Seek Him

“Everybody wants blessing, of course; yes, but the peculiar mark of the child is that he is interested in the Person, he wants his Father, he wants to know his Father. He is more interested in the Giver than the gift, in the Blesser than the blessing. He begins to know something of a hunger and thirst for God himself; as the Psalmist puts it, his soul thirsteth for the living God [Psalm 42:2]…

“Seek not an experience but seek Him, seek to know Him, seek to realize His presence, seek to love Him and give yourself entirely to Him. If He is at the centre you will be safe, but if you are simply seeking for experience, if you are simply seeking for thrills, if you are simply seeking for excitement, well then, you are opening the door to the counterfeit and probably you will receive it.”

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, as quoted in Iain H. Murray’s David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990), p. 235.

Worth the “bother”

“To the question, ‘If there will be Arminians in heaven why should we bother about this difference in theology?’ [Dr. Lloyd-Jones] replied personally:

“I think that is a foolish question. We ‘bother’ about it, to use the term, because the Scripture has a great deal to say about it. Not only that. Any child of God should be anxious to understand as far as he can. I will go even further. If I were to give my experience in this pulpit tonight, I should have to put it like this: I know of nothing that is so strengthening to faith, nothing which so builds up my assurance, nothing which gives me such certainty about the blessed hope for which I am destined, as the understanding of Christian doctrine, the understanding of the way, yea the mechanism of salvation. And that is why I personally ‘bother’ with it.”

Iain H. Murray, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990), pp. 233-234.

“Let the weight of the truth convince the people”

“Dr Lloyd-Jones certainly did not believe that discussion of the doctrines of grace should be carried on in an atmosphere of controversy. To present those doctrines in an argumentative way to evangelical Christians of a different understanding, or to make a direct attack on their beliefs and practices, is unlikely to be beneficial. He thought that A.W. Pink had made a mistake at this point and that in so doing he had lost an opportunity to influence numbers who were incapable of suddenly receiving meat in the place of milk. Reflecting on this in later years, he was to say:

“If I had behaved like Pink did, I would have achieved nothing. Nothing at all. I could see that the only hope was to let the weight of the truth convince the people. So I had to be very patient and take a very long term look at things. Otherwise I would have been dismissed and the whole thing would have finished.”

Iain H. Murray, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990), p. 232.

Forgetting the devil

“There is nothing which is quite so disastrous…as not to accept in its fullness the biblical teaching concerning the devil. I am certain that one of the main causes of the ill state of the Church today is the fact that the devil is being forgotten. All is attributed to us; we have all become so psychological in our attitude and thinking. We are ignorant of this great objective fact, the being, the existence of the devil, the adversary, the accuser, and the ‘fiery darts’.”

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, as quoted in Iain H. Murray’s David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1990), p. 217.

My “Independence Day”

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
—Psalm 40:2-3

He brought me out of the miry clay;
He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
He put a song in m soul today;
A song of praise, hallelujah!
—Henry L. Gilmour (1837-1920)

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
—Colossians 1:13-14

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
—Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

Recognized by the devil

We find this scene recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 19, verses 13-17:

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.

This fascinating passage of Scripture tells us that the demon in this possessed man knew who Jesus was. The text also says the demon recognized Paul. Jesus gives authority to his followers to act in His name (e.g., Mark 16:17a; 9:38-40), and Paul, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, had the authority from Christ to cast out demons in Jesus’ name. However, when the sons of Sceva came along, the demon wanted to know, “who are you?” It was as if the demon asked, “Who do you think you are?” The demon knew that the sons of Sceva had no right or authority to act in Christ’s name and, therefore, had no right to tell the demon to leave. Apparently, demons can distinguish between those who trust in Jesus Christ and those who do not.

Beginning in Genesis 3, and ending with his eternal destruction in the lake of fire in Revelation 20, we see that the devil and his demons are opposed to God. It follows that if the devil and his demons are opposed to God, they also oppose the children of God. Believers in Jesus are children of God (John 1:12), and if you are a child of God, the devil and his demons know who you are, and hate and oppose you, too.

Unbelievers are children of the devil (1 John 3:10), and what holds true for the devil holds true for his children in that the devil in unbelievers will hate and oppose the Jesus in you, if you are a believer in Christ. Isn’t this what Jesus told His followers? Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:18-20a).

So, believer in Christ, don’t be surprised when people dislike you, oppose and undermine you, or even hate you, for apparently no good reason of which you’re aware. Maybe—perhaps even subconsciously—they oppose you simply because you’re a child of God. In that, they’re only following the lead of their father, the devil. Whatever you do, don’t return their animosity. Rather, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45a). Pray sincerely and compassionately for their salvation and deliverance from the devil.

Jesus!

Treating symptoms or applying the cure?

The way to cure any sickness is to attack its cause. Treating the symptoms, although necessary, does nothing to rid the person of the disease.

The universal sickness of mankind is sin. In American society alone, we see sin’s symptoms in family strife, discipline problems in our schools, widespread divorce, homosexuality, abortions, illicit drug use, dangerous neighborhoods and crime of all sorts. I could go on, but you get the idea.

The only cure for our societal sickness—the only cure for sin—is the gospel: the message that “Christ…suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). I’m convinced that the only hope for this country is another Great Awakening brought about through the preaching and dissemination of the gospel.

