New Lumps

Calvary Grace Conference 2012

2012-01-22T15:31:00.002-07:00

We've had a great weekend with Dr. Carl Trueman of Westminster Seminary, Philadelphia. The audio for Friday and Saturday is up already. There is a Sunday School hour interview and a sermon by Dr. Trueman to follow, but the Reformation part of the conference is up. Here is the audio page for Calvary Grace.

What are We Doing Here?

2011-12-18T20:21:00.004-07:00

It is January the fifth. I've been at work for three months, I will be installed as an elder at Calvary Grace on Sunday (Lord willing) and it is the beginning of a new year. It is a good time for reflection - and an update for my friends and family who follow this oft dormant blog.

God has been very good to us. When I couldn't find and job and the house wasn't selling after several weeks, I was getting worried. I was convinced that this move was the Lord's leading, so my prayer back in September was, "Lord, I am looking forward to looking back at your provision for these things...." God has graciously exceeded that expectation. He has provided - more than we expected!

First, I knew Pastor Clint, and working with him was a key reason for wanting to come here, but I didn't know the other elders at Calvary Grace, Paul and Jeff. I have been very pleased with their wisdom, ability as preachers and teachers and their heart for God and His people. It will take a while to get to know people here, but it is coming along very well. We are thankful for our new church.

My job is a good fit. The company is great - really people friendly and the work is interesting. The schedule couldn't be better and the pay is better than I was hoping for when I was submitting all those resumes in the summer.

We love our house. It is great for entertaining, accommodating for our daily needs, and has some very nice details. It is an easy drive to the places we need to go and it is in a quiet neighbourhood.

A few big things and a whole bunch of little things add up to more proof of the kindness of God to us. We are thankful. I had big expectations for this adventure, even though I thought it was crazy at times, but God in His kindness has worked things out better than I could have planned them.

We continue to be thankful for our time in Edson, but what we are doing here is what God has led us to do. It will be very interesting to see how things develop in the months and years to come.

Calvary Grace Conference 2012

2011-12-10T07:08:00.003-07:00

Direct Link here for more information and an invitation from Pastor Clint.

Touching Base

2011-11-17T21:23:00.002-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've put anything here! This won't be much, but we are much more settled now and I have been thinking about posting. I'm afraid the blog is near the bottom of the list (though playing Angry Birds or X-Box is lower).

The job is going well. I'm getting to know the system and I have had some very good conversations with my coworkers. I'm trying to not get too used to handling mega expensive jet turbine parts.

We're very pleased with Calvary Grace (www.calvarygrace.ca). We're getting to know people and our family is a good fit.

More later. We're heading to Edmonton for a Bible Quizzing meet tomorrow. We're looking forward to that, but the weather? Not so much.

September 27

2011-09-27T21:54:00.002-06:00

Today is the third anniversary of Emily's death. We are still so thankful to God for His grace to us in many, many ways. We miss Emily, but we know that we will see her again.

I never cease to be amazed at the people who tell us that they've been praying for us and have been thinking about Emily. As I've said many times, all of this is humbling.

So, dear readers, thank you for your prayers. We are doing well, by God's grace. We will keep on talking about Emily's legacy in our lives until we do see her again.

Rejoicing in God's Provision

2011-09-23T18:44:00.002-06:00

This was a productive Friday. The house is officially sold and I signed a job offer. We have found a house we really like in Calgary, and a couple others that we could be happy with, so we are very thankful.

I won't say more about the job just yet (unless you ask me in person) because I do still have to do a medical exam before it is official. It looks very good, though.

In this relatively short time, I have had a taste of what being unemployed feels like. There are many people that have been looking and waiting for a decent job for a very long time. Economic conditions are quite good in this part of the world, but in many other places there are high unemployment rates and the "working poor" not quite making things work on too little income.

We do feel humbled and very blessed at God's good provision.

Mostly...

2011-09-19T16:04:00.003-06:00

I've been waiting to post the big news about our house and the new job, but all I can say is that the house is mostly sold and I mostly have a great job in Calgary (Airdrie, to be specific).

More details very soon, I hope. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for our transition.

Last Day

2011-08-31T11:21:00.002-06:00

Today is my last day as pastor of Edson Baptist Church. Tomorrow will mark 14 years. I started on September 1, 1997. Josh was 5 and Emily was 3. There has been a lot of water under the bridge here in Edson.

The church had a farewell for us on the 21st and my last Sunday was the 28th. Finishing up here feels strange, but God is good and we're looking forward to making the transition to Calgary.

I am still looking for work and we haven't sold the house. We're trusting that these things will happen in God's good time. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions regarding work contacts in Calgary, I'd be happy to accept any advice!

Quick Update

2011-08-13T11:05:00.001-06:00

No buyer for our house, no job yet. We're trusting God and waiting on His timing.

In Search Of...

2011-07-18T22:28:00.002-06:00

Lots of things, actually: A buyer for our house, a new house in Calgary, a job in Calgary and a new pastor for Edson Baptist church.

Any suggestions regarding potential pastoral candidates may be sent through the email at the church website. A search committee is being assembled and they will put together a profile regarding the Town of Edson and Edson Baptist. The website provides a simple introduction, though.

I don't know exactly what I'm looking for in a job in Calgary, but I'm really looking forward to finding a "regular" job after all these years. I'm open to suggestions. I have a resume ready to go (once I receive permission to use a couple of references).

These are interesting days and a good season to learn greater dependence upon God. I'd appreciate any advice or tips you, my faithful readers, may have. We certainly covet your prayers in this transition time.

More Calgary Details

2011-07-10T22:07:00.003-06:00

Our house is listed (though there are still a few little fix-up things to do) and we are getting more used to the idea of moving to Calgary in about six weeks. It is much easier to talk face-to-face with people about the nature of our new ministry as there are still lots of unknowns and possibilities that will unfold after we begin. I don't want to go into much detail on the blog, but I do want to fill my few readers in on the basics.

The plan is that I will join the elder team at Calvary Grace Church of Calgary. The other elders (currently four, though one is relocating with his family for further education) have a diverse mix of employment besides their elder responsibilities and I will be looking for work as well. It will be a different model, but we like what we see very much and trust that God will use us for His glory in this new situation. Check out the church's website for more details.

We are praying for a suitable job for me and wisdom regarding where to buy a house in Calgary. We're trusting that God will provide a buyer for the house here and all that we need for next steps. We are also trusting that God will soon bring the right next pastor for Edson Baptist.

Changes

2011-06-26T14:43:00.002-06:00

Just before pronouncing the benediction at church today, I asked the people to stay for a brief meeting. Most people stayed and I announced that we are moving to Calgary in September. Fourteen years in Edson will be coming to an end in two months.

This was a very hard announcement to make. We are excited about the move, but we are also sad about leaving a great church and many friends. People have been very supportive. This is a positive time at the church. I would not want to leave when people were anxious for me to leave, but it is also hard to leave when they want me to stay.

I'll provide more details about what's next in future posts, but for now, we are going to be in transition. We'll get the house ready for the market and I'll start scouting for work in Calgary. We've already done a bunch of de-cluttering and fixing up around the house. We've been calling it spring cleaning, but now that our secret is out, we can finish up and get the house listed.

If you have any leads on work in the Calgary area, I'm all ears.

I will still plan to be in ministry, but it will look quite different. We're trusting God with the details, but we're convinced that this is His leading for this season in life.

Update that App?

2011-06-24T22:53:00.004-06:00

One of the joys of having an iPhone is the app update game. The other day, I received notification that my Olive Tree ESV Bible Reader app wanted an update. I noticed in the description that there were are lot of changes, so, instead of just installing it, I read the list of updates. One line caught my attention:

"Made a change that should not affect anything, but could cause a whole slew of new issues."

What's that supposed to mean? I haven't run this update, but I have been pondering that curious offer to give my software "a whole slew of new issues."

- Could it be that the software folks are tired of writing update lists that no one ever reads (is anyone paying attention out there?)?

- Is an ex-Microsoft programmer on the loose at Olive Tree?

- Is this such an extensive update that the company doesn't know what will happen when it is sent out into the wild?

I have been waiting for an update to this update before I update (if you followed that).

Life is weird in the digital age.

Mom's Birthday

2011-06-04T14:16:00.004-06:00

My Mom would have been 87 today. However, as of May 19, 2010, she is ageless. I miss Mom; death is still a terrible enemy. I am thankful that she is not suffering the pain of her cancer any more. During her last couple of days, she said, "I want to see Jesus" several times. She is now experiencing her greatest wish!

Regarding my health, I'm getting a little stronger each day. I am going to attempt preaching tomorrow for the first time since May 15. We have a busy day scheduled, so we'll see how it goes.

Recovery Update

2011-05-25T22:09:00.002-06:00

This heart inflammation is a strange thing. I don't really feel sick -- thanks to my pills -- so I have a hard time not feeling guilty for doing so little. I've been feeling a little better every day, except for today. Yesterday, I thought, "Silly Dr. Two weeks recovery? No way!" I overdid it a little, so today I'm thinking, "That Dr. knew what he was talking about." I'm okay, just really tired and weak.

I wish I could say that I've been catching up on my reading and other profound things, but that's not the case. I have been reading, but not nearly as much as I'd hoped. This is a humbling experience, but I am very thankful for a good prognosis. I hope this will give me more empathy with people that have chronic and / or serious illnesses.

I don't usually do such self-centered posts, but I thought there might be a few people out there who'd appreciate an update.

Sunday at Home

2011-05-22T10:16:00.000-06:00

It is strange to be at home today while my family is at church. I’m not feeling very sick, but I am tired and weak enough to know that it would be overwhelming to go to service. So, here I sit.

It is a humbling experience to be sick – it’s hard on my pride. As I was reading and praying this morning, I thought that in the Big Picture, me at my best and me at my weakest is not really much different. In fact, the strongest, most powerful man in the world is only a hairbreadth away from the weakest child on the streets of Calcutta. We human beings are weak – morning mists, the flower of grass.

I’m reading through the Servant Songs in Isaiah. Some verses from today’s reading stood out and led to this blog post:

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another – Isaiah 48:10-11

We are glory hogs – I am a glory hog. That profanes God’s name, even if we are “doing good” and externally worshipping God. Adversities of various kinds are God’s merciful tools to bring His people perspective. The Refiner’s fire not only serves to purge out impurities in relation to morality, but imbalances in perspective. God is God and I am not. God is indispensable, I am not. God has a sovereign plan for His universe. I don’t own a universe, and my plans don’t always go my way.

God is much bigger than I think. The reason I called God’s refining fire merciful is that God gets bigger in my understanding with each setback, loss or failure. This leads to greater contentment and joy. Why? Because I know that God loves me. How do I know that? Because God Himself stepped down from inapproachable light and took on weak human flesh in order to live for me, die for me and rise from the dead to defeat sin and death for me. To what end? That I might glorify Him and enjoy Him forever!

Without the Gospel – particularly the cross – there is no way that I could have any comfort in reflecting upon God’s vastness and greatness. It is only as God Himself steps down and comes to me in human flesh that the great chasm between us is bridged.

This is the unique message of Christianity. In the Christian story, God’s greatness is fully expressed in its incomprehensible weight of glory. On the other hand, man’s weakness and corruption is expressed with bitter honesty as we confess our hopeless condition. The Good News is that Jesus Christ steps in as the Mediator – fully God and fully man – to reconcile the world to God.

I can be content staying home from church today. God is looking after things just fine without me.

500 Posts

2011-05-22T10:15:00.001-06:00

I just noticed that my last post was post # 500. Not exactly Challies, but not bad!

Heartsick

2011-05-18T21:55:00.002-06:00

Well, that was quite the adventure.

In the middle of the night on Sunday night - the wee hours of Monday morning - Juanita took me into the hospital in Edson with heart attack symptoms. By noon on Monday, I was in cardiac care unit in Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital. Until Monday night, they were treating me for a mild heart attack, though my pain was getting worse on Monday afternoon and evening.

After an angiogram on Monday night, I received the good news that there was no blockage and no damage to my heart. I'm very glad they rushed that test! I have a virus in my pericardium and the inflammation caused the symptoms. They put me on good ol' ibuprofen and I feel much better. I have to wait for the virus to run its course, but I can anticipate a full recovery. I'm quite tired and a little sore still, but very thankful.

We have been reminded once again of God's goodness, particularly expressed in the kindness of His people. We are humbled by the expressions of concern, the visits and the practical help. If you were a part of that praying, caring, helping crew, thank you!

I was very impressed with the quick and excellent medical care I received. There are legitimate stories out there of problems with our system, but my experience couldn't have been better.

So, I'm home again as of about 25 minutes ago. It was wonderful to tuck the girls in (and say "hello" to Josh) and it is great to be home again.

The Dr. was quite adamant that I take it really easy for a while, so I should stop writing and go to bed.

