I need A provider

I work at Abbott Laboratories y'all. I am thankful for my job. I don't really like it alot, but I enjoy it about as much as a believer can enjoy a secular job. My work is vanity, but it enables me to do the things that God would have me to do with money.

But although I have a job, I still need a provider. God is a provider - a job can never provide for my needs. Christ is our eternal YHWH Jireh. He IS our provision.

The rock the Israelites drank from was Christ (I Corinthians 10:4). He IS the rock and the water. He IS the provider and the provision. HE is the source and the substance. The Lord Jesus Christ, not Moses was the source of their life. Don't get it twisted, even when Moses sinned and hit the rock, the Lord still gave the water. Moses was an instrument of provision, but not the source...

I have a job, but I need a provider. Lord Jesus, thank you for being what I need, even before I know I need it. You were the Lamb before I was even born!

Worship is fun

Why are we so glum sometimes about Worship? I am an elder at my local assembly. One of my primary roles is leading the music ministries and leading the time of worship on Sunday. In that role, you get such an interesting perspective.

When you are facing the congregation, sometimes you find yourself looking at the people's faces in the congregation. Some people are staring into space, others are texting someone, many are singing (albeit with a discontented look on their faces), while still more look bored out of their minds. Is really how people look when they are enjoying themselves.

We are to worship in Spirit and in Truth - but worship ought not be regimented and forced.

I love my wife. I like spending time with her. I like talking with her, going to dinner with her. I think she is an engaging person. I have decided to share my life on this earth with her. But what if when I was with her, I looked as if I was not enjoying myself? You see, when I am enjoying myself, you know it. It is obvious in my mannerisms, my facial expressions, my countenance. When we our guilty, our countenance witnesses against us (Isaiah 3:9). In the same way, when we do not enjoy God, it shows on our faces.

I mean -- do we really like God? Do we really enjoy Christ. I am not encouraging you to act like you like God, but simply that you learn Him. As you learn the Lord Jesus Christ you will grow to like Him in your heart. Then your worship countenance will demonstrate that spending time singing to, honoring and focusing on the Godhead really is fun.

Church Segmentation, Part 5 - Sin based "ministry"

The bible is the most relevant book in the world; it is the most influential and practical thing that has ever been written. But although it is practical, it does not approach life and practice the way men do.

Men usually focus on solving problems. The central message of the scriptures is to direct us to a perfect man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes - the scriptures do provide us with specific, practical information about how to correct us, reprove us and change us. But the focus is always helping us to focus, learn and behave like the perfect man, the Jesus. So if the central message of scripture and life is the God-man Jesus Christ, why do we always try to grow by correcting our own sin? I think it is because we are human.

There is a current movement in American Christianity to segment believers by their type of sin problem. We have divorce recovery ministries, substance abuse ministries, every man's battle (pornography), and battered women's ministry. At one Chicago church, there is even a ministry for homosexuals (unfortunately this church actually does not teach that homosexuality is sin, so I guess, theoretically don't fall into the "sin-ministry" category). The basic thesis is, that if we better understand our sin patterns, we can fix the problems that entangle us.

This thesis is a lie. First of all it fails to understand our common enemy, the devil. He has always lied to us and has always used the same tactics to entrap men. Secondly, and more importantly, it fails to understand our common solution, namely CHRIST Himself. For "great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, Received up in glory." (1 Timothy 3:16).

Jesus IS our Godliness!

He is our righteousness. He is our WAY out. He is our ability to live like Him. What we need ultimately is to gaze, stare at, consider, learn, meditate, rest, trust, obey and abide in HIM. This is how we grow and live. Spending time attempting to better understand our sinful patterns is only a trick of the enemy. Getting together with people with the same problem with the devil, flesh and the world can be dangerous in that it can tempt us to continue the sin stronghold. Contemporary psychology uses this type of technology, but becoming like Christ is achieved by spending time with HIM. He alone can change our hearts and we need only to abide, learn and grow in HIM alone.

