The Truth Appeal

My long-awaited new book, THE TRUTH APPEAL: Discovering the Eternal Light for Living in Christian Faith, is on the way. It has been submitted to Xulon Press (self-publishing) and is being edited at this time. It should be completed by October and available at Amazon before Christmas. 

What is the greatest need for our country today? Is it not Christian reformation? What is the greatest need for the Christian church today? Is it not a reformation in the truth of Scripture?

How can America find a reformation in the truth of Scripture? By rediscovering the truth of God that is the objective truth of truth, and verifiable to all mankind. This is the essence of this new book.  

Faith Today

 FAITH TODAY - is still alive and well, I've just been busy with life and stuff!  I hope to be back to post soon.  

Christian Leadership

To understand the big picture of Christian leadership I believe there are at least five main doctrines to consider.  These are my thoughts on leading for Christ by the truth of Scripture.  

Also, check out the Leadership post at - veritasfellowship@blogspot.com. 

GOD - His character and works, Holy, eternal, and triune.  Creator of all things, Sovereign and Gracious.

SCRIPTURE - the Word of God is the Word from God.  John 1:1, the Word became flesh in Jesus.   

CHURCH - the Body of Christ is built upon the gospel of Christ in the truth of Scripture.  

MINISTRY - A summary plan is for Worship, Discipleship, and Fellowship.

LIFE - Living out faith in Christ and nurturing our Families, with Work and Ministry.  

The Truth Appeal - as followers of Christ in a broken world, we can appeal to the truth of God and the truth of Scripture.  These are eternal in a constantly changing culture.  

FAITH TODAY: Jesus said, John 17:17, "Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth."

Ligonier Ministries

I retired from being an Advancement Officer at Ligonier Ministries, (www.ligonier.org), on July 31st.  I love Ligonier and all the people of Ligonier, but I need more time for my family.  

Also, by my own admission, I wasn't a very good fundraiser as I was always promoting the message of the ministry primarily.  I proclaimed a 9-part 'Message' and 1-part 'Money' philosophy of fundraising.  And I still think that's an excellent way to go.  

So, what are the 9 parts 'Message' of Ligonier as I see them?  From my perspective, here they are ...

1. Bible - Ligonier was instrumental in the creation of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.  R.C. Sproul was one of the leading spokesmen at the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, ICBI, in 1978.  This doctrine of inerrancy is foundational for all that Ligonier teaches and proclaims.

2. GOD - Probably the most influential book that R.C. wrote was, "The Holiness of God."  In this work, R.C. describes how the holiness of God is His central character and therefore the foundation for all theology.  God's character is sovereign, immutable, and holy, it does not change with culture.

3. Justification By Faith Alone - Next, I believe R.C. was known for his passion for the Reformation doctrine of JBFA.  Martin Luther championed this doctrine against Roman Catholic theology in the sixteenth century.  This is the key doctrine for the essence of salvation, which is by faith in Christ alone.  

4. Renewing Your Mind - Many people have said they first heard of R.C. and Ligonier Ministries through the radio program by this name.  R.C. saw the importance of the mind in the work of sanctification, which comes from the verse, Romans 12:2, and this is key for our fruitfulness and maturity in the faith.

5. Kingdom - R.C. was not an armchair theologian, but established the Ligonier Valley Study Center in 1971, which then was moved to Orlando in 1985 and became Ligonier Ministries.  He also established St. Andrew's Chapel, and the Reformation Bible College, all to propagate the kingdom of God.

6. Communications - in my many meetings with Ligonier friends and donors, there was an overwhelming testimony that R.C. had a great capability for communicating the difficult and abstract doctrines and philosophies clearly.  R.C. was a great communicator and could integrate many different ideas together. 

7. Philosophy - more than just a great Bible teacher and theologian, R.C. understood philosophy very well.  He described switching his undergraduate degree to philosophy as he was fascinated by the truth and logic of ideas.  He also could dismantle any secularistic or heretical argument that threatened the truth of the faith.  

8. Covenants - throughout the 20th century the Dispensational system of theology was primarily taught to the great majority of Evangelicals.  R.C., along with many other great Reformed theologians saw the truth of the Covenant structure connecting the OT with the NT in Christ.

9. Reformation - this may be a stretch on my part, but I believe R.C. was seeking a modern-day reformation like that of the sixteenth century.  R.C. was a Reformer as he knew that the historical Reformed theology would bring reformation and grace to all Christians, the church, and then culture.  

10. Money - last of all there is the sensitive doctrine of Stewardship, and seeing that all of our resources in time, talent, and treasures are gifts from God, and they belong to God.  Even more, we can see giving these gifts as eternal investments for the kingdom of God, with historical reformational theology.  

Ligonier Ministries is all about proclaiming, teaching, and defending the Holiness of God in all its fullness to as many people as possible.  And, I'll be retired from the workforce now but my teaching ministry of these doctrines and Truths will continue for the rest of my life.  We need the Truth of Scripture to see through the self-centered, people-centered, and secularistic culture of our day.  And, we need to teach these Truths with grace diligently to our children for their faith, and for the generations to come.  SDG.  

