All to Him I Owe

For a number of years, Beneth and I had the privilege of working with Dr. Walt Brock, the founder and director of Ironwood Christian camp  He is a man who has lived in the Word of God for many years and shows evidence of that time in the Word in the practical ways that he lives. One summer night at Ironwood, he and I were sitting in a jeep contemplating the day we had just experienced. We had a full campsite packed with teenagers, the electricity had gone out, our camp speaker was ill, a serious injury had occurred at the lake, and a number of staff members were struggling spiritually. Mr. Walt made a comment that night that has stuck with me: “I think the lion is roaring today!”

His comment was based upon I Peter 5:8 where it states, “…your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” For me, the last few weeks of ministry have felt as though the “lion has been roaring.” Through a number of circumstances, my senses have been alerted to the fact that the ministry includes a spiritual battle against an enemy that is not made of flesh and blood. Your week may have been similar to mine. If not, I’m sure there is a day coming soon when you will hear the roar of the lion. Regardless of your current situation, I want to plead with you to respond to the lion’s roar in 3 ways.

#1. Trust God Confidently: Sometimes I find myself trusting God reluctantly. Because I’ve tried all of my own solutions to the situation, I reluctantly begin to trust God as a last resort. The Bible clearly teaches that we are on the winning side (Psalm 60:12; I Corinthians 15:57). Christ has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). Standing strong in the power of His might is possible, or He wouldn’t have commanded us to do it (Ephesians 6:10). There is no good reason for us to reluctantly trust God today. Our trust should be confident in the fact that the One we are trusting is trustworthy.

#2. Pray Fervently: Most of us pray throughout the day-to-day events of ministry life. We pray for the Lord’s help with sermon prep, ministry decisions, and the needs of people we serve. Though we pray regularly, it is interesting to me what the “roar of the lion” does for our prayer life. The roar intensifies our prayer life. We find ourselves not just praying but pleading with God. The heightened sense of danger causes us to take our prayers far more seriously. Don’t miss the value of the lion’s roar. It can add an element to our prayer life that might have been missing.

#3. Work Tirelessly: Galatians 6:9 reminds believers in the midst of difficulty to not “grow weary in well doing.” Don’t quit because the lion roared. His roar is a roar of hunger, not a roar of victory. A hungry lion indicates that he has not found a satisfying meal yet. Even though people are struggling, the finances are declining, and you are at the end of your own wits, don’t quit! Keep working tirelessly, because we will reap if we faint not. A sure reward is promised to those who will stay faithful.

The lion will roar! He may be roaring in your life and ministry today. Stay sober and be vigilant (I Peter 5:8). Use these three simple reminders as your punch list of priority when you are reminded of the spiritual battle present in the ministry to which God has called you.

The second verse of the hymn “Rejoice in the Lord” contains a very important truth. The text says, “I bowed to the will of the Master that day; Then peace came…”

Most of us think that peace should precede submission to the will of God. However, the hymn and Scripture both teach that submission to the will of God precedes peace.

So how does a person discern the will of God? Romans 12:1-2 gives a two-step plan for knowing the will of God. It says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Step #1 is PRESENTATION: The phrase “living sacrifice” indicates that this will require a decision of our will. It is a decision to present ourselves to God with a sense of brokenness. Every time I read the phrase “holy, acceptable unto God,” I am reminded of a similar phrase found in Psalm 51:17: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The presentation that God does not despise is the presentation of a broken and contrite heart. Knowing the will of God starts with brokenness, which is simply yieldedness. It is a heart that is bent and yielded to do whatever God wants you to do. Remember, God does not reveal His will for our consideration. He reveals His will for our obedience.

Step #2 is TRANSFORMATION: It is not transformation that comes through simple discipline or outward conformity. It is the transformation that comes from the renewing of the mind. The renewing of the mind happens through regular, consistent exposure to the Word of God. The Word of God shows us the ways of God helping us understand the will of God. God has chosen the written Word of God to be His primary source of revelation to us. A person who is seldom in it will struggle to have a good grasp of God’s will.

Now that we know better how to discern God’s will, we have to ask ourselves if we are willing to “bow to the will of the Master today?” The peace most of us desperately desire only comes when we have submitted to the will of God.

Addictions are not limited to illicit drugs, alcohol, or immorality. Some addictions are subtle, quiet, and often overlooked. For instance, have you ever considered the possibility of being addicted to noise?

This summer one of our interns shared with me that C.S. Lewis described Hell as the “Kingdom of Noise.” It is a place of wailing, screaming, and the licking sounds of flame. There will be no quiet solitude or quiet times of thought in Hell. Satan loves it when we keep our lives full of noise from music, radio, television, conversation, etc., because the more noise that is in our lives, the less we hear of God. An addict is revealed when his substance of choice is withdrawn from him. What happens to you when you are alone in silence? Does the silence make you anxious or distraught? Do you desperately try to fill it with more noise?

