Thoughts about Brittany Maynard

Last Saturday, Brittany Maynard ended her life at the age of 29. She did so six months after being diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, an aggressive malignant brain tumor. Brittany had decided her death date ahead of time, appointing November 1 as the day that she would end her life.  In June, Brittany moved to Oregon with her husband and other family members so that she could take advantage of the state's Death with Dignity Act. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE last month, Brittany declared,

My glioblastoma is going to kill me and that's out of my control. I've discussed with many experts how I would die from it, and it's a terrible, terrible, way to die. So being able to choose to go with dignity is less terrifying.

Brittany died on November 1 by taking a fatal dose of barbiturates as prescribed by her physician. Her farewell message was posted on Facebook:

Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me ... but would have taken so much more. The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type ... Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!

Several Christian friends of mine on social media affirmed, and even applauded, Brittany's decision to end her life. This troubled me, and I think for good reason.

Before explaining why, let me express my own sympathy for Brittany and her family. In October of 2005 I conducted a funeral for a 14-year-old boy in our congregation who died of a malignant brain tumor. I walked with him and his family through that valley of suffering and heartache. I can assure you it made a profound impression on me. My heart is truly saddened over this terrible crisis Brittany and her family has had to endure over these last six months.

Still, I am concerned that many Christians have showed their support for Brittany's act of suicide. That's what it was, despite Brittany's claim to the contrary: "For people to argue against this choice for sick people really seems evil to me," she told PEOPLE. "They try to mix it up with suicide and that's really unfair, because there's not a single part of me that wants to die. But I am dying." Yes, we all are. Some are simply dying more quickly than others. Suicide is, by definition, the act of intentionally killing oneself, and that is precisely what Brittany did, with the help of her physician.

Arguments for the right-to-die movement are usually based on cases of terminal illness in which the pain is presumably intolerable and beyond the range of medical relief. But several medical options exist for adequate pain control (e.g. analgesics, nerve-blocking) without too much sedation or other undesirable side effects.

But the bigger issue is what Scripture itself teaches about the sanctity of life and the sovereign purpose of God. On these matters John Jefferson Davis provides some very helpful insights in his book Evangelical Ethics. The following quote is lengthy but speaks to an even broader context than Brittany Maynard's situation and is well worth taking the time to read carefully and reflectively:

From the perspective of the Judeo-Christian tradition, euthanasia violates the commandment "You shall not murder" (Ex. 20:13, NIV). The taking of human life--for whatever motives--is strictly forbidden in Scripture, except in those very narrowly defined circumstances such as justifiable war, self-defense, and capital punishment. Societies that have gone beyond these narrow exceptions have opened the door to unintended but tragic levels of bloodshed and violence. 

Human life is sacred because God made man in his own image and likeness (Gen. 1:26-27). This canopy of sacredness extends throughout man's life, and is not simply limited to those times and circumstances when man happens to be strong, independent, healthy, and fully conscious of his relationships to others. God is actively at work in the womb, for example (Ps. 139:13-16; Job 10:8-13), long before the human being can exercise the mental functions that secular humanists tend to see as the key criteria of value for human personality. The same God who lovingly is present in the womb can be present in the dying and comatose patient, for whom conscious human relationships are broken. The body of the dying can still be a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), and hence sacred to God. 

The euthanasia mentality sees man as the lord of his own life; the Christian sees human life as a gift from God, to be held in trusteeship throughout man's life on earth. "You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19b-20). Determining the moment of death is God's prerogative, not man's (Job 14:5). Man does not choose his own death, but acquiesces in the will of the heavenly Father, knowing that for the believer, death is both the last enemy and the doorway to eternal life. Because man bears the image of God, his life is sacred in every state of its existence, in sickness or in health, in the womb, in infancy, in adolescence, in maturity, in old age, or even in the process of dying itself. Among a society all too often characterized by the choosing of death and violence, Christians are to be shining lights to a world of darkness, who choose life for themselves and for others--offering to the dying patient not deadly poisons, but rather neighbor love and the hope of life eternal.

Earlier in this article I mentioned a 14-year-old boy in my church who died of a malignant brain tumor. On the front of the funeral program was his picture and these words from 2 Timothy 4:7:

I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

That's dying with dignity.

Teaching Children About Repentance

In my last blog post, I wrote about Kids and Communion. That following Sunday, in God's providence, we had two children in our congregation pray to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. In both cases, they prayed to receive Christ after asking and learning about the elements of communion (the bread and the cup).

This past Sunday, we got word from our Children's Ministries Director that six more children indicated their desire to receive Christ following the Bible lesson on repentance.  We use Generations of Grace, which is a biblically based and God-centered curriculum designed for children three years old through the sixth grade.  The GoG motto is "Teaching the whole counsel of God to the next generation." Over a three-year period, this curriculum covers the Old Testament historical books, the life of Christ, and lessons from Acts and Revelation.

One of the features our teachers love about this teaching material is the flexibility it affords. When asked how he taught the children about repentance, the children's teacher for this past Sunday replied,

The curriculum really lent itself to an altar call. It's not something I would do regularly but it seemed to fit in with the message which was based on Matthew 3:1-12, the preaching of John the Baptist. We started by reviewing the previous lessons about the birth of Christ and I pointed out how amazing it was that Christ would leave the perfection of heaven to live in a place like this with sadness, sickness, pain and death.  But that he did it because of his love for us.   

Then we talked about how John was sent to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of Jesus. His only method of preparation being one of repentance. I illustrated repentance by having my daughter Ellie walk away from me (life of sin) and then when I said "repent" she would turn and run back into my arms. I emphasized that God was always willing and ready to embrace every repentant sinner. I then explained (in costume as John including live crickets) that by his manner of life John set himself apart from the religious elite of the day as he pointed people to confession and repentance.   

We talked about how the Pharisees demonstrated a false repentance. I illustrated this by reading them a book which on the cover looked like the story of The Little Three Pigs, but when I started reading it they immediately recognized it as The Three Billy Goats Gruff. I made the point that God is most concerned with what's on the inside. I also had my kids come up and asked them if the fact that I was a doctor made my children doctors as well. In the same way we cannot rely on our parents' faith for salvation as the Pharisees were doing.   

Finally we looked at verses 11-12 which describe Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit or with fire. I told them that this referred to salvation and judgment and that the ONLY way to escape the coming wrath was to turn from their sins in repentance and place their faith in Jesus. I then asked if their was anyone who had never actually done this for themselves. Several kids raised their hands. I told them if they wanted to repent now to not be afraid and come forward. Six children came forward and with them gathered around me I thanked the Lord for their repentance and faith.  [My wife] Cheryl followed up with the parents, giving them a booklet describing the plan of salvation.

Praise God for parents and teachers who faithfully teach the Word of God to children. I think this is a classic illustration of the maxim that the more you put into something, the more you'll get out of it. Yes, God is the one who gives the growth (1 Cor. 3:7), but he delights to honor those "those who labor in preaching and teaching" (1 Tim. 5:17; cf. Psalm 126:6).

Kids and Communion

Years ago when our children were young, my wife was sitting with them in the pew while I as pastor led our church family in communion (a.k.a. the Lord's Supper). Afterwards my wife told me that our son, a pre-schooler at the time, got all upset because his older sister got to have a "snack" during the service, but he didn't.

Probably every Christian parent has experienced a similar incident at some point in a church service. This raises the question, When is it appropriate for children to participate in communion, that is, to partake of the bread and cup? 

Because I have an affinity for acronyms, I am going to use them as a tool in addressing the above question. The first answer, represented by the word "CUP," represents our church's "official" stance on the issue. Children may, at the discretion of their parents, participate in communion when they have met the following criteria:

Conversion 

They are able to articulate the gospel and give a credible profession of faith in Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Understanding

They understand the meaning of communion, i.e. the significance of the bread and the cup.

Personal Commitment 

They are intentional about confessing sin and obeying the Lord.

