Serving the Purpose of God

Nothing New Under The Sun

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:06:00 +0000

Solomon write in Ecclesiastes 1:9,

"What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, 'See this is new'? It has been already in the ages before us."

It seems like we live in the age of the "new" in regards to the life of the church. But is there really anything "new" that has never been tried before?

Martyn Lloyd-Jones seems to think not. In his classic Preaching and Preachers he writes,

One of the advantages of being old is that you have experience, so when something new comes up, and you see people getting very excited about it, you happen to be in the position of being able to remember a similar excitement perhaps forty years ago. And so one has seen fashions and vogues and stunts coming one after another in the Church. Each one creates great excitement and enthusiasm and is loudly advertised as the thing that is going to fill the churches, the thing that is going to solve the problem. They have said that about every single one of them. But in a few years they have forgotten all about it, and another stunt comes along, or another new idea; somebody has hit upon the one thing needful or he has a psychological understanding of modern man. Here is the thing, and everybody rushes after it; but soon it wanes and disappears and something else takes its place.

This is, surely, a very sad and regrettable state for the Christian Church to be in, that like the world she should exhibit these constant changes of fashion. In that state she lacks the stability and the solidity and the continuing message that has ever been the glory of the Christian Church."

Yep, nothing new under the sun, even in the life of the Church. Stick to what's worked for the past 2000 years. Let God's Word do God's Work in God's time and God's way.

The Stupid, Illogical and Deadly Words of a Pro-Death, Err, Pro-Choice President

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:04:00 +0000

Yesterday was the 39th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Roe vs. Wade. President Obama celebrated this day while those who champion the cause of life viewed it with much sadness and hope for a different future in regards to the issue of the legalized killing of unborn babies.

Two statements from the President's remarks yesterday are particularly noteworthy. They are noteworthy in the sense of how stupid, illogical and deadly they are. The first is how the President chose to conclude his remarks on this anniversary. He states,

"And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill our dreams.”

First of all, last Monday when we as a nation celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a historic anniversary in the truest sense. That was the remembrance of a life that is rightly celebrated. However, the 39th Anniversary of a Supreme Court decision that has seen over 50 million unborn babies killed inside their mother's womb is not historic, Mr. President, it's tragic.

Let me interpret what our President meant in the quote above. The President desires that "our daughters have the rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill our (their) dreams." Well, whatever could the President mean by that? I mean I think as a nation we have come a long way in equality in the workplace with women having just as much opportunity to excel in whatever they choose to do.

Here is what President Obama really said in those remarks. "It's unfair that our sons can have sex and not have to worry about the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. If they get a woman pregnant, they can just desert the baby and the mother and continue to pursue their dreams and aspirations. However that is not so with the woman. If she were forced to have this baby all of her hopes and dreams could be crushed by having to be a mom. I mean let's be real, no woman really aspires with all of her heart and soul to be just a mother. Therefore, in order that our daughters are not hampered with the responsibility of being a mother that would crush their greater aspirations, we must continue to condone their right to kill unborn babies in the womb so that they can have the same sexual freedom as our sons."

Stupidest words ever spoken by a President of the United States of America. Makes me long for the days of such cogent thoughts as, "That depends on what the definition of 'is' is."

But the other remark the President made in his speech is where he gets real illogical. I have heard him and other Pro-Death, err, Pro-Choice advocates make similar statements. Here they are,

"While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption."

Why must we do that? If abortion is not morally wrong and thus an inferior choice to adoption, planned pregnancies, etc., why do we need "to stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant women and mothers, reduce the need for abortion...promote adoption?" If there is nothing morally wrong with abortions (if abortions are not in actuality the brutal killing of another defenseless human being) then there is no need to work for the alternatives. You see, the President's conscience tells him otherwise, along with any other Pro-Death, err, Pro-Choice advocate. The reason we must work towards these other alternatives is because deep down we know that the choice of abortion is not just inferior to the alternatives of adoption and planned pregnancies, it's nothing less than the continuation of the Holocaust of our generation--the court approved poisoning and dismembering of babies in their mother's womb.

Stupid, Illogical, and Deadly, Mr. President.

Coming Dinosaurs

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:10:00 +0000

Here's an interesting article about numerous things that will become extinct by the end of the decade. Enjoy, Rejoice, and Weep ;)

Items Tech Will Kill

How a Trip to the Mall Reveals Our Poverty of Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

I've been reading Paul Miller's A Praying Life: Connecting With God In a Distracting World. He writes of our need of a praying spirit throughout each day and how that effects the ordinary things such as walking through a mall. One of the highlights of walking through the mall is seeing all of the "interesting" people. But often times our reaction to what we see reveals our poverty of spirit because rather than seeing them as "interesting" we need to see them as needy, in need of the same thing we are in need of, the Gospel and the grace of God.

A praying spirit transforms how we look at people. As we walk through the mall, our hearts can tempt us to judge, despise, or lust. We see overweight people, skinny people, teenagers with piercings or tatoos, well-dressed women, security guards, and older people shuffling along. If we are tempted to judge an overweight person, we might pray that he or she loses weight. When we see a teenage girl with a nose ring, we can pray that she would find her community in Christ. When we see a security guard, we might pray for his career. When we pass an older couple shuffling along, we can pray for grace as they age.

