He Trains Us To Obedience

"Another end which the Lord has in afflicting his people is to try their patience, and train them to obedience—not that they can yield obedience to him except in so far as he enables them; but he is pleased thus to attest and display striking proofs of the graces which he has conferred upon his saints, lest they should remain within unseen and unemployed. Accordingly, by bringing forward openly the strength and constancy of endurance with which he has provided his servants, he is said to try their patience. Hence the expressions that God tempted Abraham, and made proof of his piety by not declining to sacrifice his only son. Hence, too, Peter tells us that our faith is proved by tribulation, just as gold is tried in a furnace of fire. But who will say it is not expedient that the most excellent gift of patience which the believer has received from his God should be applied to uses by being made sure and manifest? Otherwise men would never value it according to its worth. But if God himself, to prevent the virtues which he has conferred upon believers from lurking in obscurity, nay, lying useless and perishing, does aright in supplying materials for calling them forth, there is the best reason for the afflictions of the saints, since without them their patience could not exist. I say, that by the cross they are also trained to obedience, because they are thus taught to live not according to their own wish, but at the disposal of God. Indeed, did all things proceed as they wish, they would not know what it is to follow God. Seneca mentions that there was an old proverb when any one was exhorted to endure adversity, thereby intimating, that men truly submitted to the yoke of God only when they gave their back and hand to his rod. But if it is most right that we should in all things prove our obedience to our heavenly Father, certainly we ought not to decline any method by which he trains us to obedience."

John Calvin, On the Christian Life, Chapter 3: Of Bearing the Cross - One Branch of Self Denial

Of These Destinations

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are helping each other to one or other of these destinations.”

Clive Staples Lewis

Motivation

I am so very thankful for the orthodox Christian faith in which I may rest. For centuries the church fathers prayed and studied and persevered to arrive at the foundational understanding of the primary doctrines of Scripture in which we now abide. My fear is that many professing believers give little or no thought or consideration to such doctrines. About ten years ago the Christian Book-Sellers Association gave out its annual sales numbers: 86% of book sales were Christian fiction, 10% were self-help books, and 4% were books on doctrine. Is it any wonder that most Christians cannot articulate precisely what they believe and why?

I do not make these observations as an avenue for admonishment, but rather as an encouragement and a challenge to myself and other Christians to do the work of study so that we may know the Word of God, showing ourselves approved workmen who need not be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth. We should be intentional in our use of time to study the great doctrines of the faith: justification, salvation, election, redemption, confession, repentance, etc. We should purpose to hear sermons that exalt Jesus Christ and His glory by men who are faithful to the Scriptures. We should invest our time in reading great Bible expositors like Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Watson, John Owen, John Calvin, etc.

Most importantly, however, is not the study of this great truth or the words of these great men of faith, but rather our motivation for such discipline. Our motivation must solely and absolutely be our love for Jesus Christ. He is the Object of our faith, and there is none other. So before we run off with a renewed determination to be faithful, life-long students of the Word of God, let us remember that we do not have a relationship with a book. We having a relationship with the Son of God Who bore our sin and set us free. Thus, we may study and learn and grow, but it is out of the overflow of our love for the Lord that such faithfulness must come.

"constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father." 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Rare Indeed

In order to put in the study time necessary for seminary, it is all about location, location, location. I put in a reasonable amount of time in various libraries, but I also set up a desk that looks out from our second floor master bedroom over the small lake in our backyard. If ever I need to stop reading or writing for a moment to think, I can gaze out past the trees, watch for squirrels that are suffering from lead deficiency, look over the water, and see a Great Heron that daily depletes our stock of perch. There is also a party of duck regulars, mostly mallards, that congregate directly behind the house. These inhabitants have become commonplace.

As I was working on an assignment today, however, I looked outside to find a pair of Wood ducks paddling right up against the shore. The females are fair looking enough birds, but the males are striking. I watched the male for five minutes before I realized that the day was ebbing away and I had better get back to the grind, but the sight of so rare a visitor stayed with me.