Is it just me, or does anyone else sense that we evangelicals, in general, spend an inordinate amount of time and energy merely treating the symptoms of our societal sickness, compared to the time and effort we spend in applying the cure?

Neither social and political activism nor compassionate deeds of mercy can take the place or do the work of the gospel.

“How goes the battle?”

The following excerpt is taken from J.I. Packer, Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J.C. Ryle (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002), pp. 78-79. Here, Packer quotes at length from Ryle’s book, Holiness, which was originally published in 1877. John Charles Ryle (1816-1900) was an evangelical Anglican priest and, from 1880-1900, the bishop of Liverpool.

Victory is the only satisfactory evidence that you have a saving religion. You like good sermons perhaps. You respect the Bible, and read it occasionally. You say your prayers night and morning. You have family prayers, and give to religious societies. I thank God for this. It is all very good. But how goes the battle? …Are you overcoming the love of the world and the fear of man? Are you overcoming the passions, tempers and lusts of your own heart? Are you resisting the devil and making him flee from you? How is it in this matter? You must either rule or serve sin and the devil and the world. There is no middle course. You must either conquer or be lost.

I know well it is a hard battle that you have to fight, and I want you to know it, too.… You must make up your mind to a daily struggle if you would reach heaven.… Sin, the world and the devil must be actually mortified, resisted and overcome.

This is the road that the saints of old have trodden.… Moses…overcame the love of pleasure.… Micaiah…overcame the love of ease.… Daniel…overcame the fear of death.… Matthew…overcame the love of money.… Peter and John…overcame the fear of man.… When Saul the Pharisee gave up all his prospects of preferment among the Jews, and preached that very Jesus whom he had once persecuted, this was overcoming: he overcame the love of man’s praise.

The same kind of thing which these men did you must also do if you would be saved. They were men of like passions with yourself, and yet they overcame. They had as many trials as you can possibly have, and yet they overcame. They fought. They wrestled. They struggled. You must do the same.

What was the secret of their victory? Their faith. They believed on Jesus and, believing, were made strong…and…were held up. In all their battles, they kept their eyes on Jesus, and he never left them nor forsook them. “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” and so may you (Rev. 12:11 [KJV]).

Father’s Day Reflection

Yesterday was Father’s Day. Father’s Day is one of those holidays that, for some, carry mixed feelings. So many sons and daughters are burdened with emotional and relational “baggage”, when it comes to the subject of their fathers, and long to hear words of affirmation and/or a heartfelt apology from their fathers for sins that were committed against them. Whereas, on Mother’s Day, there are usually sermons in church extolling mothers, on Father’s Day men get lectures—yearly reminders of the many ways in which we fail.

Well, on this morning after Father’s Day, I want to go on record saying I have no complaints to bring against my “father” and I am seeking no apologies. As you may remember, my great-grandfather—“Pa Bill”, as I knew him—fulfilled the role of “father” in my life. He died almost 20 years ago. Was Pa Bill a perfect man? No, not at all. He had many faults. Some of them were glaring faults, and I’m not sure he was ever aware of any of them. But, honestly, that doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t desire any apology.

On the contrary, if Pa Bill were still alive, I would want to apologize to him, for I owe the greater debt. Like all too many children, adolescents, and 20-somethings today, I was stupid. I thought I knew so much, and didn’t realize how truly ignorant I was. Like so many young people today, I was often disrespectful and insolent. I really was not that way to anyone else except Pa Bill. You see, Pa Bill had little formal education. There were a lot of things he did not know, and sometimes he did or said things that reflected that lack of knowledge. I knew he didn’t know, and looked down on him in arrogance, as if he was stupid and I was the one who knew so much. After he died, I realized I was the fool.

In those months and years after Pa Bill’s death, and still today, my only consolation was the gospel. The only reason I can forgive myself today is because I know God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven me. I confessed my sins to God a long time ago. If he were alive today, I would also confess those same sins to Pa Bill.

And I would do two more things. I would tell Pa Bill how much I love him. The fact of the matter is, with the perspective that comes only with time and maturity, I now love Pa Bill deeply. Secondly, I would tell Pa Bill “thank you” because, despite his faults, he did so many things—most things— right. As a father of two boys, I now see that Pa Bill was an excellent father in the ways that counted most.

Except, when I mouthed off, Pa Bill really should have given me a sanctified butt-whipping.

Click here to read the tribute to Pa Bill that I wrote for Father’s Day 2008.

Don’t be a fool!

“Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding” (Proverbs 10:23).

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).

“A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool” (Proverbs 17:10).

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:2).

“A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul” (Proverbs 18:6-7).

“It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling” (Proverbs 20:3).

“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:11-12).

“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 29:11, 20).

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1).

My friend, don’t be a fool!

A Bible Conference in Chicagoland

If you live in or can get to Chicagoland, consider attending New Life Fellowship Church’s annual Bible Conference. It will be held June 18-20 (Thursday and Friday evening, and Saturday morning) in Buffalo Grove, IL (a far north suburb of Chicago). The theme this year is “Spreading the Gospel”, with a Scripture focus in the book of Acts.

Returning again this year as the speakers will be

Thabiti Anyabwile, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands;

Anthony “Tony” Carter, lead pastor of East Point Church in East Point, GA; and

Hensworth Jonas, Executive Director of the East Caribbean Baptist Association in Antigua.