So the next time we go to the mall, maybe as we watch the people we will really see them and pray for them as we realize that we really aren't that different from them--dependent creatures who need the help and grace of our Creator, grace that is given to us through Jesus Christ.

Looking to the Day When Our Suffering Will Be Glorious

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:39:00 +0000

Tim Keller in King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus:

"And now Jesus is showing them that in his resurrected body his scars are still there. Why is this important? Because now that they understand the scars, the sight and memory of them will increase the glory and joy of the rest of their lives. Seeing Jesus Christ with his scars reminds them of what he did for them--that the scars they thought had ruined their lives actually saved their lives. Remembering those scars will help many of them endure their own crucifixions.

On the Day of the Lord--the day that God makes everything right, the day that everything sad comes untrue--on that day the same thing will happen to your own hurts and sadness. You will find that the worst things that have ever happened to you will in the end only enhance your eternal delight. On that day, all of it will be turned inside out and you will know joy beyond the walls of the world. The joy of your glory will be that much greater for every scar you bear.

So live in light of the resurrection and renewal of this world, and of yourself, in a glorious, never-ending, joyful dance of grace."

Pastors, We Can Learn Something from Steve Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:53:00 +0000

I just read Tim Challies "observations" not review of Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. I thought these two paragraphs, especially the last sentence were vitally important.

While examples of his temper and tantrums have been widely discussed and dissected, I think a lot of people have missed the root of it all. Jobs was a lifelong student of Eastern religion and Zen Buddhism in particular. Along the way he became convinced that he was an enlightened being, that he existed on a higher plane than most people. From this exalted position he was able to see and to judge; he had the right to. He was able to stand, if not in the place of God, at least in the place of a judge. He felt that it was his right to speak the truth—the truth as he understood it—to others. After all, he was enlightened and they were not. His arrogance knew no bounds.
A brutal man with a terrible temper and a genuine god complex, he was also a man who drove people to new heights of innovation and creativity. As much as people hated to receive a tongue-lashing from Jobs, they knew that in the end he motivated them and pushed them to do better. And this is a crucial component of the strange legacy of Steve Jobs. He will forever be known as a great innovator and a man who lived at the crossroads between the humanities and the sciences. In his own field and in his own way, he sought to make the world a better place. But he did so at the expense of so many people whom he left abandoned and brutalized. It’s like he cared for humanity but not for humans, for mankind but not for individuals.

As a pastor, that last line was very challenging/convicting and the conviction may not just rest with pastors. But as pastors, it's one thing to have a compassion for the "church", but not for the individual believers who are hurting and in need. So, may it never be said of us as pastors or as followers of Christ in general, "Its like he cared for the Church, but not for each follower of Christ, for the church, but not for each and every member/sheep in it."

A Pastor's 'Excellent Privilege'

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:09:00 +0000

I'm reading Richard Baxter's classic The Reformed Pastor and came across this great reminder of what a privilege it is to be a pastor and get to do the things we do.

But especially, what an excellent privilege is it, to live in studying and preaching Christ! to be continually searching into his mysteries, or feeding on them! to be daily employed in the consideration of the blessed nature, works, and ways of God! Others are glad of the leisure of the Lord's day, and now and then of an hour besides, when they can lay hold upon it. But we may keep a continual Sabbath. We may do almost nothing else, but study and talk of God and glory, and engage in acts of prayer and praise, and drink in his sacred, saving truths. Our employment is all high and spiritual. Whether we be alone, or in company, our business is for another world. O that our hearts were but more tuned to this work! What a blessed, joyful life should we then live! How sweet would our study be to us! How pleasant the pulpit! And what delight would our conference about spiritual and eternal things afford us! To live among such excellent helps as our libraries afford, to have so many silent wise companions whenever we please--all these, and many other similar privileges of the ministry, bespeak our unwearied diligence in the work.

18 Minutes of Shame and Hope

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:04:00 +0000

I watched this video this morning and felt shame at what was and still is the reality of racism in our country, though we have come a long way. However, I also felt great hope for the future. The thought that struck me was that only the Gospel can atone for what makes you cringe when you watch this video, because of what was and is the reality of racism in our country. However, it is also only the Gospel that can produce what makes you want to cry when you watch this documentary because of what can be, and what one day will be, the reality of the extinction of racism.

Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

A Moment on the SoapBox

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:12:00 +0000

I try not to have too many "Soapbox" moments on here, but every now and then I cannot resist. This "Soapbox" moment is brought to you by those who have a skewed idea of just what it's like right now for followers of Christ who have died and entered into the presence of the Lord. I recently ran across some comments on a social media site in which comments were made by followers of Christ as to what their loved one was doing right now in heaven. They took comfort in the fact that their loved one was playing horseshoes and boardgames with other loved ones who were there as well.