Book Recommendations

2011-05-07T10:13:00.004-06:00

I have read a few books recently that are particularly useful. My sphere of reference for doing these recommendations is our church book table. These three titles are excellent books for the average Christian reader - particularly ones that don't read many books. I read lots of books that I wouldn't bother to put out for our church family to buy (by suggested donation), but I would love to see these three that I'm highlighting go out the door in quantity. They are readable, reliable and cover very practical and often overlooked subjects. I'll leave it to others to do reviews, but I will make some brief comments with these recommendations.

Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day, Edited by Kevin DeYoung (Crossway, 2011)

Let me get my prime reservation regarding this book out of the way right off the top: What's up with the title? Beyond that, this is a very helpful book. Eighteen authors have contributed chapters on what to believe and how to live in light of the Gospel. The applied theology in this book is such a important resource for the "Young, Restless and Reformed" movement. It is all too easy to grasp onto "cool theology" and then live like the world. If you follow the link above, you can see inside the book and read the table of contents. This is a remarkably comprehensive book given its moderate length. The chapters are very well written and profound in content. I hope they sell millions of these books, in spite of the odd title.

The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion, Tim Challies (Zondervan, 2011)

When I was in seminary about 15 years ago, my history professor made me read The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul. Maybe I was overwhelmed with my studies, maybe something was lost in the translation, but I found reading that book a nasty chore. Since that time, however, I have reflected on Ellul's arguments and observations many times to my profit. My history professor was right; this is a significant book. By all means read Ellul's book, if you have the stamina, but a better idea for most people would be to read Tim Challies' new book.

This is a book about the digital revolution and how it is changing our lives, even if we are not conscious of it happening (as most of us are not). It is as if the author lifts us up above our immersion in all this technology and lets us look at it from a high place - seeing the forest instead of all the pretty, shiny trees, so to speak. This perspective is given to the reader in terms of historical development, theology and the very personal effects brought about by the digital revolution. Challies' goal is to help the reader objectively analyse what is going on in their own lives with theological discernment. The Next Story will give you tools to develop wisdom in our times and help you to honestly assess your digital consumption.

As an added bonus, for the month of May you can download an audio book copy of The Next Story for free at christianaudio.com If you do read or listen to the book, it may seem ironic to you this book is even available in an audio format. But I can't talk - I read it on a Kindle.

These Last Days: A Christian View of History, Edited by Richard D. Phillips and Gabriel N. E. Fluhrer (P&R Publishing, 2011).

I have never read such a satisfying book on eschatology. This is a collection of transcribed messages from the 2010 Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. Contributors include Sinclair Ferguson, D.A. Carson, Alistair Begg, Michael Horton and six others (click through to the Amazon page to see the full list of contributors and more book details).

If you have been frustrated with end times teaching because it is so complicated and speculative, you will find this book a breath of fresh air. It is simple, direct, biblical and worship inspiring. Because the chapters were messages, the book flows well and is an easy read. It would make an excellent introduction to eschatology from a biblical theology perspective - that is, seeing the Bible as a continuous story - The Story - from Genesis to Revelation with Christ at the center of it all.

***

So, there we have three books for "the regular Christian" (if there is such a category of people). All three are profound, practical and rooted in solid theology. I believe I will be recommending them for years to come, even though they were all published in 2011.

EBC Website Working!

2011-04-22T22:15:00.002-06:00

After a couple months of problems, our website for Edson Baptist Church appears to be working properly again. I just uploaded three sermons - that was the last bit to get figured out.

Many thanks to the great company in Toronto that fixed things up for us!

If anyone has been waiting for sermons, they are now ready for streaming or downloading.

Thank you for your patience!

Dr. Beale Busted Again

2011-04-12T12:27:00.003-06:00

In a recent post, I observed that a message by C.H. Spurgeon had some striking similarities to a course on NT theology that I am working through with a few men in our church. Tuesday morning, while preparing for my Sunday sermon, I came across another parallel, this time in good old Matthew Henry.

One of Dr. Beale's specialties is the subject of idolatry among the people of God. A few weeks ago, Dr. Beale made the charge that the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day had made an idol of their commitment to the traditions of their heritage. They were proud of the fact that they did not profane themselves with the idols of their fathers, but they fell into a new idolatry nonetheless. This connection made sense and it left an impression.

In his commentary on Zechariah 13:2, particularly the phrase "...I will cut off the names of the idols from the land," Matthew Henry writes:

This was fulfilled in the rooted aversion which the Jews had, after the captivity, to idols and idolatry, and still retain to this day; it was fulfilled also in the ready conversion of many to the faith of Christ, by which they were taken off from making an idol of the ceremonial law, as the unbelieving Jews did; and it is still in the fulfilling when souls are brought off from the world and the flesh, those two great idols, that they may cleave to God only.

Dr. Beale has no reason to feel "busted," of course, but it is neat to see themes emerge across the centuries. Evangelical Biblical Theology has been around for a very long time, no matter what names it has worn. The first to make these connections were the writers of Scripture themselves, as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Contentment Messages

2011-04-12T12:18:00.002-06:00

Juanita had the opportunity to speak at a ladies rally at Elk Point Baptist Church on Saturday. Her messages on contentment are online at the church website (April 9, 2011).

I haven't listened to the messages yet, but I did get to read the manuscripts ahead of time and I can say that they are excellent.

Better yet, Juanita practices what she preaches. I am so thankful that she is my wife!

New Creation in Spurgeon

2011-04-05T10:09:00.002-06:00

A few of us in the church are working through a course by Dr. Greg Beale on NT Theology. It has been very profitable. Dr. Beale's "Big Idea" for understanding the Bible is "New Creation" (see Dr. Beale's "Bible in a sentence" summary here).

I just discovered a Spurgeon sermon from about six months before he died. If he hadn't died in 1892, I would have thought that he had been reading Dr. Beale's notes. I love the way he applies New Creation themes for both now and for the future Consummation.

The older I get the more I appreciate the great older teachers like Spurgeon, Matthew Henry and many others. They really make my heart sing.

Habakkuk

2011-03-24T22:10:00.002-06:00

I presented an overview of the book of Habakkuk the other day. I have been amazed at that little book for years, but one thing particularly struck me as I prepared for this class. After complaining to God and receiving a very difficult answer, the prophet yielded himself to God and he sang.

Chapter 3 - the final chapter - is in the form of a song. It is a song of worship and remembrance on the eve of national destruction. Habakkuk experienced the revelation of God and it changed everything for him. He still could not have rejoiced in his circumstances - present or future - but he chose to rejoice in the God of his salvation.

I would encourage you to work through this little book. It is a smaller version of some of the larger prophecies and it comes to some of the same conclusions as books such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. God is sovereign. God is working out the best for His people. Our response must be humble confidence in God's promises and quiet submission to His purposes.

But we get to sing!

Resurrection Quote

2011-03-22T15:33:00.002-06:00

An excellent quote on the nature and significance of Christ's resurrection - I'll just give you the link to Tony Reinke's blog. I was glad to read this and couldn't agree more!

St. Patrick - From a Different Perspective

2011-03-17T14:51:00.003-06:00

I was pleased to see this article by my friend Clint Humfrey in the National Post. The story of the life of Patrick is well worth learning. As Clint points out, there are valuable lessons for today to be learned from his experience and faithfulness to God's call on his life.

"My grace is sufficient..."

2011-03-04T10:27:00.002-07:00

If none of God’s saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well

the consolations of divine grace.

This is the opening line of Spurgeon's Morning and Evening reading for today. What a gift to the church Spurgeon is. The whole entry is excellent, as is the daily habit of Morning and Evening.

Telling The Story

2011-02-28T21:34:00.003-07:00

A couple weeks ago I began a sermon series on Ezra-Nehemiah. As I was preparing for the introductory message, it dawned on me that I have been slowly, steadily learning the story of the Bible. I have repeatedly read the Bible through, and I have "known" it for years, but there are endless connections to be made as I learn how the many stories relate to The Story.

What stood out to me in Ezra-Nehemiah is that it is a "success" story that leaves you hungry for the much more. The exiles return according to God's Word and God's pre-announced timetable; the temple, the wall and the city of Jerusalem are rebuilt and God's people return to the Word with confession and corporate worship. On the other hand, they are yearning for the restoration that was promised by the earlier prophets, the restoration to be established by Messiah.

Today, we Christians are greatly blessed to live on the other side of the cross and the empty tomb. Messiah has come. We live in the age of the Spirit in the inaugurated kingdom, yet we, too, hunger for more. Our vision ought to be raised to New Covenant standards, however. Ezra and Nehemiah longed for a restored Israel. We long for a restored Universe. This is the rest of the story that we long to experience as we groan over disease, war, earthquakes and other marks of the fallen world.

A Living Hope

2011-02-07T22:30:00.001-07:00

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

What's it Worth?

2011-01-07T12:32:00.002-07:00

Over the Christmas season this year, I have noticed the quality of many of the hymns and carols we sing. Perhaps this is because of my involvement in our community choir, or maybe I'm just maturing. Both the music and the lyrics to many of these songs is profound. This fact is set in relief by the many inane seasonal songs. Even good songs are undone by a cheesy presentation. But that's another subject altogether.

On Christmas Eve, we were treated to a particularly well-done presentation of O Holy Night (thanks, Jackie). I must admit that this is far from my favorite Christmas song as it is hard to do well as a solo and falls flat as a congregational song. It is much loved and so oft performed. So be it. Our friend did an excellent job - she sang it expressively and with great ability.

I have been reflecting on a line from that song since Christmas Eve: "Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth." I was just thinking about it again this morning, so I thought I would blog about it even thought it is two weeks late.

What does it mean that the soul felt its worth when Christ appeared? Is it that Christ came to show us how valuable our souls are to God? Is it the Incarnation itself that made The Soul - the individual soul of Jesus - realize a divine ideal? Is it some of each, or something else entirely? This song was written and translated in the late 19th Century, so I can't ask the author. I did a Google search and found some flaky stuff, but no satisfying answers as to authorial intent.

What I've been thinking about in relation to this line has to do with self-identity. The longer I live, the more I realize how important it is to have the right doctrine of God and the corresponding right view of ourselves.

With many conservative Christians, I have been not only concerned but rather dismissive of "self-image talk" as it too often dismisses God and inflates the self. Truth matters, and the truth is that by nature, we are all sinners justly under the wrath of a Holy God. The appearance of God-in-flesh in the person of Jesus Christ into this sin-soaked world - the world pining in sin and error - is monumental.

John 3:16 is not so amazing because the world is lovable, but because of the rage against God in the world before the coming of Christ. The light came to the world, but the world did not comprehend it. They snuffed out God's light because it was unbearable - it exposed the darkness of their hearts. We are no better.

Christ's coming - and His substitutionary death - is God's love writ large, to put it mildly. God did not send Christ to fan the spark of human goodness into a flame by being an example of love for us, Christ came because there was no other way for sinners to be reconciled to God other than the death of His Son in our place. Human evil and sin - the curse of the Fall - is so profound and so comprehensive that there is no redemption outside of death and resurrection.

Regarding the "soul felt its worth" line, I think that the soul of Jesus is the best meaning. Jesus Christ is the new Adam, come to be the Ultimate Human and Divine Saviour in one person. That God would condescend to become human in this fallen world is the greatest realization of the soul's worth. Not what the soul was worth before the Incarnation, but what the soul became in the Incarnation. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, but Jesus Christ IS God in human flesh - fully God and fully God. The human soul cannot go higher than that.

The good news is that the implications of this elevation of the soul are not limited to Christ alone. The benefits of this incarnation are available to all who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord. The New Testament uses language to describe the identity of the believer in Christ that is shocking. It almost seems blasphemous, but it is God's Word.

Consider this from the Apostle Peter:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 2 Peter 1:3-4

And this from Paul:

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Colossians 2:9-10

By extension, the worth that The Soul felt when it was possessed by the Eternal Son of God is OURS by faith in Christ who is our crucified Saviour and risen Lord. This makes Christmas really, really significant! Now in our identity, we must never confuse our status and identity IN Christ with BEING divine. Christ is Creator, we are creatures. However, the possession of God's fullness, being partakers of the divine nature and our adoption as the sons of God are mind blowing implications of faith in Christ. This inheritance is ours as a gift from God because of the finished work of Christ in His life, death and resurrection. This is love. This is mercy and grace!

These truths regarding the Christian's identity in Christ are foundational to discipleship, counseling, dealing with suffering and every other aspect of our lives. Our identity in Christ is the fountain of our joy, our hope, our faith and our love. If God has loved us like this when we were His enemies, then how should we love others?

Have you though about what your soul is worth lately?

True or Nice?

2010-12-15T22:18:00.002-07:00

I have been busy reading great blog posts by other people and have been neglecting my blog. However, I read a post today over at The Gospel Coalition that made me want to share.

One of the chief charges against Christianity is the problem of evil. One of the ways I have answered this objection is to simply point out that the problem of evil is not just a problem for Christians, it is a human problem. The question is, who has the best answers to this problem?

I encourage you to go and read this post by Petar Nenadov on a recent Tony Blair / Christopher Hitchens debate. These two sentences need the context of the whole blog post to make sense, but I'm going to post them here to highlight them and to encourage you to go and read the whole thing:

"If good means nice or safe, then none of these topics is good for the world. If good means true or real, then we must address them."