The New Life Fellowship Church’s Bible Conference is small, in terms of attendance, size of venue and length of schedule, but the teaching is power-packed with biblical depth. I have found New Life’s conference to be consistently nourishing and uplifting to my soul, and the fellowship with Host Pastor Louis Love, and the good people of New Life Fellowship, is warm and genuine.

Oh, and did I mention that there is no registration fee? That’s right, admission is free! There is also a well-stocked book table, courtesy of Reformation Heritage Books, that you won’t want to miss.

Further details about the conference can be found here.

Fire

Are you a Christian? Are you absolutely sure?

Listen to this 12-minute video. Please, don’t tune out the person speaking, but seriously consider what he’s saying. What he says is hard, and to our modern ears it sounds harsh, but I think he’s right on target.

Listen and ask yourself, “Am I really a Christian?”



HT: DD

I can depend on God…

…through storm, through rain,
through sickness, through pain;
I can depend on God.

Listen to this clip from back in the day:



Glory to God!

For those who might not be able to understand the rest of the words in the video, the soloist goes on to sing the following:

I remember that day, I remember the hour—
Filled my soul with the holy ghost power.
I was lost, couldn't find my way;
The Man stayed with me each and every day.
I was sick, couldn't get well;
He healed my body—now I can tell.
I can depend on God.

In other words: You know what God has done for you in the past, so don’t doubt Him now. Trust Him! He’s the same now as He was then, and He’ll be the same tomorrow. You can depend on God because He is trust-worthy.

And He is worthy of our worship.

It’s Good to Know Jesus

Thank God, I know Him! Do you know Him?

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary rest.

Dear name, the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place;
My never-failing treasury filled
With boundless stores of grace.

Jesus, my shepherd, brother, friend,
My prophet, priest, and king;
My Lord, my life, my way, my end,
Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

—John Newton (1725-1807)

My “burden”

It is so frustrating when something bad or unpleasant happens to you and you are all but certain your race has played a factor in the negative occurrence, but there is absolutely no way you can prove it.

Sometimes I feel being Black is a burden.

Sometimes it makes me angry.

Most of time, I just feel sad.

One more week…

…and then, I’ll once again be a part of “the unemployed”.

I’m trying to stay positive. At this moment, I’m not succeeding.

I’m thinking about the sovereignty of God over all, even the minute details of our lives. I know God—my Father—is good. He does what is right, and He is trustworthy.

I know that God is with me and will never forsake me. Whatever my family or I will experience, wherever this journey will take us, I have my Father’s word that He will be there.

Yet, I cannot help but humbly ask, “Why?”

I think this is why believers must keep an eternal perspective on life. The fact is, we’re not in heaven yet. In heaven, there will be “no mourning nor crying nor pain anymore” (Revelation 21:4). But, we’re not there yet. Right now, we will experience pain and disappointment and sadness. That’s why I have no use for prosperity preachers and their doctrine. The message of “prosperity” that is most often proclaimed over television and radio (and in far too many churches in the Black community, I must add) is a cruel doctrine. It is not biblical; it bears no relation to real life.

The Bible, on the other hand, is true to life. The Bible says, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). It says that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). I’ve lived long enough to be able to say (like you sometimes hear in the Black Church), “I know that’s right.”

Real life, in a sinful, fallen world, where there is pain and suffering, sickness and death, disappointment and sadness…and unemployment…makes heaven appear more precious to the believing soul and helps rid the heart of that soul-shriveling love for the world.

I feel a little better.

Today was the day

Well, I did it. Today I explained to all my students why I chose to resign as their choir teacher.

Back in February, I mentioned that I had entered a period of personal trial. That’s because, in February, I submitted my resignation, effective at the end of this school year, which is now only 2 ½ weeks away. I came to the realization that I couldn’t win when administrators and others insist on giving more credence to those who will only criticize me behind my back than to the vast majority of students and parents who have spoken well of me and given me so much support over the past two years. Some battles just aren’t worth fighting, so I quit. Since February, however, a rumor has circulated that I had been fired. Today, I decided to take time in each class to dispel that rumor and explain the real reason I would not be returning another school year.

Last night, my students presented a wonderful choral concert, the final concert of the school year. The progress that my choirs have made in only two years is truly remarkable. I’ve worked hard, and I’ve done good work. By the grace of God, I have been an effective teacher.

At the end of last night’s concert—and tonight at a choir awards banquet—the students and their parents gave me a warm and touching send-off. I’m thankful that tonight I really, truly felt appreciated. I also believe I have, indeed, made a positive difference in the lives of the vast majority of my students.

Yet, by the end of this month, I’ll be without a job. How ironic.

What gives me comfort is the word of God. Psalm 31 has been on my mind lately. My wife and I are quite aware of the economic situation, but I continue to look to Him who has always provided for my every need. All my help comes from the Lord, and always has.

Continue to pray for us.

Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry

I was so very happy to learn that my friend from college days, Ed Copeland, would be speaking at The Gospel Coalition Conference that recently concluded outside Chicago. I was not able to attend, but I’m thankful that modern technology has provided a means for those of us who couldn’t attend to listen and view via the Internet. Here is a video of my friend, the Rev. K. Edward Copeland, pastor of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Rockford, IL, speaking on “Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry”, from 2 Timothy 3:1-9.

