What I Learned in 2010

Matthew 21:21-22 (AMP)

21 And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.

Needless to say 2010 has been a very different year for me.  For the first time, really, I've had to deal with the frailty of the human body.  The parts sometimes wear out and need repair or replacement; like the frame on my 2001 Toyota.  Or the retina (repair) and lens (replacement) in my eye. 



In spite of it all, I don't think I'd ask for anything different or seek to change any of the events of the past year.  God has been good to me; I mean really, really good. I've had lots of quality quiet time to spend with Him.  I feel like I'm just learning to study God's Word and interact with it.  This blog has been part of that experience.  If it has been a blessing to you, the blessing is from God.  My blessing doesn't mean much in the scheme of things.

If there is one big lesson I've learned, it is the correlation between being a student of the Bible and confidence in prayer.  I've learned that often we don't know how to pray because we don't fully understand how God acts or what He wants for us and others.  I can easily fall into the trap of making the will of God into a huge mystery.  When we study scripture, we know that we are naturally separated from God and that it is His will to redeem us through the giving of His Son on the cross.  It is His will that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as much as we love and care for ourselves.  It is God's will for us to meditate on His Word, and to pray about everything with thanksgiving in our hearts.  We are to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth and speak the truth in love. 

This is part of the revealed will of God.  There is no mystery here.  He wants us to know clearly His plan for us.  While God has some plans that are still hidden from us, like when He will return to earth, much of His will is made plain if we take the time to look for it.

E. M. Bounds said, "Unless the power of prayer is supplied by God's Word, prayer, though earnest, is empty."



That is what I've learned.  Knowing God's Word and prayer go hand in hand.  Knowledge of God through scripture breathes life into prayer.  Now the challenge for me is to know God so intimately that prayer becomes second nature to me.  To be at a place where I don't have to wrestle with how I should pray is what I really long for.  My desire for 2011 is to witness the power of God in answer to prayer.

I want to declare, "That's something only God can do.  No plan of mankind could produce that result."

Have a Merry Christmas.  God bless us, every one.

All Things

Colossians 1:15-20 (NASB)



15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
 
We all have Christmas songs that we like to play on our stereos and iPods that remind us that "Christmas Time Is Here."  That one that will do it for me from Charlie Brown's Christmas.  Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" is another.  Music from the movie "Polar Express" will turn me into a kid in an instant and gets me pumped for Christmas.  Moving from the secular to the sacred, I love Michael W. Smith's first Christmas Album.  Ray Charles' rendition of the familiar Christmas song, "What Child Is This?"  is running through my head as I reflect on the passage above that was part of my devotions this morning.  If you are familiar with it it's probably in your head now, too.
 
What is the apostle Paul telling me and telling the church at Colossae about this child we know as Christ the Lord?
 
He tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God.  The invisible is made visible.  What we could not see or fully comprehend, we now can see and begin to understand.  He was not created as we were.  He was involved in the Creation itself.  All of creation is for Christ.  Paul refers to Jesus as the "firstborn of all creation."  The hearers of Paul's letter would have understood this term not as the first thing God created, but as have the same rank, privilege and position of the firstborn.  As we read our Old and New Testament we read over and over the value God places on the firstborn. So therefore, we can understand the statement that all of creation is for Christ.  It's His.  It was created for Him.
 
He is the head of the church.  The church is His.
 
Not only is Jesus the image of God.  All of God, "the fullness of God", dwells in Him.  In our culture we place a lesser value on a copy of the original.  We may find the copy to be interesting, but we don't value it as highly as the original.  The fullness of God dwells in Christ, who was involved in Creation. 
 
Jesus was not only fully God, He was fully human.  In Paul's account we see the terms "fleshly body", "blood", and "death." 
 
Colossians 1:21-23 (NASB)



21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
 
Here's the best part.  The Firstborn, the Creator of all things, was given so that all things could be reconciled to Himself, the One to whom all things belong.  He came to restore broken relationships with God.  He came to restore broken relationships with His people, even though we "were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds."  Though we were ugly and undeserving, He gave Himself through death "in order to present [us] before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach."
 
