Joshua Mathews

J. C. Ryle on Indwelling Sin

2012-03-05T11:54:00.004-06:00

In my reading this morning I came across this great paragraph on sin written by J. C. Ryle, the 19th century English pastor.

...I am convinced that the greatest proof of the extent and power of sin is the pertinacity with which it cleaves to man even after he is converted and has become the subject of the Holy Ghost's operation. To use the language of the Ninth Article, 'this infection of nature doth remain - yea, even in them that are regenerate.' So deeply planted are the roots of human corruption, that even after we are born again, renewed, 'washed, sanctified, justified,' and made living members of Christ, these roots remain alive in the bottom of our hearts, and, like the leprosy in the walls of the house, we never get rid of them until the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved. Sin, no doubt, in the believer's heart, has no longer dominion. It is checked, controlled, mortified, and crucified by the expulsive power of the new principle of grace. The life of a believer is a life of victory and not of failure. But the very struggles which go on within his bosom, the fight that he finds it needful to fight daily, the watchful jealousy which he is obliged to exercise over his inner man, the contest between the flesh and the spirit, the inward 'groanings' which no one knows but he who has experienced them - all, all testify to the same great truth, all show the enormous power and vitality of sin. Mighty indeed must that foe be who even when crucified is still alive! Happy is that believer who understands it, and while he rejoices in Christ Jesus has no confidence in the flesh; and while he says, 'Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory,' never forgets to watch and pray lest he fall into temptation!

Ryle, Holiness, pg. 6

Possible Reasons Why God Allows Trials and Suffering

2012-02-26T13:25:00.005-06:00

Sunday morning we talked through 11 possible reasons that God would bring suffering and trials into our lives. I wanted to post those 11 reasons here for those who missed Sunday and also for those who weren't able to write faster than I was talking. Use these truths to strengthen your own faith, but also to encourage the faith of others who are going through trials.

1. Unconfessed sins - 1 Corinthians 11:30; 2 Kings 5:15-27

2. To chasten His children - Psalm 119:67; Hebrews 12:5-11

3. God wants to increase our usefulness ("pruning process") - John 15:2; 2 Corinthians 1:3-9; 2 Peter 1:5-8

4. To help us realize this isn't heaven and we live in a fallen world - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Romans 8:22-24

5. To allow us to reap what we sow (a natural consequence to our own choices) - Galatians 6:7-8; Proverbs 5:22

6. To teach us about our own weakness and cause us to depend on God - 2 Corinthians 1:8-9; 12:7-10

7. To have us realize that we have placed our hope somewhere else or have spread it out between God and self/circumstances/other people/possessions. Our hope is to be squarely fixed upon God alone and His promises - 1 Peter 1:13; Hebrews 6:19

8. To enlarge our appreciation of His sufficiency - 2 Corinthians 4:7; 12:7-10

9. To test and strengthen our faith - 1 Peter 1:6-7; 4:12

10. To develop Christlike character - James 1:2-5; Romans 8:28-29

11. To drive us to God's Word - Psalm 119:67, 71, 75

This information was adapted from adapted from a seminar taught by Pastor Brad Bigney, Grace Fellowship Church in Florence, KY.

Leviticus and Our Sin (part 2)

2012-02-22T09:12:00.007-06:00

Yesterday I briefly wrote on the Seriousness of Sin as observed in the book of Leviticus. Today I want to share with you a second challenge/encouragement.

2. Sin is Costly. Because sin is serious Leviticus also teaches us that it is costly. In other words there is a price to be paid for sin. In Leviticus we find that a persons sin would cost them a beast of the field, a bird of the air, or some grain (in the case of the poor). But beyond the material cost there was the humiliation of a public confession. Not that the sinner would announce to everyone the specifics of his sin (though he probably did to the priest), but just walking that animal to the tabernacle was probably considered a "walk of shame" because everyone knew that you or someone in your house had broken one of God's perfect commandments.

Because we tend to make light of sin we also tend to forget how costly sin is. We often take for granted the sacrifice of Christ, never considering the high price He paid for our salvation. Also, because we tend to make light of sin we often fail to humble ourselves by confessing our sin to God and even more so to others.

Take some time today and consider the cross; consider the high price that Jesus paid for your sin. Take time to humble yourself and confess your sins to God and to others (certainly those you have offended).

