"Come aside ... and rest awhile"

One of my favorite stories in the Gospels is the feeding of the five thousand. Through His teaching and example, our Lord gives awesome lessons in Christian ministry. One of the most striking things about this story, as recorded by Mark (6:30-44), is that one of the most famous miracles was preceded by a much needed time of REST:

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
- Mark 6:30-31

Imagine the scene: The apostles have gathered to tell Jesus all they they have said and done. They had been quite busy in ministering to the needs of others - so busy that they hadn't had time to eat! Have you ever been that engaged in the work of ministry?

Mary had a little lamb,
'Twas given her to keep.
But then it joined the local church
And died for lack of sleep!

Yes, people and programs at church can keep us constantly on the move! I don't think that what the disciples were doing was a bad thing. I don't think that they were "over-committed," as we here so often in a society that has all-but-forgotten what it means to be a poured-out-vessel for Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, these disciples were whooped! This goes to show that those who are truly committed to Christ and to meeting the needs of others in His name, will always be faced with formidable challenges in ministry that demand a huge investment of their time, effort, and concentrated attention. How do we cope with it all?

By listening to our Lord's wise and loving invitation: "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." The disciples had been busy serving and teaching others. Jesus, too, had been busy meeting the needs of the multitudes. Furthermore, we find out from Matthew's gospel that Jesus had just been informed about the death of His beloved cousin and faithful servant, John the Baptist. "When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself" (Matt. 14:13).

Jesus needed a break; His disciples needed a break. So what did they do? They took a break! But notice what kind of a break it was -- time alone with God and with one another. In other words, it was a time of physical rest as well as spiritual and emotional refreshment.

Do you get alone with the Lord on a regular basis? Do you refresh your spirit through Christian fellowship? Think of it: If Jesus and His disciples needed a break - time of refreshment with their heavenly Father and with one another - how much more so do we? I think of Jesus' words to Martha: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." That "good part" is time spent at the feet of Jesus, simply being still and knowing that He is God!

Of course you know the rest of the story. Jesus and His disciples returned to the crowd, where Jesus looked with compassion upon the people and taught His disciples to do the same. God worked in an amazing way. Yet it was all preceded by a time of rest.

My wife and I are headed away for our own time of rest this weekend. We are looking forward to it. We are tired. It will be good to refresh ourselves spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. We need these kinds of getaways every so often, but what we need every day is our quiet time with the Lord. What we need several times a week is refreshment through our fellowship with other believers.

I hope you, too, will heed our Lord's instructions. Get away from the crowd; get alone with Christ. Don't forsake Christian fellowship; pursue it. Who knows what miracle is waiting right around the corner?

Yesterday my two oldest kids came home from Weymouth High School and informed us that tomorrow (Friday) is “Gay Pride Day.”  Everyone is encouraged to where a Gay Pride T-shirt and to be silent throughout the day in honor of this special event.   Our initial response was “Well, don’t wear a T-shirt, and make sure you talk often and loud throughout the day.”

Of course there is a better, more biblical response than that.  But first, let me give you a quick overview of Youth Pride.  I paid a visit to the Massachusetts Youth Pride website and learned that “Youth Pride is the oldest and largest GLBT pride event in the nation.”  (GLBT stands for Gay, Lesbian, Bixesual, and Transgender.)  According to the Massachusetts Youth Pride Committee (MAYPC), Youth Pride is important for three reasons:

1) Youth Pride brings youth together to alleviate isolation: It's an event where thousands (YES, THOUSANDS!!!) of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth (and their allies) realize they are not alone. Realizing that there is support and people alike in the world are hugely meaningful for an isolated adolescent.

2) Youth Pride works to alleviate the social stigma associated with being a GLBT youth: 
In a world with so much hatred and animosity against things we don't understand, Youth Pride is an event that works to push pack the social stigma heavily associated with being GLBT. Increasing visibility works to push stigma back, to increase understanding and tolerance of the GLBT community….

3) Youth Pride brings community, higher education and social support resources to the youth: 
Youth Pride is a program primarily rooted in suicide prevention. The two goals mentioned above help to alleviate the risks of suicide. 

The 2008 Youth Pride Rally and Festival is scheduled to take place tomorrow, May 10, at Boston Common.  The event officially kicks off at noon. 

Up until yesterday, Massachusetts was the only state to legalize gay marriage.  It did so in 2004, and since then, 9,500 couples have taken advantage of the law.  As of yesterday, California became the second state to legalize gay marriage.  This has huge implications for our nation, considering that California residents make up well over ten percent of our nation’s population.  (California has an estimated 108,734 same-sex households, according to 2006 consensus figures.)

What are we to make of all these Gay Pride celebrations, court decisions and such?  Let me suggest three biblical responses: 

Hatred:  Not for the people ensnared in such sin, but for the sin itself and the tremendous harm it does those who are in bondage to the sin of homosexuality.  I find it interesting that Youth Pride “is a program primarily rooted in suicide prevention.”  These kids and adults who are caught up in this sin are among the most miserable people on earth.   While celebrating their “sexual freedom” on the outside, they are bound by the cords of their sin on the inside.  We should hate not them but the sin that enslaves them.

Humility:  In 1 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul reminds us that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Then he lists various categories of sinners included in the realm of the unrighteous.  Among them are fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners.  But then in the same breath he immediately goes on to say, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”  Then over in Titus 3, a passage I’ve been studying this past week, Paul says “to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.  For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures….  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (vv. 2-5).  Any righteousness or victory over sin that we have attained is all owing to the grace and mercy of God.  Let us not react to Gay Pride with our own sense of Christian pride.  That would steal from God’s glory and make a mockery of His mercy and grace toward sinners like us.

Hope:  Isn’t that what these poor souls need and what we can offer them?  In Colossians 1:23, Paul talks about “the hope held out in the gospel.”  In Lamentations 3 we read, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks Him.”  Instead of pointing our fingers at sinners, we should be pointing sinners to Jesus Christ.  I close with these words from a song that Steve Green sang a number of years ago:

We are called to take His light

To a world where wrong seems right.

What could be too great a cost,

For sharing life with one who’s lost?

Through His love our hearts can feel

All the grief they bear.

They must hear the words of life

Only we can share. 

People need the Lord, people need the Lord;

At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.

People need the Lord, people need the Lord;

When will we realize -- people need the Lord.

Happy Birthday, Howie!

Today one of our beloved seniors at First Baptist Church turns 93. His name is Howard Robbins, and he’s no stranger to most of us.

Howard and his brother grew up in Randolph with his parents, where they attended the First Baptist Church in Randolph. In 1938, Howard was wed to Marion (the same year Howard’s future son-in-law, Harold Noyce, was born!). Marion remained Howard’s faithful companion – the love of his life – for 63 years, until the Lord called her home in 2000. In 1941, Howard and Marion bought a home at 14 Belmont Street here in Weymouth, where they raised their four children – Joan, Kenny, Nancy, and Janet. Howard still lives in this same house, along with his daughter Nancy and her husband Harold. (All three of them are members at First Baptist Church here in Weymouth, which is in the same neighborhood as their house.)

Incidentally, Howard started attending our church when it was still located down on Lincoln Square. Then, when his children were grown, he attended Tremont Baptist Temple in Boston for a few years. It was there, in 1975, that Howard actually committed his life to Christ – the year after his daughter Nancy came to know the Lord. Since then, Howard has been a dedicated Christian, living his life to the glory of God. Eventually Howard came back to FBC in Weymouth, where he has been part of our church family for decades.

Some of you know that, in addition to working as a gas station attendant, Howard also worked as a printer for a number of years. But did you know that he played the drums? Yes, indeed! His daughter Nancy tells me he was quite the drummer! (Keep that in mind, Pastor Nick, in case you ever need a back-up for Frank!)

