They Must be Undeceived

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 was the opening day of the 61st annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in New Orleans, LA. This gathering has my attention because of the growing, global interest in A Common Word, a document signed by leaders of world religions (in 2007) stating that all religions should agree to a common ground (meaning, all religions are essentially the same.)

The official website of A Common Word states: "Within the first year after its release, the ‘A Common Word’ Open Letter became the world’s leading interfaith dialogue initiative between Christians and Muslims specifically, unprecedented in its importance, scope and global ‘traction’"

Further A Common Word website touts; "Perhaps the most remarkable of these responses was an Open Letter published in the New York Times in November 2007 from over 300 leading US Evangelical and ‘Mainline’ leaders and Christian scholars written and organized by Professor Miroslav Volf and Yale Divinity School and entitled ‘Loving God and Neighbour Together’, and it led to the first major ‘A Common Word’ Conference held at Yale University in July 2008."

I will be listening and watching for more statements by all involved in this unfortunate movement. I'm waiting with anticipation to hear and watch the three hour debate held today with three Muslim clerics and two of my favorite bible scholars and theologians, Albert Mohler and John Piper. I will hope that this debate will be available soon. I'll post more as I find and hear.

There is need to sound a clear alarm to the unconverted, sounds like a good title to a sermon. In  another of his sermons, the Marks of the Unconverted, Joseph Alleine (1671) opens with a clear statement that would be good to be heard from the pulpit of our Lord's Church today.

"While we keep aloof in general statements, there is little fruit to be expected; it is the close hand-fight that does execution."

Sirs, what efforts you make to keep up your confidence of your good state when God from heaven declares against you, and pronounces you in a state of damnation! I would reason with you, as God with them, 'How can you say, I am not polluted? See your way in the valley; know what you have done' (Jer 2:23). Man, is not your conscience aware of your tricks of deceit, of your secret sins, of your way of lying? Yes, are not your friends, your family, your neighbors, witnesses to your profane neglect of God's worship, to your covetous practices, to your envious and malicious behavior? May they not point at you as you go, 'There goes a gaming prodigal; there goes a drunken Nabal, a companion of evildoers; there goes a railer, or a scoffer, or a loose-liver!' Beloved, God has written it as with a sunbeam in the Book by which you must be judged—that these are not the marks of His children; and that none such, except renewed by converting grace, shall ever escape the damnation of hell.

O that you would now be persuaded to repent and turn from all your transgressions, or else iniquity will be your ruin (Ezek 18:30). Alas, for poor hardened sinners. Must I leave you at last where you are? Must I leave the drinker still at his bar? Must I leave the malicious still in his venom? However, you must know that you have been warned, and that I am clear of your blood; and whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear, I will leave these Scriptures with them, which will prove either as thunderbolts to awaken them, or as searing-irons to harden them. 'Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.' 'He who, being often reproved, hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.' 'Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded, I will laugh at your calamity—when your destruction comes as a whirlwind' (Psalm 68:21; Prov 29:1; Prov 1:24-27).

I wonder how the signers of A Common Word would react to this kind of clear alarm? What would the attenders of the Evangelical Theological Society say in response to this?

Just to be clear: I am not in agreement with the "A Common Word" document signed by over 300 leading "evangelical" leaders and Muslim clerics. I will not "keep aloof in general statements, there is little fruit to be expected. Alas for the unconverted, they must be undeceived—or they will be undone! "

Three of the King's Captains

In Spurgeon's May, 1879 edition of the Sword and the Trowel he published an interview with Three of the King's Captains.  Spurgeon published an interview with three men, George Muller, Hudson Taylor and John Bost. Muller and Taylor have been frequent reads of mine over the past years, Bost is new to my reading. I'll offer a quick summary of Spurgeon's interview here, you should read the interview for a full feel.  (If this article is written today then it might need to be tiled Four of the King's Captains to include Charles Spurgeon.)

I will start and finish where Spurgeon finishes. "Let us glorify Him who has wrought all our works in us, and is alone worthy of all praise." Spurgeon was quick to remind the reader of his article that these captains of the King are but flesh like all of us, yet God found willing and consecrated vessels to do His mighty work. "It would be very foolish to compare one servant of the Lord with another in order to set one above the other, for the church is like the heavens in this, that one star differeth from another star in glory. Each of these three brethren is of a distinct type: the same Spirit is in each of them, working out a different form of the one glory which Jesus has given to all his people We delight in them all, and do not intend by a single sentence of ours to suggest a comparative estimate of their worth."

