our life just rushes by. What do we do? I don't know if I'm the best person to answer this question. It seems that my time has become more and more pressed as the years have gone by. Just the event calender at our church is enough to overwhelm me. And with 9 children there is always someone or something needed my attention! So, for a start, we must set priorities. What is most important? My time with God and my time with family are non-negotiables. I don't want the years to pass by and find myself distant in my relationship with God or my wife or my children. I want to be intentional in the way I spend my days. If I am not careful life will fill my calender for me. This is what Paul means when he says make the best use of your time. Don't neglect what is most important for what seems to be most pressing. This is my mid-year resolution. I hope I do better keeping this one than my new year's resolution for losing 20 pounds!

2011-04-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am including an excerpt from Charles Spurgeon’s wonderful devotional, “Morning and Evening.” This paragraph is taken from the morning devotion on December 9. I thought this might be a good follow up to Sunday Morning’s sermon.

“Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you.”

— Isaiah 30:18

God often delays in answering prayer. We have several instances of this in sacred Scripture. Jacob did not get the blessing from the angel until near the dawn of day—he had to wrestle all night for it. The poor woman of Syrophenicia was answered not a word for a long while. Paul besought the Lord thrice that “the thorn in the flesh” might be taken from him, and he received no assurance that it should be taken away, but instead thereof a promise that God’s grace should be sufficient for him. If thou hast been knocking at the gate of mercy, and hast received no answer, shall I tell thee why the mighty Maker hath not opened the door and let thee in? Our Father has reasons peculiar to himself for thus keeping us waiting. Sometimes it is to show his power and his sovereignty, that men may know that Jehovah has a right to give or to withhold. More frequently the delay is for our profit. Thou art perhaps kept waiting in order that thy desires may be more fervent. God knows that delay will quicken and increase desire, and that if he keeps thee waiting thou wilt see thy necessity more clearly, and wilt seek more earnestly; and that thou wilt prize the mercy all the more for its long tarrying. There may also be something wrong in thee which has need to be removed, before the joy of the Lord is given. Perhaps thy views of the Gospel plan are confused, or thou mayest be placing some little reliance on thyself, instead of trusting simply and entirely to the Lord Jesus. Or, God makes thee tarry awhile that he may the more fully display the riches of his grace to thee at last. Thy prayers are all filed in heaven, and if not immediately answered they are certainly not forgotten, but in a little while shall be fulfilled to thy delight and satisfaction. Let not despair make thee silent, but continue instant in earnest supplication. ^{^[1]}

2011-04-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some words of wisdom from Dr. Charles Stanley.

“Is there any challenge you are facing? Are there people or circumstances aligned against you in your health, finances, career, relationships, or walk with the Lord? If you want to overcome difficulty, the absolute best way is by spending time alone with God. Only He can give you victory.

How do you fight this battle on your knees? First you do so by setting aside time alone with the Father. It is easy to be distracted. You become so busy fretting about you troubles and running after solutions that you fail to turn to the One who can best help you. (Ps. 103:19)

Second, listen to the Father and expect Him to speak to you. Prayer is not just telling the Lord how you feel – although that is part of it. Rather, He wants to reveal Himself to you and direct you in the way you should go.

Third, if the Lord reveals any sinfulness in your life, repent of it immediately. Remember, the Father’s primary goal is to have an intimate relationship with you. When sin is present, it is evidence that you are hindering Him from having full access to your Life. Therefore, agree with God about your iniquity and allow Him to teach you. He will show you how to change the way you operate for maximum intimacy with Him, effectiveness in your life, and influence with others.

Fourth, remember there can only be on general in this battle – and that is the Lord. God willingly employs His supernatural power in defending you, training you, and bringing out your full potential. However, you must be willing to acknowledge that He is in control and knows the path ahead better than you do.

Fifth, see everything that happens to you as coming from God. Why would you do this? Because if the Father allows a trial or challenge in your life, it is ultimately for your good and His glory (Rom. 8:28). Knowing that He has permitted the troubles in your life for your benefit makes it easier to forgive those who hurt you and accept the seemingly inexplicable circumstances you bear.

The truth, is, you and I are always going to encounter struggles until we go home to heaven. However, God has promised, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper, and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. (Isa. 54:17) When you fight the battle on your knees and faithfully obey Him, you invite God to be your Redeemer, Defender, General, and Protector. That’s not only the best way to win—it’s the most wonderful, eternal path to triumph every single time.”

Hope this blesses you like it has me.

Collin Wimberly

2010-09-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

On Systems of Theology

I enjoy having responses to my articles. Even from people who do not agree with me. To answer the brother (or sister!) who responded to my last article, let me quote Spurgeon on theological systems.

"It has been my earnest endeavor ever since I have preached the Word, never to keep back a single doctrine which I believe to be taught of God. It is time that we have done with the old and rusty systems that have so long curbed the freeness of religious speech. The Arminian trembles to go an inch beyond Arminius or Wesley, and many a Calvinist refers to John Gill or John Calvin as any ultimate authority. It is time that the systems were broken up, and that there was sufficient grace in all our hearts to believe everything taught in God's Word, whether it was taught by either of these men or not . . . . If God teaches it, it is enough. If it is not in the Word, away with it! Away with it! But if it be in the Word, agreeable or disagreeable, systematic or disorderly, I believe it."

Amen - Spoken as only a Baptist could say it!

2010-09-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Labels and Name Calling

I've noticed over the past few years that many folks want to put a 'label' on me theologically. They want to know if I'm conservative (I am), if I am an inerrantist (I am), if I am an expositor (definitely), or if I am a Calvinist. The first three are easy. Each represents a specific theological position that is understood by most people. But it seems everybody has their own definition of Calvinist. What the person asking the question means may be different than what I mean when I answer. So, I always ask "What do you mean by Calvinist?

If you are asking if I hold to the five points of Calvinism, then the answer is no. I am not a five-point Calvinist. If you are asking if I believe that God is absolutely sovereign and rules over the affairs of this universe, then my answer is yes. I believe that. Do I believe that God arbitrarily picked some to save and damned others to hell, then no I don't believe that. If you are asking if I believe that humanity is hopelessly lost in sin, needing a savior, and that God must draw them to Christ before they can be saved, then yes I believe that. Do I believe that the atonement is so limited that Christ's death was solely for the sake of the elect, no I do not believe that. Do I believe that Christ died for the sins of the world, that his atonement was sufficient for all, but only effectual to those who received him by faith, yes I believe that. Do I believe that election simply means that God knew in advance who would be saved, no I do not believe that. Do I believe that election is God's sovereign display of His glory whereby he regenerates, justifies, and sanctified, and glorifies sinners, but is in no way inconsistent with the free agency of man, O yes I believe that.
Do I believe that all true believers endure to the end? You bet I do.

Some people have claimed that my theology is a hodge-podge. I disagree. I believe it is Biblical. I preach and hold to the truth that God is sovereign, not man. Yet, the Bible is clear that our choice about salvation matters. I like what Macarthur stated about election and human responsibility. They are like twin tracks on a railroad. They run side by side throughout eternity.

Finally, I am not a big "systems" man. My goal is to have a Biblical theology. That, friend, is why I do label myself a Baptist, not a Calvinist or a covenant theological or a dispensationalist - I am Baptist. To me that simply means "Biblical.

Collin

2010-06-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

Here are few ideas for short-term Bible reading plans.

30 Days with jesus

Day Theme Passage

1 Jesus Foretold Isaiah 53

2 The Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18–25

3 John the Baptist Prepares the Way and Baptizes Jesus Matthew 3:1—4:11

4 Water to Wine and the Samaritan Woman John 2:1–11; John 4:1–26

5 Jesus Rejected in his Hometown Luke 4:14–30

6 Jesus Calls his Disciples Luke 5:1–11; Matthew 9:9–13

7 Sermon on the Mount Luke 6:17–46

8 A Centurion, a Widow’s Son and a Sinful Woman Matthew 8:1–13;

Luke 7:11–17; 7:36–50

9 Encounters With the Pharisees Matthew 12:1–13; 22–45

10 Parable of the Sower, Weeds and Seeds Matthew 13:1–43

11 Jesus Calms the Storm and Later Walks on Water Luke 8:22–25; Mark 6:45–56

12 Jesus Heals a Man, Woman and Girl Mark 5:1–43

13 Feeding of the 5000 John 6:1–14

14 Peter Identifies the Christ and the Transfiguration Luke 9:18–27; Luke 17:1–8

15 Healing by Faith Mark 9: 14–32

16 Teachings and Parables Matthew 17:24—18:20

17 Teachings and Parables Matthew 18:21—19:15

18 The Rich Young Ruler Mark 10:17–31

19 Disciples Sent Out Luke 10:1–24

20 The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25–37

21 Jesus Teaches how to Pray Luke 11:1–13

22 Jesus Revives Lazarus John 11:1–44

23 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem Matthew 21:1–27

24 The Last Supper John 13:1–17; Matthew 26:17–35

25 Comfort for the Disciples John 14–15

26 Jesus Arrested and Disowned Matthew 26:36–75

27 Jesus’ Trial John 18:19—19:16

28 Jesus Crucifixion and Death John 19:17–42

29 Jesus’ Resurrection and Appearances John 20–21

30 The Great Commission and the Ascension of Jesus Matthew 28:16–20; Luke 24:50–53

30 Days for New Christians

Day Theme Passage

1 The Fall of Humanity Genesis 3:1–19

2 A People for God Genesis 28:10–15; 32:22–28

3 The Ten Commandments Exodus 20:1–17

4 Sacrifices Required Under Law Leviticus 5:14–19

5 Punishments for Sin Under Law Leviticus 20:7–27

6 Obedience From Love Deuteronomy 11:13–21

7 Cycles of Disobedience Judges 2:10–19

8 The People Demand a King 1 Samuel 8

9 Saul Fails and Is Rejected 1 Samuel 15:17–23

10 Many Kings Fail Jeremiah 1–17

11 The Sin of the People Ezekiel 20:5–26

12 An Eternal King Promised Jeremiah 23:1–6; Isaiah 9:6–7; Zechariah 9:9–10

13 The Promised King Is Born Luke 2:1–20

14 The Word Became Flesh John 1:1–18

15 Signs and Miracles of Authority Matthew 9:1–8; Luke 13:10–17

16 Jesus Fulfills the Law Matthew 5:17–20; Romans 8:1–4

17 Jesus Teaches About New Life John 3

18 Jesus Willingly Taken John 18:1–11

19 Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Luke 23:44—24:12

20 Christ a Sacrifice for All Hebrews

21 God’s Wrath Explained Romans 1:18–32

22 God’s Judgment Explained Romans 2:5–11

23 Righteousness by Faith Romans 3:9–26

24 Life Through Christ Romans 5:12–21

25 Life by the Spirit Romans 8:1–17; Galatians 5:16–26

26 Living Sacrifices Romans 12

27 Walking in the Light 1 John 1–2

28 Living for God 1 Peter 1–11

29 Love for one Another 1 John 3:11–24

30 Promise of Eternity 2 Corinthians 5:1–10; Revelation 21:1–4

Hope this helps.

Collin

2010-01-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

The Practice of Prophetic Living

John the Baptist was one of the most colorful characters in the NT. He was a fiery preacher, and a desert dwelling prophet calling people to a radical commitment to God. G. Campbell Morgan stated in his commentary on Luke that we need some John the Baptists today. We need people to prepare the way of the Lord. The church needs men and women who will stand up and stand out for God. But today, as in John's day, a prophet's message is seldom well-received. John was imprisoned and ultimately beheaded for his preaching. Here in America we will not lose our life for our witness, at least not yet, but we may lose our reputation. We may lose our jobs or our friends. Prophetic living always carries a price.

Will you live a prophetic lifestyle? Will you take up the mantle and example of John? I don't mean move to the desert and wear camel's hair underwear. I do mean live an uncompromising and God-saturated life. It may carry a cost, but the blessing is much greater.

2010-01-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

Sermons online

To hear sermons from the Parkview pulpit go to www.sermonaudio.com/pbcbr.

We will do our best to keep up to date on the teaching series out of Matthew on Sunday mornings as well as our mid-week serivces.

Post any questions our comments you might on have and I'll answer as quickly as possible.

2009-12-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

The Gospel of Matthew
For those of you who would like a little more info on the Gospel of Matthew as we study through it, I have included a very good introduction form the ESV study Bible. I love the ESV's clear and accurate translation as well as the flow of the language. The ESV is the only translation that I use in preaching from the pulpit and I highly recommend it.

Author and Title
Since none of the four Gospels includes the names of their authors in the original manuscripts, they are all technically anonymous. This is not surprising, since the authors likely compiled their Gospel accounts for members of their own churches, to whom they were already well known. However, historical documents from early church history provide significant insight into the Gospels' authorship. The earliest traditions of the church are unanimous in attributing the first Gospel to Matthew, the former tax collector who followed Jesus and became one of his 12 disciples. The earliest and most important of these traditions comes from the second century in the writings of Papias, bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor (c. a.d. 135), and Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons in Gaul (c. 175). Because these early church leaders had either direct or indirect contact with the apostolic community, they would have been very familiar with the Gospels' origins. Moreover, no competing traditions now exist (if they ever did) attributing Matthew's Gospel to any other author. If Matthew did not write the book, it is hard to see why the false ascription would bear the name of a relatively obscure apostle when more well-known and popular figures could have been chosen (e.g., Philip, Thomas, or James).Matthean authorship is denied by some modern scholars, especially on the view that the author of Matthew borrowed much of his material from Mark's Gospel. Given that Matthew was an apostle while Mark was not, it is assumed that Matthew would not have needed (or chosen) to depend on Mark's material. But even if Matthew did borrow from Mark's Gospel, it would only have added to Matthew's apostolic credibility since the evidence suggests that Mark himself relied extensively on the testimony of the apostle Peter.When Jesus called him, Matthew was sitting in the tax collector's booth (9:9), collecting taxes for Herod Antipas, and this may have been along a commercial trading route about 4 miles (6.4 km) from Capernaum. However, since the narrative surrounding Matthew's call is set in Capernaum (9:1, 7, 10; cf. 4:13), the tax booth may have been on the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum, since Herod also taxed fishermen. At his calling in the first Gospel he is referred to as “Matthew” (9:9), while Mark's and Luke's Gospels describe him as “Levi the son of Alphaeus” (Mark 2:14) and “Levi” (Luke 5:27). The reason for the variation in names has elicited much discussion, but most scholars believe that the tax collector had two names, Matthew Levi, which he either possessed from birth or took on following his conversion. His occupation as a tax collector implies that he had training in scribal techniques and was thus able to write, while his identity as a Galilean Jewish Christian suggests his ability to interpret the words and actions of Jesus in light of OT messianic expectations.

Date
The precise date of the writing of Matthew's Gospel is not known. Some scholars argue for a date later than the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70, since Jesus alludes to this event in 24:1–28. Of course, such a conclusion is warranted only if one denies Jesus' ability to predict the future. In light of Irenaeus's assertion (c. a.d. 175) that Matthew composed his Gospel while Peter and Paul were still living (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.1), it is traditionally dated to the late 50s or early 60s.

Theme
This is the story of Jesus of Nazareth, recorded by the apostle Matthew as a compelling witness that Jesus is the long-anticipated Messiah, who brought the kingdom of God to earth and is the prophesied fulfillment of God's promise of true peace and deliverance for both Jew and Gentile. crafted his account to demonstrate Jesus' messianic identity, his inheritance of the Davidic kingship over Israel, and his fulfillment of the promise made to his ancestor Abraham (Matt. 1:1) to be a blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:1–3). Thus in large part Matthew's Gospel is an evangelistic tool aimed at his fellow Jews, persuading them to recognize Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. At the same time, the Gospel reveals clearly to Gentiles that salvation through Jesus the Messiah is available to all nations. For Jewish Christians, Matthew's Gospel provides encouragement to stand steadfast amid opposition from their own countrymen, as well as Gentile pagans, secure in the knowledge of their citizenship in God's kingdom. Against the backdrop of such opposition to Jesus' message, Matthew establishes the identity of Christ's church as the true people of God, who now find their unity in service to Jesus despite previous racial, class, and religious barriers. His Gospel provides necessary instruction for all future disciples, Jew and Gentile, who form a new community centered upon devotion and obedience to Jesus the Messiah amid significant opposition.Many scholars have suggested that the prominent church in Antioch of Syria, whose members included both Jewish and Gentile Christians (cf. Acts 11:19–26; 13:1–3), was the intended audience of Matthew's Gospel. They point to the Gospel's influence on Ignatius, an early bishop of Antioch. At the same time, Matthew's message spoke to all of the fledgling churches of his day, and the Gospel appears to have circulated rapidly and widely.History of Salvation SummaryJesus comes as the messianic King in the line of David to fulfill the OT, especially its promises of everlasting salvation. The ultimate fulfillment comes with his crucifixion and resurrection.

Literary Features
The primary genre of Matthew is the Gospel, and the organizing framework of all four Gospels is narrative or story. However, with the narrative framework of Matthew's Gospel, a major amount of space is devoted to Jesus' discourses. Beyond that, the usual array of subtypes are found: birth stories, calling or vocation stories, miracle stories, parables, pronouncement stories, encounter stories, passion stories, and resurrection stories.The most notable literary feature of the book's format is the alternating pattern around which the book is organized. The material in Matthew's Gospel is based on a rhythmic, back-and-forth movement between blocks of narrative material and blocks of discourse material. There are five passages of discourse, which can be viewed as corresponding to the five digits on the human hand and can be easily remembered if one lists the questions that Jesus in effect answers in each unit:

(1) How are citizens of the kingdom to live (chs. 5–7)?

(2) How are traveling disciples to conduct themselves on their evangelistic journeys (ch. 10)?

(3) What parables did Jesus tell (ch. 13)?

(4) What warning did Jesus give about not hindering entrance into the kingdom and on forgiveness (chs. 18–20)?

(5) How will human history end (chs. 24–25)? Matthew even used a set formula to signal these units, ending them with the statement “when Jesus had finished [these sayings]” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1).Matthew's distinguishing stylistic features include recurrent quotation and citation from the OT and an emphasis on Jesus as being kingly or royal (even the opening genealogy places Jesus' father Joseph in the Davidic line). Additionally, Matthew is fond of the term “Son of David” as a title for Christ, statements to the effect that “this was done that it might be fulfilled as the prophets had said,” and the formula “the kingdom of heaven is like . . .”

Key Themes
1. Portrait of Jesus. Jesus is the true Messiah, Immanuel (God incarnate with his people), Son of God, King of Israel, and Lord of the church.1:1, 23; 2:2; 14:33; 16:16; 18:20; 21:5–9
2. The bridge between Old and New Testaments. Jesus fulfills the hopes and promises of the OT through his messianic genealogy, fulfillment of OT prophecies, and fulfillment of the OT law. These bridging qualities may have been one reason Matthew was chosen to begin the NT canon. Another possible reason is that many in the early church thought that Matthew was the first Gospel written, and another is that it was personally written by an apostle, in contrast to Mark and Luke.1:1–17, 22–23; 2:4–5, 15, 17, 23; 5:17–20
3. Salvation-historical “particularism” and “universalism.” Matthew's Gospel traces God's continuing work of salvation within Israel (“particularism”) and extends this saving work to all the peoples of the earth (“universalism”), through the person and work of Christ.10:5–6; 28:19
4. The new community of faith. The early church included both Jewish and Gentile Christians. Matthew's Gospel would have encouraged them to transcend ethnic and cultural barriers to find unity in service to Jesus the Messiah as members of his universal church.11:28; 16:18–19; 28:19 5. The church is built and maintained by Jesus' continuing presence. God's saving work in the present age is carried out chiefly by and through the church, which Jesus continues to build and inhabit. Anyone who responds to Jesus' call—whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor, slave or free—is brought into the fellowship of his church to enjoy him and participate in the community of his kingdom.16:18; 18:15–20; 22:10; 28:20
6. A “great commission” for evangelism and mission. Jesus' command to “make disciples of all nations” is found only in Matthew and has motivated countless believers to reach out to the lost with the good news of the gospel. As Jesus made disciples in his earthly ministry, he commissions his church to follow his example.28:19
7. Jesus' five discourses recorded in Matthew can be viewed as a manual on discipleship. The presentation of five of Jesus' major discourses, addressed at least in part to his disciples, forms the most comprehensive collection of Jesus' instructional ministry found anywhere in Scripture. They paint a holistic picture of life lived in obedience to Christ, and the church has used them to instruct disciples through the ages.chs. 5–7; 10; 13; 18–20; 24–25

The Setting of Matthew
The events in the book of Matthew take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman Empire. The opening chapters describe events surrounding Jesus' birth in Judea, where Herod had been appointed king by the Romans. The closing chapters end with Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension during the rule of Pontius Pilate and the tetrarchs Antipas and Philip.

