“CHILL”
By · CommentsThe slang is “Chill.” The Biblical term is “Luke warmness!” Today the church strives with tremendous effort to 
stand in that comfortable place of tolerance and comfort; the quest for tolerance towards others and the quest for personal comfort within ourselves. In so doing she has lost her cutting edge zeal and panders the gospel only to raise the numbers and increase the coffers. We are big but we are weak! Of course there are exceptions to such tepid faith but in general the church has become lukewarm in North America. She is neither hot nor cold. The public sees the beautiful buildings, the contemporary music, the glitz and Las Vegas like showmanship, but Jesus sees for Himself and His verdict is “You are Lukewarm.”
Those who stand knee high in the waters of ambivalence are neither hot nor cold. They are neither bigots nor Puritans, they are prudent and avoid fanaticism. Striving for respectability they are averse to excitement and Holy zeal. These folks wrote the book on “Chill.” These are not disreputable in moral conduct but neither are they zealous for holiness. They have found sweet repose in the nether land of compromise and indifference.
Churches in this territory are quite pleased with themselves. There is a lot of back slapping and self-congratulation. John put it like this when speaking of the church in Laodicea:
“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev. 3:17)
So we like they live deluded and never are able to see reality. The results? Men become less likely to repent when they are in the middle passage between hot and cold than they are if they are at the extremes of sin. They are like Gamaliel, neither favoring nor opposing and they are most likely to remain there until they die. Repentance then becomes a word that is meaningless because lukewarm people rarely see the wretchedness of sin. They would rather strive to improve that which Jesus all the while desired to crucify, SELF!
CH Spurgeon spoke the following to his church on July 26, 1874 concerning the state of a lukewarm church. He was addressing his own but O how his words speak to us today!
“Alas the state of Luke warmness is so congenial with human nature that it is hard to fetch a man from it. Cold makes us shiver and great heat causes pain, but a tepid bath is comfort itself. Such a temperature suits human nature. The world is always at peace with a lukewarm church, and such a church is always pleased with itself.”
But Spurgeon continues his salvo addressing the carnal lukewarm church.
“Many a church has fallen into a condition of indifference, and when it does so it generally becomes the haunt of worldly professors, a refuge for people who want an easy religion, which enables them to enjoy the pleasures of sin and the honors of piety at the same time: were things are free and easy, where you are not expected to do much, or give much or pray much…”
Reading this make one wonder of Spurgeon had a time machine. He describes most accurately the overall condition of the modern church in the West, spiritually poor and proud.
So, we “hang loose and chill” thinking that our indifference and apathy can be disguised by quaint slogans and hip hop music. But Jesus sees, and Jesus will act. If comfort and tolerance are your quest then you possess that unique ability to make Jesus sick to His stomach! (At least that was his reaction to the lukewarm church in Laodicea.)
If there was ever a time for us to cast out this horrible vain and nauseating state it is now! Now, most definitely is not the time to “Chill.” The most horrific conclusion of such a condition is not what consequences would result from the world around us. It is the fact that we stand in the danger of being rejected by Christ! That is the whole meaning of “I Will vomit you out of my mouth.”
I think a new colloquialism should be invented. Instead of “chill” why not use, “Blaze.” Why do I suggest this? Because the surest cure for Luke warmness is FIRE! Get close to the fire and Luke warmness will begin to boil once again!
The Luke warm church will not triumph in the last days, and friend we are in them now!
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Brothers Preach the Gospel to your Church
By · CommentsPart 3
Here is the third and final part of this article. To enjoy it to its maximum scroll down and read part 1 and 2 first.
Biblical and Social Reason for Preaching the Gospel in Your Church
It seems like we have relegated the Gospel, the very central theme of our message on the earth to something that is by necessity shared on special occasions such as Easter
or Christmas. In most churches the central topics of teaching and preaching revolve around self-improvement, personal relationships and how to live the victorious and prosperous life. In most churches the preaching of the cross has become out dated and archaic, something if touched at all is merely brushed upon. What was for two thousand years the central theme of our message has now become a footnote in the contemporary church and especially in the United States of America. But friend there is ample Biblical and social evidence for why we must regain our focus on the cross. First let me touch briefly the social evidence.