Leviticus and Our Sin

2012-02-22T08:40:00.004-06:00

For those who are following the Scripture reading plan we are now 8 chapters into the book of Leviticus. In these first eight chapters we read of sin, animal sacrifice, blood, alters, priests, guilt, and much, much more.

As I have been reading there are three truths that have challenged/encouraged me and that I hope might challenge/encourage you as you consider Leviticus.

1. Sin is Serious. In Leviticus God takes the sin of His people very seriously, even the sins that they have committed unknowingly (5:14). In Leviticus we see our Holy God demanding justice for those who would violate His perfect commands. This is important for us to understand, because we live in a culture that treats God's perfect commands and our violation of those perfect commands (sin) as a joke; a punchline on a prime time sitcom. Sin is no joke. Sin is rebellion against God. Sin destroys people, families and churches.

If there is one lesson we must learn from Leviticus it is that sin is serious and we must treat it as such. Where are you prone to make light of sin? What do you find non-offensive (maybe even funny) that God finds offensive? Are you giving more attention to Scripture (where we learn of the perfect commands of our Holy God) or the media (where they treat God's commands as a joke)?

More to come tomorrow....

Leviticus - How Were the Hebrews Distinct?

2012-02-17T14:20:00.008-06:00

As we read through Leviticus it is easy to note that there are some strange cultural differences between our world and the world of the ancient Hebrews - ritual purification, animal sacrifice, priestly classes, and temples are for the most part foreign terms and concepts to us. But what seems foreign to us was quite common to the Hebrews and to their world. The Hebrews lived (at this point wandered) in a world filled with various religions - Canaanite religions and there were some similarities regarding things such as ceremonial purification and animal sacrifices. But despite the similarities that might have existed the Hebrew religious system (as described in Leviticus) remained distinct (remember the key word in Leviticus is "Holy") from other ancient Near Eastern religions. Here are a few differences:

-The idea of direct divine revelation and theophany. (the presence of God)
-The concept of strict monotheism. (belief that there is only One True God)
-The understanding of the origin and impact of human sin. (the Genesis account)
-The highly ethical and moral nature of Hebrew religion in contrast to the Canaanite fertility cult.
-The holy and righteous character of Yahweh in contrast to the capricious behavior of the pagan deities.
-The prohibition of human sacrifice.

Hill & Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament, pg. 103

Leviticus

2012-02-17T13:59:00.004-06:00

Over the years I have had many conversations about the difficulty of reading through certain portions of the Bible. And it is true that some books are more difficult to read, interpret, and apply than others. This week Meadowview will be reading through what I consider to be one of the more difficult books in the Old Testament - Leviticus. So I thought it might be helpful to provide some insight into the book before we dive in. And since I typically run low on helpful insight I will defer to Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton's book A Survey of the Old Testament. Here is what they wrote regarding the overall purpose and message of the book:

The central teaching of the book is summarized in the command to "consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy..." (Leviticus 11:44-45). The first part of Leviticus outlines the requisite procedures for worshiping Yahweh (chaps. 1-10), and the second section prescribes how the covenant people of God are to translate the idea of holiness into daily living (chaps. 11-27). Leviticus is basically a manual or handbook on holiness designed to instruct the Hebrew community in holy worship and holy living so that they might enjoy the presence and blessing of God (cf. Leviticus 26:1-13). The laws and instructions were to transform the former Hebrew slaves into a "kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (cf. Exodus 19:6).

Hill & Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament, pg. 104.

Killing Pride & Cultivating Humilty (part 4)

2012-02-14T13:43:00.002-06:00

This is the final post regarding killing pride and cultivating humility.

8. Laugh at yourself with others. When you are the object of humor if you cannot laugh at yourself with others pride is normally the root issue. Terry Lindvall writes, "Laughter is a divine gift to the human who is humble. A proud man cannot laugh because he must watch his dignity; he cannot give himself over to the rocking and rolling of his belly. But a poor and happy man laughs heartily because he give no serious attention to his ego" (Surprised by Laughter, pg. 130-131).

9. Cultivate the habit of gratitude. Michael Ramsey writes, "Thankfulness is a soil in which pride does not easily grow." We must discipline ourselves to show gratitude to God and to others. Mahaney writes, "We also want to continue throughout the day expressing gratefulness for the innumerable manifestations of God's grace. It's as if God is placing sticky-notes in our lives as daily reminders of His presence and provision...how perceptive of them are you? An ungrateful person is a proud person" (Humility, pg. 71).