Outline
The Arrival in History of Jesus the Messiah (1:1–2:23)
The genealogy of Jesus the Messiah (1:1–17)
The angelic announcement of the conception of Jesus the Messiah (1:18–25)
Magi report the star-sign of the birth of “the King of the Jews” (2:1–12)
OT prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah (2:13–23)
John the Baptist Prepares for the Appearance of the Messianic Kingdom (3:1–17)
Jesus the Messiah Begins to Advance the Messianic Kingdom (4:1–25)
Temptations of the Messiah (4:1–11)
Jesus the Messiah begins his Galilean ministry (4:12–25)
The Authoritative Message of the Messiah: Kingdom Life for His Disciples (5:1–7:29)
(First Discourse)Setting, Beatitudes, and witness of the kingdom of heaven (5:1–16)
The messianic kingdom in relation to the law (5:17–48)
The development of kingdom life in the real world (6:1–7:12)
Warning! With Jesus or against him? (7:13–29)
The Authoritative Power of the Messiah: Kingdom Power Demonstrated (8:1–9:38)
Healings, discipleship, and overpowering Satan's strongholds (8:1–9:8)
Unexpected discipleship, miracles, and workers (9:9–38)
The Authoritative Mission of the Messiah's Messengers (10:1–42)
(Second Discourse)Commissioning and instructions for the short-term mission to Israel (10:1–15)
Instructions for the long-term mission to the world (10:16–23)
Characteristics of missionary disciples (10:24–42)
Opposition to the Messiah Emerges (11:1–12:50)
Jesus, John the Baptist, and ministry in Galilee (11:1–30)
Confrontations with the Pharisees (12:1–45)
Jesus' disciples are his true family (12:46–50)
Mysteries of the Messianic Kingdom Revealed in Parables (13:1–53)
(Third Discourse)The opening of the Parabolic Discourse (13:1–23)
Further parables told to the crowds (13:24–35)
Explanations and parables told to the disciples (13:36–53)
The Identity of the Messiah Revealed (13:54–16:20)
Prophet(s) without honor (13:54–14:12)
Compassionate healer and supplier for Israel (14:13–21)
The Son of God worshiped (14:22–36)
Teacher of the Word of God and compassionate healer (15:1–39)
Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (16:1–20)
The Suffering of the Messiah Revealed (16:21–17:27)
The suffering sacrifice (16:21–28)
The beloved, transfigured Son (17:1–13)
Sons of the kingdom (17:14–27)
The Community of the Messiah Revealed (18:1–20:34)
(Fourth Discourse)Characteristics of life in the kingdom community (18:1–35)
Valuing the kingdom community (19:1–20:34)
The Messiah Asserts His Authority over Jerusalem (21:1–23:39)
The triumphal entry into Jerusalem: Jesus' authority as Messiah (21:1–11)
The temple actions: Jesus' pronouncement on the temple establishment (21:12–17)
Cursing the fig tree: Jesus' judgment of the nation (21:18–22)
Controversies in the temple court over Jesus' authority (21:23–22:46)
Warnings against the teachers of the law and the Pharisees (23:1–12)
Woes of judgment against the teachers of the law and the Pharisees (23:13–36)
Lament over Jerusalem (23:37–39)
The Delay, Return, and Judgment of Messiah (24:1–25:46)
(Fifth [Olivet] Discourse)The beginning of birth pains (24:1–14)
“Great tribulation” and the coming of the Son of Man (24:15–31)
The nearness and time of Jesus' coming (24:32–41)
Parabolic exhortations to watch and be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man (24:42–25:30)
Judgment at the end (25:31–46)
The Crucified Messiah (26:1–27:66)
Plot, anointing, and betrayal to the religious leaders (26:1–16)
The Passover and the Lord's Supper (26:17–35)
Gethsemane: Jesus' agonizing prayers (26:36–46)
Jesus arrested (26:47–56)
The Jewish trial of Jesus (26:57–27:10)
The Roman trial of Jesus (27:11–26)
Jesus the Messiah crucified (27:27–44)
The death of Jesus the Messiah (27:45–50)
Testimonies, women followers, and burial (27:51–66)
The Resurrection and Commission of the Messiah (28:1–20)
An empty tomb and the risen Jesus (28:1–10)
The conspiracy to deny the truth of Jesus' resurrection (28:11–15)
The risen Jesus' Great Commission (28:16–20)

2009-05-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

The sermon of Charlie Peace

Charlie Peace was a criminal. Laws of God or man curbed him not. Finally the law caught up with him, and he was condemned to death. On the fatal morning in Armley Jail, Leeds, England, he was taken on the death-walk. Before him went the prison chaplain, routinely and sleepily reading some Bible verses. The criminal touched the preacher and asked what he was reading.“The Consolations of Religion,” was the replay.
Charlie Peace was shocked at the way he professionally read about hell. Could a man be so unmoved under the very shadow of the scaffold as to lead a fellow-human there and yet, dry-eyed, read of a pit that has no bottom into which this fellow must fall? Could this preacher believe the words that there is an eternal fire that never consumes its victims, and yet slide over the phrase without a tremor? Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, “You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings”?

All this was too much for Charlie Peace. So he preached. Listen to his on-the-eve-of-hell sermon.
“Sir” addressing the preacher, “if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worth while living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!”(Ravenhill, Leonard, Why Revival Tarries, Fires of Revival Publishers, Zachary, LA, 1973, p. 19)

Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus

2009-05-10T08:24:00.001-07:00

This is great!

Michael Emmerson LOST

2009-04-18T12:55:00.001-07:00

Michael Emmerson is fantastic in Lost. I love this clip.

Reverend C. A. Wimberly Hunter Hill Baptist Church

2009-04-02T07:31:00.001-07:00

I feel a kinship with pastor Wimberly. This brother can preach!

2009-03-30T08:02:00.002-07:00

The Pace of life

It's crazy at times how fast life seems to be moving. 9 children, a church, and all the other stuff that comes with life seems to leave me moving at something close to the speed of light! At times I really wonder if this God intended our lives to be jam packed with activities. I miss leisurely moments with the Word of God, my children and my wife. So, you see why I have not blogged in such a while. Perhaps the rest of 09 will provide more time to write. If not, oh well . . .

2008-11-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

Who is that tall, skinny, guy with the great hair?

This is not the best quality in the world, but it is fun to remember. This was in 1986 at Trinity Baptist Church in Lake Charles, La. One of the last Common Good concerts. Also, its good to remember Gary Griffith, one of the best friends I ever had. He stands now in the presence of Christ and the assembly of the first born! Miss you brother!

2008-11-06T13:50:00.000-08:00

THE BIBLE AND THE ELECTION

God commands believers to think and act Biblically. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:16 to let the Word of God dwell richly in you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom through it. This means that God’s word should direct our thoughts and our actions. God’s word is the one true source of wisdom for the believer.
And wisdom is certainly what we need as we approach this election.

So, what does God’s word have to say about the coming election?

I) GOD IS IN CONTROL SO WE HAVE NO NEED TO FEAR – Psalm 24 tells us that the Earth is the Lord’s and all the fullness of the thereof. In Psalm 145 God is called a great king and the Lord of all. This means that He is sovereign. He is in control.

A) GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL THINGS -
Isaiah 14:24-28 – God’s purposes and plans will come about.
In Isaiah 46:9-10 I am God, and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘my counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.

Too many Christians are approaching this election as if God were up in heaven wringing his hands saying, “Oh my goodness, what am I gonna do now.”

Nor do we believe that God is uninterested in what is happening in our nation today, or any other nation on the planet. We do not believe that God was simply a cosmic watchmaker who created the universe and humanity, wound it up and then sat back to let it run without any input or interest.

We believe and the Bible teaches that God is active in the affairs of men, and that his purposes and plans will be carried out. No one and nothing can frustrate the plans of Almighty God.

Remember Proverbs 21:1 – The King’s heart is like channels of water n the hand of the Lord, He turns it wherever he wishes.
Regardless of who is elected, God’s purposes will be accomplished. No man, no group of men, no demon of hell, nor Satan himself can stop God’s purposes!

B) GOD IS SOVEREIGN EVEN OVER ELECTIONS –
Proverbs 8:15 (ESV)15 By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just;
Daniel and his friends are interpreting King Neb’s dream about the future.
Daniel 2:21 (ESV)21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;
God has established government and establishes who governs.
What this means to us is that we should not live in fear of what may occur because of this presidential election.
ILLUS: Internet fear mongering. Dr. James Dobson’s letter from 2012. God is not caught off guard by anything that is occurring in our world today. As believers we can and should live in confidence and hope.

II) CHRISTIANS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO VOTE -
The fact that God is sovereign does not mean that we should not vote. Listening to the radio the other day I heard a man complain that he didn’t like either candidate and just simply was not going to vote.
I don’t believe that is a viable option for a believer.

In an article in Christianity Today Chuck Colson calls voting our sacred and civic duty. Voting is required of as good citizens and as God’s agents for appointing leaders.

Romans 13 – God established government. God has a God-given purpose of enforcing law and order and punishing evil doers. Christians have a responsibility to be good citizens of the government under which we live.

In the book the City of God Augustine states that believers live in two cities, the city of God and the city of man. While believers live in the city of man they do not belong to it. We are like people living in a foreign country, our true home is in the city of God or heaven.

Augustine taught that if we live in the city of man and enjoy its blessings, we must take on the obligations of citizenship. And instead of doing our duty out of obligation or duty, we do it with joy and devotion to Jesus Christ.

III) JUSTICE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ECONOMY -
Remember the slogan – “It the economy stupid!”
Well, “Its about justice stupid”

Moral issues are more important than the recession. They are more important than the crash on wall street.

Proverbs 14:34 (ESV)Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

It is righteousness that exalts a nation. It is righteousness that brings the favor of God upon a people.

We have to take more than a surface look at candidates. Simply claiming to be a Christian should not be enough.

Martin Luther’s famous statement – I’d rather be ruled over by a competent Muslim, than an incompetent Christian.

Two issues of justice in America today.

A) ABORTION – I refuse to vote for any candidate running for any office that supports abortion. Abortion is the legalized murder of unborn children.

There are 1.37 million abortions per year in the US. That amounts to 3700 a day.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 139 that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. That God has knit us together in the womb. In the book of Luke chapter 1 John the Baptist leaps in his mother’s womb when Mary, pregnant with Jesus comes near.

We have to remember that who ever wins this election, especially if its Barrack Obama, will probably have the opportunity to place 2 or more new supreme court justices on the bench. I will not tell you who to vote for, that is between you and God, but for this reason I will not vote for him.

B) SAME-SEX MARRIAGE – The Bible is clear that marriage is one man and one woman until death do them part.

In California Prop. 8 will if passed make Gay marriage unconstitutional. Whether or not it passes, Gay marriage is an abomination to God.
I do not believe that homosexuality should be outlawed. But it should not be made legitimate. It is a perversion.

C) CARE FOR THE POOR – As Christians it is our responsibility to care for those who are without. In Acts the church in Jerusalem writes to the Gentile that they should not be circumcised and become Jews, but they should care for the poor.

If a candidate appeared on the scene tomorrow who could fix all our economic troubles, erase the national debt, make all Americans financially secure and clean up the environment, I would not vote for him or her if they stood on the wrong side of issues of justice.
The Bible tells us that God is in control, that we as believers must vote. We have found that justice trumps the economy. Now, we find that
IV) ALL BELIEVERS ARE CALLED BY GOD TO SUBMIT TO AND PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS –
Christians have a responsibility to their leaders.
A) SUBMIT TO OUR LEADERS –
Romans 13:1 – Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. We are to respect them and obey the law as long as that law does not break God’s law.
IE – If the law says drive 55 – believers should.
If a law were passed that said I had to marry homosexuals – I would not.

Whoever wins will be your president and should be respected and honored as such. I think many Bible believing Christians blew it on this with Bill Clinton. None of us liked many of his stances, none of us could agree with his immoral actions, but he was president and the Bible called us to respect and honor him as such.

B) PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS – I Timothy 2:1 – First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

NOTE – Prayers and thanksgivings. Wed morning we should get up and pray for our new president, regardless of who we voted for.
Thanksgivings – that’s right.
Now remember, Paul is writing these words to Christians who are suffering under the rule of pagan Roman emperors. These men were cruel, bloodthirsty and godless. They harshly persecuted believers. Yet, Paul instructed them to pray for them and thank God for them.
It goes back to God’s sovereignty. We should thank God for this great nation, for the privileges we enjoy and the man God has placed as our new president!

V) FINALLY, THE GOSPEL IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS ELECTION.

With all the TV coverage and press that this election has received, you would think this is the most important issue in the world. Now, it is important. I would not preach this message if it were not.
It is not the main thing.

NO PRESIDENT AND NO GOVERNMENT CAN SAVE YOU!

Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to turn this nation around.
Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Government can change a person’s heart. Government cannot provide an answer to mankind’s greatest problem, Sin.
Only through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can anyone’s sin be forgiven. There is only one name by which anyone can be saved. That name is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ created this universe with all its wonder and glory. He came to earth as a man, born in a stable. He lived a sinless life. Performed miracles that proved he was the Son of God. He was crucified, buried and rose again on the third day. He sits at the right hand of the Father today. And one day he will judge all of humanity. Only those whose names are in His book of life will enter into heaven and live eternally. All others will spend eternity in a devil’s Hell.

The main thing is to lead people to faith in Christ. What will do in faith visitation this afternoon is far more important than Tuesday’s election. The witness you share at school, at the university, at work, or even at home is far more significant than the vote you will cast this week.

That is why we have hope.
Remember Augustine’s city of man and city of God. The city of man, this earth, this life, this country, this world system we live in is passing away. There is coming a day when it will cease too exist. The city of God is eternal. When the election of 2008 is a memory a million years old, God’s saints will still live and rejoice with the heavenly father.

The most important thing is live a holy life, pray and share you faith with those around you.

CONCLUSION:
What does the Bible say about this election?
God is in Control – don’t fear it!
Vote – that is our sacred duty as believers.
Remember that justice outweighs the economy.
All believers are commanded by God to submit and pray for our next president.
And finally, the Gospel is more important than any earthly election could ever be.
.

Voddie Baucham and Sarah Palin

2008-09-10T05:26:00.001-07:00

Voddie Baucham on Sarah Palin

2008-09-10T05:17:00.000-07:00

A TALE OF TWO OFFICES

Written by Albert Mohler

Sally Quinn wonders how Christian evangelicals -- and Southern Baptists in particular -- can affirm a woman as President or Vice President of the United States and yet believe that women should not serve as pastors of churches. "Is it hypocritical to think that a woman can lead a nation and not a congregation?," Sally and Jon Meacham ask.No, it is not hypocritical -- it is simply the application of biblical truth to different spheres of life and meaning.Sally Quinn's two essays on Gov. Sarah Palin raise fascinating issues, and reveal a basic lack of sympathetic understanding when it comes to conservative Christians.

In her first post, she wrote:Southern Baptist leaders like Richard Land and Al Mohler have praised McCain's choice. But these are the same men who support this statement from the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message: "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation."Indeed, I do support that statement, drawn from our denomination's confession of faith. I stand by it without hesitation or mental reservation. It is drawn from the Bible, and explains the Bible's teaching that men and women are equally created in the image of God, but are assigned different but complementary roles in the home. In a separate article of the Baptist Faith & Message, we affirm what the Bible teaches about the different roles for men and women in the church -- and the fact that qualified men are to be called as pastors. The New Testament contains clear prohibitions of women in that role. This conviction was not invented by Southern Baptists. It was, and now remains, the honest conviction held by most Christians around the world, and for good reason.Our confession of faith does not speak to the appropriateness of women serving in political office. It does speak to the priority of motherhood and responsibilities in the home, but it does not specify any public role that is closed to women. The reason for this is simple -- the New Testament does not speak to this question in any direct sense.The distinction is perfectly clear. Where the New Testament speaks, we are bound. Where it does not speak, believers are not bound. The structure of our confession of faith simply reflects this principle.Portraits of Elizabeth I of England and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher hang in my personal library, along with other portraits. I see no biblical injunction against their leadership in these roles.Is that all there is to this issue? No. Feminists are bewildered and frustrated by the fact that the vast majority of women find their greatest joy and fulfillment in the roles of wife and mother. Most women do not want to be Vice President of the United States, nor to make the sacrifices necessary in order to succeed in the public arena.This is not a question of intelligence, ability, toughness, or talent. I would love to see Margaret Thatcher at the top of her game take on any public figure. Just ask the leaders of the Labour Party in her day -- or the Argentinian generals who invaded the Falkland Islands during her tenure.This is a question of calling. I believe that God has placed in the hearts of most women a deep desire for the fulfillment of marriage and the raising of children as life priority. Furthermore, I believe that women are given unique abilities and gifts for these callings -- affirmed by common grace and common sense.When Gov. Palin was announced as Sen. John McCain's choice as running mate I was elated about her pro-life commitments and political philosophy, and I remain so. I also told The Wall Street Journal that, if I were her pastor, I would be concerned about how she could balance these responsibilities and what this would mean for her family and her roles as wife and mother. The news that broke over the weekend would make me only more concerned. But my concern would be for her and for her family -- not for the nation.I am doing my best to be honest -- and not hypocritical -- about how I see this new situation. I could not imagine this in my own family, nor, I am confident, could the vast majority of those conservative Christians who are celebrating the nomination of Gov. Palin as Vice President. I have full confidence that my wife Mary can lead and run anything, from General Motors to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Nevertheless, I also know that I, along with our children, would find our worlds turned upside down. Beyond this, I believe that she would be less happy, less fulfilled, and less strategically deployed. She runs a program that influences the lives of hundreds of women and serves on the board of directors of our local crisis pregnancy center, but her most significant impact will be on the lives of two children who cannot imagine life without her -- and without her active engagement and motherly love.

In her second posting, Sally Quinn raises the stakes:I would like to hear what women think of her priorities. Do they believe that her first priority is as a mother or as a governor? Will her first priority be as a mother or as a Vice President or a President? One in three Vice Presidents become President. John McCain is a 72-year-old cancer survivor. As Vice President, Palin could ascend to the highest office in the land at any moment. Do women believe she should relegate her job to second place or her children to second place? Does she have to make such a choice? Every woman, and particularly every woman who works, including me, understands that the conflicts and the guilt are always there in a way that they are not for men.Further:Well, I can understand an evangelical Christian asking that question. But how does a feminist ask that question with a straight face? Isn't this precisely the kind of question feminists have long insisted were completely out of bounds?It would be hypocritical of me to suggest that I am not troubled by these questions. It would be hypocritical of me to suggest that I would be perfectly happy to have Christian young women believe that being Vice President of the United States is more important than being a wife and mother.Yet, I am encouraged by Gov. Palin's nomination. I believe that she brings something unique, admirable, and urgently needed to this presidential race. The question of my vote in this election is clear to me. The meaning of all this for the Palin family is less clear. In one sense, I think it might be very helpful for the American people to see a real family struggling with these real issues. I do not fear that this will lead millions of evangelical women to leave the home in order to run for national office.At the end of her article, Sally Quinn concludes: Women can be presidents but not pastors? I don't understand. I would like somebody to explain this to me.Well, I have given this my best shot within the limits of this article. The Bible states that women are not to hold the office of teaching authority in the church, and sets forth a portrait of different but complementary roles for men and women in the home and in the church.Can we see implications of these principles to the larger culture? Yes, but not in the same sense as is ordered by Scripture in the arenas of the home and the church. We do not find this question directly addressed in the Bible. This is why biblical complementarians can affirm that a woman can be President but not a pastor. This is not about equal employment opportunities, but about the command of God to his church."Is it hypocritical to think that a woman can lead a nation and not a congregation?" No.

2008-07-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

THE JUDAS SPIRIT

Mark 14:10-11; 43-51

Many names go down in infamy, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Jim Jones, to name just a few. But no name is so despised or despicable as the name of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ. Mother’s don’t name their baby boys Judas. I’ve heard of Thomas, Peter, James, and Matthew; but not Judas. Johnny Cash sang about a boy named Sue, but no one even jokes of naming their sons Judas.

In the west of England, the people took the old custom of driving out winter and gave it a new meaning. A jack-o-lantern figure was dragged through the streets on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. It was then shot to pieces. They called the figure Judas.

In Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, life-sized figures of wood or straw are beaten, kicked, cursed, spat upon, and finally destroyed on Good Friday. It is called punishing Judas.

In Liverpool, England, on Good Friday morning children carry a straw-stuffed effigy of Judas from house to house demanding money. They cry, "Judas is short a penny for his breakfast." Later the figure is burned in a bonfire.

Judas’ story is a warning to us all. A reminder that we can be close to the Lord, we can be conversant with spiritual concerns, we can walk with the Lord’s people, yet in our hearts never really love Jesus or have eternal life.

The heart of a betrayer is a dangerous and destructive thing.

That is why from time to time we need to study the life of Judas. He is a warning to us all.

I) THE IDENTITY OF JUDAS-Vs. 43

Who was Judas?

He must have had a good beginning. I imagine that 2000 years ago his mother’s heart was full of hopes and dreams for her little boy. After all, she named him Judas – which means “praise.” She hoped his life would bring praise to God. And at first it seemed certain that he would do just that.

A) HE WAS AN APOSTLE -.

1) Chosen by Jesus-Mark 3:13

2) Traveled with Jesus for 3 years-

3) Heard Jesus teachings, observed his miracles. His Bible education was the best, his seminary training unequaled!

B) HE WAS A PREACHER - Sent out to preach the Good News of the Kingdom-Luke 9:1-10

No doubt People called him, Brother Judas. He ministered, he worked, and served.

C) C) HE WAS TRUSTED-He had the money box. You chose someone to keep up with the money that you can count on, you chose the best and the brightest. He obviously had the trust of the other 11 disciples.

None of the other disciples seemed to suspect a thing before this moment. This tells me that Judas had an impeccable reputation among the disciples. No one saw it coming. When Jesus first tells them that one of them will betray Him, not one of them turns to Judas and points his finger, saying – it’s probably him, I never trusted him in the first place.

He appeared outwardly to be a believer. To be sold out to Jesus Christ. If anyone had been questioned they would most likely have believed Judas to a devoted and committed disciple of Jesus Christ.

D) HE WAS A SPIRITUAL IMPOSTOR- He wasn’t what he appeared to be.

He was a church member, yet he died and went to Hell. Jesus said, Have I not chosen you and yet one of you is a devil.

MARKS OF A SPIRITUAL IMPOSTOR-

These are symptoms we find in Judas

1) HE RELIES UPON AFFILIATION- “He was one of the twelve”. Judas never received Jesus as His Lord and Savior. He does not confess his sins, repent and follow Christ. He is simply affiliated with Christ.

True Salvation is not a matter of appearance or affiliation. ILLUS: Listening to PBS – All things considered. The subject was a book called “Blind faith: The unholy alliance of religion and medicine..” The writer made this statement in the interview. He was talking about how difficult it was to judge how much of an impact going to church had on a person’s health. One reason he gave was that there are so many different reasons people go to church. He closed by saying: Sitting in Church doesn’t make a person a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes one a car! Sloan is anything but a Christian, but he understands something about following Christ that many who come to Church every Sunday don’t. Affiliation never saved anyone from Hell.

2) HE IS UNMOVED BY THE THINGS OF GOD –

He was a like a bottle sealed and tossed out to sea, surrounded by an ocean of water, yet on the inside dry and empty.

He traveled with Jesus, heard his sermons, saw his miracles. He was surrounded by the things of God, yet none of it seemed to have had any effect on him.

He was like the people of Ezekiel’s day. Ezekiel 33:31-32 (NASB95)
³¹“They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. ³²“Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. ^{^[1]}

He was like Herod. In Mark 6 the Bible tells us that after Herod imprisoned John the Baptist that he would often go down to the dungeons to hear the man preach. He loved a fiery preacher, but had no interest in applying what he heard.

He was like so many today surrounded by the music, the message, the ministry of the Spirit, yet unmoved by the things of God.

3) HE IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH TRUE DEVOTION-John 12:6 He cannot understand it. He sees it as abnormal. Let Revival come to a Church and the Judas’ in the fellowship hate it. Let a young man or a group of men get radically saved and on fire for Jesus and the unsaved membership will do their best to dampen their devotion and put out their fire. Why?

1) It Convicts-

2) It Confronts-

There are many people, members of our church, who are spiritual Judases. They have never been born again, and there are thousands, perhaps millions in that same condition. They are going to Hell surrounded by baptismal certificates, receipts for church offerings, Sunday School attendance pins and all the rest of it. They have never been saved.

One preacher stated that the saddest road to hell begins in a church pew and travels right past the pulpit and the preaching of God’s Word.

A true Christian has the spirit of Christ dwelling within him. He is not perfect, but there is a difference between them and the world. Jesus said “you will know them by their fruit”.

II) THE BETRAYAL OF JESUS-10-11, 43-45

To betray someone is to hand them over with evil intent to the power and authority of others. To sell them out. Immediately after Jesus rebukes Judas in vs. 1-8, vs. 9 states “Then Judas Iscariot”. This incident motivated Judas to make the biggest mistake in his life.

