I have been praising God for His provision as I wait upon Him in OZ. Staying at the Landman home has been a real pleasure, and has afforded me many great opportunities. With a private area and internet access, I have been able to keep posting on the blog, sending correspondence, connecting to my family at home with Skype, and even prepared a sermon yesterday! For the time being whoever reads this blog is my "congregation," because the opportunity to preach has not yet afforded itself. In God's perfect time and manner, His will shall be accomplished. Louis, Sonja, Louise, and Johan have been so hospitable and kind.
I have also been able to do some little projects around the house. Today I installed a recessed light outside, vacuumed the carpets, hung out the washing ("laundry" is called "washing" here, and pretty much everyone that I've seen hangs their clothes to dry outside), and cooked up some syrup for tomorrow's breakfast. I'm going to make pancakes tomorrow and hopefully they will be a big hit. Johan tells me he likes to put cheese on his. I'm going to stick with syrup and hold the cheese.
Another blessing is all the experience I'm having behind the wheel. Louis has me drive almost every time we go out, and it has become so familiar that I have even dreamt of driving on the other side of the road. Ever so often I'll still indicate with my windshield wipers (very ineffective I'll add) because the indicator is on the right side of the steering wheel. The rear view mirror is still a misplaced object and it takes me a while to focus on the reflection and not the mirror itself. Wednesdays we buy petrol (gasoline, and "gas" is propane) because on Thursdays the price shoots up a minimum of 10 cents per liter as if on schedule, and Thursday we typically buy all the food for the week. Coles, Woolies (Woolworth's), and Aldi are our prime targets as Louis and Sonja hit all the specials (sales). There's a great deal of words that are defined differently, like "boot" is the term for the trunk of the car, "trolley" is the grocery cart you push at a store. Many of the trolleys here require a token purchased for one or two dollars, and when finished the trolley literally locks into the one it slides into. This keeps the trolleys all in the correct bin.
I praise God for the Landman family and all those who have been so supportive on both sides of the Pacific. There are a lot of changes going on in the Harvest Christian Fellowship Brisbane South, and when more information becomes available I will pass it along. I am blessed whether or not anyone reads these words, but is a double blessing if God uses them to minister to you in any way. Keep me in your prayers as you are in mine, and remember to thank the LORD today because He is good.
01 October 2009
The Upward Call
A couple months before I left home for Australia, I purchased a new pair of running shoes. I started running for exercise since preaching for me does not provide much aerobic benefit! It has been good to begin a routine of regular exercise, not because I like exercise in itself, but because of the obvious health benefits. I have found running benefits my mental focus, digestion, endurance, lowered my cholesterol, and added 15 yards to my golf game!
I have to admit, I'm not a health freak. I admit I'm not even that "health conscious." I am not seeking rock-hard abs or interested in how much I can bench press. But one day I looked at myself in the mirror and exclaimed, "Self, you're getting sloppy!" My pants were starting to fit a little tight and I'm too tight to buy new pants! Some people are not content to see an ounce of fat on their bodies. They starve themselves, eat the equivalent of cardboard and sticks, and still work out for hours a day! They cut out all soda and red meats, buy raw foods and follow a carefully monitored diet. That's not for me, but I'm glad there are health-conscious people out there. If only we were as spiritually conscious as some are health conscious! We must guard our eyes, ears, hearts, and thoughts with the vigilance of a person who avoids saturated fats, sugar substitutes, or high fructose corn syrup.
Nearly every day since my arrival, I have headed out for a morning or evening run. The main difference between this neighborhood and mine is that it is hard to find anywhere flat to run! The home where I am staying is situated in such a way that I always have to run uphill to go home. I like to mix in some hills from time to time, but here I have had a steady diet of them here. As I was laboring towards the finish yesterday, I thought about the verse in Philippians 3:14: "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Our call is an upward call. It is an upward battle. We will never on this earth be able to spiritually say that we're "over the hill" because our goal is in the heavens. It is a race that will tax us, make us want to quit, leave us dizzy, wheezing, and even puking. But home for us always is uphill. It's not a home that we've paid for or picked out for ourselves, but one in heaven that God has prepared for us. It is not our sweat or tears that earn us a heavenly home, but only the blood of the Lamb of God applied to our hearts in faith.
