Showing posts with label Theology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theology. Show all posts

Having God as Our Father

0

Tuesday, November 03, 2015 11:14 AM

Labels: ,

J. I. Packer begins the nineteenth chapter in his book Knowing God:
“What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.”
I would like to think about his definition of a Christian on two levels:
First, not everyone knows God as Father; therefore, we cannot say that everyone is a Christian. The Bible never teaches a universal sonship, like, everyone gets to heaven (the Father’s house according to Jesus in John 14) because of some sort of sincerity test. No, Jesus is the only way to get to the Father, and faith in the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus to save is the only right response to this extraordinary grace (cf. John 14:6). Paul also made it very clear how we become sons and daughters of God:
“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 5:26; cf. John 1:12-13).
God becomes our Father through the exclusive path of faith in what Jesus accomplished for us at Calvary. He gave His life in death so we could have eternal life (cf. John 3:16).
Second, God primarily relates to Christians as His children and we should primarily relate to one another then as daughters and sons of God. We must use the same glasses God uses to see one another, through the lens of adoption.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
This means we are in the same family; we are spiritual siblings. And since we are in the same family we should love one another with a pure heart. A “pure heart” love is loving without an agenda or seeking something for selfish reasons from the relationship. It is loving un-hypocritically, authentically, and sacrificially. And I don’t think God wants us fighting over the kingdom toys like selfish two-year-olds.
Do we see one another as God’s sons and daughters? Or do we see one another as competitors? How we treat one another will reveal how we see one another.
Grace & Peace,
Scott

God Is Great & Awesome...My Problems Are Not!

0

Wednesday, August 27, 2014 11:04 AM

Labels: , ,

Everywhere I look I see problems with no solutions. I see problems in the world, in our nation, in our town, in our church…and I don’t see the goodness of God. I feel the weight of the world and I get tired because it seems that it’s up to me to carry that weight and solve these problems. I sense that at any time I will collapse under the weight and what will be left is nothing but the carnage of someone who has given up. Living like this makes it difficult to function normally – whatever normal is.
Why do I feel this way? I feel this way because I choose to feel this way, and this choice is about what is BIG in my life and what is small. When I see problems and people as BIG then I’ve made the choice that God is small. When I fear what people can do more than I sense what God can do then I’ve made the choice that people are greater than God. And that’s a sinful choice.
During the last couple of days I’ve read through Nehemiah; this was a very opportune devotional time for me. Nehemiah faced some huge problems: exiled to a foreign country, his hometown, Jerusalem, was in shambles, God had put an impossible mission in his heart that he refused to share with anybody, all kinds of opposition to the mission, and a seemingly unachievable building project. How was he going to convince the king of a foreign power to let him go do what God wanted him to do? How was he going to pay for it? How was he going to overcome the opposition? How was he going to rally the Israelites to resurrect an old dream? He had questions, lots of questions.
Over and over again I see Nehemiah refocusing on the greatness and majesty of God. At one point when the surrounding powers were upset and resisting the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem, Nehemiah stood up and reminded his rag-tag team of non-union construction workers:
“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” (Nehemiah 4:14)
Remember the Lord! Oh, how often I forget in the middle of feeling overwhelmed that God is greater than everything! In the midst of people dying, overseas terrorist coming closer to home, earthquakes, floods and wildfires taking place everyday in America, people complaining, time running short, more appointments than can fit on my calendar, emergencies, and supper getting colder, I’m trying to remember that God is a majestically great God.
Maybe I’ll just stay in Nehemiah for a while!
Grace & Peace,
Scott

God Is A BIG God!