A) HIS BETRAYAL WAS PREDICTED-

1) BY SCRIPTURE- Psalm 55:12-13; 21 These verses predict that one of the inner circle of Jesus’ associates would betray Him. Judas could have seen himself in the scriptures.

God is not caught by surprise when there are Judas’ in the church. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said that at the Day of Judgment there would be many who will cry out Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and work wonders in your name? And he will say, I never knew you, depart me you workers of iniquity!

2) BY THE SAVIOR-14:17-21 When Jesus reveals this, each of the disciples ask “Is it I? Why? Because I believe that each of them understood that the possibility of betraying him is the heart of every one of us.

B) HIS BETRAYAL WAS SATANICLLY ORCHESTRATED- Luke 22:3 Satan entered him, possessed him. This is proof He was never saved. Satan cannot enter the heart of a child of God. Why? The heart of a Saint is God’s Kingdom. Satan can never enter it! Because he had never given his heart to Christ, he was without protection against the evil one. Unsaved people in the Church today are Satan’s best tools. They stir up trouble, cause fights and betray Christ and His Church.

C) HIS BETRAYAL WAS PREMEDITATED- Vs.11-He sought how he might conveniently betray him. He began to seek out a way to get rid of him. “In Luke’s gospel it says that he communed with them about a price; the word really means that they bargained over it. Finally, they agreed that he would receive thirty pieces of silver to betray the trouble maker from the North Country.” Vines. Thirty pieces of silver-the price of a slave.

Thirty pieces of silver. Some people today betray Jesus for a lot less. They betray the Lord for popularity, for pleasure, for position, for power, and yes for profit.

Why Did Judas do it? I think it was about a lot more than money. It seems he has a pretty good racket going on here. Over time he could probably skim off a lot more than 30 pieces of silver. I think that Judas was disappointed. Jesus was just not who he thought he was going to be. He thought that Jesus was going to set up a great kingdom and make Judas one of his rulers.

I think there are people who betray Jesus today for the same reason. They come to Christ thinking that He is going to solve all their problems, fix their marriage, keep their children from rebelling, or God help them, make them rich and comfortable. Then when trouble and hardship come they jump ship.

They did not get it that Christ came not to give us a comfortable, problem free life, but to save us from our sins. He came because each one of us are rotten sinners, bound for Hell for eternity, and we deserve every minute of it. He came to forgive us, to love us, to give us an abundant life, but not a problem free, fat-cat Christianity. He came so that we might have joy and peace here on earth and then everything in eternity.

D) HIS BETRAYAL WAS A MOCKERY-vs. 44-45

A kiss was a sign of homage in Middle East culture. A hug and a kiss on each cheek were reserved for close friends and associates.

Rabbi, Rabbi! Master-Master. The falseness of it all is sickening.

Kissing is an active verb, which implies that intensely and repeatedly kissed Jesus. All the while plunging the dagger of betrayal into the back of the Lord Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION-Your hypocrisy mocks Jesus. You kiss his cheek on Sunday and call him ‘Master, Master’-Yet on Monday you live such a careless and sinful life that others are turned away from Jesus because of you.

Some of you here may have said, I’ll never become a Christian, I’ll never go that Church, I’ll never be a member there; I know a lot of those folks and they are all a bunch of hypocrites. You know what – you are not consistent friend. Some doctors are quacks, but when you get sick you go to a doctor. Some lawyers are shysters, but when you need legal advice you call a lawyer. Some money is counterfeit, but you haven’t burned the rest of yours, have you?

Don’t let some hypocrite you from Jesus this morning.

“I had rather spend a few years with some of the hypocrites in the church than spend an eternity with them in hell.” Adrain Rodgers

III) THE DESTRUCTION OF JUDAS- We read no more about Judas in Mark. Matthew and Acts tell us of his end.

A) EMOTIONAL DESTRUCTION- Judas was remorseful.

He brought back the silver pieces. Imagine this scene. However, his remorse was not repentance. No godly sorrow. No time of confession, and weeping before God. He simply felt bad because Jesus had been condemned. Perhaps he had not believed that Jesus would actually be put to death. But no repentance, only guilt.

1) Could Judas have repented? Yes. Without a doubt. Jesus offered him every opportunity to turn aside from his actions and seek forgiveness. He could even have found forgiveness after his action. No sin-not even betraying the Lord Jesus Christ is unforgivable. Apply: Peter – Peter was forgiven and became the great preacher to the Jews.

2) Some of you understand what emotional destruction is all about. You know what Judas felt as he labored under an intense load of guilt and shame. Your sin is different for sure, but the end results are not. Why not find forgiveness today? Why not bring you troubles and cares to the Lord’s altar and leave them there?

B) PHYSICAL DESTRUCTION- “He hanged himself”. He took a rope, threw it around his neck, and hanged himself rather than live with the guilt and shame of his actions. The Bible describes the horror of his end. He hung himself, then his rotting body fell upon a field, the field of blood, where it burst open. Why tell such grisly details? Because sin is incredibly destructive. Sin brings death and separation from God. Sin carries with it guilt. Guilt may bring depression, withdrawal, even suicide.

C) ETERNAL DESTRUCTION - Judas swung out into eternity. He swung into Hell. There is in the pits of flame, reserved for those who refused the grace of God, Judas suffers today. Every teaching he heard from the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ will ring in his ears for all eternity. Every miracle he saw, every sermon he himself preached, all torture his immortal spirit and will do so for all of eternity. Can you imagine the regret? Can you imagine the sorrow, that Judas must feel. Knowing he betrayed the only one who could have saved him from this torment. He must cry out in his Spirit, “If only I had….if only I had….if only I had.

It is too late for Judas. It is not too late for you and I.

1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2008-06-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Delighting in Dogma

The word dogma has gotten a bad rap over the last few years. It has come to mean something that is cold, dead and dull. Dogmatic has come to mean someone who will not change or accept others or in some cases to describe someone who is unreasonable in their beliefs. This is unfortunate. Dogma simply means religious beliefs. Basically, it means the same thing as doctrine or teaching. Christian dogma or doctrine is nothing more than the beliefs that make up the Christian faith. Christianity is a doctrinal or a dogmatic faith.

This means that simply claiming to be Christian does not make one a Christian. Feeling like one is a Christian is not enough. Dogma is the objective truth that defines what a Christian is. Simply using Christian terminology does not make one a Christian. If Dogma defines Christianity, than where do we get it from? What is the source of doctrine or belief for the Christian? Certainly not my feelings or personal impression of how I think things are. The Bible tells us that the heart is wicked and will decieve us.

All dogma (Christian dogma) has Scripture for it's source. Not one of its sources, not even the primary source, but THE source. For instance, many people claim to believe in Jesus Christ. For some He is a great prophet who taught timeless life lessons concerning this great spiritual journey of life. Others claim that he was the greatest of all God's creations. Some even claim that he is one of many, many gods who populate the cosmos. Recently I read an article that claimed that Christ is within each of us. He is love and love is eternal. The problem is that none of these views of Christ are Christian.

The Bible paints an awe inspiring picture of Christ. He is eternal, without beginning or end. He is the second person of the Trinity. He has always existed in perfect fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He died on the cross for our sins. He arose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father. He rules and reigns over the universe and will one day set all of his enemies under his feet and we will reign with Him. To present Christ as anything less than the everlasting God is to present a false Christ. To claim that he is one of many gods is idolatry. Dogma guards the purity of the Christian faith.

Here is another example. I read an article recently that claimed that God the Father exists in a flesh and blood body. When I read this, I have to admit I laughed out loud. John 4 is pretty clear. "God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship him in Spirit and truth." To claim that the Father is confined by a flesh and blood body is contrary to Scripture and unchristian.

As believers Dogma must be our delight. it is life and health. Read what Dorothy Sayers writes.
"We are constantly assured that the churches are empty because preachers insist on too much upon doctrine - dull dogma they call it. It is the neglect of dogma that makes for dullness. The Christian faith is the most exciting drama that staggered the imagination of man - and the dogma is the drama.

2008-06-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

A Sustaining Faith

Most of us in ministry fight with bouts of discouragement and depression now and again. Ministry never has been and never will be easy. Yet, in the midst of the worst that life can throw our way, there is always a deep reservoir of hope and life. When I am tempted to throw in the towel, men like Adoniram Judson encourage me, and put steel in my backbone. Here is an excerpt from a sermon I preached last year. Actually, this is about his first wife, Anne. It was a blessing to me. I hope it will be to you also.

Adoniram Judson was a missionary who served in Burma. He was arrested and falsely accused of being an enemy agent. Imprisoned in a tiny cell, hew was forced to stand so others could lie down and sleep. The heat was unbearable; no one was allowed to bathe, so the stench was unreal. One day the officials decided to hoist Judson into the air by his thumbs- pain filled every fiber of his body. When he returned to his cell, his precious wife, Anne would creep into after dark and whisper to him, “Hang on, Adoniram, God will give us the victory. Week after week, Anne would come by every night to encourage him with the same words. “Hang on, Adoniram, God will give us the victory.” One night she didn’t come, then another and another, weeks passed and Adoniram’s loneliness was unbearable. No one told him she was dying.

Months later, he was released. A man so broken it was a miracle he could walk. He began to search for his beloved wife. He went to the place where they used to live. He saw a child sitting in the dirt, a little girl so covered with filth that he failed to recognize her as his own daughter. As he staggered into the tent, he saw Anne. She was only a bundle of bones and rags on a cot, so weak and frail she looked like a skeleton. Her beautiful hair had fallen out and her bright blue eyes stared blankly out at nothing. Hugging his daughter to his chest, he knelt down and wept, “Anne, Anne, O my darling Anne.” His hot tears fell on her face and slowly her eyes began to move with recognition. She struggled to speak and her last words were, “Hang on, Adoniram, God will give us the victory.”

He lost his sweetheart, but not his faith, his loved one, but not his courage. He began to preach again, and when he died he left behind scores of churches and hundreds of Christian converts. In the midst of the worse life could throw his way, he never lost his faith, Anne never lost sight of the fact that God is the King! He is in control. He will be victorious. O Worship the King!

2008-06-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

This next post was stolen, plagerized and outright copied from FIDE-O:

Disclaimer: The opinions stated in this article represent the views of this blog well enough that we felt justified in stealing this material!

Local Southern Baptists cool the fire and brimstone
Posted by Jason E. Robertson

The following was published on the front page of Press Enterprise newspaper in Riverside County, California.Local Southern Baptists cool the fire and brimstone. It was written by David Olson who can be reached at at 951-368-9462 or dolson@PE.comLet me give my thoughts about this article. The article begins with a "hook":

The Rev. Matt Brown surfs, has long blond hair and has used curse words in sermons to make a point. Some members of his Sandals Church come to worship services with full-arm tattoos, nose-piercings and punk-rock T-shirts.

May I ask: "Long blond hair" and "curse words", is that what is the secret to church growth now? Rich Warren believes that we cannot grow our churches through preaching and praying, so is this what replaces exposition and intercession?

The article continues
Brown is part of a new wave of Southern Baptists who are redefining what it means to be a part of America's largest Protestant denomination... Brown and other Southern Baptist ministers follow the denomination's conservative theology, which views the Bible as the literal word of God... Yet pastors like Brown freely admit their faults, including sexual temptations. "We're reaching people who were just not being reached," said Brown, 36, whose services attract about 2,600 worshippers a week, most in their 20s and 30s. "We're biblically conservative, but we're not culturally conservative."

This "new wave" that is "redefining" Southern Baptist are writing a definition that does not define me. I have no desire to be defined as the pierced-tattooed-cursing-punk who uses a soft tone when talking about sin so that I may not offend anyone. You know what, I actually like hanging around a few real rockers. You know why? Because they are not some soft spoken mamby-pambsy sissy boys who like to get tats and piercings so they can look cool or hip or metro. They actually are men who talk with conviction and call it like they see it. And they don't give a rip who gets offended. They don't park their Harley in their 3 car garage next to their mini-van and tennis rackets. And when they have come to faith in Christ is was not because some backstreet-boy-wanna-be with a cross tattooed on his left shoulder, long blond locks and designer sandals shared about the time he nearly committed adultery on his wife saying, "Dude, I was like, this sucks."Come on. This stuff is a mockery of all that defines real biblical ministry.

The article continues:
Jonathan Walton, an assistant professor of religious studies at UC Riverside, said evangelical churches, such as the Southern Baptist, are more likely to be open to downplaying their denominational ties than mainline Protestant denominations. They tend to be less bound to tradition and more focused on bringing new people into the church, he said. "What's going to work in the Mississippi delta or rural Alabama is not going to work in Southern California, and the denominational leaders are aware of that," Walton said. That includes the message of sermons, he said. In much of the South, it is taboo to bring up topics such as adultery, Internet pornography and drug addiction in church -- and if the subjects are discussed, it is typically in a harsh, judgmental manner, Walton said.In California, many people are turned off by such a tone, he said.

Really? They love that tone from comedians. They love that tone from radio jocks. They love that tone as long as that tone is not directed at them and their sinfulness. With sadness and disgust, I have noticed that one hand these "new wave" pastors are getting tattoos and trying to look tough and on the other hand they are too scared to confront sin with some courage and tenacity. They are more like puppets not prophets. They are dressed up by their wives and dangled by the culture. BTW, I am glad Walton didn't mention Louisiana or I might have to open a can on him.Maybe help is on the way.

The PE article says:
More than 90 percent of Southern Baptists are white but that is changing. Black membership has more than doubled in the past decade, and Latino and Asian-American membership also rose sharply...Yes, maybe help is on the way: maybe the Black, Latino, and Asian-American pastors will not capitulate to the demands of culture these days.

Mike McKinley asks a relevant question over at 9Marks: "How much of a pastor’s desire to be perceived as cool or connected to the culture is motivated by vanity or pride?

Knowing the depth of our depravity and self-deception and pride, we must examine ourselves. In fact, I fear (and here I am speaking from what I see in my own heart) that oftentimes we are at least partially motivated to reach people by pride. How much of our desire to be cool is a desire to reach people, not only for the gospel, but also for our own glory? Here’s a diagnostic question for everyone who is a pastor: if the Lord called you to shepherd sixty uncool saints until they were safely home, with no spectacular revival or ministry explosion, would you consider that beneath you? Would it seem unworthy of your gifts and a waste of your life? If so, you are being motivated by pride."We must remember that preaching the Cross is foolishness to this culture no matter how long your hair is. The gospel is a stumbling block to this poorly-educated, over-stimulated generation. And the cross does not call us to conform to the world, to be hip, or to be accepted. Thus trying to be like the culture can often cause people to misunderstand what the gospel is all about.I say, be yourself. Don't try to be Rick Warren or Ryan Seacrest or Billie Joe Armstrong. Stop trying to impress unbelievers. It may grow for you a crowd of attenders of which to be proud and get your name in the paper, but it is not growing a counter-culture kingdom that gives God glory by living the Sermon on the Mount. Besides, such futile efforts in the past have given us the agony of some really really bad contemporary Christian music and a slew of feminized preachers and endless church chaos.David Wells says in his book God in the Wasteland: "By this late date, evangelicals should be hungering for a genuine revival of the church, aching to see it once again become a place of seriousness where a vivid otherworldliness is cultivated because the world is understood in deeper and truer ways, where worship is stripped of everything extraneous, where God's Word is heard afresh, where the desolate and broken can find sanctuary."Yeah, who's brave enough to build some churches that are otherworldly!

2008-05-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Sin of Polygamy

On Wed. nights I am preaching through the life of David. I ran across an interesting quote about him and his family. The context is Absalom's rebellion. Alexander Whyte describes David's home and his polygamy in this way.

"Polygamy is just Greek for a dunghill. David trampled down the first and the best law of nature in his palace in Jerusalem, and for his trouble he spent all his after-days in a hell upon earth. David's palace was a perfect pandemonium of suspicion, and intrigue, and jealousy, and hatred--all breaking out, now into incest, and now into murder. And it was into such a household, if such a cesspool could be called a household, that Absalom, David's third son by his third living wife, was born and brought up. . .

A little ring of jealous and scheming parasites, all hateful and hating one another, collected round each one of David's wives. And it was in one of the worst of those wicked little rings that Absalom grew up and got his education."

Pretty insightful look into a polygamous household. If you don't buy it just study the life of Jacob and his wives and you'll see another cesspool of lies and intrigue. And while your at it, don't forget what happened to Abraham when Sarah came up with her hair-brained idea with Hagar. If that is not enough, just study Solomon and how his wives turned his heart away from God.

Polygamy was never God's intent and always leads to trouble. The FLDS's major problem is that they reject the teaching of the Bible for the false revelation of a false prophets, beginning with Joe smith and Brigham Young ending with Warren Jeffs.

2008-05-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Graduation 2008

Juliana's Graduation was this Friday night. It was a great night for her and for our family. To say I am proud of her is an understatement. She will be attending Louisiana College next fall to study music like her old dad. Well, to be honest, she's a lot better musician than I ever was! It will be exciting just how God uses her to advance His kingdom, Way to go Juliana!

2008-05-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

A Wonderful Life

Mother's Day thanksgiving

I have the priviledge of knowing two of the greatest moms on the planet. That is unusual in our day and age. My mom and my wife have shaped my life. My mom raised me, and with my dad instilled faith in my life from a young age. I am indepted to her and my dad, and by the grace of God they are largely responsible for who I am today. Thanks mom. You are the greatest.

I am also married to the most beautiful and gracious woman on the planet. Her love for me is far beyound anything I could have ever deserved or imagined. If I had my life to live over a thousand times I would live them all with Gina. She is everything I am not. She is kind, gracious, deeply committed to Christ, and without a doubt the most patient and organized Mom I ever known. Without her I could never be successful as a pastor, a father or a disciple of Christ. Thank you Gina. You are the love of my life!

Here a few pictures of the wonderful family that God has given Gina and I. Juliana is 17, Daniel is 15 (and 6'7 and 274 pounds!), Samuel is 13 (and 6'4!) Micah is 11, Hope is 8, Seth is 5, Leah Carried is 4, Steven is 2, and Silas is 7 weeks old! I am a blessed man and my quiver runneth over.

2008-04-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

A Near Sighted Christianity

If you know me at all, you know that I wear glasses for a reason. Without them, I can't see my hand in front of my face! I have astigmatism. I can't very well near or far. I know several people who are near-sighted. Nearsightedness or myopia is the inability of the eye to focus on distant objects. The nearsighted eye has no difficulty viewing nearby objects, only those things that are far away.

Now, here's my point. Reading the Scriptures this morning I became convicted that I am suffering from a near-sighted Christianity. My focus has been almost entirely on the problems at hand. Working to see God revitalize our Church, a new addition to our family (not a problem, a blessing, but consuming none the less), beginning the process of finding a new home, etc; all of these things have dominated my mind. I have become near-sighted. It has been difficult to focus on the eternal when the temporal was overwhelming me!

Probably the great majority of American Christianity suffers from this spiritual myopia. We are all about today and the problems of the hour. What can Jesus do for me right now? How does my faith impact my family problems and my work issues and my financial struggles? For pastors, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the challenges of ministry and the myriad of problems we face.

Colossians 3:1 instructs us to set our minds on things above. This does not mean we ignore the problems of life, but that we see and view our life through the eternal and through the Word of God. I found myself caught up and swept away by the grandeur and the glory of the Gospel this morning. As I thought of God's working in and through history to redeem His people I was amazed at His foresight and wisdom. I was staggered by the thoughts of eternity and glory in His presence. And you know what? My near-sighted problems and worries seemed a lot less troublesome.

The Marks of a Cult

2008-04-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

What makes a cult a cult and not a denomination? Veering away from the central truths and tenants of the Christian faith. Simply saying you believe in Jesus does not make a person a Christian. You must believe in Jesus as revealed by the Bible. That is why Oprah and the mormons and whoever else cannot claim any connection to Christianity.

The Church of Oprah Exposed

2008-04-09T11:42:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I referenced Oprah Winfrey and how dangerious her ideas are. She is certainly the most influential and dangerious false prophet in America today.

2008-04-04T11:32:00.001-07:00

A good conscience

I've been preaching Wednesday nights through the life of David. Chp. 24 describes how David would not take Saul's life, even when he had the chance. Saul wandered into the very cave where David and his men were hiding. To David's men this was a perfect opportunity, in fact a God-given opportunity, for David to kill Saul and end his reign of terror. David knew God far too well to try and understand His will through circumstances. But, he does something he knows that he shouldn't. He slips up on Saul and clips off a corner of his robe. Now, the narrative tells us that David knew what he had done was wrong. His conscience was troubled immediately by sin. I was impressed this. David had developed a sensitive conscience before God. I wonder how many believers have consciences that as sensitive to the Spirit of God as David's. In fact, I wonder how many believers are even concerned about their conscience.

God is concerned. I Timothy 1:5 lists a good conscience as one of the goals of Biblical teaching. In Acts 24:16 Paul states that he worked to always maintain a good conscience before God and men. What a blessing and a joy it is to lay one's head down at night with a clear conscience. Yet, what a rarity it is in today's world. We are to train up or conscience through the reading and application of God's word. The more obedient we are to God, the more sensitive our conscience becomes before the Lord. On the other hand disobedience can sear and harden a person's conscience. How many times have we heard professing Christians say and do things at church that would embarrass a pagan, and walk out feeling entirely justified in what they have done. Through disobedience they have hardened their conscience to the point they can longer accurately discern right from wrong.

What a different place most churches and most families would be if we would just pay a little more attention to our conscience.

2008-03-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Number 9!

Well, I know I haven't blogged for a long, long time. This entry will sort of explain why. Not only has my family moved to Baton rouge to begin a new ministry at Parkview Baptist Church, but Gina and I have been expecting our ninth child. Sunday night our family was blessed with our fifth son, Silas Andrew Wimberly. Here are a few pictures of Silas.

DecembeRadio,

2008-01-30T20:47:00.001-08:00

A great song from a great band.

2008-01-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

The problem with worry and stress

Have you noticed that as Americans, we seem to be more stressed, and more anxious than ever? It seems that every magazine I read has an article on dealing with stress and worry. Television talk shows overflow with one "expert" after another bringing their own "cure" for worry and stress. Why are we so stressed? We have more money, more comforts, more stuff, and a more secure lifestyle than any other nation on the planet. So what's up with this?

I'm no psychologist (thank the Lord), nor have I done much in depth research on stress and anxiety, but it seems to me that the more we get our minds off God and on the world and its stuff, the more stressed we are. Pastors are not immune. In fact, one article that I recently read cited stress and worry as the number one reason Pastors leave the ministry. Believe me, anyone who thinks that pastoring is easy and worry free has never been called on the carpet in a deacon meeting or blessed out by the sweet little matriarch of the local congregation. Satan is a master at having disgruntled members meet the pastor at the door of his office just as he going to Sunday morning worship. It is hard to preach when with an angry or stressed out spirit!

