Coming Soon

Starting tomorrow (June 1st) you can look for posts every day (unless it is impossible for me some day) in a slightly more structured basis. This will help me in keeping a variety of topics on the blog and keep you from going crazy with always having to read really long posts.

Posts will be every day at noon.

Yall come back now!

Oh, and speaking of coming soon:

"Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." -Revelation 22:20-21

What Man Needs

"It is not 'opinions' which man needs--it is TRUTH!

It is not 'theology' which man needs--it is GOD!

It is not 'religion' which man needs--it is CHRIST!"-Horatius Bonar

What is Christian Hedonism?

Click here for an audio clip of John Piper's quick explanation of Christian Hedonism.

Because "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."

Later,
Stephen

How Paul lived Luke 9:23

In my study of Luke 9 I cannot help but think of how seriously the apostles followed Jesus' words after he ascended into heaven. Clearly Jesus was not calling his disciples to merely follow him around Israel. During Paul's case for the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15 we find this example of Paul's commitment to following the, now ascended, Christ.

[If there is no resurrection] Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! ... If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

1 Corinthians 15:30-32

The full meaning of the phrase "let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die" can be saved perhaps for another post. The point Paul is making is that if Christians do not have the hope of eternal life (i.e. resurrection from the dead) we might as well live like atheists. This was made even more clear earlier in the chapter when he made the case that if there is no resurrection "we are of all people most to be pitied" (v 19).

What does this mean? I think the question we should ask ourselves is whether or not we our living the kind of life that Paul describes here. If it turned out that Christianity was wrong, that there is no God and you have lived this thing with the wrong ideas would you consider yourself of all men most to be pitied? Or do you already live like there is no resurrection?

Bob Kauflin on Worship

A few posts ago (I'm not sure if that's a real term or not) I posted a quote from the book Let the Nations Be Glad! (Which you should read if you haven't yet because it's one of the best books written in the last hundred years) that was a bit of a paradox. The basic idea of the quote (as well as the entire book) is to argue that missions is an important part of the Christian walk because it isn't an end in and of itself. You could probably read the quote more quickly than the summery I just gave but I want I don't want to leave that thought unfinished. So now I want to share some important thoughts from Bob Kauflin on Worship itself.

"How could anyone ever think worshiping God is boring? There's no limit to his holiness, glory, and sovereignty, and no end to his riches, wisdom, and righteousness. All his attributes exist together in perfect harmony, perfect balance, perfect cooperation, with no contradiction, no confusion, and no diminishing of their glory forever. He is the source of everything good and beautiful. No wonder Paul breaks into worship as he describes God's greatness: 'Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!' (Romans 11:33)" (Worship Matters, 64)

Now worship Him with your lives as well as your voices!

Stephen

For Natalie

To Natalie on the day she leaves for Peru for 10 weeks. Though I wrote this specifically for Natalie I think it might be helpful for every missional (missional=obedient) Christian. Anyway, sorry for writing another long post, it just worked out that way.

When you miss me and your family and friends: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

When you are nervous: "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" (Matthew 6:31-33).

When you meet new people look for God's purpose: Acts 8:26-40.

When you lose purpose: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).

When you get scared: "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people" (Acts 18:9-10).

When you get sick: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church" (Colossians 1:24).

When you are tempted not to share the gospel with someone: "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?" (Romans 10:14-15)

When you feel worthless: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:15b)

When the gospel is rejected: "[the gospel] is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

When the conversions happen: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

When you forget your life verse: "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

It should be encouraging for you to know that what you are doing is the fruit of your own salvation (Romans 1:5). Missions is SUCH an important part of the Christian life but it is not THE most important part of the Christian life. Make sure that all of your flights, eating and drinking, evangelism, singing, are acts of worship in faith or else it is in vain and, in fact, sin (Romans 14:23). Remember that the fruit of your labor is already being prepared by God; there are names of people God will save through your testimony of the gospel that have been written in the Book of Life since before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

And Can It Be?

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

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.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Aslan... need I say more?

"At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more. When he bares his teeth winter meets its death. And when he shakes his mane, it will be spring again. Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight."

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:22-25)

Subtraction by Addition

"For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power" (1 Corinthians 1:17).

Some people don't see the glory in the penal substitutionary atonement for various reasons. When we try to make the gospel too much about a relationship or a better life we think we are giving immediate application for the sinner so that they understand things better. The problem is that it can hinder people from seeing the necessity of the cross and the great kindness of God.

That said, here is a quick breakdown of one of the most important doctrines of the Christian faith, namely the penal substitutionary atonement. Don't run away from this because it has a big word or two in the name, it is really quite simple.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands . This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14).

This is typical of the great Christian doctrines because it is simple enough for a child to understand and yet, at the same time, complex enough for PHD students to write their dissertations on. The three writers of Pierced For Our Transgressions give a simple definition,

"The doctrine of penal substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son to suffer instead of us the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for sin" (p 21).

This is an essential of the gospel that must be understood to some extent for a person to be saved.

Penal because we deserve wrath.
Substitutionary because he took it in our place.
Atonement because it worked.

More on the atonement another time,
Stephen

John Piper on the meaning of "God-Centered"

You will probably find that I quote this man a lot as he is one of my heroes. I thought this was an important post from the Desiring God blog.