Those things which we hold as common do not move or stir us simply because they are common. Perhaps this explains why it is such a profound thing to encounter a man whose life is, in every way, surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. His fear is in the Lord, not men. His hope is in Jesus Christ, not his own strength. His trust is in the veracity of the Word of God, not the temporal thoughts of the culture. His eternity is intimately tied to the finished work of Christ on the Cross, not the vain hopes of carnal men. His love is given to the Lord alone, not the creation. His sleep is deep and sweet for he knows to Whom he belongs, and he knows and believes by faith that all the promises of God are realized in the Son of God in Whom he trusts.

Rare indeed is such a man, and yet we persevere that we may be sanctified into such a man.

"For I have taken all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are in the hand of God . . ." Ecclesiastes 9:1

I Believe by Hannah Starr

For the past two months, I have been learning how to develop a worldview that is built on a Biblical foundation. Here are seven things it should include: What is God like, which should briefly show a small fraction of His character. Also, what is the nature of the universe, how did it come into existence. What is the essential nature of man, the basis of morality, the cause of evil and suffering? If you were to ask someone if they knew what happens to them at death, they most likely would not be able to give you a solid answer. If someone were to ask me, a Christian this question, I would need to be able to give them a confident answer. In the next few pages I have the answers to these questions, and these answers, will explain my worldview.

First, I studied the characteristics of God. The two major characteristics I have been focusing on are: God is infinite and He is eternal. The Lord is infinite, which means he is not confined to His creation. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, became incarnate in the flesh. He put Himself lower than His creation and accomplished what He set out to do. The Lord is personal; He has all the elements of intellect, personality, feelings, and will. The Lord acts according to His person and will. As I continued my studies, I confirmed that God is the ultimate creator of everything we know and see.

Psalms 33: 6,9 says, “that by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. For He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast.” To write a book it would take months or even years to put your knowledge on paper. What the Lord God of heaven and earth created in six days, makes our little creation look hardly comparable. When the Lord created the earth, all He had to do was utter a word and it was done. In Psalm 33:9 it says, for He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast. The same Lord that created the universe and its inhabitants, is the same Lord that lives in me and knows my every thought. I can hide nothing from Him, for He created, and He loves me. God loves me so much that He created me in the image of Himself.

Man is created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). God created man to be perfect, but He also gave man a free will. With his free will man chose to sin, which leads to death. In Genesis 1:27 it says, “ God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” God created man to be perfect, but He also gave him a free will. With man’s free will, sin entered into the world. Because of sin, man is alienated from fellowship with God. Our understanding has been darkened by the prince of the power of the air (Satan). The spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience entices man to follow the lusts of the flesh. But by God’s grace, He made us a promise in that through Him, we may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. The Lord is waiting for us in heaven, and until then, He has given us guidelines on how we should live.

The Bible reflects the character of God. He has given us His holy word (the Bible) for guidelines on how we should live our lives, and an understanding of what is good and true in the sight of the Lord. The Lord is perfect, so the commands of the law of God are perfect. In Micah 6:8 it commands us to do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord our God. When people do not have a relationship with their creator, and are not walking with Him, they can not know what is good and true. I think some people have a desire to do good, but are not willing to give up the lusts of the flesh. Their desire for good is sometimes overpowered by their lust for sin. If you have a relationship with your Father in heaven and are walking with Him, you will be able to judge the temptations of sin that cross your path, and you will be able to conquer, with God’s help, the sin that constantly seeks to find you. In this is the question what is the cause of evil and suffering?

This morning, did you choose to have cereal or toast for breakfast? Our choice to choose what to eat for breakfast, our free will, is the root of our evil and suffering. When God created man, He made him in His own image. He also gave man a free will. With man’s ability to choose between good and evil, the first sin entered into the world. When Eve chose to listen to Satan’s lies, and disobey God, sin took a foothold in man's life. Now we have separation from our Creator and are destined to live for eternity apart form Him. But, by God’s grace we can have our sins forgiven and spend eternity with Him in heaven. All you have to do is confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him form the dead and you will be saved (Romans 10:9). By the saving grace of God the Father. Man can only be covered by saving grace if God has chosen him.