0

Tuesday, August 05, 2014 2:17 PM

Labels: , , ,

Do we fear man more than God? Fearing people causes us to do many things that we otherwise would not, and should not do. For example, if our fear of man is greater than our fear of God we probably won’t say what needs to be said in a sinful situation. We are afraid of man’s rejection and retaliation. Sometimes parents fall into the trap of fearing a child’s rejection and therefore don’t discipline Scripturally – thus, children are big and God is small. Or, we won’t speak up at work when somebody says something offensive – thus, coworkers are big and God is small. Or, we will not turn the channel when sin is portrayed as glorious and inconsequential – thus, our lust is big and God is small. Or, we won’t speak up against what is pushed as “politically correct” but sinful – thus, public opinion is big and God is small.
Our culture is trying to diminish God in the eyes of everyone and will only succeed if we allow it. In the big picture culture has succeeded in culture, but the danger I see is that the greatness of God is now being sacrificed in the church! God is either being preached as a God who is great in His love, but is limited in His power; or He is being portrayed as an angry God who is out to get us sinners and has no capacity for love and grace so we better do something to make Him happy. Either way He is a small God and people are big.
When we fear man over God it is a matter of us seeing God as small and man as being big. God is a Grand Canyon God who is bigger than all and mightier than all. He is beyond our comprehension, but He can still be known because He came down to our level to be known. It is simply amazing what God can accomplish through believers who have a big view of who He is and a small view of who people are. We see a clear example of this when Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin and said,
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20)
Let me end with the encouraging words of Moses and Yahweh,
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Moses in Deuteronomy 31:8)
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous…” (Yahweh to Joshua 1:5-6 [cf. vv. 9, 18])
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Freedom from the Enslavement of Sin

0

Tuesday, February 04, 2014 10:24 AM

Labels: , ,

We are enslaved to all sorts of things. When we think of being in bondage to something we mostly think of drug addictions, but I think that is much too narrow a view. Being in bondage to sin involves so much more than a small subset of legal and illegal drugs. We need to expand our thinking to include such things as the intangible, like power, fear, acceptance, image, etc., and such tangible things, like money, cars, clothes, etc. No matter how you look at it, being in bondage freezes us spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and financially. It’s like we
’ve been sucked into a black hole and there just seems to be no escape, no way out, we’re stuck to live like this the rest of our lives, or are we? That’s a pretty defeated and bleak way of looking at things.
Here is something that amazes me, God provides a release from this bondage through His marvelous grace. Think about it…if God can free us from the bondage of our old master, Satan, could His grace not release us from something like being enslaved to the need to have all the power or the need to have all the latest fashions or the need to be right?
Every sin is a declaration that God isn’t enough. When we sin we are screaming that God cannot satisfy our deepest longing but this replacement of God can.
Sin enslaves and produces addicts of everyone. Those who live enslaved to sin are riding an escalator. The sin committed and ignored will only need something more and greater to satisfy the appetite once fed. Our new master wants more and more of us because sin is never satisfied. Every sin becomes a “drug” we take to deal with a pressure we face that we don’t think we can face with God’s grace. It is a slow spiritual suicide we commit when sin is ignored, and sometimes we choose not to even know what’s taking place in our lives. After all, “ignorance is bliss,” we’ve told ourselves long enough and now we believe it.
The grace God offers through Jesus doesn’t end at salvation, no the grace of the gospel continues with us each day to free us from the power of sin in our lives. Paul wrote to the Romans,
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
When Paul says, “who are being saved” he is talking about sanctification…our everyday life of growing in God’s grace. He furthers says this is a demonstration of God’s power. God’s power to do what? It is God’s ability and authority to keep us from going back into the slavery of sin.
Jesus said,
 “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34, 36)
It is only through turning our backs on sin and trusting God through His grace that we can be free. The promise and hope we have is that God is enough. God can and will satisfy the deepest longings of our soul. What we need to do is experience that God is enough; we must fight for a hungering and thirsting for God.
“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.” (Psalm 143:5-6)
Grace & Peace,
Scott

Everything Happens by God's Design

0

Monday, March 19, 2012 11:20 AM

Labels: ,

It has been two months since the supply line in the ladies’ bathroom providentially disconnected and flooded a section of the new church building. I say “providentially” because I don’t believe anything happens apart from the hand of God. The biblical truth of God’s sovereignty teaches that God has both the authority and power over everything and absolutely nothing escapes His control. Job recognized this in light of his suffering: “Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?” (Job 12:9).