I met Howard when I came on the pastoral staff in May of 1999, the same month Howard turned 85. I had never met an octogenarian with so much youthful energy! And he still has it! Shake Howie's hand at church, and you’ll find it’s as solid a grip as any other man you’ll meet! Plus, you’ll get a warm smile and a compliment that will keep you encouraged for the rest of the day. But my most memorable experiences with Howard have been the times that I have prayed with this wonderful man of God. I remember being in a prayer group with him during the Week of Prayer (I think this was in January, 2007) and being lifted up to the heights of heaven as I heard genuine, joyful thanksgiving being made to God for the gift of salvation in Christ. With no reservation whatsoever, Howard freely acknowledged what a "rotten sinner" he was, and yet what a remarkable Savior Jesus is! He was rejoicing like a man who had just been saved five minutes earlier, not half a century ago! I remember praying in my spirit even as Howie prayed that, if the Lord tarries and I live to be anywhere as old as Howie, that I would have the same unfeigned love and zeal that he has for the Lord. Truly, the joy of the Lord is his strength!

Men like Howard remind me of Caleb in the Old Testament. Remember, he was one of only two spies of the twelve sent into Canaan who believed that Israel would be victorious over the Canaanites and inherit the land as God had promised. While the other ten spies were saying, "We can’t do it; the people are too strong for us!" (Numbers 13:31, paraphrase), Caleb and Joshua said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of the land, for we shall surely overcome it" (Numbers 13:30, paraphrase). Forty-five years later, after the wilderness wanderings and the conquest of Canaan, Caleb stepped forward to claim his piece of land. "Give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I wil drive them out just as he said" (Joshua 14:12). When most men would have retired, Caleb was still conquering mountains!

What made this old veteran so young at heart? His walk with the Lord! Three times we are told that that Caleb wholeheartedly followed the Lord God of Israel. In his book, The Strength of a Man, David Roper writes,

Half-hearted men – those who fool around with personal ambition and enterprise and make retirement their chief end – don’t comprehend. They wither and die before their time. You see them around every town, dull and dreary old men with nothing to do, sitting on park benches or living on Park Avenue, with that dead look in their eyes – over the hill and never on top. Not so Caleb.

And not so Howard! The joy of the Lord is this man’s strength, and it is a joy for me to see!

Certainly a lot more could be said. With that in mind, I’d like to encourage you to leave a comment as well. Be assured that, before the day is over, Howard will be reading these himself.

Howard, thank you for being such a faithful and joyful servant of Jesus Christ. We love you, brother!

K. P.'s Prayer Meeting Experience

At our prayer meeting last Sunday evening, one of our elders, Lou Perez, shared the following account in the life of K. P. Yohannan, the well-known Indian evangelist. Some of you might have heard him preach at a nearby church several weeks ago, as he was ministering in the Boston area. Anyway, I thought this account was worth reprinting for the sake of those who haven't already read it. In fact, even if you have already read it, it's worth reading again!

East Indian evangelist K. P. Yohannan says he will never forget one of his first prayer meetings in an American church. He had come to the United States eager to meet some of its spiritual giants and leaders. One man in particular held his interest, a preacher known even in India for his powerful sermons and uncompromising commitment to the truth.

More than 3,000 people attended services on the Sunday Yohannan visited his church. The choirs were outstanding and the preacher was everything he'd hoped it would be. But he was especially taken by the announcement the pastor made about the midweek prayer meeting. He said there were some things lying heavy on his heart -- would the people come and pray about them? Then he announced the name of a certain chapel on the church campus. Excited, Yohannan determined he would attend.

When he arrived later that week, he brought with him some definite assumptions. The most basic was that prayer meetings are essential, of primary importance. In India, and in many other parts of the world where Christians are persecuted, the prayer meeting is the centerpiece of the church's life. Everyone comes, the meetings often last long into the night, and it is not unusual for believers to arise daily before sunup to pray together for the work of the church.

Fearing a huge crowd, he came early to get a seat. But when he arrived he was surprised to discover a chapel with a capacity for only 500 -- that was empty! A few people came in, but there was no leader, no songs or worship, just chit chat about news, weather, and sports.

Forty-five minutes later an elderly man, the leader, but not the pastor, walked into the chapel to offer a few devotional thoughts from the Bible and to give a brief prayer. The meeting was over, and as the seven attendees filed out of the chapel, Yohannan sat in stunned silence, his mind filled with questions: Was this it? Weren't they going to stay and wait upon God? Where was the worship? The tears? The cries for guidance and direction? Where was the list of the sick, and the poor, and those in need? What about that burden the pastor said was heavy on his heart? Weren't we going to intercede for a miracle? And where was the pastor?

I think if K. P. were to attend my church, he'd be both disappointed and delighted. He would be disappointed over how few attend our corporate prayer gatherings, yet he would be delighted to pray with those who do. I know how my own spirit gets a much-need boost as I enter into God's presence with His people through prayer. There's a dynamic to it that is different than my private prayers. I am built up in the Lord as I hear others pray and as they affirm my own prayers. Corporate prayer isn't just about God and me. It's about God and me and my brothers and sisters in Christ.

When you really think about it, K. P.'s or anyone else's opinion matters little in comparison to what our Savior thinks. As we are gathered together, He is right there in the midst of us. I wonder what impression He has of our prayer meetings. My guess is that Jesus, too, is filled with both disappointment and delight. He is disappointed that more of His people do not pray. He thinks of all the blessings that they could have from His gracious hand, yet they have not because they ask not (James 4:2). On the other hand, I believe that Jesus is delighted to commune with those who do show up, who pour out their hearts in praise and supplication to the One they love and know they need.

In light of what's been said on this subject, what's your opinion?

Preacher's Progress

"I would not recommend my book on The Antichrist that I wrote twenty years ago."

These words were written by Arthur W. Pink to a friend on December 20, 1943.  They caught my eye as I read the second-to-the-last chapter of his biography, because I myself had been studying Paul's teaching on the Antichrist ("the man of lawlessness") in Second Thessalonians chapter two.  This chapter is, admittedly, one of the most difficult chapters to interpret in all of the New Testament. Frankly, it is challenging many of my eschatological views, most of which were developed through my formal education at Bible college and seminary.  I've been doing a lot of reading, a lot of praying (though I'm sure not nearly enough), to try to reach a conclusive stance regarding the precise order of end-time events.  So far my study has raised more questions than answers. 

I'll say more about this in a minute, but first I want to get back to Arthur Pink.  After writing the above comment to a friend in 1943, he made these additional remarks in his publication, Studies in the Scriptures, four years later in 1947:

"If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know" (1 Cor. 8:2).  To the very end of his earthly pilgrimage the best instructed Christian has reason to pray, "That which I see not teach thou me" (Job 34:32).  Even the theologian and the Bible-teacher is but a learner and, like all his companions in the school of Christ, acquires his knowledge of the truth gradually - "here a little, there a little" (Isa. 28:10).  He too advances slowly, as one great theme after another is studied by him and opened up to him, requiring him to revise or correct his earlier apprehensions and adjust his views on other portions of the truth, as fuller light is granted him on any one branch thereof.

I am coming to see, now more than ever before, the veracity and relevance of Pink's perception, as derived from the Scripture verses he quotes above.  The inquisitive side of me wants an answer to everything.  The pastoral side of me - and ironically the beast of pride in me as well - wants to have all the answers for anyone who asks.  But I do myself and others a terrible injustice if I am not honest with God's Word and honest with myself.  The fact is, I don't have all the answers.  Nobody does.  "The secret things belong to the Lord" (Deut. 29:29a).  "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (Prov. 25:2).

