“Evangelical Christianity is now tragically below the New Testament standard. Worldliness is an accepted part of our way of life. Our religious mood is social instead of spiritual. We have lost the art of worship. We are not producing saints. Our models are successful business men, celebrated athletes and theatrical personalities. We carry on our religious activities after the methods of the modern advertiser. Our literature is shallow and our hymnody borders on sacrilege. And scarcely anyone appears to care.”
-A.W. Tozer

“The Christian must trust in a withdrawing God.”
William Gurnall

And I dare not leave out the hard saying which I once heard from an experienced Christian: “I have seen many strik­ing answers to prayer and more than one that I thought miraculous. But they usually come at the beginning: before conversion, or soon after it. As the Christian life proceeds, they tend to be rarer. The refusals, too, are not only more frequent; they become more unmistak­able, more emphatic. (emphasis added)

While acknowledging this phenomenon as a mystery, Lewis then uses the example of our Lord Jesus to remind us that our dependence on spiritual ‘experiences’ may indeed be an indication of weakness, and not of strength. 

This very closely parallels my own experience.  Early in my Christian life, just after my conversion and for a few years afterward, God seemed to manifest His presence in powerful and unmistakable ways every few months.  As I began to grow in Him, it seems those ‘experiences’ have become much more rare.  However, I also have become aware of the fact that I am much less dependent on such experiences to sustain me.  I thank the Lord for His work in my life.  And I pray that He will continue to mold me and make me into a true man of God.

The older I get, the more I become aware of the brevity of life. Someone might say, “That’s morbid. Don’t think about such things!” But the Bible seems to see things differently. In fact, throughout the Scriptures we are frequently reminded of our mortality. James 4:14 tells us that our life is “just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” Yes, life on earth — even if you should live to be 100 — is brief indeed. We must live life to the fullest while we have breath. And we can only live life to the fullest if we know Jesus Christ and are living unto Him as our Lord and Savior day by day, every day. I ask you, do you know Jesus Christ? Won’t you trust Him as your Lord and Savior? If you will do this, all eternity lies before you, and you will worship Christ your King forever and ever!

I have often contemplated the biblical command in 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  In his short but excellent article, “How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God”, Dr. John Piper tells us that everything we do-even drinking orange juice-can be done to the glory of God.  In fact, Piper draws this conclusion:

It is sin to eat or drink or do anything NOT for the glory of God. In other words, sin is not just a list of harmful things (killing, stealing, etc.). Sin is leaving God out of account in the ordinary affairs of your life. Sin is anything you do that you don’t do for the glory of God.

You can read the whole thing by clicking here…

Charles Spurgeon’s church was a praying church.  Spurgeon biographer Lewis Drummond writes,

How the people of New Park Street Baptist Church did pray!  They actually prayed down revival.  But prayer must be personal as well as corporate.  Could Spurgeon himself pray?  He could; he actually seemed to walk in a spirit of continuous prayer.  Though not given to long formal prayers, he prayed “without ceasing.” He stated, “You cannot measure fire by the bushel, nor prayers by their length.”  He believed that and practiced it.  Actually, he spent only one or two whole nights in prayer in his entire life, but he walked with God in such depth that he could move from conversation with a friend and then into prayer in a moment.

(Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, p. 29)

Indeed.  According to Spurgeon, “Prayer meetings are the throbbing machinery of the Church.”  

I usually reserve comment on books until after their release, but I must say, this book appears very intriguing indeed!  Not only that, I have come to trust Crossway’s reputation for publishing good quality Christian books. Here’s the publisher’s description:

Real people. Real sin. Transformed lives. A compilation of heartfelt letters written from a pastor to his people that explains Jesus’ work on the cross.

Death by Love is a unique book on the cross of Jesus Christ. While many books debate the finer points of the doctrine of the atonement, what is often lost are the real-life implications of Jesus’ death on the cross for those who have sinned and have been sinned against. Written in the form of pastoral letters, Death by Love outlines the twelve primary effects of Jesus’ death on the cross and connects each to the life of a different individual.

