WHY DISCONTENT WILL DEFINE YOUR LIFE

Gary Thomas, in his book Authentic Faith, tells the following story:

When we visited Knott's Berry Farm, an amusement park with a frontier theme, there were virtually no lines, and we went easily from major attraction to major attraction, in many cases walking right on. If the kids really enjoyed the ride, they stayed on and rode again. 

My then six-year-old daughter Kelsey was having the time of her life. After about three hours, however, I noticed something curious. She jumped off some little cars; she had ridden a train, a log ride, a Ferris wheel, a flying school bus- you name it. Her words, however, revealed a spirit that was getting more hungry, not less: "What's next?" she asked, with a slightly desperate edge to her voice.

That's when I realized there's never quite enough excitement to quiet the human heart. We'll never have as much excitement as we want. This has been true from the beginning of time. (Gary Thomas, Authentic Faith, p.175)

A PRAYER FOR GOD'S CAUSE

Our prayer focus this week at Generations is for the lost. We are praying for the unreached, the nations, this nation, our own city and for those in our spheres of influence who do not know that what makes for peace (Luke 19:42). We are asking God to give us a deeper love for His lost sons and daughters and for Him to give us persistence in praying for them and boldness to bear witness to the truth of the gospel. Here is another prayer from the treasure trove that is The Valley of Vision. This is a prayer for God's Cause, again adjusting language for readability:

            SOVEREIGN GOD,
            Your cause, not my own, engages my heart,
                   and I appeal to you with greatest freedom
                   to set up your kingdom in every place where Satan reigns;
            Glorify yourself and I shall rejoice,
                   for to bring honor to your name is my sole desire.
            I adore you that you are God,
                   and long that others should know it, feel it,
                          and rejoice in it.
            O that all men might love and praise you,
                   that you might have all glory from the intelligent world!
            Let sinners be brought to you for your dear name!
            To the eye of reason everything respecting the conversion of others
                   is as dark as midnight,
            But you can accomplish great things;
                   the cause is yours,
                   and it is your glory that men should be saved.
            Lord, use me as you will;
                   do with me what you will;
                   but, O, promote your cause,
                   let your kingdom come,
                   let your blessed interest be advanced in this world!
            O do you bring in great numbers to Jesus!
                          let me see that glorious day,
                               and give me grasp for multitudes of souls;
                          let me be willing to die to that end;
                               and while I live let me labour for you
                                    to the utmost of my strength
                                    spending time profitably in this work,
                                    both in health and in weakness.
            It is thy cause and kingdom I long for, not my own.

            O, God, answer my request! (The Valley of Vision, God's Cause, p.177)      

A PRAYER FOR KNOWING GOD'S LOVE

We are preaching through a series on prayer at Generations right now, but more importantly we are in a season of prayer as a church. My own personal prayer life has been enriched by the collection of Puritan prayers compiled in the book, The Valley of Vision. I wanted to begin offering some of these prayers for the edification of our church family and as a help to them in their personal prayer and communion with God. This prayer, in the book is titled, A Convert's First Prayer, but it is actually a wonderful prayer worth offering at any time in one's journey with Christ. It's really more of a prayer that God's grace would continually grip our hearts and that His great love for us in Christ would increasingly shape us. I have altered the original language, replacing the "thee's and thou's" for the sake of readability... This is my prayer today and I hope you'll make it yours:

MY FATHER,
I could never have sought my happiness in your love,
            unless you first loved me.
Your Spirit has encouraged me by grace to seek you,
            has made known to me your reconciliation in Jesus,
            has taught me to believe it,
            has helped me to take you for my God and portion.

A DEEP AND SERIOUS MALADY OF THE SOUL

This is a rather prophetic word from A.W. Tozar, especially when you consider this was published in 1948. I wonder what he would have observed and written about the church today.

A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methods of reaching their goals. We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar.  

The tragic results of this spirit are all about us. Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit: these and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul.

THE FRUIT OF FREEDOM

One last pearl from our persecuted brothers and sisters in China to inspire our boldness in proclaiming Christ:

I asked whether, when and how the oppressed could truly threaten a totalitarian oppressor. They offered this scenario in response:

The security police regularly harass a believer who owns the property where a house-church meets. The police say, "You have got to stop these meetings! If you do not stop these meetings, we will confiscate your house, and we will throw you out into the street."

Then the property owner will probably respond, "Do you want my house? Do you want my farm? Well, if you do, then you need to talk to Jesus because I gave this property to Him."

WHAT HINDERS US?

A.W Tozar has the courage to ask the question that haunts my own soul regularly and I dare say weighs on most Christians in some way, shape or form. Wrestling with the apparent disconnect of God's presence made available to us and, in fact, promised to us through faith in Jesus Christ and by the  work of the Holy Spirit, he asks what hinders us from experiencing the fullness of God's presence? Why do we linger in the outer courts of the tabernacle when a way has been made for us into the holy of holies?