Paul pressed forward with the urgency of a world-class marathon runner. We have to lose the idea that speed is important in a spiritual race. Time presses on whether you jog or sit on the couch. Your spiritual race is being run whether you are active or negligent in spiritual pursuits. Men have died working out in the gym and others while eating a burger and drinking a milkshake. We Christians are followers of Jesus Christ, so close that we can draft like a NASCAR driver. This upward call is offered to all who will follow. The word "call" here is "an invitation." Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We find rest in Christ, but there is labor to be done with Him as we remain on earth. There is a difference between "rest" and "ease." Ease is akin to sloth, and we ought not to ease up to the finish line spiritually. God supplies the strength and power, and we are to take Christ's yoke upon us as willing slaves.
Don't allow the hills and valleys to bring discouragement as you press on to the upward call of Jesus Christ. Every time that I have gone out for a run, by God's grace I've always made it home. Jesus knows every one of His sheep and will bring every last one home to heaven. Jesus says in John 10:27-28: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. [28] And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." Run your race with joyful endurance in the strength God provides. He will grant spiritual benefits that will enable you to serve God better. Run Christian, run!
I have to admit, I'm not a health freak. I admit I'm not even that "health conscious." I am not seeking rock-hard abs or interested in how much I can bench press. But one day I looked at myself in the mirror and exclaimed, "Self, you're getting sloppy!" My pants were starting to fit a little tight and I'm too tight to buy new pants! Some people are not content to see an ounce of fat on their bodies. They starve themselves, eat the equivalent of cardboard and sticks, and still work out for hours a day! They cut out all soda and red meats, buy raw foods and follow a carefully monitored diet. That's not for me, but I'm glad there are health-conscious people out there. If only we were as spiritually conscious as some are health conscious! We must guard our eyes, ears, hearts, and thoughts with the vigilance of a person who avoids saturated fats, sugar substitutes, or high fructose corn syrup.
Nearly every day since my arrival, I have headed out for a morning or evening run. The main difference between this neighborhood and mine is that it is hard to find anywhere flat to run! The home where I am staying is situated in such a way that I always have to run uphill to go home. I like to mix in some hills from time to time, but here I have had a steady diet of them here. As I was laboring towards the finish yesterday, I thought about the verse in Philippians 3:14: "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Our call is an upward call. It is an upward battle. We will never on this earth be able to spiritually say that we're "over the hill" because our goal is in the heavens. It is a race that will tax us, make us want to quit, leave us dizzy, wheezing, and even puking. But home for us always is uphill. It's not a home that we've paid for or picked out for ourselves, but one in heaven that God has prepared for us. It is not our sweat or tears that earn us a heavenly home, but only the blood of the Lamb of God applied to our hearts in faith.
Paul pressed forward with the urgency of a world-class marathon runner. We have to lose the idea that speed is important in a spiritual race. Time presses on whether you jog or sit on the couch. Your spiritual race is being run whether you are active or negligent in spiritual pursuits. Men have died working out in the gym and others while eating a burger and drinking a milkshake. We Christians are followers of Jesus Christ, so close that we can draft like a NASCAR driver. This upward call is offered to all who will follow. The word "call" here is "an invitation." Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We find rest in Christ, but there is labor to be done with Him as we remain on earth. There is a difference between "rest" and "ease." Ease is akin to sloth, and we ought not to ease up to the finish line spiritually. God supplies the strength and power, and we are to take Christ's yoke upon us as willing slaves.
Don't allow the hills and valleys to bring discouragement as you press on to the upward call of Jesus Christ. Every time that I have gone out for a run, by God's grace I've always made it home. Jesus knows every one of His sheep and will bring every last one home to heaven. Jesus says in John 10:27-28: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. [28] And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand." Run your race with joyful endurance in the strength God provides. He will grant spiritual benefits that will enable you to serve God better. Run Christian, run!
29 September 2009
The Importance of Emphasis
One criterion of good Bible study and teaching is that we emphasize what the text emphasizes. Many preachers use the "springboard" method of preaching that starts with a premise outside of scripture. Verses are used to confirm this extra-biblical premise to validate it. This is the same as a builder constructing a building without a foundation. The building can be no stronger than the foundation: if the foundation is faulty, the building will not stand.
A preacher has a responsibility similar to the media in that he must hold forth the unbiased truth. The media does not always provide honest, hard facts. I was working at San Diego State University on the campus and watched a news team with cameras interview a group of people holding signs. One of the ten people of the group held a megaphone speaking out against "injustice," while five other people milled around with signs. It occurred to me that out of the thousands of people that walked by, the handful with signs would be on the Evening News. Though they clearly did not speak for the majority, their voice would be heard the loudest. It was not their position as much as their persuasion that grabbed attention.