Without references and statistics to support my claims let me suggest that our society is not better but worse for the milk toast, self-centered, and man exalting message that we have been giving from the pulpits of our generation. We have produced a people who say one thing but live another. Our message is impotent in view of the lives that proclaim it. We rail against fornication while leaders secretly amuse their carnal desires before their computer screens. We give the impression that Jesus is a way but not THE ONLY WAY. Tolerance is so hip that no voices command repentance, and the ones who do are viewed as bigots. Our convictions are silenced by the vain philosophies of men and the deluded lies of Islam. Moral values are no longer dictated by scripture but rather by consensus. The majority rules and in time truth will be defined by the one who has the biggest sword. If one would want to examine the content of the pulpit for the past fifty years he may do so by looking at our modernistic society. And frankly, it is most apparent to me that the departure from the Gospel as the central theme of our message has left a bitter and enduring legacy.
However I am encouraged at what I see may be a resurgence of the primacy of the Gospel. In April 2010 I attended a conference in Louisville, Kentucky where seven thousand men from various denominations came together to exalt the centrality and the supremacy of the Gospel in the contemporary church. This conference led by a group of church leaders provided a platform for a recovery of the criticality of the Gospel. The organizers saw a clear drifting from the moorings of the Cross and felt that it was time for a voice to be lifted up, a clarion call to be given to call the church back to its one safe harbor, The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Events such as T4G will without a doubt awaken many but the task remains a daunting one in such an environment as ours. But there is a far greater reason for why we should preach the Gospel in our churches. The reason I speak of is given by Paul the Apostle himself.
Romans, Our Reason
Paul’s Magnum Opus is considered by many to be his letter to Rome. Writing to a group of believers Paul expresses his deep desire to come and “Impart … some spiritual gift…” to strengthen them. It is clearly apparent that this gift he mentions is in the context of the message of the Gospel. But I am getting ahead of myself. This letter is not written to the whole population of Rome but rather to the saints who live there. (Rom. 1:7) These brothers are of renowned reputation and their testimony has become an example to others. These are not a weak fearful group who merely endure. They are victorious and face the uncertainties of their government with courage and resolve. The persecution so heavily cast upon them has tempered them into men “Whose faith is proclaimed in all the world.” So, Paul is writing this letter to a mature church that is growing and impacting its culture. But then he writes something that seems to us in these days as very strange indeed. He states “So I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Why would Paul be eager to preach the Gospel to a group of mature Christians? Why does he allude to imparting a spiritual gift within the context of the message of the Gospel? Is he saying, “Let’s all get saved again?”
If your concept of “Getting Saved” is to come to the front of the church, make a decision and put your name on the roll of the church as a member then most definitely his proposal would be strange. If I was the pastor and this was my concept then I would most likely tell the great Apostle Paul that there was no need for him to come to my church, all my members are “saved.” But if your concept is that once we are regenerated salvation continues until we are face to face with Jesus then his point makes sense. Barring the illustration with “Pedro” above, and understanding that there might be those who have not been born again, I think Paul had something else in mind here. You see for Paul the Gospel was the power of God, (Rom. 1:16) and to him it was not only the power to get you into the kingdom but it was the power to keep you there! He knew that nothing would undergird the flock with more strength, endurance, resolve and power than the Gospel of Christ. Paul wants to go to Rome TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO BELIEVERS! He knows that this message is not just the door to enter but the path to follow. It is the “Power of God unto salvation.” Now, how does one incorporate such a Gospel centered view when treating the multitude off issues that invade your church? Are we to just preach salvation every message and give an invitation and that’s it? Or is there something else in view here?
Let me propose that the multitude of issues we face today find their answer ultimately through the cross. When dealing with drug addiction, marital abuse, materialism, lust, abortion, divorce, economic meltdown or whatever threat faces the members of your church it is our responsibility to bring them to the full sufficiency of the cross. I am of the firm conviction that the power of the cross is the solution to the mountain of problems facing the modern church today. What is so needed are preachers who under the anointing of the Holy Spirit and great wisdom yoked together with bold courage gently lead their people through sound teaching and preaching to the GREAT AND TOTAL ANSWER OF GOD GIVEN TO MANKIND, THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST! This is our task. THIS IS OUR HOPE!