What a gift we are given!  The God of all things is given as a ransom for us.  This is reason to celebrate!
 
 

Quantity or Quality Membership

18 “Listen, you who are deaf! Look and see, you blind! 19 Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD? 20 You see and recognize what is right but refuse to act on it. You hear with your ears, but you don’t really listen.”

Isaiah 42:18-20 (NLT)

I was given a copy of a collection of writings by E.M. Bounds on prayer.  The entry for November 16 caught my attention.

"There is a blindness in the church with regard to members choosing a life of sin over God's way of life.

The truth is, there is such a lust for members in the church, that the officials have entirely lost sight of the members who are living in open disregard of God's Word.  The idea now of quantity in membership, not quality.

Prayer can change this.  Through prayer, members would either confess their sins, or leave the church."

"I pray, God, that you will open the eyes of Your people.  Especially those in leadership positions in Your church so they will focus more on quality than quantity of members.  Amen."

-- taken from The Power of Prayer by E.M. Bounds, compiled by Kobus Sandenbergh, published by Christian Arts Gifts

Thanksgiving 2010 Revisited

Thanksgiving Reflection

What a marvelous day we enjoyed yesterday! One family, four generations and over twenty-eight people celebrating God’s goodness and love over the past year. I woke up this morning marveling at God’s power and grace because I come in contact with many people for whom this kind of event would not likely happen. I know of families where people can’t be in the same room with certain aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters mothers or fathers without an argument or something worse happening.

God has been very good to us.

Psalms 51:11 (NIV)


11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.


Dr. Paul David Tripp in his book Whiter Than Snow, Meditations on Sin and Mercy, asks some penetrating questions. He asks:


o What is the thing in the world for which I am most thankful?

o The loss of what thing do I fear the most?

o The existence of what in my life gives me meaning, purpose, and that inner sense of well-being?


If I am completely honest with my answers, and not simply giving the answer that I think should be correct, I will see a true reflection of my heart. I have to come to grips with the fact that it may not be a pretty site. As I look at my life I will see that my actions follow the passions of my heart.


All of us fear losing something. The loss of God’s presence in the Psalmist’s life is what he feared most. What is it that you fear most?

Jesus reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew, 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

What is the treasure of your heart?

As we transition from Thanksgiving to advent let us celebrate the treasure we have been given in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving 2010

18 Then Moses said, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" 19 And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."

Exodus 33:18-19 (NASB)
 

Blessed be the Name of the Lord

Holy and blessed is Your Name

We gather in Your Name to celebrate Your goodness to us

You are good

And everything You do is good

Your grace is sufficient

Blessed and holy is Your Name

Not Watching and Not Hearing

19 Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD?

Isaiah 42:19 (NIV)

In a previous post I mentioned how sometimes God's Word brings conviction.  This passage is a warning against worldly thinking and selfish attitudes (42:17).  It reminds me of how easily I can fall into these traps.  It is addressed to those who have entered a covenant relationship with the Lord.  It describes my relationship to God as servant; and  my job is described as messenger. 

I am well aware of the limitations poor eye health can bring.  There are things I cannot do very well right now because I cannot see very well. 

And what about hearing?  How can a messenger deliver a message he cannot or does not hear?

What am I to do to break out of this silent darkness?

I need to look closely for the evidence of the things around me that only God could have done.  And because often my hearing is not so good, I need to draw close to the Lord, so I can hear the message He wants me to deliver.

For To Me, To Live Is Christ - Part 3

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 (NASB)
 
What is the one thing that gives you purpose and meaning in your life?  Is it your job?  Is it your car? Is it your family?  Is it Dunkin' Donuts?
 
Click on the the link below to hear the message I presented on October 3, 2010 at New Testament.
 
New Testament Sermon Blog

God's Word

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)
 
Sometimes God's Word is a source of comfort and strength.  Other times it delivers powerful conviction. 
 
Certainly this passage suggests that an encounter with God's Word is intended to bring about change in our lives.  Whether it is for education or training in righteousness, or correction; God's intention is clear.  He means to bring about change in our lives, "so that the [men and women] of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."  For all of us that requires some sort of change. 
 