In closing remember the glorious promise of Scripture, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).

Killing Pride & Cultivating Humilty (part 3)

2012-02-14T13:41:00.005-06:00

Today we are going to look at 3 more ways to kill pride and cultivate humility. But before we do I wanted to share this quote from Richard Baxter:

"Pride is a deep-rooted and a self-preserving sin; and therefore is harder to be killed and rooted up than other sins. It hinders the discovery of itself...It will not allow the sinner to see his pride when he is reproved; neither will it allow him to confess it if he sees it; nor...to loathe himself and forsake it....even when he recognizes all of the evidences of pride in others, he will not see it in himself...If you would go about to cure him of this or any other fault, you shall feel that you are handling a wasp or an adder; yet when he is spitting the venom of pride against the reprover, he does not perceive that he is proud; this venom is a part of his nature and therefore is not felt as harmful or poisonous..."

5. Invite and pursue correction. How consistently and aggressively do you PURSUE and INVITE correction in your life? Would your spouse and others who are close to you say you are easy to entreat and that you are approachable? If there was something God wanted to tell you through another, could He do it? Proverbs 10:17 says, "He is in the way of life that keeps instruction: but he that refuses reproof errs (also see Proverbs 15:31-32; 29:1)

6. Use unflattering illustrations of yourself in the home and at work.

7. Recognize your relative unimportance and prepare to be replaced. The truth we often fail to realize is that we are dispensable. Charles DeGaul once wrote, "Graveyards are filled with indispensable men." Psalm 103 reminds us of this truth: "For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more" (14-16).

In the next post we should finish up the suggestions...like I wrote yesterday feel free to leave your comments and/or questions.

Killing Pride & Cultivating Humilty (part 2)

2012-02-14T10:15:00.004-06:00

Picking up where we left off yesterday here are suggestion 3 & 4 for killing pride and cultivating humility.

3. Study and apply the doctrine of sin to your own life. Romans 1-3 is a revealing set of chapters on the subject of our sinfulness. The Enemy Within is a great book written by Kris Lungaard (it is actually a modern synopsis of John Owens classic work The Temptation and Mortification of Sin). But more important than learning about your sinfulness is doing something about it. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself as you apply the doctrine of sin to your own life: Are you specifically confessing sins to the appropriate individuals, as well as your present temptations? Are you confessing sin specifically? Are you confessing your sin fully? Or is your confession selective and partial (which means that ultimately it is misleading)? Remember that pride works to blind us from our sin (1 Corinthians 10:12) and it's consequences (Numbers 32:23). Start fully confessing your sin because God resists the proud (the non-confessors) and gives grace to the humble (the confessors).

4. Consistently practice the spiritual disciplines. Practicing the spiritual disciplines of Scripture meditation, prayer, and Bible memorization makes a huge statement: "GOD I NEED YOU!" It is a statement of my need for Him and my dependence upon Him, which kills pride and cultivates humility. But if you turn the tables and avoid the spiritual disciplines you are saying by your actions: "GOD I DO NOT NEED YOU!" And that is the essence of pride.

Tomorrow we will introduce 3 more suggestions...feel free to post comments and/or questions.

Killing Pride & Cultivating Humilty

2012-02-14T09:11:00.005-06:00

On Sunday morning at Meadowview we talked about the danger of harboring pride in our lives. I believe it was John Stott who said that pride is our greatest enemy and humility is our greatest friend.
Several years ago I attended a conference where one of the breakout sessions was on the subject of Killing Pride & Cultivating Humility. That session was worth the entire conference, and over the next few days I want to share with you some practical suggestions for killing pride and cultivating humility. I must give credit where credit is due so I'll mention that this information was taken from C. J. Mahaney's tremendous book titled Humility: True Greatness. So without further ado, here is suggestion one:

1. Study the attributes of God. You see the more aware we become of the infinite distance that exists between us and God, the more humility we will experience and express. This distance is created by God's Holiness (purity, and also what I sometimes define as His 'differentness' - see Psalm 50:21) and our lack thereof. So the suggestion is to study the Scriptures and be humbled by the greatness of God. One of my favorite texts that I would encourage you to consider reading is Isaiah 40:9-31. Beyond scripture there are some great books: The Knowledge of the Holy (Tozer); Knowing God (Packer); The Pleasures of God (Piper); Gripped By the Greatness of God (MacDonald) also most Systematic Theology books have a section on the attributes of God (I recommend Wayne Grudem for this particular subject).