Espresso and Chili Chocolate

2010-11-14T15:35:00.002-07:00

It may sound strange, but it's a satisfying combination. A little goes a long way.

A real blog post will be coming along shortly.

Health Care in a Different Era

2010-10-18T21:26:00.004-06:00

As I was sorting through a few boxes of old pictures, letters and other things, I came across an old bill from the U of A Hospital. It was remarkable to see that my Dad put down cash for the surgery and associated services. What was even more remarkable is how little it cost in those days. If I am reading this bill correctly, my Dad paid $25 up front and received change!

I believe this surgery was for a collapsed lung that my Mom suffered in 1948 when she was not quite 24 years old. I'm sure she was in the hospital longer than this bill indicates, so it may be that this invoice only deals with details of the operation.

If any of my family are reading this, I'd love to hear more about this. Regardless, I thought this bill was an interesting historical snapshot.

It's amazing the things my Mom kept.

Another Gem from Spurgeon

2010-10-15T09:48:00.001-06:00

October 15, Morning

“But who may abide the day of his coming?” Malachi 3:2

His first coming was without external pomp or show of power, and yet in truth there were few who could abide its testing might. Herod and all Jerusalem with him were stirred at the news of the wondrous birth. Those who supposed themselves to be waiting for him, showed the fallacy of their professions by rejecting him when he came. His life on earth was a winnowing fan, which tried the great heap of religious profession, and few enough could abide the process. But what will his second advent be? What sinner can endure to think of it? “He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” When in his humiliation he did but say to the soldiers, “I am he,” they fell backward; what will be the terror of his enemies when he shall more fully reveal himself as the “I am?” His death shook earth and darkened heaven, what shall be the dreadful splendour of that day in which as the living Saviour, he shall summon the quick and dead before him? O that the terrors of the Lord would persuade men to forsake their sins and kiss the Son lest he be angry! Though a lamb, he is yet the lion of the tribe of Judah, rending the prey in pieces; and though he breaks not the bruised reed, yet will he break his enemies with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. None of his foes shall bear up before the tempest of his wrath, or hide themselves from the sweeping hail of his indignation; but his beloved blood washed people look for his appearing with joy, and hope to abide it without fear: to them he sits as a refiner even now, and when he has tried them they shall come forth as gold. Let us search ourselves this morning and make our calling and election sure, so that the coming of the Lord may cause no dark forebodings in our mind. O for grace to cast away all hypocrisy, and to be found of him sincere and without rebuke in the day of his appearing.

From C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

Thanksgiving

2010-10-09T15:19:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving as a holiday may not be the most significant event on the calendar. It is a relatively recent creation and a junior holiday, if you will, compared to Christmas, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Having said that, giving God praise and thanks is very serious business. It is good that we have a weekend to celebrate that fact.

Several years back, it dawned on me that worship is more about receiving from God than it is giving to God. Yes, we respond, but for our worship to be pleasing to God, we must first acknowledge him as the Source, the Giver of all - even the praise comes from him.

Tomorrow morning I am jumping ahead in my Hebrews series and preaching on one verse for the occasion of Thanksgiving Sunday, Hebrews 13:15:

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

We offer praise and thanksgiving, and that is a pleasing sacrifice to God. Our sacrifice only qualifies if it is "through him" - our Lord Jesus Christ. It is only because we can follow him into the Most Holy Place that we may worship God at all. In this worship, we again come to God to receive from him - we need mercy and grace on an ongoing basis. God is pleased when we are dependent upon him, all the time. "O to grace how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be."

Let me suggest an annual Thanksgiving weekend discipline for any believer: Read and reflect upon Psalm 50. God does not need anything that we could offer Him. To believe that He does is blasphemous, but God demands our sincere thanksgiving.

The benefactor gets the glory, and our God is a jealous God. Why is God so concerned that we focus on him? Because he is GOOD, in the absolute sense - there is no greater object for our appreciation, our wonder, our praise and thanksgiving. What God requires in this praise is what is the very best thing for us as well. Eternally.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Making Gospel Connections

2010-09-28T21:41:00.002-06:00

A variety of things today kept pushing me to think about Gospel connections. The Good News of the person and work of Jesus Christ has implications for every area of life - it really is "of first importance."

I am preparing a Bible Study on the beginning of 1 Timothy. The Apostle Paul did not insist upon sound doctrine because he was an academic perfectionist. Because he was called and sent by God to bring Good News to the Gentiles, he was compelled to stay on message. It was God's love that compelled him. He knew by revelation and by experience (in that order) that the Gospel is the power of God in the lives of everyone who believes.

Whether it's facing suffering and loss, everyday parenting, overcoming sin and temptation, or being a witness at work, getting the Gospel right and keeping it central must be the first priority for every Christian.

Two Years Today

2010-09-27T21:38:00.002-06:00

Today is September 27. It was two years ago today that Emily went for her last walk on this old earth. Oh, for that day when the New Heavens and Earth are revealed, when we see the Saviour face-to-face and He makes all things new!

We're doing quite well, by God's grace. We trust Him, and we are greatly comforted for Emily's sake and ours by our sure hope in Christ. The Gospel changes everything.

We stayed home today. Juanita and the girls did school day things, I did a couple of projects, and we had some friends over for supper. We didn't feel the need to get out of town like we did a year ago.

These reminders, these anniversaries still hurt. I'd be lying if I said otherwise. However, we are experiencing the joy of the Lord and we are pressing on. I think all of us are a more serious about life and about what we believe. That's been evident in our church family as well. We do see God at work in people's lives - our own included - and for that we are deeply thankful (if I visit with you in person sometime, I'll tell you some stories).

Thank you, friends and family, for your prayers. Though our grief isn't as acute as it was, we are still conscious of our need to be carried by God through the prayers of His people. We feel like we've had a disproportionate amount of prayer from all over the place. We are humbled and deeply grateful. God is good.

Preaching on Suffering

2010-09-23T16:24:00.002-06:00

Had a rich time of study this morning in Hebrews 12:3-11. God knows what He is doing in our lives.

We can trust Him completely.

I'm planning to take two weeks on this passage. There's just too much here for one sermon.

Matt Chandler on Suffering

2010-09-17T09:36:00.003-06:00

Just found this video this morning. Though Matt's situation is very different than ours, I am so thankful for his faithful theology of suffering. This is God's grace in action.

Further Thoughts on Sentencing

2010-09-15T12:19:00.002-06:00

It is difficult to put yesterday’s sentencing of Emily’s killer into perspective. I thought that after sleeping on it, words might come more easily. It is not to be. It is hard to sum up yesterday, let alone the almost two years that preceded yesterday’s closure. I know that there are many people looking for a personal reaction on this blog, so I will share a few thoughts.

First, in the big picture, yesterday’s sentence changes very little. God is still good, He is sovereign over all things. Emily is still not with us, though we have a sure hope that we will see her again. We still miss her terribly. As a family, we are doing well, carrying on and loving one another. We have grown in our love for God and one another, and we have a great, ever-widening circle of friends and a wonderful church family.

Yesterday was significant, though. We anticipated the sentence that was delivered. Some hear “18 years” and react negatively to such a short sentence. For the record, the sentence for second degree murder is a mandatory life-sentence with a minimum ten-year parole ineligibility. In this case, the ineligibility has been extended to 18 years due to particulars in this situation. We have been assured by the Crown prosecutor and by the closing comments of the Judge that all the facts relating to this brutal attack and the unrelated sexual interference charge will be on record for that time of evaluation 18 years down the road (or, specifically, 18 years from December, 2008).

We have said from the beginning that our hope is not in the Canadian Legal system. Justice is God’s, and, by His grace, we have been able to leave that to Him. We are thankful to God for the way this process has worked. We have been treated very well. We have been impressed with the professionalism, wisdom and care demonstrated by everyone in the system.

Our legal system is not perfect. It’s another human institution populated by fallible sinners, like every human institution, including, of course, the church. If you struggle with cynicism and a complaining attitude to Canadian institutions, consider the alternatives around the world and throughout history. We have it very, very good in Canada. My observations are anecdotal and the circumstances of this crime are extraordinary, but I am humbled and satisfied with how things have unfolded in this very difficult case.

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Justice Lawrie Smith was concise, serious and most professional as befits her position. Her closing words after sentencing were a surprise to us. She took the time to give profound credit to the RCMP for their exceptional work. She said directly that without their work, we would not be here today. She also took the time to address us and the other victim’s mother and encourage and commend us. She offered her prayers and spoke of the evidence of God’s grace in our lives. That was very much appreciated.

One of the things I most appreciated about the Justice’s closing comments is that they effectively turned everyone’s attention from the perpetrator to the victim’s families. That was classy and well done.

I hesitate to mention other names because there are so many people to thank, and miss. From the many RCMP officers; EMT members; Victim Services people; the Crown Prosecutors we dealt with; and others, let me say publicly that we are thankful, and impressed with the good work that these people do. There are much easier jobs out there, and I am deeply grateful for these people that serve all of us.

We are also thankful that we do not have to endure a trial and subsequent appeals. This stage is over. Now we are praying that we will have many more opportunities to share the Gospel with people that need to be reconciled to God. I am weak, but He is strong. May He be glorified in our lives.

Sentencing Day

2010-09-14T18:37:00.003-06:00

Juanita and I spent the day in Hinton, the nearest Provincial Court Bench to us (about an hour away from Edson). Today was the day that Emily's killer was sentenced. Mr. Kleman plead guilty to second degree murder in April and today he was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 18 years. This was what we were expecting, and we are thankful for the resolution of the legal proceedings.

We are also thankful for the incredible work of the RCMP and the professional and kind way that we were treated by people in the system. It is humbling to see how people have been affected by Emily's death.

There are several stories hitting the news. That is all part of it. There are some more details out there, too, so if you don't want to read or see those, you might want to avoid the coverage.

There is much more that could be said, but I just wanted to give a brief update at this time.

Home Again

2010-09-11T20:08:00.002-06:00

After 10,577 kms, we are back from our holiday. We left Josh at Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College - his need to get there and our desire to see him off was the genesis of this trip.

Along the way, we connected with family, old friends and made several new friends. It was a good trip and we are thankful.

I will post a little about our experiences in the days to come, but one of the things that stood out to us as we drove up behind our garage this evening was the fact that nothing went wrong with the van and we didn't have any troubles at all. Compared to travel historically, or in many places in the world today, that is amazing.

We're looking forward to worshiping with our church family tomorrow morning, and to getting a good sleep tonight.

Big Holiday 2010

2010-09-02T05:45:00.002-06:00

Our family is in Quebec City today. After we arrived yesterday afternoon, we went down to the Old City to check things out. I was going to post a picture, but our hotel wireless is not cooperating.

We are a long way from home, but the trip is going well and we are thankful.

Save Face?

2010-08-11T16:24:00.003-06:00

You can tell a lot about someone by their face. It is said that the eyes are the window of the soul. But people can become very proficient at superficiality. At best, reading someone's countenance is not a sure-fire way to diagnose their soul. Still it is a start. Have you been noticing people's faces recently?

I have been thinking about faces lately because I have been reflecting upon Psalm 42 again. This is the Psalm that encourages us to talk God's promises to our own souls when we are on the hamster wheel of discouragement and affliction. If you haven't encountered this concept, I would encourage you to pick up Spiritual Depression by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones or at least listen to this message on Psalm 42 by C.J. Mahaney. Or just read the Psalm reflectively. That's the best place to start.

If you use a modern translation, as I do, you won't seen anything about faces in Psalm 42. If you read the KJV, you will find that in that Psalm the line translated "my Saviour" or "my salvation" in verses 5 and 11 are "help of his countenance" and "health of my countenance" respectively. The range of the Hebrew in the original allows for either. Woodenly, I guess you could say that God is the one who can save my face by showing His face.

Note the progression captured in this Psalm in verse 5 and verse 11 in the KJV:

42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

The way the KJV has it, the recovery that the Psalmist needs - his salvation from his soul trouble - comes from the countenance of the Lord. In the parallel verse at the end of the Psalm, this God is the help of his countenance. God shows His face and the man is restored so that health is restored to his own face in the midst of his troubles.

Now I know that the word "countenance" carries more freight linguistically speaking than the mere word "face." That line about the eyes being the windows to the soul gets at "countenance" more profoundly. Countenance includes our whole aspect - character, attitude and personality.

So what about suffering and faces? If our suffering is caused by our own sin, we ought to feel shame - we'll want to hide our face. If our suffering is external to us, imposed upon us, yet public, we can become conscious of the fact that we are "those people." Our faces are noticed in the grocery store or even in church. This can be uncomfortable. If we let it, it can accentuate our suffering. Either way, we need help.

Our face in this metaphorical sense as well as literally is bound up with our identity. In suffering, our identity can be overwhelmed by whatever grief or despondency has gripped us. Our face will show our suffering. Our face needs saving. We need to see God's countenance. He is the lifter of our head. We need to know that God is willing and able to save us in His mercy by His grace. We learn this in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Him there is life. In Him there is now no condemnation. There is health and salvation in His healing look.

When I read Psalm 42 in the KJV, I had an image of an old Western wanted poster in my mind. I saw the Psalmist as one who is hunted and in a state of near panic as his enemies without and his fears within are overwhelming him. His own face accuses him. He sees that poster everywhere. Like a hunted criminal, he knows he has to get out of Dodge, but he can't. He needs a Saviour. He needs more than a witness protection plan, he needs a perpetrator protection plan. That is what God - the God who saves sinners - provides.

Saviour / salvation are fine words in Psalm 42:5, 11. Sometimes, however, it pays to reflect upon the old English ways of putting things so that we can look at things from a different angle. The countenance of our Great God and Saviour is my help. His face is health for my countenance.

Sunday Hymn

2010-08-08T21:44:00.003-06:00

This morning we sang Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder (Indelible Grace version). I really love the words to this hymn, so I thought I would share them here:

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
from 1 Cor. 6:11, 20; Rev. 1:5

1. Let us love and sing and wonder
Let us praise the Savior’s name
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has brought us nigh to God

2. Let us love the Lord Who bought us
Pitied us when enemies
Called us by His grace and taught us
Gave us ears and gave us eyes
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He has washed us with His blood
He presents our souls to God

3. Let us sing though fierce temptation
Threatens hard to bear us down
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conqu’ror’s crown
He, Who washed us with His blood,
He, Who washed us with His blood,
He, Who washed us with His blood,
Soon will bring us home to God

4. Let us wonder grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store
When through grace in Christ our trust is
Justice smiles and asks no more
He Who washed us with His blood
He Who washed us with His blood
He Who washed us with His blood
Has secured our way to God

5. Let us praise and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high
Here they trusted Him before us
Now their praises fill the sky
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood
Thou hast washed us with Thy blood
Thou art worthy Lamb of God

The Resurrection Changes Everything

2010-07-22T10:20:00.002-06:00

Excellent devotional comment on Acts 9 today by Dr. Carson. This is biblical theology in action. Could there be anything more important than this?

I'll quote the July 22 entry in its entirety:

WHAT WAS PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE before he was converted (Acts 9)? Elsewhere (Acts 22:2; 23:6; Phil. 3:4-6) he tells us that he was a strict Pharisee, brought up (apparently)in Jerusalem, taught by one of the most renowned rabbis of the day. For him, the notion of a crucified Messiah was a contradiction in terms. Messiahs rule, they triumph, they win. The Law insists that those who hang on a tree are cursed by God. Surely, therefore, the insistence that Jesus is the Messiah is not only stupid, but verges on the blasphemous. It might lead to political insurrection: the fledgling church was growing, and might become a dangerous block. It had to be stopped; indeed, what was needed was a man of courage like Saul, a man like Phinehas who averted the wrath of God by his decisive action against the perverters of truth and probity (Num. 25; see meditation for May 16), someone who really understood the implications of these wretched delusions and who saw where they would lead.

But now on the Damascus Road Saul meets the resurrected, glorified Jesus. Whether he had seen him before we cannot be sure; that he sees him now, Saul cannot doubt. And a great deal of his theology, worked out and displayed in his letters, stems from that brute fact. If Jesus were alive and glorified, then somehow his death on the cross did not prove he was damned. Far from it: the claim of believers that God had raised him from the dead, and that they had seen him, must be true—and that could only mean that God had vindicated Jesus. Then what on earth did his death mean? From that vantage point, everything looked different. If Jesus was under the curse of God when he died, yet was vindicated by God himself, he must have died for others.

Somehow his death absorbed the righteous curse of God that was due others and canceled it out. In that light, the entire history of the Hebrew Scriptures looked different. Was it not written that a Suffering Servant (see yesterday’s meditation) would be wounded for our transgressions and chastised for our iniquities? Does the death of countless lambs and bulls really take away human sin? Or do we need, as it were, a human “lamb of God,” a human “Passover Lamb”? If the tabernacle and temple rituals are read as pointing to the final solution, what does that say about the present satus of the covenant enacted at Sinai? What about scriptural texts that promise a new covenant, a great outpouring of the Spirit in the last days (Acts 2:17-21; see Joel 2:28-32 and the meditation for July 15)? What place does the promise to Abraham have in the scheme of things, that in Abraham’s offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3; see meditation for January 11)?

Grant that Jesus is alive and vindicated, and everything changes.

D.A. Carson, For the Love of God, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois: 1998, p. 229

Peter Pan

2010-07-21T18:18:00.003-06:00

Juanita, Petra and Anne are anticipating Peter Pan performances tomorrow and Friday at our little theatre in Edson after three weeks of hard work.

I have had a couple of glimpses of the rehearsals. They are all having too much fun!

27 kids have registered and the volunteer leaders are doing a great job. Juanita is the musical coordinator, Petra is Wendy and Anne gets to be Nana the dog.

This should be good fun, but I'm not sure if there are any tickets left (it's worth checking out if you're in the area).

Teaching on Roman Catholicism

2010-07-19T17:40:00.002-06:00

My Sunday sermon was a part of my Frequently Asked Questions series - 5 messages on a range of subjects. We have friends who are Roman Catholic, and a few people in our church from Catholic backgrounds. I certainly don't want to be offensive, and I tried to be accurate and fair in my description of Roman Catholic teaching. If you don't agree with what I had to say, I can respect that. The differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics are profound, longstanding and often very personal. I don't think anyone is served by pretending that they don't exist.

I must admit that I am looking forward to the Fall and getting back to consecutive preaching through a Bible book. It is safer for both me and our church if I stick to the text, though not less likely to cause offense.

If you'd like to hear what I had to say, it is available at our church website.

FAQs

2010-07-04T21:44:00.003-06:00

I'm doing something a little different for my summer sermon series this year. I will be away a few weeks on holidays, and other people are in and out over the summer, so I'm doing stand-alone messages. This is typical for a summer series, the twist comes in the topics.

I started as a full-time pastor in the fall of 1990. I haven't kept a record of frequently asked questions, but there are a few that keep coming up. So, this summer, I'm going to try to answer some of these FAQs. I didn't do any polling, and I didn't ask for responses, but going from experience, I've selected five common questions to tackle.

- July 4: What about people that have never heard the Gospel? Can they be saved?

- July 18: Roman Catholic and Protestant: What's the difference?

- August 15: Angels and Demons: What does Scripture teach about them?

- August 22: What does separation of church and state mean?

The first message is up over at our church website, www.edsonbaptist.com

Perhaps I am rushing in where angels fear to tread, but I've gotten a positive response to the concept of the series. I know not everyone liked the first message, but that's not why I preach.

What is that old line? The purpose of preaching is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. I was certainly convicted by the implications of my message today. I need to act on it. Beginning this week!

** UPDATE: The link for the sermon at the church website is now fixed. Sorry 'bout that!

On Faith

2010-06-11T22:47:00.003-06:00

I have been preaching through Hebrews since September. I'm working thorough Hebrews 11 now. It is taking longer than I anticipated. I am continually amazed at the richness and depth of faith in this chapter, let alone all of Scripture. Faith is like a magic onion - when I peel off several more layers in trying to understand it, the onion looks much bigger after the process.

It is easy to find a simple dictionary definition of faith (like these), but because faith is such a central concept in Scripture, it is so much more than these simplistic (and often inaccurate) definitions. Real Christian faith, Gospel faith, is much greater than we tend to think.

A paradigm shift that I already experienced years ago (when I embraced Reformation theology) is taking me deeper. This understanding is the biblical perspective that faith has a lot more to do with God - the character of God, the grace of God, the work of God - than it does with us. Yes, we must exercise faith, but God is the author, the power and the object of true Christian faith.

Don't settle for simplistic conceptions of faith. Go deeper. Try to figure it out and how it applies to your life. It is a rewarding study.

Troubling Details

2010-06-03T17:48:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we met with Victim Services here in Edson. We learned that a "Statement of Fact" was being released to the media. This is a very detailed document. The Victim Services coordinator read much of it for us - sensitively checking with us when the details were particularly difficult.

We thought that without a trial, the media would not have a lot to work with, but I guess we're learning as we go how the system works.

Mr. Kleeman is due for sentencing after his guilty plea earlier this year. We had been expecting a June 9 date (that's why this statement of fact is being released now). Our victim impact statements are in order, but we will have to wait a little longer. The sentencing has been put off until September.

The main reason I'm writing this is to let our friends and family know to avoid the news - or be ready to tune out - in the next few days if you don't want more disturbing details. Judging by one report I read online, I'm a little slow off the mark.

Pearl Stauffer - June 4, 1924-May 19, 2010

2010-05-19T22:09:00.003-06:00

This morning my Mom finished a relatively brief fight with cancer. We are thankful that she did not have to suffer long, though the last few days were difficult.

My Mom had a quiet, confident faith. She came to Christ in her late teens. The verse that God used particularly in her conversion was Philippians 1:21, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Mom led me to Christ 33 years ago. I am thankful for our serious spiritual conversations - in the last few years particularly.

Death is still an enemy. It was a difficult struggle for Mom. Between painful breaths on Monday morning, Mom said a few times, "I want to see Jesus."

She has her wish. Death is done for her and we rejoice that she is now with her Saviour. To say that she is now well is an understatement!

The service will be at Edson Baptist on Sunday, May 23 at 3:00 pm.

A few people have already said to me, "She was a sweet, kind lady." That's true.

We will miss her.

The Next Step

2010-04-26T21:54:00.004-06:00

The accused in Emily's murder has pleaded guilty to second degree murder. We were not in court today. Monday is my day off and I spent the day in Hinton at a piano festival with our girls.

We're thankful that this case won't go through the long, drawn-out trial and appeal process. We trust that God is sovereign in it all and rest in His care.

A few more details have become public regarding how Emily died. This may be hard for some people to see and hear. If this had gone to a full trial, there would have been many more details released over time, so we are relieved that there is a guilty plea. We are still waiting for sentencing, but this was an important next step today.

If you would rather not know more details, don't read the stories. If you would like to see how Edmonton news stations are reporting, here are a couple of links: CTV, Global

I don't know where some of the details came from. We don't have a choir, though Emily was involved in music in our church. Monday afternoon Bible studies would be a great thing, but we didn't do those. Small things, really, but it's odd how news gets out.

Thank you to those of you who are praying for us and have encouraged us in so many ways. We appreciate you, though we'll never be able to personally thank everyone.

Encouraging Convergence

2010-04-17T23:00:00.003-06:00

A month ago I did a post on a song, All I Have is Christ. Today, while driving to an out of town wedding, I listened to John Piper's Message from Together for the Gospel 2010. In his introduction and conclusion, he referenced this song. I assume they sang it before the message.

This is no earth-shattering coincidence or anything, but it makes me value this rich and moving song all the more to link it with the deep content of that message on justification by grace alone through faith alone.

Extraordinarily Important Help in Suffering

2010-04-16T12:43:00.002-06:00

To prepare for, to help others or cope personally with suffering, please take advantage of these resources compiled by Justin Taylor. This is a treasure trove!

Together for the Gospel 2010

2010-04-16T12:36:00.002-06:00

Highly recommended messages. I am so thankful for this group of teachers and even more thankful for the Gospel that they proclaim.

It is messages like this that makes having an iPod worthwhile! You can, however, listen to the audio or watch the videos online on your computer or download the audio.

God's Strength Every Day

2010-04-12T12:53:00.002-06:00

I was just reading the April 11 comment from D.A. Carson's For the Love of God, Volume I on Psalm 18. Right at the end of the reading, I smiled at this paragraph and read it to Juanita:

Perhaps God does not strengthen us to make war. But in a theistic universe, we confess God gives us strength to write computer programs, to sort out administrative problems, to change yet another diaper, to study the Greek text of the New Testament, to bear up under insult.“The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!” (18:46).

Juanita said that she just read a missionary letter that quoted the same lines. The author said, "I've done all those things! It was like reading a mini biography." It's neat to know that friends around the world are reading the same things.

What is even greater to contemplate is the fact that the saints over the centuries have been reading the same Word of God!

reFocus 2010

2010-04-10T11:01:00.003-06:00

Juanita and I arrived home from several days in the Vancouver area. We attended the reFocus conference - you can follow the link for more details. Audio and video files will be up soon, but you can find some notes at the site already.

It was great to meet and reconnect with a bunch of people. It is encouraging to know how many Gospel-focused people there really are out there.

One of the highlights of the week was a talk and Q&A session with Preston Manning. Those were a couple of thought-provoking sessions. I've appreciated the diversity of the speakers at reFocus and this year was very engaging.

I'll be updating more later (I have a sermon to finish for tomorrow), but I wanted post for a change and give a brief update.

All I Have is Christ

2010-03-18T12:19:00.003-06:00

I've had a song going through my mind lately. It breaks the rules because it is a good song. Usually, songs I don't want to think about provide my mental soundtrack, but this one is welcome. I just need to learn all the words.

