It’s my intention to not ‘do’ many videos at all, but, this one I think needs viewing.

Galatians 2 thoughts:

¹⁵We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; ¹⁶yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. ²⁰I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

I take this passage to mean this: that if verses 15-16 are not true (i.e. that justification is through faith in Christ ALONE), then our gospel becomes “Jesus and ______” (here it was circumcision). Then our justification comes from Jesus AND just a little bit of obedience to the law. But the law ONLY serves to reveal our SIN! (Romans 3:19-20).

Thus, trusting a gospel of anything more than justification by faith in Jesus alone results with us still in sin….because as in Romans 2:17-29 it is NOT fulfilling the law in letter, but the inward transformation of the heart that counts to God…but all of our hearts are evil and deceptive (Jeremiah 17:9).

Therefore, anyone who attempts to be justified in Jesus AND something is still in sin (this is verse 17), in addition, they also make “Christ then a servant of sin”! Because they append faith in Christ to a list of rules they can never hope to obey fully with their unregenerate heart, and Christ and his work results in “saved” people who are still in sin.

This is specifically why Paul also brings up our death with respect to the law in Romans 7 in terms of marriage…we cannot be married to Christ until we have completely died to the law, which his death enables. Moreover, we trample the glory of Christ, his work, and his brilliant purpose to redeem us if we make our gospel “Christ plus something”…following such logic, Christ would have died for no purpose.

This understanding is why I believe Paul is so confident, not in himself…but in the gospel of grace that was revealed to him when he said in chapter 1:

¹Paul, an apostle— not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead

and later:

¹⁰For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
¹¹For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. ¹² For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

A man-made gospel inherently winds up putting responsibility on us to fulfill some kind of law, but Christ has enabled us to die to the law, and let Christ live in us to glory of God. What a brilliant purpose indeed!

On to part two of my review of Philip Clayton’s Transforming Christian Theology (part one here).

In part two, Clayton deals with the question of how changing our approach to theology can transform the church.  Fiddling with the mechanics of how we do church is not enough, according to Clayton; we need better understandings of theology not more dynamic, or relevant styles of delivering old ones.  Bravo, I say!  I’m all for theology informing and critiquing how we do church rather than whatever growth and marketing strategies happen to be popular.  So what kind of theology is up to the task of transforming our churches?

Well, according to Clayton, it seems to be a theology that has been thoroughly chastened by the insights of postmodernity.  It is an epistemologically humble theology.  It is a contextual theology.  It is a theology that takes seriously the narrative character of Scripture (as opposed to seeing the biblical documents as little more than a compilation of factual propositions about God).  It is a theology that welcomes the insights of other stories, both from inside and outside of the Christian fold.

Perhaps most importantly, for Clayton, it is a theology that tells our story as human beings.  It is not enough to just rehearse dogma that we may have picked up along the journey or to memorize a collection of statements about who God is and then squeeze our experience into this grid.  If we can’t offer some compelling account of how what we believe about God makes a difference in our own lives, our theological language will be virtually useless.

It will be obvious that theology has a fundamentally narrative character for Clayton.  One wonders, though, if he takes some of the helpful insights of postmodernity a bit too far at times.  Puzzling statements like this pop up throughout the book:

Whenever you get confused about what the word theology might mean, just go back to this core idea of reciting the narrative of your life before God.

Perhaps, I’m a little thick but I can’t imagine how this exhortation would clear up anyone’s confusion about theology.  I can’t just recite the narrative of my life before God and call it “theology.”  It seems obvious to me that in order for me to learn to recite the narrative of my life before God in a way that is helpful, redemptive, transformative, and hopeful I must receive some objective categories from outside of my experience through which to interpret my story in new ways.  The good news of the gospel comes out of a (very specific) past, it addresses the present, and it speaks about a hopeful future.   But I cannot access the past or the future by just analyzing my own life.  I need to know what God has done in the past and what God promises to do in the future in order to recite my narrative properly here, in the present.

Clayton is, of course, well aware of all this.  This becomes obvious when he gives an example of where he chooses to begin his theology.   After emphasizing that theology never begins from an abstract view from nowhere and is always done from some cultural and historical location, Clayton tells us that the Christ hymn in Philippians 2:5-11 is where his theology begins from:

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Now on one level, this is a welcome theological starting point—especially from a Mennonite perspective!  At our best, Mennonites have always been a people who try to read all of Scripture through the lens of Christ so it makes obvious sense to me that Christian theology ought to begin with the nature and character of Jesus Christ rather than some abstract views about generic theology or anthropology.  Jesus is the point of the whole story, after all—in him, Christians claim, is the fulfillment of the human story and the story of the entire cosmos.  If this is true, then our understanding of who God is, who we are, how we are to live, and what we can hope for really must begin with Jesus.

But on another level it is frustrating that Clayton presents this theological starting point as as just the one that he happens to have chosen:

I begin with the ancient Christian hymn, quoted by Paul in Philippians 2, as my starting point, but I expect and urge others to begin in different places.  Begin from where you live.

