Daily Reflections

Ministry Reflection - February 05, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Justice Satisfied: Exodus 12:13

Our Reflections this week are taken from "Faith's Checkbook" by C.H. Spurgeon. We will resume our regular Reflections ministry next week, God willing. When I see the blood, l mill pass over you. (Exodus 12:13) My own sight of the precious blood is for my comfort; but it is the Lord's sight of it which secures my safety. Even when I am unable to behold it, the Lord looks at it and passes over me because of it. If I am not so much at ease as I ought to be, because my faith is dim, yet I am equally safe because the Lord's eye is not dim, and He sees the blood of the great Sacrifice with steady gaze. What a joy is this! The Lord sees the deep inner meaning, the infinite fullness of all that is meant by the death of His dear Son. He sees it with restful memory of justice satisfied and all His matchless attributes glorified. He beheld creation in its progress and said, "It is very good"; but what does He say of redemption in its completeness? What does He say of the obedience even unto death of His well-beloved Son? None can tell His delight in Jesus, His rest in the sweet savor which Jesus presented when He offered Himself without spot unto God. Now rest we in calm security. We have God's sacrifice and God's Word to create in us a sense of perfect security. He will, He must, pass over us, because He spared not our glorious Substitute. Justice joins hands with love to provide everlasting salvation for all the blood-besprinkled Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
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Ministry Reflection - January 30, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

A Heavenly Escort: Genesis 28:15

Our Reflections this week are taken from "Faith's Checkbook" by C.H. Spurgeon. We will resume our regular Reflections ministry next week, God willing. Do we need journeying mercies? Here are choice ones -- God's presence and preservation, In all places we need both of these, and in all places we shall have them if we go at the call of duty, and not merely according to our own fancy. Why should we look upon removal to another country as a sorrowful necessity when it is laid upon us by the divine will? In all lands the believer is equally a pilgrim and a stranger; and yet in every region the Lord is His dwelling place, even as He has been to His saints in all generations. We may miss the protection of an earthly monarch, but when God says, "I will keep thee," we are in no real danger. This is a blessed passport for a traveler and a heavenly escort for an emigrant. Jacob had never left his father's room before; he had been a mother's boy and not an adventurer tike his brother. Yet he went abroad, and God went with him. He had little luggage and no attendants; yet no prince ever journeyed with a nobler bodyguard. Even while he slept in the open field, angels watched over him, and the Lord God spoke to him. If the Lord bids us go, let us say with our Lord Jesus, "Arise, let us go hence." Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
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Ministry Reflection - January 29, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Freedom from Sin: Romans 6:1-7

Good works – or sanctification – are necessary; they are the necessary evidence that you are freed from the guilt of sin – that you are justified. Justification is a declaration by God that you are righteous in Jesus Christ. It’s not something He shouts from heaven. It’s not something you can see Him do. It’s something you must know by faith. God says He justifies those who trust in Jesus. You have trusted in Jesus. Therefore, you are justified.

But it’s also something you can know by the evidence of a changed life. If you are growing in holiness, if you are obeying the Lord more and more from the heart, then you can know you are justified, because only those justified will be sanctified. And knowing you are justified, you can know that you will be glorified – you will never be lost – as we’ll see in a couple weeks.

So what’s your condition? Are you walking with the Lord in holiness, because you love Him, because you want to be like Him and do the things He did? Then you can know you are freed from the power of sin. And being free from the power of sin, you can know you are just – you are perfect in Jesus Christ. You don’t have to be practically perfect. No one will be this side of heaven – every true believer struggles with sin. But the fact that you want to be perfect shows you are in Jesus Christ – only the Spirit’s saving work creates this desire.

But if you’re not walking in holiness from the heart – if you don’t want to be perfect, like Jesus – the power of sin hasn’t been broken. If it isn’t broken, then you’re not justified. And if you’re not justified, then you are still in danger of God’s judgment, in danger of hell. If that’s where you are, then run to Jesus. Jesus says if you come to Him, He won’t turn you away. If you come to Him He will receive you. He’ll take away all your sins; He’ll give you His perfect righteousness; He’ll save you from hell. All you need to do is turn from your sins and trust Him. Will you do that now?

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Ministry Reflection - January 28, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Freedom from Sin: Romans 6:1-7

Why is it important to know that you have been set free from its power? Because, second, this is the proof that He has released you from its guilt. This is how you can have the assurance that you’re saved. Everyone who has been freed from the power of sin has also been set free from its guilt. This is what the Reformers meant when they said there is no justification without sanctification. Justification is God’s declaration that you are righteous only through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. But when the Lord grants this imputed righteousness (positional), He at the same time grants His Spirit to produce practical/personal holiness. He transforms you into the image of His Son. Paul writes, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:29).

So many who profess to be Christians today want to excuse their sins. They want to believe that they obey God in Jesus. He did all the good works they will ever need, so they’re not going to try to add to His works by keeping God’s commandments. Though it’s true that you should never try to add to Jesus’ work for your justification, it’s also true that you must obey God if you are saved – obedience must be the pattern of your life. John writes, “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God” (1 John 3:7-10). Paul says in our text, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? . . . our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin” (vv. 1-2, 6-7). It’s true that your works don’t save you; but it’s also true that you will be lost without them.