Tozar's answer the question is this:

The answer usually given, simply that we are "cold," will not explain all the facts. There is something more serious than coldness of heart, something that may be back of that coldness and be the cause of its existence. What is it? What but the presence of a veil in our hearts? a veil not taken away as the first veil was, but which remains there still shutting out the light and hiding the face of God from us. It is the veil of our fleshly fallen nature living on, unjudged within us, uncrucified and unrepudiated. It is the close-woven veil of the self-life which we have never truly acknowledged, of which we have been secretly ashamed, and which for these reasons we have never brought to the judgment of the cross. It is not too mysterious, this opaque veil, nor is it hard to identify. We have but to look in our own hearts and we shall see it there, sewn and patched and repaired it may be, but there nevertheless, an enemy to our lives and an effective block to our spiritual progress...

A QUESTION TO PIERCE YOUR HEART

A conversation between an old man who had survived major persecution for his faith in Jesus and an American missionary seeking to understand how faith in Christ flourishes amidst suffering:

"I thank God and take great joy in knowing that I was suffering in prison and in my country, so that you, Nik, could be free to share Jesus in Kentucky."

"Oh, no!" I protested. "No! You are not going to do that! You are NOT going to put that on me. That is a debt so large that I can never repay you!"

"Son, that's the debt of the cross!" He leaned forward and poked me in the chest with his finger as he continued, "Don't you steal my joy! I took great joy that was suffering in me country, so that you could be free to witness in your country." 

Then he raised his voice in a prophet-like challenge that I knew would live with me forever: "Don't ever give up in freedom what we would never have given up in persecution!" (Nik Ripken, The Insanity of God, p. 195-196)

If that doesn't pierce your soul you need to read it again. And then let this question confront you which has haunted me today, in both my head and heart: Have I willingly and weakly forfeited in freedom that which this man and so many other people have refused to surrender in the face of the worst forms of suffering and persecution? 

HOLY DESIRE

"The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain" (A.W. Tozar, The Pursuit of God, p. 18).

WHY PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS DON'T WRITE BOOKS

In a modern day missionary biography, The Insanity of God, Nik Ripken recalls some of the stories from a major research project he had undertaken, aimed at understanding how faith in Christ is sustained and even flourishes where the gospel is most violently opposed. His rendering of two particular interactions, one with a group of Russian believers and the other with a Ukranian brother, pierced my heart this morning as I read them.

The following account was after a round of interviews with a number of Christians in Russia where believers suffered significantly over a period of decades under communist rule:

When we stopped to eat lunch, I gently scolded the group, saying: "Your stories are amazing. Why haven't they been written down? Your stories sound like Bible stories come to life! I can't believe that you haven't collected them in a book, or recorded them in some video form..."

They seemed confused by what I was saying. Clearly, we were not understanding each other. Then one of the older pastors stood and motioned for me to follow him. He led me over to a large window in the front room of the home. s we stood together in front of the window, the old gentlemen speaking passable, but heavily accented English, said to me: "I understand that you have sons, Nik. Is that true?"

BOLDNESS AND WISDOM IN WITNESSING

I've noticed that the idea of sharing the gospel seems to intimidate most Christians. As I've read the Scriptures, I've also noticed that that fear is not unique to our generation or to the 21st century American brand of Christianity. Fear and insecurity about sharing the gospel was a reality in the early church as well. It was even true of the Apostle Paul. That's why Acts speaks repeatedly of believers gathering together and asking God for boldness to speak His word. That's why Paul let's the churches know he is praying for their boldness in sharing their faith. That's why Paul himself requests that these same churches pray for him to continue to preach the gospel boldly. Prayer for boldness was continuously necessary on behalf of all believers because it was continuously lacking in all believers.

That remains true for us as God's people. Our flesh always inclines us toward the fear of man. In fact, our flesh even inclines us toward contentment with fearing man. Apart from the empowering of the Spirit, we will sit back in a convenient and idle comfort that leads to spiritual apathy and atrophy.

THE LAWFUL USE OF THE LAW

In our church culture, "the law" has taken on a negative connotation. There are few things allegations that sting more for a church leader or a Christian than to be accused being too much law and not enough grace. In fact, the law has been pitted against grace, as though they are bitter enemies who are mutually exclusive. Most Christians or people familiar with the Scriptures would quote the apostle Paul to prove that point. Paul does speak out vehemently against legalists and heavy handed religious types who use the law to weigh people down with the burden of earning right standing with God. Absolutely, the law can be abused and misused to the peril of lost and hurting people in need of grace.

But in a letter to his young pastoral apprentice, Paul tells Timothy "we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully..." (1 Timothy 1:8). Understand, the law is not even morally neutral. Rather, the law, in and of itself, is a good thing. God's laws flow from His wisdom, kindness, goodness, grace, love and desire for our joy. The law is inherently good. 