So I conclude be saying that we have been made stewards of the most powerful , hope filled life giving, sin forgiving, body healing, mind boggling, supremely joyful, cataclysmic message of all time. Why would we trade that for a cheap discourse on Sunday mornings in superficial morality and vain philosophies?
O Brothers, PREACH THE GOSPEL IN YOUR CHURCHES!
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Brothers preach the Gospel to your Church
By · CommentsPart II
Pedro, Touched but not Regenerated
Pedro is suffering. Perhaps he has been diagnosed with a liver disease and the doctors are very pessimistic about his prognosis. Pedro never has been in church he is lost but he has a Christian friend who invites him to his church. Pedro agrees and goes to a church meeting where the evangelist is preaching on healing. At the conclusion of his sermon the invitation is given, not to be born again but to be healed. Pedro’s friend urges him to the front. As the evangelist makes his way over to Pedro, Pedro senses a mixture between fear and excitement. Could it be that Jesus could heal me? As the evangelist prays Pedro feels a change in his body. The nausea leaves immediately and a pervading peace envelops him. He returns to his seat obviously better, less nervous and he is overwhelmed by the love he feels from the saints. Everyone is hugging him and welcoming him. Pedro goes home and has a doctor’s appointment when he discovers that the issue with his liver is complexly healed. Pedro has been touched by Divine Grace! Excited he starts going to church, buys a Bible, learns of the benefits of tithing, and begins to understand more of the Bible and the promises of God. Time passes and because of his enthusiasm he is invited by his pastor to work with the youth. In time he is seen as a leader but one who carries with him huge bags filled with issues that he cannot resolve. Counseling, miracle services, more learning simply do not bring victory. He becomes disillusioned as the problems between him and his wife increase. Their 10 year marriage ends in divorce as he is attracted to another “sister.” His life now lays in ruins and deceit. How did this happen?
The scenario I paint above is all too common in the contemporary church. But it can be avoided. How did Pedro get to this point? I suggest the following. When he was filled with sickness and a precious friend invited him to church in that meeting God by His abundant mercy and great love reached down and touched 
Pedro with his grace. That “touch” was powerful and overwhelming but it left Pedro with the thought that everything was alright between he and God. He mistook that “touch of grace” as being born again, and because the gospel was never preached in the church this illusion continued for years. Then in his hidden hypocrisy and disillusionment he goes to church with his religious face painted on and hears a word that penetrates to the depths of his heart! He is convicted as the Gospel is unpacked before his eyes and heart. Light explodes in his being, his eyes fill with tears and he discovers the lie is a lie. Today he can be born again. Pedro after having been in church for more than a decade humbly bows his heart before the Lord and comes to receive the Jesus. To everyone’s amazement and to the chagrin of his pastor Pedro surrenders. His pastor wonders, “How could this be?” “He has been in my church for ten years. Surely he doesn’t understand what he is doing.” I will talk with him afterwards.”
Dear pastor listen carefully to me. Pedro almost went to Hell because of you! You were more interested in preaching what tickles the ears of men, gaining the favor of your peers, growing a church by whatever means possible and yet you refused to lift up the cross of Christ. You did not turn His people from their wicked ways. You ran after fads and exciting revelations and allowed the cross to become a tangent thing, not needful or central in your message. Pedro almost went to Hell because you did not preach the Gospel in your church! Shame on you sir! You will give account for your Eli-like negligence in your duty to Christ and His church. Your church may be big in the earth but your palace in heaven will be as small as a cabin. O Brothers, PREACH THE GOSPEL IN YOUR CHURCHES!
Stay tuned for part III
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Brothers preach the Gospel in your church!
By · CommentsThis article has been stirring in my heart for a number of months. I have wrestled with whether I should do it our not but am now convinced of its need like never before. We are living on the precipice of utter destruction and the only hope for mankind is the Gospel of Christ. With that in mind I am presenting this article divided in three perhaps four posts. I hope it will encourage build up, rebuke and challenge those of us who declare His word. Brothers, preach the Gospel in your church!
Part I
One would think that such an exhortation as the title suggests would not be necessary after over two thousand years of church history but to the contrary, this admonition is more needful today than ever before!
