Ecclesiastes 3:11...he has put eternity into man's heart..
Have you ever felt like you were supposed to be doing something, you just didn't know what it was. Have you ever watched something that normally you would enjoy, but felt like you wanted to turn it off and go and do something else? Been playing your favorite video game that normally you could play for hours, this time your just not feeling your normal level of enjoyment?
I've been feeling like this a lot in the last couple of months. There are a lot of tv shows I enjoy watching on a regular basis. But a lot of times when Leann asks if I am ready to sit down and watch with her, I'm feeling pretty ambivalent about it. Leann sometimes feels like I'm not wanting to spend time with her, but in reality it has nothing to do with her. I'm just feeling like there is other things I could be doing.
In what I am sure will come as a shock to a lot of people. I have the same feelings about sports a lot now. I still enjoy watching them, and I can sit and watch a couple of games at a time like I always do. But there not is not the life and death feeling that used to come with me missing a particular game.
I think a lot of it has to do with now I'm watching these shows and thinking about what they say about God, or lack thereof. What kind of theology or doctrine is being presented. Even shows that have nothing to do with religion on the surface present a theology or doctrine if you take the time to think through them. For most of t.v., it is that God doesn't exist, or if he does, what he has revealed in us word is no longer relevant.
Leann and I were watching the episode of Glee last week that dealt with the death of one of their cast members in real life. (I like musical tv shows and movies, except for Sound of Music, my sister watched it too often when i was growing up.) The episode dealt with people remembering the character, but never mentioning how the character died, in real life the actor had died of a drug overdose. While there was a lot of emotion coming from the actors who were close to the deceased. And there were moments that made me tear up, at the end I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. But I couldn't place what I was missing until today.
The show was missing Hope, the hope that comes for Christians who realize that this world is not the end. In one scene a character put his thumb over the dash on a memorial marking the character, separating his birth and death dates. Remarking how short that was that his thumb could cover what represented his friend's entire life. And this life is indeed short, here on earth. But humanity is not mortal, but eternal. We do not cease to exist.
Hence there comes the restless feeling these days for me, even before that episode. As I read and study more of Christianity, theology, doctrine, the history of the faith. Heaven and the fact that everyone we meet will spend eternity somewhere, this drove Christians for centuries. What drives Christianity today?
Furthermore what drives where we desire to spend eternity? is it where our friends, family, where the fun is? Is it the lack of pain, tears, fear? or is it the presence of the ONE who loved you before there was a you?
I don't want to be restless, I want what i do to echo throughout eternity.
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Doctrine leads to worship
Romans 11;33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
My old pastor used to say that we don't worship a doctrine, we worship God. While this is certainly true, for the Christian, their doctrine, which is what you believe, is of vital importance. If your doctrine is off, then your worship will be off. Our doctrine informs our worship.
Let's look at the cross for example. If all you believe was accomplished on the cross is that Jesus died for your sins so you wouldn't go to hell. Then you only are scratching at the surface of Christianity and your worship will reflect that and be shallow.
But if you study what the Bible says was accomplished on the cross by Christ, then you will realize that so much more was accomplished there. A partial list would be-
Access to God in prayer
Sins forgiven- past present and future
Healing
secured our eternal life
wrath of god satisifed
If you read the apostolic letters in the Bible, there are times when the writers will finish explain something about God, and they just begin to break into a doxology, or praise of God. The one that starts this post above comes at the end of Paul discussing how the Gentiles have been saved and brought into the gospel. The Jews have not been ignored, left out or forgotten. But God has grafted the Gentiles in. The knowledge of what God has done in saving both the Gentiles, and making future plans to bring Israel into the plans of salvation. Moves Paul to worship and praise of God the father. As it should for us.
S.D.G.
My old pastor used to say that we don't worship a doctrine, we worship God. While this is certainly true, for the Christian, their doctrine, which is what you believe, is of vital importance. If your doctrine is off, then your worship will be off. Our doctrine informs our worship.
Let's look at the cross for example. If all you believe was accomplished on the cross is that Jesus died for your sins so you wouldn't go to hell. Then you only are scratching at the surface of Christianity and your worship will reflect that and be shallow.