Now, I can understand in one sense the comfort that this kind of thinking can bring to those who are left behind. It's indeed comforting to know that our loved ones in the Lord are no longer suffering or in pain, but rather are in a much better place, heaven. However, in making these kind of comments they reveal that maybe they don't really know what the Bible teaches concerning the state right now of those who have died in Christ.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Paul tells the believers in 1 Thessalonians 4 that our hope and comfort in death is that one day the body (that has been in the ground) will be reunited with our spirit (which has been in heaven). As the first martyr of the church, Stephen, is being stoned to death, he says, "Lord, Jesus, receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59-60) The author of Hebrews refers to those in heaven as "the spirits of the righteous made perfect."(Heb. 12:23) Clearly, the scriptural teaching is that upon death, for the believer, the body and soul (spirit) are separated, with the body being buried and the soul (spirit) entering the presence of the Lord in heaven. As much as it may comfort us to think of our loved ones as playing board games or horseshoes with others who have gone on before them, it is not possible because they don't have bodies.

However, even if it were possible for them to be playing board games or horseshoes in heaven right now, there is an issue more important about this that makes me stay on the Soapbox a little longer. And it's an issue of much greater importance. The reason it bothers me so is that for us who are left here while our loved ones in Christ are in heaven, to find "comfort" in them playing board games or horseshoes in heaven is such an inferior comfort. To think that way is to miss out on the real, biblical comfort of the Gospel relative to those who have died in Christ. How so?

I recently read an exceptional book from Cruciform Press entitled Grieving, Hope, and Solace: When A Loved One Dies In Christ by Albert N. Martin. Upon the death of his wife, Rev. Al Martin sought to answer from the Bible, "What precisely happened to her, where was she now, and what was she experiencing?" The following is a summary of how he answered that question from the Bible:

The moment our loved ones breath their last, their spirits, in the full consciousness of their existence, are immediately made perfect in the moral likeness of Christ. (Rom. 8:29;Heb. 12:23)
Those who die in Christ retain the full consciousness of their existence and are immediately ushered into the very presence of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:6-8; John 17:24; Phil. 1:23-24)
Those who die in Christ retain full consciousness of their existence and are immediately brought into the company of all the blood-washed saints of Christ. (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Heb. 12:23)
Those who die in Christ retain the full consciousness of their existence and are immediately ushered into the promised rest of Christ. (Rev. 14:13)

Isn't that much more comforting than board games and horseshoes? Again, my purpose in writing this is not to ridicule those who have mistakenly thought this way, but rather to encourage them with a much greater hope and solid foundation of truth of what our loved ones in Christ are experiencing right now in this very moment as they wait, along with us, for that day when we will worship the Lord as sinless souls in deathless bodies.

Al Martin shares this reflection which I think points to that encouragement that we can have about our loved ones who have gone on before us in the Lord. He writes,

For several months after Marilyn's death I would awake every Lord's Day morning especially conscious of the aching loneliness of being a widower. As I would make my way to the kitchen to prepare my morning coffee, I tried to picture what that day would be for her in the presence of Christ. I pictured here looking down at me with a pitying, yet sinless look and saying, 'Oh, Al, you poor creature, still tied to the 'body of your humiliation.' There you are, trying to wake up thoroughly before you go to your study to worship and pray. I have been worshiping all through the night while you slept, and I'm not a bit tired. I will be worshiping all day today, and I know it will not be a wearisome activity. I will not lack for words to give vent to my felt joy and gratitude, nor will I struggle to find abundant substance for my praise. My spirit has been released from every sinful inhibition and distraction. With abandoned joy I will be engaged in worshiping Christ all day today. And when you go to bed tonight, weary from your labors among God's people, I will still be engaged in worship. No night, no weariness, no need to sleep--nothing but blessed rest from all the struggles of the life I lived when I was still there with you.'

I do not believe our loved ones actually view us here on earth, for I see nothing in Scripture to warrant such an assumption. Rather, I share this bit of fantasy to say that in the midst of our grief, dwelling upon what our loved one has gained will strengthen and encourage us, lightening our load and making it easier for us to exercise personal discipline, so that we may carry out our obligations before God more effectively.

This past Sunday, my Granddaddy who died a few years ago, was honored at one of the churches he had pastored--actually the church where he had pastored the longest. They had recently built a new educational building and they named it the "Eason Educational Building" in honor of my Granddaddy, Nathan Eason. I hate I couldn't be there to see that, but my Granddaddy didn't hate that he wasn't there to see it. I guess it would be comforting to think of him last Sunday of looking down from heaven and experiencing great joy at what was taking place. But the reality is that he had better things to do and experience and it wasn't board games and horseshoes, but rather all the blessings Christ had purchased for him in this in between time where he waits the reunion of his now sinless soul with his then deathless body, enjoying the presence of the Lord now as He will then.

Surprises From the Holy Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:37:00 +0000

In A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories That Stretch and Stir Collin Hanson and John Woodbridge recall an account from the 1st Great Awakening as follows:

The awakening also transformed African-American attitudes towards Christianity. New Lights, ministers who supported the revival, preached to audiences that included both whites and blacks. Many congregations accepted their first black members. Some slave owners were predictably upset. The Weekly History contained an account of a Boston slave owner who walked in on his slave preaching to himself, imitating Whitfield's dramatic style. The owner, no fan of revival, was so amused that he called together his friends for some after-dinner entertainment.