THE PRODUCTIVITY OF PRAYER

"The quest for a contemplative life can actually be self-absorbed., focused on my quiet and me. If we love people and have the power to help, then we are going to be busy. Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart. In the midst of outer busyness we can develop an inner quiet. Because we are less hectic on the inside, we have a greater capacity to love... and thus to be busy, which in turn drives us even more into a life of prayer. By spending time with out Father in prayer, we integrate our lives with his, with what he is doing in us. Our lives become more coherent. They feel calmer, more ordered, even in the midst of confusion and pressure" (Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life, p. 23-24)

PERFECTION

There is a shameful reality in our country that 85% of babies with a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome are aborted. Eighty-five percent. ESPN covered this absolutely phenomenal story affirming the sanctity of life. Media and news outlets don't are infuriating at times and there are plenty of unfortunate sports stories that grab a lot of air time. But ESPN served us all well with this one.

25 WAYS TO BE MISSIONAL

A lot of today's Christians are excited about the idea of living as missionaries in their culture and engaging neighbors, co-workers and spiritual skeptics. But what captures our imagination doesn't always compel our obedience. Many of us languish in our desires to faithful and fruitful in our ordinary, every day lives simply because we don't know where to begin. And without a practical place to begin, the prompting of the Spirit is reduced to a passing impulse that, if ignored long enough fades into the background. So, rather than grieving the Spirit in this way, here are 25 practical ways to be missional worthy of your consideration, taken from the Verge Network blog in a post from Josh Reeves:

1. Stay outside in the front yard longer while watering the yard

2. Walk your dog regularly around the same time in your neighborhood

3. Sit on the front porch and letting kids play in the front yard

4. Pass out baked goods (fresh bread, cookies, brownies, etc.)

5. Invite neighbors over for dinner

THE SAD TRUTH ABOUT PRAYER IN THE CHURCH

"The Cinderella of the church of today is the prayer meeting. This handmaid of the Lord is unloved and unwooed because she is not dripping with the pearls of intellectualism, nor glamorous with the silks of philosophy; neither is she enchanting with the tiara of psychology. She wears the homespuns of sincerity and humility and so is not afraid to kneel....

Poverty stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few prayers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere." (Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries, p. 19, 25)

THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART

"For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

God spoke these famous words to His prophet Samuel in preparing him to anoint David king over Israel. God knew that Samuel's limited perspective would compromise his objectivity. He was about to make a major decision, which had massive implications, with very limited information. The decision Samuel would make was not just going to affect a specific man, but an entire nation, and in fact the whole world. History itself would be shaped by this decision. And God's kindness to give clear instruction to Samuel indicates that, left to himself, the prophet would have made the wrong decision.

YOUR MARRIAGE MATTERS MORE TODAY

The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention sent out a helpful resource yesterday, in light of the Supreme Court decision, ruling that DOMA is unconstitutional. This document offers some clarity on what changes and doesn't change as a result of this ruling, along with some wise insight for churches to consider in how they respond.

Teach your congregation to avoid anger, outrage, or despair.Jesus tells us marriage has existed as a male/female one-flesh union “from the beginning” (Matt. 19:8). This means marriage is resilient, regardless of what any culture does to minimize or redefine it. 

Love your gay and lesbian neighbors.They aren’t part of an evil conspiracy. They are, like, like all of us apart from Christ, seeking a way that seems best to them. Be kind, and respect all persons as image-bearers of God. 

Preach and teach on the integrity of conjugal marriage.Don’t assume your people understand the gospel foundations of marriage. Take this opportunity to point to the formation of healthy, gospel-shaped marriage cultures within your congregation. 

Repent of the ways our congregational cultures have downgraded marriage.If your church hasn’t addressed divorce, cohabitation, or fornication through proclamation and discipline, now is the time to repent and rework. 

Make your marriage convictions clear in your confession of faith.If your church assumes a definition of marriage, your confession of faith is now irrelevant. Defend your religious liberty by making your congregational convictions clear in your statement of faith. 

Stop laissez-faire wedding policies.Your church building is not a public space and your church ministers aren’t justices of the peace. Make clear that you will marry, and host weddings, only for those who have accountability to the people of Christ and to the Word of God.

There should be no posture of resignation on our part is Christians. If you are married, we should instead resolve to make sure our marriages offer a Christ-exalting, glorious picture of the gospel. This should compel us to greater love and affection, selflessness and service, repentance and humility and purity and fidelity within our marriages. This should motivate us all the more to be an open demonstration of the joy and fulfillment that God intended for marriage to produce. There is much talk among Christians and conservatives of the disintegration of marriage in our cultural and political climate. But I would beg you to recognize that your marriage is not less important because of the Supreme Court's ruling. Your marriage is much more important. May God give you and me the grace to tell the story of the gospel through the story of our marriages.

A PRAYER FOR NEW BEGINNINGS

My dad just preached a 2 part sermon series from the book of Haggai on New Beginnings. Here is a prayer offered from The Valley of Vision, a compilation of Puritan prayers.