One type of noise that we often forget about is the noise of activity. The calendars of our lives are filling up quickly. Some of you have very little empty space on your calendar. One man told me last week, “I know I’m busy; but remember, ‘Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop!'” While that is often true, it is also true that busy hands often make for busy lives that keep us from quietly spending time in God’s workshop-His Word. You probably have many good activities on your calendar that involve family, vacation, and fun. But as you think through the things you are planning to do, please remember this question I’ve asked you often: when does a good thing become a bad thing? A good thing becomes a bad thing when it prevents me from doing the best thing! Don’t let the busyness of good things keep you from the best things!

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Let’s discipline ourselves to be comfortable with stillness and silence. Let’s also discipline ourselves to create silence in our lives. In the still silence, we often hear God’s still, small voice-a voice we desperately need to hear, in order to build a relationship with our Lord. The best things are always the things that truly draw us closer to Him. Don’t let the good things prevent you from the best things.

Early one morning, a number of years ago, I had the privilege of meeting the famed Utah Jazz basketball star Karl Malone at the Salt Lake City airport. Even though he worked hard not to be noticed, a number of people recognized Karl and asked him for his autograph. I was reminded that day of how one author humorously defined a celebrity: “a person who works hard all of his life to be known, then wears sunglasses to avoid being recognized.”

The word celebrity comes from a word that means “to frequent” or “to gain notice.” Some people, like firemen or good Samaritans, gain notice unintentionally. Other people, like actors, politicians, athletes, and even preachers, seem to actively pursue celebrity status. Whether the status was intentional or unintentional those people gained the attention of others.

In recent days, the Lord has been teaching me that within my fleshly nature is a desire to conduct myself in such a way that I gain the favorable attention of man. How destructive this behavior is! It facilitates so many sinful struggles that we face in life. For instance, it is often one of the root sins that can lead us into depression and deep discouragement, because we are living to be seen by men but sometimes don’t get the attention we crave. It serves as the sinful motive that leads us to purchase things we can’t afford to better present ourselves in the eyes of others and leaves us with excessive debt. It sometimes leads us to bizarre or outlandish behavior in our speech and dress. It causes us to lead our families into excessive schedules built around extracurricular activities and hobbies that are motivated by looking good in front of others.

One of the verses that God has been using in my life to reveal my sinful desire for attention is Philippians 1:20-21 which says, “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The Apostle Paul desired the magnification of Christ in his life more than the magnification of himself. Rather than trying to gain attention through the way he lived, he wanted to give attention to Christ in the way he lived.

As you seek to grow in the area of giving attention to Christ, let me share three simple concluding thoughts.

1. Always remember that life is not about you! Your life has been given to you by God for a far greater purpose than your own self-magnification. Colossians 1:16-18 clearly teaches that we were created by God and for Him! We were created and we are being sustained so that Christ may have the preeminence.
2. Identify the ways in your life in which you attempt to magnify yourself in the eyes of others, and put those behaviors off. For instance, think about your dress. The whole issue of modesty/immodesty can be easily addressed by insuring that your motive in the things you wear and the way you wear them is to draw attention to God rather than yourself. Think about your speech. Do you speak quickly, loudly, or brashly simply to seize and capture the attention of others. Do you excessively use the word “I” in your sentences, making yourself the hero of all your stories so that others think well of you? What about Facebook? Do you post certain comments, pictures, or articles with the simple hope that you will receive multiple likes. What if you were to ask yourself this question before you post anything on social networks: “What could I say that brings God the most attention?” Finally, what about your purchases? Do you buy things for the purpose of causing others to think you are of a certain financial status or to gain the oohs and ahhs of others?
3. Finally, actively endeavor to promote Christ in your life! Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ.” He was both driven by and content with Christ being at the very center of his life. I pray that we would strive to live humbly beneath the shadow of Christ and His glory.

As you may guess, this really is a call for humility! Humble people strive to take any attention they receive (either intentionally or unintentionally) and divert it to God, Who is worthy of all praise!

“Dad, can I ask you a question?”

In our house, we are in a season of parenting in which we hear this question frequently. On a recent, two-day camping trip with the girls, I counted a minimum of twelve times that they asked me that question. All children are naturally inquisitive. They are observing, processing, and coming to conclusions. One of our many jobs as parents is to be teachers that provide them with the answers that help them grow and mature appropriately.

Deuteronomy 6:7 says, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” According to this verse, there is a 24-hour nature to our teaching responsibility. It doesn’t just happen during a block class or a designated time. The instruction of our children is to happen as we live alongside them day in and day out.