Spurgeon and Taylor:

"Mr. Taylor is not a man of commanding presence or of striking modes of speech. He is not in outward appearance an individual who would be selected from among others as the leader of a gigantic enterprise; in fact, he is lame in gait, and little in stature: but the Lord seeth not as man seeth, his glance rearbeth to the heart. In his spiritual manhood Mr. Taylor is of noble proportions: his spirit is quiet and meek, yet strong and intense; there is not an atom of self-assertion about him, but a firm confidence in God and in the call which he has himself received to carry the gospel to China."

Spureon's use of language shows why he is refered to by many as the prince of preachers. His use of vivid language helps to see his careful use of it to draw you in.

"Our conversation was confined to China, the work in China, and the workers in China. The word China, China, China is now ringing in our ears in that special, peculiar, musical, forcible, unique way in which Mr. Taylor utters it. He could not very readily be made to speak upon any other theme for long together; he would be sure to fly back to China. We believe that he dreams of chop-sticks, mandarins, and poor Chinese."

Spurgeon and Muller:

"Mr. Muller has the look of personified order and simplicity: his appearance is equally removed from show and slovenliness. His face gleams with the quiet cheerfulness which comes of profound restfulness. He believes God with great reality, and practically takes him at his word, and hence his peace is as a river. His faith has wrought in him great strength of purpose, so far as man is concerned, and something more than submission to the will of the Lord, for he evidently delights himself therein, and, through divine grace, has been made to move in accordance with it."

I am humbled to the point of silence and weeping when I read of Muller. Many times my weeping is so deep seating that I am rendered silent when I consider how foolish and materialistic I am and in love with the things of this world. Muller carries with him a joy in God that takes me close to idolatry and short of God in wanting to live a life like him. I only want to follow Christ so I must guard my heart in all matters concerning Muller (and Taylor.)

More of Spurgeon and Muller:

"That which struck us most was his evident rejoicing in tribulations, for the only excitement which we noticed in him was at the mention of the trials of his early days, which gave such room for the display of the divine faithfulness. We do not mean that our friend desires trial, but we perceive that when it comes his heart is exceeding glad, and his glory rejoices, because the Lord is now about to reveal himself more fully, and to honor his divine name yet again. O that we could all learn this lesson and put it into practice.

We were deeply humbled at the sight of our friend's beauty of character; not that he said a single word by way of self-praise, but the very reverse, for his total absence of self-consciousness was a leading feature in his conversation. Again and again he said, "the Lord can do without poor George Muller"; but even this was drawn out of him, for with him George Muller is just nothing, and the Lord is all in all. We cannot picture this man of God, he is too bright for our pencil. A soft, subdued light shines upon his image as we try to recall it, a reflection of the moral glory of the Master whom he loves; but mild as is the radiance, it prevents our sketching the man to the life.

With no flash of oratory, or brilliance of poetry, or breadth of thought, or originality of mind, George Muller is enabled to be one of the most useful of living preachers by his simply testifying to facts by which he has for himself proved the love and truth of God. His preaching is the gospel and nothing else. Of flowers of speech he has none, and we hardly think he cares for them; but of the bread of heaven he has abundance. With speculations he does not intermeddle, but the eternal verities he handles with practical, homely, realizing faith."

Spurgeon and Bost: I know the least of John Bost in my reading, but he has quickly found a top-of-the-desk place in

"We do not know whether George Muller has any humor, but John Boat has about as much of it as C. H. Spurgeon. Mr. Bost is a man of considerable dimensions, and addressing us he said, "You will see that there is a difference between me and Mr. Muller. George Muller is a great man and John Bost is a large man." This was true, but not all the truth, for John Bost is great as well as large. Orphans, idiots, imbeciles, and epileptic persons are the objects of our friend's loving care."

In that day of giants (Charles Spurgeon, J. Hudson Taylor, George Muller, and John Bost) I often find myself asking God what in all of the world could I possible do for you? And when I read biographies of these and others like them the commonality is that they consecrate themselves to God, period. After reading Watchman Nee's book the Experience of Life I was reminded that lives like Spurgeon, Taylor, Muller, Bost, Nee, and others should be the norm. Nee says that "a saved person should be a consecrated person. Once a person is saved, he should consecrate himself to the Lord. To be saved without being consecrated is a very abnormal condition."