Once again, I am reminded of the Old Testament image of the implements used in worship in the Tabernacle.  These implements were sanctified, that is, set apart, cleansed, for holy use. 
 
Under the New Covenant, those implements are us.  It is God's intention, as today's passage suggests, that we be sanctified, set apart for God's holy use.  For all of us this requires God's redeeming grace.  For all of us this requires the gift of the blood of God's only Son.  Only by accepting this gift can we make a difference for God, equipped for every good work.
 
The result is change.  But change can be really, really hard.  Left to our own devices, we will return to our old ways, the habits and lifestyles that place us on the throne that belongs to God.  This is why it is really, really important that we encounter and engage God through the study of His Word daily. We need to take the time to wrestle with it, ask the tough questions, and seek His answers.
 
From start to finish it took me seven long years to get my college degree.  When it comes to the Word of God, I am so aware that I must be a lifetime student.

Speaking With Spiritual Authority - Is Your Message Veil Worthy?

Exodus 34:29-35 (NASB77)
²⁹ And it came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. ³⁰ So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. ³² And afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. ³⁴ But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, ³⁵ the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.


There are people in my life that I pay special attention to if they have something to say.  Especially if they have something to say about spiritual matters.  And even more especially if it has something to do with my spiritual health and well being.

What gives these people the right or authority to speak to me about these things?  Why do I stop and listen?  Is it the person, the message or both that catches my attention?  Why is it that these people earn my special respect?

Today's passage may give us some insight into these questions.  As we consider Moses, because of his stuttering problem, he would not be considered to be a great public speaker.  I don't think people would flock to hear the marvelous tone and eloquent vocabulary of Moses.  His past was even a bit sketchy.  Would we be impressed by his resume?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  What was it about Moses that made people stop and listen to him that day so many years ago?

The reason people stopped and listened was because Moses had been in the presence of God.  Scripture tells us that Moses' face glowed in Exodus 33:11.  We read that God spoke to Moses face to face just as a man speaks to his friend.  It was evident to all that Moses had been in God's presence. His life, in fact his face, reflected that fact.  He was changed, even in appearance, because he had been with God.

There is something about the important people in my spiritual life that I recognize as God's spirit upon them, too.  How they live their life, and the things they say reflect the fact that they have spent time with God.  They too, shine for the Lord.  If they have been in God's presence, they speak with spiritual authority.  I know their words will be kind and constructive.  They will be redemptive to my soul.  They will not be harsh and destructive.  They will not promote themselves at my expense.  Rather, they will build me up.  They will invite me to join them in the awesome presence of God.  The power of God speaking through their words will heal my soul.

I have to return to A.W. Tozer who said in The Pursuit of God, "Men of the breaking hearts had a quality about them not known or understood by common men.  They habitually spoke with spiritual authority.  They had been in the presence of God and they reported what they saw there."


Pastors, elders, deacons, parents, teachers, government officials have authority due to their position.  Their power is in their position.  They may earn our respect or not.  Their lives may reflect God or not. They may or may not have spiritual authority as well as positional authority.   But there are also people who have no special position, who possess spiritual authority by the powerful presence of God in their lives.


I need people like the ones Tozer described to be involved in my life,  "[people] of breaking hearts who have a quality about them not known or understood by common men."  


I want to be a person who has been in the presence of God, who can report what was seen there.  My friends, this can only happen through diligent prayer and the study of God's Word.   Please join me.

What's Behind the Curtain?

Mark 15:37-38 (AMP)
³⁷ And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed out His life. ³⁸ And the curtain [of the Holy of Holies] of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.




I love Fall here at the Lake House.  We've had the first cold nights of the season and the result is the changing color of the leaves reflecting on the lake.  Each day brings a new degree of beauty.

When I first get up in the morning, this is my view of the lake.

