My Son's Resolution

My son Ethan is a student at one of our public middle schools. Today he brought home a paper that he had written. The assigned theme was New Year's resolutions.

I was blessed by what Ethan wrote (I had no idea what it was until today), and he granted me permission to share it with the TruthWalk readership. Many of you know my son Ethan, and I think you will appreciate most of all what he wrote. Here it is verbatim:

Many people use New Years to resolve things.

I resolved to do my Devotions faithfully to the Lord. Well I am Reading and praying, I or you should know who we are reading about and who we are talking to well I am praying. The reason I choose this is that I know that it is important to do every single day. When I do my devotions I should always know what I am reading about, and even though we don't like reading that much it is worth it. When I do my devotions I rush sometimes so I can go on the computer or watch TV. But now that I am writing this I really know that I should take my time and just really think of who he is. Where God is right now there is no madness, sadness, arguing, swaring [sic], fighting or Bullying, there is none of that in heaven. So this is why I am picking that should do my devotions and be like him and know him every single day.

What did Ethan's teacher say about his paper? One word: "Good." She also asked where he went to church. Pretty cool, huh? It seems to me a seed was planted. May God be pleased to water it and bring forth fruit.

By the way, how is your devotional life?

"Make Believe"

God has blessed the human mind with the gift of imagination. Young children utilize this gift well, and parents find it marvelously entertaining.

My dad and mom were no exception. Once while watching us children play, Dad recorded his thoughts in the form of a rhyme. More than that, he brought to light the spiritual realities that are at stake when it comes to differentiating fantasy from reality.

Make Believe

I often watch my children play,

And how amazed am I that they

Are occupied for hours on end

With games that start with “Let’s pretend.”


They play at “house”, they play at “store”;

They play at “school”, they play at “war”.

They play at “cops and robbers”, too;

There’s nothing little minds can’t do.


Yes, “let’s pretend” contributes joy

To every little girl and boy;

And drab and dull would childhood be,

If it were not for fantasy.


The thought that weighs upon my mind

Is: Some don’t leave those years behind.

Concerning things “beyond the veil”,

They still let fantasy prevail.


They make believe there is no hell;

They make believe their souls are well;

They reason, under false pretense,

That works will be their sure defense.


Behold, the final, fearful end

Of those, like babes, who still pretend!

For in eternal things, you see,

There is no room for fantasy.


For fantasy oft times conflicts

With that which God on high edicts;

And fiction from the days of youth

Must not displace the written truth.


Because the Bible doth reveal

That mankind’s need for Christ is real.

Imagination has a role,

But not in matters of the soul.


And what of you, good Christian friend?

Do you serve God, or just pretend?

Do you the Holy Spirit grieve,

By service only “make believe”?


Sleepless in Massachusetts

Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night? Last night was one of those nights for us. I had trouble sleeping in the middle of the night, as did a few of my other family members. Whenever I have trouble sleeping, I wonder if God wants me to pray about certain things or perhaps simply to contemplate who He is in the quietness of the night. Some things were undoubtedly weighing on my heart and mind, so I gave these to the Lord, knowing that He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7). If God keeps us awake at night, then clearly He has something better for us than sleep. Maybe it's to pray ... meditate on a truth of Scripture ... reflect on our life as a family ... or simply listen to hear His voice. Whatever the case, we should take full advantage of these opportunities. Yes, we may be tired, but in those moments, God has something more precious for us than sleep.

I'm sure David had many sleepless nights when he was in the wilderness of Judah, being chased by murderous King Saul. (That would be somewhat stressful, don't you think?) Nevertheless David testified to the Lord,

You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 63:5-7

May these verses encourage you to think on the Lord and enjoy His fellowship, even as the world around you sleeps.

I Stand Corrected!

Whenever my wife goes away (which is rare), I get a renewed appreciation for all she does here in our home. In a family with four boys (five if you include me), keeping up on laundry alone can be nearly a full-time job!

This is what I was attempting to do last evening with Ethan, one of my younger sons. We brought down from the upstairs the hampers of dirty laundry and dumped it all out on the floor. Ethan helped me separate the white clothing from the colored, and I began throwing the whites into the . . . dryer. After a moment I realized what I was doing, shook my head and sighed, "What am I doing throwing these into the dryer? They go in the washer!" Ethan responded, "Yeah, I know. I wondered what you were doing." To which I responded, "If you knew that, why didn't you say something?" My son replied, "I thought that it wasn't nice for children to correct their parents."

I've thought about that remark several times since. I responded to my son initially by saying, "Well, it's good that you're sensitive to that, and children should certainly show respect to their parents. But even parents make mistakes and need to be corrected. So it's okay to do that as long as you go about it in the right way."

But as I thought on this more, I began wondering if I am as open to correction as I'd like to think I am. On several occasions my children have heard their mother or me apologize and ask for forgiveness if we've done something wrong. But what if we don't see it or acknowledge it? It's still a sin - or at least a mistake (if it doesn't involve wrongdoing) - isn't it? Of course it is. We correct our children all the time!

How important it is, then, to let my children know that I also am not above correction. Parents too are human, and therefore quite fallible and sinful. My children must know that it is commendable to correct me when I'm wrong or to make me aware of my mistakes. Again, children must do so respectfully, in a way that honors the Lord and their parents. But in showing humility, accessibility, and teachability on our part, we are instilling in them by our example the very character traits we want them to possess and express in their own lives.

Even this morning after my oldest teenage son had left for school, I sent him a text message which said - and I quote: "Did u take my good dress belt?! I went to where it and can't find it!!" Now in addition to using the wrong kind of "where" [wear] in my message, I made another mistake. Right after sending the message, I thought, "Great. Now I'll have to wear my older, more casual belt with these dress pants!" As I went to put it on, I made this amazing discovery: I had already put on a belt. My dress belt! I sent my son a second text, saying, "Never mind. I got it. Sorry."