When these basic conditions are met, children are allowed to participate in the Lord's Supper, so far as the church leadership is concerned.

However, I'd also like to share some additional thoughts on a personal level. This is based on my own experience as a parent and as a pastor for the last 23 years. Other good and godly parents may disagree on some points, which is fine.  I simply want to provide some food for thought.

If I had the opportunity to go back and do it all over again, I would have established a little more stringent criteria for my own children. These criteria, represented by the acronym "BREAD," are what I would encourage parents to consider as guidelines for their own children:

Baptism

Jesus commanded all his followers to be baptized as a public profession of their faith in him as Lord and Savior. Since the ordinance of baptism is no more difficult to understand than the Lord's Supper, it makes sense to have a child participate in communion only after he or she has obeyed the Lord by being baptized.

Respect

Scripture says, "whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:27). Communion is not to be taken lightly and must be treated with respect. Waiting to have our children partake of communion until they can do so reverently shows wisdom on our part as parents.

Examination

Self-examination is a key part of communion. Failure to do so results in discipline (see 1 Cor. 11:27-32). We want to make sure that our children are mature enough to conduct an honest examination of themselves. 

Appreciation

As our children comprehend the significance of the Lord's Supper and undergo appropriate self-examination, they are better able to appreciate afresh the atoning sacrifice Jesus made for them. In this way they are able to celebrate the feast with sincerity and truth with the family of God (1 Cor. 5:8; 11:33).

Devotion

How do we know if our young children are truly devoted to Christ or simply wanting to please their mommy and daddy? Discerning this can be difficult, even for the best of parents. Once our children head into their teenage years, however, they begin to think and act more independently. Their level of commitment to Christ is often easier to discern at this stage in their life than during their pre-teen years. 

Much more could be written on this subject, but I hope these brief considerations will help you to disciple your children in a manner that seems most pleasing to the Lord. Even if your child is not yet ready to partake of the bread and cup, the communion service provides a wonderful teaching opportunity for us as parents to share with our children the gospel of Jesus Christ and the beautiful significance of communion. The same goes for baptism.

In closing, consider the words of the 19th century bishop, J. C. Ryle:

Are we in the habit of coming to the Lord's table? If so, in what frame of mind do we come? Do we draw near intelligently, humbly, and with faith? Do we understand what we are doing? Do we really feel our sinfulness and need for Christ? Do we really desire to live a Christian life, as well as profess the Christian faith? Happy is the soul who can give a satisfactory answer to these questions. Let him go forward, and persevere.

May God help us as parents to put these questions first to ourselves, then to our children.

Practical Tips on How to Encourage Others

The other day my wife Ruthie and I were talking about our struggles against sin. In the course of our conversation, Ruthie came up with a helpful analogy. She said it's like pushing a shopping cart with a defective wheel.  Naturally it pulls to one side, and you have to force it to go straight. Likewise, our bodies have a natural bent toward sin. Unless we purposely steer them in the right direction by the power of the Holy Spirit, they will veer off in the wrong direction.

This principle is never more true than when it comes to our tongue. Our natural tendency is not to encourage but to criticize, argue, and complain.

Yet Scripture explicitly says, "Do all things without complaining and arguing" (Phil. 2:14). Rather, the Bible tells us to "encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thes. 5:11). Doing this requires deliberate effort on our part. What specific measures can we take to make this happen? Garrett Kell, Lead Pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Virginia, offers some helpful suggestions, which I have reprinted below. (For the original article, click here.)

HOW DO I GROW IN BEING AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO OTHERS?

There isn’t only one “right way” to encourage each other, but here are a few ideas to help you get started.

1.    Pray for God to make you an encourager. Ask him to give you a heart that loves others and creativity to know how to show it. Ask him to help you die to self-centeredness and grow in a desire to build others up. Because God delights in helping his people obey his commands, we can trust that his Spirit will teach us how to bless others for his glory and their spiritual good.

2.    Study Barnabas and ask God to make you like him. Barnabas was nicknamed the “son of encouragement” by the early church (Acts 4:36). He was the kind of guy you wanted to have around as you were serving the Lord. He wasn’t just a spiritual cheerleader, but he was a man of great conviction who wanted to see the church flourish and did all he could to make it happen. Ask God to give you and your church a heart like Barnabas.

3.    Make encouragement a daily discipline. For some of us encouragement comes naturally, for others, not so much. I have a reminder in my calendar each day to send someone an encouraging note, email, text, or phone call. I need this reminder to pause, pray, and then intentionally try to spur someone on in Christ.

4.    Pray for God to show you who to encourage. Ask God to bring someone to mind that you should reach out to. One way to do this is by praying through your church’s membership directory. Check out this article to learn more about that.

5.    Use Scripture if you’re able. Nothing encourages us like promises from God’s Word. Make a list of Scriptures that God has used to bless you personally or an excerpt from something you read in your daily devotional. Mine the Psalms, Romans 8, and the Gospels. Find and share riches of God’s grace with others.

6.    Be specific in what you say. The note I received from my friend included two very specific ways he had seen evidences of grace in my life. When I read them, I was humbled and reminded of the fact that God does actually work in and though me. I needed that.

7.    Regularly encourage your pastor. If your pastor says something that God uses, tell him about it. Don’t expect him to write you back, but just send a few lines in a card or an email. Nothing encourages a pastor like hearing specific ways God used a sermon or counseling session to work in your life.

8.    Pray that God would create a culture of encouragement in your church. Ask God to make your church a community that loves each other in specific, tangible ways like encouragement. Ask God to use you to help fan that flame. Don’t get discouraged if people don’t return your encouragement (Matt. 6:3-4; Eph. 6:3-8) or if you don’t see fruit from it (Gal. 6:9-10). Creating a church culture that glorifies God takes a long time, lots of prayer, and abundant grace. I encourage you to keep at it.

9.    Be wise. If you want to encourage someone of the opposite sex, use discernment in how best to do it. If I’m going to encourage a single sister in the congregation, I will tell my wife and copy her on the email. If I were encouraging a married sister, I would again tell my wife and copy her and the husband of the person I’m encouraging. You can also use that as an opportunity to encourage both the husband and wife.

10. Get started. Who can you encourage right now? Who has blessed you recently that you can thank? What verse can you share with them? How might God use it?

May the Lord do more than we can imagine through just a little encouragement (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Plum Pits

Our guest blogger for today is David Francisco, one of my fellow elders at Webster Bible Church.

My daughter Ellie had just finished a plum and she told me that she wanted to keep the pit and plant it in the hopes of growing a tree.  Interested, I did a google search and found out some interesting stuff.

Have you ever eaten the last of the most deliciously juicy plum and with the pit as the only memento wondered “Can I plant a plum pit?” The answer to planting plums from a pit is a resounding yes! Keep in mind, however, that the resulting tree may or may not fruit and, if it does fruit, the plum from the new tree may be nothing like the glorious, succulent fruit the pit is reminiscent of.

Most fruit trees are propagated from compatible rootstock or the mother plant onto which the desired variety is grafted to obtain a “true” copy of the fruit. Planting plums from a pit may result in a very different variety of the original; the fruit may be inedible, or you may produce an even better variety. Either way, it is fairly easy and super fun growing plums from pits.

Isn't this amazing?  The parallel with how God saves us is incredible.  We too are not grown from seeds but rather "grafted" on to the "mother plant" to obtain a "true" copy.  I just love how God works!

So there I am, sitting at Starbucks ...

Monday for me is "Staff Development" Day.  We kick things off with our pastoral staff meeting first thing in the morning.  Then I meet individually with staff members for the rest of the morning and afternoon.

It was such a beautiful day that I suggested to one of my associates that we go sit somewhere outside.  We opted for Starbucks.  Since I only go there a few times a year, I treated myself to a "tall" (small) a Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Man, was it good - although my pleasure was diminished somewhat by my awareness that this beverage cost fifty cents a sip.  But I digress.