You really can't get very excited about the foliage by the lake from this view can you?  The light shining through the curtain may tell you that there is something on the other side.  But really there is no way you can describe what is out there, let alone tell anyone about it.  In fact there's not much to tell.  You might be curious to see what is out there based on the fact that I've told you that I've seen it and I think it's beautiful.  But maybe not.  Maybe you're content to admire the curtains.  If that's the case, this is all you'll see.  Enjoy.

In the Old Testament Tabernacle and later the Temple, a blue, purple and scarlet curtain separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place.  In the Temple God resided in the Most Holy Place, behind the curtain, separated from His people.  He would be present, but separate.  Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place.  God's people could only observe the work of His hands.  Even then it was not face to face.  Sinful man cannot stand in the presence of God and live.  This was a very different scene than what we witness in the early chapters of Genesis, before man's fall, when God walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve and they were not ashamed of their nakedness before Him.

Our sin is just like Adam's.  We want to be god.  We were made to worship, so we focus that worship either on ourselves, or where it was intended, the one true God.

A.W. Tozer said, "Self is the opaque veil [curtain] that hides the face of God from us.  It can be removed only in the spiritual experience, never by mere instruction."

God gave His one and only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice, to pay the punishment for our sin.  And at the moment He gave up His life, the curtain into the Most Holy Place in the Temple tore in two, granting us access to our most holy and loving God.

He invites us to throw off the "opaque veil of self" and enter into His presence and worship the Lord God through Jesus Christ His Son.

Tozer said, "Such worship ... can never come from a mere doctrinal knowledge of God.  Hearts that are 'fit to break' with love for the Godhead are those that have been in the Presence and have looked with opened eye upon the majesty of the Deity.  Men of the breaking hearts had a quality about them not known or understood by common men.  They habitually spoke with spiritual authority.  They had been in the presence of God and they reported what they saw there."

Hebrews 10:19-23 (NIV)
¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

I Feel Like Leaping

Malachi 4:2 (NIV)
² But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

This verse was shared with me during my face down eye recovery time to encourage me and to give me something to look forward to; the day I would feel like leaping.

As I meditate on this verse, I am reminded how awesome God is and how it is His desire to provide what is needed and what is best for me.  He has forgiven my sins and called me to Himself.  God is good and everything He does in my life is good.  He brings joy and gladness to my heart and praise to my lips.

Come leap with me!

For to me, to live is Christ, Part 2

Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

During my recovery from eye surgery, I wish I could have used the time to catch up on my reading.  But that was just not possible.  At first I couldn't read at all, or even watch TV.  Eventually, I was able to watch a little TV and read newspaper headlines, look at pictures, and read magazine article titles.  Friends and family kept in touch either by phone or they were kind enough to send email in a large bold font.  Thank you so much for your prayers, kind words of encouragement, and uplifting Scripture.  How grateful I am for the written word and for the Word!

Recently the title of an article from Discipleship Journal caught my attention. (Titles are usually in larger font which was helpful.)  Why I'm Not a Committed Christian (And Why That's a Good Thing) by Bob Butler begged for further reading.  The article introduces us to Dr. Josef Tson from Romania.  He is a pastor and author, and president of the Romanian Missionary Society.  He survived years of persecution and exile under Communist rule.  When asked about his perception of Christianity in America he replied, "The key word in American Christianity is commitment."  


The author goes on to say, "Rather than being a positive thing, he (Tson) saw it as an inadequate replacement of an older Christian teaching: surrender."

Tson described the difference, "When you make a commitment, you are still in control, no matter how noble the thing you commit to.  One can commit to pray, to study the Bible, to give his money, or to commit to automobile payments, or to lose weight.  Whatever he chooses to do, he commits to.  But surrender is different.  If someone holds a gun and asks you to lift your hands in the air as a token of surrender, you don't tell that person what you are committed to.  You simply surrender and do as you are told . . . Americans love commitment because they are still in control.  But the key word is surrender.  We are slaves to the Lord Jesus Christ."

The author, Bob Butler, shares his reflection on Dr. Tson's statement.

"As I pondered, I realized Tson was right in identifying the root issue as control.  My commitments seek to gain blessings of God without giving up autonomy.  My commitments may be righteous or noble but are merely promises about what I will do and depend entirely on me.  I am retaining control to some degree, as if I could negotiate with God's sovereignty.