More Spurgeon and Bost:

"How can John Bost be otherwise than troubled in spirit when he hears the cries of epileptics, and sees the horrible contortions into which they are thrown in their frequent fits? It cuts him to the heart to see the sufferings of the dear objects of his care, and many are his sleepless nights with such a charge around him. He is full of tender sympathies, and in consequence he has a great power over his poor patients, who love and revere him; but this costs him great wear and tear of heart, and often brings him very low. In temperament he is emotional, and loves intensely: we had all his heart very soon, and we shall retain it while we live, for ours is knit to him in brotherly affection. He is an original, and his plans of working and collecting money are not a feeble copy of another man's."

As I consider the lives of these three (really four) I am thankful that God spoke through Spurgeon to me again as he reminds the reader of these interviews that "here many have erred, (me often) for they have been ambitious to be like some notable person, and have ended in being servile copyists, destitute of all the force and excellence of their hero, and without virtues of their own. Bost is not a second Muller, as we had been told—he is John Bost, and nobody else, and differs as much from Mr. Muller as a rose differs from a lily."

So I will conclude, resolved to be consecrated finally to let a sovereign God, King of all and in all be my all. I take use of these four captains of the King and I say "have Your way in me oh King of Glory."

Thanksgiving

Sunday November 15 Sermon outline:
Series: Ephesians
Text: Ephesians 5:1-6
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints ;4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (NASB)
This text starts with a demand and concludes with the wrath of God. The demand to be an imitator of God is a lightweight demand to those who know they belong to God. What makes this demand something we want to do has to do with the statement at the end of verse one that says 'as beloved children.' This says two things to me: 1) I'm loved by God and 2) the demand (yoke) to imitate God is light and easy because I'm love by God.

Why do we make knowing love and walking in love as Christ did so complicated? The following verses shine some helpful light on this often defeated place for many believers.

Immorality, impurity, greed (idolatry): Paul starts out with heavy weight issues that will crush us if we are not rescued by the grace of God.

1. Immorality (fornication), sexual sins before marriage outside of the instructions by God.
2. Impurity (adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, etc...), taking sexual sins outside of the marriage bed and perverting this good thing of sex.
3. Greed (covetousness, idolatry), a craving that overcomes our better reasoning and takes us captive until it is satisfied.

These three things should not even be named about us. There is no proper 'fitting' among the saints. If these are among us, are we of God?

After these, Paul brings up... 1) filthiness, 2) silly talk, and 3) course jesting. So not only should the actions above not be mentioned about us, there is nothing about those sins that we can find any pleasure in. We don't want to talk about this filthiness, we don't want to make light of how seriously dangerous our flesh is and we have no desire to make course jokes of such a thing.

What Paul says next is surprising, I think. He says that these things are not fitting for us but "rather giving of thanks." If we have a biblical understanding of God, a biblical understanding of how ugly our flesh is and taste the goodness of His grace then giving of thanks should be more natural than my next breath. God is not acting unjust to lower his wrath upon the sons of disobedience. He knows that living a life like this is not fitting for us. He tells us this in love for us so that we don't have to face His wrath.

Giving of thanks is fitting for the children of God. When a child understands how good his parent has been, the child doesn't need to be told to say thank you. He gives his gratitude with ease and pleasure because it is "fitting."

Thanksgiving has nothing to do with turkey when I think of Ephesians 5:4b and 5:6.

NaNoWriMo: 2009

I'm 6 days behind and over 10,000 words behind my target goal. But I'm now attempting my 2009 National Novel Writing Month contribution to the literary world.

I'm writing more of a collection of short stories where the characters all know each other (I think). I've decided to take several of Jesus' parables and develop short stories from some of them. I just finished writing my introduction and ready to start telling the behind the story story of The Sower. (I may take a nap before I get going, or clean the bathroom, or feed the birds outside, or vacuum the living room floor, or paint the fence, or...)

Orphan Sunday, November 8, 2009

On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, Southern Baptists passed a resolution at our annual gathering. Among other things, the resolution called on the SBC churches and missions organizations to focus on orphan care and named November 8, 2009 as "Orphan Sunday."

(For those who may not know, a resolution passed at an annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention has no authority on any local church, it serves as an encourager, only to bring awareness to an issue.)