Because of this 24-hour responsibility, it is imperative that we consider two items. First, we must take responsibility for creating a teaching atmosphere in our family that is conducive to this 24-hour teaching. Second, we must also learn to recognize the multitude of teachable moments that surface throughout the day, and seize them. May I share with you today a few thoughts that I’m learning and aspiring to implement that might be a help to you as parents?

In order to create a teaching atmosphere, consider implementing the following two things:

1. Create seasons of life and times in a day that are free from excessive busyness and noise. Fewer and fewer homes are experiencing seasons of rest and quiet. The extracurricular activities are consuming the schedule. The noise of television, video games, and music blasts through homes, creating a difficult atmosphere to just talk and listen. Most of us are schedulers. We operate with a calendar close by, and schedule our lives events. Would you consider beginning to schedule times of quiet and rest? Every classroom teacher knows the value of well-rested children, who have learned to sit still and listen quietly.
2.  Strive for good parent/child interaction. It is easy in the busyness of life to just allow the television to do our babysitting for us. When life is busy, we want to send kids to their room or to the yard to get out of our hair so we can accomplish our tasks. If we make a regular habit of these things, we can subtly train our children to stay away from us, because they are a distraction. But, in reality, we ought to want them to be around (especially as they get into their teen years).

The following are some “walkest-by-the-way” teachable moments to use:

1. The follow-up conversation after our children observe bad examples. Have you ever watched a child have a tantrum in the store? Have your kids ever seen someone lose their cool in the check-out line? Those bad examples can often be a great opportunity to follow up with a simple conversation that helps our children know what was done wrong and what should have been done.
2. The follow-up conversation after our children observe good examples. Acts of kindness, gratitude, good behavior, and sweet responses of others can be great opportunities to teach our children. Commend those acts, and explain why they were good!
3. Preparation for life events. A friend of mine taught me and Beneth a simple principle in parenting: practice in private what you expect in public. Anytime you are about to participate in a public event (church service, dinner at someone’s home, a visit to grandma’s, etc.), take some time ahead of the event to teach and practice behaviors that are expected in those times.
4. First-hand exposure to people who have had interesting life experiences. I enjoy having people in our home, and I love watching our girls sit and listen to the stories of missionaries who visit us. I like watching their eyes as they hear adults tell of their life experiences. Our girls have heard stories and learned truths from people sitting at our dinner table that they will never forget.
5. Answer their regular questions with patience, love, and truth.  Inquisitive children want answers, and if they don’t get them from us, they will look somewhere else for them. Teachable moments occur every time our children ask questions. Many teachers in the world give wrong answers. But it is imperative that we follow the Deuteronomy 6:7 exhortation and grasp the task of being parents that teach as we “walk by the way.”

May the Lord give us the strength, energy, and wisdom to be great teachers to our children this week.

** Note: this post is a slight re-write from a previous post concerning our annual Men’s Retreat. **

Our annual Ladies Retreat is this weekend. We have 37 ladies signed up and ready to spend the weekend together enjoying the outdoors, preaching, good food, and fellowship. Each one attending the retreat incurs a cost. There is a financial cost to attend, a day off of work, a separation from family, and the cost of giving up your own bed to sleep in a camp bed! Though much is spent to make this weekend happen, there is also a value that comes from this weekend. I would like to submit five values to this weekend’s retreat.

1. The value of seclusion – There is great value in getting away from the busyness of work, family, and daily life. Cell phone coverage is limited and there are no tvs in the room, or newspapers delivered to your doorstep. The retreat really is a getaway that pulls us away from the normal voices that fill our ears on a daily basis and allows us to focus on the still small voice of God.

2. The value of concentration – Because of the seclusion that camp offers we are freed to concentrate on the things that matter most in our lives. Our spiritual condition is the most important part of us and is sadly the thing we sometimes overlook first in the busyness of life. The retreat offers a time to concentrate on our walk with the Lord and the spiritual needs that are present within our heart. The schedule is relatively relaxed. It is not hard to grab a chair, coffee and the Bible and just spend time with the Lord. The four times of Bible preaching support this concentration and serve as the platform to direct our thoughts towards our relationship with God.

3. The value of exposition – Our speaker this weekend is Mrs. Harriet Dickson. She will carefully explain the scriptures in a pointed way that helps each one hear the voice of God from the Word of God. Though we are going to enjoy shooting, paintball, good food, games and laughter the preaching of the Word is the most valuable of activities that we will experience.

4. The value of interaction – Most of our relationships at church are established as we meet together each Sunday. Our conversations are quick and filled with surface level conversations. Depending on where we sit in the auditorium there may be some ladies that you have never interacted with more than a nod, and a hello. This retreat allows you the value of an extended time of interaction with the ladies in our congregation. I hope you will come with a desire to meet someone new and build a stronger relationship with the ladies in our church.