Yes, one of the glories of this life is to swim in the infinite depths of God's revealed truth, all the while knowing that the glory of His secrets are greater than the glory of our searching.  But herein is where we find the divinely crafted joy and delight of it all.  For as we humbly and honestly search out God's truth, we discover God Himself.  We come to know Him in an ever more intimate way.  Is this not what Scripture itself teaches?

But just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."  For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." -- 1 Cor. 2:9-10

Amazing!  This text is not talking about heaven so much as it is discovering ALL that God has prepared and provided for us in Christ!  The Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13), and of course Jesus Christ Himself is the Truth!  How foolish it would be to stand on our theological high horse, "forcing" certain texts to "fit" our theological grid, rather than to discover in ever-increasing degrees the glory and beauty of our blessed Savior!  As Arthur Pink went on to say,

Like the rising of the sun, spiritual light breaks forth upon both preacher and hearer by degrees.  The men who have been most used of God in the feeding and building up of his people were not thoroughly furnished for their work at the outset of their careers, but only by dint of prolonged study did they make progress in their own apprehension of the truth. . . .  Certainly this writer is no exception.  Were he to re-write today some of his earlier articles and pieces, he would make a number of changes in them.  Though it may be humiliating unto pride to make corrections, yet it is also ground for thanksgiving to God for the fuller light [graciously granted] which enables him to do so.

God help us always to approach His Word with humility, not simply to get answers to our questions or to find proof texts to support our theological bias, but to KNOW HIM intimately and to help others do the same.

An Affair to Remember

The news is out. Longtime TV personality, news anchor, and show host Barbara Walters had an ongoing affair with U.S. Senator Edward Brooke, a moderate Republican from Massachusetts, in the 1970's. At the time, Walters was an aspiring journalist and rising star in television news. Edward Brooke was a popular politician -- the first African-American elected to the U.S. Senate. According to an article published today in The Boston Globe, a colleague referred to Senator Brooke as "the Barack Obama of that day."

At the time that the affair took place, Barbara Walters had already been divorced twice. Right around the time that the affair ended, Senator Brooke divorced his wife as well. He eventually remarried and lives in Florida. (Brooke is 88 years old, and Walters is 78.)

In her newly released book Audition, Barbara Walters described Senator Brooke as "the most attractive, sexiest, funniest, charming, and impossible man." She goes on to say, "I was excited, fascinated, intrigued, and infatuated."

If you want to read Walter's recollection of the affair, you can buy the book or tune into The Oprah Winfrey Show, where Walters will share her a couch-side confession with the TV host in an upcoming episode (gag me with a spoon).

The point of interest for me lies in the reason for their breaking off the affair. It was in order to save their careers. Simple as that. No mention is made of God or of any moral convictions regarding the illicit relationship. This brings to mind the Clinton-Lewisky scandal. While most Americans were riveted to their television sets to get all the dirty details, the fact is that two-thirds of the American populace felt that what Clinton did was his business and nobody else's. This "majority opinion" spoke volumes about the moral terpitude of our nation and its low view of sexuality and marriage.

I pray that we who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ would reflect God's purpose and blueprint for marriage, as stated by Jesus Himself in Matthew 19:4-6:

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Jesus went on to say that the only reason God allowed divorce was "because of the hardness of your hearts ... but from the beginning it was not so," and that "whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery" (Matt. 19:8-9). These are hard words to hear, especially in a day of "no fault" divorce and no sense of commitment. The divorce statistics are as bad in the evangelical church as they are in the unbelieving world.

Oh, that we would shine as lights in this wicked and perverse generation! May our marriages reflect a passionate and holy love that portrays the love of Christ for His Church, and vice-versa (see Ephesians 5:22-33). I thank God for men and women in our congregation who refuse to give up on one another, but rather work through the struggles of marital love in this life, not to "save their careers," but to glorify Christ and to learn what it means to love one another as He loves us.

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. -- Hebrews 13:4

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures.... But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. -- Titus 3:3-8

Doing Hard Things

My last posting was a review of Joshua Harris' book, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is). It just so happens that Josh has two younger, 19-year-old twin brothers, Alex and Brett Harris, who have just recently come out with a book of their own. It is written primarily for teens and is entitled Do Hard Things.

The Lord has been doing a work in my daughter Megan's heart, and she read this book in order that she might be encouraged, strengthened, and challenged in her walk with Christ. Megan told me how much she enjoyed the book, and I asked her if she would mind writing her own review of it. Megan graciously consented (despite all the other schoolwork she had to do!), and the following represents, in Megan's own words, her thoughts on the book:

When I was asked to read Alex and Brett Harris’s Do Hard Things, I just put it on my list of things to do. Reluctantly willing to spare a few moments reading it, I sat down with the book in my hand and read the first sentence. Transfixed, I finished the book in a little over two hours.

What Alex and Brett confronted our teenage generation on was simply this: exceeding low expectations. These expectations were placed upon us by average, everyday individuals who have underestimated what we teens are capable of, and our generation has now lowered themselves to settling with embarrassingly low expectations. According to one researcher mentioned in the book, these so called “expectations” consist of completing a daily chore (such as taking out the trash), cleaning our room with no help from parents, and making sure the gas gauge stays above a quarter of a tank. Alex and Brett’s argument: do all that you are capable of to the best of your ability for Christ’s glorification. Not only do Alex and Brett encourage you to do “big hard things”, such as fighting AIDS or raising money for third world countries; but they plead with you to start with the “small hard things”. These include daily devotional time, exercising regularly, and getting to bed on time. These are activities that do not gain immediate gain or satisfaction, but will launch your ability to “do hard things”!

I enjoyed Do Hard Things immensely, and I would recommend it to any teenager… any teenager who isn’t afraid of a challenge! The challenge you are faced with after reading this book is this: will you exceed the low expectations placed upon you and do hard things for God? The hard part is figuring out what hard things God has called you to do, and doing them! I too, am faced with this challenge as I am writing this, and I am continuing to seek God’s guidance through communing with Him through His Word and in prayer. As Alex and Brett put it “most people don’t expect you to understand what we’re going to tell you…and even if you understand, they don’t expect you to care. And even if you care, they don’t expect you to do anything about it. And even if you do something about it, they don’t expect it to last. We do.”

I want to thank Megan for taking the time to share her thoughts. We would like to hear yours, too! What do you think about this whole idea of "doing hard things" for God?
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Book Review: Sex is not the Problem (Lust Is)

After numerous men in our church confessed that they struggled with pornography and other lust-related sins, other brothers in Christ rallied around them to give them the support, encouragement, accountability and prayers that are essential to overcoming the flesh.

Much has been written on the subject of sexual temptation, but a lot of the available Christian resources fail either to address the issue biblically or to connect the teachings of Scripture in a practical way to everyday life. However, I am pleased to say that I have recently read a book that is well-balanced and very effective on both fronts. In fact, the book's effectiveness lies in the fact that it is so well-balanced, shooting straight with its readers from the Word of God.

The book I'm referring to is written by Joshua Harris and is entitled Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is). The book is a quick read, being less than two hundred pages, in large type. It is written for both guys and gals, and has received a number of endorsements from highly respected Bible teachers of both sexes (e.g., Nancy Leigh DeMoss, John Piper, and Jerry Bridges, to name a few).