Incomprehensible, Great, and Glorious God,
I adore thee and abase myself.
I approach thee mindful that I am less than nothing,
          a creature worse than nothing.
My thoughts are not screened from the gaze,
my secret sins blaze in the light of thy countenance.
Enable me to remember that blood which cleanseth all sin,
          to believe in that grace which subdues all iniquities,
          to resign myself to that agency
                 which can deliver me from the bandage of corruption
                 into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.
Thou hast begun a good work in me
          and canst alone continue and complete it.
Give me an increasing conviction of my tendency to err,
          and of my exposure to sin.
Help me to feel more of the purifying, softening influence of religion,
          its compassion, love, pity, courtesy,
          and employ me as thy instrument
                 in blessing others.
Give me to distinguish between the mere form of godliness and its
                           power,
                 between life and a name to live,
                 between guile and truth,
                 between hypocrisy and a religion,
                           that will bear thy eye.
If I am not right, set me right, keep me right;
And may I at last come to thy house in peace. (Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision, 95)

 

MY DADDY LOVES ME

Betsy and I were driving to our first doctor's appointment yesterday since we found she is pregnant with our fifth child. Our three oldest children were at a summer camp and vacation bible school but we had Daniel, our 4-year-old with us. Betsy is in the first trimester and feeling every bit of that. I was reading, trying to redeem some of the time I was losing in the work day. The radio was off and the windows were down. And Daniel started singing a song. He seemed to make it up as he went along, so I guess it was a song flowing from his heart.

The lyrics went something like, "God loves my daddy. My daddy loves my and I love him. My daddy loves me and I love him." He sang this refrain numerous times and Betsy and I smiled and laughed at the cuteness of it. When you draw attention to those moments, they usually end so we kept quiet and enjoyed his singing.

I was thinking about the simple and profound reality of what was happening in that moment. I am certainly a sinful, selfish, and flawed daddy but I do love my sons. And Daniel knows the love he is loved by his daddy. He doesn't question or doubt it. He simply knows that he is loved by his dad. And that simple fact leads to a free, joyful, lightness of heart that produced a song in his heart, which in turn produced delight and gladness in the heart of his father.

Sometimes, we really complicate the truth of the gospel and the nature of our faith. You can talk apologetics, debate theological nuances, discuss ecclesiology and missiology. At the end of the day, the only thing that leads to freedom and joy is be absolutely persuaded that you are loved by the Father. If and when you are convinced of that in the deepest part of your heart, mind and soul, there will be a song in your heart that overflows in ongoing praise which in turns delights and gladdens the heart of your Father.

May we all know His love and the freedom and joy that proceeds from his affection for us. And may the song in our hearts stir others to join the chorus of "My daddy loves me and I love him" in all it's varied forms.

HOW TO START A MOVEMENT

I remember seeing this video a long time ago and then I came across it again yesterday. It really is a goofy yet profound video. I genuinely believe we Christians can learn a lot about how to reignite a gospel movement from this. Enjoy this and laugh at it, but consider the insights offered by Derek Sivers.

LIVING BY THE "SWEAT" OF OUR OWN PERFORMANCE

"My observation of Christendom is that most of us tend to base our personal relationship with God on our performance instead of on His grace. If we've performed well - whatever 'well' is in our opinion - then we expect God to bless us. If we haven't done so well, our expectations are reduced accordingly. In this sense, we live by works rather than by grace. We are saved by grace, but we are living by the sweat of our own performance.

THE SERIOUSNESS OF SIN

"When Paul speaks of giving ground to the devil in Ephesians 4:27, he is teaching that the habitual practice of sin can lead to an increased involvement of Satan in the life of a believer... 'If I cherish sin in my life, Satan will seek to exploit it'... demons like to pour gasoline on a fire that is already burning. A moral issue that begins with succumbing to the evil influence of the flesh may escalate into a greater spiritual problem. Just as flies and rats are attracted to garbage, unclean spirits are drawn to unclean thoughts and behaviors. This does not mean that everyone who falls into a period of sinful behavior will end up becoming demonized. It does, however, underline the seriousness of sin and the need to get rid of the garbage and extinguish the fires" (Clinton Arnold, 3 Crucial Questions About Spiritual Warfare).

CHERISH YOUR CHILDREN

My wife and I experienced some extreme emotional swings this weekend. Our oldest son turned 12-years-old on Friday. We had a friend of his over for a fun-filled weekend, celebrating his life and creating some memories. Friday night was a laid back movie night followed by a morning drive up to Helen, Ga. about an hour and half away to go tubing with some more friends. Because of the recent rains in Georgia the river was the highest it's ever been for us and it moved at a brisk pace. The weather was beautiful and the boys enjoyed every minute of it.