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Ministry Reflection - January 27, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Freedom from Sin: Romans 6:1-7

First, if you are walking with the Lord in holiness from the heart, you can know that you’ve been freed from the power of sin. When it comes to sin in general, what is it that most Christians today are concerned about? Whether or not they’re forgiven; whether their sins have been cleansed; whether their guilt has been finally dealt with. This is very important. If your sins aren’t forgiven, then you’re still guilty. And if you’re still guilty, then you are still in danger of hell. This should create more than a little concern.

But there is something else true believers are at least equally concerned about – whether they have been freed from the power of sin. If you’re a true believer, you’ll never be content merely to be free from judgment while you’re still a prisoner of sin. You must also be free from its power to command you. You must be free to love the Lord and to do what’s right.

That’s exactly what the Lord has provided for you in Jesus Christ – sanctification – which is what Paul speaks of in our passage. He says if you have savingly trusted Jesus, you have died to sin (v. 2). This is true in at least two ways. One is that you are dead. The other is that you are alive again.

Remember, Jesus’ life was vicarious – everything He did was for you, all He did was in your place. When He obeyed, He was obeying for you. When He died, He died for you. When He was raised, He was raised for you. The same is true of His ascension, coronation, and intercession.

Paul focuses here on His death and His resurrection to show how these two events changed your life. When the Spirit baptized you into Jesus Christ – when He united you with Jesus – at that moment everything Jesus did became yours. At that moment, His death became yours and you died – your old man, your flesh, your corruption, died – “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” (v. 3). At that moment, His resurrection also became yours and you were raised – raised to new life in Jesus Christ – “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (v. 4). Because you were crucified with Christ – because your sin was put to death – and because you were raised to life – because you now have His life in your soul – you are no longer the slave of sin but of righteousness: You are freed from sin. You no longer look for an excuse to sin – Paul says you will never use God’s grace as an excuse to sin so that God’s grace can abound towards you. Instead, you look for ways to kill it, to be done with it, to put it to death. You want to be like Jesus – to reflect His life. Walking with the Lord in holiness – because that’s what you want to do – is the evidence that you really have been set free from sin’s power.

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Ministry Reflection - January 26, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Freedom from Sin: Romans 6:1-7

The blessings the Lord gives you – if you are a believer – are far greater than you may realize. The fact that He has loved you with an everlasting love. That He chose to save you and make you like His Son. That He called you – when dead in sin and an enemy – with a call that raised you to life and friendship. And that having given you the gift of faith, He justified you – He clothed you with the righteousness of His Son, took away your sins, and declared you to be what you are in fact in Jesus Christ: perfect.

What kind of value can you place on these things? What would you give for them? What is it worth to escape hell and enter heaven? Surely it’s worth more than you can ever imagine, more than a million worlds full of riches. And yet the Lord has given it to you freely. How much then should you thank Him with your whole life?

But that’s not all He’s given you. There’s still much more. If you are walking with the Lord in holiness, from the heart, that is the proof that He’s given you another blessing far beyond comprehension. He has not only freed you from the guilt of sin – that would have driven you down into hell forever – He has freed you from its power.

So let’s consider two things as we look at this subject: First, that if you are walking with the Lord in holiness from the heart you can know that you’ve been freed from the power of sin. Second, that this is the proof that He has also freed you from its guilt.

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Ministry Reflection - January 25, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

The Progress of God's Kingdom: Mark 4:26-29

Second, let’s consider how the kingdom progresses in the world. It progresses, first, through the sowing of the Gospel. The Lord has called His church to sow the Gospel – year after year, generation after generation. That responsibility is partly ours, because we are part of the church. The Lord calls you to sometimes to sow, sometimes to water, as He gives you opportunity.

Every farmer knows if he doesn’t sow seed, he’ll have no crop – if we’re not sowing the Gospel, we can’t expect anyone to be saved. Are you using your God-given opportunities? Are you building bridges to others – not hiding the Gospel only to risk burning your bridge once it’s built, but with the Gospel at the forefront? The Lord has not called us merely to make friends, but to make disciples – to save their souls.

It progresses, second, through the Lord’s faithfulness – He will cause the kingdom to move forward as you are faithful to sow the Gospel. As more people hear and come into the kingdom by faith, there will be more sowers, and with more sowers, the potential of a much greater harvest. You don’t always see or understand the effect your witness has on the kingdom. Just as the farmer doesn’t understand the process by which his seed grows into plants, so you don’t always understand everything the Lord is doing through you to build His kingdom. But you can know that He is building it through you, as you are faithful to tell others about Jesus Christ.

Know that eventually there will be a harvest. There will be particular harvests. Sowing and watering will always brings souls to conversion. And of course, there have been those great times of revival when the Lord pours His Spirit out and thousands are harvested at once.

And there will be the great harvest at the end of the age. The Lord will send forth His reapers – the holy angels. They will bind all the tares – all those who would not repent and believe – and cast them into the lake of fire. But they will gather His wheat – true believers – and bring them into the Lord’s storehouse – the new heavens and earth.

And so how’s your farming going? Are you sowing, are you watering, are you working towards that day? You must sow if you are to see a harvest. If you don’t share the Gospel with your family members, your children, your friends, they will remain unbelievers. But if you do – though you may have to put up with their complaints and cutting remarks – some of that seed will penetrate, some of it will germinate, and some of them will be saved. Isn’t it worth any price, any difficulty you might have to face, to save even one of these precious souls from eternal damnation? Somehow, we don’t seem to see how important this is until our opportunities are all gone.

And so, Let’s take up the Gospel and begin to sow. Let’s pray for opportunities to reach those who are near and far. And let’s pray that as we sow, the Lord will bless that holy seed, that it will penetrate, germinate and lead to a great harvest. Next time, we’ll consider the encouragement the Parable of the Mustard Seed gives us as to how large and powerful the kingdom will eventually become. Amen.