Here are the resolving clauses from the resolution.

RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, June 23-24, 2009, express our commitment as a denomination of churches to join our Father in seeking mercy for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we call on each Southern Baptist family to pray for guidance as to whether God is calling them to adopt or foster a child or children; and be it furtherRESOLVED, that we encourage our pastors and church leaders to preach and teach on God’s concern for orphans; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we commend churches and ministries that are equipping families to provide financial and other resources to those called to adopt, through grants, matching funds, or loans; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we ask our International Mission Board and North American Mission Board to prioritize the evangelism of and ministry to orphans around the world, and to seek out ways to energize Southern Baptists behind this mission; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we encourage Southern Baptist churches to join with other evangelical Christians in recognizing November 8, 2009, as “Orphan Sunday,” focusing that day on our adoption in Christ and our common burden for the orphans of the world; and be it further

RESOLVED, that we hope what God is doing in creating an adoption culture in so many churches and families can point us to a gospel oneness that is defined not by “the flesh” racial, economic, or cultural sameness but by the Spirit unity and peace in Christ Jesus; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that we pray for an outpouring of God’s Spirit on Southern Baptist congregations so that our churches increasingly will announce and picture, in word and in deed, that “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.”

"If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is givingyou, youshall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks. 9 "Beware that there is no base thought in yourheart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,' and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you givehim nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. 10 "You shall generously give to him, andyour heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all yourwork and in all your undertakings. 11 "For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall freely open your hand to your brother, toyour needy and poor in your land.' Deut 15:7-11 (NASB) (emphasis mine)

the Gutenberg Press

I found this of great interest, the printed word. My buddy David posted this on November 6, 2009.

What Now?

Now what? I delayed reading 'Crazy Love' now for the past couple of months because I hate jumping on popular band wagons and trendy seasons of church life (remember the Prayer of Jabez?) Good principles overtaken (my personal opinion) by the masterful marketing arm of Multnomah. It wasn't long before Prayer of Jabez post-it-notes, Prayer of Jabez jewelry, backpacks, key rings, greeting cards, Christmas ornaments, candles, mouse pads, lapel pins, bookmarks, mugs and even framed art. (Where I'm not opposed to a free capitalistic market, I find what happens too often with a runaway best (Christian) seller is that our consumer driven nature could distract us from a good thing. This isn't the reason for this blog, it is just a growing cynical place I have to keep myself from living in for too long.) (God save us all if a marketing scheme takes over 'Crazy Love'.)

Francis Chan has written a book that could be, if not already have, the sounds of a Holy Spirit driven revival of freshness breathed into the American church. Where what Chan writes about is not popular, it is biblical. Crazy Love is saturated with Scripture and framed from this vantage point to drive the reader to Scripture and not just use it as support for issue or point. Many times Chan tells the reader to put the book down and go read lengthy portions of Scripture, to be quite, pray, and ask God questions.

I liken Chan's message to John Piper's Desiring God and Don't Waste Your Life. He seems influenced by many shapers of true faith; George Muller, A.W. Tozer, R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Louie Giglio, David Livingston, and Oswald Chambers who lived or are living a life that many even inside the church call outrageous.

I've recently been re-reading some Puritan sermons from the 1600's and 1700's and under great conviction of how I preach. They preach with passion for the unconverted, they preach with clarity of what and who the gospel is, they preach under constant threat of imprisonment because their message is not popular or in vogue with the mainstream church and ruling government. Chan's message is consistent with the message of these of old and in plumb with Scripture. I feel most people reading this book would be in agreement with what he says but will oppose it in real time living.

The strongest chapter that would cause religious people heartburn is Chapter 5; Serving Leftovers to a Holy God. Here Chan holds nothing back in classifying 'lukewarm' Christians as unconverted (my word). He defines a "lukewarm Christian as an oxymoron; there's no such thing. To put it plainly, churchgoers who are "lukewarm" are not Christians." This is not popular preaching. Jesus wants all or nothing. "The thought of a person calling himself a "Christian" without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd."

This is no lightweight book. It's not a self-help, warm fuzzy, or self-esteem building experience. It is on-spot biblically and helpful in examining to see if you are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5)

I'm asking God; What do I do now? His answer is; Obey me.

