Sunday, March 28, 2010

"Life"- a poem by Mudcat Grant

I cam across this poem yesterday by Jim "Mudcat" Grant, a famous Baseball player. As I read it yesterday it impressed me how this rather simple poem stayed with me for the day. I love illustrations and examples of applying biblical, or life learning's, in a way that they are readily understood. And looking at a baseball game in a way that shows a life lesson is something that I really enjoyed. I hope you enjoy this as well:

Life is like a game of baseball,You play it every day.It isn't just the breaks you get,But the kind of game you play.

So stop and look your whole team over,And you'll find dedication there.You're bound to be a winner,With men who really care.

Your pitcher's name is courage,You need him in the game.For faith and trust your keystone men,The grounders they will tame.

Your center fielder is very fast,Though small and hard to see.So watch him, son, when he gets,The ball he's opportunity.

In left field there's ambition,Never let him shirk.For in right field there's a husky man,I'm told his name is work.

At first base there's religion,He's stood the test of time.At third base there's brotherhood,The stalwart of the nine.

Your catcher's name is humor,He's important to the scheme.For with honor warming in the bull pen,The game is always clean.

With love on the bench,You've perfection no less.With a winning team,And joy and happiness.

Your other team is strong, son,Greed, hatred, envy and defeat.Are four strong infielders,You'll have to buck to make your game complete.

Deceitfulness and a man called waste,Are always playing hard.Selfishness and jealousy,None can you disregard.

Carelessness and falsehood,Are the big boys in the pen.You'll have to swing hard, son,When you come up to them.

There's one more man you'll have to watch,He's always very near.He's the pitcher on that team,And I'm told his name is fear.

This game will not be easy,There'll be trouble, there'll be strife.To make the winning runs, my boy,For this game is played on the field of life.

So stand behind your team, my boy,There'll be many who'll applaud.Just remember that you're the player,And the umpire here is God.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Christ and Culture Revisited

Now that I am not starting school until the fall I decided to stop being academically lazy and take advantage of the time to catch up on some long overdue reading. I started reading this book called "Christ and Culture Revisited" by DA Carson. Great read so far as I am about 40 pages in. Came across something that made me think: "Sin is in us, Grace is in God".

I think at times we fail to realize just how corrupted we are by our sin nature. Nothing in us is good, everything is marred by sin. Even our greatest achievements: great building, medical breakthroughs, works of art and culture, all pail in comparison the the Grace that is in God.

Psalm 8:4 reads "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?"

Luke 18:19 reads "Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone."

Mt 6:19 reads about our treasures, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal"

The best we can do is Titus 2:13, "while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,"

I think we can too easily take what we do and think, this is good. But we're not. Our hope is not in ourselves, our hope is only in Jesus.

Some thoughts I've had as I start through this book. More to come.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Preachers Who Don't Believe -- The Scandal of Apostate Pastors

Preachers Who Don't Believe -- The Scandal of Apostate Pastors

Both a scary look at what society is becoming and a wake up call to a present reality. In Jesus' time we need only look at books like Galatians, 2 Thessalonians, and Jude to name a few, where apostate/false teachers preached and spread a false gospel.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

A time for everything...or nothing.

Ecclesiastes 3

Everything Has Its Time
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.

I am a little bummed today. I have been very busy the last couple weeks between work, the kids, and working on my sermon this week. For everything there is a season, right?

Well I have been all excited about enrolling in and starting classes at Liberty University. I just want to finish up my degree. I was supposed to start in the spring, but God put up reasons as to why I shouldn't. I was supposed to start this summer, but the classes I need are not all available and the payment options are greatly reduced over the summer. So, I am left with starting in the fall. To everything there is a season.

But as I sit and reflect on it, maybe God knows best after all. Look at it this way:
  • I am still frazzled as I learn a new job
  • I have just taken on coaching my daughter's softball team
  • I am taking on larger and larger roles at church
  • We have several vacations planned already
  • And by fall we'll be done paying for the kids school so I can easily afford this.