Look to the Lord

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:1-2).

Some problems only God can solve.

Catching up: My father’s visit

We have a new computer, so I’m back online from home. Between computer problems and busyness with other things, posting has been slow. For instance, when my father visited us three weeks ago, I meant to post some photos from his visit, but I never got around to it. So, below are some photos from my father, Carl Wilson’s visit.

Three generations: Me, Carl, and my son, Evan, at church after worship

The entire family eating out

At the airport before Carl's departure

Perhaps the best part of having Carl visit with us was being able to introduce him to others as “my father”. Since I only met Carl a little less than four years ago, I’ve never had the opportunity to introduce my father. In fact, besides God, I’ve never called anyone “my father”. Using those words was a new and different experience for me...and it felt good.

Technology!

Our family computer “died” this past weekend, so I’ve not been able to post anything (I’m using another computer right now). Allow me and my wife a few days to get our computer situation straightened out, and I will be back online.

Standing in the need of prayer

First it was Massachusetts, then Connecticut. Now Iowa joins those other states as its Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, makes it the third state to legalize gay marriage.

Because I define marriage as the union of a man with a woman, this ruling makes no sense to me. To me, it is self-evident that marriage does not include homosexual couples. In my way of thinking, in order to have a marriage you need a man and a woman. Two men or two women do not a married couple make. It’s common sense. I’ve not taken a poll or read any studies, but I would venture to guess that thirty years ago, most Americans thought the way I think.

But, times have changed. It’s clear that today a growing number of otherwise intelligent people no longer consider marriage to be exclusively the union of a man with a woman. Even my dictionary, on the shelf beside my desk, defines marriage as simply “any close or intimate union”.

What has happened? In all honesty, I think the shift in thinking that is taking place in our country (and in the West, for that matter) is Satan’s doing (yes, I believe in Satan). I believe the redefinition of right and wrong that we see being played out in our courts, our schools, in places of employment and elsewhere, is the result of a growing satanic delusion spreading through our society. Strong words, I know, but the spiritual realm is just as real as the physical world that we see with our eyes, and I cannot think of any other realistic explanation. The Bible lets us know that Satan is subject to God (e.g., Job 1:12; 2:6). He does not have freedom to do whatever he wants to do; he must get God’s permission. So, if we see a growing spread of evil in our world, it can only be because God has lessened His restraint upon Satan. I think what we are seeing in our country, and throughout most of the Western world, is the working out of Romans 1:18-32. God is giving men and women up to follow the dictates of their darkened minds. Friends, if I read correctly, we’re seeing right now the visible effects of the judgment of God.

According to the AP news article, a conservative, pro-family group “immediately began lobbying legislators ‘to let the people of Iowa vote’ on a constitutional amendment”. You know, I suspect, in light of what Scripture says, lobbying politicians is not the pressing need. It’s not that it’s wrong; it just won’t do any ultimate good. If we’re under the judgment of God, we need to talk to God, not the politicians. We need to “lobby” heaven, not the legislature.

For something like thirty years, evangelical, Bible-believing Christians have used politics to turn our country back to God. It started with the “Moral Majority” and saw the emergence of the “Christian right”. Where has all this political activism gotten us? Well, to date, three states have legalized gay marriage (i.e., perversion). I’m sure more states will be following suit. Political action has failed. The spiritual darkness has only deepened, in spite of our best political efforts. And I would venture to say the church in the US, on the whole, has not grown in spiritual power and effectiveness. How could it be otherwise? We cannot fight a spiritual battle with carnal weapons.

What is the answer? I think God’s word to Israel of old is relevant to our situation today: “If my people who are called by my name [i.e., believers in Christ] humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven…” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Notice, God didn’t say anything about the pagans; He said, “my people”. Our nation is experiencing growing darkness because His people have fallen into sin. Nonbelievers are not the problem; believers in Christ are the problem.

What we need is revival. Our nation needs a spiritual awakening. The church needs a gracious visitation from the Lord. We need for God to pour out His Spirit upon us. He has done it before; we desperately need for Him to do it again. “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6).

However, corporate revival must start with the individual. Not only does our nation need awakening, not only does the church need revival, I need it. I’m not what I should be. I am weak. My soul is dry. “It’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”

May God have mercy on us.

Spring Break

As you know, if you’ve read the “About Me” section of this blog, I’m a public school teacher. Well, today is the last day of classes before Spring Break. We don’t go back to school until April 6…and, God in heaven knows, I’m so glad about that!

I am weary. I’m tired, too, and need to catch up on my sleep but, mostly, I’m just weary. Do you know what I mean? Mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, I need rest. I just want to spend some unhurried, quiet time talking to God and reading His word. And then, I want to relax with one or more of the books I’ve started but haven’t had the time, energy or motivation to read. Pray that the next week might prove to be a gracious time of refreshment from the Lord.

On another note, my father is coming to visit this weekend. The family and I are looking forward to it. As I wrote in a post this past summer, I only met my father a little over three-and-a-half years ago. This past summer was our first time to lay eyes on him. So, you see, we’re very excited to have the chance to see him again.

I hope you have a blessed week in the Lord, also.