 Surrender concedes that in the battle of wills, God has already won.  Surrender begins with the understanding that I am not God's partner -- not even a junior partner.  He is my creator and absolute Lord.  I am ruined and worthless without Him.  Surrender is really so distasteful to us because it exposes the core issue of our sin: pride."

The heart of a man who is fully surrendered to Christ is seen as you read Paul's letter to the Philippians in its entirety. It's a bold thing to say, "For to me, to live is Christ." (Phil 1:21)  But it's clear from his writing that Paul can make that claim. In chapter 3 he lays out his credentials for us to see.  Yet he considers them rubbish because he had surrendered them for the sake of Christ.

 Philippians 3:7-8 (NASB77)
⁷ But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,"

So I've been pondering the aforementioned article as well as Paul's letter to the Philippians for several days.  Check out the article for yourself and join me in asking, "What would surrender look like in my life?"   I'd be interested in your thoughts and comments.

To read Why I'm Not a Committed Christian (And Why That's a Good Thing) in its entirety, click on the link below. 

 http://www.navpress.com/dj/content.aspx?id=4422

For to me, to live is Christ

Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

I like to be happy, and lots of things can make me happy.  Spending time with my wife, children and grandchildren makes me happy.  Ice cream can make me happy.  I'm happy when I'm on vacation in Nova Scotia where my everyday concerns seem so far away.

I think we would all agree that given the right circumstances or situation, or flavor of Four Seas ice cream, it is easy for us to find happiness.

I drafted the opening paragraph on the evening of July 25th before going to bed to reflect on the character of Paul who despite his situation (imprisonment) found great joy in Christ. (Phil. 1:21)

What about me?  Can I make that same statement?  I want to say, "Well, yeah.  Of course, it's true."

But on the evening of July 26 my situation changed.  I wasn't thinking of ice cream or vacations.  I was in the hospital awaiting emergency eye surgery.  I was thinking, "What's going on?  Will I get my sight back?  Will it hurt?"

In those hours I could claim the sufficiency of Christ, but it was in the back of my mind and I kept having to bring it forward.  Calmness and fear kept passing by me like two very different looking horses on a carousel.

A second, more involved operation was required a week later.  The healing process involves some pain and discomfort, even though the original symptoms were painless.  It involves some discipline.  Following the doctor's orders is not easy.  More procedures are required in the coming months.

A dear friend of mine has asked and will ask again, "So what has God been talking to you about during this time?"

So today, August 28th, here is my answer.  God has given me the precious gift of time alone with Him.  I have never fully appreciated how precious it is.  I am His child despite the fact that in so many ways I am not like Him.  He loves me enough to not let me stay the way I am, but in His time with me He desires to shape my heart to be like His.  He is not finished with me.  There is still work to be done.

Like Paul, I want a heart that prays for my brothers and sisters.  I want for them what Christ wants for them; hearts that abound in love, in real knowledge and all discernment, so that they may discover and approve the things that are excellent, so that they may be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.  I want for them to be filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes from Christ to the glory and praise of God. (Phil 1:9-11)

I want that heart.  I need that heart.

I want and need people to pray that prayer for me.  I am so grateful for a friend who keeps asking, "What is God talking to you about?"  I desperately need that.  Please keep asking.

For to me, to live is Christ.

This Place of Highest Privilege.

Romans 5:1-5 (NLT)
¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. ² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory. ³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. ⁵ And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.




Lynne and I are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary.  We will be celebrating with our kids and grandchildren in Pawtucket, RI at a PawSox game sandwiched within a Christian music festival.  It's so us!  Still crazy after all these years!  How ironic.  Our first date was to a Christian music event.  We were very young then, and in love.  We pretend to believe we're still young, no doubt we are still in love.

I truly believe God brought us together.  Lynne grew up in a wonderfully devoted Christian family.  I grew up in a good home with very little religious exposure.  Lynne led me to the Lord when I was 18.  We were both 20 years old when we married.

The verse above was the theme verse for our wedding.  Lynne and I had met each other a little over three years earlier and already the Lord had done so many wonderful things in our lives.  We believed then that through our common faith God had brought us to that place of high privilege, the wedding altar.  We took nothing for granted, but stood in awe of Him as we exchanged our vows of devotion and commitment to one another before our Saviour, our families and our friends.

We knew we would have days not nearly as wonderful as that one.  We knew there would be trials and difficulties.  But we knew that together with God we would grow through these trials.  We knew He would never leave us or forsake us, because He loved us.  We knew that wherever Christ was, regardless of circumstance, that was a place of highest privilege.

Christ himself modeled what our relationship should be.  I am told in Scripture to love Lynne as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her in order to make her holy and clean.  I surrender myself to her in order present her before God and others as beautiful and holy.  Likewise Scripture tells us that she is to be submissive to me as she would to the Lord.  But before that we are told to submit to one another in reverence to Christ. In a nutshell, we give ourselves to each other as we give ourselves together to Christ.  God promises to fill our hearts with His love.

Christ in all his teaching emphasized humility and servant hood.  My family and friends, contrary to the world's thinking, that is where God gives us strength and blessing.  We serve God as we serve one another.  God is present in this act of worship.  That is a place of highest privilege.

Sacred Time - Sacred Place

Psalms 3:1-5 (NIV) ¹ O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! ² Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah ³ But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. ⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah ⁵ I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.


In my Bible the subtitle for Psalm 3 is A Psalm of David.  When he fled from his son Absalom.  This Psalm is a lament.

I was recently getting caught up on the life and current events of a dear brother in Christ.  What he was going through was astonishing.  It was a convergence of terrible things.  If you were to write down a list of what was going on in his life,  your response would be, "That can't be.  That's terrible."  Many would feel crushed under the weight of worry and confusion.

However, my brother's response was a tremendous blessing to me.  Was he looking for escape from this situation?  While he probably would welcome escape, he was not looking for it.  Was he wondering where God was in the midst of all this?  No.  Was he questioning how God could do this to him?  Not at all.

He told me that this time in his life was sacred.  He said he couldn't really say it was a blessing.  He said it was sacred.  A sacred time.  A sacred place in his life.  My brother's response reflects verses 4 and 5, "⁴ To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah ⁵ I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. "

Paul Tripp, author, seminary professor, Executive Director of the Center for Pastoral Life in Fort Worth, Texas and a member of the pastoral staff of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia has said, "God will take you where you would not choose to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own." 

I believe my brother would agree with this statement and welcomes what God is doing in his life, even though the situation is difficult and overwhelming. I also believe that, in time, he will also realize the blessing of God.

Wherever God is, that is where I want to be, too.  The sacred place.

My Heart: Clean or Cluttered

Psalms 51:10-12 (AMP)
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.


Left to my own devices, I can fill my life with clutter.  Some clutter you can see; like my desktop at work, or the room we call the Red Sox room in our apartment.  It's where the TV is. It's where I spend time watching the beloved Red Sox.  My computer is there, my iPod, the Wii video game that my kids gave me for Christmas.  Give me just a few minutes in there and I can fill it with clutter.

Fun toys provide hours of enjoyment for me.  Certainly there is nothing wrong with that.  However, they can also distract me from important things in life.  Like spending time with my God whom I love, and who loves me.  You see, there is spiritual clutter, too.

Some of the spiritual clutter I create, no one can see.  What are the things I find hard to give to the Lord if He were to ask me?  Worry, stress, my job, money, the acquisition of things, my problems, filling my life with busyness are all things that can clutter my heart.  They can become like idols before my face (see Ezekiel 14).  They can obscure my vision of God in my life.  Do I hold on to my problems instead of giving them to the Lord because I enjoy the attention I get?  Am I important?  Do people notice me?  Maybe I've discovered the biggest idol of all.  It's me!

Cleaning the clutter from my heart seems like too big a job for me to do alone.  Indeed it is.  David cried out to the Lord, "Create in me a clean heart."  "Renew a upright spirit in me."  "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." "Uphold me  with a willing spirit."