There are three parts to the book: (1) The Truth about Lust; (2) In the Thick of the Battle; (3) Strategies for Long-Term Change. In Part One, Josh shares the main reason why we lose our battle against lust: We have the wrong standard for holiness; the wrong source of power to change, and the wrong motive for fighting our sin. Typically, we come up with our own standard for sexual purity -- a set of rules -- and believe that by adhering to that standard, we can be sexually pure. Furthermore, we seek to obey our set of rules in our own strength. We do this in order to "feel" like a pure person, to show God how good we can be, etc. Then everything comes crashing down. Our guilt becomes overwhelming so that we feel like we can't pray, that we are no good to God, that we are nothing but a big hypocrite. Josh points out how this approach is inconsistent with Scripture. To begin with, God's standard is nothing short of absolute perfection: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, of or greed, because these are improper for God's holy people" (Ephesians 5:3, emphasis mine). This standard puts sexual purity far beyond our natural grasp to reach -- and that's the point. Nobody has ever perfectly obeyed God's standard, except Jesus Christ. He alone is our source of righteousness, our source of strength. He alone can free us to be holy. In the closing pages of this section, Josh carefully lays out the definitions of -- and the differences between -- the doctrine of justification and the doctrine of sanctification. Understanding these are essential to understanding the basis of our acceptance to God and our ability to overcome sin.

In Part Two, careful consideration is given to the practical aspects of fighting sexual lust. The reader is led through a series of questions to help determine when he/she is weakest, and what to do about it. Various "lust-triggers" include the Internet, television, the local gym, and other potential instruments of temptation. It's important to realize that the tools themselves may not be sinful, nor is the temptation. When it comes to the media, however, we must be aware of its attempts to "define reality" for us. To put it in Joshua Harris' own words,

Entertainment goes straight for our hearts. . . . Media never reasons with us in its attempts to convince us to love lust and sin. You'll never see the CEO of a television network standing in front of a flip chart explaining why adultery is good. But that same CEO might have his company create a television drama that engages your emotions and, through the power of the story, makes the sinful act of adultery seem appealing.

Harris' point is well taken, considering the figures from Nielsen Media Research, which reveal that the average US household consumes 8 hours and 14 minutes of TV per day, and the average individual American watches 4 hours and 35 minutes a day! If we are going to be holy, we must examine and be willing to change our viewing habits. As Harris points out, "There is no such thing as 'must-see TV'. . . . The only thing that's essential is walking with God and pleasing Him. And if that sometimes requires cutting back on what we watch, it's no real sacrifice."

The third and final section of the book deals with strategies for long-term change. In short, Josh talks about the importance of accountability, arming yourself with Scripture (this is one of the best chapters of the book), and sowing to the Spirit. We are reminded that the fight of faith, the fight against sin, is the fight of a lifetime. We are all works in progress, and "God calls us to trust Him in the struggle against lust, to persevere and so prove the reality of victory accomplished by His Son."

At the very end of the book, the author inserts a special section entitled "Purity Download," wherein he offers Seven Tips for Fighting Internet Porn. Those whose battle with lust is waged mostly on-line will find this section most helpful.

In closing, let me say that I found this book to be utterly true to the teachings of Scripture while being "refreshingly real" in addressing the lust-related issues of our day. The author hits the subject of lust head-on, speaking in frank terms, without being crude or titillating. I especially appreciated Josh's explanation of how lust is operative in both men and women, though in different ways. This facet of teaching has been largely ignored in most other books on sexual sin, in my opinion. I anticipate that both men and women will glean much in their reading of this particular section.

I am inclined to think that just about anyone would benefit from reading Harris' book. Though written primarily for Christians, the book does give a very straightforward presentation of the Gospel, pointing everyone to Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation and freedom from the guilt and power of sexual sin.

This book is great not only for individuals, but also for groups. In fact, it comes with a group study guide for both men and women. As indicated by the gender-specific study guides, this book should be utilized in an all-male or all-female group rather than in a mixed group, due to the sensitive nature of its content. Also, in light of its mature content (one chapter in section two, for instance, deals specifically with masturbation), I would recommend that this book not be read by children or pre-adolescents. I think it is suitable for teens and that it would be ideal for parents to read through the book with their teenage children -- fathers with their sons, and mothers with their daughters.

As stated on the back cover, "Neither sex nor sexuality is our enemy. We need to rescue our sexuality from lust so we can experience it as God intended." Joshua Harris' book goes a long way in meeting this need by leading us through the muck and mire of lustful passion, on to the high plains of biblical sexuality. For this reason, I recommend his book enthusiastically.

Ladies' Retreat Reflections

This past weekend, over fifty women traveled to the Cape to attend this year's ladies' retreat with Mrs. Susan Hunt. A lot of prayer and planning went into this milestone event. For today's blog, I asked Mrs. Ellen Capozzi to write, on behalf of the Ladies' Retreat Planning Team, their impressions of all that occurred last weekend. Here it is:

Our ladies' retreat this year with Susan Hunt was indeed a life-changing event! We learned from God'sWord about our role as women in our homes and in our church.

In Session One, Mrs. Hunt taught us about The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood. We learned that there is headship and submission in the Trinity, just as God has ordained it to be in marriage and in the church. It is a beautiful principle when rightly understood.

In Session Two, we learned about The Proverbs 31 Man and Woman. Proverbs 31 points to Jesus, as does all of Scripture. Mrs. Hunt instructed us not to turn a passage loose until Jesus shows us Himself. Our retreat theme was verses 30 and 31: "...a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her of thefruit of her hands, and let her works praise her inthe gates." When we fear God we submit to His rule asKing because we trust Him, even when it seems hard. The LORD is God's personal covenant name. It reveals His personal relationship with us for all eternity. We are His, and He is ours! As we submit to His rule,He transforms us.

Session Three was about Titus 2 - the importance of having Godly character and sound doctrine, and the mandate for older women to teach younger women to love their husbands and children, with the Gospel as our motivation and our power.

During Session Four on Sunday morning, we learned from Psalm 62 that we can trust God at all times because He is strong and He is loving. We learned from Luke 24 that when ourhearts are slow to believe God's promises we are sad. We learned that all Scripture is about Jesus, and that He enables us to understand it. When we see Him, ourhearts are aflame (on fire!). From 2 Timothy welearned of the influence of Timothy's mother and grandmother, even though his father was not a believer.

Our time together ended with a time of personal sharing by several women. Love for the Lord and eachother was overflowing. The teaching that we received this weekend wastruly rich. We are grateful to God for allowing us this time together. We are grateful to Susan Hunt for her loving ministry and example to us, and to our church family for their prayers that went up to God on our behalf. Thank you to our husbands who encouragedus to go and who "held down the fort" till we returned. Last, but not least, thank you to our pastor who lovingly watches over our souls and who labors in the Word week in and week out to build us up in the faith. "To whom much is given, much is required." -- May we rise up as women to fulfill our role as helpers and life-givers, by the grace of God and for His glory!

Having heard the impressions of our Ladies' Retreat Planning Team, I wanted to close by sharing a portion of an e-mail that Susan Hunt sent to one of the Team members after returning home from the retreat:

I hope you are resting and enjoying knowing that you did a great job! The retreat was wonderful. You and the committee cared for me and for the women with such love and grace . . . it was a great encouragement to me to be there. Please thank all of the women for enfolding me in love. Gene and I loved being with you. . . .

It's good to be home, and we brought with us special memories of special people. We prayed this morning that the Lord will use it all for His glory and to accomplish His purposes in the women and in your church.

To Him be all glory,
Susan

We would love to hear more feedbacks from you ladies who went on the retreat. Or perhaps there are some of you men who would like to say a word about your wives. Leave a comment, sharing how you've been encouraged!

Women: Sleep-Deprived and Stressed Out!

More than half of American women suffer from a lack of sleep. In a survey conducted last year by the National Sleep Foundation, sixty percent of American women said that they got a decent night's rest only a few days a week or less. More women suffer from sleep-deprivation than men.

Poor sleep is associated with poor mood. Of the women who struggle to get sufficient sleep, about eighty percent were bothered by worry, stress, and anxiety. Over one-half said they felt unhappy, sad or depressed in the past month, and over a third said they felt recently hopeless about the future.