I don’t want to sound overly simplistic, but because of the limited space let me share a couple of thoughts. First, we need to make a distinction between what God causes to happen and what God allows to happen. I find it helpful to ask a couple of questions: “Could God have stopped the water line from breaking?” Answer: Yes! “Did God stop the water line from breaking?” Answer: No! So, in the sense that He could have prevented it but didn’t He was in control. In God’s providence the water line broke.

Also, we need to understand that everything happens for a reason (even evil). Paul sums this up for our benefit by saying: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28). And from God’s benefit he wrote, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36). Things happen by the sovereign and majestic design of God for our good and for His glory.

No, I can’t always answer the question, “Why did God cause or allow this to happen?” But if I take God out of the picture then I am left with sheer blind luck and happen chance, and I’m not willing to live in a world where God is not ultimately in control. A world where God is not in control would be chaotic. I believe God is large and in charge!

We are all ready to get this rebuild behind us, but I take comfort in the fact that God had a purpose behind it, and His purpose was to build our lives and to bless His name.

Grace & Peace,

Scott

Newness

0

Thursday, August 18, 2011 2:31 PM

Labels: , , , ,

A new school year has begun! For many this is a time of getting back into a good routine. Teachers want to teach a fresh batch of young, eager minds, and students want to show their friends their new shoes, jeans, shirts, and boyfriends...it's something new for everyone. It's simply an exciting time of year! At least it's better than sitting around bored with nothing to do but watch the grass turn brown in the heat of the summer. "Newness" is wonderful and this time of year reminds me of the constant newness of the Christian life.

God spiritually created us to be new through Christ. Paul called us God's "new creation" and then he describes God's creative activity in our lives with the statement "the old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). God is not satisfied with leaving us the way we were; He wants and expects change. This change is radical in the sense that it affects every single, solitary area of our life. It's a different direction for our lives, a different desire for our passions, a new set of habits, and a different way of looking at life.

Another point I want to make is that this change never ends. The newness is always new again. We will never get to a point in our lives when change is no longer necessary. We must always be growing. This constant, spiritual growth is by God's sovereign design according to Romans 8:29,

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son...

Just think about it, God's plan from before time began was to make us more and more like His Son. This plan is rooted in the gospel, continues in the gospel and finishes in the gospel. I say this because our spiritual growth is about being conformed to the image of Jesus. He didn't say conformed to a set of rules or traditions, but His Son. Central to being remade int he image of Jesus is the cross, and so central to our spiritual growth is the cross.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

No Resurrection...No Hope

0

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 12:07 PM

Labels: , ,

The cross centers our life and the resurrection gives us hope. The cross without the resurrection is a lesson in tragic hopelessness. This is something that Paul confronted the believers with in Corinth.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 ESV)

Paul saw that underneath all the dismaying problems of the Corinthians lay one massive theological falsehood: they denied the resurrection of the dead. And by doing that, they denied the importance of the world that God created. They denied that these flawed bodies of ours are loved by God and we will be redeemed.

Notice the "if's" in the above passage, they are piled up and by doing this Paul is raising the stakes higher and higher. He ties Christ's resurrection in with our resurrection. Paul's point is simple: if the Corinthian position on the resurrection prevails then we have no past and no future! That is, if we have believed in Christ's resurrection as giving us hope for the future when there is no hope for the future, then we are truly the most miserable people on the planet.

But the resurrection is true and therefore our hope is real. And hope changes everything. Join us this Sunday as we focus on the resurrection of our great Shepherd, Jesus.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

"Life Comes at You Fast!"

0

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 4:21 PM

Labels: ,

One of the funnier commercials I enjoy is the one that uses the slogan: "Life comes at you fast." That message was illustrated audibly and visibly Monday afternoon (2-1-10). I was engrossed in some good reading on a passage in Ephesians when through the city's cacophony of noises I heard the unmistakable sounds of a traffic accident right out my window (you know...the screeching of brakes and a loud crash!). Well, that interrupted my day, and after calling 911 Amanda and I proceeded to do a running commentary of what was going on below us on Pearl Street. I don't think any of the five people involved in the accident was thinking their day would end like that.

