Psalm 9:2
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.Psalm 9:11
Tell among the peoples his deeds!Psalm 9:14
that in the gates of the daughter of ZionI may rejoice in your salvation.Psalm 18:3
and I am saved from my enemies.The Psalms are full of praise and adoration. Every few hundred facebook posts you run across someone who is full of praise to God for being God. Not for something He has done or spared them from but just because He is God, even less occasionally you run across a person whose life exemplifies this and you are truly humbled in their presence.Today, be that person! Be that person whose life is centered on the praise of God's glory. Give "the glory due His righteousness." Praise Him in the morning, Praise Him in the day time, praise Him in the evening, Praise Him every watch of the night, not for what he has done but for who His is. Praise His Name, may God be exalted above the heavens, may His glory resound in all the earth, let it echo from all His creation. Praise His name
Friday, November 12, 2010
To The Praise Of His Glory
I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. (Psalm 7:17 ESV)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
If you have read the book The Shack (or are thinking about it)
The blog is a simple one... "don't." I haven't read a fiction book probably since high school. For the longest time the thought of reading was about as appealing as vomiting. Then I went back to college and that's all I did was read, but not fiction. Now in the ministry I read more than I ever have before, but not fiction. So, I'm going away for a few days with the family and decided that I would read something just for the pleasure of reading, I was going to read a fiction book.
I had heard so much about the book The Shack, for a while it seemed like everyone had read it and it was on the top of every ones must read list, it seemed it set up residency on the USA top 10 list, so I thought, "boy this must be some book, I will read it, everyone is just raving about how it has shaped them and opened their eyes to a whole new dimension about understanding God." Who could resist such reviews? So that settled it, I took the book with me and set out reading it the first chance I got. At first it was captivating ( I love a good mystery) but then it got theological and that's where the "wheels fell off."
The shack is a theological catastrophe trying to disguise itself as a book of fiction. The book completely destroys the God of the bible in favor of a god of his own making, one that is much more...palatable to the human taste bud.
I could go into great detail about all the criticisms I have against the book but someone else who is way more clear and articulate has already done this so I will just leave a link to it, but first let me tell you a little about him. His name is Tim Challies and he is web designer by trade but has in the last few years grown very popular in the Christian blogging world. A reformed Christian with which we would affirm theological similarities, in other words...trustworthy. His website is www.challies.com and you can go there and read all kinds of great stuff but I want you to go to this link regarding The Shack and see what a great job he does handling it. http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/a-review-of-the-shack-download-it-here
I had heard so much about the book The Shack, for a while it seemed like everyone had read it and it was on the top of every ones must read list, it seemed it set up residency on the USA top 10 list, so I thought, "boy this must be some book, I will read it, everyone is just raving about how it has shaped them and opened their eyes to a whole new dimension about understanding God." Who could resist such reviews? So that settled it, I took the book with me and set out reading it the first chance I got. At first it was captivating ( I love a good mystery) but then it got theological and that's where the "wheels fell off."
The shack is a theological catastrophe trying to disguise itself as a book of fiction. The book completely destroys the God of the bible in favor of a god of his own making, one that is much more...palatable to the human taste bud.
I could go into great detail about all the criticisms I have against the book but someone else who is way more clear and articulate has already done this so I will just leave a link to it, but first let me tell you a little about him. His name is Tim Challies and he is web designer by trade but has in the last few years grown very popular in the Christian blogging world. A reformed Christian with which we would affirm theological similarities, in other words...trustworthy. His website is www.challies.com and you can go there and read all kinds of great stuff but I want you to go to this link regarding The Shack and see what a great job he does handling it. http://www.challies.com/book-reviews/a-review-of-the-shack-download-it-here
Friday, June 4, 2010
Can A Christian Lose Their Salvation?