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Ministry Reflection - January 24, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

The Progress of God's Kingdom: Mark 4:26-29

First then, how does the kingdom of God progress in your heart? It begins with the sowing of the seed. This has to happen first: you must hear the Gospel. Paul writes, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Whether or not you listen to it also has a great deal to do with how it affects you: If you close your ears, it won’t penetrate and produce new life. But if you take it in prayerfully, the Lord will cause it to bring life.

Once the seed is sown, the Lord will either cause it to germinate or not. This has to do with whether it is His sovereign good pleasure – very few are converted compared to the number who hear the Gospel. He doesn’t always convert those who hear right away. Sometimes He will have you listen to the Gospel for years before He raises you spiritually – sometimes He will make you seek for a while until you really want it. Sometimes, He will convert you all at once.

Once germination takes place, He causes that seed to grow. Once He has raised you, there is an immediate change in your heart and mind – your disposition to the Lord and His Word change – the things you used to hate, you now love; and the things you used to love, you now hate. That principle grows and becomes stronger. You begin as a spiritual baby – the Lord gives you a lot of comfort; there aren’t too many trials. You continue to mature – advancing from childhood to adulthood. You become more and more fruitful, more and more useful to the Master. Your treasures in heaven increase, as well as your trials on earth. How the Lord does this isn’t always clear. He often takes you down paths you never thought He would. And yet each step causes you to grow. His ways are unfathomable – but they are good.

Let’s pause here for a moment of self-examination: Are you spiritually alive and growing? Where are you in this process? Has the seed of the Gospel been sown in your heart? Have you heard it; have you listened to it? Has it penetrated deep into your soul? If it hasn’t, you must let it penetrate. Your eternal wellbeing depends on it. Listen to what Jesus says to you.

Has the Gospel germinated in you? Has it become a living principle in your heart? Has it changed your life? It must if you are to see heaven. If it hasn’t, then pray and ask the Lord to grant you new life: Pray that He would give you eyes to see and ears to hear. Pray that He would melt your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Is that truth maturing in you? Are you growing in your understanding? Is your love for Him increasing? Are you doing more of what the Lord calls you to do? Are you ministering your gifts to your brothers and sisters in the Lord? Are you ministering the Gospel to others?

If not, why not? What’s choking its fruitfulness? Are you not willing to give up your comfort? Are you not willing to let go of the world? Whatever it is, get rid of it. Your life depends on it. Remember, you only have so much time to serve Him in this life, so much time to store up heavenly treasure.

Take a good look at what your life is bearing, because this is what the Lord will be looking at on the day of His judgment. Are you living for His glory? Are you being useful to Him and others? If not, then repent and seek to be more fruitful. Do what needs to be done to advance His work in your heart. That day is coming.

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Ministry Reflection - January 23, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

The Progress of God's Kingdom: Mark 4:26-29

As we have been seeing, Jesus has been showing His disciples something of the nature of the kingdom He was bringing in their days and has now brought into the world. This kingdom is not like other kingdoms in the sense that it has specific location and boundaries: It’s a spiritual kingdom that affects the hearts and so the lives of everyone that becomes a part of it by faith. Since it’s not geo-political in nature, the way it grows is also different: Not by force of arms, but rather by the force of truth – truth made powerful by the Spirit of God.

That’s what we see in the parables. Jesus showed us in the Parable of the Sower that the kingdom expands by broadcasting the Gospel through preaching and witnessing. Because most of the hearts it will fall on are hard, most will reject it. There will also be many who receive it initially, but who will fall away because they’re unwilling either to give up this world or their comfort. But there will be those who receive it, whose lives will be changed, and who will bear the good fruit of righteousness.

Jesus showed us something similar in the Parable of the Lamp. Since the kingdom grows through broadcasting the truth, He has committed His truth to His church. We are to shine that truth intensely – all of it. We are to shine it to everyone – to as many as we can. And we are to know that the Lord will reward us according to how generously we do this, and even more.

The next two parables – that of the seed and that of the mustard seed – have to do with how the kingdom will progress and how large it will get. In the first few reflections of this week, we’ll consider the first of these two. Again Jesus uses agriculture to illustrate His point – after all, He was speaking to an agrarian society. The farmer prepares his field; he plants his seed; then he waits. The seed sprouts and grows – how, he doesn’t know, except that God causes it to do so by His inscrutable wisdom. The blade comes up, then the head, then the mature grain. When it reaches maturity, the field is harvested.

What did Jesus mean by this? Actually two things. He is showing us how the Gospel progresses in the lives of individuals. And He is showing us how it advances in the world as a whole. As the seed of the Gospel is sown in the world and hearts are changed, so is the world.

Let’s consider two things: How the kingdom progresses in the heart. And how it progresses in the world.

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Ministry Reflection - January 22, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Can You Come to God in Your Own Way?: John 14:6

Finally, Jesus says that He alone is the life of God. Certainly, He is the author and giver of all life. He is the Creator. John writes, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3). He’s the One who made you and all things for His glory.

But He is more than this. He is the Author and Giver of all spiritual life – He has life in Himself and gives life to whomever He wills. Jesus says, “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself” (John 5:26). He can give you eternal life – which is not just a long life, but a quality of life – a relationship with the Father and the Son (John 17:3). He’s the only One who can. The Bible says you are born spiritually dead in your sins (Eph. 2:1). But Jesus is able to raise you from the dead: He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:24-25).