For me this was a lesson on the unexpected and sometimes unwanted, and life is full of this. Yes, I plan out my day and try to stick to a schedule, but every once in a while the unplanned thing happens and changes everything. I have to be okay with this because I firmly believe in God's control of events and I equally reject fate. I am not saying that God causes bad things to happen, but He does control those bad things. Nothing takes God by surprise, and He knows just what I need and how much I can handle. God never says, "Oops," or "I didn't see that coming." What is a real comfort for the follower of Jesus in all of this is that God can turn even the most severe event into a life-changing episode for the good. Paul wrote,

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)

I look out my window and see the remnants of the accident: some shattered glass and plastic and the paint the officers used to mark the scene of the accident. As long as the paint remains it will be a vivid remind that life comes at you fast, but I can trust that God is working things out in my life for His purpose.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Psalm 125: "We Cannot Be Moved"

0

Monday, January 11, 2010 4:14 PM

Labels: , , ,

"My world has been turned upside down!" That statement pack a lot of meaning. Something devastating and unexpected happened. Life doesn't make any sense. We are confused and frustrated. And I believe it is at this point we make decisions that will affect the entire course of our lives. This is a crucial point. I am afraid it is also a point at which we make mistakes and choose the wrong path, but it doesn't need to be this way. This is the message of Psalm 125. Let me recap from Sunday...

The last statement of David is what we are looking for when our world get turned upside down: "Peace be upon Israel." The Old Testament idea of "peace" (shalom) is not the absence of conflict, but a sense of well-being; it has the meaning of wholeness, or security. With this end result in mind let's see how we get there.

We are imperfect and our trust wavers like the stock market. We can be moved and we sometimes "turn aside." This is the point David makes at the beginning of verse 5.

Trust is key (v. 1). It is not the circumstance that should dictate our "peace", but in what we trust. If our trust is placed in something that is temporary (something we can lose) then our security will only last as long as that something, or somebody, is in place. Only God is eternal and only He can make us eternally secure. David shares the result of placing our trust in God...we "cannot be moved" (v. 1).

Read this psalm...live it and love it. May the Spirit of God teach us how we can be "fortressed" in God who cannot be moved! If He cannot be moved and our trust is in Him, then we cannot be moved.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

One Purpose

0

Monday, December 14, 2009 3:17 PM

Labels: , , , ,

God's purpose for all of creation is to bow before His Son. Paul wrote,

"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV [emphasis added])

We ought to honor Him EXCLUSIVELY ("the name that is above every name"). No other person, ideal, philosophy or religion is greater than that of Jesus. No other pursuit is worthy of our time and energy as much as Jesus.

We ought to honor Him WITHOUT EXCEPTION ("every knee should bow"). Some will do this for the first time after death because they refused in life, and by then it will be too late. It is better to bow the knee today.

We ought to honor Him WITH ENTHUSIASM ("to the glory of God the Father"). Glorifying God is not some mundane, ho-hum thing we do on the weekends, it is what we enthusiastically do with our lives every minute.

The ultimate aim of all creation is to glorify God through honoring His Son. Everything we see is an outworking of that one purpose. Our greatest joy and full satisfaction will only be found in bowing before Christ. We may look in other places and in vain seek for satisfaction in other ways, but our only hope for lasting joy will come through obedience to Christ.

Christmas is a great time to think some of this through. This is not just a matter of what we believe, but also how we behave. What we claim in important, but how we live is just as important. Sometimes our lifestyle is a little hypocritical when compared to our doctrine.

There are three reactions to the Christ child recorded in the Gospel of Matthew: (1) hatred and hostility by Herod (Matthew 2:3), complete indifference by the religious (Matthew 2:5-6), and adoring worship by the Magi (Matthew 2:2, 10-11). When you compare and contrast the responses, where do you fall? Are you honoring God with every fiber of your being?

Merry Christmas,
Scott

Don't Get It Mixed Up

0

Wednesday, September 23, 2009 11:48 AM

Labels: ,

I think we all struggle from time-to-time with attachment to this world. There is so much that we see, taste, touch and feel that we sense to compulsion to fall in love with the temporal and forget about the eternal. After all, the world that God created is beautiful in so many different ways and He did create it for us to enjoy. The danger comes when we fall in love with the creation instead of the Creator.