Whether a man belongs to Christ or does not; he either has life through Christ or he is dead in his sins. This is what I believe and know to be true of what happens to us after death. When we die, our physical body is buried, but our souls go either to heaven or hell (which is the difference between eternal life and eternal death). Jesus says, that after death, either a man has life through Christ, or he is dead in his sins. If you have given your life to Christ before death, you will live for eternity in comfort and rest with your heavenly Father. If you have not given your life to Him, you will live for eternity in the lake of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But, God has an alternate plan.

The prophet Isaiah in Isaiah.9:6 foretells the coming of Christ born of a virgin. To whom it was invisible, but has now become visible to the Church. The disciple John, in the book of Revelation prophecies the second coming of Christ. For whom to us, is still invisible. When the prophet Isaiah prophesied the coming of Christ in Isaiah 9:6 he foretells this saying, ‘For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of peace.’ Christ was born as the lowly of low. He went from suffering to the Savior of the world, and finally to the reigning King. The disciple John in Revelation speaks of the second coming of Christ. When Christ will come again and lift the righteous from the unrighteous. Matthew 24:32 “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other."

Dr. Francis Schaeffer writes: "The World is not going to get better and better. The Christian's hope is not the gradual betterment of the world, but that Christ is coming back again." Until Christ returns for His bride, I need to proclaim His truth to the ends of the earth. If I do not share this truth with every person I meet, then I have failed to fulfill the Great Commission.

As a result of what I have studied, my knowledge has soon become my belief. From what I have read, my understanding of what a worldview is has become visible to me, and I now understand how important it is to have one. As a Christian, I need to know what I am labeling myself as. I need to always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks me the reason for the hope that is in me with meekness and fear.

The Nicene Creed

I had to memorize this for an exam in Church History recently and it is incredible how simple a tool this would be to use in refuting many of the claims of the pseudo-Christian cults that have been spawned in our country. Remember as you read that "catholic" used in this sense means "universal."

"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable' — they are anathematized by the holy catholic and apostolic Church"

I Freely Confess

“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.”

Charles Darwin

A Legacy Of Life

It usually takes most of a man's life for him to realize the striking brevity of his own earthly existence. Once it happens, however, if he is wise, he will begin to take stock of all he has held in his hands, weighing his achievements against his failures, evaluating his decisions and priorities and their impact upon those whom he most loves.

There are those men who never consider such questions about the meaning of life, their use of it nor their affect upon others. They waste their lives serving themselves, giving lip service to knowing God while living in complete opposition to Him. As a result their lives are a barren wasteland strewn with the remnants of emotionally wrecked wives and wounded, discarded children. Theirs is a legacy of death.

There are also those men who consider each day questions about the meaning of life, their use of it and their affect upon others. They invest their lives in serving their families, loving by their words and their actions, living lives of faithfulness that point to the God Whom they serve. As a result their lives are a vineyard of the fullest fruit, their wives rejoicing in the Lord because of their husbands. Their children live surrounded by love and security because their father is living out toward them a picture of the faithful, unchanging, and unconditional love of their heavenly Father. Theirs is a legacy of life.

The man pictured above with his son, preparing for deer hunting season, is the latter of the two. In every way he is a picture to me of what a man who follows Jesus Christ should be. He loves the Lord above all else. He loves his wife and children more than his own life. He is faithful in his provision and his protection of and for his family. He says what he means and he means what he says. He is a man who is as good as his word. He is a just, kind and humble man. At the end of your life, if you could point to such a man and call him friend, you'd be a rich man indeed. And if you found such a man who would also marry your goofy baby sister, you'd be really blessed.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

Unearthing The Giants

To say that I have been busier in study of late is an understatement to be sure, but it has been a dizzying labor of love, intoxicating in the most unbelievable and surprising ways. Tonight was yet another example as I searched for a specific book that may help me in deciding on a research paper for one of my classes. In lieu of an office, I have closets full of boxed books. Consequently, finding a resource takes more time and searching than usual, but it was the search that revealed the treasure.