These lyrics are powerful. We sang this song at the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors and Wives Conference last April and it left an impression. I had to buy it when we got home.

All I Have is Christ

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You

Jordan Kauflin
© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)
As recorded on Looked Upon

The Lord's Table: Where Do We Look?

2010-03-17T15:46:00.002-06:00

People ask me from time to time if there is any value to reading blogs. Well, last week I took two things from blogs to use in the Sunday service. I admit that using blog stuff in ministry is somewhat rare, but I do benefit from what I read.

Last week, I was thinking about interrupting my Hebrews series to do a more pointed reflection upon the Lord's Table. I found this post at The Gospel Coalition Blog to be very helpful. I stole the outline and wrote my own material under each point. It was well received and I think it is a very good guideline for thinking through the meaning of Communion.

The second thing that caught my attention was this post by Tim Challies from Saturday. I used part of this powerful Spurgeon quote in my message.

My notes for the reflection are below. My message from Sunday is up on our website as well.

Text: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

1. We look up in worship.

Jesus is Lord. He is the Son of God. We must worship no one but God. When we come to the Communion Table we worship Jesus. He is God. No one else and nothing else can bear the weight of worship – not because our worship is so great, but because God created us to worship Him alone.

Think about it. When we look to Jesus as Saviour and worship Him as our Lord, we know that He is absolutely perfect, our all sufficient Saviour. He is BETTER than any other, and absolutely powerful, faithful, loving and eternal.

If we lean on anyone else as ULTIMATE, they will fail us. But with Jesus, we can put all our hope and trust in Him and He will never let us down and never let us go.

Our worship includes joyful praise and DEEP THANKSGIVING to Christ. He has done for us what we could never do for ourselves – He has given us forgiveness, reconciliation and adoption so that we can call God our Father and enjoy Him forever!

As you participate in these elements today, worship Jesus as your God and King.

2. We look back in Remembrance

Jesus told us to remember when we eat and drink. Our thoughts should turn back to that hill outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago and remember what it cost the Saviour to suffer for my sin.

Our only altar is that blood-stained cross.

Think about that last meal – the Passover supper – that Jesus had with his disciples before He was betrayed. Think about the mockery of the trials that He endured. Remember the crown of thorns and the purple robe, the flogging and the jeering of the leaders and the crowds.

Think about that day – how the earth shook, how the sky grew dark, how the pagan centurion said, “Surely, this is the Son of God!”

Look back and remember.

3. We look forward in anticipation.

Jesus told us to continue to eat the bread and drink the cup until He comes. This solemn meal is very small, but it points ahead to a great feast in that Great Day to come – the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

At that meal, we will be clothed in our FOREVER BODIES. We will be done with faith and hope, because we will have Jesus with us physically and we will OWN the INHERITANCE of the saint – reunited with all those that have gone before us, done with sin and corruption and sickness and death FOREVER.

Look forward to that day, savour the reality of the New Heavens and earth and determine to build up your treasure THERE, not here in this broken-down world!

4. We look outward in proclamation.

Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper our actions proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. I often say that these elements are a sermon in material form. That may not sound very Baptist, but it is biblical.

1 Corinthians 11:26 – as we eat and drink, we proclaim.

If you are here this morning and you are not a Christian, we want you to feel that you are on the outside looking in. Without that sense of distance, of alienation from this sacred meal, you will not appreciate what you are missing.

Don’t get me wrong – we WANT you to come in by faith, confessing Jesus as Lord and trusting Him as your Saviour.

I don’t want you to participate if you do not believe. There are warnings of judgment for taking part in an unworthy manner. This does not mean that any of us consider ourselves to be worthy BY OURSELVES, but only through faith in the forgiveness and righteousness EARNED by ANOTHER – namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. We come by faith – but we participate because we really do believe in the merit of Christ for us.

5. We look inward in examination.

As believers, when we eat the bread and drink from the cup, it should only be in a spirit of humility and repentance. It is our sin that cost Jesus such suffering – particularly the suffering of the cup of the Father’s wrath that He drank for us as He absorbed the penalty for our sin.

If we are Christ’s people by grace through faith, then sin no longer reigns. However, it still remains until we see Jesus face-to-face, and we must learn to hate it more and more.

We should not focus merely on the physical sufferings of Jesus, but confess our sin that caused our Saviour grief. Just yesterday I read this quote on Tim Challies’ blog:

*You need not weep over the crucifixion, but weep over your transgression, for your sins nailed the Redeemer to the accursed tree. To weep over a dying Saviour is to lament the remedy; it were wiser to bewail the disease. To weep over the dying Saviour is to wet the surgeon's knife with tears; it were better to bewail the spreading cancer which that knife must cut away. – C.H. Spurgeon

So participate in this holy meal only after you have looked deep within and have confronted and confessed the sin that remains in you.

Remember, though, that your sin is wonderfully and supernaturally forgiven by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Confess it. Trust Christ that He will remove it from you “as far as the east is from the west.”

6. We look around in consideration.

Look at each other. We who are joined together in a fellowship of faith in Christ are His Bride, His Body.

In 1 Corinthians 11 the context is love for one another. This church was messing up their celebration of the Lord’s supper and even doing more harm than good because they were not considerate to each other.

I read somewhere recently that, “One of the reasons the church exists is to teach us to love people that we don’t like very much.” Christ’s ministry of reconciliation not only teaches us an example of love, it promises to change our hearts so that we do love one another.

Be considerate, understanding, patient, courageous to exhort when necessary, speaking the truth in love.
__

We are going to have a few moments to silently prepare to take the Lord’s Supper together.

Look to God in Worship; look back to the cross in remembrance; look forward to Heaven in joyful anticipation; look outward in proclamation at those who are watching you; look inward in examination as you confess your sins; and look around in consideration at Christ’s body that is sharing this meal with you.

* C.H. Spurgeon, "Wherefore Should I Weep?" 22 October 1876, from Luke 23:1-31.

Is it Christian?

2010-03-09T09:42:00.003-07:00

In seminary, our theology professor encouraged us to evaluate preaching by asking the question, "Do you have to be a Christian to say what he's saying?" In other words, could an unbeliever give the same message? If the preaching is moralistic, a character study, a collection of stories or merely the opinions of the speaker, then it is not good preaching. It may not even be Christian.

I thought of this quote this morning at our early men's Bible study (5 am). We are studying 1 John and as we were discussing 2:1-8, on of the men made a comment on verse 4 that I thought was very good. He said, "If you took this verse out of context, you would really misunderstand the passage." Here's 1 John 2:4: Whoever says, 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

We talked for a while about the context and agreed that the grace of 2:1-2 is essential for a right understanding of this obedience. This obedience must be a fruit of God's prior work for us in Christ. What John is describing is the work of God that we are set free to do in obedience and love, not wages that we must do in order to earn our peace with God.

This reminded me what the Lord said He would do for His people as He gave them the Promised land, that they would enjoy ... houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant.... This is true with Christian obedience as well: We benefit from the grace that God gives as we love Him and others and serve him in gladness. It is all of grace. Even our best works make us greater debtors to His grace in Jesus Christ.

Christian proclamation must be focused on what only we have, namely, Christ and the true gospel. This is particularly true for preachers, but it is also true for all Christians all the time. When we are faced with challenges at work, we must turn to the cross. When we discipline our children, we must point them to the root of sin and the glory of the cross. Whether we are encouraged or discouraged, we must preach the gospel to ourselves every day and make it our aim to make gospel application in everything.

In every area of life as Christians, we should be asking, "Is it Christian?"

TV Interview

2010-03-05T11:11:00.003-07:00

Thanks to everyone for your gracious comments both here and over on Facebook.

TV Interview

2010-03-04T10:53:00.002-07:00

Last fall, on September 28 to be exact, Juanita and I were interviews by a reporter from 100 Huntley Street, a daily Christian TV program here in Canada. This morning, our family went downstairs at 9 am to watch the interview.

It was very well done. Maggie Johns, the reporter, did a very good job with it. It was a challenge to watch. Perhaps more so for the kids. However, we are thankful for the opportunity to declare God's goodness and faithfulness.

The interview should be up on the 100 Huntley Street Website soon if you would like to watch it.

If you are new here because you saw the interview, welcome! If you would like to read through my posts from immediately after Emily's death, go to 2008 Posts, scroll to the middle of the year and look for the picture of Emily and then read from that point to the top of the page.

Free Audiobooks

2010-03-01T12:57:00.002-07:00

Such a deal!

Christian Audio has two free audio books for download this month: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship and John Piper's 50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die.

Go to Christianaudio.com, click on the free downloads button and check it out. You will have to register, but it is well worth it. They have a free book each month, so check it out regularly. You'll notice that they have some good books on sale, too.

Let me end with a caution: not everything they have there is good, so use discernment! This month's titles are well worth your time, however.

HT - JT

Bad Worry, Good Worry? Part 2

2010-02-26T18:33:00.003-07:00

In my post yesterday, I presented a couple of examples of the Apostle Paul's perspective on worry. Was he inconsistent? Was his concern (anxiety) for the churches that he planted sinful?

I believe that his "do not be anxious about anything" in Philippians 4:6 describes a different kind of worry than his concern in 2 Corinthians 11:28 (and his fear in 1 Thesalonians 3:4-5). Three key factors lead me to this conclusion.

First, because the Bible is true and trustworthy, I do not believe that we are looking at any kind of inconsistency or sin in Paul. This is not because Paul was perfect, but if he was in the wrong in these instances, the Holy Spirit would have let us in on his sin. His concern was a matter of his human weakness, not a result of a failure on his part to trust God. He couldn't see what was happening in the churches and he wanted assurance that all was well with their faith.

Next, I think the context in Philippians 4 indicates that Paul's prohibition on worry relates to individual joy and contentment in the Lord. Paul learned not to worry about himself and he instructed his readers to pray and not worry about themselves. On the other hand, his concern for others indicates deep love, a pastoral burden that really convicts me in regard to my care for the people in my church.

The last consideration is that the worry of Philippians 4 is probably a non-productive worry, a worry that you can't do anything about (I don't have any good reason for this, it's a hunch based on what I read regarding the other kind of anxiety). This kind of worry is always useless.

Paul's pastoral concern is a kind of anxiety that was justified. The churches that he planted were in danger - danger from false teachers, danger from temptation to sin, danger from overt persecution. These were not imagined problems, they were very present dangers for these churches and they sat heavily on Paul's mind and heart.

More than that, Paul could - and did - do something about these concerns. He prayed, he sent associates like Timothy to places like Thessalonica, he visited these churches himself when he could and, of course, he wrote letters.

So what's the application to us?

When you're anxious, pray. But, when you're anxious, ask the Lord if He is prompting you to do something about that anxiety. If you find that the circumstances that cause you anxiety are beyond your control, pray for contentment. Trust God in the situation. If, however, there is something you can do about someone you are worried about, then do it. It may be a phone call, a visit, a letter, a gift of a useful book, practical help or whatever you come up with.

It could be that that nagging worry is a prompt from God for you, a call to show his love to someone who needs your help and prayer.

Not all absence of worry is a cause for self-congratulation. If I do not have anxiety about other people - good worry, you might say - I may be guilty of not caring enough about people and their circumstances. The Apostle Paul's pastoral care extended to having a measure of productive, prayerful anxiety.

Don't worry: pray, love and serve.

Bad Worry, Good Worry?

2010-02-25T21:59:00.002-07:00

I have been thinking about worry lately. We have seen some examples of anxiety from the Apostle Paul in our Wednesday Bible study recently and I'm trying to reconcile his instruction in one place with his personal confessions in other places. At one level, these passages seem contradictory.

The first passage, the instruction regarding worry, is very well known:

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Compare 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5

(W)hen we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.

In the first passage, the apostle urges us to find God’s deep peace by trading our anxiety with joyful, thankful prayer. In the second passage, it almost seems that Paul has been a nervous wreck regarding the Thessalonian Christians.

See also 2 Corinthians 11:28 where Paul says that he has to bear the pressure of anxiety for the churches daily (concern / anxiety is the same word as the anxiety in Philippians 4:6).

So what gives? Is worry always bad, or does Paul set the pattern for good worry?

I’ll give my take on how to reconcile these passages tomorrow.

Don't Fall Away

2010-02-23T14:08:00.002-07:00

On Sunday, I preached one of the most difficult messages that I have ever delivered. The text is Hebrews 6:1-12. Here is the really pointed bit, 6:4-6:

For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

I do not believe that these verses describe a Christian losing their salvation, but this warning should cause all of us to tremble.

I have posted the message on our church website. I couldn't get it to upload - every once in a while I run into this problem - but I did an end-run around that by splitting it into two parts (part 1, part 2). We're working on a solution to uploading big files -- that is, long sermons.

I welcome your feedback on this controversial message. I've heard from a few people locally already! I'm still not convinced of my handling of all the details, but in the big picture, I'm satisfied that I understand the warning and its application.