Yes, the creation was given for us to enjoy, but ultimately it was for the glory God. The world was given to reveal God to us (cf. Romans 1:20) and once God was revealed then we are responsible to respond to that revelation and honor God. The problem comes when we become so enthralled with the created thing that the Creator becomes secondary to our appreciation, or, even more tragically, is completely forgotten. That is the perversion of creation.

Yes, we pervert the world when we turn it into something that God never intended it to be. Paul clearly expressed this in Romans 1:

21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

It may also be surprising to discover that this is not what creation longs for. It doesn’t want the attention we have been giving it. It doesn’t want to be perverted to the point of worship. Notice how Scripture puts it:

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Romans 8:22)

The world is crying out in pain to be release from the curse of sin that Adam caused through his disobedience to God.

I hope it makes you think…God created the world with an order and that order clearly points to His majestic beauty. God is truly a Grand Canyon God! Let’s not get it mixed up.

Grace & Peace, Scott

Send Down Your Presence

0

Monday, July 06, 2009 11:47 AM

Labels: , ,

Something grabbed my attention in Sunday school this week. It is something that Moses said in a begging manner that was fulfilled in the “cleft of the rock” experience. Moses cried out to God in Exodus 33:28,

Show me your glory!

That really just sort of says it all for us. The glory of the Lord was the sign that God was with the Israelites; without the glory they were on their own. Moses’ cry for the visible presence of the Lord was a cry to know the Lord was with them. He just could imagine going on without know God was going to be there as well.

Let me bring this to bear on today. Imagine us doing something, anything, without the Lord’s presence. This could include getting married, raising kids, choosing a job, buying a car, retiring, moving, or, yes, relocating a church. If we undertake anything without the Lord going with us then we forfeit more than His peace and assurance; we forfeit probably the greatest thing ever, His glory…His presence. And then we are on our own.

Shout out with me to the Lord, “Show us your glory!” One of my prayers is that we will experience the blessing of God in our lives through the glory of the Lord. John Piper was right when he said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”

I look forward to sharing in the sacred meal with you this Sunday morning. Come prepared to drink and eat to your full satisfaction of what God has done through His Son Jesus.

Grace & Peace, Scott

Jesus Makes Sense of All Suffering

0

Thursday, May 07, 2009 9:58 AM

Labels: ,

We have been doing a study on Wednesday nights at Calvary dealing with suffering. One of the main sources (other than the Bible) I have used is Michael Card's book A Sacred Sorrow. This has been challenging and encouraging to me personally and I believe God's church corporately. Everyone suffers at some point in their lives and we need to know what to do and how to respond biblically. Our study last night took us in the direction of how Jesus brings all suffering together to make sense of it all. Let me share some highlights.

1. Job's Faithfulness through Suffering.

Job lost everything and yet never gave up. He refused to let go of God...the only one who could make sense of his mountain of pain. Despite bad advise from his wife and friends he remained faithful. Would it pay off in the end?

Jesus epitomized faithful obedience to the Father in suffering. His mountain of pain had eternal implications for depraved humanity. My lostness was redeemed through His suffering. Jesus was perfectly obedient and yet was repaid by the curse of hanging on a tree. He agonized to reconcile His will with that of His Father's in the garden. Would it pay off in the end?

For both Job and Jesus their faithfulness is beautifully paid in full. Both got God back and both became advocates...Job for his friends and Jesus for us all.

2. David's Laments Perfect Prophetic Pictures.

The details we find of the suffering Messiah in David's writings are unmatched (expect maybe through Isaiah):
  • Psalm 69:12...the vinegar Jesus was given to drink.
  • Psalm 109:25...the mocking of the crowd.
  • Psalm 22:18...the soldiers gambling for Jesus' coat.
  • Psalm 22:16...the nails to nail Jesus to the cross.
  • Psalm 22:1...the greatest words of agonizing forsakenness.
On the cross Jesus gives voice to the mournful words of David's Psalms.