But if you study what the Bible says was accomplished on the cross by Christ, then you will realize that so much more was accomplished there. A partial list would be-
Access to God in prayer
Sins forgiven- past present and future
Healing
secured our eternal life
wrath of god satisifed
If you read the apostolic letters in the Bible, there are times when the writers will finish explain something about God, and they just begin to break into a doxology, or praise of God. The one that starts this post above comes at the end of Paul discussing how the Gentiles have been saved and brought into the gospel. The Jews have not been ignored, left out or forgotten. But God has grafted the Gentiles in. The knowledge of what God has done in saving both the Gentiles, and making future plans to bring Israel into the plans of salvation. Moves Paul to worship and praise of God the father. As it should for us.
S.D.G.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
S.D.G.
Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
I used to write a lot more than I do now. Mostly blog posts that in reality were mini sermon ideas that I could write and flesh out. But even on occasion I would write songs or poetry. It was never great poetry or songs, but they could help me try to express the thoughts that were swimming around in my brain. But for the past couple of years I haven't done any real writing. I think there are a couple of reasons for that. The first is that I'm working more now than I used to, so that leaves less time for writing. Especially when your work involves sitting at a computer for 8 hrs a day. Some of those hours involving a lot of typing. As a correlation to working more, I am not reading as much as I used to do. I'm still reading my bible at my normal pace. But I'm not reading as much fiction or non-fiction as I used to. It's books that a lot of times would make me look a certain idea or scripture in a second light, and inspire me to write something on it. But honestly the main reason I stopped writing as I once did, was that I didn't think anyone was reading my writing. Or even worse if they were reading my writing, didn't think it was good enough to tell me they were reading it.
The problem was that I was writing for the approval of others around me. I love a line out of one of Lecrae's songs. "If I live for their approval, I'll die by their rejection." I can't control how many people read he stuff I write, whether they like it, or whether they comment on it. What I can control is whether I am going to use whatever talents or skills I have to glorify God. So that's why I changed my blog title to one of the slogans of the Reformation. I want whatever I do, whatever I write, from here on out in my life, to be for the Glory of God. Someone more talented than I Johann Sebastian Bach ended all the compositions of his music with the initials of S.D.G. to signify that God was to be given credit for his masterpieces. While this is no masterpiece, I'm going to steal that idea.
S.D.G.
I used to write a lot more than I do now. Mostly blog posts that in reality were mini sermon ideas that I could write and flesh out. But even on occasion I would write songs or poetry. It was never great poetry or songs, but they could help me try to express the thoughts that were swimming around in my brain. But for the past couple of years I haven't done any real writing. I think there are a couple of reasons for that. The first is that I'm working more now than I used to, so that leaves less time for writing. Especially when your work involves sitting at a computer for 8 hrs a day. Some of those hours involving a lot of typing. As a correlation to working more, I am not reading as much as I used to do. I'm still reading my bible at my normal pace. But I'm not reading as much fiction or non-fiction as I used to. It's books that a lot of times would make me look a certain idea or scripture in a second light, and inspire me to write something on it. But honestly the main reason I stopped writing as I once did, was that I didn't think anyone was reading my writing. Or even worse if they were reading my writing, didn't think it was good enough to tell me they were reading it.
The problem was that I was writing for the approval of others around me. I love a line out of one of Lecrae's songs. "If I live for their approval, I'll die by their rejection." I can't control how many people read he stuff I write, whether they like it, or whether they comment on it. What I can control is whether I am going to use whatever talents or skills I have to glorify God. So that's why I changed my blog title to one of the slogans of the Reformation. I want whatever I do, whatever I write, from here on out in my life, to be for the Glory of God. Someone more talented than I Johann Sebastian Bach ended all the compositions of his music with the initials of S.D.G. to signify that God was to be given credit for his masterpieces. While this is no masterpiece, I'm going to steal that idea.
S.D.G.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Book Review: The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon by Steven Lawson
A couple of weeks ago I requested another PDF book to review from Ligonier Ministries, this one the above titled book The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon by Steven Lawson. I read the book over the course of a couple of weeks, and was delayed by a bout of the flu. But before doing this review I sat down again today and read the book again the whole way through. The book is not a complete biography of Spurgeon, but rather a short overview of his ministry, just enough to hopefully whet your appetite to learn more about the "prince of preachers"
The book starts out with a brief introduction by the author on how he became aware of Charles Spurgeon and his ministry, and the effect Spurgeon has had on his own ministry. He then discusses a little about why he wanted to write a book on Charles Spurgeon, the author having previously written similar books on Jonathan Edwards and John Calvin.