'Supplying his friends with pipes and glasses all around, he instructed his slave to mount a stool in the center of the room and preach as he had the day before,' historian Frank Lambert explains. 'As he began, the company laughed heartily, but when he warned against blaspheming the Holy Spirit and proclaimed the necessity of the new birth, 'the Negro spoke with such Authority that struck the Gentlemen to Heart.' To their host's dismay, the men began to listen intently, and many, as a result of that day's 'entertainment,' became 'pious sober Men.'"

The Holy Spirit enjoys such surprises.

Oh, that we would be surprised once again by the Holy Spirit

Good News

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Content to Look Like a Moron for the Glory of God

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:54:00 +0000

From Mike McKinley's book Church Planting Is for Wimps: How God Uses Messed Up People to Plant Ordinary Churches That Do Extraordinary Things:

Listen, if you preach a great series of topical sermons on marriage or finances or sex, your church plant might grow. If you are a savvy marketer and put up provocative billboards around town, your church might grow quickly. And people will think that you are great. You can wear trendy shirts, get blond tips in your hair, and wear a microphone that hooks around your ear.

But if you preach God's Word faithfully, few people will be tempted to think that you are great. If you stand up on Sunday morning and explain that when Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic in Mark 2, he was claiming to be God-in-the-flesh to take the punishment for our sins on himself on the cross, people will have one of two reactions: they will praise God, or they will think you are a complete idiot. That's the point. God has designed it to work this way. You preach and people get saved to God's glory, or their so-called 'wisdom' is confounded and you look like a moron, also to God's glory.

Genesis 22 Wordle

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Here's a Wordle of my sermon this week from Genesis 22:

Is Jesus the Only Way?

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:41:00 +0000

"Is Jesus the only way?" That's a good question. It depends on the "what" of the question--"Is Jesus the only way to ..."

Michael Horton in The Gospel Commission: Recovering God's Strategy for Making Disciples helps answer the question:

"It all comes down again to distinguishing between law and gospel. When it comes to ordering our lives, neighborhoods, states, and nations, there's a lot of agreement between Christians and non-Christians. It is arrogant to assert that Christianity is unique in its wisdom for living, that Christians as a whole live better than non-Christians as a whole, that only Christians are good friends and neighbors, and that only they really care about--or at lease have the right answers for--the pressing issues and temporal needs all around them. Some non-Christians I know have better marriages and families than many Christians. When we defend Christianity as 'the only way,' we have to be careful to first point out that, properly speaking, Christ is the only way, and that he is the only way to reconciliation with God, forgiveness of sins, the new birth, and all the blessings of our inheritance in the new creation. Non-Christians can follow good advice; they can turn over a new leaf and improve their actions and even their moral character. The Nation of Islam has a fine track record of turning gang members into upstanding citizens. What these groups, programs, religions, and therapies cannot do is transform people from enemies of God into friends, from condemned criminals into redeemed heirs, and from citizens of the kingdom of death into citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Only in Christ can we be forgiven and made new, not just better.

So, there are a lot of good things for which Christianity is not the only way. However, for that which is most important in life--to be reconciled with a holy God--Christ is indeed the only way.

Why We All Need To Be Put In Prison

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:38:00 +0000

One of the unexpected blessings of this past year and a half of waiting has been the opportunity to serve at the local prison as a volunteer. It basically has consisted of talking with the guys on Monday nights about whatever is on their minds or some passage of Scripture that they are confused about, to preaching some Sundays during their church time. These men have been such a blessing to me--to see how the Lord has used their sinful choices to bring them to a realization of their need for the Gospel and how they are so faithfully living out of the reality of that Good News in the most difficult of places.

This past Sunday was my last opportunity to spend time with these men. When we first got there we were delayed a little bit. We were immediately hurried to an out of the way break room. One of the officers explained that they had a medical emergency on the sixth floor and were in the process of transporting the man to the hospital. We waited about fifteen minutes and then were allowed to go up to our floor. When we got up to the fourth floor, we found out that the man who had just been taken to the hospital had tried to hang himself. Thankfully, he was not successful. It was a reminder of the difficulties these men face in prison and the miracle it is that there can be any hope for anyone in a place like that.

However, as we were waiting to go upstairs, one of the other volunteers shared an interesting testimony with us. He shared with us about the church service at the prison that he had led during the previous week. To begin the service he had asked one of the gentlemen to pray before they began. The man stood up and looked visibly distracted and hesitant. He then turned around and walked back a few rows to another gentleman. He gave this man a manly hug and proceeded to ask for his forgiveness for some offense that was between the two of them. As the volunteer described it, the two reconciled and there was a tangible heaviness that left the room.

What were these two men doing? They were living out of the reality of the Gospel and its implications. They were actually living what they read in the Gospels:

"So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

"And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25)

This man could not pray with a clean conscience until he obeyed what the Lord has said by going and seeking the forgiveness and reconciliation of the one he had offended. Amazing!

Let me share one more story and then I'll make my point. Once we got up to the floor, I had the opportunity to preach. I preached from Mark's account of Jesus' life, specifically Peter's denial of the Lord. I made two points from this account in Peter's life. First, was the truth that we are more wicked than we can ever imagine. Secondly, God's grace is more amazing than we can ever comprehend. One of the applications that I made concerning the second point was to look at what was Peter's solution to his failure/sin of denying the Lord.