Come to think of it, maybe my daughter didn't take my iPod recharger cord either.

Correction isn't just for kids; parents need it, too. Do your children know that?

Bible Quiz Answers

ANSWERS TO BIBLE QUIZ

1. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
2. Psalms.
3. Luke.
4. Romans 6:23.
5. 8. Noah and his wife, their 3 sons and their wives (I Peter 3:20).
6. “All things whatsoever you would that men would do to you, do you also unto them” (Matt. 7:12).
7. Noah, Moses, David, Daniel, Paul.
8. 66 (39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament).
9. Adam and Eve.
10. You shall have no other gods before me, you shall not make any graven images, you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, remember the Sabbath day, honor your father and your mother, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, and you shall not covet [abridged wording].
11. Invisible beings created by God.
12. Esau.
13. David.
14. Prodigal Son, Good Samaritan, the Sower, the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep, the Treasure in the Field, the Pearl of Great Price, the Great Feast, etc.
15. Three.
16. A doctor (Col. 4:14).
17. Levi.
18. The Old Testament.
19. Greek.
20. Trust in what God says.
21. Jesus (Acts 20:35).
22. True.
23. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
24. Tower of Babel, Tabernacle, Temple, Church.
25. “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. . . . You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37,39).
26. Saul, David and Solomon.
27. No.
28. Michael, Gabriel, and Satan (fallen angel). Some add Wormwood (Rev. 8:11).
No other angel is named in the Bible.
29. Moses.
30. Both, on separate occasions (Matt. 14 and 15).
31. Twelve: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Could you have named them?
32. John 11:25.
33. A tax collector.
34. John 2.
35. Neither. It is not in the Bible at all. There is no such book.
36. Reuben, Judah, Issachar, Levi, Dan, Zebulon, Benjamin, Simeon, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, and Joseph (which was divided into Ephraim and Mannaseh).
37. Methulseleh – 969 years (Gen. 5:27).
38. A Christian. All Christians are saints.
39. Psalm 119. It has 176 verses, far longer than any other chapter.
40. Genesis, Exedus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
41. John the Apostle.
42. The Devil, the Temptor, Beelzebub, the Serpent, the Dragon, the Evil One, the Prince of the Power of the Air, Lucifer, Prince of Demons, etc.
43. Lamb.
44. Praise the Lord.
45. The Book of Judges (chapters 13-16).
46. Greek. The Old Testament was translated about 200 BC.
47. John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”
48. Peter, James, John, Andrew, James the Younger, Matthew (Levi), Simon the Zealot, Philip, Thaddaeus (Judas, not Iscariot), Bartholomew (Nathaniel), Thomas, and Judas Iscariot.
49. Flood, Exodus, Babylonian Captivity, Dispersion, and the Crucifixion.
50. Enoch and Elijah.
51. All men (I Cor. 15; Daniel 12:2). But only Christians get perfect bodies.
52. False.
53. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I Peter, II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude, and Revelation.
54. Yes. See Matthew 5:8.
55. Our inheriting Adam’s sin. See Romans 5.
56. Turning water into wine, feeding the 4,000 and 5,000, raising Lazarus, walking on water, stopping the storm, healing the blind, etc.
57. This saying is not in the Bible. A similar proverb is in Proverbs 13:24.
58. Hebrew and a few chapters in Aramaic (mainly in Daniel).
59. The New Testament.
60. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome.
61. Anointed.
62. False. We are not saved by good works at all.
63. Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.
64. Solomon.
65. Genesis 1:1.
66. Judah.
67. Passover (or Unleavened Bread), Pentecost (or Weeks), Tabernacles, Sabbath, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Purim. Hanukkah is not in the Bible.
68. John the Baptist. See Matt. 11:11.
69. Daniel 5.
70. Caesar Augustus.
71. False. Moses died in the Wilderness. Joshua led Israel into the Land.
72. Regeneration.
73. This is in Poor Richard’s Almanac by Benjamin Franklin, not the Bible.
74. John 1:1, 8:24,58, 20:28, Rom. 9:5, Titus 2:13, I Tim. 3:16, etc.
75. Matthew, Chapter 2.
76. All of these.
77. Heaven.
78. The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (or Writings). See Luke 24:44.
79. God chose only some to be saved. See Eph. 1, Rom. 9, John 15:16, etc.
80. No errors at all. See John 17:17, "Thy Word is truth.".
81. It is not in the Bible at all.
82. Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter.
83. Called-out assembly.
84. Rom. 3:20,28, 5:1, Gal. 2:16, 3:11, Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, etc.
85. Love. See I Cor. 13:13.
86. Luke 10.
87. A real place. Also known as Hades, Gehenna and the Lake of Fire.
88. Eve, Sarah, Ruth, Esther, Mary, and Lydia.
89. John 10.
90. Only the High Priest.
91. Faith alone. See answer to question 84 above.
92. This is the term for the Five Books of Moses. It is also known as the Torah.
93. Luke 15.
94. Ephesians 5:22,25; Col. 3:18-19 (cf. Also I Peter 3:1,7).
95. Fallen angels.
96. Mary.
97. Acts 16:31.
98. Samson.
99. John the Baptist.
100. Matt. 28:19, Luke 3:22, II Cor. 13:14, Eph. 2:18, I Peter 1:2, etc.

100 Questions

The following Bible questions were sent to me from a pastoral colleague. They were originally compiled by Curt Daniel.

Why not carve out some time to take this quiz? I'll post the answers soon.