Can a Christian loose there salvation? 2 Peter 2:20-22
When reading chapter two of 2 Peter this question is bound to be on more than a few minds and since it is not the focal point of Peter’s letter but rather a conclusion to the fate of a false teacher I have chosen not to focus on it in this sermon. However, I felt it profitable to address it as sort of an appendix to the sermon and to put it in writing. Of course to do so is to my own ill fate, for whenever anyone puts anything in writing they are opening themselves to all sorts of criticism. I accept that reality and only beseech you on behalf of our Christian unity that if you disagree with me do so in a manner that brings glory to God and builds each of us up. If you should happen to agree with me then I beseech you to not let this “seemingly peripheral” issue be a cause of undue gloating and finger pointing but rather in all things be gracious. If you would like to discuss this may I suggest that you do so in the blog that I will post this to which can be found on our website www.cccofg.com
Attempting to come at this passage in its context as though I had never read it before and had no preconceived ideas I studied very carefully the wording, the context to the original audience and the language used for the original audience as well as the intimation, or what the author was alluding to. I later read a commentary that was in favor that a Christian could indeed lose their salvation, referring to it as “apostasy” then later reading a commentary that was in favor that in fact a Christian could not lose their salvation.
What I would offer you, regarding this passage 2 Peter 2:20-22 (as the only text being considered for this discussion at this time) is that according to this passage Peter is clear throughout this letter and very particularly in chapter 2 to show that these “false” teachers were never Christian and therefore did not lose their salvation, you cannot lose something you never possessed. I will highlight 7 points of reference on this point, though there could be more I limit myself to these 7.
1. Starting with the simplest: In verse 1 of chapter two he refers to both false prophets and false teachers, false in the Greek is our word for pseudo which means in essence to fake or pretend for the purpose of deceiving. Peter’s implication is that they are pretending to be something that in actuality they are not. They claim to teach something they have not embraced, doing so for personal gain.
2. 2:12, 22 Peter refers to them as brute beasts, creatures of instinct, dogs and pigs. They show no evidence of conversion they are still slaves to their sinful human nature. In verse 2:19 he says they are slaves to corruption. Christians ( I will not play the game of using terms such as “true” Christians I simply mean by the term Christian those who have confessed their sin; trusted by faith, Christ as Savior and Lord; and there is evidence of that in the fruit of their life in Christ) as I was saying, Christians are recognizable not only by their correct thinking but equally by their correct living.
3. Verse 2:2 “even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them.” John in his first epistle says it best, 1 John 2:22-23 “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father whoever acknowledges the son has the Father also.” Paul in his charge to young Timothy puts it this way, 2 Timothy 3:41-9 “…having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (v.5)
4. In light of the fruit of their life: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:21 “I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Their fruit exposed in 2 Peter 2:1-15)
5. 2:5,6 A godless Christian is an oxymoron. Peter refers to these false teachers as ungodly which is the same Greek word for godless (read Jude 4-16 for a strikingly similar passage).
6. Verse 2:20 The word “if” is a Greek word used to imply a condition which fruit has determined. Jesus said in Matthew 7:15 ”Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them”.
7. Verse 2:-20-21 Peter uses the word “known” and “knowing”, as we have seen and had our attention drawn to already the word “know, known, knowing” has many meanings in the Greek language as it does also in the English language. In this particular use the word is “epignosko” full knowledge but not the same as “Epignosis” which we understood to mean personal and intimate, relational knowledge. These false teachers have a very thorough and working knowledge of Christianity and Christian doctrine. How dreadful and sad to become so knowledgeable about Christianity and Christian teaching and never to surrender one’s life to Christ.
The argument in the case of these false teachers in this passage covered in 2 Peter 2:20-22 isn’t an argument of whether or not on can lose their salvation but rather an argument as to whether or not they were Christian in the first place and Peter succinctly points out that they in fact were not. Though they were very knowledgeable and even were able to pretend very well they were in fact unconverted.
When reading chapter two of 2 Peter this question is bound to be on more than a few minds and since it is not the focal point of Peter’s letter but rather a conclusion to the fate of a false teacher I have chosen not to focus on it in this sermon. However, I felt it profitable to address it as sort of an appendix to the sermon and to put it in writing. Of course to do so is to my own ill fate, for whenever anyone puts anything in writing they are opening themselves to all sorts of criticism. I accept that reality and only beseech you on behalf of our Christian unity that if you disagree with me do so in a manner that brings glory to God and builds each of us up. If you should happen to agree with me then I beseech you to not let this “seemingly peripheral” issue be a cause of undue gloating and finger pointing but rather in all things be gracious. If you would like to discuss this may I suggest that you do so in the blog that I will post this to which can be found on our website www.cccofg.com
Attempting to come at this passage in its context as though I had never read it before and had no preconceived ideas I studied very carefully the wording, the context to the original audience and the language used for the original audience as well as the intimation, or what the author was alluding to. I later read a commentary that was in favor that a Christian could indeed lose their salvation, referring to it as “apostasy” then later reading a commentary that was in favor that in fact a Christian could not lose their salvation.