The NSF 2007 poll found that women of all ages are experiencing sleep problems, which change and increase in severity as they move through the different biological stages of their lives. Interestingly, the most sleep-deprived women are stay-at-home moms. No doubt, this is consistent with a mother's tendency to worry, or be stressed out about, her children.

Now, in light of the above information, here's the part of the report that I found to be the most interesting:

American women are struggling to cope with this lack of sleep, but that doesn’t slow them down. Eighty percent of women say that when they experience sleepiness during the day they just accept it and keep going. However, in order to keep going, 65% are likely to use caffeinated beverages, with 37% of all women consuming three or more caffeinated beverages per day. And, despite being frequently tired, women are not heading to bed earlier. In the hour prior to going to bed, instead of retiring early, 87% say they watch television, 60% complete the remainder of their household chores, 37% do activities with children, 36% do activities with other family, 36% are on the Internet and 21% do work related to their job at least a few nights a week.

Andy Rooney once said, "Go to bed. Whatever you're staying up late for isn't worth it." The longer I live, the more I see the wisdom and truthfulness in that statement -- especially when it comes to watching television. On the flip side, I understand how difficult it can be to get some things done while the kids are still up. For many moms, the children's bedtime is their start-time to get certain jobs done that are difficult to do when the kids are awake. And for the 9 out of 10 moms that watch TV despite their tiredness, my guess is that they're looking to have at least a little time to themselves before turning in for the night.

Sleep-stealers such as worry, anxiety, and stress should be given to the Lord through prayer and meditation on the Scriptures. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee" (Isa. 26:3). "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:2).

My wife is a mother of five and one of the most active, conscientious women I know. Like any mom, she struggles with worry and finds it difficult to do all the things she wants to on any given day. I'm sure she doesn't always get the amount of sleep she would like to get. Yet it is a joy for me to see her meditate on God's Word, cry out to the Lord in prayer, and, at the end of the day, to rest in the arms of her husband and drift off to sleep.

I'm particularly glad that she, with fifty other women in our church, can get away this weekend for some much-needed and well-deserved relaxation and refreshment. I'm sure they will all have a great time . . . though I doubt that they'll be getting much sleep!

The Great Divide

This very day, two very significant events are taking place in the United States of America. The Pope is meeting with our President and other dignitaries, and the Together for the Gospel conference is taking place in Louisville, Kentucky. Pope Benedict XVI is a staunch defender of Catholic doctrine. The speakers at the Together for the Gospel conference are gathering with 5,000 other attendees for the sake of defending the one true gospel as defined by Scripture, not the Catholic hierarchy.

Interestingly, one of the speakers at the Together for the Gospel conference, Dr. Albert Mohler (President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) was asked by The Washington Post and Newsweek to write an article "On Faith" which would represent an "evangelical voice" concerning this papal visit. Dr. Mohler has posted a copy of the article at his website: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog.php.

While I would encourage you to read the whole article, there are a few particular comments that I wanted to bring to your attention. Concerning the the difference between Catholic and Protestant beliefs, Mohler writes:

If he [the Pope] is right, we [Protestant evangelicals] are endangering our souls and the souls of our church members. Yet, I am convinced that he is not right -- not right on the papacy, not right on the sacraments, not right on the priesthood, not right on the Gospel, not right in understanding the church.

The Roman Catholic Church believes that evangelicals are in spiritual danger for obstinately and disobediently excluding ourselves from submission to its universal claims and its papacy. Evangelicals are concerned that Catholics are in spiritual danger for their submission to these very claims. We both understand what is at stake.

The divide between evangelical Christians and the Roman Catholic Church remains – as this Pope well understands. And, in so many ways, this is a Pope we can understand. In this strange world, that is no small achievement.

The lines are clearly drawn, and it's a matter of life and death, heaven and hell, salvation and damnation. The Pope understands this. So does Al Mohler and the other Together for the Gospel participants.

Do you? What's your take on this?

Marks of Revival

Those of us who attended last Sunday morning's worship service at First Baptist Church in Weymouth witnessed what seemed to be a work of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Frankly, it was one of the most amazing things I've seen -- not only in my nine years at First Baptist but also for the thirty-nine years that I've been alive!

The sermon was on 2 Corinthians 7:11, "The Marks of Repentance." It was about 40 minutes in length. The sermon was followed by an invitation that was twice that long. None of it was manufactured or manipulated. It was simply the impelling power of the Holy Spirit. Person after person got up to make public, verbal confession of various sins. By the time the service was over, thirty to forty people were down front, and only a few left before the hour-and-a-half invitation ended.

This spiritual awakening has been a long time in coming. All the glory goes to God, for revival comes from Him and Him alone. Yet God brings revival in response to the fervent, effective prayers of godly believers (James 5:16). What a great incentive for godly living and incessant praying!

Even after Sunday's service, God continued to work. More confessions were made privately and publicly throughout the week. On Wednesday evening at our midweek Bible study, multiple testimonies were shared. God is at work, and we pray that last Sunday's movement was not a singular event but the beginning of a great spiritual awakening in this church and even throughout New England. (The convicting work of the Holy Spirit has been evident in other gospel-preaching churches in our area, especially in recent weeks.)

In light of all that happened, I grabbed an old book from my library entitled New England Revivals (by Bennett Tyler; revised by Richard Owen Roberts). As you can guess, this book documents various revivals that have occurred throughout New England's history. One such revival began in June of 1799, in Lenox, Massachusetts. The account was written by the Reverend Samuel Shepard. Shepard notes being ordained as pastor in April, 1795 (four years before the revival), at which time "the situation of the church called for the earnest prayers of all who had a heart to pray." (I find this interesting since our church came out of an extremely difficult season about four years ago, at which time people were solicited to pray and even fast for me their pastor and for the spiritual health of the church in general.)

Rev. Shepard noted that while "showers of divine grace were falling on other" churches, his own church seemed to be the recipient of the Lord Jesus' warning in Revelation 2:5: "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place." But then Shepard quickly noted where the Lord said elsewhere, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy" (Rom. 9:15), after which the pastor exclaimed, "Glory be to His name. With Him is the residue of the Spirit, and He can pour it out, when, and where and on whom He pleaseth. He hath made it, therefore, a day of His power, and caused even in the midst of us, a shaking among the dry bones."

The revival in June, 1799, was actually precipitated by a season of heightened corporate prayer two months earlier, in April. A great number of church members became increasingly burdened about the church's spiritual state and began to pray for the Spirit's outpouring.

Their prayers were heard. After conversing on passages that focused on the being and perfections of God, several people were brought under "deep conviction.... They seemed now to consider the holy Bible to be the very voice of God to a guilty world...." The Lord was doing a great work.

Interestingly, Shepard also noted: "In a time of ingathering like this, however, it is to be expected that some chaff will remain with the wheat." That is to say, some who made a profession of faith did not persevere in the faith but "afterwards returned to their former stupidity." He also observed, "The condition of those who remained uniformly careless and inattentive while the goings of God were so visible among us, appears to be still more dangerous and deplorable."