2. Every day survey the cross on which the Prince of Glory died. As was stated on Sunday, it is hard to be arrogant standing close to the cross. When we are close to the cross our own sin and need for forgivness is evident, therefore we are more apt to extend forgivness and grace to others. Apart from the gospel accounts of Jesus death here are some great passages to read: 1 Corinthians 1:8; Galatians 6:14; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 12:2-3; Isaiah 53:4-5, 10-11. Beyond scripture there are some fantastic books: The Cross of Christ (Stott); Living the Cross Centered Life (Mahaney); The Cross He Bore (Leahy); The Murder of Jesus (MacArthur).

Let's chew on these suggestions for today and I will provide 2 more tomorrow.

Psalm 9:9-10

2012-01-10T08:54:00.002-06:00

"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."

Wartime Mindset

2011-12-31T21:20:00.003-06:00

Here is a great quote from John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life that helps us consider the reality of what it means to truly follow Jesus.

"There is a war going on in the world between Christ and Satan, truth and falsehood, belief and unbelief. It tells me that there are weapons to be funded and used, but that these weapons are not swords or guns or bombs but the Gospel and prayer and self-sacrificing love (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). And it tells me that the stakes of this conflict are higher than any other war in history; they are eternal and infinite: heaven or hell, eternal joy or eternal torment (Matthew 25:46). I need to hear this message again and again, because I drift into a peacetime mind-set as certainly as rain falls down and flames go up. I am wired by nature to love the same toys that the world loves. I start to fit in. I start to love what others love. I start to call earth ‘home.’ Before you know it, I am calling luxuries ‘needs’ and using my money just the way unbelievers do. I begin to forget the war. I don’t think much about people perishing. Missions and unreached peoples drop out of my mind. I stop dreaming about the triumphs of grace. I sink into a secular mindset that looks first to what man can do, not what God can do. It is a terrible sickness. And I thank God for those who have forced me again and again toward a wartime mind-set.”

Don’t Waste Your Life, 112

Halloween vs. Reformation Day

2011-10-31T09:16:00.004-05:00

Today the world celebrates Halloween. There will be parties, costumes, spooky decoration, and lots of candy. Now, is it just me or does it seem that over the past decade the popularity of Halloween has grown exponentially? In fact I have actually heard people say that out of all the Holiday's we celebrate Halloween is their favorite. I'm sorry but that is a little strange. But my point isn't to write about Halloween but the little known holiday that Halloween overshadows every year - it's called Reformation Day.
It all started on October 31st, 1517 when a brash, but biblical Catholic priest by the name of Martin Luther had had enough of the corrupt ways of certain leaders in the Catholic church and wrote out his concerns in what is now known as Luther's 95 thesis. History tells that Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door of the church in Wittenberg Germany (the town where he lived and served) also sending a copy to Albert the Archbishop of Mainz and Madgeburg. This move is what most historians believe to be the spark that started the reformation.
The reason I write of this is to express my admiration for Martin Luther. I do not claim to agree with everything that Martin Luther wrote or taught, but what i do claim is that Luther was a man committed to Scripture. This commitment is best summarized in his response to his accusers at the Diet of Worms. I encourage you to take a moment and watch his response as portrayed in the 2003 movie Luther.

Lord, Lord

2011-06-14T15:32:00.005-05:00

This morning I began preparations for Sunday's sermon, but I didn't get very far. Jesus' words pierced me. Not the William Wallace kind of piercing, but more of a surgical incision. I'm still not sure everything that Jesus plans to expose in me but right now this question continues to echo in my heart:

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and don't do what I tell you?"

Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians - Ephesians 3.14-21

2011-06-07T08:49:00.003-05:00

"I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Dancing in the Minefields

2011-02-21T10:37:00.001-06:00

Andrew Peterson never disappoints. This is a great song of his Counting Stars album.

“If Only . . .” Living with Regrets | CCEF

2011-02-09T15:37:00.000-06:00

Here's a great article by Ed Welch

“If Only . . .” Living with Regrets | CCEF

Be Filled With the Spirit - Ephesians 5:18

2011-01-26T08:44:00.006-06:00

The Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit can be compared to a glove. Until it is filled by a hand, a glove is powerless and useless. It is designed to do work, but it can do no work by itself. It works only as the hand controls and uses it. The glove’s only work is the hand’s work. It does not ask the hand to give it an assignment and then try to complete the assignment without the hand. Nor does it gloat or brag about what it is used to do, because it knows the hand deserves all the credit. A Christian can accomplish no more without being filled with the Holy Spirit than a glove can accomplish without being filled with a hand.
(MacArthur, Ephesians, 250)

What Are We Doing?