As we sat enjoying our drinks and engaged in conversation, a young man approached us from the far side of the patio.  He walked toward us with a big smile and a pointed index finger, indicating that he recognized us and was very glad to see us.  However, I did not recognize him and therefore was not automatically glad to see him.

Seeing my hesitancy, he said his name.  As soon as he said it, I recognized him as a fellow pastor in the area that I had only met once or twice previously.  Since our last encounter, he had grown a bushy beard, which had made it harder for me to recognize him.  (My associate recognized him right off the bat and gave him a bro hug, thus indicating that he is both faster on the draw than I am, and much friendlier.)

Accompanying our pastor-friend was another young gentleman.  I introduced myself, and he responded, "Hi, I'm Jacob."  He said he was a missionary to Turkey.  That immediately caught my attention, and I replied enthusiastically, "That's so cool!  I visited Turkey about ten years ago to visit some missionary friends of mine.  Loved it!"

Jacob inquired, "What are their names?"  I told him (can't mention them here on the blog for security reasons), and with a big smile he said, "Oh, yeah - they're great friends of mine!"  He proceeded to tell me when and how they met.  From that point on in our conversation, Jacob and I talked as if we had known each other for years.

Why?  Because we had a connection.  That connection was a mutual friend of ours. 

Has that ever happened to you?  Have you ever met someone that you previously didn't know and perhaps had little to nothing in common with them?  But then you found out that you had a mutual friend, and suddenly there was an instant connection with that person?

That's how it is when we come to Christ.  When we, by faith, are brought into union with Jesus Christ, we have an instant connection with other Christians.  If you're a believer, you know what I'm talking about.  You encounter someone in a restaurant, checkout line, or Barnes & Noble, and upon finding out that he or she is a Christian, a whole new dynamic enters your conversation.

In the opening verses of his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul thanks God for their "partnership in the gospel."  He goes on to say, "I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace."  You see, the gospel is the glue that binds believers together.  In making this point in last Sunday's sermon, I told our congregation, "To increase your joy, invest in gospel-centered relationships."  

I've made a point to make some more relational investments these past few weeks, and my investment is already paying off.  That's how God's grace works.

That $4 latte was definitely worth it.

Battling Lust? Be Encouraged!

As a supplement to my daily Scripture reading, I've been working my way through Kevin DeYoung's book, The Hole in Our Holiness. This morning I was in chapter six, which is entitled "Spirit-Powered, Gospel-Driven, Faith-Fueled Effort." In this part of the book, DeYoung reminds us, "God is constantly making promises in the Bible, and these promises are meant to fuel our engine of obedience."

This statement immediately caught my eye, because so often in our struggle against sin, we focus on the warnings and prohibitions. You know, the negative stuff. And those do serve a purpose in that they help to deter us from sin. But God's promises also provide the positive motivation we need to pursue holiness.

To illustrate his point, DeYoung points to the Beatitudes at the outset of Matthew 5, saying, "They all promise blessing of one kind or another." (Read them for yourself, and you'll see it's true.) Kevin then goes on to share one example in particular that should encourage all of us in our struggle against sexual sin:

In my experience, Matthew 5:8--"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God"--has been the most helpful verse in the Bible in battling the temptation to lust. The key is that Jesus fights pleasure with pleasure. Sexual impurity can be pleasing (in the moment), but Jesus promises a greater blessing for the pure of heart: they will see God. Years ago, there was a house in our neighborhood I often went past on my way to work. I don't know who lived there and never met anyone from the house. But frequently in the summer a young lady in an immodest bathing suit would wash the car in the driveway. Matthew 5:8 was the sword I used to slay my temptation to turn my head and take a look. I thought to myself, "I want to see God. I want to know God. I don't want to feel distant from him the rest of the day. I know fellowship with God is better than a three-second glance." I was pursuing holiness by faith in the promises of God.

To be sure, Jesus also shares promises of judgment in addition to promises of reward. Both kinds of promises work together to motivate us to kill sin and to pursue holiness. Still, sometimes we get fixated on the negative without getting fueled by the positive. Trust God for future grace and his promise to give good things to those who ask him (Matt. 7:11).

Be encouraged as you battle lust! Remember: "The holy life is always a life of faith, believing with all our hearts that God will do what he has promised." Amen, Kevin. Preach it!

Giving Your Kids G-Rated Answers on R-Rated Issues

Today I received an e-mail from a lady in our congregation.  The subject heading was: "Explaining Incest to Girls."  Oh, boy.  I knew this was going to be a doozy.  This mother of two girls, ages 6 and 4, proceeded to ask,

Any pointers on how to best explain how Lot's daughters conceived without being married?  [Both my girls] asked today and I have no idea where to start with that one.  They are quite aware of how babies come out, but not how they get in.  They are not making the connection that Lot fathered his (grand)kids, and I'm at a loss as to how to explain it in a G-rated fashion.

The portion of Scripture to which this mother is referring is Genesis 19:30-36:

Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.  And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth.  Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.”  So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

Seeing I had only a few minutes to respond to this mother's query before my next meeting, I replied as follows:

Dear _____________,

Wow, that's a tough one, only because your girls are so young.  However, if they understand how babies come out, that's a start.  For instance, do you refer to that as their "private part"?  If so, you could say that boys/men have their "private part" too, and it is different from girls/women.  You could take them back to Genesis 2:24, how "the man and his wife [Adam and Eve] were both naked and not ashamed."  Explain that God made the love between a man and his wife special -- that they can show deep love and affection for each other by being naked together and holding each other close.  They become, as it were, "one flesh."  When a husband and his wife come together in this way, their private parts are connected, and this is how children are made.

You can tell them that this kind of affection is only for a husband and wife.  For it to happen with any other person besides one's spouse is sin -- a violation of God's holy Word.  So in discussing the story of Lot, you can tell them that at least two sins occurred: (1) Lot allowed himself to get drunk, which is a sin - see Ephesians 5:18, and (2) Lot's daughters snuck into their father Lot's bed while he was passed out from being drunk, and they got naked with him and made their private parts touch.  That's how they ended up having children.  But because Lot was their father and not their husband, this was a terrible sin against God and against one another.  

Perhaps you can conclude by thanking God for your family, that Daddy and Mommy love each other in this special way, and that's how we had you.  Daddy and Mommy love you, too, but in a different way.  This pleases God and helps us to have a happy home.

Of course you can tailor this answer to best suit your children, since you know them better than anyone else.  But I think this is the general direction that I would go.

If I can be of further help, please let me know.  Also, I'd love to hear how things turn out (i.e. how your girls respond once you talk to them about this).

Thanks,
Pastor Matt

After reading my response, this mother expressed her appreciation and recommended that I post this piece of correspondence on my blog site for the purpose of helping other parents that may come across similar issues.

Having done this, I would like to add a few closing thoughts:

1. The Bible is not a book of G-rated children's stories.  Scripture presents sin in all its vileness, ugliness and filth.  Even the best "heroes of the faith" are flawed and in need of redemption.
2. When coming across "R-rated" topics in Scripture, don't skip over them, ignore them, or present them as something less or different than what they really are.  Remember, "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).
3. The last point notwithstanding, use tact when teaching your children.  Be discerning.  After all, there are both "meat" and "milk" appetites when it comes to Scripture.  "Solid food is for the mature" (Heb. 5:14; cf. 1 Cor. 3:1-2).  Don't give your kids more than they can handle at their level of maturity.  Pray for wisdom (James 1:5) and respond accordingly.
4. Make a beeline from the text to the gospel.  Remember, the Bible is a book about the salvation of God's people through Jesus Christ his Son.  Therefore, as John Calvin said, "The scriptures should be read with the aim of finding Christ in them."  When you encounter any text, ask yourself, "What is the road that leads to Christ?"  Take your child down that road.