I made it clear what it was that Peter did not do. On the heels of his denial, he did not attempt to do more for the Lord to make up for what he had done wrong. Upon realizing his sin of denying the Lord, just as Jesus had told him he would, he did not immediately attempt to get back into the Lord's good graces by running around and telling everyone that he was a follower of the Lord. He wept bitter tears. The solution to his sin as a believer was not to go out and do more to be approved by God, but rather his solution was to rest in what the Lord was about to do for him on the cross--bearing that sin of denial in Peter's place.

Often times when we sin and disobey the Lord we make the wrong move of immediately getting up and "doing more" to "get back right with God" and in doing so completely bypass the Gospel. And so if we have sinned by not sharing the Gospel like we should, we start sharing it like crazy, thinking that our obedience is what will please the Lord and solve the problem of our disobedience. However, our immediate action should not be to go out and do more, but rather to rest in what the Lord has already done for us in his death and resurrection. The solution for our sin as a believer is the same as the solution for our sin as an unbeliever--the Gospel. It is that truth that guards us from drifting into legalism and keeps us living in the Gospel of grace and faith, the fruit of which is the good works we do.

Well, after I finished preaching, one of the younger men came up to me to let me know how much he appreciated the message and he then shared with me how the Lord used His Word to minister to the needs of his heart. This young man has a sad story at first glance. He is in prison because of the sin of revenge. A friend of his was murdered by another group of people. In a fit of anger, seeking justice, he attempted to get revenge on those who had taken the life of his good friend. In attempting to do so, he ended up getting shot and almost dying.

The Lord used this tragedy and sin in his life to bring him to the point of seeing his need for a Savior and the Lord graciously saved him through the Gospel. His life has radically changed and he is hungry for the Word. He shared with me after the preaching that he found out the week before that he was getting nine years in prison for his crime. He explained how he had been struggling with the sentencing. He was expecting a lighter sentence. The reason he was expecting a lighter sentence, in his own words, was because of how his life was so much better than it had been. He was "doing" all the things that the Lord expected him to do. And he felt like it was the doing of those good things that would please the Lord, the evidence of which would be something less than nine years in prison.

He told me that the Lord used His Word that morning to remind him that it was the Gospel that was what pleased the Lord and nothing that he did or ever would do. He could never do enough to please the Lord. It was the Gospel that he needed at his conversion and it was the Gospel that he needed now as a believer and that was the ground of his acceptance before the Lord and what made him pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

So, what's the point of this post besides the amazing testimonies of the Gospel and its implications actually being displayed in God's people? The point is this: Why does it take going to prison to actually see followers of Christ living out of the realities of the Gospel? Why is it that the Gospel is being displayed in some cases much more profoundly by a group of men who are in prison for murder, manslaughter, theft, and a host of other sins than those of us sitting in the pews of our nice comfortable church buildings each week?

Is the answer really that when we pray at church on Sunday mornings that there is never a person praying who has some unresolved sin between himself and another brother or sister in the Lord? Is the answer really that we sit under such anemic preaching that there is nothing about the message to discuss and encourage one another with at the end of the service or throughout the week?

Or is the answer something much more embarrassing and shameful then we want to admit? The best case scenario is that we are just too busy, more concerned about getting to lunch than getting into each others lives with the Gospel. The worst case scenario is that it may be that we just don't really understand the magnitude of the Gospel, much less live lives that have actually been changed by it.

Getting the Grace We Need, Not the Grace We Want

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:52:00 +0000

Paul Tripp in What Did You Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage:

"I really do think that there are moments in our marriage when we are crying out for grace, not recognizing that we are getting it. We are not getting the grace of relief or the grace of release, because that is not the grace we really need. No, what we are getting is something we desperately need, the uncomfortable grace of personal growth and change. With the love of a Father, your Lord is prying open your hands so that you will let go of things that have come to rule your heart but will never satisfy you. With the insight of a seasoned teacher, he is driving you to question your own wisdom so that you will find your understanding and rest in his. With the skill of the world's best counselor, God is showing you the delusions of your control so that you will take comfort in his rule. With the gentleness of a faithful friend he is facing you toward the inadequacies of your own righteousness so that you find hope in his."

Relieving Your Spouse's Burden of Living With You

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:17:00 +0000

Paul Tripp writes in What Did You Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage :

"There is probably never a day when we don't sin against one another in some way. So, it is vital to recognize that your spouse has to live with a person like you--still struggling with temptation and sin and still failing in some way. And you should find joy in relieving the burden of living with you by seeking your spouse's forgiveness whenever he or she has been impacted by your failure."

Husbands, let's be sure to lift the burden of living with someone like us for our wives today.

Why Global Missions Is Good For Local Saints

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:41:00 +0000

John Piper gives a good reminder/challenge as to why a global passion for the lost is good for us in our local churches. Be sure to read the post here.

Piper:

Wave #4: Persuading pastors that a passion for the global glory of God is good for the saints at home.

If the light of your candle can shine ten thousand miles away, it is burning very bright at home. What kind of Christians do we want our churches to breed? Consider: Apathetic Christians, who spend most of their discretionary time in worldly entertainment, seldom pray, weep, or work for the reaching of the perishing peoples of the world. Do not coddle them. Confront them. Tell them to get a life. PG13 videos every other night leaves them spiritually powerless and empty. They need a cause big enough to live for. And die for. Wave #4 would make world missions the flashpoint for thousands of awakened Christians.