What I would offer you, regarding this passage 2 Peter 2:20-22 (as the only text being considered for this discussion at this time) is that according to this passage Peter is clear throughout this letter and very particularly in chapter 2 to show that these “false” teachers were never Christian and therefore did not lose their salvation, you cannot lose something you never possessed. I will highlight 7 points of reference on this point, though there could be more I limit myself to these 7.
1. Starting with the simplest: In verse 1 of chapter two he refers to both false prophets and false teachers, false in the Greek is our word for pseudo which means in essence to fake or pretend for the purpose of deceiving. Peter’s implication is that they are pretending to be something that in actuality they are not. They claim to teach something they have not embraced, doing so for personal gain.
2. 2:12, 22 Peter refers to them as brute beasts, creatures of instinct, dogs and pigs. They show no evidence of conversion they are still slaves to their sinful human nature. In verse 2:19 he says they are slaves to corruption. Christians ( I will not play the game of using terms such as “true” Christians I simply mean by the term Christian those who have confessed their sin; trusted by faith, Christ as Savior and Lord; and there is evidence of that in the fruit of their life in Christ) as I was saying, Christians are recognizable not only by their correct thinking but equally by their correct living.
3. Verse 2:2 “even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them.” John in his first epistle says it best, 1 John 2:22-23 “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father whoever acknowledges the son has the Father also.” Paul in his charge to young Timothy puts it this way, 2 Timothy 3:41-9 “…having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.” (v.5)
4. In light of the fruit of their life: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:21 “I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” (Their fruit exposed in 2 Peter 2:1-15)
5. 2:5,6 A godless Christian is an oxymoron. Peter refers to these false teachers as ungodly which is the same Greek word for godless (read Jude 4-16 for a strikingly similar passage).
6. Verse 2:20 The word “if” is a Greek word used to imply a condition which fruit has determined. Jesus said in Matthew 7:15 ”Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them”.
7. Verse 2:-20-21 Peter uses the word “known” and “knowing”, as we have seen and had our attention drawn to already the word “know, known, knowing” has many meanings in the Greek language as it does also in the English language. In this particular use the word is “epignosko” full knowledge but not the same as “Epignosis” which we understood to mean personal and intimate, relational knowledge. These false teachers have a very thorough and working knowledge of Christianity and Christian doctrine. How dreadful and sad to become so knowledgeable about Christianity and Christian teaching and never to surrender one’s life to Christ.
The argument in the case of these false teachers in this passage covered in 2 Peter 2:20-22 isn’t an argument of whether or not on can lose their salvation but rather an argument as to whether or not they were Christian in the first place and Peter succinctly points out that they in fact were not. Though they were very knowledgeable and even were able to pretend very well they were in fact unconverted.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Are We (am I) Missing It?
We live in one of the most affluent countries in the world, some would the most affluent. As a result of this, we (I) tend to view the Gospel and the spreading of it in light of this affluence that surrounds me. I sat with a dear friend a bit today, it was hot, unusually hot for this time of year, the sweat dripped down my back and I was just sitting. Air conditioning kept going through my mind. I thought how great it would be when later I get to go home and enjoy it. This friend didn't have ac, this friend lives in a development that is comprised of mostly low income or subsidised housing. Many I know and they are slouches and didn't put themselves in this predicament, it kind of just happened. Maybe there was an injury, maybe it was a layoff, or a death in the family, maybe they served our country, maybe they immigrated to our country for a chance to be free. I imagine the stories are as varied as their backgrounds are.
I got to thinking, actually it has been on my mind all day, am I missing it, is the affluent church of our culture missing it altogether? Are we so consumed with ourselves and "doing church" that we have neglected the very heart of God and His Gospel? One can hardly read any portion of Scripture and not run across the undeniably compassionate heart God has for the poor and needy. There is so much irrefutable evidence towards this that I honestly don't know how we (I) can sleep at night and not come under such heavy conviction from the Holy Spirit. Why am I not more broken for the last, the least and the lost? Especially considering that this was once my story?
Isaiah 41:17 "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them."
Jeremiah 22:16 "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord."