FAITH TODAY: Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

The Top Ten

In the same way as clarifying ‘The Big Picture’ at the outset of a new year, we can expand on the picture with ‘The Top Ten’ teachings of the Christian Faith.  

With a foundation of the truth of God, here are the top ten as I see them.  

-       BIBLE – The inspiration and authority of Scripture, Jn.1:1, 2Ti.3:16.  

-       GOD – “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty…,” Is.6:3, Re.4:8.

-       GOSPEL – Justification by Christ alone, atonement in Christ, Jn.1:12, 1:14.  

-       TRANSFORMATION – Sanctification in the Holy Spirit, Jn. 17:17, Ep.3:17.  

-       RESTORATION – To Lordship, leadership, and love of Christ, Ep.4:1, 4:12.  

-       CALLING – “Shema," love the Lord your God ..., Dt.6:4, Mk.12:30.   

-       CHURCH – Living in the body of Christ, Ep.4:10, He.4:14. 

-       FAMILY – Marriage, parenting, and discipleship, Dt.6:7, Ep.5:25. 

-       WORK – Vocations of ministry and service, Ge.1:28, Co.3:22.

-       KINGDOM – Seek first the life and teachings of Christ, Mt.6:33, Mt.24:14.  

This is not an exhaustive list of doctrines but a good start.  The truth of Scripture brings sanctification and spiritual life to those who are able to live by it.  

FAITH TODAY: Mark 12:30-31, 

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

 

The Big Picture

Here we are in a New Year and this is always a good time to review and remember what 'the big picture' is all about.  What's the big picture of our Christian faith all about?   

In order to answer the question about the big picture of faith, I believe we need to first ask ourselves what the big picture of God is all about?  We all know that God exists whether we are willing to admit it or not.  That's because God reveals Himself to everyone through creation and the conscience, and we all seek meaning and purpose.  

In addition to knowing that God exists and that we seek meaning and purpose, we can see that the Bible also teaches that God exists and we have meaning and purpose.  The Bible is a really good book, and it confirms basic truths we already know.  And we can summarize the Bible in five major categories to help us get 'the big picture' of what its teachings are all about.    

The five major categories I first understood as four categories, but I believe there is a fifth.  And, I believe it was from Francis Schaeffer's teachings, (but it's been so long that I can't remember for certain), that I first learned the categories of - Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Glorification.  The additional category that I believe is in Scripture is - Restoration, which comes right after Redemption.  And Schaeffer may have very well believed this too.

CREATION - we see from Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

FALL - we see from Genesis 3:6, "So ... she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."

REDEMPTION - we see from John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

RESTORATION - we learn from Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

GLORIFICATION - we can see this in Philippians 2:9, "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

When we see that the Christian calling is to the transformation and restoration of our spiritual lives in Christ, we discover a key part of the Christian faith.  We are called to live our lives for Christ and his teachings, to be restored to the image in which God has created us, for His own glory.  We are called to Christ and to live for the glory of God.  

FAITH TODAY: 2 Corinthians 3:18, "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 

Fundamentalism

Possibly one of the greatest stigmas that can be given to anyone in the Christian faith is that they are a fundamentalist.  Fundamentalism is seen as the strict observance of the fundamentals of the faith without a balance between the grace and mercy of God.  And this can happen to people for different reasons.  But the fundamentals of the faith in and of themselves are essential.  That's why they call them the fundamentals, for without these truths, people wouldn't have true faith.  

The fundamentals are the inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth of Christ, his divine nature, the bodily resurrection of Christ, and the literal return of Christ.  These are the primary doctrines of Christianity.  And, we need to clarify the atonement of Christ in the Gospel, so that a person must receive Christ as His Savior and Lord to be a true Christian.    

I believe in the fundamentals of the Christian faith.  But, I also believe that these truths are all given by the grace of God in Christ.  And therefore, we must be gracious as we describe the Grace of Christ.  Just as we describe the basic doctrines of the Bible and the Gospel, we must also describe the Grace by which we receive them.  If we truly understand the Grace of forgiveness, it will then change our hearts so that we will seek to become more and more like Christ. 

The "ism" of Fundamentalism describes a worldview, and sometimes an attitude that comes with stressing the fundamentals of the faith.  In our desire to maintain the true doctrines of the faith, we can become defensive and miscommunicate a criticism to others.  We must seek however to be both true to God and gracious to other people.  We are called to be gracious even if we have been misunderstood. 

I believe the 'grace and truth' combination together is essential, or fundamental, for living in the Christian faith, for we absolutely need both.  We need grace to receive truth, and we need truth to understand grace.  Seeking this balance has been my goal as I seek to teach and live out the Christian faith.  We cannot just teach truth without grace, or grace without truth.  Jesus was filled with both grace and truth.  This is our calling as well.  