The first chapter of the book gives a brief biographical sketch of the preacher beginning with his birth and ending with his death. One of the things that surprised me was the early age at which he began his ministry, with no formal training, and also the young age at which he died. However due to the young age at which he started preaching full time (18), he preached for nearly 40 years. The majority of which was spent in London.
The next 5 chapters are focused on what made Charles Spurgeon's ministry so impactful and long lasting, the 5 keys if you will to his ministry. They are a belief in the supremacy of God's word and it's divine inspiration, a understanding of the doctrines of grace commonly referred to as Calvinism, a heartfelt evangelistic devotion to the lost, a ministry with Christ and his completed work at its center, and a reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit. The final chapter concludes with a brief call for more pastors to minister with the fire and passion of Charles Spurgeon.
I don't want to go into much detail on the chapters with them being pretty short, but only want to note that each one will give you a lot to think about. If you come from a non Calvinist background you are going to have a lot of issues with the chapter entitled Sovereign Grace. Both the writer and Charles Spurgeon are Calvinistic in doctrine. A year ago that would have been difficult for me to agree with, but I find myself finding that Calvinism is in the scriptures, especially the Epistles of Paul.
I found this to be a terrific book, with a lot of helpful insight into preaching, and the gospel. The book also inspired me to learn more about the life and preaching of Charles Spurgeon. The book is not that long but is one you will reread multiple times to really let everything sink in. I want to conclude with a few of my favorite quotes from the book.
"The sermon which does not lead to Christ,or of which Jesus Christ is not the top and the bottom,is a sort of sermon that will make the devils in hell laugh,but might make the angels of God weep."
"I do not envy Gabriel his crown when God gives me souls.I have thought that I would rather be here to talk with you and point you to my Master’s cross than be up there and cast my crown at His feet.For surely there can be no joy in heaven greater than the joy of doing the Master’s will in winning souls."
And lastly the one he might be the most famous for
"If sinners will be damned,at least let them leap to hell over our bodies.And if they will perish,let them perish with our arms about their knees,imploring them to stay.If hell must be filled,at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions,and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for."
This book comes with a heartfelt recommendation from me, I cannot recommend it more highly.
In accordance with FCC bylaws, I must note that I could receive a copy of the book as compensation for my review.
The book starts out with a brief introduction by the author on how he became aware of Charles Spurgeon and his ministry, and the effect Spurgeon has had on his own ministry. He then discusses a little about why he wanted to write a book on Charles Spurgeon, the author having previously written similar books on Jonathan Edwards and John Calvin.
The first chapter of the book gives a brief biographical sketch of the preacher beginning with his birth and ending with his death. One of the things that surprised me was the early age at which he began his ministry, with no formal training, and also the young age at which he died. However due to the young age at which he started preaching full time (18), he preached for nearly 40 years. The majority of which was spent in London.
The next 5 chapters are focused on what made Charles Spurgeon's ministry so impactful and long lasting, the 5 keys if you will to his ministry. They are a belief in the supremacy of God's word and it's divine inspiration, a understanding of the doctrines of grace commonly referred to as Calvinism, a heartfelt evangelistic devotion to the lost, a ministry with Christ and his completed work at its center, and a reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit. The final chapter concludes with a brief call for more pastors to minister with the fire and passion of Charles Spurgeon.
I don't want to go into much detail on the chapters with them being pretty short, but only want to note that each one will give you a lot to think about. If you come from a non Calvinist background you are going to have a lot of issues with the chapter entitled Sovereign Grace. Both the writer and Charles Spurgeon are Calvinistic in doctrine. A year ago that would have been difficult for me to agree with, but I find myself finding that Calvinism is in the scriptures, especially the Epistles of Paul.
I found this to be a terrific book, with a lot of helpful insight into preaching, and the gospel. The book also inspired me to learn more about the life and preaching of Charles Spurgeon. The book is not that long but is one you will reread multiple times to really let everything sink in. I want to conclude with a few of my favorite quotes from the book.