The heart is God's workplace.  He loves it when we invite Him in to do His work.

I had the privilege of preaching at New Testament Baptist Church on Sunday.  If God was glorified in the message, I am a happy man.  To hear it click on the link for New Testament Baptist Church.

May God bless!

It Takes Heart

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."


I am sure I am not alone when I say that I was moved by the performance of Canadian Olympic figure skater Joannie Rochette.  To the casual observer who happened to walk by a bank of television sets on their way to the widget department at the local department store, they would have seen a talented female figure skater.  But to those who were following the story, they would have seen something entirely different.

Just two days before this performance in the pressure cooker of Olympic competition, Joannie's mother suddenly died.  Her mother had just arrived in Vancouver to watch her daughter perform.  So what I saw in Joannie Rochette was the heart of an Olympian.  What I saw was the heart of a courageous woman.  What I saw was a heart that was broken by grief.

God is more than a casual observer of the heart.  In Biblical terms the heart is "not only the center of all spiritual activity, but of all operations of the human life." (Easton's Bible Dictionary).  It is our innermost being. It is like the computer code that makes us do and say the things we do and say.  It is the place that God desires to dwell (1 Cor 3:16) and do His redemptive work.

We admire talented athletes.  We wish we could look as handsome or beautiful as the figure skaters we have watched on TV.  We wish we could benefit financially from endorsement contracts like Olympic medal winners.

But what would our lives look like if what rules our hearts is the overwhelming desire that everything we say and do is to glorify God?  How different would our lives look than they do right now?  Would our lives move people to seek God for themselves?

How Does He Do That?

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV)
¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Life has a way of throwing all kinds of things at us.  Not all of it is good.  Whether we are saved or not our life is made up of blessings and trials.  It seems that our blessings and trials come in waves.  How often have we said, "This is too good to be true!"?  Probably not as often as we have said, "This is more than I can bear."

We live in a fallen world among fallen people.  Not to deny that there are people in our lives that are truly a blessing to us.  But on the whole, the world is broken and as a result we face trials.

Habakkuk lived in a world filled with sin and violence that seemed to go on unpunished.  He cries to the LORD, "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?  Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not save?  Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?  Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds." (1:2-3).

God seemed distant.  When the LORD did answer, it was not what Habakkuk expected.  ""Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." (1:5).  God goes on to describe the unusual means by which He will bring judgement.  However, there is no outward promise of peace and tranquility here.

So how does he do it?  How does Habakkuk praise God in the midst of the destruction that is about to take place?

The answer is in how he chooses to respond to the situation.  He does not allow the situation to control him.  He chooses to find his joy in the LORD.  His peace comes in the confidence he has in the trustworthiness of his God.  His peace comes in his fellowship with the LORD.  His spirit is lifted in his words of praise to the God who loves him.

Habakkuk 3:18-19 (NIV)
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Discern, Not Decide

Numbers 14:8-11 (NIV)
⁸ If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." ¹⁰ But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. ¹¹ The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

Last Sunday Pastor Karl Dyrli preached a challenging message from Number 13 & 14 on the difference between discerning the will of God and making a decision.

. He says on his blog, "In Numbers 13 and 14 we find the dramatic events at the edge of the promised land.  God told Moses to send 12 Israelite leaders into the new territory, a land that He was going to deliver to them.  When the 12 came back, ten had reasoned arguments why they should not advance into Canaan, while two claimed they should.  This is a prime example in which the majority doesn't, or shouldn't, rule.  Ten decided what they thought should be done.  Two correctly discerned the will of the Lord.

For all of God's people, our lives, our churches, our every choice is to be one of discerning His direction, not of deciding what we think should be done."


I encourage you to check out Karl's blog on the New Testament Baptist Church web site.  There you can listen to a podcast of Karl's message.  His message is timely for our church in this transition time as we consider who God has in mind for our next pastor.


You can also see what we might be up to at New Testament Baptist Church by going to http://nt-bc.org.  This web site is being constructed by the students of New Testament Christian School in Norton, MA.