Alarm to the Unconverted

While re-reading puritan preacher/author Joseph Alleine's sermon collection entitled Alarm to the Unconverted (easier to read version here) I'm rediscovering why I like this puritan preacher so much; There is a clear, passionate, compelling and pleading in his tone toward the unconverted.

The usage of language is at times cumbersome and feels like I'm walking through fertile farm land with my hiking boots on after a heavy rain; difficult and frustrating at times but you know you are in richness.

The first thing I like is how he refers to who we call 'lost' people as 'unconverted.' He speaks with a persuading edge and a wooing. He is addressing unconverted people everywhere but he does seem to have a great deal of concern for the churched who are unconverted.

Following are a few of my choice excerpts form chapter one "Shewing What Conversion is Not, and Correcting Some Mistakes About It." (I chose to use Alleine's English for the full effect and put my thoughts in (parenthesis).)

To prevent, therefore, all possibility of mistake in this matter, I will here endeavour fully to explain the nature of that conversion, to which I persuade you. (Here is his first display of passion to persuade.)

Of this Conversion the Devil hath many counterfeits abroad, cheating one with this and another with that: and such craft hath he in the mystery of deceit, that, were it possible, he would deceive the very elect. In order therefore to remedy the fatal mistake of some, who think they are converted when they are not; and to remove the disquietude of others, who think that they are not converted when they really are - I shall here point out the nature of conversion both negatively and positively.

(In short...)

Conversion is not a mere assumption of the Christian profession.

Conversion is not being washed in the laver of regeneration. (Baptism, namely infant Baptism)

Conversion is not in a mere moral righteousness. (Pharisees)

Conversion is not in an external conformity to the rules of religion. (Christian disciplines, prayer, fasting, etc.)

Conversion is not the mere chaining up of corruption by education.

Conversion is neither in sudden convictions nor in partial reformations.

(Persuading application and conclusion:)

My brethren, why will yo deceive yourselves, by grounding your hopes upon a sandy foundation?
If these be the strongest pleas which you have to produce, I am authorized to declare, that they will never be accepted at the bar of God. For though all these things be good in themselves, they fail to prove you converted persons; and , consequently, are insufficient for your salvation. O then be persuaded to think seriously on these points: read the word, be earnest in prayer, and study your own hearts; for you must be other men, or you are lost men.

(Concluding prayer...)

O Lord God, help! alas, shall I leave them thus? If they will not hear me - yet may You hear me. O that they might live in Your sight!
Lord, save them - or they perish! My heart would melt to see their houses on fire when they were fast asleep in their beds, ad shall not my soul be moved within me to see them falling into endless perdition? Lord have compassion and save them out of the burning. Put forth Your divine power - and the work will be done!

"Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you." (Eph 5:14 NASB)

Life Abounds!

(Message summery from 2009 UISBC annual meeting, Central Valley Baptist Church, Meridian, Idaho)
Sermon Title: Life Abounds Where the River Flows
Scripture Text: Ezekiel 47:1-12 John 7:37-39
Date: 11:00am Wednesday, October 28, 2009

(Photo taken on the Snake River, Twin Falls, Idaho)

Observations and questions about the 'river' from Ezekiel 47:1-12:

• Notice the origin of the river (1-2.)
• Unlike rivers in nature, this river increased without other rivers joining in (2-11.)
• The river has an effect on the the great sea, causing it to become fresh (8.)
• Life is in abundance wherever the river goes (9.)
• Fish abound in the river (10.)
• Fishermen have a place to cast their nets (10.)
• There are marshes and swamps around the river (seems like they represent a negative element, I think. (11))
• Life abounds on the banks of the river (12.)
• Trees bear perpetual fruit (12.)
• The leaves of the trees give healing (12.)

Observations on John 7:37-39

• Jesus stood and 'cried out' (37.)
• He cried out "all who are thirsty (longing to live?)" (37.)
• "come to me (exclusive)" (37.)
• "drink (find pleasure in)" (37.)
• "He who believes in me as the Scripture said, 'from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. (evangelism)'" (38.)

In these two texts are interesting things to consider. There is a place where life originates and abounds and they are one in the same. We (the church) have been trying

• to stimulate growth
• create healthiness
• evangelize
• fix or repair
• mature

when what we need to do is abide by the river (not the swamps or marshes.) I took the current trends of 'church growth' movements and laid it against this plumb line.