Do not be anxious

Right now the country is mired deep in an economic recession. The hearts of many are anxious about the future. Christians ought to know better, yet we also occasionally fall victim to worry and fear concerning our futures. I want to encourage you, as I encourage myself, by directing you to the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:25-34. What the Master says here has helped and sustained me many times when my wife and I were facing economic uncertainty:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

There are two crucial questions you must ask yourself.

First: Do you truly trust God? You can’t control the future. You don’t know what crisis might be headed your way. God is in control, and your life is in His hands. He takes care of His own. Let unbelievers (“the Gentiles”) worry about how they will make ends meet. Your heavenly Father knows about your needs. Trust Him. Truly trust Him.

Secondly: Are you sure you belong to God? Is He your Father? “To all who did receive [Jesus Christ], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). I can’t find a single comforting promise for those who are not born of God, whose hope is not in the Lord Jesus Christ. If your hope is not “built on…Jesus’ blood and righteousness”, then you ought to be worried. Worried not only for the economy, but for your soul as well. Make certain you belong to God.

Our heavenly Father knows the needs of His children, and He will take care of His own.

“More Love to Thee”

I love this beautiful hymn by Elizabeth Payson Prentiss (listen to it here; read a bit about Elizabeth Prentiss here). Nowadays, I rarely hear it sung (in fact, I never hear it anymore, unless I’m the one playing it). Christians ought to start singing it again; it would do us good.

Read and ponder these lyrics by Mrs. Prentiss and ask yourself this question: Can I sing the second and third verses, and really mean it?

More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee;
This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best;
This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Let sorrow do its work, send grief and pain;
Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain,
When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

—Elizabeth Prentiss (1818-1878), 1856

“The Living God”

The Bible teaches that our God is a God who is alive and active in our world. I believe that—or at least that’s what I say I believe—yet, how easily unbelief can creep into our lives. It is possible to fall into the habit praying to God in a perfunctory way, not actually believing that He’ll do anything in answer to our prayers. Some say that “we are God’s hands and feet”, but I wonder sometimes if that saying is not just a more religious-sounding way to deny that God actually acts and works in answer to prayer. Kind of like a Christianized form of “if it’s to be it’s up to me”. Yet, the God portrayed in the Bible is one who acts in answer to prayer without any help from human beings. Our God works wonders and performs miracles, according to His will, in answer to prayer.

These thoughts came to my mind after reading a blog post by Adrian Warnock in which he brings to his readers’ attention a talk given in 1971 by the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (a copy of Dr. Lloyd-Jones’ original talk can be found here). Here’s some of what Dr. Lloyd-Jones had to say:

“I believe the same thing is happening in the realm of what I call a ‘theological scholasticism’ which is beginning to manifest itself amongst us—a ‘theological scholasticism’ in which we talk about the doctrines of grace instead of talking about God, the doctrines of salvation instead of Christ, the living Saviour. I believe that this is a new form of Deism. I could convict so many today of a new Deism. You know what that means. It took this form at the beginning of the eighteenth century: God was regarded as the great Creator, described as a great watch-maker. He made the watch, He wound it up, and then He put it down and He has no more to do with it. That was their way, you see, of denying miracles. Miracles are nonsense, they said. God does not interfere. He has made the watch, He has put it down, and on it goes; He does not interfere with it. Deism! Well, I suspect a new kind of Deism is with us. I was referring to it partly yesterday in talking about miraculous healing and miracles and things of that kind. On some sort of theological and biblical grounds, as they would claim, they say that miracles cannot happen today, because all this ended with the Apostles. As if to say, ‘Oh yes, God acted then; but He hasn't acted like that since.’ He is shut out, on a priori grounds, on what they call biblical and theoretical grounds. They say, ‘God does not act like that now.’ They are shutting Him out. Is not that Deism? Who has given them the right to say this? The Scriptures do not say it, but they are saying it.”

Lloyd-Jones continues:

“Now I say that this shuts out God. The fact that men talk a lot about God does not mean that they really believe in the living God. They are talking about God; they are making statements about God; they are experts on the attributes of God; but they seem to shut out the living God, God Himself, the acting God. By their theories, He is not allowed to act. This is Deism; it is a kind of theological scholasticism. And this is the terrifying thing, that you can be talking about God and His attributes and so on, and yet have no contact with and no personal knowledge of this living God.”

“And now it seems to me that it comes to this. I feel that the message that God is giving to us in this conference is in the words of Malachi. I believe He is saying this to us: ‘Prove me now’—‘Prove Me. I am there; you prove Me.’ This has become a tremendous conviction with me. Maybe because I am facing my last years and I have been defending the faith—and people have praised me for doing it. Rubbish! What a miserable failure it has all been! From now on I am determined to do one thing only, and that is to give God no rest nor peace, until He does prove Himself and show Himself. I have expended so much energy in reasoning with the people about this faith. We have got to do that, it is part of preaching. But if we stop at that it will avail us nothing. But what I now am concerned about and I am concentrating on is this—asking God to show Himself, to do something, to give this touch, this manifestation of power. Nothing else will even make people listen to us. See, you bring out your apologetics; the others will answer. Every time you say something, you may say ‘This is unanswerable; nobody can turn this back.’ The reviewers wholly dismiss you, say you are a fool, you are ignorant, you do not know what you are talking about. That is what they will say. I can tell you now. You write your books. That is what you will get. I have had it! You see, one scholar…and another answers him. And they are satisfied. No, no! Nothing is going to call the attention of the masses of the people to the truth of this faith save a great phenomenon, such as the phenomenon of the day of Pentecost, the phenomenon of any one of the great revivals, the phenomenon of a single changed life. This is something that always arrests attention, maybe curiosity—what does it matter? The people come and listen. And the preacher has his opportunity. Nothing will avail us save this manifestation of the activity of God.