A Book Recommendation for Easter

2010-02-18T17:46:00.002-07:00

Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross is a book that we bought last year. It is an excellent devotional preparation for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Follow the link to Justin Taylor's blog to read more and find links. Highly recommended.

Conference Update

2010-02-10T17:24:00.002-07:00

Just a quick note to follow up my "Conference Hopping" post from a couple weeks ago. We did indeed attend the "Goodness of the Gospel" conference in Calgary. It was excellent. A big thank-you to Clint and Company at Calvary Grace Baptist Church for planning and hosting the conference.

We had 10 people from Edson make the trip to Calgary and another 5 "Edson connection" people come to the conference. It was certainly worth our while!

I also went to the Desiring God Pastors Conference in Minneapolis. It was different going off on my own after having a crew at the Calgary conference, but it was good. The messages were great, and I met some folks that I hope to meet again! It was a rich time of fellowship.

I'm back home for a while now. Juanita and I are planning to attend the ReFocus Conference in Burnaby in April, however.

Bible Study Blessings

2010-02-10T17:00:00.002-07:00

Do you just read the Bible? Granted, reading the Bible is better than nothing, but I would encourage you to study the Bible.

Just this morning, I got to work on my Bible study for tonight. After a quick read of the passage, I thought, "There's not much here." I've thought that before after a superficial look at other passages, but when I have taken the time to really study the text, I've had to repent - quite happily, I might add. There is always a treasure in God's Word. You'd think I'd learn!

We're looking at 1 Thessalonians 3, which deals mostly with news of a visit that Timothy paid to the church. Paul and his companions had to get out of town quickly after they first preached the gospel there, and Paul longed to get back there. He had to settle for a report from Timothy, and the report contained good news - the church was well, it had thrived in the midst of adversity.

What really gripped me as I looked more closely at these verses was Paul's love for these saints - a love that delighted in the growing faith of his brothers and sisters in Thessalonica. Paul was facing his own adversity - opposition and affliction on every front, in fact. However, what he lived for was the joy that came through seeing others grow in faith and love (compare Philippians 1:21-26).

In these verses, we see how faith works in the power of the gospel. Faith results in love, joy, holiness and contentment in the face of suffering. Joy is the engine that makes this thing fly.

I think I am better at seeing how faith relates to personal holiness (and that's important), but I was really convicted by the picture of deep Christian love and exuberant joy that is modeled in this chapter.

I have some work to do as I seek to "supply what is lacking in (my) faith" together with the saints here. I need a bigger vision of the love and joy of my Saviour in the transformation of sinners.

So then, I encourage you to study your Bible on a regular basis. Ask questions of the text. Slow down, compare translations, look for connecting words and pray for God's help in seeing what's in the passage and applying it to your life. You will be surprised and blessed at the riches and depth of God's Word.

Conference Hopping

2010-01-29T11:14:00.002-07:00

Josh and I are on our way out the door to go to the Goodness of the Gospel conference in Calgary. There are between 8-10 of us from Edson Baptist that are planning to be there. I'm really looking forward to it.

We're going to come home Saturday night, I'll preach on Sunday, and then on Monday I'll be flying off to Minneapolis for the Desiring God Pastor's Conference.

I won't be blogging much over the next week, but, then, do I ever?

TV Interview

2010-01-26T22:55:00.003-07:00

Last fall we did an interview with a reporter from 100 Huntley Street. My favorite blogger has details on when that is supposed to air. It was hard to do that interview. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. We're praying that it will be helpful and God-honouring.

Desiring God Pastor's Conference

2010-01-08T11:59:00.001-07:00

So, is anyone out there planning to go this year?

For the Love of God Reading Plan

2010-01-02T15:50:00.002-07:00

Whether you make resolutions or not, make sure you are in a Bible reading plan this year. If you haven't started, or are looking for a good plan, check out Dr. D.A. Carson's For the Love of God devotional online. Dr. Carson has written two volumes of devotional commentary tied to the M'Cheyne reading plan, one was published in 1998 and the other in 1999. This plan and one of the devotionals from the four daily readings will be published - blog-like - each day. If you subscribe to blogs via a reader - like Bloglines or Google Reader - these devotionals and the Bible reading schedule will be sent to you automatically every day. This may work like an online conscience for you if you have trouble sticking to a plan.

The M'Cheyne plan will take you through the Old Testament once and both the New Testament and the Psalms twice. If four or five chapters per day is too much, cut it in half and read the first or second two readings. Carson's commentary is designed to help you think through what's in the text and is a wonderful complement.

I don't normally talk about my Bible reading (do your praying, etc. in private and all that), but I have been using both of volumes daily, reading all four daily readings and Carson's commentary. I speak from happy experience as I recommend them.

If you'd prefer to get the books, you can find them at the usual bookstores, or get them at Monergism Books online. They are also available for free as PDFs, which is what I use because one of our volumes went missing.

Dwell 1: In the Beginning

2010-01-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Will God dwell with man on the earth? This is a critical question as we anticipate another celebration of Christmas. The coming of Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Answer to the greatest human need – the need to know God and to be with Him.

In the first chapters of the Bible, we read that God walked with Adam and Even in the cool of the evening. In the last chapters of the Bible, we read of an angel who says in a loud voice: Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:3).

At the beginning and at the end of God’s revelation to man, we understand that it is God’s design to dwell directly and immediately with the people that He created. What about all the time in between – the time that we live in? Will God dwell with man on the earth now in our sinful and rebellious state?

God is omnipresent. That is, He is everywhere at the same time. Speaking to pagan philosophers in Athens, the Apostle Paul said: 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring' (Acts 17:28). If we are all His offspring and we all live “in” Him, as He is everywhere, then what’s the point of talking about where God dwells?

God created man to worship and enjoy Him. God created man and pronounce this crown of His creation, “very good.” God took particular, personal care in making man and woman. The most important aspect to that care was the fact that God made man – male and female – in His own image.

Most of all, man is created for relationship with God – for worship, for adoration, for thanksgiving to God and enjoyment of God. In the beginning, God did indeed dwell with man in uninterrupted fellowship. That did not last. In Genesis 3, we read about a tragedy that we can’t fully comprehend. We have each been born into a fallen, sinful, broken and twisted world. It seems normal to us, and yet, even the atheist knows that things are not the way they’re supposed to be.

There is much beauty and goodness left in the world, yet everything has the stain of sin, and we know that death is a constant enemy. We know the story of the fall (see Genesis 3:8-11).

Note that even before the curses were pronounced, we read that something terrible had happened to Adam and Eve: Man hid from God – new realities of guilt and fear and self-preservation in the face of God’s holiness and goodness rushed to the surface and man ran from God.

It’s been the same ever since. Even religious man hides from God in his religion, even as he says he is seeking God. The golden calf that Aaron and the people made to worship in the wilderness is a classic example of religion at work. The God who spoke on Mount Sinai terrified them, so they made a calf of gold and then had a party.

Time after time in the history of the Bible, man hides in fear from the revelation of God’s holiness and creates idolatrous religion as a sinful substitute. Most people on earth believe in God. In spite of the press that the New Atheism has received in recent years, people who reject any concept of God are in a small minority. Religion is a quest for man to reach up to God. Religion is formed by man out of the brokenness of sin, it is a twisted form of worship designed by man to make God smaller and man bigger. Man wants to make the One True God into something he can control, but this is only an evidence of mans sin and arrogance.

So will God dwell with man? God has said, man shall not see me and live (Exodus 33:20).

Still, there is a longing for something divine, something eternal, and something significant in the heart of man, but sin stands in the way. Because of our sin – inherited from Adam but compounded by our own sins – we have hidden from God and God has, in His mercy, hidden His face from us.

Because God is holy, he judged sin. There was a sentence in the form of curses, these were the consequences of rebelling against a holy God. But even in that judgment there was mercy. This mercy came in the form of a promise

When was that promise to be fulfilled? It was not fulfilled with Cain. He proved to be the first murderer. Human accomplishment and the development of culture did not reverse the curse, it only amplified sin and underscored the distance between God and man. In Genesis 4-5, we see the sober pattern of the fallen world – the refrain of “and he died...”

In every stage of Old Testament history, we see that the distance remains. Through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD says: Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2).

What was the greatest thing that was lost in the Fall? The immediate presence of God! When God created man, it was for His glory and man’s good. It was for mutual enjoyment. God loves His people and He desires to dwell with us. That’s why we are still here. That’s why we have not been destroyed by His righteous judgment.

What about the curse? I said earlier that God promised that He would send one to end the curse and restore the blessing of the presence of God. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel (Genesis 3:15).

The enmity between the woman and her offspring is plural – this has been the story of human history, hatred, violence, idolatry, disease and disaster of every kind. It seems like the serpent wins.

However, the one who will crush the serpent’s head is an individual, God become flesh. He shall bruise the head of the serpent. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery (Hebrews 2:14-15).

God delights in His Son. It is because Jesus Christ has defeated Satan by taking upon Himself sin and, consequently, death, that He is able to be our Champion to reconcile us to God:
• He is the New Adam – this is the new beginning that we’ve been waiting for
• He Himself is GOD WITH US He is God who dwells with us
• He brings reconciliation, peace, grace and LIFE to the fallen sons of man.

The Christmas Hymn, Joy to the World has a great verse: No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found.

“HERE HE IS” – Finally, the one that has come to rescue us from the curse.
• Incarnation – Immanuel: God with us; Jesus: God saves; Christ: The Anointed One
• Life – Perfect, righteous, the perfect law-keeper, identifies with our suffering
• Death – Takes on the curse, bears our sin, sheds blood to purchase our forgiveness
• Resurrection – defeats death, crushes Satan, guarantees our inheritance with Him!

God will dwell with man. He has come to dwell with us so that we may dwell with Him forever!
One day, we shall see the face of Jesus and be made like Him (1 John 3:2). In the meantime, we have a preliminary restoration through the knowledge of Christ. By His forgiveness and new life, we may dwell with God as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ is the light that stepped down from Heaven, God become flesh so that God may truly dwell with us and we may dwell with God forever. This is the true meaning of Christmas!

John Piper at The Village Church

2009-12-30T11:29:00.002-07:00

Pastor Matt Chandler is beginning treatment for a malignant brain tumor that he had removed early in December. His testimony to God's goodness and sovereignty is a great encouragement. Continue to pray for him, his family and his church. (For background, see Matt's video testimonies to his church: Video 1, before the surgery. Video 2, after the surgery).

This morning, I listened to Dr. John Piper's message from The Village Church this past Sunday (12/27/09). Juanita listened to it this morning and highly recommended it, so I took some time at the office and opened my Bible to Romans 8 and took some notes.

Let me say, if you have ever struggled with God's goodness and sovereignty in the face of suffering and evil (and who hasn't?), take the time to listen to this message. Give it your full attention.

Here is a little excerpt:

God judicially sentenced the world to what it is today. It was a judgment on the world in response to sin. And I admit that you have to have – and I’m calling you to this, it takes years sometimes to get people to this – you have to have a very high view of God’s holiness, and justice and glory and deservingness and worth and a very clear view of the outrage and the horror and of sin and rebellion against that in order to keep this world from looking like an overreaction to Adam and Eve.

... It doesn’t make any sense unless you know how great God is (See Isaiah 40).

I don't think I'm exaggerating to say that the most significant lessons that God has been teaching me since Emily’s murder have been boiled down, condensed and presented in a precious and heartrending exposition in this message. I can’t overstate how good this message is, and how important it is that you digest the truth of Romans 8:18-25 in its biblical context in, before, and after suffering in this sin-soaked world. God has not left us without answers. God has not left us without hope.

P.G. Wodehouse

2009-12-30T09:32:00.002-07:00

Both Josh and I received Wodehouse books for Christmas this year, among other things. We were both pleased. Wodehouse is great holiday reading.

I'm well into Leave it to Psmith. Wodehouse stores are predictable - blatant foreshadowing, typical characters, cringe-worthy predicaments - but the writing is so good that you are always looking for the next zinger. The rest of the prose, between the zingers, is worth basking in because it is so well-crafted.

Here's the opening paragraph,

At the open window of the great library of Blandings Castle, drooping like a wet sock, as was his habit when he had nothing to prop his spine against, the Earl of Emsworth, that amiable and boneheaded peer, stood gazing out over his domain.

A bit later, when Psmith informs his friend about his desperate financial situation, he says,

That low moaning sound you hear is the wolf bivouacked outside my door.

Good fun, that writing. Wodehouse is not for everyone, but I prefer to use it like dark chocolate - it's best consumed slowly along with a strong cup of black coffee.

Dwell

2009-12-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Every year I wrack my brain trying to think of a new idea for a Christmas series. There's nothing wrong with the traditional passages, and I probably preach on those every other year. Last year, I did a more traditional "Witnesses of Christmas" series, so this year, I wanted to do something different.

Our family went to a Michael Card concert last fall and he said something about God wanting to dwell with us, about what a wonder and encouragement that is. On the way home, Juanita and I talked about how that would be a good Advent sermon series, so, I stole the name from a NYC conference on urban church planting and the "Dwell" series was born.