A few months ago I was ministering in a church here in Guadalajara, Mexico. There appeared to be about 230 people in the meeting with a handful of visitors. I felt the Lord directed me to preach on the doctrine of adoption, a theme not frequently expounded on in Mexican pulpits. When it came time to issue the invitation I was astounded at the response. Sixty-seven people came forward to receive Christ as their Savior. Frankly I didn’t know whether to rejoice or cry. How could it be that sixty seven people in a group that size could attend church, enjoy the fellowship of the saints, witness the miracles of God and walk away Sunday after Sunday lost? These were not visitors. They were men and women who had attended this church for several years and yet on this day each one recognized their need to be born again.
Someone might say, “Well perhaps many of them just came forward because they were not sure. Let’s assume to take away all of those who came to the front because that’s what they do every time a visiting preacher comes, they always go forward. Then let’s take away those who struggled with the issue of assurance but on that day God birth a genuine assurance and confidence in their hearts that they were truly born again. And then finally let’s take away those who perhaps did not understand despite my urgent and clear presentation with sincere pleading. Take all of these away and you would still have a disturbing number of men and women who attended church for a lengthy period but were not born again. Why is this so and is this a common or unique condition in the modern church?
I walked away scratching me head wondering why has this happened? It was a good church where the pastor loves God there is a sweet unity among the saints and on occasion the Lord displays His abrupt power of unusual miracles. After pondering this and asking the Lord I feel like I began to see the background for why such a condition exists. Observing not only this church but many here in the metropolis of Guadalajara and other cities in Mexico I have concluded that we are preaching the benefits of the Gospel and yet not preaching the Gospel itself. The pulpits are proclaiming the rich benefits of the new birth without calling men and women to repentance and salvation. Who wouldn’t want to be healed or prosper or have success in all they do? But these promises are offered across the board to any and all without any call to repentance or salvation. So, you end up with a deceived congregation composed of men and women who have touched the goodness of God but are unregenerate. A typical scenario could go something like this…
Stay tuned for part two.
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I Met A MAN
By · Comments
Thank you to a Servant of God
The kingdom of God is filled with the stories of men and women who sacrificed all for Christ. Many have had far more influence in their generations than most of us have had. How do we honor these without becoming admirers of men? I think the key is to admire their work, their contribution to the Body of Christ more than admiring them. Let me share about one such man.
John Piper probably has more written about him on blogs, in magazines and the Internet than any other Christian leader at this time. He is a prolific author and has impacted the Body of Christ immensely. During the past thirty years he has proclaimed a passion for Christ in which he has invented the term, “Christian Hedonism” that is the sell all, abandon all, risk all, for the supreme and infinite beauty of Christ. It is a way to describe the man that sold all that he had to purchase the field that contained the treasure. His work has had more bearing on my thinking more so than any other Christian Author outside the Bible (except for maybe Stephen Charnock and John Owen). Now for those who read this if this automatically puts me in a particular camp according to your thoughts, so be it. I regret this for the only “camp” that attracts me is the one “Outside the gates,” where we stand with Christ together. But to continue my point I will risk being placed into some neat little category invented in the minds of small men.
In April of 2010 I was privileged to attend a conference in Louisville Kentucky named T4G and acronym for “Together for the Gospel.” My friend Jeff Robison met me at the airport and had arranged for us to stay at Southern Baptist Seminary in a guest house. Jeff although pastoring in Alabama also was attending seminary in completion of a degree and he knew the place very well. The next day we went to the conference. I was overwhelmed. Being a missionary, the opportunities to attend such events are rare ones. Seven thousand men came together from many different denominational groups. The Baptist, Presbyterian, Independents and Charismatics along with others attended under one single banner that is the banner of the Cross. The men who started these conferences saw that the church in America was drifting from her central message and was becoming side tracked with popular themes and lesser issues. They felt there was a need for “Clarion call” back to the centrality of the Gospel and so began these meetings. Led by renowned yet humble men the message is going forth, MAKE JESUS THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE AND MESSAGE!