BIBLE QUIZ

This test is designed to help Christians discover how much they know about the Bible. There are no trick questions, nor questions about small details. Please do not use your Bible when taking the test. An answer sheet is provided, together with Scripture references where appropriate.
1. Name the four Gospels.
2. What is the longest book in the Bible?
3. Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles?
4. Which book says, “The wages of sin is death”?
5. How many people were on Noah’s Ark?
6. What is the Golden Rule?
7. Put in chronological order: Daniel, Noah, Paul, Moses and David.
8. How many books are there in the Bible?
9. Who were the first two people?
10. Name the Ten Commandments.
11. Angels are: ghosts of dead people, children who died in infancy, genies, or invisible beings created by God?
12. Who was the brother of Jacob?
13. Who wrote Psalm 23?
14. Name three of Jesus’ parables.
15. How many epistles were written by John?
16. Was Luke: a fisherman, an apostle, a doctor or a shepherd?
17. Which tribe did Moses belong to?
18. Is Daniel in the Old or the New Testament?
19. In what language was the New Testament written?
20. Faith is: a leap into the dark, trust in what God says, believing in something you know isn’t true, or a religious feeling?
21. Who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”?
22. True or false: James and John were brothers.
23. Who were the three patriarchs?
24. Put in chronological order: Temple, Church, Tower of Babel, Tabernacle.
25. What did Jesus say were the two greatest commandments?
26. Name the first three kings of Israel.
27. Is Santa Claus in the Bible?
28. Give the name of at least one angel.
29. Who wrote the Book of Deuteronomy?
30. Did Jesus feed 4,000 or 5,000 people with the loaves and fishes?
31. How many Minor Prophets are there?
32. Which book says, “I am the resurrection and the life”?
33. Was Matthew: a carpenter, a centurion, a tax collector, or a priest?
34. Which Gospel records Jesus turning water into wine?
35. Is the Book of Hezekiah in the Old or the New Testament?
36. Name the twelve tribes of Israel.
37. Who was the oldest person in the Bible?
38. A saint is: a sinless person, an apostle, a pope, a Christian, an angel?
39. What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
40. Name the Five Books of Moses.
41. Who wrote the Book of Revelation?
42. Give three names or titles for Satan.
43. What kind of meat was eaten at the Passover?
44. Hallelujah means: I believe, hosanna, wow, praise the Lord, or amen?
45. Which book tells us the life of Samson?
46. What was the first language the Bible was translated into?
47. What is the shortest verse in the Bible?
48. Name the twelve apostles.
49. Put in chronological order: the Dispersion, the Crucifixion, the Flood, the Babylonian Captivity, and the Exodus.
50. Name someone who went to Heaven without dying.
51. Who will be raised from the dead: all men, Christians only, or angels?
52. True or false: We are saved by being baptized in water.
53. Name the Books of the New Testament.
54. Will we see God in Heaven?
55. Original Sin means: demon possession, Adam and Eve having sex, Eve eating the Forbidden Fruit, or our inheriting Adam’s Sin?
56. Name three of Christ’s miracles.
57. Which book says, “Spare the rod and spoil the child”?
58. In what language was the Old Testament written?
59. Is the Book of Hebrews in the Old or the New Testament?
60. Put in chronological order the nations that held Israel captive: Greece, Egypt, Babylon, Rome, Assyria, and Persia.
61. Christ means: Master, High Priest, Annointed, Savior, Lord, or Redeemer?
62. True or false: God will save someone if he has more good works than sins.
63. Where are the 10 Commandments located in the Bible?
64. Who wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes?
65. Which book says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth”?
66. Which tribe of Israel did Jesus belong to?
67. Name 3 of Israel’s feasts or festivals.
68. Who was the greatest man before Jesus: David, Abraham, Solomon, John the Baptist, Moses or Adam?
69. Which book mentions the handwriting on the wall?
70. Who was Caesar when Jesus was born: Herod, Caesar Augustus, Pilate, Nero, or Julius Caesar?
71. True or false: Moses led Israel into the Promised Land.
72. Being born again means: reincarnation, regeneration, redemption, or restitution?
73. Which book says, “God helps those who help themselves”?
74. Give a Bible verse that explicitly says that Jesus is God.
75. Which Gospel mentions the Star of Bethlehem?
76. Was David: a prophet, a shepherd, a soldier, a musician, or a king?
77. When a Christian dies, he goes straight to: Purgatory, Heaven, Hades, unconscious sleep in the grave, or back to Earth?
78. What are the three divisions of the Old Testament?
79. Election means: God chose only some people to be saved, our parents dedicated us to God, or God chose those He knew would believe in Jesus?
80. Does the Bible contain many, a few, or no errors at all?
81. Is the Book of Enoch in the Old or the New Testament?
82. Put in chronological order: Jeremiah, Elijah, Samuel, Peter, Isaiah.
83. Church means: Temple, Christian building, called-out assembly, or nation?
84. Give a Bible verse that teaches justification by faith alone.
85. Which is the greatest: hope, love or faith?
86. Which Gospel has the Parable of the Good Samaritan?
87. Hell is: a real place, a myth, here on Earth, Purgatory, or nowhere?
88. Put in chronological order: Sarah, Lydia, Ruth, Mary, Eve, and Esther.
89. Which book says, “I am the Good Shepherd”?
90. Who could enter the Holy of Holies: the pope, Moses, a priest, an apostle, the High Priest, only angels?
91. We are saved by: faith, good works, or faith and good works?
92. What is the Pentateuch?
93. Which Gospel records the Parable of the Prodigal Son?
94. Which book says, “Wives, submit to your husbands. Husbands, love your wives”?
95. Demons are: goblins, fallen angels, ghosts of dead people, or myths?
96. Who was Jesus’ mother?
97. Which book says: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”?
98. Who was the strongest man to ever live: Hercules, Samson, or Goliath?
99. Who baptized Jesus?
100. Give a verse that teaches the doctrine of the Trinity.

