T4G-The Book's Back Cover

Those of us who had the privilege of attending this year’s Together For the Gospel conference in Louisville were given 20 books that we are encouraged to read over the coming months. I thought I would let you know the titles and authors of those books along with the quote from the back cover. These postings are in no particular order.

Book: Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel by J. Mack Stiles

Evangelism is not rooted in a method but in something much deeper. It is found in what makes us whole and healthy messengers of God’s truth about Jesus. Mack Stiles shows how the gospel changes all of who we are and what we do. It means not just going through the motions of accepted behaviors. It means showing the unity of witness and justice. It means love. It means community. Join Mack Stiles in a life-giving adventure of boldly knowing, living and speaking the gospel.

D.A. Carson writes, “I do not think I have ever read a book on evangelism that makes me more eager to pass it on than this one – better, that makes me more eager to evangelize than this one.”

The Church, God's Temple

I found this interesting section in the book, Our Lord Prays for His Own. The author, Marcus Rainsford, is speaking about the fact that Jesus Christ is creating for himself a temple composed of his people.

Yes; sinners believing on the Lord Jesus Christ are “living stones,” gathered out of the quarry of nature. They are cemented by the blood of Christ into this building, which, when it is complete, Jehovah Himself shall fill: inhabiting the praises of His people for evermore; revealing to heaven and earth, to angels and men, the sanctuary of God, where He will dwell forever, and rest in His love; communing there with His outward creation; and making known by the church to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places . . . the manifold wisdom of God” (Eph. 3:10). If the Most Holy Place of old was glorious, what think you will be the glory of this sanctuary which the Lord Jesus Christ has anointed? His home of grace and glory; the habitation of the Most High God; furnished with all His fullness; provided with all His graces, defended by His omnipotency; adorned by all His attributes; a praise through all the universe; admired by all creation; a monument of what His love could do; of what His power could do of what His Christ could do – to the praise and the glory of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for ever and ever.

A Puritan Prayer

I bless you for my soul you have created,

for adorning it, sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body you have given me,

for preserving its strength and vigor,

for providing senses to enjoy delights,

for the ease and freedom of my limbs,

for hands, eyes, ears that do your bidding;

for your royal bounty providing my daily support,

for a full table and overflowing cup,

for appetite, taste and sweetness,

for social joys of relatives and friends,

for ability to server others,

for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,

for a mind to care for my fellow-men,

for opportunities of spreading happiness around,

for loved one in the joys of heaven,

for my own expectation of seeing you clearly.

I love you above the powers of language to express, for what you are to us your creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

Memorization Monday -- Challenge - Separate from the World

2 Corinthians 6:17, 18
Therefore, "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Hymn of the Week -- I Asked the Lord

"I Asked the Lord" by John Newton

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

Memorization Monday -- Challenge -- Follow Christ

I Peter 2:21
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.

Biblical Manhood - Raising Children Part 5

Finally, Ephesians 6:4 tells us that the nurture and admonition must be “of the Lord.”

We are to nourish them in the sphere and context of God’s discipline and admonition. We are God’s agents. It is not self-serving as some would suggest to teach our children to obey us. We teach them to obey us not because we are selfish. We teach our children to obey us because God says that this is the first commandment with promise that it may go well with them. Children need to be taught and Goad has given us that responsibility.

Look at Proverbs 3:1-6. Here you have an example of a father passing on Godly wisdom to his son. What is the expected result in verse 4? He would find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and men. Scripture tells us of two other men who increased in favor with God and man? Who are they? I Samuel 2:26; Luke 2:40, 51, 52

Favor is the same word as grace. A child who is growing in favor with God means he is growing in God’s grace. That should be one goal. The other part of the goal is a child who finds the right kind of favor with men.

Hebrews 12:11 Tells us the result of effective discipline in those who have been trained by it. And what is that result? We will be partakers of God’s holiness, and it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

These are worthy goals and it is my prayer for all fathers who happen to read these thoughts on raising children, that each one may take this responsibility seriously and prayerfully and thoughtfully train his children in the ways of God.