Don't believe the lie of sin. You don't need to understand your sin - only learn Christ's way of thinking for every situation. Trust in Christ's deliverance. Run from the flesh and seek Him when you are tempted. Rest in Him, enjoy Him, love Him and learn Him. Re-occupy your mind with the risen savior of Glory!

Blessed Hate Speech

In urban slang, the term, "hater" has been popularized. It is a noun that refers to someone who wants to discredit you, defame you or minimize your accomplishments. "Haters" are jealous people who would like to see you getting less, being less, or having less.

"Hate speech" is what the world calls any thing that is not tolerant, regardless of merit. In 21st century America, Hate speech can lead to fines or criminal action. For example, To call someone who is a homosexual a "sinner", could be deemed as "hate speech".

But let's take another look at the word "hate". I can think of two scriptural examples when hate is actually blessed and good.

As Chist-lovers, we are to hate those things that strap us to this earthly space and time. Christ commended the church of Ephesus because they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:6). Or what about in Zechariah when our Lord says..." Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath, for all these are things that I hate." (Zechariah, 8:17). In these cases we ought to hate these things because our Lord hates them too. So you can see how Hate is encouraged when it is in alignment with our Christ's thinking.

In the same way, hatred of us is expected when we behave like the Lord. Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you..."(Luke 6:22). In Truth we are blessed when we are in the world's hatred. God is pleased with us when we are hated for the reason of being identified with his Son; in essence we are blessed while reviled. This type of hatred lets us know we are acting like our great High Priest, King, Savior and Brother Jesus Christ. The corollary can also be argued, namely that when the world loves us, we are not looking like Christ (Luke 6:26).

I don't desire to be hated, but I do desire to look like Christ. So bring the haters on!

I will Bless the Lord at All Times

My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; humble shall hear of it and be glad. I had a great time in worship with the saints of God this weekend. An awesome time of singing, considering, blessing and speaking of the Lord's goodness. He is great and greatly to be praised.

There are so many things we could boast in, but none of them are valid boasts. We could boast in position, our money, our looks, our intelligence. But all of this is vanity. But to boast in the Lord. In the Grace we have received from HIM. This is a great thing. Our soul longs to have a true "boast", and it often seeks to speak of greatness in the wrong object. By boasting in the wrong things, we find emptiness. But when we boast in the Lord, or in our own weaknesses, we find strength. For even when we boast in HIM in our weakness, HE is made strong.

Our God is an awesome God. Worthy of boasting, praise, preeminence. May the Lord Jesus Christ be blessed at all times.

Lucy and a pocket knife

I went to go see Prince Caspian with my wife this weekend. The second installment of the Hollywood version of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia was very entertaining - I enjoyed it.

My favorite part in Prince Caspian is a scene toward the end of the movie. The other child kings are struggling to fight their enemy. while Lucy, representing sincere, childlike faith heads out to meet her savior companion, Aslan the Lion (Aslan is Lewis' Christ figure in Narnia).

When Lucy returns she comes face to face with the enemy army at a great river. At first you only see Lucy, facing the enemy army, seemingly alone. She pulls out a pocket knife in the face of a powerful enemy. Her enemy has soldiers, spears, arrows and horses, but Lucy stands confident, unafraid, and undaunted at the edge of the river. Why? She is not alone. Aslan is with her.

We ought to have Lucy-like faith. She was willing to take on an army of enemy warriors with a pocket knife as long as Aslan is by our side. Our Lord Jesus Christ IS by our side. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we may ask or think. He is our true Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and even in the midst of temptation, persecution and struggles, He is able to keep us and strengthen us with His power and life.

Give me Jesus and a pocket knife! Our Christ is all.

Consistant Agape

John 14:15 reads, "If you love me you will keep my commands".

Here keep means to observe, to guard, to carefully attend to. This is how God himself defines love. It is the consistent willingness to obey, follow his Word. To truly treasure his character and commands in the heart and to attentively seek to keep it consistently and without compromise.