As I looked through box after box, reading the familiar titles as they cascaded through my hands like well-worn cards, I realized that each book held some role, either great or small, in the spiritual formation of my life in Christ. It seems a strange thing to keep great men of God, such giant mentors, entombed in cardboard within my closets, but they seem not to mind. I remember how much I enjoyed having them, Spurgeon, Edwards, Watson, Owen, Baxter, Bonhoeffer, Pink, Piper, Tozer and others, just a chair role and a stretch away. I have a deep and abiding appreciation for men such as these who counted the cost and then gave everything they were for the glory of God. I miss having them close in a strange way that I suppose only readers will understand, but it makes me look forward to unearthing them all the more when the Lord chooses to plant us in a local church in which I may serve and lead, and let loose the giants who patiently wait for me to call upon them again.

"When you come bring . . . the books, especially the parchments." 2 Timothy 4:13

Of The Fruit Of This Tree, Eat

I heard an interesting analogy recently about two men who were walking through the woods together on a Sunday morning. They were very hungry as they walked until they came upon a wild and beautiful peach tree heavy with fruit. Both men took fruit from the tree and ate until they were full. One of the men decided that he wanted more of the fruit so he filled his hands with peaches to carry home. The other man took no fruit with him, but upon arriving home, he grabbed a shovel and went back into the woods, dug up the tree and planted it at his home. The abundance of fruit nourished his family for the rest of their lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the tree is the Word of God. The man who took fruit home in his hands is the Christian who comes to church once or twice a week, receives a filling, and then expects that nourishment will sustain him for the rest of the week. The man who is wise will plant the Word of God in his home that he may feed himself and his family for the rest of their lives. Perhaps you have heard it said that someone left a certain church, or didn’t like a particular pastor’s preaching, because they were not getting fed. Brethren, babies need to be fed. Mature Christians feed themselves on the Word of God. Let’s face it, our actions reveal what we truly believe. If we truly believe that knowing the Word of God is important, then we will do whatever it takes to be transformed by it every day.

"for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." 1 Peter 1:23

Oasis

There are times in life when the Lord may seem far away as if He has withdrawn for a season in order to give us opportunity to press forward in the disciplines of the faith. It is as if He asks us to continue in faithfulness even when we can see only one step ahead, to trust, to persevere. There are also times in life when the abiding presence of His Spirit is so palpable that He takes our breath away as we meet Him in exuberant worship. The latter was my experience yesterday as I began my MDiv classes at Southwestern.

The beginning of this three year degree program is the culmination of years of seeking the Lord for His timing for seminary. Every class resounded in my heart with confirmation that this is the perfect plan of God for our family unfolding before our eyes. By the time I left my last class at 9:00 pm and began the drive home from Ft. Worth, I was very thankful that I was alone as it provided me with two and a half hours in which to worship and pray and rejoice in the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our family has been through some desert places in the last few years that most people will never see, but the Lord is always faithful to provide for us the Oasis of Himself when we need Him most.

Thank You, Lord, that You are a God Who wants to be found by Your people.

"Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation." Hab 3:18

It Was For Freedom

We have lived in this wonderful house for the last six years. It has been a place of incredible love and faith as our family has continued to grow in the grace of Jesus Christ. It has been a place of incredible ministry as we have opened up our lives to the Body of Christ for prayer, study of the Word of God, worship, and fellowship. It has also been a place of incredible heat!

Our home is three levels set into the ground so that it appears to be a two story house. The top floor has never really cooled well in the summer. In fact, it is just ridiculous to try to fall asleep at night in the summer because it is just so hot. Having recently seen signs that our air conditioner is about to give up the ghost, I called in four local heating and air conditioning companies to give us quotes on the replacement cost. One of them was a young man named Colby who just looked really puzzled as he walked through our home.

"Your house should not be this hot. The system you have should be doing the job. Is it always this hot up here?"

Yes, Colby. It's not that we live in Hell, but you can see it from here. It's just that hot here all the time. As he continued to poke around our house, Colby looked at our duct work for a long time, and then finally asked why the baffle to the upstairs was closed . . . wait for it . . .