So, what's the answer? Paul tells us to be anxious about nothing, but in everything make our petitions known to God. Forget the magazine articles and the pop-psychology of this unbelieving age. Prayer alleviates stress! It is amazing how much peace and calmness there is to be found in quiet moments with God. Prayer is so effective in battling stress because it takes our mind of the temporary and trivial and places it on the eternal and significant. We cannot pray without our minds and hearts being drawn to God. Isaiah tells us that those whose hearts are set on God will kept in perfect peace. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed and stressed out - stop and spend some time in prayer!

Charlie Brown Christmas

2007-12-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

I remember this from when I was child. This what Christmas is all about.

2007-11-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

What brings us all together

I spent the first two days of this week at the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Some of it was really good, especially Scott Thompson's sermon; while some of it was less than excellent. I have to admit that I tire of the business and the promotion of all the LBC programming. On the other hand, I realize that some of that was necessary. What bothers me the most is the sense of self-promotion and political positioning.

I left asking myself the question, what really holds us all together as a convention? Most Southern Baptists would say the cooperative program and missions are the glue that binds the LBC and the SBC together. I understand what they mean, but there is something more. What binds a group of diverse Churches and pastors like the LBC together is love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mission, evangelism, and the Cooperative program all grow out of our love for and devotion to our Lord.

I hope, for the sake of our convention, that we don't lose our foundation. I pray that we are not so caught up in the elections and budgets that we forget the Gospel.

2007-10-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

31 Days of Praying for Your Pastor
By Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“Brothers, pray for us.” (1 Thess 5:25 ESV)
“Let the thought sink deep into the heart of every church, that their minister will be such a minister as their prayers make him. . . . How perilous is the condition of that minister . . . whose heart is not encouraged, whose hands are not strengthened, and who is not upheld by the prayers of his people!
“It is at a fearful expense that ministers are ever allowed to enter the pulpit without being preceded, accompanied, and followed by the earnest prayers of the churches. It is no marvel that the pulpit is so powerless, and ministers so often disheartened when there are so few to hold up their hands. . . . When the churches cease to pray for ministers, ministers will no longer be a blessing to the churches.” Gardiner Spring (1785-1873)
There is no greater gift you can give your pastor and the spiritual leaders of your church than to pray for them. Pastors cannot win the battle alone; they need committed intercessors to lift them up in fervent, specific prayer. Imagine how the power of God might be released in our churches if we were to pray faithfully for our pastors.
Pastors are human—they face the same challenges that their people do, with some additional ones! They grow tired in ministry, are tempted to sin, and may find it difficult to balance their many roles and responsibilities. They need the encouragement and support of those they lead.
Prayer for your pastor is crucial to the spiritual health of your pastor, his family, and your church. God will reward your efforts to cover him in prayer. If you want to encourage your spiritual leaders (and their wives!) let them know you are praying for them. Ask them periodically for any specific prayer requests and assure them you will pray accordingly. Use the following prayer guide with accompanying scriptures, to suggest practical ways to pray for those who provide spiritual leadership for the flock.

Day 1 Pray that your pastor will love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. Pray that God’s Spirit will work in his heart in power and that he will value and follow biblical priorities. (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 6:33)

Day 2 Pray that your pastor will cultivate strong character and uncompromising integrity. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, and that he will never do anything that he would need to hide from others. (1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Day 3 Pray for his personal walk with God—that his soul and spirit will be nourished and strengthened in his quiet time with God, beyond his sermon preparation. Pray that he will spend more time in the Word of God than reading Christian books and articles. (Mark 1:35; 2 Tim. 2:15-16)

Day 4 Pray that your pastor will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power to work. Pray that he will be protected from the effects of sinful or negative attitudes that he encounters as he counsels. (Mal. 2:7; James 1:5-6; John 17:15)

Day 5 Ask God to protect your pastor’s marriage and keep it strong as a model of Christ’s relationship with the Church. Pray that your pastor will tenderly cherish and lead his wife, and that she will respect and encourage her husband, submitting to his leadership. (Eph. 5:23-33)

Day 6 Pray that God will protect your pastor’s wife from bitterness when her husband is criticized. Pray that her prayer and devotional life will be consistent, and that she will guard her mind and heart. (Heb. 12:15; Prov. 4:23)

Day 7 Pray for your pastor’s children, and especially that the pressures of the ministry will not discourage or embitter them. Pray that your pastor will provide godly leadership in the home, not based on fear of what others will think, but according to scriptural truth. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:20-21)

Day 8 Ask God to protect your pastor from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that he will not be corrupted as he rubs shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Is. 54:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:12; Ps. 9:9-10, 91:9-11)

Day 9 Pray that God will build a hedge of protection around your pastor’s marriage, and that he and his wife will be aware of the potential for any improper relationships. Pray that their family time will be protected. (Ezek. 22:30a; 2 Cor. 10:4-5; Matt. 19:6)

Day 10 Pray that your pastor will use discernment in use of e-mails, the Internet, and the media. Ask God to guard his heart concerning the use of free time. Pray that he will be morally pure and that he will wear the armor of God so that he will not fall into sexual temptation. (Rom. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:16; Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 10:4)

Day 11 Pray that God will bring godly friends and encouragers to your pastor and his family, to strengthen them for the ministry and provide meaningful fellowship and times of rest. (Phil. 2:19-25)

Day 12 Pray that your pastor will be humble and authentic in his faith, not given to pride or hypocrisy. Pray that he will have pure motives and give God glory for every gain or victory. (Micah 6:8; Gal. 6:14; John 7:17-18; 1 Cor. 10:13)

Day 13 Pray that your pastor will make wise lifestyle choices in order to protect his health, especially in the areas of exercise, eating moderately, and getting sufficient rest. Pray for times of relaxation and renewal to balance the stress of ministry. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 9:27, 10:13, 6:19-20; James 3:1-2)

Day 14 Pray that your pastor will focus on the Word of God and walk in the fear of the Lord—rather than fear of man—as he prepares his messages. Pray that he will seek to please God rather than men, and pursue holiness rather than the praise of men. (Acts 6:4; Prov. 19:23; 2 Tim. 2:15; Heb. 11:6; 2 Tim. 4:1-2)

Day 15 Praise God for your pastor’s leadership and pray that he will make godly decisions. Pray that he will lead with a shepherd’s heart, and that he will always speak the truth in love. (1 Kings 3:9; 1 Pet. 5:2; Rom. 12:6-8; Jer. 3:15)

Day 16 Pray that your pastor will be courageous in the pulpit in proclaiming Christ, and confident in his use of the Word of God. Ask God to help him preach with insight, transparency and humility. (Col. 1:28, 4:3a; Eph. 6:19)

Day 17 Pray that your pastor will be a “Great Commission man”—committed to personal evangelism and the equipping of the saints to seek the lost. Pray that he will have a heart to develop a thriving missions program in his church. (Rom. 10:15; Matt. 28:19-20; Luke 19:10)

Day 18 Pray that your pastor will be a man of prayer and worship, and that he will lead by example—teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matt. 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46)

Day 19 Pray that your pastor will use wise time management, and that he will seek God’s perspective for his schedule, guarding his time against unnecessary interruptions. (Eph. 5:15-16; Col. 4:5; Ps. 90:12; John 9:4)

Day 20 Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in his personal life and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a)

Day 21 Pray that your pastor will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing himself into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1 Pet. 2:23)

Day 22 Pray that your pastor will practice servant leadership, edifying the congregation with wisdom and serving with God’s “agape” love. (Gal. 5:13b; Eph. 6:7; Luke 10:43b-45, 9:23-24; John 13:5-9; Phil. 2:3-4)

Day 23 Pray for spiritual unity in the church staff and among the spiritual leadership of the church (elders, deacons, etc.). Pray that the enemy will not be allowed to create divisions, strife, or misunderstanding among the church leaders. (Rom. 14:19; 1 Cor. 12:25)

Day 24 Pray that God will give your pastor a clear, biblical vision of what your church can be and should be for His glory, and that he will communicate that vision clearly and confidently to the church. (Prov. 29:18; John 15:16, 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:5; Mal. 3:11)

Day 25 Pray that your pastor will seek God for personal revival, and revival in your church and community. (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 69:32)

Day 26 Pray that your pastor will think biblically, with the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16; Col. 2:6-8; Eph. 4:17)

Day 27 Pray that he will earnestly seek God’s will and be committed to instant and complete obedience—ready for God to work powerfully in and through his ministry. (2 Cor. 10:3-5; Luke 9:23-24)

Day 28 Pray that he will strive for personal excellence and will believe God for all He wants to do in the congregation. (2 Pet. 1:3; Col. 3:23-24)

Day 29 Pray that your pastor will be a man of faith and passionate love for God, not giving in to worries, fears, or an uptight and anxious spirit. (1 John 4:18; Prov. 3:5-6)

Day 30 Ask God to provide for the financial needs of your pastor and his family. Pray that he will be a wise steward of both personal finances and church funds. (Phil. 4:19; Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:11; Ps. 37:25)

Day 31 Ask God to heal any hurts that your pastor has suffered in the ministry. Pray that he will serve the Lord with gladness, and encourage the congregation to worship God with a joyful, surrendered spirit. (Is. 61:3)

2007-10-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

I have just finished one of the best books I have read in a long time. From Embers to a Flame by Harry L. Reeder III is a biblical study in how God can revitalize a struggling church. The strength of this book is that it is not another study in worn out church growth principles, one size fits all church programs or warmed over Rick Warren principles. Embers to a flame presents a biblical and theological approach to Church revitalization. This book is timely and needed. Reeder quotes Kirk Hadaway, a SBC research specialist in chp. 1 "The typical church in almost any American denomination is either on a plateau or declining in membership and participation. Rapid growth is atypical, and among older congregations the pattern is even more pronounced - plateau and decline are the rule; growth is the exception."
What is most refreshing about this book is the emphasis Reeder places on the basics of Church life in revitalization. He builds his chapters on the biblical paradigm of revitalization, the Gospel of grace and its power to bring life to a church, the role of prayer, the ministry of preaching the Word, leadership multiplication, mission and vision, and discipleship.
The chapter on the Gospel of God's grace is worth the price of the book. Understanding the Gospel and the story of redemption that runs throughout the Bible is necessary for the life and health of the church. The focus of the church must Jesus Christ, the hero of the Gospel. A struggling church often finds itself overwhelmed with financial and staff issues, and at times conflict management. Our eyes must remain firmly fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He is the one who builds His church and His power is the true source of new life for a dying congregation. The gospel must be believed, preached and fleshed out for the world to see. Paul tells us that it is the power of God unto salvation. What this means is that there is hope. No church is too far gone for Christ to revitalize. What we must realize is that no amount of programs or organizational theories can revive a dying church. Only the power of God can accomplish this. Now that is a message all of us pastors sorely need to hear!

Paul Washer sermon jam 1

2007-10-04T06:54:00.001-07:00

Paul Washer- Why?

2007-10-04T06:48:00.001-07:00

2007-09-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

Make much of Jesus

“If you make doctrine the main thing, you are very likely to grow narrow-minded. If you make your own experience the main thing, you will become gloomy and critical of others. If you make ordinances the main thing, you will be apt to grow merely formal. But you can never make too much of the living Christ Jesus. Remember that all things else are for his sake. Doctrines and ordinances are the planets, but Christ is the sun. Get to love him best of all.”–Charles Spurgeon

Thanks to the Refromed Evangelist for this quote.

Russ Taff-

2007-09-20T07:02:00.001-07:00

Russ taff in his prime was the greatest Christian artist going. This is one of my favorite videos of "the man" doing what he did best.

2007-09-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

On Corporate Prayer For Revival

by Jonathan Edwards

A Humble Attempt to Promote the Agreement and Union of God's People Throughout the World in Extraordinary Prayer For a Revival Of Religion And The Advancement Of God's Kingdom On Earth, According To Scriptural Promises And Prophecies Of The Last Time. The Future Glorious State of Christ's Church 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him'(Zech. 8:20-22). In this chapter Zechariah prophecies of the future, glorious advancement of the Church. It is evident there is more intended than was ever fulfilled in the Jewish nation during Old Testament times. Here are plain prophecies describing things that were never fulfilled before the coming of Messiah, particularly what is said in the two last verses in the chapter where Zechariah speaks of 'many people and strong nations worshiping and seeking the true God,' and of so great an addition of Gentiles to the Church that the majority of visible worshipers consist of Gentiles, outnumbering the Jews ten to one. Nothing ever happened, from the time of Zechariah to the coming of Christ, to fulfill this prophecy. It's fulfillment can only be in the calling of the Gentiles during and following apostolic times, or in the future, glorious enlargement of God's Church in the end times, so often foretold by Old Testament prophets, particularly by Zechariah. It is most likely that the Spirit of God speaks here of the greatest revival and the most glorious advancement of the Church on earth, the blessings of which will benefit the Jewish nation. Indeed, there is great agreement on this point, between this prophecy of Zechariah, and other prophecies concerning the Church's latter day glory. Consider Isaiah 60:2-4, 'See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm.' Without doubt, this entire chapter foretells the most glorious state of the God's Church on earth, as does Isaiah 66:8, Micah 4:1-3 and Isaiah 2:1-4: 'In the last days the mountain of the LORD'S temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.' 'Many nations will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' ' 'The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.' Nothing whatsoever has happened to fulfill these prophecies. Moreover, since the prophecy in my text (Zech. 8:20-22) and the following verse agrees with them, there is reason to think it addresses the same times. Indeed, there is remarkable agreement in the description given throughout this chapter with the representations of those times elsewhere in the prophetic books. Though the prophet is at times referring to the future smiles of heaven on the Jewish nation, yet the Spirit of God doubtless refers to events far greater than these, of which these are but faint resemblances. The Jews had just returned from the Babylonian captivity, Chaldea and other countries, and resettled in Canaan where they were experiencing great increase of both numbers and wealth. We find it common in the prophecies of the Old Testament that when the prophets are speaking of the favors and blessings of God on the Jews, attending or following their return from the Babylonian captivity, the Spirit of God takes the opportunity from there to speak of the incomparably greater blessings on the Church, that will attend and follow her deliverance from the spiritual Babylon, of which those were a type. The prophet, in this chapter, speaks of God's bringing his people again from the east and west to Jerusalem (vs. 7-8), and multitudes of all nations taking hold of the skirts of the Jews. Although this prophecy literally refers to the Jews return from Babylon, its fulfillment cannot be seen there for no such things spoken of here attended their return. Therefore, it must refer to the great calling and gathering of Jews into the fold of Christ, and to them receiving the blessings of His kingdom, after the fall of the Antichrist and the destruction of the spiritual Babylon. The Power of Prayer In Zechariah 8:20-22 we have an account of how this future advancement of the Church should occur. It would come to fruition as multitudes from different towns resolve to unite in extraordinary prayer, seeking God until He manifests Himself and grants the fruits of his presence. We may observe several things in particular:

1. THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER. Some suppose that prayer includes the whole of worship to God and that prayer is a part of worship during the days of the gospel when sacrifices are abolished. Therefore, this can be understood as a prophecy of a great revival of religion with true worship of God among His people, repentance from idolatry, and growth of the Church. However, it seems reasonable to me to suppose that something even more special is intended regarding prayer given that prayer is not only repeatedly mentioned, but that this prophecy parallels many other prophecies that speak of an extraordinary spirit of prayer preceding that glorious day of revival and advancement of the Church's peace and prosperity. It particularly parallels what the prophet later speaks of the 'pouring out of a spirit of grace and supplications' as that which introduces the great religious revival (Zech. 12:10).

2. THE GOOD WHICH SHALL BE BROUGHT BY PRAYER: GOD HIMSELF. Scripture says, 'They shall go to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts.' The good that they seek for is 'The Lord of Hosts,' Himself. If 'seeking God' means no more than seeking the favor or mercy of God then 'praying before the Lord,' and 'seeking the Lord of Hosts' must be looked upon as synonymous. However, 'seeking the Lord' is commonly used to mean something far more than seeking something from God. Surely it implies that God Himself is what is desired and sought after. Thus, the Psalmist desired God, thirsted after Him and sought after Him: 'O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary ... My soul followeth hard after thee ... Whom have I in heaven by thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.' The Psalmist earnestly pursued after God; his soul thirsted after Him, he stretched forth his hands unto Him. All of God's saints have this in common: they are those that seek God. 'This is the generation of them that seek Him.' 'Your heart shall live that seek God,' etc. If this be the true sense of this phrase 'seeking the Lord of Hosts,' then we must understand that God who had withdrawn Himself, or, as it were, hid Himself, would return to His Church, granting the fruits of His presence and communion with His people, which He so often promised, and for which His Church had so long waited. In short, it seems reasonable to understand the phrase, 'seeking the Lord of Hosts' means not merely praying to God, but seeking the promised restoration of the Church of God after the Babylonian captivity and the great apostasy occasioning it is called their 'seeking God, and searching for Him;' and God's granting this promised revival and restoration called His being 'found of them.' (See Jer. 29:10-14) The prophets occasionally represent God as being withdrawn and hiding Himself: 'Verily thou art a God that hideth thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior. I hid me, and was wroth.' The prophets then go on to represent God's people seeking Him, searching and waiting for and calling after Him. When God answers their prayers and restores and advances His people, according to His promise, then He is said to come and say, 'Here am I' and to show Himself, and they are said to find Him and see Him plainly. 'Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I ...' 'But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation ... I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.' 'The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.' We wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.' (Isa. 58:9; Isa. 45:17,19; Isa. 25:8-9)

3. WE MAY OBSERVE WHO IT IS THAT WILL BE UNITED IN SEEKING THE LORD: 'the inhabitants of many cities ... yea, many people and strong nations.' Many people from all over the world will unite to seek the Lord. From the the prophecy, it seems reasonable to assume that this will be fulfilled in the following manner: First, God's people will be given a spirit of prayer, inspiring them to come together and pray in an extraordinary manner, that He would help his Church, show mercy to mankind in general, pour out his Spirit, revive His work, and advance His kingdom in the world as He promised. Moreover, such prayer would gradually spread and increase more and more, ushering in a revival of religion. This would be characterized by greater worship and service of God among believers. Others will be awakened to their need for God, motivating them to earnestly cry out to God for mercy. They will be led to join with God's people in that extraordinary seeking and serving of God which they see around them. In this way the revival will grow until the awakening reaches whole nations and those in the highest positions of influence. The Church will grow to be ten times larger than it was before. Indeed, at length, all the nations of the world will be converted unto God. Thus, ten men, out of all languages and nations, will 'take hold of the skirt of' the Jew (in the sense of the Apostle), saying 'We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.' Thus will be fulfilled, 'O thou that heareth prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.'

4. WE MAY ALSO OBSERVE THE MANNER OF THEIR UNITY IN PRAYER. It is a visible and voluntary union that was first proposed by some of God's people with others readily joining in over time. Those who live in one city will declare to those of another city, 'Let us go' etc. Many of those who hear their declaration will not only join with them but will make the call for the unity in prayer known to still others. As a result, the movement will grow, prevail and spread among God's people. Some suppose that the words, 'I will go also,' are to be taken as words spoken by the one making the proposal. He states this expressing his willingness and desire to do what he is asking his hearer to do. But this is to suppose no more than is expressed in the phrase, 'Come and let us go ...' itself. It seems more natural to me to understand these words as being the consent or reply of the one to whom the proposal is made. This is much more agreeable to the flow of the text which represents the compliance of great numbers of people in this movement. And though if these words are thus understood, we must suppose something understood in the text that is not expressed: Those of other cities will say, 'I will go also.' Yet, this is not difficult to conceive of as such figures of speech are common in the Scripture (Jer. 3:22; Ps. 1:6,7).

5. NEXT, WE CAN OBSERVE THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY AGREE TO PRAY: 'Let us go speedily to pray,' or, as it says in the margin: let us go continually. Literally translated this means, 'let us go in going.' The Hebrew language often doubles words for emphasis (e.g., the holy of holies signifies that which is most holy). Such doubling of words also denotes the certainty of an event coming to pass. For example, when God said to Abraham, 'in multiplying, I will multiply thy seed,' God implies that He would certainly multiply his seed, and multiply it exceedingly.