Biblical Manhood - Raising Children Part 4

Last time we discussed what it means to nurture our children. The next description used in Ephesians 6:4 is “admonition.” We are to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This means to “put in mind.” This is training by teaching whereas nurture is more training by discipline.

There is another English word, remonstrate, which means to protest or demonstrate opposition to. This is not the same thing as admonish. Too many parents remonstrate when they should be admonishing.

Lookk at the example of Eli in 1 Samuel 2:23-25. Eli remonstrated his sons, but that didn’t work. Look at God’s assessment in 1 Samuel 3:13. God judges Eli for not restraining his sons. He had spoken to them, but that did not accomplish the goal. God expected more from Eli than that.

1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us that Scripture was given for our admonition and there for the teaching we give our children must rely heavily on Scripture and scriptural principles.

Consider Deuteronomy 6:6. God’s Word should first of all be in our own hearts. And then we are to teach it diligently to our children. Conversations involving the word are to take place all the time. Reminders should be everywhere. In the process of training our children, we need to listen to them. Not listening is one of the chief ways of provoking your children to wrath which is what our Scripture passage warns against. Dads find it hard to listen, but we must make the effort.

Biblical Manhood - Raising Children Part 3

Ephesians 6:4 says, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

The last time we discussed this, several weeks ago, I explained that bring them up means to nourish them by providing the kind of spiritual nourishment they need day by day. You need to know where they are in their spiritual lives and what they need to best help them to grow.

Two words are given in this passage telling us how to nourish them. We need to do so with the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Let’s look at “nurture” this time and “admonition” in the next post.

Nurture means child training, chastisement and discipline. You will find the same word in Luke 23:16 where the word is used to tell what Pilate did to Jesus. It is also found in Hebrews 12:6 to explain what God the Father does to us His children – He “chastens” us. In 1 Corinthians 11:32 we are told that we are “chastened” by the Lord so we won’t be condemned with the world.

The idea of nurture involves the discipline we apply to the lives of our children. Proverbs 13:24 for example says that “He who spares the rot hates his son.” Proverbs 22:15 tells us that the rod drives out foolishness.

So there is a type of physical chastening taught in Scripture that is to be used to discipline and chasten our children in such a way that they learn obedience and respect for authority and ultimately God. This kind of discipline should not be construed to mean abuse nor punishment out of anger. Hebrews 12 tells us that the Lord chastens those He loves. We are to do the same. It’s not a matter of being angry and taking it out on children. It’s a matter of loving our children enough to desire and expect that they learn how to behave themselves in the world in which they live.

Memorization Monday -- Challenge -- Follow Christ

I John 2:6
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Memorization Monday -- Challenge -- Follow Christ

Luke 9:23
Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

What a challenge! Easy to quote, but hard to do.

Hymn of the Week -- Jesus Paid it All

Jesus Paid it All by Elvina M. Hall

1. I hear the Savior say,
   “Thy strength indeed is small;
   Child of weakness, watch and pray,
   Find in Me thine all in all.”
   • Refrain:
     Jesus paid it all,
     All to Him I owe;
     Sin had left a crimson stain,
     He washed it white as snow.
2. For nothing good have I
   Whereby Thy grace to claim;
   I’ll wash my garments white
   In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
3. And now complete in Him,
   My robe, His righteousness,
   Close sheltered ’neath His side,
   I am divinely blest.
4. Lord, now indeed I find
   Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
   Can change the leper’s spots
   And melt the heart of stone.
5. When from my dying bed
   My ransomed soul shall rise,
   “Jesus died my soul to save,”
   Shall rend the vaulted skies.
6. And when before the throne
   I stand in Him complete,
   I’ll lay my trophies down,
   All down at Jesus’ feet.

Biblical Manhood - Raising Children Part 2

The last time I posed three questions about raising children in the training and admonition of the Lord. Last time I explained briefly why this is important to God. Today we want to look at what the training and admonition of the Lord means.

