I read an article this past week that was pretty frustrating. It was about how 3 teens beat a homeless man to death. A very sad story in itself. But one of the things that was incredibly frustrating was something that the surveillance camera revealed. This man never should have died. There were eyewitnesses. The camera revealed that during the beating, several cars slowed down to observe the teenagers beat the man and then drove off. Drove off.
My heart broke as I read that. I struggled with not being more mad at the drivers than the teens. How can people just watch someone suffer and then die and not intervene? I mean at least get someone else to help; the police or someone.
But sadly, my mind turns to the church and how much we are like these people just watching and not intervening. In my sermon, yesterday, I talked about this very thing. How so many "believers" will not tell their co-workers, neighbors, friends (how can we even use that word), or family the truth about the Bible and it's exclusive claims about salvation.
An amazing part of the passage we looked at (Acts 13:4-12) is vs 10, where Paul looks at this guy who is opposing the message (God's word) that Paul and Barnabas are teaching and says this to him: "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?"
After asking the people not to memorize this to use on the next person they talk to about the Lord, I mentioned how we probably look at that and think, "That's pretty harsh, isn't Paul?" In our day of tolerance and not wanting to offend anyone with this exclusive, you have to be born again-Jesus is the only way message, it does seem harsh. But is it? I contend (as I did yesterday) that it is not. It is loving and more.
Why do I think that? Because verse 9 says that Paul said it, "filled with the Holy Spirit." Ephesians 5 teaches us what the fruit of the Holy Spirit are: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. So the most loving, peaceful, kind, patient, good, gentle thing that Paul could have done is said that to Elymus (the man opposing the gospel).
God is not tolerant. He is loving and good... more than we can imagine. And the most loving thing that you can do is tell someone the truth about Him and how they can only find forgiveness and grace through Jesus... even if it offends them.
How long will we be satisfied being the people driving by while others are being ravaged by sin, satan and the fall of man. We have help. We have the truth. We have the saving power of the Word of God. Don't just slow down and look at people going to hell. Stop and tell the truth.. the whole truth of the gospel. Or at least get someone else who can help them.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A Quick Addition to #1
Some, I know, may think that I take the Bible too literally. To those who feel this way I respond simply with this:
I will take my chances.
For the life of me, I cannot imagine the Lord chastising someone for taking him too seriously or trying too hard to obey him. I say this absolutely humbly. I cannot boast, because I fail miserably at what I take literally. I am not a success story. I just believe that God's Word never fails which makes me extremely dependent on the Holy Spirit to lead me in the way of righteousness.
I will take my chances.
For the life of me, I cannot imagine the Lord chastising someone for taking him too seriously or trying too hard to obey him. I say this absolutely humbly. I cannot boast, because I fail miserably at what I take literally. I am not a success story. I just believe that God's Word never fails which makes me extremely dependent on the Holy Spirit to lead me in the way of righteousness.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
#1 - Matthew 4:4
But he answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
In the the book of Matthew, this is the second sentence that Jesus spoke. It occurs during a time of temptation when Satan is trying to convince Jesus to turn some stones into loaves of bread (a task which would have been simple for someone who could turn water into wine). Jesus was hungry. Okay... REALLY hungry. He had been fasting for 40 days. The Lord's response was simple... "Satan, food is not what guides me... God's word is."
I have been saddened again and again by how "Christians" seem to look for life and joy and direction outside of Scripture. It seems that they quickly turn from the Word to something else; i.e. friends advice, pastors' advice, self-help books, Christian books, parents advice, etc. Please don't get me wrong. I read books and grow from them. I seek advice from friends, parents and spiritual leaders. I'm not saying those things are bad. They are extremely helpful and wise. But my concern is when these things take the place of God's Word, rather than submit to it's authority in our lives. I'm afraid that often, our guidance and growth come from these other sources, rather than from God's Word.
I have been challenged lately by the Psalmists words in Psalm 119. Let me remind us of some...
- "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word."
- "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
- "In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches."
- "Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors."
- "Behold, I long for your precepts."
- "my hope is in your rules."
- "I find my delight in your commandments, which I love."
For sake of length, I'll stop there. But that was only selections from the first 47 verses. There 176 verses in that chapter and most speak of God's word and it's value to us. I will mention one more: verse 105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Now, why do I mention Psalm 119? Because when the Psalmist says those amazing and wonderful things about God's word, he doesn't have the whole Bible. In fact, he only had the law. Yes, the part of the Bible that trips us up every time we commit to read through the Bible in a year. The Psalmist loved God's word, even the law, so much that he craved it and was led by it.
So, what's the point? How much more should we speak such words about the Bible we have? Yes, about the law, and yes about the life of Christ and yes about the letters and instructions to churches! Jesus doesn't say that the Bible is something we can just go back to in a crunch. It is more valuable than bread to our sustenance. We don't just refer to it... we "live... by every word" of it. As followers of Christ, we must be guided by the words of God which He has written down for us.