The Simplicity of God

Recently I attended the Expositors’ Conference in Mobile, Alabama, with Drs. Steven Lawson and R. C. Sproul. What a blessing it was to sit under the preaching of the Word by these godly pastors for two full days! (Afterward I got to spend a couple of days with family in Tennessee, which was also nice.) While introducing one of his sermons, Dr. Sproul stated that one of the most neglected doctrines in the church today is the simplicity of God. By this we mean not that God is easy to figure out or comprehend, but that God is not composed of parts. Whereas humans are compounded creatures, such is not the case with our Creator. God is love (1 John 4:8), and God is light (1 John 1:5), but nothing in Scripture suggests that God is part love and part light. Rather, God is Himself both love and light. The same is true in refer-ence to all of God’s other attributes. For instance, in Exodus 34:6-8 we read,

The LORD passed before [Moses] and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

God is His attributes; He is entirely loving, entirely merciful, entirely just, and so forth. Thus when we emphasize some of God’s attributes to the exclusion of others, we misunderstand and misrepresent who God is and wind up with a god of our own choosing. This is idolatry.

On the other hand, if we embrace God’s simplicity and seek to understand His unity, we come to know, love, and worship Him for who He really is, even as Moses did. We see that different attributes of God are emphasized at different times for specific purposes. We come to appreciate God’s individual attributes while celebrating the unity of His divine essence. Our God is an awesome God! May we worship Him by being consistent in our own character - not only as individual believers but also corporately as the body of Christ.

Beautiful Words for Beleaguered Parents

For many years, the writings of Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) have been a perpetual source of encouragement to me. Next to the Holy Scriptures themselves, no other writings have so enriched my walk with God. In my darkest moments, Spurgeon's scriptural reflections and applications have been a tonic to my soul.

No doubt one of the reasons that Spurgeon's words brought such great comfort to his hearers was because he himself struggled with depression. The apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1 that we as believers are able to comfort others with the same comfort we ourselves have received from God.

One such word of comfort is extended to parents who find themselves disheartened in their child-rearing efforts. Parenting is one of the toughest challenges we face as believers on earth. We face many hindrances, not the least of which is our own fallenness and susceptibility to sin. Recall Jesus' words in Matthew 7 when He said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall our Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (italics added). Compared to our holy heavenly Father, we earthly parents are evil. Still, we love our children and know how to give good things to them.

Yes, our own sinfulness as parents creates a hindrance in our attempts to shepherd our children. But provided that we are making it our aim to please Christ in all that we say and do, fighting the good fight of faith, the battle grows weary when our children persist in their sin. Nothing is more painful than when our children refuse the best that we can offer them: the gospel and all the promise it holds forth for their lives. Some reject the gospel altogether, showing no interest in having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Others "claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him" (Titus 1:16). Still others are like the Galatians: after starting their Christian lives by the Spirit, they're trying to become perfect by their own human efforts - and failing miserably.

Be encouraged by what Charles Spurgeon writes in the September 17 morning entry of his devotional classic Morning & Evening. These are beautiful words for beleaguered parents, based on Jesus' words in Mark 9:19, "Bring him unto me."
Despairingly, the poor, disappointed father turned away from the disciples to their Master. His son was in the worst possible condition, and all means had failed. But the pitiful child was soon delivered from the evil one when the parent, in faith, obeyed the Lord Jesus' word, "Bring him unto me." Children are a precious gift from God, but much anxiety comes with them. They may be a great joy or a great bitterness to their parents. They may be filled with the Spirit of God or possessed with the spirit of evil. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one prescription for the curing of all their ills, "Bring [them] unto me." Oh, for more agonizing on their behalf while they are yet babies! Sin is there, so let our prayers begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries that announce their actual advent into the world of sin. In the days of their youth, we will see sad indicators of that dumb and deaf spirit that will neither pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul. Still, Jesus commands, "Bring [them] unto me." When they are grown up, they may wallow in sin and display enmity against God. Then, when our hearts are breaking, we should remember the Great Physician's words, "Bring [them] unto me." We must never cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives. The Lord sometimes allows His people to be driven into a corner so that they may know how necessary He is to them. Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to flee to the Strong One for strength, and this is a great blessing to us. Whatever our ... need may be, let it, like a strong current, bear us to the ocean of divine love. Jesus can soon remove our sorrow. He delights to comfort us. Let us hasten to Him while He waits to meet us.

No Distinction

This morning I came across a great quote by Charles Spurgeon in his devotional classic Morning and Evening. He said, "God makes no distinction in His love for His children."

As soon as I read that, the glorious reality of it was impressed on my heart. God loves all His children equally. This means that God loves me every bit as much as He does Billy Graham, John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, Joni Eareckson Tada, the most committed missionaries, Bible expositors and Christian authors. God loves me as much as the precious orphan in the third-world country that has given his or her heart to Christ.

The Bible teaches that God loves all people, but He does not love all people equally. There is a great divine love that God has for all humanity. "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son . . ." (John 3:16). Yet the love that God has for His elect is so far greater than the general love He has for the world in general, that the latter is hatred by comparison. "As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated'" (Rom. 9:13; cf. Mal. 1:2-3). God's love toward His people, as suggested by the term "elect," is a love of choice. It refers to God's sovereign grace, His special favor that He bestows on those whom He chose in Christ
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
- Ephesians 1:4-5; italics added
We see from this text of Scripture (and numerous others) that our adoption is based not on our performance, our personality, or anything else that made us more worthy than the non-elect. Scripture makes it clear that God's choice to love us, redeem us, and make us His people was all according to His purpose and therefore "to the praise of His glorious grace."

My children have different gifts, skills, personalities, failures and successes. But I love them all the same. Nothing will ever change the fact that they are my children. If this is true of me as a very imperfect parent (even an "evil" parent compared to God the Father - see Matt. 7:11), then how much more so is it true of our heavenly Father?