I wish I would have taken an extra moment in my e-mail to follow through on that fourth point.  It is so important.  It's not enough to know the stories of the Bible; you've got to be able to connect the dots and see Christ at the heart of it all.  Around Christmas, I came across a terrific summary of the story-line of the Bible.  I have found it to be a tremendous resource.  To read it, click here.

Parents have the weighty responsibility and glorious privilege of teaching their children the Word of God.  Though biblical issues can can be incredibly challenging at times, let us resolve: 

We will not hide them from [our] children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done . . . that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. - Psalm 78:4, 6-7

Divine Regret

"I the LORD do not change" (Malachi 3:6).  In this text God affirms his unchangeableness, or immutability.  This divine attribute is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture (see Psalms 33:11; 102:25-27; Isaiah 46:9-11; Numbers 23:19; James 1:17).

Several years ago, after our family had suffered through a difficult stretch of church ministry, the elders granted us a six-week sabbatical.  At the time, we weren't sure if we would even stay on at the church.  The elders wanted us to (and, as it turned out, so did the vast majority of the congregation).  But we weren't sure if we could or should continue serving in that context.  However, after a lot of Scripture reading, praying, and heart-searching, we concluded that the Lord wanted us to stay and serve.  But we were a bit squeamish about what awaited us when we got back.  As we talked about this, Ruthie reassured me, saying, "God is the same God that he was six weeks ago."  That truth strengthened our resolve and kept our hand to the plow.  Despite whatever changes awaited us, God was--and would continue to be--our one true Constant.

Was our trust misplaced?  Did our faith have firm footing?  Is God really immutable, or does he actually change his mind?  Verses like Genesis 6:6-7 seem to indicate that he does:

And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them."

Additional texts which indicate repentance or regret on God's part are Exodus 32:14; 1 Samuel 15:11, 29; Jeremiah 26:3.  What are we to make of these texts?  Do we have cause for concern when it comes to God's constancy and thus his dependability?

In a word, no.  We need not doubt the Lord's reliability, which is rooted in his immutability.  Reassurance comes as we cut Scripture straight (2 Timothy 2:15).  Every word of God is inerrant and important.  The Hebrew root behind all the above references to God's "repentance" or "regret"is nacham, which carries the idea of "breathing or sighing deeply."  The term suggests a display of one's feelings -- sorrow, compassion or comfort.  This Hebrew root is reflected in such names as Nehemiah ("comfort of Yahweh") and Nahum (a shortened form of Nehemiah).

When Scripture speaks of God's "repentance" or "regret," the point is not that God has changed in terms of his character or essential nature.  Rather the idea is that God's feelings toward, and dealings with, certain people change in response to some change on their part.  With this in mind, let's look again at Genesis 6:6 in light of its context:

• Genesis 6:5 says, "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."  This is radically different from Genesis 1, where we read that "God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good..." (v. 31). 
• What was it that changed God's outlook?  Sin!  Sin is viewed not as mere imperfection, but as something hostile to God's person and holy purposes.  Sin is intensely personal ("the thoughts of [man's] heart").  Sin is pervasive (every intention of his heart was only evil continually"), i.e. everything man does is contaminated by sin.  Sin is perpetual ("only evil continually").
• Hence the change on man's part (from good to evil) resulted in a change on God's part, in terms of his feelings and his dealings.

Here we see the importance of cutting Scripture straight, being as precise and accurate as possible in our understanding of God.  We see such precision in theologian Wayne Grudem's definition of God's unchangeableness (immutability):  "God is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations" (Systematic Theology, p. 163).   That is worth reading over a few times, even memorizing, for the sake of gaining an accurate understanding of God's immutability - what it means and what it does not mean.

The Lord in his infinite wisdom understands the limited capabilities of the human mind and how we might tend to question one scriptural truth in light of another.  So in passages which indicate a change in God's feelings or dealings with man, we find also in that same context a reaffirmation of God's immutability.  For instance, God says in 1 Samuel 15:11, "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments."  (Notice how God's feelings changed in response to how Saul had changed.)  Yet later on in that same chapter, after the Lord rejected Saul from being king, Scripture declares that "the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man that he should have regret."  So did the Lord have regret (v. 11) or didn't he (v. 29)?  The answer is that the Lord did have regret in the sense that he was saddened by Saul's disobedience and subsequently rejected him as king.  Yet the Lord did not change or have regret in terms of his holy character, sovereign plan, and eternal purposes for Israel.  To quote Grudem again, 

These instances [of divine regret] should all be understood as true expressions of God's present attitude or intention with respect to the situation as it exists at that moment.  If the situation changes, then of course God's attitude or expression of intention will also change.  This is just saying that God responds differently to different situations.

To cite one more example, God had planned to destroy the city of Nineveh on account of its wickedness and sent Jonah to tell them so.  But when Jonah finally did so, the people repented of their sin.  "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do it" (Jonah 3:10).  God's character and holy purposes experienced no change, but his short-term plan did in response to the situation as it existed at that particular moment.

A right understanding of God's unchangeableness brings reassurance to us as believers and strengthens our faith.  Furthermore, the doctrine of divine immutability causes us to rejoice over our God who is not only sovereign over us but is also personally involved with us.  

Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,

Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!

Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been

Granted in what He ordaineth?

A Surprise Poem - a Special Gift

This past summer our whole family headed south for vacation.  We got to spend some time with our extended family in South Carolina.  Our first night there we had a great cook-out with our Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary Jane, who are committed Christians.  It was a bit rainy that night, and I held an umbrella over Uncle Jack as he grilled the hotdogs and hamburgers.  We had a great time.

Little did I know that less than two weeks later, dear Uncle Jack would be in heaven.  

This past week, we received a Christmas letter from Aunt Mary Jane that included the following introductory note and poem:

Dear Family and Friends,

After Jack went to be with the Lord, in our safe I found this poem with a request I copy it and give it to our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren his first Christmas in heaven.  It was dated Sept. 8, 1998 -- over fourteen years ago.  He was anticipating heaven before he went!  Though he is greatly missed, it's a comfort to know he's happier than he's ever been!

I've had my first Christmas in heaven

A glorious, wonderful day.

I stood with the saints of all ages,

Who found Christ the Truth and the Way.

I sang with the heavenly choir,

Just think, I who loved so to sing,

And oh, what celestial music

We brought to our Savior and King.

We sang the glad songs of redemption,

How Jesus to Bethlehem came,

And how they had called his name Jesus,

That all might be saved through His name.

We sang once again with the angels,

The song that they spoke that blest morn,

When shepherds first heard the glad story

That Jesus, the Savior, was born.

Oh dear ones, I wish you had been there,

No Christmas on earth could compare

With all the rapture and glory

We witnessed in heaven so fair.

You know how I always loved Christmas,

It seemed such a wonderful day,

With all my loved ones around me,

The children so happy and gay.

Yes, now I can see why I loved it,

And oh, what a joy it will be

When you and my loved ones are with me

To share the rich glories I see.

So, dear ones on earth, here are my greetings,

Look up till the day dawn appears

And oh, what a Christmas awaits us

Beyond our parting tears.

Uncle Jack's poem, along with Aunt Mary Jane's introductory note, tie in beautifully with some reading I did earlier this week.  In his book, Lost in the Middle, author Paul David Tripp directs the reader's attention to the reality of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:13-19) and the ultimate victory that we have in Christ because of it.  The apostle John gives us a glimpse of this in Revelation chapter five, which describes the magnificent scene in heaven with God's people gathered around His throne.  It is a scene of unprecedented celebration centered on God's redeeming, victorious work through Christ.

It is a celebration that never ends.  An eternal party.  A family reunion you never want to leave ... and won't.  It is God's kingdom come.