Each session was like to a fine restaurant serving the most delicious spiritual food available. Going to the enormous books store made ones mouth water. I remember standing like a child in front of a toy store looking at all the books when I turned to someone who was smitten with the same awe. I asked him, “I wonder if there is such a thing as ‘sanctified lust’, because if there is then I think I have it.” We both laughed so hard! Hundreds and hundreds of titles all spanning hundreds and hundreds of years of Christian history and doctrine all under one roof. It was almost more than I could take.
As the sessions progressed I wanted so much to meet this man John Piper. I have no ambition to run after men nor raise mere flesh and blood above what is most important to me however I just wanted to simply express my thanks to this man of God. After each session people could go up to a cordoned off area in front of the platform to possibly speak to the speakers. Speakers had their liberty to either come to the rope or not. I went several times but saw that it was just useless. I didn’t seem like meeting Piper would happen. After one particular session, my friend Jeff asked if I had been able to meet him yet. I must have shown my disappointment when I told him not yet. He then said, “Follow me.” With that we made our way to the “rope” during the break. Following Jeff to one side we came up to Dr. Al Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Seminary. It just so happened that Jeff had worked for Dr. Mohler in the past and they knew each other well. Jeff introduced me to the President and asked if it would be possible if he could arrange it for me to speak to Dr. Piper. Now you need to understand something here. Going to Dr. Mohler and asking if he could arrange it for me to meet Dr. Piper is like someone going up to Peter and asking if he could introduce him to Nathaniel. Dr. Mohler is a well know pillar of the faith in his own right and when I asked him if he could help, there was no hint of, “What, you don’t want to talk with me?” All of these men displayed such depth of faith together with a profound humility. He raised his finger and said, “Just a moment.” Then he walked away. Within a couple of moments we were ushered behind the rope by and usher and then Dr. Piper broke away from the crowd. There I was in front of the man who has so impacted my life. I began to express my gratitude, but my deepest thanks could not be spoken with only words. Beyond my control, I began to cry. I felt foolish and helpless. The tears streamed. Frankly I was embarrassed. He stood there with such compassion as he watched this man hovering over him crying like a baby. I told him how his works had influenced my thinking and on behalf of the many who have read 
his books and benefited from his lifelong work I thanked him. iI took only a couple of minutes but that was all I needed to say thanks. I walked away a very grateful man for Jesus and his servant named John.
Why do I share this with you? Because many who write today and occupy the front pages of the churches attention seem to be echoes, a reverberation of things said prior. Many say the same thing and only package it in a different package and when one sees something authentic, something that genuinely contributes to the advancement of the church on earth it truly deserves recognition. John Piper is a man who struggles with the same thing you and I struggle with but beyond that, one must look at the fruit. I applaud the man not so much for who he is but for his work.
In time the conference would draw to a close but I left wondering, “Will my work have made such an impact on the lives of others as Dr. Piper’s work has made on me?” The jury is still out on that one but for myself, I am grateful for Dr. Piper and the untold numbers of men and women whose work has prodded us to go where others avoid.
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Terms of Surrender
By · CommentsPaul wrote with more than just doctrine. His works are filled with raw emotion and that is clearly seen in 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Truth always stirs up genuine heart-felt emotion that is unable to be contained or silenced. Such is the case with the Gospel.
When I read this I saw something similar to a scene in the movie Troy. Two armies are facing one another when the king of one suggests that two warriors determine the 
outcome with a private battle. Out from the ranks of the opposing army comes a giant of a man while search is made for Achilles, played by Brad Pit. Brad comes slays the giant with one powerful thrust of his sword and the battle is over.
In my heart I saw a delegation sent from an all-powerful King to the camp of His enemies with terms of surrender. There on that “no-man’s land” was an ambassador talking with the opposing king. I can hear the conversation go something like this. “Your majesty, I come to you in the name of my King Jesus. I offer you terms of surrender. Be reconciled to God! Surrender all your life to Him and you will live, resist and you will surely die! The army behind me is supremely powerful and you cannot win this fight. You WILL be defeated if you resist. You will have no chance to survive if you fight, so lay down your arms and surrender. Do so and you will surely live but refuse and your resistance will guarantee your doom.” I beg you on behalf of your army, their families and yourself, surrender now!