6. FINALLY, THIS PROPHECY GIVES US A PICTURE OF THIS UNION IN PRAYER BEING AN INVITING AND A HAPPY THING. We sense God's pleasure, and the results prove tremendously successful. From the whole of this prophecy we may infer that it is well pleasing to God for many people, in different parts of the world, to voluntarily come into a visible union to pray in an extraordinary way for those great outpourings of the Holy Spirit which shall advance the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ that God has so often promised shall be in the latter ages of the world. An Example From History Let me relate a brief history of what has happened in Scotland: In October of 1744, a number of ministers in Scotland, considering the state of God's Church, and mankind in general, believed that God was calling those concerned for the welfare of the Church to unite in extraordinary prayer. They knew God was the Creator and source of all blessings and benefits in the Church so they earnestly prayed that He would appear in His glory, and strengthen the Church, and manifest His compassion to the world of mankind by an abundant outpouring of His Holy Spirit. They desired a true revival in all parts of Christendom, and to see nations delivered from their great and many calamities, and to bless them with the unspeakable benefits of the Kingdom of our glorious Redeemer, and to fill the whole earth with His glory. These ministers consulted with one another on this subject and concluded that they were obliged to begin such prayer and attempt to persuade others to do the same. After seeking God for direction, they determined that for the next two years they would set apart some time on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings every week for prayer as one's other duties would allow. More importantly, it was decided that the first Tuesday of each quarter (beginning with the first Tuesday of November) would be time to be spent in prayer. People were to pray for either the entire day or part of the day, as they found themselves disposed, or as circumstances allowed. They would meet in either private prayer groups or in public meetings, whichever was found to be most convenient. It was determined that none should make any promises or feel under strict obligation to observe every one of these days without fail; for these days were not holy or established by sacred authority. However, to prevent negligence, and the temptation to make excuses for trivial reasons, it was proposed that if those who resolve to pray cannot take part on the agreed upon day, they would use the next available day for the purpose of prayer. The primary reason for this cooperation in prayer was to maintain, among the people of God, that necessity of prayer for the coming of Christ's Kingdom, which Christ directed his followers to do. We are, unfortunately, too little inclined to pray because of our laziness and immaturity, or because of the distraction of our own worldly, private affairs. We have prayed at times, but without special seasons for prayer, we are, likely, to neglect it either partially or totally. But when we set aside certain times for prayer, resolving to fulfill this commission unless extraordinarily hindered, we are less likely to neglect it. The return of each new season will naturally refresh the memory and will cause us to remember these teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the obligations we have as His followers. We will be renewed in the importance, necessity and unspeakable value of the mercy we seek from God, and by frequent renovation, the vision to pray will be kept alive in our hearts at all times. Therefore, those ministers from Scotland determined that such gatherings would help encourage greater prayerfulness among God's people for revival throughout the year. They also believed that the quarterly gathering would encourage and strengthen people to pray, especially if they knew that many other Christians in so many distant places were praying for the same things at a same time. It was thought that two years would be a sufficient trial period, after which time would be given to evaluate fruitfulness of the endeavor. It was not known but thought best to allow some time to make some adjustments if necessary. The time period, though short, was thought sufficient to judge its fruitfulness. Those involved would have the opportunity to communicate their thoughts, and perhaps improve, on this manner of prayer. As for promulgating this concert of prayer, the ministers decided to simply pass the word through personal conversation, and correspondence with others far away, rather than any formal advertisement in the press. At first it was intended that some formal paper outlining the proposal should be sent around for proper amendments and improvements, and then agreement. But after more thoughtful deliberation, it was concluded that this would only give rise to objections which they thought best to avoid in the beginning. Great success seems to have met their labors for great numbers in Scotland and England, and even some in North America joined with them. As to Scotland, many people in the four chief cities, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dundee joined. There were also many country towns and congregations in various other areas that participated. A Mr. Robe, of Kilsyth, stated that 'There were then above thirty societies of young people there, newly erected, some of which consisted of upwards of thirty members.' The two years ended last November. Just prior to this, a number of ministers in Scotland agreed on a letter, to be printed and sent abroad to their brethren, proposing to them, and requesting of them, to join with them in continuing this concert of prayer, and in the endeavors to promote it. Almost five hundred copies of this letter were sent over to New England, with instructions to distribute them to the Massachusetts-Bay area, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Carolina and Georgia. Most were sent to a congregational minister in Boston along with a letter from twelve ministers in Scotland. Other copies were sent to other ministers in Boston, and some to a minister in Connecticut. The proposal, dated August 26, 1746, opens with an explanation of the purpose and times for the concerts of prayer, and an entreaty to the ministers to communicate their opinions after the two year period had completed. The ministers then go on to assure their Bostonian brethren that the concerts are not to be seen as binding; men are not expected to set apart days from secular affairs, or 'fix on any part of ... precise days, whether it be convenient or not.' Nor are they to be seen as 'absolute promises, but as friendly, harmonious resolutions, with liberty to alter circumstances as shall be found expedient.' Because of such liberty these prayer times cannot be judged to infringe upon those 'religious times' appointed by men. The letter also asked ministers to consider composing and publishing short 'persuasive directions' regarding the necessity of prayer, either by particular authors or several joining together. Without such repeated reminders men are apt to become weary and begin to neglect their duty. Ministers are also asked to preach frequently on the importance and necessity of prayer for the coming of the Lord's Kingdom, particularly near or on the quarterly times. The Boston ministers are to understand that these prayer concerts are not restricted to any particular denomination, but is extended to all who have 'at heart the interest of vital Christianity, and the power of godliness; and who, however differing about other things, are convinced of the importance of fervent prayer ...' It was proposed that the prayer should extend for seven more years and the ministers agreed to this. However there was concern that zeal for spreading news of the concert would wane because of the length proposed. Nevertheless, it was agreed that the first period of time (two years) was too short. If persons who formerly agreed to this concert should discontinue it, would it not look like that fainting in prayer Scripture so ardently warned against? Would this not be particularly unsuitable given the need of public reformation? Those ministers in Boston said of this proposal: 'The motion seems to come from above, and to be wonderfully spreading in Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland and North America.'

2007-08-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

A Contagious Christian faith

Starting Sept. 12 we will be studying "Becoming a Contagious Christian," a lifestyle evangelism course published by Willow Creek and created by Bill Hybels. I realize that a lot people dislike some of Hybels methods and theology, but having taught it twice in the past I can honestly say this course is great. Christians should be witnesses of the Gospel everywhere they go. We have a responsibility to the people we live and work with to share the glorious good news of the Gospel with them. Contagious Christians teaches believers to use everyday opportunities to share Christ. The method is simple and true to God's Word. I hope that every member of Parkview Baptist Church will take the time to come on Wed. nights and sharpen their skills in evangelism. We may not agree with everything that Hybels does or teaches, but we do agree on the Gospel. That is one subject that we are all together on!

See you there.

Collin

John Piper on the prosperity gospel

2007-08-17T17:44:00.001-07:00

HEALTH AND WEALTH GOSPEL?

The health and wealth gospel is no gospel at all. It is another gospel, one that is under the curse of God. Piper states it better than anyone - as usual.

2007-08-16T05:28:00.000-07:00

The danger of busyness

The past few weeks here at Parkview have been great. People are friendly and kind to my family. To say I have enjoyed my first month here would be an understatement. Being a new pastor means lots of work! People to meet, committees to work with, sermons to write and staff to lead. Yet, there is a very real danger hidden behind all that good and necessary work. It is far too easy to put off or forget to spend much time alone with God in prayer. One of my staff members gave me a paper to read that describes the Fulton Street prayer revival that rocked New York city in 1857, and ultimately the world. There was no slick publicity, no famous speaker, no ultra talented singing sensation. There was only Jeremiah Lanphier and his burden to get business men together to pray during their lunch hour. At first there were only a few men, but as time went on, hundreds, then thousands met in churches all over the nation to pray. At the peak of the revival 50,000 persons a week were being converted! What would happen today if the pastor, the staff, and the membership of Parkview Baptist Church were to embrace Lanphier's burden for prayer? There would be revival! We need to be constantly reminded that busyness, even the busyness of church does not bring revival - only prayer!

Let us pray!

2007-07-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

THE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

Luke 16:19-31

Context-Jesus is preaching a powerful discourse against putting one’s faith in riches. This parable reveals the terrible consequences of a life without Christ.

The Rich man has by tradition been named Dives. The Poor man who finds himself in heaven is Lazarus. The thrust of the parable is not about Lazarus, but the rich man.

From this passage we will find the truth about Hades and Hell. We will find that Hell is a place of conscious, eternal torment for those who reject Christ as their Lord and Savior.

For you who are here who have never accepted Christ I want to urge you to listen and to receive Him.

Believer, I hope your heart is as burdened by this truth. Burdened to the point of sharing Jesus with everyone around you.

I will treat Hades and Hell in one train of thought this morning. Hades is the place where the wicked go immediately following death. Hell is the lake of fire in Rev. 20. The difference between is only a matter of time. The experience of Hades is most likely indistinguishable from Hell.

THE EXISTENCE OF HELL-“And being in torments in Hades”. Vs. 23

Modern theologians, even conservative ones, have all but discarded the traditional view of Hell’s existence. There are many theological reasons why we would argue for Hell’s literal existence. I want to present only a few this morning.

THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST-Jesus says more about Hell than any other figure in the Bible. He speaks of Hell and Hades as a fire, burning sulfur, a fiery furnace, outer darkness, and a lake of fire.

The parable at hand is one of the most powerful arguments for Hell’s existence. The parable is meaningless if it does not teach the reality of endless punishment.

THE JUSTICE OF GOD- The rich man in his arrogance and selfishness has shunned and disregarded God’s will. His life is a life of outright rebellion against the God of heaven. To refuse Christ as your Lord, to live your life for yourself and not for the God who created you is a sin against the infinite, Holy, sovereign Lord of the universe. No other punishment could be given except that of Hell. Because of the absolute holiness of God, Hell is a necessity.

ILLUS: a Judge who not prosecute the guilty, i.e. a murderer, rapist, etc. would not be worthy of taking the bench. The same is true spiritually.

For God not to punish sin would make Him less than God.

THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES-Paul, Peter, James, and John all speak of the reality of Hell.

If we will believe that the Word of God is inspired and inerrant then we must believe in Hell. To discredit the doctrine of Hell is to disregard God’s Word on the matter. We may not like, we may wish it were different, but God has spoken on the matter. Hell is a fact

There exists at this moment a place of the darkest night, the hottest fire and the most severe torment. At this very moment the smoke of Hell rises up in shame and contempt. At this very moment the cries of those who have rejected Christ ring out across it black and bleak halls. Hell is a Horrible Reality.

THE EXPERIENCES IN HELL-VS. 23-2

I want to be careful here to say only what the Bible says and no more. Many preachers and so-called prophets have gone beyond the bounds of scripture in describing hell. I only want to bring out what Jesus teaches. In the fate of the Rich man God gives us an awful glimpse of a grim reality. This parable is a window to the horrors of Hell.

*One moment he lay in his luxurious bed of wealth. Most likely, even in his dying condition surrounded by his excesses. Servants waiting on him, moping his feverish brow. Then in the space of a heartbeat, in the one moment that it takes for His Soul to depart His body He finds Himself in Hell.

Hell is only a heartbeat away for the person without Christ. What does this passage tell us through Dives experiences in Hell?

<HE IS CONSCIOUS IN HELL-“He lifted up His eyes being in Hades”vs. 23

He sees, he feels, He knows, He thinks. Think how horrible the realization will be for the man or woman who has refused Christ. How horrible that moment of death when they realize there worst fears are confirmed. They are in Hell.

HE IS TORMENTED IN HELL-Vs. 23-24. Being in Torment. Jesus again and again refers to Hell as fire. Gehenna is used. It refers to the valley of Hinnon. A public incinerator. Fires continually burned there. Hell is and will be a place of torment for its inhabitants. Christ tells us there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth in hell. Dives is in agony in the flames.

Tormented by Loneliness

Tormented by darkness

Tormented by the cries of the damned and demons around him.

Tormented by their view of Heaven.

The bible does seem to teach their will be degrees of punishment in Hell. The principle in scripture seems to be, the greater the knowledge, the greater is the responsibility.

Can we really imagine the horrors of such a place?

HE HAS MEMORY IN HELL-VS. VS. 25 “Remember” Perhaps this will be the greatest of all torments. It will be one that is self-inflected. All the missed opportunities, all the times you have rejected Christ, refused His calling will sear through your mind with more heat than a thousand flames.

The sins you so loved will sour in your memory as you consider them for all eternity.

Mark 9:48 speaks of the worm that does not die. Most commentators interpret this as the Soul’s internal torment. Eating away at the person’s mind for all eternity. Over and over your mind will replay every chance you had to come to Christ. If you do not repent, it may be this very sermon, this very service that runs through your mind for all eternity.

THE ENDLESSNESS OF HELL. VS. 26-

Hell is a permanent condition. There is no crossing over from Hell to Heaven. There is a great chasm. A great gulf.

The Bible does not teach purgatory. That is a Catholic doctrine born out of the vain imagination of the pope, not the heart of God. In fact nothing could be farther from the teaching of the New Testament.

There is no probationary period to be spent in Hell. All are sentenced to an eternal fate with not possibility of parole.

The Bible does not teach Annihilation. This is a doctrine propagated by seventh day Adventists and Jehovah’s witnesses.

Heb. 9:27-For it is appointed for men to die once, and after this to face judgement.

A) THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM HELL-“vs. 26” ILLUS: Papion, the Movie. Papion escapes from a French island prison considered inescapable.

“….In human punishment some will find means to break prison and flee. In hell, they will be reserved in chains of darkness forever and ever. Malefactors have often found means to break prison, and escape the hand of civil justice. But none ever escaped out of the prison of hell. It is a strong prison. It is beyond any finite power or united strength of all wicked men and devils to unlock or break open the door of that prison.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said: In hell there is no hope. They have not even the hope of dying—there is no hope of being annihilated. They are forever-forever-forever lost! On every chain in hell, there is written "forever”.The fires there, blaze out the words “forever”. Above their heads, they read “forever”. Their eyes are galled and their heats are pained with the thought that it is “forever”. Oh, if I could tell you tonight that hell would one day be burned out, and that those who were lost might die, there would be a jubilee in hell at the very thought of it. But it cannot be—it is “forever” they are cast into outer darkness”

THERE IS NO REST IN HELL Vs. 24-25;

The rich man (Dives) longed for water, but received none. Never would he ever receive any.

Rev. 14:9-11 “The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. They have no rest day nor night”.

“nor will they find any thing to relieve them in hell. They will never find a resting-place there. No secret corner which will give them any respite. They will find no cooling stream or fountain. Not so much as a drop of water, for they will be tormented with fire and brimstone, and they will have no rest forever and ever. There is not a moment of rest. No sleep, no possibility to pass out from the pain.

Imagine day after day, month after month, year after year, century after century, millennia after millennia. Perhaps the worst characteristic of hell is the sheer hopelessness of it.

Dante in his work places a sign above the gates of Hell “Abandon all hope ye who enter here.”

THE ESCAPE OF HELL-vs. 27-31

Notice I said Escape of Hell, not from Hell. Dives (The rich man) wanted Lazarus to go back and tell his 5 brothers not to come. Dives understood that He could have avoided Hell. He could have escaped its horrors. Hell was made for the Devil and His angels, not for you and I.

Let me point our two very simple very obvious truths.

UNBELIEVERS CAN ESCAPE HELL-Lazarus could not go back, but the brothers could repent. Abraham states they have Moses and the Prophets. They have all the light they need to repent. It is up to them. This morning you can know the joy of coming to Christ. You can have an eternity with the Father, Son and Spirit. You can live as you were created to live in complete joy and purpose.

Realize your lost condition.

Call upon the name of the Lord.

You have all the light you need to be saved. Dives brothers did not need Lazarus to come back from the dead to warn them. They had already been warned by the law and the prophets. You do not need a miracle to validate my message. You do not need a prophet with a new vision. You do not need someone to return from the dead. You have all the light you need in the Scriptures. Repent and be Saved! Acts 2:38

<BELIEVERS MUST HAVE A BURDEN FOR THOSE BOUND FOR HELL.

Paul did- Romans 9:2,

Ezekiel 33:11

11 “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

There is not a soul in Hell that wants their loved ones to come! If we could for one day open the gates of Hell and let the damned walk among us-we would find ourselves in the midst of the greatest Soul-winners the world has ever known. Their one message would be Repent! Don’t join Me! Fly to Christ. Be saved!

CONCLUSION:

I wonder if some of you really believe in what you say you believe. John Piper states that we need to feel the force of our doctrines. Perhaps you need to think and pray for a vision of Hell. How can you look at a friend, a family member, a co-worker and know that this is their destiny without Christ and share the Gospel with them!

2007-07-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

This article is excellent. We need more Evangelicals and Baptists who think this clearly about theological issues - especially the doctrine of the Church. Thanks Dr. Mohler for your willingness to speak out!

No, I'm not offended R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Posted on Jul 13, 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Aren't you offended? That is the question many evangelicals are being asked in the wake of a recent document released by the Vatican. The document declares that the Roman Catholic Church is the only true church -- or, in words the Vatican would prefer to use, the only institutional form in which the Church of Christ subsists.No, I am not offended. In the first place, I am not offended because this is not an issue in which emotion should play a key role. This is a theological question, and our response should be theological, not emotional. Secondly, I am not offended because I am not surprised. No one familiar with the statements of the Roman Catholic Magisterium should be surprised by this development. This is not news in any genuine sense. It is news only in the current context of Vatican statements and ecumenical relations. Thirdly, I am not offended because this new document actually brings attention to the crucial issues of ecclesiology, and thus it presents us with an opportunity.The Vatican document is very brief -- just a few paragraphs in fact. It's official title is "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church," and it was released by the Vatican's Congregation for the Defense of the Faith on June 29. Though many media sources have identified the document as a papal statement from Pope Benedict XVI, it is actually a statement from the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith that was later approved for release by the Pope (who, as Cardinal Ratzinger, headed this Congregation prior to assuming the papacy).The document claims a unique legitimacy for the Roman Catholic Church as the church established by Christ. The document stakes this identity on a claim to apostolic succession, centered in the papacy itself. As the document states, "This Church, constituted and organised in this world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him."Lest anyone miss the point, the document then goes on to acknowledge that the churches of Eastern Orthodoxy also stake a claim to apostolic succession, and thus they are referred to as "Churches" by the Vatican. As for the churches born in whatever form out of the Reformation -- they are not true churches at all, only "ecclesial communities."Look at this:"According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called 'Churches' in the proper sense."Pope Benedict was already in hot water with the media because of his recent decision related to the (limited) reinstitution of the Latin mass, complete with a call for the conversion of the Jews. He was not likely to be named "Ecumenist of the Year" anyway. This latest controversy just adds to the media impression of big changes at the Vatican under the current papacy.There have been changes for sure. Benedict truly is a doctrinal theologian, whereas his popular predecessor, Pope John Paul II, was more a philosopher by academic training. Those familiar with the current Pope know of his frustration with the tendency of liberal Catholic theologians and laypersons to insist that the Second Vatican Council (known popularly as "Vatican II") represented a massive shift (to the left) in Catholic doctrine. Not so, insisted Cardinal Ratzinger as head of the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith. Now, as Pope, Benedict is in a position to shape his argument into a universal policy for his church. Vatican II, he insists, represented only a deepening and reapplication of unchanging Catholic doctrine.Evangelicals should appreciate the candor reflected in this document. There is no effort here to confuse the issues. To the contrary, the document is an obvious attempt to set the record straight. The Roman Catholic Church does not deny that Christ is working redemptively through Protestant and evangelical churches, but it does deny that these churches which deny the authority of the papacy are true churches in the most important sense. The true church, in other words, is that church identified through the recognition of the papacy. Those churches that deny or fail to recognize the papacy are "ecclesial Communities," not churches "in the proper sense," according to the document.I appreciate the document's clarity on this issue. It all comes down to this -- the claim of the Roman Catholic Church to the primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the Pope as the universal monarch of the church is the defining issue. Roman Catholics and evangelicals should together recognize the importance of that claim. We should together realize and admit that this is an issue worthy of division. The Roman Catholic Church is willing to go so far as to assert that any church that denies the papacy is no true church. Evangelicals should be equally candid in asserting that any church defined by the claims of the papacy is no true church. This is not a theological game for children; it is the honest recognition of the importance of the question.The Reformers and their heirs put their lives on the line in order to stake this claim. In this era of confusion and theological laxity we often forget that this was one of the defining issues of the Reformation itself. Both the Reformers and the Roman Catholic Church staked their claim to be the true church -- and both revealed their most essential convictions in making their argument. As Martin Luther and John Calvin both made clear, the first mark of the true Church is the ministry of the Word -- the preaching of the Gospel. The Reformers indicted the Roman Catholic Church for failing to exhibit this mark, and thus failing to be a true church. The Catholic church returned the favor, defining the church in terms of the papacy and magisterial authority. Those claims have not changed.I also appreciate the spiritual concern reflected in this document. The artificial and deadly dangerous game of ecumenical confusion has obscured issues of grave concern for our souls. I truly believe that Pope Benedict and the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith are concerned for our evangelical souls and our evangelical congregations. Pope Benedict is not playing a game. He is not asserting a claim to primacy on the playground. He, along with the Magisterium of his church, believes that Protestant churches are gravely defective and that our souls are in danger. His sacramental theology plays a large role in this concern, for he believes and teaches that a church without submission to the papacy has no guaranteed efficacy for its sacraments. (This point, by the way, explains why the Protestant churches that claim a sacramental theology are more concerned about this Vatican statement -- it denies the basic validity of their sacraments.)I actually appreciate the Pope's concern. If he is right, we are endangering our souls and the souls of our church members. Of course, I am convinced that he is not right -- not right on the papacy, not right on the sacraments, not right on the priesthood, not right on the Gospel, not right on the church.The Roman Catholic Church believes we are in spiritual danger for obstinately and disobediently excluding ourselves from submission to its universal claims and its papacy. Evangelicals should be concerned that Catholics are in spiritual danger for their submission to these very claims. We both understand what is at stake.The Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, responded to the press by saying that the Vatican's "exclusive claims" are "troubling." He also said, "[W]hat may have been meant to clarify has caused pain."I will let Bishop Hanson explain his pain. I do not see this new Vatican statement as an innovation or an insult. I see it as a clarification and a helpful demarcation of the issues at stake. I appreciate the Roman Catholic Church's candor on this issue, and I believe that Evangelical Christians, with equal respect and clarity, should respond in kind. This is a time to be respectfully candid -- not a time to be offended.--30--R. Albert Mohler Jr. is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

2007-06-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Pleasure and Purpose of Trials

There is a disturbing tendency in American Christianity to downplay and even discredit the necessity of difficulty in the Christian life. Popular, yet heretical prosperity preachers want you to believe that God wants only ease and riches for your life. The New Testament teaches something very different. In James chapter one we find two truths that should be foundational to our approach to trials as believers. First, trials are purposeful. Verse 3 – “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience . . .”
God is at work in the difficulties of life. He is developing us, shaping up, and sanctifying us. This is why the apostle Paul was able to remain faithful in the midst of incredible hardship. He had the right perspective about trials. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 He writes, “Therefore we do not lose heart . . . For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Few of us would consider the persecution, beatings, perils, weariness and sufferings that Paul faced to be light. But he was able to because he saw trials from the perspective of eternity. He knew that God was being glorified through his sufferings, and he knew that he was being changed and transformed more and more into the image of Christ through these sufferings
“For we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18

Which brings us to the next truth – trials are not only purposeful, they should also be a pleasure. That’s right, we can and should find joy in our trials. James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” Paul is not advocating some kind of masochistic or escapist existence, but an understanding of life that centers around the soveriegnty of God. He wants us to remember that our Father has not forsaken us. He has not forgotten us. He is forming and fashioning us for His greater glory. James closes his chapter on trials by stating that “every good and perfect gift is from above.” Vs. 17 Heartache, suffering, and even sickness can be grace gifts that work great glory into our lives. . Finding pleasure in trials is the true test of Christian maturity. These are deep waters. God grant us the grace to say with David, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

2007-06-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Cool Memories

Pastoring FBC Swartz for almost 7 years has left us with a wealth of good memories. Here are a couple of my favorites, caught on camera.

Singing with DALLAS HOLM! How cool is that! Gary Griffith and I got to sing along with one of the greatest Christian artists ever - on one of my favorite songs of his - Bloodline!

Whoopin up on my music minister and buddy Gary Griffith. Honestly, most pastors and staff would probably get along better if they just spent a little time in the ring!

Playing a little ball - I may not be what I once was, but I still ain't as bad as some of you!

That's probably more than enough for most of you. But really, Swartz was great. I don't deserve that God should have called me to pastor such a tremendous group of people. And I don't deserve that He should send me to another great church like Parkview. Here's to more years as good as the past 7!

2007-06-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Baton Rouge or Bust!

I know there are probably other bloggers who are more delinquent than I am when it comes to posting, but they are few and far between. However, I can now tell you why I have just been too busy and preoccupied to blog for the last couple of months. As of July 1st I will become the new Senior pastor of Parkview Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, La.

My family and I are excited about the possibilities and challenges that lay ahead of us. Pray for us that we can find a home large enough for us, and still in our price range! God is faithful and sovereign and He will provide both for the sell of my current home and the purchase of our future home.

Once again I am struck by the awesome responsibility that God has given pastors to preach the Word. My success at Parkview will not ultimately be measured by buildings, budgets, baptisms or even problem solving skills; but by how faithful I will be to preach God centered, expositional messages.