Driscoll, one of America’s most influential pastors, and Breshears, a respected theologian, help readers understand, appreciate, and trust in Jesus’ work on the cross in a way that will transform their lives. Both deeply theological and intensely practical, this book shows how everyone can find hope through the death of Jesus Christ.

Check out the trailor below:

You can read a chapter, download the art, and purchase the book here.  In short, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.  It should be a great read… Either way, I plan to find out!

Yesterday after church I attended a get-together for our Connection Group at the home of a wonderful couple in our group.  Imagine my surprise when what I thought was just a “routine” get-together turned out to be a surprise celebration for my and Debi’s 25th wedding anniversary!  What a wonderful surprise, but very humbling as well.  I am so grateful for my brothers and sisters in Christ.  It reminded me of Psalm 133, which says:

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing–life forever.

Thank you Gary, Freda, and the rest of the gang.  I am so grateful to all of you! — Scott

We opened the work week on Monday with worship performed by The Church at Pinnacle Hills Worship Team.  I think it’s only appropriate that we should close the work week today with the same, right?  So enjoy this beautiful worship song, “In Christ Alone.” Have a great weekend!

What is Christian joy?  Recently I came across this interesting definition and thought I’d share it with my readers:

JOY. A delight in life that runs deeper than pain or pleasure . . . not limited by, nor tied solely to external circumstances . . . a gift of God . . . a quality of life and not simply a fleeting emotion . . . the fullness of joy comes when there is a deep sense of the presence of God in one’s life . . . Jesus made it clear that joy is inseparably connected to love and to obedience (John 15:9-14) . . . There can also be joy in suffering or in weakness when suffering is seen as having a redemptive purpose and weakness as bringing one to total dependency upon God (Matthew 5:12; 2 Corinthians 12:9).

Source: Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1984), p.588

“Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.”
Mark Twain

I believe Mark Twain was onto something.  Today I’m celebrating 25 years of marriage with my lovely bride, Debi, and I can honestly say I love her more now than ever.  We were young when we got married… too young to know what we were getting ourselves into!  But by God’s grace our marriage has survived and thrived, and all in spite of ME!  The woman a man marries can make or break his success in life.  It really is a general truism:  “Behind every good man is a better woman.”  At least in my case, I am a better man because of Debi. 

I prayed often as a young man that God would provide the perfect wife for me, and I honestly believe He honored that request.  I thank God for Debi, and look forward–by God’s mercy and grace–to another twenty-five years together.  It was famed philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who is quoted as saying, “It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”  While I don’t agree with many of Nietzsche’s other philosophical statements, I think he hit the bullseye with that one.  Certainly, after all these years Debi continues to be not only my companion in life, but also my best friend.  Sola Deo Gloria…

To God be all the Glory!

Not long ago I purchased a copy of Dr. Bruce Waltke’s Old Testament Theology (Zondervan, 2007) ).  I had intended to begin reading it by now.  Blogger Tim Challies beat me to it, however, and recently posted this intriguing commentary on Waltke’s discussion of man’s fall into sin and what he calls, “the shape of temptation.”  Challies comments: 

Here [Waltke] shows how Satan’s original act of temptation is an archetype or sorts. All of the temptation that would follow through the long line of human experience would mimic this one. Satan tempted the second human being in the same way he tempts the 20 billionth (or whatever I happen to be). As I read this portion of the book and reflected on it, I could see that this really is the model of temptation. It is not just Satan who works in this way, though, but all human beings. We are prone to following Satan in luring others into sin in the same way.

FIVE STEPS IN LEADING SOMEONE INTO SIN

Be a theologian. There is little doubt that Satan is a theologian, and a skilled and outspoken one at that. He has had a very long time to study God and, as a leader among angels, once enjoyed free access to Him and close communion with Him. Satan knows God and knows about the character of God. But unlike the theologians we seek to be, Satan is a theologian who despises God with every bit of his being. When he turns to Eve and says, “Did God really say…?”  he brings Eve into a dialogue that opens her mind to a new realm of possibility, one she would not have thought of on her own. He knows God well enough to know what God has said and done.