5. The value of decision – The messages we  hear at camp will emphasize making a decision to live differently in response to the Word of God. In the quiet times of decision we have the opportunity to set a course for our lives that can affect us (and possibly our families) for all of eternity.

No one argues the cost of going to a weekend retreat. The cost is worth it though when we put into the context of the value of a retreat.

Beneth and I have personally experienced two home break-ins during our marriage. Those break-ins created a series of little habits in our lives like always keeping one light on, double-checking locks when we go to bed at night, and quickly looking at all the windows as soon as we walk into our home to see if they have been opened. We do those things because those break-ins have created a sense of vulnerability in us.

Vulnerability is the sense that I have a limited ability to protect myself from harm. The terrorist attack on 9/11 reminded our nation that we are vulnerable. The bombs that went off during last week’s marathon reminded us again of our vulnerability. We are also reminded of our vulnerability as we read our local newspapers describing various crimes that have occurred to people who live where we do and live like we do.

The sense of vulnerability creates a common question among us: “How much personal protection should I have in my life?” The secondary questions that follow that question are questions like how many guns should a person own, how big a security system should we have on our home, and should I buy a German shepherd or a Rottweiler?

Proverbs 21:30-31 gives us a starting point to help us answer these questions regarding security and personal protection. It says, ” [v. 30] There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. [vs.31] The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.” Verse 30 simply reminds us to never fight against God, and verse 31 reminds us to never fight without God.

Owning a gun or having a security system on your home is not inherently wrong. But we cannot place a higher level of trust in those types of things than we do in God. If we do trust those things more than we trust God, we are demonstrating a fight against God. If we trust those things because we doubt God’s ability to protect us, than we are trying to fight without Him.

I heard someone say this one time, “I’ve done all I can do; now I guess it is time to start trusting Him.” He articulated what we often practice. We prepare ourselves, and then begin to trust God. Preparing for the day of battle is not wrong, but I must be trusting God while I’m preparing, not just when I’ve finished preparing.

When we contemplate the question, “How much protection should I have in my life?” I want you to remember this little principle.

Prepare with moderation while trusting God

for the duration.

 Vulnerability can often produce fear in the lives of believers. Remember as a Christian that safety is not the absence of danger but rather the presence of God. We are never left alone or overlooked by God. Don’t let fear paralyze you and keep you from doing the will of God this week. The safest place to be is in the will of God. The most dangerous place to be is out of the will of God.

Yesterday during the Boston Marathon a victory line became a line of destruction. The horrific pictures of blood stained sidewalks, smoke, and injured people fill our mind. It will be a topic of conversation both today and many days ahead. People without a Biblical worldview will quickly conclude that this is simply another piece of evidence supporting the absence of God’s existence or an absence of God’s control over the world.

In Luke 13:1-5 we find a text to use as a guide for us as believers during times like this. Christ used the “headlines” plucked from the news of that day to create a conversation with unbelievers. In the conversation He answered their questions and brought other news events to their attention. Throughout the conversation He did not allow the tragedy of loss to distract Him from the need of the living.

I urge us to not forget the living who are around us today. The people around us are not just bodies with personalities. They are bodies with souls that will one day spend eternity somewhere. The events of yesterday remind us that death may come to people at a time when and where they least expect it. Life truly is a vapor (James 4:14).

The Gospel is most precious during times like this. It is the clearest evidence that God does truly care for mankind and that He is in control. We have an opportunity before us to present the gospel to souls that may be more attentive then they were two days ago. We have an opportunity to see the power of the gospel at work in the lives of people who believe. We have an opportunity to see God take what seems like a line of destruction (the marathon) and once again turn it into a line of victory through the lives that are gloriously changed through the gospel during this time. Let’s seize the opportunity!

I’m praying today for the families of those whose loved ones were lost or seriously injured. I’m praying for the safety that is only of the Lord for my country, city, and family. I’m also praying for opportunities to give the gospel. — Pastor Ron (John 16:33)

There is a room in our church that is creatively called “the Brain.” It is the room our leadership meets in once a month for the purpose of planning, praying and leading our congregation. There are a number of items posted on the walls to remind us of important principles that apply to our role as leaders. In 2012 the following principles were posted for us to remember and though 2012 is over I hope we will still use them in 2013 and the years to come.

1. The call to lead Faith Baptist Church in God’s will includes a call for us to diligently seek God’s will.

2. God’s will must always supersede our own personal opinions or desires.

3. We must be careful to avoid solely determining God’s will through:

• Another ministries practice
• The previous administration of this congregation
• What will help us avoid the most communication or conflict?

4. God will provide for that which is His will.

5. Our job is to know and lead the congregation in God’s will not to convince the congregation of God’s will.

6. God’s will is revealed through principles and the “ways” of God revealed in scripture.

This article has some great thoughts for our single adults here at FBC.

Single, Satisfied and Sent: A Mission for the Not Yet Married