"What baffle?" For six years we have been roasting while the baffle was closed tight. With the slightest motion of his hand, Colby opened the baffle and cold air rushed upwards to end our suffering. In the master bedroom, a book that lay open on a desk on the opposite side of the room flipped wildly through the pages as cold air dropped the temperature by at least twenty degrees. It was all I could do to not break into the Scarecrow's solo "If I Only Had A Brain."

But as usual, these not yet humorous events got me thinking about more important issues. How many times do we let external forces like circumstances, or our past hurts, or our fears, or our familiar sins dictate what we believe to be true about ourselves and our Lord? If we are really Christians, then the Word of God is true for our lives. That means that what was true of us before Jesus Christ, the old Adam, is passed away. We are new creations in the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. With the slightest motion of His hand, the Son of God allowed nails to be driven through His flesh and grace flowed down to end our suffering. We are no longer enslaved to the sin nature of old. We can choose to obey the Lord rather than sin. We can choose holiness over sin. The only thing now enslaving us to sin is our love for it.

May we all recognize that the yoke of slavery has been loosed. We have been set free in Christ, having received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that we may live freely for the glory of God. Therefore, precious saints of God, keep standing firm in Jesus Christ.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

To A Living Hope

Just as life is fraught with its myriad struggles, so too is it replete with its blessings. Last night I received a book compiled with letters of encouragement from friends who are truly family in every sense of the word. It is so miraculous to me how simply living our lives in Jesus Christ can touch the lives of others in ways that we don't often see.

As the words of the precious saints of God fell upon my heart while reading through their letters of love to me and my family, I recognized once again that it is only those works of love born out of our love for Jesus Christ by which we may bring the infinite love of the Lord of Eternity to bear on the lives of others. All that we give to each other in word and deed find their worth and meaning in Jesus Christ. It is through Him that we have been rescued from a life of meaningless toil and hopelessness. It is through Him that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation in bringing to faith those who know only toil and hopelessness. It is through Him that we will one day leave behind this present earth and step into the hope that we have been promised in Heaven. So for a few more days, I will praise the Lord for rescue, for reconciliation and for hope.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3

To Him Who Is Able

It is almost laughable how the tyranny of things bound in time can occupy our minds so fully, so completely. The last few weeks for our family have been busy and prayerful and a race headlong into the unknown. Through the words of a friend, I found myself an hour from home preaching at a church filled with sweet people who love Jesus Christ. They have asked me to be their Interim Pastor beginning right away. I am relishing the future with such precious saints.

I have also registered for classes at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth and have about two more weeks until classes begin. There is plenty of studying to do in preparation for my classes as I have stacked all of them on Mondays, and the work load will be substantial.

Add to this the need to find the other half of our necessary monthly income so that the Starr Foundation can stay solvent, and you can find yourself slightly preoccupied.

And of course in the midst of all this excitement about new ministry and study, the enemy attacked with a ferocity that I had not experienced in many years. We must be doing something according to God's will with the steps that we have taken. No problem. We'll respond with love and grace, prayer and trust, and let the Lord work all things after the council of His will.

So while the pull of temporal necessities do indeed require my attention, I continue to be reminded that this life is but a vapor, a rehearsal for eternity, and I only get one shot at it. Consequently, in the harried hustle and bustle of the Twitter, texting, Facebook, cell phone, MySpace, high speed Internet, pager, headline-generating society in which we live, I will keep my eyes fixed on Jesus Christ the Immutable, Omniscient, Holy, Unchanging, Omnipotent Son of God.

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 1:24-25

Life Where There Is Death

"Is it easy to convince someone that the Bible is the Word of God on the basis of its unity, its scientific, historical accuracy, its miracles, its archaeological evidence? I haven't found that to be the case. In a special series spread over a three-week period I presented such data at a private college in California. I felt the proof was overwhelming and not one person became a believer. Why doesn't it convince all unbelievers when it's so convincing to us? Paul said it when he wrote, "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14). Only when the Holy Spirit does His regenerating work, only as He opens the mind, tears off the scales of blindness, gives life where there is death and plants the marvelous understanding of the revelation of God, only then do people come to believe and trust in the Bible. The reason I know the Bible is true is that the Spirit of God has convinced me of it."

John MacArthur