FAITH TODAY: John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

What's your Worldview?

Looking back on my pilgrimage of faith I can say that two of my primary mentors have been Francis Schaeffer and R.C. Sproul.  Both were Reformed in their faith and both had a dedication to the truth of truth, and the truth of Scripture.  

I first discovered Schaeffer as a new Christian when I transferred to Gordon College in 1978.  The college was hosting a film series that year by Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop entitled, "Whatever Happened To The Human Race?" that discussed the abortion holocaust that began in 1973.  Schaeffer also did a film series entitled, "How Shall We Then Live?" that discussed the rise and fall of Western culture based on a Christian worldview.  

Schaeffer taught the importance of worldviews, that they are often shaped by a culture's philosophy instead of the Bible.  Secular culture is shaped by the worldviews of secularism.  He understood the effects of the loss of Truth, and that it is devastating.  And because of the crumbling values of Western culture in the twentieth century, he asked, “How shall we then live?”  How can we live with meaning and purpose without God?

As I discovered more of Reformed theology I came in contact with R.C. Sproul.  He taught that our faith must be shaped by our theology.  And our theology is ‘our’ knowledge of God.  But, the central part of biblical theology is that God is triune, He is sovereign, holy, and true, and He does all things for His own glory.  R.C. also understood the effects of the loss of Truth and the need for a truth-based biblical theology.  

The greatest teaching of course comes from Jesus himself.  And the central part of Jesus’ teaching is the Shema, which he repeated from Deuteronomy 6:5.  “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  And then Jesus added the second commandment, ‘to love our neighbors as ourselves.’  

Jesus' worldview was that the truth of God is central to all things, and we must put Him first in all of our lives.  Jesus' worldview was his theology, summarized in the Shema, and this should shape the worldviews of all Christians as well.  We should focus on God because He is the Creator, Redeemer, and Comforter.  And then we can love our neighbors with the God of grace.   

 

FAITH TODAY: Mark 12:29-30, "Jesus answered, “The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

What's Your Perspective?

Faith can be very subjective at times, and people come from all different walks of life with all kinds of different experiences.  We all have a different perspective on life, and sometimes a big difference!  But to find unity in the Christian faith we need the perspective of Christ.  

The world is filled with many types of people.  Some are male and female, some old and young, some short and tall, and some are interested in science and some in the arts.  Some are interested in doctrine and some are led by their emotions.  Some are head people, and some are heart people.  

The Apostle Paul gave great counsel to the people in the city of Corinth many years ago about the differences of people, and who to follow.  He described these Christians as being immature in 1 Corinthians 3:1, "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ."  He explains that they were not "spiritual people" but immature in their Christian faith. 

Our perspectives need to mature from an individual one to that of Christ, as we are called to grow up to maturity in Christ.  He describes in 3:4, "For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?"  To follow men primarily is a mistake as we are called to follow Christ, who is the Savior of our souls.  We act like natural people instead of Spiritual people when we follow personalities and individual perspectives.  

Each of us has gifts, personalities, experiences, and perspectives that we are called to use as servants for Christ.  But let us remember that we need God's perspective for our faith to grow to wisdom in Christ.  Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 3:21, "So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours ..."  In Christ we have all the wisdom of God, and we need to seek the wisdom of Scripture from God's perspective.  

FAITH TODAY: 1 Corinthians 3:22-23, "... whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future - all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

Forgiven forever

Recently there was news of a Christian leader that fell into sin and his ministry suffered great loss.  There have been many questions about how this could have happened.  The bad news was shocking to hear and the trust he had built with many people for many decades was lost in a moment.  

Criticism was voiced for how dishonest he had been and how hypocritical he was.  And as much as I agreed that he had fallen into sin, I was disappointed in people's reactions.   We all should be completely humble to remember that we are no different in essence than the most sinful person in the world.  

The great news is that when we, in grace, turn to Christ and repent, God forgives us for all our sins.  There may be visible consequences of our sins, or there may not be manifestations for others to see.  But we can be made Spiritually clean in an instant, and forever.   

It is in Christ we can be forgiven and made clean as the fresh driven snow.  Because of this, let us seek to follow Him faithfully to glorify Him in all our lives.  It is only through repentance to Christ that we can be restored to God.  

FAITH TODAY: Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

What Do You Believe?

This blog seeks to encourage people in the grace and truth of Christ, so as to know what to believe, and then to live out the true historic faith that has come through the ages.  It's been 20 centuries since Jesus lived, taught, died, and rose again from the grave.  Many billions of Christians have come to faith in that time, and there's one Creed that has lasted through the ages and has been more effective than any other.  This confession has been a great encouragement to my faith, and to many others as well.  

The Apostles' Creed was first developed by the Apostles and is a great confession.  It was informal and unofficial at first but it was Trinitarian, as it acknowledged the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and what each has done.  I've been greatly blessed by this creed because of its content, but also because we use to recite it every Lord's day, out loud, in worship, and it revived my drooping faith, it awakened my heart again to the unchanging and necessary focus on God Himself.  I highly recommend memorizing it and reciting it on a regular basis.  And I recommend reciting Scripture too.  