Specifically the verse says to “bring up” children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. What does it mean to “bring up”.

“Bring up” means “to nourish”. Think about plants. In order to nourish a plant we need to know the 1) Conditions for healthy growth; 2)Be familiar with that particular kind of plant; and 3) Provide what’s needed on a daily basis.

This responsibility with children is given by God to the Fathers. Fathers then delegate part of the responsibility to the mother. It is the father’s responsibility to know each child, what he/she needs and how he/she can best be nourished. He then prescribes the care that will be needed.

The Bible teaches us that the Word is nourishment. There is the milk of the Word and the meat of the Word. A father needs to know what each child needs from Scripture in order to meet the specific needs of the child at this particular stage of life. See Hebrews 5:12 and I Peter 2:2

Know your children, what they are thinking and where they are in their development. This takes insightful questions and thoughtful listening regularly. In order to be faithful men as dads we need to take this responsibility seriously. In order to do that we need to be men who know the Word, studying it and meditating on it so that we will be thoroughly equipped to spiritually nourish our children.

Biblical Manhood - Raising Children Part 1

In Ephesians 6:4 we read, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

I want to look at the last part of this verse and ask three questions:

Why is this important to God?

What does it mean, what’s involved, what does it look like?

What are the results?

First then, why is this important to God?

Look up Genesis 18:16-19. In verse 19, God says that He knew Abraham for a reason. What was the reason? That they may keep the way of the Lord and do righteousness and justice.

In Malachi 2:15 divorce is the topic. God states that he made the husband and wife one. Then he asks, “Why one?” The answer to that question is that God is seeking a godly seed or offspring.

God is not only interested in us, but he is interested in the children we will have. And as He looks forward into the future, He is interested that those children and our childrens’ children will keep on a godly path, live righteously and do justice. God desires that there be more and more people in the world who love Him and live righteously so that there will be many examples of God’s character reflected throughout the world.

So when you think about the children you have or those you hope to have some day, remember to see them as a heritage God has given you to be a light and a testimony to all that will ever come to know them.

Love from a Good Conscience

According to I Timothy 1:5, true biblical love flows from a three-fold spring – a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. These three together are the essential work of God in salvation. God purifies hearts by faith (Acts 15:9); and those who have been born again have purified their souls in sincere love of the brethren. (I Peter 1:22, 23)

I think a pure heart is necessary because that way it is undivided and loyal and its motives are pure, giving rise to a pure love. A good conscience is necessary because it allows us to love without trying to compensate for a guilty conscience toward God or others. And a sincere faith is necessary because it keeps our love from being hypocritical and pretentious.

I’d like to focus on a good conscience in this article. If you have a Bible available, it would be helpful to turn to Hebrews chapter 10. How is a good conscience achieved when our lives have a lot of sin in them? Take some time to follow the logic that the writer of the book of Hebrews follows as he helps us understand how to have a good conscience.

In verse 1 (Hebrews 10) we find that the Old Testament sacrifices could not make the worshippers perfect. If they could have, two things would have happened according to verse 2. First, the sacrifices would have stopped because the people would be perfect and there would be no need of further sacrifices. Second, the worshippers would no longer have a conscience of sins.

In order to understand what this means, we need to look at verse 3 which tells us that instead of having a clear conscience, the opposite was the case. The sacrifices were a constant reminder of sins. Instead of being able to put the sins behind them and forget about them, the sacrifices kept reminding them of their sinfulness. If the sacrifices had worked, there would not be this constant reminder of sin and the worshippers’ conscience would not keep plaguing them with guilt.

Hebrews 9:9 basically says the same thing. The sacrifices could not make us perfect in conscience.

According to 10:9, God’s will though was to remove the first method of animal sacrifices in order to make way for the second, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Verse 10 tells us that through the will of God we have been sanctified once for all by Christ’s one-time sacrifice for us. Pay close attention to the words, “once for all”. Multiple sacrifices are no longer needed.