We went home that afternoon. Betsy took a couple of them to a dollar theatre movie that evening while Dylan and I went to the Braves game. Sitting in traffic en route to the game, Betsy called me to share with me that one of our other son's classmate died of leukemia the day before. Josiah is in second grade and his friend missed a large portion of the fall semester due to treatment. He returned for the Spring and seemed to be doing well until he missed the last couple days of school. Josiah mentioned he was gone and was a little concerned but nothing prepares a 7-year-old boy for the news of his friend dying. 

KELLER ON BLIND SPOTS

Have you ever met someone that was a long-time Christian with massive character flaws that were obvious to everyone but them? Do you keep experiencing the same frustration and difficulty in relationships and always manage to make it about other people's flaws? This is because we all have blind spots. I read an article by Tim Keller today where he observes the sad reality that "most Christians live with obvious character flaws that ruin both their joy and also their Christian witness." He offers the following helpful explanation of why this is the case and few insights on exposing those blind spots:

RAGAMUFFIN

To this day, my favorite poet and song writer is Rich Mullins. God used his music and lyrics to grip my heart, capture His glory, and bring the Scriptures to life when I was still spiritually dead. Rich's songs were an important part of God's awakening me to faith in Christ. Some of those same songs from 20-25 years ago still being tears to my eyes because of their ability to place you in God's story.

I remember quite vividly the morning Rich Mullins went to be with Jesus. I was driving to school as a 17-year-old high school student when I heard the news on the radio - he had been in a fatal car accident the night before. I drove to school in tears that morning and actually was comforted by talking about his life, music and legacy with a math teacher of mine who shared my love for Rich's work. 

I have continued to listen to those old albums for years. Even tonight as I write this, I am astonished at this man's ability to paint a clearer physical picture with his words than any HD image can offer. I wanted to be a writer when I was young so his poetic imagery and masterful storytelling set the standard as far as I was concerned. He wrote with authenticity and audacity. His lyrics were emotionally raw and they captured the complexities and tensions of human frailty and a life of faith. In an era of easy believism, Rich was real about his struggles, doubts, confusions, fears and sin. He was humble and honest. Bible stories were just stories for me until Rich's songs made them reality... it was through them that I first began to see biblical characters as real people with real experiences that had real significance.  

Even today, I was a little burdened by uncertainty and weighed down by anxiety related to some personal things. I was praying and asking God for wisdom and direction and peace and ultimately wanting to know what I should do to get the outcome I desire. Listening tonight to the penetrating words of "We are not as strong as we think we are" brought conviction, perspective and comfort. That was just today, but I've had hundreds of such moments and experiences with Rich's music.

He has influenced my life profoundly enough that our fourth son, Daniel Mullins Rowell, is named after him. I didn't want to go with the name Rich for cultural reasons and Betsy didn't want him to go by Mullins primarily because she loves him. But she was a good sport and let me give him that middle name because I wanted to honor the legacy of Rich Mullins. So, in a weird way, he is part of our family I guess.  

All this seems probably a bit sentimental and here is why it came up: The trailer for a movie about Rich's life was recently released. The film is called "Ragamuffin" and I watched the preview for the first time tonight and got nostalgic - so here we are. Rich has a song called "Elijah" in which the chorus says "when I leave I wanna go out like Elijah..." When I go I'd be okay going out like Elijah too. But while I am here, I've always wanted to live a little like Rich. Here is a sneak peak... I can only hope the film does his life of faith justice.

BECAUSE YOU NEED TO LAUGH

Enjoy...

SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND GOING ON THE ATTACK

There are times when Christians remind me of "The Empire Strikes Back". We are all young Skywalker's dangling from a weather vane on the outskirts of cloud city, hand severed by Vader, whining in pain and just waiting for it to end. If you are like me, you find yourself rooting for Vader and the Dark Side because they have an awesome soundtrack and Skywalker curling up in a fetal position and sucking his thumb is something less than inspiring.

In a culture that is increasingly disparaging of Christians, many of us assume a defensive posture in the exercise of our faith. We feel enslaved and defeated by our fleshly desires. We are discouraged by and resigned to the moral decline and demise of the world we inhabit. And we have a powerful enemy that has effectively deceived the masses, blinding the eyes of unbelievers and putting the world in bondage to his lies. So we cling to our individual salvation and just hope we don't blow it. We live in fear. We live in defeat. We live with an anemic faith that hopes the gospel is true for us but doubts it has the power to save storm troopers.

HOW OUR FAITH TRANSFORMS OUR WORK

Tim Keller has a recent book out on the impact of Christian faith on "secular" vocations called Every Good Endeavor. If you have never read Keller's work or heard him speak I cannot commend him to you highly enough. He is particularly helpful in this arena of equipping Christians to effectively engage with culture. His talk below is a pretty concise articulation of some of the major themes in his book. If you are in the secular work force, this will broaden your understanding of your work and how to go about it in a distinctly Christian way. If you are in vocational ministry, you will broaden your appreciate for those who are doing "God's work" in the world, and you will be better equipped to use your influence to help them be successful. Take 25 minutes and give it a watch... it's worth every second.