Yet how prone I am to think that God loves other of His children more than He loves me. Actually, I suppose that I don't necessarily "think" this so much as I feel this, especially when I fail (which is often!). How glad I am to be reminded that God loves me as much as He does any of His other children. That love is unconditional and will never cease. Indeed, in the ages to come, God will continue to show me, and every blood-bought child of His, "the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

No wonder the apostle Paul earnestly prayed that every believer would "know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:18).

George Matheson, a godly 19th century pastor and hymn-writer, was born with an eye defect that resulted in his becoming blind by the age of eighteen. Shortly thereafter his fiancee left him, deciding that she wouldn't be content to be married to a blind man. Having been spurned by what he thought was true love, Matheson lifted up his broken heart to heaven and found solace in the unchanging love of God. As a result, Matheson penned one of his greatest hymns, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go. The first stanza goes like this:

O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe
That in thine ocean-depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

May we, like Matheson, find our solace and security in the love of God. There is no greater love, and to have it is to be filled with all the fullness of God.

A Mosque Near Ground Zero?

As you've probably already heard, "a New York City panel voted unanimously to reject landmark status for a building in downtown Manhattan, paving the way for its demolition -- and for the construction of a 13-story, $100 million mosque near the World Trade Center site" (via Fox News).

This has created quite a stir among Americans. Though I usually steer clear of politics on this blog site, I thought it would be good to take an opinion poll from the TruthWalk readership, to get an idea of where you stand on this issue. Most of us would claim to have a "Christian worldview" which would affect our political views. As a Christian, and as an American, what are your thoughts on this matter?

I'll borrow the same question and options put forth by the Fox News poll:

Should New York Allow Mosque Near Ground Zero?
  1. No, of all the places to build a mosque, don't allow one there.
  2. Yes, the Constitution protects freedom of religion, so government can't stand in the way.
  3. Don't prohibit it, but work with the mosque backers to find a more appropriate location.
  4. Other (leave a comment).
In the 'Comments' section below, simply put 1, 2, 3, or 4. Then, if you wish, add any comments to further explain your position or rationale (especially if you chose option #4).

I broached this subject with one of our associate pastors this morning and discovered that we held essentially the same view. Once we've received some significant feedback, we'll add our two cents.

Ambitious for the Church

I just finished reading a terrific book by Dave Harvey entitled Rescuing Ambition. The main idea is that ambition has gotten a bad rap over the years. While Scripture clearly warns us against selfish ambition, there is such a thing as spiritual ambition. We are all "glory-chasers"; God has wired us this way. Says Harvey, "We will always pursue glory. The only question is, Where will we find it?" The fact is, we pursue what we value. Mankind fell into sin when he pursued his own glory ("you will be like God") instead of his Creator's. "But the good news of the gospel," Harvey declares, "is that we aren't trapped by the tragedy of misplaced glory. While our ambitious impulses led us to vain pursuits, the Lord of glory has come to rescue our ambition. He has come to redeem us and recapture us for his glory."

The remainder of the book explores at a deeper level the above themes and goes on to speak of ambition's path, contentment, failure, and a host of other related issues. One of my favorite chapters, which appeared near the end of the book, was "Ambitious for the Church." Though Dave Harvey has served for two decades as a pastor, he is not speaking primarily to pastors but to God's people as a whole. The basis for our ambition for the church is Christ's ambition for the church. He gave His life for her. He promised His disciples, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18).

As we live in community with God's redeemed people, we exalt Christ's purposes. We see for ourselves what Scripture clearly conveys:
Though sin once isolated us, the cross now unifies us. As citizens of a new kingdom and members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19), we're not longer merely individuals concerned only with ourselves. We're now "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession" (1 Pet. 2:9). . . .

Christ's promise introduces us to a radical, countercultural idea: the satisfaction of individual ambition is linked to our collective identity as the people of God. The individual Christian simply cannot understand his purpose, and therefore his ambition, in purely individual terms.
Did that last paragraph sink in? Perhaps you should read it again! The New Testament knows nothing of isolated Christianity. The local church occupied an essential place in the life of God's people:
  • The very first believers "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. . . . And all who believed were together" (Acts 2:42, 44).
  • Teaching and preaching were experienced publicly. Timothy, as a pastor, was commanded to devote himself "to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching" (1 Tim. 4:13).
  • Believers were exhorted "to meet together . . . encouraging one another" (Heb. 10:25).
  • They were repeatedly called to "serve one another" (Gal. 5:13; 1 Pet. 4:10).
Our commitment to the local church - or lack thereof - is indicative of our ambitions. In his book, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, Donald Whitney warns us against being "spiritual hitchhikers" who want "all the benefits but no responsibility; all take and no give; no accountability, just a free ride."

Instead, why not commit yourself to the church that Jesus loves? Be faithful in attending its worship gatherings. Encourage your fellow believers. Serve others to the glory of God! Also, while doing so, beware of the "My-Church-Is-for-My-Ministry" mentality. In making this point, Dave Harvey quotes the psalmist, who testified to the Lord, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Ps. 84:10). One guy captured the point well by saying, "What you're a part of is more important than the part you play."

That's a good principle to keep in mind, isn't it? Dave Harvey reminds us that such an attitude stirs ambition for the church and frees us to "savor the fruit that accompanies the doorkeeper's devotion: first in, last to leave."

If you are looking for a good book to read before summer's end, I would heartily recommend Rescuing Ambition. You'll be glad you read it, as will others who will benefit from your godly ambition.

A Bug's Life

I don't know if it's the heat wave or what, but the last few days I've come across more bugs than usual. The latest encounter took place in my office bathroom. I saw the small insect making its way slowly across the floor. I don't know what kind it was, but it was the size of a lady bug.

Anyway, I watched it for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly it was, where it was going, and what it must have been thinking. But after thirty seconds or so I got bored and squashed it with my foot. Then somewhat to my own surprise I said, "Sorry, pal."