The Diagnosis and the Cure

Romans 5:12 (NIV)
¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--

The Doctor comes with the diagnosis.  It's not the one we had hoped for.  We have an inherited heart condition.  Its symptoms include sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. (Galatians 5:20-21).  Sometimes the symptoms are subtle.  Other times they flair up in a big way.  Nonetheless they are there and they just don't go away.

We can hide the symptoms sometimes when we need to.  We really don't want people to know our heart condition.  If only we can keep this disease under control we'll be all right.  But as the Doctor has told us, if this disease is left untreated, it is fatal.

But wait!  The Doctor has good news too!  This disease is treatable.  In fact you can be better than new!  The disease does not have to consume you.  If you accept the Doctor's treatment and follow the Doctor's orders your life can be more productive than you could ever imagine.  Under the Doctor's care He can produce in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

Romans 6:23 (NIV)
²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Praise God!  He has provided us with the Great Physician.

A Healthy Heart - Part 2

Deuteronomy 8:1-9 (NIV)
¹ Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. ² Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. ⁴ Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. ⁶ Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. ⁷ For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; ⁸ a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; ⁹ a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.




I am a man of a certain age.  When a person reaches a certain age, maintaining a healthy heart is physically very important.  Sometimes we don't realize we have a health problem until something happens.  Sometimes the doctor's keen interest in a series of tests alert us to the fact that we need to take care of our bodies.  Neither one of these scenarios is pleasant.  Stress tests, blood tests, and EKG's are no fun.  These pale in comparison to something like a heart attack or stroke.  So we go through the discomfort of these tests with the hope that we will be healthier as a result of the knowledge that is gained through the testing.  Our chances of maintaining a healthy body are greatly increased if we follow the doctor's instructions.  Eat right, exercise and take your medicine as prescribed.

In this week's passage the people of Israel had been tested by the LORD so that He would know their hearts' condition.  Would they keep God's commands?  The commands were not given to trip them up, but to guide them in a life that was holy and pure so that they could enjoy all that God had provided for them to the fullest.

Who likes tests?  It puts all that is hidden right out there to be seen.  In school it puts all that is or isn't in your head on to a sheet of paper.  In the doctor's office it places the unseen condition of your health in a form that can be measured and analyzed.  When God tests you it exposes the condition of your heart, your spiritual health.

It particularly struck me when I read this passage that God's purpose in the testing was to humble us (vs 3) so that He could display His provision, love, and care for us in a way that we could see it.  He allowed them to be hungry so He could feed them.  He did not let their clothes wear out or their feet to swell.  I have learned that just as this scripture points out, God provides in a way that is unpredictable and better than expected.  I think He does this so that there can be no doubt that it is His provision, not one of our own making.

We are a fallen people living in a fallen world.  Could it be that God is bringing us to the place where He can humble us so that we can see His great love for us?  So that we can accept the gift of His mercy?

Tests are intended to be beneficial.

A Healthy Heart

Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)
43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.



It’s a new year and people at least consider things they need to do to be better people. Perhaps it’s a habit to be broken like smoking. Perhaps it’s getting better control of finances or maybe reading the Bible through in a year. Maybe it’s making an effort to be a better husband, wife, mom, dad, friend or employee.

Often the plan for the New Year involves losing weight, eating properly and getting fit. Doing these things helps build a healthy heart and a healthy heart helps build a healthy body.

As we read Scripture we see that the heart refers to the more than just the organ that pumps life-giving blood to the body. It is the inner person, the spirit of the person, the soul. If you really want to know a person, you have to understand his or her heart. You may only really have that kind of intimate knowledge of one or two or maybe three people in your lifetime. You know how they think. You know what they love. You know what will get them angry. You know why they do the things they do.

Today’s passage tells us if you listen carefully to what a person says, you will get to know their heart. (For better or worse.) The passions of their life and the fruit they produce (good or bad) come from the heart.

If we are going to make a difference in this life, we need a heart that produces good fruit.

King David in his cry of repentance sought out the Lord God who can transform a heart that produces bad fruit into a heart that produces good fruit.

Psalms 51:10-12 (NIV)

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Lasting change begins with a healthy heart.