Jesus is the way – the only way the Father has provided, the only One who has done the necessary work to open the doors of heaven – He is the truth – the only One who can tell you how to be saved and the only true way to heaven – and He is the life – the only One with the power to raise you from spiritual death to life that you might trust in Him and be reconciled with the Father. It is any wonder that Jesus says no one of you can come to the Father except through Him? There is only one way to heaven, only one: through faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to go to heaven, this is the way you must go – every other way is a counterfeit. Peter said, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). If you understand this, then turn from everything else you’ve been trusting in, turn from all your sins, reach out to Him in faith – ask Him to save you and trust that He will – and you will be saved. Amen

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Ministry Reflection - January 21, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Can You Come to God in Your Own Way?: John 14:6

Second, Jesus says He is the only truth of God. Again, let’s understand what He doesn’t mean by this. He isn’t saying that He is merely the ground of all truth and reason – though He is because He is God. He isn’t just saying that He always tells the truth – though He certainly does that as God’s perfect and greatest prophet – which is another reason you need to listen to Him if you are going to be saved.

But He is truth itself – especially in the sense that He is the reality, the fulfillment of everything the Old Testament was pointing to. He is what God was teaching the Jews in the Old Testament: He is the fulfillment of God’s revelation, the unveiling of the pictures of the priesthood and the sacrifices, the promises and prophecies, what we call the types and shadows. He is the truth behind it all. Everything that has to do with the Gospel has its fulfillment in Him. And so if you want to know the truth about salvation, if you want the one true way of salvation, you must come to Him. Every religious teacher that teaches anything contrary to Jesus, is a liar. Every other way is false. He alone is the true way to God.

Finally, Jesus says that He alone is the life of God. Certainly, He is the author and giver of all life. He is the Creator. John writes, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3). He’s the One who made you and all things for His glory.

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Ministry Reflection - January 20, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Can You Come to God in Your Own Way?: John 14:6

First, Jesus says He is the only way to God, “I am the way . . . no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus said this in response to Thomas’ question: “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Thomas believed that heaven existed; he just didn’t know how to get there. Jesus told him, “I am the way.” What did He mean by this? He didn’t mean that He was only an example they should follow – though you need to follow His example if you ever hope to get to heaven, you won’t get there just by doing this. He also didn’t mean simply that He was the only One who could tell them how to get there – though He alone can do this as well. Jesus meant much more than this: He means He is the way itself.

Jesus is the door to heaven – the only door through which you can enter. This is a remarkable statement, especially in light of the fact there are so many who believe there are so many other ways. You’ve heard of the spoke analogy: there is one hub – God – but there are many spokes that lead to Him: One spoke might be the teachings of Buddha – though he never claimed to lead anyone to heaven, but to a moral lifestyle that would help you transcend existence and end up in nothingness. Another spoke might be Islam that teaches a man might get to a place of sensual delight and ecstasy if he is faithful to the five fundamental teachings of Islam (the five pillars) or dies in a holy war. Another might be that of Mormonism that teaches you can become a god of your own planet at best, or be able to spend eternity in paradise on earth at least, if you are faithful to the Mormon teachings. Another might be the Jehovah’s Witnesses that also teaches faithfulness to an organization (the Watch Tower) and hard work if you would live in a paradise on earth. Or the Gospel of good works that teaches that you can be good enough to go to heaven without religion and that God will accept you in the end if your good works outweigh your bad. Or universalism that teaches that no matter what you do, you’ll end up in heaven in the end, because everyone will.
These spokes – they say – are just so many ways God has provided to come to Him in the many different cultures – everyone’s beliefs will eventually get them there, even yours.

But what does God say? He says Jesus is the only way: “I am the way . . . no one comes to the Father except through Me.” What’s the difference between them? All these other “so-called” ways have to do with your good works – God’s way has to do with the work of His Son. He’s the only One who has perfectly obeyed His Father’s commandments – God requires that you obey perfectly. He is the only One who has paid the debt to His Father’s justice that all your sins demand – He did this on the cross. If you would enter heaven, you must look to Jesus – not your works, and not His work and your works, but His work alone. He is the only way the Father has provided, the only One who has the right to enter heaven. If you want to go to heaven, you must turn from your sins and trust Him to get you in.

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Ministry Reflection - January 19, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Can You Come to God in Your Own Way?: John 14:6

We live in a world that more and more panders to what we want. It’s the Burger King mentality: Have it your way. Everything should be the way you want it.
Many churches have adopted this mentality for the sake of a larger congregation. Church is no longer about what the Lord wants, but what you want. It’s very common to hear: “Who said church shouldn’t be fun?” You want fun, we’ll give you fun. We’ll put a refreshment stand in the foyer. We’ll put an arcade in the youth room. We’ll install a fun zone for the kids. We’ll play rock and roll for the adults in worship.
What’s wrong with this? It doesn’t reflect the holiness God desires for you. It’s not what God wants, but what man wants.

Sadly, this mentality not only affects the worship and its environment, it also affects the Gospel. You rarely hear about God’s judgment and man’s danger, of hell and eternal punishment, of Jesus’ shed blood and death on the cross, of repentance and faith – the fact that you must turn from your sins and trust in His obedience and sacrifice alone to save you – and of the whole life commitment He requires of you. Pastors don’t want to come across as too demanding or negative, so they’ll water down the message; many will affirm virtually everything you want to believe. These so-called “churches’ have opened the door to just about any view of God and salvation that anyone might hold. The result is that many today believe themselves to be saved, who aren’t saved, because they haven’t come to God in the right way.