"At Bethlehem Baptist Church and at Desiring God we use the term "God-centered" a lot. Here is one simple way to tell what we mean and test yourself to see if you are God-centered.

The psalmist describes the motivation of God in saving sinners like this:

Both we and our fathers have sinned... Yet he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make known his mighty power. (Psalms 106:6, 8)

God was motivated to rescue them and us from our sin and its penalty "for his name's sake." What does "for his name's sake" mean? It means "that he might make known his mighty power."

What we mean when we say God is "God-centered" is that he acts like that. He saves for the sake of his name. He saves to make known his own power.

And what we mean when we say we are God-centered (or desire to be) is that we like to have it that way. It satisfies us to have God save us for God's sake. We are happy that this is the way it is. We get pleasure in seeing it and savoring it.

We like to talk about God doing it that way."

Why Missions?

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."

-John Piper. Let the Nations Be Glad

Was Paul a better evangelist than Jesus? Acts 16 vs Mark 10

When reading the two texts mentioned in the title side by side it is very difficult to reconcile Paul and Jesus' approaches to the gospel. Here's a quick review of the two stories I am directly referring to:

The Conversion of the Philippians Jailer
"Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:30-31)

The Rich Young Man
"Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.' And he said to him, 'Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.' And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (Mark 10:17-22)

It puzzles me to see two men asking Paul and Jesus two very similar questions and yet we see two completely different responses. I think most of what changes these two stories is the very heart behind the two questions.

In my opinion the rich young man is the perfect example of a "seeker" setting things up on a tee for the evangelist. Notice that in the context of the question the young man ran up to Jesus and knelt to him. He then proceeds to ask him the type of question one would expect, but Jesus cuts to the heart of this man's motive in a number of ways.

(1) Jesus observes the young man's question "Good Teacher, what (good deed Matt. 19:16) must I do to inherit eternal life?"

(2) Jesus challenges the young man's view of man "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." Jesus was not implying that he is not good, he was challenging the assumption of this young man that man could achieve his own righteousness.

(3) Jesus reveals the man's view of himself "you know the commandments..." The young man quickly replies by stating that he has kept the commandments. So now we must question whether the young man is lying, telling the truth, or ignorant. I think Matthew Henry's insight is perfect, "He thought he had, and his neighbours thought so too. Note, Ignorance of the extent and spiritual nature of the divine law, makes people think themselves in a better condition than they really are." The truth is this young man probably was raised a very good boy by human standards. That is not the issue, the whole Bible (particularly James 2:10) is clear that if he messes up once he is guilty. So what did Jesus do? Knowing that the young man was wrong he simply went with it and revealed it to him.

(4) Jesus challenges the young man's view of himself "You lack one thing..." This young man's heart is revealed by his response to Jesus' one challenge.

Jesus' whole line of questioning was revealing the heart behind the young man's question. This was a young man who was probably accustomed to the idea that you do this and in return you gain this. When Jesus presented the gospel and it ran up against the young man's heart it hit a stone wall and the young man walked away.

Then what is so different about the Philippian jailer? The Philippian jailer humbly asked Paul "what must I do to be saved?" This question implies a lot. This is not a man looking to gain one more thing. The Philippian jailer knew that he was a sinner (not just that he had sinned) and that these men had salvation. The man cries out to Paul like a patient to his doctor "what's the cure?! what's the remedy?!" Many people think that simply asking the right type of question is enough for a person to get saved, if that is the case the actual question doesn't matter very much. The problem is that (as John Piper puts it) when a person is drowning and they cry out "HELP!" that doesn't save them. "Help" doesn't save people, lifeguards save people. So it is with salvation. This was the point Jesus made to his disciples right after the young man left them, "With man [salvation] is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27).

So what is the application to this? I think there are two immediate applications:
(1) How do I witness? People, witnessing is important, conversions are important, but how we do it is just as important. I think Jesus and Paul give us two great examples of what a person needs to be like before we give them assurance of salvation. A person must see that they are a sinner before they see Christ as a savior.

(2) Self examination: do I love anything more than I love Christ? Had I been given the Jesus gospel presentation would I have walked away?

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

I'm back!

Perhaps you are stumbling upon this blog for the first time and wondering why there is such a big gap between my last post and this one. The reason is that my original intention was for this to be a private blog for just a few guys but it never took off. Nowadays I'm really enjoying writing what I learn from the Bible in papers and such and I think this would be a good venue for that. I am trying to make my thoughts more public, however, for a few reasons:

(1) Focusing my application of scripture to a broader base of lives. Because I feel called to be a pastor I don't want to simply be able to take passages and look for where they apply in my own life. I think writing for a broader bass of people will help me in focusing on how the things I am learning will magnify Christ in the lives of others as well.

(2) I need accountability for the things that I write. I should not be writing if I am not able to make every word count. If someone reading this blog feels as if I am using the blog for self promotion, prideful blasting of others, or just unbiblical writing please call me on it so as to save me from my own pride.

(3) Promotion of the gospel. I'm going to be honest, every time I write something on here I will be thinking that somebody can get something out of it. I am hopeful that this will be a blog that people can read and come away thanking Jesus Christ for his grace. I want this blog to be gospel saturated.

So with all that said I hope you will all return to see if there is anything good to read. I suspect that I will be giving some links to other blogs and websites, book reviews (of both good and dangerous books), as well as biblical commentary.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen