Pastor's Blog

Beginning Family Worship

john erickson — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:31:00 GMT

Here's some helpful encouragement from James Grant Three Main Steps to Starting Family Worship January 14th, 2009 by JHG Here they are: ---Plan to have family worship after an evening meal ---Read through a good book (like this one) ---Say the Lord’s prayer after reading the book Now for the more full explanation. When I first discovered the tradition of family worship, it was a real breakthrough for me and my family. Although it took a while to get past the awkwardness of the moment, since we had not done this before, it is well worth the effort. But to start off, we need to keep it very simple. I have discovered that men who have not lead their families this way are generally uncomfortable with starting this out. Two things usually stand out as concerns: 1) they do not pray well, and 2) they cannot explain the Bible well. So my advice for starting this tradition deals with those specific objections, and makes things as simple as possible. First, plan to have family worship after the evening meal. It is usually the best time to accomplish this because everyone is settling down for the evening. If you do not eat together as a family, then start doing it. If you want to pick one night, pick Saturday night to start, and that way you are connecting your Saturday evening into your Sunday worship. As you do this, you can expand to other nights. But as you begin, do not do it every night. You are setting yourself up for failure. Second, read through a good book. My suggestion is the Jesus Storybook Bible. We read through this book as a family, and I love it. Guess what…so did my kids! The great thing about this book is it explains stuff. So this will take away the initial worry of trying to explain a Bible passage that you do not understand. And as you read this, your kids will start asking you to read it after every meal, not just the Saturday evening meal! They will want to finish that book and go onto to more books. Third, once you finish reading the book, say the Lord’s Prayer together as a family. Make sure you say it the same way (i.e., debts or trespasses), but just say the Lord’s Prayer. Overtime, you can add to this, but in my opinion, this is the best way to start at first. So here you go: after you finish your Saturday evening meal, pull the book out, say you are going to read a short chapter about the Bible to get everyone reading for worship on Sunday. Read it. Pray the Lord’s Prayer as a family. As you advance at this, you can add more to it. I noticed that Tim Challies pointed to a website with lots of resources. Joel Beeke has a short booklet on this topic, and Terry Johnson’s book on the subject is very good and comprehensive; he will direct you to other resources as well. But whether you are starting out or have been doing this for a while, don’t make it into a burden. You will defeat your purpose if you treat this as a strict discipline. Your kids need to enjoy this, and if you include them and keep it simple at first, they will help you build it into more.

Join Thabiti this weekend for What is a Healthy Church Member?

john erickson — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:09:00 GMT

Bethlehem is hosting a great seminar this weekend: 'What Is a Healthy Church Member?' Seminar 01/16/2009 | 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM | Downtown Campus, 114 | Racial Harmony Weekend Seminar January 16-17: Friday, 7:00 to 9:00 PM & Saturday, 9:00 AM to Noon Thabiti Anyabwile, author of What is a Healthy Church Member?, will be at Bethlehem to do a two-day seminar based on this book. Participants will enjoy a luncheon to follow in the Main Hall. RSVP by Wednesday, January 14 to the number below. To learn more about Thabiti Anyabwile's visit, open this poster. Contact Sarah Porter at 612.455.3436 for more information.

Encouragement regarding suffering from 1 Peter

john erickson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:19:00 GMT

The Theme of Suffering in 1 Peter

Some in our body have been experiencing different kinds of suffering. I was struck in reading through 1 Peter the last two days with the frequency in which you see it. I have pulled out some excerpts for you to read. As you do

1. Consider how are sufferings link us with Christ

2. Consider how God is aware of sufferings, with us in our sufferings and sovereign over them so that none of them is random or in vain.

3. God promises after a season of suffering to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Chapter 1:10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

Chapter 2:19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Chapter 4:13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit

Chapter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

A Trade Board?

john erickson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:23:00 GMT

We have many gifted people in our body. We have some like myself who are less gifted in some areas. Some are out of work or in need of more work. Others need work done. It would be great to be able to connect us better together.

So here is the question, does anyone have the ability/ willingness to put together an on-line board that could function in this way? Thoughts/ comments?

Big News Regarding One of our Members and Disney World

john erickson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:19:00 GMT

http://www.sun7news.com/flash.php?videoCode=3rh22Z9rLw5C28mq567a

Orphans and Haiti

john erickson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:14:00 GMT

Orphans are near to the heart of God. In fact He calls Himself the Father of the fatherless.

Here is a video that helps us appreciate how many orphans there are in the world today. How might God use us to be part of the solution?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6WEcrfCIwI&eurl=http://www.loving-shepherd.com/

One place where there are many orphans is only an hour from our country and yet the conditions are dire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VhJHVikSxQ&feature=channel_page

Finally watch the video that goes along with this story and it will break your heart.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id=5326508&page=1

Yet God is at work in Haiti. Might God use us to help with a children's home. Let us pray for the nation of Haiti and it's children and then by faith may God help us to act as well.

Modern Parables Online for Free

john erickson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:41:00 GMT

If you haven't seen the Modern Parables, they are worth watching.

http://www.modernparable.com/watchfilms

Fireproof - A Review

john erickson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:01:00 GMT

Leslie and I went and saw Fireproof last week. Siskel or Ebert I am not, but we both liked it and thought it was well done. It does a good job of communicating the Gospel and sharing a lot of helpful challenges about marriage without being too cheesy or preachy. The acting was pretty good and it used humor nicely. If you are married I would recommend you get a sitter and go see it and plan for some time to talk about the state of your marriage afterwards. It will likely provoke some good discussion. It will not win any technical awards but we gave it a thumbs up. What did you think?

Helpful Quote from Thomas Brooks

john erickson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Believers must repent for being discouraged by their sins “Their being discouraged by their sins will cost them many a prayer, many a tear, and many a groan; and that because their discouragements under sin flow from ignorance and unbelief. It springs from their ignorance of the richness, freeness, fullness, and everlastingness of God’s love; and from their ignorance of the power, glory, sufficiency, and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ; and from their ignorance of the worth, glory, fullness, largeness, and completeness of the righteousness of Jesus Christ; and from their ignorance of that real, close, spiritual, glorious, and inseparable union that is between Christ and their precious souls. Ah! Did precious souls know and believe the truth of these things as they should, they would not sit down dejected and overwhelmed under the sense and operation of sin. God never gave a believer a new heart that it should always lie a-bleeding, and that it should always be rent and torn in pieces with discouragements.” - Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices

Silencing the Critics of Christianity (Part 2)

allan joseph — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:24:00 GMT

The second argument for Christianity is from historical analysis (part 1 found here). Christianity rests on the historicity of the man Christ Jesus, his incarnation, death and resurrection. If the resurrection of Christ can be disproven, after careful analysis of the historical data, then Christianity is a hoax and the Bible is unreliable. But if the historical data prove the resurrection of Christ, they also place a stamp of approval on the Bible and make a case for Christianity. The question that must be answered then is: Are the historical records of Jesus reliable? The answer is in the affirmative, yes! The New Testament documents are primary source documents. Eyewitnesses or close associates of eyewitnesses wrote them. For example, John wrote:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete [1Jo. 1:1-4].

Thus, the NT fulfills the requirement of internal reliability for primary source documents. It is also externally reliable, as its authorship and dates are backed by extrinsic testimony such as that of Papias, a second century writer. Modern archaeological research has also confirmed the reliability of the New Testament. For example, an archaeological discovery at Caesarea in 1961 confirms the historicity of Pilate, a personage mentioned in the New Testament. This underscores that fact if the same criteria for determining the authenticity of other writings of antiquity are applied to the New Testament, its trustworthiness will be more than vindicated. This being the case, the Gospel writers and the writers of the Epistles are telling the truth, even about the resurrection of Christ. Otherwise, opponents of Jesus or hostile witnesses would have exposed their lies and extra-biblical records would have disproved the historicity of the resurrection. Moreover, Paul would not have been able to argue from the post-resurrection appearances to silence his opponents (1 Cor. 15:20). The conclusion is, therefore, inescapable: The birth, dead and resurrection Christ took place in history, and as Christ offered the resurrection as the decisive proof of his deity (Ro. 1:4), the resurrection proves the existence of God (Matt. 12:38-40; Jo. 2:18-20) and validates Christianity (1 Cor. 15: 12-28).

Pastor Allan