What I want us to consider is the Gospel: what God really says in His Word about how you might come to Him, how you might be saved. That there’s only one way to approach Him. There’s only one way to be saved – one way you might be rescued from hell. And that is through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Why should we do this? Because the best way to recognize any lie – any counterfeit Gospel – is to see the true Gospel clearly. Let’s consider these three things about the Gospel: That, Jesus is the only way to God. He is the only truth of God. And that He alone is the life of God. All these things add up to one thing: you can’t come to the Father except through Him.

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Ministry Reflection - January 18, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Give, and You Will Receive: Mark 4:24-25

Jesus is emphasizing the positive aspect of this principle: If the disciples are faithful in generously ministering what He has given them, He will be generous with them.
The same principle applies to you.
The Lord has been generous with you. He has entrusted you with a good measure of His Word. He has given you gifts and graces by His Spirit. He’s given you strength and resources. And He’s given you time and opportunities. He gave you these things, Partly to minister to your needs. But also that you might minister to others. That you might enlighten others in His ways. That you might help others come to Jesus and grow in Him, that they might minister to others. That you might support His work with your time and resources. And that, that you might receive a reward.
The more you give, the more the Lord will reward you – the larger your measuring cup, the larger His cup of reward – if you are faithful, His cup will be much larger. Notice what Jesus says in verse 24, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.”
The Lord isn’t content simply to honor you to the degree that you honor Him – He wants to do more. In the Parable of the Talents, those who gained the five and two talents – who were faithful with little – were given much more (Matt. 25:21, 23). The Lord wants you to be generous with what you give, so that He might be generous with what He gives. Solomon writes, “He who is generous will be blessed” (Prov. 22:9), and Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38).
And so, be encouraged to give what you have liberally: Give the knowledge you have to others, and He will bless you with more knowledge. Use the gifts He has given you, and He will enlarge your gifts. Use your resources to support His work, and He will give you more resources. Use what you have to bless Him in this world, and He will bless you both in this world and in the world to come. Jesus says, “By your standard, it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.” And so listen carefully – Jesus is giving you things you can give to others, so that you in the end will be blessed.

In closing, let’s not miss the warning He also gives to those without grace: “Whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him” (Mark 4:25). Just as there are those who have spiritual understanding and gifts and graces, so there are those who don’t. There was not only the one with the five talents and the one with two, there was also the one who had one. He didn’t do anything with his talent – the common grace gifts of God, and the time and resources the Lord gives everyone – because he didn’t have saving grace of God in his heart. Jesus says that these will not receive more, but will lose even what they have and inherit hell. If this is your situation today, don’t remain in it. The Lord offers you His life, if you will only reach out and take hold of it by faith.
Do what Jesus says – listen carefully to what He is saying. If you hear His call to repent and believe, and do it, He will save you and give you the means by which you too will be blessed

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Ministry Reflection - January 17, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Give, and You Will Receive: Mark 4:24-25

Do you remember what He says to you day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year? My Greek teacher in college often said that he had a better “forgettery” than a memory. I’m sure that’s true of all of us – and so we need to do what we can to hold on to as much of His truth as possible.
How many times has something seemed so clear to you when you first heard it, but it quickly slipped from your mind and you forgot it? This is where taking notes can come in handy – but don’t forget that the notes will only help you if you keep them and read them again. The Lord is continually entrusting His Word to you – something far more precious than anything else you might gain in this world. It’s really foolish to let it slip through your fingers as quickly as He gives it to you. Especially when you consider why He gives it to you, as we see next.

Second, be generous when you share this truth with others, knowing that the Lord will return to you by the same measure you give to others.
Why did Jesus want His disciples to pay attention to what He was saying? Because He wanted them to teach others. Remember, they were the lights He was bringing into this dark world. He wanted them to shine His truth as clearly and widely as possible.
Here, Jesus intensifies this command just a bit more: He not only wanted them to give His truth away, but to be generous when they did: “By your standard of measure it will be measured to you.” The cup or the basket they used to measure this truth out to others – so to speak – was the same measure the Lord would use to return His blessing to them – either directly by His Spirit, or through others in this world, or through His blessings in heaven. If they gave liberally, the Lord would give liberally to them.

This isn’t anything new. It’s the same principle so widely applied in Scripture: whatever you do – good or bad – will be done to you. It’s an extension of God’s justice. If you forgive others, Jesus says you will be forgiven: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matt. 6:14). Of course, you can only forgive by His grace. If you don’t forgive others, Jesus continues, you won’t be forgiven, “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (v. 15). That’s the evidence you don’t have His grace. If you give to meet the needs of the poor, the Lord will make sure your needs are met, “He who gives to the poor will never want” (Prov. 28:27), “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed” (Prov. 19:17). On the other hand, if you see someone in need and close your heart to him, the Lord will make sure that the same will one day happen to you, “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered” (Prov. 21:13).

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Ministry Reflection - January 16, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Give, and You Will Receive: Mark 4:24-25

Jesus has been telling us that the kingdom grows when the seed of the Gospel is sown. That’s why Jesus was entrusting that Gospel to His disciples, that they might work with Him and continue that work when He was gone. They were the lamps Jesus was bringing into the darkness of this world to shine the light of His truth. Jesus was making sure that their lamps were bright with truth – He was telling them everything that had been secret and hidden that they might tell others. This was the only way God’s people could be saved and the kingdom could continue to move forward.