3. Jeremiah's Mourning Over Israel.

Jeremiah's warns and weeps over Israel who refused to listen and return to their protecting God. In the end both the nation and prophet would be torn apart. How could a chosen nation so favored by the Creator of the universe get into such a position?

Fast forward to Jesus just days before He walks the via dolorosa, and on two occasions He laments the condition of Jerusalem (Luke 13:34; 19:41-44). Jesus weeps unashamedly over the condition of the apple of God's eye. He sees their suffering in the future (70 AD) because of their hardness of heart and mourns. He doesn't move to fix the problem, He just cries.

Yes, all suffering comes together in Jesus. He gave up everything so we could have it all.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

Great Is Your Faithfulness

1

Monday, March 09, 2009 10:48 AM

Labels:

Anticipation has been high around Calvary. We were excited about the possibility of buying a piece of property. During this time my prayer has always been, “God, if you want us to buy this property then we will, if You don’t then we will move on.” I sincerely believed that if we were dependent on Him for this decision then He would honor that dependence and show us what His will was. God would be faithful to us. You know what? He did just that. Early Friday night (3-6-09) I got a call that revealed to us God’s answer to our prayer…don’t buy the property. It was just that simple…that direct. He didn’t speak to us in an audible or visible way; God simply lead us the way He does, in a providential way.

Often we are looking for a “sign” but sometimes a sign just doesn’t honor God the way trusting God for His providential leadership does. Just because we see people asking for a sign in the Bible (especially the Old Testament) doesn’t mean that it is for us today. Gideon’s fleece was a test for God. In fact, he didn’t trust it the first time and so he reversed it for a second test. As you read Judges 6:36-40 you get the sense that Gideon was at least a little unsure of the results, and he was afraid that God would be upset at him for even doing this.

So, where does this leave us today? We must remember that Gideon didn’t have the Bible to turn to for guidance, but we do. Also, Gideon was alone, but we are not. All of us must be consistently praying about where God would have us to relocate. We should also be in His Word seeking wisdom and guidance. Calvary should also be doing His will right now, every moment of every day. These practices set us up for God revealing to us the place to move.

In making such an important decision about the “where” of God’s will we can’t leave it to chance. This is serious business. We are not just building for us; we are building for our grandchildren’s children. I was reminded of that in the deacons’ meeting Sunday night (3-8-09). We have inherited something wonderful. I was challenged by a deacon to ask, “What am I leaving for the next generation?”

I am not discouraged…how can I be when God reveals His will? I hope you are not discouraged either. Our property will sell and we will move. All I can do right now is stand in awe of God’s faithfulness. Are you doing the same?

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Grace & Peace,
Scott

"Church" Is Who We Are

0

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 9:20 AM

Labels:

This week at Calvary we are taking another step to following God’s plan for His church; we will be putting up the “For Sale” signs. Actually the signs will read “Church Relocating…Property Available.” We worded the signs this way for the not-so-subtle reason that God’s church is never for sale! For some the signs will bring pain because this is the building they have worshiped in for many years, or it is the place where they were married, baptized, grew up, and served. For others the signs represent excitement because we are seeking to get a fresh start in a place where we can greater glorify God by reaching the next generation. Whatever your feelings are I want to share with you just one thought: “Church” does not refer to where we meet; it refers to who we are!

I want you to clearly understand that there are things I love about the buildings and some things I don’t so much love. One thing I absolutely love is the auditorium. It is the most beautiful room in which I have ever had the honor the preach God’s unsearchable riches. It is beautiful because it is simple and not overdone. If it would be His will I would love to build one similar to it in the future. But I have come to realize that these are only buildings and are merely temporary places where we invite God’s presence because we have gathered in His name.

When we read of the church in the New Testament the word does not mean the building but means a gathering of people. I think we focus so much attention on the buildings that we unintentionally give them a heavenly status. Unfortunately we do this to the neglect of what is truly important to God: His glory through His people!

A verse I return to again and again when thinking of the church is Acts 2:42,

"And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

Let’s realize that the church is who we are not where we meet. Where we meet is a building. The buildings are important, but not as important as the people. Future generations will come along who feel it is necessary to sell and relocate. My prayer is that they feel free to do so for the glory of God.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

"Do It Again, Daddy!"