CHANGE IS A COMMUNITY PROJECT

When we are in meaningful relationships with one another, we each bring a unique perspective and experience to our knowledge of Christ's love. One person has been rescued from a menacing addiction. Another has been brought through deep suffering. Still another has been sustained by God's grace in a difficult marriage. The list goes on. When we gather to share our stories, we see a different aspect of the diamond that is the love of Christ. Together, our understanding and experience of God's infinite love becomes fuller, stronger, and deeper. Not only are we strengthened in our individual growth in grace, but the entire body is built up by a fuller sense of the power and hope of God's grace! The Christian life is not less than individual, but it is so much more" (Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp, How People Change, 73).

FROM "WHY REVIVAL TARRIES"

I read this yesterday and was deeply convicted. May I not fall prey to the first, and may I not fail God's people in the second.

"Satan would have us increase even in Bible knowledge, I believe, as long as we keep from prayer, which the exercise of the instruction we have received through the Word. What use is deeper knowledge if we have shallower hearts?" (Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries, 89).

"Sound doctrine has put most believers sound asleep, for the letter is not enough. It must be kindled! It is the letter plus the Spirit which 'giveth life.' A sound sermon in faultless English and flawless interpretation can be as tasteless as a mouthful of sand." (Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries, 106).

THE NEXT GOSNELL?

The media and abortion advocates all over America would have us all believe the Kermit Gosnell's house of horrors was an isolated incident, but evidence has surfaced of a similar situation in Texas. Dr. Douglas Karpen is now under investigation for illegal late-term abortions, in part because of the following testimony of three former employees. The video was filmed 2 weeks ago. After the national media neglected to give much attention to the Gosnell story before pressure came via social media, it will be interesting to see how they cover this story. This story is still fresh but so far, nothing from the major news outlets. You can get to know more about Karpen here.

As in the Gosnell case, some of the content is graphic and viewer discretion is advised.

THE END OF GOSNELL

On Monday of this week, Kermit Gosnell was found guilty of 3 counts of first-degree murder, 1 count of involuntary manslaughter, 21 counts of abortion of the unborn (24 weeks or older, which is the cutoff in Pennsylvania) and 211 counts of informed consent violations. While these convictions move toward justice, they don't even begin to adequately represent the atrocities committed by this man or the negligence of the state in which he committed them.

Joe Carter posted the following in an article on TGC's blog that helpfully summarizes important information on Gosnell and this horrific story. Here are 9 things you should know, including an award winning short film, about this case:

THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE

It's been eight days since Jason Collins became the first active male athlete in American team sports history to announce he is gay. A short article was posted on Crosswalk's blog this morning drawing attention to some staggering numbers.

"In the first eight days after NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay, the news media covered the story in 2,381 places -- but in the first eight days of the trial of abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell and his "House of Horrors" facility, the media covered the story in only 115 places, meaning that Collins' "gay" news received more than 1,970 percent more news coverage, CNSNews.com reports. In addition, a search of the news coverage of the Gosnell trial, which started on March 18, shows there have been a total of 1,876 stories, still less than the amount of Collins stories in eight days. Collins, who plays center for the Washington Wizards, announced he was a homosexual in a self-written article for the Sports Illustrated website on April 29. Gosnell is charged with five counts of murder and 263 other criminal offenses related to his abortion business in Philadelphia; the jury is still deliberating."

There is an eery consistency to the priorities reflected in these numbers. Our ultimate value is placed on legitimizing any lifestyle an adult chooses to adopt and maintain while simultaneously legitimizing the denial of any life at all to the most helpless among us. It's a horrifying indictment on the cultural moment we find ourselves in.

THE LIFE OF CHRIST IN YOU

A great reminder from C.S. Lewis. Jesus living in you will not let you remain faithfully committed to sin and rebellion. The life of Christ does not produce immediate perfection, though it initiates the process of being perfected - a process that brings about ongoing repentance and continual transformation in light of His infinite perfections.

"A live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can some extent repair itself. In the same way a Christian is not a man who can never go wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble - because the Christ-life is inside him repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (to some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ himself carried out.  

That is why the Christian is in a different position from other people who are trying to be good. They hope, by being good to please God if there is one or - if they think there is not - at least they hope to deserve approval from good men. But the Christian thinks any good he does comes from the Christ-life inside him. He does not think God will love us because we are good but that God will make us good because He loves us, just as a greenhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 64).   

May you be brought to death so that Christ might live in you and through.

MOTHER'S DAY

Our kids like watching this series of videos called Kid Snippets, so with this important day coming up this week, I thought this was worth a watch...

DISTRESS FOR SOULS

Do you ever wonder why your personal Christian witness, or the collective witness of your church or community is not bearing more fruit and leading to the conversion of lost souls? Me too.