Here's the point, in the words of Paul Tripp:  

The only way you can make sense out of life is to look at it from the vantage point of eternity.  Eternity defines, motivates, and clarifies the life God has called us to.
... What is really worth celebrating?  What is really worth mourning?  Force yourself to use the values of eternity as your measuring tool for the here and now.
... Are you magnetized by eternity?  Can you see it in the distance and so keep marching forward?
... The bad news is that we will all weep our way into eternity. ... The good news is that you have been guaranteed a day when all of this will end.  What you will experience in eternity will far outweigh the pain you went through in the present.

Amen.  It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.  Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ.  One glimpse of His dear face all sorrows will erase.  So let's bravely run the race till we see Christ.

A Wild, Romantic Undertaking

This provocative heading is the title of chapter ten in Courtney Anderson's book To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson, one of the best missionary biographies I have ever read.  It came to mind during our pastoral staff meeting this morning as we discussed the previous Sunday's sermon--specifically Jesus' reference to those who have "left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel" (Mark 10:29).

In a day when there were no such things as transoceanic flights, e-mail, Skype and cell phones, missionaries left their homelands never to return.  Farewells said to mothers, fathers, siblings, and close friends were permanent.  Sacrifices were made not only by the missionaries in leaving their families, but also by their families in letting them go.

Adoniram Judson was driven by God's call on his life to take the gospel to those who had never heard of Jesus Christ.  Yet he also felt his heart drawn to one Nancy Hasseltine, whom he began courting one month after he met her.  Their relationship deepened through correspondence, and eventually Adoniram asked Nancy's father in writing for her hand in marriage.  Adoniram did not mince his words.  He let Nancy's father know full well what giving his daughter to Adoniram in marriage would cost him:

I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death.  Can you consent to all this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God?  Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Saviour from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?

I wonder how many fathers would have granted their consent after reading such a letter.  In the case of Mr. Hasseltine, he left it to Nancy to make up her own mind.

She said yes -- not principally out of her love for Adoniram (as strong as her affection was), rather her consent stemmed from her devotion to the Lord and how she might best serve Him.  In a confidential letter to a friend named Lydia Kimball, Nancy wrote,

I feel willing, and expect, if nothing in providence prevents, to spend my days in this world in heathen lands.  Yes, Lydia, I have about come to the determination to give up all my comforts and enjoyments here, sacrifice my affection to relatives and friends, and go where God, in his providence, shall see fit to place me.

Nancy went on to affirm, "Nor were my determinations formed in consequence of an attachment to an earthly object; but with a sense of obligations to God, and with a full conviction of its being a call in providence, and consequently my duty."

Nancy became Adoniram's wife.  Two weeks after their wedding, on February 19, 1812, they set sail for India, and after a short stay there reached the golden shore of Burma (Myanmar).  As he predicted in his letter to Mr. Hasseltine, Adoniram and Nancy suffered much hardship.  They had three pregnacies.  The first one ended in a miscarriage.  Their son Roger died eight months after his birth, and their third child Maria died only six months after her mother's death.

Nancy died at age 36 of smallpox, having suffered through illness, the 17-month imprisonment of her husband, and a host of other hardships.  Upon hearing of his wife's death, Adoniram "began to weep, softly at first, later with hoarse, racking sobs. Finally, as the full, crushing weight of the letter's meaning descended upon him, he leaned forward over the writing table in front of him and pillowed his head on his arms" (To the Golden Shore, p. 371).

Nancy was the first Protestant to translate any of the Scriptures into Thai when in 1819 she translated the Gospel of Matthew.  She also translated the books of Daniel and Jonah into Burmese.  The fruit of her labors cannot in any way be quantified and will not be fully known till all the redeemed reach the Golden Shore of Heaven.

I pray that the Judsons' spiritual legacy would not be lost in our day but would inspire a new generation of individuals and couples to count all things as loss for the sake of the gospel.

O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling,

to tell to all the world that God is light,

that he who made all nations is not willing

one soul should perish, lost in shades of night.

Publish glad tidings, tidings of peace;

tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.

Behold how many thousands still are lying

bound in the darksome prison-house of sin,

with none to tell them of the Savior's dying,

or of the life he died for them to win.

Proclaim to every people, tongue, and nation

that God, in whom they live and move, is love;

tell how he stooped to save his lost creation,

and died on earth that we might live above.

Give of thine own to bear the message glorious; 

give of thy wealth to speed them on their way;

pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious;

And all thou spendest Jesus will repay.

- Mary A. Thompson

Happy Reformation Day!

If someone were to ask, "What comes to mind when you think of October 31?", probably 99.9% of Americans would say, "Halloween!"  Most do not realize that what makes October 31 especially significant is that it is also Reformation Day.  Here is a good summary of what this holiday is about, from the Monergism website:

Reformation Day is a religious holiday celebrated on October 31st or the last weekend in October in remembrance of the Reformation. Martin Luther posted a proposal at the doors of a church in Wittenberg, Germany to debate the doctrine and practice of indulgences. This proposal is popularly known as the 95 Theses, which he nailed to the Castle Church doors. This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought. Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg's main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices. Also, the theses were written in Latin, the language of the church, and not in the vernacular. Nonetheless, the event created a controversy between Luther and those allied with the Pope over a variety of doctrines and practices. While it had profound and lasting impacts on the political, economic, social, literary, and artistic aspects of modern society, the Reformation was at its heart a religious movement. The Reformation was the great rediscovery of the good news of salvation by grace through faith for Christ's sake. For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church had been plagued by false doctrines, superstition, ignorance, and corruption. Since most ordinary Christians were illiterate and had little knowledge of the Bible, they relied on their clergy for religious instruction and guidance. Tragically however, monks, priests, bishops, and even the popes in Rome taught unbiblical doctrines like purgatory and salvation through good works. Spiritually earnest people tried to justify themselves by charitable works, pilgrimages, and all kinds of religious performances and devotions, but they were left wondering if they had done enough to escape God's anger and punishment. The truth of the gospel -- the good news that God is loving and merciful, that He offers each and every one of us forgiveness and salvation not because of what we do, but because of what Christ has already done for us -- was largely forgotten by both clergy and laity. The Holy Spirit used an Augustinian monk and university professor named Martin Luther to restore the gospel to its rightful place as the cornerstone doctrine of Christianity. Martin Luther and his colleagues came to understand that if we sinners had to earn salvation by our own merits and good works, we would be lost and completely without hope. But through the working of the Holy Spirit, the reformers rediscovered the gospel -- the wonderful news that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again to redeem and justify us. As Luther wrote in his explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed: I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. On Reformation Day, we glorify God for what he accomplished in 16th century Germany through His servant, Dr. Martin Luther -- the recovery of the gospel of salvation by grace through faith for Christ's sake. We also earnestly pray that God would keep all of us faithful to the true gospel and help us to joyfully declare it to the world. This lovely hymn verse encapsulates the theme of our Reformation celebration:

By grace God's Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
It brought Him from His heav'nly throne.

Expositors' Conference 2012

This week I had the privilege of attending the sixth annual Expositors' Conference at Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama.  I've attended five out of the six conferences, missing only last year's event, as I was in my first month of ministry at Webster Bible Church and didn't feel right leaving for a conference just then.

The first Expositors' Conference in 2007 and this year's conference featured two of my favorite preachers:  John MacArthur and Steve Lawson.  You can read their individual biographical sketches on  several websites, including their own respective churches (Grace Community Church and Christ Fellowship Baptist Church).  But I want to share just a word about how each of these men have ministered to me personally.

I first became exposed to John MacArthur's ministry when someone gave me his landmark book The Gospel According to Jesus.  I was in Bible college when this was published, and it rocked my world.  I came to see from Scripture the implications of Jesus' lordship over my life -- what Jesus really meant when He said, "Follow me."  Since reading that book, I've come to appreciate just about every other book and commentary written by John MacArthur.  He is a faithful, accurate, uncompromising teacher of God's truth.  My guess is that, if the Lord tarries, John MacArthur will be one of the leading figures of church history in this generation (along with R. C. Sproul and John Piper).  I truly thank God for the impact this man has had on my life.  All things considered, John MacArthur is probably my favorite living Bible teacher.