The problem, as I see it, is that this really ought to be the starting point for all Christian theology. Not just for those who happen to prefer it.  Not just for those it resonates with.  Not just for those who struggle with feelings of superiority and arrogance and need to learn from Christ’s humility.  Not just for those of us who happen to emerge in some way or another from the legacy of an imperialistic Christendom.  Not just for those of us who happen to “live” here.  For all of us.

Of course it is valuable to hear and learn from other perspectives which, to discover how the work of Jesus sounds from those in marginalized positions, to recognize that none of us sees the whole story, to acknowledge that God can and does speak to us through any and all points of the bigger story in which Jesus represents the culmination and fulfillment.  I am not calling into question any of this.  But the reality of who Jesus is, what he did, and how he did it is either flat-out wrong or it is the beginning and end of anything that would call itself Christian theology.

Our narratives are important, and it is important to tell our stories before God and others often.  But it seems to me that as those who are always growing into and learning about what it means to be a Jesus-follower, we are not free to just tell our stories before God in whatever way happens to work for us in our context.  We don’t get to pick the starting point.  Indeed, perhaps one of the reasons that the church is in such desperate need of transformation is because of our tendency to be more faithful to ourselves and our perceived needs than to the story of Jesus and its implications for who God is and how he works, and who we are and how we are to live.

We Are Slaves
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” – Romans 6.16-18 (NLT)

Our world is filled with billions and billions of slaves. Sure, many are free in the sense that they can choose where to live, what to drive, where to eat, who to be friends with, what to watch on TV and so forth, but make no mistake they are still slaves. We are only free to choose that which we desire to enslave us. Isn’t this true? One says I am free yet they habitually follow the same sports team every season with fanatic dedication. Another says they are free yet chooses to continually move from relationship to relationship without satisfaction. And yet another claims freedom but needs to be liked by everyone all the time else their sanity will suffer. Is this freedom? Surely not. We are only free to choose that which we desire to enslave us. Paul in Romans 6.15-23 gives us only two options for enslavement, slavery to sin and slavey to righteousness.

Slave to Sin
Slavery to sin is the free willed response to desire anything apart from Christ. We should take this to mean two things:

1. Apart from Christ, we are only free to choose sin and since we know not of God’s grace through Christ to remove the guilt/shame/burden and slavery to sin, we continually abide in sin and sinful desires, and
2. We can become enslaved to a wide array of specific sins that further hinder a right-standing relationship with Christ.

Paul describes this second scenario to the those in the church at Corinth:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”-and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?”1

Such things as Paul described were tangible sins in which he could specifically name. Not because these were the general sin habits of everyone, but of a particular group. Of course, we shouldn’t isolate this group and say that it was them alone who struggled with such things. Nevertheless, these are specific sins to which one can become enslaved. Should we not be just as wary of such things as Paul warned the early church of? It is good to note here that these descriptions of sin are not rap-sheets for those outside the church to which Paul was wishing to draw attention, rather, it is a vivid description of those who are now inside the church yet previously participated in such things. They were saved by grace just like any other believer and now have become slaves to righteousness which is Paul’s second and only other option. Being enslaved to righteousness is a wholly different picture.

Slave to Righteousness
Righteous living is a life dedicated to God and honoring His name through such acts as worship, love, giving and wise living. However, such living is impossible to choose on your own. Let’s stop here as we will undoubtedly have some raised eyebrows. I cannot choose to live a righteous life pleasing to God on my own. It’s simply impossible and goes against everything in my natural-born human nature. How so? one might say. Jesus explains so by saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.“2 We are not truly free until the Son sets us free. Your faith, that the Incarnate Christ is alone the atonement for our sins and our basis for right-standing with God, is the proof that you have been set free. No one who is a slave to sin would have such a faith. This faith, in turn, makes us obedient to the Word and desiring of holiness. If not, then its possibly not any kind of saving faith at all. Now certainly there are different levels of conviction and holiness, i.e. a new believer who is still dealing with sin habits or a believer who needs to be confronted and convicted of sin. The point here to take away is this: if you have faith in Christ, you will be a slave to righteousness and desire to continue being so. Does this describe where you find yourself today?

So What?
We have looked at two brief yet important scenarios that describe life. This is so important to understand in our spiritual life. So important that we decided to take two weeks to focus on it! Being a slave is inevitable, but to what are you enslaved? Perhaps to an overall lifestyle of sin where your every choice and desire goes against God’s standard, or maybe you desire holiness and are as such a slave to righteousness. I invite you to take a long, hard look at your life. What are the fruits of your salvation? Do you desire the holy things of God or simply wish for more of your own tastes and desires? We are only free to choose that which we desire to enslave us. These are issues that must be wrestled with if you are to analyze which master you belong to. Take care and have a great week in the Lord.

Fellow Slave,

Coleman

Endnotes:
1. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 12-16
2. John 8:34-36

A sneak peak at this year’s carol service…

Carol Service Order of Service

Wow! It has been a long time since I posted, so I guess I have a lot to catch up about.

During that time I started using Facebook more often as an immediate means of posting and getting feedback. Most of the time my posts are pretty benign. “Frank just got back from Sons of Italy.” “Frank had a great time at the Caffe Prada wine tasting.” Etc. But as soon as I get on the topic of the Gospel, some of my previously friendly “friends” turn negative.