Pray for us - the future looks bright ahead!

2007-04-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Babies and Heaven

Not long ago I taught on heaven in my pastor’s class. I was asked if babies who are miscarried or who die in infancy go to heaven. My answer was immediately, yes! However, I was surprised to discover that not everyone agrees with that statement. There seems to be a contingency of folk, mostly reformed in their theology, that are hesitant to state that babies who die go to heaven.

Well, I’m not, and here’s why. The most convincing passage of scripture has to be 2 Samuel 12:23. David and Bathsheba’s child dies and David rises up from prayer and states that he will go to him. He Implies that the child is in heaven, and that David will one day join him there.

Another passage is Matthew 19:14. Jesus states that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. He is referring to the faith and trust of a child that is necessary to receive Christ. It is hard to imagine that Christ would value a child-like faith so highly and then condemn babies and children to hell.

Yes, I believe in original sin. I believe that we are not born innocent, but that we tainted from conception according to Ps. 51:5 and Ro. 5:15-19. However, no where is the Bible does it state that anyone will be condemned for having a sin nature, or because we have inherited Adam’s guilt. The Bible states that the lost will be judged according to sins committed in the body. Not sins that might have been committed. The idea that God would condemn an infant to Hell that has never had the opportunity or the ability to sin is beyond me.

What the Bible does teach is that God is merciful and forgiving. This is illustrated in Deut. 1:35-39 when God exempted the children who did not know right from wrong from judgment. Babies, infants who died because of a miscarriage, will all enjoy heaven. Anyone who states differently needs to seriously reconsider their understanding of God and His great grace.

Great preachers and theologians of the past agree. The rest of this post is from a paper by Albert Mohler, he gives the position of two of the great preachers of the past.

“John Newton, the great minister who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace was certain of this truth. He wrote to close friends who had lost a young child: "I hope you are both well reconciled to the death of your child. I cannot be sorry for the death of infants. How many storms do they escape! Nor can I doubt, in my private judgment, that they are included in the election of grace."(6) The great Princeton theologians Charles Hodge and B. B. Warfield held the same position.

One of the most eloquent and powerful expressions of this understanding of infant salvation came from the heart of Charles Spurgeon. Preaching to his own congregation, Spurgeon consoled grieving parents: "Now, let every mother and father here present know assuredly that it is well with the child, if God hath taken it away from you in its infant days."(7) Spurgeon turned this conviction into an evangelistic call. "Many of you are parents who have children in heaven. Is it not a desirable thing that you should go there, too? He continued: "Mother, unconverted mother, from the battlements of heaven your child beckons you to Paradise. Father, ungodly, impenitent father, the little eyes that once looked joyously on you, look down upon you now, and the lips which scarcely learned to call you father, ere they were sealed by the silence of death, may be heard as with a still small voice, saying to you this morning, ‘Father, must we be forever divided by the great gulf which no man can pass?’ Doth not nature itself put a sort of longing in your soul that you may be bound in the bundle of life with your own children?"

2007-04-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

What is that you do?

Over the years I've had several people ask me, just what it is that pastors do. To be honest, most people are just plain clueless! As one smart alex said, "how hard can it be, you only work one day a week!" First, let me say that I love being a pastor. There is nothing else in the world that I want to do, or can imagine myself doing. I am humbled that God would chose a sinful, weak, and undeserving man like to me to preach the Gospel and lead God's church. I am passionate about it, I love it, and I hope to continue preaching and pastoring until I'm dead or too old or sick to step up to the pulpit.

But, again, what is it that pastors do? That question has to be defined by Scripture. If we allow culture or the church growth movement to define it we will lose it. We will lose the biblical ministry of a pastor, that is. We may retain the title, but the true Biblical office will be lost.
So what does the Bible teach about pastoring?

Dr. Jim Shaddix uses the word pastor as an acrostic to spell out the work of the ministry. I've taken what he wrote and changed it somewhat.

P- Prayer
A - Administer the Vision
S - Shepherd the flock
T - Teach the Word
O - Outreach and evangelism
R - Reproduce myself

P - Prayer - The pastor simply must be a man of prayer in Acts 6:4 - the apostles stated that their duty was to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

A - Administer the Vision- The pastor is the overseer of the church. He provides the leadership and the vision the Church needs to fulfill the great commission. In fact, the church's vision has already been given to us by Christ in Matthew 28 - "Go, therefore and make disciple." The pastor is called to creatively communicate and administrate that vision on all levels of church life. Dr. Shaddix writes: One of the synonyms for the pastor in the New Testament is bishop, or overseer. As the pastor, I’m responsible for overseeing the ministry of the church. It’s my task to make sure that the church is fulfilling its mission as the people of God and that all the parts are working in a cooperative effort effectively and efficiently. I’m responsible for mobilizing the membership to care for one another as well as reaching out to others. And I’ve got to make sure that it’s all being done with biblical integrity, moral purity, as well as financial responsibility.

S - Shepherd - Of all the titles and metaphors used to describe spiritual leadership, the most fitting is that of a shepherd. The shepherd cares for the sheep, he protects the sheep, and feeds the sheep. God's people must be cared for. Crisis times such as sickness or death are vital moments of ministry for the pastor. Before they can be lead, the flock must know they are cared for.

T - Teach the Word - The pastor's primary responsibility is to preach the word of God. Paul commanded Timothy to "Preach the Word, both in season and out." The lion's share of a pastor's time must go the preparation and delivery of expository sermons.

O- Outreach - Paul instructed Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist." The pastor absolutely must have a heart for outreach and evangelism. The church's passion for evangelism is determined by the pastor. He is the pace setter and the model that people will follow. Both in the pulpit, in weekly visitation, and day by day witnessing the pastor must be a soul-winner.

R - Reproduce myself - Paul commanded young Timothy "the things you have heard from me . . . commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Developing Godly leadership is vital to the future of the church.

There is really only an overview, but I hope it will give you a glimpse into my (and I think a Biblical) philosophy of pastoral ministry.

2007-04-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

Now, for the second installment on Church Membership.

THE BIBLICAL BASIS OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Was church membership practiced in the New Testament? Although the Bible does not directly state that the early churches had a formal membership roll, a close study of the New Testament does seem to indicate that there was some form of church membership. None of the examples that will be stated are overwhelming on their own, yet taken as a whole they form a strong argument for a formal church membership. Mike McKinley in an article on church membership provides several biblical examples that demonstrate the practice of church membership in the early church.

1) Those reluctant “to join” the church. In Acts 5:13 we are told that “None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem.” This occurs in the wake of the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. Fear gripped both believers in the church and the non-believers who heard of the events. The word join means ‘to bind closely together’ or to ‘unite.’ This certainly seems to describe some sort of formal arrangement.

2) The list of widows. In I Timothy 5:9-12 Paul gives Timothy instructions on caring for the widows within the fellowship. He refers to women who had been ‘enrolled’ in the list of widows. This certainly seems to suggest a formal list. It is hard to imagine having a list of widows and not having a list of members of the congregation.

3) The practice of church discipline. In 2 Corinthians 2:6 Paul refers to the “punishment of the majority.” The existence of a majority means that there was a clearly defined group of people from which this majority was constituted. There cannot be a majority of an unspecified group, there must be a majority of something. “Was it a majority of people who happened to be present the day the vote was cast? Could non-Christians vote? Could any Christians who happened to be visiting from another city who didn’t know the situation vote? The most natural assumption to make is that Paul meant the majority of an acknowledged membership of the church.”[1]

THE PRACTICAL REASONS FOR CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Along with the Biblical basis of membership there are several practical, logical reasons for having a formal church membership roll. Healthy church membership is basically an act of commitment. When joining people should understand that they are committing to attend worship, be involved in a small group, serve God through the use of their God-given giftedness, and give their tithes and offerings to that local fellowship. What motivates people to make that kind of commitment is an understanding of the practical benefits that church membership brings. Rick Warren lists several benefits to church membership in his book The Purpose Driven Church.

1) Church membership identifies a person as a genuine believer in Christ Jesus.

2) Membership provides a spiritual family to support and encourage them in their walk.

3) The church provides a place to discover and use their gifts in ministry.

4) Membership places people under the spiritual protection of Godly leadership.

5) Church membership provides much needed accountability for spiritual growth, service, and holiness of life.

[1] Mike McKinley, Church Membership and the NCLHGA, 9Marks ministry

2007-03-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

Well, the internet's most deliquent blogger is back. I know it's hard to believe, but I intend to begin posting again on a regular basis. By the way, regular means more than once a month!
This month I'm posting a series on Church membership. None of this is original! I repeat none! I have been helped greatly by Mark Dever's writings, various articles on the 9Marks web-site, and Jason's writing on church membership at Fide-o. This is the rough draft (very, very rough) of a paper that I am preparing for my church leadership on the issue of membership.
Disclaimer: Everything bad is mine. Do not blame any of the aforementioned folk for what I have written.

Church Membership in the 21st Century

INTRODUCTION

This paper (series of entries!) is written to answer several important questions about church membership. Is there a biblical basis for Church Membership? Was there any form of membership practiced by the early church? If so, how should church membership operate in the 21st century? Most importantly, is formal membership consistent with the Bible’s teaching about the nature of the Church. If so, we are obligated to pursue it in our church. If not, then we really have no basis for continuing the practice of adding people to a formal membership roll.
In order to answer these questions we need to define what membership means. Basically, church membership is a formal agreement between an individual and a congregation to be committed to one another in life and discipline.[1] Also, we have to define what the Bible means by a church. A church is not a building, or an organization. The Bible speaks of the church as being both universal and local. The Church universal is all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue and people, and nation.[2]
The Church is also a local congregation or assembly. In fact, when the NT speaks of the Church it almost always speaks in terms of a local congregation of believers. IE – The church at Ephesus, the Church at Thessolonica, etc.
The Baptist Faith and Message defines a church this way: “A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. “
As Baptists we believe the Bible contends that church membership can only be extended to those who are regenerated by the work of the Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ alone, and who follow the Lord in obedience through believer’s baptism.
[1] Mike McKinley, Church Membership and the NCLHGA, Article from the website of 9Marks.ministry,
[2] Baptist Faith and Message,

2007-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Ten commandments or ten suggestions

For the past five weeks I've been preaaching through the ten commandments. What a wonderful antitdote for the weak view of truth that is so pervasive in the Church today! If you have a few minutes check out my church site and you can listen to some of the messages.

2007-01-29T20:24:00.000-08:00

Choose the Life

I am finally getting around to blogging again. Basketball games and church activities have left little time free to write lately. So, I thought I would start out with a quote from a book that I have recently begun reading. I haven't finished it yet, but it promises to be great. The title is Choose the life, and is written by one of my favorite authors, Bil Hull. Here is a great quote, one that really hits close to home for me.

"The contemporary spiritual leader hears many voices. One of the loudest is the one that appeals to the natural desire to be successful. It says you can lead a growing, cutting-edge ministry with all the accoutrements. You can achieve your dreams; you can reach thousands. It tells you to ask God to give you more influence because that is what he desires for you. It is the cultural voice of the upward mobility with all its allure. The single greatest need of spiritual leaders today is to ignore this voice of the flesh and learn to hear the voice of God. God is calling us to renounce all other voices and to devote ourselves to hearing his voice. It is an acquired skill - one that I have only begun to learn. "

This is a much needed correction to the church growth mentality that is taking over American Christianity. Success is a hard master. We pastors need to remember that Christ has not called us to success, but to faithfulness.

2006-12-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

Thought I would share some pictures of my family this week.

2006-12-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Pour Thyself Through Me

Spirit of the Living God, pray Thy mind through me.
Nothing less than Spirit-power do I ask of Thee.
Purge me, urge me, guide me, hide me.
Spirit of the living God, pray Thy mind through me.

Power of the eternal God, flow Thy power through me.
Holy, Pentecostal power do I seek of Thee.
Lowly, holy, for Thy glory -
Power of the eternal God, flow Thy power through me.

Mercy of the living God, channel love through me.
Nothing less than Calvary love meets the need for me.
Love that's burning, love that's yearning-
Mercy of the living God, channel love through me.

Grace of God, eternal grace, reach the lost through me.
Tenderness for every race do I ask of Thee.
Love them, lift them, reach them, teach them;
Grace of God, eternal grace, reach the lost through me.

Life of God, eternal life, pour thyself through me.
Nothing less than Thine own life do I ask of Thee.
Life compelling, life that's telling-
Life of God, eternal life, pour thyself though me.

Leonard Ravenhill, taken from Revival, God's Way.

Amen!

2006-12-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED!

Tonight Gina and I watched a few moments of "The year's most fascinating people" hosted by Barbara Walters. Over the years I have watched quite a few of her interviews and rarely found myself agreeing with her conclusions. But tonight was an exception. One of her most fascinating people was Joel Olsteen. Now, I do take exception with her calling him an evangelical. His theology is more akin to the self-help thinking that pervades our American society, than to Biblical doctrine. But in introducing him she said that his preaching is absent of sin, sacrifice and suffering. She even pointed out that many of his critics call his teaching 'Gospel light." She was right on target. He defended his practice of not preaching on social sins such as homosexuality, abortion, and gay marriage by claiming he was not called to address such controversial subjects. That is why I have trouble calling Olsteen an evangelical. Without the Biblical doctrine of sin, the substitutionary death of Christ, and the suffering of Christ and his followers, the Gospel is gutted. Olsten my 'pastor' (using the term loosely) the largest church in America, but his teaching is dangerous. The Church in America is overrun with apostate preachers teaching a so-called prosperity Gospel. Men like Olsteen may gain the accolades of the world, but only the Spirit anointed preaching of the Word of God will gain the Savior's thumbs up!

2006-12-07T21:04:00.000-08:00

WHERE ARE THE PROPHETS OF GOD?

Just this week a pastor friend (Stuart) and I had a conversation that has really spurred my thinking. We were both remembering great preachers that have made an impact in our lives and ministries. Great men of God like Ron Dunn, Manly Beasley, and Stephen Olford quickly came to mind. These men called the Church to repentance, prayer and revival. They preached the Bible without apology or fear. God used these men to shape the lives of countless pastors and laymen. Two thoughts have been banging about in my mind ever since.
First, all pastors owe a debt of gratitude to the Lord for such men as these. They were gifts of God to his Church. Their holiness of life, passion for Christ, love for the Word and humility were tremendous examples of Christ-like ministry. Although I never met Ron Dunn or Manly Beasley, and Dr. Olford only twice; these men were mentors to me. I thank God for them.
Secondly, who will take up their mantles of ministry? Where are the John the Baptists and Isaiahs of the early 21st century? Preaching today is too often a warmed-over version of secular psychology. It is much easier to preach topical messages filled with heart-warming stories designed to make everyone feel good, than it is to exposit scripture word by word and line by line. The Biblical call to repentance and discipleship is being replaced by sermons designed to fill a building rather than convert the heart. The office of pastor and shepherd is being jettisoned for a secular CEO model.
Pastors, its time we step up to the plate and once again deliver solid, Spirit-empowered expositions of truth. As Dr. Olford once stated, "if you commit to expositional preaching you'll never lack for an audience." People may clamor to the latest 'hot' preacher who tickles their itching ears with non-offensive, non-confrontational, and non-Biblical sermons. But they will only be converted, changed, and challenged when a holy man of God, anointed of the Holy Spirit, holding the inerrant and perfect Word of God, preaches that Word in Spirit and Truth.

2006-11-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving post

I can't believe that the holidays are here! It seems the days and months fly by faster with each year. I can't help but remember that the Bible teaches us that our days are like grass or a puff of smoke. We here today and then gone tomorrow. My greatest goal in life is to make the greatest possible impact for the glory of God with the time and talents that God has given to me.

I truly have much to be thankful for. A wonderful wife, the love of my life, and the most beautiful women in the world. Eight great kids. A beautiful home to live in. Food on the table and clothes on my back. I have been blessed with a great church to pastor. The people are so gracious to me and my family. Most of all, I am thankful for the glorious grace of Jesus Christ that has saved a sinner like me. That God could love me is beyond my ability to comprehend. He has blessed me with every blessing in the heavenly places, adopted me into his forever family, and is even now designing a heavenly home for me. On top of all that God has called me to preach the Gospel. There is no greater priviledge given to a man. I am thankful for the men who have mentored me, for the churches that have put up with me, and the friends that have encouraged me.

Thank you God, for a wonderful life!

2006-11-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

PICTURES OF APOSTASY

Jude 12-13
CIT Â Jude describes apostates.
Proposition Â Christians today must be aware of and avoid apostate teachers
11-08-06wed
First Swartz
INTRODUCTION:
An apostate is one who rejects the truth. It is rebellion or abandonment of the faith.
I) HIDDEN REEFS Â THEY ARE DANGEROUS - Vs. 12 Â spots in your love feasts
First, what is a love feast? A full meal followed by communion. Believers brought food and shared a meal together. Everyone brought what they could. The churches were house churches at this time, there were no formal buildings such as the one we meet in Â these would have been illegal. This was one time in which the people all sat down together and fellowshipped over food. Note: Fellowship meals have been a part of Christian history from the beginning. We joke about his today, but there is a bond of fellowship that can be enjoyed around a meal that is unique.
For some of the slaves and poorer people, this may have been the only decent meal they ever ate.

There was trouble in these meals from the beginning. In Corinth there was division, unfairness between the rich and the poor, and even drunkenness.

Âspots in your love feastsÂ The NAS rightly translates this Âhidden reefs in your love feasts.Â The noun is commonly used in Greek to describe rocks in the sea, close to the shore. They were mostly submerged, and dangerous to ships.

Apostates often hide in the fellowship of the church or Christian university. Their teaching is like hidden rocks or submerged ice-bergs just waiting to wreck and sink the faith of GodÂs people. ILLUS: Values class at LC Â lead many to embrace a universalistic view of salvation.

A) THEY ARE WITHOUT CONSCIENCE Â feast with you without fear Â Literally this means without inhibition. They teach false doctrine, divide the church, and destroy the faith of many, without the slightest qualm.
ILLUS: Listening to Jimmy Swaggert yesterday Â I donÂt agree with him on everything Â I did on this. He stated that the most dangerous false teachers are the one who really believed what they teach. Using Health and Wealth preachers as an example. Some know that what they are teaching is bunk. TheyÂre just trying to make a dollar. Others really believe this garbage and they are the most dangerous.

There are people who will rip a church apart, and never lose a momentÂs sleep in doing so. Some will do and feel they done the right thing Â these are the most dangerous.

B) THEY ARE SELFISH Â serving only themselves Â Literally they are shepherds shepherding only themselves. They were arrogant. They were there for the food and the prestige.
Ezekiel 34:2 ÂSon of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ÂThus says the Lord God, ÂWoe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? [1]
II) WATERLESS CLOUDS Â THEY ARE DECEPTIVE ÂThey are clouds without water.Â
The traveler in Syria and Jordan is often exasperated by heavy clouds that promise rain, but bring none. In fact, as they pass they only increase the heat and humidity.

ILLUS: My grandfather was a farmer, and two of his sons became farmers. I worked for one of them. The summer I did it was dry. Every time a cloud passed over that looked promising Â he would get his hopes up. Sometimes, it the clouds would go black, the wind would blow, maybe even some lightening, but no rain.

These apostates are just windbags. All heat and no light, all smoke and no fire. They all show and no substance. They promise rain, but they only bring drought.

"WHOEVER FALSELY BOASTS OF GIVING IS
LIKE CLOUDS AND WIND WITHOUT RAIN." (PROV 25:14)

They have no water for thirsty souls, they only pretend to.

The Word of God is often compared to rain and dew.
Deuteronomy 32:2 ÂLet my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb. [2]
Isaiah 55:10 ÂFor as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; [3]
ILLUS: I HEARD ABOUT A MAN WHO HAD NOT BEEN TO CHURCH IN A WHILE. HIS PASTOR SAW HIM WALKING DOWN THE STREET ONE DAY, AND HE SAID, "SAM, I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN CHURCH FOR A WHILE." HE SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW PASTOR, THE LAST SEVERAL SUNDAYS IT'S BEEN RAINING." THE PREACHER SAID, "WELL, IT'S DRY DOWN AT THE CHURCH." THE MAN SAID, "YES, AND THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I DON'T COME."
There are many churches where dry preachers are serving up sawdust sermons to people with parched GodÂs people need the clear living water from the Word of God. They need hot bread fresh from the oven of GodÂs word.
They are carried about by the wind- they have no sure foundation. They are double-minded.
III) FRUITLESS TREES Â THEY ARE DESOLATE Â Late Autumn trees without fruit.
Autumn is the time of the year for harvest. The farmer expects fruit, but these trees are dead, they bear no fruit.

One of the evidences of salvation is spiritual fruit. IE Â Parable of the soils Â Matthew 13:1-9 the good soil, the saved person, appetite fruit. The apostate has no appitite for the Word, no desire to pray, no interest in witnessing. They are no concerned much about their attendance, or their quiet time. They are concerned about power, position, and prestige.

-A true teacher produces fruit in his preaching and teaching. You will not find souls saved by the preaching of the apostate. They do build great churches, they cannot, they are unconverted.

Twice dead Â They are spiritually dead in their sins and trespasses, they are also bound to a devilÂs hell.

IV) RAGING WAVES Â THEY ARE DISOBEDIENT -Vs. 13 image deals with morality.