“My plea, therefore, is simply this—and with this I close—that we keep this ever in the forefront of all our thinking, all our preparation of sermons, and all our praying in particular. We must not be content until we have had some manifestation of the activity of God. We must concentrate on this. This is my plea, that we concentrate on this, because it is the great message of the Bible, so substantiated by the lessons of history. That is obviously today the only thing that gives us any hope as we face the future. And God seems to be saying that to us. ‘Prove Me now. Try Me. Risk your everything on Me. Be fools for My sake. Cast yourselves utterly upon this belief.’ Let us put it like this: Do we really believe that God can still act? That is the question; that is the ultimate challenge. Or have we, for theological or some other reasons, excluded the very possibility? Here is the crucial matter. Do we individually and personally really believe that God still acts, can act and will act—in individuals, in groups of individuals, in churches, localities, perhaps even in countries? Do we believe that He is as capable of doing that today as He was in ancient times—the Old Testament, the New Testament times, the book of Acts, Protestant Reformation, Puritans, Methodist Awakening, 1859, 1904-5? Do we really believe that He can still do it? You see, it is ultimately what you believe about God. If He is the great Jehovah—I am that I am, I am that I shall be, unchanged, unchanging, unchangeable, the everlasting and eternal God—well, He can still do it. And I believe He is saying to us, ‘Try Me. Prove Me. Cast your all upon Me. Go on until I have given you the proof you desire.’ Then we will forget the trees for a while, and we will see the grand power of our God, and God's gracious and eternal purposes in His dear Son. We will first be humbled, and I think many of us will feel that we have never been Christians at all. It will not be true; we are. But what we will experience then will be so great and glorious, so overwhelming, that we will scarcely believe that we have ever known anything about these things at all. May that day soon come!”

HT: Adrian Warnock

Prayer request

I need some very specific help from God. I’ll soon be facing a situation about which I have absolutely no idea what to do. That’s why I’m praying for God’s clear, specific and particular guidance.

Does God guide in specific ways? I believe He does. I’m thinking along the lines of 1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3; and Acts 16:7:

“…a wide door for effective work has opened to me…” (1 Corinthians 16:9)

“…a door was opened for me in the Lord…” (2 Corinthians 2:12)

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word…” (Colossians 4:3)

“…they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.” (Acts 16:7)

Clearly, God can guide in specific ways. That’s why I pray that He will guide me in a specific way. I need to know exactly what I should do.

If the Lord lays it on your mind, will you pray with me? Thanks.

Encouragement in the fight of faith

Yesterday, I read the following paragraph from the Introduction to John Piper’s newest book, Finally Alive: What Happens When We Are Born Again, and found it tremendously encouraging:

Nevertheless…I will distance myself from perfectionism. In other words, I don’t think that the new birth makes us perfect in this life. Sin remains, and the fight of faith is a daily necessity. Some unbelievers look like better people than some believers. But that is because some pretty bad people have been born again, and the process of transformation is not always as fast as we would like.

Dear Christian, maybe you, like me, are not where you want to be in the process of transformation, but think of where you would be if God had not saved you. By the grace of God, we’re a far cry from what we could have been. I encourage you to take heart at the evidences of grace that you do see in your life, and keep up the fight of faith. God has not given up on you and me.

And, get a couple copies of Finally Alive: one to read, and another to share with someone else.

Put “through the fire to awaken earnest prayer”

I needed to read this (from Dr. John Piper):

Now what about Zechariah 13:8-9? It tells us one of the main ways that God awakens earnest prayer in his children, namely, in the refining fires of suffering. Don’t worry about when this passage is talking about. Just see, for now, how God works, and use this word to prepare yourself for God’s prayer school.

Verse 8: “In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive.” So the one third represents God’s remnant—his faithful, imperfect, weak people, who do not pray with the kind of discipline and desperation and joy, and hunger for God, that they should. So what is God’s remedy? What is his school of prayer?

Verse 9: “And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested.” Notice carefully what is happening. In his great love, God saved the one third from being cut off with the two thirds who perished (v. 8). And then as part of his love for them, he puts them in the fire to be tested and refined. That is normal Christianity. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

But what is it that God wants to see change in his people? Verse 9: “I will test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.” That’s all he mentions. Nothing about their sex lives. Nothing about their money lives. Nothing about their power struggles. He just says: “When they come through the fire, they will pray to me, and I will answer.”

God puts his people through the fire to awaken earnest prayer.

Read the rest here.

Happy 13th birthday, Ethan!

I love you.

(Photo taken this past summer when we visited Washington, DC)

Here we go, again

Recently, I entered into what might turn out to be a significant period of personal trial. For the time being, it wouldn’t be wise to talk about it too much (especially over the Internet) but, suffice it to say, this trial is not health-related or marital or in any way scandalous.