Still there were several, undeniable indicators of the Holy Spirit's empowering presence. Reverend Shepard recorded these in the form of seven summary statements:

1. This revival was evidently the work of God. To prove this, the very sudden change in appearance and pursuits of the people, is instead of a thousand arguments.
2. This revival began in the church; and I believe it will be found to be true, that in almost every instance of religious attention, it makes its first appearance in the church of Christ. When God is about to bestow spiritual blessings upon a people, it is his usual method, first to awake his professed friends out of sleep.
3. Such a revival of religion most strikingly evinces the importance of all the means of grace, which God has instituted. When once the attention of a people is called up to the concerns of the soul, how precious, in their view, are seasons for prayer.... How instantly do they fly to the Bible -- how highly do they prize every opportunity to get religious instruction. and to associate with the people of God for serious conversation.... Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
4. The work [of God] ... has been attended with remarkable regularity. God was emphatically in the still small voice. Nothing was said, in particular, about dreams and visions -- hearing unusual voices, and seeing uncommon sights. No extravagance in either gestures or outcries, appeared. No wild enthusiasm [emotionalism] attended the revival in any stage of it.
5. ... A remarkable uniformity has occurred relatively to the doctrines which have been embraced. These are such as are usually termed Calvinistic. Such truths as the total and awful depravity of the human heart -- the necessity of regeneration; or a change of heart as a preparation for the enjoyment of a holy heaven -- the equity of the divine law in its penalty, as well as precept -- the divine sovereignty in the salvation of sinners, as the only possible ground of hope in the case of the guilty offender -- the necessity of gospel morality, as an evidence of justifying faith -- and all the doctrines essentially connected with these, were readily received by all with one consent.
6. It is worthy of notice that the revival of religion in this town, has proved to be almost a death-wound to the vain amusements of the school among us in the time of the late special attention, was rendered nearly abortive; and the youth in general are still remarkable for their sobriety.
7. One distinguishing feature of this work as it appeared among us, and elsewhere, according to the narrations which have been published, was humility. The subjects of the revival, who have obtained a Christian hope, have very uniformly appeared to be humble, and to walk softly before their Maker. In view of the divine perfections and requirements, they have, at times, expressed great self-abhorrence. This has been one striking effect of the genuine operation of the divine Spirit on the hearts of sinners in every age.

Shepard then concludes his account of God's work among his own congregation with these words, which serve as a fitting prayer for our church and our world today:

May a holy God, in infinite mercy, continue to make manifest the glory of his power, and the glory of his grace, in building up Zion; for in no other way can we rationally hope to see happy individuals -- happy families -- happy neighborhoods -- happy societies -- happy towns -- happy states -- happy kingdoms -- and a happy world.

The Oprahnization of Christianity

This morning we had the privilege of hosting the monthly CB Cluster meeting for pastors who serve Conservative Baptist churches (hence the 'CB') in southeastern Massachusetts. We had about a dozen pastors in attendance along with a special guest: Manny Mill of Koinonia House National Ministries. This organization, which is thoroughly evangelical, is committed to "equipping the church to love our Christian neighbors coming out of prison."



Manny preached a passionate message to us pastors from Luke 10 on the story of the Good Samaritan. My heart was stirred greatly as Manny drove home the message of God's love for helpless and hurting sinners. Midway through the message, Manny quoted something that Chuck Colson wrote in his book, The Body. I'm not sure if this is verbatim, but the quote was essentially this: "Our churches in America have become a place of therapy rather than deliverance" -- i.e., place that offers self-help instead of salvation.



How has the Church of Jesus Christ developed such a mentality? Well, first, it should be said that some organizations that call themselves churches may not be true churches. They are certainly not Christ's church, for they are not hearing His voice and following Him (John 10:27). They profess to know Jesus, but on Judgment Day, Jesus will say to them "I never knew you" (Matt. 7:21-23).



On the other hand, there are churches that preach the gospel and point to Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior. But when it comes to the practical end of Christian living, they strip the gospel of its sufficiency. Certainly that is not their intention, but that is what they do. Or maybe I should say that is what WE do, when we mix worldly wisdom with heavenly wisdom.



This happens in large measure because of the 'GIGO' principle: Garbage in, garbage out. Christians are inundating their minds with T.V. trash. For instance, I'm amazed at how many believers are hooked on Oprah. What is she on for -- an hour a day every weekday? Imagine spending an hour a day in the Word and prayer simply to counteract the ill-effects of Oprah! Here's a video link that gives you a glimpse regarding Oprah's version of "Christianity":



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA



This brings to mind the following lyrics that the Christian contemporary band Casting Crowns includes in one of its songs:



What if the family turned to Jesus,

stopped asking Oprah what to do!

What if His people prayed?. . .



If we are going to offer the hurting the help they truly need, then we need to have minds and hearts that are shaped by God's truth and not dictated by television. I reject the notion that one can be a Spirit-filled Christian who spends five minutes in the Word and prayer and up to five hours in front of the TV per day.



My point is not to preach but to get down to the brass tacks of Christian living, growth and maturity. By and large, what we feed others is nothing more than a processed version of what we feed ourselves.



Do you agree or disagree? I look forward to reading your comments.

Does the name Sam Walter Foss mean anything to you? This gentleman was born in New Hampshire in 1858, graduated from Brown University in 1882, and served as librarian of the Somerville Public Library here in Massachusetts for 13 years. (A bronze tablet dedicated to him was placed in the library in 1916.)

In addition to being a librarian, Foss was also a great poet. Though today he is not as famous as other poets, in his lifetime Foss was referred to as the "Poet of the People" and "Master of the Yankee Dialect." One of his most famous poems is entitled The Calf Path:

One day through the primeval wood
A calf walked home as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail as all calves do.
Since then three hundred years have fled,
And I infer the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.
The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bell–wether sheep
Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,
As good bell–wethers always do.
And from that day, o’er hill and glade,
Through those old woods a path was made.
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because ‘twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed – do not laugh -
The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked
Because he wobbled when he walked.
This forest path became a lane
That bent and turned and turned again;
This crooked lane became a road,
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And thus a century and a half
They trod the footsteps of that calf.
The years passed on in swiftness fleet,
The road became a village street;
And this, before men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare.
And soon the central street was this
Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Trod in the footsteps of that calf.
Each day a hundred thousand rout
Followed this zigzag calf about
And o’er his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one calf near three centuries dead.
They followed still his crooked way.
And lost one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent
To well-established precedent.
A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf-paths of the mind,
And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track,
And out and in, and forth and back,
And still their devious course pursue,
To keep the path that others do.
They keep the path a sacred groove,
Along which all their lives they move;
But how the wise old wood-gods laugh,
Who saw the first primeval calf.
Ah, many things this tale might teach —
But I am not ordained to preach.

Thankfully, this weekend for our Missions Conference we do have one who is ordained to preach -- Dr. Rodney Woo from Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Dr. Woo has a passion for reaching people with the gospel of Christ, beginning in our own "Jerusalem." God used Dr. Woo to transform the body life of his own congregation by dismantling their racism and traditionalism with the Word of God.

To my knowledge, Sam Walter Foss was not a Christian, but he made a very good point in his poem: People tend to follow the path that others have walked without considering WHY. But if we were to establish our direction in light of our purpose, then we could blaze new trails for others to follow.

By God's grace, this is what Dr. Woo has done at Wilcrest Baptist Church over the last fifteen years by developing a multi-racial congregation. God is using this shepherd and his flock to grow a church of all nations to all nations. It all began with a passion to reach their community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. What God did at Wilcrest, He can do at Weymouth.

Let's trust God for a great conference!

A Seventh-Grade Skit and the Preservation of Scripture

Today in our Christian School's weekly chapel program, the seventh grade class put on a skit that dramatized the book of Acts. The students did a great job of weaving together the trials and triumphs of the early church. Their performance was commendable -- especially in light of what happened the day before.

Yesterday afternoon Miss Davis, the seventh grade teacher, came into my office and asked me (a bit nervously, I might add) if I had taken the scripts for their play out of the sanctuary. I told her I had not even been over to the sanctuary and asked her if perhaps the cleaning crew had been over there and thrown them away by accident. As it turns out, they did. Thankfully, the play went off without a hitch. The students rose to the challenge and put on a terrific performance.