Here is the confession as it was given at Independent Presbyterian Church for many wonderful years.  It really was the bedrock of the sermons and the worship, and the faith we rejoiced in.  

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead; I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.  Amen.

We need to confess our faith!  And this begins with "I believe."  And then "in God."  We must confess that we believe in God first and foremost.  He is the object of our faith, in all his glory! 

I also believe the old English helps us to see the historical nature of the confession and our need for the historic biblical faith.  This creed began with the Apostles, and it summarizes our faith in every situation in life.  We can only know God in his grace and truth through Scripture.  And we can confess our faith in a historic creed.  But let's confess our faith, not our fears.  Christ is alive and well and He calls us to Him.  

FAITH TODAY:  Galatians 5:5-6, "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love."

Got Spirit?

 If you asked me how many times I've seen a commercial or an advertisement that promotes some product or service, I'd say it's way beyond numbering.  Our culture is filled with marketing advertisements.  Each of them has a particular angle they are promoting to have you buy their stuff.  

All the major marketing promotions have an emotional appeal to get you to like what they've got.  And often times marketing turns into emotional manipulation.  Even at sporting events we basically are hearing a similar message, you need to get into the spirit of the game, you need to buy into the wave of what's positive and popular.  We need to catch on to the gig.  

But, do we have the spirit of the world or the Spirit of Christ?  This is a good question I believe because it helps us to know Him, to understand His heart as well as His mind.  What is the Spirit of Christ?  In the sermon on the mount, Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs, is the kingdom of heaven."  Here Jesus described that we need a humble spirit that accepts the truths of God and receives Him to receive eternal life.  We cannot receive the Spirit of Christ with a proud spirit.  

We also see this as Christ taught his disciples in John 3:5, "Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."  We must be born of the Spirit of God to enter the kingdom of God.  This is not the spirit of the world but the Holy Spirit, and He is supernatural, and only He can regenerate our souls and transform our lives.  

Our faith will be inspired and strengthened when we humbly receive the Word of God and the Spirit of Truth.  The Holy Spirit seeks to lead us into all truth.  Do we have this Spirit?  

FAITH TODAY:  John 16:13, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."

What a Year

I just recently looked back on this blog and realized it's been almost a year since I've posted anything.  I've been busy with work, family, and life.  And, oh what a year it's been.  

COVID-19 has changed the world.  The Coronavirus pandemic started sometime in 2019 in China, and it has spread around the world this year.  It's been devastating.  It has killed thousands of people and changed the way we live.  We've learned about closing down businesses, social distancing, and wearing face masks.  We've had our lives interrupted.

Even more, the pandemic has been a big part in the social unrest in our culture.  And all this during an election year, which is being played out long past Election Day.  There is a big conspiracy theory that the voting machines have been rigged to displace votes to the Democrats.  If that's even remotely proven to be true there will be a counter-revolution which we can't even imagine.  The socialistic revolution that has taken place is also beyond my imagination.  America has been changed forever I'm afraid.

The great news is that God has not changed, and his Word has not changed.  In Hebrews 13:8, we are reminded that, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  This is good news indeed, for it brings us faith today!  Despite what may come in the next few weeks or months, we can continue to call upon the name of the Lord, who is eternal.  

FAITH TODAY:  Hebrews 13:7-8, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Angels We Have Heard On High

We've just come through another Christmas season.  This year was once again a busy and stressful time, and now as we recover from the hype, I am taking time to reflect on what Christmas is really all about.  One of my favorite Christmas carols has always been, "Angels We Have Heard On High."

This carol was developed from the gospel of Luke 2:8-14.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

It is so good to rest after the "holiday" and meditate upon these wonderful words that describe the heavenly host, who proclaimed the glory of Christ who came to earth for us.  Here is a brief description of the name.

"Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest") is a Christian hymn known also as the Greater Doxology (as distinguished from the "Minor Doxology" or Gloria Patri) and the Angelic Hymn^[1][2]/Hymn of the Angels.^[3] The name is often abbreviated to Gloria in Excelsis or simply Gloria.

And here are the lyrics for meditation.

Angels We Have Heard on High

Pentatonix

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly, sweetly through the night
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brief delight

Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspires your heavenly song?

Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing,
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.…

Source: LyricFind

The Spirit Controlled Temperament

Tim LaHaye is probably most well known for his "end times" fictional books in the "Left Behind" series.  But, if I can be given a minute to describe one of his earlier books that have really benefited me, that book is "The Spirit Controlled Temperament."  