James 1:26-2:19
I got to thinking, actually it has been on my mind all day, am I missing it, is the affluent church of our culture missing it altogether? Are we so consumed with ourselves and "doing church" that we have neglected the very heart of God and His Gospel? One can hardly read any portion of Scripture and not run across the undeniably compassionate heart God has for the poor and needy. There is so much irrefutable evidence towards this that I honestly don't know how we (I) can sleep at night and not come under such heavy conviction from the Holy Spirit. Why am I not more broken for the last, the least and the lost? Especially considering that this was once my story?
Isaiah 41:17 "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them."
Jeremiah 22:16 "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord."
James 1:26-2:19
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Gospel centered friendships
"Friendship evangelism", when you hear that term what comes to your mind? I think, at least for me, the name gives it away and implies what is most important, friendship. That until you become someones friend the evangelism part of the equation has no place in the relationship. Funny thing is, the evangelism part rarely, if ever, becomes a part of the relationship. It also kind of implies that my friendship is really going to be the tipping point for this person to finally become a Christian, that they have put it off all these years just waiting for me to come along and befriend them. The humbling reality to this is my friendship won't do anything for their spiritual condition.
I was speaking with a friend the other day and this person was expressing with great passion their desire for some young people to know Christ in an experiential way. They were expressing the need to "get into their lives" to "let them know they care" before they could "earn the right" to share the Gospel. The following was my encouragement to them: "Having such a passion in your heart for these young people is so strong sometimes that it drives us. It drives us to involve ourselves in their lives. The danger is, and I can speak from personal failure in this area, is to attempt to be their friend and never get around to the Gospel. We feel, and God has wired us this way, that we need to get inside, deep inside their heart, to fix them, to help them with all their struggles and get them feeling good about themselves first, then we hope to get on to God. The reality is that we are all in desperate need of God, in all our ugliness or beauty, in all our mess or in our complete togetherness, that in God's eyes we are all wretched sinners who need to repent, surrender, humble ourselves and cry out for His mercy and salvation. We must show them their desperate need for Jesus the Christ as Lord, God and Savior. We must become increasingly more passionate about the Gospel and their need, we do this with grace and gentleness, lovingly, embracingly, relationally, but our passion for the Gospel must grow, pray that God will give us a deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper, passion for His Gospel and the spread of it till we all see Christ and not us.
"I know you share this passion, that without Christ we are nothing and we have nothing and we have nothing of value to offer. I only desire to warn you of a trap I myself fell into, that is not seeing their true need."
As I look back on it it doesn't seem all that great to read, when I wrote it I thought, "wow, that's great God." So in an attempt to summarize let me just say maybe we should rearrange the title from Friendship Evangelism to Gospel Centered Friendships or Evangelistic Friendships that in hopes that it rearranges our mindset to get it in the proper sequence.
I was speaking with a friend the other day and this person was expressing with great passion their desire for some young people to know Christ in an experiential way. They were expressing the need to "get into their lives" to "let them know they care" before they could "earn the right" to share the Gospel. The following was my encouragement to them: "Having such a passion in your heart for these young people is so strong sometimes that it drives us. It drives us to involve ourselves in their lives. The danger is, and I can speak from personal failure in this area, is to attempt to be their friend and never get around to the Gospel. We feel, and God has wired us this way, that we need to get inside, deep inside their heart, to fix them, to help them with all their struggles and get them feeling good about themselves first, then we hope to get on to God. The reality is that we are all in desperate need of God, in all our ugliness or beauty, in all our mess or in our complete togetherness, that in God's eyes we are all wretched sinners who need to repent, surrender, humble ourselves and cry out for His mercy and salvation. We must show them their desperate need for Jesus the Christ as Lord, God and Savior. We must become increasingly more passionate about the Gospel and their need, we do this with grace and gentleness, lovingly, embracingly, relationally, but our passion for the Gospel must grow, pray that God will give us a deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper, passion for His Gospel and the spread of it till we all see Christ and not us.
"I know you share this passion, that without Christ we are nothing and we have nothing and we have nothing of value to offer. I only desire to warn you of a trap I myself fell into, that is not seeing their true need."