But there is more. Satan is not only a student of God but also of men. From the moment God first spoke of man, Satan must have been watching and observing. Knowing that man was the crown of creation, Satan was surely looking for an opening, a way to destroy this jewel. He became a student of the ways of men. As a theologian, a psychologist and an anthropologist, Satan has unique skill at leading men astray.

Turn commands into questions. Satan takes the command of God and rephrases it as a question. “Did God really say?” What was a clear statement suddenly becomes hazy. Posing as a theologian he asks, “Are you sure about this, or is this only Adam’s testimony as to what God said? Are you sure? How do you know? Is this really a command? Can we discuss this a little bit? Is it possible that you misinterpreted what God said? Is it possible that there is some context here we’ve ignored?” Waltke says, “Within the framework of faith, these questions are proper and necessary, but when they are designed to lead us away from the simplicity of childlike obedience, they are wrong.” And so we see Satan raising questions of interpretation and authority necessarily designed to create doubt and confusion and to lead away from the simplicity of a childlike obedience.

Emphasize prohibition over freedom. Satan carefully and deliberately distorts, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden” into “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” He overlooks the great freedom God gave Adam and Eve and instead overstates the one prohibition. He gets Eve to focus on the prohibition rather than the gift and the freedom. Instead of focusing on the Tree of Life, from which she was free to eat, and on the millions of other trees available to her, Satan got her to focus her heart on that one tree from which she was not allowed to eat. And Eve began to focus not on what she had been given, but on what had been forbidden. And suddenly nothing but what was forbidden could satisfy her.

Doubt God’s sincerity and motives. Satan casts God’s motives as self-regard rather than love. “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” He convinces Eve that God is limiting her, that He is not giving her the full measure of humanity. He is holding back, reserving for Himself things that she deserves to know and to experience. As Waltke says, we hear this message all around us today. “Be liberated! Be free! Self-actualize! Unleash your inner potential! The Serpent’s message even echoes in the church. Instead of sanctification, the church seeks self-improvement. Instead of holiness, the church seeks happiness.” When you hear such things, you can rest assured that the Serpent is once again at work seeking to convince you that you need to be something other than what you were created to be.

Deny what God says is true. In the final step, Satan flatly denies what is true. “You will not surely die.” The fruit of all of the doubt and the resentment is unbelief. If God’s words happen to hinder us from becoming what we want to be or from doing what we want to do, Satan convinces us that we can safely ignore them. In the church today many people de-emphasize sin because it may hinder the quest for self-actualization or it may make people feel guilty or damage their self-esteem. “Sadly many evangelical churches are in the process of buying into a guilt-free, pain-free, judgment-free gospel.”

In the face of such temptation, the woman yields to Satan’s denials and half-truths. “Having stripped Eve of her spiritual defenses, Satan’s work is done.” Without God, the decision will be made purely on the basis of pragmatism, of what works best to bring about the desired end, on the basis of aesthetics, of what is beautiful, and on the basis of self-improvement, of what will bring her supposed wisdom. It is only one short step from here to outright disobedience.

And so Satan works through questioning, doubt, focusing on what is forbidden and finally on outright denial of the truth. And Eve is only the first to be drawn in and to succumb to the temptation. Every one of us has fallen for the same old trap. If you think of your own life, I’m sure you will think of examples where this pattern was used against you, perhaps just in your own thoughts or perhaps in a book you have read (and there are many books in the bookstores, both Christian and non- where this same pattern is used). Satan’s first tactic worked so well that I don’t think he has ever felt it necessary to modify it too much. The shape of temptation has not changed.

Wow, do I have a treat for you today.  It’s the Revelation Song, as performed by my beloved friend and brother, Josh Stanbery, and the praise team at The Church at Pinnacle Hills.  This was also the first time I’d heard soloist Frances Manning, who is using her beautiful voice to the glory of God. It’s an incredible song, so sit back for a few minutes on this hot summer’s Monday, and enjoy some worship time! 

Last night we arrived home from our annual staff advance.  What an incredible week it turned out to be!  It was just what I needed, and I come back pumped and excited to see what God is going to do in and through our staff team and church in the coming year. 

During the week we watched a powerful video of Chris Tomlin’s song, “God of This City.”  It was an inspiration as we wait expectantly to see God do even greater things in the coming year.  Take a few moments to watch this video.  Be encouraged and hopeful, for greater things are yet to come!