One person wrote, “Cut this s*** out! This is a friendly site.” Others wrote, “Doctrines are invented by men.” Still others wrote, “That is just one point of view.” ‘So-and-so’ says this, ‘… .’” I respect their point of view, but I am actually not in the business of getting people to believe, but getting people to think. I even teach my high school classes, “In this class you will learn to think.” I won’t give them what to think, I will teach them the importance of thinking about what someone says, determining how much value it has to them and their lives.

Once again, I will endeavor to pass along something to think about. I post what is accepted Christian thought from the point of  view of the early church, quoting early church sources and writings as my support. I may or may not have it in my posts, but I have the resources to share with all who ask. I am passing along information to think about. I welcome comments, but please think about and support what you think if you decide to comment beyond something appreciative. Please say what you like, but support what you say. That is just good etiquette.

I have written before on the excitement in the Apostle Paul’s voice as he announces to the world what God has done for humanity through Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 1 the excitement is palpable. We are blesses with every heavenly blessing in Jesus Christ. We have been adopted into the eternal relationship shared by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Most importantly, this was predestined by the Father before there was a creation. Yet, as it says in John 1, men (read people, not just males) prefer the darkness to the light of the freedom given to us by Jesus.

I get to counsel a lot of people because I am a pastor. I hear the stories of mean things that people say about other people. It is hurtful. So my advice to them is to view what these people are saying as a gift, a gift you DON’T have to accept. What God is offering us is also a gift that we have the choice to accept or refuse. But here’s the kicker, refusing the gift doesn’t change it’s existence.

The draw of God is real. Maybe you don’t think so, but it is. Every time you feel compassion for someone, that is the love of God pouring through you. Every time you feel joy, that is the joy of God pouring through you. Every time you connect with someone, that is the relationship of God pouring through you.

While some researchers believe that our emotions come about as a result of the hypothalamus, the limbic system in our brains, there is no agreement as to how or why it works. What differences in operation of that system define love from anger from fear? What we do know is that we have emotions. try as they might, scientists cannot find any clear reasons as to why?

So why is it so difficult to accept even the possibility that we have those emotions because they were given to us by a loving creator? Why is it easy to take either the religious point of view of God as little more than an emotionless bean counter recording all the things we do in our lives so that he can later exact revenge, or scientific point of view which believes God as a creation of man? I believe it is because accepting God for who he is, and that he really is in control, and that he really does have a plan that includes us is so much harder.

Religion is easy because it gives us a list of things to do or don’t do, believe and not believe. Science is easy because it tries to eliminate the very existence of God by facts and reasons and rationale even though there is so much that is scientifically unprovable.

Both leave us empty with doubts and fears that our existence is purposeless. We are at the whim of either an apathetic God who has to be convinced to love us or an apathetic science that explains the whats of life without explaining the whys. Both cause us to question our current existence much less our future.

The God Paul is telling us about is not emotionless and not apathetic. He is so determined to bring us to him and reveal to us the life we were supposed to have all along that he did something outrageous in the annals of religion, he became us. He lived as one of us, suffered as one of us, stressed as one of us, cried as one of us and ultimately died as one of us. He did it to reveal that the God we don’t know, one Paul told the Athenians was “the unknown God” (Acts 17), has had a plan for us that includes all his greatest blessings like unfettered love without doubts, freedom from all threats and worries and a purposeful life eternal creating and discovering as mankind has never done before.

This is not universalism because some, even some reading this post, doubt that God wants this and has always wanted this for us. To the critics I’ll say this, in the long run my details might be off, but will be solely because I cannot fully comprehend “every blessing from heaven” as God has designed this. Because of doubt some will actually refuse this amazing gift from the God who loves them. Some of you right now question what I am saying. That is your right. God has given you the ability to accept or reject this gift. But it doesn’t change the reality of the gift. The gift is there. It’s yours. No one can take it away from you, but you can reject it.

Repentance in the Bible is the word “metanoia” which means to change your mind. God is asking you to change you mind about him about the gift he is offering you. He is calling you to believe the adoption he has done for you. To accept his love and purpose for you. To accept the freedom and peace only he can give you. You can resist, but that would be foolish.

I am not the most devout person - but I hear this music and I wanna roll down the car window and jubilantly sing heaven’s praises!!!

Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens – By Your Side

Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens – Lift My Burdens

 Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens – What More Can I Do?

” The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed “. Romans 13:11.

Most of the times, we worry ourselves saying ” No Time “. In these days, where everything is done at a great speed, don’t we really have ” No time ” ? Those who excel in their work and studies have 24 hours a day. How is it that we, who also have the same 24 hours , don’t have time to do our work and study well? Then there is a problem in our handling of the time. We have more facilities such as fast cookery items, different types of vehicles , e-mail, ATM,cell-phone, Internet and so on, by means of which we are able to finish off things easily and fastly. Still, most of us sing the same chorus ” We don’t have time “. The fault is in our side only. We do not plan well ahead and manage time. First of all, we should get up early and spend some time in prayer. Achieving great things in life and getting up early — are inter-related. When we get up late and on seeing the clock , we become tensed. Hurriedly, we finish off the morning duties, food etc. But, we leave off Bible Reading, individual prayer, family prayer and family relationship which are the essence of life and back-bone of every Christian. Hence, we fail in most of our duties that day. Abraham, Moses,Joshua, David and Mary Magdeline had the habit of getting up early. To lead a victorious Christian life, we ought to get up early, spend the time in prayer and plan well. Then the Divine Hand will be with us in all that we do.

“Dear Lord, give me the wisdom to plan well and handle the time properly. Lord, my times are in Your Hand. Let your face shine upon me and save me by your Grace. In Jesus’ Name I pray “. –Amen

The observation below is a precise insight into the human heart.  He brings a careful examination and diagnoses of a short-circuiting of the grace of the Gospel in us.

Namely, if we are not moving toward others in love and joy, the answer is NOT to turn to the will and “gut it out.”  The answer is to do the oft-times difficult and painful work of rooting out the obstacles to the free-flow of grace.

“Grasping the external propulsion of God’s grace is crucial to our understanding of mission. It means that mission is not a duty (something we ’should do’) but a natural overflow of the gospel’s work inside us. If you aren’t motivated to love, serve, and speak the gospel to people, the answer isn’t to ‘just do it.’ The answer is to examine your heart, repent of sin, and discern where your unbelief is short-circuiting the natural outward movement of the gospel. As the gospel renews your heart, it will also renew your desire to move out in faith into the relationships and opportunities God places in your path.

To put it simply, the grace of God is always going somewhere—moving forward, extending his kingdom, propelling his people toward love and service to others. As we learn to live in light of the gospel, mission should be the natural overflow. God’s grace brings renewal internally (in us) so that it might bring renewal externally (through us).”

- Bob Thune and Will Walker, The Gospel-Centered Life (World Harvest Mission, 2009), 46.

Monergism Books is giving away three quality prizes for Thanksgiving:

• First Prize – Calvin’s Commentaries

by John Calvin

This Special Collector’s edition contains the 22 commentary volumes plus the Beveridge edition of Calvin’s Institutes. Each volume includes a 500-year logo/emblem to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth.

• Second Prize – Expository Thoughts on the Gospels

by J. C. Ryle

Ryle’s ‘plain and pointed’ words are a great stimulus to the reading of the Bible itself. While his chief aim is to help the reader to know Christ, he additionally writes so that his commentaries can be read aloud to a group. There are many other fuller commentaries on the Gospels, but no others make such compelling listening as those of J.C. Ryle.

• Third Prize  – The Gospel According to John

by D. A. Carson

In this commentary on John’s Gospel, a respected Scripture expositor makes clear the flow of the text, engages a small but representative part of the massive secondary literature on John, shows how the Fourth Gospel contributes to biblical and systematic theology, and offers a consistent exposition of John as a evangelistic Gospel.

To find out more about this giveaway (you must fill out a very short survey) click HERE.

(h/t Tim Challies)

 Navidad Andaluza by Various Artists

2009 (20 tracks, 51:28)

christian/gospel

If you are a lover of music especially gospel music, you need to check out Doobie Powell’s ‘The Time Is Now.’ I’ve had this album for about a week now and I absoloutley love it!!!!!!  The songs are so real, transparent and truly convey Doobie’s passion and commitment to Christ in his ministry.  I must say, as of late, I’ve been impressed with a  many gospel artists because long gone are the days of “cookie cutter” ministries and songs, they have been tackling real issues and delivering messages of change and transformation not just songs to make you “dance” and feel good*…and Doobie is right there with them.  Musically, like I told my music buddies, “this album just makes you want to make an ugly face and bop your head” 4real LOL…I love it, it is so groovy!!!

My Faves: “The Time is now,” “Count it all Joy,” “All the Glory,” “Cry Loud,” “The Best Thing,” “He Won’t Leave You,” and “Give it All.”

Here are some really great videos of Doobie from YouTube, In Spite of it All and All the Glory.  Enjoy

Welcome back, brothers and sisters!!!

Today we are going to discuss the parable of the wedding banquet.  This is a parable that Jesus spoke to the chief priests and Pharisees of the temple.  The parable is as follows:

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, whcih made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding:  and they would not come.  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, ‘Tell them which are bidden, ‘Behold, I have prepared my dinner:  my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready:  come unto the marriage.”  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  And the remnant took his servants, and intreated them spitefully, and slew them.”

“But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth:  and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then saith he to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.’  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good:  and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

“And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there was a man which had not on a wedding garment:  And he saith unto him, ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’  And he was speechless.  Then said the king to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness;  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.” – Mattew 22:2-14 (KJV)

Brothers and sisters, let’s break down the parable, staring with the cast.

The king of the parable represents God the Father.  The son that the king has arranged a marriage for is Jesus Christ.  The bride to be is the church of Christ, which is all who live in the Lord.  The servants that were sent out to invite the guests represent the prophets.  The first group of guests that was repeatedly invited was the Israelites, God’s chosen people.  Remember, that though many prophets were respected and revered for a time, they usually ended up being persecuted/killed by the very people they were trying to reach with God’s message.

The second group of guests are the Gentiles, or the non-Jews.  When the Jewish people repeatedly rejected the Father, His word, and ultimately Jesus Christ and the Gospel He shared, the Gentiles were blessed with the opportunity to receive the Gospel and to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior while also receiving the gift of salvation that is found only in the only begotten Son of God.

