Owned By God
In any museum we will find quite ordinary things - clothes, a walking stick, a pen, pieces of furniture - which are only of value because they were possessed and used by some great person. It is the ownership which gives them worth. It is so with the Christian. The Christian may be a very ordinary person, but he acquires a new value and dignity and greatness because he belongs to God. The greatness of the Christian lies in the fact that he is God’s.
-William Barclay
Summer Internship
I haven’t had much time to blog here lately, and I don’t know if I will in the days to come either. I am beginning a ministry internship on Sunday, and I’m really not sure how much free time I have. I am very excited about the opportunity, though, and I’m looking forward to learning more about full time ministry. I’m interning at Maranatha Baptist Church in Flint, MI, and I will be there approximately 10 weeks. If you think of it, please pray for me as I really want it to be a productive time of growth. Hopefully I can write about some of my experiences here!
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
I just had to repost this video by Paul Washer addressing church growth strategies. Once again, he hits on the head. I have said it many times before, we don’t need to have big churches. God measures success by a different standard. We need to be faithful and preach the Gospel. Why? Because it shouldn’t work; it’s foolishness to the world. But when the Gospel works, and it does, God gets the glory, not the hip preacher, the great marketing strategy, the relevant music, or the slick building.
Hymn for the Day
I love this hymn, written by Isaac Watts. I believe the refrain that was added later, 1885 to be exact, is frankly awful and not in keeping with the spirit and message song. Thus, I have left it out.
Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.
Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.
In the Name of Jesus
Much has been said recently about what transpired at the National Day of Prayer Task Force event at Capitol Hill, and rightly so. I am frightened and troubled that the evangelical church in America finds Jesus’ name an item that is unimportant and easily discarded. It is lightly set aside to further political ends and achieve notariaty. Pragmatism has taken hold, and the fruit of it was clearly displayed on the National Day of Prayer Capitol Hill event. The compromise by the Christian leaders involved is deeply revealing of their priorities.
Indeed, why do the leaders of the church in America do what they do? Is their motive the furtherance of the Gospel? Is it to see souls coming to an experiental knowledge of the power of Jesus name? Apparently not. It is about social decency, common morality, and, as one person has said, “bringing back Mayberry.” That’s it. That is the sole purpose of the Gospel today: to make society happy and decent. The name of Jesus Christ has become simply an excuse for social activism and a panacea for societal ills.
Those who spoke out against the Christless NDP Task Force were labeled shrill and reactionary; extreme and harsh. But I think it’s time we as Christians ask our selves a simple question: is the name of Jesus worth it? Let’s look to the example of the apostles in the early church. Were they ashamed of Jesus name? No. They proclaimed it boldly because they knew it had power and they did not. Surely they could have made little of the name of Jesus for fear of offending their Jewish brethren, and built a following through political machinations and religious sensitivity. They did quite the opposite, however. They preached Christ crucified, and they rejoiced in the suffering they experienced for proclaiming the name of Jesus. They did so in a way that would be considered harsh, insensitive, and bigoted by today’s standards. To the apostles, though, Jesus was not means to anyone’s end– Jesus was the end.
Read the following passages and ask yourself how the evangelical leaders of the NDP Task Force–how the American church as a whole–would have addressed the religiously and culturally diverse assembly on the day of Pentecost. Ask yourself what motivated the apostles and what motivates the church today.
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:36-38
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
Acts 4:18-21
And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 5:40-41
Much has been said recently about what transpired at the National Day of Prayer Task Force event at Capitol Hill, and rightly so. I am frightened and troubled that the evangelical church in America finds Jesus’ name an item that is unimportant and easily discarded. It is lightly set aside to further political ends and achieve notariaty. Pragmatism has taken hold, and the fruit of it was clearly displayed on the National Day of Prayer Capitol Hill event. The compromise by the Christian leaders involved is deeply revealing of their priorities.
Indeed, why do the leaders of the church in America do what they do? Is their motive the furtherance of the Gospel? Is it to see souls coming to an experiental knowledge of the power of Jesus name? Apparently not. It is about social decency, common morality, and, as one person has said, “bringing back Mayberry.” That’s it. That is the sole purpose of the Gospel today: to make society happy and decent. The name of Jesus Christ has become simply an excuse for social activism and a panacea for societal ills.
Those who spoke out against the Christless NDP Task Force were labeled shrill and reactionary; extreme and harsh. But I think it’s time we as Christians ask our selves a simple question: is the name of Jesus worth it? Let’s look to the example of the apostles in the early church. Were they ashamed of Jesus name? No. They proclaimed it boldly because they knew it had power and they did not. Surely they could have made little of the name of Jesus for fear of offending their Jewish brethren, and built a following through political machinations and religious sensitivity. They did quite the opposite, however. They preached Christ crucified, and they rejoiced in the suffering they experienced for proclaiming the name of Jesus. They did so in a way that would be considered harsh, insensitive, and bigoted by today’s standards. To the apostles, though, Jesus was not means to anyone’s end– Jesus was the end.
Read the following passages and ask yourself how the evangelical leaders of the NDP Task Force–how the American church as a whole–would have addressed the religiously and culturally diverse assembly on the day of Pentecost. Ask yourself what motivated the apostles and what motivates the church today.
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:36-38
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
Acts 4:18-21
And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 5:40-41
Psalm 29: A Psalm of David
Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