We know from Scripture they went out with this truth and preached everywhere (Mark 16:20). But now that they’ve finished their work and entered into their rest, who is left to do this work?
The church is – we are. That responsibility is now ours. The Lord has chosen us to carry on this work. That job became ours when He saved us. That’s why He wants us to learn His truth. We are His lamps, brought into His house – the world – that we might shine His light in the darkness of this world’s ignorance that they might be saved. If the Lord has given you ears to hear, then hear and devote yourself to what He calls you to do.

Today, we see this wasn’t all the Lord had to say to them on this subject. There are at least three more things: First, because they were the ones He chose to shine this truth, they needed to pay attention to what they heard. Second, because they were to be the only source of this truth, they needed to be generous in giving that truth away. And third, so they would be encouraged to do this work, He promised them a reward if they did it faithfully.

Let’s consider these things under two applicational points: First, pay attention to the truth Jesus is entrusting to you. Second, be generous when you share this truth with others, knowing that the Lord will return to you by the same measure you give to others.

First, pay attention to the truth Jesus is entrusting to you. He says, “Take care what you listen to.” Here He was telling His disciples to give careful attention to His teaching. Remember, Jesus was now revealing the things that had been hidden in the Old Testament prophesies, promises, types and shadows. He was explaining to them how they were being fulfilled in Him. Since they were the ones who would ultimately write it down and pass it on, they needed to pay close attention and not miss anything. How many times have you children heard your parents say to you, “Listen to me,” or “Listen carefully,” or “Pay attention.” How many parents here remember hearing that when you were a child? When you have something important to say, when you want them to remember it, you first have to get their attention. That’s what Jesus is doing here: He doesn’t want them to miss what He’s saying. This didn’t apply just to what He was saying here, but to everything He said. Jesus says the same to you today: you need to pay attention to Him. He’s speaking to you from His Word – He does every week in the sermons – He will every day in His Word, if you’ll let Him. He wants you to listen, to hear what He’s saying and to remember it – both for your sake and for the sake of others.

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Ministry Reflection - January 15, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Justified by Faith: Romans 4:1-8

But since you are justified by faith, does that mean you can take credit, at least for that faith? Is faith a kind of work you can do that God will take note of and justify you on account of?
No. Remember what we saw last week, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1).
Before you receive God’s grace, you were spiritually dead: dead to the things of the Lord; unable to do anything good (Rom. 3:12). You could not believe, you could not trust, you could not receive Jesus as your Savior. But when He quickened you to life, you could, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ . . . For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (vv. 4-5, 8-9). Once He made you alive, you couldn’t help but believe. Faith is His gift – a gift that enables you to see Jesus as He is, that gives you the ability to embrace Him and receive Him as your Lord and Savior – it’s not something you have or do apart from His grace. That’s why you should give Him all the glory for it – salvation is from first to last His work.
If you love the Lord, if you are trusting His Son Jesus, if you are walking in the commandments of God because you really love them and want to, then you are justified. You are a child of God, an heir of heaven; you are safe.

Let me close by saying this: If you don’t know this blessing today, if you haven’t trusted in Jesus, then do so now. If you will – if you will turn from your sins and place your whole hope of heaven on Jesus – He will receive you. He will take your sins away; He will give you His righteousness; He will save you. If that’s what you want, come to Him now. If you find that you can’t, then pray. Pray that He might reveal His grace and mercy to you. Pray that He might change your heart. If you don’t come to Him, you will perish. But if you do, you will find grace. He says to you, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
Come to Him, and live!

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Ministry Reflection - January 14, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Justified by Faith: Romans 4:1-8

If God has justified you, nothing in heaven or earth can condemn you. Satan may accuse you, but he won’t be able to make that charge stick.
Paul writes, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Rom. 8:31-34). It will be with you as it was with Joshua the high priest: we read in Zechariah 3:1-2, “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’” Does this mean you won’t remember the sins you committed in this life or ever feel shame that you have? No. You will as long as you’re here – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: you should always be humbled by your sins. But you should never let yourself feel condemned by them – to do so is not to believe what God has done for you in Jesus.

Finally, let’s consider how you are justified: Paul says you are justified in the same way as Abraham: by faith. You are not justified by your works. If you were, part of the glory for your salvation would belong to you; if justification had anything to do with your works, then God would owe it to you, at least in part.
But He doesn’t owe you anything – justification is from first to last the work of God – it is all of His grace – and so the glory belongs to Him. Paul writes, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. . . . Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due” (Rom. 4:1-2, 4). You are not justified by your works, but by faith. Paul writes, “For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS’” (v. 3). He continues in verses 5-8, “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’”

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Ministry Reflection - January 13, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Justified by Faith: Romans 4:1-8

Second, let’s consider the blessings justification brings. First, it brings salvation and everything that comes with it. It brings eternal life. Your faith and repentance and His declaration that you are righteous means that you are reconciled with God – you are no longer enemies. Now you are in a loving relationship with God: Jesus says that this is eternal life: to know God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and to know Jesus Christ – who is the eternal Son in human flesh, our Mediator (John 17:3).
It brings you into God’s family. Once you are perfected, reconciled, and brought into this loving relationship, the Lord adopts you into His family. Paul writes, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). And it gives you title to the kingdom of heaven: As sons and daughters, you become His heirs. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Rom. 8:16-17).