I am saddened to think that this "springboard" preaching could be the norm rather than the exception. I have always attended a church that preached and taught through the Bible. I looked out a website today from an pastor and perused his video library. Messages included a series on the rapture, one series on numerical codes in the Bible, and the emergent church. I do not see how any of these topics even deserve a sermon title, much less a series! This is an over-emphasis of doctrine that twists the scripture out of joint.
Take the rapture, for instance. It would be fair to say the Bible does not emphasize the rapture. Reference to what we commonly call the "rapture," the "catching up" of the church to meet the Lord in the air is only found in two small portions of scripture: 1 Cor. 15:51-53 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18. Words intended to comfort no doubt confuse when blown out of proportion! The teaching of the rapture is held forth by scripture. There are also fewer things more divisive when people argue over when this will occur! The emphasis of scripture is to hold forth the truth of the rapture so all might be ready for it, not argue about when it will happen. When Jesus was asked by His disciples when He would return to set up His kingdom He said in Acts 1:7-8: "...It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. [8] But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Here we have Christ's emphasis: the time and date is not important, but their Holy Spirit-empowered witness in the meantime was very important.
In teaching, we must remember that we are messengers of God's truth. We are to deliver the message once delivered through the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:3 says, "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." Because the prevailing wind of false doctrine will threaten to move us from the foundation of Christ, we must contend earnestly to remain rooted on the truth of scripture. Should we pry into the misty subjective "doctrines" concerning numbers when Jesus did no such thing? Why go stumbling around in the dark when Christ has brought us such brilliant, vibrant light? The scriptures are intended to point a man to God and His glory. The devil would like nothing more than to take our focus from the Source of Life Jesus Christ.
I am on dangerous ground when I emphasize what the Bible does not! What a gross sin it would be to lead people to the rock at Meribah when we God has given us living water through the Holy Spirit without measure! God has made us fountains of living water through rebirth by the blood of Jesus, and man tries to squeeze water from stones! 2 Peter 3:10-12 says, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [11] Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [12] looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?"
The Day of the Lord is not the emphasis here. The emphasis of the passage is to cause all to consider what manner of people we ought to be in holy godliness, looking for the coming day of the Lord. Since all will be dissolved, how ought we to live for God while we still have time? There are plenty of well-meaning people who would love to spend a month of Sundays explaining all the hidden truth which explains when that day will come. I am reminded of the words of Christ in Matthew 15:14: "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." It grieves me to see the wrestling that occurs in that ditch. I spent a good portion of my life in that ditch. But God in His mercy, pulled me from that pit! I am determined to stand clear of that ditch on the clear promises of God. It is He that has opened my eyes, and I choose to place the emphasis of my life upon Him.
The point of this post was not to "take shots" at anyone or decry a particular style of preaching. The point must be emphasized: we are to preach Christ, and Him crucified from all parts of scripture as the LORD leads. Beware of those who camp on issues not emphasized in scripture. Like a body needs healthy food to be strengthened, mature, and grow, we need the pure milk and meat of the Word to grow spiritually. If a doctrine takes your eyes from Christ, then it is not pure doctrine. All good doctrine elevates and magnifies Christ. Taste and see that the LORD, HE is good!
A preacher has a responsibility similar to the media in that he must hold forth the unbiased truth. The media does not always provide honest, hard facts. I was working at San Diego State University on the campus and watched a news team with cameras interview a group of people holding signs. One of the ten people of the group held a megaphone speaking out against "injustice," while five other people milled around with signs. It occurred to me that out of the thousands of people that walked by, the handful with signs would be on the Evening News. Though they clearly did not speak for the majority, their voice would be heard the loudest. It was not their position as much as their persuasion that grabbed attention.
I am saddened to think that this "springboard" preaching could be the norm rather than the exception. I have always attended a church that preached and taught through the Bible. I looked out a website today from an pastor and perused his video library. Messages included a series on the rapture, one series on numerical codes in the Bible, and the emergent church. I do not see how any of these topics even deserve a sermon title, much less a series! This is an over-emphasis of doctrine that twists the scripture out of joint.
Take the rapture, for instance. It would be fair to say the Bible does not emphasize the rapture. Reference to what we commonly call the "rapture," the "catching up" of the church to meet the Lord in the air is only found in two small portions of scripture: 1 Cor. 15:51-53 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18. Words intended to comfort no doubt confuse when blown out of proportion! The teaching of the rapture is held forth by scripture. There are also fewer things more divisive when people argue over when this will occur! The emphasis of scripture is to hold forth the truth of the rapture so all might be ready for it, not argue about when it will happen. When Jesus was asked by His disciples when He would return to set up His kingdom He said in Acts 1:7-8: "...It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. [8] But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Here we have Christ's emphasis: the time and date is not important, but their Holy Spirit-empowered witness in the meantime was very important.