LaHaye first describes the four basic personality patterns or temperaments.  He also explains how there are primary and secondary traits we all have.  These are broken down into Extrovert types being in the Sanguine and Choleric, and the Introvert types being described as Melancholy and Phlegmatic.  Each of us has a primary trait and then at least one other secondary trait that describes our personalities.  And each of the temperaments are all good, none is better than another and they should all be seen to have creative and positive aspects.  But, because we live in a broken world and we are sinful in and of ourselves, each of us can fall into a "selfishness" that is sinful and sometimes destructive.

Identifying the primary sin we all suffer from to one degree or another as "selfishness" is very helpful.  In my first reading of the book approximately fifteen years ago I was blessed to understand that to some degree my own selfishness was the cause of my sin.  The real insight came however in understanding that this selfishness usually results in either being led by "fear" or "anger" as the primary cause.  I could see this in my life after I thought it through.  It can be very subtle however as fear and anger are usually masked by some other positive explanation, as we want to explain or excuse ourselves.  But against God's righteous character, we can see that we are seeking our own sinful desires all too often.  There are times of course when fear can be caused by something that is actually very bad, like the fear of cancer or of crimes committed against us.  And anger can be triggered by righteous indignation against injustice from exploitation or oppression, etc.  But primarily, fear and anger arise from our own selfishness.  And this is the essence of the sinful nature.

LaHaye makes the all-important transition from identifying the problem to moving toward a Biblical solution in becoming controlled by the Holy Spirit.  Just as each temperament can fall into a selfishness that is destructive, so each one can be yielded to the Holy Spirit to become fruitful in the gifts of the Spirit.  In several sections of Scripture LaHaye points out that God wants us to be Spirit-filled, and this causes a change in our disposition and outlook.  Even more, this changes our behavior and lifestyle.  In Galatians 5:16-26 we see an example of how the Spirit can work.

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

I believe this is the life-changing transformation that is called sanctification and I believe it is the most overlooked doctrine in the contemporary church.  So often we hear about the justification by faith alone that marked the Protestant Reformation, which is from the grace of Christ, and it is central to our salvation.  But, there is the inseparable doctrine of sanctification that is also needed for Christians to understand how to live in the Holy Spirit.  And, it brings so many blessings in life to actually be changed, to be freed up from our sin and selfishness, and to walk in the newness of life in the Spirit.

There are not enough words to describe how needy I am for the Holy Spirit to transform me day by day.  Yet, "The Spirit Controlled Temperament", by Tim LaHaye does a great job to start us on the path of being led by and living in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  Thanks be to God!

FAITH TODAY:  Romans 8:5-8, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

The Power of Prayers

In the book of Ephesians Paul has two remarkable prayers.  He is demonstrating his need for the power of the Holy Spirit in both of these prayers as he writes his letter not only to the church in Ephesus but to us in our day.  This book is considered a "circular letter" that was to be passed on to the other churches near Ephesus.  The Holy Spirit has shared it with every generation since then as well.

In chapter one Paul prays for the faith of the Ephesians.  In v.15-23, he describes many areas in which we can grow in Spiritual strength.  In v.17 we read, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him."  This is profound because Paul is praying for something very practical and valuable from something that is often abstract.  He prays for the wisdom of God from the knowledge of God, which is sometimes considered very intangible.  Yet he connects the two by showing we need to have "the eyes of your hearts enlightened."  Paul is praying that God would open their minds to the knowledge of God by opening the "eyes of their hearts" first.

The benefits of this wisdom are that it helps us know, 1) the hope to which He calls us, 2) the riches of his glorious inheritance, and 3) the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.  This is all according to the working of "his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places."  The power of the Holy Spirit is not only able to raise us to eternal life when we die, but He is also able to give us wisdom in this life to know the hope, the inheritance, and the power of God in the here and now.  This is totally awesome to put it in contemporary jargon.

Also in chapter three Paul prays a very similar prayer for Spiritual strengthening.  Beginning in v.14 he bows before the Father and prays that "according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being."  This is also amazing because Paul acknowledges "the riches of glory" in Christ.  God is overwhelmingly rich in his glory, and according to God's glory, Paul prays that we may be strengthened in our inner being.  It's from God's glory that he prays and it is to God's glory he prays for us that we may be strengthened for we cannot do anything on our own.  Also, Paul prays that God would grant it to happen.  Only God can strengthen us Spiritually and it's not a given, we must pray for it.  It must be granted by God's decree.

Paul continues to ask God in v.18 that we would have the strength to comprehend "the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge."  This is big, it is past our natural abilities to know.  We can only comprehend the magnitude of who God is and what he has done through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in Scripture.  And, this in turn will yield a great result, for Paul describes, "that you may be filled with the fullness of God."  What could be better than to have the strength of the Holy Spirit and then to be filled with the "fullness of God."  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we are filled with God.  And this happens through being filled with the Word of God.  And, blessedly, we then cannot be filled with ourselves.