Why was the one guest in the parable cast into outer darkness for not having on a wedding garment?  The answer is simple.  Do you know what the wedding garment is that the guests were to be clothed with?  Consider the following scripture:

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;  for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” – Isaiah 61:10 (KJV)

You see, beloved, in order to attend the marriage of the Lamb of God, we must be attired appropriately.  We know that the only person we can get the appropriate attire from is Jesus Christ.  Why?  Through Jesus our sins are washed away, our hearts are purified, and we are clothed with the robe of righteousness.  The person in the parable without the robe of righteousness was a person that had not given their life to Jesus Christ, and was subsequently not wearing the necessary robe of righteousness.  Therefore, the inappropriately attired guest offended the king (God the Father). 

Brothers and sisters, there are people in this world who call themselves Christians, yet Christ is not found anywhere in them.  Such people often assume that going to church, periodically praying, and sometimes reading the bible and quoting chapter and verse is sufficient.  These are usually people that rejoice in sin Monday through Saturday, while attempting to live a Christian life on Sunday.  These are referred to as Sunday Christians, or Convenient Christians, and they do not have a place at the Lord’s table.  Why?  Beloved, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior 365 days/year and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Likewise, we are to be His servants at all times as well, living obediently and faithfully in serving Him.  Unfortunately, some are not sincere in their service to the Lord.  Jesus spoke of such people when He said the following about the day of judgment:

“Not everyone that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;  but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?  and in thy name have cast out devils?  and in thy name done many wonderful works?’  And then I will profess unto them, ‘I never knew you:  depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” – Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV)

You see, beloved, while we can fool our fellow man into believing that we are someone we are not, God always knows who we are.  God knows our hearts and knows all there is to possibly know about us.  A few acts, or a few words, do not make a faithful and obedient servant in Christ.  A faithful and obedient servant of the Lord lives in service to Him at all times, while also having the Lord in his/her heart at all times.  We love His word, regularly study it, and He writes it into our hearts.  We take every opportunity to share the Lord’s love and word with anyone we can reach.  We are never ashamed to confess to others that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and Jesus is not ashamed of presenting us to the Father and speaking on our behalf.  Beloved, let’s live Christ in our lives all day, every single day.  Let’s study His word regularly as diligent students, and let’s do His work always as faithful and obedient servants are to do.  The Lord has already given us everything by blessing us with the gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Let’s show Him how much we appreciate His sacrifice, His love, and His forgiveness by doing His work and will unceasingly and with a glad heart.

Beloved, if you have not yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but you would sincerely like to, then please pray the following prayer:

“Lord God Almighty, I know that I am a sinner and that I am lost.  I know that I need to be saved from sin, but I also know that I can’t save myself.  Lord Jesus, I know that only You can save me.  I know that you paid for my salvation with your own life and blood on the cross.  I know that when You rose from the grave on the third day, you provided everlasting life to all who trust in You.  Right now, I lay down my life and let go of my pride, my vanity and every other sin that has kept me from You.  Lord Jesus, I now completely trust my life to You.  I open my heart to You, Lord.  Please come into my heart.  Please forgive me of all of my sins, and please accept me as Your child.  From this point on, I commit my life to You.  Please guide me and provide me strength as I begin to live the rest of my life for You.  In Your precious and matchless name I pray. Amen.”

I you just prayed that prayer, honestly seeking the Lord, then you are now saved.  The robe of righteousness is now available unto you, and though you will still face adversity in this world, you now have the Lord with you to face and overcome anything that comes your way.  Nurture your relationship with the Lord by talking to Him often through prayer with thanks and supplication, while also studying His word.  Ask the Lord to guide your every path, and follow the path that He sets before you.  You no longer serve the sins and lusts of this world.  Your chains that tied you to the things of this world have now been broken.  Serve the Lord with all your heart, and always seek His will in all things.  Welcome to the family:-)  Know that the angels in heaven are rejoicing at your decision to give your life to the Lord!!!

I want to thank you all for joining in on today’s discussion.  I hope you will be able to join us for tomorrow’s next message.

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed rest of the day.  Remember, you are loved by the very Creator of earth, the heavens, and all life with a love that is perfect, complete, and powerful beyond our present ability to fully comprehend.  Precious one, He made you in your mother’s womb, and you are very special to Him:-)

May the Lord bless you, keep you, guide you, and make His face to shine upon you and your loved ones always.

Your brother in Christ,

Rev Jason Thurwanger

OK, I have to admit it.  A few months ago, I bought my first rap album since I was in junior high.  It’s Shai Linne’s Storiez.  While rap is not my music genre of choice, I love this CD b/c of it’s theological integrity set to catchy jingles easily memorized.  Here’s a great song from the CD that summarizes the gospel (Click here to hear him perform this):

Alright check it: let’s go back in time, brethren

Divine lessons always keep your mind guessing

The glory of the Triune God’s what I’m stressing

The origin of humankind was fine- blessings

Were plenteous- God is amazingly generous

Crazy benefits in a state of innocence

God told the man what he could taste was limited

Not long after came our nemesis in Genesis

He scammed well, man fell, damned to hell

The whole human race- he represented it

Fooled by the serpent, man through his work

Woman through birth- even the earth ruled by the curse

But instead of a wake immediately

God said her Seed would be the One to crush the head of the snake

Yo, wait what’s this? Whoa, a gracious gift!