As I look back on it it doesn't seem all that great to read, when I wrote it I thought, "wow, that's great God." So in an attempt to summarize let me just say maybe we should rearrange the title from Friendship Evangelism to Gospel Centered Friendships or Evangelistic Friendships that in hopes that it rearranges our mindset to get it in the proper sequence.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Content With Weakness
"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamaities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
This is one of the greatest oxymorans of all times, that I am strongest when I am at my weakest. This is only true when we consider the true origin of our strength, that it is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me. It is a recognition that even in my greatest self strengths and greatest self effort I can do no good thing for Christ or His kingdom. It is in this recognition of my self inability that I open the door for the flooding power of the Spirit of Christ to flow through me to accomplish his good purposes, both in me and through me.
Look at the list Paul rattles off that he is now content with, (content shouldn't be confused with enjoying but rather seen as able to endure with confidance) weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. Lord, so work this in me that I too see my greatest strengths and abilities as truly insufficient that I might gain the strength that is mine through the power of the Holy Spirit to be content in all situations.
This is one of the greatest oxymorans of all times, that I am strongest when I am at my weakest. This is only true when we consider the true origin of our strength, that it is the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me. It is a recognition that even in my greatest self strengths and greatest self effort I can do no good thing for Christ or His kingdom. It is in this recognition of my self inability that I open the door for the flooding power of the Spirit of Christ to flow through me to accomplish his good purposes, both in me and through me.
Look at the list Paul rattles off that he is now content with, (content shouldn't be confused with enjoying but rather seen as able to endure with confidance) weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. Lord, so work this in me that I too see my greatest strengths and abilities as truly insufficient that I might gain the strength that is mine through the power of the Holy Spirit to be content in all situations.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Rubbish removal
Okay so it's been a while since I wrote and I was hoping to get some feedback and comments on the post. I remember that when I started this blog I was hoping that it would be a place where we could encourage one another with the stories of the awesome things God is doing in us and through us. I am aware of some really neat things going on. I know Bonnie H. has a great story to tell and I have had two different opportunities to share Christ (and I actually did, not that common for me). God is doing some really neat things and our prayer is that it is only just begun.
At youth group the other night we were challenged by the apostle Paul to "go all in" in a powerful way, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ... Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." What a bold challenge for us all.
At youth group the other night we were challenged by the apostle Paul to "go all in" in a powerful way, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ... Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." What a bold challenge for us all.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Turning Point
Sunday was...surprising, awesome, a blessing, powerful, inspired, these are just a few words some gave to describe what God did this past Sunday at church. One person even asked if I did something different in preparing, "did you pray for this one." It was as though God's Spirit broke into our routine of church. We would like to think that this happens every Sunday, but in reality we all know it hasn't.
I will not try to explain away what we experienced last week. The only explanation I will give is this; God has promised that there is power in the Word of God. "I will exalt My name and My word above all things." (Psalm 138:2) When we exalt His name and His word and we allow access to our inner most being to His Holy Spirit we will be apprehended, confronted to "Set apart Jesus as Lord in your heart." And that is what happened.
As powerful and great as Sunday was I wonder how this past week following it was for you? Did you find yourself "moving on"? You know, forgetting about it and getting back to the routine of life. I struggled all week, I struggled not with forgetting about it but with applying it. "How would Tuesday at 2pm or Thursday at noon be any different? What was your struggle?
One thing that happened this week was the rest of the letter of 1 Peter came into clearer focus for me. That verse, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord." was like a key that unlocked the rest, it brought clarity to it, it tied it all together for me.
I am excited (honestly, nervously so) to preach this week because I see it being the next step for those of us who stood to say, "I Will Go All In."
I will not try to explain away what we experienced last week. The only explanation I will give is this; God has promised that there is power in the Word of God. "I will exalt My name and My word above all things." (Psalm 138:2) When we exalt His name and His word and we allow access to our inner most being to His Holy Spirit we will be apprehended, confronted to "Set apart Jesus as Lord in your heart." And that is what happened.
As powerful and great as Sunday was I wonder how this past week following it was for you? Did you find yourself "moving on"? You know, forgetting about it and getting back to the routine of life. I struggled all week, I struggled not with forgetting about it but with applying it. "How would Tuesday at 2pm or Thursday at noon be any different? What was your struggle?
One thing that happened this week was the rest of the letter of 1 Peter came into clearer focus for me. That verse, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord." was like a key that unlocked the rest, it brought clarity to it, it tied it all together for me.
I am excited (honestly, nervously so) to preach this week because I see it being the next step for those of us who stood to say, "I Will Go All In."
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