A) THEY ARE DEPRAVED Â unclean and immoral. ILLUS: Walkng along the beach after a storm. All kinds of debri has been tossed up by the sea.
ÂScraps of filth and debri collect in the water and foam and spill over on to the shore. In the same way, these false teachers spread everywhere traces of their corruption and impurity.Â JND Kelly
B) THEY ARE DRIVEN - Waves are produced by wind. The faster the wind, the longer it blows, and the larger the area in which it blows, the bigger the waves.
They are driven by their restless passions and lusts. Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea, For it cannot be quiet, And its waters toss up refuse and mud. [4]
V) WANDERING STARS Â THEY ARE DAMNED
Shooting stars, meteors blazing across the sky briefly and then they are gone.
ILLUS: One night coming home from church Â spotted a shooting star. It almost made me drive off the road! That is what an apostate is like Â here today and gone tomorrow. They leave nothing lasting because it is never built upon truth.
They will therefore be swallowed up into the blackest darkness forever; eternal judgment is certain for them.
These apostates were not unfruitful believers, who would not receive rewards in heaven at the judgment seat of Christ. Instead they were impostors who would be judged according to their evil deeds. [5] ÂTo whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.Â This refers to hell. One symbol of hell is fire, and the other is blackness of darkness. The great emphasis has been placed upon the symbol of fire. Hell is literal, of course, but to say it is literal fire isnÂt quite adequate for this reason: there will be spiritual creatures there as well as manÂand the worst sins of man are spiritual sins such as unbelief. Therefore, physical punishment wouldnÂt be quite adequate. My feeling is that man will wish it were literal fire because it will be so much worse than fire. The other symbol, Âblackness of darkness,Â is to me far more frightening. And I believe that a lost man carries his darkness with himÂnot only physical darkness but spiritual darkness.
My feeling is that the horrors of hell will be increased by those who go there. For instance, there is a place on earth called HellÂs Kitchen. Is the difference in the kind of real estate that is there? No, the difference is in the people who are there. This, together with the concept of physical darkness, is to me frightful beyond words. If you have ever been down in Carlsbad Caverns when the lights are turned out, you know what real darkness is. IÂd hate to be down there forever, my friend! [6]
CONCLUSION:
6. YOU KNOW A SAINT IS TO BE OPPOSITE IN EVERY WAY FROM AN APOSTATE. INSTEAD OF BEING HIDDEN ROCKS, I PET. 2:5 SAYS WE ARE TO BE LIVING STONES. INSTEAD OF BEING WATERLESS CLOUDS, JOHN 7:38 SAYS WE ARE TO BE BUBBLING SPRINGS. INSTEAD OF BEING DEAD TREES, JOHN 15:3 SAYS WE ARE TO BE FRUITFUL BRANCHES. INSTEAD OF BEING RAGING WAVES, IS. 48:18 SAYS WE ARE TO BE PEACEFUL RIVERS. INSTEAD OF BEING DARKENED STARS, DAN. 12:3 SAYS WE ARE TO BE GLISTENING LUMINARIES.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, GEORGE BUSH SPOKE AT A PRAYER BREAKFAST WHEN HE WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT. HE TOLD OF A TRIP HE TOOK TO RUSSIA TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES AT THE FUNERAL OF LEONID BREZHNEV. THE FUNERAL WAS VERY PRECISE, VERY STOIC, EXTREMELY COMMUNISTIC. NO TEARS WERE SHED, NO EMOTION WAS DISPLAYED WITH ONE EXCEPTION. MR. BUSH TOLD HOW BREZHNEV'S WIDOW WAS THE LAST PERSON TO WITNESS THE BODY BEFORE THE COFFIN WAS CLOSED. FOR SEVERAL SECONDS SHE STOOD AT HIS SIDE AND THEN REACHED DOWN AND PERFORMED THE SIGN OF THE CROSS ON HER HUSBAND'S CHEST.
IN THE HOUR OF HER HUSBAND'S DEATH, WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNISTIC WORLD WATCHING, SHE DID NOT TURN TO LENIN, TO KARL MARX, TO JOSEPH STALIN, OR TO KHRUSHCHEV. INSTEAD SHE TURNED TO A NAZARENE CARPENTER, WHO HAD LIVED 2,000 YEARS AGO, AND WHO SAID, "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD."2

10. SATAN CAN COUNTERFEIT PREACHERS, BUT HE CANNOT COUNTERFEIT THE GOSPEL. HE CAN COUNTERFEIT THEOLOGY, BUT HE CANNOT COUNTERFEIT TRUTH. HE CAN EVEN COUNTERFEIT CHURCHES, BUT HE CANNOT COUNTERFEIT JESUS. FOR HE IS THE REAL THING.

[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[2] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[3] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[4] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA
[5]Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. 1983-c1985. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Victor Books: Wheaton, IL
[6]McGee, J. V. 1997, c1981. Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.). Thomas Nelson: Nashville

2006-11-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Excuse me while I open this up!

Just the other day I read an interesting article on birthrates and Baptists. The article states that as the affluence of Southern Baptists goes up, the birth rates go down. Many couples now are opting to wait longer and have fewer children than previous generations. Why? As a father of eight I am probably a little biased on this subject, but it seems we are allowing our culture to dictate how we think about children rather than the Bible. God's Word states that "children are a blessing from the Lord" and "blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Children are not distractions from our careers or hindrances to having fun. Children are God's gift to a family. They ought to be highly prized and valued. Young couples should begin early to have children, not wait until they have "had some time together." Since when have children become a detriment to marriage or intimacy? In reality, children strengthen a marriage. Some couples wait because they want to have more "things" or "toys." Why in the world should we invest in worldly, materialistic junk that will only be destroyed at the day of judgment; when we could be investing ourselves in little souls that will bring glory to God for eternity!

Here's what I think. Christians ought to joyfully, gladly, and worshipfully have a housefull of children - to the glory of and honor of Jesus! Quit letting economics and culture shape our thinking. Let the word of God determine our beliefs - even when it comes to children!

2006-10-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Dreamers, Blasphemers, and Schemers

Jude 8-11
CIT – Jude describes the apostates that are infiltrating the church.
10-25-06am
First Swartz
INTRODUCTION:
Dreams can be good or bad –
Think about the sewing machine. Elias Howe had just about given up on the whole project. He just could not decide where to put the eye of the needle. He had a dream one night that he was being lead to execution for failing to design a sewing machine for the king of a strange country.
He was surrounded by guards who carried unusual spears, they were spears that were pierced through the head. He woke up, realizing instantly that this was the solution to his problem. By morning he had completed the design of the first sewing machine.

Another dream – this one was disturbing. Just a week before he was assassinated, Abraham Lincoln had a dream that he was walking through a silent white house toward the sound of someone sobbing. When he entered the east room he was confronted by the sight of a coffin covered in black. He asked the guard on duty there who was dead, and the soldier said, “The president of the United States.”

We read tonight about some dreamers – very dangerous dreamers. Apostates and false prophets who were infiltrating the church. Notice what Jude says about them.

I) THEY WERE DREAMERS – vs. 8
“likewise” In spite of the three examples of apostasy mentioned in vs. 5-7, they persist in their sin. In spite of the warnings and the destruction of those who turned from God, they persist.

These dreamers – KJV – filthy dreamers or dirty dreamers.
These false prophets claimed prophetic revelations. They claimed that God spoke to them in their dreams. They claimed that these dreams were reliable and trustworthy.

God has spoken at times through dreams –
OT – Joel 2:28 –
NT Matthew 1:20 – God spoke to Joseph in a dream.

Most often this refers to false prophets.
Jer. 23:25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in my name, saying “I had a dream, I had a dream.”

“a confused state of the soul or abnormal imagination, producing delusions and sensual confusion. These men’s minds were numb to the truth. . . they fantasized wicked perversions, being blind and deaf to reality and truth. Perhaps they falsely claimed these dreams were from God.”
J. McArthur

APOSTATES ARE DREAMERS WHO CONJURE UP THEIR OWN THEOLOGY. THEY JUST DREAM UP WHAT THEY BELIEVE. THEIR THEOLOGY IS JUST A FIGMENT OF THEIR IMAGINATION. THEY BASE WHAT THEY BELIEVE ON
SUBJECTIVE OPINION RATHER THAN OBJECTIVE REVELATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY BASE WHAT THEY BELIEVE ON WHAT
THEY THINK, RATHER THAN WHAT GOD SAYS.- James Merritt.

The end result of their apostasy is alarming. Jude lists three.
A) THEY DEFILE THEIR FLESH – Literally they pollute their own bodies. Perhaps in their dreams they believed that God was telling them it was okay to commit sexual sins. The word describes an infection or a contamination. They are unclean because of their sin. They claim to know God, yet they live ungodly and immoral lives.

The apostate kills his conscience. He sins so often that he no longer feels any guilt or conviction. ILLUS: David Berg the founder of the family or the Children of God – Many of his beliefs sound biblical. Until you get to this - . IL In a lengthy and sexually explicit series of missives claiming that God had now sanctified extra-marital sex and prostitution as long as they were "done in love" and "for the glory of God."

They become unfit for worship and for service.
They become dangerous to those around them. They become deviant and warped – sin leading to sin.

B) THEY REJECT SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY – This authority is the authority of Christ. They reject the inspiration and the inerrancy of Scripture. ILLUS: Baptist college president who stated that calling the Bible infallible is wrong.
LISTEN AGAIN TO WHAT THIS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT SAYS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST: "THE VIRGIN BIRTH IS MORE TRUTH THAN FACT. FACTS ARE HISTORICAL AND MUNDANE. TRUTH TRANSCENDS THE AGES...ITS STATUS AS AN ACTUAL HISTORICAL FACT IS
UNIMPORTANT.
LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THE DEATH OF CHRIST: "JESUS DID NOT DIE TO SATISFY SOME
ABSTRACT PENALTY FOR SIN. GOD IS NOT A BOOKKEEPER. JESUS DIED BECAUSE PEOPLE CHOSE TO KILL HIM.
LISTEN TO WHAT THIS MAN SAID ABOUT THE SALVATION OF CHRIST: "JESUS DID NOT COME
TO TELL US HOW TO BE SAVED. JESUS CAME TO TELL US THAT WE ARE SAVED." – Quoted from James Merrit – originally from KIRBY GODSEY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GOD, LET'S BE HONEST (MACON, GEORGIA: SMYTH & HELWYS PUBLISHING INC., 1996), PP. 50, 51, 53.
C) THEY REVILE HEAVENLY DIGNITARIES – They are irreverent of spiritual powers and speak evil of angels.
Vs. 9 is very difficult –it seems to have been taken from a Jewish writing called the Assumption of Moses. Moses died on Mt. Nebo and Deut. 34:5-6 says that God buried him and no one knows the place. The Assumption states that God sent the archangel Michael to bury Moses. Satan argued with him saying the body belonged to him. Apparently he wanted it for some diabolical purpose. Michael did not accuse him, but said –“let the Lord rebuke you.”
Michael, through powerful and authoritative did not dispute with Satan.
What about these documents? Jude was inspired by the Holy Spirit. What he quotes is inerrant and inspired.
However, these apostates have no respect for spiritual realities. Today’s apostates do not even believe in Satan. They scoff at the idea of angels and demons. ILLUS: Professor in class– Did not believe in a personal devil.
II) THEY ARE BLASPHEMERS – VS. 10
To speak evil is to blaspheme – to speak irreverently.
A) THEY CRITICIZE WHAT THEY DO NOT KNOW - What they do not know. These apostates claim to know God, claim to understand the Bible, but in reality they are ignorant. They are theological egg-heads. They arrogant, but ignorant.
Why? They are spiritually blind. They claim to be saved, but in reality they are lost.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. [1]
ILLUS: One of the reasons the Pharisees had so much trouble with Jesus was that they just did not get it. They could not understand his teaching or believe it. They were spiritually blind. They did not believe in Jesus, would not believe in Jesus. Although they claimed to be teachers and theologians – they lacked spiritual understanding.
B) THEY ARE CORRUPTED BY WHAT THEY DO KNOW – They operate in the natural, there is nothing spiritual about them. They claim to be spiritual, but they are not. They are like unreasoning animals.
They are like two legged idiots. They will destroy themselves. It might be by drinking poison Koolaid in the jungle, or in a hail of bullets and fire in Texas. But apostates will corrupt themselves.
III) THEY ARE SCHEMERS – vs. 11
Jude now describes the ways of an apostates – they are dreamers – false dreamers, they are blasphemers, but also they are schemers!
“Woe to them” Severe Judgment is on the way.
A) CAIN – FALSE RELIGION – He openly rebelled against God’s will. Gen. 4:1-15 – He added to his rebellion as air of religion.
Think about those two offerings – there was really only one difference – the blood. The Bible states that without blood there is no remission or forgiveness of sin. Cain rejected that. He had no altar, no blood. He brought what he had planted, what he had produced. He brought his own good works.
We are not saved by works, lest any man should boast. There are only two ways to approach God – the way of Cain – in your own good works – which leads to death and Hell. Or the way of the cross – relying on the death of Christ for our sins – this leads to eternal life. There is a movement today away from the cross of Christ. It is a demonic scheme – those who promote it are apostates!
B) BAALAM – DECIETFUL RICHES – The story is found in Numbers 22-25 . The King of Moab brings in Baalam, offers to pay him if He will curse the Israelites. He cannot, so he comes up with an even more diabolical scheme. He plans a feast and brings in all the prettiest of the Moabite women. He tells the King that if he can get the Israelites to commit fornication with the Moabite women – God will kill. It works and God kills 40,000 in a plague. All because of a bought and paid for prophet.
Apostates are driven by money and greed. Watch out for these TV preachers and their prayer cloths and books. They want your money to finance their millionaire lifestyles. Watch out for preachers who won’t preach the truth because they don’t want to offend or lose their jobs. The only preacher worth his salt is the man who will stand and preach the truth no matter what the cost. If a man won’t preach for free – he ought not to preach at all. I believe that a church ought to pay its staff well – Timothy states they are worthy of double honor. But that staff better not ever do or not do something just because they are paid!
C) KORAH – REBELLION – They rebelled against the God- give authority of Moses and Aaron. Apostates will always rebel against the truth and against authority.
CONCLUSION:
HE WAS OBSESSED WITH JESUS, SO MUCH SO THAT HE FINALLY CLAIMED THAT HE HIMSELF WAS THE MESSIAH. WHENEVER SOMEONE WOULD JOIN HIS GROUP THEY WERE RELIEVED OF THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS AND PERSONAL POSSESSIONS. WHILE THE MEN WERE FORCED INTO CELIBACY, HE TOOK THEIR WIVES AND DAUGHTERS AS HIS CONCUBINES. HE CLAIMED TO BE JESUS CHRIST IN SINFUL FORM. HE DEFIED AUTHORITY, DEFILED THE FLESH, SPOKE AGAINST SPIRITUAL GLORIES. HE EVEN SAID THAT HE WAS MORE VIRTUOUS THAN THE FIRST MESSIAH, AND ONE OF HIS FAVORITE SAYINGS WAS, "WHAT BETTER SINNER CAN KNOW A SINNER THAN A GODLY SINNER?" WHILE EVERY ONE ELSE HAD TO WALK, HE DROVE A BEAUTIFUL BLACK CAMARO. AT LENGTHY SESSIONS OF BIBLICAL PREACHING, THAT EMBERS WERE REQUIRED TO ATTEND TWICE A DAY, HE UNDERLINED HIS AUTHORITY BY IMPRESSING UPON THEM THAT HE ALONE UNDERSTOOD THE SCRIPTURES. HE BEDDED THE WIVES AND DAUGHTERS OF THE MEN, SOME AS YOUNG AS ELEVEN YEARS OF AGE, AND DIED IN AN EXPLOSIVE FIRE AND A HAIL OF BULLETS. HIS NAME: DAVID KORESH. HE WAS A DREAMER, BLASPHEMER AND A SCHEMER- IF YOU DENY THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND REFUSE TO GIVE YOUR HEART AND LIFE TO HIM, YOUR DESTINIY WILL BE THE SAME.
:

[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. The Lockman Foundation: LaHabra, CA

2006-10-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

The past few months have left me with no time to sit down and blog. I’ve been in Russia for a mission trip, working hard at preaching and leading the church, and neck deep in family affairs. My goal is to blog at least once a week, but with eight kids and a busy church, that can be daunting task!

I’ve been reading an excellent book by Derek Prime and Alister Begg entitled On Being a Pastor. Over the years I’ve read quite a few good books on pastoral ministry, but few that equaled this one. On Being a Pastor is a wonderful mix of pastoral theology and practical application. Perhaps the best chapter is chapter three titled, the Goals and priorities of pastoral ministry. The thrust of the chapter is that the Church is first and foremost Christ’s church. He owns the church by right of creation and redemption. Therefore success must be measured by God’s standard, which of course, is Scripture. This is a much needed correction in our day of church growth conferences and strategies. Pastors must measure success by church health, not necessarily attendance. Don’t get wrong, numbers are meaningful. Each number represents a soul. But what we do with the number of people that God entrusts us with is the measure of success. The authors provide six goals or priorities for pastor who intends to be faithful to God’s calling on his life.

First he must feed the flock. Through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God every pastor is called by God to provide solid Biblical nourishment for the congregation. Second, he must preach the whole counsel of God by faithfully expounding Scripture in its fullness. Both the Old and New Testaments provide truth that our people need in order to be healthy. Third our goal is to present everyone perfect in Christ. What matters most is not the number of people sitting in our pews, but the character and maturity of those people. Fourth, preachers are to prepare God’s people for works of service. Good preaching equips folk for the work of the ministry. No member should be left behind as we help them find and utilize their giftedness. Fifth, we must equip people to be fishers of men. A church that is zealous for God’s glory is zealous for evangelism. Every church should provide its members with training in evangelism. Finally, pastors are to keep watch over themselves and their people. The pastor must guard his own life and keep careful watch for false teaching and unrepentant sin. God help all pastors to be faithful to his goals and priorities.

2006-08-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Simple Church

I'm reading a book by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger called "Simple Church." It's really gotten me to thinking. The gist of the book is that churches need to simply their ministries in order to effectively do what God has called us to do. Our job? Simple, make disciples.

How are measuring up to this task at FBC Swartz? To be honest, we could do a lot better. A disciple is someone who walks in the footsteps of Christ. Discipleship means to live a life of obedience and devotion to the Lord. However, all the stuff we do at church has a tendency to get in the way of simply being disciples and developing disciples. Honestly, I'm afraid we create workaholic Christians. People who are so busy serving on committees and attending events that actually growing in grace and sharing Jesus with others gets put on the back burner. Numbers, buildings, and budgets get the lion shares of our efforts, when Christ is much more concerned with the quality of the people we are building.

As pastor I'm guilty of getting my priorities out of wack. I find I have little time to develop relationships with lost people in order to share Christ with them. I have spent too much time in meetings and planning the next event to spend quality time discipling myself, my family, and the church that God has charged me with. Having said all that, I find that my burden for discipling people is increasing every day as I study the Word, prepare messages for God's people and pray.

So what do we do? We have to clarify our mission. Get it in our minds that we are here to develop devoted disciples, and then get on with the business of simply doing it. My next few posts are going to center on the Lord's call to discipleship, what a disciple looks like, and how we as a Church are to develop people into fully devoted followers of Christ. This won't solve everything, but it will make for a good start in simplifying in order to be obedient.

2006-07-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

What I'm reading -

In case you every wonder what kind of books I'm currently reading I plan to list them every month or so. You might want to check out a few of these books.
FYI - I like to have several books going at once. This helps broaden my reading and fights off boredom in case I get into a book that I really feel I need to read, but don't really enjoy reading that much.

Jonathan Edwards, a new biography by Iain H. Murray. Highly recommended. A good read.

9 Marks of a healthy church by Mark Dever. One of the best books on Church life I've ever read. While we may not come to the same conclusions on every matter, this book is top shelf.

Above all Earthly Pow'rs by David F. Wells - Excellent book, a times it can be hard to read. This is one of those books that I need to read, but just haven't enjoyed as much as others. Still, all in all, I recommend this to anyone wanting a solid evangelical perspective on postmodernism.

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin Raphael McManus - This book has some good thoughts.

Finally, The Sigma protocol by Robert Ludlum - A great novel by the master of espionage novels. The language is a little too salty for my taste at times, but the plot and stoyline are the work of a master novelist.

What I'm studying in the Scriptures - Still reading through the Bible in a year. Also, doing some serious study on the New man/Old man theme in Paul's epistles.

2006-07-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

2006-07-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Labels and Name Calling

I've noticed over the past few months that many folks want to put a 'label' on me theologically. They want to know if I'm conservative (I am), if I am an inerrantist (I am), if I am an expositor (definitely), or if I am a Calvinist. The first three are easy. Each represents a specific theological position that is understood by most people. But it seems everybody has their own definition of Calvinist. What the person asking the question means may be different than what I mean when I answer. So, I always ask "What do you mean by Calvinist?

If you are asking if I hold to the five points of Calvinism, then the answer is no. I am not a five-point Calvinist. If you are asking if I believe that God is absolutely sovereign and rules over the affairs of this universe, then my answer is yes. I believe that. Do I believe that God arbitrarily picked some to save and damned others to hell, then no I don't believe that. If you are asking if I believe that humanity is hopelessly lost in sin, needing a savior, and that God must draw them to Christ before they can be saved, then yes I believe that. Do I believe that the atonement is so limited that Christ's death was solely for the sake of the elect, no I do not believe that. Do I believe that Christ died for the sins of the world, that his atonement was sufficient for all, but only effectual to those who received him by faith, yes I believe that. Do I believe that election simply means that God knew in advance who would be saved, no I do not believe that. Do I believe that election is God's sovereign display of His glory whereby he regenerates, justifies, and sanctified, and glorifies sinners, but is in no way inconsistent with the free agency of man, O yes I believe that.
Do I believe that all true believers endure to the end? You bet I do.

Some people have claimed that my theology is a hodge-podge. I disagree. I believe it is Biblical. I preach and hold to the truth that God is sovereign, not man. Yet, the Bible is clear that our choice about salvation matters. I like what Macarthur stated about election and human responsibility. They are like twin tracks on a railroad. They run side by side throughout eternity.

Finally, I am not a big "systems" man. My goal is to have a Biblical theology. That, friend, is why I do label myself a Baptist, not a Calvinist or a covenant theological or a dispensationalist - I am Baptist. To me that simply means "Biblical.

Collin

2006-07-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Theological Clarity and expository preaching

One of my great concerns in preaching is to present the truths of Scripture in a clear and accurate manner. I cannot say that I always succeed. But theologically "fuzzy" sermons often do more harm than good. Here are some thoughts on theological clarity in preaching.

1) Preach expositonally. Topical preaching does have its place. I usually preach one or two topical sermons a year (and then immediately repent!) However, there is a great danger of imposing our own presuppositions on to the texts of Scripture. Of course, I am referring to topical preaching that actually uses Scripture in a responsible manner! Exposition forces the preacher to take into account the context of the passage and its place in redemptive revelation.

2) Don't shy away from theological language. God's people need to hear and learn words like justification, substitution, propitiation, and sanctification. There is a danger to avoiding the "language of Zion" in preaching. The pastor becomes a "communicator", or "facilitator", rather than a preacher of God's Word. If we are not careful our preaching can become so caught up in modern vernacular that doctrine becomes weak and tepid. We must take great care to explain and apply these words and the great doctrines they describe in such a way that our people grasp the glorious truths that have been entrusted to the Church through Scripture.

3) Work hard at application- I once read a paper by Haddon Robinson on preaching which stated that more heresy is preached during the application of a sermon than at any other time. Apply the meaning of the text. Don't say more than Scripture says, or less! Application is necessary. But be careful.

To be continued . . .

2006-07-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Living between Eternities

Just the other night Gina and I were watching "Broken Trail," a western on the AMC channel. During the show the two leading cowboys had to perform a funeral for a young oriental girl. The main character's words caught my interest. He said, "We live between eternities." I told my wife, that would make a great sermon illustration. Now, I don't want anyone to think that I believe in some kind of pre-existence. We live this life only once, and then we face judgment. The reality is that we only have a little while. I Peter states that we are like grass, green today and gone tomorrow! James tells us that our lives are like a puff of steam or a cloud that quickly disappears in the heat of the sun. All of us will die, and most of us will die sooner than we realized or even wanted to!