In Jehovah’s faithfulness He clothed their nakedness

This was so they would know their Savior’s kiss

And bliss- but first, many growing pains exist

Suffering in the worst form, ugly deeds

Eve’s firstborn seed made his brother bleed

Indeed things got progressively worse

Every section of the earth’s been affected by the curse

And though God’s judgments against sin were gory

Praise the Lord! It’s not the end of the story

Chorus:

It’s the greatest story ever told

A God pursues foes whose hearts turned cold

The greatest story ever told

The glory of Christ is the goal, behold

Next scene: man’s sin was extreme

God gets steamed, man gets creamed

The Lord is so Holy that He drowned them in the water

Fire in the valley of slaughter- Sodom and Gomorrah

But at the same time, He’s so gracious and patient

That from one man He created a whole nation

Eventually enslaved by the mentally depraved

They cried out to the only One with the strength that He could save

He brought them out with signs and wonders- satisfied their hunger

Then He appeared on Mount Sinai in thunder

Where He laid down the law for God-ruled government

Commonly referred to as the Mosaic covenant

Sin’s imputed- so for man to know he’s unrighteous

God instituted animal sacrifices

This was to show our constant need for atonement

And when it came to sin, the Lord would never condone it

And when His people disobeyed and went astray

He raised up prophets and kings to lead them in the way

But they would get foul with their idolatry- wet and wild

Prophecy- send them into exile

To take their punishment like a grown man

Then with His own hand He placed them back in their homeland

And while in their forefather’s land they dwelt

They awaited the arrival of Emmanuel

Chorus:

It’s the greatest story ever told

A God pursues foes whose hearts turned cold

The greatest story ever told

The glory of Christ is the goal, behold

After 400 silent years filled with sighs and tears

In Bethlehem the Messiah appears

God in the flesh- Second Person of the Trinity

At thirty begins His earthly ministry

Baffling cats with accurate, exact facts

And back to back miraculous acts

A stumbling block to the self righteous

But the humbled- His flock, said “There’s no one else like this”

He came from heaven to awake the numb

Demonstrated His power over nature, son

A foretaste of the Kingdom and the age to come

But the reason He came was to pay the sum

For the depths of our wickedness, our wretched sinfulness

Bless His magnificence- He’s perfect and innocent

Yet He was wrecked and His death- He predicted it

Next He was stretched, paid a debt that was infinite

He said that He finished it- resurrected so the elect

would be the recipients of its benefits

Through faith and penitence we get to be intimate

His grace is heaven sent, it never diminishes

Now the Holy Spirit indwelling is the evidence

for heaven’s future residents who truly represent

Jesus, the Author, Producer, Director and

I was so compelled by this email that I received this morning, coupled with the myriad of wayward sons and daughters that I am aware of – and their parents – that I felt pointing readers to the words of a once wayward son would be helpful.  By God’s grace, this wayward son is home now.  Potentially his advice will serve those of you who are struggling to  see your own wayward son or daughter come home;  and those of us who are desperately doing what we can now to prepare for the crossroads that lie ahead.

12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child

Abraham Piper

My son Abraham, who speaks from the wisdom of experience and Scripture, has written the article that follows. I read it with tears and laughter. It is so compelling that I asked him immediately if I could share it with the church and the wider Christian community. There is no greater joy than to see your children walking in the truth—and expressing it so well. The rest is Abraham’s untouched. -John Piper

Many parents are brokenhearted and completely baffled by their unbelieving son or daughter. They have no clue why the child they raised well is making such awful, destructive decisions. I’ve never been one of these parents, but I have been one of these sons. Reflecting back on that experience, I offer these suggestions to help you reach out to your wayward child.

1. Point them to Christ.

Your rebellious child’s real problem is not drugs or sex or cigarettes or pornography or laziness or crime or cussing or slovenliness or homosexuality or being in a punk rock band. The real problem is that they don’t see Jesus clearly. The best thing you can do for them—and the only reason to do any of the following suggestions—is to show them Christ. It is not a simple or immediate process, but the sins in their life that distress you and destroy them will only begin to fade away when they see Jesus more like he actually is.

2. Pray.

Only God can save your son or daughter, so keep on asking that he will display himself to them in a way they can’t resist worshiping him for.

3. Acknowledge that something is wrong.

If your daughter rejects Jesus, don’t pretend everything is fine.

For every unbelieving child, the details will be different. Each one will require parents to reach out in unique ways. Never acceptable, however, is not reaching out at all. If your child is an unbeliever, don’t ignore it. Holidays might be easier, but eternity won’t be.

4. Don’t expect them to be Christ-like.

If your son is not a Christian, he’s not going to act like one.

You know that he has forsaken the faith, so don’t expect him to live by the standards you raised him with. For example, you might be tempted to say, “I know you’re struggling with believing in Jesus, but can’t you at least admit that getting wasted every day is sin?”

