Not Much Posting this Weekend...

My wife's family got here last night, so I may not be around the blog much. It's a treat for them to be here since they've never seen our house (at least her brothers and dad haven't)--the weather should be good for the weekend, and I'm looking forward to having Monday off!

Have a great weekend, and fellowship with other believers in Gospel preaching church this Sunday!

Why No Christian is an Island

John Donne once said that "no man is an island" while it was Simon and Garfunkel who stated the opposite in one of their songs: "I am a rock, I am an island." I mentioned in my previous post about the importance of being involved in the local church and fellowshipping with other believers, and there are some who would say that they don't HAVE to belong to a local church (to which of course I would quickly point to Hebrews 10:25!)

Centurion over at ...and his ministers a flame of fire has a great post in a continuing conversation about why the local church was created and why it is no argument at all that we cannot find a "biblical" church and so thus we will be a church unto ourselves (***WARNING: reading the comments on the post may be confusing since it relates to previous posts on the topic).

A rationalization like that only leads to error and more error in theology and other spiritual thinking because we are not under the preaching of the Word and the sharpening of other Christians. No church is infallible (despite what the Roman folks say), but we are all fallen!

To modify a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet: get thee to a local church this Lord's Day! Bedside Baptist or the ever-favorite UMC (that's under my covers) church won't do! The church (worshiping, fellowshipping, hearing the Word, even GIVING) is a means of grace that God uses to pour His grace into your soul--not going is like having a buffet sitting before you but refusing to eat!

Christ and Temptation

I really struggled with how to label this post, then I simply looked at the sermon notes and stole from the pastor (sorry David!).

Pastor David's sermon on this topic was fantastic, so I thought that I would blog on the topic. Very often we can be tempted into thinking that we somehow have it harder than those that came before us--whether it's our circumstances, our work, or in this case, the things we are tempted with. I mean, in the modern culture, we're traveling a mile and minute and have everything (good or bad) available at our fingertips (or computer screen)--so we have to have it worse, right?

The sermon broke down into two parts: the Three Objections people usually give when it is stated that Christ as our high priest is not only our mediator but sympathetic in our sufferings and temptations, and second, the importance of Christ sympathizing with us.

The first objection that one might pose is that Jesus was not really or truly human--Pastor David had a GREAT illustration--the character Data on Star Trek: Next Generation. (For those not familiar with the show or the character, he was an android/robot who looked totally human, but you would touch an arm or a part of his head and a panel would open to show he was truly a robot) Some would argue that Jesus may have seemed human, but wasn't really. But this is diametrically opposed to the theology of Jesus being fully human and fully God--he suffered, bled and died on the Cross. The illustration used was in Hebrews 2:17, where the writer-preacher stresses that "he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."

The importance of Christ being fully human is this: being sacrificed on the Cross as fully human, he was the second Adam and enters the Holy of Holies as THE High Priest who can make propitiation for our sins.

The second objection (which we as Christians may allow in our own minds) is that Jesus doesn't really understand temptation. We may look at Christ and say, he's too good of a person, he's perfect, he's not really been tempted.

The third and final objection we may often find ourselves saying is, "well, but Christ didn't live in the 21st century--he didn't face drugs, pornography, internet, or TV!" But as Pastor David pointed us to in Matthew 4:1-11, Christ was tempted in the desert with three types of temptations: first, to put earthly desires above spiritual needs; second, to purposefully test the principles of God's Word; third, to compromise God's Word for apparent personal gain.

The first temptation is simply giving into the flesh or indulging your desires, whether it be food, sex, or buying _______ (fill in the blank). (Please note that any of the previous list may not be bad in and of itself but our motivations and attitudes in desiring it may make it so) When we do this to the detriment of our spiritual needs or even instead of them, we sin against God. Christ was tempted in the desert to turn bread into stone, so he was tempted to tend to His hunger but resisted by replying that we are called to live on the Word and not on bread alone. Just imagine it: he had not eaten for 40 days! And yet he resists the temptation--we cannot say that he has not been tempted to give into the flesh!

The second temptation is testing God's Word--it is VERY easy to be a "let's pull a verse out of the Bible" Christian. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God, but it is bound together in a book made up of 66 different books. God, in His providence, wove it together in inspiring the men who wrote those words and it works together! We cannot pull out a verse which says that God loves us and promises us good things and then cry "unfair!" when we have not received a gift of this or that. We must go in the same Word and see that we are called to trials and suffering--and yet God does love us. This segment of Christ's temptation is very important, as with the first temptation, Satan is quoting truth from Scripture, but notice that Christ is quick to point out that while God does protect us with His angels, we are not to test Him by flinging ourself off a mountain or even taking our car and driving off one! (note that Satan does not come at the Lord Jesus with lies or deceit but truth misapplied--this is how he can tempt us in the next and final type of temptation)

The third temptation is compromising God's Word for apparent personal gain. We cannot again pull a verse out of the Bible to suit our desires. We cannot take one verse and twist it, thereby going against a principle in one part of His Word with some action on our part and yet say, "well, God loves me so I'll be fine," or "this is what this really means so this makes it okay." This is why understanding hermanuetics (how to read/interpret the Bible) is so important, and more than that, the importance of being in a church community with good teaching. Bible verses, like words/sentences in any other book, have to be read in context and there is an intent that the writer of those words uses, but that is another post. All this to say, Christ was offered the kingdoms of the world and all its power, but he quickly rejected Satan and stated that we are called to worship the Lord and Him alone. So, Christ was offered the world--I think that he can identify with our temptations.