So then, when I am loving God, He is looking for a heart that is constantly bent toward himself. As I love my neighbors, He is looking for consistent willingness to interact with, love and care for my neighbor in accordance with the commands of scripture. As we keep his "commands", we are not merely attending to an impersonal set of rules or laws. Rather, we are personifying the mind of God. We are actualizing the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are laying hold to his Life, his Truth and his Ways.

If we Love God, we must carefully attend to His Word. And His Word IS the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us consider and obey the Living Word who is God in who became a man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Men love Shine, Christ IS Shine

Tonight I watched a VH1 special about the African diamond trade in Sierra Leone. It was a trip. The special took a number of American rappers to Sierra Leone to see first hand the impact of the diamond trade on the country. The documentary then popped back and forth to feature quotes, videos and excerpts from rappers who loved the "bling-bling".

Well here are a few observations. First of all, this documentary was done by VH1. VH1, MTV and BET are the prime proponents of the videos that features rappers, rock stars and pop stars sporting expensive clothes, diamonds and gold. If they are not supportive of this stuff, then why do they play all of the videos of the stars who wear the bling? Secondly, it was a trip to watch these rappers go to very poor areas of Africa. They were speechless when they tried to explain the atrocities that happened during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Basically, they had no world-view that could explain the unbridled evil of men.

Men are evil. They will do anything for money and power. And when we focus on riches from the world no matter what the cost we are feeding into the world system that abuses the poor to provide for the rich. Just because we live in America, can we disconnect our selves from the poor child in Sierra Leone, South Africa or Botswana who is digging for diamonds all day for a dollar a day?

We don't need worldly bling. It is just a cheap attempt to bring glory to men. Any glory that will be ascribed, should only be from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One day, he will glorify believers who have trusted in Him. He alone is worthy of Glory. Men love earthly shine, but it is a dim, cheap imitation in comparison to our matchless, bright, every glowing Savior and Creator Jesus the Christ! He is the Light of the World.

Church Segmentation, Part 4 - Church on Sunday, Teach on Wednesday

Have you noticed that most churches adopt a philosophy of ministry that divides Sunday teaching and Wednesday teaching into two categories?

Usually, Sunday teaching is geared toward the masses. Now of course I am stereotyping, but most "mainline" churches have a "service" on Sunday that is geared toward attracting new believers, unbelievers and the tradionally "churched". What do these groups expect? Well, these new, non and traditional folks normally expect something similar to the "church" they see on TV and the movies. Give me some slamming music, a cultural message and the ability to sit and absorb without being involved in any manner. This is what the masses really want on Sunday. They want to be able to say, "We had church this week" and then go back to their regular, Christ-excluding lives on Monday through Saturday.

But where did we get this model? Is it scriptural? Did the believers in the bible meet in this manner?

The early church devoted themselves to prayer, the breaking of bread (Lord's Supper), the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship. They spent time with one another, fellowshipping in Christ. The were devoted to praying together. They were devoted to teaching, especially the Apostle's doctrine. This "Apostle's doctrine" was basically the content of New Testament Teaching. And of Course the New Testament includes Old Testament teaching, but the focus of "Apostle's Doctrine" has always been the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ taught as our Messiah, God, Savior, Redeemer, King -- plainly, Christ our Life.

In the 21st Century American church, teaching is normally relegated to Wednesday night, bible study. Most people don't even go to bible study, so at most churches, "bible study" plays second to Man centered, thematic teachings on topics the average unbeliever wants to learn more about. "How can I improve my financial status?", "What can I do to improve my Marriage", "How can I raise my kids better?", And if you want to be spiritual, what about "Ten ways to improve my prayer life".

Don't allow the world to shape worship. It is purely Christ-centered. He wants all of our attention. He is revealed in the Scriptures -- let's bring our time of worship back to solely focus on Him.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Our God gave us work. But it can have an inappropriate place in your life. I have been at work for the past few days. For Sunday - Thursday, I have been working about 16 hours a day (6:00am-10pm), for this week. Work is good, but life is so much more than work. Zoe life is only found in our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the abundant life that IS the Lord Jesus Christ. We can only be truly living when we are IN HIM. So He is in fact our Life and He in fact will appear and bring us to glory!