Afterwards I thought, "Boy, I'm glad I'm not a bug ... and I'm glad God is not like me!" Imagine Him sitting there in heaven thinking, "Who is this guy? What's he doing? Where does he think he's going?" Squish!

Thankfully, God is not like that! He knows me better than I know myself. In fact, He "formed my inward parts [and] knitted me together in my mother's womb" (Ps. 139:13). Furthermore, God knows exactly what I'm up to, every second of the day, every day of my life. He sees the good and the bad, my ups and my downs, my best days and my worst days -- and He loves me through it all. Why? Not because I'm great, but because of His grace!

God's understanding of me is so much greater than my understanding of a bug. His love for me is so much greater than my love of a bug. (Love of a bug? You gotta be kidding me! And let's not even talk about spiders!) My life won't end with a squish under some divine shoe. Rather, my great God and Savior will transform my lowly body so that it will be like his glorious body (Phil. 3:21).

Boy, I'm glad I'm not a bug.

Ligonier National Conference - 2010 (part two)

This is a continuation from last week’s blog about the Ligonier Conference that I attended two weeks ago in Orlando, FL. The theme was “Tough Questions Christians Face.”

You can view each session at www.christianity.com/ligonier/.

I suggest that you make time to watch each streaming video, especially the Pre-Conference Bits, Bytes, Blogs & Bibles: Christian Communication in a Hypersocial World.

The Pre-Conference focused on the so called new social media, yet attendees were reminded that it’s really not new, but how we actually “talk” and interact currently, via IPods, IPads, IPhones, Facebook, Twitter, Email, LinkedIn, RSS Feeds, Text messages, mobile phones, GPS devices and so on. The speakers made important distinctions gave clear warnings, cautions, risks and benefits to how we communicate, especially important for the church at large.

Al Mohler in his “The Hypersocialized Generation”, says there is a shift in our social engagement, the “most fundamental since the human language and the invention of the printing press.” He said there is a temptation to withdraw into our own private world, a propensity to over relate and withdraw simultaneously.

The digital revolution is here to stay and is interwoven in our lives. We’ve become reliant upon this relatedness and “not being connected” is thought of as worse than being dead! Mohler warns parents to take control and not forfeit responsibility and that the rules should not only be about usage of time, but content discussions as well. He said that adolescents shouldn’t have cell phones in their bedroom at night, or have Internet access in their bedroom. Parents must model this themselves.

Although there are Kindle and other e-book opportunities, the absence of reading and silence have created voids necessary for our souls. Multi-tasking is not something to “gloat over”, since our minds are not meant to participate that way, contrary to what we are told. Our lives are nourished by distraction. An interesting phenomenon has also resulted from multi-tasking – the loss of ability to read facial expressions.

We need to find the best use for these technologies and to establish boundaries. The risks seem to outweigh the benefits. The question is how to be connected and remain faithful? Mohler ended his session with, “May God give us guidance.”

In the earlier session with Ed Stetzer, he said that there are “drive-by posters” who are anonymous, others not accountable in relationships, still others who create false community. Also, that we have been reduced to a “sound-bite culture”, so that’s how we communicate, i.e. 140 character tweets! He also said that there’s a tendency to trivialize important things - simplism, reducing things beyond their capacity to be reduced. On the positive, he said that we could assist in inspiration, in introductions, in exhortation and creating community. His warnings included the enhancement of pride and a degree of narcissism in social media, e.g. rankings, the number of “friends”, blogs named after individuals – the creation of a “fake world.”

Tim Challies spoke about “texting/truthing in love”, actually how we should conduct ourselves and the principles of communicating in this digital frontier. Burk Parsons spoke about making the best use of our time and we should be kingdom focused, set our minds on heavenly things, edify the body of Christ, maintain unity and purity in the church and ultimately to glorify God personally and corporately. He ended with the question, “Why are you using this media, for the glory and kingdom of God or the advancement of our own empire?

Again, this is only a summary and brief recap just from the Pre-Conference sessions, so I still suggest that you view them in their entirety to grasp the importance of all of their messages. There’s a terrific Q & A session as well.

These speakers are gifts to the body of Christ. Listen to their warnings and advice and we can save ourselves and loved ones from potential harm and evil. We should all think about how The Lord would have us communicate via this “new social media”, to give Him glory, to preach His Word, to go into all the world and make disciples (not blog followers).

Joe Capozzi

Ligonier National Conference - 2010

Last week, I attended Ligonier Ministries’ 23rd Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. The theme was ‘Tough Questions Christian Face”. The conference brochure states:

“Christians are bombarded with difficult questions every day about Scripture, theology, science, and many other topics. As believers in the one true God, we are not without answers to the hard questions of life, for the Lord has spoken and has given us a revelation that directs us to the One who holds the answers.”

A pre-conference seminar on the role of new media in the church and the world and the issues that confront us as believers was well attended. The main conference sessions addressed the origin of evil, the inerrancy of Scripture, the interpretation of the Bible, the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, the age of the earth, God’s command in the Old Testament for Holy War, and the resurgence of interest in Reformed theology. Here are some of the titles of those sessions and the speakers who were assigned the topics:

  • Why Did Jesus Have To Die? - John MacArthur
  • Does the Doctrine of Divine Decrees Eliminate Human Will? - John MacArthur
  • What is Evil and Where Did It Come From? - R.C. Sproul
  • Is The Bible Just Another Book? - Steve Lawson
  • Is The Exclusivity of Christ Unjust? - Alistair Begg
  • Why Do Christians Still Sin? - R.C. Sproul, Jr.
  • Why Does the Universe Look So Old? - Albert Mohler
  • Can We Enjoy Heaven Knowing of Loved Ones in Hell? - R.C. Sproul

The other speakers included Michael Horton, Derek Thomas and Burk Parsons, who spoke during the two and a half day conference!

Each meeting began with prayer and worship and ended with a few “infomercials”!