In teaching, we must remember that we are messengers of God's truth. We are to deliver the message once delivered through the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:3 says, "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." Because the prevailing wind of false doctrine will threaten to move us from the foundation of Christ, we must contend earnestly to remain rooted on the truth of scripture. Should we pry into the misty subjective "doctrines" concerning numbers when Jesus did no such thing? Why go stumbling around in the dark when Christ has brought us such brilliant, vibrant light? The scriptures are intended to point a man to God and His glory. The devil would like nothing more than to take our focus from the Source of Life Jesus Christ.
I am on dangerous ground when I emphasize what the Bible does not! What a gross sin it would be to lead people to the rock at Meribah when we God has given us living water through the Holy Spirit without measure! God has made us fountains of living water through rebirth by the blood of Jesus, and man tries to squeeze water from stones! 2 Peter 3:10-12 says, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [11] Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [12] looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?"
The Day of the Lord is not the emphasis here. The emphasis of the passage is to cause all to consider what manner of people we ought to be in holy godliness, looking for the coming day of the Lord. Since all will be dissolved, how ought we to live for God while we still have time? There are plenty of well-meaning people who would love to spend a month of Sundays explaining all the hidden truth which explains when that day will come. I am reminded of the words of Christ in Matthew 15:14: "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." It grieves me to see the wrestling that occurs in that ditch. I spent a good portion of my life in that ditch. But God in His mercy, pulled me from that pit! I am determined to stand clear of that ditch on the clear promises of God. It is He that has opened my eyes, and I choose to place the emphasis of my life upon Him.
The point of this post was not to "take shots" at anyone or decry a particular style of preaching. The point must be emphasized: we are to preach Christ, and Him crucified from all parts of scripture as the LORD leads. Beware of those who camp on issues not emphasized in scripture. Like a body needs healthy food to be strengthened, mature, and grow, we need the pure milk and meat of the Word to grow spiritually. If a doctrine takes your eyes from Christ, then it is not pure doctrine. All good doctrine elevates and magnifies Christ. Taste and see that the LORD, HE is good!
28 September 2009
The Great Omission
Churches throughout the world place emphasis on teaching of the Word of God. Modern-day sermons are vehicles to express themes that range from "God's best for you" to "Jesus loves you and has a plan for your life." Though often sermons are the centerpiece of a Sunday morning worship service, I am amazed how infrequent God and His attributes are the centerpiece of those sermons. If there is a cause for the disillusionment, ignorance and faithlessness of the modern church it is largely due to the shift from God to what a man can get from God.
When was the last time you heard a message that focused on God, like His perfection, justice, mercy, immutability (the fact He does not change)? I feel the need to define immutable because it is likely you have never heard the theological term used by Holy Spirit-fired preachers of centuries past to try to describe God: Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." Take in the wonder how God does not change. What He has said He will do, and emotions will never lead Him from His prescribed course. He does not have opinions that waver according to His approval rating. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and this will never change no matter how many people blaspheme His holy name.
I love reading the words of preachers who long ago have been ushered into eternity because of the wealth of content and description found in their writings. Over time we have seen the English language that once soared over the mountains plunge into the gutter! Read the Declaration of Independence, if you can follow it. Such highly wrought sentence structure today leaves us glazed-eyed and slack-jawed! The church is the not only place we have seen this phenomena, but we see this reduction of complexity everywhere in the world. We have grown accustomed to it. Classic music composed for an entire symphony has been replaced by three men in a garage with electric amplification; grand paintings and portraits that took years to complete have been replaced with Photo Shop; acting in grand halls has been replaced by youtube clips; powerful speeches like the Gettysburg address have been replaced with "Married With Children" one liner cut-downs and tweets about eating lunch. The Meaningful has been fully eclipsed by the meaningless, which is like a mirror that brings only ourselves into focus. We become the breadth and depth of our existence, and that is a thimble half-full compared to the ocean that cannot even begin to quantify our Maker. As you cannot quantify eternity in years, so you cannot sum up the Divine Infinitude that is GOD with a few meager words.