In his autobiography, Hudson Taylor tells a story of laboring as a medical missionary in China, being charged with the daily responsibility to dress the gangrened foot of an atheist patient. The condition left the man with little time to live and Taylor was immediately burdened for the man's soul far more than his physical health. The man had a violent temper and angrily resisted prayer and Scripture from a variety of care givers but Taylor silently prayed for him in those early days while tenderly caring for his diseased body. Day after day, Taylor recalls, he pleaded with God, by His Spirit, to save the man. As he grew the courage to speak an occasional word about the Lord, the patient would physically turn away and refuse to listen or respond.

THE COMPLETENESS OF DIVINE MERCY

"Repentance must go with forgiveness for the completeness of divine mercy. That which could forgive the sin and let the sinner continue to live in it would be scant and superficial mercy. It would be unequal and deformed mercy. It would be lame and withered mercy.

Which is the greater privilege: cleansing from the guilt of sin, or deliverance from the power of sin? Both are immeasurably great, and neither would have come to us apart from the precious blood of Jesus... If we were forgiven and were permitted to continue to love sin, to riot in iniquity, and to wallow in lust, we wouldn't really need forgiveness after all. In such a case, forgiveness would turn out to be a "poisoned sweet", which would eventually destroy us. To be washed and then to return to wallow in the mire would be pointless. To be pronounced clean and yet have leprosy would be a mockery of mercy.

Thank God, He forgives our iniquities and heals our diseases. He who washes us from the stains of the past also lifts us up from the foul ways of the present and keeps us from failing in the future" (Charles Spurgeon, All of Grace, 92-93).

WHAT STORY ARE YOU LIVING?

Each of us is living our own story within an overarching narrative. We believe the Bible is God's revelation of the ultimate story that each of us is born into and in which we must continually seek to find our place. At the most basic level, the gospel narrative is God's story about Himself, His creation, our rebellion, and His redemption. The way we enter into that story personally is through recognizing the sinful condition of our hearts, repenting of that sin and receiving the grace and forgiveness of God made available by faith in the work of His Son. We lay hold of salvation through repentance and faith and we work out our salvation by continually walking in repentance and faith.

That's a simplistic and abbreviated look at God's story, but it's important to recognize that the world offers a competing and corrupted narrative. Kevin DeYoung offers a very helpful reading of the very harmful secular narrative that dominates the "enlightened" thinking of our day and drives the wisdom of our "progressive" culture:

The secular salvation story is a derivative and deviant version of the older Christian narrative. It tells the story of self, authenticity, and acceptance.

GRACE-BASED MARRIAGE

"When I got married, I didn't understand grace. I had a principle-istic view of Scripture that caused me to bring a law economy into my marriage. The central focuse of the bible is not a set of practical-life principles. No, the central theme of the Bible is a person, Christ. If all you and I had needed was a knowledge and understanding of a certain set of God-revealed principles for living, Jesus would not have needed to come. I think there are many Christians living in Christless marriages. Without knowing what they have done, they have constructed a law-based rather than a grace-based marriage, and because of this, they are asking the law to do what only grace can accomplish.

"The problem with this is that we are not just people in need of wisdom; we are also people in need of rescue, and the thing that we need to be rescued from is us" (Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?, 64).

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

Yesterday wasn’t a very good day for me. I was infected with a nasty case of “The Monday’s”, even if it waited ‘til Tuesday to take effect.

Day’s like yesterday make me think of Judith Viorst’s children’s book, Alexander’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and the seemingly cynical conclusion of the book, when Alexander’s mom declares, “Some days are like that.” I may prefer to hear Daniel Pewter sing his empathetic refrain, “so you had a bad day” over and over again, but what Alexander’s mom lacks in compassion she makes up for with candor. 

Some days really are just terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. It’s absolutely true.

WE ARE ALL VULNERABLE

I came across an article this morning that reported on a study being done in Canada that captured my attention. It read this way:

A study into how porn affects men had to be scrapped and radically rethought after experts failed to find any young men who had not watched it.

Originally researchers at the University of Montreal wanted to compare the behavior of men who viewed sexually explicit material with those who had never looked at it all.

Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse says he had to drastically rethink his study after failing to find any male volunteers who had never viewed porn. 

IT'S STILL A NEW YEAR

Many of us are so busy during December that we stumble into the New Year in survival mode. Rather than beginning the year with fresh vision and a sense of hope, purpose, and forward movement, we begin where we ended, at a frenetic pace and in a frustrated state, with little fruitfulness to show for it. This is a cycle that’s difficult, but necessary, to break. So, let me suggest that it’s still early enough in 2013 to get a clear vision, make a specific plan and narrow your focus for this year ahead. I want to give you permission to take a mulligan on the first week and challenge you to get a vision for this year during the second week.

You Are Probably Doing Too Much

You feel overwhelmed with how much you are doing and how much more you think you should be doing. Let’s start there. Take a deep breath. Look around you. Understand, you are in good company with the rest of us who live and breathe. Should is a tyrannical dictator that needs to be silenced. If you want 2013 to be different, think about doing less, not more. Doing fewer things all the way is far more fruitful and fulfilling than doing more things half way.