And so we present the Gospel to those who resist. Our cry is “Surrender now! You cannot win this fight! If you surrender you will live, if you resist you will surely die in your sins.” Make your choice now! Give your life to the King and be born again. You don’t have to make this the last day of your life!
This was Paul’s cry to the Corinthians and it is our cry to the world today. My King offers you legal terms of surrender. If you yield you can walk away if you resist you will be carried.
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Legend
By · CommentsOne rarely sees a legend while he or she is alive; it’s always years later when the person mentioned has been dead for several decades. If we do see one, then it is almost always never recognized. But I want to tell you about a real legend! He doesn’t wear a white glove on his right hand and moon walk at fifty years old. He’s much more than that!
Born in a large family in 1929, Peter Hennesy took his place alongside his brothers and sisters working on a large farm in Ontario, Canada. Peter worked hard most of his life and if it wasn’t putting seed in the ground and getting a harvest, it was putting seed in men’s hearts and cultivating eternal fruit for the kingdom.
He was a pastor and his congregation was a group of prisoners in a local prison. For over twenty years he ministered to his flock as he worked in his local church in Picton. Today it is clear his influence extends way beyond prison walls and the silence of a church sanctuary. Children who rode his bus every Sunday to get to Sunday school are now married and have children of their own. The generations keep coming and the fruit continues to bear, from seed planted a generation ago.
At 81 years old Peter now heads up the House of Ministry, a place where people can come and be prayed for by a group of faith filled believers for healing and deliverance. Besides that, he continues to organize city-wide events to encourage unity among the churches, a mature faith, and a fervent zeal for the presence of God. When most men his age would be well content with rocking in front of the TV Peter is forging new ground. (Yes I use the gerund form here because he is still doing it!) Like Caleb he sees the mountain that is his and takes on all resistance, no matter how big the giants are.
Several years ago his wife Ruth passed away but Peter is not alone. At his side are several who are in the yoke with him, others who have been encouraged and challenged by this man of such humble strength.
I was with him recently and stood amazed at his vigor and stamina. The years have taken a toll on the muscles and bones, but the heart, Ahhh, that heart! It’s filled to brimming!
Not all legends wear leotards and jump from building to building with a single bound. Most of them work when others are lazy, cry when others are indifferent, suffer silently while others are unaware and remain resilient to the task when others bolt. They have weather beaten hands, and show the ravages of time, but as the outer man gets weaker, that inner man absolutely glows!
You may know someone like this. If you don’t I wish you could meet my friend from Picton. And if you never meet him here, if you are a Christian, then one day you might very well be greeted in heaven by another man, whose name is… Peter!
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A Day Forgotten
By · CommentsNews print, land telephones and postage stamps are becoming historical emblems, memories of a time gone by. Gasoline driven cars will surely be replaced with electric ones, and the citadel of marriage may become a thing of the past. Changes happen and they happen rapidly, some for good and some for the worse. But there is one change that is having a very real and negative impact on our culture and country. That is the loss of the Sabbath.
D.L Moody once said, “You show me a nation that has given up the Sabbath and I will show you a nation that has got the seeds of decay.” Something tells me he saw the small beginnings of this “decay” back in his time.
I remember when I was a young man (I don’t mean in the time of Moody,) there was what was called the “Blue Law.” This law required that all the stores be closed on Sunday. Nothing was open, only gas stations, small zippy marts and Hospitals. The big shopping strips were empty. Malls didn’t exist then. It was a civil law to regard the Sabbath and to allow people not to have to work on Sundays so they could go to church. In those times not everyone went to church on Sundays but the government by declaration of such laws recognized and honored that one special day. But I am afraid that the Sabbath is headed in the same direction as the postage stamp here in America.
Today Sunday is play day! The “Blue Laws” have long been abolished. Now it is a time to cruise the malls, watch sports, and wash the cars, hunt, fish or visit friends. We have our freedoms with no archaic laws restricting them and…. are no better for it. Our liberty has birthed disrespect for the day of the Lord, not just among the lost but among many Christians. It seems we as Christians have so over-spiritualized this issue that in our attempts to make every day the day of the Lord, we have in reality made no day as the day of the Lord. They are all alike. But this clearly is not the intention in Isaiah 58. Great promises are given to those who honor, observe and respect the Sabbath. Promises like encountering inexplicable joy in the presence of the Lord, riding the heights of the earth over the obstacles that await you at lower altitudes, and the enjoyment of a heritage that exceeds the here and now. Thomas Watson said of the Sabbath, “The Sabbath is the market-day of the soul, the cream of time!” I like that, THE CREAM OF TIME. But for many it is a day to recover from the night before, a day to get ready for work on Monday, a day that forgets God.