Justification not only brings blessings in the life to come, it brings blessing now. It gives you peace of conscience. The blessing of knowing your sins have really been forgiven. One of the reasons the Old Testament sacrifices were continually offered was that they couldn’t provide forgiveness.
The author to the Hebrews writes, “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:1-4). But what they couldn’t do, Jesus did, “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Heb. 10:11-14).

If your conscience condemns you, you can look to the cross of Christ, for there all your sins were laid on Jesus and there He laid down His life to free you from them once and for all. The fact that your sins are forgiven also gives you a real assurance that you are safe.

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Ministry Reflection - January 12, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Justified by Faith: Romans 4:1-8

We’ve seen, if the Lord loves you, He has loved you from all eternity. If He has loved you from all eternity, He also chose to save and make you like His Son. And if He has chosen to save you and make you like His Son, He has also purposed to do everything necessary to bring this about. Last week, we saw that the first thing He did was to call you to Himself. He called you by His Spirit; He called you with a voice that raised you from the dead, that breathed life into your soul, so that you came to Jesus. Again, consider what a blessing this is, since the alternative was to leave you dead in your sins looking forward to an eternity of punishment. Now this call made you alive in a very particular way. It wasn’t a call to physical life – you have to be physically alive before you can receive it. It was a call to spiritual life – a call that brought with it the ability to turn from your sins and to trust Jesus in a saving way. Once He raised you to life, you were finally able to let go of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ. You might have thought that this was something you always had the ability to do; but that’s not the case. He gave you the ability to do this when He made you alive. Once you trusted in Jesus, something else happened. The Lord declared you to be just – He declared you to be not guilty and worthy to enter into heaven. We call this justification. To close out the week, let’s consider one more blessing you can know is yours if you are walking with the Lord in holiness from the heart: the blessing of justification. We’ll look, first, at what justification is. We’ll look, second, at the blessings justification brings. And we’ll look, third, at how you are justified.

First, let’s consider what justification is: Justification is a legal pronouncement by God that your sins are forgiven and that you are perfectly righteous.
It is His declaration that you have done everything that He requires of you. It is His judgment that you have done nothing wrong. In other words, He declares you to be perfect and so have the right to enter heaven.

How can the Lord make this declaration, when it’s not actually true of you? Rome considers the Protestant view of justification to be a legal fiction – a figment of our warped view of Scripture. They believe God can’t declare you to be just unless you are in fact personally just. But is that what Scripture says? Paul writes in our passage, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom. 4:4-5).
God does not declare the righteous to be just, but the unrighteous – those who are personally imperfect. How can God do this and still be righteous? Shall not the Judge of all the earth judge rightly? Of course. He can because, even though you are not perfect in yourself, you are in Jesus. Jesus died to take away your sins. He obeyed to provide you with a perfect righteousness. When you trust Jesus to save you, what He did becomes yours – God credits the His work to your account, so that you are just.

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Ministry Reflection - January 11, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Are You Shining His Light?: Mark 4:21-23

Second, the Lord calls you to shine as much of His truth as you can to as many as you can.
What did Jesus teach His disciples? He said, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11). He revealed what was before hidden; He brought to light what had before been secret (v. 22). Paul wrote of himself and those with him, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1). He explained everything they needed to know both for life and godliness (2 Tim. 3:16-17). How much of this truth did He want them to share with others? All of it. Jesus said to His disciples before He sent them to preach in Israel, “What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops” (Matt. 10:27).
That’s exactly what Paul did. He said to the Ephesian elders, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:18-21). The fact that he did this faithfully was also why he had a clear conscience before God, “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (vv. 26-27). What does this say to you as to how much of God’s truth you are to share? He wants you also to communicate as much as you can to as many as you can. You are to tell others what you know of the whole counsel of God – to let your light shine as brightly and widely as possible. You may not understand or be able to communicate everything Jesus said, but if you are a believer, you can certainly understand and communicate enough to lead a person to salvation in Jesus.
Not everyone will listen, but some will. Not everyone will understand everything you say, but they will understand something. Not everyone will be saved, but some will.

Don’t forget, you only have a very short time in which to do this. Jesus has lit you with the light of His truth – and though His light burns forever, yours will burn only for a few short years, at least in this world. So while you have time, shine forth with all you have. While you have the strength of your youth, proclaim His truth. While you have the maturity of later years, proclaim His wisdom. Don’t hide the truth He has given you; don’t bury the gifts and graces He has entrusted to you to get that truth out. Put your light on the lampstand that many might benefit from it. Don’t forget that when your light finally does burn out in this world, the Lord will bring you to a place where it will burn brilliantly forever. Has the Lord given you ears to hear His Word today? Then listen and do what He says.

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Ministry Reflection - January 10, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Are You Shining His Light?: Mark 4:21-23

What does this have to do with you today? Jesus has also given you the oil of His Spirit. Paul tells the Corinthian church, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13).
It’s your duty to be filled with the Spirit – not with the things of the world, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:18-19). He has given you His Spirit that you might have power, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7). Because He wants you to be His witnesses, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The Lord has also given you His truth. He charged His disciples to make disciples – a good part of which is teaching them the truth, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). You are one of these disciples: He has given you His completed Word – the teaching of the prophets, the apostles and of Jesus Himself – He’s held nothing back. He charges you to grow in your knowledge of His Word “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). And He has done so that you might shine that light to others. Make sure that you are in His Word often, refreshing and refining what you know, growing in your understanding. The more you know the more useful you’ll be; the less you know, the less useful you’ll be.
You are a lamp, lit by the Sun of Righteousness – don’t hide His light, but let it shine as brightly as you can. For those of you who don’t know Jesus in a saving way, realize you don’t yet have this light. You have nothing of the Spirit. And any truth you may have is only in your head, not in your heart. You are in darkness, until Jesus shines His light on you. Today, as He shines His truth again to lead you to Himself, don’t close your eyes and your heart to it, but receive it, receive Him, and begin to walk in His light.