So until then, don't seek the approval of men, but of God. Work is cool - God gave it to us. I thank the Lord for my work, but it took up too much of my time this week.

Our Lord Jesus Christ give us "good works prepared for us before hand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). So let us seek after these works and avoid vanity.

Christ is all!

Christ is the Protagonist of the Bible

If you follow-the blog, you know that my church held...A Christocentric Conference a few weeks ago. Perhaps one of my favorite lines of the conference was..."Jesus is the protagonist of the Bible."

The scriptures put it like this, "And He is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. " (Colossians 1:18)

or, John 5:39 "You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me."

So what is the definition of a Protagonist? "The leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work."

The scriptures, speak of HIM. He is preeminent in the scriptures. Jesus is the Protagonist of the Bible. It is all about HIM and HIM Alone. We do truly have the mind of Christ in the scriptures! Jesus is the Word of God (Rev. 19:13).

Away with the Men-pleasers

Ephesians 6:5 says..."Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart"

I love this verse, but I fear that sometimes I am a "man-pleaser"

We learn so much about the mind of Christ from this verse. The Lord loves sincerity, he looks at the heart, and he hates it when people "suck-up to men". You know what "sucking-up" is, right? He wants our behavior to be the same in the presence of authority as when we are alone. He expects us to act in a consistent manner, no matter who is looking. At the core, He is interested in the state of our heart; the purity of our motives. He is actually not concerned at all at what men do in public when they are on display, but the Lord is interested in the purity of our faith and interest in obedience when no one is looking. Why? Because He loves sincerity, heart worship toward Him.

I don't want to be a man-pleaser, but I fear that at times I am. Lord may I be who you want me to be - in my heart.

Myanmar needs Missionaries

It is estimated that perhaps 10,00 people could have died this week in Myanmar as a result of the cyclone.

The recent cyclone in Myanmar should redouble our interest in missions. Often I hear Christians talk about "what about the guy in the amazon who has never heard of Jesus?" I find the scriptures teaching, "How then shall they call on Him whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14) Or perhaps the most under quoted verse that is near the most quoted verse in the new testament (next to "judge not lest you be judged"),

"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18).

So we need to have the heart of Christ to those who have not heard of Him. The harvest is ripe, but the Laborers are few. Lord use me to go, to send and to support the laborers that your harvest may be harvested.

job schmob

Do you really think Jesus cares alot about your Job? What promotion did you receive? What is your payrate? Did God open up the door for that new office?

I have been struggling with these issues y'all. I know that our Lord wants us to work as unto Him. I know that He desires excellence, but I am becoming convinced that as workers in America that we are entirely too career focused. We go back to school to get better jobs. We fight for promotions. We read books on getting a pay raise. We love titles. The fact of the matter is, the concern of scripture is merely that we are content with our level of financial gain (1 Timothy 6:16) and we serve our earthly masters with respect and reverence (Colossians 3:22). This is the mind of Christ.

But although we know this, rather than aiming our prayers at assistance and grace to live out what we know to be our Lord's will, we focus on many other issues of promotion, status, pay raise, fairness etc. on our daily jobs.

Well, I am coming to think that much of this is vanity.

Our contentment is to be found in Christ, not in our earthly jobs. Our Lord lived a simple life that was not focused on earthly financial or corporate gain.