Every priest of the Old Testament stood daily ministering in their role as priests. But Christ (verse 12) offered one sacrifice for sins and sat down. The job is done. The sacrifice is done once, never to be repeated. That’s what sitting down signifies.

Verse 14 then gives us an important statement. It says that by one offering He perfected forever those who were sanctified. Put verse 10 and 14 together. Through the will of God we have been sanctified and having been sanctified we have been perfected forever. Now go back and think about the beginning of the chapter. If the sacrifices had made the people perfect, the sacrifices would have stopped and the conscience of sins would be ended. What the first system was not able to do, the sacrifice of Christ accomplished!

That seems like an amazing statement, but do we trust how we feel or what the Scripture says? I don’t know about you, but my conscience often blasts at me about my continual guiltiness. But that is similar to the Old Testament sacrificial system. There was a constant reminder of sins.

God promises us in verse 17 that God will remember our sins and iniquities no more!

Now let me clarify one point. Shouldn’t our conscience convict us when we sin? Yes it should, but I don’t think that is what’s being talked about here. It’s not a matter of being convicted of particular sins. The conscience is right in bringing those things to our attention. What this passage does to help me is to remind me that my conscience should not be allowed to continually beat me down and continually remind me that I am a sinner. God has dealt with that once and for all on the cross. The sacrifices have stopped and my conscience should not continue to afflict me. God will remember my sins no more; they are removed as far as the east is from the west; they have been thrown into the depths of the sea; though they are like a red stain, they have been made as white as snow.

As Hebrews 6:1 tells us, let us move on from the elementary principles and not lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God. We shouldn’t be continually revisiting this issue. We need to move forward and not allow our consciences to keep us bound and fruitless for Christ. A good conscience in turn allows us to love both God and others without the ulterior motive of trying to prove something or work off some guilt we might feel.

Here are some other verses that might be encouraging to you: Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 1:18; Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19; Acts 13:38; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:19; I John 1:9

Prayer for a Clean Heart and Right Spirit

Every month I try to choose a verse or two of Scripture to meditate on and to use as my source of praying for various friends and family during that month. My focus this month is Psalm 51:10 which ways, “Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

As we live our lives it seems as though we tend to get spattered by the world with its temptations and distractions. We need that clean heart that David is writing about here. And the thing which I noticed for the first time is that the clean heart is created by God. We know that God promises that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9 But He is the one that creates the clean heart originally when we trust Him by faith and He continues to be the source of the cleansing as we walk through life confessing our sins along the way.

Also included in the verse is a request for the renewal of a right spirit. To me a right spirit speaks of the right attitude and frame of mind. We need a spirit of meekness and humility; a spirit of love and a sound mind; and a spirit of truth and justice. One could list many more. Here again, it’s God who renews as we humbly submit to His work in our lives.

May we be faithful in the way we request these inner changes that only God can accomplish.

Memorization Monday -- Promised Blessings -- The Second Coming

I Thessalonians 4:16, 17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Where is Our Confidence?

While reading Scripture this morning, I came upon a very encouraging verse. Isaiah 51:12, 13 "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass? And you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth."

Often times the people around us, people we work with, people in the neighborhood, or people in leadership bring fear to our lives. But this passage is encouraging us to remember that any other human being is a person who will die at some point; he is like the grass that is here today and gone tomorrow. Man's comfort is short lived. Our comfort and assurance should come from God who rules over all. He is the one who created heaven and earth. He is not here today and gone tomorrow. God does not change and His promises never fail.

Memorization Monday -- Promised Blessings -- Second Coming

Titus 2:12, 13 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hymn of the Week -- The Spacious Firmament on High

The Spacious Firmament on High by Joseph Addison

The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame
Their great Original proclaim.
Th’unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator’s powers display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an Almighty Hand.

Soon as the evening shades prevail
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth;
While all the stars that round her burn
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.

What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Amid the radiant orbs be found?
In reason’s ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing as they shine,
“The hand that made us is divine.”