I would think that I am not alone in this matter. One could despair at the sight of the multitude and His children along beside them playing and disregarding this most special time. However I do have hope. The great Puritan Richard Baxter 1651-1691 recalls his childhood experience in an English village when,
“We could not on the Lord’s Day either read a chapter. Pray, or sing a psalm, or catechize or instruct a servant, for the noise of the piper and taber, and shouting in the streets, continually in our ears and we were the common scorn of all the rabble in the streets, and we were called Puritans, precisionists, hypocrites because we rather chose on the Lord’s Day to read Scriptures rather than what they did.”
His times were similar to ours but in the greatest darkness a change came.
The story of the change can be traced to Richard Greenham who influenced his son-in-law to preach on the subject in 1586. He later wrote a book on the fourth commandment that was published in 1595 and made a strong impact on society at large. According to historian Daniel Neal through this book, “A mighty reformation was wrought.”
I don’t propose that somebody write a book. I think it is already written and Exodus 20 makes the fourth commandment very clear, a commandment that is just a valid today as it was it when it was written, and a commandment that we should return to.
Voltaire that great enemy to Christianity once said, “If you want to kill Christianity, you must abolish Sunday.”
Isaiah said if you want to ride on the heights, then observe it!
Voltaire is dead and in Hell and the Sabbath is still with us. Will we observe it and stand blessed as a peculiar people or justify Voltaire’s comment?
Saddle up friend, enjoy Sunday as it is meant to be and I will see you in the heights of victory!
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Keep Your Dober up!
By · CommentsSustaining a lasting passion
That’s a weird phrase but it means a lot to me. These were the words given to us by our coach when we were behind in a game or when we were at practice the first day after a loss. The team would be down and discouraged and at the right moment coach would say, “Keep your dober up.” Now literally speaking I don’t have a clue what a “dober” is, but in this context it meant your courage, your faith and your excitement. What does your “dober” have to do with this article?
Recently in the Institute I was teaching on leadership and one of the qualities needed as a good leader, PASSION! I concluded that portion of the class when a student asked me, “How does one maintain his passion?” That was a great question and one I must confess that caught me off guard. I had seconds to ponder the answer and then I gave her what I thought was correct. Since that dialog I have spent some time thinking on the answer I gave her and that is why I am writing this article.
I think to answer this question one must first define what passion is.
I would define passion as “The proper response to the full view of the majesty of Christ and 
the cross.” It is a natural reaction to something seen and savored, a response of intense attraction. If this is correct then to increase and sustain my passion I must focus on the one thing that produces the reaction. If I try to increase my zeal and passion by focusing on the passion itself, I will have little more than temporary foam and “herd” excitement. I will be like a child going to the park full of life as he rides the merry-go-round and climbs the monkey bars, then when the sun goes down he returns home, tired and dirty, with the memory of the park but the zeal remains where he spent the day, at the park. His excitement is only good for as long as he is in the park.
But what is it that will sustain your passion through this daily march of life, on a continual and consistent basis? But is it that will not only sustain your passion but increase it as well?
I would think that it is the looking backward towards the cross and Christ, savoring all that He did – beholding Him and being in awe with profound gratitude more so than looking forward and being excited about what might happen tomorrow. Passion to me would be the most natural response to the wide-eyed discovery of Christ and His work! I think Jonathan Edwards would agree.
In his work on Religious affections he writes:
“If we ought ever to exercise our affections at all, (that is his term for emotions or passion) and if the Creator has not unwisely constituted the human nature in making these principles a part of it, then they ought to be exercised about those objects which are most worthy of them. But is there anything in heaven or on earth so worthy to be the objects of our admiration and love, our earnest zeal as those things which are held forth to us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?”