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Ministry Reflection - January 09, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Are You Shining His Light?: Mark 4:21-23

Jesus has been teaching the multitudes – and His disciples – the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. He began with the parable of the Sower. In it, He explains how the kingdom spreads – through the preaching of His Word. He explains the different reactions the Word will meet – some will reject it, some will receive but not follow it, and some will embrace it whole-heartedly.
Through this parable, He meant to do three things: To instruct His disciples on what to expect – He explained these things to them in private. To encourage those who could hear to embrace the Gospel. And to hide the truth from those who were under God’s judgment.
Most fell into this last category. Because Israel had refused to listen to the Lord, He was now taking His truth from them – so that hearing, they might hear and not understand, and seeing, they might see and yet not perceive.
From this, remember to make sure that you have embraced the Gospel with your whole heart. Be encouraged that, even though most will reject the Gospel, the Lord will bring His people to Himself by giving them ears and eyes when and where He wills.

Jesus continues to address the subject of evangelism in what He says next. He points the disciples to a lamp and asks: what are they used for? People don’t bring them into the house to put them under baskets or beds. They put them on lampstands that they might give light to all who are in the room. Even so, Jesus was giving them His truth, not to hide it, but to declare it everywhere (v. 21). He tells them to hold nothing back. Jesus was now bringing to light everything that had been hidden in the Old Covenant. And He was doing so that they might tell all they heard to others (v. 22). This was His message to His disciples and to those in the crowd who had ears to hear (v. 23) – this is His message to you. To start this week, let’s consider two things: First, Jesus has called you to be the lamps that shine His truth. And second, He calls you to shine as much of His truth as you can to as many as you can. First, Jesus has called you to be the lamps that shine His truth. In our passage, Jesus uses the lamps to refer to His disciples. He was entrusting His truth to them. He had given them something of the oil of His Spirit, and would give them much more at Pentecost. And He was revealing to them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. And was this only for their benefit? No. He taught them the things He did – He discipled them – so that they could tell others – that was their purpose. Jesus said to them in His Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).
They were to let His truth radiate from their lives, that, through their words and works, empowered by the Spirit, others might learn, come to Him and be saved.

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Ministry Reflection - January 08, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

"The iniquity of the holy things." Exodus 28:38

Our reflections this week are taken from Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" devotional. Our regular ministry reflections will resume next week, Lord willing.

What a veil is lifted up by these words, and what a disclosure is made! It will be humbling and profitable for us to pause awhile and see this sad sight. The iniquities of our public worship, its hypocrisy, formality, lukewarmness, irreverence, wandering of heart and forgetfulness of God, what a full measure have we there! Our work for the Lord, its emulation, selfishness, carelessness, slackness, unbelief, what a mass of defilement is there! Our private devotions, their laxity, coldness, neglect, sleepiness, and vanity, what a mountain of dead earth is there! If we looked more carefully we should find this iniquity to be far greater than appears at first sight. Dr. Payson, writing to his brother, says, "My parish, as well as my heart, very much resembles the garden of the sluggard; and what is worse, I find that very many of my desires for the melioration of both, proceed either from pride or vanity or indolence. I look at the weeds which overspread my garden, and breathe out an earnest wish that they were eradicated. But why? What prompts the wish? It may be that I may walk out and say to myself, 'In what fine order is my garden kept!' This is pride. Or, it may be that my neighbours may look over the wall and say, 'How finely your garden flourishes!' This is vanity. Or I may wish for the destruction of the weeds, because I am weary of pulling them up. This is indolence." So that even our desires after holiness may be polluted by ill motives. Under the greenest sods worms hide themselves; we need not look long to discover them. How cheering is the thought, that when the High Priest bore the iniquity of the holy things he wore upon his brow the words, "HOLINESS TO THE LORD:" and even so while Jesus bears our sin, He presents before His Father's face not our unholiness, but his own holiness. O for grace to view our great High Priest by the eye of faith!

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Ministry Reflection - January 07, 2012

church@gopcmodesto.org — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

"For me to live is Christ." Philippians 1:21

Our reflections this week are taken from Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" devotional. Our regular ministry reflections will resume next week, Lord willing.

The believer did not always live to Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and when by grace he was brought to see the dying Saviour making a propitiation for his guilt. From the moment of the new and celestial birth the man begins to live to Christ. Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price, for whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has so completely won our love, that it beats alone for Him; to His glory we would live, and in defence of His gospel we would die; He is the pattern of our life, and the model after which we would sculpture our character. Paul's words mean more than most men think; they imply that the aim and end of his life was Christ--nay, his life itself was Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and drink, and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life. Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ? Your business--are you doing it for Christ? Is it not done for self- aggrandizement and for family advantage? Do you ask, "Is that a mean reason?" For the Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ; how can he live for another object without committing a spiritual adultery? Many there are who carry out this principle in some measure; but who is there that dare say that he hath lived wholly for Christ as the apostle did? Yet, this alone is the true life of a Christian--its source, its sustenance, its fashion, its end, all gathered up in one word--Christ Jesus. Lord, accept me; I here present myself, praying to live only in Thee and to Thee. Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plough and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, "Ready for either."

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