The strength of God comes through the Spirit of God and from the Word of God and prayer.  These are two remarkable prayers that have empowered the saints to understand the love of Christ, which we know as the gospel.  Such Christians have supernatural power and they care not for themselves directly but for the glory of the God who has redeemed them.  They are filled with the Spirit of Christ as they encounter the love of God "that surpasses knowledge."  This is another awesome prayer, and I have only encountered this type of Spiritual fulfillment on a few occasions in my life.  Yet this is what I seek to live in faith every day.  My faith is empowered by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

FAITH TODAY: Ephesians 3:16-17, "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

The Faith of the Resurrection

As we celebrate Easter this year I am excited again to remember the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.  Many have said that the resurrection is the central doctrine of the Christian faith, and I would agree.  For without the resurrection of Jesus, he would not be the Christ.  His whole life and ministry would have been a fraud, a scam, and a big hoax.  But if Jesus was who he claimed to be and he did rise from being dead for three days then he is the Christ, and Christianity is the only true faith in the world.

But even more, the resurrection of Jesus from the grave can give us new "life" each day of our lives.  We can live in resurrection life in the here and now.  This is what I long for.  The Spiritual life I experienced when I was born again has made all the difference in my big-picture perspective of what life is all about.  And it gives me inspiration on a daily basis.  The Holy Spirit can not only regenerate my soul for salvation, but He can also inspire me for Christian living.

Faith is an interesting thing though.  At first, it is the gift of salvation that we must receive to become a Christian.  And secondarily it is like the "air" we breathe in our daily life as Christians.  Much like when a new born baby takes his first breath when he is born, so the first breath of salvation brings us to life.  But then the new child must keep on breathing, inhaling, and exhaling, the breath of life.  And as Christians, we must keep breathing the faith of the resurrection to live the Spiritual life.

Each Christian needs the resurrection of their Spiritually dead soul to become a Christian.  And then living in faith is like breathing in the air of the new life.  We need a believing faith just as a new child needs breathing air.  Often we need to rest and catch our breath from a busy time.  But we need to keep breathing in the fresh air of God's Word to fill our bodies and soul with God's grace and faith.  The resurrection life gives us Spiritual life for living every day.  Let's keep breathing in the faith of the resurrection.

FAITH TODAY: Ezekiel 37:10, "So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army."

The Object of The Faith

If we look at Revelation 7:9-12 we see an awesome description of the Lord in heaven.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

The saints are crying out in a loud voice praising God saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"  Here we see the end game of all of human history.  All the saints from all over the world throughout all time are praising God for their salvation.  It is so glorious of Jesus that even the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures all fell on their faces and worshiped God.  Jesus is the object of the Christian faith for he is the one who has made it happen, and it is unto his glory that the human race is giving praise.

We who are given such wonderful grace are the subjects that are glorifying Christ the object of our faith.  We see clearly in the text that the center of attention is the object being worshiped.  He is worthy of our praise.  And our calling is to be Christ-centered, to be lifted up from our brokenness, and to focus our lives upon him.  Therefore we must not be subjective in our orientation to the people of the world but be objective in our faith focusing on Christ and his kingdom.  This is the paradigm in heaven and God's will for us here on earth.

Our call in ministry is to help people see this vision of Christ lifted up and glorified.  This vision is meant for us here and now, that's why it was given to us in Scripture.  And, this vision is what will lift up our faith out of the brokenness of the here and now so that we are not bogged down with despair.  We need a healthy dose on a daily basis of the reality of heaven and the glory of Christ.  He is worth living for so that all of our lives would be conformed to him.  He alone can change us to become diligent disciples today through the inspiration of his glory.

FAITH TODAY:  Rev. 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

A Heart For Theology

R.C. Sproul has said regarding the study of theology, 'It's not theology that we really want but the God of the theology we study that we want.'  And this is exactly correct in that we want to know who God is so that we can be in communion and relationship with him.  Even more, we were created by God and for God, and as Augustine described in his Confessions, "You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."  I can so relate to these truths as I long to know God so that I can also know who I am and what the meaning and purpose of life are all about.

Often times in our broken world teachers and preachers will acknowledge our longing to know our purpose in life but will direct that longing toward the things of this world.  Even as we are created for God we are also created to be in relationship with other people, but our primary purpose is in knowing and living for the God of creation.  This may sound cold or even academic, but upon further review, we can see that it actually yields far greater blessings for ourselves, and for all our relationships.  Without truly knowing the source of Life we cannot understand the purpose of our lives.

When Jesus was being questioned by the religious leaders of his day about his teachings he recited the Shema prayer from Deuteronomy 6.  In Mark 12:30, Jesus declares, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."  Even though the Pharisees were seeking some reason to discredit and even condemn Jesus, they discovered that he indeed affirmed the greatest commandment to love God with all our being.  And why?  Because it is God who has created us for this very purpose and God alone is the only one who can give us our true identity and understanding of life.  Even more, God is glorified when his creation sings its praises to him as our God in all our hearts and minds.