• When did we become convinced that we have to do something other than put Holy God and sinful man up next to each other to cause people to want to drink this living water? Maybe because we are leading them to the swamps and marshes? Who would drink from a swamp unless he had to be tricked into drinking from it? Fresh water needs no gimmick to 'sell.'
• What would happen if we went fishing in the river rather than the swamp or marsh?
• Holy God offers Himself to the nations and we think we need to use a gimmick to attract them to Him? He's God, he needs no 'opening act.'

"In many churches, Christianity has been watered down until the solution is so weak that if it were poison it would not hurt anyone, and if it were medicine it would not cure anyone!"
A.W. Tozer

2009 NaNoWriMo

I will be making a third attempt at writing a novel throughout the month of November. I completed my first incoherent 50,000 word novel in 2007, I attempted an incomplete novel in 2008 and now I'm ready to give it another shot.

NaNoWriMo is a free, no-obligation, royalty free, literacy encouraging, non-profit organization designed to encourage people to write. November is declared as the National Novel Writing Month and NaNoWriMo is here to promote the craziness.

I'm still working on my idea. The creative ideas are dormant at the moment, but soon they will be seeping through my finger tips to the keyboard and steam blowing out my ears teaming with so many ideas that I may need to be committed to a room with padded walls and only allowed to drink water from a sippy cup.

A Call to Anguish

I plead with you, church, to listen to this word.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity." (Romans 12:2 JB Phillips)

Aunt Honey

-my blog is mostly me reflecting, sometimes reacting, but mostly reflecting. This post will be more personal than most because of the nature of the subject, and will most likely be rather random-

Most of my readers never knew my Aunt Honey (I don't know why we called her Aunt Honey, I know that I just like her name.) Aunt Honey died Saturday, October 4, 2009 of a heart attack. My reflections at the moment are probably still rather muted, but I thought I would take advantage of the reflections that are on my mind and heart.

Because I didn't grow up in the same town or state as Aunt Honey I'm sure I didn't know her as much as I have always wanted, but what I know of her and observed about her, I'm sure my reflections are not out of character.

A visit to Aunt Honey's would come with an expectation that laughter and joy would rule the day. As a boy I knew that while at Aunt Honey's we would laugh, eat, laugh, play games, eat and laugh. (Laughter is common with many family gatherings I suppose, but from my boyhood reflection of the Thompson family gatherings in Amarillo, TX they were unforgettably full of laughter.) (And food.)

My childhood was influenced heavily from a missional point of view. My Aunt Honey's brother (my dad) pastored in Colorado in the 70's and 80's and a big part of that ministry was prayed for by the WMU of the Second Baptist Church in Amarillo, TX largely lead by Aunt Honey.

As a young adult God let me serve as a youth minister at Second Baptist Church in Amarillo and I began to see the heart beat of Aunt Honey to be singularly driven by her love for God. Missionaries around the world have been prayed for by Aunt Honey. As I came to know Aunt Honey from this vantage point I learned quickly that she would insist that attention be given to God. The reason she loved missionaries so much was because she loved God who loved her first.

My living in Idaho for the past 18 years, Aunt Honey continued to pray and inform her church of the ongoing need to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Second Baptist Church came with us to Idaho in 1992, largely in part to the missional drive of a woman of God.

Churches that have been impacted in Idaho (Emmanual Baptist, Mtn. Home; Foothills Baptist, in Fairfield; Calvary Baptist, Boise; NorthRidge Fellowship, Jerome, and Eastside Baptist, Twin Falls) may never know that a woman known to me as Aunt Honey has spent much time in prayer for you while praying for me and lifting the banner of love to awaken the missional heart of her church in Amarillo, TX.

The success or failure of the cross is not upon the shoulders of God's people, that work was completely completed by God, and yet he demands his followers to pick up the banner and move it forward in this ongoing battle. God equipped this lowly (Ephesians 4:2) woman of his to boldly advance his banner.

My mind is heavy today, knowing that while the Thompson family gathers in Amarillo to bury Aunt Honey on Wednesday (October 7, 2009) I will be 1,200 miles away. My mind is at peace that I will not be able to be there, but today my emotional heart pains of loneliness. May God bless my family (parents, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins) with his never ending compassion.

I saw this lived out in my Aunt Honey's life, displaying God to the nations... "walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph 4:1-3 (NASB)

At a Minimum...