Their Foolish Hearts were Darkened

I went to see Ben Stein's movie Expelled, No Design Allowed, tonight with my wife. It was an interesting film. The basic premise of the film is that Darwinist Evolutions in school systems and universities do not even allow other scientists to consider whether or not our universe has a designer. Stein argues that when people propose an argument from "intelligent design", they are censured in the academic community and run the risk of being ostracized.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the movie is a scene that features Richard Dawkins and Ben Stein. Richard Dawkins wrote a book called The Blind Watchmaker, that is perhaps the most popularly read contemporary book on Neo-Darwin evolution theory. Strangely however, in Expelled, Dawkins admits that it is very possible that the first cell was "seeded" by a being of higher intelligence. He, himself, states that he believers it is very possible that their is an intelligent originator of the Universe. While he says he does not believe the first cell was created by an intelligent designer, he concedes that it is possible that an intelligent originator was behind the first development of a cell. It is hard to believe that this person cannot see the disconnect in their own thinking. Dawkins has been debating against all who propose Intelligent Design for years and now it seems that he admits that the origin of life could be in an intelligent designer. Of course, however, Dawkins is positive that there is no possible way this intelligent designer could be God of the bible.

Well, check out the clip below and consider the following verses from the scriptures as you watch the clip.

John 1:3. "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

Colossians 1:16, "For By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him"

or as concerning the Jewish unbeliever, 2 Cor. 3:15 - "But even to this day, when Moses is read a veil lies on their heart..." or Romans 1:21-22., "because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools..."

Ben Stein on Expelled

Cavalier use of the Term "Christian"

I totally expect the world to sin. But the extent to which secular "Christianity" has attempted to defame our Lord Jesus Christ is sickening. Perhaps Satan's main strategy is to get people to attend non-Christ focused churches. There is nothing more difficult than to have to de-program strongholds that have been set by the devil in a secular American church. Check out this video from the Passion for the Christ Movement - Video.

Jesus made Clay

I have been fascinated with the passage about The Christ in John 9. Jesus makes clay on the sabbath and then instructs a blind man to go wash and see. What an amazing story. First of all, Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath instructs the blind man to "go wash". He also "makes clay". The pharisees viewed this as Jesus obstructing the sabbath. Strangely whenever the Levites worked on the sabbath they did not consider them as defiling the Sabbath, but whenever Jesus, the High Priest of the tribe of Melchizadek did these things they accused The Christ as a Sabbath breaker.

I love the part of the story where the blind man is found by Jesus. "Do you believe in Son of God" Jesus asks the man. He replies, "Who is He Lord that I may believe in Him." Jesus' response "You have both SEEN Him and He is talking with You."

In a very real sense, this man SAW His salvation. One of the first sights he saw was the Lord Jesus Himself. He had been healed by Christ, but was sent to the pool to wash. As a result, He knew He was healed by Jesus, but had never seen Him. Then Jesus found Him. Unsaved, yet seeing - Jesus then Helped Him to see Spiritually. What an amazing day for the man! Starting the day blind spiritually and physically, ending the day seeing the Son of the Living God both spiritually and physically.

What an awesome God.

simple Gospel

I have been accused of sharing a gospel that is both too complicated and too simple. To the evidence-centric crowd, when they hear that I don't look for some sort of "outward demonstration of an inward reality", they normally accuse me of teaching "easy believism". But I do preach belief as the sole means of salvation - I just believe it to be impossible apart from Grace from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

On the other hand when I insist that one must believe that Jesus is true Deity, the Only Son of God; God in the Flesh, I am normally accused of being too theological. I am told, "You can't expect people to understand all theology when they get saved". Well, this "theology" is imperative to salvation. For if we do not believe that Jesus is that "I AM" we are told we will die in our Sins. We are believing that Jesus is LORD. Not simply "Lord of my life". Or "my co-pilot", or "my master" -- but when we say LORD we mean it in the sense of the scriptures. That He is THE LORD, or Yahweh. The true and living God. Jesus is LORD (capital letters).

So this the simple gospel we preach. Jesus is THE LORD God, become man, died and buried, rose on the third Day, demonstrated to be the Christ, the Son of God! We preach that we obtain this salvation through belief...not works, not demonstrating a belief, but simply through faith. It is this truth about the Lord Jesus we confess: Who He is (Christ, God-man), and What He has done (Died, Buried, Risen Indeed).

This is our simple gospel that is received by simple means - belief.

Christ is all.