"The sermon which does not lead to Christ,or of which Jesus Christ is not the top and the bottom,is a sort of sermon that will make the devils in hell laugh,but might make the angels of God weep."
"I do not envy Gabriel his crown when God gives me souls.I have thought that I would rather be here to talk with you and point you to my Master’s cross than be up there and cast my crown at His feet.For surely there can be no joy in heaven greater than the joy of doing the Master’s will in winning souls."
And lastly the one he might be the most famous for
"If sinners will be damned,at least let them leap to hell over our bodies.And if they will perish,let them perish with our arms about their knees,imploring them to stay.If hell must be filled,at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions,and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for."
This book comes with a heartfelt recommendation from me, I cannot recommend it more highly.
In accordance with FCC bylaws, I must note that I could receive a copy of the book as compensation for my review.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
No Sin
Have you ever felt like your sin disqualified you from service to God? I know for a long time I believed this, I have struggled for many years with lust and masturbation. All of those times I would fall and struggle with my sin, I always wondered what the people who knew me would think if they found out. I tried confessing my sin to a couple of friends one time, only to be told that it was ok, everyone did it. Not the most encouraging counsel to receive to be sure. But as I've been reading my daily devotional one consistent them has been emerging. God knew my sin before I was ever created, and not only did save me by his grace, but he has set me aside for a purpose. This does not mean that my sin is ok, and I keep doing it. But that when I stumble and fall he has already forgiven me and I move forward with a repentant heart.
One of the best examples of this is the life of Peter and his sin on the night Christ was betrayed. Christ prophesied that night and told all the disciples that they would scatter and leave him. Peter was outspoken as always in his claims that he would follow Jesus, even unto death. Jesus told Peter that Satan was after Peter, and that he had been praying for him. He also told him that he would deny him 3 times, but that after he was restored, he was to strengthen his brothers. We know what happened, the guards come to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and all the disciples scatter. Later, Peter and another disciple (most likely John), follow to the Temple. They two disciples are separated, because John has entry into the inner courtyard, probably due to his Pharisee father. Eventually Peter's accent gives him away and he is recognized as one of the disciples. Peter vehemently denies this twice before the third time doing so with curses. After his third denial and the crow of the rooster. The gospel of Luke tells us that after the third denial and the crow of rooster, that Jesus turned to look at Peter, then he remembers Jesus word in that upper room. He leaves where the trial is and goes away weeping bitterly at his betrayal of the one he loves. He is not there the next day, as Jesus suffers on a cross for his sins (Peter not Christ), and my sins, and your sins. Later on, after the resurrection, the empty tomb, his appearances to the disciples in the upper room. Jesus once again meets them on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and repeats his miracle of providing fish to to those who have worked all night and caught nothing. After the fish is caught, and the breakfast eaten, Jesus takes Peter aside and questions him about his love. Each time Peter confesses his love, and each time Christ commands him to care for his sheep, he has restored him.
Jesus knew all about who Peter was from the moment he chose him as a disciple. He told him the first time he met him that he was changing him from Simon to Peter, a reed to a rock. All of Peter's brash and outspoken ways, his sins, were known to Christ when he said "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men." But even knowing all of this Jesus still chose Peter. Why did he choose a fisherman from Galilee? Why does he call any of us? For two reasons 1) Because of his amazing grace and love for us. 2) So that when people see God using sinners to proclaim his gospel, and our lives changed, they give all the glory to God, not to man.
One of the best examples of this is the life of Peter and his sin on the night Christ was betrayed. Christ prophesied that night and told all the disciples that they would scatter and leave him. Peter was outspoken as always in his claims that he would follow Jesus, even unto death. Jesus told Peter that Satan was after Peter, and that he had been praying for him. He also told him that he would deny him 3 times, but that after he was restored, he was to strengthen his brothers. We know what happened, the guards come to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and all the disciples scatter. Later, Peter and another disciple (most likely John), follow to the Temple. They two disciples are separated, because John has entry into the inner courtyard, probably due to his Pharisee father. Eventually Peter's accent gives him away and he is recognized as one of the disciples. Peter vehemently denies this twice before the third time doing so with curses. After his third denial and the crow of the rooster. The gospel of Luke tells us that after the third denial and the crow of rooster, that Jesus turned to look at Peter, then he remembers Jesus word in that upper room. He leaves where the trial is and goes away weeping bitterly at his betrayal of the one he loves. He is not there the next day, as Jesus suffers on a cross for his sins (Peter not Christ), and my sins, and your sins. Later on, after the resurrection, the empty tomb, his appearances to the disciples in the upper room. Jesus once again meets them on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and repeats his miracle of providing fish to to those who have worked all night and caught nothing. After the fish is caught, and the breakfast eaten, Jesus takes Peter aside and questions him about his love. Each time Peter confesses his love, and each time Christ commands him to care for his sheep, he has restored him.