Now, to the second part of the sermon--it is important for us to understand that Jesus sympathizes with us to let us know that we are not alone, that we can share it with him if we can't share it with anyone else. Our Savior had the weight of the elect's sins on His shoulders and before that was tempted with great things--He understands your suffering and your temptations!

So in understanding this, what should it cause us to do? Sympathize with our brother or sister and be REAL with one another--as Pastor David put quite well, to take off the Sunday face-mask. If we can't be real with our brothers and sisters in Christ, who can we be real with?

Being transparent is the last barrier to true Christian community and with it makes a bond that cannot be broken.

Praise our God and Savior who sympathizes with us in our temptations!

Sharing the Gospel

(before I really start this post--I did NOT want to get up this morning--ever have that feeling of deep exhaustion where you could likely hit the snooze button at least 5 times? I was there this morning!)

The Holy Spirit has a way of convicting God's elect of certain truths and He's been putting a specific thought in my mind of late. Namely, why do I get so excited about sharing a song I heard or food I have eaten with someone, and not have the same passion when it comes to sharing the Gospel?

Because sharing the Gospel would cost me something--reputation or status, I might get embarrassed, someone might look at me as foolish (some may say they don't care what others say, but deep down we do!), etc. Sharing the latest song I heard or restaurant I've been to--if someone says, "well, it was just okay" in response, I might be a little disappointed but it's no skin off my nose.

However, when I share the Gospel, I am shining God's truth into their lives, a truth which stands against all else and is THE answer, not just one among many. The Gospel as it told throughout Scripture should define us and we should more than want to share its life-giving power with others--but we don't because we are paralyzed by what someone else would think of us!

Lord, help us to remove our inhibitions from sharing the Gospel and proclaim your Word and its truth to all we encounter, speaking the truth in love!

(I'll be blogging later on my pastor's EXCELLENT sermon from yesterday as well as my recent small group gathering where we discussed Presbyterian views on baptism--so stay tuned!)

Hilarious--The way to give a man-hug

Tim Challies always has great finds from YouTube, and this is a classic:

How to Give the Perfect Man-Hug

Back from the Long Weekend!

The great thing about taking vacation days during the week is that when you get back, it's a short week to the weekend! My wife and I did some traveling over the past week, I took a half day last Friday and took Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week off.

We went to my brother's college graduation where only 100 graduated--but this was a big class for his school, Kentucky Christian University. I'm glad that it only lasted an hour--we were sitting on those high school wooden bench-type seats. Ouch!

So we stayed at my folks house in central Kentucky until Sunday afternoon, which was nice since I got to be with my mom for Mother's Day and Sunday lunch. We then headed up to see some friends that we knew at the Beach, who now live near Cincinnati, OH. We had a great visit with them, got to see their son who is quite lively now (about a year old) and very funny--we also got to see some friends one evening in Northern Kentucky and catch up with them. My wife got to go to a Bare Escentuals boutique (they make makeup) and she was beyond thrilled and very sad to leave the great shopping in the Cincinnati area.

On the way back home, we stopped overnight in West Virginia to visit with her family. about 1300 miles in 6 days--sure glad we had that nice rental (a 2007 Camry--very nice!) to ride comfortably in!

I had two court dates this week that were not too difficult and racked up another 500 or so miles on the car (a light week for sure), but June will be F-U-N! (*sarcasm*)

More substantive posts to come later, but I thought I would give an update--my wife and I just came back from Lowes/Walmart/Kroger--I know Andrea, I should have gone earlier when you were working! :)

Wham! A Dose of Spurgeon to the Side of the Head!

On Tuesday night I headed to Northern Virginia for one of my overnight trips (I drive up to the county where I am having court the next morning since the court time is so early that I am allowed a hotel stay so I don't have to get up early and drive it). I was not feeling too great about work, thought about the mistakes I've made over the past months and I just wished in passing (like I'm sure Christians have wont to do), "Jesus, just take me to heaven away from this trouble so I can be with you, where there is no suffering or trial."

AND THEN I READ SPURGEON'S MORNING READING FOR MAY 2nd. The Scripture? John 17:15: "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one." This is what Jesus asked the Lord, that we would be in the world and while kept from Satan, this does not mean that we are to be shielded from all trial and suffering--ouch!

Spurgeon comments that while we would ask to be taken away to the heavens, "Christ does not pray like that, He leaves us in His Father's hands, until like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered into our Master's garner." Even more, he states that staying here on earth (and going through trials and suffering) is "needful" for others if not ourselves.

But you know what observation struck me the most? Spurgeon comments that "Christians often want to die when they have trouble." Ask yourself--have you ever wished to be with the Lord in the same manner when you are blessed and things are going well as when you are suffering? The most striking thing he said is: "They (meaning Christians who want to get rid of their sufferings) want to go home, not so much for the Saviour's company, as to be at rest."

WOW. In other words, unless I can be as Paul and say truly, "to live is Christ and to die is gain" and our desire to go to Christ is one based in a desire solely to be with Him then we'd better wait on God in the midst of our strife and trust that He'll take us when He's ready. After all, He's God and we're not--we should seek to glorify Him until He does.