We have had a great staff advance this year.  What a great group of people I serve with!  Today we will wrap things up with a final round of discussions before heading home this afternoon.  Please pray for us in the coming days and weeks as we kick-off another big year of ministry.

On another note, I hope you have enjoyed our recent focus on the doctrine of divine providence.  What a wonderful and great God we serve!  If you haven’t already done so, let me take this opportunity to once again encourage you to read through, and meditate upon, the wonderful Old Testament book of Esther.

In my last blog I mentioned that the Old Testament book of Esther contains not one mention of the divine name Yahweh, nor does it contain the word elohim, the Hebrew noun for God.  But as the old Puritan Bible commentator Matthew Henry remarks of this great book, “If the name of God is not in it, His finger is.”

I also mentioned that Esther records not even one tiny ‘miracle.’  Nevertheless, in her NIV Application Commentary on Esther, Bible commentator Karen Jobes writes:

Although there is not one tiny miracle found in the book of Esther, the cumulative result of a series of improbable events leads one to ponder the miraculous quality of the ordinary. As it has been said, “a coincidence is a miracle in which God prefers to remain anonymous.” If, as the book of Esther implies, God interacts with individuals in such a way as to move history to the goal ordained by His eternal purposes, surely even the ordinary takes on a miraculous luster. In some ineffable way, ordinary human decisions cooperate with the divine plan.

Indeed, Jobes here touches on a great mystery:  the so-called “tension” between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.  But Christians need not worry about resolving this tension.  You see, the Bible clearly teaches both:  (1) God is absolutely sovereign over all persons and events, AND (2) human beings are responsible creatures who make real choices for which they are accountable.  We must leave it at that, for the Bible does not completely unveil to us all the answers to this great mystery. 

I hope you’ve taken up my challenge to read through this wonderful story, for Esther has much to teach us.  It certainly contains one of the most striking examples of the doctrine of God’s providence in all of Scripture!

Today we are in Kansas City for our annual staff advance.  This is an important time as we advance to the future and hammer out our vision for the coming year.  Please pray for us, that God will use this week to impart a new and fresh vision to each of us.

I have recently been blogging about the doctrine of God’s providence.  That God continually upholds, preserves, and governs His world — including everything and everyone in it — is a great comfort for the believer.  Unfortunately, many live out their lives without giving God’s providence a moment’s consideration. 

Providence in the Old Testament book of Esther
Esther is one of the most interesting and captivating stories illustrating God’s providence in the Old Testament, and yet it seems to get little attention, even among Christians.  There may be several reasons for this.  In fact, some interpreters throughout history have found Esther’s presence in the Old Testament to be troubling. Why?

And yet, in spite of all these things, Esther is one of the most beautiful pictures of God’s providence in all of Scripture.  I suspect that these conspicuous ‘omissions’ were intentionally orchestrated by God in order to show that His divine providence is still able to stand out in stark relief against the backdrop of an otherwise ’secular’ mindset that observes the world only through empirical lenses.

We all do this, I suspect — at least at times.  We and others tend to make the mistake of thinking that, because we can explain various phenomena from a ’scientific’ standpoint, then God is vanquished from the event(s).  We know the sun ‘rises’ because of the earth’s rotation as it travels around the sun.  We know the rain falls because we can explain it from the standpoint of barometric pressure, precipitation, etc.  In doing so, we think we have eliminated the need to evoke God as an explanation for such things.  In fact, He is often called by skeptics ‘the God of the gaps’.  But the Bible unashamedly says that it is still God who stands behind the events of the world.  It is still God who causes His sun to rise on both the evil and the good; it is God who sends His rain on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45), etc. 

How about you?  Do you tend to look at the events in your life merely through empirical lenses?  Let me challenge you to begin looking at your life through the eyes of Scripture.  Would you consider reading the book of Esther this week?  It’s a short book that can easily be read in one sitting.  Why don’t you accept this challenge, read the book of Esther with me, and then let me know what you think.