But it is easy to let the study of theology be an end in itself as the religious leaders of Jesus' day had done.  Just as we can go off course toward loving the things of this world too much, so we can also love the learning and the knowledge of God without really having a love for God to begin with.  To prevent either problem we need to ensure that both the head and the heart are always tied together.  We need to have a heart for God himself so that we will have a passion to know him.  But with this genuine love, we must always be re-minded that we are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."  We need to always have our heads ruling our hearts because we are so easily distracted.  Our minds must always have the priority and give direction to our hearts, so as to stay committed to the calling of loving God with all our beings.

The Word of God is where we learn that we are to love God with all our souls, and so we must always have our minds engaged to have our hearts aflame.  And in regard to loving people, Jesus added another commandment, "The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”  When we have a heart for the God of our theology we discover with our minds that it is indeed God who we want and who we need above all things.  And in return, we will have our hearts filled with his grace and we will be able to love our neighbors even as ourselves.  This is good theology, to love God and to truly know God, and then to love our neighbors out of the overflow of our hearts.

FAITH TODAY:  Matthew 22:37, "And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

Happy New Career

It is customary to wish people "Happy New Year" on the first day of January every year.  It's a new beginning on the calendar, it's now 2018 instead of 2017, and we can use this opportunity to take on a new and fresh outlook on life.  It can also be a new chapter in our lives as we begin something new in our work or school.  Today it is a new chapter in my life, I begin a new 'career' so to speak, as I've retired from flying and now I can pursue other areas of interest.

Since about 1978 I've been interested in Christian Education as I've found that the Bible and Christianity answer all the big questions of life.  I'm also interested in teaching these truths to other people and especially my own family.  I changed colleges that year to a Christian college and changed my major from Biology to 'Bible' as I believed God was calling me into the ministry.  Due to many extenuating circumstances, I was not able to attend seminary at that time, and in 1982 I entered the Navy to become a pilot.  After several years in the Navy, I tried to go to seminary again, but due to other extenuating circumstances, I wasn't able to pull it off.  So I then pursued a flying career with a major airline and have worked there for the last twenty-seven-plus years.  Wow, it's been a journey, and yesterday was my last day with that company.

Today then is the beginning of the rest of my life!  Ha, but true all the same.  And I'm still interested in Christian Education not only to teach the answers to the big questions of life but to also teach the Bible for all of life.  There's no question that the world is broken and it is a terrible place to live in at times.  And there should be no question that this brokenness provides us with ample evidence that we need God for all aspects of our life.  I need God in every aspect of my life.  The Bible teaches us that we need to know God and that we should live for God in all aspects of our lives.  This doctrine of knowing God is the essence of Christian Education.  We need to know God for our salvation and Spiritual growth.  And, he has created us for this very purpose, it is his delight that we come to him to love him and live for him.

Toward this goal, I've enrolled in RTS Global to begin an M.A. degree in Theological Studies to develop my skills and knowledge to teach.  Christian Education is the catalyst to know and love the God who has created us, which is a ministry we desperately need in our postmodern world.  This is my 'new career' that I've been excited about for several decades.  I'm very grateful to have a chance to begin this new work.  The truth of Scripture brings new "light and life" which is Spiritual life indeed.

FAITH TODAY:  John 1:3-5, "All things were made through him (Christ), and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  

Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas and we had a great time with the family of kids and grandkids.  It was wonderful to be with them as we only see some of them a few times a year.  Alison and Cam came in a week early to attend a wedding for one of Ali's high school friends and then had to go back to Colorado.  And Valerie and Tim came in last Thursday with Michael and Graham, and we are sharing them with Tim's parents for the holidays.  That's still great to have them in town for a few days.  Andrew came in yesterday afternoon, Christmas Eve, and then had to go back to Chattanooga again today in order to be back to work tomorrow morning.  But it was great to have him even for a short time.

Each year I like to read a passage from Scripture and this morning I read from Luke 2:8-20.  This is the story of the shepherds when they were greeted by the angels announcing the coming of the Christ child.  Luke 2:9 captures the essence of the passage, "And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid."  The shepherds were low-income, unskilled workers given the small responsibility assignment of tending the sheep.  And yet the angel came to them initially to announce the birth of Jesus.  Needless to say, they were "greatly afraid," and even terrified.  The appearance of a supernatural being out of nowhere, appearing in the great glory of the Lord, must have been spellbinding.  The glory of God is something very few of us have experienced.

But this is the essence of Christmas according to the Bible.  Further on we see in v.13, "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  Not only did an angel of God come to announce the coming of the Messiah to the world, but then "a multitude of the heavenly host" came to declare the glory of God coming into the world as a man.  This is big news, it is some of the most amazing news that ever happened.  The heavenly host is the heavenly army of angels of God, all praising God for this baby Jesus.

The baby Jesus would grow in stature and wisdom and live a perfect life.  He would spend just three years ministering to a handful of disciples to teach them the gospel of grace and truth, that we all need for our salvation.  He would lay down his life deliberately for the atonement of our sins, and rise again to conquer sin and death for all who receive him.  His disciples in turn would teach us all to live for this Jesus as he is the Christ, in devotion for the salvation that he has given us.  This life of Jesus began in Bethlehem and it was announced with the great glory of God as He was the Christ, the Messiah, and the Lord who will also come again to earth in great glory.