It is not our job to figure out how much grace we can apply so that we can get away with whatever we want (Paul referred to that in Romans 6:15). As followers, our job is to read, meditate on, memorize and OBEY the word of God. I love Isaiah 66:2. It says: "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." What a picture. Do we tremble at the Word of God? Or do we look for ways to lesson it in the church? Do we live by it (as Jesus states)? Or do we refer to it as a good book?
I love God and I love his Word. I love that it shows me what He is like. I love that it gives me direction. I love that He speaks to me through it. I love that I get doctrine by reading and studying it. I love that it sustains me.
I "shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
In the the book of Matthew, this is the second sentence that Jesus spoke. It occurs during a time of temptation when Satan is trying to convince Jesus to turn some stones into loaves of bread (a task which would have been simple for someone who could turn water into wine). Jesus was hungry. Okay... REALLY hungry. He had been fasting for 40 days. The Lord's response was simple... "Satan, food is not what guides me... God's word is."
I have been saddened again and again by how "Christians" seem to look for life and joy and direction outside of Scripture. It seems that they quickly turn from the Word to something else; i.e. friends advice, pastors' advice, self-help books, Christian books, parents advice, etc. Please don't get me wrong. I read books and grow from them. I seek advice from friends, parents and spiritual leaders. I'm not saying those things are bad. They are extremely helpful and wise. But my concern is when these things take the place of God's Word, rather than submit to it's authority in our lives. I'm afraid that often, our guidance and growth come from these other sources, rather than from God's Word.
I have been challenged lately by the Psalmists words in Psalm 119. Let me remind us of some...
- "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word."
- "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."
- "In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches."
- "Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors."
- "Behold, I long for your precepts."
- "my hope is in your rules."
- "I find my delight in your commandments, which I love."
For sake of length, I'll stop there. But that was only selections from the first 47 verses. There 176 verses in that chapter and most speak of God's word and it's value to us. I will mention one more: verse 105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Now, why do I mention Psalm 119? Because when the Psalmist says those amazing and wonderful things about God's word, he doesn't have the whole Bible. In fact, he only had the law. Yes, the part of the Bible that trips us up every time we commit to read through the Bible in a year. The Psalmist loved God's word, even the law, so much that he craved it and was led by it.
So, what's the point? How much more should we speak such words about the Bible we have? Yes, about the law, and yes about the life of Christ and yes about the letters and instructions to churches! Jesus doesn't say that the Bible is something we can just go back to in a crunch. It is more valuable than bread to our sustenance. We don't just refer to it... we "live... by every word" of it. As followers of Christ, we must be guided by the words of God which He has written down for us.
It is not our job to figure out how much grace we can apply so that we can get away with whatever we want (Paul referred to that in Romans 6:15). As followers, our job is to read, meditate on, memorize and OBEY the word of God. I love Isaiah 66:2. It says: "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." What a picture. Do we tremble at the Word of God? Or do we look for ways to lesson it in the church? Do we live by it (as Jesus states)? Or do we refer to it as a good book?
I love God and I love his Word. I love that it shows me what He is like. I love that it gives me direction. I love that He speaks to me through it. I love that I get doctrine by reading and studying it. I love that it sustains me.
I "shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."
A New Direction
For the next few weeks (probably months), I'm going to be more purposeful with this blog. I read and hear so much about how the church is "changing" and how certain movements (some new, some old) are lessoning their hold on biblical truth, doctrine, and the "strictness" that lies therein.
So, I want to devote some time on this blog to Jesus. What did He say? Was his teaching more or less difficult than the "strictness" that some are walking away from? My approach will be pretty simple. I'm starting at Matthew and will work forward. Each post will be my thoughts on a teaching of Jesus. I will definitely skip some things, but only to focus on those things which I believe are pertinent to this discussion.
And so, I'd love your feedback. I hope that some are encouraged and that some are convicted.
One thing I know. God is trustworthy. When He claims that His Word will never fail... I believe him. So that will continue to be my basis for where the church should go and how it should function.
Enjoy!
So, I want to devote some time on this blog to Jesus. What did He say? Was his teaching more or less difficult than the "strictness" that some are walking away from? My approach will be pretty simple. I'm starting at Matthew and will work forward. Each post will be my thoughts on a teaching of Jesus. I will definitely skip some things, but only to focus on those things which I believe are pertinent to this discussion.
And so, I'd love your feedback. I hope that some are encouraged and that some are convicted.
One thing I know. God is trustworthy. When He claims that His Word will never fail... I believe him. So that will continue to be my basis for where the church should go and how it should function.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A Time of Rest
This past week, Shawna and I had the opportunity to "get away" for a few days. My sister and brother-in-law graciously took the boys for us for the week. It was a much needed and undeserved time.