But all this got me to thinking. It's amazing how easily and inadvertently those scripts got lost. Yet THE script of Acts -- Scripture itself -- has been preserved for two millennia and more. Just one small slip-up, one small oversight, one inadvertent throwing away of a manuscript, and we would not have the inerrant, infallible Word of God that we do today.

Now, in addition to this, think of all the enemies of God who have purposely tried to eradicate the Holy Scriptures, to banish the Bible on purpose. They have failed! Go back 2500 years ago to the days of Jeremiah, and you'll read of the time when Jehoiakim tried to destroy the Word of God by burning the scroll which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah. Yet "the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, 'Take yet another scroll, and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned" (Jer. 36:27-28). This faithless king thought he could destroy God's Word. But he failed.

Jump forward five hundred years to the time of the early church -- specifically Acts 12 (which was acted out very well by our students). The chapter opens with James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphant. The chapter ends with Herod dead, Peter freed, and the Word of God triumphant!

Move ahead another two and a half centuries to the time when Diocletian, the emperor of Rome, uttered threats and curses to the followers of Christ. Several copies of Scripture were burned. Many Christians suffered agonizing deaths. Yet all his Satanic zeal did nothing to thwart God's Word. He is long dead, whereas the Bible is very much alive. Scripture still stands.

Henry V of England considered Bible reading to be a crime and passed a law saying, "Whosoever is found reading the Scripture shall forfeit his life and land." Yet "all of his decrees could not shorten its life one minute or lighten its weight by one ounce" (George Sweeting, Is the Bible the Word of God?). The monarch is dead. The majestic Scripture still stands.

Voltaire said arrogantly, "Another century and there will not be a Bible on earth." Voltaire is no longer on earth, and the Bible has been the best selling book on earth year after year after year.

How do we account for the indestructibility of the Bible? Simply by seeing it for what it is: a supernatural book -- the very Word of God.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. -- Isaiah 40:9

Resources for Ministry

This afternoon I was presented with our church financial reports for this month. Earlier I came across our Ladies Retreat planning team crunching the numbers for their upcoming weekend. Earlier this week I also touched base with our Assistant Pastor, Nick Jones, on raising funds for the summer camp trip several of our students and leaders hope to go on this July.

All this got me to thinking about the challenge we constantly face as a church to fund the work of the ministry. Weekend retreats, summer camps, supporting missionaries, ordering gospel tracts, updating office equipment, paying staff, providing discipleship and counseling materials are all part of church life and ministry. Yet finding enough money for ministry is tough.

Let me share with you a few bottom-line figures. Our General Fund annual budget is $348,000. Our Missions Fund annual budget is $150,000. This gives us a total budget of $498,000.

However, our actual giving thus far for 2008 results in a weekly deficit of $1,000/week for the General Fund and $500/week for the Missions Fund, which means that if this trend continues, our annual giving would total $420,000. This is about $78,000 short of our total budget. Make sense so far?

Now, I did a little calculating based on our church demographics. We get alot of people from all over: Weymouth, Braintree, Quincy, Hanover, Holbrook, Hingham, Abington, Milton, Rockland, Randolph, plus some other towns further out (Bridgewater, Hull, Mansfield, etc.). Probably about half our congregation comes from the Weymouth/Braintree area, and the other half come from the other towns on the South Shore.

With this in mind, I calculated the median income for Weymouth and Braintree, averaging the two together and letting that represent half the congregation. Then I combined the median income for pretty much all the other towns represented in our directory and averaged it out, letting that represent the other half of the congregation. (The two averages were very close, as it worked out.) As it works out based on the above formula, the average annual household income for our congregaton would be $60,000.

Now, get this: If everyone who has a church envelope tithed according to their income, our church's giving receipts would total $840,000 per year! Throw in the loose cash (non-envelope offerings), and we'd be taking in about $875,000 per year!

Think of what could be accomplished with that much money, simply based on our present challenges and objectives:

• Getting the Columbine family to Senegal
• Increasing support for our present missionaries and bringing on new missionaries
• Bringing on a full-time Associate Pastor of Adult Ministries
• Finishing the roofing projects and other critical repairs
• Building a new Welcome Center between the sanctuary and school building

Do you realize that all the funding for the above items could be raised in two years if we simply gave a tithe to the Lord through the local church! It reminds me of the one pastor who said to his congregation: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we have plenty of money to meet all our ministry objectives and even to pay off our church mortgage!" The people started cheering. The preacher continued, "The bad news is, the money is still in your pockets!"

Without looking at any individual names or envelopes, I got the following statistics from 2007. Out of 140 envelopes, 117 gave less than $6,000/year (tithe based on median income for our area). That's 84% of our envelope-givers! Furthermore, 30% (42 out of 140 envelopes) gave less than a thousand dollars for the entire year.

In one sense, these are certainly discouraging statistics. On the other hand, they can be quite encouraging. How? By considering the tremendous strides that could be made in ministry -- world missions! capital improvements! staff additions! discipleship resources! -- if we simply tithed our income, trusting the Lord to provide for our needs.

My purpose is not to get into a debate of the Old Testament tithe versus New Testament giving. I'm simply using 10% as a rule of thumb, remembering that grace always takes us to a higher level than the law. Consider the possibilities! Step out in faith!

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. --Luke 6:38

Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns till be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. -- Proverbs 3:6

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. -- Malachi 3:10

Those Tenacious Senior Saints!

A funny thing happened on my way to Santa Fe. . .

Well, actually, I didn’t go to Santa Fe, but it seemed like a good way to start off this story, which was reported in the papers on Monday. The actual incident happened last Wednesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here’s what happened:

Bernie Garcia, an 83-year-old great-grandmother, was gassing up her car when she was approached by a young man who seemed to be a nice guy in need of some money. When she kindly informed him that she’d just spent all her spare change on gas and had none to give him, he grabbed her purse.

But Bernie held on! She had it wrapped around her wrist twice, and the would-be robber couldn’t pull it away. He sure did try, though. But Bernie fought back! She sprayed his shirt with some gasoline from the nozzle that she still held in his hand. But he was bound to get the purse and wouldn’t let go. But neither would Bernie. The struggle got so intense that the man pulled Bernie to the ground and actually dragged her a short distance until another man confronted him, demanding that he let her go.

His robbery attempt completely foiled, the man jumped into a nearby vehicle and fled.

A witness tog the license plate number, and just three minutes later, police spotted the car – which had been reported stolen – on the highway.

Bernie Garcia and an eyewitness identified one of the men inside as her attacker. He and two other guys in the car were charged with robbery and conspiracy.

Bernie felt fine after the attack and declined medical attention. (Later on, when she got home, she did feel a bit faint, went to bed, and woke up the next morning rather sore. Her son, a former firefighter, checked her out, and everything seemed okay, thankfully.)

At some point, Bernie’s son asked her, "Why didn’t you just give [the purse] up?" Bernie said, "[Mild expletive] no, that was my purse. I was fighting for what was mine."

Way to go, Bernie!

After I read this story (and enjoyed a good laugh), I thought of our own "tenacious senior saints" here at First Baptist. I thank God for them and am so grateful for what they don’t hold on to, and for what they do hold on to.

Our senior saints don’t hold on to a certain musical style, insisting that the times conform to their preferences. For the most part, they love the old hymns (as do I), but they are also willing to learn and sing new songs that we introduce to the congregation, so long as they express biblical truth. Our seniors try really hard to emphasize substance over style, and I appreciate that.

Also, our seniors recently had to move their Sunday morning Bible School class to another room, due to some necessary shifting that had to take place in order to provide more efficient storage and office space. Instead of complaining or insisting on their own preferences being met, they simply went with the flow and continued to enjoy their time of fellowship in the Word.