So we must live our lives in view of eternity. What awaits us is far greater than what we experience today. Yet, how we live today can have a profound impact upon the eternal. Refusing to accept Christ as Lord and Savior is short-sited and deadly. Failing to live fully for Christ will be a cause for shame and loss at the Judgment seat. Our lives are quickly passing us by. Let us all live for his glory!

2006-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here's something I keep in my sermon folder, and that I read over just before I preach (usually during the special music, sorry Gary!).

IMPACT PREACHING

Always preach to make an eternal IMPACT!

I - I preach an Inspired Text
2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)
16alll Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every
good work.

M - I preach to Magnify Christ
1 Corinthians 1:23 (NKJV)
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and
to the Greeks foolishness,

P - I must preach from a Pure heart
Psalm 24:3-4 (NKJV)
Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands
and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn
deceitfully.

A - I must preach under the Anointing of the Spirit
Ephesians 5:17-18 (NKJV)
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the
Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but
be filled with the Spirit,

C - I must preach with a Crucified Life
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

T - I must preach Trusting God for the Results
Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not
return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall
prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Preach as a dying man to dying men! Preach as if this were the last sermon
I will ever preach, because it just might be!

2006-06-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

Every good blog needs some Spurgeon. So, I blatantly pulled this off the pyro-maniacs site.
Really, this is great. We need to hear a little more about the wrath of God from time to time.

IF THE SINNER turn not, God will whet his sword." So, then, God has a sword, and he will punish man on account of his iniquity. This evil generation hath laboured to take away from God the sword of his justice; they have endeavoured to prove themselves that God will "clear the guilty," and will by no means "punish iniquity, transgression and sin." Two hundred years ago the predominant strain of the pulpit was one of terror: it was like Mount Sinai, it thundered forth the dreadful wrath of God, and from the lips of a Baxter or a Bunyan, you heard most terrible sermons, full to the brim with warnings of judgment to come. Perhaps some of the Puritanic fathers may have gone too far, and have given too great a prominence to the terrors of the Lord in their ministry: but the age in which we live has sought to forget those terrors altogether, and if we dare to tell men that God will punish them for their sins, it is charged upon us that want to bully them into religion, and if we faithfully and honestly tell our hearers that sin must bring after it certain destruction, it is said that we are attempting to frighten them into goodness. Now we care not what men mockingly impute to us; we feel it our duty, when men sin, to tell them they shall be punished, and so long as the world will not give up its sin we feel we must not cease our warnings. But the cry of the age is, that God is merciful, that God is love. Ay; who said he was not? But remember, it is equally true, God is just, severely and inflexibly just. He were not God, if he were not just; he could not be merciful if he were not just, for punishment of the wicked is demanded by the highest mercy to the rest of mankind. Rest assured, however, that he is just, and that the words I am about to read you from God's Word are trueÂ"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;' "God is angry with the wicked every day;" "If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." Forsooth, because this age is wicked it is to have no hell; and because it is hypocritical it would have but feigned punishment. This doctrine is so prevalent as to make even the ministers of the gospel flinch from their duty in declaring the day of wrath. How few there are who will solemnly tell us of the judgment to come. They preach of God's love and mercy as they ought to do, and as God has commanded them; but of what avail is it to preach mercy unless they preach also the doom of the wicked? And how shall we hope to effect the purpose of preaching unless we warn men that if they "turn not, he will whet his sword?"

I want to preach like this when I grow up.

2006-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Christ in me - the hope of glory

I spent the day preparing Sunday's sermon on Colossians 1:24-29. Paul's main thrust in this passage is that the presence of Christ in the lives of God's people is a mystery that was only revealed in this present age or dispensation. It's easy for great doctrines like this one to pass over our heads. We're so used to speaking of "Jesus in my heart" that we miss how massive this thought was to Paul and the early Christians. Christ, the Lord of glory, the creator of the universe, the sustainor of all things, the savior of the world through is death on the cross, actually takes up residence in the hearts of his people. Wow!

Collin

2006-05-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Power in the Pulpit.

Paul wrote in the opening of the first epistle to the Thessalonians that the Gospel came to them with power. Apparently there was something about the preaching of the apostle Paul that made an impact. People's lives were changed, eternity was altered all because of the preaching of the Gospel.
Yet, so many times I feel that my preaching is rather tepid, dry, and dead. What was the difference? I preach expositionally. At the moment I am moving vs. by vs. through the book of Colossians. We didn't even stop for Mother's Day! But still, Sunday felt dry. Where is the power that Paul spoke of in his preaching.
Could it be that such power has ceased today? I don't think so. The Word of God is still as powerful, as fresh, and as relevant as ever. The problem I think is two-fold. One, too many of us are relying on feelings and equating that with unction and the filling of the Spirit. I don't want to advocate some cold and intellectual approach to preaching. Preaching the word demands passion. How can we present the love story of the Gospel with cold hearts? Yet, sometimes I don't feel much when I preach. It seems that in times of dryness and coldness we have to preach in faith. Faith that God honors his Word. Faith that preaching is God's means of evangelizing the world. Faith that his word will not return void, but will bear fruit and multiply - regardless of how I feel as I preach. Power in the pulpit is not an emotional delivery, or even "getting under a burden" to preach. Power in the pulpit is the sovereign work of God through the inerrant Word of God. It's interesting that some of the most fruitful services are those that really didn't seem to be "on" to me. Yet, the Gospel goes out in power, and lives are changed.

On the other hand, dryness can also be a sign of sin or prayerlessness. The only antidote to that is repentance.

Collin

2006-05-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

The rule of Scripture

Something has been on my mind lately. ( I know that's hard to believe!) I've been wondering just what is the place of scripture in the life of the 21st century church. Most of us would respond that the Bible is the authority of the Church, the life of the Church, the one true source of doctrine for the church; for most of us, we would say all the right things. But do our actions live up to our words? If Scripture is inspired and inerrent should it not rule how the church conducts itself? The whole issue of Church polity comes to mind. Where in scripture do we find the concept of a 'business meeting?' Especially one where the most carnal and unfaithful members of the church have the same voting power as the most godly and Spirit-filled. It seems evident to me that New Testament churches were governed not by the whims of the congregation, but by a group of faithful elders. Granted, there were issues that were decided by the congregation, the election of the first deacons in Acts 6 is a good example. Issues such as an annual budget, called staff, debt, or buildings probably should be handled in a large forum, with congregational input. Yet, the daily business of the church would best be handled by a godly group of elders. The elders would be charged with keeping the church doctrinally faithful, spiritually revived, and morally pure through the careful and biblical administration of church discipline.
However, mentioning elder governance in a Baptist church is almost grounds for dismissal! I go back to my original question. What happened to the rule of Scripture? Elders and elder rule are clearly taught, but we don't practice it. My opinion is that we love tradition more than we do scriptural clarity. As a Baptist pastor, the most frustrating aspect of ministry is our tendency to treat the Bible like an all you can eat buffet at Ryan's. We'll take a little of this, and some of that please, but no, not that - I don't care for any of that! I think it's high time for us to get back to the Bible!
Okay, I'll get off my soap-box now!

2006-04-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

Together for the Gospel Conference

Beginning this Wed. I have had the privilege of attending the T4G Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. In fact, I'm writing this post from a coffee shop just outside of the conference. I will write in depth about what I've learned in the coming weeks; but let me say now that this is by far the best conference I have ever attended. Why? Because this is not another conference on methodology. I'm weary of how-to, copy-me conferences by the latest fad church. More often than not those conferences leave me discouraged and disappointed. Discouraged because so little of what they give is applicable in my church and disappointed because so much of it is built on such poor theology. This conference has been about one thing - the Gospel. Can you believer it? A entire conference whose aim is to promote good theology! What is even more encouraging are the people I have met here. There are very few gray heads at this conference! Young men in their 20's and early 30's make up the bulk of those attending. However, I am somewhat disappointed that I have met so few Southern Baptists.

My favorite speaker so far would have to be RC Sproul. However, my time is up. I have to get to the next session. In the coming weeks I'll give you an outline of some of the good stuff we have learned!

2006-04-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Biblical Incorporation

What is the purpose of expository preaching? Is it simply knowledge of Scripture? Certainly knowing facts and truths about the Word is good, and is one of the results of exposition, but it is not the goal of biblical preaching. Is the purpose of preaching church growth? We would hope that our congregations would grow as we expound the truth, but the goal of biblical preaching is not numerical. Well, surely the purpose of Biblical preaching is evangelism. Without a doubt, one of the results of preaching the Word is that the lost will be saved. However, evangelism is the not the ONLY purpose of Gospel preaching. So what is it?

The purpose of expository preaching is that God might be glorified through the incorporation of Biblical truth. Biblical expositon strives, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, to encourage the listener to not only hear the truth, but to believe the truth, act upon the truth and to incorporate the truth into every aspect of life. In this sense, expositon is a very invasive method of preaching. It touches every part of a person's life. Biblical exposition will produce evangelism, it will also produce Christians who are radically in love with Jesus. That, really is what it's all about, isn't it?

2006-03-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

Is Expository preaching really a need?

Yesterday I read an article by Preaching magazine endorsing what the author called "topical exposition." In effect, he found verse by verse expositional preaching to be lacking in his own personal experience. Specifically he noted that such areas of doctrine as baptism, the Lord's supper, etc. need to be treated topically, or the congregation will suffer. His definition of topical exposition is, well, just topical preaching with a new name. Understand, I have no real problem with the occasional topical sermon, in fact I preach one every now and then myself (and then repent, immediately!). But a steady diet of topical messages will not develop a healthy church. Christians need to be exposed to the Word in its context. They need to understand the apostle's argument in the epistles as he moves from one paragraph to another. They need to grasp the larger themes of the NT books and how each paragraph and sentence fits into those themes.

Much of the superficiality and ineffectiveness of the modern (or postmodern if you wish) church can be blamed on the weak topical talks that pass for preaching. Most pastors justify this approach by claiming they are meeting the felt needs of the people. That if we can meet those needs then we can bring them to faith in Christ. I commend any effort to bring lost people to Christ. It's just that preaching to felt needs is to miss the mark. People who are lost, and even carnal Christians, have a convoluted understanding of what their needs truly are. They think their problems lie in their marriages, their jobs, their finances, or whatever; but in reality what they need is repentance and forgiveness. Preaching the Word of God in its context, line by line and verse by verse exposes our real problems and dispenses real help from the Gospel. Much of the amateur psychology that passes for preaching today is like putting a bandaide on a gunshot wound. It just doesn't help.

I hope that pastors will reclaim our grand duty to preach the Word. This involves a tremendous amount of hard work, prayer, and personal holiness; but it is the hope of the Word.

2006-03-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

Influencing the Future

About 6 months ago God called home Dr. Dana Mathewson. Dana was without a doubt one of the most profound influences of my life. Dana was a man who loved God passionately. He was man of integrity, honor and joy. Everytime I talked with Dana I spent half of the conversation laughing. And you know what, that was exactly what I needed. The kingdom of God needs a lot more men like Dana. Men who take the time to influence younger men, guide them in ministry and their relationship to the Lord.
Dana now resides in glory. I cannot begin to imagine the joy and the fellowship he experiences with Christ right now. Just thinking of it makes me long for the serious pleasures of heaven. And to think that my friend is there, now - well - Wow! That's all I know to say. Dana's presence in glory adds another voice to the great cloud of witnesses that spurs me on to be faithful to Christ.
I also know that God is sovereign and put Dana Mathewson in my life at just the time he did for a reason. Dana influenced the future through me and many other young men just like me.
Isn't that what Paul meant when he commanded Timothy to pass along the faith to others who would be faithful to do the same. Dana's life and example challenges me to impact the future by influencing others. Some of you should do the same. First Swartz needs leadership, across the board we need leadership. Why not contribute to the solution of this problem by mentoring a young Christian? You never know what God can do with someone like you!

2006-03-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

A FULL QUIVER!

Here are few more Pictures of Steven Austin Wimberly, the six million dollar baby! Next is Daniel (13) and Steven, and finally, Seth, Leah Carrie, and Steven.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they will not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

2006-03-07T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Blessing of God's Providence

Sorry that I have not posted in a few weeks. Gina and I are trying to get a handle on having eight children. I honestly never imagined that I would be father to eight kids. God is always jumping into life and changing my plans. Thank God for that! I mean I have great kids, a great wife, a great church to minister in, a great life. And believe me, I cannot take credit. God has given me all that I have.

This morning I read Ps. 31:15 "My times are in your hand" God is providentially in control of every moment of my existence. Nothing catches Him by surprise. Nothing causes Him to wring his hands or mumble, "What to do, what to do!" I thank God that all the seasons and moments of my days are in His sovereign control. No chance occurrences. No coincidences. Everything, the good and the bad comes from his righteous hand.

This kind of thinking gives a person's life real meaning and direction. God's providence is the reason Paul exhorts us to "be anxious about nothing." After all, God is in control - so why worry? This doesn't mean that my decisions and will have no real significance. They do. But God is God and that is a blessing to me!

2006-02-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Warfare

My next series of messages will be "The Invisible War." For six weeks we will take a close look at what the Bible teaches about spiritual conflict. Most of our study will center around the sixth chapter of Ephesians, but we will use several other passages to give us some light on this difficult topic.

People tend to go one of two ways with this topic. They go overboard, or they ignore it. Both are wrong. Our purpose will be to find the clear teaching of Scripture on this matter. Here's my projected sermon titles and a few books I have found helpful.

The invisible war sermon series

Soldiers of the Cross
Dressed for Battle
Battlefield: the mind
Exercising Kingdom Authority
Standing firm in prayer
Fighting for your family

Books
When the Enemy strikes - Charles Stanley
Kingdom Authority - Adrian Rodgers
The Invisible War - Chuck Ingram
Spiritual warfare in a believers life - Charles Spurgeon
Commentary on Ephesians - John McArthur

I've noticed quite a bit of spiritual resistance as I've studied and prayed for this sermon series. At times I've had trouble concentrating, the phone rings at inopportune times, people distract me, there are truths in these messages that Satan does not want to get out!

2006-02-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

Steven Austin Wimberly

The two or three of you out there who actually waste your time reading this blog might have noticed that I have not posted lately . . . well here's why.

Steven Austin Wimberly was born Feb. 7. He weighed 7.7 pounds and was 20 inches long. In case your wondering, he is the eighth wimberlite!Of course, you need a few more pictures of the family, then - back to the business!

Bald is beautiful baby!

Here's the rest of the kids before Steven A. burst onto th scene. (the cat and I have an agreement, she doesn't bother me, I don't step on her head!)

2006-02-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

BLUE LIKE JAZZ

A few months back I picked up Blue Like Jazz at the Christian book store. The book has been taking college campuses by storm. In fact, the young lady working the register said that all her friends at the university had read it, and that she fully intended to. To be honest, I wish I could go back and tell her not to waste her time.

Blue like Jazz was a total let down. Donald Miller seems to have a hard time understanding the concept of biblical holiness. Was it sinful for him to get drunk and smoke pot while leading a church youth group? He never admits that it was. Was it sinful to drink and curse at your roommates while playing video games? Apparently not. Donald Miller's Christianity is way cool, too cool for the Bible if you ask me.

What ever happened to taking up one's cross and following Christ? What about the Biblical admonitions to speak only that which is good and helpful to your brother? Being a Christian is and has always has been countercultural. Jesus was not and is not "cool." I agree with Shane Walker of 9 marks ministries, "The only antidote seems to be twofold. The first is to reintroduce young Christians to the biblical Jesus: the person who died an agonizing death for their sins, who will tread the winepress of the wrath of God, and who listens to their prayers. The second is to begin the battle against the cool. The godly must begin to prove in the pulpit, in writing, and in their lives that Christianity is the deadly enemy of the cool. And the cool is the Western postmodern entertainment driven culture that has tutored our children and ourselves for the last fifty years."

2006-02-01T13:39:00.001-08:00

Brokebake Mountain, Pt 2

I hope you will take a minute to read Casey's Tripp's rather eloquent rantings in the comments section. What do you think a Christian response to such movies should be? How do we as Christians fight this culture war? Let me know what you think.

Collin

2006-02-01T13:39:00.000-08:00

Brokeback Mountain, Pt 2

I hope you will take a minute to read Casey's Tripp's rather eloquent rantings in the comments section. What do you think a Christian response to such movies should be? How do we as Christians fight this culture war? Let me know what you think.

Collin

2006-02-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Brokeback Mountain

I have to admit that I have not seen this movie, nor do I ever intend to. I have read editorials and commentaries from every point of view of possible, and what I have found is disturbing. Film makers are doing their best to disguise this movie as a epic romance. The reality? Brokeback mountain is just another attempt by the radical left to mainstream their favorite perversion. The homosexual community hopes this movies will gain public support for their cause, possibly influencing future legislation aimed at granting minority status to gays and lesbians. Brokeback mountain is just another propaganda piece in the ongoing culture war that eats at our nations soul.

How should we as Christians respond? Most should not see the movie. The R rating is for graphic language, nudity, and sex scenes. We can should speak about our Scriptural convictions. We must pray for our nation and for those trapped in a lifestyle of homosexuality. Above all, we must put on love, which is the perfect bond of peace. Harsh judgmentalism is never the answer. We must stand for the truth, but do so with humility and compassion. I like the way Phil Boatwright states this in his Baptist Press article: "Scriptures say homosexuality is an abomination (Romans 1:26, 1 Corinthians 6:9). But we must guard against false superiority. Upon reexamination of those verses, it becomes apparent homosexuality is not all that's abhorrent to the Heavenly Father. In fact, we are all blameworthy of some infraction. However, those developing a spiritual awareness soon find themselves ashamed of the natural man's disobedience to God. We don't parade our peccadilloes. We are not proud of our transgressions, nor do we try to convince society to accept them. With God's help we will conquer these faults. With His mercy, we will be forgiven."

2006-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

Elvis impersonators, preachers, and teachers of the Gospel

I have to admit, Elvis impersonators really get on my nerves. Admittedly, many of them do what they do to honor the king. After all, imitation is supposed to be the highest form of flattery isn't it? To me, most of them just come off as cheesy and clumsy imitations of the real thing. They lack authenticity. They lack substance.

Isn't it easy for preachers and teachers of the Gospel to fall into the same trap? Preaching and teaching that lacks heart and authenticity will never impress or impact a lost world. Our message has to grow out of a heart that is devoted to Christ. Personal disciplines such as prayer, bible study, and meditation are the catalysts for authentic teaching. As God changes our heart and transforms us more and more into the image of Christ, our message and ministry deepens and matures. In fact, the most powerful aspect of any sermon or teaching session isn't necessarily what is being said, but the holiness and devotion of the speaker.

I like what Paul writes in I Thessalonians 2:10, "Vs. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe."

Paul was a man of integrity. No Elvis impersonater preacher, he was real. Authentic. The genuine article. My prayer is that my ministry and the ministry of our Church would model Paul's ministry of simple devotion to Christ. I think the world will sit up and listen to the real thing.

2006-01-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

Dr. Collin Wimberly

2006-01-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

Books for God Seekers

Sunday's sermon is on seeking after God. My prayer is that our congregation would hunger and thirst to know God. My desire as a husband, father and pastor is that first and foremost people know me as a God-seeker.

Over the years several books have been a great help to me in my pursuit of God.

The Spirit of the Disciplines, Dallas Willard
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald S. Whitney
Desiring God, John Piper (any book by Piper is a good book!)
The Wonderful Spirit-filled Life, Charles Stanley
Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan
The Holiness of God, RC Sproul
Why Revival Tarries, Leonard Ravenhill
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire , Jim Cymbala
Prayer-Finding the heart's true home - Richard J. Foster

I hope that these books can be a blessing to you. They have been to me.

2006-01-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:3

Here is today's question. This grows out of Sunday's Bible study lesson. "In Romans 12:3,"God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith". Does he give different measures of faith to different people and why? Does that measure change as we need it ? Does it grow as our faith and trust grow? "

First, we need to define what is meant by a measure of faith. Paul is not referring to saving faith. Believers have already exercised that faith by trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior. He could possibly be referring to faith in the sense of trust and reliance upon God. However, it seems clear that Paul is referring to spiritual gifts and their operation within the body of Christ. Every believer has been given a spiritual gift and is required to use that gift within the context of a local church. Each person's giftedness is unique. Our gift mix is like a spiritual fingerprint or DNA sample, No two are exactly alike. Paul's main application in this passage is to admonish us to be humble. There is no room for arrogance because of great gifts or discouragement because of more common ones. We are what we are by the grace of God. Each of us has a vital role to play in the advance of God's kingdom.

Do our gifts change? I think that as we grow and mature in our faith, our gifts become more evident. This was definitely true in my life. As a minister of music I did not utilize my gifts of teaching and preaching as I do now. But as I grew, it became apparent that my abilities and my passion were in the studying and preaching of God's Word. My gifts didn't really change, they just came to light with maturity.

This brings us to an important point. We must offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him, before we can know and utilize our spiritual gifts. As we surrender ourselves to God it becomes more and more natural to serve Him in certain areas, and in certain ways. This is a pretty good way to find our giftedness. Be right with God and do what you love to do for His glory.

2006-01-02T07:08:00.000-08:00

Quite a few people have come to me lately wanting the name of a good systematic theology text. They requested a book that was readable, affordable, and doctrinally sound. I do have a few suggestions.

J.I. Packer. God's Words. Studies in Key Bible Themes. Baker Book House, 1981.
God's Words is a study of 17 key bible themes. This books is written for the layperson. Packer is one of the pre-eminent theologians of our day. His works are always well-written and grounded in reformed theology. My favorite chapter is on the mortification of sin. I have never read anyone else write so well on this subject.

Charles C. Ryrie. Basic Theology. Moody Press, 1999.
Basic Theology is a good introduction to systematic theology that is both concise and affordable. Section I, Prolegomena is almost worth the price of the book. He is at times too dispensational for me, and I strongly disagree with his contention that repentance is not necessary for salvation. However, the book is a good overview of systematic theology.

Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology. Zondervan Publishing house, 1994.
This is my favorite. I use this book more in sermon preparation than any other systematic. Gurdem is conservative, reformed, and baptistic (all of which are close to my heart). His book is easy to read but still fairly comprehensive. The end of each chapter includes a bibliography, a list of other helpful works, scripture to memorize, and a hymn or praise song that emphasizes the doctrines covered in that chapter. This is a must have book.

Millard Erickson. Christian Theology. Baker Book House.
Christian theology is one of the best baptistic, and calvinistic theologies available today. Erickson presents several different sides to many theological issues, and then provides possible solutions. I also enjoy his sections on the implications of various doctrines. He is the most technical of all the suggested books, but well worth the time.

2005-12-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about having a blog for quite some time, in fact I really am excited about it. I don't expect a lot of people to read it, but it will give me a forum to write and express my ideas. Even if I'm the only one reading it. (Well, my wife probalby will, at least every once in a while.)

I don't want this to be just another online personal diary. Rather, I would like to discuss what God is teaching me from His Word, to express my vision for FBC Swartz, and to wrangle with interesting theological propostions and explore how they impact our lives.