Steve Lawson was the other keynote speaker of the 2012 Expositors' Conference.  In fact, Steve Lawson is always one of the two keynote speakers at this conference, for he is the host pastor and a very popular preacher himself, speaking at major events such as the Shepherds' Conference and the Ligonier Conference, which are attended by thousands each year.  I first met Steve at the 2006 Shepherds' Conference.  I'll never forget his sermon on Nehemiah 8.  After hearing it, I turned to one of my friends and said, "I've never  preached a sermon in my life."  That's how I felt after listening to the passionate preaching of Dr. Lawson.  In the spring of 2007 he visited New England to speak at a conference and to do research on George Whitefield.  I was blessed to spend several days with Steve and to have him preach at First Baptist Church in Weymouth, where I pastored (1999-2011).  Since then we have enjoyed a friendship built on our love for the Lord, our commitment to his truth, our passion for preaching, and our heart for the local church (plus a common sense of humor!).

At conferences such as this, relationships are formed with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ -- friendships that will last throughout eternity.  The idea of worshiping God together free from any taint of sin, and full of sincere love for God and one another, keeps me encouraged on the more mundane and doleful days of ministry.  It also reminds me of how important it is to keep sharing the Good News, so that others can join the ranks of the redeemed, and bask in the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Take Heed How You Hear!"

The following article was originally posted on TruthWalk in November of 2007.  Every now and then we could all use a refresher on these practical tips on hearing God's Word, which is why I'm reposting them today.

In his devotional book, Taste and See, pastor-theologian John Piper lists what he calls "ten practical suggestions for hearing the Word of God on Sunday morning." This is based on his meditation of Luke 8:18: "Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away." With this verse in mind, Piper offers the following tips:

1. Pray that God would give you a good and honest heart.
The heart we need is a work of God. That’s why we pray for it. "I will give you a new heart" (Ezek. 36:26). "I will give them a heart to know Me" (Jer. 24:7). Let’s pray, "O Lord, give me a heart for you. Give me a good and honest heart. Give me a soft and receptive heart. Give me a humble and meek heart. Give me a fruitful heart."

2. Meditate on the Word of God.
"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8). On Saturday night, read some delicious portion of your Bible with a view to stirring up hunger for God. This is the appetizer for Sunday morning’s meal.

3. Purify your mind by turning away from worldly entertainment.
"Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which I able to save your souls" (James 1:21, emphasis added). It astonishes me how many Christians watch the same banal, empty, silly, trivial, titillating, suggestive, immodest TV shows that most unbelievers watch. This makes us small and weak and worldly and inauthentic in worship. Instead, turn off the television on Saturday night and read something true and great and beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8). Your heart will unshrivel and be able to feel greatness again.

4. Trust in the truth you already have.
The hearing of the Word of God that fails during trial has no root (Luke 8:13). What is the root we need? It is trust. Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, "Blessed is the man who trustsin the LORD, and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream" (emphasis added).

5. Rest long enough Saturday night to be alert and hopeful Sunday morning.
"All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything" (1 Cor. 6:12,RSV). I am not laying down any law here. I am saying there are Saturday night ways that ruin Sunday morning worship. Don’t be enslaved by them. Without sufficient sleep, our minds are dull, our emotions are flat, our proneness to depression is higher, and our fuses are short. My counsel: Decide when you must get up on Sunday in order to have time to eat, get dressed, pray and meditate on the Word, prepare the family, and travel to church; and then compute backward eight hours and be sure that you are in bed fifteen minutes before that. Read your Bible in bed and fall asleep with the Word of God in your mind. I especially exhort parents to teach teenagers that Saturday night is not the night to stay out late with friends. If there is a special late night, make it Friday. It is a terrible thing to teach children that worship is so optional that it doesn’t matter if you are exhausted when you come.

6. Forbear one another Sunday morning without grumbling and criticism.
"They grumbled in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of the LORD" (Psalm 106:25). Sunday morning grumbling and controversy and quarreling can ruin a worship service for a family. When there is something you are angry about or some conflict that you genuinely think needs to be talked about, forbear. Of course if youare clearly the problem and need to apologize, do it as quickly as you can (Matt. 5:23-24). But if you are fuming because of the children’s or spouse’s delinquency, forbear, that is, be slow to anger and quick to listen (James 1:19). In worship, open yourself to God’s exposing the log in your own eye. It may be that all of you will be humbled and chastened so that no serious conflict is necessary.

7. Be meek and teachable when you come.
"Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21, RSV). Meekness and teachability are not gullibility. You have your Bibles and you have your brain. Use them. But if we come with a chip on our shoulders and a suspicion of the preaching, week after week, we will not hear the Word of God. Meekness is a humble openness to God’s truth with a longing to be changed by it.

8. Be still and enter the room and focus your mind’s attention and heart’s affection on God.
"Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10, NKJV). As we enter the sanctuary, let us come on the lookout for God, and leave on the lookout for people. Come with a quiet passion to seek God and his power. We will not be an unfriendly church if we are aggressive in our pursuit of God during the prelude and aggressive in our pursuit of visitors during the postlude.

9. Think earnestly about what is sung and prayed and preached.
"Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in yourthinking be mature" (1 Cor. 14:20, emphasis added). So Paul says to Timothy, "Think over what I say, for the Lord will grant you understanding in everything" (2 Timothy 2:7, RSV, emphasis added). Anything worth hearing is worth thinking about. If you would heed how you hear, think about what you hear.

10. Desire the truth of God’s Word more than you desire riches or food.
"Like newborn babies, long for [desire] the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation" (1 Peter 2:2, author’s translation). As you sit quietly and pray and meditate on the text and the songs, remind yourself of what Psalm 19:10-11 says about the words of God: "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb."

"Make Believe"

After the worship service this past Lord's Day at Webster Bible Church, several folks in the congregation asked me for a copy of my dad's poem "Make Believe," which I quoted at the end of the sermon.  Here is a copy of the full poem:

"MAKE BELIEVE"

by James W. Fletcher

I often watch my children play,

And how amazed I am that they

Are occupied for hours on end

By 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 religion saves,

And scorn the thought that sin depraves;

And so delude themselves within,

That God is dead or winks at sin.

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

With service only “make believe”?

A Death Notice from God?

Yesterday a dear sister in Christ asked me what she thought to be a "weird question," which was this:  "Do you think our LORD would share with us when our time of passing was near?  Do you ever know of this happening?

Here was my response:

I don't think that's a weird question at all. It's probably one that many people ask in their mind but never get around to verbalizing.

Looking to Scripture as our first and foremost authority, I think we can say with absolute certainty that God does at times give people a sense that their time of death is drawing near. We certainly see this with Jesus, who knew when and when not it was His "hour." Also, Paul wrote in his last letter to Timothy, "The time of my departure has come" (2 Tim. 4:6). One of the clearest such examples is that of Peter, who explicitly wrote, "I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me" (2 Peter 1:14).

Based on these and other scriptural references, it seems that God does sometimes share with certain of His children when their date of departure is drawing near. Furthermore, I think that human experience shows this to be true as well. My uncle Jack passed away suddenly just two weeks ago - one week after we had visited him in South Carolina! Uncle Jack's son told my brother that he thinks his dad knew that his death was imminent. The weekend before his death, he had his son make the two-hour trip to his home specifically for the purpose of going over his will. How about that! No doubt countless other similar stories could be told.

Having said all this, I do think we must be careful not to put too much stock into our own premonitions. If we sense that our time might be near, who knows if that is the Lord's spirit speaking to us or our own? First Corinthians 4:6 tells us "not to go beyond what is written." Though in this context Paul was dealing with pride and factions within the church, the general principle holds true for all of life. Everything should be weighed and evaluated in light of Scripture. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." Theologians draw a distinction between God's revealed will and God's secret will. Those things which God has revealed to us through Scripture are given so that we might obey God's will. God's secret will includes those hidden decrees by which God governs the universe and determines everything that will happen. Such hidden decrees typically include the time and manner of our deaths.

