No Greater Joy!
I have a confession to make. I know that as a follower of Jesus Christ, I am to be a faithful witness. I am commanded to share the gospel as I go. Obedience to Christ’s command is not optional. Every Christian is to be on mission for Christ in the world making Him known. Pastors are to be at the “head of the pack.”
And my confession? Too often my sharing has been out of a sense of duty or obligation. Furthermore, I allowed “feeling” to be my guide. If the situation “felt” right, and the circumstances were right, I would share. If not, I kept the message to myself.
This is sin plain and simple. James said, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (4:17, ESV). I asked for God’s forgiveness and renewed my commitment to be faithful in witness no matter how I felt. As a result, God has brought about a transformation in my thinking and practice. I give Him the glory!!
The transformation in thinking came after reading the Great Commission for no doubt the millionth time. It hit me, that sharing the gospel isn’t about “feeling” it is about loving obedience. I realized that if you will do what God says, in spite of how you feel (a biblical counseling principle), He will find great delight in it, and He will provide the means to follow through-His enabling grace. The transformation in my practice occurred when I then learned The Way of The Master method taught by Ray Comfort. Ray believes, and rightly so, that the Law (the Ten Commandments) must be used prior to sharing the gospel so that people will see and acknowledge their true sinful nature. This is the Law’s purpose, to bring about the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20). Only then will they recognize the trouble they are in and turn to the only One, Jesus Christ, who can redeem them. The rule of thumb is “Law to the proud, grace to the humble.”
The transformation has been life changing. Sharing Christ with strangers is now a regular and on-going part of my life. Again, to Him belongs the glory!
The icing on the cake, so to speak, came while reading Mark Cahill’s book One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven. Mark mentions that often we do what we do in the Christian life because we “got to.” We are driven by obligation or duty. There is little joy in our efforts. We “got to” pray. We “got to” read our bibles. And yes, we “got to” witness. Mark suggests to change our thinking from “got to” to “get to.” We “get to” pray. We “get to” read our bibles. We “get to” witness. It’s all a privilege!!
The truth is a simple one: There is no greater joy!
With each day, God sends me opportunities to share the gospel. What was once done out of a sense of duty or governed by my own personal “feelings” of comfortableness, is now the joy of my life. I cannot think of anything I would rather do! Fellow believers! Listen up! We don’t “got to,” we “get to.” We get to share the greatest message the world could ever hear–the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no higher privilege. There is no greater joy!!!
Job the Book
Wholly of Grace
“Salvation is wholly of grace, not only undeserved but undesired by us until God is pleased to awaken us to a sense of our need of it. And then we find everything prepared that our wants require or our wishes conceive; yea, that He has done exceedingly beyond what we could either ask or think.
Salvation is wholly of the Lord and bears those signatures of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness which distinguish all His works from the puny imitations of men. It is every way worthy of Himself, a great, a free, a full, a sure salvation.
It is great whether we consider the objects (miserable, hell-deserving sinners), the end (the restoration of such alienated creatures to His image and favor, to immortal life and happiness) or the means (the incarnation, humiliation, sufferings and death of His beloved Son). It is free, without exception of persons or cases, without any conditions or qualifications, but such as He, Himself, performs in them and bestows upon them.”
- John Newton, “The Consolation”, Works of John Newton: Vol III (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1985), 32
Jonah’s Dilemma and Nineveh’s Salvation
Below are a few thoughts on the book of Jonah. Well, not just a few but more of a continuation of a few posts I made for the students on the student ministry website that I work for. Just a few follow up thoughts to our current series in Jonah that I thought would be beneficial to share here.
Chapter One
Jonah isn’t the first guy to flee from the presence of God. Yet what’s so crazy about Jonah is the shear audacity of his pride. To flee from an ever-present God is the most ridiculous thing to ever consider. The psalmist made it clear when he said “where shall I flee from your presence?”(Psalm 139:7) God is everywhere. Yet Jonah a prophet of God thinks he can flee. What’s so profound about this is the foundational issue at hand. None of us seek after God (including Jonah). Yet, God seeks to display who He is in some of the most remarkable ways and draw us near to him.
Jonah could have been killed when he was thrown into the water. Yet, God spared him and sought after him to go. How remarkable is God’s redemptive desires that He will go to great lengths to bring us back to Him.
Chapter Two
Wow, Chapter 2 is very insightful into what went down once Jonah was thrown over. It wasn’t quite like swimming with flounder and Sebastian. In fact it was quite the contrary. It makes me wonder: Has Jonah recognized his foolishness yet? Is giving himself over to the sea a display of defeat and admitting his guilt? Jonah’s prayer gives insight into what had come upon his heart in the midst of sinking to the depths of the ocean.
His willing response to the circumstances reveals that his heart had hardened and it’s need for softening. He knows this must be his cue to admit he was wrong willingly or else things could get worse for himself and the crew. Was jumping ship an effort to continue running further from God by his hopes of death, or was he admitting his guilt and humbling himself to his evident “judgment” for running from God? If Jonah thought he could run that far, he had lost his mind at this point. I think what we see hear is a clear understanding that Jonah knew he was in the wrong and God was making that clear to him.