Shawna and I stayed at home for the first couple days doing nothing but whatever-we-wanted. This included seeing "Prince Caspian" on Sunday evening, which I highly recommend. Monday morning we worked around the house. One of our goals was to move the youngest boys to what was our room, move our room to what was the school room and then convert what was the younger boys room into my home office. Seems confusing... but worth it. We did accomplish that and I'm thankful for a place to study on days that I don't want to spend money on gas (I want bother ranting about that).
After spending time working on the house, we decided to go to the Columbus Zoo. We have season passes for the family but always have the boys and therefore their objectives when we usually go. So it was nice to just wander and enjoy being together while looking at cool animals and deciding which we would have as pets in the millennium (Shawna - Moose; Tony - either Lion or Grizzly).
As our time at the zoo wrapped up, we noticed we had exactly enough time to see "Iron Man" and get to our dinner with our friends, Michael and Melanie. I had seen it already, but wanted Shawna to see it too. It was good, again. Has qualified as my favorite superhero movie. Dinner at PeiWei with Michael and Melanie was great... as expected. We ended the day with Graeter's Ice Cream... thanks to a gift card given to us by Melanie!
Wednesday was a lazy morning hanging out at the house and going to Easton Towne Center, before heading to Hocking Hills for our time away. The cabin (I'll post pictures below) was amazing. Quiet, secluded, romantic and just plain wonderful.
We decided to go for a hike down to Rock House. Beautiful hike and wonderful time together. I love my wife. I am so blessed with a beautiful woman who loves God, loves me, and who I love to spend time with. I am thankful that we still genuinely love being together.
Thursday was filled with more hiking (Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave), Amish Buffet for lunch (de-stinking-licious), Putt-Putt golf (it was tied going into the last hole... that's all I'll comment), lots of reading... oh and a nap!
While away, I read "Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be), written by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck. Great book. I highly recommend it for those interested (and some who aren't) in the topic. Good reminder for me as to why I'm doing what I'm doing.
Friday was again lazy. We packed up, headed home (with a couple stops along the way) and then were very excitedly reunited with the boys. We ended the day with Alden's baseball game... Another win!
Again, I'm thankful for my wife. And I'm thankful for the time... not just with her, but with the Lord. I came back more committed to Scripture than before. I'm grateful for that. I truly want to hear from God in this life. And I am continually reminded that He does speak. And so I open His unchanging, never failing Word and listen, ready to do what He asks.
Back porch reading spot.
Yea, that's right!
Shawna and I stayed at home for the first couple days doing nothing but whatever-we-wanted. This included seeing "Prince Caspian" on Sunday evening, which I highly recommend. Monday morning we worked around the house. One of our goals was to move the youngest boys to what was our room, move our room to what was the school room and then convert what was the younger boys room into my home office. Seems confusing... but worth it. We did accomplish that and I'm thankful for a place to study on days that I don't want to spend money on gas (I want bother ranting about that).
After spending time working on the house, we decided to go to the Columbus Zoo. We have season passes for the family but always have the boys and therefore their objectives when we usually go. So it was nice to just wander and enjoy being together while looking at cool animals and deciding which we would have as pets in the millennium (Shawna - Moose; Tony - either Lion or Grizzly).
As our time at the zoo wrapped up, we noticed we had exactly enough time to see "Iron Man" and get to our dinner with our friends, Michael and Melanie. I had seen it already, but wanted Shawna to see it too. It was good, again. Has qualified as my favorite superhero movie. Dinner at PeiWei with Michael and Melanie was great... as expected. We ended the day with Graeter's Ice Cream... thanks to a gift card given to us by Melanie!
Wednesday was a lazy morning hanging out at the house and going to Easton Towne Center, before heading to Hocking Hills for our time away. The cabin (I'll post pictures below) was amazing. Quiet, secluded, romantic and just plain wonderful.
We decided to go for a hike down to Rock House. Beautiful hike and wonderful time together. I love my wife. I am so blessed with a beautiful woman who loves God, loves me, and who I love to spend time with. I am thankful that we still genuinely love being together.
Thursday was filled with more hiking (Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave), Amish Buffet for lunch (de-stinking-licious), Putt-Putt golf (it was tied going into the last hole... that's all I'll comment), lots of reading... oh and a nap!
While away, I read "Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be), written by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck. Great book. I highly recommend it for those interested (and some who aren't) in the topic. Good reminder for me as to why I'm doing what I'm doing.
Friday was again lazy. We packed up, headed home (with a couple stops along the way) and then were very excitedly reunited with the boys. We ended the day with Alden's baseball game... Another win!
Again, I'm thankful for my wife. And I'm thankful for the time... not just with her, but with the Lord. I came back more committed to Scripture than before. I'm grateful for that. I truly want to hear from God in this life. And I am continually reminded that He does speak. And so I open His unchanging, never failing Word and listen, ready to do what He asks.
Back porch reading spot.
Yea, that's right!
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