One may ask, “Will going to church each Sunday or attending conferences or concerts, sustain my passion?” My answer, “They will if they draw me back to Christ!” If all I get are cries to embrace a movement, endear myself to a speaker or a musician I will enjoy “the park and the merry-go round” for a time, but if they yank me back from myself and point my nose to Christ, then my weariness is replaced by the view of His magnificence and my heart ignites with earnest zeal and love.
So how does one sustain this zeal and intensity of love for Christ? By returning to the source of it, the Gospel of Christ. My heart is ignited as I ponder the depths of His achievements on the cross. I stand in awe, not so much for what He will do but for what He has done, and this solid embrace of what He has done gives my immeasurable hope and joy as I consider what He is about to do.
Love is sustained!
Love grows!
“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
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Quitters!
By · CommentsI played football. Love it, and I was fairly good at it. Loved to hit and hit hard. Of course I 
had a size body that would let me do such things, but there was one guy on our team that was tougher than nails and not much bigger than one. His name was Zack Byrd.
Zack was shorter than the rest, thinner than the rest, lighter than the rest and without a doubt tougher than the rest. He was kind of like our French Poodle Molly, who forgets she is a poodle when she gets around other bigger dogs; he just never saw his size as a handicap on the gridiron. So, of all positions, he played NOSE GUARD, yep that’s right nose guard, the scrappiest guy on the team filling the hole. I saw Zack take on some big guys. He would walk back to the sideline after a series of plays bouncing of other players and excited to get back in there. Series after series he would take a beating. Those centers and guards had no mercy, but Zack had guts. One thing can be said about Zack Byrd, HE WAS NO QUITTER!
Quitters never make heroes! They make lousy soldiers, never make first string on the team, and are often remembered not for what they could have been but for what they settled to be, mediocre, half-hearted, run of the mill, same as everybody else, losers. They are not the kind of folks you can depend on.
Paul knew a few of these guys. Last night we were studying 2 Timothy and there in the eternal scripture, written for all to see are the names of two men who wish they had been gutsier!
Phygelus and Hermogenes, two former workers together with Paul bailed out when the pressure got tense. Paul is in prison and without a doubt his reputation is stained by the powers that be, there is great shame associated with his imprisonment and it appears to be more than these two can take. As a matter of fact they are not alone, they just have the privilege of being mentioned by name but the truth is that all turned away from Paul in Asia. Talk about “towel throwing.” Simply put, these guys were QUITTERS!
Then, in the next verse Paul introduces Onesiphorus, a man who came behind the other two and “picked up their towels.”
Onesiphorus must have been kind of like Zack Byrd, a risk taker brave, courageous, and selfless. Obviously he lived in Ephesus and made the arduous journey of over 1000 miles from his home town to Rome. He gets there and has no idea where he is nor where Paul is. Arriving, I can just see him landing at the outskirts of the city and begin his search. “Where is Paul?” All he knows is that he is in jail. Which one? So, with little money, no direction and not a few dangers, he begins to look for this man of God.
Paul describes some things about this man that is found in HEROES! First, he “oft refreshed me.” In other words Onesiphorus took it outside the box. He labored way beyond what was convenient for him. This was not a ‘one time’ gift; this was a frequent thing for him. Then he refused to embrace the shame of Paul’s imprisonment. For him, his reputation meant nothing. He accepted the shame of the Cross with joy. And finally, HE DIDN”T QUIT! Paul put it like this, “But when he was in Rome, he sought me out diligently, and found me.” He searched until he found Paul. He became inconvenienced for others, laid down his reputation and never quit, yep a real Zack Byrd!
They day has arrived where you and I are in the stadium of life and all eyes are upon us! The opposite team is bigger and by far uglier but we by His grace are tougher! We may get knocked and battered, but I have read the end of the book and it says WE WIN!
So what shall we do? Lay down our arms, quit running the plays and rest on the fact that we win? In such a case it would be well to just change uniforms and join the cheerleaders, (After all many have done just that in the modern church.)
No! Now is not the time to “take a knee.” Now is not the time to abandon the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now is the time to make the minutes count! The clock is ticking. Don’t quit before the whistle blows! Play your heart out! Join the winning team and when we get to heaven we will enjoy the “off season” with our Coach for all eternity!
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