Jesus knew all about who Peter was from the moment he chose him as a disciple. He told him the first time he met him that he was changing him from Simon to Peter, a reed to a rock. All of Peter's brash and outspoken ways, his sins, were known to Christ when he said "Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men." But even knowing all of this Jesus still chose Peter. Why did he choose a fisherman from Galilee? Why does he call any of us? For two reasons 1) Because of his amazing grace and love for us. 2) So that when people see God using sinners to proclaim his gospel, and our lives changed, they give all the glory to God, not to man.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Book Review of Mark by RC Sproul
A Book Review of Mark by RC Sproul (St. Andrews Expositional Commentary series)
I have been reading through the book on Romans in this series, when I found out that you could request a copy of a new book and do a review on it. Since I love to read I decided to take advantage of this offer. The first book I requested was his expositional commentary on the Gospel of Mark. An expositional commentary goes verse by verse throughout an entire book of the bible. This book is based on the sermons preached by Dr. Sproul on the book of Mark.
I greatly enjoyed reading through this book, as I have with all of his works that I have read. One thing I admire in a minister is when he has the honesty to say he does not know the answer to a question about the text. As Dr. Sproul does with some of the verses in the Olivet discourse, he does give what he believes is the meaning of the text. But also makes it clear that he is not 100% certain about his exposition, which I find admirable.
The only thing that disappointed me about the book was how short it was. As I have said I have been reading his book on Romans in the series and even though Mark and Romans have the same number of chapters. His book on the Gospel of Mark is at least 50 pages shorter. I would have enjoyed more meat to each of the chapters. It seemed that each time he was starting to really explain a topic or section of verses, the chapter would end.
I would also caution those who are looking for a true biblical commentary on the Gospel of Mark, even though this is an expositional commentary by title, to look elsewhere. This book is not an in depth commentary such as you would find by say Matthew Henry, to name one prominent bible commentary. This book does not proclaim itself to be such a commentary, rather it is as I said previously, a collection of sermons. If you are like me and enjoy reading or listening to sermons then I recommend this book to you.
In accordance with FCC bylaws, I must note that I could receive a copy of the book as compensation for my review.
I have been reading through the book on Romans in this series, when I found out that you could request a copy of a new book and do a review on it. Since I love to read I decided to take advantage of this offer. The first book I requested was his expositional commentary on the Gospel of Mark. An expositional commentary goes verse by verse throughout an entire book of the bible. This book is based on the sermons preached by Dr. Sproul on the book of Mark.
I greatly enjoyed reading through this book, as I have with all of his works that I have read. One thing I admire in a minister is when he has the honesty to say he does not know the answer to a question about the text. As Dr. Sproul does with some of the verses in the Olivet discourse, he does give what he believes is the meaning of the text. But also makes it clear that he is not 100% certain about his exposition, which I find admirable.
The only thing that disappointed me about the book was how short it was. As I have said I have been reading his book on Romans in the series and even though Mark and Romans have the same number of chapters. His book on the Gospel of Mark is at least 50 pages shorter. I would have enjoyed more meat to each of the chapters. It seemed that each time he was starting to really explain a topic or section of verses, the chapter would end.
I would also caution those who are looking for a true biblical commentary on the Gospel of Mark, even though this is an expositional commentary by title, to look elsewhere. This book is not an in depth commentary such as you would find by say Matthew Henry, to name one prominent bible commentary. This book does not proclaim itself to be such a commentary, rather it is as I said previously, a collection of sermons. If you are like me and enjoy reading or listening to sermons then I recommend this book to you.
In accordance with FCC bylaws, I must note that I could receive a copy of the book as compensation for my review.
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