This week it appears that the U.S. Senate Finance Committee is putting some final touches on the proposed health care reform bill. What an amazing day we live in.

I'm thankful that Southern Baptists are engaged people. The Cooperative Program provides us the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. I don't reply to everything that comes through my e-mail from the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission but at a minimum, anything related to life snags my attention.

If interested, consider involving yourself in our government, click here to send a letter expressing your desires.

I can not shake Psalm 8:1-2 out of my head in relationship to the issue of abortion. Look at this Psalm...

"Yahweh, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth! you have covered the heavens with Your majesty. Because of Your adversaries, You have established a stronghold from the mouths of children and nursing infants to silence the enemy and the avenger (HCSB.)

I'm not surprised by Satan's attack against God in the arena of birth. God has declared that he has established a stronghold to silence his enemy from the mouths of children and infants. It would make since from a military vantage point that if God has established a stronghold through someone, then take them out before they can be used.

So as a follower of Christ I will boldly speak out for the soon to be born and against any foe that would be used to silence them. This plan of God's, to use infants and children to silence his enemy, tells me two things. 1) Compared to God, His enemy (Satan) must be incapable of anything. 2) Satan must be infuriated by such a humiliating stronghold, he's defeated by the poster-child of helplessness, infants.

Following is a copy of the letter I just sent to my Idaho Senators and Representative.

Dear Senator,

It is my understanding that the Senate Finance Committee is currently examining the Sen. Max Baucus’ (D-MT) health care reform bill.
Most troubling for me, the Baucus bill would not protect life. It seems that it would allow government funding of abortion under health care, fail to safeguard conscience rights of health care providers, and open the door to rationing of care.
At a minimum, please support the amendments to prohibit abortion funding and provide consciences protections under health care reform.

Sincerely,
Paul Thompson

Desiring God National Conferece

Today (9/25/09) the Desiring God National Conference begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'll be looking forward to hearing the various men preach on the richness of biblical doctrine.

Report from the Guard Post

I try not to be an alarmist of all things Islam, yet I will stand my watch (Habakkuk 2:1) and report what I see (Isaiah 21:6-7.) Church of the living God (in America) you have reason to pray always.
September 25, 2009 American followers of Islam will exercise their American (arguably their God-given) right to meet and gather for prayer (Christian students gathered on Wednesday, Sept. 23, praying that God would awaken their peers to Truth.)

The gathering on Capital Hill is called Islam On Capital Hill. (Lest you misunderstand me here, let me clarify my report; I think this gathering should concern all followers of Christ in America.)

Station yourself on the lookout tower. This freedom we (Americans) bath in is an amazing thing. A freedom that gives all faiths equal freedom does not mean that all faiths are equal, but it does give all faiths equal voice to express and pray to their god.

How then shall followers of Christ live within this freedom? With fear and trembling... not of Islam but that the Living God may be on the verge of turning them over to their god (For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie... Romans 1:25.) Consider loving followers of Islam enough to speak truth from the watch tower.

Squinting as I watch and straining to hear from the lookout tower,
Paul

Thirsty?

Jesus cried out (John 7:37-38); “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink!" and then He followed this invitation with this promise; "The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” What are we thirsty for? It seems that many tend to seek to quench their thirst for God with lesser things.

As I'm thinking through some things in my own life that are considered by many as good things, I wonder how many of them are really distractions from living water (John 4:10.) (At this point, I realize that I may not communicate fully what I'm trying to communicate and run a great risk of misleading some with my observations, so feel free to ask qualifying questions on what I'm thinking.) I offer the following thoughts as potential substitutes for living water.

1. I have used various "quiet-time' or devotional books throughout my life. I find them to be useful, helpful and even satisfying my thirst for God; but I wonder how often I become more captivated by the illustrations or story that the devotional author uses and miss all together what God is saying.
2. I have become an avid reader of books and Bible studies. As beneficial as these have proven to be to me and even helped correct wrong thinking on my part, if I'm not careful I become more of a repeater of another man than one seeking to satisfy my spiritual thirst with a good book rather than living water.
3. I cannot argue enough for the biblical place of attending weekly gatherings of the local church; however, I see many people making this their only stop at the 'drinking-fountain' and hang more on the illustrations and stories from the pastor than drinking from the living water. I hear this often; "that was a great sermon this morning pastor, that story you told was so good, it even made me cry." Where that makes a pastor (me) feel good that he moved someone to tears, what fountain were they drinking from? The story or the living water?