As Christians, we should live each day as if it were our last. "For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living" (Romans 14:7-9).

If the TruthWalk readership have other scriptural insights they would like to add, I'd love to read them.

Testimony Tips

In my last post I shared my personal testimony.  This time I would like to share some practical tips for sharing your own personal testimony, or what Alvin Reid likes to call, your "spiritual autobiography."  When the enemies of Jesus attempted to silence the witness of the apostles, they said, "We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).  A testimony is simply telling the story of how you became a Christian and what Christ has done in your life since then.  This is precisely what Paul did in sharing his testimony.  He shared a bit about his life before becoming a Christian (Acts 22:3-5; 26:4-11), how he became a Christian (Acts 22:7-16; 26:12-18), and how his life changed after becoming a Christian (Acts 9:19-22; 22:21; 26:19-20).

Every Christian has a testimony, and every testimony is significant.  Furthermore, your testimony is unique.  You know better than anyone else the difference that Jesus Christ has made in your life.  In his outstanding Evangelism Handbook, Alvin Reid offers the following guidelines for sharing one's testimony:

1.  Write out your testimony, seeking the Spirit's guidance.
2. Give adequate but precise details showing how Christ became your Lord and Savior and how Christ meets your daily needs.   Make sure you exalt the Christ of your experience more than your experiences.
3. Use language the nonbeliever can understand.
4. Relive your testimony as you tell it.  This will enable you to present it with loving enthusiasm.
5. Relate your testimony to the Scriptures, using pertinent verses as they are needed.
6. Speak distinctly and in a natural tone, avoiding any mannerisms that might detract from the presentation.
7. Be brief (two to three minutes).  People are interested in your testimony but not your life story!
8. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you present Christ so that the unbeliever will want to know Him and will come to know Him personally.
9. Share your Christian testimony regularly with other Christian members of your family, then with Christian friends, until it becomes a natural part of your daily conversation.  Then share it with  your lost friends and others.
10. After sharing your testimony, ask, "Has anything like this ever happened to you?"  This question is a simple way to move into the gospel presentation.

After sharing these tips, Alvin Reid reminds us, "Jesus said that if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us.  Let us never be ashamed of telling others what God has done through Christ for us.  The more you share your testimony, the more comfortable you will become....  Have confidence that God can use your testimony just as it happened."

If it helps to have an example, scroll down and read my own testimony.  If you would like to write out your testimony and have me go over it with you, I'd be happy to do so.  Just e-mail me at matt@webstercs.org.

My Personal Testimony

“The den.”  That’s what my dad called his private office in our California home, and it was there one evening in March of 1973, at the age of four, that I made the biggest decision of my life.  You may wonder, “What kind of a decision could a four-year-old possibly make that could be so significant?”  I’m happy to tell you:  It was then I asked Jesus to be my Savior.

Quite frankly, I don’t remember a whole lot about my life up until that point.  I was born in upstate New York, but by the time I was three our family had moved to California on account of my dad’s job.  I had one brother that was a year older than me and a sister that was a year younger than me.  I remember playing in our pool out back, having a pet turtle, watching Winnie the Pooh on my Film Strip Viewer, and playing “store” with my siblings.  Life was good. 

Every night my dad would come home and take a dip in the pool before eating dinner, but after dinner he did something else.  He gathered the family together in our living room and taught us the Bible.  I loved hearing about Noah and the Ark, David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, and other stories.  My dad assured us that these were not made up stories but were real, and God wrote them down for our good that we might know and love him.

But of all the stories my dad shared, the one that gripped my heart like no other was the story of Jesus dying on the cross.  He was crucified--not because he had done anything wrong, but because I and everyone else had done bad things and deserved to be punished.  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23)--not just physical death but spiritual death, that is, eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.

I thought of the times that I had disobeyed my parents or had been mean to my brother or sister.  I felt guilty and knew that I deserved to be punished, not only by my parents, but also by God.  But the good news my dad shared with us that evening is that “God demonstrated his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).  Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, proving that he really was the all-powerful Son of God (Rom 1:4).  Dad told us that though we had sinned against God, if we would trust Jesus to save us, he would. 

Dad prayed, and our time of family devotions was over--but I couldn’t get the lesson off my mind.  So a short while later I asked Dad what I needed to do to make sure that I was forgiven and would go to heaven.  It was then that Dad took me into his den and reviewed the gospel with me once again.  He asked me if I wanted to pray to ask Jesus to be my Savior.  I said yes, so we both got down on our knees.  I prayed, then Dad prayed.  After we were done, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  We walked out of the room and I told my mom what I had just done.  She recorded the incident in my baby book.

The following year I was baptized at the age of five as a public profession of my faith.  Baptism is an act of obedience by which we proclaim to others that we have trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation.  Baptism is not a good work by which we get into heaven.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-9).

For the next five years or so, I continued to grow in my faith, learning more of God’s Word from my parents, my pastor, and my Sunday School teachers.  To my knowledge I never once questioned my salvation.  When I was ten years old, however, I came to a crisis of faith.  We were living in Chicago at the time, and news broke out about the arrest of John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer who raped and murdered thirty-three men.  My parents shielded us children from these types of news stories, but everyone was talking about this case, and somehow I heard of it.

I was mortified.  I would lie in bed at night scared to death, thinking that Gacy would escape from prison and that somehow I would become his next victim.  I thought about death.  What if something happened to me?  Would I really go to heaven?  For weeks I would lie on the top bunk of my bed at night with hot tears of fear streaking down both sides of my head as I lay on my back, praying to God to save me again and again.  It was during this time that I was really forced to consider the basis of my salvation.  I reviewed all the verses that I shared above and that I had known since childhood.  Somewhere along the way (I’m not sure exactly when), the Spirit of God bore witness with my spirit that I was truly a child of God (Rom 8:16).

Since that time, the Spirit of God has continued to reveal to me through his Word just how great my salvation is.  I used to think that I had a boring testimony because I had not done anything “really bad” before coming to Christ.  But now I see that God not only saved me at an early age, but by doing so he also spared me from much sin and many wasted years.  God shows his grace not only by pardoningus, but also by protecting and preserving us, and for that I’m grateful.

This is not to suggest that the Christian life is easy.  I still struggle with sin, rejection, the death of loved ones, health issues, financial burdens, and a whole lot else.  Yet in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me (Rom 8:37).  I “know that for those who love God all things work together for good” (Rom 8:28).  I know that when I die, I will go to heaven, for Scripture assures us that to “be away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord.  So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him” (2 Cor 5:9-10).

Do you have this assurance?  If not, I urge you to repent and trust in Christ for salvation today.  Eternity hangs in the balance.  “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).  “Or He says, ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).

Reflections on "The Soul Winner"

One of the best-selling books that Charles Spurgeon ever wrote is "The Soul Winner."  This book is actually a compilation of a series of lectures that Spurgeon made on the subject of evangelism.

This was required reading for a seminary course I'm taking on "Building an Evangelistic Church."  Today I posted my response to four questions in relation to our reading, which provide a helpful overview and critique of the book.  I decided to post my comments here as well in the hopes that the TruthWalk readership will secure a copy for themselves and give it a thorough reading.  It will warm your heart both to God and to man, which makes this book a valuable resource in witnessing.

WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE BOOK?

Certainly one strength is Spurgeon's multi-faceted approach to the subject of evangelism. His lectures include an explanation as to the very essence of soul winning, the personal character of Christ's ambassador, the cost that comes with being a soul winner, methods in witnessing, the responsibility and rewards of sharing the gospel, etc. Spurgeon's book really is a wonderful digest of what God's Word says about this whole matter of soul winning.