2

Thursday, January 08, 2009 5:14 PM

Labels:

For some “getting back to a routine” has been a welcomed thing, for others...well, let me just say it a “painful” thing. We all have some sort of routine and I write this because the last couple of weeks got me to thinking. This thinking comes from three sources: being melancholy about kids growing up, our Sunday school lesson from Psalm 19, a radio program I heard, and something I read. With that much repetition I had to pay attention to what God was trying to teach me and then pass it on to you. Here goes…

Remember when our kids were young and they would want you to do something over and over again. I remember times such as jumping from the third stair into my arms, or Barb reading the same story over and over, or throwing them up in the air and catching them and then them throwing up on me. The question begging to be asked is, “Why did they want to do this over and over again?” The answer lies in the pleasure they received. It was just fun! Their appetite for joy was engaged. I truly miss the words, “Do it again Daddy!”

David wrote in Psalm 19,

Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night after night they display knowledge. (Psalm 19:2)

David wrote this in reference to the sun and moon. Every day the sun comes up and every night the moon shines, and this has been going on since the first day of creation. This is a creative God doing something beautiful over and over again. The beauty of creation always engages our joy. We see the same things day after day, month after month, season after season, year after year, decade after decade, and life-time after life-time. And you know what? It never gets old. God has never tired of doing the same thing throughout history. G. K. Chesterton wrote:

“It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that he has the eternal appetite of infancy…The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.”

I sometimes bemoan routine, but the lesson of repetition in God’s beautiful creation has me saying, “Do it again Daddy!”

Grace & Peace,
Scott

God's Favorite Christmas Memory

1

Monday, December 15, 2008 11:38 AM

Labels:

This past Sunday night (12/14/08) some of the folks at Calvary shared their favorite Christmas memory. The service was both touching and funny. It is amazing what is locked up in our brains, and probably even more amazing what comes spilling out of our mouths! Something came to my mind as I was sitting there. No, I’ll not share everything that came to my mind…that would be ecclesiastical suicide, but I will tell you the most captivating thought:

What would be God’s favorite memory of Christmas?

The only time the Almighty Creator of the universe really celebrated Christmas was the first one (if indeed we could call it the first Christmas). Reading the account of His Son’s birth in Luke 2 proves that it was a celebration in the Father’s sight. He sent His angels to announce this great event, and the invitation went to the last people on this little ball of dirt it should have gone to—the shepherds. The focus of the birth announcement was on the glory God would receive in giving this gift:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. (Luke 2:14)

As the years passed there are no other grand celebrations surrounding Jesus’ birthday. It was only when God the Father gave the gift of His Son that we have this celebration. God was celebrating His gift to His creation even though He was fully aware of the outcome in giving this gift. (He did plan it all.) He knew His gift would be rejected. In fact, Christ would be rejected to the point of being put to death! Yet, God gives the gift anyway!

Now why would I say this was God’s favorite memory of Christmas? Precisely because it summed up what was in God’s heart for the human race from the beginning: He would receive honor through a relationship with His most prized creation!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

You see, God doesn’t want a temporary relationship with us; His intention is to have a relationship that is permanent. The only way this could be accomplished is through giving His Son, even though the end result of that gift is the death of His Son. So God accomplishes what He set out to do when Jesus was born. I believe this is why there was such a celebration at the birth of the Son, and thus God’s favorite memory of Christmas!

Grace & Peace,
Scott

To See the Son Is to See the Father

0

11:19 AM

Labels:

The most profound influence on my thinking about Christmas in recent years has been what Jesus said in John 14:9 (cf. John 6:46):

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!

That is an astounding truth that should permeate every fiber of our thought and action. I just can’t get over the truth that Jesus fully explains the Father to us. In a day when we are trying hard to explain God to the world and are looking for every nugget to pull out of the Bible to show what God is like, Jesus has said it all. To “see” Jesus is to “see” the Father, now just what does it mean to “see”? Glad this is on your mind.