The Dwell series was a flying tour of Scripture in five messages:

Dwell 1: In the Beginning - Genesis 1-5

Dwell 2: Children of Abraham - Genesis 15

Dwell 3: The Promise of the Father - Luke 24:49

Dwell 4: God With Us - John 1:14-18

Dwell 5: Forever With the Lord - Revelation 21:1-5

For those without the time or inclination to listen to these messages (totally understandable), I'm going to do a brief synopsis of each message here in the next few days

Defiance

2009-12-23T09:43:00.002-07:00

It was -30 this morning, so I put on my Hawaiian shirt. It seemed like the thing to do. I told my daughter Petra that I put it on in defiance of the cold weather. She said, "I don't think it will make any difference." I said, "I know it won't, but it makes me feel better."

That little exchange got me thinking on a more serious line on the way over to the church. Isn't that like so many people that reject God's claim on their lives? They have to know that there is a God, and that He has the right to judge them, but they put on their brave faces and assert their right to live their lives as they see fit, in defiance of His right to set the rules.

This assertion of human rights over God's right won't make any difference on That Final Day. God will judge everyone according to His law - both the written code and the code that He's written on the conscience of everyone.

Who will stand on that day?

The answer to that question hinges on the person and work of Jesus Christ, and upon Him alone. It is because of our rebellion against God's right to rule that Christ came. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). In Jesus Christ, God became flesh to rescue defiant rebels from God's just judgment. He is our ransom, our deliverer, our Great High Priest and Final Sacrifice. He is risen from the dead and the Father has appointed Him as judge over all.

Now, what will you do with Jesus this Christmas season?

Pray for the Chandlers

2009-12-16T16:17:00.002-07:00

I have come to appreciate the ministry of Matt Chandler. I don't listen to all of his messages, but I have benefited from many of them. After brain surgery last week, Matt and his family just received the news that they did not want to hear. There will be more treatment ahead. You can read an update from his church if you would like more details.

We were moved by a video message by Matt recorded for his congregation just before his surgery. Juanita and I could identify with several things that he said. We, too, have been humbled by the outpouring of support from people in our trial. We have experienced that Christ provides strength when it is needed. We want to honour Him in everything.

Many bloggers are posting this news, but I particularly appreciated this post from Kevin DeYoung. It has a lot of content in a short post.

Please pray that Matt and his wife Lauren would grow deep and strong in God's grace and that God would restore Matt to many more years of preaching.

Holding on in the Face of Loss

2009-12-15T11:19:00.002-07:00

I was asked by a friend for some advice about holding on to God through the

loss of a friend. I've removed the personal indicators, but I thought the body

of the letter might be of some use to others:

It’s hard to give “one-size-fits-all” advice about keeping God’s character and purposes in perspective, but there are some basics that we must cultivate in the good times so that when tragedy strikes, we have a Rock to stand on. Tragedy and loss will hit every family if we live long enough. It is possible to grow a theology of suffering in the midst of suffering, but it is much harder. All things are possible with God, however.

I was asked to share at our Baptist association's regional convention in May. I took the opportunity to tell the pastors there to prepare their people to die well. That might sound morbid to some, but is there anything else more important that a pastor can do?

I don’t know you well enough to know what you’ve been doing to prepare your heart for the shocks of this fallen, broken world. The message in much of popular Christianity is “happy, happy, happy,” but that’s not realistic, or biblical. I know you know that much, but in the past couple of years – even before Emily’s death – Juanita and I have been growing in our awareness of our own sin and the brokenness of the world. Things are not the way they’re supposed to be. The Bible teaches on suffering so much.

My testimony regarding keeping – and growing – my faith in the midst of loss boils down to this: 1. God is much bigger than I thought He was, and, 2. My sin is much worse than I ever considered. God is good. Because He is good, my sinful soul and body deserve Hell. Anything less than that is mercy. I am a sinner. Sinners die. That’s justice. That I would be transformed and live with a resurrected, perfected body with Christ forever is a mystery and an unspeakable wonder! The suffering and death in this world is the result of man’s rebellion against God. That evil is the “normal” of a fallen world. The joy of salvation, comfort in suffering, and the hope of eternal life are all gracious gifts from our good and loving God. The cross proves the evil of my sin and the love of God simultaneously.

The early church was accused of preaching a message that “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). That’s not quite it. The enemies of the Christians got it wrong. The world is upside down. Christians preach right-side-up, and the world doesn’t like it. The key to getting this is the cross of Christ. This is where we find God’s love, life and assurance. Christ has risen, and so shall we rise.

When you’re overwhelmed and angry at God, turn to the Psalms. They give us permission to express a wide range of emotions to God. Start with Psalms 42, 46, 62 and 73. Then look again to the cross. See the end of the Gospels and also Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Also check out Isaiah 59. You’ll get a better appreciation of the depths of human sin and the extreme lengths that was willing to go to God in order to bring us forgiveness and the gift of righteousness.

Fear the 13th man

2009-11-30T12:09:00.002-07:00

We watched the Grey Cup game yesterday with some friends. This is my son's Facebook status that he posted when we got home:

"One of the Riders' fans was carrying a sign during the game which said "Fear the 13th Man". Oh, the irony."

Well played, Josh.

P.S. My apologies to my American readers. If you're curious, you can Google for the rest of the story.

Bible Blitz

2009-11-28T14:41:00.003-07:00

Crossway Books has made a package that includes an ESV New Testament available for a very low price. It comes with a door-hanger bag, so we went out this morning and hung a bunch of them around Edson. We, in this case, are volunteers from five churches in town. We had a good turn out and we distributed almost all of the 2500 kits that we ordered.

Being a cooperative project, we listed the names, service times and contact information for the churches that participated on the invitation sheet. I think that in itself says something to our community.

Thanks to Crossway for making this possible, Carol's Books in Edson for tipping us off to it and ordering the materials and to Pastor Steve and the Edson Alliance Church for leading and hosting the teams today.

If you're in another town, check out the possibility of distributing a bunch of Bibles before Christmas. Consider partnering with other churches to biltz your town or neighbourhood.

Now let's pray that people will read their new Bibles!

Paul's Passion for the Church

2009-11-26T10:12:00.004-07:00

Last night we had a good Bible study on the book of Philemon. We finished a lengthy study of Philippians last week. Until Christmas we'll do some smaller books and thematic studies.

Philemon is a little jewel. One thing that struck me was Paul's between-the-lines betrayal of his ministry passion in verse 7:

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.*

Paul is in prison as he writes this, but his source of joy and comfort is good news concerning people in one of the churches he planted. He isn't giving thanks for physical help or personal encouragement (though he does that elsewhere), but for the work of a brother who refreshed the saints.

I had to ask myself, "Is this what I live for? Is this encouragement and spiritual refreshment of the saints what gives me joy and comfort?"

As a cross-reference, we took a look at Paul's mission statement in Colossians 1:28-2:3:

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.*

I can identify with Paul's passion to some degree, but it is so easy to be distracted with "ministry" things that do not serve this goal of seeing the saints (and pre-saints that we are evangelizing) not only brought to a greater knowledge of Christ, but brought to the point where they are delighted in Christ and refreshed by His truth and love.

*All Bible quotes are from the ESV

Rejoice

2009-11-18T11:47:00.003-07:00

My favorite Christmas album is Savior by Sovereign Grace Ministries. We've had the album for three years now, but I just started listening to it for this season last week - Thursday morning, to be exact. I listened to some of the album at the gym and then plugged my iPod into my car stereo on the way home. Just before I got home, the song Rejoice really got me. Here's the last verse:

All the church rejoice
For your King returns
On a white horse wearing a crown
He will break the sky with the angel's shout
Descending from the clouds
The the dead will rise from the land and sea
All His people will ascend
We will reign with Him for eternity
Rejoice, all the church, rejoice*

I was overwhelmed by the bittersweet reality of that awesome truth. The tears came because our Emily is now one of those dead, but she will rise. So will I - by God's grace - with all God's people. I am thankful that Emily, my dad and other believing loved ones that have gone ahead of us are present and alive with Christ, but what a glorious day awaits us all at the Resurrection!

We sang Rejoice at church on Sunday for the first time and it was well received. This is the first time I've told my story from the trip back from the gym, however.

By the way, you can buy the album at the Sovereign Grace site for $8 plus shipping, or download it there for $6 or buy it on iTunes. Highly recommended.

Don't Drift

2009-11-17T17:41:00.002-07:00

I preached on Hebrews 2:1-4 on Sunday. The first few minutes of the sermon were not recorded. When I listened to the introduction as I was editing the file for upload, I thought the inadvertent edit improved the message. If you're interested, you can find it here.

Sax for Teeny

2009-11-17T10:22:00.002-07:00

I saw the title of this post in the closed captioning in a hockey highlight package this morning at the gymn. The sound was down on that TV, but I knew what they were talking about as they were showing a fight from the Oilers game last night.

Only Oilers aware hockey fans will get this post, but I thought it was funny.

Catching Up

2009-11-11T22:20:00.003-07:00

There's lots going on these days, but that has not been reflected here. Here are some highlights:

A trip with Josh to Ontario and New York. Our Fellowship Baptist National Convention was in Niagara Falls last week, so I took Josh along and we met some friends and checked out a possible school for Josh in Toronto.
Baptisms on Sunday. Excellent, God-honouring testimonies. We're thankful.
A new sermon series on the book of Hebrews. Messages are going up at www.edsonbaptist.com

Much more could be said, but for the sake of getting something up, I'm going to post this without further elaboration.

Give Thanks. Seriously.

2009-10-20T11:16:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving is not just a byproduct of good times; it is a crucial Christian discipline. I’ve been slowly learning this, particularly in the last year.

Over the past two weekends, formal thanksgiving has been front and centre here. We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving (October 11-12) and then the 50th anniversary of Edson Baptist Church last weekend.

These formal times of giving thanks to God are right and good. Celebrations are good for the soul, and they train us to be thankful people when we come to them in humility and in a conscious attitude of dependence upon God for His grace.

It would be easy to blow off such events and say, “These are just days on a calendar.” This kind of nonchalance could even wear a mask of spirituality. However, God’s Word sets a pattern of formal thanksgiving and remembrance.

Formal thanksgiving is good, but it must not displace continual, heartfelt thanksgiving to God in our daily lives. Giving thanks is commanded by God in many places. This is one of those, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” things. Thanksgiving is not a work by which we are saved. Quite the contrary, it is a recognition that all good things – and particularly our redemption – come from God as gifts.

To fail to give thanks is to rob God of His glory and deprive ourselves of joy. If you think I’m overstating this, do a word search in a concordance (or your computer Bible program) for “thanksgiving” and “give thanks” and tell me that I’m wrong. If you’re not convinced yet, then read Psalm 50 carefully and work out the logic. We read Psalm 50 in church on Thanksgiving Sunday this year and I was freshly convicted by it.

If you’re still not convinced that giving thanks is that important, I heartily recommend John Piper’s message from New Attitude 2007 on the kind of obedience that pleases God (free download).

If you don’t feel like being thankful, repent! And then dig into God’s Word and look for Jesus there. Contemplate who He is and what He has done for you. Think about what you would have if God had not given you something (hint: nothing). What do we have that we have not received?

Give thanks. Seriously.

Upcoming Events

2009-10-10T15:01:00.002-06:00

I've been promoting a couple of upcoming conferences at our church, so I thought that I'd mention them here as well.

First, there is one that I won't be able to attend, but some me from our church may make the trip. It's a Sola Scriptura Conference at Cloverdale Baptist Church on October 22-24 featuring Jerry Bridges, Donald Whitney and John Crotts.

I won't be able to make it because I've been asked to speak at the first annual Mayor's Breakfast in Sylvan Lake, AB. on the 23rd.

However, I do hope to make it to the ReFocus Canada conference at Willingdon Church in Burnaby B.C. April 7-9. John Piper is coming back, as is Bruce Ware. Preston Manning is also a speaker this year - seeing that name in the lineup today was a surprise! It looks like registration is open already.

With One Foot Raised

2009-10-02T11:05:00.002-06:00

I recommend all the messages at the recent Desiring God Conference (even though I haven't heard them all yet), but one that really left an impression was Sam Storms talk, The Final Act in Theater of God.

My blog title is from this Calvin quote, cited from a letter to a suffering friend:

"They [our physical afflictions] should serve us as medicine to purge us from worldly affections and remove what is superfluous in us. And since they are to us the messengers of death, we ought to learn to have one foot raised to take our departure when it shall please God."