Yes, our senior saints are a blessed bunch of pretty flexible folks. But there is one thing that they hold on to tenaciously. There is no bargaining, no compromise, no give whatsoever – and you’d better not try to take it away from them! Can you guess what it is?

It’s not their purse, pocketbook or billfold. Rather, it is the treasure of God’s truth. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy is directed by God’s Spirit to every believer: "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us" (2 Tim. 1:13-14).

How glad I am for our faithful, older members who cling so tenaciously to sound doctrine, as taught in Holy Scripture ... who continue to gather faithfully each week to study and celebrate God’s truth ... who continue strong in the faith to the glory of God. Thank you for being such an example of faithfulness to the rest of us week in and week out. May your tribe increase!

My Dream ... and Reality

Last night I had a dream. It was a really good dream. Usually my dreams or nightmares occur in the "moderate" range. That is, my dreams are rarely ever so great that they don't have at least some negative elements in them, and my nightmares are hardly ever so scary that they can be described as horrifying.

But last night's dream was an exception. I dreamed that I was in my senior year at Washington Bible College, and I had just returned from an away game where I scored 26 points. (I think that in the dream we won the game, but it's interesting that the only thing I really recalled was my outstanding individual performance!) Upon returning to the school, I found my bride-to-be, Ruthie, sitting out in the picnic area (apparently it was early spring) with dozens of other students having dinner. She asked me how I did, after greeting me with a kiss. (Again, this could only happen in a dream, because students were not allowed to kiss on the WBC campus, so we would have never done this ... at least not out in the open!) I was more than happy to tell her. She along with everyone else was rather impressed. At that point I joined her and our friends at the table, and that's right when the dream ended.

Then I woke up. It's almost twenty years later. My basketball skills are yesterday's news. I haven't scored 26 points in the last two decades, but I have picked up 26 pounds. My right knee is arthritic and is constantly giving me grief. Two of my children have already beaten me legitimately in one type of basketball game or another.

Now normally I would have been depressed waking up to such hard, cold reality. But honestly I wasn't. Because whatever I've lost in the last 20 years or so has been far outweighed by what I've gained: a beautiful, godly wife ... five precious children ... seventeen years of full-time pastoral ministry ... the formation of many friendships ... and, by God's grace, a closer walk with Christ.

I couldn't help but think of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16: "So we do not lose heart. Though our outward nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day." Amen! This body is slowly wasting away, but one day it will be better than it's ever been. And it's all because that when God saves a person, He doesn't do a half-way job. He redeems both the outside and the inside so that one day, faster than the wink of an eye, "this mortal body [will] put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:54), and all the thanks goes to God, "who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).

I'm looking forward to that Day. In the meantime, I'll work hard at taking care of both my soul and my body, getting both the spiritual and physical exercise I need to serve the Lord at an optimal level.

And, of course, I'll take those dreams as often as they come.

Hoops, anyone?

The Faithful Few

One of the most discouraging things for pastors, Bible School teachers, and other ministry leaders is to see hordes of church members jump into a class or ministry with both feet, only to tip-toe their way out over time. Commitment is lacking among Christians, and the church is feeling its effects. Virtually everyone has heard the proverbial stat that "twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work."

In trying to analyze this pervasive problem biblically, I've come to a few conclusions.

1. Lack of commitment may indicate a lack of salvation. That is to say, many who claim to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ aren't genuinely saved. They stick around awhile to see how things benefit them, but they soon disappear once they hear a hard-hitting truth or a call to commitment. This was true of the crowds of Jesus' day, for He Himself told them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled" (John 6:26). These people were following Jesus because they were more interested in how He could fulfill their physical appetites and pleasures rather than the deepest needs of their souls. And so, "from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more" (John 6:66).

This pattern of defection continued in the early church. The apostle John wrote, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us" (1 John 2:19). For some, a lack of commitment may indicate a lack of conversion.

2. Lack of commitment may indicate a lack of faith. Not saving faith, but serving faith. David confessed plainly, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living" (Psalm 27:13). The apostle Paul exhorted the Galatian believers, "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:6). What keeps us going when the road of commitment gets long and hard is the belief that what we're doing will pay off at some point. But once we start thinking that what we're doing won't make a difference, we get down and give up.

3. Lack of commitment may indicate a lack of love. Scripture commands us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37). The apostle Paul wrote, "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:14-15). Why did Christ die and rise again? So that His people might live for Him and not themselves. Yet many professing Christians are living for themselves instead of Christ. That's not to say that they have completely abandoned Christ. No, not at all. They still come to church, try to have their quiet time, and throw a few bucks into the offering plate when it is passed. They have just enough commitment to ease their conscience. They give God a slim piece of the pie and keep the rest for themselves. They have a divided heart. Their compartmentalized Christianity does not allow for all-out commitment.

David, a man after God's own heart, found the need to pray: "Unite my heart to fear Your name" (Psalm 86:11). This prayer could be translated, "Give me singleness of heart." Only as our hearts are fully devoted to the Lord will we be fully committed to doing what pleases Him. Indeed, this is essentially what David goes on to say in the very next verse, in anticipation of God's answering his prayer: "I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore" (Ps. 86:12).

4. Lack of commitment may indicate a seeming lack of resources. Surely there are some who truly want to serve the Lord faithfully, but they seem to lack the resources to do so. They are short on time, energy, money, and the like. While this may appear to be the case, we must remember that God will supply our every need, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). God delights to show Himself strong through our weaknesses, rich through our poverty, and sovereign over our schedules! In fact, this fourth point really goes back to the second point: faith. Do we trust God to provide where He guides? Do we believe that He will give us the necessary resources to do what He calls and commands us to do?

If any church had an excuse to bail out on Christian service and commitment, it was the churches of Macedonia. They were dirt poor. They didn't have enough resources to meet their own needs, let alone the needs of others! Yet in Scripture we read "that in a great trial of aflliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I (Paul) bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they gave first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God" (2 Cor. 8:2-5).

Ah, there's the key! This takes us back to the third point: love for God. Notice that the Macedonian believers first gave themselves to God -- then as a result they gave themselves in service to others, God giving them the resources to give beyond their natural ability! The Christian life is one of "faith working through love" (Gal. 5:6). One commentator sums up nicely the meaning of this expression: "The person who lives by faith is internally motivated by love for God and Christ (cf. Matt. 22:37-40), which supernaturally issues forth in reverent worship, genuine obedience, and self-sacrificing love for others."

Proverbs 20:6 says, "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?" It's easy to find people who profess to be loyal, but it's another thing to find those who are actually faithful. As William MacDonald put it, "There is a difference between what men are, and what they want others to think they are."

What about you? How is your commitment to Christ and His kingdom? Are you truly serving Christ or simply "playing church"? Does God have all your heart or a mere fraction of it? Do you pay lip service in the church without fulfilling your commitments to the church?
"Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2). If you find yourself discouraged, lacking in spirit in your service to the Lord, why not pray what David did in Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Remember, "those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isa. 40:31).

Mean Moms

Given our more intense discussion on parenting these last few days, I thought I’d leave you with something a little more light-hearted. This tongue-in-cheek tribute to mothers is not only humorous but also timely for our day. I don’t know the original source, but I have seen it posted in many places. Even if you’ve read it before, it’s worth reading again:

Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world!

While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, or eggs, or toast. When others had Pepsi and Twinkies for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You’d think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

She always insisted on telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing others’ property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was.

I think that is what’s wrong with the world today. It just doesn’t have enough mean moms anymore.

God bless “mean old moms” ... who are, in reality, the best moms in the whole world. Chuck Swindoll was right when he said of such moms: “Their words are never fully forgotten, their touch leaves an indelible impression, and the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime.” Yes, indeed. “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates” (Prov. 31:31).