2011-01-12T22:48:00.004-06:00

David Platt in his book Radical writes,

One of my good friends spent time recently among unreached and unengaged peoples in Southeast Asia. As he talked with villagers in one remote area, he tried to uncover their core beliefs. he asked them, "How were we created?"
They responded, "We don't know."
He asked, "Who sends the rain for the crops?"
They responded, "We don't know that either."
Then he asked, "What happens when we die?"
They looked back at him and said, "No one has come to tell us about that yet."

Soon thereafter he found himself in another remote village with people who had never heard the gospel. They were warm and hospitable, and they invited him to share a drink with them. One man went into his small shop and reappeared moments later with a classic red Coke can. Immediately, it hit home with my friend. A soft-drink company in Atlanta has done a better job getting brown sugar water to these people than the church of Jesus Christ has done in getting the gospel to them. (Radical, 158)

Repentance - Part Three

2011-01-11T11:51:00.006-06:00

So how do we repent? James MacDonald suggests that the best biblical model for repentance is the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. (let me encourage you to take some time and read through that text) MacDonald then writes that repentance involves the mind, the emotions, and the will. (I Really Want to Change...So, Help Me God, 92)

First is the mind. In the story of the prodigal son verse 17 says that he "came to his senses." We too must come to our senses we must begin to see our sin for what it really is - disgusting and destructive!

Second is the emotions. As we discussed earlier, grief is the appropriate emotion (2 Corinthians 7:10). Our sin should grieve us and not just because we suffer the consequences of it, but because it displeases and grieves our Father. The prodigal was grieved by his sin; he returned home guilty, humble, and weeping.

Third is the will. Here is where the rubber meets the road; here is where plans begin to form, that is, plans to avoid our specific sin in the future. So, what will you do to avoid your sin in the future? Let me give you a few suggestions:

Accountability is a must. Find someone you can depend on to provide you with biblical encouragement.
Renewing your mind with Scripture is also vitally important. You must continue to remind yourself what God has to say about your sin. (Ephesians 4:20-24)
Finally radical amputation may be necessary (Matthew 5:29-30).

I know this is a pretty simplistic approach to a big issue, but my hope is you might find some help in these posts. If you are struggling and need some one on one counsel don't hesitate to let me know.

Repentance - Part Two

2011-01-11T11:50:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we began a discussion on the topic of repentance. Most of our attention was focused on determining what it is we (individually) need to repent of. Once the Holy Spirit reveals to us our sin, repentance is the process of seeing our sin the way that God sees it. Once we see our sin the way God sees it we will have what the Bible calls 'Godly Sorrow' and 2 Corinthians 7:10 teaches that godly sorrow leads to repentance.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

The question is does our sin cause us to sorrow? And I am not talking about sorrowing because of the consequences of our sin, but rather to sorrow because the sin itself brings displeasure to our loving Father. Do you weep for sin? Do you cry out to God for mercy? Maybe we can all take a cue from the grieved and humbled tax collector in Luke 18:13

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'

Brothers and Sisters we (I'm in this with you) must come to the place where we weep for our sin; we must hate it just as our Father in heaven hates it. God be merciful to us!

Repentance - Part One

2011-01-11T11:12:00.005-06:00

Repentance is more than saying, "I'm sorry;" it's more than regret. To repent means to change your mind (and purpose) about something. In his book I Really Want to Change...So, Help Me God, James MacDonald defines repentance as the process of seeing our sin the way that God sees our sin. I love that definition because it reveals a much deeper issue: we don't like to call sin, sin. In a recent Wednesday night discussion we were talking about getting frustrated by circumstances that don't go the way we want them to go. In the discussion that word "frustrated" kept getting used, over and over again. Until someone finally called frustration what the Bible calls it: Anger. You see "anger" is a much heavier word than 'frustration.' But we resist the heavier words; we make light of our sin or we don't even classify our sin as sin.