So as I sit and pray on it, maybe I need to realize that God is totally in control. He knows what I need. He knows what this summer will be like, and he knows that now is not the best time to restart my studies. I really don't lose any time anyway...so what's the big deal. Maybe I just needed to realize that I need to slow down, listen to that "still small voice", and know that there is a season for everything.

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

The Man of Lawlessness

This has been such a busy week between work, the kids, and working on my sermon for Sunday. I am outting the finishing touches on it now. Here is a little advance clip:

Who is this Man of Lawlessness 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2:12

Before we begin, Rupertus Meldenius once said: “"In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis libertas, in utrisque (or, omnibus) caritas."
or,

“In the essentials unity, in the non-essentials liberty, but in all things Charity”.

There is a lot of difficulty in understanding this passage of Scripture that we’re going to study today. It is one of the most difficult. If not the most difficult in the entire Bible, it is at least one of the most difficult that Paul ever penned. No one (myself included) can be 100 % sure to have found who or what the man of lawlessness is. There is just not enough information about it. It is evident that we don’t have all the pieces of the puzzle. So, the best that can be done is to get as much as we can from it, accept it, pray on it, and move on.

Like every other New Testament epistle, the Second Letter to the Thessalonians is an occasional letter (that means it was written with an occasion in mind) and was written to answer some problem that had risen. Therefore, we’ll approach the text this morning by setting forth the background of the Thessalonian Correspondence first, then by discussing who or what the man of lawlessness is.

“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, NIV).

Friday, March 12, 2010

Are You Rapture Ready?

Are You Rapture Ready?

Great question, especially as we get closer and closer. I got this from a sister in Christ!! Thank you Jen:

The Bible says that the day of salvation is today, so please do not put off this very important decision for Jesus Christ. The Lord gave his all on the Cross in order to pay the price of sin, a price that none of us could pay on our own. So in return, Jesus wants nothing less than all of us.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Sermon on Mark 13

So through my study and prep on Mark 13, one thing is becoming more and more evident to me: a major part of Biblical prophecy is Evangelism! The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be proclaimed! Here is a little excerpt from the sermon I am preparing for tomorrow:

"Today we also celebrate the fact that God’s word is still powerful in our hearts and our lives. It is truly by grace, as we sing in our hymns and praises. Paul writes in Colossians: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). So we do our gathering on Sunday that we might let God’s word once again dwell in us richly, that we might sing the psalms and hymns of praise that God truly deserves. In the middle of our text we are reminded on one thing: God’s gospel must be preached. That was exactly what Jesus wanted his disciples to realize. No matter what Jesus was going to face, no matter what the disciples would face, God’s gospel must be preached. That gospel message hasn’t changed from the thousands of years ago of the disciples, or to you and I as Jesus’ modern-day disciples. I don’t agree with many who shy away from preaching out of Revelation, or the “Apocalyptic” parts of the Bible. All of scripture is good, and true and meant for instruction and direction as we’re reminded in the Letter to Timothy. Actually, I think that the Apocalyptic passages of scripture can and should serve as powerful tools for evangelism. Our Lord has provided for us, through His Word, a glimpse of tomorrow’s newspaper today. Why not fully take advantage of that information to save ourselves and those around us from everlasting damnation. That said, our theme for today will be:GOD’S GOSPEL MUST BE PREACHED, and Jesus tells us why:
I. There will be deceivers
II. There will many signs
III. There will be deliverance"

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Therefore do not be foolish.

15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Eph 5:15-17

This is one of my favorite scripture passages, and I just reread it again tonight. If you're like me then you believe scripture is infallible, inerrant and authoritative. That said, what a powerful message this is. We need to be careful how we live, we need to live as the wise live and make the most of each and every opportunity, and furthermore we should not be foolish. How does Scripture tell us to do this, by knowing what the Lord's will is. That begs the big question: how do we know what the Lord's will is?

Sounds like a daunting job, but if we in earnest effort pray "the fervent effectual prayers of a righteous man availeth much" and stay in the Word, "draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you", we can begin to understand what the Lord's will is.

Make the most of your time, make the most of your opportunities, don't be foolish and learn what the Lord's will is. Quite a challenge, are you up for it?