But, it is a significant personal trial for me and my family. We stand in great need of prayer. In fact, about the only thing we can do is pray and trust God.

That sounds strange to say, but isn’t it often the case that we Christians would rather do something—anything!—rather than just trust God? Of course, we say we trust God. We’re supposed to—we’re Christians, after all. But, the reality is, most of us prefer to do something about our situation, whatever it is. Trusting God seems so impractical, like doing nothing at all.

I think this is why God must, sometimes, put us in the place where there simply is nothing we can do but trust Him. He puts us between the proverbial rock and hard place, trapped with no way of escape and no clue what to do. In such a situation, the mind is filled with questions, but we have absolutely no answers.

That’s where I am right now, along with my wife. From past experience, I know that God is getting ready to teach us something about trusting Him. In about three months, I hope to let you in on what God is doing with us.

Today, I was feeling sad and depressed, thinking about our situation. It was really getting me down. After lunch, I shut myself up alone to pray, read the Bible and think. In the course of reading, I came across these verses:

“Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD” (Psalm 4:4-5).

I believe this was the word I needed to hear. This Scripture certainly spoke to what I was feeling today. In a time of trial and testing like this, the temptation is strong to be anxious and lash out at somebody—anybody—in anger. Perhaps, we have good cause to be angry, but the Scripture says “be angry, and do not sin”. What is usually the best way to not sin when angry? Keep your mouth shut! The Scripture says, “ponder in your own hearts”—think it over, process it—“and be silent.”

Then, the Scripture says, “Offer right sacrifices”. Immediately, I thought of Psalm 51:17: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” When times get tough, it is not the time for us to react; it is the time for us to humble ourselves before God and offer right worship to Him.

“Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.” I’m ashamed to say, there have been times in the past when God has come to my rescue, and I was surprised! I didn’t think He would do it. I didn’t trust Him, yet God was merciful and rescued my fool self, anyway. “How could I have doubted you?” I said afterwards. I don’t want to repeat that mistake. I have the written record—the Scriptures—and that record is clear: God is faithful. He is true to His character. The Lord will not forsake His own. Then, there is the record of God’s past dealings with me. Since even before I was born, God has been faithful. His grace has brought me “through many dangers, toils and snares”. There is no logical reason to not trust Him, so the Scripture commands, “put your trust in the LORD.”

And so I shall. Like I said, I’ll let you know in about three months exactly what is going on. Right now, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m just trusting the Lord. And He is trustworthy.

“Am I a soldier of the cross?”

One thing that stays with me from the church experience of the first 30-plus years of my life are the hymns. Now, I’m not one of those who is opposed to all things contemporary in music, nor am I one who wants all hymns and classical music. Nevertheless, there is something special about hymns, particularly those “Common Meter”, “Long Meter” and “Short Meter” hymns that were common in the denomination in which I came to faith.

One hymn that has frequently come to mind over the years, and which seems to carry more personal meaning for me the older I get, is the hymn “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?” by Isaac Watts (1674-1748). We always used to sing this hymn to the tune, “Arlington”, by Thomas Arne (1710-1778). Reading the words of Dr. Watts makes me long for “that illustrious day” when it will be announced that the “kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever”(Revelation 11:15).

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign:
Increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith they bring it nigh.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

Amen.

“The remembrance of them is grievous unto us”

The denomination in which I grew up, in which I was ultimately ordained a minister of the gospel—and which my family and I left about eleven years ago—was more liturgical than the average evangelical church. Although the worship services of each local congregation had its own distinct feel, there was a structure and pattern to worship which let you know you were in one of our churches, no matter the part of the country in which you were.

This was especially true when it came to the observation of the sacraments: the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. For the sacraments, there was a set form, with written prayers and set procedures. The ritual for the Lord’s Supper and Baptism were taken from the old Methodist Episcopal Church from which my former denomination broke rank in the late 18th century. The Methodist Episcopal Church, in turn, borrowed their ritual from the Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church from which it came.

After all these years, I still know much of the liturgy by heart, especially the order for the Lord’s Supper. After inviting communicants to the altar rail to partake of communion (in my former denomination, we used to kneel to receive the Lord’s Supper), the minister led the congregation in a prayer of general confession:

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men, we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word and deed, against thy Divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto us. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honor and glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today, I was thinking about particular sins I’ve committed, and the thought crossed my mind: “the remembrance of them is grievous unto us.” That’s exactly how I feel. I’m grieved by the things I’ve done. Needless to say, I can’t change the past, nevertheless, I still remember. Even knowing God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ, I find that “forgive and forget” is impossible to do. We can forgive others and receive God’s forgiveness, but the mind still retains its memory. It’s when my mind pulls up the memory of my sins that I’m grieved.

Not only does the memory of my sins grieve me, but the memory humbles me. When I want to lash out with condemnation against someone else, it is the memory of my own sin which either stops me completely or tempers my response. It’s the memory of my own sin which helps me understand fellow sinners, even of the grossest sort. I don’t condone their sin, but I understand that, but for God’s grace, I could do the exact same thing. It is the memory of my own sin which helps me to realize that, apart from Christ, I am a vile sinner deserving eternal condemnation.