Could it be possible that the church has lost sight of God? Is it conceivable we have grown apart from Him due to fads and passing winds of doctrine? How long have we been drifting on the current of current events? It seems the only things that fire up the church these days is an external fire when God intends we cultivate the inner fire of the Holy Spirit. Moral issues like abortion and gay marriage, books like The Prayer of Jabez, The DaVinci Code, conspiracies like Y2K, fads like WWJD? and the constant upheaval in economics and politics stir the hearts of most churchgoers more than God Himself! How about we turn our eyes upon Jesus? How about we shift our view from the temporal to the face of the Eternal? So much of our focus is the equivalent of sparking up strange fire like Nadab and Abihu. The hearts of many would rather pay money to seek familiar spirits with King Saul than pay the price of devotion and obedience to wait for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.
If our church experience becomes more about people than God, it's not church. Jesus is the Head of the body, and we live to glorify and praise Him. God must be the center of all that we do, for it is He who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. I've decided that in my preaching I need to do a better job of making God the focus. I need to emphasize who God is by magnifying His divine infinite attributes. There is a benefit to observation, interpretation, and application, but God must be lifted up as the centerpiece of the discourse. A sermon must be a scaffold to elevate the low mind of man to consider the holy infinite God, and must never be seen as the building itself. When you know what a man is like, you know how he will act. You cannot trust in a God you do not know. The longer we remain ignorant of our God, the weaker our faith and witness will be. Thousands of years ago God was worthy of all glory, honor and praise. Because He does not change He will remain worthy for thousands of years to come, from eternity to eternity. Let us determine to know Him better!
When was the last time you heard a message that focused on God, like His perfection, justice, mercy, immutability (the fact He does not change)? I feel the need to define immutable because it is likely you have never heard the theological term used by Holy Spirit-fired preachers of centuries past to try to describe God: Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." Take in the wonder how God does not change. What He has said He will do, and emotions will never lead Him from His prescribed course. He does not have opinions that waver according to His approval rating. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and this will never change no matter how many people blaspheme His holy name.
I love reading the words of preachers who long ago have been ushered into eternity because of the wealth of content and description found in their writings. Over time we have seen the English language that once soared over the mountains plunge into the gutter! Read the Declaration of Independence, if you can follow it. Such highly wrought sentence structure today leaves us glazed-eyed and slack-jawed! The church is the not only place we have seen this phenomena, but we see this reduction of complexity everywhere in the world. We have grown accustomed to it. Classic music composed for an entire symphony has been replaced by three men in a garage with electric amplification; grand paintings and portraits that took years to complete have been replaced with Photo Shop; acting in grand halls has been replaced by youtube clips; powerful speeches like the Gettysburg address have been replaced with "Married With Children" one liner cut-downs and tweets about eating lunch. The Meaningful has been fully eclipsed by the meaningless, which is like a mirror that brings only ourselves into focus. We become the breadth and depth of our existence, and that is a thimble half-full compared to the ocean that cannot even begin to quantify our Maker. As you cannot quantify eternity in years, so you cannot sum up the Divine Infinitude that is GOD with a few meager words.
Could it be possible that the church has lost sight of God? Is it conceivable we have grown apart from Him due to fads and passing winds of doctrine? How long have we been drifting on the current of current events? It seems the only things that fire up the church these days is an external fire when God intends we cultivate the inner fire of the Holy Spirit. Moral issues like abortion and gay marriage, books like The Prayer of Jabez, The DaVinci Code, conspiracies like Y2K, fads like WWJD? and the constant upheaval in economics and politics stir the hearts of most churchgoers more than God Himself! How about we turn our eyes upon Jesus? How about we shift our view from the temporal to the face of the Eternal? So much of our focus is the equivalent of sparking up strange fire like Nadab and Abihu. The hearts of many would rather pay money to seek familiar spirits with King Saul than pay the price of devotion and obedience to wait for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.
If our church experience becomes more about people than God, it's not church. Jesus is the Head of the body, and we live to glorify and praise Him. God must be the center of all that we do, for it is He who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. I've decided that in my preaching I need to do a better job of making God the focus. I need to emphasize who God is by magnifying His divine infinite attributes. There is a benefit to observation, interpretation, and application, but God must be lifted up as the centerpiece of the discourse. A sermon must be a scaffold to elevate the low mind of man to consider the holy infinite God, and must never be seen as the building itself. When you know what a man is like, you know how he will act. You cannot trust in a God you do not know. The longer we remain ignorant of our God, the weaker our faith and witness will be. Thousands of years ago God was worthy of all glory, honor and praise. Because He does not change He will remain worthy for thousands of years to come, from eternity to eternity. Let us determine to know Him better!
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