Does seeing mean observing with the eye and perceiving with the senses? I believe it definitely can imply that, but I also believe it goes further than that. Seeing is equivalent to knowing. Let me explain…Jesus fully describes who God is because He is God. He tells the story of God, and those who believe in Him come to know Him through that faith experience. The ones who remain ignorant of God plainly don’t know the Son…they have not “seen” Jesus.

We must also keep in our thoughts that all of this affects what we do everyday; it changes our behavior. A faith that does not change behavior is not a faith worth having. God is not satisfied with stagnant children; He wants our relationship with Him to be dynamic. It is not change for the sake of change, but change because of the intimate and awesome relationship we have with our heavenly Father. Remember, He is the one who took the initiative by sending His Son before we sought Him. That is why we have a weekly celebration of Christmas…a time of worshiping God because He is such a great and wonderful gift-giving God.

Grace & Peace,
Scott

A "Fearful Prayer"

0

11:10 AM

Labels: ,

Martin Luther called the Lord’s Prayer a “fearful prayer.” When we seriously ponder the words of our Lord when He prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done” we begin to understand why he labeled it in this way. It is always a fearful feeling when we bow our own will to the will of another; the implications are even more fearful when we submit our will to the Creator of the universe. Why?

First, because we are saying that we are willing to follow in the footsteps of the only perfect human who ever walked the face of the earth. When Jesus submitted His will to that of His Father’s He fully knew where that would lead…to the cross. He knew the Father’s will for Him included giving His life for others. He knew it meant pain, rejection, and death. I must always ask, “If the fate of my King was pain, then what makes me think I will experience anything else?” When we pray “Your will be done” we are saying, “I bend my will to Yours, I will not argue with Your will. If it brings me joy then I will celebrate, but if it brings pain into my life, then I will trust you and suffer and continue to love You.”

This is also fearful so because we are putting the fate of our personal joy in the hands of another. Can we seriously do this? Our joy must be placed in the hands of someone we trust, and who can we trust better than God? Only God has our best interests in mind and only He can bring us a joy that will last longer than just when the good times are rolling. The good times will end and then we will be left holding onto creaturely comforts that are at best temporary and at worst illusionary.

God has put a song in my heart this week…You Are My All in All.

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Grace & Peace,
Scott

In God's Care

0

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 2:48 PM

Labels: , ,

We lose all kinds of things…keys, checkbook, pocketbook, glasses, the remote, etc. What do we do when we lose something? For me it depends on the item. If it’s not important to me at the moment then I put the lost item on the back burner and hope to run across it before I really need it. If it is something really important then you will find me frantically looking everywhere. I have pressed the panic button and you better not get in my way! Desperation is probably the key word for the day when I lose something that I really need right now.

What about when we lose someone we love from the very depths of our hearts? That is something altogether different. The Galloway (Bayliff) family has suffered great loss this week. In the span of 32 hours they lost both Cecil and Mary. We talk about the family’s great loss, but have they really? Yes! In a very real sense there is a significant feeling of loss. However, in another sense the Galloways (Bayliffs) have placed what they hold most dear to them in the safest place they could find…in the Heavenly Father’s Hands. There is no panic or desperation for them because they know for sure where Cecil and Mary are right now. There is comfort and hope written all over their faces. Comfort because the suffering has ended. Comfort because family and friends have surrounded them with love and kindness beyond measure. And hope because of the promise of the resurrection. Hope because they know one day they will see Cecil and Mary again.

I want to ask you if you have the same comfort and hope they have. Cecil Galloway and Mary Snyder are with Jesus in heaven today because their faith rested completely in what Jesus did on the cross for them. The cross made a difference in their lives, and you could certainly see it. They made a decision one day in their lives to trust in Christ’s death to get them to heaven. They knew their salvation rested in God’s grace through repentant faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Do you know that too? If not, give me a call…I would love to talk to you about it.

Linda and family, we love you. Thank you for showing us how to make it through one day at a time. We continue to pray for your comfort and hope. Remember, you have made a deposit in heaven and one day your withdrawal will be amazing!

Grace & Peace,
Scott
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)