There are other thoughts I have on this matter, but these are the big ones for me and that I see in others. I would agree that all three have valid and beneficial elements, yet they all three can become substitutes for for living water, the kind of water that will produce streams of living water flowing from deep within me. This kind of water satisfies. This kind of water doesn't disappoint. This kind of water flows out of the believer; that means that what God pours into the believer is intended to flow out.

If a watching world is looking to the church to see what God is like, what do they see flowing out of us? Might they see the living God flowing from us as we pant for him like a deer panting for water (Psalms 42:1.)

Nothing should be considered equal to a drink from Scripture and extended moments of prayer, fasting and meditation upon God as revealed through his word.

Thirsty for God
Paul

the Gospel

I'm thankful to our God for the beginning of an intern ministry and partnership with a sister church. NorthRidge Fellowship in Jerome, Idaho and Eastside Baptist in Twin Falls have been gospel partners for many years. The friendship with Matt Boyd, pastor at NorthRidge has been an ongoing blessing from God and now we are in the throws of mentoring two young men from our churches.

Yesterday, while all four of us were reading and examining the first 17 verses of Romans chapter 1, God reminded me of a basic biblical concept. Romans 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'the righteous shall live be faith.'"

In verse 16 Paul gives reason for why he is not ashamed of the gospel, because it (the gospel) is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. And then in verse 17 he says that in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.

Holy Spirit, teach me to better understand the gospel. Church, be careful to not short cut our way around the gospel (here is our power, not our strategies or our programs or our music or our 'fill-in-the-blank.') God, reveal Yourself through the gospel.

Pray for Chaplains

I'm thankful for all 1,134 SBC chaplains who serve our men and women in the US military. Especially for John Martinez, associate pastor at Eastside Baptist Church.

Student Intern Personnel (S.I.P.)

…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim 2:1-2 (NASB)

A lot has been written and talked about when it comes to growth and decline in church attendance in the last 20 years. Marketing companies have emerged and appear to profit much from churches looking to survive the movement away from church gatherings. I think there must be some benefit from the research that is done, but my concern is what, who or where we turn to for the solutions.

We expect our government to print it on our currency; 'In God We Trust.' If there is ever a place it would seem right that this would be a motto it would be the church. Yet we seem to trust the marketers who tell us why people are leaving and trust them to tell us how to get people in. , God told David (Psalm 34:8) to "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Jesus told his disciples "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work,"
(John 4:34)

My article is less about marketing and the tendency among churches to trust market driven methods to solve our perception of what may be going on and more about how God teaches the church to entrust godly matters to faithful men who will be able to teach others.

For the past seven years I've been praying about how to live out 2 Timothy 2:1-2; let me introduce to you the Student Intern Personnel ministry. Ministry training is nothing new to churches. We see in Paul's letter to Timothy that this is something that ought to be done in an ongoing manner. Beginning in September Brad Kinch and Zacary Bickel will serve a short term internship. Brad with Eastside Baptist in Twin Falls and Zacary with NorthRidge Fellowship in Jerome. You will hear about them and from them during this time. Pray for Matt Boyd and myself as we seek to instruct these young men.

No Reserve, No Retreat, No Regrets

His headstone reads "Apart from faith in Christ there is no explanation for such a life." Further examination of people impacting the world during the era of such men as D.L. Moody, George Mueller, and Charles Spurgeon I have come across another biography. William Whiting Borden. In his short life (1887-1913) of 25 years he abandoned everything of the comforts of this world to die with a purpose. (I know the argument is to live for Christ, but really that is translated to many as 'live for me'.)

After Borden's graduation from Yale in 1909 he is converted to Christianity under the ministry of D.L. Moody. Shortly after conversion he answers a call to take the gospel to Muslims in the east but died of spinal meningitis while learning Arabic in Egypt. Borden, heir of the Borden Company (was a millionaire by the age of 21) decided to give all for the missionary cause of carrying the Gospel to the risky places of the world.

Shortly after his death his bible is given to his parents. Throughout his bible is found many personal notes, the following note is dated shortly after he renounced his fortune in favor of missions; "no reserve." Shortly after being diagnosed with meningitis he writes; "no retreat." Then a note dated just before his death he writes; "no regrets." (1)

24 " No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matt 6:24 (NASB)