I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and was convicted, educated, edified, encouraged and challenged. I was equipped to answer some of these tough questions to, “…always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;” (1 Peter 3:15b)

The most impact for me came from the pre-conference titled: Bits, Bytes, Blogs & Bibles: Christian Communication in a Hypersocial World. The session titles and their respective speakers were:

  • Session 1. The Brave New World of New Media – Ed Stetzer
  • Session 2. Principles for Conduct in Communication – Tim Challies
  • Session 3. Taking Captive New Media for the Church – Burk Parsons
  • Session 4. The Hypersocialized Generation – Al Mohler

I could have left after these sessions and still be enthralled by the content and challenged with the issues. Especially since the intention of the pre-conference speakers was to help those who are wary of the internet/ new media and to provide cautions/yield signs – do we rush headlong and embrace this new technology?

There’s so much I’d like to disseminate that I’ll continue in next week’s blog. There are inescapable trends in the new media that need to be highlighted and we need to realize that vast geographic distances have now been closed. Most importantly, The Lord has prepared technology over the course of history to break down the geographic barriers for the fulfillment of His purposes, “… to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had pre-destined to take place.” (Acts 4:28 ESV)

See you next week!

Joe Capozzi

Abraham's Greater Love

For the last couple of weeks, I've been holding on to an article that was written by one of our elders, Jason Mathisen, who recently underwent a nerve-wracking incident with his son Tristan. This crisis led Jason to some serious thinking about fatherhood, the gift of children, and the treasure of God Himself. Jason recorded his thoughts on paper, and at the prompting of his wife Lauren, passed them on to me.

The original title of Jason's article was The Love That Abraham Had for God Was Greater Than That for Isaac. May the Lord be pleased to challenge your hearts through the following testimony.
When my son Tristan was 6 years old he had spent the afternoon fishing with his “pampie” which is our term for grandfather on my wife’s side. (I guess that’s not as strange as "KeeKee," which is what my kids call my father which actually started out as "Kukie".) Well, anyway. . .

Pampie had picked up Tristan from school, and my wife dropped my daughter Peyton off to meet them so that the three of them could go fishing - or in my son's case feed the mosquitoes. (He can get a bite on the side of his forehead and end up looking like the sketches of Cro-Magnon man. I swear you could show a movie on his forehead and charge admission.)

As you can probably guess, Tristan got a lot of bites and had a pretty bad reaction, for we forgot to remind Pampie to put bug spray on him. Well, we were prepped and ready with Benadryl cream and kids' Benadryl liquid to administer to my son to keep him from looking like Quasi Moto or the Elephant man.

So the fishing expedition arrived with big smiles and tales of two fish, one that got away and the one that was caught which was respectably the size of my 6-year-old son's foot. Oh, and there were baby geese and turtles that peed on them and of course my son's trophy mosquito feedings…

Benadryl to the rescue.

We sat down to eat supper, and as the adults talked, the kids retired to the living room with cookies in hand to watch a cartoon.

Well about a half hour later my informant daughter came in to tell us that Tristan had crashed out on the couch. No big issue there, considering his long day at school followed by fishing.

After my father-in-law left, I was getting ready to take the dog out and heard my wife call my name from the living room. "Just a minute," I said. "I'm taking the dog out."

Now there are times when you can pick up on tone, and this was one of those times. She called me again, to which I replied (tone missed on this try), "Just a ..." - "JASON, COME HERE!" Tone received ... registered in brain ... dog can wait.

I proceeded to the living room to see my wife kneeling next to the couch where my 4-foot tall 67-pound son was lying. As I got to her side I could see the reason for the “tone” in her voice. Now when I say "tone" I'm not suggesting that there was yelling or sarcasm in her voice. It's hard to explain, but I new she was dead-serious. It was a tone that said, "GET IN HERE - I NEED YOUR HELP NOW."

To my dismay I saw what looked like vomit coming out of the corner of my sons mouth as he was lying mostly on his side. I grabbed his shoulder and shook him lightly and said his name. Then I shook him again - this time not so lightly - and raised my voice to the level of what we call in our house “loud talking”.

Tristan did not move, and at this point a cascade of triage from years of training went thru my head but emotions that I had not been prepared for took a hold of me as well. In discussing my feelings with my wife later, she remarked that she had never seen me this way before. Not outright panic, but definitely a look of "controlled fear" on my face.
After assessing the situation, I realized that my son was breathing normally was not choking or passed out. He was simply in a very deep sleep.
From the time my son Tristan was two years old, a bomb could go off in the next room, and he would sleep through it without batting a lid. Mix this with a little Benadryl and a half-chewed cookie, and that explains the sludge oozing from the corner of his mouth!

Well, now that my heart could be visibly seen pumping away at 180 beats per minute, I decided to clean him up and bring him to his nice comfy bed where the air conditioning was keeping things cool (unlike my body, which was producing mega-sweat on my forehead!).

With Tristan now safe and tucked into his bed, I knelt next to it and thanked God that my son was okay. I also thanked the Lord for this reminder I had just received that He is sovereign, and I am to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I realized how fragile life is and how undone I would be on a constant basis if I thought that the lives of my loved ones rested in my feeble hands.

Yes, we are to be good stewards of what God has given us: wife, kids, family, friends, job, etc. But are we careful to keep them in their proper place, putting our relationship with the Lord first?

Well, with all the drama of the evening now past, I decided to vacuum the house. Yeah so, 7:30 at night and I was going to vacuum. What of it? I had already gone for a run, so this was the best way to release the tension from all the adrenaline that had just rocketed through my body!
While I was pushing the vacuum around, the Lord spoke to me. Not audibly, but through His Word in my head. What came to mind was the story of Abraham and Isaac.
Abraham had a son who had been a long time in coming - a "miracle child" as it were. God promised that a great nation would come through him, and he and his descendants would have unimaginable blessings. The boy's name was Isaac, and oh, how Abraham loved him!
Imagine Abraham's shock and chagrin when one day God commanded him, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you" (Gen. 22:2).