I write all this to direct our attention to the first step of repentance - recognizing our sin; recognizing what needs to change; viewing our sin as God views our sin. James MacDonald asks these provoking questions: "Can you name a specific area of your life that is not like that of Christ and is bringing you heartache and struggle because of it? What specific thing is God seeking to work on in you?" He then goes on to list 5 steps to help us get specific in naming our sin:

1. Ask God for wisdom to know exactly what He wants to change in you. (James 1.2-7)
2. Review Biblical lists for attitudes and behaviors to change. (Colossians 3.5-10; Galatians 5:16-21; etc.)
3. Isolate your own areas of need.
4. Confess to a friend.
5. Express to the Lord your willingness to change.

So here is where we must begin, calling our sin what God calls our sin; seeing our sin the way God sees it. Let me encourage you to spend some time searching the Scriptures and allowing the Spirit to search your heart and we will pick up here tomorrow.

Labor of Love

2010-12-14T20:47:00.005-06:00

This is "Labor of Love" performed live with Jill Phillips singing the lead. This song is one of several great ones on the album Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson. I highly recommend this album!

The Key to Spiritual Growth

2010-12-14T08:37:00.003-06:00

So often we talk of "growing in Christ." We talk of our desire to "grow in Christ." We confess certain struggles or areas that we need to "grow in Christ." Yet so often that growth never happens, the transformation we long for never comes. Why is that? Author, RC Sproul offers his thoughts:

The key method Paul underscored as the means to the transformed life is by the 'renewal of the mind.' This means nothing more and nothing less than education. Serious education. In-depth education. Disciplined education in the things of God. It calls for a mastery of the Word of God. We need to be people whose lives have changed because our minds have changed...To be conformed to Jesus, we must first begin to think as Jesus did. We need the 'mind of Christ.' We need to value the things He values and despise the things He despises. We need to have the same priorities He has. We need to consider weighty the things that He considers weighty. That cannot happen without a mastery of His Word. The key to spiritual growth is in-depth Christian education that requires a serious level of sacrifice. (The Holiness of God, 164)

Consider that last line: "The key to spiritual growth is in-depth Christian education that requires a serious level of sacrifice." My question is, what will you sacrifice for your spiritual growth?

The Pride of Hezekiah....and Me

2010-12-02T07:30:00.003-06:00

In Isaiah 39 (which by the way follows 36-38 where God miraculously saves Hezekiah and Judah from the destruction of the Assyrians and then also adds 15 years to Hezekiah's life) the king Hezekiah receives some guest from Babylon and proceeds to "show off" all the possessions of his kingdom. When confronted by Isaiah Hezekiah openly admits that he showed them everything. Isaiah then prophesies the coming of the Babylonians, even going as far to mention that Hezekiah's sons (probably grandchildren) would serve as eunichs in the kingdom of Babylon. And here is how Hezekiah responds:

Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.”

Do you hear the self-centered pride? Hezekiah doesn't really care what happens after he's gone, just as long as there is peace and security in his lifetime.

Well I can't be too hard on Hezekiah because I too struggle with self-centered pride. I too get wrapped up in my own world. I too get set in my own agenda, ignoring God's and others - which if I'm not mistaken is the complete opposite of what I am supposed to be doing - the command is to love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Hezekiah's story of pride works like a mirror revealing my own self-centered attitudes and actions. So my prayer today is that God would help me to get over myself and love Him and others more than I love me.

Pleasing My Father

2010-12-01T06:21:00.004-06:00

Over the past several weeks I've been reading through The Holiness of God, by RC Sproul. Below is a quote that I found very encouraging yesterday:

"....We are to fear God not with a servile fear like that of a prisoner before his tormentor but as children who do not wish to displease their beloved Father." (pg. 154)

O LORD, Be Gracious to Us

2010-11-30T13:04:00.003-06:00

This morning I read this great prayer from Isaiah 33:2

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble."

It is important that we remember that God doesn't owe us grace. Grace is His choice. Yet we stand in need of His grace every moment of the day, and as we approach a new year I for one will be begging God for more and more. Let me encourage you to make this verse your prayer too!

I Will Rise

2010-10-12T20:55:00.004-05:00

Here is a great passage meant to remind us of our great and merciful God...

Micah 7:7-8 But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.

Trials and the Love of God

2010-10-07T06:25:00.004-05:00

This morning I read this conclusion to 1 Peter chapter 4:

"Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."

The fact is suffering is everywhere around me right now and this verse lovingly reminds us that we must entrust our suffering souls to God who is faithful and who has promised that our suffering is for our good and His glory. So with that in mind let me share with you a quote that has meant a lot to me and my wife over the past few days...