He recognized he was in the wrong and humbled himself just a tiny bit. His prayer makes this clear. He recognizes God’s hand against Him in verse 3. (vs. 3 “For YOU had cast me into the deep”) An unlikely response after seeing how deliberately he ran from God. Part of me wants to think he would have continued in his pride and not admit that God was against him at this point. Yet, Jonah’s prayer while in the fish shows that he cried out to God for salvation from the ragging sea around him.
Being thrown into the depths was not a casual swim. He was in this situation because of his own desire to flee God’s plans. He was in the waters because of his selfishness and disobedience. Jonah realigns himself with God yet God’s purposes for Jonah are not yet complete. Still more is to be done in Jonah’s heart as we will see in Chapter 4. Yes, believe it or not God spares Jonah in his distress despite all that Jonah has done thus far. Isn’t that amazing! Finally Jonah claims the most significant truth with the last words of his prayer “Salvation is from the Lord”
Chapter Three
So, Did Jonah forget that he had to go to Nineveh? Wasn’t the whole crazy storm and being swallowed by the fish a bit of a wake up call that he disobeyed. Yet, here in Chapter 3 he’s reminded again to go. This kinda reminds me of myself sometimes in my forgetfulness, but I haven’t been swallowed by any fish lately either. I think by this point I would be booking it to Nineveh, that’s if I had the strength.
Honestly it reminds me of Psalm 33:10 “The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.” Wow… Jonah’s plans, whatever they were, were brought to nothing.
So the word of the Lord comes to Jonah. I wonder what was going through his head at this point. I’m sure he was a bit out of it to some degree, and thankful to be alive as we saw in his prayer. After three days in the belly of a fish, you are more than likely going to have a hard time standing, if you’re still alive.
Yet, the word of the Lord came to him again. An amazing thing about the book of Jonah is how it displays a few awesome characteristics of our God. Especially here, we see how His yes is yes and His no is no. God is faithful to his plans and His desires. He really isn’t going to play a guessing game with us when it comes to His will being carried out on the earth. God makes it clear to Jonah not once but twice, and believe it or not He has Jonah’s attention now. True, sometimes we struggle to perceive God’s desires, but it’s never sent to us in ways we can’t understand. Jonah was a prophet, he knew when God was talking to him at this point.
So, Nineveh was not a city that Jonah wanted to go to in the first place and several would say it all boils down to Jonah’s opinion of Nineveh’s value in being redeemed. As we will see in Chapter 4 Jonah’s heart issue comes to light once again, and God displays how he seeks out to display His glory whether we are all on board or not. It was pretty remarkable how quickly this city turned to God. To see this happen should blow us all away. God is a pretty amazing God if He can take such a twisted city and draw it to himself so quickly is what some might say. I say it is amazing that God has withheld is rightful judgment on us and has set His heart to save us.
This should transform our thoughts about God’s ability to take whatever condition we are in and change hearts! His greatness is displayed in our lives when we turn from our sinful desires to Him. This glorifies Him for who He is. He can take even the filthiest city or people group and redeem them to himself no matter what, but just for him to take out our rightful punishment on his very own son should be magnified here. This is huge! He is worthy of our praise and adoration for his great love for us. How GREAT is HE who has redeemed our traitorous race to himself!! 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Chapter Four
Soon to come!
The Spirit as Teacher
O GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT,
That which I know not, teach thou me, keep me a humble disciple in the school of Christ, learning daily there what I am in myself, a fallen sinful creature, justly deserving everlasting destruction; O let me never lose sight of my need of a Saviour, or forget that apart from Him I am nothing, and can do nothing.
Open my understanding to know the Holy Scriptures; reveal to my soul the counsels and works of the blessed Trinity; instil into my dark mind the saving knowledge of Jesus; make me aquainted with His covenant undertakings and His perfect fulfillment of them, that by resting on His finished work I may find the Father’s love in the Son, His Father, my Father, and may be brought through Thy influence to have fellowship with the Three in One.
O lead me into all truth, thou Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that I may know the things that belong unto my peace, and through Thee be made anew.
Make practical upon my heart the Father’s love as Thou hast revealed it in the Scriptures; apply to my soul the blood of Christ, effectually, continually, and help me to believe, with conscience comforted, that it cleanseth from all sin; lead me from faith to faith, that I may at all times have freedom to come to a reconciled Father, and may be able to maintain peace with Him against doubts, fears, corruptions, temptations.
Thy office is to teach me to draw near to Christ with a pure heart, steadfastly persuaded of His love, in the full assurance of faith. Let me never falter in this way.
From Valley of Vision - a collection of Puritan prayers.
A Morning Devotion
Morning Dedication
Almighty God, as I cross the threshold of this day I commit myself, soul, body, affairs, friends, to Thy care. Watch over, keep, guide, direct, sanctify, bless me. Incline my heart to thy ways. Mould me wholly into the image of Jesus, as a potter forms clay.
May my lips be a well-tuned harp to sound Thy praise. Let those around see me living by Thy Spirit, trampling the world underfoot, unconformed to lying vanities, transformed by a renewed mind, clad in the entire armour of God, shining as a never-dimmed light, showing holiness in all my doings.
Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, words, hands. May I travel miry paths with a life pure from spot or stain. In needful transactions let my affection be in heaven, and my love soar upwards in flames of fire, my gaze fixed on unseen things, my eyes open to the emptiness, fragility, mockery of earth and its vanities.
May I view all things in the mirror of eternity, waiting for the coming of my Lord, listening for the last trumpet call, hastening unto the new heaven and earth. Order this day all my communications according to Thy wisdom, and to the gain of mutual good.
Forbid that I should not be profited or made profitable. May I speak each word as if my last word, and walk each step as my final one.
If my life should end today, let this be my best day.
From Valley of Vision - A Collection of Puritan Prayers
God and the iPhone
I am in San Francisco on the day of the iPhone 3G launch. Since I am a tech guy, I knew it was going to be a big deal and the San Franciscans didn’t disappoint. The Apple Store was easily identifiable because of the line that stretched down the block, around the corner and on. Later in the day it was even worse as the sidewalk was completely blocked.
Later in the day, I was reading in John Piper’s book When I Don’t Desire God and came across the following paragraph:
The psalmist described the connection between inner blindess and idolatry. “The idols of the nationa are… the work of human hands. They have… eyes, but do not see… Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust them!” (Ps. 135:15-18) Make and trust a blind idol and you become blind. Apply that principle to the modern world, and think of the idols of our won day. What do we make and what do we trust? Things. Toys. Technology. And so our hearts and our affections are formed by these things. They compress the void in our heart into shapes like toys. the result is that we are easily moved and excited by things - computers, cars, appliances, entertainment media. They seem to fit the shapes of our hearts. They feel good in the tiny spaces they have made. But in this readiness to receive pleasure from things, we are ill-shped for Christ. He seems unreal, unattractive. The eyes of our hearts grow dull.
I can’t help but think of the XBox 360, the computer, the DVD player, the digital camera, the iPod and all of the other bits and pieces of electronic stuff that are in my life and have to ask myself if I am not becoming a little spiritually near-sighted because of all of the things that I am settling for to give me pleasure and fulfillment, rather than the only One who deserves my praise and my enjoyment.
The Narrow and Thorny Entry
“It is the Lord’s kindness that He will take the scum off us in the fire. Who knows how needful winnowing is to us, and what dross we must want ere we enter into the kingdom of God? So narrow is the entry to heaven, that our knots, our bunches and lumps of pride, and self-love, and idol-love, and world-love must be hammered off us, that we may throng in, stooping low, and creeping through that narrow and thorny entry.”
-Excerpt from the Letters of Samuel Rutherford
What Are We Known For?
I am currently reading Do Hard Things by Alex And Brett Harris, two teens from Portland, OR. Through their website The Rebelution, these brothers have begun challenging the teens of our society to do reject the low expectations that society places on them and to do more for the Lord. I am finding the book a pleasure to read in it clear call to teens by teens to be live a life set apart and exceptional for God.
Not only do I find the book one that I will highly recommend to my students, but I am also finding things that I need to consider as well. The following excerpt made gave me pause:
Bre, a high-school senior from Indiana, experienced low expectations firsthand. She, along with other young people, had participated in some community service projects and afterward gave a report to her church. Following the service, she overheard a man saying, “Aren’t you glad these kids aren’t out smoking pot or drinking?”
“That comment just broke my heart,” Bre wrote to us, “because there truly is a level of mediocrity that has infiltrated nut just our culture, but our churches as well.” Being consdered a good teen only requires that we don’t do bad stuff like taking drugs, drinking, and partying. But is it enough to be known for the negative things we don’t do, or should we also be known for the positive things that we do?
I wonder if this message isn’t one that we should all hear, not just teens. How many of us are satisfied with being more righteous than his neighbor or co-worker? How many of us cover ourselves with the self-righteous cloak of the sins that we don’t commit? Are we satisfied with being “shadow-Christians,” who like a shadow are defined by the absence of something and yet have no actual substance? Or do we desire something more - to be known for our love and desire for God and a passion for His Word?
Junk in the Attic
I remember reading in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes one time a story in which Holmes is told by Watson a scientific fact (seems as if it was that the earth was round) and Holmes said that it was very interesting, but that he would now endeavor to forget it because he did not want to waste his memory on such an item that was of little use to him. He compared his memory to an attic that only had room for a certain amount of furniture and he was being very particular, which furniture he made room for in his attic.
I have looked at the contents of my “mental attic” and have to say that it is in an amazingly sad state. There are many, many incredibly useless pieces of mental junk scattered about the place and so I have begun to fix that by treasuring up God’s word in my heart through scripture memory. Hey, if I can have whole scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail stuck in my head from my teen years, I can certainly memorize God’s Word which has eternal value.
I am using Justin Taylor’s Scripture memory plan “Treasuring God’s Truth In Your Heart” as a basis for what I am studying, though rather than using the listed verses I began with Psalm 1:1-2 since it is the basis for my desire to do this -
Blessed is he who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, not stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His Law he meditates both day and night
I pray that God will use the words that I memorize to draw me closer to Him.
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