Living Psalm 50:15

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:56:00 +0000

"...Call on me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

For the past two years we have been calling on the Lord in our "day of trouble." Now to be very honest, compared to what others in this world are going through--some of whom we know personally--our day of trouble has not been that bad and could have always been worse. But two years of unemployment is a troublesome time and two years of being a pastor without a people to shepherd has it's difficult moments to say the least.

And by God's grace we have been calling on the Lord for these past two years. And I do mean "by God's grace." We take no credit for any faithfulness on our part these past two years. We know that just like Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail and it didn't, so He has been praying for us--that our faith would not fail and by His grace it has not.

And so by God's grace we have been calling on the Lord for these past two years. And He has been faithfully delivering us. But as is always the case, He uses means. He has been faithfully delivering us through unbelievably loving and self-sacrificing parents, for which we are thankful. He has been delivering us through loving and generous family members, for which we are so appreciative. He has been delivering us through long-time friends who have seen a need and reached out to meet it, for which we are humbled. He has been delivering us through the most loving and generous church family (led by a one of a kind pastor) we could have ever asked to be a part of this past year and a half, for which we do not know how to express our gratitude and whom leaving will be more difficult than we could have ever imagined a year and a half ago.

And now He is delivering us through answering the prayers we have been praying for over two years. This past Sunday, Cross Roads Baptist Church, voted unanimously to call me as their next pastor. And so in just a few short weeks, our family will be moving to Georgia and beginning a new chapter in our life, a long awaited chapter. And we are very excited to see what the Lord has in store for us, the church family, and the wider community in which we will be serving. We can't wait to get more attached to such a loving congregation that is already being so kind to us and whom we are already growing to love and appreciate.

But as I think back over these two years, I think there was something greater still that the Lord was delivering us from and it took these past two years to "learn" it. It was through this "day of trouble" that the Lord was delivering us from ourselves or more specifically me. He has been delivering us from the idol of self, from looking to ourselves as the answer to our problems. He has been delivering us from the pride of not casting all our anxieties upon Him because He cares for us. That is exactly what anxiousness is--pride. Humility is casting all your anxieties on the Lord and trusting Him to work them out in His time and His way. Pride is being anxious, worrying about all that you are faced with and trying to figure out how to work it out in your time and your way.

But, if your idols are like mine they tend to come back to life. Those idols--especially the idol of self-sufficiency--are constant battles we must face every day until that day when we will no longer walk by faith, but by sight. And so as we move into this new chapter of our life there will be a daily temptation with the issues we face to put our confidence in ourselves and believe the lie that we can handle and solve whatever trial we face. There will be the temptation during this time of "Oh, I can breath easier now, this trial is over" phase and beyond to look at myself and see me as the reason things are "going so well." There is pride and self-sufficiency rearing its ugly head once again. I can no more maintain the relative times of ease than I could solve the relative times of difficulty. To believe otherwise is simply the fruit of a justified, in the process of being sanctified, still waiting to be glorified soul.

And so I pray, that as we have lived Psalm 50:15 over these last couple of years, repeating this pattern of crying out to the Lord and experiencing His deliverance, we have also brought Him glory in both our perseverance and in response to His deliverance. I pray that we have shown His value, worth, and weightiness. I pray that our lives and the trials He has gifted to us have been used by the Lord as His telescope, through which others could look through and see the beauty and magnificence of our God.

But, as I mentioned above, I know my own heart. And I know that over these past two years there have been more than a few times where my heart has been faithless, full of anxiety, trusting in self instead of trusting in the Lord. And I know that in the future there will be more than a few times where my heart will be faithless, full of anxiety, trusting in self instead of trusting in the Lord. And for those times in the past, now, and in the future we cry out to the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing. And there is no doubt that He has, is, and will deliver us. He will deliver us because His Son carried the sin of my anxious, prideful, self-sufficient heart to Calvary and nailed it, along with His flesh to a rugged piece of wood. There His blood has covered my sin of pride, anxiousness, self-sufficiency, and so much more.

But He did not stay dead. He walked out of that tomb of death. And in walking out of that tomb alive from the dead, He proved two things. First, He was a suitable sacrifice. He was spotless with no sin of His own. He was never anxious. He was never prideful. He was never faithless. He was perfect. He is my perfection. He is my righteousness. And secondly, because He was a perfect, sinless sacrifice, His death in our place for our sins has been accepted by the Father. We are now righteous and accepted because of His righteousness and acceptance. It is the substance of this truth, this Gospel, this Good News, that we cry out to the Lord in faith, trusting that He will deliver us because of this Good News, and the result will be that He receives the glory.

And so I pray, that as we have, so may we continue to call out to Him in the day of trouble (whether it be the trouble of our trials or the trouble of our sin) with full confidence that He will deliver us and we will glorify Him.

The Little Moments of Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:53:00 +0000

Right now I am reading Paul Tripp's What Did You Expect?? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage. I began reading it because of some counseling I was asked to do with a couple. This has quickly become my favorite book related to marriage issues and hopefully the Lord is using it to mold me more into the husband He would have me to be.