FAITH TODAY:  Luke 2:10-11, "Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving and I for one have a lot to be thankful for.  First, I'm still relatively healthy although I am beginning to feel the aches and pains of being sixty years old instead of thirty or forty.  Secondly, I have a wonderful family with a beautiful wife and six particular children, and four amazing grandchildren.  Thirdly, I live in a free country that is still relatively free from the corruption of socialism and communism.  So far at least.  Lastly, I am a Christian with the gift of salvation in Christ, and I have a Bible that I can read and study every day.

It is the Bible that I want to highlight today in my thankfulness.  I don't give thanks for my Bible all the time but I should, for it is the Word of God that gives light unto my path.  Just now I was reading in Mark 4, as our Sunday School class is studying the book of Mark this year.  In this chapter, Jesus teaches the parable of the sower and the seed.

It is an amazing story if we take the time to read it and listen carefully to what Jesus is saying.  He tells of a sower who sowed the same seed that fell on four different types of soil.  There was the path which represents ground that was packed down and trodden upon so that the seed didn't penetrate the soil, and the birds came and devoured the seed.  There was the rocky ground that didn't have much soil, so the seed sprang up but it wasn't able to push down deep roots, and the sun scorched the seed and it withered away.  The other seed was sown among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked the seed, and it yielded no grain.  But other seed fell among good soil and it grew up and produced grain, some yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.

Jesus then went on to explain the parable, and to describe the purpose of parables.  The parables are earthly stories that explain heavenly realities.  They are tangible illustrations that reveal Spiritual truths.  Jesus teaches us in Mark 4:11-12, "And he said to them, To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven."  Here we see that Jesus references OT prophets who also spoke to people who did not hear the Word.  This parable is about the power of the Word of God, to bear fruit among different types of soil.

As we read this parable we should ask ourselves if we have accepted the Word of God appropriately.  Is the "soil" of our hearts packed down and hardened, so that the birds take away the Word?  Is our heart shallow so that the seed does not penetrate and push down deep roots to grow from?  Or is our heart filled with thorns that choke the Word from growing?  Hopefully, our hearts will accept the Word and find good soil so that it can develop good roots and bear a great crop.

As Jesus explained this parable he asked the disciples a question.  In Mark 4:13 he says, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?"  It is the Spiritual realities of the parables that Jesus was asking if we understand.  Jesus uses everyday examples of the truth that we can see and understand to illustrate Spiritual realities that we need.  In this parable, it is the seed, the Word of God that makes all the difference in our lives.  And he asks us, do we understand?  We need to accept the Word and cultivate it in our hearts to grow Spiritually and bear fruit for everlasting life.

This is a great message of how great the Word of God can be in our lives.  This is another reason why I am thankful today to have the Bible, for it to cast light upon my path and truth for my life.  Let us give thanks to God for his Word and for his illumination of it in our lives.  Amen.

FAITH TODAY:  Mark 4:20, "But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Prophet, Priest and King

When Christians describe Jesus as the Messiah, the King, or the Lord, they are referring to his titles as being the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father.  He is the incarnation of God, the embodiment of God, the God-Man, who has come into the world to be the Savior of all who believe.  He has many offices and he has many names in the Bible and a great one is found in John 8:58, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."  By saying this he identified himself with God as we know from the burning bush story with Moses, as the great "I AM," from Exodus 3:14.

Jesus is the promised Messiah and he also fulfilled the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.  In the Old Testament, we see that the Prophet spoke forth the Word of God for instruction for the people of God, and also spoke prophecy of coming events of God in the future.  The Priest interceded for the people of God in prayers and sacrifices for their sins and needs.  And the King led the people of God with a vision of God and away from the brokenness of the world.  The prophets were primarily teachers, the priests were primarily spiritual caretakers, and the kings were the leaders of the people of God.

Each of the offices of prophet, priest, and king is still important for the church today, and the elders of the church usually have one primary ministry in one of these roles, even though we are called to uphold them all.  But the prophet I believe is the essential office for the health and well-being of the family and church.  For if we do not understand what the Bible says correctly and we are led astray from the primary teaching of the gospel, our leadership and caring for people we run amiss.  If our caring becomes the desires of the people, or the leadership becomes like the world, then the people of faith will be led astray from God and his kingdom.  We can only understand these offices from the gift of teaching and a commitment to truth, which the prophets must uphold truthfully.

To care for and lead the family of faith with grace, we must accept the truth of Christ as our first priority.  Then the other ministries will come together under the Word of God for the glory of Christ.  To really care for people in the long term we must teach them graciously about the grace and truth of Christ, (John 1:14).

FAITH TODAY: Matthew 22:31-32, "And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  He is not God of the dead, but of the living."