Obviously, one can take this kind of thing too far. Nevertheless, I think brief remembrances of our own sins can be a useful corrective against self-righteousness and pride. As awful as abortion is, as shameful as homosexuality of any kind is, I just can’t get as worked up over it as some of my fellow conservative evangelicals. Is abortion a sin? Definitely. Abortion is murder. Is homosexuality a sin? Absolutely. It is an abomination in the sight of God. But the remembrance of my own sins reminds me that I’m not far removed from the homosexual or the one who condones abortion. Homosexuality and abortion are symptoms of a fatal affliction that I also have: sin.

The memory of my own sins informs me that the “pro-choice” individual and the homosexual do not need my hatred and condemnation; they need the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior from sin. They need Jesus like I do.

Where is the Lord of glory?

Crossway Books has just published Living Water: Studies in John 4, fifty-six previously unpublished sermons by the late Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. (Now, pause just a moment and think about that: Fifty-six sermons on John 4? For goodness’ sake, there are only fifty-four verses in John 4!) Taken from this volume, the following quote by Dr. Lloyd-Jones is just as relevant, I think, as when originally preached:

“Possibly one of the most devastating things that can happen to us as Christians is that we cease to expect anything to happen. I am not sure but that this is not one of our greatest troubles today. We come to our services and they are orderly, they are nice—we come, we go—and sometimes they are timed almost to the minute, and there it is. But that is not Christianity, my friend. Where is the Lord of glory? Where is the one sitting by the well? Are we expecting him? Do we anticipate this? Are we open to it? Are we aware that we are ever facing this glorious possibility of having the greatest surprise of our life?

“Or let me put it like this. You may feel and say—as many do—‘I was converted and became a Christian. I’ve grown—yes, I’ve grown in knowledge, I’ve been reading books, I’ve been listening to sermons, but I’ve arrived now at a sort of peak and all I do is maintain that. For the rest of my life I will just go on like this.’

“Now, my friend, you must get rid of that attitude; you must get rid of it once and for ever. That is ‘religion’, it is not Christianity. This is Christianity: the Lord appears! Suddenly, in the midst of the drudgery and the routine and the sameness and the dullness and the drabness, unexpectedly, surprisingly, he meets with you and he says something to you that changes the whole of your life and your outlook and lifts you to a level that you had never conceived could be possible for you. Oh, if we get nothing else from this story, I hope we will get this. Do not let the devil persuade you that you have got all you are going to get, still less that you received all you were ever going to receive when you were converted. That has been a popular teaching, even among evangelicals. You get everything at your conversion, it is said, including baptism with the Spirit, and nothing further, ever. Oh, do not believe it; it is not true. It is not true to the teaching of the Scriptures, it is not true in the experience of the saints running down the centuries. There is always this glorious possibility of meeting with him in a new and a dynamic way.”

“Where is the Lord of glory?” In this day in which churches seem to think they can make things happen simply by applying the right methods and latest strategies, it seems few are very concerned whether the Lord of glory shows up or not. Yet, isn’t this the crying need? Plenty of large churches dot the country. We know (because we’ve been to the conference or read the book) how to draw a large crowd. We’ve perfected the methods. But, my friend, where is the awful [i.e., awe-inspiring] presence of God in our midst? And, I’m not talking about Pentecostal-Charismatic hysteria (and I don’t think that’s what Lloyd-Jones had in mind, either). I’m talking about the church as she appears in the book of Acts, during the Reformation and throughout church history during other times of genuine revival.

We’re definitely missing something. Although he still has a number of admirers, preaching like that delivered by Dr. Lloyd-Jones is exceedingly rare in our day. Maybe, for all our admiration of the late Doctor, we just don’t believe God’s word to the degree that he, apparently, did. This is our loss.

HT: Justin Taylor

A momentous event: Let’s celebrate and pray

I know it’s been said innumerable times today, but I, too, “never thought I’d see the day” that a Black man would be sworn in as the President of the United States. Today’s Inauguration was truly a momentous and historic event. I honestly believe God put Barack Obama into this high office. Therefore, it only makes sense to thank God for Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States.

Also, as a great-great-great grandson of former slaves, I can’t help but think about my forebears: “If only _______ was alive to see this.” I’ve wondered what they would say had they lived to see this day. Thinking about our nation’s history, you know it’s only been by the grace of God that Black people have come so far:

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way.

Barack Obama’s Inauguration as President of the United States is a testament to the grace of God. That’s why I celebrate.

However, I also join with others in praying for President Obama and his family.

I pray that God would protect them from all physical harm.

I pray that God would grant President Obama great wisdom to deal with the deep and serious issues that confront our country at this present moment.

Though we don’t deserve it, I pray that God would bring about much good for our country through the leadership of Mr. Obama.

I also pray that God would keep our President from doing evil.

Finally, as a sinner saved by grace, I pray that God’s Spirit would deal mercifully with President Obama, a fellow sinner, and open his eyes to see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

May God grant that the sound of the gospel be effectually heard even within the walls of the White House.

In my opinion, the best thing I can do for my President is pray for him. Believer in Christ, will you join me and pray for our President? Millions are rejoicing, especially Black people. Even if you did not vote for President Obama, can you “rejoice with those who rejoice”? Today was an historic, momentous day in the life of our country. I invite you to rejoice and pray with me.