In one chapter, Tripp explains how our marriages are mostly made up of little moments that have lasting impact on the shape and quality of our marriages. Tripp writes,

In his wisdom, God has crafted a life for us that does not careen from huge, consequential moment to huge, consequential moment…You can probably name only two or three life-changing situations you have lived through. We are all the same; the character and quality of our life is forged in little moments. Every day we lay little bricks on the foundation of what our life will be. The bricks of words said, the bricks of actions taken, the bricks of little decisions, the bricks of little thoughts, and the bricks of small-moment desires all work together to form the functional edifice that is your marriage...”

“...We tend to fall into quasi-thoughtless routines and instinctive ways of doing things that are less self-conscious than they need to be. And we tend to back away from the significance of these little moments because they are little moments. You see, the opposite is true: little moments are significant because they are little moments. These are the moments that make up our lives…We must have a ‘day-by-day’ approach to everything in our lives, and if we do, we will choose our bricks carefully and place them strategically.”

So, let's be careful with the bricks that we will use to build our marriages today.

Pastors: Keep Doing the Same Things

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:54:00 +0000

Someone, Einstein I believe, once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results." On some level that is true.

However, in pastoral ministry that may not be the case. Paul is very clear in 2 Timothy 4:5 about what the goal of pastoral ministry should be. And it involves doing the same thing over and over again.

C.J. Mahaney explains:

As Paul begins to summarize the pastoral call, he paints the picture this way: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). The pastor’s biography should be a simple one:

he was sober-minded,
endured suffering,
did the work of an evangelist,
fulfilled his ministry.

He is sober-minded, not like those described in verses 3 and 4 who are vulnerable to fads and trends. He is not seduced by novelty or religious innovation.

He also endures suffering. He understands that suffering isn’t rare; it’s the norm. He is not going to avoid it. If you are a faithful pastor, it’s going to happen: you’ll be the target of criticism from within the church and slander from without. You’ll be opposed by the world when you preach the gospel. And you won’t be exempt from the personal suffering that’s part of living in a fallen world—suffering that God will use to accomplish his purposes in your life. God wants you to be confident that he is at work through your suffering, so that you can endure it with a solid, not superficial, joy.

The pastor is to do the work of an evangelist. Even though Timothy is serving in an area where evangelism and church planting are taking place, Paul wants evangelism to remain a passion in his life. This is all too easy for pastors to neglect in their preaching and personal life.

These imperatives combine to make one point: fulfill your ministry. Be faithful. Discharge the full range of your responsibilities. Persevere until the task is complete. Regardless of opposition or apathy, regardless of apparent success or lack thereof, regardless of church size, regardless of suffering—fulfill your ministry.

For the duration of our lives and ministries, we are called to relentless faithfulness. Today, be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Tomorrow, be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Do it today and do it all again tomorrow, and do it all again the day after tomorrow. Keep doing the same things.

In a culture where innovation is paramount, and the calls to produce something new seduce not just the world but also the church, this is wisdom from above: pastor, just keep doing the same thing. No innovation needed. This is what Paul is charging Timothy, and God is charging us, to do: be faithful. Do the same thing. Don’t be distracted by what’s new. Fulfill your charge. And do it all again tomorrow.

Parenting Made Simple

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:05:00 +0000

As a parent of three young children, trying to raise them in a home where the Gospel is central, I found this advice by Kevin DeYoung providing the needed, humor, realism, and encouragement I need.

Hope you do as well. The post is here.

Here's a couple of excerpts that showcase the nice balance of needed humor and encouragement.

It’s all so involved. There are so many rules and expectations. Kids can’t even eat sugar anymore. My parents were a solid as rock but we still had a cupboard populated with cereal royalty like Captain Crunch and Count Chocula. In our house the pebbles were fruity and the charms were lucky. The breakfast bowl was a place for marshmallows, not dried camping fruit. Our milk was 2%. And sometimes, if we needed to take the edge off a rough morning, we’d tempt fate and chug a little Vitamin D.

I could be wrong. My kids are still young. Maybe this no-theory is a theory of its own. I just know that the longer I parent the more I want to focus on doing a few things really well, and not get too passionate about all the rest. I want to spend time with my kids, teach them the Bible, take them to church, laugh with them, cry with them, discipline them when they disobey, say sorry when I mess up, and pray like crazy. I want them to look back and think, “I’m not sure what my parents were doing or if they even knew what they’re were doing. But I always knew my parents loved me and I knew they loved Jesus.” Maybe it’s not that complicated after all.

What's the Big Deal With the 3rd Commandment?

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:39:00 +0000

One of the areas we are working with the girls on, trying to shepherd them in is deterring them from saying, "Oh my God" or "Oh my gosh!" And I am sure that if you are a parent trying to shepherd your children in the ways of the Lord, you, like us, have found that to be quite challenging.

What is the reason we give as to why we shouldn't say that? D.A. Carson provides a helpful answer in his book The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place In God's Story.