God's love is simply this: a passionate, unwavering, joyous determination to do us good and to bestow upon our souls eternal happiness, no matter what the cost.

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Dennis E. Johnson, Counsel From the Cross, 60

Faithfulness

2010-08-14T08:34:00.003-05:00

Luke 16:10 reads, "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much..."

So often I want more than God has given me. You know what I mean? I want more money, a larger ministry, more books on my shelf, a bigger house, etc. But Luke 16:10 graciously asks: "Josh, what are you doing with what you already have?"

The Cost of Discipleship

2010-08-10T08:17:00.002-05:00

In Luke 14.25-33 Jesus provides three conditions for discipleship. In other words, if you want to follow Jesus here is what He requires:

1. Love your family less than you love Christ (26)
2. Bear your cross and follow Christ (27)
3. Renounce everything (33)

Growing in Christ - Romans 6

2010-08-09T10:24:00.003-05:00

In Sunday's worship service we worked through 2 Peter 1.1-11 and talked about growing in Christ; or to use Peter's words "becoming partakers of the Divine nature." In the end we concluded that the goal is to live godly and Christ-like lives (see Romans 8:28-29). To be godly husbands & wives; to be godly parents & children; to be godly co-workers & friends; and yes, to even be godly while we are driving our cars! But as Peter explains this godliness grows in us as we grow in the knowledge of Christ. This isn't a reference to an intellectual knowledge, but a deep, intimate, and relational knowledge of Jesus (dependent on His Divine power and precious and very great promises - see verses 3,4).

I know from experience that growing in the knowledge of Christ can be a confusing concept, so this week i want to take some time to introduce a few more passages that help to paint a more full picture for us. Today i want to look at Romans 6.

Romans 6:1-14 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 ¶ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 ¶ Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

I know this is a big chunk to try to digest, but in order to understand it we have to see it all together.

Basically, Paul is arguing that those who have put their faith in Christ have died to sin and been made alive to righteousness. If we plugged Peter's terminology into Romans 6...he would be saying that we have escaped the corruption of this world and have been granted the power to live a godly life. But the key to our death and new life is found in Jesus death and resurrection (what we call the gospel). When Jesus died and was buried...I died with Him and my old sinful nature was buried with him. When Jesus rose from the dead...I rose with Him claiming a new power and a new life. It is because of this union with Jesus that we can say "No" to sin and choose to live a godly life; and it is this union with Jesus that Peter argues, we need to gain a deeper knowledge of. Because Peter knows that the deeper the knowledge of this gospel union with Christ, the more effective and fruitful we will be in the Christian life (vs. 8).

So instead of simply praying to be effective and fruitful, why not begin by praying for greater faith and greater knowledge of Christ and His gospel.

Worshiping God

2010-08-02T08:54:00.006-05:00

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" - John Piper, Desiring God

Is this your hearts prayer? "The LORD is my portion, therefore I will hope in him." (Lamentations 3:24)

Amos

2010-07-09T07:59:00.002-05:00

This week I have been reading through the book of Amos and for those who know me you know I have a 4 year old ball of energy named Amos. My Amos gets his name from the Bible Amos. And this morning I would like to share why, but in order to do that I need to set the stage a bit...

The Bible Amos was a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Jeroboam, and like most other prophets, no one wanted to hear what he had to say, especially the religious establishment of his day. In Amos 7:10, Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, had this to say to King Jeroboam, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words." Isn't that a great phrase, "The land is not able to bear all his words." (But I must stay focused!).

Amaziah then turns his attention to Amos saying, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." Basically he says, "Get out of here, we do not want to hear any more from you!" (note the blatant absence of God in Amaziah's words)

What Amos says in the next 3 verses encourages my faith and provides the reason I chose to name my son after this obscure prophet. In verse 14, I can see Amos looking squarley at Amaziah and responding to his threat, "I was not prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' Now therefore hear the word of the LORD."

Did you get that? Did you catch the last phrase? It gives me goosebumps he says, "Now hear the word of the LORD..." These powerful men just told Amos to get out of town and stop prophesying and his answer to them, "Now hear the word of the LORD..."

It is that faith and boldness that I respect, but it is also important to note that his faith and boldness is clothed in humility. In his response Amos confesses his profession: herdsman and fig dresser (basically a confession of his poverty)...But the LORD took him and made him a prophet and he obviously takes his calling seriously. Amos admits that he is a nobody that God has chosen to use and because God has called him, he will not refuse, nor compromise...but he will, as he does, continue to speak the word of the LORD.