A second strength of the book is Spurgeon's emphasis on personal holiness. This is addressed mainly in chapter two, where Spurgeon writes, "An unholy ministry would be the derision of the world, and a dishonor to God" (15). Spurgeon returns to this subject of personal holiness frequently throughout his discourses (44-45, 75-76, 90, et.al.), thus stressing its importance.

A third strength is Spurgeon's own passion for souls and the glory of Jesus Christ. The zeal of this venerated pastor spreads by contagion. Notwithstanding the Elizabethan language of the book, Spurgeon's words still communicate and carry a tremendous force of influence for good in the present day.

WHAT DOES SPURGEON SAY THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE 21ST CENTURY NORTH AMERICAN CHURCH?

First, Spurgeon repeatedly points to prayer as an indispensable component of effective evangelism. In addition to private prayer, i.e. "personal communion with God" (45), Spurgeon also stresses the necessity of corporate prayer, insisting, "Somehow we must keep up with the prayer meetings, for they are at the very secret source of power with God and with men" (56). So often in modern evangelical churches, if there is prayer at all, they are very much inwardly focused rather than outwardly focused. Spurgeon's exhortations regarding prayer coincide well with those of the apostle Paul, who instructed Timothy that prayer for all people in reference to salvation is a matter of first priority in the church (2 Tim 2:1-4).

Second, Spurgeon offers terrific counsel for dealing with tares in the church: "We must let the tares grow until the harvest; but the best thing to do, when you cannot root up the tares, is to water the wheat" (59). Pastors far too easily get distracted, discouraged and distressed over professors of faith who are not possessors of faith and wreak havoc in the church. Our ministry, however, should be geared not toward this group but toward the gospel and those who eagerly receive it for their own nourishment. This will inevitably strengthen the "planting of the Lord" (Isa 61:3) and choke out the weeds of hypocrisy.

Third, Spurgeon's sermon, "How to Raise the Dead," recorded in chapter seven provides outstanding counsel on ministering to the lost, particularly those who are children. This sermon emphasizes the importance of personal involvement in the lives of those people that we are attempting to reach for Christ. Later on, in chapter eight, Spurgeon extols the benefits of "private talk" (i.e. personal conversation), saying, "When you know how to carry a man on your heart, and have felt the burden of his case, ou will have his name engraven upon your soul. So you that privately talk to people, you are feeling the weight of souls; and I believe that this is what many regular preachers need to know more of; and then they will preach better" (78). In addition to personal conversation, Spurgeon encourages the use of home visits and personal letters as well. Anything that conveys a personal touch will go a long way in conveying the love of Christ to the lost. In this day of high-tech ministry, servants of Christ would do well to remember that personableness must always take precedence over programming.

WHAT ARE THE WEAKNESSES OF THE BOOK?

In chapter two, Spurgeon states, "You may preach very fine sermons, but if you are not yourselves holy, there will be no souls saved" (16). Certainly every believer is called to a holy life, but ultimately the gospel itself "is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom 1:16). "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Rom 10:17). The sovereign God of grace may at times choose to use a very unholy instrument to bring others to Christ. One thinks of Chuck Templeton, a team evangelist with Billy Graham in the early days of his ministry, who was used of the Lord to save numerous people, yet Templeton himself eventually abandoned the Christian faith altogether, thus proving that he himself was never really saved (see 1 John 2:19). God used the false prophet Balaam to bless the Israelites, and the Lord used Judas Iscariot to preach the gospel of the kingdom, effecting God's intended results. On the other hand, great missionaries and holy men of God such as David Brainerd and Robert Moffatt went years without seeing any visible results in their ministry. Though the Christian is to pursue holiness in all of life, God may at times use a very unholy vessel to accomplish his holy purposes.

Along these same lines, Spurgeon says, "Do not be satisfied when a single soul is converted. Remember that the rule of the kingdom is, 'According to your faith be it unto you'" (36). Here again one must be careful not to gauge the faith of a person by how many conversions he has notched on his gospel belt. Later on Spurgeon writes, "He that never saved a sinner after years of work is not a minister of Christ" (132). What about William Carey, who went seven years before he saw his first convert in India, or Robert Moffatt who went nine years without a convert? In his zeal to spur believers on toward effectiveness in evangelism, Spurgeon would have been wise to more carefully weigh and dispense his words.

WHAT IN THIS BOOK MOST CHALLENGED YOU PERSONALLY?

What challenged me post personally was the call to mentor others in such a way that they become reproducing disciples of Jesus Christ. Spurgeon declared, "I think I may say to every person whom I am addressing, If you are yourself saved, the work is but half done until you are employed to bring others to Christ. You are as yet half formed in the image of your Lord" (122). Spurgeon proceeds to say, "If Christ has caught us, we must catch others" (123). I must be committed to the work of evangelism myself, yet I must also be mentoring others to be evangelizing as well.

In chapter fourteen, Spurgeon points to the Vaudois (Waldensian) pastors, each of which took "a young man with him who walked with him whenever he went up the mountainside to preach, and lived in the house with him, and marked his prayers, and saw his daily piety. This was a fine course of instruction, was it not?" (125). This is true discipleship in action and should characterize my own mentoring ministry.

Bridges to the Gospel

Earlier this afternoon I was heading to the DMV with a couple of my older children to register a car.  We got backed up at the Irondequoit Bridge due to construction (two out of three lanes were shut down).  Not expecting the back-up, I found myself wishing there was some other bridge I could cross.

Do you ever feel that way in witnessing?  Perhaps there is a neighbor, co-worker, classmate, family member or friend that you've been wanting to reach with the gospel.  But you're not exactly sure how.  I have struggled with this at times myself, but this past week I came across a helpful list of suggestions. It's entitled Bridges to the Gospel and is part of a personal evangelism course I'm taking at Southern Seminary.  Having benefitted from this myself, I thought I'd pass it on to the TruthWalk readership.

Bridges to the Gospel

1. CHURCH Bridge
• "Were you brought up in a particular religious tradition?"
• "Do they talk about heaven much in your church?"
• What does your church teach about the way a person becomes a Christian?"
2. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE Bridge
• "Through the years, have you come to know Christ in a personal way, or are you still on the way?"
• "What is your current level of interest in spiritual things?"
• "Where are you in your own personal search for meaning and purpose in life?"
3. INTELLECTUAL Bridge
• "Is there a specific question or concern that is hanging you up in your spiritual journey?"
• "Has anyone shared with you what the Bible teaches about . . . ?"
• "Has anyone ever shared with you how to have a personal relationship with God?"
4. PERSONAL OPINION Bridge
• "In your opinion, what is a Christian?"
• "What do you think of . . . (God, Jesus Christ, religion, the Bible, meaning of life, etc.)?"
5. CURRENT ISSUES Bridge
• "Rob, the Bible is a remarkably relevant book.  Would you like to see what it has to say about this issue?"
6. SPORTS Bridge
• Did you know that (name of a well-known athlete) is a Christian?"
7. FELT NEEDS Bridge
• "You know, I still have my share of problems, but having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ has made all the difference in how I handle them!  I used to worry myself sick; God is teaching me how to have peace in the midst of the storms of life."
• "Yes, Mary, I have experienced great loneliness in my life.  I used to wonder if anyone would miss me or even care if I died.  But I have found a special Friend who loves me and will never leave me."
8. PRAYER Bridge
• "Is there something I could pray about for you?"
9. RELATIONSHIP Bridge
• "Bill, we've been friends for a while now.  We have talked together about so many things, yet there is a very important part of my life I have never shared with you.  Could I share with you about my spiritual pilgrimage?"

Over the last few weeks, I have made attempts to implement some of these strategies in my own witnessing efforts.  Just this morning I used the "prayer bridge" with a waitress at a local restaurant while having breakfast meeting with another church member.  The key is being prayerful and intentional about sharing Christ with others.  As I strive to improve my own evangelistic efforts in God's strengths, I find practical resources like this quite helpful.  I hope that you will, too.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.

- 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 20