Carson writes,

The reason we are not to say, 'Oh, God!' when we hit our thumb with a hammer or say 'Jesus!' when we are disappointed is precisely because it diminishes God. If you were to be so bold as to turn to the person who has just used Jesus' name because he has hit his thumb with a hammer and say, 'I wish you wouldn't use my Savior's name like that,' he would probably reply, 'I do not mean anything by it.' But that is the point: he doesn't mean anything by it. That is precisely why the usage is 'profane,' that is, common. Using the name of God or of Jesus when you 'mean nothing' by it is not profane because you have spoken a magic word that you are not really allowed to use, as if only priests can say the right abracadabra. The usage is profane because it is common, cheap. We are dealing with God, and we must say and do nothing that diminishes him or cheapens him. It is at best disrespectful, ungrateful, and demeaning; at worst it de-gods him and thus sinks again to the level of idolatry."

A King Is Coming, But His Name Isn't William

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:13:00 +0000

Well, tomorrow is the big day. It's the royal wedding and millions will be watching all around the world. But why? What is at the bottom of such fascination with the wedding of a soon to be king and his princess? To be sure, some of it is wrapped around vanity and materialism, etc., But might it be that there is something in the human heart, a longing that is at the bottom of this excitement?

Mike Cosper writes about this today over at the Gospel Coalition. Here's his conclusion:

Blaise Pascal famously described our vain attempts to fill the infinite abyss inside us with anything but God. Perhaps the obsessive reading, watching, and waiting for Friday’s wedding comes from a similar place, an emptiness inside of us that hungers for the ultimate reign of our King Jesus.

In a few days, much of the Western world will gather around TV sets to watch the incredible spectacle that will surely unfold. There will be a grand processional, and ultimately, a bride will appear, dressed in white, to wed the heir to the throne. We can watch it with a grumpy cynicism; we can watch it with an idolatrous awe; or we can see it as a signpost, pointing to a wedding in which we’ll play a part, and whose King will never disappoint.

As Times Get Harder, Jesus Gets Sweeter--In Honor of My Granddaddy

noreply@blogger.com (R. Philip Blinson) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:41:00 +0000

This was originally posted three years ago, shortly after my Granddaddy's death. Today is the 3rd anniversary and I miss him, but I still adore the goodness of God even in the midst of the sorrow.

April 11, 2008

Sarah Edwards was the wife of the great pastor/theologian Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards died from a smallpox vaccination. Sarah wrote these words to their daughter shortly after the death of their husband/father:

“My very dear child! What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands on our mouths! The Lord has done it. He has made me adore His goodness, that we had him so long. But my God lives; and He has my heart. O what a legacy my husband, and your father, has left us! We are all given to God; and there I am, and love to be. Your affectionate mother, Sarah Edwards.”

I adore the goodness of God in all the years that he gave my granddaddy to me and my family. I do hurt at his death. I hurt in a way I have never hurt before. It's a hurt that seems to cut both ways. In a sense, you want it to go away or ease up. But, in another way--just as fervent--you don't want it to leave because the depth of the hurt is an indication of the depth of the love and I never want that love to be minimized or forgotten.

However, even through the hurt I do, by God's grace adore the goodness of God that we had my granddaddy for so long. I adore his goodness in using my granddaddy to bring me to faith in Christ and for setting such a marvelous example of a loving grandfather and faithful pastor. Granddaddy wrote in one of his sermons, "As times got harder for Paul, Jesus got sweeter." And it was so with my granddaddy as well. The harder things got, the sweeter Jesus was. He did not articulate it maybe the same way I do, but he treasured Christ in and through all things. He loved his family. I adore the goodness of God in giving me and our family our Granddaddy for so long.

I adore the goodness of God this past week as well in the prayers and kind words of church members and family and friends. I adore the goodness of God in being able to be a small part of my Granddaddy's memorial service, which was spectacular. I adore the goodness of God of being able to weep with my family and to do so as a family. I realized or was reminded this week of just how much I love my family and how much I want to show that more from now on.

One of the most cherished graces of God to me this past week came the day of the funeral. The family time for visitation was from 10-2pm. I was in the church with some other family members: my mom, two uncles, grandma, and other family. I had purposefully tried to not see my granddaddy at the visitation the night before or at the funeral home on Saturday. I just didn't want to remember him that way. But it was inevitable that I would see him sometime in the week. I did several times. I found myself looking at all the flowers that had been sent and I began to weep and tried to hold it in and just let it out quietly. My uncle Larry noticed me and came to my side. He came to my side and put his arm around me and hugged me and let me weep on his shoulder. It may not have been special to him, but it was a priceless gift from God for me.

Our family has wept and we will weep. I don't know if I realized just how much I loved my Granddaddy. I do now--now that I know he will never call me again on a Sunday night to ask me how my day went or he will never say again to me on the phone, "Can I do something?" which meant he was about to pray with me. I'll never again here him say, "You tell Holly and the girls that some crazy guy said hello and that he loves them." He'll never ask again, "How's the boss?" which meant, "How's Shadow doing?"

But in and through all of those "never agains" God is good and kind and right in all that he does. One day, because of the work of Christ in the life of my granddaddy and in my life, we will see each other again and I know that when we see each other, he will give me a great big ol' bearhug just like he gave me as a little boy and we will adore the goodness of God in the face of Jesus Christ forever and ever.