This morning, I read a similar exhortation in Spurgeon's Morning and Evening:

"The hope which is laid up for you in heaven." - Colossians 1:5

Our hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring and the mainstay of our joy here. It will animate our hearts to think often of heaven, for all that we can desire is promised there. Here we are weary and toilworn, but yonder is the land of rest where the sweat of labour shall no more bedew the worker’s brow, and fatigue shall be for ever banished. To those who are weary and spent, the word "rest" is full of heaven. We are always in the field of battle; we are so tempted within, and so molested by foes without, that we have little or no peace; but in heaven we shall enjoy the victory, when the banner shall be waved aloft in triumph, and the sword shall be sheathed, and we shall hear our Captain say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." We have suffered bereavement after bereavement, but we are going to the land of the immortal where graves are unknown things. Here sin is a constant grief to us, but there we shall be perfectly holy, for there shall by no means enter into that kingdom anything which defileth. Hemlock springs not up in the furrows of celestial fields. Oh! is it not joy, that you are not to be in banishment for ever, that you are not to dwell eternally in this wilderness, but shall soon inherit Canaan? Nevertheless let it never be said of us, that we are dreaming about the future and forgetting the present, let the future sanctify the present to highest uses. Through the Spirit of God the hope of heaven is the most potent force for the product of virtue; it is a fountain of joyous effort, it is the corner stone of cheerful holiness. The man who has this hope in him goes about his work with vigour, for the joy of the Lord is his strength. He fights against temptation with ardour, for the hope of the next world repels the fiery darts of the adversary. He can labour without present reward, for he looks for a reward in the world to come.

Autumn

2009-09-20T19:56:00.006-06:00

We've had a beautiful late summer and fall. In our country, the leaves are turning and falling even though we haven't had a real frost yet.

One week from today will be the 1st anniversary of Emily's death. It will be a hard day, but we're getting out of town for the weekend to be together as a family.

We're doing pretty well. I'm thankful that God has helped our family and that we are carrying on. I don't know how next weekend will be, but if Emily's birthday and the first Christmas without her are any indication, I think we'll be okay.

I was reading C.S. Lewis' An Experiment in Criticism last week and I came across a quote that arrested me. He was talking about the difference between real grief and the kind that you meet in a literary tragedy. He wrote, "Sometimes it remains for life, a puddle in the mind which grows always wider, shallower, and more unwholesome" (p. 78 in the Cantos edition).

I don't want that to happen, I don't think it's happening, but the very fact that this sentence leapt off the page at me warns me that it could very easily happen. At the very least, isn't this a picturesque way of putting the lingering bitterness that can remain after a loss?

I don't want to wallow in it, but the grief is still very real. However, God's goodness and grace shines ever brighter and I am thankful for the sure hope we have in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Juanita found a poem about September that is, as she put it, bittersweet. We're enjoying a beautiful autumn, but there is a difficult anniversary to remember.

Sons & Daughters

2009-09-11T13:17:00.001-06:00

I've been meaning to do a quick review of this new CD, but I'm going to be lazy and point you to C.J. Mahaney's review. Read the review and then go and buy it!

The Church - Sermon Series

2009-09-08T21:04:00.002-06:00

It is the 50th anniversary of Edson Baptist Church this year. We are having a celebration weekend on October 17-18, but I thought I would lead up to this event by doing a sermon series on the church. The first message, an introduction, was not recorded.

I have posted a sermon on the church from January 2008 over at the church website (www.edsonbaptist.com) as a substitute.

I've also been planning to make some comments on Psalm 46. Perhaps tomorrow....

Thinking About Churches V: Preaching

2009-08-27T20:57:00.003-06:00

This is the last post in a mini-series on anecdotal observations of churches. I don’t get out much, I’m in Edson most Sundays, but over the years I’ve visited several different churches in Canada and the U.S. on holiday. I’ve also had conversations with friends and family about their church experiences. In the churches I’m familiar with, preaching still takes place. That alone should be encouraging, but what is that preaching like?

As I’ve said in earlier posts, I’m disappointed in the general attitude of the service and in the music, but what makes me really sad (and sometimes mad) is the preaching. In each post I’ve said that there are notable exceptions, and I’m thankful for churches that value biblical, expositional preaching, but there is indeed a famine for hearing the Word of the Lord in the land.
The central problem, I've decided, is a rush to application. We don't hear what God is saying, we hear some “relevant” application about how this passage is really about us. Even if Jesus is mentioned, the main point is how we need to clean up our act or try harder at being good Christians. Call it "Law Lite," if you will, but the gospel is missing regardless. Sometimes, there is not even a discernable passage, just a verse or two projected on the screen behind the speaker. The sermon is usually very short, but the personal illustrations are long (some call this authenticity).

Is any of this new? No, not at all. Most of this probably describes the churches I grew up in for the most part (minus the PowerPoint), though I didn't know any different then.

The reason that I'm sad about this is that God presents us a feast and we go out of our way to serve junk food. A lot of people think that the worship stops when the music stops, but can we blame them if the message has nothing of God’s voice to recommend it as worship? If people think that preaching is a bore, they probably think that the problem is with them. I wish I could communicate to them that the problem is with the lack of biblical, gospel content in their services. God is not boring. Our sin and God's solution is not boring.

I asked earlier if this problem was new. Consider this wisdom from 2600 years ago:

Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. -- Jeremiah 2:12-13

Again, let me stress that there are exceptions. Some churches really celebrate God and the Gospel in biblically faithful ways, but the longer I live, the more I realize how rare churches like this really are. If you attend one, be thankful. If you don't, then make some noise!

So what do I mean specifically about his poor preaching? Let me point you to another source. As I began this post, I thought about an article that I read in Modern Reformation magazine several years ago (I just checked the date – 13 years ago!) and it is still available online. It pinpoints some common preaching problems.

If you are in a church with weak preaching, work on some constructive ways to alert your pastor to the wealth of preaching resources and examples that are available.

Thinking About Churches IV: Music in the Church

2009-08-25T16:05:00.002-06:00

In the spirit of rushing in where angels fear to tread, I’m going to present some reflections on music that I’ve witnessed in my “anecdotes from churches I’ve visited on vacation” series. I keep repeating the qualifiers that there are some positive exceptions and that this is unscientific reporting on the state of the church, but I think what I’ve seen is pretty typical.

I've noticed that people are often bored. God is not boring, and the music leaders seem to be really into their thing, so what's the problem? I think it's the shallow content of so many of the songs.

Yes, music is subjective. There are objective standards for weighing the quality of the music we sing in church, however, beginning with the theological depth and quality of the lyrics. If you are interested in growing in your understanding of music and the broader subject of worship, pick up a copy of Bob Kauflin’s book, Worship Matters. He has some other great resource recommendations at his blog and in his book if you want to go even deeper.

What I’ve seen in the songs we sing is way too much emphasis on what we do and not enough about God. Too often, you can go through a whole service with nothing but songs about me singing about how I'm praising God. In these songs, you hear a lot about what I'm doing (or supposed to be doing), but very little content about God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What are we learning as we sing, or what great truths are we celebrating?

This “me” focus is not a matter of new songs vs. old songs. The much-loved In the Garden is an easy example of an older song with this problem.

You can get away with a so-so song in a good mix and even a "me" song can be fine as a response in a bigger package. The trouble comes when most or all of the songs fit this pattern.

Another thing I’ve observed is the "token hymn syndrome." You know, throw in a hymn to keep the traditionalists happy. Unfortunately, there are a lot of flaky hymns to choose from over the last 100 years that won't upset the me/my/I weighting of the service. Sometimes the token hymn is a good song, and I should be thankful for that.

The music chosen for a worship service should be there to serve. It should serve the congregation by directing them to God, it should serve the rest of the service by being cohesive and thoughtfully ordered, and it should serve the sermon. Worship does not end when the preaching starts – preaching should be the main event of the worship service.

If you find a church where expositional, Christ-centered preaching is central, serious, joyful, transcendent music should follow. It usually does.

Are you interested in more significant worship music? Check out Sovereign Grace Music, Indelible Grace, Getty Music and Stuart Townend. There are several others that are doing good music these days. There is a bit of a reformation of worship music going on these days, thankfully.

So then, there is no excuse for doing the shallow, flaky stuff, right?

Thinking About Churches III: The Lord's Table

2009-08-20T10:33:00.002-06:00

In this mini-series, I'm writing about my observations of the church from simply observing churches that I've attended on holidays over the past several years. These observations are unscientific, but one reason that I'm writing about them is that I've found agreement with other believers regarding their church experiences. Today, I'm going to weigh in on the observance of Communion, or what we usually call The Lord's Table.

Bible-loving, gospel-preaching churches of different types have disagreements regarding the observance of Lord's Table. However, whether observed weekly or monthly, if it's called an ordinance or a sacrament, served with grape juice or wine, crackers or bread cubes, passed around or received at the front, Christians churches do practice this ordinance (I'll leave aside groups like the Salvation Army that do not observe for now). I'm not going to weigh in on any of these matters of practice but focus on worship and truth in the observance.

I've experienced the Lord's Table as a mere add-on to the end of the service. It comes across as, "Oh, it's the first Sunday. I guess we'd better do Communion." What is missing is any description of what we're doing, any warning that only Christians are to take part in this ordinance or time for silent prayer and reflection. This careless participation appears to be very common.

The average non-Christian probably thinks that he or she is a Christian, so it is important for the pastor to desribe what the elements of the Lord's Table represent and explain what they are for. This should happen every time we serve Communion. More than an explanation, a warning should be given. I usually read 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 and offer a brief emphasis on the warning given in this passage. If I don't read these verses, I offer a similar warning.

Participating in the Lord's Table is for Christians, but it provides a great evangelistic opportunity for visiting unbelievers. I had one woman tell me that before she came to Christ, she felt acutely that she was on the outside looking in during Communion. It was a key factor in her coming to Christ. If there are no lines drawn, no clear description of what Communion is and who it is for, will people feel their need to repent and believe?

Time should be given for people to reflect upon Christ and His suffering for us during the Communion service. I often don't leave enough time (I feel rushed by the clock, foolishly), but many churches give no time of silent reflection at all.

In one church I attended several years ago, the closest thing to a warning given was the pastor saying, "If you don't feel comfortable taking part, you don't have to." Non-believers should feel uncomfortable during communion, and they should not participate, no matter how they feel.

As a pastor, I take my role as leader of the Communion service seriously. Sometimes I have rushed things or have not been as clear as I should have been with a warning, but when I see how things work in some other churches, I have to ask, "Where is the fear of the Lord?"

Catching Up

2009-08-19T07:57:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking of a few different things that I wanted to post here, but I don't think a full post on each one will be necessary. Besides, I want to get back to a mini-series on my church observations soon. I'll do a post on my anecdotal reflections on the Lord's Table later today.

For today, here are some point-form mini-posts:

My Uncle Bob died on the 9th of August and his funeral was in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan on the 14th. I took my mom to Edmonton and then we went with my brother to the funeral. My mom is #7 of 8 children and Uncle Bob was her younger brother. Now there are two siblings left. It's not easy getting older.

A young woman in our church invited me to come over and meet with some LDS missionaries yesterday. It never ceases to amaze me how much vocabulary we share with the Mormons, but I pressed them on the nature of God. We can agree on a thousand things, but if we have a fundamental disagreement about who God is, there is no agreement at all. It's monotheist vs. polytheist. If true religion is about what we do, then we have a lot in common. If true religion is about who we worship, then we couldn't be farther apart. Confusing the Creator with the creation is not a small matter (Romans 1:18-21) and that's what the doctrine of the exaltation of man does.

A couple of phrases in Jeremiah 48 jumped out at me today: You will be like a juniper in the desert! For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken.... This is in a prophecy against Moab, but it reminded me of some of the stories I'm hearing of people that are suffering in this current economic slowdown (crisis, I believe, is too strong a word for our local situation. I don't know any hungry people that are bound in chains because of their debt).

When we were on the coast recently, I was admiring a friend's cedar trees. He said that he had to water them like crazy to get them to look like that. The Lord's pronouncement to Moab was that they were going to be like a fruitless bush in the desert. In other words, the Lord had been watering them. He sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, but because they trusted in their works and treasures and not the Lord, they were going out on their own (with some help from the Babylonians) and would suffer deserved drought.

When times were good, I had some concerns about people that I know. They were buying all kinds of things on time and living beyond their means. I think they are feeling rather like a bush in the desert now. I hope they learn who the Gardener really is and begin to rely on Him.

Juanita just reminded me of Spurgeon's Morning and Evening for August 13 (she said it was probably in the back of my mind as I was reading about the tree in Jeremiah, and I think she's right. I did read that entry last week). Here's an exerpt:

"The cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted" - Psalm 104:16

Lebanon's cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their planting entirely to the Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. He is not man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. // Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not dependent upon man for their watering; they stand on the lofty rock, unmoistened by human irrigation; and yet our heavenly Father supplieth them.

The Reliability of the New Testament

2009-08-18T10:07:00.002-06:00

Justin Taylor linked to an excellent paper on the Bible today (you'll need a up-to-date copy of the free Adobe Reader or similar .pdf reader).

Our confidence in Scripture should be strong if we simply read the Bible regularly, but there are many people who buy into myths regarding God's Word, so a paper like this can be very useful.

Thanks, Dr. Harmon, for making this available.

Spurgeon Quotes on Christless Preaching

2009-08-13T08:37:00.001-06:00

Just read this at Miscellanies, Tony Reinke's Blog.

Amen and amen.