My hope is that I will model this faith and boldness, clothed in humility to my Amos and to the world around me.

Losing Our Faith

2010-07-05T14:19:00.006-05:00

Have you ever lost your keys?

Normally we realize they are gone in the moment we need them. You know, all of the sudden there is a crisis: We are in need of some dessert, which means a late night run to Wal-mart to get something sweet to eat before bed. So, you go to get your keys and they are not in "the spot." So you look in another "spot" and another and even another, in a matter of minutes you have dug through the couch cushions, through the kids toys, and maybe even looked in the refrigerator (for the record I have never left my keys in the refrigerator). All you can do is think about cheesecake, brownies, and ice-cream, then in an instant you realize if you don't get to Wal-mart the economy will not be stimulated, but in order to save wall street and the weakening dollar, you need your keys.

Alright, that might be a stretch, but I also hope you can see yourself in that silly story. All of us have at some point lost something important (keys, phone, check, child, etc.) and in desperation we searched, because life couldn't go on unless we found what we needed.

Here lately I've needed faith; you know the believing without seeing kind of faith. The Hebrews 11 kind of faith. The Peter walking on water kind of faith. In certain moments over the past several weeks I've turned to cling to my faith, joy, love, patience, self-control and I couldn't find them. If you have every experienced this, as a Christian, it is quite terrifying. Initially we are prone to think that God has left or moved away, writing Ichabod on our soul. But the truth is He hasn't gone anywhere; His Spirit is still alive and well. Didn't He promise that He would never leave us or forsake us, that he would be with us always to the end of the age? That he did! So what's the problem? Where is my faith? Where is my joy? It has been neglected, it has been ignored, it has been covered up and is overgrown with other weeds. Today, John Owen helped me to see this, i encourage you to read on as he writes...

"...as you may see in a garden, let there be a precious herb planted, and let the ground be untilled, and weeds grow about it; perhaps it will live still, but be a poor, withering, unuseful thing. You must look and search for it, and sometimes you can scarce find it; and when you do, you can scarce know it, whether it be the plant you look for or no: and suppose it be, you can make no use of it at all. Whereas, let another of the same kind be set in ground naturally as barren and bad as the other, but let it be well weeded and every thing that is noxious and hurtful removed from it, it flourishes and thrives; you may see it at first look into the garden, and have it for your use when you please.
So it is with the graces [fruits] of the Spirit that are planted in our hearts. That is true, that they are still, they abide, in a heart where there is some neglect of mortification; but they are ready to die, they are withering and decaying. The heart is like the sluggard's field, so overgrown with weeds that you can scarce see the good corn. Such as man may search for faith, love and zeal, and scarce be able to find any; and if he do discover that these graces are there, still alive and sincere, yet they are so weak, so clogged with lusts, that they are of very little use; they remain indeed, but are ready to die. But now let the heart be cleansed by mortification; the weeds of lust constantly and daily rooted up, as they spring daily, nature being their proper soil; let room be made for grace to thrive and flourish; how will every grace act its part, and be ready for every use and purpose!

John Owen - The Mortification of Sin

Friends, let us root up the weeds of lust continually, so that when we need love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23); or simply put, when we need the Spirit to assure us and work through us, nothing will be growing in the way.

First Post

2010-07-02T20:45:00.002-05:00

I do believe it is fitting that 2 hours before writing my first official blog-post i was reading in the gospel of Luke and came across Jesus parable of the wedding feast. You know the one where he suggests that the guest to a party start in the cheap seats and if they get invited to sit in a seat of honor all the better and all the more honor - the conclusion: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

I don't write this to claim that I have mastered humility or that "I've written the book on it" (just a side note C. J. Mahaney actually did write the book on it and i highly recommend it if you don't own it). No, i point out this passage because my intent in starting a blog isn't to highlight me in anyway, and if I ever do begin to highlight me, I invite those 2 readers (that may be a stretch) to lovingly remind me of this initial blog.

So what is my purpose in starting a blog? In one word: Grace. I want this blog to be about God who is gracious, Christ who graciously took my sin and punishment, the Spirit who by grace patiently continues to shape me into the image of Christ. Yes, I want this blog to communicate gracious words that will build you the reader up in the faith.