If he’s struggling to believe in Jesus, then there is very little significance in admitting that drunkenness is wrong. You want to protect him, yes. But his unbelief is the most dangerous problem—not partying. No matter how your child’s unbelief exemplifies itself in his behavior, always be sure to focus more on the heart’s sickness than its symptoms.

5. Welcome them home.

Because the deepest concern is not your child’s actions, but his heart, don’t create too many requirements for coming home. If he has any inkling to be with you, it is God giving you a chance to love him back to Jesus. Obviously there are some instances in which parents must give ultimatums: “Don’t come to this house if you are…” But these will be rare. Don’t lessen the likelihood of an opportunity to be with your child by too many rules.

If your daughter smells like weed or an ashtray, spray her jacket with Febreze and change the sheets when she leaves, but let her come home. If you find out she’s pregnant, then buy her folic acid, take her to her twenty-week ultrasound, protect her from Planned Parenthood, and by all means let her come home. If your son is broke because he spent all the money you lent him on loose women and ritzy liquor, then forgive his debt as you’ve been forgiven, don’t give him any more money, and let him come home. If he hasn’t been around for a week and a half because he’s been staying at his girlfriend’s—or boyfriend’s—apartment, plead with him not to go back, and let him come home.

6. Plead with them more than you rebuke them.

Be gentle in your disappointment.

What really concerns you is that your child is destroying herself, not that she’s breaking rules. Treat her in a way that makes this clear. She probably knows—especially if she was raised as a Christian—that what she’s doing is wrong. And she definitely knows you think it is. So she doesn’t need this pointed out. She needs to see how you are going to react to her evil. Your gentle forbearance and sorrowful hope will show her that you really do trust Jesus.

Her conscience can condemn her by itself. Parents ought to stand kindly and firmly, always living in the hope that they want their child to return to.

7. Connect them to believers who have better access to them.

There are two kinds of access that you may not have to your child: geographical and relational. If your wayward son lives far away, try to find a solid believer in his area and ask him to contact your son. This may seem nosy or stupid or embarrassing to him, but it’s worth it—especially if the believer you find can also relate to your son emotionally in a way you can’t.

Relational distance will also be a side effect of your child leaving the faith, so your relationship will be tenuous and should be protected if at all possible. But hard rebuke is still necessary.

This is where another believer who has emotional access to your son may be very helpful. If there is a believer who your son trusts and perhaps even enjoys being around, then that believer has a platform to tell your son—in a way he may actually pay attention to—that he’s being an idiot. This may sound harsh, but it’s a news flash we all need from time to time, and people we trust are usually the only ones who can package a painful rebuke so that it is a gift to us.

A lot of rebellious kids would do well to hear that they’re being fools—and it is rare that this can helpfully be pointed out by their parents—so try to keep other Christians in your kids lives.

8. Respect their friends.

Honor your wayward child in the same way you’d honor any other unbeliever. They may run with crowds you’d never consider talking to or even looking at, but they are your child’s friends. Respect that—even if the relationship is founded on sin. They’re bad for your son, yes. But he’s bad for them, too. Nothing will be solved by making it perfectly evident that you don’t like who he’s hanging around with.

When your son shows up for a family birthday celebration with another girlfriend—one you’ve never seen before and probably won’t see again—be hospitable. She’s also someone’s wayward child, and she needs Jesus, too.

9. Email them.

Praise God for technology that lets you stay in your kids’ lives so easily!

When you read something in the Bible that encourages you and helps you love Jesus more, write it up in a couple lines and send it to your child. The best exhortation for them is positive examples of Christ’s joy in your own life.

Don’t stress out when you’re composing these as if each one needs to be singularly powerful. Just whip them out one after another, and let the cumulative effect of your satisfaction in God gather up in your child’s inbox. God’s word is never proclaimed in vain.

10. Take them to lunch.

If possible, don’t let your only interaction with your child be electronic. Get together with him face to face if you can. You may think this is stressful and uncomfortable, but trust me that it’s far worse to be in the child’s shoes—he is experiencing all the same discomfort, but compounded by guilt. So if he is willing to get together with you for lunch, praise God, and use the opportunity.

It will feel almost hypocritical to talk about his daily life, since what you really care about is his eternal life, but try to anyway. He needs to know you care about all of him. Then, before lunch is over, pray that the Lord will give you the gumption to ask about his soul. You don’t know how he’ll respond. Will he roll his eyes like you’re an idiot? Will he get mad and leave? Or has God been working in him since you talked last? You don’t know until you risk asking.

(Here’s a note to parents of younger children: Set up regular times to go out to eat with your kids. Not only will this be valuable for its own sake, but also, if they ever enter a season of rebellion, the tradition of meeting with them will already be in place and it won’t feel weird to ask them out to lunch. If a son has been eating out on Saturdays with his dad since he was a tot, it will be much harder for him later in life to say no to his father’s invitation—even as a surly nineteen-year-old.)

11. Take an interest in their pursuits.

Odds are that if your daughter is purposefully rejecting Christ, then the way she spends her time will probably disappoint you. Nevertheless, find the value in her interests, if possible, and encourage her. You went to her school plays and soccer games when she was ten; what can you do now that she’s twenty to show that you still really care about her interests?