What would you have done, had God directed this command to you? What would I have done? This is the question that weighed upon my mind. I thought about how much I loved my son Tristan, and like a wave crashing onto the shore, the thought occurred to me: "Is my love for the Lord in its rightful place?" Forgive me, Father, for putting anything - anyone - before You. An idol is anything that takes precedence over the Lord, and I needed to be reminded of this.
Now that the incident is passed and proved to be nothing serious, I can look back on it and almost laugh. Still, I can remember the heaviness of the moment. It left a mark on me - a mark of remorse for the love I had failed to show my Father in heaven.
I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice,
To worship you - oh, my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King, in what you hear;
May it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

Afraid of the Captain's Voice?

On Memorial Day I was standing on our back deck with my son Ethan who had his BB gun in hand. He said, "Hey, Dad, watch this." Ethan took careful aim and hit a tin coke bottle that lay on the ground at least fifty feet away. He nailed it three times straight!

Impressed by Ethan's sharp-shooting, I remarked, "You should go into the military!" To which Ethan replied, "No ... I'd be afraid of the captain's voice."

Not enemy fire. Not parachute jumps. Not minefields. Just the captain's voice! I thought that was so funny. I would have never guessed that one in a million years!

Praise God, this is one fear we never have to face as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ! Did you know that in Hebrews 2:10, Jesus is referred to as "the Captain of [our] salvation"? The idea being presented in this particular context of Scripture is that Jesus has gone ahead of us as the author, the founder, the pioneer of our salvation.

This came at a great cost, for the writer of Hebrews explains that God, "in bringing many sons to glory, [made] the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Heb. 2:10). The next verse goes on to say that we as believers are united to Christ, which is why "He is not ashamed to call [us] brethren." Jesus laid down His very life for us, counting us as His brothers.

Simon Kistemaker writes that as a result of Jesus' successful mission, "He received the appointment to lead the elect out of a life of slavery in sin to a life of eternal happiness in which they are considered sons and heirs with Christ." (New Testament Commentary: Hebrews, pp. 70-71).

Jesus Christ is one Captain whose voice we as His followers never need to fear! He has won our hearts through His selfless love, and therefore we make it our aim to be well-pleasing to Him (2 Cor. 5:9). God, help us to be "good soldiers of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3)!

"Amazing Grace" As It's Meant to Be Sung!

This Thursday I'll be conducting a funeral for a lady I've never met. Her son is a professing believer and wanted to be sure that a "salvation message" was preached. I assured him that I always make it my aim to preach the Gospel wherever I go, and this funeral would be no exception.

As we thought through other aspects of the service, it was decided that we should sing a hymn. But since most of the people there would be nonChristians, we decided to go with - you guessed it - "Amazing Grace." That hymn is probably the most famous of any that's ever been sung.

No doubt many of you know who wrote it and also the history behind it. But do you know the full story? And have you ever heard this hymn sung in a way that honors its historical context? I first saw this video at The Gospel Coalition website, where it had been posted by Thabiti Anyabwile. It takes nine minutes to watch. It's worth every second. Enjoy!

The Second Coming: Comfort or Conflict?

Do the following terms mean anything to you?
  • Dispensationalism
  • Preterism
  • Amillennialism
  • Postmillennialism
  • Historic Premillennialism
  • Pretribulational Premillennialism
All of these are schools of theological thought, interpretive approaches to Scripture, and/or particular views of eschatology (the study of the end times). When and How Will Jesus Return? is a question that has produced much interest, discussion - and often heated debate - within the evangelical church.

Despite the many disagreements that exist over the manner and timing of the Second Coming, there is one truth concerning this doctrine on which all evangelical Christians agree:

There will be a sudden, personal, visible, bodily return of Christ!

Can you say "Amen!" to that? Every true disciple of Christ exclaims with the apostle John, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20). The reality of Jesus' return motivates us "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13).

I have a pastor-friend who is currently preaching through the book of Revelation. He has admitted how difficult it is to exposit the Apocalypse! The other day I sent him a portion of a blog by Dr. Hershael York, professor at Southern Seminary, wherein he offered some good thoughts on eschatology. My brother was encouraged by this, and I hope you will be too, regardless of your eschatological views.

I often think we have missed the purpose of eschatology. We are not encouraged to be convinced of a system but to be comforted by a promise. Paul told the Thessalonians that he didn’t want them to be uninformed so they wouldn’t grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13) and they were to use his words to comfort and encourage one another (1 Thess. 4:18). The reason Paul explains the resurrection of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15 is because it ensures our resurrection. The entire book of Revelation was written to a persecuted and suffering church to hearten and cheer her with the good news that the Bridegroom is returning. In spite of whatever trouble we may be enduring, we have the assurance that Jesus reigns and will vanquish all enemies—especially death!

When I, as a pastor, hold the hand of a parent whose child cannot breathe and is dying in an incubator, eschatology matters desperately—but not necessarily a system or school of eschatology as we often debate and discuss. That grieving mother needs to know that Jesus has taken the sting out of death, that He is one day returning and is going to right the wrongs and defeat our enemy. That father beside her needs to have confidence in a big God who is absolutely in control and will one day send His Son to gather to Himself the very people He has redeemed from the sin that escorted death into this world.

Eschatological investigation and systemization has its place. We might find profit in studying the way events surrounding Christ’s return will unfold or the nature of the tribulation period. But when everything in life but life itself has been stripped away, when believing families huddle in grief beside a dying father, the reality of the resurrection of Christ matters far more than the identity of the 144,000. The things that the Scriptures most plainly teach are the very things we most urgently need. I do not know if my historic premillennial beliefs are more correct than my father’s dispensationalism, but this I know: my Redeemer lives!