Quote 06

I have been laboring over Jesus' parable and application in Luke 16:1-13 this week in study for my sermon tomorrow. Perhaps one of the best takes on Jesus' application of verse 9 comes from Kent Hughes:

"One thing is sure: our worldly wealth will go somewhere - we cannot hang on to it. One day our most precious possessions will fit in a hospital drawer. The only wealth that will endure is that which has been invested in others for the sake of Christ and His gospel."

An editorial on LIFE

Tomorrow we are focusing on the sanctity of human life in our worship service. This year I was more motivated/convicted than ever before to continue the cause of life more than just one Sunday. The problem has been that I study the Scriptures and preach a sermon on the sanctity of life and urge others to join together and promote life and unmask the horror of abortion, yet as time goes on, I (we) get distracted with all the other urgings and the cause of life gets shelved.

Bobbi and I talked about that this morning and I have a few ideas for how I, personally, will try to stay involved in promoting life and defending the rights of the unborn. May God help me do what is righteous and just and follow His wisdom to, "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? " (Proverbs 24:11-12)

Four years ago, I wrote the following as an editorial for some local newspapers. Our nation was on the brink of going to war in Iraq:

A plea for peace is noble. A desire to not have war is good and natural. And our nation should be responsible and reasonable and just in considering the motive and need to go to war with Iraq. We do not want unnecessary casualties, so we hope and pray that if we do go to war, it is justifiable. Unfortunately, our nation, which would and should cry out against the men and women of our military dying unnecessary deaths, is permitting and promoting thousands of innocent lives to die each day. Death by abortion is the leading cause of death in our country, yet it is not only tolerated but encouraged. For thirty years now our justice system has valued choice over life. We would be grieved and devastated if, in one day, 4,000 of our men and women died in battle. Should we not also be grieved and devastated over 4,000 babies lives ending each day? May we be led to be responsible and reasonable and just in ending this national tragedy soon.

Here's a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that was not included in the editorial:

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."

Happy Birthday!

My little boy Jackson turned two yesterday. He is a joy to our family. He is very caring and playful. He loves his family, but also his independence (don't try to help him do something he thinks he can do....). He is (finally) learning to pray - at least pausing to put his hands over his eyes as we pray before meals... well, some of the time anyway. God has blessed us with Jackson and I pray that God will help Bobbi and I bring Him up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. May he find that following Jesus is better than all the allurements of the world, even when it demands sacrifice. And may God help his mother and father and family and church to model this well for him.

The right motive in doing good works

I'm studying for a sermon from Titus 2:11-14. This passage unfolds the glory of the gospel and ends in saying that Jesus gave Himself for us to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works. Christians have the high calling of doing good works. That reminds me of Ephesians 2:10 which says that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

I gotta get back to studying, but I found this quote from Charles Spurgeon in a sermon he preached from Titus 2 entitled, "Good Works". He's dealing with the proper motive in doing good works and I found it very helpful, convicting, and purifying to my soul.

Again, nothing is a good work unless it is done with a good motive; and there is no motive which can be said to be good but the glory of God. He who performs good works with a view to save himself, does not do them from a good motive, because his motive is selfish. He who does them also to gain the esteem of his fellows and for the good of society, has a laudable motive, so far as man is concerned; but it is, after all, an inferior motive. What end had we in view? If for the benefit of our fellow creatures, then let our fellow-creatures pay us; but that has nought to do with God. Work is not good, unless a man does it with a view to God's glory, and he has been brought into subjection to God's divine will, so that in everything he has an eye to the Most High, and works in order to promote his glory and honor in the world.

And even, beloved, when our works are done from the best motives, nothing is a good work unless it is done with faith; for "without faith it is impossible to please God." Like Cain, we may build the altar, and lay the first fruits of the salt of faith, there it will lie-it will not be accepted by God, for without faith it is impossible to please him. Bring me a man who all his life long has been spending his health and strength for his fellow creatures; fetch me some public officer, who has fully discharged his trust, who has laboured night and day, even to the wearing down of his constitution, because he believed that England expected every man to do his duty, and he wished to do it; bring me that man; let me see all his charitable works; let me witness the most lavish benevolence, the most profuse bounty; tell me that he has always, with a consistent motive, laboured for his country; and then, if he cannot answer this question. "Dost thou believe in the Son of God?" I shall be bound in all honesty to tell him that he has not done a solitary good work in all his life, so far as God is concerned.

Everyone should read Ezekiel

For many years I had trouble reading the book of Ezekiel. It starts out with this bizarre vision Ezekiel has of a vicious storm and fire in the clouds and gleaming metal and beasts and wheels in wheels spinning through the air. Trying to make sense of this vision left me perplexed and wondering what all the symbolism portrayed.

But greater than that is the constant judgment that you read of in this lengthy Old Testament prophecy. God is enraged and is pouring out His wrath on His own people showing little to no mercy. Truly it is frightening... and that is part of God's intention - His fury results in the king of Jerusalem mourning, the prince wrapped in despair, and the hands of the people of the land are paralyzed by fear (7:27).

What struck me is the fact that this wrath is completely righteous. When God is punishing or judging the people, He is doing so in perfect justice. This is not a rage that is unjust - God is not overreacting to the sins of His people. Several times we read that God is judging His people according to their ways: "According to their way I will do to them, and according to their judgments I will judge them..." (7:27).

They are giving a full account of their ways before a holy God. And when the "anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none." (7:25) All of this is absolutely fair. What they get, they fully deserved.

This is why everyone should read Ezekiel. God is just and righteous. There will be a reckoning. God will not let the guilty remain unpunished. And I, a sinner, completely covered in guilt, should face this fierce wrath of God and be justly punished for my sin. He should abandon me forever, removing all of His grace from me forever. The is a true picture of the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Ezekiel is a sobering book revealing the realities of sin and God's justice.

Yet, the gospel brings hope!! Ephesians 2 is a great passage showing that I am dead in my trespasses and sins (awaiting the full fury of God's wrath - John 3:36), BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy made me alive in Christ and seated me in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus!

The wonder of mercy. Undeserving, yet made righteous. Unworthy, yet adopted to be His son. Every cursing I deserve from God is absorbed in Christ, and now every spiritual blessing from Heaven is mine.