Jesus spent time with tax collectors and prostitutes, and he wasn’t even related to them. Imitate Christ by being the kind of parent who will put some earplugs in your pocket and head downtown to that dank little nightclub where your daughter’s CD release show is. Encourage her and never stop praying that she will begin to use her gifts for Jesus’ glory instead her own.

12. Point them to Christ.

This can’t be over-stressed. It is the whole point. No strategy for reaching your son or daughter will have any lasting effect if the underlying goal isn’t to help them know Jesus.

Jesus.

It’s not so that they will be good kids again; it’s not so that they’ll get their hair cut and start taking showers; it’s not so that they’ll like classical music instead of deathcore; it’s not so that you can stop being embarrassed at your weekly Bible study; it’s not so that they’ll vote conservative again by the next election; it’s not even so that you can sleep at night, knowing they’re not going to hell.

The only ultimate reason to pray for them, welcome them, plead with them, email them, eat with them, or take an interest in their interests is so that their eyes will be opened to Christ.

And not only is he the only point—he’s the only hope. When they see the wonder of Jesus, satisfaction will be redefined. He will replace the pathetic vanity of the money, or the praise of man, or the high, or the orgasm that they are staking their eternities on right now. Only his grace can draw them from their perilous pursuits and bind them safely to himself—captive, but satisfied.

He will do this for many. Be faithful and don’t give up.

© Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

Elvis Presley sjunger How great thou art med en äkta känsla. Lyssna på denna fantastiska gospel.

“Prayer mirrors the gospel. In the gospel, the Father takes us as we are because of Jesus and gives us his gift of salvation. In prayer, the Father receives us as we are because of Jesus and gives us the gift of help. We look at the inadequacy of our praying and give up, thinking something is wrong with us. God looks at the adequacy of his Son and delights in our sloppy, meandering prayers.”

- Paul Miller, A Praying Life

I am running a competition to win one of five signed copies of Alan Dunn’s book, Gospel Intimacy in a Godly Marriage.  So far, it has failed to rouse much in the way of sporting blood.

Friends, this is a first rate book.  Is it profound?  Yes.  Does it demand thought?  Yes.  Will it let you quickly off the hook?  No.  Will it call you to prayer in repentance over sin and for grace to press on?  Yes.  Will it bring a savour of Christian grace to the marriage of anyone prepared to pray it in and work it out?  Assuredly.  Is it worth having?  Indubitably.

So, please, head over to THE COMPETITION and get your well-oiled typing fingers moving at blistering speeds.  If you want to get thinking immediately, here is the challenge:

Please identify a particular marriage – either in your own experience or one from church history – which you believe demonstrates true gospel intimacy.  Please briefly explain how this is manifested in the marriage, and what you have learned (e.g. of Christ and his church, the nature of gospel love, how to demonstrate a genuinely Christlike love, etc.) as a result of learning about or observing this marriage.

So yoicks and tally-ho, etc.  The deadline is Monday 30 November.  Please leave answers in the comments.

            Shaniya’s lifeless 5 year old body was found off the side of the road in Sanford, North Carolina after a week long search.  Preliminary autopsy results indicate she was raped and died from asphyxiation on Tuesday, November 10^th.  Her father claims Antoinette, the mother, trafficked her to pay off a drug debt.  Whatever the reason, the life of a beautiful, precious 5 year old soul has departed after a gruesome event.  Now, her mother sits in a jail cell two months pregnant.  Antoinette’s 7 year old son has been removed from her residence.

             One precious soul has departed, finally resting at peace in the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16).  Shaniya’s father raised her for the majority of her life.  He will never share another holiday with his little girl, take another picture, hear another laugh, or feel the tight embrace of her arms wrapped around his neck.  He lost her due to sin.

             Our Almighty Father has a child currently sitting in a jail cell due to sin.  Antoinette has been lost in drugs and other sins that have kept her from the fellowship of the Divine Creator.  Antoinette has been separated from the life of hope that the gospel offers every one.  She has been lost to a life so desperate that she would allegedly trade her daughter to pay her debt. 

            Jehovah had His Son die for Antoinette (John 3:16).  Jesus died, wanting nothing more than for Antoinette to be forgiven of her sins, and be reconciled to the Father (Rom 5:6-8; Luke 23:34).  Jesus wants Antoinette to know that drugs will not bring peace to her life.  Jesus wants Antoinette to know that life in this world is temporary, but life in God’s kingdom, which is now present, lasts for an eternity.  Jesus wants Antoinette to have hope in the resurrection.  He wants her to know that no matter what, His way is always better and that there is always hope. 

             Our Father wants Antoinette’s 7 year old son to know about the gospel.  The Almighty wants her precious 2 month old residing in the womb to be raised knowing the security and peace that only the life lived by the gospel can provide. God wants Antoinette to know that He WANTS to forgive her, and live with her for an eternity.  Jehovah wants Antoinette to know that drugs, prostitution, or any other sin will not bring her life back.  God wants her to know that the only way she can ever be reunited with her beautiful 5 year old daughter is to believe and submit to the gospel of Christ. 

            Shaniya’s father already lost his little girl due to sin.  Antoinette’s Father does not want her to be lost forever due to sin.  Antoinette needs the church.  She needs our prayers, as do all involved in this case.  Most importantly, Shaniya’s mom needs the gospel.   That is why the church is here.