One of the most comforting doctrines of the Christian faith is that of God’s providence.  The Abstract of Principles, the first official confession of faith endorsed by Southern Baptists, states the doctrine of God’s providence as follows:

God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.

Scripture: Heb. 1:3; Dan. 4:34, 35; Ps. 135:6; Acts 17:25, 26, 28; Job chapters 38 to 41; Matt. 10:29, 30, 31; Prov. 15:3; Ps. 104:24; Ps. 145:17; Acts 15:18; Ps. 94:8, 9, 10, 11; Eph. 1:11; Ps. 33:10, 11; Isa. 63:14; Eph. 3:10; Rom. 9:17; Gen. 45:7; Ps. 145:7.

Another of the most beautiful confessional statements of God’s providence are found in the Heidelberg Catechism:

What do you mean by the providence of God? (Question 27)

The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by His hand, He upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by His fatherly hand.

What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by His providence does still uphold all things? (Question 28 )

That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from His love; since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move.

 What’s troubling you today?  Have you committed it to your loving heavenly Father?  Are you trusting in His loving hand of providence to work all things for your good and for His glory? 

My last post was a quote by J.C. Ryle on prayer.  Recently, Justin Taylor posted the following excellent exhortation from Bishop Ryle on Bible reading:

You live in a world where your soul is in constant danger. Enemies are round you on every side. Your own heart is deceitful. Bad examples are numerous. Satan is always laboring to lead you astray. Above all false doctrine and false teachers of every kind abound. This is your great danger.

To be safe you must be well armed. You must provide yourself with the weapons which God has given you for your help. You must store your mind with Holy Scripture. This is to be well armed.

Arm yourself with a thorough knowledge of the written word of God. Read your Bible regularly. Become familiar with your Bible. . . . Neglect your Bible and nothing that I know of can prevent you from error if a plausible advocate of false teaching shall happen to meet you. Make it a rule to believe nothing except it can be proved from Scripture. The Bible alone is infallible. . . . Do you really use your Bible as much as you ought?

There are many today, who believe the Bible, yet read it very little. Does your conscience tell you that you are one of these persons?

If so, you are the man that is likely to get little help from the Bible in time of need. Trial is a sifting experience. . . . Your store of Bible consolations may one day run very low.

If so, you are the man that is unlikely to become established in the truth. I shall not be surprised to hear that you are troubled with doubts and questions about assurance, grace, faith, perseverance, etc. The devil is an old and cunning enemy. He can quote Scripture readily enough when he pleases. Now you are not sufficiently ready with your weapons to fight a good fight with him. . . . Your sword is held loosely in your hand.

If so, you are the man that is likely to make mistakes in life. I shall not wonder if I am told that you have problems in your marriage, problems with your children, problems about the conduct of your family and about the company you keep. The world you steer through is full of rocks, shoals and sandbanks. You are not sufficiently familiar either with lighthouses or charts.

If so, you are the man who is likely to be carried away by some false teacher for a time. It will not surprise me if I hear that one of these clever eloquent men who can make a convincing presentation is leading you into error. You are in need of ballast (truth); no wonder if you are tossed to and fro like a cork on the waves.

All these are uncomfortable situations. I want you to escape them all. Take the advice I offer you today. Do not merely read your Bible a little—but read it a great deal. . . . Remember your many enemies. Be armed!

Cited in J. I. Packer, 18 Words: The Most Important Words You Will Ever Know, pp. 40-41.

In his booklet A Call to Prayer, John Charles (J.C.) Ryle (1816-1900) begins with these three words, “Do You Pray?” and then makes statements designed to make you think deeply about your own prayer life:

I ask whether you pray because neglect of prayer is one of the greatest causes of backsliding. Bibles read without prayer; sermons heard without prayer; marriages contracted without prayer; journeys undertaken without prayer; residences chosen without prayer; friendships formed without prayer; the daily act of prayer itself hurried over, or gone through without heart: these are the kind of downward steps by which many a Christian descends to a condition of spiritual palsy, or reaches the point where God allows them to have a tremendous fall.

Ryle’s words cause me to ask myself — and you — “Do you pray?”  Let’s not neglect this God-given discipline; the discipline of prayer.