I volunteered for a position at our kids’ soccer club last year and somehow back-doored my way onto the board of directors. I also have some side work I’ve been doing outside of church ministry that brought in some extra cash for our family. In addition to home schooling our 11-year-old this year, Betsy took on a formal position with the PTA that has demanded considerable time outside the scope of her normal responsibilities. Opportunities abound to gain influence in the lives of people which can lead us down a self-destructive road of over extension. We have a tendency to want to pursue all of our potential rather than our particular calling. Pursuing potential results in an inward state of resltlessness and aimlessness which manifests outwardly in a flurry of activity and busyness. This is a chronic issue for me and our family. For me, it is birthed largely by the desire to be everyone's favorite person and a savior complex that leaves me believing if I don't step into every gap than God can't possibly save people. I like to believe He desperately needs me. 

Pursuing our calling and ignoring our potential narrows our focus, produces internal peace, and ultimately limits our activity, which paradoxically translates into productivity. This is rare in our current climate and I am convinced it is a signficant way that God's people can live in a compelling and counter-cultural way. I have repented of my sin and last week, producing fruit in keeping with repentance, I resigned from the BOD for the soccer club, put an end to my side work and Betsy stepped down from the PTA. I wonder how many of us need to lay some things down 

Time Is Money

As Christians, we all know we are called to be generous with our resources. You may tithe faithfully, support missionaries, or give to individuals and families as needs arise. We would encourage life style adjustments that cut unnecessary, frivolous spending in order to free us up to be more generous. But none of us would urge each other to give away what we do not have. Just as wisdom discourages spending on credit, wisdom prevents us from spending time we don't have.

While we all are entrusted with a different degree of wealth and material resources, God entrusts the same amount of time to each one of us. You and I both get 24 hours every day. We both get 7 days in a week, 4 weeks in a month, and 12 months in a year. The truth is, time is a stewardship issue and we all have necessary expenses of our time if we want to be good stewards.

As a Christian, your first priority must be to cultivate a growing relationship with Jesus. This requires time - time in the Word, time in prayer, time in solitude, time reflecting, time repenting of sin, time giving thanks. If you don’t have time for these things, you are giving away time that you don’t have, and you would never do that with your money. 

Your other priorities include relationships, particularly with your family, both your biological and spiritual family. Your marriage requires significant time and so do your children. Your parents and siblings may require significant time depending on the nature and proximity of those relationships. Your brothers and sisters in Christ require time.

You will necessarily give a great deal of time to your vocation as well. For many of you, this priority takes the biggest chunk of your time, especially if you hope to do it well, as unto the Lord. The other priority, neglected by most of us, that demands our time daily, is rest. For a great many of us, we cheat every one of these priorities simply because we cheat rest, leaving us cranky, distracted and lethargic. Time isn't like money in that you can't store it or save it. All of your time will be spent on something, either wisely or wastefully. Free time gets wasted reactively on whatever pops up. Time for rest is intentional and fruitful, but too many of us won't spend time there even though you live in a perpetual state of buyer's remorse. Plan to rest and guard your rest like you would any other planned activity.  

Just Don't Do It

Most of us spend a great deal of time on a great many additional things that I’ve not even mentioned. There is much to do and most of us come to the conclusion week after week, year after year, that there is simply “not enough time.” But let me offer a corrective here: God, in his mercy and sovereignty has made the day 24-hours, the week 7 days, the month 4 weeks, and the year 12 months. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that, “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” This means that God has given each and every one of us enough time to accomplish and do all that He has called us to do. You do have enough time. But in order for you to do what you are called to do, you must stop doing all that you think you should do.

Saying “yes” to anything always means saying “no” to something else. Part of your vision for this year may be learning to say “No.” Some of you need to learn to say “No” a lot. Being freed from slavery to sin means being freed from sinful impulses to justify ourselves and liberated from the tyranny of what others expect of us. We free to focus on what God has called us, and let his grace fuel our efforts. Take this week to ask, “what am I doing that I am not called to do?” and “what am I neglecting that I can’t afford to neglect?” Busyness is a devil that over-promises, under-delivers, and erodes at your soul. Make some adjustments. Disappoint some people. Put your own expectations of yourself to death. You are free so stop living like a slave. 

Discipleship is about trajectory, forward movement, and incremental growth. You won’t grow healthy this year in every dysfunctional area of your life. You won’t be just like Jesus this year, but you can be more like Jesus this year. Ask God for a vision for how He wants you to pursue growth and in what area of your life. Narrow your focus. Do less so you can do it better. Slow down so Jesus isn’t a blur. Stop giving away time that you neither have nor can get refunded. Accept God’s precious gift of time and the limitations he builds into that, which are for your good. To do that, you’ll need to think less about what you should do, and focus more on what Christ has already done. Rather than telling yourself, “get to work”, hear Jesus say, “It is finished.”